COVER STORY : IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT “SPIRIT OF ECSTASY”
“I Got Into Learning About Rolls-Royce As a Company And Learning About These Ultra Luxury Product Companies Like Rolex And Such. The Rolls-Royce Has This Hood Ornament That Is Known As The Spirit Of Ecstasy.”
“Spirit of Ecstasy” は “Alphaville” よりもシンプルなサウンドですが、しかし、よりミクロで、彼らの細部へのこだわりは繰り返し聴くことでより一層、聴き応えを与えてくれます。
「構造的には、”Alphaville” よりもさらにシンプル。僕らは次のステップに進むために、自分たちのミクロなニッチをさらに開拓し、狭い穴にさらに入り込んで、そう、ソングライティングもさらに向上させようとしたんだ。混沌の中にある明晰さの瞬間を人々に与えようとしたんだ。僕たちは曲をすべて書き上げてから、それらをいじくりまわして、非常に細かい部分まで綿密に調べていった。すべてがあるべき姿であることを確認するために、1秒1秒レコードを見直したんだ」
こうしてニューヨーカーの努力は、異様に録音されたボーカル、サックスとギターのデュエル、風の吹くサンプルなど様々な要素を加えるという形で実を結び、すべてが特定の場所に配置され、独自の “フードオーナメント” を掲げて、”Spirit of Ecstasy” がラグジュアリーな “高級ブランド” の産物であることを示すことになりました。
「Max G (Kenny G の息子) は親しい友人で、以前は IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT のメンバーだった。一緒にニューヨークで小さな会社を経営しているんだ。ある日の午後、ランチを食べているときに、彼にこう聞いたんだ。”僕たちの新譜にこんなパートがあるんだけど、ギターがサックスと戦うというか踊るようなデュアルソロの状況を想像している。君と君のお父さんはこのパートに興味がある?”ってね。彼はイエスと答え、父親に尋ね、父親も同意し、そして彼らは絶対的な傑作を作り上げて帰ってきてくれた。僕たちのやっていることを理解してくれる人たちと一緒に仕事をすると、より強い作品ができるんだ。彼らのような演奏は、僕には決してできないからね。ゲストを招くのは結局、音楽のためであり、他の人の才能に信頼を置くことでもある。Kenny G はモンスター・プレイヤーで、Max G はモンスター・シュレッダーだということを知らない人がいるかもしれないけどね。
僕たちのドラマーの Kenny は Alex Skolnick とフリー・インプロヴァイズのカルテットで演奏している。だから、彼にはかなり簡単に依頼できたよ。VOIVOD の Snake は、彼らも Century Media に所属しているから、”Alphaville” のためにやった VOIVOD の “Experiment” のカヴァーを彼らが気に入っていることが分かったんだ。だから、Century Media は、もし僕らがゲストを望むなら、コネクションを作ることができると言ってくれたんだ。IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT が決してやらないことは、名前だけのゲストをアルバムに迎えること。どんなに有名な人が来ても、その人がもたらすものは、何よりもまず音楽のためになるものでなければならない。それ以降のことは、すべて飾りに過ぎない」
一方で、Ezrin のギターに対するアプローチは、それ自体が興味深いもの。クラシックからジャズ、スラッシュからブルースまで、様々なスタイルを研究してきた Ezrin は、伝統的な手法と非伝統的な手法を融合させ、既成概念にとらわれないものを作り上げています。
「例えば、チャールズ・ミンガスのような演奏スタイルからインスピレーションを得て、そこから盗むことが多いんだ。彼は指板の上で弦を曲げたり外したりして、エフェクトをかけるんだ。完璧に音を出すことにこだわらなくなれば、いくらでもクールなことができる。アンプを通さない状態でヘヴィーでファッキンなサウンドなら、ゲインたっぷりのアンプで弾くと超ヘヴィーに聞こえるはずだよね。
プレイヤーとして、ある種のパラメーターを持つことはとても楽しいことなんだ。例えば、僕のギターはEスタンダードなんだけど、それよりずっと低い音で演奏するんだ。ワミーバーを使って、ローEのずっと下の音でメロディーを作るんだ。そうすることで、より深く考え、よりクリエイティブになることができる」
IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT は、リスナーが “Spirit of Ecstasy” を掲げたロールス・ロイスでディストピアの荒野を走り抜けるようなイメージを追求しました。スラッシュ・ヒーローの VOIVOD TESTAMENT のメンバー、そして伝説のサックス奏者 Kenny G を加えたトリオは、不協和音のデスメタルに新たなラグジュアリーと高級感を付与し、55分の長さの中でリスナーにさらなる探究心を抱かせるきっかけとなりました。
「このアルバムは、聴けば聴くほど好きになるようなレコードの一つだと思うんだ。それは非常に挑戦的なことだけど、非常にやりがいのあることだ」
EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH MARCOS MENA OF STANDARDS !!
“Fruit Is Cute! Fruit Is a Great Symbol For Our Music And When You Listen To It You Become a Citizen Of Fruit Town.”
DISC REVIEW “FRUIT TOWN”
「僕も、今世界で起こっている出来事に対して、精神的に迷うことはあるんだ。だけど、それでも僕たちが一緒になって楽しめる音楽が世界に存在できるように、作り続けていこうという気持ちになるんだよ」
クロス・タップのギタリスト Marcos Mena のキュートで陽気なメロディーに導かれ、LAのデュオ STANDARDS は、情熱のリフと白熱のドラムスを緻密なインストゥルメンタル・マス・ロックのパレットへと描き出していきます。一見、無節操なパリピの音楽にも思える “Fruit Town”。しかし、そんな LA の太陽の裏側には、マスロックを明るい日差しのもとに連れ出したい、そして世界を覆うネガティヴをポジティブな日焼けで覆いたい、そんな想いが潜んでいるのです。
「このバンドは、本当にギターリフひとつとドラムに単純化できると思うんだ。ドラムの友人と一緒に演奏するときに、ギターリフだけをカバーしたのが始まりだったと思う。ベースやボーカルがいないと物足りない部分もあるんだけど、一方でギターとドラムのシンプルさを楽しむこともできる。最近は、曲の要素をどんどん増やしているんだけど、ギターとドラムが中心であることは変わりないよ」
インストゥルメンタルでプログレッシブであるにもかかわらず、このバンドのモットーは常にキャッチーで歌いやすくあるべし。そうして、リスナーをフルーツのマスコットが踊り狂う果物の街へと誘います。新鮮で多種多様な果実の味わいや匂いは、そのまま彼らのカラフルな個性につながっているのです。
ギターとドラムスというシンプルなデュオが構築するフルーティーな島や街は、ニヤリと笑うメロンやベリーが、心地よく捻れるリフと重く癖のあるリズムに合わせて揺れ動くような異世界です。フルーツ・アイランドの砂のようにきらめく6弦のさざ波は、計算されたものでありながら、どこかのんびりとしていて、明るく、人々を笑顔にしていきます。
「どんなものでも見せ方次第で魅力的になるんだ。よりテクニカルな音楽を、キャッチーなメロディーとキュートなイメージでアピールできるよう、これからも挑戦していきたいと思っているよ」
他の新進気鋭なギタリストと比較して、ジミヘンをヒーローと仰ぎ、TERA MELOS の Nick Reinhart, LITTLE TYEBEE の Josh Martin に師事し、タッピングの魔法使い Stanley Jordan の研究に勤しんだ Marcos のギタリズムは、斬新のみに絡め取られることなく、温故知新のユニークさを宿しています。そして、これまで難解でシリアスというイメージが先行していたジャンルに、ゆるキャラのポップでキュートな親しみやすさを落とし込みました。
それは例えば、メインストリームに目配せするクールな POLYPHIA, アニメの主題歌やキャラクターを自身の音に昇華する Sithu Aye, 音楽でチルアウトを企む CHON, そしてコスプレやヒーロー物で MV を飾り立てる COVET といったマスロック、プログレッシブの新鋭たちと同様に、 このジャンルのステレオタイプを破壊してマスリスナーに届けたいという想いのあらわれに違いありません。
今回、弊誌では Marcos Mena にインタビューを行うことができました。「だって、フルーツはキュートじゃないか!だから、フルーツは僕たちの音楽の最高のシンボルなんだよ。君たちが STANDARDS の音楽を聴いた瞬間から、フルーツタウンの住人さ!」 どうぞ!!
STANDARDS “FRUIT TOWN” : 9.9/10
INTERVIEW WITH MARCOS MENA
Q1: First of all, what kind of music were you listening to, when you were growing up?
【MARCOS】: I was raised on so much, my mom really pushed classical onto me and my dad loved lots of latin and world music acts. I really loved The Beach Boys as well. When I got a bit older I really got into metal music like Disturbed, System Of A Down, Slipknot, and many more. Then as I grew older, I began paying less attention to genre and more just trying to listen to as much as I could.
Q1: 本誌初登場です!まずは、あなたの音楽的なバックグラウンドからお話ししていただけますか?
【MARCOS】: 母からはクラシックを、父からはラテンやワールドミュージックをたくさん聞かされて育ったんだ。THE BEACH BOYS も大好きだったな。もう少し大きくなってからは、DISTURBED, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SLIPKNOT といったメタル・ミュージックにのめり込んでいったね。その後、年齢が上がるにつれて、ジャンルにこだわらずに、とにかくたくさんの音楽を聴くようになったんだ。
Q2: Your guitar is very technical, but at the same time the melody is really outstanding! What guitarists were your heroes?
【MARCOS】: Thank you! I really loved Jimi Hendrix growing up, but technically got very inspired by prob guitarists Nick Reinhart, Josh Martin and tapping extraordinaire Stanley Jordan. I was actually able to study with Nick and Josh and learned quite a bit from them. Regardless of technique, I still very much enjoy keeping things as melodic as possible!
Q2: あなたのギターは、非常にテクニカルでありながら、歌心が際立っていますよね?
【MARCOS】: ありがとう!僕は Jimi Hendrix を愛してそだったんだ。それから、Nick Reinhart, Josh Martin そしてタッピングの名手 Stanley Jordan から技術的に非常に大きな影響を受けているね。実際に Nick と Josh に師事することができ、彼らからかなりのことを学ぶことができたよ。テクニックに関係なく、できるだけメロディックに演奏することを楽しんでいるよ。
Q3: You have toured with such distinguished talents as Polyphia, Covet, Delta Sleep, and Sithu Aye. Have they inspired you in any way?
【MARCOS】: I am always inspired by everyone we play with, I love watching bands before we play and feeling this great onstage connection. Live performances are my favorite because you can really feel the energy in the room, so I feel that everyone we’ve played with has given me the energy I need to put into my live shows.
Q5: Why do you work as a simple duo, guitar and drums?
【MARCOS】: I think the band can really be simplified down to a single guitar riff and drums. I think the beginnings of this came from when I’d play with drummer friends of mine and just cover guitar riffs. Without bass and vocals there were things missing, but also there was a lot to enjoy about the simplicity of guitar and drums. Recently we’ve added more and more to the song, but kept the focus on guitar and drums.
Q6: Those fruit characters in the artwork are so adorable! There are many such characters called “yuru-chara” in Japan. Of course, they have grown up along with the Japanese culture of anime and video games. Are you influenced by Japanese culture?
【MARCOS】: 100%! These are very fun and important to me!-Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, Naruto, Demon Slayer, Hunter X Hunter, Yu-Gi-Oh, Super Smash Bros…Not all made their way to the music but I have fond memories of all of these! I think Japanese culture has been so influential on many Americans like myself, from anime to video games to trading cards. I really like the style and have obviously incorporated many things into the imagery that goes with the music, it just works so well!
Q7: Math-rock and progressive music have an image of being basically serious and esoteric, but you, Covet, Polyphia, and Sithu Aye seem intent on turning that image on its head and appealing to a variety of people while also actively incorporating melodies and mainstream music, would you agree?
【MARCOS】: I do agree! Anything can be appealing with the right presentation and I hope to keep trying to make more technical music appealing with catchy melodies and cute imagery.
Q8: The world is currently in a dark situation: pandemics, wars, division, discrimination, etc. Listening to your music, I feel like I can escape from such a negative world. Are you happy that Standards’ music has that effect?
【MARCOS】: Yes very much so! I also find myself sometimes mentally lost when it comes to events that are occurring now in the world, but I think it just inspires me to keep creating so that we can have music to connect and enjoy together.
I really appreciate this album for its groundbreaking arrangements and musically rich compositions. The genius of Brian Wilson is all over this album and the creation of the album is also an interesting story. I learned a lot from this record and will listen now and again to remind myself of how amazing music can be!
画期的なアレンジと音楽的に豊かな構成。本当に感謝しているよ。Brian Wilson の天才的な才能がこのアルバムの至る所に存在し、アルバムの制作自体も興味深い物語となっているね。このアルバムから多くのことを学んだし、音楽がいかに素晴らしいものであるかを思い出すために、これからも何度も聴くことになるだろうね。
SLIPKNOT “S.T.”
Heavy music is done completely different on this record and I think nobody can deny the raw visceral energy on this album. It really got me passionate about music and continues to inspire me with regards to the performances and musical ideas!
I think my musical journey can be marked by the time I spent before hearing this album and all of the time after I had listened to every track on it over and over. This album is mostly a folk album with tinges of world music, experimental and rock and it is as unique as it is infectious. The guitar work is also very unique, taking influence from equal parts African stylings and rock and roll. A more out there listen, but a rewarding one that changed how I think about music.
THE 1975 “A BRIEF INQUIRY INTO ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS”
This is a more modern album that toys with the concept of genre, with each track having a unique flavor. Seeing The 1975 flex their creative muscles on this album inspired me to also play around with different sounds and genres, while still having a consistent tone. I love every track on this album so much!
It’s hard to find better inspiration than in the story of Jimi Hendrix. Side man turned blues and turned psychedelic hero. A shining star that burned out so quickly, but made such an impact. Are You Experienced? has blues songs, experimental and psychedelic with mind blowing guitarisms, from unique chord work to blistering solos I still find so much in this work. A true classic that got me on my way and still inspires me.
EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH RASYID JURAIMI OF WORMROT !!
“To Me, Grindcore Is The Most Free-Form Of Extreme Music. I Try To Challenge The Notions Of ‘Tough Guy’ And ‘Angry Music’. You Don’t Have To Be ‘Tough Guy’ To Listen To Grindcore Or Metal.”
Q1: Singapore has the image of being a very modern, rich, and beautiful country. What is the state of the metal scene in your country right now?
【RASYID】: Underground scene is alive and well in Singapore, we are slowly picking things up after the pandemic. The metal scene has been a little quite these days, but Singapore has a very strong hardcore and punk scene with young and fresh bands.
Q2: On the other hand, however, Singapore is almost a dictatorship, and I hear that many young people are politically dissatisfied. Is there any suppression of metal and hardcore music?
【RASYID】: Everywhere there are pros and cons. Singapore is a small country so it’s easier for the state to watch over us and restrict our movement. We just have to be smarter. It’s not impossible.
Q3: What kind of music did you grow up listening to? Who were your heroes as a guitarist?
【RASYID】: I grew up listening to lots of Metallica, Nirvana, Green Day, lots of nu-metal, lots of alternative and pop punk. I’ve always been a huge fan of James Hetfield and Daron Malakian in terms of guitar playing and songwriting.
Q3: そういう場所で、どんな音楽を聴いて育ったんでしょうか?
【RASYID】: METALLICA, NIRVANA, GREEN DAY といったバンドだね。沢山の Nu-metal, 沢山のオルタナティブ、沢山のポップ・パンクを聴いて育ったよ。
ギターとソングライティングに関して言えば、僕はずっと James Hetfield と Daron Malakian の大ファンであり続けているよ。
Q4: I understand that original member Arif Suhaimi and his partner Azean are leaving the band after this album. What was the reason? Will the band continue?
【RASYID】: Without going in too deep, it’s because of family issues. I’ve been writing for Wormrot for all my life, so yes, Wormrot will continue without Arif.
Q4: オリジナル・メンバーで唯一無二のシンガー Arif Suhaimi と、彼のパートナーでマネージャーの Azean がこのアルバムを最後にバンドを離れるそうですね?それでも WORMROT は続いていくのでしょうか?
【RASYID】: 彼の脱退についてあまり深掘りすることはしたくないんだ。家族の問題だからね。僕は人生をかけて WORMROT のために曲を書いてきた。だから、うん、WORMROT は Arif なしでも続いていくよ。
Q5: While Arif is happy to be a parent, we hear that he has also suffered some damage to his vocal chords. And of course, in recent years the world has been in the midst of Covid, fascism, discrimination, division, and war. Is it safe to say that such chaos is depicted in this “Hiss”?
【RASYID】: I believe Arif wrote more personal issues in his lyrics. For HISS, it was also my first time writing lyrics and some of the lyrics are just stories about dying in an electric chair, having to kill your loved one, etc. Nothing too serious like politics. Trilogy for three songs from our new album HISS – Grieve, Weeping Willow and Voiceless Choir, We pay tribute to ’70s Japanese crime movies and Singapore’s own TV series TRIPLE 9 and CRIMEWATCH.
Q5: Arif は親になって喜びを感じる一方で、喉にダメージを抱えていたとも言われていますね?加えて、Covid, 分断、戦争といった様々な悪夢が襲いかかりました。
“Hiss” にはそうした混沌が描かれている様にも思えます。
Q6: Still, the artwork for “Hiss” is very intense. Could you please explain the album title and this artwork?
【RASYID】: Actually the idea of the artwork came first before the title. We’ve always had faces in all our previous albums, so I wanted to continue that trend. And I thought we don’t need monsters. A real person’s face can be scary too. Especially one which you cannot read. From this album, I wanted the feeling of quiet, patience, calm but also dangerous. I can only think of a snake waiting to pounce on it’s prey, and all you can hear is the sound of death.
Q7: Grindcore seems to be a genre where there are hundreds of bands that are basically along the same lines, intense and fun, but you guys have reformed grindcore by introducing various elements like violin, jazz, clean vocals, etc., would you agree?
【RASYID】: I believe there are different ways you can look at grindcore. While most people have a strict guideline for grindcore, I have no guidelines. To me, grindcore is the most free-form of extreme music. I try to challenge the notions of ‘tough guy’ and ‘angry music’. You don’t have to be ‘tough guy’ to listen to grindcore or metal. You don’t need maximum distortion. You don’t need punk jackets. You can be free. But you have to be honest, because people can smell your bullshit.
Q8: This album also shows a great love for Japanese hardcore. Could you share your thoughts on Japanese culture and music?
【RASYID】: I grew up on Japanese cinema when I was a student in school (almost 20 years ago!). I look up to Akira Kurosawa and have always loved his style of film-making. Later on, I fell in love with sukeban and pinky violence films, or pinku eiga, and I took the chance to pay tribute to Meiko Kaji and Shin Joshu Sasori: 701 Go on HISS, because I think it fits the theme and made sense. For music, I listen to Boris, 324, Four Get Me A Nots, Casiopea, Anri, Akina Nakamori, and many more. Too many Japanese influences!
Q8: このアルバムは、日本のハードコアに対する返答だという見方もありますが…?
【RASYID】: 僕は学生時代(約20年前!)、日本映画で育ったんだ。黒澤明監督を尊敬していて、彼の映画作りのスタイルがずっと好きだったよ。その後、スケバン刑事やちょっとエッチなバイオレンス映画(もしくはピンク映画)が好きになり、今回、”Hiss” で梶芽衣子と “女囚サソリ:701号恨み節” にオマージュを捧げたのは、アルバムのテーマに合っていて意味があると思ったからだよ。
日本の音楽は、Boris、324、Four Get Me A Nots、Casiopea、杏里、中森明菜などなど、いろいろ聴いているよ。日本の影響を受けすぎかな!?
FIVE ALBUMS THAT CHANGED RASYID’S LIFE
METALLICA “MASTER OF PUPPETS”
SYSTEM OF A DOWN “S.T.”
NIRVANA “MTV UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK”
GREENDAY “DOOKIE”
THE OFFSPRING “IXNAY ON THE HOMBRE”
MESSAGE FOR JAPAN
I’m very happy that HISS is getting more exposure in Japan. We hope to tour Japan in 2023, give us some time to plan! Meanwhile, we hope you enjoy HISS. Thank you for reading this far, and thank you Marunouchi Muzik Magazine for this interview!
“Hiss” が日本でより露出されるようになって、とてもうれしいよ。2023年には日本ツアーを行いたいと考えているんだ。この計画には少し時間をもらいたいね。その間、アルバムを楽しんでもらえたらうれしいね。
読んでくれてありがとう!そして、Marunouchi Muzik Mag、このインタビューをありがとう!
“This Regime Cannot Tolerate Hearing Different Opinions And Voices Outside Their Beliefs Other Than Their Own. And We Believe That The Regime Is an Obvious Example of What Happens To a Nation Based On Religion.”
Q1: First of all, could you tell us how you found and got into metal in Iran, a country that is maybe very intolerant of it?
【AMIN】: Thank you very much for inviting us; let’s start with this,
We live in a religious totalitarian regime with maximum unfreedom, which throws out freedom of thought, speech, and expression and coerces us to have a single set of beliefs, goals, and behaviors, with only a single view; a single, absolute “truth.”
The Islamic regime determines them in the name of law based on religion, which could legitimize them to impose them on us. Therefore, this regime cannot tolerate hearing different opinions and voices outside their beliefs other than their own. And we believe that the regime is an obvious example of what happens to a nation based on religion.
【ARMIN】: We grew up in a musician family, and since childhood, the sound of Iranian traditional music and western music, including classical and rock music, resonated in our home, giving us an excellent grasp and knowledge of other western and eastern musical genres and their instruments. Likewise, we always felt a particular passion and excitement when we saw and heard our father playing santur and our mother singing at home, which made us passionate about music and learning Iranian musical instruments. At 7, Amin started learning the santur instrument, and I started learning the Tonbak percussion instrument at six from our father. Also, since my father was passionate about western music, he dedicated a large room to archive music of different styles such as Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Genesis, etc. I remember that we used to go to that room and listen and look at the cassette tapes and vinyl records of those bands, which attracted and grabbed my brother and me to rock and progressive music. finally, at the age of 17, Amin started to learn the electric guitar. I started to learn the bass guitar, which we both are self-taught.
Q2: What was the hardest part of being in a metal band in Iran? You guys have a tremendous technique, how did you learn it there?
【ARMIN】: The hardest part is countless, but I mention some of them; banning our music, invading our private life, censoring and suppressing our music, and trying to silence our voice. We make music under religious tyranny, which creates isolation, fear, threat, and insecurity for us. Our band and albums have been banned from publishing, selling, and performing in the country because, on the one hand, we live in a one-dimensional Islamic totalitarian regime that does not allow the appearance of any thoughts and beliefs other than their own religious beliefs, and on the other hand in our music we criticism of the authoritarians and religious elements in charge. So, they claim our music satanism, which promotes a western culture to oppress and ban us.
【AMIN】: Regarding the second part, First, thank you so much; we always love to push forward ourselves as a person and play better, write better, act better, always have an attitude to moving forward, not being lazy, and doing everything as best as possible on every level.
First of all, we have a lot of passion for what we do, and in this way, our essential elements include.
1- Having a goal and varying our practicing
2- consistently in our practice every day, which has now become our part of life
3- Putting a lot of time
4- Being patient
5- Don’t be disappointed
6- Having discipline
7- Separate every phrase by phrase and single note by note and practice it with a metronome, so everything is possible
8- Always record ourselves
Q3: In the past, I interviewed an Iranian band called Confess. They were oppressed by the regime just because they were a metal band. And they said, “Of course arrest wasn’t convenient but I took pride for that! Cause it meant that my music and my lyrics are so strong and truthful that they could scare a whole regime.”. What’s your thought about them?
【AMIN】: We believe that all people in all fields should be able to have the right to freedom of speech and thought and to express whatever they want and believe in, in a free and safe place, away from threats and fear of being arrested, imprisoned, and …, We believe that respect for freedom of speech and thought should be maintained everywhere and everyone should help to expand it.
【ARMIN】: We believe true artists believe in freedom of speech and thought, should not suppress their wishes and voices, censor themselves in their music or art, and help religious tyranny.
Q4: Why did you decide on the band name Hyper Planet?
【AMIN】: This name is based on humans living in a place beyond the earth, where there is peace, security, love, and freedom. Away from any ideologies to explain everything in the past, present, and future to control the life of people, away from prohibiting people from thinking.
【ARMIN】: Away from the tyranny caused by a belief and away from any sources of hatred and conflict, we can consciously wait for further evolution on a planet called: Hyper Planet.
Q5: Your father is participating on the instrument Santur/Qanun. This instrument makes your unique music even more special, right? Is it important to you to use Middle Eastern instruments in your metal music?
【AMIN】: First, we would like to thank you for this excellent question.
As for the uniqueness of our music, we’d like to put it this way the critical part is that we’d love to show how music could be a powerful tool for spreading peace and love worldwide. We like to send that message by mixing Iranian traditional music and progressive rock/metal music. We think a musician should be able to play a full range of music aspects, including technical, dark, fast, melodic, emotional, dramatic, etc. So, I think mastering these elements in music provides an excellent toolbox for a musician to have more expansive colors in writing music; regarding the use of middle Eastern instruments in our songwriting, it naturally happens to us. But on the other side, we think it could also be interesting to show from where we come in our music.
【ARMIN】: And considering that we come from an Iranian traditional music background that we grew up with when we entered the world of metal music, we noticed the incredible and attractive capabilities and powers of Iranian traditional music and progressive rock/metal music. So, this idea has always been there, and we mix these two musical schools; we believe this opportunity is available in progressive music to make that happen and born. We love to write fresh, modern, and different music; we think that if we love the music we make, our fans will love it.
Q6: As I read your lyrics, I can tell that you value “wisdom.” Is that connected to Islamic doctrine?
【ARMIN】: Wow, thank you so much for the excellent question; I love that one of the main structures of the Islamic totalitarian regime is based on brainwashing. And also have absolute control over people, and the other essence of the doctrine is to control the person’s emotional and cognitive life. In this song, we are trying to say how totalitarian regimes such as the one which is occupying Iran, by using brainwashing and comprehensive control of the minds of every person in society, are trying to put all the pillars of people’s lives under their supervision and control so that they can rule over the people.
【AMIN】: As Armin said, I’d like to add that the fundamental question is: how can we eliminate these horrific barrier pillars of the religion, fear, threat, isolation, oppression, censorship, deception, and lies that tyranny has made for us? We think that nothing but raising the level of awareness and wisdom in society can help a nation deal with this terrible totalitarian regime’s dimensions, which tie all its power together to isolate individuals and put a lot of pressure on us with unsolved solutions and control all aspects of our lives thoroughly.
Q7: You guys seem to be connected with Dream Theater and Ron Thal, right?
【AMIN】: Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal is a legendary guitarist and musician; he’s my all-time hero; Ron is a big influence on me as a musician and on my life path; I learn a lot from him. It’s our tremendous honor that Ron always listens to our music; he loves it and supports our band. We have a lot of love and respect for him, and I wish I could one day play with him on stage and have a chance to collaborate on a musical project.
As for Dream Theater, they are our all-time favorite band, this band has had a significant influence on us, and we had the chance to see them live twice and meet them, which was a wonderful experience for us. They are very friendly, warm, and humble musicians.
Q7: あなたたちは、DREAM THEATER や Ron Thal ともつながりがあるようですね?
【AMIN】: Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal は伝説的なギタリストでありミュージシャンだよ。彼は僕のオールタイム・ヒーローであり、ミュージシャンとして、また僕の人生の歩みにおいて大きな影響を与えてくれた。Ron がいつも僕らの音楽を聴いてくれて、僕らのバンドを応援してくれていることはとても光栄なことだよ。いつか彼とステージで演奏し、音楽プロジェクトでコラボレートする機会があればと願っているんだ。
DREAM THEATER は、僕たちのオールタイム・フェイバリットだよ。彼らは僕たちに大きな影響を与えてくれたし、彼らのライブを2度見て、彼らに会える機会もあったんだ。素晴らしい経験だったよ。彼らはとてもフレンドリーで、温かく、謙虚なミュージシャンなんだ。
Q8: By the way, what do you know about Japanese culture and music?
【ARMIN】: The people of Japan have a vibrant history of civilization and culture. They are also very respectful, meticulous people with discipline, passionate, hardworking, not giving up, and think of others. Japan is the land of sunrise, and we know you have a fantastic, modern, state-of-the-art, advanced, and one of the world’s leading fields of science and technology. One of our dreams is to travel to your country one day and see the wonders of your country up close and maybe someday have the chance and honor of playing in Budokan.
【AMIN】: We love Japanese food very much, especially Sushi is our favorite one, and it is exciting to us that Japanese people have a very healthy lifestyle and diet, and they are the most extended living people in the world. As we all know, Japan is one of the world’s best electric guitar and bass manufacturers, such as Ibanez, ESP, and Yamaha, which are also our favorite brands. We also love Sony and its famous PlayStation gaming console.
【ARMIN】: Regarding the music scene in Japan, we know so many great Japanese musicians. There are a lot of talented phenomenal musicians/players like Hiromi Uehara, who is second to none in playing jazz rock/fusion music..
【AMIN】: also, I follow many Japanese guitarists on Instagram, such as Yas Nomura; he’s phenomenal.
【ARMIN】: Oh, Tetsu Yamauchi. He’s a great bassist. And we know the bands such as The Black Mages and Asturias. We love the Japanese music scene. You guys are ROCK.
【ARMIN】: Tetsu Yamaguchi もね。彼は素晴らしいベーシストだよ。THE BLACK MAGES や ASTURIAS みたいなバンドも最高。日本の音楽シーンは素晴らしいよ、君たちはロックだ!
FIVE ALBUMS THAT CHANGED AMIN’S LIFE
DREAM THEATER “METROPOLIS PT.2: SCENES FROM A MEMORY”
RUSH “HEMISPHERE”
OPETH “BLACKWATER PARK”
PINK FLOYD “THE WALL”
METALLICA “MASTER OF PUPPETS”
MESSAGE FOR JAPAN
AMIN: Our message to Japan is full of peace, love, and respect for people with an ancient and vibrant history of civilization.
ARMIN: We hope to see you all and play Hyper Planet music for you, maybe one day. And finally, we appreciate you so much for doing this interview. Greetings from Iran to Japan!
EXCLUSIVE: INTERVIEW WITH NICO MIROLLA OF KARDASHEV !!
“Young People Will Inevitably See The Cognitive Decline Of Someone Close To Them Beit a Grandparent, Aunt, Uncle, Or Parent In Their Life At Some Point And We Wanted To Capture That Moment In An Album.”
“We Stand With The Native People That Take Care Of The Forest. Sometimes Against Transnational And Ecuadorian Enterprises Protected By The State Which Are The Ones That Pollute The Most. It Seems Totally Stupid To Destroy One Of The Megadiverse Countries Of The World Just To Get More Oil And Minerals.”