Thank you very much for taking your time for this interview. Visual Kei is very popular overseas, but interviews in English are quite rare. However, the more you know about a band, the more interested fans will be. Therefore, we would like to provide interviews in English. This is the first interview with JILUKA, so we want to introduce JILUKA with this interview.
All: We are looking forward to working with you.
First of all we would like to ask what the band name JILUKA means and why you chose it?
Sena: The meaning of JILUKA is still a secret.
I see, so can you tell us why you choose your own name?
Sena: That shouldn’t be a problem, is there?
Ricko: I would prefer to keep it a mystery.
Sena: I wonder why I chose it. It just happened naturally.
Boogie: This is a difficult question…
Sena: For some reason or another, but it isn’t really interesting. It also doesn’t really have a deeper meaning.
Why did you choose Visual Kei as a genre and what does Visual Kei mean to you?
Sena: Our base is metal sound, but the visual sense of visual kei, the many ways of approach or how you express things. Visual kei isn’t limited to a musical genre, but instead feels like a whole culture, that’s why there is no limit to your presentation, or, how should I say it, you could also say that everything is possible.
It’s unrestricted, isn’t it?
Sena: Yeah, we were attracted or fascinated with that and therefore chose visual kei. And within that genre, we chose a metal sound concept, so that we would be a metal band.
I see. Which song would you recommend to get an impression of your music?
Boogie: Only one (laughs)?!
All: One is too difficult…
One per person is also okay!
Boogie: Okay, one per person… Eh, it’s difficult to choose. Okay, from our most recent release Xtopia, the song is called EDIFICE. It’s the song that represents the current JILUKA best, I think.
Ricko: Well then, for me it would be from our previous release. I recommend LAST FAITH from our last full album. This one supports JILUKA from behind.
Zyean: Eh, which one should I choose? Okay, for me it would be from our first release: SCREAMER.
Boogie & Sena: (laughs).
Sena: Well I guess I have no other choice as to say it too. For me it would be OMELAS, which we released in the middle of our career.
Thank you very much! So, JILUKAS music combines heavy beats with melodious parts, which is one of your characteristics I think. This combination is actually pretty popular overseas.
Sena: It is?
Boogie: It is, isn’t it?
Are there any foreign bands you are inspired by?
Sena: There are.
Who would that be?
Sena: For example: Children Of Bodom.
Boogie: Rather than the band, I am influenced by KORN, Ice Nine Kills or IN FLAMES for example. I got inspired by those bands.
Ricko: Slipknot.
You’re really into metal, aren’t you?
All: (laughs).
Zyean: That’s right. I like Technical Death Metal like Meshuggah, Periphery or Black Metal like Immortal.
Boogie: As a band JILUKA receives impact from melodious Death Metal, Metal Core or Djent. But well, I think we actually got inspired by a broad range and not only Metal.
Are there also any Japanese bands that inspired you?
Sena: For Japanese bands it would be…. X JAPAN.
Ricko: Deluhi.
That’s quite a recent, or rather a band from only some time ago, isn’t it?
Ricko: That is right.
Boogie: I wonder which. A Japanese band is difficult to choose. I can’t think of any right now.
Sena: X JAPAN is pretty good, right?
Boogie: That’s true. But it’s a little difficult, isn’t it? But for me, personally, I get inspired by the band Ningen Isu.
I see, thank you! How do you create songs in general?
Sena: First of all, we have many ways of creating, it isn’t fixed, so every time is a little different. Usually we have something like a key phrase and construct the song from there on. For example a main riff for the chorus or for some other part. We come up with one part and create the rest with the image we received from that part.
Do you come up with that main phrase usually?
Sena: Yes, I do.
And at the end you add the lyrics?
Sena: Ah, first of all, I am creating the framework and when it’s done I make the other members listen to it. Then they add their own parts. First the drums, then the bass and vocals. Bass and vocals are usually added at the same time. We mostly proceed in this order.
That’s interesting! Also, you just released your 4th mini album XTOPIA a while ago. How did the fans react to it?
Sena: The reaction was quite good, wasn’t it?
Ricko: It was.
Zyean: I think so too.
As it was released in the middle of the current pandemic, it was probably influenced by the situation in one way or the other, wasn’t it?
Sena: As you might expect, the content is fairly linked to this pandemic. That’s why I think that it is easy to get an image of the content as a listener.
Are the lyrics easy to understand?
Sena: Yes, for example, but also the whole atmosphere, the instruments and the worldview. It’s easy to connect with your own feelings. I got the impression that we received more feedback on the content this time than we usually do.
That is great! Next we would like to ask you about the time you spend together as a band. Especially during tours. Are there any character traits you discovered of each other?
All: (laughs).
Boogie: Yeah. Well, rather than being on tour, we already spend more than 5 years together as a band and also spend time together outside of the band. It’s probably already well known, but usually we split up on tours here (Boogie & Sena, Ricko & Zyean) for the rooms. I don’t really know how their room sharing is going, though.
Sena: Our room during tours or so, is pretty quiet. We don’t make any noise, sleep early and get up early too.
Zyean: Our room is a real disaster. It’s really tough.
Ricko: It is, isn’t it?
Zyean: Until morning we are making a racket and being noisy without a break.
Ricko: We need ear plugs because of more than one reason, don’t we?
Zyean: We really do! I can’t sleep without ear plugs.
For real?
Ricko: Our room is crazy, isn’t it?
Zyean: In many regards.
In many regards, huh (laughs)? Well then, is there something you do in your free time, when you are not busy with music?
Ricko: Except music…
Zyean: I like drinking (In English)!
Can you recommend something?
Zyean: Ah, Beer only! (In English)
Please visit Germany someday (laughs)!
Sena & Boogie: Indeed.
Ricko: What am I doing, huh? Hmm. I do all kinds of things. All kinds (smirks).
All kinds of things, huh? I see (laughs).
Boogie: I read books, watch movies and create videos.
For JILUKA?
Boogie: That’s right. For JILUKA and to practice my skills so that I can use them someday.
Can you recommend a video you have watched or was there something interesting recently?
Boogie: I only watch videos where I can learn something from, so videos that explain how to create videos. I only watch those How-To videos. They aren’t really interesting (laughs).
Sena: I’m working out. This part, the sides of my body. Other than physically working out, I’m also, how should I say that, training my head? With creating songs for example, well that’s a matter of fact, though. I recently took an interest in interacting with people abroad, so I’m practicing English.
What did you study recently?
Sena: I recently learned “Absolutely!”
All: (laughs).
That is indeed useful (laughs).
Sena: “Yeah exactly!” … Those are the things I learned recently. I studied the basics for being able to interact in English. I like to change myself through skills. It will be an advantage.
That is true. Changing the topic, we would like to get to know you as a person. It would be great if you could tell us 3 things that are dear to you.
Ricko: First of all, the members, right?
Sena: The members (laughs).
Ricko: And then the respect towards the members, right? Also…
Boogie: It’s meant to be about yourself, isn’t it?
Ricko: Well, it works like that, doesn’t it? Also feelings.
Zyean：Beer, Whiskey, Tequila.
All: (laughs).
Amazing!
Ricko: Even though you said “Beer only”.
All: (laughs).
Boogie: 3 things I value? Bass, black hair, piercing (in English).
Sena: If you say that, I have to say pink hair, don’t I? That’s the first one!
All: (laughs).
Ricko: That’s a self-introduction!
Sena: It is, isn’t it? What else. I recently got a navel piercing. This one (shows his piercing).
It’s pretty!
Sena: That one is also among those 3 things, I think.
Ricko: You mean piercings?
Boogie: Same as me.
All: (laughs).
Sena: Last one would be my guitar, I guess.
Boogie: Senas original one for example.
Sena: Yeah, my guitar, I guess.
Thank you very much. How would you describe your own concerts?
Ricko: Power only (in English).
Boogie: That’s… uncool.
Ricko: No, that power isn’t ours alone, it’s everyone’s!
Boogie: Like Son Goku?
All: (laughs)
A Genki-dama!
Ricko: Our concerts make everyone release the power they hold inside. That kind of power is important. Without a doubt.
Boogie: How should I explain it. Heavy and emotional (in English), aren’t they?
Sena: You could say that our concerts are created by everyone who came to see us. First we offer a concert of course, but the base of that concert is… of course we have the duty of performing, but to boost it even further, we are all creating it together. We don’t have some kind of inspiration. It’s rather the strong impression that we created it in the end.
Ricko: So, emotional and power, like I said, right?!
Sena: It’s not power, I think…
Power is important, though, isn’t it?
Ricko: It is! It is!
Well then, which song is the most fun to perform?
Sena: The most fun song during a concert.
Boogie: That’s difficult.
Ricko: BLOODSHOT only (in English) (laughs).
Boogie: Only (in English) …
Ricko: It’s BLOODSHOT, isn’t it? BLOODSHOT.
Do you think so too?
Sena: Fun, huh?
Zyean: Well then, LETHAL AFFLICTION.
Boogie: Naming a fun one is difficult.
You don’t mean to say that your songs aren’t fun, do you?
Boogie: No (laughs)!
Sena: SCREAMER.
Boogie: Hm, OBLITERATOR.
Sena: That’s a good one.
Boogie: Well, there are many types of songs during a concert, aren’t there? Fun ones, cool ones. Therefore a fun one would be OBLITERATOR.
And which one would be a cool one?
Sena: OMELAS.
Ricko: MEPHISTO.
Boogie: FAIZH is cool, isn’t it? Well, all our songs are passionate. All of them.
Before a concert, is there something you always do?
Ricko: Ah, Monster Energy.
To receive power?
Ricko: Exactly, power!
Boogie: What are you, a power-man?
Zyean: I’m stretching my body.
Sena: I usually play the guitar.
As a warm up?
Sena: Yeah. Also, we are definitely doing preparations and reviewing the set list.
Ricko: You’re so serious. You really are.
Boogie: We are also doing check ups. For the concert.
Before the concert?
Boogie: That’s right. The order of the songs is already settled and we need to check what we are doing after one song ended within the transition to the next one.
You also often perform together with other other bands, like NAZARE and DEXCORE. Is there a reason you often perform together?
Sena: Those stand out, but how should I say it, even though our concerts with DEXCORE or NAZARE seem to happen a lot, it actually isn’t that often…
Boogie: We had the MAD PIT TOUR that was organized by us, and DEXCORE and NAZARE participated. Because we toured around together, it looks as if we are performing together often, but apart from that tour we actually don’t perform together that much.
Sena: We organized a tour with the concept of gathering visual kei bands and metal bands that aren’t visual kei and do some metal. NAZARE and DEXCORE both use metal sounds within visual kei, so that’s the reason we toured together. They were in a similar position like us, so we went on tour together.
Boogie: They are comrades with whom we can get enthusiastic together during concerts.
So basically you just like doing concerts together with other bands?
Boogie: That’s right. We do like it.
What is the interesting aspect of having concerts with other bands?
Sena: One-man concerts have their good points and events with other bands have their own good points. The great thing about having concerts with other bands is that it is just a short performance, compared to one-mans; for your own performance, I mean. But still, the participating bands present their strong points all together and it is kind of like a battle between them. That thrill is one of the good points.
Boogie: People who haven’t listened to our music yet or who don’t know us at all, to be able to perform in front of those people is a chance for the band and I really like that.
On the other hand you just finished your first one-man tour through Japan. How was this experience or you?
Ricko: It was the first time that we went on an one-man tour as JILUKA, right? It was the first time we went to different places and met local people, which makes me happy of course. It’s amazing that this was possible with the corona situation right now. Even though the infections increased again, people gathered to see us and I feel the warmth of those amazing people.
Zyean: You’re so serious, aren’t you?
Ricko: No, no. Not at all.
Zyean: I ate many delicious things everywhere we went. That was fun.
All: (laughs).
What was the best?
Zyean: The best one was the seafood on Hokkaido. It was really delicious. And also beer.
As expected (laughs).
Boogie: Hmm. With the current situation the concerts were a little different than we originally imagined, but still people got to know us and came to see us for the first time and many people who always supported us came also. We are still in the middle of corona, but through this tour we were able to get a clear and bright insight of our expectations and hope for JILUKA from now on.
Sena: Everywhere we went, I felt as if everyone experienced us, JILUKA, in a similar way like we feel about the band. For example, after the concert in Osaka, we went to Fukuoka, but because Osaka went very well there were also some who decided to come to Fukuoka for the next concert. I felt the power of those fans.
It’s amazing that people do that in the middle of a pandemic, right?
Sena: Apparently. For us it was also connected to hope. Of course we believed in our future, but on the other hand it was also a reconfirmation that everything we did so far, wasn’t wrong. Also, going on tour with everyone makes you think about the band all day long, basically all the time. So you can concentrate on the band and visit various places. This month was really fun.
I’m glad it went so well. Are there also overseas fans coming to your lives?
Sena: Quite a lot, I think.
Ricko: Yeah.
Is there a difference between Japanese and foreign fans who come to your lives?
…
There are none?
Sena: Their hair is flashy.
Ricko: You instantly know it is an overseas fan, right?
Sena: Not that they’re blond, but rather colors like purple or better said shocking purple or red. Those are numerous. It kinda seems more visual kei than common visual kei. Like: THE visual kei. Also my personal opinion, but their reception of the music is pretty visible. Their interpretation of the rhythm for example.
You mean that they move their bodies more than Japanese do?
Sena: Yes, exactly! Compared to Japanese they express a lot with their body.
Zyean: My personal opinion is that their voices are loud.
All: (laughs).
I see, we actually hear that a lot (laughs).
Zyean: Well, because of the situation right now, you can’t shout, so I haven’t heard any recently, but so far they have been loud. This makes us happy.
Sena: You could say they are enthusiastic.
Zyean: Yeah.
Sena: Japanese fans are rather shy compared to them.
You also get comments from oversea fans, don’t you? Do you read them too?
Ricko: We read them! Of course.
Was there something interesting among them?
Zyean: Ah, I had something interesting recently. I have an instagram account and there I receive messages from overseas fans, but among those I received a question, whether I prefer McDonald’s or Kentucky Fried Chicken.
All: (laughs).
Zyean: That was super funny (laughs)!
Seems like an important question (laughs).
Zyean: It was funny. I’m a fan of McDonald’s by the way.
I see (laughs). Within the comments you receive, there are probably also some you can’t read, right?
All: Yeah.
Boogie: Well, we also receive many messages from people who write to us in their native language, but there are also a lot who actually study Japanese and write us in Japanese. There seem to be many who not only like visual kei but also Japan in general. That makes me really happy.
Are there any countries you would like to perform?
Sena: Everywhere where people request for us loudly. For example, America, South America and I’d also like to visit Europe.
Boogie: We also get a lot of requests from Germany. We receive many messages where they tell us to go there. But I want to go to many places.
Sena: It’s not about the places, we want to go where fans are waiting!
To close this interview, kindly leave a message to our readers.
Sena: The situation is like it is right now and therefore we kind of can’t go overseas. It’s really unfortunate because we had the chance to perform overseas and the lives were just about to be settled, but well, if the situation with the corona virus calms down, we want to go and meet you, so please wait a little for us!
Boogie: Like Sena just said, just before corona started, we decided for many lives, domestic ones and overseas ones included. For JILUKA it was a time where we decided to share our music in many different ways and that we couldn’t do that as well because of the current situation really is a shame. Going overseas isn’t an option right now, but after the situation calmed down and once we are able to share our music in many places again, we will visit many places in Japan and also overseas to have concerts. Until then, you can probably still listen to our music, so we would like to ask you to listen to our music and wait for us.
Ricko: I’m going to say something similar, but after we couldn’t do the things we thought about as natural, we still want to create music and present it in front of people. This won’t change in the future either, so please tell them to wait a little longer for us (laughs)!
Please leave it to me (laughs)!
Zyean: Well then. We still receive messages from fans all over the world who tell us to have a concert in their country and after the pandemic is over we will definitely visit all those places, so let’s enjoy the concerts together! Also, please tell me which beer is good (laughs).
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