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MIKARU from G.L.A.M.S barely returned from the EU, but the next gig in the USA is already around the corner! Read all about his last tour and what to expect from his next show in our interview! But be careful you might get eaten…
Thank you very much for taking your time today to have an interview with us. First of all, welcome back to Japan! You recently returned from your Europe Tour. We hope you had a pleasant time?
Thank you too! I’m back!! I had another really great week in Europe this time as well. After all, it’s been two years since the last time I went there. I feel as if I came back to life again. You could call it “Mikaru’s reawakening!”.
The reason for your trip was the Magnificon in Poland, which is the biggest event for Japanese pop culture the country has to offer. How was the concert?
The concert was a lot of fun! I did feel nervous before the show, as 2 years had passed since my last show overseas. But once a concert starts, my anxiety is always blown away. I’d say about 20% of people in the venue knew me. So, of course, most of the people in the venue didn’t know me. But, I could feel their energy – it was such a hot show! They became one with me! After seeing the crowd having fun, I became even more energized and excited! So much that I would have loved to eat each and everyone in the crowd!!
Fans also had the opportunity to have a meet & greet with you. During concerts, a certain distance between the artist and fans still remains. How was it for you to actually meet your fans? Was there anything that left a strong impression?
You’re saying there’s distance between me and my fans? There’s no distance between us; we are so close together that not even one thin hair could fit between us. We are fused into one. I am you and you are me.
You also visited Paris and uploaded many photos from your trip. What did you enjoy the most in Paris?
I enjoyed eating meat drizzled with the best sauce ever and a melted chocolate cake while drinking beer and looking at the city of Paris – all while I was thinking about the concert in Poland the other day and imagining how my concert in Liege the next day would be. I had the best time. But if you had been with me, I would have had an even better time.
You actually went to Europe just 2 years ago for your G.L.A.M.S TWILIGHT AFTER THE RAIN EURO TOUR 2020 and 4 concerts had to be canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak. A few years have passed since the start of the pandemic, but many Japanese artists are still hesitating to go overseas. You, however, returned quickly to having shows overseas. What made you go in the first place?
The boss of the event company, High Feel, reached out to me. She’s been my friend for more than 10 years. When she called me, it was already pretty late though, as we were talking about doing a show in one month. Usually, you do a lot of promotional activities beforehand, so you start planning a (overseas) tour at least half a year in advance. But our conversation was basically like this:
My boss: “There’s an event in Poland called Magnificon at the end of next month. Do you want to play there?”
Me: “Yes! I’ll play there!”
And that was about it. Later on…
Me: “Since I’m already going to Europe, let’s add one special solo-show!”
My boss: “Yeah, let’s do that!”
This is how I ended up coming. A very simple conversation! And a fast decision at that!
Not only have you just been to Europe, you are also going to the US very soon. We bet your fans are really excited about the news. What do you expect from your show in the US? And what can your fans expect?
I get excited thinking about my show in the US every day. I already have a vivid image of my live performance in mind. You’ll regret it if you don’t come to see my show, I can guarantee you that. It’s going to be the best first show ever!!!
Besides meeting your fans in the US, is there anything you are especially looking forward to?
I want to look at the cityscape of Washington. I watch tons of American movies. A lot of them take place in Washington, so I am looking forward to finally seeing the cityscape with my own eyes in real life.
We would like to know more about your song production. As a solo artist, do you write all songs, including all instruments, yourself?
As for the instrumental parts, I have someone for each part. A guitarist for the guitar parts, a bassist for the bass parts. And I usually hire a drummer for the drum part. I am responsible for the singing in the chorus and the synthesizer keyboard. As for the composition of the song and the separate phrases, it’s Yudai and I who decide on everything. Yudai and I are the core composers of G.L.A.M.S’ music. This time, we will be going together, as the both of us know everything there is to know about our songs. These songs are like our kids.
Since the pandemic, live streams started to be very popular. Your live stream concerts are also available for overseas fans. Are you planning to continue doing live streams?
I think live streams are great. I am planning to continue doing them. Due to the time differences between countries it’s not easy, especially if I were to do them every day, but as long as there’s people who watch them I want to continue doing them. If I don’t, I’ll die. I can’t live without doing concerts.
Besides music, you’re also producing paintings and jewelry. What is your biggest inspiration for these 3 things?
Basically, it’s the same as with my music. I create things I want to see myself. I am thinking about what kind of painting I’d want to see or what kind of jewelry I’d love to have, and then I turn my imagination into reality. Recently, I’ve been busy producing music, so I haven’t created any paintings or jewelry, but I want to start with it again once the workload of my current album production decreases.
You have all kinds of different projects, but it’s also important to take a break sometimes, right? What are you doing to relax?
My relax time, huh? Well, for one, I feel very relaxed when I’m hugging my bunny. I have a bunny named MiMi and the two of us are currently living together. She’s like a daughter to me. Besides that, I watch a lot of movies and anime. When I’m watching stuff, my brain teleports itself into the world of whatever I am watching, so I can forget about the real world. It’s a very effective way of refreshing one’s mind.
And to close this interview, please leave a message to your overseas fans!
First of all, thank you for doing an interview with me. This is G.L.A.M.S memorable first interview! To the people who will come to Otacon, I will be there!! Mikaru will be there!! You are going to witness a new page in history being written! Let’s create a legend together! Please stay well until then! Eat a lot, sleep a lot and produce a lot of tasty blood for my dinner! Let’s meet at the venue!
Interview: Chris
Translation: Tiffany
English Edit: Kaity
It would be great if you could support us with a small donation.
It might not be much for you, but it would help us providing more and better interviews in the future.
With a little bit of your support we might be able to realize even more!
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