Insanity in the Mirror: ReivieR Interview

Following their third oneman live, Unbreakable at Takadanobaba AREA, ReivieЯ gave ROKKYUU an action-packed exclusive full of movie quotes, unsolicited screams, and even a few juicy secrets as to what makes them tick.

69: First, we’d like you to start by introducing yourselves. Could you each state your name and tell us something interesting about you? Shall we start with the leader?

Kou: I would be the stage right guitarist, Kou.

Makoto: I think you already are.

Kou: I’m not interested in anything at all except music and manga. That’s me.

Jey: I’m the vocalist, Jey. I’m only interested in games.

Makoto: I’m the stage left guitarist, Makoto. My dream for the future… is to be a rock star.

Hayato: I’m the bassist, Hayato. I like… animals and girls.

Hiro: I’m the drummer, Hiro. I like… slots machines.

69: By the way, Hayato, specifically what kind of animals do you like?

Hayato: I like everything from wolves to dogs. In other words, I like dogs. (in English) “Dog.”

69: Jey, what’s your favourite platform?

Jey: PSP!

69: Here’s an odd one for the musicians. Have any of you named your instruments?

Makoto: What was it? That name… I can’t remember.

Kou: My old guitar was called Kurosuke.

Hiro: Sounds like something out of Bleach.

Kou: Like a zanpakuto?

69: If you were going to rename your guitar, what would it be Makoto?

Makoto: Sexy Dynamite!

Jey: [Roars]

Kou: That doesn’t sound like “Sexy Dynamite” at all!

Jey: It totally is.

Hayato:  That’s definitely more of a “Crazy Dynamite.”

69: So today was your third oneman live titled “Unbreakable.” First of all, how was it?

Kou: It was fun!

Hayato: I was in bliss.

69: During the concert you spoke a little about the title… Do you often use English titles?

Hayato: Absolutely! They’re all English!

69: Why is that?

Hayato: In order to mask the true meaning, to make it difficult to read the thoughts behind it. I want to make the fans think.

69: On that note, “ReivieЯ” (Reviah) has a very cool ring to it-

[Jey growls “ReivieЯ”]

69: But what’s the meaning behind it?

Kou: That’s…

Hayato: Should we reveal it?

Kou: The meaning is about reincarnation/playback.

69: And the backwards R?

Makoto: There’s a secret to that! Tell them!

Kou: Well actually you can’t read it as “reviah” but we like the look of it on the jackets because it’s like a mirror image. If you read it from the left or the right it says the same thing. That’s like a form of reincarnation. That was our original, weird catch-copy.

69: It sounds like you put a lot of thought into it.

Hayato: Self-regeneration.

69: Your previous oneman’s called “The Fist” and “All Hesitation is Gone” were held at O-Crest and Black Hole. Was playing here at Takadanobaba AREA any different to those experiences?

Kou: It was very different.

Hayato: Completely different.

Kou: To put it simply, it’s so much bigger. We’ve played here before, but it’s not every day we get to do a oneman. We just decided to go for it. It’s been a personal goal, a dream of mine for a long time.

69: In that case, congratulations on fulfilling it.

Kou: I always believed it would come true, of course. My memories here… Well, there wasn’t a second rise in the past but I feel like I’ve come full circle.

69: Having just finished, what image is clearest in your mind?

Hayato: Nothing but the perfect scenery.

69: Out of the songs you played, which had the best feel to it today?

Kou: Personally I think it would have to be Voice. The last song.

Hayato: All of it! The whole thing felt amazing.

69: So who writes the songs?

Hiro: That would be me.

Kou: Oi, you liar!

Hayato: Actually we all write them together.

Makoto: It’s all over the place.

69: So it’s like all of your feelings are mixed into the music.

Kou: That’s right. At first someone will bring in the foundation and then we’ll all head into the studio and work on it.

69: If there was something that says “ReivieЯ,” what would it be? What’s your strong suit?

Kou: I believe it’s that we’re an utterly hopeless band of fools. That’s the one thing we’ll never lose at.

69: In respect to your music, is there a band you’ve been inspired by?

Kou: In my case there’s a lot of different music. The music I make is influenced by all sorts. Makoto and I are quite strongly influenced by what we listen to.

69: Do you listen to any Western music?

Makoto: The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

69: So, what encouraged you to join a visual kei band?

Kou: Somehow, back when I was in highschool a friend made me listen to visual kei. X, Luna Sea etc… Actually I really love Luna Sea but that’s where it all started for me. Of course, I listen to music other than visual kei but Luna Sea are, after all, my favourite and that’s why I’m in a visual kei band.

69: Did you go to the recent Luna Sea revival concert?

Kou: Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it.

Makoto: For me, it’s DIR EN GREY. I heard them when I was a highschooler, and listening to them changed my life.

Hayato: Luna Sea for me as well. Listening to them totally changed my life.

[Laughter at the stolen phrase.]

Hiro: I don’t really have a particular reason. By the time I realized it… Well it seems strange to say that. It’s about expression. What I want to express just happened to coincide with visual kei.

69: That’s quite a rare story.

Hiro: That’s right, and that’s why my life was totally changed.

Jey: First and foremost, X JAPAN. I really used to love them. From there I started listening to B’z, Glay, L’arc~en~Ciel… I really got into that whole scene.

69: The very forerunners of visual kei.

Jey: Exactly. I got absolutely absorbed into all of that and started to like really heavy stuff and then heard DIR EN GREY. “Ah, this is it!” I thought.

Hiro: And your life?

Jey: My life changed.

69: Lastly, we’re curious as to what’s the next step for you?

Kou: Well, firstly…

Jey: That would be Budokan.

69: Budokan, eh?

Jey: That’s the goal. That’s what everyone’s aiming for. Budokan’s all I care about.

69: Could you spare a word or two for the foreign fans?

Jey: Come on mother fucker!

Hiro: (in English Terminator-voice) I’ll be back.

All: Terminator!

Kou: [translates] You’ll come back? How can you say that if you haven’t even been there!

Hayato: In English?

Makoto: In English.

Hayato: how do you say “I love you?”

Jey: (in English) I love you!

Hayato: I love you!

Makoto: Please listen to (in English) Japanese rock.

Jey: [translates] Please hear Japanaese Rock!

69: Lastly, from the leader.

Kou: I don’t know any English.

Jey: What, no (roared inn English) “I’M A DEATH MACHINE!”?

69: Japanese is fine.

Kou: I’m looking forward to the day we can meet you all.

Hayato: Someday we’ll go overseas.

ROKKYUU had a great time chatting with the members of ReivieЯ: random shouts, revelations, wacky translations, and all. We wish them the best of luck and hope they make their dream of Budokan some day.