[clairebear]

New interviewwwwwwww!


"I want to make music that backs one up, music, that reminds you of your own childhood." (Hiroto)

At the end of last year the band presented their first show in Germany at J-Rock Invasion in Cologne. As we already mentioned in our last issue this was - of course - celebrated extensively.
alice nine. - that's pure sunshine. We talked to the five sympathetic and good-tempered artists who also have an european release out now: Their CD "Alpha".

What do you already know about Germany by now?
Shou: German Metal.
Tora: The beer is lukewarm. (translator's note: eh? Can't that happen like... everywhere? +.+)
Saga: Helloween - to which I used to love to listen to - are from Germany.
Nao: Winners eat Wiener!! (translator's note: a type of sausage) And the german cars are cool!

In last april you played in the USA, in Los Angeles, for the first time. How was the show?
Shou: I was really happy that the crowd was on fire.
Hiroto: It wasn't that different from Japan. Naturally the environment was different, but thanks to the audience and our performance we managed to rock the concert!
Tora: It was absolutely exciting!
Saga: I felt very warmly and cordially received. And the power of the audience was also great.
Nao: ...no, it was crazy!

And which impressions could you get from Los Angeles?
Shou: The steaks there are really tasty.
Hiroto: And the air was good.
Tora: But everyone seemed very serious...
Saga: The light was extremely strong. Concerning the openness, the atmosphere was pleasant.

Was there something that surprised you a lot in America?
Shou: The food is colossal!
Hiroto: The broccoli we got along with our meat dishes was gigantic!!!
Tora: And the hamburgers as well!
Saga: It was great that so many fans were already waiting before the show started.
Nao: I went to Starbucks there and they had lists of beverages, in Japan you search for them in vain.

What was the best moment in the pretty young history of alice nine.?
Shou: The first live gig.
Hiroto: When we all five were together on stage for the first time.
Tora: Every moment is the best...
Saga: The live concerts.
Nao: It's hard to grasp... but it's truly great bliss to be able to make music with this band.

Why did you chose the name alice nine.?
Shou: We wanted to show that we're proud of the Visual Kei scene and our origin.
Hiroto: Yes, typical japanese. Typical Visual Kei... and the feeling of strangeness.
Tora: Moreover the name sounds cool.
Saga: It has no deeper meaning, though. We actually connected words that appealed to us.
Nao: A coup of fate! (laughs)

Your newest album "Alpha" was released in december 2007. What can you say about this piece of work?
Shou: alice nine.'s compilation.
Hiroto: This is alice nine.!!!
Tora: Beautiful.
Saga: When you listen to this album you immediately understand what persons we are. It's such a kind of album.
Nao: Passion!!!

And how did the individual tracks develop? Who is responsible for what?
Shou: The guitars and the bass found the first parts which are later expanded by the other members.
Hiroto: The stringed instruments build the base, Shou puts his lyrics on top and all five of us finish it together.
Tora: We record a demo tape with the help of professional tools and arrange it in the studio.
Saga: I don't have any intent behind this. It always depends on the spontaneity.

When do the best song- and lyric-ideas establish? Spontaneously in the studio, while waking up in the morning, on a calm sunday afternoon or...?
Shou: At about one o'clock at night.
Hiroto: After a live tour, inspired by movies or also in daily life when the emotions escalate.
Tora: I come up with a lot in summer...
Saga: Everytime and everywhere, relatively unexpected but rather at night...
Nao: Exactly, rather when you least expect it...

You cultivate and exquisite styling. What do you love about fashion in general?
Shou: We're a band that shines, everyone individually.
Hiroto: Yes, a specific brilliance adheres to everyone of us.
Tora: Especially to our current style, right?
Saga: Bands with members that get along well appear differently.

Lately there were mostly japanese bands with a pretty dark and aggressive sound visiting Europe. In comparison to that alice nine. gleam like sunshine. Do you just enjoy life and try to make the best of everything?
Shou: We don't want to copy bands that already exist - we play the type of music that reflects what the audience wishes for.
Hiroto: I want to make music that backs one up. Music, that reminds you of your own childhood. Moreover, our bandmembers all "shine", don't they?
Tora: Yes, a fire burns within our music.
Saga: Although that doesn't happen on purpose. But I think the time in which we're active as a band is the most luminous moment in life.
Nao: Because... my smile is "SUN" !!!

What's you life motto?
Shou: "Ishi no ue nimo sannen" (石の上にも三年 - "Perseverance prevails")
Hiroto: There's nothing you cannot accomplish.
Tora: "NO PAIN NO GAIN"
Nao: Make the impossible possible.

Often you can only wonder about people. But what do you think can you also admire about some - or many - people?
Shou: How Saga came to the tour in slippers...
Tora: Really admire? Hard to say...
Saga: I always wonder! (laughs)

You already shot several promotional videos. What's the most fun about that? Mostly it's hard work...
Shou: Right, it's damn hard. Sometimes 36 hours at a stretch.
Hiroto: When band and crew are all together and create a video lots of great things come out in the end, I think that's always interesting and I enjoy it. But of course we also had shootings that took more than 36 hours and that's indeed tough...
Tora: I always have much fun with the clips. And I like watching them when they're done.
Saga: Yes, it's exhausting with all the staff and it often takes such a long time. But there are also many funny moments!

Which places in Japan do you love a lot?
Shou: Akihabara
Hiroto: The Daimonji mountain in Kyoto.
Tora: Tokyo.
Saga: Interesting places, good or bad. With nature and good food.
Nao: Akihabara.

And what do you love about your homeland in general?
Shou: PLAYSTATION.
Hiroto: The rice.
Tora: Peace.
Nao: Sushi.

What means alice nine. for you?
Shou: A proof of existence.
Hiroto: My current reason of existence.
Tora: Destiny.
Saga: Family

Last but not least: What do you want to tell your european fans?
Shou: I love you all!
Hiroto: Since rock music hasn't got to do with nationality - everybody rock to alice nine.'s music and become happy!!!
Tora: I really thank you all. Because you had to wait for so long we want to show you all of us.
Saga: First of all: Hello! It's an honour for me to have the chance to play in Europe. We will give the best live concert that doesn't need to hide from Japan and America.
Nao: Do you love me?