The band CHOKE has recently released their digital single Hack to the basic. With the world immersed in fear and panic due to the invisible threat of coronavirus, this year CHOKE is not focusing on the COVID-19 virus itself. The band is mocking the hysterical society and expressing the importance to evaluate ourselves, just as they did with the cynical approach on their past digital singles No problem at all and The Human Anthem.

In contrast to the alternative loud compositions, loaded with intricate elements and harsh lyrics, of “No problem at all” and “The Human Anthem”; CHOKE gets fully into nu-metal with “Hack to the basic” and declares through the positive attitude framed into the lyrics and the melody that they’re will continue making their way out no matter the circumstances. Hopefully, this interview will help others to understand what CHOKE wants to convey. 

Rather than pointing out a problem like in our past two releases, I was eager to make a more optimistic and enjoyable song.

CHOKE has declared through “Hack to the basic” that music venues are your living space. Aren’t they?

REON: As a band, it’s all about live performances. At the moment, every venue is implementing its own safety guidelines such as “you can only raise your voice if you’re using a mask” or “moshing is prohibited”. We can’t have the same atmosphere, so it’s also difficult for the audience to have fun as before. In this case, CHOKE is taking the initiative to show a new way to enjoy concerts. That feeling was injected into “Hack to the basic” and I hope all of you can feel it as well. At the same time, it is a remark of our determination to move forward. The music has an upbeat vibe, I think that serves as a good hook.

Compared to the digital singles No problem at all and The Human Anthem, this new single is a lot catchier indeed.

REON: “Hack to the basic” is a groovy song. For this reason, rather than pointing out a problem like in our past two releases, I was eager to make a more optimistic and enjoyable song.

Did you compose this song with the intention of having a “good hook” in mind?

KVYA NONO: At our beginnings, others often referred to CHOKE as a “nu-metal revival band”. Since last year, we have constantly performed along with bands from the metalcore scene and heavy visual kei acts. We realized that there lots of great metalcore bands. That made us reflect on which direction we should move next and what kind of music we should play. We talked about “getting back to our nu-metal roots”, that’s how this work was made with that intention. Actually, the idea of making a song with a nu-metal taste has been always in the air, but we missed the right time to release it. We were finally able to do it. Also, our support drummer Toshiya Sato has a style that emphasizes the groove. I was strongly inspired by that and gave me that boost to return to our nu-metal origins.

Toshiya Sato: When I got the demo, KVYA NONO told me that he wanted to make this song with a great focus on the catchiness. Thus, I tried to blend my own beat with CHOKE’s world, without overlooking REON’s rap and the rhythm from the strings team.

B5: We formed this band because all the members shared the same music background and we were on the same channel regarding the kind of music we wanted to make. As the result of getting back to that point and approaching it in a new way, “Hack to the basic” is the evolved sound of the style that we were carrying along since our beginnings.

“Hack to the basic” was born from the scent of the nu-metal movement, which was popular in the early 2000s, fused with elements from the old-school hip hop and a mixture of the atmosphere of the Japanese style.

When I listened to “Hack to the basic”, I got the feeling of “mixture” that is often used in the Japanese scene.  You can feel the aura of those days from the song.

B5: “Hack to the basic” was born from the scent of the nu-metal movement, which was popular in the early 2000s, fused with elements from the old-school hip hop and a mixture of the atmosphere of the Japanese style. We have been lived immersed in that air. We thought it would be great to bring out a band that delivers the vibe of those years but with a fresh style. We made “Hack to the basic” with that in mind and I think that the song definitely pulls it off.  

It seems like CHOKE is evoking nostalgia without being utterly retro.

B5: We added scratching and brought over some of the typical touches, but it projects a modern groove too. But more than anything, the most important subject in “Hack to the basic” is to have fun.

KVYA NONO: In my interpretation of nu-metal, the key point is the implementation of sampling in conjunction with a touch of hip hop. This release was focused on such elements; for this reason, the B-track, “Stay high (retake)”, is a song that features scratching and samples of a female voice. Moreover, I deliberately prioritized a downer and loose mood in contrast to the slam energy from the 2000s and the characteristic “hey” flow from classic hip hop. “Hack to the basic” is a song with a shuffle feel; however, it doesn’t feel like a bouncy beat because I tried to eliminate all the swing as much as possible. In particular, I think the guitar conveys an underground vibe.

CHOKE is not the kind of band that makes music for boisterous parties, right?

KVYA NONO: No. I mean, I can’t see REON shouting “Oh, yeah!” at a concert. Can you? Certainly, the song has a strong taste of hip hop and it carries a cool vibe that resembles a party style, but the chorus has some influence of the loose mood and mature chords from city pop. CHOKE is the kind of band that can turn this into a downer. I was very conscious of this when I made it.

B5: Nevertheless, in concerts, this song stands out from others because of its cool groove. The lyrics of “Hack to the basic” are interesting since people can make different interpretations. Depending on the listener’s perspective, it can be positive or negative. I hope you can see it as a song which meaning it’s up to each person.

Instead of making adjustments, even if we have to start all over, we need to create a new way to live. Otherwise, the situation where we and our close ones stand now won’t change.

Please talk about the feelings packed into the lyrics of “Hack to the basic”.

REON: Our lives have been at the mercy of the coronavirus crisis since last year. We haven’t found a solution yet, so we are still in chaos. I felt like this at the beginning of the past spring when around May or June the people in power gave the guidelines on how we should proceed. The fact is that they didn’t show us anything. Or maybe they did, but that didn’t resonate with me at all and I couldn’t see anything for the future. I thought “if we have to wait for someone to guide us, we’ll just get stuck”. “No problem at all” and “The Human Anthem” were born from that anxiety and discontent. I wanted to encourage people to choose their own path to move forward through these songs. I could have expressed my dissatisfaction once again, but I wanted to go in a more positive direction. Therefore, I included an optimistic message into the track.

Respecting the sound, as the other members already said, nu-metal is the basics of my own musical style. The composition itself was made with the purpose of “getting back to our basics” and the lyrics also expressed the idea of “back to the basic[s]”. However, there was no good twist, so I changed the first letter to turn it into “Hack to the basic”. This way it has the meaning of “cut off” or “hack”. In other words, it means “to wreck the current set of basics”. That foundation led to the actual lyrics.

With “to wreck the current set of basics”, do you mean “let’s change our present situation and the world”?

REON: If this self-isolation mood continues for a while, we will get used to it and this lifestyle will become the norm. And judging from how things are going on nowadays, this situation will remain the same. Instead of making adjustments, even if we have to start all over, we need to create a new way to live. Otherwise, the situation where we and our close ones stand now won’t change. To sum it up, the current CHOKE has decided to follow its own path and break new ground, without minding what others are doing. That feeling was packed into “Hack to the basic”.

At the same time, I have felt a strong connection to people who like CHOKE and have gotten in touch with the emotions from those persons while performing live. Now, there is also a connection with people from around the world who really like us. I wanted to deliver a positive message to those too. I would like B5 to explain his approach regarding the sound next.

Please let us know your thoughts.

B5: This time, for “Hack to the basic”, I brought into play a bass that I used to perform with frequently in the past. That bass model was the typical one used for many bassists when nu-metal was at its peak. Since the theme was about returning to nu-meal, I took that specific bass (which I hadn’t used for a long time). It was a good fit.

This single it’s not only about going “Back to the basic[s]”, but going “Back to CHOKE”.

You got “Back to CHOKE” through “Hack to the basic”. Are you going to continue to develop your most recent style?

KVYA NONO: The B-track of this digital single is “Stay high(retake)”, which is the re-recorded version of this song from our first album. We often play this song, so that led us to discuss if this type of nu-metal is the style that CHOKE should pursue. Recently, CHOKE has been emphasizing the complexity with an “in your face” attitude, but we have been asking ourselves if we should keep the approach taken in “Hack to the basic”. Or maybe we should go in a completely different direction… To be honest, we don’t have a clear idea yet, since it will depend on our mood at the moment. I hope people look forward to whatever we come out with.

If we talk about CHOKE, my impression is that you’re a band with an intricate musical style; but in fact, your basic style is nu-metal. Isn’t it?

KVYA NONO: That’s correct. Furthermore, I think people are more into minimalism than complexity lately. “Hack to the basic” is a track that can be played with the tuning for a 6-string guitar. Basically, I use the standard tuning but dropping some strings into two notes lower to give it a particular hook.

B5: This was all inspired by the drumming style of Toshiya Sato. His approach really shines on a song with a good rhythm.

Toshiya Sato: All the members know very well my particular drumming style. I’m that type that has greedily adopted various musical styles, not only extreme metal. My disposition is always to play in order to fit the taste of the song, even if it’s only an 8-beat rhythm. This time, in “Hack to the basic”, I aimed to infuse metal with a modern pop groove. I feel I was able to put heaviness and a cool groove together successfully.

KVYA NONO: This single it’s not only about going “Back to the basic[s]”, but going “Back to CHOKE”. Isn’t it?

B5: I think so. We have tried several things but, after reflecting on who we are, we got back to our basics… right?

We have lived breathing the air of nu-metal. Can’t we get wrapped in the atmosphere of those days and go on stage again and be even more aggressive?!

CHOKE has thrown out a riddle to the future in the trailer of “Hack to the basic”.

KVYA NONO: As I edited the video myself entirely, I grasped REON’s consciousness and presented it from my perspective on how to pose the problem. Depending on how you look at it, it may be interpreted in a negative way. But let me tell you something, CHOKE’s future looks bright and we will be planning many things for 2021.

REON: Throughout the year, I’ve seen bands breaking up or giving up on live activities due to the COVID-19 impact. It’s something that you can still see frequently. If you only keep feeling bad about it, things will remain the same. Instead of only seeing the glass half-empty, what about trying to make something positive out of this? Me, the other members, and CHOKE itself are pretty much the type that is driven to face any challenge. This band will never have a pessimistic attitude, regardless of the circumstances.

B5: That’s because we wanted to convey a positive message with “Hack to the basic” at the end of 2020, this way we will continue making headway in 2021 as CHOKE.

KVYA NONO: In 2021, we won’t slow down the release pace and we will be focusing on our basic activities while polishing our skills.

B5: We have lived breathing the air of nu-metal. Can’t we get wrapped in the atmosphere of those days and go on stage again and be even more aggressive?!

KVYA NONO: We showed our tricky side in our past two releases, but our essence comes from the nu-metal style. We returned to our origins and brought up a positive approach with “Hack to the basic”. Please experience it by yourself.

Toshiya Sato: “No problem at all”, “The Human Anthem”, and “Hack to the basic” are the three songs that will become CHOKE’s new basics, which the band is facing the future with. And, in particular, “Hack to the basic” is the one that will be a turning point in 2021 without a doubt.

REON: It will be like that the whole year. Since it seems that the self-isolation practice will continue, modern society will adopt this as their new basic way to live. But we can’t just sit there forever. We will break through and move on to the next stage (way of life). We have to return to our set of basics (Back to the basic) to find our real essence and build new basics. That’s the way how CHOKE is living now.

♫ Listen to “Hack to the basic” on digital platforms: https://linkco.re/AvAAm3pE?lang=en

CHOKE – Hack to the basic

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01. Hack to the basic

Limited edition (online store)
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01. Hack to the basic
02. Stay high (ReTAKE)
03. Hack to the basic -Instrumental-
04. Stay high (ReTAKE) -Instrumental-
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About CHOKE

CHOKE is an emerging nu-metal/visual kei band from Japan. They started with the overall goal of creating a unique sound by mixing rap metal with djent. Their experimental music, nevertheless, does not stick to only one genre and has evolved since their formation in 2017. CHOKE have incorporated into their sound hard-core, trap-core, metalcore, thrash and groove metal influences while adding electronic, symphonic, or progressive elements into the mix. CHOKE offers a peculiar dissonant blend of heavy music with hip hop rhythm.

Their cranked-up songs feature dropped tuning instruments, intense breakdowns, distorted riffs with fast guitar licks, heavy vibrating bass lines along with thick punchy drum beats. The dynamic vocals combine clear rapping with low growls and piercing screams. Harsh and edgy lyrics regularly express social criticism and dogma rejection. CHOKE will start a fire on the listeners to speak up their minds and tear the world apart!

Official Sites

Homepage: http://choke.tokyo
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrDOWcdZEzCe_2dOExp67cg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/choke.tokyo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CHOKEofficialEN
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choke.tokyo
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3nB4onR
Apple Music: https://apple.co/3i6Nw7e

Line-up

REON – Vocals
KVYA NONO – Guitar
B5 – Bass
Toshiya Sato – Drums (support)

CHOKE International Online Store

• choke-world.stores.jp

Here is the message that Scarlet Valse’s vocalist, Kakeru, wants to convey to the world as a vocalist. It’ll come in three parts. In the first one, he talks with passion about “being a musician”. 

Since you strongly want to convey your feelings as a musician, we’ve created this opportunity. 

Kakeru:  Thank you. Since the coronavirus crisis started, we, musicians, have to make various choices, and each of us comes up with various answers and try to deal with it. 

Scarlet Valse tried some stuff, based on this thought and this will: “Is there nothing we can do due to the coronavirus outbreak?”. It’s the same for all musicians. First of all, I want to say “Since we’re musicians, we won’t stop our musical activities even if there’s the coronavirus outbreak, we won’t quit”.

These days, there are many people who talk about the fact of carrying musical activities. But as musicians, we chose to live on music, as a profession. So I want to say that we can’t lose to the world’s opinion and I hope our musician friends won’t either. 

There are some people close to you who quitted their musical activities due to the coronavirus crisis… 

Kakeru:  Some people temporarily paused, some quitted too. There are also some people who are gossiping without understanding well the current situation we’re in, such as politicians, mass media or people in general. But I’m sure they’ve been encouraged by some music they really like. I think that everyone who is living in this current situation, and who used to like bands or idols, is kept alive by music in a way. I actually feel it! As expected, the strength of music is to give some relief to people’s anxiety. That’s why I think “we mustn’t stop our musical activities”.

Maybe the peace of mind and the strength that Scarlet Valse’s music can provide is small. But through this interview, I want to tell you that through Scarlet Valse’s music and behaviour, we want to convey the idea of “not losing”.

You’re personally delivering stuff in various ways. 

Kakeru: Whether it is what I’m used to doing or what I’m still fumbling around for, I’m continuing to deliver music through Scarlet Valse, of course, but also through my personal activities. Even now, there are many people who would like to go to lives but can’t due to various reasons. Musicians can give some encouragement to these people by their other ways, even if they can’t meet. If some people can feel the relief of staying connected with us by chatting via a broadcast, even if it’s not a concert, then I want to do it.

For the last few years, you’ve been doing Twitcast without interruption, is it also a way to keep in touch with your fans? 

Kakeru: Yes. At first, I just wanted to make us known, but since we started our 47 prefectures tour more particularly, I wanted to feel connected with the people who came to see us for the first time and liked us. So I ended up wanting to continue to feel that link between each of us, just by “talking”. When the state of emergency was declared last year, I felt once again how it is important to stay “connected”. I continued to provide online contents with the atmosphere of “intimacy in an izakaya”.

What do you mean by “intimacy in an izakaya”?

Kakeru: I’m used to playing the guitar to compose since long. After passing through the curtain of that place called TwitCasting, you can see Kakeru holding an acoustic guitar and singing various songs there. Sometimes I meet the requests and talk about several topics. I weaved such a place and that how are my broadcasts now. Honestly, I’m still practicing the acoustic guitar, so sometimes I make some mistakes. But since I’m showing my real self and doing my best, I hope that everyone will work hard too. Thanks to all that, I’m having TwitCastings for over 1200 days.

You didn’t want to stop your activities no matter what. 

Kakeru: We exist as musicians, so if we stop, we’re no longer musicians. So it’s natural to continue rather than stopping. Even if we don’t perform on stage. 

When they declared the state of emergency last year, it reminded me of the concerts situation at the time of the Great East Japan earthquake [TN: in 2011]. At that time, the stores had to refrain from staying open, and the musicians cancelled their shows one after another. Of course, even under such circumstances, there were live houses that didn’t stop their activities. Weren’t there some places that were doing their business while reducing to the utmost their electric power consumption, due to the electric power issues? And just like now, in such a situation where distress dominates, there were people who were searching for help in music. At that time, I became aware that if I could provide just a place to perform, I could sing for “people who want to get rid of their anxiety”, even in a small faint light and with a natural sound without amps. I think that I had the right way of thinking back then. That feeling is back now, and it led us to think “we can’t stop our music activities no matter what”, “It’s okay if we can’t perform now. We should just do what we can under such circumstances.” 

Living as an artist is all about “Well, what can I do?”

Kakeru: Yes. For sure, we’ve also experienced situations when he had to shrink our activities for financial reasons, or because we weren’t attracting enough fans, so we understand that situation. But our goal is not money. Music is what keeps us alive. What happens if a musician stops making music? We’re musicians, but it’s fine even if we don’t make music. If people are pleased with the way we carry our activities, isn’t that rock anyway? That’s why I’m doing TwitCastings day after day, showing my face and asking people “I’m fine, how are you doing?” 

In this second part, he talks about “the current concert situation in which Scarlet Valse is”. 

After the state of emergency was lifted last year, Scarlet Valse quickly resumed their gigs in live houses, right?

Kakeru: When we saw that it was becoming okay to perform at live houses with an audience, Scarlet Valse thought “We’ll have a live right away”, no matter what would be the conditions, As Kakeru JAPAN (my own session band), I immediately started to move forward. 

Even now, the environment is not the same as before the coronavirus outbreak, and it’s difficult to perform, isn’t it? 

Kakeru:  Right. We still haven’t reached the point of being able to tour every region of the country and have around ten gigs per month, like before. For the concerts scheduled for this year’s February, I’ll perform four times as Scarlet Valse and once for Kakeru JAPAN. But from March onward, Scarlet Valse will perform around 7-8 times a month, so we will return to the same pace as before the outbreak. Of course, since we had to stop it last year, I want to resume the “47 prefectures tour”. As a preliminary step, we will actively go to the countryside. From April, we are going to as many places as possible for our C/W TOUR [TN: C/W stands for “coupled with”] with NETH PRIERE CAIN, who belongs to Nagoya’s label Double River Record. (As of February 8th, 2021)

To be honest, I’m prepared to face difficulties in terms of earnings, since there are still restrictions all over the country regarding the number of people that can enter live houses. “Our profession is to be musicians” so it’s important to earn enough to simply live. But aren’t feelings our priority after all? So even if there are only one or two people somewhere saying “I want to see a gig of Scarlet Valse”, we want to do our best to go there. Especially if the people we met in several places through our “47 prefectures tour” are pleased and think “Scarlet Valse is a band that comes to see us”. Going to the 47 prefectures is currently difficult due to the circumstances, but we plan to go to as many places as possible. 

Scarlet Valse is going back to normal activities this year. 

Kakeru: Yes, as much as possible. But with the state of emergency that has been declared at the beginning of this year again, the live houses can be opened until 20:00 only, and it also depends on how it moves in the world, so we might have to take some other measures too. That’s why we do announcements at the last moment, and even so there are many sudden changes. But we want to restore the concerts environment as much as possible, that’s why we’ll stay active. We’ll continue to believe in it. 

The most important is not to stop your activities. 

Kakeru: It is. But not everyone can come to the concerts. But if it’s songs release, then everyone can enjoy it. Since last year, Scarlet Valse released stuff mainly in the form of mail order instead of store distribution, but we continued producing music constantly. Moreover, the new way to distribute music, that weapon called “broadcast”, has increased. The important thing is how to effectively use all that!

TwitCasting, digital songs, online lives, uploading videos of concerts you recently performed, these might be something common now. But if there are people who feel relieved that you continue to post contents, for sure it means that these people find some little enjoyment in their daily lives, right?

Kakeru: After all, I don’t want to make people feel lonely. Right now, the number of events is decreasing, so I understand that live activities are slowing down. But if we don’t continue to have broadcasts, we won’t even be able to speak to our fans. If we move forward, they’ll be inspired by us and move forward too. The label we belong to, Starwave Records, think like us. If they make some proactive propositions, they also listen to the opinions of our band and put them into practice. If both parties don’t share their thoughts, nothing will move. I think it’s time for the musicians to challenge themselves.

In the third part, he conveys his thoughts about “Scarlet Valse’s future” to the people currently doing their best.  

At the moment, Scarlet Valse upload a “24h-limited live video” every Friday at 20:00. You’re trying several other things, aren’t you?

Kakeru: Yes. Regarding the “24h-limited live video”, the one-man concert originally scheduled had to be cancelled due to the declaration of the state of emergency. But there were many people who were looking forward to it and wanted to see us. Since the staff of the venue had taken proper measures against the spread of the infection and were ready for the concert, we performed not in the form of a live streaming, but we recorded the concert held with no audience and aired it for free on a regular basis for all the people who were looking for it. 

I started to think that this method would be a new way of communication to be connected to various people. Scarlet Valse will continue to take on new challenges while keeping with the time changing. 

You said it many times, but you “can’t stop”.

Kakeru: Indeed. Neither Scarlet Valse nor I intend to stop. It’s unthinkable for a musician to stop his musical activities. I can’t imagine expressing myself without music. Above all, I want to stay a musician. If I drop this title, then I’m no longer myself… 

You, as Kakeru, are also trying to search what you can do under such a situation, and you’re continuing to practice.

Kakeru: Yes. Of course, I know that some live houses are still in trouble. Personally, Kashiwa’s live house totally helped me, so I wonder what I could do for them… Thinking about that, I planned an event there with my solo project. It’s not much, but I hope I’m helping bands and businesses with this stimulation.

For the online concerts, I share with the staff of various live houses I’m indebted to and with our bandmen friends a private URL so that they can watch the gig too. Every time they tell us “You gave me motivation” after watching it, it gives us energy too. In our case, we have some free streamings, as we mentioned at the beginning, and also some paid broadcasts. So that people don’t feel lonely when we don’t have concerts or when they can’t come, we plan to put all our strength into broadcasts so that the people who watch us get some encouragement.

The「Starwave Fest Vol.23～event for the label’s 11th anniversary～」to be held on February 18th will be a concert with audience, but will also be broadcasted, won’t it? 

Kakeru: Since the “Starwave Fest” has never been broadcasted, 70. from XANVALA and I asked the representative and we got that this time it’ll also be broadcasted. Moreover, we decided to choose Takadanobaba CLUB PHASE because it’s a place with a good streaming system. Even though it’s a paid broadcast this time, since it’s a festival, it’ll be a great way for all bands to make them more known.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Scarlet Valse will go on in the future. 

Kakeru:  Now, I’m strongly thinking about not continuing our “47 prefectures tour” that we stopped last year due to the coronavirus crisis, but to redo it from the beginning. In addition, we’ll make real our one-man at TSUTAYA O-WEST that we had to cancel too. We can’t announce a concrete schedule yet for both of them, but I hope that we’ll be able to make a happy announcement to everyone in a little while. 

However, the safety and the peace of mind of our audience must be our priority. It’s the same for live houses. It’s difficult to coordinate everything, because we need to take everything into consideration, we don’t know how the situation will change, it depends on how the world moves, so at the moment it’s difficult to make you a promise. Anyway, Scarlet Valse will continue to challenge themselves to make everyone “live with energy”. And I also want to bring smiles to my fellow band members and to the staff working with us. If we can do it someday, I’d also like to casually talk with all our fans while going on a trip to Hakone’s hot springs. I still don’t know how soon it’ll be, but when circumstances will allow it, I’ll immediately get in touch with you all (laughs).

About Scarlet Valse

Scarlet Valse is a visual kei symphonic power metal band from Japan. Their heavy but uplifting sound features fast-tempo beats, powerful and fast guitar solos, and melodic arrangements with encouraging or romantic lyrics. Carrying a strong sense of elegance, the members pull off impressive looks. The energetic songs and their wild stage presence make their concerts an exciting experience!

Official Sites

Homepage: http://scarletvalse.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScarletValse
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhMnm8yysV5dVCG3rVNODt1b4CUXUju2p
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3jt9cLx
Apple Music: https://apple.co/36MICbl

Line-up

Kakeru – Vocal
You. – Guitar
Rin – Guitar
Shian – Bass
Yo-hey – Drums

Label: Starwave Records

Buy Scarlet Valse CDs and merch

• Starwave Records Online Shop For International Shipping (English): info@starwaverecords.jp
• CD Japan

This interview was originally published by Nagasawa Tomonori on club Zy. Channel. This article is reproduced in English with the authorization of the author and it was provided by the artist.

CHOKE’s first digital single “No problem at all”, released in June, crossed national borders to earn enthusiastic support from fans of loud and heavy metal music around the world. With its constantly changing composition, unpredictable and incomparable to anything else, and timely lyrics that depict the hopeless feelings inspired by the coronavirus crisis in a sarcastic fashion, this song resonated with many people who are resentful of what has happened to their everyday lives. It has earned high regard both at home in Japan and abroad. For CHOKE, a band that ridicules modern Japanese society, this might be seen as a happy sort of irony. If anyone sees it any other way, the nature of Japanese people to fear and avoid any unexpected or unpredictable threat may be too deeply rooted in you, and you may need a bit of time to get used to a new standard.

CHOKE’s second digital single, “The Human Anthem”, was released on September 11th. It is now available for purchase in downloadable format at the CHOKE Official Shop along with its companion track, “Amyotrophic”. We sat down to talk with CHOKE about this latest release.

Seeing those stories in the news while knowing that context behind them makes me think,
‘What is justice, exactly?’

It hasn’t been very long since the release of your first digital single, “No problem at all,” and now you’re releasing your second one, “The Human Anthem”.

KYVA NONO: We had agreed that we wanted to step up our pace for releasing songs this year, and then coronavirus happened on top of that, which meant we were able to release these two singles just three months apart.

Does “The Human Anthem” follow the same themes used in “No problem at all”?

KYVA NONO: It does have the same sort of symphonic arrangement as “No problem at all”. But late last year, we were thinking about how to come up with CHOKE’s own style of catchiness, and that thought process was reflected in “The Human Anthem”.

REON: What’s most unique about “The Human Anthem” is the chorus part in the first half. It doesn’t have lyrics or anything, it’s just a line of “whoa, whoa, whoa” that you can sing along to. We made it sound like a choir while giving it the feel of a catchy song, which was a new approach that added a lot of impact. I think it’s one of the biggest steps in the evolution/growth of CHOKE to date.

That part does carry a lot of impact, doesn’t it?

REON: Layering many voices together is very meaningful. For example, at demonstrations and protests, many people come together for a common cause and deliver the same message via all of their voices. Assembling a lot of people and speaking in one collective voice is a behavior unique to humans, and a chorus is the same thing in the sense that it’s something where many people sing the same thing with a common goal. In fact, I was thinking that I wanted to create this song’s composition in a way that would affirm some unique characteristics of humans when the words “human anthem” came to mind, and I decided to make that concept the focal point of this song’s message, which led to the sing-along chorus I mentioned earlier.

So the concept of a “human anthem” is the theme of the lyrics?

REON: Even something as small as an ant will occasionally confront a much bigger opponent like a human, even if it stands no chance against it alone. I wondered if you could actually call that courage. Someone else also said that true courage is knowing your own weakness, not being reckless. All people have their own ideas of justice, their own wills and thoughts. But there are times when the world looks at those ways of thinking and calls them “bad”. No matter what people do that ends up labeled as bad behavior, it’s not as if they went into it thinking “hey, let’s do something bad”. They’re just pursuing a shared benefit or goal, and it results in society labeling their actions as “bad”. Basically, the people carrying out these actions are doing so under the common banner of what they consider to be justice. Of course, just as society might deem those actions “bad,” there will be others who judge their actions based on different criteria. Before even considering the basis for what’s good or bad, if it’s just having that kind of conviction that makes humans what they are, then I want to praise every human who possesses a will and thoughts like that.

That’s getting into the roots of human psychology.

REON: Buried in all the sensationalist news we see nowadays, there are also a lot of stories about people who committed really heinous crimes and terrible murders. And among murderers, there are some who were taking care of someone but just couldn’t deal with it anymore, so they killed the person they were taking care of. Of course, that’s a crime just the same, but there are quite a few cases where someone’s been caring for a parent who isn’t even aware of who they are anymore, so all the time and effort they dedicate to that parent causes such mental anguish and strain on their lifestyle that they decide to just end it. These people have their own selfish ideas of what justice is when it comes to caregiving, but there have also been murderers who went around indiscriminately killing people in nursing homes. There was also a case recently where someone was diagnosed with ALS, and they decided that if it came down to watching their own body deteriorate until they had to be constantly looked after, they’d rather take their own life. But the person’s body was already no longer capable of that, so they asked their caregiver to do it as a favor. Seeing those stories in the news while knowing that context behind them makes me think, “What is justice, exactly?” I wanted to write this song’s lyrics with a solid focus on delving deep into the psychology of people like that. Things like that happen because, for better or worse, they’re human. With “The Human Anthem,” I wanted to praise humans for what they are, including their weakness. And it was CHOKE’s characteristic cynicism that led to the title “The Human Anthem” instead of something like “Human Glorification”.*

*The Japanese title is “人間惨歌 (Ningen sanka)”, but CHOKE is making a pun with the reading of the kanjis to convey irony. The word “sanka” means “anthem”; however they exchanged one of the characters to make it sound the same, but actually giving it the meaning of “tragic/miserable song”.

“The Human Anthem” does express various psychological conflicts, but in the end, it also shines light on the future. Is that how you were hoping to guide the listener, REON?

REON: Joan of Arc led many soldiers under a great banner and took the lead in facing the enemy. Part of me does admire that, but I wanted to lean closer to the side of the soldiers, and the sound of many soldiers raising their voices together. Each individual is small on their own, but I wanted to focus on the voices of a large group of people shouting out their feelings with one great, collective will. Basically, if everyone can just raise their voice, anyone can clear a path to the future by declaring their own will and holding it high.

B5: People can often come to understand each other by deepening their communication, and they can get closer to each other that way. That’s just what you call communication between humans. But there are some things about other people that you might never understand. Our point is that it’s not right to reject those things just because you don’t understand them. It’s important to recognize that the things you don’t understand are not automatically “bad,” but to accept that people and ideas like that also exist and to start having discussions about them.

I feel like CHOKE’s unique style has reached a new stage of completion through ‘The Human Anthem’

What sort of image did you have in mind when you composed “The Human Anthem”?

KYVA NONO: The first verse uses diminished chords to create some heavy dissonance. On top of that, it starts out as the fastest two-beat composition CHOKE has ever made, then goes into some symphonic elements with choir-style vocals that give it CHOKE’s own form of catchiness, which gave it CHOKE’s unique flavor in the very non-standard way that I was going for. Creating something that would be catchy even without any melody or lyrics while constantly changing from one music style to the next is another trait that makes it very clearly a CHOKE song. As a result, I feel like CHOKE’s unique style has reached a new stage of completion through “The Human Anthem”

As you mentioned, “The Human Anthem” is definitely a speedy song.

KYVA NONO: It’s a pretty eccentric level of speed. And inserting a lot of break points throughout the composition is something that feels normal to us, but isn’t something you hear a lot in most music. Also, I included some of B5 and Toshiya Sato’s ideas this time, and they both did their best to express their performance in a way that matched the progression of the composition.

Toshiya Sato: The chaotic two-beat rhythm at the beginning is a metalcore approach that’s come about in recent years. Once the high-speed two-beat part stops, REON’s rap part comes in, and the instruments keep the beat. From there, I played the drums in a way that would bring out the best expression in each block of the song, like layering some cymbals to give a more solid feel, etc. I believe having different idiosyncrasies is what makes “The Human Anthem” what it is, as well as what makes CHOKE what it is. I’m just here as a support member myself, but I want to be able to keep playing together with the same amount of enthusiasm. When we wrote and released “No problem at all,” we were doing all we could to get closer to the worldview that CHOKE had worked to build up to that point, and that made it possible for us to convey our message with “The Human Anthem” and give it the new color of the current CHOKE. I think it’s a great thing that we were able to incorporate a new essence into CHOKE as a result.

B5: Toshiya Sato and I did want to add our own essences to the song too, after all. KYVA NONO did a great job of absorbing all of that and putting it together.

So you were also trying to see how much catchiness you could give to “The Human Anthem”?

KYVA NONO: That was the challenge I gave myself. With CHOKE, I don’t want to fall back on the standard practice of throwing in some empty lyrics and calling it catchy. There aren’t many songs out there with no established melody that are still regarded as catchy songs. In CHOKE, we’ve always been thinking constantly about ways to make a song catchy, and one of the things we thought of was putting emphasis on the combination of choral-sounding vocals with symphonic elements, as in “The Human Anthem”. We used some symphonic elements in “No problem at all” too, and it’s the sort of thing that can become CHOKE’s distinctive color depending on how it’s used, so we tried the same thing again with this song.

The most dangerous people aren’t the ones with eccentric behavior and appearances, but the ones who blend seamlessly into our daily lives

The music video for “The Human Anthem” is set in an abandoned hospital. That creates a pretty strong impact, doesn’t it?

KYVA NONO: The impact that REON had in the “No problem at all” music video had a really intense effect on the people who watched it, so right from the start, we were aiming to make this one even more intense. Since the theme of the lyrics is the psychological side of humans, we shot this video in an abandoned hospital that used to care for mental patients. The grotesque look was a product of all of our members’ musical roots. Also, we wanted to deliver this song’s impact through its music video first.

All of the members look pretty grotesque in the music video for “The Human Anthem”. Some of you were even eating bugs and raw meat in it.

Toshiya Sato: Those shots were pretty wild to film.

REON: “No problem at all” was set in an abandoned village, and “The Human Anthem” was set in an abandoned hospital. I think we really put our lives on the line for both of them.

KYVA NONO: Since we film and edit our music videos ourselves, we came up with the plot first, but the other members suggested some more ideas as we were filming, so we worked those in along the way. That made it a really exciting shoot and gave us more complete footage.

People might think that you all look pretty dangerous, judging only by what they watched on this footage. You’re all actually very mild-mannered, though.

REON: The most dangerous people aren’t the ones with eccentric behavior and appearances, but the ones who blend seamlessly into our daily lives. When people like that get just one misunderstanding in their heads, they become truly dangerous. In our case, we’re just converting that into our concerts and music videos.

You tend to portray a character who would be perceived as a threat in your concerts and music videos, REON.

REON: Most of the time, I’m totally normal. I guess that’s why I’m so drawn to the concept of being a dangerous person, and why I portray one in my performances.

Human emotions are prone to violent swings; they’re grotesque and chaotic. In both its composition and its lyrics, ‘The Human Anthem’ is linked to that portrayal of the human mind

At CHOKE’s Official Shop, “The Human Anthem” is on sale in a downloadable format along with a companion track that’s much more of a downer, “Amyotrophic”.

KYVA NONO: This song makes use of Toshiya Sato’s blast beat skills to give it his unique flavor, which I turned into a downer-type rapcore composition.

The lyrics to “The Human Anthem” and “Amyotrophic” share a common theme at the most basic level, don’t they?

REON: First of all, everyone should look up the meaning of “Amyotrophic” Once you understand the term, I think you’ll start to see how it links up to the concepts I mentioned earlier. Both “The Human Anthem” and “Amyotrophic” express hopelessness, but “The Human Anthem” still carries ultimately positive messages like “no matter what you’re feeling, you just need to do what it takes with no regrets” and “try raising your own voice more,” while “Amyotrophic” is just pure despair and hopelessness. It’s not necessary to force hope into everything. But the people who’ve been watching CHOKE all this time understand that this band is still facing forward while stirring up agitation in our own way, and that’s enough.

It’s true that in CHOKE’s case, the true essence of your work that doesn’t always come across clearly from just music videos and compositions is easier to understand once you read the lyrics.

REON: Yeah, though that’s pretty twisted in itself (lol)

B5: Human emotions are prone to violent swings; they’re grotesque and chaotic. In both its composition and its lyrics, “The Human Anthem” is linked to that portrayal of the human mind. That’s not a mistaken interpretation, since we want to glorify the individual values that make us all human. But we do want to keep that separate from people who commit horrific crimes and cause tragic disasters in the eyes of the law. I think if people can really understand those deeper nuances, they can enjoy CHOKE’s worldview even more.

REON: The current circumstances still prevent us from playing concerts like we normally would, and that just makes me even more eager to perform these songs live for everyone as soon as possible. 

CHOKE – The Human Anthem

01. Ningen sanka -The Human Anthem- [人間惨歌]
Download & Stream

Limited edition:
01. Ningen sanka -The Human Anthem- [人間惨歌]
02. Amyotrophic
03. Ningen sanka -The Human Anthem- [人間惨歌] (Instrumental)
04. Amyotrophic (Instrumental)
– High quality WAV audio files
– MP3 audio files
– Lyrics sheet (jpg)
Download

CHOKE is an emerging nu-metal/visual kei band from Japan. They started with the overall goal of creating a unique sound by mixing rap metal with djent. Their experimental music, nevertheless, does not stick to only one genre and has evolved since their formation in 2017. CHOKE have incorporated into their sound hard-core, trap-core, metalcore, thrash and groove metal influences while adding electronic, symphonic, or progressive elements into the mix. CHOKE offers a peculiar dissonant blend of heavy music with hip hop rhythm.

Their cranked-up songs feature dropped tuning instruments, intense breakdowns, distorted riffs with fast guitar licks, heavy vibrating bass lines along with thick punchy drum beats. The dynamic vocals combine clear rapping with growls and piercing screams. Harsh and edgy lyrics regularly express social criticism and dogma rejection. CHOKE will start a fire on the listeners to speak up their minds and tear the world apart!

CHOKE International Online Store

• choke-world.stores.jp

FIXER is a Japanese Visual Kei rock band that was formed in 2013. Their music is a combination of rock with metal, hardcore, loud, and EDM elements featuring a mixture of growls and clean vocals.

FIXER has been making their way up the music scene and they want to spread more and more their music throughout the world! If you are not already a fan, don’t hesitate to check their music out! Please continue to support the band by buying physical CDs or downloading songs through legal sites. If you want to see them live in your city, make a request to your local event production companies!

First of all, could you please introduce yourselves to all the people who are not familiar with the band yet?

Jey: I’m Jey on vocals.

Yuhma:  I am Yuhma from FIXER. I’m in charge of playing the guitar and showing the abs.

Aika: I’m Aika, the FIXER’s guitarist on the left side of the stage (from the audience’s viewpoint). I love bread.

70.: I am the bassist of FIXER.

What is the band concept? Also, how would you describe the musical style of FIXER?

Jey: We basically create music that exposes the weak points or the hidden faces of the people.

Yuhma: There is no such thing as impossible to FIXER. Our music genre, the production of our concerts, everything is put into consideration in order to seek perfection and to be able to create innovative things.

Aika: Although the concept changes a little in every release, our music style constantly features a heavy sound with a catchy melody. Also, there is a lot of pain in it.

70.: We are currently working on the concept of an arbiter who holds a scale.

Do you take inspiration from any other artists?

Jey: Kyo from DIR EN GREY.

Yuhma: hide from X JAPAN.

Aika: If had to choose just one person, it would be MIYAVI.

70.: J from LUNA SEA.

Could you please talk about your new single “argentum”?

Jey: It’s about being in contact with my own reason of being and touching that deep part of a weak heart that seems to be strong.

Yuhma:  It is a song with a new element in it, a new component never used in FIXER before. Please enjoy the evolved sound of FIXER.

Aika: Even though the songs of FIXER have a lot of high tones, this time with “Argentum” we tried to make a catchy melody with no ups and downs from the first verse to the chorus.

70.: The story of “ARBITER” is about black and silver. The shape in which the silver branched from there is the “Argentum”.

The fans of FIXER are called “ERs”. What is the meaning behind this name?

Jey: FIX(ERs)

Yuhma: They are the goddesses of FIXER.

Aika: There is a strong implication that we have included the fans as a part of FIXER by using one part of the name of the band.

70.: FIXER→ERs. They are a part of FIXER.

Which artist would you like to share the stage with?

Jey: Slipknot!

Yuhma: All That Remains!!

Aika: Slipknot!!

70.: Limp Bizkit!!

What is your best feature? Conversely, if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Jey: I obey my emotions. That’s also the thing that I would like to change about myself.

Yuhma: Since I don’t look back to the past, I don’t have any regrets. I always do my best with all my strength.

Aika: It seems that I have a good sense of melody.  I’ve been playing a lot of guitar solos lately, and so I would like to get better at it.

70.: I follow my instincts, which’s something good and bad.

Is there any funny story during a live performance or while on tour?

Jey: Once I looked at Yuhma and he was doing a weird dance during the live show.

Yuhma: There was a time when Jey ripped his pants in a concert.

Aika: Something was wrong with the window of our cargo van so we couldn’t close it. All of us made a “window” with stuff like duct tape. It became a good memory now.

70.: Aika only eats bread.

What do you think about the current Visual Kei scene compared to the old ones from the ’80s or ’90s?

Jey: I like both, but It seems that the term Visual Kei is disappearing because it’s been used widely and in an indiscriminate way.

Yuhma: It has become a scene with a wide range of expression where a great diversity of genres can be played with no restrictions. I think it is good.

Aika: I have the feeling that the idols have become stronger. However, the quality of the whole VK scene seems to be getting higher.

70.: At the present time, the quality of the songs is great thanks to the progress in recording technology. However, back in the day when there were not too many technological resources, there was a feeling of “How can I express myself being so limited?”, that desperate hunger for being able to accomplish something cannot be copied nowadays.

Are you aware that FIXER has fans from distant places like North America, Latin America, and Europe? If you had the chance to perform in any of those places, what is the best distinctive attribute of FIXER that you would like to show to your fans?

Jey: I want to hit your emotions. I would like you to experience that FIXER that you will be able to feel only on that day in that certain place.

Yuhma: I am happy to see that international fans are increasing. Someday we will perform overseas, please wait for us.

Aika: I see the presence of overseas fans on Twitter and CD shops. I would like to see more and more foreigners at our shows. Don’t judge only by appearance, I want you to experience in the flesh our performances.

70.: I’m looking forward to meeting all overseas ERs who always send me warm messages on Twitter. I want to give you a concert that breaks the language barrier.

Lastly, please send a message to all your international fans.

Jey: Love

Yuhma: Thank you. I am doing my best to make you smile, please keep supporting us.

Aika: If we have the chance to perform overseas, let’s become one that day, ER’s and FIXER.

70.: Please wait for us.

OFFICIAL SITES
fixer-net.com | starwaverecords.jp ‏

Mikansei Alice is a young Japanese Visual kei Rock band. Although they debuted just last year, their members are already well-known in the scene. Vocalist 琉火-lyubi- (formerly known as Rui, ex-member of Misaruka) and guitarist 唯依葉-yuiha- (ex-member of Synk,yet) decided to start a musical unit together to continue persuading their dream after the disbandment of their respective bands in 2017. At the very beginning, they introduced themselves as a duo, but then shortly announced 晏-an- as their second guitarist. After that, bassist 栞-shiori- (ex-Synk;yet) and drummer 和希-kazuki- (formerly known as Vetchie, ex-Misaruka) were added to the final line up.

The band released a first single titled “Iine/2jigen lover” on September 13rd, 2017 and they hold their first live in Tokyo on September 24th. The limited single “Anata no omocha” was put on sale in December, followed by another limited single titled “Kabikicho Midnight” in January 2018. Their second single “Izonshou Puzzle” was recently released on March 14th.

Mikansei Alice is ready to rule the scene with their powerful music and incredibly exciting concerts! If you are not already a fan, don’t hesitate to check their music out! Please continue to support the band by buying physical CDs or downloading songs through legal sites. If you want to see them live in your city, make a request to your local event production companies!

First of all, could you please introduce yourself to all the people who are not familiar with the band yet?

琉火-lyubi-：I’m Lyubi on vocals. I’m the kind of guy who wants to be number one in everything!

唯依葉-yuiha-：I am Yuiha, the lead guitarist! Nice to meet you.

晏-an-： I am An, the guitarist on the stage right (stage left from the audience’s viewpoint). I’m in charge of the emotional side of the band.

和希-kazuki-：I’m Kazuki on drums. Despite the fact that I am not really tall, I play the drums vigorously!

What is the meaning behind “Mikansei Alice”?  What is the band concept at the moment?

琉火-lyubi-：The band concept is “the mental condition of an incomplete girl”. The concept is directly linked to the meaning of the band name.

和希-kazuki-：We describe through our music the mental instability of the people which does not feel complete.

Could you please describe the music of Mikansei Alice?

琉火-lyubi-：Guitar sounds that make you addicted to the songs after listening them.

和希-kazuki-：Having in mind the excitement during the concerts,  I would say that our music has a lot of stimulating sounds!

Have you ever taken inspiration from any other artist at the moment of making songs? Do you pour your own experiences into the lyrics?

琉火-lyubi-：Yes, sometimes. I am influenced by Picasso.

晏-an-：I’ve been influenced by many artists. I think that my own songs are an assembly of all the music that I’ve listened to until now.

和希-kazuki-：I am influenced by a lot of artists. I use that inspiration to make something better in my own way.

Could you please talk about your new single “Izonshou Puzzle”?

琉火-lyubi-：The theme is dependence and puzzles.  I think both words really fit the concept of an “incomplete girl”. That’s the reason why we decided to elaborate this idea in the single.

唯依葉-yuiha-： Although the sound of “Izonshou Puzzle” seems to be simple, I don’t think you can play the guitar phrasing properly in a concert if you don’t practice every day! However, I do think that it’s a really cool guitar phrasing. If one of you is a guitar player, I challenge you to try it! (laughs).

We did what we wanted to do with the costumes and make-up style. I think that we fully achieved a cool look!

和希-kazuki-：These flashy puzzle pattern clothes are fun and unusual. This single has an addictive heavy rock sound.

What kind of band do you want to become in the future? Have you already decided a main goal?

琉火-lyubi-：I cannot start my true life as a member of this band until I’ve achieved a certain goal. There is a place for such a purpose.

唯依葉-yuiha-：Even if it’s a dream for the future, I would like us to become a band that is not only active in Japan but also be able to have activities around the world! Concretely at this moment, I would like to make our first-anniversary concert something memorable on a big stage!

和希-kazuki-：I would like us to be that kind of band that brings joy to the hearts of the fans during a concert.

Is there any artist you would like to have a collaboration with on stage?

琉火-lyubi-：ONE OK ROCK

唯依葉-yuiha-：It is a difficult question but, don’t you think it would be something exciting and lovely to have a collaboration with a classical orchestra? (laughs)

晏-an-：I would like to perform along with SID someday. They are the band that got me into the Visual kei scene.

和希-kazuki-：GLAY

Do you remember the first time that you wore make-up on stage? How was it?

琉火-lyubi-：My make-up was terrible.

唯依葉-yuiha-：I wonder how was it? (laughs). I was probably really desperate at that time and before I knew it my first performance was already over. Since I was more worried about playing, I don’t remember anything about my make up at all (laughs).

晏-an-：I felt that I wasn’t myself. I remember that I was excited about it. I thought “I turned into a Visual Kei musician! That’s cool!”

和希-kazuki-： I felt like a different person. I was impressed by the fact that a world like that existed.

Would you like to do a tour in Mexico and other Latin American countries someday? Is there something in particular that you would like to do as a tourist in any of those countries?

琉火-lyubi-： I would like to go to a dinosaur theme park!

唯依葉-yuiha-：I heard that there is an angels ‘wings monument in Mexico. I want to go to that particular place! I also heard that there a lot of people who love music and Japanese culture in Latin America.  Of course, I would like to do a tour there if we get the chance!

晏-an-：Of course, I would like to do an overseas tour! It might be slightly different from sightseeing, but since Mexico is well-known for tequila, I want to drink genuine tequila if I go there!

和希-kazuki-：I would like to do a tour there for sure! I want to eat the local specialties of each place. Also, I’d like to buy some local ingredients and seasonings to bring them to Japan!

Lastly, could you please send a message to all your international fans?

琉火-lyubi-：I want to go overseas to meet you all! I want to go overseas to meet you all! Call us! Call us! Call us! Please invite us to perform overseas!

唯依葉-yuiha-：Thank you very much for such a lovely interview! To all the international Visual Kei fans, please support our activities! Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

晏-an-：I am An from Mikansei Alice. I’ve never been outside Japan in my life, so I would like to go overseas for the first time to do a concert! In that case, please let me what are the most delicious foods or famous spots of my destination.

和希-kazuki-： Many thanks for your attention!  Someday we will become a big band and we will be able to expand our music with ease! Please wait for us!

OFFICIAL SITES 
mikansei-alice.com | starwaverecords.jp