333music.net Mana Interview - part 2
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Moi dix Mois, Mana Interview [2/3]

The day after tomorrow, May 2, after the sale of their new album, "Beyond the Gate", Moi dix Mois will be performing and making some new announcements at their SHIBUYA-AX oneman live. We will continue with the interview with Mana we started yesterday.


[Moi dix Mois' music being noticed overseas, and then fashion.]

--Which reminds me - in the last third of march, it seems you went to France and Germany and played live shows.
M: Yes.
--Even people who had been to a show in Japan, some of the audience came to see because it was in a foreign country, didn't they?
M: Even more than last time. When you compare it to Japan, there was a wider age group. Half of them were even male.
--Half?!
M: Yes. That's considerably different from Japan, isn't it? There were a lot of girls in Gothic Lolita fashion, and many people wearing my Moi-même-Moitié (the Gothic Lolita fashion brand Mana started.) They don't have Gothic Lolita fashion, as it is called, over there. Even though they have Gothic fashion.
--What do they call Gothic fashion?
M: Whichever way you call the way of dress, the skirt length is long, and gives off a Madame sort of feeling, and black serves as a basis of their fashion. That was originally there, but Gothic Lolita fashion wasn't. So wasn't it a fresh experience? Now especially, as all of Europe is taking notice of Gothic Lolita fashion. I feel it's gone over really well in Europe. It seems like the image of the other day's live was a little washed out by the German television, as previously we were featured many times on German television. We've also been featured in the German magazine, "ORKUS".
--Oh?! And weren't you featured on the front cover?!!
M: Twice, once on the February 2005 issue, and on the February 2006 issue. It felt like it was the best magazine in Germany. Their editor was so pleased, he gave me a Christian Death record as a present. "In the old days, Christian Death was huge, and Moi dix Mois makes a similarly deep impression. So, I'll give you a record from my collection," he said.
--Is that how it was? So, about those male fans that make up half your audience?
M: The males' fashion and the way they added to the atmosphere, they must have liked metal. (laugh)
--They liked metal (laugh).
M: They wore metal T-shirts, whoa! And they raised their fists. There were a lot of grim looking people, and that was nice. There were a lot of tough guys and skin heads, too. In Japan, the guys hang out in the back and stay quiet, don't they? Over there, that's the biggest difference.
--It seems the atmosphere was considerably different at that live.
M: Totally different. Overseas, it's an explosion kind of feeling. Experiencing that, I'm kind of looking forward a little to the positive Japanese mood, I think.
--There weren't very many bands with Moi dix Mois' hair color, were there?
M: Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be many. {?}
--If that's the case, in spite of the movement of Japanese gothic, and generally Visual Kei bands in Europe, I think you'll still transmit what you want to. {?}
M: Yeah. It's something or other I've been acquainted with since the days of MALICE MIZER. In those days, there were people who came to Japan to see us.
--Ah. How do you think foreigners find out about you?
M: How do they find out...Because my works get diffused on the Internet, I wonder? If you go look, there are stores where they sell things like Japanese CDs and magazines. I think people find out in that way. Presently, after the France Expo in 2004, every year after that, I've gotten offers to play live shows.
--This time you went to play in Paris and Berlin, but since it was a different country, was the difference in atmosphere a problem?
M: Nothing was unreasonably wrong, except for a few incidents. Berlin (Germany)had a darker feeling. It seems like a natural habitat for Gothic-type bands.
--In short...Do you think it's possible to keep revisiting? For Moi dix Mois. I think Europe's music and fashion is very like yours.
M: Originally, Europe's music and fashion inspired my way of looking at the world.
--When you went to Europe this time, was there a "Welcome home!" kind of feeling?
M: Nah. Me, I like Japan. (laugh)
--But previously you said France was your hometown, you liked it to that degree....
M: Something like that, but I say I like Japan, after having visited several places in Europe, I think. The buildings and the atmosphere, I like these things, but I was born and raised in Japan, so I don't think I'd really want to live overseas. If I were to live in Europe, I don't think I could make my music. The power of my imagination could die over there. In Japan there isn't the same kind of structure as there is in Europe, is there. There isn't, so I want to make my own space, I think. In Europe, that kind of space would already be there, so my imagination wouldn't get all excited...I think....I say that because I went to Europe, and I don't want to make a bad habit. {?} If I especially liked the presentation of European tastes, then if I go to Europe it's like I can be born, isn't it? Can't I think that?
--Yeah, yeah.
M: It's a little bit surprising. For my music, I don't look at the scenery to make it, it's just naturally born from my head, so...basically I just lock myself up in the house to create songs. (laugh)
--In your head, do you define Europe as your ideal land?
M: Hmm....I'm Japanese, so I think about all the beauty of European things. I can't closely investigate Europe by simply going there, what I see isn't a representation of Europe itself, so it doesn't bring out something like a new paradise, but I think that's something I have to express for myself.