Friday July 5th, Moon Stream performed at Anime Expo alongside CELL and Kaya for the epic Visual Kei Night. The following afternoon, Sakura and Vivienne got to sit down with Satsuki and Tomo to discuss their experience at Anime Expo, future plans and much more! We couldn't secure a room to conduct the interview in, so we said "what the heck" and met up in the dealer's hall. There was an empty booth next to Moon Stream and Kaya's merchandise booth, and their staff was kind enough to set up a few chairs for us. We sat behind a long table which served as a barricade between people walking past and fans trying to take pictures.
Although the dealer's hall was quite noisy and crowded, and we didn't get a chance to speak with the support members of the band (Poel & Raanen), Satsuki and Tomo kept us laughing with their bright personalities and silly antics almost the entire time.
It’s really nice to be able to interview you guys again for VKH! Will you please introduce yourself to our readers once more?
Tomo: Hi! This is Tomo, guitarist for Moon Stream.
Satsuki: Hello. This is Satsuki, vocalist of Moon Stream.
Thank you! It's been a while since we've last seen you! What happened between now and AnimeNEXT for you two?
Thank you! It's been a while since we've last seen you! What happened between now and AnimeNEXT for you two?
Tomo: Satsuki did a solo tour.
VKH: Oh, yes! Europe, right?
Satsuki: Mhmm!
Tomo: How many days was that?
Satsuki: Three days.
Tomo: Three days. How many countries did you go?
Satsuki: Three countries! France, Poland, and Germany.
VKH: Satsuki, you've been keeping yourself busy!
Satsuki: -laughs- Ahh yes, and I caught a cold. –coughs-
VKH: Oh noooo! Get better soon!
Satsuki: HAI! –laughs-
What kind of direction do you want to take Moon Stream in?
What kind of direction do you want to take Moon Stream in?
Tomo: We want to do more like, rock style, which is not categorized as Visual Kei.
VKH: Okay, so you want to take Moon Stream outside of the Visual Kei genre. How so?
Tomo: Yeah! Like, we did a show with Japanese visual rock bands at Anime Expo, but we are not aiming to be like that. We are willing to do concerts with a lot of bands, but I wanna see more. I wanna see more opportunities for us to jam with different bands and work with different music.
Satsuki: Mm –nods and reaches over to take Tomo’s sunglasses that are dangling from his shirt to put it on-
So are there any memorable experiences you have had as Moon Stream?
Tomo: For me, it’s working with Satsuki. Cause his voice is like so pure, and his performance too. You know like, when I play on stage, I can trust him with everything you know? I can do everything with him because he’s so talented, you know?
Sakura: -laughs- Yeah! He’s very talented.
Tomo: It makes me really comfortable on stage. And then like, he knows. We have been doing each project we have for so long, so we know what to do on stage. So like, if he did something I would go, “Okay so I should do this”. It makes me very comfortable, like I don’t need to worry about anything and just rock out.
VKH: So the best experience for you has been to be on stage with each other and feel comfortable all the time. What about for you, Satsuki?
Satsuki: Yeah! I think the same as Tomo.
Last night you guys performed at the “Visual Kei” concert along with CELL and Kaya. VKH was there, so did you forgive us for missing your last show at AnimeNEXT?
Last night you guys performed at the “Visual Kei” concert along with CELL and Kaya. VKH was there, so did you forgive us for missing your last show at AnimeNEXT?
Tomo: Oh you were there?
Satsuki: -at the same time as Tomo- REALLY? YOU MISS THE SHOW?
VKH: Ahhh, no!! –waves hands- Ran missed your last show at AnimeNEXT! But we were at last night’s concert to redeem ourselves. We were even in the front! –everyone laughs-
Satsuki: Ah, there were so many people!
Tomo: WERE YOU SITTING!? -raises eyebrow-
VKH: Nooo, we were standing! We got everyone around us to stand up and rock out too.
Tomo: Okay good! Good!
Satsuki: Oh you did? So nice~
Back to the question, what have you experienced performing here that has been different from other shows you have done?
Back to the question, what have you experienced performing here that has been different from other shows you have done?
Tomo: Well actually, our support member, the drummer…. His name is Raanen, and he has like more rock style, so he plays differently from our other support drummer which is Takaya. It might feel like a little different Moon Stream, since the drummer’s essence is very different.
Your new song D/E was so amazing last night! Everyone went crazy to it. Can you tell us what the song is about?
Satsuki: Oooh thank you! –laughs- Well, it’s the first song of Moon Stream. We made it so I think, this is a miracle! Because Tomo’s essence and Satsuki’s essence mix half and half, so like, our energy is mixing.. Right? You understand?
Tomo: Yeah, but like I think they're asking, what were you thinking in the lyrics too though? -Vivienne nods-
Satsuki: Ahhhh… Hmmmm…… it’s difficult. –thinks- Eh... I want to leave that for the fans to figure out.
Tomo: Yeah, I believe they will all feel something different from the music.
We were told the song will be released to the public as soon as it’s recorded… so from your perspective, how do you feel about the US market? Do you feel that fans of Japanese rock are more snubbed or ignored when it comes to making content available?
We were told the song will be released to the public as soon as it’s recorded… so from your perspective, how do you feel about the US market? Do you feel that fans of Japanese rock are more snubbed or ignored when it comes to making content available?
Tomo: Yeah, I think it’s hard for them (fans), but for the conventions, I think it’s easier. Well, not really easier but more open-hearted? So like even if you don’t know us, fans are still able to check us out and buy our stuff which is easier than ordering merchandise in some ways. There’s more energy, too. That’s also why they’re here. Like at a rock concert of course everyone has energy because they come for that. So it’s like that here too.
Your plans for this summer seem similar to a kind of tour through North America -- hitting New Jersey, California, Canada and Oklahoma. Do you think you'll be able to announce an actual tour in the future?
Satsuki: Actual tour?
Tomo: You mean like with local venues and stuff?
VKH: Yes! Like in venues instead of conventions.
Tomo: Well yeah, actually we have a show booked Sunday at a venue with Kaya, have you heard?
VKH: Yeah, yeah we have! Eclipse volume 1. Does this hint at more "Eclipse" shows in the future?
Tomo: Yeah, with that we’ll see where it goes in the future. -smiles mysteriously-
As artists of many different projects, what can each of you reveal to us about your plans apart from Moon Stream?
As artists of many different projects, what can each of you reveal to us about your plans apart from Moon Stream?
Satsuki: Satsuki solo project is focused on Visual Kei. Moon Stream is rock project, that’s different!
*Note: I think he meant to say that for his solo project, there will be more focus towards Visual Kei, so it will be something completely different from his work in Moon Stream.
*Note: I think he meant to say that for his solo project, there will be more focus towards Visual Kei, so it will be something completely different from his work in Moon Stream.
Tomo: Well you know I have so many projects, like my band Echostream which is more like, focused on movie background music, TV background music. Kinda like more chill and ambient music, so totally different from Moon Stream. And I wanna bring that over to Moon Stream, too. And Alias which is Japanese and more like a jpop band, I think it’s more uh… anime style? And I support for Shahidah which is more like R&B, soul, rock, pop and opera, so all of that influences me too. I’m very happy to have opportunities where I can gain musical influence and experience in different genres. I wanna blend all these essences together.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing with us. After working with each other for more than a year or so, what do you have to say about each other?
Satsuki: –gestures at Tomo- Samurai! –everyone laughs- I think he is samurai. –flexes muscles-
Tomo: Prince. I think he’s like a prince. But he’s getting more like, warrior type. -everyone laughs- My image of him was like a very visual kei prince, but now he’s getting like, masculine –makes arm movements to describe muscles and manliness-
Satsuki: It’s because of the samurai!
VKH: So Satsuki is a warrior prince now.
Tomo: He’s like, “yaaah!!” –makes slashing movements with his hands-
Satsuki: Yeah, like that –laughs-
Alright, this is our last question before wrapping it up. Before we had asked Tomo what his connection to the word “stream” is. Now we would like to know what Satsuki’s connection to the word “moon” is!
Satsuki: Moon is my name, or one of my names. So, when we feel darkness, we see the sky which is light. The moon is the light for my darkness. I want to shine and I want everyone to shine their heart of darkness. I think the moon is light. That’s the “moon” in Moon Stream.
Tomo: Yeah, and stream is like my job. I have to bring this all together and give it to the people, that’s “streaming” --
Satsuki: -interupts- With samurai power! –makes sound effects to imitate Samurai & everyone laughs-
Thank you so much for today’s interview! Will you guys wrap up with a message to the fans again?
Satsuki: Thank you for reading! Please keep on supporting us and see you soon! Thank you.
Tomo: Thank you very much for reading. We will try to do more concerts and see everyone so please continue to support us.
--
Thank you to Anime Expo staff, and Moon Stream's manager, Rubab Rizvi for making this interview possible! VKH looks forward to covering Moon Stream again in the future.
Thank you to Anime Expo staff, and Moon Stream's manager, Rubab Rizvi for making this interview possible! VKH looks forward to covering Moon Stream again in the future.
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