Interview with Kiwamu and DJ SiSeN

Following DJ SiSeN's introduction and shortly before BLOOD took the stage in San Antonio, Texas on February 2nd as part of their Darkest Labyrinth vol.7 in USA tour, Kiwamu and DJ SiSeN sat down to talk with us for a moment.

The dates for this tour had already been determined when it was announced that SiSeN would join you. How did this decision come about?

Kiwamu: This is our seventh time in the USA so we wanted to bring an exciting, extra guest for this tour. It was our fourth time in Los Angeles and will be our second in Boston, so I wanted to have a special performance for the US fans. SiSeN sometimes came to our events and BLOOD sometimes joins in his events, so I had much interest in his DJ style and decided to bring him on the US tour.

Also, SiSeN, what was your reaction to being invited on the tour?

SiSeN: I was very happy and also surprised!

What were your first impressions of each other before you had ever worked together?

SiSeN: We first met each other at an event about four years ago.

Kiwamu: It was at a small event in Japan. I disliked that event very much but I remember he was there.

SiSeN: When we first met, we didn’t talk a lot. BLOOD had already had some shows in the US and there were already fans of the Japanese styles. They were not popular at that time when they came to the US. They received a lot of encouragement. They hadn't started with the industrial style yet, but they are changing a bit now.

Kiwamu: I waited because I originally liked the visual style. But since I really like the industrial style right now, BLOOD's style has also changed. Right now, in Japan, industrial is not famous, but I think the people who are interested in the gothic style are going to change and be interested in the industrial style too. I am happy with the style change from visual to industrial. At the same time, the visual style is very popular in Japan, so it is good for these styles to come together.

You're both part of an underground/gothic/industrial scene, so what about this scene is particularly appealing to you and how did you first get involved in it?

SiSeN: I'm colorful right now but, before, I had white skin and black make up and clothes, so it was more like the gothic style. Many people have different sides to themselves, in their hearts, so I can learn more about and exhibit the dark side of myself. Then I can change to the more joyful and colorful side.

Kiwamu: We changed our style last year because the members of BLOOD have not listened to visual kei music in a long time. In the visual kei scene there are many boring, stereotypical bands, copycats with the same styles. So I wanted to create new styles from visual kei. Our music style was visual kei and visual kei was influenced from industrial and gothic styles, but recently our main focus has been on industrial and gothic. In the visual kei scene there are still some gothic influences, but real gothic people might dislike that strange style, so we wanted to create a truly industrial feeling from our styles.

Since this tour has brought BLOOD to Texas for the first time and SiSeN not only to Texas, but also to the USA for the first time, what were your expectations for this tour?

SiSeN: Since it is my first time here, I am happy to be here with BLOOD. I hope for many good experiences and that the relationship between the US and Japan will be better and that many new styles will come out of it.

Kiwamu: I think he has much more of an impact than some strange visual kei band would have. If I want to invite another band on our tour, I need to pay for airfare for three or four members, but he is a DJ, one person, who still has a much bigger impact. (laugh) I hope that BLOOD and SiSeN can put on an exciting show for the fans of Japanese culture. His character is very interesting, so many people were surprised at this coupling, but I think my idea was good. The Los Angeles show was a success and was sold out so that many people couldn't attend, so my idea to bring him was good, I think. (laugh)

You can't believe everything you hear or read about someone. What's the most outrageous rumor you’ve heard about yourself?

Kiwamu: In the guest room we always act strange. (laugh) Sometimes things that are said end up being posted on blogs and I dislike that kind of situation very much. At a convention in Germany, some people acted unprofessional and talked about things that had happened in our room, talked to fans, so we don't want to go to that kind of convention. This kind of behavior is common in the club scene and we want to uphold our image or reputation, so we have to be careful about how we act and what we say.

SiSeN: They have long hair, so sometimes people misunderstand that they are not women, but men. (laugh)

On the other side of that, as a positive thing, what are some of the best gifts you’ve received from fans or the nicest things they’ve done for you?

SiSeN: I get a lot of drawings and pictures of myself from fans. I am very happy to receive those.

Kiwamu: Many people give me sweets, but over the duration of one show, I can't eat that many sweets. (laugh) Today I got four trays of cakes and other sweets. (laugh)

SiSeN: I was happy with the sweets from fans.

Kiwamu: On one of the cakes it said "LOVE". (laugh)

What are some of your simple or guilty pleasures? No matter how small, silly, stupid, they might be, what are some things that amuse you or bring you a moment of joy?

SiSeN: I really like colorful fashion, but aside from that I like climbing mountains and taking walks.

Kiwamu: I'm a workaholic, so I'm always working for other bands and labels and my band. With my label I am working with many industrial bands from foreign countries and with distribution. That work is my hobby, so I always enjoy that kind of work. It makes me happy, so I like staying busy.

Kiwamu, BLOOD's appearance changes along with the band's ever-evolving music style, your visuals usually complimenting the theme of the music. Do you have any ideas yet as to what BLOOD's next concept will be?

Kiwamu: Recently our new concept, Symphony of Chaos, is very fitting to our style and we already recorded a full album, but we will continue with this concept for our next album. We worked with a visual style for five years so we will enjoy this style for a long time. Many bands disband quickly so I want to make good music for a long time. In Europe many bands have their own individual styles and don't sell many CDs, but they always enjoy making music because their lifestyle is music. I want to be that kind of person, that kind of band.

SiSeN, your style is very colorful, unique, and different from what a lot of people who are unfamiliar with the scene are used to seeing. Where do you get the ideas for what look you’ll be wearing and do you ever design your own costumes?

SiSeN: That's kind of a difficult question. (laugh) When I was little I liked strange stuff and when I was a teenager I liked the gothic styles and drag queens, so I sort of mixed them all together to get this style. And I am going to be designing for some brands in the future.

On the subject of appearances, how would you both feel about dressing in the other's style, Kiwamu like SiSeN and SiSeN like Kiwamu?

SiSeN: (laugh)

Kiwamu: I think that BLOOD would have to start playing happy, pop songs before something like that could happen. (laugh)

Kiwamu, in the past you’ve had many problems involving members of the band, particularly vocalists. Did you know from the moment Fu-ki joined that he would be right for the band or is there a certain thing about a member that just indicates to you that they will work out?

Kiwamu: (laugh) When we went to Paris in 2004, we had no vocalist. Our show was sold out so we told him that he had to get a passport and come with us. So he came with us and has been BLOOD's vocalist since then.

SiSeN, you've participated in Tokyo Decadence and Tokyo Dance Night in Europe, but how do you feel about the expansion of those events to the USA and other places?

SiSeN: When I first started traveling overseas, I thought that maybe some of the places I was going might be dangerous in some way. But now that I've been to other places I can see that there are many similarities between those different places, things like convenience stores and 99 cent stores. I like cheap things! Participating in those events in other, new places is definitely something I would be interested in in the future.

Thank you so much for talking with us, please leave us with a final message for all of your fans.

SiSeN: I am happy to have come to the US for the first time to meet everyone. I hope I can come back some time!

Kiwamu: My purpose is not to make music for money, but to make good music for good fans. This tour has been successful so far and two of the shows have sold out, so I hope that we can continue to bring exciting shows to the fans.


JaME would like to thank BLOOD, DJ SiSeN and Tainted Reality for this interview. Photos by Lacy.