miyavi interview at JRock Revolution

Recently, JaME had the opportunity to interview miyavi before the JRock Revolution festival in Los Angeles, California. The artist was casually dressed and spoke to JaME in English.


Since the last time we spoke with you in Vegas, have there been any more secret missions?
miyavi: Secret missions? Ohh, no.

Are you planning anymore secret mission? Or is it a secret?
miyavi: Yes, there will be more, but it's a secret.

You always have really interesting tour goods, like the miyavi-cans and the MYVSRocks skirt. Are you directly involved with the ideas for your merchandise, or do you have a team that does it for you?
miyavi: That comes from me. Yeah.

You've been part of the visual scene for a while now, what are the biggest changes you've noticed in the newer VK bands?
miyavi: There have been changes in style and attitude in the music. It's quieter. Back in the day all the musicians were harder. Now it's less so. But now Japanese culture is getting bigger, spreading worldwide. I'm proud to be a Japanese artist.

A few months ago you played a mini show in Las Vegas. Looking back, what was your favorite moment from that show?
miyavi: There were people from so many walks of life, many of them were hip hop, and there were NBA allstars there, and people celebrating Chinese New Year. But, my fans were also there. I was excited and so glad to see my fans.

Were you aware of the 21 and over age limit ahead of time?
miyavi: Yes, but it was a night club, there was nothing we could do, we had no choice. But I am always very proud to be playing at any place.

Do you feel that you're received differently by the US audiences than you are in Japan?
miyavi: It's the same, the same energy level, the fans are the same. But, my first time playing in the US I was so excited, because the fans now like Japanese culture such as anime, fashion and Visual Kei. That's why I was so excited, there was such enthusiasm for Japanese culture.

What hopes do you have for this performance at JRock revolution? Are you looking to increase your US presence, or are you just here to play for fun?
miyavi: I'm here for my fans. Just the fans. I will play anywhere. Anytime, anywhere, I will play music for my fans. That's why I'm here in America.

What can US fans do to encourage you to tour here?
miyavi: In America? A collaborative tour, or on my own?
On your own
miyavi: Fan mail. Lots of fan mail. I am always reading fan mail from the US and overseas. Even when it's kind of hard to read.
Does it help you with your English?
miyavi: Yeah, it really does. It helps me learn.

How did you meet the artists that performed with you during your 5 days lives in Tokyo last year?
miyavi: By coincidence. They're from different genres, hip hop, tap dancer, traditional Japanese drum, beat box, DJ and a drummer.

Were you looking to do this sort of performance and then met these other artists, or did you decide on the performance after you met them?
miyavi: No, before I met them. I was trying to gather all of them. It was very complicated. Sometimes I went to a club and looked for a special person. Sometimes I went and played on the street, and they would come along and jam, and I would meet them that way.

In July you're releasing a mini-album with re-recordings of a few of your previous songs. How did you choose those songs?
miyavi: I picked the ones that I thought would make my fans happy. My musical style has changed. The core of each song remains the same, but the style changes. I am always changing, it's part of life, my life style. Be positive, not negative. Don't hesitate and go, that sort of thing. I can feel it even now. I want to make my fans happy.

Recently on your blog you said that you were looking forward to "screaming in the background" in a band again. What other aspects of being in a band, as opposed to being a solo artist, do you enjoy?
miyavi: I like the groove. You get a groove from the other members, there's a chemistry between them. And also I'm lonely. As a solo artist I don't have to report to everybody, but honestly, I am a lonely person, that's why I like being in a band.

Do you feel that being in a band places less pressure on you, because the decisions are not solely your responsibility, or does it place you under more pressure, because you have to meet the expectations of multiple people instead of making music that please just you?
miyavi: It's complicated. A little of both, there are good things and bad things. In a band, there is responsibility for each person, but there is also chemistry.

Many of your fans fear that you will no longer produce solo work if you rejoin a band. Can you tell us if you have plans for the future regarding solo work?
miyavi: What I can say now is that I am going to make a new style. I can promise that. I'm a guitarist, and I'm always covering different genres. Hip-hop, funk, jazz, rock and punk - with these I want to make a new style of music. This summer I'm going on tour including Germany and Korea. After that I'm going to release a new single, that's going to be a new sound. It's Neo Visualism.

What can fans expect from the Neo Visualism tour, will it be a big change?
miyavi: Not a big change, but I mixed my style. I've always been a rock artist, but I mixed rock, pop, and many genres to create something new.

For fun, if you ran PS Company, what would the initials PSC stand for?
miyavi: Perfect Special Culture.

Do you have a final message for your US fans?
miyavi: I came to rock you all on the stage. I'm a visual artist, and I want to express my feelings through my music. My lifestyle is best described as Kabuki. Kabuki is Japanese culture, a live art with humor. The visual industry is getting bigger in the world, but I want to make a new style. There's no meaning to repeating the same thing over and over. That's why I want to make a new style, a new vision. I call it Neo Visualism. I want to go to America and everywhere in the whole world to rock them. Please enjoy my music, and please wait until I can come to you.

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JaME would like to thank miyavi for taking the time to meet with us, PS Company, and the co-ordinators of JRock Revolution for their assistance.