Interview with THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S

Formed on August 24th, 2011, visual rock band THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S will celebrate their 10th anniversary soon. Over the years, the band has played countless lives in Japan, but also some shows abroad. However, their nearly decade-long career has also brought some line-up changes.

Together with DASEIN vocalist Ricky they experienced the first chapter of the band. During this period they embarked on their first European tour and released some singles and the albums A BEGINNING FROM THE END. (2012) and -REVERBERATIONS- (2013), before he decided to leave the band in 2015.

He was followed by ex-A vocalist Nimo. With Nimo, THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S toured around Japan and Asia, released even more singles, including SCANDALOUS (2016), their first mini-album Hoshizora ni kakeru koe (2016), as well as the album Hyakuoku no mirai to tatta hitotsu no ima -INFINITE∞FUTURE- (2017). However, in 2019, Nimo left the band as well. The band released its first best-of album, BEST ALBUM 2015〜2018 〜THANK YOU FOR MYCLONE〜, the same year, before their second chapter came to an end.

The search for a new vocalist didn't take long, and THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S revealed that they had recruited former iNSOMNiA frontman AMENO in May 2019. A few more releases, including their latest album THE UNFINISHED STORY (2021), and shows around Japan followed. Unfortunately, AMENO took his leave in May 2021 and ended the third chapter in the band's history.

The band is currently looking for a new vocalist, but they also launched some new projects. Recently, JaME had the chance to ask THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S about their past, but also their upcoming 10th anniversary, latest releases and new projects.

Since it's been a while since our last interview, could you please introduce yourselves again?

kazuya: I am the composer and guitarist, kazuya.

SHUN.: I am the guitarist, SHUN.

ZERO: I’m the bassist, ZERO.

TSUKASA: And I’m the drummer, TSUKASA.

2020 became a challenging year in various ways. When you look back on last year, what experiences did you take away from it?

kazuya: I feel like the whole time passed really quickly. Whilst we were looking into what we were able to do as a band (e.g. livestreams), we planned to meet all the challenges optimistically.

SHUN.: It feels like an awful lot of things changed. Particularly things like ‘how will we hold concerts’ gave rise to a lot of consideration. Saying that, it’s not like the birth of concert livestreams is a negative thing.

ZERO: Everything that was par for the course became NOT par for the course, and, our thoughts aside, we had no choice in what became the norm. Because of that, even the internal conditions of being in a band started to change in 2020, and it was a pretty hard year.

TSUKASA: Because we spent a lot of time at home, I learned a lot. Things unrelated to me, like making videos and streaming; and as a band, we learned about talk livestreams and concert livestreams that were becoming more mainstream. We had to learn those things so that we weren’t behind the times.

How did your MYCLONES give you strength during the past months?

kazuya: When we thought that living was going to become difficult during the corona catastrophe, they supported us by buying our goods, and loads of MYCLONES watched our concert livestreams, so I’m really grateful to them.

SHUN.: The MYCLONES watched our livestreams for us and they helped us out by supporting us in many ways. Thank you.

ZERO: Everything that had boosted us up in venues had completely disappeared. People couldn’t come to see us at the venue, and, even if they could come to the concerts, there were restrictions in place, so it was really quiet. Despite all that, the fact that people still supported us in the same way without changing their minds really lent us strength.

TSUKASA: I think that they understood that it was probably difficult for us, and other bands as well, so they spent money on our goods and livestreams, tipped us during streams, and generally helped us out a lot. Thank you so much.

In the past year you were forced to change from regular concerts to no-audience lives. Was there anything challenging about making this transition? What other problems did you overcome?

kazuya: I was personally happy that I quickly realised that livestream concerts and normal concerts are two totally different things. SHUN. and ZERO persevered really hard with the filming side of things, so it became a different type of entertainment to the usual thing, and that was personally very fun for me.

SHUN.: Actually, I’m still not used to concerts without fans being present, even now. That’s because I think that first and foremost concerts mean people being present. So, really, I can’t see concerts with no people as anything but a different thing altogether. However, I do think that being able to take video of the concerts brings forth a totally new way of viewing.

ZERO: Having no people present was a problem. So was the fact that I’m camera shy. Although, having no choice but to be on camera means that I’m now slightly less camera shy. Just having a camera to perform to means that there is no reaction to what you’re doing, and it’s ironically thanks to this era that we’ve been able to come up with that method of staging and keep on going.

TSUKASA: Being able to enjoy concerts live with fans really is the best, but streamed concerts also have their good points. Personally, you can see the complex drumming, or bits that you usually wouldn't be able to see live, with video concerts so, as a drummer, that makes me pretty happy. Saying that, the excitement of fans at live concerts is really important. Being able to freely record concerts has also been great. Even if I watch it myself, I think "Wow! We look so cool!" (laughs) That’s been the fruits of SHUN. and ZERO’s labour.

Since late March 2021, you were able to perform in front of live audiences again. How did it feel to be back to playing with in-person audiences? Did it feel like anything had changed from before the pandemic?

kazuya: Simply put, it makes me happy that people come and see us in the flesh whenever they want. I’ve repeatedly thought that I wanted to treasure the people around us.

SHUN.: I thought I was going to cry when we did our first live concert after a long time. We’re not doing as many concerts as we did before, but I think it’s slowly returning to normal.

ZERO: It was such a happy time. Even though there were restrictions in place, it was so important to me that people were there for us. On the other hand, there were risks in people coming to the venue for us, so when we were on stage we were always worried about the people who had come to see us. That was a weird new feeling.

TSUKASA: "This is it!!" is what I thought. We still couldn’t let people call out and raise their voices for us but, the fact that we could be in the same space and have fun together made me very thankful.

Your most recent live shows were also streamed online. Do you think you might keep offering this combination of a live show with an in-person audience and a simultaneous online live stream for future events as well? If so, what advantages do you see in doing that?

kazuya: Other than the corona catastrophe, we realised that there were a lot of people that couldn’t usually come and see us at concerts. That includes people who live abroad. We want to give the choice of livestreams to people, as we want to appreciate our MYCLONES. I think it’s a good thing that we’ve been able to create a new source of entertainment through both streams and videos. Right now, we want to pursue the good points of livestreams.

SHUN.: People who can’t come to the venues can see our concerts through livestreams, and we’ve recently mixed different videos together so that people can see the venue and this, in itself, is a slightly different and new approach that we can show people.

ZERO: There are people that only come to concerts, and people that only watch livestreams, and there are people that will do both. I think that most people want to come and see us at concerts, if they can. Even before, to people who wanted to come see us but couldn’t, livestreams were surely a new way of interacting with us. You can also call your friends and watch the stream together in your homes, and I think that way we will be able to get new types of fans. Other than that, if a community is formed and able to grow, however far away you are, we will be able to come to you.

TSUKASA: The best part of a concert is sharing the same space, but I think that livestreams are necessary for people that cannot attend. I don't know how things will turn out, but I don’t know if we can say the same after corona is gone. I think we’ll have to reconsider once that time rolls around, but if there are still people that enjoy livestreams, then I want to continue with them.

kazuya, sadly, another member left the band recently. However, you decided to continue on and look for another singer. What are your thoughts on this – especially in the light of your statement that THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S will be your last band?

kazuya: It was the natural thing to do, since we had chosen to protect the band over everything, even after people have left. I’ll be happy if anyone new has the willpower and gets to know us.

Recently, you posted a recruitment request for a new vocalist. Do you have a particular type in mind? What requirements does your new band member need to meet?

kazuya: Personally, I think that someone who takes music and songs seriously, and someone who treasures the other members, staff and fans would be good.

SHUN.: Someone who goes full force into music and who will face everything together with the members and staff.

ZERO: Someone who will fight together with us, in all sorts of meanings.

TSUKASA: Someone who understands bands would be good.

There are just a few weeks left until your 10th anniversary. How do you feel when thinking about this milestone for THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S?

kazuya: I think that this is thanks to our MYCLONES. And, personally, I think it’s thanks to the three other members, SHUN., ZERO and TSUKASA. Plus, I'm grateful to the vocalists from every era of the band. I'm so happy that we’ve been able to reach 10 years together as a band, whatever the form.

SHUN.: We say it a lot during concert MCs, but concerts are made by the fans, staff and members, as well as making the band itself.

ZERO: It’s easier to continue, I think. It’s also just as easy to give up. I want to live a life where I don’t choose the option of running away if there are other options available to me.

TSUKASA: It’s thanks to our MYCLONES and the people who support us. My heart is full of thanks. Thank you.

Are there any particular moments or events that have stuck in your mind in the past decade? Could you share some of your favourite memories from your career?

kazuya: At our first concert, I had said to everyone "Let’s all meet in the middle for the guitar solo", and no one joined me. (laughs) Also, for our EU tour, we had a couple of problems like completing the contract last-minute, and didn’t know if we would be able to perform, so it was full of uncertainty. (laughs) It was lonely eating a packed lunch on tour, so we would buy loads of food and share it together in a lavish lunch, and I also remember drinking too much on the ferries… (laughs) All of them are important memories.

SHUN.: The nerves that I felt before the first time we went on stage were relentless. (laughs) Also, our European tour was really fun. We didn't have many free days, but even travelling around for the concerts was fun. Other than that, our Sendai concert. It was too hot, and for the first time ever, I fainted during a concert. Even so, I remember the concert being really fun.

ZERO: There have been loads of fun things. However, I also remember the first time in my musical career that I thought "I don’t want to go on stage". It was the VISUAL JAPAN SUMMIT 2016 at Makuhari Messe held on October 16th, 2016. My knees were swollen and I couldn’t walk. It was a total nightmare.

TSUKASA: Our first stage for our first concert. The European tour. The computer troubles we had at our last concert for our first era. Travelling with our MYCLONES. Streaming our meals and hotel before the tour. Getting too drunk on the ferries. Taking videos during the tour and making an MV. There are so many, I can’t choose.

What else do you want to achieve with THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S from now on?

kazuya: We made our ALL TIME BEST, and I thought that we simply had great songs and a great band. Therefore, my current target is to do loads of our best songs in our fourth era once we come back full force.

SHUN.: Since it seems like our third era is over and our activities have ended, I am trying a lot of new projects! And I want our fourth era to start up quickly!

ZERO: The closest goal in reach is the complete revival of THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S. Personally, since we’ve been able to express ourselves in many ways over the past 10 years, I want us to be able to evolve deeper and wider than before.

TSUKASA: Personally, I have no intention of quitting music, and it’s thanks to kazuya, SHUN. and ZERO that I’m alive, so provided that they don’t quit, I won’t quit. And I can’t forget my gratitude to our MYCLONES. Therefore, I want to build our fourth era.

Your MYCLONES were able to vote for their favourite songs for your upcoming best-of album until June 30th. Were you surprised by the results? Did any particular release receive the highest number of votes, or were they distributed fairly evenly?

kazuya: Rather than thinking about the order of the results, I was happy that everyone was treasuring the songs that we had made at home and turned into band songs with all our hearts. I'm thankful to all the MYCLONES that participated and to ZERO, who thought up this plan.

SHUN.: I was so happy that I was able to understand just how much our MYCLONES love our songs. Personally, there were a lot of songs chosen that I was not expecting, so I was pretty surprised.

ZERO: There were songs in the results that I expected to be there, and songs that I didn't expect. It was an album we all made together, so it’s a really important CD to me. Well, two CDs.

TSUKASA: I was surprised at how many melodious and pop songs were chosen. I really am going to have to practice the calmer drumming that I'm bad at. (laughs)

During your YouTube event on June 20th, you announced two new projects: “Still Night” and “OFIAM”. Could you please tell us more about these projects?

kazuya: Still Night is the acoustic sound of THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S melodies over the past 10 years done with violins and piano. It’s a very gentle project. OFIAM is different to Still Night in the fact that it’s a more aggressive group. Each member has a song, and there are samples of vocals in use, plus instrumentals, and it's also an experimental group with no role models.

SHUN.: I think that Still Night is an acoustic and very grown-up version of THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S. OFIAM has music, of course, but also has a lot of power pumped into its videos.

ZERO: In all outwards appearances, they are stillness and motion. But, inside, I kind of think that both have motion, flow and change. I think that it should be stillness in the end.

TSUKASA: I think you could say that Still Night is a powered up version of all the acoustic concerts we’ve done to date. It’s a quiet version of THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S with two faces. This is a big challenge for me. I’m really bad at drumming gently and quietly. I’m serving in a support role for OFIAM.

Your next lives are THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S Still Night～ZERO BIRTHDAY EVENT and THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S 10th Anniversary "THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S vs OFIAM". Can you please tell us a bit about what fans can expect from these concerts?

kazuya: I think the breadth of time that this concert covers, the past and the future, is really interesting. Also, three guest vocalists are taking time from their busy schedules to perform with us, so I'm really looking forward to that kind of session band, particularly as a musician. Other than that, we plan on showing our individuality with OFIAM, so I’m also excited about that.

SHUN.: In regards to August 21st, I want people to be able to enjoy something different from the usual, and that’s exciting in itself. (laughs) Since it’s our 10th anniversary, it feels like a bit of a festival. (laughs) As for July 30th, it’s ZERO’s birthday so we’re going to be able to celebrate it all together.

ZERO: It’s not THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S at all, but I want everyone to go into the future with new dreams.

TSUKASA: I think both need to be enjoyed as a festival!! Let’s make loads of awesome memories together!

ZERO, you recently designed new logos for THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S and OFIAM. What can you tell us about these designs?

ZERO: For Still Night, I was imagining something elegant? For OFIAM, I wanted to show movement through the logo! If you join the movement lines of the logo together you get "MH4". If you read the name of the band backwards, you get "MAIFO" (the abbreviation of THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S), so I thought about that connection.

Apart from your upcoming shows, best-of album and live DVD, what else do you have planned for the near future?

kazuya: We want to release music as OFIAM within this year.

SHUN.: Yep. Since it’s a project we’ve put a lot of effort into, we want to release something in some form or another.

ZERO: Let’s do it!

TSUKASA: I want us to think of something together.

Let’s close our interview with an off-topic question: The UEFA European championship is being held in various countries across Europe. ZERO, since you're a soccer fan: Who do you think will make it to the final? And do the other members follow the European Football Championship as well?

ZERO: Personally, I want Spain to give it their best.

Please leave a message for our readers.

kazuya: THE MICRO HEAD 4N’S is a band that has really made you all worry. We want to be able to convey our determination to not quit to everyone through our music. We’re also starting two new projects - Still Night and OFIAM. They’ll both be beneficial to MAIFO, so we’re going to seriously try our best. I’m so happy that our MYCLONES are able to enjoy our story as entertainment together with us. Thank you always for supporting us.

SHUN.: I’m praying for the day we can return to jumping and shouting at concerts like we used to. I’m really grateful to those who are supporting us even though there is currently no band or vocalist. We’ll continue to try our best, so please think kindly of us!

ZERO: There are times in life where we are hit by misfortune, but there is value in that. It’s not just us, but everyone at the moment is unable to try certain things. From now on, will we be content with our previous lives? We’re going to try our hardest to obtain the best outcome for everyone, with everyone.

TSUKASA: So much has happened, but we are moving forwards. To do that, everyone’s support is definitely necessary. We are going to make music that can give you power, and that will make you happy, so please encourage us! First off, we’re going to head towards our fourth era, so let’s have fun and go on together!!

JaME would like to thank THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S for making time for this interview.

The band's upcoming concert THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S 10th Anniversary "THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S vs OFIAM", which will feature the band's former frontman Ricky, defspiral's TAKA and Rei Kamiya of Strawberry Under World as guest vocalists, is scheduled to take place on August 21st, and it will be live streamed worldwide. Fans from overseas can purchase tickets to watch the event here.

For an introduction to each of the band's previous eras, fans can watch the music videos for HELLO MY CLONE (with Ricky), Gingatetsudou no yoru ~STARDUST EXPRESS~ (with Nimo) and REBIRTH -the 3rd form- (with AMENO) below.