In the new Orkus (February 2010) there's a two page feature for Moi dix Mois. One page is text only, the other a picture of Mana.
It's a picture from V-Rock all of us have seen already, but I snapped a picture anyway. Picture
„I want to maintain the tradition of elegant Gothic-style in the future as well.”
Though the highly anticipated new album still has a long time coming, 2009 was a busy year for Mana; is it as the boss of Moi dix Mois, as songwriter and producer for Sony or as a designer for his fashion brand Moi-meme-Moitié. One of the peaks in Mana’s filled schedule was the performance at the V-Rock Festival 09, a huge, two-day rock festival, where Japanese bands shared the stage with international stars like Marilyn Manson, Lovex and Negative. We met him shortly before his performance and asked him about the status quo of his different activities.
Orkus: Let us start with V-Rock. What are your thoughts about this festival?
Mana: It is a very big festival for Visual Kei and Rock music and I think that it is a great thing.
O: Usually Moi dix Mois perfume alone, or at most with one more band. Why did you this time decide to make an appearance at a big festival?
M: I received the offer to appear at this festival and thought of it to be a good idea. Therefore I decided to participate.
O: You also participate at the festival at a fashion show with your fashion brand Moi-meme-Moitiè. How did that happen?
M: The Japanese fashion magazine “KERA” made an offer to me to participate at the fashion show. I thought it would be good to join in and show my clothes myself. That’s why I accepted the offer.
O: This evening you also will be a model on the catwalk. Are you nervous?
M: Far from it. It indeed is the first time I am doing something like this, but I’m really looking forward to it!
O: 2009 Moi-meme-Moitié celebrated its decennial anniversary. How would you describe the development of the brand up until now?
M: I am very happy about Moi-meme-Moitié still existing and being able to celebrate its decennial anniversary. Over the years we released a few very popular designs and I was very happy about that.
O: Where do you see Moi-meme-Moitié in ten years?
M: I want to maintain the tradition of elegant Gothic-style in the future as well. I hope that this doesn’t change within the next ten years and that I furthermore will be able to promote this style.
O: The last time I saw you at “Dis Inferno”, where you appeared together with Közi, the co-founder of Malice Mizer. Since then Moi dix Mois and Közi even did a coupling tour together. What kind of feeling was it to play and tour with him again?
M: It was a lot of fun and I hope we can do that again!
O: With that you already guessed my next question! Would you work with Közi again?
M: At the moment nothing precise is planned, but it is possible.
O: Last summer Moi dix Mois went to the USA for the first time. How did it go?
M: It was our first performance in America, but a lot of fans came and I had lots of fun.
O: What kind of souvenirs did you buy?
M: (laughs) At a market in Hollywood I bought chocolate…. (Mana seemed to amuse himself quite a bit about this anecdote. Unfortunately it was not possible for us to ask more about that because the interview time we had was curtly measured. However, we will try to catch up on it at the next opportunity. – note of the author)
O: Let us get back to your work with Kanon Wakeshima. The music which you composed for her is quite different to the one of Moi dix Mois. What inspired you to go this new way?
M: I had the full control over the sound and production, so I decided to do something different from Moi dix Mois. In the end I decided for an electronical sound which is combined with a Gothic-orchestra sound.
O: Was it difficult for you to write for a female voice and for a cello – an instrument you don’t play yourself?
M: At the beginning I was not sure in which key I should write, but I found out quite soon. So there haven’t really been any problems.
O: Recently you wrote a new song named “Toumei no Kagi” for her. What can you tell us about this song and its connection to the online-game AVALON no Kagi?
M: I don’t really know in which way it is connected to AVALON no Kagi because the tie-up was arranged by Sony. I just wrote the music. But while composing I had a picture of a chapel in my mind, so there is a church organ in the song.
O: Moi dix Mois, Malice Mizer, Kanon Wakeshima – you are a very versatile composer who works with many different styles. Is there still something you haven’t done and would like to try some time?
M: (thinks for a very long time) At least concerning Moi dix Mois I want to keep writing songs with a heavy, classical sound.
O: At the moment you work on a new album for Moi dix Mois. What can you tell us about the music and the concept?
M: The album we just are recording includes the just mentioned heavy, classical quality. I want to build on this sound and, as just mentioned, keep working with it.
O: Recently you said in an interview that you would like to sing. Will we hear Mana sing on the new album?
M: (with a triumphal smile) No!
O: So when?
M: (still smiling) Probably soon.
O: Bringing it to a close, can you tell us something about your future plans?
M: The band D offered me to perform at their event called “Mad Tea Party”. I thought it sounded very interesting, so we are going to perform there. And on 30th December the next “Dis Inferno”, our yearly event that is hosted by Moi dix Mois, will take place in Tokyo.
O: Are you planning to come with Moi dix Mois to Europe again?
M: At the moment I think about several things, but one of these is to come back to Europe.
O: Thank you very much for this interview.
M: Thank you, too!
It's a picture from V-Rock all of us have seen already, but I snapped a picture anyway. Picture
„I want to maintain the tradition of elegant Gothic-style in the future as well.”
Though the highly anticipated new album still has a long time coming, 2009 was a busy year for Mana; is it as the boss of Moi dix Mois, as songwriter and producer for Sony or as a designer for his fashion brand Moi-meme-Moitié. One of the peaks in Mana’s filled schedule was the performance at the V-Rock Festival 09, a huge, two-day rock festival, where Japanese bands shared the stage with international stars like Marilyn Manson, Lovex and Negative. We met him shortly before his performance and asked him about the status quo of his different activities.
Orkus: Let us start with V-Rock. What are your thoughts about this festival?
Mana: It is a very big festival for Visual Kei and Rock music and I think that it is a great thing.
O: Usually Moi dix Mois perfume alone, or at most with one more band. Why did you this time decide to make an appearance at a big festival?
M: I received the offer to appear at this festival and thought of it to be a good idea. Therefore I decided to participate.
O: You also participate at the festival at a fashion show with your fashion brand Moi-meme-Moitiè. How did that happen?
M: The Japanese fashion magazine “KERA” made an offer to me to participate at the fashion show. I thought it would be good to join in and show my clothes myself. That’s why I accepted the offer.
O: This evening you also will be a model on the catwalk. Are you nervous?
M: Far from it. It indeed is the first time I am doing something like this, but I’m really looking forward to it!
O: 2009 Moi-meme-Moitié celebrated its decennial anniversary. How would you describe the development of the brand up until now?
M: I am very happy about Moi-meme-Moitié still existing and being able to celebrate its decennial anniversary. Over the years we released a few very popular designs and I was very happy about that.
O: Where do you see Moi-meme-Moitié in ten years?
M: I want to maintain the tradition of elegant Gothic-style in the future as well. I hope that this doesn’t change within the next ten years and that I furthermore will be able to promote this style.
O: The last time I saw you at “Dis Inferno”, where you appeared together with Közi, the co-founder of Malice Mizer. Since then Moi dix Mois and Közi even did a coupling tour together. What kind of feeling was it to play and tour with him again?
M: It was a lot of fun and I hope we can do that again!
O: With that you already guessed my next question! Would you work with Közi again?
M: At the moment nothing precise is planned, but it is possible.
O: Last summer Moi dix Mois went to the USA for the first time. How did it go?
M: It was our first performance in America, but a lot of fans came and I had lots of fun.
O: What kind of souvenirs did you buy?
M: (laughs) At a market in Hollywood I bought chocolate…. (Mana seemed to amuse himself quite a bit about this anecdote. Unfortunately it was not possible for us to ask more about that because the interview time we had was curtly measured. However, we will try to catch up on it at the next opportunity. – note of the author)
O: Let us get back to your work with Kanon Wakeshima. The music which you composed for her is quite different to the one of Moi dix Mois. What inspired you to go this new way?
M: I had the full control over the sound and production, so I decided to do something different from Moi dix Mois. In the end I decided for an electronical sound which is combined with a Gothic-orchestra sound.
O: Was it difficult for you to write for a female voice and for a cello – an instrument you don’t play yourself?
M: At the beginning I was not sure in which key I should write, but I found out quite soon. So there haven’t really been any problems.
O: Recently you wrote a new song named “Toumei no Kagi” for her. What can you tell us about this song and its connection to the online-game AVALON no Kagi?
M: I don’t really know in which way it is connected to AVALON no Kagi because the tie-up was arranged by Sony. I just wrote the music. But while composing I had a picture of a chapel in my mind, so there is a church organ in the song.
O: Moi dix Mois, Malice Mizer, Kanon Wakeshima – you are a very versatile composer who works with many different styles. Is there still something you haven’t done and would like to try some time?
M: (thinks for a very long time) At least concerning Moi dix Mois I want to keep writing songs with a heavy, classical sound.
O: At the moment you work on a new album for Moi dix Mois. What can you tell us about the music and the concept?
M: The album we just are recording includes the just mentioned heavy, classical quality. I want to build on this sound and, as just mentioned, keep working with it.
O: Recently you said in an interview that you would like to sing. Will we hear Mana sing on the new album?
M: (with a triumphal smile) No!
O: So when?
M: (still smiling) Probably soon.
O: Bringing it to a close, can you tell us something about your future plans?
M: The band D offered me to perform at their event called “Mad Tea Party”. I thought it sounded very interesting, so we are going to perform there. And on 30th December the next “Dis Inferno”, our yearly event that is hosted by Moi dix Mois, will take place in Tokyo.
O: Are you planning to come with Moi dix Mois to Europe again?
M: At the moment I think about several things, but one of these is to come back to Europe.
O: Thank you very much for this interview.
M: Thank you, too!
(as usual)
