Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: Interview

Prior to Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ' first overseas performance in France in February 2006, JaME held a mail interview with the band in order to get to know them better.

What is the band’s exact name, and where does it come from?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ. Soldiers from space, who have come to ensure peace on Earth with music. To sum it up, Uchuu Sentai NOIZ. Imitation PoPs is our musical style, representing infinite possibilities.

How did the band start off? What were you all doing beforehand?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We created the band near the turn of the century (1999) to protect peace on Earth.

Angel Voice - ANGEL-TAKA (vocals)
Born on the third planet from the Sun. Discovered at a young age that he was a "chosen one". He died once during his teenage years, and it was at that moment that Shiva fused his body with nanomachines, giving him new life. He descended to Earth with extra-terrestrials as the "amp filter" with an angelic voice.

Clockwork Guitar - TAKEswiy (guitar)
Part of a band and idolized on the planet known as Anchang. His homeland eventually disappeared due to terrorism, and this caused him to feel weak and alone. It was at that moment that he decided to walk the path of righteousness. He still does not know that his parents were killed by one (perhaps more) of his friends.

Hypersonic Guitar - MASATO (guitar)
A military weapon created by man. He has no consciousness. His only purpose in life is to obey orders.

SuperViberator - KYO(bass)
Special Forces member from the planet AB-Nine. His specialty is intrusion. He is accused of killing another planet’s king: he is serving his sentence at this moment in time.

MixBeatCreator - S@TT-ON (drums)
Prince from the planet Anchang, a planet that disappeared due to terrorism. He eventually decided to enforce justice to make sure no other planet's suffer Anchang's fate.

There has never been a line-up change within the band, and you all seem to get along very well. Have you been friends for long? Did you know each other prior to starting the band?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: Well, you could say we were friends that always executed projects and such together, to achieve a common goal.

How would you present yourself to someone who does not know who you are?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We are the five soldiers from space who came from far away to protect peace on Earth.

Do you favor certain themes over others?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We don’t have favorite themes, or themes that we favor over others. The fans decide what kind of lyrics we write.

Have you ever wanted to work with a specific artist?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We would like to work with any artist if it helps our future as a band.

What kind of music do you listen to? What are your influences?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: Imitation PoPs

In the From Skywalker PV, you all skydive from high above. How did filming go?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We were kind of scared when we heard of the idea, but we remained calm during the jump. We stayed strong.

You were jurors at the World Cosplay Summit. How did that go? What memories did you take home?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: Well, we are artists, not cosplayers. However, the cosplayers at the event influenced us a lot, showing us that cosplaying is a great way to communicate with people who come from different cultures.

Many Visual Kei bands came to Europe from Japan recently. Even though your "World Tour" was announced quite some time ago, did you want to profit from this or had you been looking forward to the project for a long time?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We’ve been labeled as a "visual" band, but we have never said we were. We aren’t influenced by other bands either. The only thing we think about is Earth when we start projects.

Why did you choose the sentai universe ? What about it attracts you? Are there any particular sentai series that have influenced you?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: Sentai has some ties to what we try to do with our shows. We can say without exaggerating that every sentai has influenced us.

European fans don’t necessarily understand the lyrics to your songs, nor the choreographies associated with them. Aren’t you afraid that this might affect the "feel" of the shows?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: No, not really. Concerning lyrics, it’s true that there might be difficulties understanding our words, but we know that fans will feel the show in their souls. We always try and capture their hearts with our performance. We don’t consider language as a barrier. We want our hearts to convey the words and music.

Will you alter your presentation for foreign fans who are not used to your shows?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: No. We promise that we will put on our best show, and that it will convey big emotions.

On your latest album, you explored different musical horizons such as hip-hop, punk, etc. Do you prefer one over the other? Have you ever wanted to work on a different musical genre?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: We believe that Imitation PoPs is the most superior of all genres.

You are often compared to Psycho le Cému, image-wise and musically. Have they influenced you? Do you consider yourselves to be their successors?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: No, we are not their successors. That question is disrespectful towards Psycho le Cému and towards us. We have worked very hard to reach our current status, as have they. We have not influenced each other in any way. This we are certain of, seeing as we began our career before Psycho le Cému did.

On your last album, there is a song entitled "1988". Does that year have any significance for you?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: It’s the year that this miracle began.

Some of your song titles seem to refer to movies or other artists. Was this deliberate?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: No, all our songs refer to our global vision and are not inspired by anything.

Your costumes are very colorful and stylized. Did you create them yourselves?
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: TAKEswiy is responsible for them, and he also works with a production crew. They really are the best costumes.

Have you ever given a nickname to your fans ? On Taka’s journal, it seems that he refers to them as "baby"...
Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ: He calls them by that name naturally, seeing as the fans are very precious to him.

For Masato:
You participated in writing a song for the band Planet Gold 2006 under the name of Marsha. How did that go? Why did you change your name?
Masato: ............ No idea.

For Taka:
You and Masato seem to form a team when it comes to compositions and lyrics. How do you guys do it?
Taka: We’re inspired by genius.

For Kyo:
Can you imagine life without the band?
Kyo: No, I can’t.

For S@tton:
You’re an excellent drummer. How long did it take you to learn and how long have you been playing?
S@tton: It’s a means of personal expression. I’ve been playing for a very long time, and it’s like second nature to me.

For Take:
You always wear boxing gloves. Do you like the sport, or is it just a fashion statement?
Take: I enjoy the sport, but I also happen to like them as an accessory. It looks good.


A big thank you goes out to Séverine at Ongaku France.