Interview with RUSIKA
Jmusic can be found all over the world today. Musicans who leave Japan also bring the music and bands to other countries like ofr examble the USA. One of the bands is RUSIKA. I got the chance to get an interview with vocalist, guitarist and band leader Natz.
noi (of jrockradio.com): Hallo Natz. It's great to meet you and your band. RUSIKA is a very special band because it brings jmusic to America. You already had a music career in Japan, but you left it and went to the USA.
Can you tell us about you before leaving Japan?
Natz (of RUSIKA): Before leaving Japan, I was in a band called LUPPY, as a guitarist. The band successfully got fans among high school girls. However, we had to be separated when going to universities. I also tried to go to universities, but I failed because of English.
So, I came to the U.S. to learn English more. I did not think about doing music here at first.
noi: What was the reason for you to became a musician? And why did you chose the guitar as your instrument?
Natz: I think I am a poet as well as a musician. I just wonder how I can use the Japanese language most beautiful and fluent way. One of my answers is poetry through music.
When I listened to the Spitz's song "Robinson", I was impressed by the guitar arpeggio. So, I wanted to play it. If it was on piano, I would've become a pianist for sure.
noi: After you stopped your old band in Japan there was a time out of the music business for you. How did you yourself found back and started the idea for RUSIKA?
Every band has its own history and its special stories. It's very interesting for us to get known some about your band.
Natz: I completely stopped playing music, and learned business all day long at my college. But gradually, I felt emptiness in my mind. Business people tend to think of target, specific, and logical acts. However, those were not enough to fulfill my mind. I just want to sing for people no matter who they are. Various types of music, emotionally.
Then one day, I went to a coffee shop. There were many solo artists there, and I wanted to sing a song like them. Then I started music, again. I still used the band name LUPPY. However, for 2 years, nobody showed up to my shows. Even when people listened to my song, they left before I finished my songs. It was very different situation from Japan. So I changed my mind to use different band name in December 2006, with my new band members.
noi: What meaning has your band name for you? How did you choose it?
Natz: I wanted to be a more artistic and romantic musician, so I named my band RUSIKA from (from "rushika"). The word is not actual Japanese, but I liked the sound and meaning, "the flow of the poem and music". I wish my music flows to your heart, and provoke the images naturally.
noi: How would you yourself describe your band and music to somebody who doesn't know you till now?
Natz: I am a very funny person. But sometimes that prevents me to express my true emotion to people. So, my music reflects what I cannot show in oral conversation. More Romantic and more Artistic. There is no boundary to enjoy our music. Everybody is welcomed.
We are also very emotional and exciting at our shows. Please come see our shows!!!
noi: What are the contents of your music and lyrics? Especially what feelings, thoughts or happenings do you assimilate?
Natz: It varies, but mostly it reflects my thoughts, experience, and feelings. It can be personal, like love, setbacks, despair, joy.....or be more about the entire universe, like time, space, history, theory and forever emptiness.
I want to try to put different impressions into each of my songs.
noi: In your opinion, how is the Jmusic scene in America? Are there also a lot of bands that started making Jmusic in the USA similar to RUSIKA?
Natz: The Japanese music scene is very small. We cannot buy Japanese CDs at usual stores. So, the information is really limited, the popularity of each genre of Japanese music greatly varies. Visual kei is very popular among American fans, but Jrock without make up is not famous at all. We somehow want to introduce more diversified Japanese music overseas.
We have a couple of bands to play with, but almost none of the bands play Japanese music here. We want to help bands here, which play Jrock. Any people who can play Jrock, so let's make the scene bigger together!!
noi: What chances have people to meet RUSIKA and it's music?
Not all visitors of jockradio.com live in the USA. What are the chances for this people?
Natz: First, please listen to jrockradio.com. We will send them our new songs as many as possible. Where they are played is totally depend on Jrockradio, hahaha.
noi: Thanks. It is a pleasure of us to play your songs here on jrockradio.com
Natz: Second, Check our webpage, myspace.com/rusika. You can add us, and send a message.
And please wait patiently until we do world tour!! More and more Japanese bands tour in Europe, so it's not that far in the future to tour there, hahaha!!
noi: Where do you perform? Do you make bigger tours through the USA?
What other countries could you imagine to visit to give concerts?
Natz: In 2007, we had shows all over the U.S. as many as possible, but now we are concentrate on L.A. and S.F. this year. We want to tour Europe and Middle to South America, if we can.
noi: 2008 started and all people made new plans for the new year. Whatis your biggest wish or aim for this year? Do you have concrete plans?
Natz: My biggest wish is that people notice RUSIKA. For that purpose, we will have many great shows, and contact medias. We definitely need help from our street team, jrockradio and you!! Let's spread Jrock and RUSIKA all over the world!!
noi: Of cause jrockradio will support you and we hope all of our visiters as well.
Thank you for the time you spent on this interview. We wish you all the best and look in forward to all your projects.
Natz: Thank you!!
Please visit myspace.com/rusika for more informations and music or RUSIKA. Here you also find the dates for concerts and tours. author: noi