Interview with WING WORKS' RYO:SUKE at HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market 2015

In November 2015, WING WORKS were one of the featured music acts to perform at HYPER JAPAN Christmas Market in London. Shortly before one of his many performances, JaME caught up with WING WORKS mastermind RYO:SUKE.

First of all: what does WING WORKS mean?

RYO:SUKE: I think all creativity of my music, art, design, fashion and story; all of them are WING WORKS. The WING part is human evolution. I want to evolve music, humanity and behavior.

WING WORKS revolves around the concept of "hybrid shock music" that fuses rock and electronica. Why did you choose such a concept?

RYO:SUKE: I want to make new music and hybrid is something made of many materials, which makes new music. The hybrid shock music has a lot of electronic influences, and rock, but also jazz, classical music and Japanese traditional music.

What led you to this futuristic musical and visual style? Are you a fan of science fiction?

RYO:SUKE: The art I’m most influenced by is “Neon Genesis Evangelion”. For me, it’s the best animation. Also “Star Wars”, and “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” by Ghibli - not the animation, but the manga – I like the manga a lot.

You worked with MEG from the electronicore band ARTEMA on the single RAVVE OF MY TRINITY. How did this collaboration come about, and what did he bring to the release?

RYO:SUKE: In Japan, WING WORKS performed with ARTEMA at a livehouse show. I heard ARTEMA’s music there and thought it was great, so I invited them to my house.

What did you like about ARTEMA’s music?

RYO:SUKE: Like me, they try to create a mix of rock and electronica music. I felt we had a connection.

Are there any other artists you would like to work with in the future?

RYO:SUKE: MIYAVI, he’s my best mentor. I haven’t met him yet, but my biggest and last dream is to meet him.

What would you like to work with him on?

RYO:SUKE: I want to do it all. Maybe his guitar and singing and my sound and my singing could create some big vibes. Me and MIYAVI-san have the same mind. He played guitar in a visual kei band, I played bass in a visual kei band, and we both wanted to become solo artists and reach out overseas.

Earlier this year, you performed live shows in Paris and Switzerland. Can you tell us about your experience at these two shows?

RYO:SUKE: The lives were very emotional, very different from Japan. I got lots of passion and energy from the audience. The venue was also bigger than the ones in Japan.

You're going to perform completely solo without any support members for your HYPER JAPAN show. Why did you decide to perform completely solo?

RYO:SUKE: I try to challenge myself. I change my style. My support members, my WING-MEN, they’re excellent, but WING WORKS is me so I decide.

You opened your fan club for international audiences and have performed multiple times overseas now. What are your next plans outside Japan?

RYO:SUKE: I am making a new album at the moment. I’m working on it, but I don’t know when it’ll be finished. I want to release my new album worldwide. About touring abroad, I haven’t decided yet, but I want to do so. I’ll plan the new tour after I’m done recording.

With Christmas just around the corner, how do you plan to celebrate?

RYO:SUKE: I will make new songs for my new album at home, possibly alone.

Any Christmas wish for our readers?

RYO:SUKE: If you enjoy Christmas, please play WING WORKS. That’s my wish.

Do you have a particular song in mind?

RYO:SUKE: MOVING LIGHT KISS, from the first album STAR GAZER MEMORY.


JaME would like to thank RYO:SUKE, translator Hirata Kei and the management team for making this interview possible.