Exclusive Interview: Power up with MiYAMO and こなぐすり！

"It's a small world after all", that's how I felt when my childhood friend Mo told me the main composer for his upcoming open-world action-RPG-metroidvania A.N.N.E was going to be MiYAMO from doujin circle こなぐすり. Mostly known for his stylish pop and trance Touhou arranges, this piano virtuoso has also pumped out some world-famous denpa tunes in the past few years. As you're about to find out, he's far from done! Along with his musicals upbringings and contributions to A.N.N.E, we'll discuss the past, present and future of こなぐすり... get ready for some exclusive news and groundbreaking revelations!


- Please introduce yourself and tell us about your evolution as a musician, from early days to recent developments. Which kind of instruments and software tools have you learned over the years?

When I was a child I was learning the piano. I played compositions on the classic piano of course, but in addition to that I also made arrangements in my own way, and thought of my own melodies and played them. That's when I started composing. When I was in high school, the band I was in at the time was a great failure. So I came to the conclusion that it was time to make my own music. I had a desire to make music for video games so I started to develop a deep interest in "computer music".

The first tool I ever used was "音楽ツクール かなでーる" on the Super Famicom, released back in 1996 by ASCII Corporation. After that, I worked desperately at a part time job to finally buy a handy sequencer called the Yamaha QY70. It was my first experience with MIDI tracks and I was so touched by the sound quality that I can remember that moment even now. At that time, I was completely invested in making game-like music. I arranged music from games I liked such as Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger. After I graduated from high school, I entered a music technical school. I studied things like musical roots and the technical side of making computer music.

After I graduated, I entered a music studio as a pupil. From there I studied musical theory from the basics all over again, as well as studied the piano and solfeggio. After two years of being a pupil, I wrote background music for some bishōjo games. After about one year of that, I left the studio and entered the real world doing freelance work. This is when I started to get popular among gamers.

At that time I wasn’t yet exactly well established in the Touhou community, I was basically just playing around with sounds doing the best I could. I wasn’t really fully immersing myself, but I think my first big exposure was probably IOSYS's 「魔理沙は大変なものを盗んでいきました」. I don’t know if it was logical as far as denpa goes or only natural, but it rode a sketchy line between music and casual dance tracks. This was a big shock to me and I remember it even now. I moved to a city called Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture. I participated in jazz sessions day and night on a street popular for jazz in Hamamatsu.

But, I was still fascinated by the Touhou genre and I feel it was at this time that I wanted to try and fully invest myself in that world. And, from that investment is what you see me as today. Now Conagusuri exists, right? *laughs*




- Why did you decide to become a full-time Touhou arranger as well as start the doujin circle Conagusuri in 2005, as opposed to contributing to existing circles?

The story is a little rough (haha), but I broke up with the girl I was seeing at the time. I lost all connection with the people I knew through her as well as friends I've had for a long time. I became a very lonely person. I became nothing, despairing in life. I remember playing online games all the time. That was the worst year of my life.

In that same year, a friend I met online said "Let's start a music circle with my friends!" Even though it was just a club, no one other than myself had any music experience, you could have called them all beginners, I think. Honestly, I asked myself why someone as myself who wholeheartedly did music for so long would work with a group of amateurs. But at that time I had lost touch with music and I think amateurs was just what I needed!

I had lost touch with music which was more important to me than anything else, and even an opportunity such as this was a chance at music. That’s what I thought. Could we really make a CD together, me and these beginners? That was our challenge. I rethought music and decided to teach them while doing the music club. The result was Conagusuri. Presently, there are no other members left from the original group, but everyone is independent in their own way, starting their own groups. I am really rooting for them, even now.




- Like many people, I became aware of こなぐすり in 2009 thanks to the hyperactive hit 「チルミルチルノ」 and the thousands of related MAD. In the past 8 years, what would you say were the most defining and critical moments of Conagusuri's evolution?

For the first four years of Conagusuri, there were no vocals, just instrumental tracks and we were pretty much an unknown entity. We still managed to make CDs but we wanted to take it a step further and have our music heard by many people. The members that we had up until then and myself wanted to demonstrate our special abilities by making new music.

In the Touhou music scene at the time, IOSYS's 「チルノのパーフェクトさんすう教室」 was riding in the top spot, it was the beginning of a golden age for denpa music. Wouldn’t it be good if Conagusuri started making denpa songs? I had that feeling and it gradually got stronger, we tried our best and the song that we came up with was 「チルミルチルノ」. If even a few more people listened to us as a result, I would have counted it as a success. That’s the feeling that I went in with, but I couldn’t have anticipated what would have become of it. It got over 3,000 hits in an hour on Nico Nico Douga and we were getting offers to do concerts; you could say it was the precise peak of Conagusuri.

The reality is that it came with a lot of pressure. After 「チルミルチルノ」 we fought the pressure and continued to make music. Gradually, we began to lose sight of our direction of making music – we didn't know what we should make, we dabbled in many genres. We began to stray and it went on for a long time.

From there, after about 3 years of worrying, we finally came to a conclusion. This is as far as we've come as a circle making product, but a circle is itself a product. We believed we had one more chance. I can't talk about all of the details now, but after a long time Conagusuri will be having its last run this summer. The reborn Conagusuri will start this winter! We haven’t released this news in Japan yet (haha) Please look forward to the new Conagusuri this winter!



- As far as your arrangements go, most of them sound sharp and stylish (桜∞friendship) while others are completely silly and ridiculous (唐傘奮闘記！～ラクトフェリンの果てへ～). How do you determine which style you will go for?

Thank you very much! When I go with denpa songs, it's because I want to make everyone laugh with music! As for sharp songs, these are probably where I shine most as an arranger. They have the power to move your heart emotionally, a feeling I am trying to convey. (lol) That’s all there is to it.

But combining a lot of genres into one CD is a source of confusion for the audience. That's what we've come to learn. Denpa music and sharp music are both very important to me. These compare favorably and can co-exist on a CD -- from now on Conagusuri plans to develop this concept further. Definitely, please look forward to the new powered-up Conagusuri!




- Among denpa song fans, 「三つ目が悟る ～これが私のドキュメント～」 is certainly considered a tour-de-force thanks to its complex, multi-layered instrumentation and of course perfect vocals from Lady Nanahira. Please tell us about your intentions and creative process for this song.

Wow, that's a very difficult question! This denpa song mixes together components from a lot of various musical genres. Depending on who you ask, denpa is known as a joke genre. Well, I think that a genre that has roots in humor can be completely funny, which is certainly what I went for with this piece. This song is saturated with pieces of classic, techno, folk, and trance.

For classic - in the song’s introduction, during Lady Satori's melody, there is a Beethoven-like phrase and you can hear Satori's dissatisfaction as an irrational feeling background music plays. For techno – there is Satori's dumb rap – it's dumb but, we present it in a way that seems cool. Verse two is all phrases used commonly in folk songs. Here, with the 70's and 80's style cute Japanese folk song sounds, you could say the Japanese otaku falls in love with a girl. Falls in love! That's the nuance the music has anyway (haha) a little gross I guess. So that's why, the background voice is a completely disgusting male otaku chorus. The sound engineers were really grossed out when mixing the track. (haha)

For trance, it becomes a feel-good denpa sound. The packaging of a denpa song is just as much a part of the representation of denpa songs themselves. The balance arranges, and we can make something called a MiYAMO denpa song. In relation to the lyrics, if jokes were not linked to the song, it couldn’t become good denpa. Also, Nanahira-san is such a powerful vocalist, I really think she is a musical genius. I don’t know a girl that could be more of a blessing to denpa music.



- How were you introduced to GamesByMo and the A.N.N.E project? Why did you decide to go ahead and sign up as main composer for this upcoming game?

I became acquainted with Mo through my friend PEPO of PEPOSOFT. He listened to my music, which had a deep impression on him and I was told he wanted me to write music for A.N.N.E. I loved videogame music from the beginning and doing that sort of job was my number one goal. So, "please leave it to me" was my answer. From the start, my computer music was inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy's Nobuo Uematsu (植松伸夫), Romancing Saga's Kenji Ito (伊藤賢治), Ridge Racer's Shinji Hosoe (細江慎治), and PuyoPuyo's Katsumi Tanaka　(田中勝己).

I wanted to try and make that kind of game music myself someday – that was my dream all through school. Through Mo, that dream might finally be fulfilled, so that’s why I joined A.N.N.E, my dream big project. It's truly an honor to be the main composer.




- A.N.N.E is a title which pays hommage to old-school gaming all the while incorporating modern gameplay. How does that particular setting influence your compositions?

There's a fair share of songs that I've made from being influenced by older game music. But let me just say that I am not just imitating past masterpieces. A.N.N.E is an old-school game on a modern gaming system – it's an RPG with a strong action component, but if the music is just like an action game then it will end up being an imitation. For example, Megaman's background music was basically similar to Final Fantasy's battle theme songs, right? You can still produce new material that is imitated or at least similar to old games.

Of course, using music intended for an RPG game in a plain action game is boring, and it would sound off as you are playing the game. And RPG music needs to sound appropriate during the battle scenes. So I think it's essential that it sounds not only new but also nostalgic.

To put it in North American terms, we created movie-like music and (with great effort) combined Japanese and Canadian styles. I had to think [as a Japanese person] how the Japanese style would fit into a North American game – various sources of influence came up, and isn't that how interesting new material is made? From that goal, we also added popular J-Pop themes and styles as well.



- Similarly to rearranging Touhou theme songs, do you draw inspiration from specific videogames when composing the A.N.N.E soundtrack, or do you aim for a brand new concept? Either way, which videogames and artists have influenced you the most over the years?

In regards to Touhou Arrange, depending on the situation, there are various artists that have influenced me, but lately I think Yoko Kanno (菅野よう子), Yasutaka Nakata (中田ヤスタカ), Tetsuya Komuro (小室哲也) and as far as Denpa music – IOSYS. I mix those with my own music. I don't consider it just copying, though. In order to learn how to compose music, the first thing you do is high quality reproductions. Once I've perfectly mastered the source materials, I am able to make my own works from these influential sources.

In regards to A.N.N.E's soundtrack, it is most influenced by Final Fantasy, I'd say. Not just the Final Fantasy from the Famicom era, but also 12 and 13, the recent ones, they also influenced the sound a lot. Music has to be easy on the ears and a pleasure to listen to! Even though it draws influence from modern games, I made sure to mix the A.N.N.E theme song with nostalgic Famicom sounds!



- I noticed that a physical soundtrack CD is not on the list of rewards for the A.N.N.E kickstarter. Do you plan to release a CD in the future, perhaps with remixed or arranged versions?

I was just having this conversation with a friend who makes a lot of dance tracks and I believe he is going to be releasing remix albums in the future, I was only just talking to him about this yesterday (haha). As of now we are not officially planning anything, but the possibility exists. I really would like to make an original soundtrack CD. It makes for a good souvenir of the game music.

For example, when I hear music from a game that I used to play a long time ago, I remember what kind of life I was living back then, what I was doing in school back and so on; it can be fun to reminisce, but it can also be sad at times, so many feelings can come back. In other words, of course you remember the game scenes, but more than that, you think about the "you" that used to play that game as well. It's like music has a photographic memory. For that reason, I think having a soundtrack is a key item. I want to make a soundtrack CD so that I can always remember the time I spent playing A.N.N.E.



- Thank you for your time, I'm sure you're very busy working on the A.N.N.E soundtrack and new こなぐすり projects. We're very excited for this upcoming game and really look forward to your compositions! Any parting words for your newfound and longtime fans?

Thank you very much! In regards to A.N.N.E, from here on out with Mo, I want to make many emotional tracks. Actually, I don't know a whole lot about the game yet, but I am really looking forward to it! I wonder just what will happen, it's a title I'm anticipating. Conagusuri is releasing a new Touhou arrange CD 「7-RAGES」 on May 26th. We also plan to make a Denpa CD for the first time in a while at this summer's Comic Market!

Conagusuri has been through a lot up until now, but since we plan to be born into a new Conagusuri this winter, please look forward to it, everyone! ^^

Exclusive かたほとり Interview (ポヤッチオ / プチリズム / SHAKING PINK)

Many people are familiar with the splendid プチリズム series as well as the new doujin supergroup SHAKING PINK, but what about the man behind the scenes? かたほとり has been composing all kinds of silly sweet songs since 2008, including a surprising number of vocaloid hits. But in recent years there's been a gradual shift to cute female vocals and that's where doujin circle ポヤッチオ is headed these days. We got a hold of busy かたほとり and managed to squeeze out some interesting answers out of him.

If you are new to the "Katahotori Sound", please enjoy this medley video!

- When did you start composing music? Please share your learning experience.

It all started with some electronic organ classes back in elementary school. Then when I became a high school student, I was immediately attracted to PC and video game music. I would attempt to play my favourite songs and learn composition structure along the way, eventually leading to my own original compositions. Other than this rudimentary musical education, I taught myself everything else over the years.

- What elements of moe, denpa and vocaloid songs attracted you as opposed to other genres?

It's unlikely that moe songs, denpa songs and the like could have become popular in just any generation - there are surprisingly many new cutting-edge expressions and manners of speech being used now. When I hear them I get excited... I believe this is the charm that defines moe and denpa music.

- The "Katahotori Sound" is very distinct, with uptempo songs and heavy slapping bass.
Your latest song 「女の子の美学」 is a great example of this style. Where does this influence come from?

These elements, especially the heavy slapping bass, come from a techno sound variation of video game music. This is a genre that heavily influenced me as I was growing up and composing my own music. In particular, I like to refer to Namco and SEGA soundtracks of the 80s and 90s, especially those from composers such as 林克洋 (HAYASHI Katsuhiro) and of course 細江慎治 (HOSOE Shinji). For instance, here are two particularly inspiring soundtracks:

Metal Hawk (NAMCO, 1988)

Galaxy Force (SEGA, 1988)

- How does your creative approach vary when composing original songs versus arranging touhou material?

There are countless people making endless Touhou arrangements from the same source material. I try to think in a way that redefines the image of the original songs as much as I can so that I don't come up with the same stuff. In that sense, it feels like an original, but it's quite relaxing to just be able to compose without thinking about anything too hard.

- The プチリズム series is five volumes strong, did you ever expect this success?

When I started getting into the doujin scene, I quickly realized that most denpa and moe songs came from either Touhou arrange albums or commercial releases (game or anime OPs). In fact there were very few all-original doujin albums focusing exclusively on said genres. I thought to myself "where there's a will, there's a way" and came up with a concept to try and tackle this niche market. Thus プチリズム was born. At first, I didn't think it would turn out to be such a long-running series, but I'm definitely glad we kept going and reached out to so many people.

- Congratulations on getting ななひら, ココ and 桃箱 to join ポヤッチオ.

Nanahira-san, Momobako-san and Koko-san participated in Poyacchio's CDs from the start, but on paper Poyacchio was my group until the end. When the three of them became members, they already understood what sort of group we were -- if their fans bought Poyacchio's CDs and were able to listen to their songs, then I believe that they could feel at ease.

- SHAKING PINK is an amazing doujin supergroup. How did it all come together?

In one way or another, all three members of SHAKING PINK have been associated with ポヤッチオ since the very beginning. We started talking about this project in early 2012 and released the first single in August 2012. All three girls have instantly recognizable voices yet I feel they come together perfectly. They also happen to have very strong individualistic personalities, which helps in creating a unique experience for listeners and fans. Our belief is that 「SHAKING PINK have suddenly invaded us!」 and we'll keep working under this motto.

- Impressively, there's already a CD and live appearance after half a year of existence.
Can you give us a small preview of things to come?

Performing a live concert right after releasing the CD was great timing, we were very happy to receive an invitation from the organizers. The SHAKING PINK girls greatly enjoyed this first live performance, so I'm pretty confident you will see them on stage again. As for future endeavours, there will definitely be more albums as well as collaborations with other circles. Maybe some commercial activities, who knows!

- What is the story behind the lyrics to your mysterious song 「DENPA NO SEKAI」?

「DENPA NO SEKAI」 is a Touhou arrange song that has a theme of living in an imaginary world above the network. As you have guessed, the title was chosen after I became aware of the always pleasant "Denpa no Sekai" website, heh!

- What are some of your hobbies outside of creating music?

I still enjoy watching anime and playing video games, that hasn't changed. However these days, composing songs and managing doujin activities is really taking up most of my free time! I wish could squeeze in a couple more hobbies, but my priority is music.

- What do the names かたほとり and ポヤッチオ mean?

I took the name "Katahotori" from part of the name of a writer I liked a long time ago but it doesn't really have any deep meaning. "Poyacchio" comes from a fortune telling game in an old arcade I used to go to as a kid. The name comes from the result screen's "good luck nickname." In Japan, there is also a popular game called "doki doki poyacchio," and as I recall I have memory of taking it from that same root as that. There is no direct correlation between our "poyacchio" and "doki doki poyacchio"!

- Thank you for your time and we will keep on supporting your efforts in the future.

Not at all, the pleasure's all mine. Poyacchio is going to try a few new things from here on.

Basically I just want to make some fun music. Thank you for your support!

Poyacchio Representative - Katahotori

Exclusive KuKuDoDo Interview (Holic Service / Birdtune)

BirdTune and Holic Service are two well-known Osaka-based doujin circles specializing in Touhou arranges, among other things. Most fans are familiar with their music, but what about the man behind the synthesizer? Over the past three years, I've developed something of an obsession over KuKuDoDo (his name is really fun to say, try it out loud) and his strange-yet-completely-natural mixture of denpa and UK New Wave genres.

Not only are his compositions and arrangements unique, he has always had a knack for recognizing talent as well. Over the years he's collaborated with and featured songs from stalwarts such as t+pazolite, かめりあ, リズナ, 実谷なな, 桜ふみ, めらみぽっぷ, ななひら, ゆきまめ, 未来派 and plenty more.

If the names Holic Service, BirdTune, KuKuDoDo, Gumi and nanano don't mean much to you, start by checking out websites for Holic Service and BirdTune, as well as our 2009 "under the scope" feature to discover some of the most original denpa songs out there.

Please note that all following MP3s have been uploaded with KuKuDoDo's full consent.


- How did you start creating music?

I started creating music well before computer software made everything much easier, so I had to get creative. For instance I would chain up multiple beatboxes and synthesizers together. The end result would often be strange sounds, which I tremendously enjoyed. After a while, I eventually turned to a Yamaha MSX PC and gradually made my way up through the generations of music sofware and DAWs.

At some point I decided to form a band in order to release this music and perform it live. A couple records came out of this and I got the occasion to play synthesizer at multiple club events with various genres such as trance, techno and shoegazer. Over time, it struck me how much New Wave had in common with denpa, vocaloid and doujin music in general. That's why I started BirdTune Records in 2007, as it was clear to me that this would become the best outfit for my artistic expressions.

Interview: Catching up with さつき が てんこもり once again

Back in December 2010, we had the tremendous pleasure of running a short-but-sweet interview with Lord Tenkomori, a very popular composer and arranger in the world of denpa (but also known for his drum'n'bass skills, among other genres). Since then, he's been involved with about a half-million fantastic doujin projects, but just as importantly he released his first major album 「ニコ生モラルハザード」 in September 2011, which appeared on our top 3 underrated albums of 2011. It's a must-own and no denpa fan should be without it!

Well less than a year later, he's back at it with a second major album! 「人畜無害」 features 初音ミク on vocals and was released on June 27th 2012. It includes 15 tracks as well as a bonus DVD full of animated features! Even more exciting, one of these tracks is a MOSAIC.WAV remix of modern classic 「お断りします」... it just screams kayapi!

This is but one of the six videos included on the bonus DVD in glorious full HD. There is also one for the title song, but most fascinating for gaming nerds is 「アストロ トルーパー」 which we'll be discussing shortly... in our second さつき が てんこもり interview!

- First of all, congratulations for your explosive musical career so far.

I really couldn't have done all of this without all my fans, listener and collaborators. Of course, denpa no sekai has always supported me!


- What achievements are you proudest of so far?

Now, that's just impossible to choose! For sure, this latest release 「人畜無害」 is extremely important to me. As of late, my VOCALOID creations must be infallible.


- Let's talk about your 2011 album 「ニコ生モラルハザード」 on which you teamed up with three nico-vocalists. Despite the fact that you never worked with these girls before, you managed to match their different personalities to your songs. For instance Hamar is rougher and so 「魔法変身! 顔面ランドスケープ」 has many explosive parts, even gunshot sound effects. Although the end result sounds very natural, how hard was it to perform this combination of personality and composition?

Well, the buzz about this album has quieted on the Internet, but I really appreciate reading your deep interpretation! Since the girls have different personalities, it wasn't hard to write matching songs. It helps that I was already a fan before we even started working together, so it was not very difficult for me to compose individual theme songs.

The main concept of the album was Nico Douga and live broadcasting in general, but I always enjoy parodying the Akiba and Club cultures, this is often the backbone to many of my songs. Overall, meeting everyone and recording each song was a most pleasant experience!


- Do you think you will work with them again, particularly みかりん*? She was a very natural fit for your songs, although ゆづか姫 was also fantastic on 「UniUni SunSun」.

Careful what you wish for, you just might get it! There may or may not be a new project underway. I can't divulge anymore information at the moment, but everyone should follow my twitter account @tenkomori for the latest updates!

- When I asked you about 「人畜無害」 back in January 2012, you told me about a surprise PV for hardcore otakus and fans of retro shooting games. Now we can talk about 「アストロトルーパー」 which is chock-full of references to games such as Gradius, Zero Wing, Cho Aniki, Mega Man, Space Harrier, Xevious, Space Invaders and many more!

Actually, 「アストロトルーパー」 is playful criticism about featherweight otakus. Go hard or go home! Choosing the STG genre for a parody of retro games just felt like a natural fit for the topic.


- You once told us MOSAIC.WAV is one of your major source of inspiration, so how does it feel to have them remix one of your songs?

I'm always happy to work with other artists, but this is special. Let's just say I have been a MOSAIC.WAV fan for almost ten years! As for the collaboration... there's jealousy in the air and at this point, I fear for my life.



- After all these years, you finally produced your first eroge OP theme song 「占勇！魔界ブロードバンド」 with none other than 綾瀬理恵 on vocals (AKA 白沢理恵 from ave;new). To be honest I'm surprised it took you so long!

Needless to say, this was very exciting work for me. This song has received very good feedback from music fans and eroge critics overall. I really want more game studios to notice me, so let's just hope this opens the door to more!


- Thank you so much for your time and I think I can speak for your fans around the world when I say we wish you the best success with 「人畜無害」.

Well, in fact I should have answered this interview months ago, but I gotta tell you... it's all SEGA's fault! I've been power-levelling in their new MMORPG Phantasy Star Online 2 on a daily basis. 電波の世界 should sue SEGA for this delay!

I will never stop spitting out denpa songs. Thanks for your support and keep in touch!

Addendum: Congratulations to Lord Tenkomori for getting his song "Netgame Addict Sprechchor" included in SEGA's 「初音ミク -Project DIVA- f」

New Rainbowdragoneyes album 「The Primordial Booze」

When we did our interview with Eric W. Brown, the Evil Southern Mastermind behind Rainbowdragoneyes and Magic Hammer, he dropped some hints about his future projects. Notably, he was working on a concept album for Rainbowdragoneyes set to be released in late 2010. An extra four months were spent tweaking and fine-tuning the album to perfection but as promised, Eric has finally unleashed his malevolent creation unto the world... introducing 「The Primordial Booze」(5$ or free download)

Before we even get to the music, the fittingly gruesome artwork by Victor Furious deserves a mention. On it, Lord Brown enjoys his Primordial Booze concoction while throning over the shredded corpses of his enemies, with a furious orgy of flames whirling in the background. Now, despite being produced almost entirely with tools based on the 8 and 16 bits era of video gaming, there is a very strong three-dimensional quality to 「The Primordial Booze」which can be broken into: chipmusic, vocals, lyrics. These features can be appreciated (or despised) individually; which is to say if the lyrics turn you off, then you can always turn to the other components.

Why would one not enjoy the lyrics? There is some real sick shit at hand, so unless you are an open-minded individual with a great sense of humour, you should stick to Justin Bieber et al. Obviously "Rape Castle" pushes the boundaries, but it reminds me of the controversy around Penny-Arcade's dickwolves comic. You either get it... or you don't. "The Replicator" is equally eye-opening, with its line about cloning somebody and "make you watch while I stab you in the crotch". "Fortune's Dividend" and "Creatures Ov Deception" also contain some shocking lines, but fans of Adventure Metal should feel right at home with these texts.

We asked Eric where he draws his hateful inspiration from: "Once I have a good concept to write about, the lyrics usually come relatively easy -- then I just try to make them fit with catchy rhymes. It's easy to write angry shit because I just think about how just about everything I lay eyes or ears on in this world disgusts and infuriates me". As for how he approaches his verses: "I like to sing from first-person perspective even though the song might not be about me, per se, I'm just the storyteller. And I've never been one for subtleties, why beat around the bush when you can just cut to the chase?"

Even if you aren't well-versed in chiptune methodology and elaborate song-crafting, you'd have to be dense not to recognize the amount of personal dedication that was poured into this album. Furthermore, 「The Primordial Booze」 was almost entirely produced with the aid of Little Sound DJ, a homebrew Gameboy application highly popular in the chiptune scene. Says Eric: "The album is about 90% LSDJ- I record all four channels separate, add a few vectors if I feel they are needed (drums, choir, FX, percussion, more FM synth), record vocals and mix. I do everything within Logic Pro."

Despite the daunting image projected by the album cover, guttural growls and twisted lyrics, Rainbowdragoneyes has intense nerd cred. If you're curious about why the bass is so heavy in "The Primordial Booze", wonder no more: "The chip used on that one is a Yamaha YM2164, very similar to the Genesis chip (primary difference is it has MIDI instead of PCM), and the drum samples I use were actually ripped from Sonic The Hedgehog games, for that smooth, cool Genesis feel." Furthermore, the album features guest chip-solos by IAYD, Bit Shifter and Derris-Kharlan.

In order to fully comprehend RDE, you must listen to these new songs with a high-quality pair of headphones. Countless minuscule touches were cunningly and carefully applied in each track, but they won't come up and slap you in the face. You have to hunt them down like easter eggs, which enhances the listening experience for those of us who can appreciate attention to detail. Although 8bitpeoples did a great job with the free MP3s, it is recommended that you purchase the high-quality original tracks to get the full experience. A pressed CD will be available within the coming weeks.

In related news: MAGIC HAMMER will release a new EP this summer. Rainbowdragoneyes is set to appear at South By Southwest on March 18th. "Heavy Weather: Storm ov the Undead" will soon appear on Rock Band Network. It will use the new keyboard and vocal harmony features of Rock Band 3 and is said to be ten times harder than "Creatures Ov Deception"!

Exclusive interview with Stein Gar Coo

Stein Gar Coo is an interesting circle, in many more ways than just a curious name. Although their first album 「stein gar coo」(November 2008) wasn't billed as 電波系, it's not like it's too far off the mark. The focus was on "yandere-rock" and they delivered admirably, especially with (the ridiculously long-titled) 「一方的な感情は理想的な結末を導くのか？」 which features twisted guitar licks and tormented vocals, both male and female. Then you have 「めざせ！モテカワスリム」 which is borderline moe-song, even though that was probably unintentional. "Cute girl" vocals will do that!

They followed this up with a hilarious superhero-squadron CD 「読瓜戦隊ハラレンジャー」 (August 2009) which included OP and ED theme songs as well as 50 minutes of voice drama comedy! In fact you can sample the hot-blooded opening theme and the entire first story with this illustrated video. Denpa fans probably only started paying attention to Stein Gar Coo with the release of their third album 「sweetCHU kiss」 (October 2010) which featured three brand new original tunes. As if that wasn't enough, they even got BB Lemonade on board (おでんぱ☆スタジオ and Melo9) to inject some denpa expertise into these songs, giving them a familiar and comforting sonority in the process.

Currently, the Stein Gar Coo members are working on their fourth project 「いらない子ゲーム」, which will be a visual novel! For more info, please refer to their website as well as official blog.


- Please introduce the doujin circle Stein Gar Coo and its members.

Our circle "したいがぁるくぅ" features three main members. We have two singers: "kick" (female) and "椎夜" (male). "めがね" (male) plays the guitar. Of course, we are always open to cooperation and frequently recruit collaborators when making new work.

Japan Firsthand: Ryohoji & Toromi Part 2 - Interviews

Here's the second and final part of our "Ryohoji & Toromi" article. Make sure to check out Part 1 if you haven't already seen it, lots of pictures! This time, we have an exclusive interview with Toromi herself, along with a surprise video message! Ryohoji head priest NAKAZATO Nichikou is also present after the jump, so make sure to read on!


Interview With Toromi

Toromi: I'm here in Nishi-Hachiouji, together with Mandi! Yoroshiku onegaisimasu-. Toro written in hiragana, Mi written "beauty", makes Toromi!

DnS: Up until now you've worked on singing, manga, cosplay, as a seiyuu, and many other things. Are there any new challenges you'd like to try?"

Toromi: Ehh--?! Something I haven't tried yet... Ummmm... Well.... I wonder... I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

DnS: Sorry, it's hard to think about it on the spot, isn't it!

Toromi: Saying I want to go to America would be the obvious thing to say, wouldn't it? Something more original would be more interesting... Well, I guess I'd like to go to America and do a live concert~!

Exclusive interview with さつきがてんこもり (Studio皐)

さつきがてんこもり (Satsuki ga Tenkomori, from Studio皐) is a favourite here at 電波の世界. His first breakthrough hit was the "denpa hammer" song, which earned him permanent coverage on this site. From then on, he collaborated with ななひら, Birdtune, 天然ジェミニ and many, many more. His most recent claim-to-fame: he has contributed an ending song to 「俺の妹がこんなに可愛いわけがない」 (ore no imouto)! It features the lovely vocals of veteran seiyuu 田村ゆかり.

Satsuki was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule and answer nine of our questions. Since he's not exactly proficient in English, he answered one of them... with a song! (interview conducted October 2010).

- First of all, congratulations for winning the contest. How did you react when you learned the news?

I'm glad that I could support one of the hottest anime shows this season!

Akihabara and the "Big site" (a comic market place) are filled with posters of "oreimo" now :D


- After such a major milestone in your career, will you still write doujin music for Comiket and Nicovideo?

While I will pursue activities in the major scene from now on, I will keep contributing to doujin music and uploading songs to nicovideo.



- The signature Satsuki sound is deep groovy bass that cuts through like a chainsaw, with hyperactive drums that knock you out like a strong coffee. What are some of your influences?

Thank you for the description :D
I do focus on getting bass and drums to stand out in my songs. I am influenced by various artists such as MOSAIC.WAV, imoutoid, Yasutaka Nakata and more...



- How is creating songs for Hatsune Miku different from working real singers?

Since the default settings are not really good, Miku takes just as much trouble as a human being after all. Every good girl needs dedication!

- Just before you upload your newest creation to Nicovideo, how would you describe your feelings?

Whenever I upload my videos, I feel a bit nervous. It kind of sucks when there is little feedback too.


- Which software and hardware do you use to create your songs?

I use windows XP and tools such as SONAR and Reason. As for hardware, Roland's SC-88 pro.




- What songs do you play live?

Mainly my own music, but I also remix music from my friends. I play with a "no-hold-barred" style!


- You once told me that one of your English teachers didn't like you. What's the story?

Instead of going to school, I stayed home and played MMORPGs all day long. I did my best to avoid that teacher! This new song describes the experience...

- Despite this, do you think you will one day write a song with full English lyrics?

That's a possibility! But because I'm really bad, I will have to wait until web translation machines have evolved to the next level... XD

Eric W. Brown: The unholy trinity of chiptune, eurobeat and metal

Whoever says Nashville is all about Country Music obviously never heard any of Eric W. Brown's numerous projects. I started following his musical career back in 2008 when I first heard his debut song "Eur Hawt", an unlikely but oh-so-memorable mixture of chiptune and eurobeat. I got in touch with him for some Little Sound DJ lessons, and the rest is history. 2 years later, he has evolved into two distinct musical entities which I am convinced each and every Denpa no Sekai reader should check out... so here's an exclusive interview with the man behind the music!



Under his chiptune persona Rainbowdragoneyes, he released his first mini-album "Super Eurobit Vol 1" in 2008. Word got around and he eventually landed a spot on the Blipfest 2009 lineup, certainly North America's largest event of its kind. This surprise appearance is a testament to the quality and originality of his songs. The entire recorded performance is freely available and video segments are floating around on Youtube. Recently, he built the truly terrifying RAPE CASTLE, a monumental edifice of sinful chiptune pleasure.



Intertwined with his 8bit path lies his other major musical creation MAGIC HAMMER, an out-of-this-world amalgam of eurobeat, power metal and many other EXTREME to the MAXXX components (read the manifesto). MH released an album in late 2009, which can be sampled (and bought!) on amazon.com and iTunes. Its release party was quite the event; an Army of Para Para Dancers was summoned from the depths of hells to captivate the crowd with mesmerizing dance patterns. So what else is coming up for Eric? Read on and find out!

Is “RAPE CASTLE” the very first piece of chiptune shock art?

Yes.

Shit I dunno, it's very likely not. I don't keep my finger on the pulse of the shock art world but I will say for what it's worth I've never heard anything like it, hence why I probably like it so much. Leave it to some smartass to email me with a detailed chronological timeline of all the rape castles dating back to the beginning of time. I'll keep you posted on that.


Last year you said that your invitation to blipfest rekindled your chip-flames and got you thinking about taking Rainbowdragoneyes to the next level. How was your performance received, is “RAPE CASTLE” an indication of things to come?

As far as I gather, I was awesome. Which rules because I had the best time I've ever had in my life, but which sucks because I'm going to have to work my ass off for the next few years to get back up to that level. Blip Festival 2009 was the first show I've ever played not behind a drumset, which was why I was hesitant to accept the invitation in the first place. But, they didn't ask, so I didn't say anything and instead just went with it. Then somehow, with very little effort and with help from the mighty Victor Furious, an image was carved for Rainbowdragoneyes, a then-retired name with which I wasn't even planning on moving forward, which somehow got everyone really excited for it, which sent my ego through the roof which made me decide to push on into the future and keep it going, because that shit was just too fucking sweet. RAPE CASTLE is most certainly where RDE belongs, everything about that track is what I want more of from myself.


One of your first tracks is "eur hawt", which just blew me away when I first heard it on Micromusic. How would you describe your progress as a chiptune composer since then?

Well for one thing, I actually know how to write songs now. At the time of doing that one and the rest of the EP I was figuring out the program at the same time I was trying to grasp basic pop song structure, I've never really "written" anything before that in my life. I recorded a completely improvised deathmetal/grind album when I was 19, but that's it. So not only is "eur hawt" my first chiptune, it's the first song I've ever written.


In October 2008, Calmdownkidder Records released your first mini-album “Super Eurobit Vol. 1”, which includes 6 intense tracks. The next question is obvious: are you working on a second volume and if so, what can you tell us about it?

Not a second volume, but definitely a new release. I want to do a full album, probably a concept album, but that'll have to wait. I really want to get something out before the end of the year so it'll likely be just another 5 or 6 songs. But I've been writing really really slow lately, and wanting to include lyrics on every song, so someone should really come over and crack the whip on my face.


Rainbowdragoneyes is your chiptune persona, while MAGIC HAMMER is your… how the hell do you describe MAGIC HAMMER? “Intense as fuck” isn’t really a genre.

EXTREME. Rainbowdragoneyes and the Hammer have actually become two different personalities, and I like to keep them separate from each other. Basically even though in the end it's all catchy and danceable party music, an idiom I can't seem to stray away from, the idea is for each project to explore its own worlds of writing, production styles and live performance. Let's say if Magic Hammer's favorite metal band was Rhapsody Of Fire, RDE's favorite metal band would be The Berzerker. But they each love Children of Bodom and Manowar.


MAGIC HAMMER released its first album “MOST EXTREME ULTIMATE THUNDER” in late 2009 to some glowing reviews. Since MH is more like a band, are you looking to hit the road this summer?

There's a shitload of people on that album, but there is no specific lineup for the "band" of Magic Hammer. It's still and always will be 100% my vision, and in the studio it's just me behind the helm. But yes, the live show must always consist of no less than 2 guitar players, at least one of which must be a shred master. And yes the Hammer will absolutely be on the move at some point, but I've been extremely patient in making sure all the pieces are in place before embarking on any epic voyages, and just taking things one step at a time.


You write MH lyrics and sing them most of the time, but not “Blooddrunk” which features high-pitched hair metal vocals from hell. Who sings that one and how did this collaboration come about?

Man that is this rockin dude named Jonny Aune from North Carolina who sings for the bands Viper and Twisted Tower Dire. I was searching far and wide for a badass power metal singer to spit hot fire all over that track, and he came highly recommended from my old bandmates Destroy Destroy Destroy who toured through his area and partied with him and his band for a few days. They described him as a living, breathing Metal cartoon character, who only wears leather and only rides motorcycles, who only listens to metal but hasn't heard of any band that formed after the year 1989. Sadly, tragically, I was not a part of DDD during that tour, but was more than happy (and honestly a little surprised) when Jonny returned my email saying he was into the idea of doing the song. So I sent him the demo and the lyrics, he recorded his vocals and sent me the tracks, instant boner. Someday I will meet him, and we will party.


A heavy Euro Beat influence is present in both Rainbowdragoneyes and MAGIC HAMMER compositions, which is uncommon these days to say the least. Where does this influence come from and do you expect yourself to expand on this concept in the future?

I took a trip to Japan several years back, where I heard eurobeat for the first time. Needless to say I have never heard anything like it before, and I was just as floored as I was when I saw Cannibal Corpse and Hate Eternal for the first time. It was insanely catchy and addictive, and all I could think about was trying to create something just as awesome. I delved further into the genre, became obsessed, and drove my bandmates crazy in the van listening to the same six or however many albums I had at the time on repeat.

You can sort of hear the progression on Most Extreme Ultimate Thunder, as I ordered the tracks for the most part in the order they were written, from 2007 - 2009. "Dance On Fire" was the first song written of all of those, and an older version was released on a compilation thrown together by eurobeat producer Laurent Newfield under his Akyrmusic record label. But I still wanted it for the Magic Hammer album, so I took the vocal track and re-produced the song from scratch. "The Master ov Time" is where I really stepped outside the standard eurobeat song formula box, and sort of had one foot in that box and another foot in a folk metal box, while my arms flailed about in the "I just realized can do whatever I want" box. Eurobeat taught me the perfect song structure so I doubt I will ever completely desert it, but I am looking forward to seeing how far I can take it. EXTREME.


As well as being the mastermind behind MAGIC HAMMER and a highly creative chiptune composer, you seem to be a skilled drummer if this video is any indication. What are some of the bands you play(ed) for?

Right now, I am playing for a few fine folks. Stuck Lucky is a really awesome bunch of dudes that used to be a ska band, but their sound has totally evolved over the last 7-8 years of existing to something more thrash with a trombone. I joined the ranks a year and a half or so ago as a fill-in but ended up sticking with it and doing whatever I could whenever I was available, including recording on the last full-length and 7" releases. They play and tour a lot, good shit, really fun music, and always put on a great show.

Inferi is the brutal brutal baby of myself and guitarist Malcolm Pugh. We placed ourselves on hiatus a couple years ago, after some incredibly draining album recording sessions and floppy tours and a maelstrom of label drama became too much to handle. All of us still very good friends, after all the bullshit we dealt with the decision was made to each pursue our individual interests for the time being. Which couldn't have proven to be a better idea, as my Magic Hammer and Malcolm's A Loathing Requiem was realized and born. I co-produced the ALR album, and I dread the day that I have to start learning the drum parts to take it to the inevitable stage. You heard it here first, there is also talks of an Inferi reunion and some new recordings on the horizon, whenever our schedules sync up long enough to make it possible.

Nite Nite is I guess post-punk? Though I'm not sure what that means. Either way, they are some good-lookin ladies (and dude) with some really catchy happy/dark/80s-savvy new-wave-y tunes. I hesitate to say "gothic" but it's an aesthetic that works well for them.

There is also Vale of Pnath from Denver, whenever they get it together and start touring again. Their music is brutal technical death metal played correctly and very very fast. They are currently working on a full-length to follow up their EP, and whenever that gets done I'm gonna fly back out there and we're all gonna hit the road together and be one big happy family.

And just recently I've found myself back amongst the ranks of my old band and friends Destroy Destroy Destroy who plays the most epic and True of thrash and orchestral fantasy metal. Recently I did my first show back with them in 3 or so years, and depending on what their tour itinerary looks like coming up I'll likely be doing more. Siqqq liffffeeeee brooooooooo.



Your Basset hound Navi prominently appears on many of your promotional pictures and videos. She looks badass but also like a bit of a troublemaker, what can you tell us about her?

Only that she is the greatest creature, biped or quadruped, to ever live. Always down to party and make new friends, she loves everyone and everything, but is also perfectly content to sleep for 82+ hours a day, which works well with my lifestyle of shutting myself away and working on music night after night. She's the biggest chick magnet I've ever known, has allowed me to start many a conversation with many a lady, and is brilliant at making them bend over to pet her so I can look down their shirts.


You put up a couple of highly entertaining Youtube videos, notably your entry for A1’s “Sing for your beef” contest and a ridiculously catchy remix of “Jesus is my friend”. They’re really funny, so why exactly aren’t you doing more of these?

Well for one thing, if the final entries for that stupid contest tell you anything, a sauce made from period blood cannot be expected to know how to party. I'm not a video guy and working with iMovie is a real pain but I've no plans to not make more videos whenever the need arises or lols need to be had and I get some real shit out of the way first.


In closing, what are some of your short-term goals and long-term ambitions? Thanks a lot for doing this!

You got it sister. As far as short-term goes, I suppose I should prioritize not being homeless and rebuilding my studio. The flood here in Nashville recently hit me pretty hard (hail Leviathan), so if you can picture a single-level house with 8' ceilings, and then picture the same house with 6 feet of disgusting doodoo water in it (hail Hydra), you can imagine what I'm having to deal with. I was out of town at the time playing a show, so I had my drums and my laptop with me, my van was parked 30 minutes away and Navi was staying with a friend. So all the core items are fine, but I lost everything else I own. I've since gutted the place and threw what I hope to salvage in storage (hard drives, console, keyboards, various other electronics and crap) so over the next couple weeks I'll be figuring out where to live and seeing what I can make work again. Party.

My long-term goals have never changed, party full-time, all the time. Between Rainbowdragoneyes, Magic Hammer, six million bands, studio and production work, remixing, singing, booking and promoting shows, there is a lot of touring to do, sluts to be bang'd, and much of the world to be seen and explosioned. I'm going to explosion everything as fuck. That shit is a full time job.

VORC Records Interview (TM NETWORK chiptune tribute)

Chiptune. If you're with it, you'll praise its contemporary composers for their amazing ability to increasingly knock out dazzling originals or faithful recreations with a new twist. But if you don't get it, you'll be quick to dismiss the genre as a bunch of eighties-obsessed geeks freaking out over crude beeps. Honestly this description suits me just fine, as I'll readily admit to being an old-school video game nerd anyday. But unless you're a stinking hypocrite, you just have to applaud the efforts of recently-launched VORC Records, who are working so damn hard to bring chitpune to the next level, with international collaboration albums and a major push for the budding genre to hop onto mainstream distribution channels, certainly to the joy of all artists involved.

Assuredly, this last point holds true in the case of this interview and the many other international articles spawned off from the release of their latest album, "8-BIT PROPHET - TM Network Tribute Generated by Chiptune + Vocaloid". Unlike the majority of Japanese artists and labels, VORC Records are stepping out of their insular boundaries and aggressively reaching out to the whole world, making sure no one misses out on any of their latest chiptune offerings. While you're reading this interview, you might want to head over to VORC Record's myspace page and let the audio player do its thing, as the label generously put up 10 samples for everyone to check out.

Let's begin with a brief overview of VORC Records, for the uninitiated. Actually, what does "VORC" stand for?

VORC Records is a pioneering independent Japanese chiptune label founded in Tokyo in 2006. It was originally started by hally, who is a chiptune artist himself, as well as the website manager of VORC. The acronym stands for "Video game OR Chiptune". But before it was a label, VORC used to be a news site dedicated to oldschool video game music and chiptunes, launched in 2001. Unfortunately, this news site has not been maintained in over 3 years, mainly due to a system problem, but it doesn't help that Hally is very busy with the label and his own artistic activities. You may access the English archives to get a better idea of VORC's long-standing involvement with chiptune and videogame music.

What are some of VORC's long-term objectives?

We really hope that chiptune will occupy a greater part of this music jungle in the near future. We want a lot of people to know about chiptune, to spread this original sound as much as we can. That's why we released various remix compilations in the past and want to put out more original albums in the future if our most recent release turns out to be a success. Saitone's first original album "Overlapping Spiral" and his 3D dome theater live as well as the SILENT LIVE 2008 are also some of our proudest achievements to date.

Can someone really make a living running a chiptune label in this day and age?

I think it's more and more a possibility. In fact, we released the TM NETWORK tribute album through the POSCA personal distribution system. It can be used to distribute a CD or DVD internationally, with very little work required from a label's perspective. Anyone can use this system. Furthermore, we are going to sell our MP3s through HearJapan. Again, anyone can use this service (though it focuses on Japanese artists obviously) and its circumstances are much less restrictive than Apple's iTunes. Thanks to these distribution services, we can concentrate on promoting our releases on the Internet and other media.

Now let's focus on your recently-released album "8-BIT PROPHET". Please explain how this TM Network chiptune tribute concept came to be.

We realized that TM NETWORK represents a major source of influence for this generation of musicians and listeners. One day at a club, my DJ friend played a TM NETWORK song between two techno tracks, it drove the crowd nuts! Hally and I discussed the possibility and we eventually agreed on a course of action. K-> took a leading part on this album because he just swears by TM NETWORK. Specifically, he contributed the album's title, its track list and produced 6 of the 11 tracks.

I imagine you had to obtain permission from TM NETWORK before putting this show on the road?

Yes you are absolutely right, this album would not have been a possibility without TM NETWORK's consent. We are a corporation after all, not just a fun part-time hobby. You can find the names of members, crew and publisher of TM NETWORK on the album credits, as well as Yamaha's Vocaloid copyright information.

Speaking of which, why was Hatsune Miku selected as a vocal engine?

We thought that Hatsune Miku's impersonal voice would be a perfect fit for the 8-bit sonority. Furthermore, K-> and Kyonomoti are what you'd call vocaloid specialists, so it all just fell in place, a no-brainer if you will.

Did you ever consider using real voices on these tribute tracks? Saitone's "Get Wild" cover does not use the Vocaloid.

Well actually, yes, we considered this possibility! However we concluded that it would be too difficult to find the perfect replacement to Takashi Utsunomiya's unique voice, not to mention someone who could complement our 8-bit style. Saitone's "Get Wild" cover is based on the "I LOVE TM NETWORK" cover album, which came out on AsianDynasty Records earlier this year. The vocalist's name is Reco. She is one of those few people whose voice can suit both a TM NETWORK song and 8-Bit style at the same time. It was Saitone's idea to remix this particular track.

Thanks goes out to Tsutomou Outani for this interview.

Exclusive team Love Bullets (井上みゆ/磯村カイ) interview

By now, you should be very familiar with GWAVE's latest pet project, the LOVE BULLETS series, which prominently features 井上みゆ (INOUE miyu) as the lead singer. What about those crazy sounds behind her lovely voice? Save for a few guest collaborations, 磯村カイ (ISOMURA kai), the second half of Team Love Bullets, is the musical mastermind behind it all. Join us as we sit down for a virtual cup of coffee with Japan's latest (or sole?) "moe R&B" duo.

GWAVE has recently turned LOVE BULLETS into a series, with the release of a second volume in March 2009. Was this the plan all along, or was it due to strong fan appreciation? Should we expect a third volume too?

磯村カイ: You are right, it was prompted by strong fan reaction to the first album. I don't want to jinx it, but chances are good that a third volume could follow suit. Especially if fan reaction to the second volume is as strong as it was for the first one.

井上みゆ: Personally, I am just so happy to hear that people are enjoying our songs and that we got the opportunity to make another Love Bullets album. I like to call our genre "Moe R&B", it really represents the kind of music I want to sing. Plus I think that the jacket illustrations are totally cute!

How have fans reacted to 「1×8 ラブ・バレット」? It seems to me like it would be your most recognizable song to this day. After all, that’s what the new GWAVE series is named after.

磯村カイ: On a personal level, this song means a lot to me! It marks the beginning of my collaboration with 井上みゆ. As soon as it was published, the reaction was very good so we decided to continue working together. For this opportunity, I am very thankful; therefore this song holds a special meaning for myself. The song has been described as "full of energy" by yourself and many Japanese fans, so this greatly pleases me as this was my original intention. Listening to this song helps me forget about sad feelings and annoying real life situations. If it has the same effect for other people, then I am honored!

井上みゆ: It does seem like this is a very popular song with the fans! After this, we worked together on 「モノモノ☆ダンスフィーバー」 which cemented our team spirit! It was featured on GWAVE vol. 10. My producer prior to team Love Bullets was GWAVE's 加藤義治 (KATOU Yoshiharu), who is now responsible for planning and producing our new releases, so I am very grateful to him.


Have you ever visited North America? Did you know there were team Love Bullets fans outside of Japan?

磯 村カイ: I did travel to the United States once, but that was a long time ago. Way before denpa was even considered as a genre, actually. To tell you the truth, I had no idea this kind of music was starting to become popular outside of Japan, until I started talking to you by email!

井上みゆ: Actually I once lived in Illinois! But I too had no idea that we had some international fans. This makes me feel privileged, I hope everyone will enjoy our new songs.

Mr. Isomura, please tell us about TONAKAI sound works and the services you provide.

磯村カイ: Certainly! Since 2004, we are in the business of providing original theme songs, background music (BGM) and sound effects for anyone who needs them, which is mostly video game companies these days. As it stands, TONAKAI sound works has only one full-time employee; that would be myself! But of course I work with various vocalists, such as Miyu-san and collaborate with other sound units such as MOSAIC.WAV. For a complete list of our past projects, please visit the official TONAKAI website.


When game companies contact you for themes or BGM, what is the process like? Do they impose certain restrictions that limit your creativity?

磯村カイ: As much as possible, there is a constant flow of discussion between myself and the company which requested the work. My goal is obviously to make sure that they are satisfied with the final product. Of course, I need to adjust my lyrics and overall mood of the compositions to suit the game's genre, which goes back to my initial point: a wide-open channel of communication is essential. This can be a little frustrating but I prefer to see it as a challenge! To tell you the truth, this has yet to worry me so far.


Do you travel a lot to meet the other artists you are involved with? After all you are based in Osaka.

磯村カイ: Correct, I do travel at least 3 times per year to Tokyo... I love that city so much! This is mostly for recording vocals and meeting people. I do enjoy traveling a lot, since I find it very relaxing and it can be good for creativity! The rest of the work is accomplished inside my home studio. Once in a while, Miyu-san will come and meet me in Osaka.


What artists, producers, singers or game soundtracks have influenced your compositions and vocal performances?

磯村カイ: My musical influence comes from a variety of sources. Some of the artists include Cornelius, Kraftwerk, YMO, Paul Simon, R.E.M., 小西康陽 (PizzicatoV) and 鈴木惣一郎 (World Standard). Of course, I grew up listening to Japanese anime music like many people in my field. That is probably the main source of inspiration for my current music.

井上みゆ: I love a lot of American soul and R&B artists such as the classic Stevie Wonder. Rodney Jerkins is a great producer. I also like Destiny's Child, Ashanti, Aaliyah, En Vogue and everything from Morning Musume.

Recently there have been a lot of DENPA PARTY events in Tokyo. It seems to me like your music would fit in just right with the crowd there. How about a LOVE BULLETS live event?

磯村カイ: I actually haven't performed live yet, nor do I have any plans to do so in the near future. I have heard of DENPA PARTY but I don't know too many details about them. On the other hand, a LOVE BULLETS live concert isn't such a bad idea. We'll see how fans react to the second volume first, but that is definitely a possibility!


The TONAKAI website also has some online games (in English no less!). When you were growing up, what kind of job did you think you would do later?

磯村カイ: I'll be honest, I had multiple dream jobs in mind when I was a kid! One of them was definitely to become a game programmer. Somehow I turned out as a musician instead, but I am still working in the game industry. Flash production is a great hobby of mine, I find it very interesting and rewarding. That said, I am considering producing a full Flash game in the future, so please look for that!

井上みゆ: I always knew I would become a singer someday! From the start, I've had nothing but respect for the established voice actors and narrators, so I practiced a lot whenever I could. It seems like most respected voice actors started off as narrators, so I thought I should try that method! My first published song was 「夢見る乙女達☆」 from UNiSONSHIFT in 2003. I am also interested in the aspect of voice work production in general. You could say that singing is both my hobby and my job, but I sometimes prefer to think of myself as a narrator, telling many stories through songs. I also like to reconstruct songs on my own... but since there are no deadlines, I'm not getting a lot done!


Thanks for your time! Good luck with Team Love Bullets!

井上みゆ: Thank you so much for supporting team Love Bullets and doing this interview! It's a very gratifying feeling to know that people outside of Japan are looking forward to our songs m( _ _ )m Hope we can talk again in the future☆

磯村カイ: You're welcome! Actually is I who should thank you for this interview. Having just finished up the second volume of LOVE BULLETS, I can say with confidence that this is some of my best work yet. I hope people all over the world will appreciate this new album!

Weekly denpa news: IOSYS, GWAVE, MOSAIC.WAV

Happy Hockey day in Canada! I'm certain everyone is busy partying their ass off by slapping pucks left and right, so no time for massive reviews or articles this week. Instead I'll just dump some of the news I've been holding on to for the past little while. Let's briefly begin with IOSYS's newest eroge theme: Princess Party! From what little I can gather, this is being billed as an IOSYS group effort, although ARM's signature sound work is everywhere to be found and the singing credits mostly go to AYU, who also sang both of the Penguin Musume ED themes.

Back to GWAVE who were the subject of last week's extensive feature. They have released the tentative artwork for the upcoming 「LOVE BULLETS II」 album, which is now set for a March 27th 2009 release. In addition, two new track titles have been revealed, namely #2 "Dragon Girl " and #3 "High Tension Date". Famishin has also been confirmed as a returning guest composer.

mi~ko recently worked on a new eroge which comes out on February 27th. 「ふわりコンプレックス」 (or fuwacon for short) is GIGA's most recent maid training simulator. Although there are some very interesting characters such as Hatsune Miku cosplayer Tenka, MI-KO (she insists that we use her voice actress nickname to differentiate from her MOSAIC.WAV activities) is stuck with a far more conventional role. Still, hornballs can check out samples of her work as 沖田つかさ (OKITA Tsukasa) in both regular and "H" action on the profile page.

Also note that the game's opening theme 【ふれあ☆こんぷれっくす】, sung by 水樹奈々 (MIZUKI Nana) and composed by recent Elements Garden's 中山真斗 is slightly on the denpa tip and definitely worth your time. In fact this may be one of the first denpa-oriented tracks the studio has ever cranked out, as they are mostly known for their My-HIME, Chrono Crusade and D.C. Da Capo themes among many others. On the other hand, the veteran Nana is no stranger to wacky eroge opening songs. To tell you the truth, the song vaguely reminds me of some of SHORT CIRCUIT II's rock-ish tracks. Pro-tip! If the song has a ☆ in its title... it's probably worth checking out.

Final link dump of the day: If you enjoyed DJ Shimamura's MOSAIC.WAV trance remix on the brilliant 「Ultimate A-Style2」 compilation, then you'll love his newest eroge OP 「ワタシハアナタノモノ」 or "I'm yours" in plain old English. Well more like "I am your object", but that's besides the point. This is for ClockUp's newest game 「麗辱の館 ～淫縁五姉妹汁姦記～」, which in turn roughly translates to "House of Beautiful Disgrace: 5 Lewd Sisters' Fateful Raunchy Rape Chronicles". God I love translating this shit! As usual, short version and demo movie can be obtained from the game's download page.