Tag Archives: Misaruka

The staff at Shattered-Tranquility.net is very proud to bring everyone a brand new interview with the up and coming band, ミサルカ [Misaruka]!

Misaruka is a relatively new visual indies band based out of Tokyo. They started as a session band, and flourished into a full fledged band on June 12th, 2008. Just a little less than two months later, they released their first single 「-amakusa-」 on August 2nd, 2008. Their music and aesthetics have made them fairly popular witin the visual scene in the Tokyo area.

The band had their first lives in Osaka and Nagoya in December, followed shortly after by their first sponsored event in January. 『Mass of Tounal St Luke Passion』, their first sponsored event took place on January 31st, 2009, and also marked the release of their second single 「-Doll-」. With new growth happening with every live, they are quickly moving to their one year anniversary and second sponsored event! They will have their second sponsored event to celebrate their one year anniversary on August 8th, and following the same format as their first event, it will be called 『Mass of Tounal St Luke Passion』.

Each member took some time from their busy schedules to answer some questions for us about the band, the music and their lives.

Fore more information on the band and their future activities, make sure you check out their official site at http://misaruka.jp. You can also find information and song samples on their MySpace page located here at http://www.myspace.com/misaruka.

1. Could each of the members please introduce themselves!

rui: I’m the vocalist rui.
mizuki: I’m the guitarist mizuki. The redhead.
yusei: I’m the left stage guitarist yusei. The good looking guy.
azami: I’m the bassist, azami. Misaruka’s darkside. You can’t attain true peace by just acquiring a good heart.
vetchie: I’m the drummer, vetchie. My smile is my redeeming feature.

2. Please tell us the details of how the band formed.
rui: The three of us, rui, mizuki and vetchie, were looking for members, and when bassist azami joined we started off as a session band doing underground activities.

After that, gutarist yusei joined, and we began our official activities.

3. Why was the name “Misaruka” chosen for the band？
rui: “Misa” means an assembly in the church, where prayers can be offered.
“Ruka” is the name of a revered holy person who wrote the bible.
We want to tell the stories of old and good things, that over time and time again still continue to save people’s souls.
“Misaruka” is the symbol of that wish.

4. According to each member, what kind of band is “Misaruka”?
rui: I guess… it’s the world.
There are many protagonists, and various stories.
It’s not only something that we enjoy.
There are tough times, happy times, times for tears,
We’re a warm band that while assembling and mixing together the emotions overflowing in this world,
It sometimes feels like we’re suffocating, and can’t breathe.
mizuki: It’s a place where I can make a personal statement.
yusei: A band that has an outlook on the world
azami: It’s where we can experiment with various types of music.
vetchie: It’s a band where I can liberate myself

5. What got you started in music?
rui: I guess it’s simply because I just liked to sing.
Since I was a child, I was often taken to things like orchestra concerts, and I think that these roots have a big connection to it all.
mizuki: I slept in my shed at home, came across a trumpet and started music.
yusei: I’ve always just played piano.
azami: There was nothing else that I wanted to do.
vetchie: It’s because when I was in high school, I was part of the ‘easy listening music’ club.

6. What do you each hope to accomplish within the band?
rui: I’ve already accomplished one of my goals.
That is that someone who had given up, thinking “Life is too lonely and painful, I don’t want to live anymore” was saved by the message of our band.
Through Misaruka’s music…
With my own words, “You are not alone. I am here.”, I want to be able to heal the hearts of everyone in the world.
mizuki: I want to create a world where there is no one who doesn’t know who I am.
yusei: I want people all over the world to hear Misaruka’s music. I want everyone to notice us.
azami: I want to weave an ensemble of various sounds.
vetchie: I want to establish myself personally. I’d like to be able to slip out of the genre.

7. Where do you see your band’s musical style developing later down the road? Is there a specific way you want it to blossom?
rui: Our music style is already changing everyday. Because everything we come in contact with affects our style.
So, in the same way I would like our music to become one of those aspects that can affect a person’s life.
mizuki: Because all of the members originally had an interest in a symphonic world view, through our various meetings we naturally arrived at this style.
A friend lent us a CD of Symphonic Metal music, and from there we were pulled into this symphonic world view.
I would like to make use of the rapidly growing internet to promote our music. Of course if we have the chance to be featured in TV or magazines, I would also like to use these forms of media.
yusei: For now, I just hope everyone will look at our website and listen to our sample songs on my space.
azami: All the necessary elements just naturally came together.
From things like the fantasy novels I read as a child or the rock music I listened too.
I hope that our listeners can also naturally have a chance to listen to our work… though it might not happen that naturally.
vetchie: The style in which I felt I could best make use of my skills was Symphonic, so I chose it.
I would like for people to become interested in the non-musical elements as well, so that our work can spread to even people who are not related to music.

8. Out of all the various genres of music, why did you choose to go into visual kei?
rui: I didn’t originally plan to go into visual kei, it’s just that the image I had inside of me of what my stage performance should be like happened to fit with visual kei.
mizuki: One reason is that a lot of the music I listened to in the past was visual kei. However, not only the music, but other elements included, we felt that this genre was the best suited to express our world views.
yusei: ‘Cause I wanna stand out(・∀・)
azami: In the visual kei genre itself, in the visual aspect as well as musically, there aren’t any firmly set rules. You can freely express yourself in many ways. So, I believe it’s well worth it to get into this genre.
vetchie: I believe it’s the essence of entertainment. I’m fascinated by not just the make-up, but the work put into the sets, lives, and especially the music itself.

9. When you’re making music, where do you get your inspiration from?
rui: Movies. Books. My own life. History.
mizuki: When I’m doing things like eating meals or taking a bath, or things like talking to my friends… I’m constantly getting inspiration from normal, every day life, so in the end I create things depending on the mood of the moment.
yusei: Love.
azami: Bittersweet memories.
vetchie: Conversations with my band mates. In my case, I also use inspiration from people outside the music industry when creating music.

10. What song do you like most of the band’s? Why did you choose that song?
rui: The new song that I am working on right now.
When making something new I want to always be creating my best work.
mizuki: 「-Doll-」
I wrote the music for this song, so I believe it best fits with my own views.
yusei: 「-symphony-」
This song is a work of mine from several years ago and I was finally able to put it together with this band.
azami: I guess it’s 「-amakusa-」. This song was the starting point for my current activities. I’m currently working on songs that will surpass this one.
vetchie: 「-Troy-」
It has a great balance of our band’s sound and views. But more than that, I personally like the melody of this song.

11. What artist(s) do you respect (look up to)?
rui: Pablo Picaso
mizuki: I respect any artist who is able to bring about a feeling of sadness in me. For example, Children of Bodom, Nightwish, Rhapsody, WITHIN TEMPTATION, etc.
yusei: Bach, Beethoven. And my sempai K-san.
azami: Earth, Wind & Fire
Southern All Stars
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche
vetchie: Regardless of genre, I’m drawn to anyone who is simply striving to achieve their own existence.
If we’re talking about drummers, then Mike Portnoy.

12. What message do you want your fans to know when they listen to your music?
rui: “You’re not alone. I’m here.”
yusei: I want our music to soothe the souls of as many people as possible.
azami: I’m still not able to express this in words.
But I have a message that is still hidden in my heart.
However, for our fans who are still young it might be one side of a harsh reality.
For our fans, who from now on will have many more experiences and become much stronger, I don’t feel there is a need to put it into words. Just like the background music in a movie, music is something that simply accompanies memories.

13. Why did you choose the instrument you did?
rui: Because it’s something where you are able to convey words.
mizuki: I thought it’d be pretty impossible for me to be a vocalist, so the next thing that stood out to me was guitar.
yusei: My reason is exactly the same as mizuki’s. (Laughs)
azami: Because the low tone of the bass, seems like it has the most effect on the human body.
vetchie: Because I think that the foundation of musical composition is rhythm, and that’s something I want to produce myself.

14. What do you enjoy most, and dislike most about being in a band?
rui: Like: I get to receive smiles and love from many people.  Dislike: Saying goodbye
mizuki: I like lives. There’s nothing in particular that I dislike, but I think it’s tough when your daily rhythm collapses.
yusei: What I like is getting to see everyone’s smiling faces. What I don’t like are the circumstances of being an adult (Laughs)
azami: Like: Performing,  Dislike: Drinking alcohol
vetchie: Like: Practicing, Dislike: The periods of time when I can’t meet with the members

15. If given the chance, where overseas would you like to perform?
rui: Cambodia
mizuki: Scandinavia.
yusei: Europe
azami: United States, South America
vetchie: Scandinavia.

16. Please tell us something embarrassing that happened during a live.
rui: The fly of my pants was open!
mizuki: I hit the mic with my head.
yusei: When I make a mistake, with all my might poured into it.
azami: Once my hair, which I had put up with a lot of decoration, got caught on the lighting equipment and I couldn’t get it out.
vetchie: My seat slid back and I had to try and get it back into place without anyone noticing.

17. If you were to become another member of the band for a day, who would you want to be and why?
rui: yusei. Because I think I’d be able to be honest with myself.
mizuki: I’d like to try being azami. It’s just for a day, which is good, and I want to try taking care of his pet gecko.
yusei: I love myself, so I’m okay with just being me. (Laughs)
azami: vetchie. I want to try wearing cute clothes, and other miscellaneous things… because they don’t suit me.
vetchie: I don’t want to be anyone else. There’s no way that I could be. I’m far too individualistic.

18. What kind of personality does each member have?
rui: Awkward
mizuki: Even though I look like someone who pushes their luck, I’m surprisingly the type of person who acts with caution.
yusei: Even though I look like someone who pushes their luck, I am someone who pushes their luck. (Laughs)
azami: I’m normally quiet.
vetchie: I’m a passionate person, but I hide it. Once I think a certain way, I can’t easily change my opinion.

19. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
rui: A manga artist
mizuki: A professional soccer player
yusei: For some reason, my answer is the same as mizuki’s again. (Laughs)
azami: jedi Master !!
vetchie: A baseball player or an announcer

20. If you weren’t a musician, what would you be?
rui: A truck driver
mizuki: Lately I’ve been thinking about this a lot, but are there any other jobs that I could do? If I had to say, maybe a carpenter…
yusei: I guess I’d be a teacher.
azami: A sumo referee
vetchie: A voice actor

21. What other jobs have you done in your life?
rui: Lots
mizuki: None
yusei: It’s a secret
azami: I’ve done stuff like cook, and work in a music store
vetchie: None.

22. What are your interests?
rui: Movies, books
mizuki: The tax increase on tobacco
yusei: I don’t have any other interests aside from music.
azami: Raising and observing reptiles
vetchie: The tides of the visual scene

23. What do you think your weak points and strong points are?
rui: Strong Point: There are things I can’t forget, Weak Point: There are things I can’t forget.
mizuki: My strong is that I’m punctual. My weak point is that I get bored of things easily.
yusei: My strong point is that I’m optimistic and positive. My weak point is that I’m presumptuous. I’m overly self-conscious.
azami: Strong Point: Versatile, Weak Point: Introverted personality
vetchie: Strong Point: I value order, Weak Point: I’m hard headed

24. If the world was going to end tomorrow, what would you do?
rui: I’d sing songs
And I’d want to laugh with everyone
mizuki: I’d go to the beach, and then I’d get into a lot of mischief.
yusei: I’d live for my desires (laughs)
azami: I don’t think I’d do anything particularly different. I’d just stay home and go through my regular routine.
vetchie: I’d spend the day quietly with my parents.

25. Please write a message for all your fans!
rui: Thank you for reading all the way to the end.
I’m truly happy from the bottom of my heart.
There are still many things I’d like to tell all of you.
We are always here waiting for you to come and see us.
mizuki: The only reason we exist is because you all are here. So, from now on please continue to follow us.
yusei: For those who haven’t had a chance to hear our music, first and foremost please listen. If you like our sound, please come to one of our lives.
azami: I wonder how your day was today?
If today was good, I’m sure tomorrow will be better.
And if today was bad, I know tomorrow will be much better than today.
I hope you all sleep well with no worries.
vetchie: Please stay true to your own values when watching us. There are no rules.

Misaruka provided us with a sample so that readers can try out their music! So, give it a listen and if you’re interested be sure to support the artists by purchasing their music!
「-amakusa-」 from the same titled single that came out in August of 2008.

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For more samples, check the band out on MySpace.

BUY IT AT CDJAPAN BUY IT AT BRAND-X BUY IT AT AMAZON.CO.JP BUY IT AT HMV.JP

BUY IT AT CDJAPAN BUY IT AT BRAND-X BUY IT AT AMAZON.CO.JP