S†R Interview with IX -NINE- June, 2015

 ©IX -NINE-

Summon the Roses had the chance of interviewing new band IX -NINE- We had the  awesome opportunity to have a small talk with band leader and composer $ali. Enjoy the interview!

Could you please introduce yourselves to the readers of Summon the Roses?

$ali: I'm the band leader and composer, $ali.

How did IX -Nine- form?

$ali: I'm alone When I was making 1st mini album VIDYA, at first I'd planned to release to engage guests vocal. But I wanted to have the band, that is why we invited IX, and Noi.

What is the meaning of IX -Nine-? Who came up with the band name?

$ali: IX has no meaning. We like that it has a nice ring to it, that is why we named it IX. This is his proposal.(Vocal: IX)

What is the concept behind your music?

$ali: Band name has no meaning, music is also not based unequivocal commitment. By the way, I am influenced by Electronica and Ambient music.

Can you tell us about the composition of your music. Who is the main composer and how do you work together composing your songs?

$ali: I made all of songs.

You have impressive visuals. Can you tell us a bit about who came up with the idea of wearing masks and what exactly are you trying to express with your visual image?

$ali: Yes,it's my idea, because I have liked "Nou" since a long time ago.

Can you tells us about your mini-album 'VIDYA'? What can the fans expect from this mini-album?

$ali: "VIDYA" means something like "Light" in English. Album concept is to climb towards the heaven to the next life. I don't want to force my opinion onto others,  please follow the feeling.

What emotions are you trying to express through your lyrics?

$ali: My lyrics do not express emotions but expresses my values. But we can have sympathy through music, I'm glad if you have empathy for the way I think. Both creation and excrete is equal to me. There is no essential difference between physiological desire and making myself known.

What about live performances? How do you feel about performing in front of fans as a new band?

$ali: We will play as a band style with two support members. (Guitar: 曉-akatuki- & Drums: Kazutaka) Taisho-koto sound is very beautiful, I know it's worth waiting.

Do you have plans of adding any new band members?

$ali: Yes, of course. I am looking for someone to can join IX, but We don't know how that will turn out from now on.

What are your expectations with IX -Nine-?

$ali: I want to make music rooted in culture rather than just for entertainment which does not happen with other bands.This is all I can do.

How is IX -Nine- different from other Jrock bands?

$ali: At first, we use Taisho koto. So far, I have never seen a band use an electric Taisho koto. We use Japanese traditional sound like "Gagaku" or "Nou". We have a bit of an ambient & electronica sound mixed with traditional and rock music.

What was the hardest part about forming IX -Nine-?

$ali: We have never done live performances, because we need more people to act performance. To continue the normal band activity is very difficult for us.

 Does touring overseas interest you at all? Are you planning on performing in America?

$ali: Yes, We are interested in it. Our purpose is to get support from overseas. In fact Japanese music is actually low by international standards. That is highly improbable to the entire line up of songs that made it into Billboard HOT 100. Idol music is in vogue in Japan, and Japanese music are of a sort much of a muchness. These bad customs deeply rooted in my country....I'm planning to end Japan's music isolation. Because I promote international. I don't know whether my belief will reach overseas or not, but I  want to do playing overseas someday.

Are you currently working on a PV?

$ali: Yes, I'm in the middle of producing that now. 2nd mini album or 1st full album...It is still undecided when that will be. Give me a little more time, I know you will be happy.

Do you have a message for your fans?

$ali: First of all, Thank you Summon the Roses. And thanks for reading to the end. I would be pleased if you could listen to our songs.
Thank you!
$ali 

🌹Links🌹

Thank you IX -NINE- for this interview! You can check out IX -NINE- official website here http://nine-official.tumblr.com/

©Summon the Roses2015

Kamijo 20th Anniversary Tour Fan Interview

 ©Kamijo2015

Summon the Roses had the extraordinary honor of attending Kamijo's 20th Anniversary show at the Highline Ballroom in New York, on Saturday June 6, 2015. Here is a small video of the fan interviews Summon the Roses conducted.

©Summon the Roses2015

Fans began to arrive as early as 10:00am in the morning, anticipating the awesome show. No later than 2:00pm, the lines were split into two rows, one for the VIP and one for general admission. The staff was collaborating wonderfully with the fans, waiting around, and happy to guide them and answer any concerns the fans had. Fans continued to arrive in groups. Everyone dressed up and ready for the concert. There were a couple of fans cosplaying, showing off their amazing talent and devotion. Fans were excited and Summon the Roses got to interview some of the devoted fans that were waiting in line for hours. The staff managed to keep everything well organized, and on time. 

Groups of five were allowed to go in at a time to purchase the merchandise. All the fans got a chance to purchase the goods that were available. Some of the merchandise included, T-shirts from the world tour, wrist bands, photo-sets, and a photo book. A large Kamijo poster was also a hot item fans were purchasing. Soon after everyone had gotten their merchandise, the staff announced the doors would open at 5:30pm for the meet&greet and photo-session with Kamijo. 

At exactly 5:30pm, the VIP fans got to go in first, and form another line right outside the room where the photo session would take place. One by one fans entered the room where Kamijo was expecting them. Fans presented Kamijo with gifts, all excited and happy as they exited the room after the picture was taken. Right after the photo session, fans went straight to the stage, waiting around for the show to start. Not until 2 hours later, did the show start. Even though it was a long and tiring wait, fans had the chance to share their amazing experience and connect with each other. Fans had travel from all over the world to see their favorite artist. Fans from Canada, Japan, Florida, Georgia, and even Texas, were there to honor Kamijo. Even though there a variety of cultures, all fans had the same love and passion in common. Finally, staff came out on the stage to announce the show was about to begin. Fans cheered loudly, calling out the band to to the stage.

The band entered the stage looking flawless. As fans went crazy, the band took their place and grabbed their instruments, getting ready for the show. The stage was beautiful, and the band showed off their amazing costumes and hair styles. The band began to jam, fans sang along, as well as head bang. Tears were over flowing, but everyone was enjoying themselves to the fullest. Kamijo was completely in love with his fans, sharing so much passion with his voice and his body movements. The band projected so much energy, and their talent was indescribable. The set-list was stunning! It was like a journey to the past. Kamijo sang old songs from his previous band Lareine and New Sodmy. The Lareine songs included, Fiancailles, Bara wa Utsukushiku, and Fuyu Tokyo. Only one song from New Sodmy was played, which was Phantom. It was like playing sweet memories from his past, and his amazing journey as a musician. A huge screen was being projected in the background, with sweet memories of Kamijo's bands. Videos of Lareine and Versailles played continously through out the entire concert. 

It was a true dream for the fans. The band included songs from Versailles, such as Masquerade, Shout & Bites, and Aristocrat Symphony, which was part of the encore. The band exited the stage, and fans waited nervously for the much wanted encore. Finally, the band came back on the stage, and played three more songs for all the fans! Encore included Moulin Rogue and Aristocrat Symphony, which was pretty much a surprise. Kamijo did not stop there! He quickly went to the back and grabbed a gift from a thoughtful fan that put her heart into an amazing American flag which had written messages from all the fans that waited in line. Kamijo thanked New York, and danced around with the flag. The band then took a picture with the flag and with the entire audience. It was a lovely surprise from Kamijo to all his fans. It was time for the band to say goodbye, but they left the fans with an outstanding and memorable experience. 

It was an unforgettable night, and a very well organized concert. There were no delays, and the staff could not be more patient and warm with the fans. Summon the Roses would like to thank all the fans that participated in the fan interviews. We would also like to give a special thanks to the event interprener who allowed us to interview him as well. 

🌹Links🌹

A special thanks to all the the staff, and to Kamijo (Vo), Meku(Gu), Daishi(Gu), Masashi(Ba), and Shin(Dr).  

Interview with K-pop Dance Group GPK

 

©Summon the Roses 2015

Summon the Roses had the honor of interviewing a group of girls who are devoted dancers and love Kpop!! They call themselves GPK, and there are currently four members in the group. Leader Tere,  Main Vocalist, Nathalie, Visual/Lead Vocalist Yumi,  Maknae/Rapper Deny. They perform Kpop covers and have video recordings on Youtube. The talented girls performed at Kpop Con Usa Convention in Miami, on June 19. STR had a chance to join them and conduct a small but sweet interview with these four girls who all have huge and wonderful goals with their Kpop dancing career.

Who exactly is GPK?

Hi, we are GPK and we are a South Florida Kpop cover group. We have been around for four years.

How are you guys enjoying the convention so far?

Tere: It's great! The con has been a success so far. We are really proud of how it came out.

How is it that GPK formed?

Deny: How we formed is that we had a leader beforehand and she brought everyone together, Some of us met a con, and some others auditioned to be in the group. Basically she recruited us and asked us if we could audition and do a little dance and that she was going to be contacting us in case we made it. That's pretty much how we got in.

What does GPK stand for?

Nathalie: Generation of Passionate Kpoppers.

What are your future goals with GPK?

Tere: Our future goals are to be able to perform in different places like LA, New York, and Korea. We really want to work hard and grow our Youtube channel so we can get more popular and be able to perform in different places with different people.

What events is GPK participating in at the con?

Nathalie: We did a special guest showcase and we performed with other big Youtube artists such as Coco Avenue, NYX, and some of us participated in the singing showcase.

What is your ultimate favorite Kpop song to dance to?

Tere: I think our favorite song is 'Call Me Baby' by EXO because we've been practicing that song for a long time now and we have it stuck in our heads.

Nathalie: That's our favorite boy dance but our favorite Kpop girl dance is 'Mr.Mr.' By SNSD because of how much interaction there was between the members.

Finally, do you have a message for the readers of Summon the Roses?

Deny: Please keep supporting us and we hope that you guys are excited for the future because we have a lot planned for us.

Tere:  Follow us on Facebook and Youtube as we are going to upload more dance covers. We will be updating everyone on any news regarding shows, giveaways, and workshops to teach others how to dance.

🌹Links🌹

Thank you GPK for this awesome interview!

©Summon the Roses