Striking back like the empire, it’s the long awaited 7th episode in the epic season 3 saga of the Anime Genesis Podcast! We have a great line up of co-hosts for this episode which include Jimmy Blocksom freelance blogger at GosuGamers, Anime Vice, Orange Lounge Radio, and Project Lore, Johnny (a.k.a. Hontaiyo), Sean Russell of Anime 3000, and last but not least your host as always Benu! We run through some news and we take on the topics of Anime Music Being A Novelty, The Use Of The Word Otaku, and Hayate no Gotoku!
Anime Gen was able to get an interview with HYDE and K.A.Z.’s new band VAMPS who are currently touring the US. HYDE is best know for being the vocalist of L’Arc~en~Ciel and K.A.Z. is best know for being the lead guitarist of Oblivion Dust. Anime Gen was able to ask them a couple questions about the band, their musical influences and styles, and what they are looking forward to on the US tour.
Anime Gen: How did you come to choose the name VAMPS?
HYDE: It’s from vampire. I like mysterious women, too [laugh]. I love vampires. I’m intrigued by its never-ending life. I like horror.
Anime Gen: Do you think that VAMPS differs musically from anything else you have done before?
HYDE: I think I am making the music that I used to dream of making in my teens. When I started the band, I liked hard-core bands with some horror taste. I feel like I am expressing the stuff I felt back then—maybe not really hard core.
Anime Gen: Who are some of your musical influences?
HYDE: Probably, Mötley Crüe.
K.A.Z.: I used to watch and got inspired by King Crimson, Cheap Trick, and TOTO.
Anime Gen: What message do you want people to take away from your music?
HYDE: We made the album that includes songs used effectively in our lives—many songs that create excitement in lives and a couple of songs that the audience can listen to rest a little bit.
Anime Gen: Do you compose the music first or do you write the lyrics first or a little of both when you write songs?
HYDE: K.A.Z. plays the guitar and I do the singing.
Anime Gen: Hyde, I read an interview with you awhile back when you released your solo album Faith, that you were trying to do spiritual rock. Will there be elements of this in any VAMPS music?
HYDE: There is not much difference from my solo album “FAITH,” in terms of musical pieces, but we created music especially for cool lives as VAMPS, so we have a lineup of good live songs.
Anime Gen: What is your biggest inspiration for writing songs?
HYDE: We consider how to involve the audience into our songs.
K.A.Z.: We both went through the golden age of Rock n’ Roll in the 80s and 90s, so we have absorbed various tastes. I think we created our own mixture by going though that era.
Anime Gen: What are you looking forward to the most during the American tour?
HYDE: I’m excited to visit cites for the first time and try new things. First of all, I look forward to lives in front of the American audience. Our objective is to show that we have such a cool band in Japan, even more amazing band than American ones. There is no point of doing the same things that American bands are doing. I believe our band will be appreciated—judging from my own sensibility.
Anime Gen: Do you have anything you would like to say to the American fans?
HYDE: Can’t wait to see you. Wait for a little bit more; I will bite your neck!
K.A.Z.: Let’s have a fun party!
Check out the offical website for VAMPS here for more info on the US tour and where you can see them live!
If you missed Anime Genesis & Anime Diet Live and Anime Genesis & How A Girl Figures Live don’t miss out this year as Anime Gen, Anime Diet, and How A Girl Figures join forces to bring you The Indecent Otaku Comedy Hour! Featuring Benu, Dancing Queen, Mike, Jeremy, and Ray! With special musical guests Makenai! It’s all taking place at Anime Expo 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center! The panel begins at 9am in LP3 on Saturday, July 4th! We also have tons of awesome prizes to give away. I have some awesome prizes if your into Transformers, Star Wars, and even Indiana Jones! There are also other awesome anime and gaming related prizes up for grabs! Mark this down on your Anime Expo schedules now! This is one panel you don’t want to miss! Tell all your freinds!
Sponsored In Part By:
Love or hate K-ON, I came across this cool 8-bit rendition of the K-ON ED. I wish the song was actually an 8-bit cover of the ED as well. I can imagine that an actual 8-bit cover of the ED is not too far off though. This 8-bit animation is still pretty cool though. This ED song has been one of my favorites recently as I’ve been playing it non-stop almost since last week! As for the actual show I’ve been loving it so far!
Are you loving or hating K-ON?
[Source]: Japanator
Sort of a follow up to the Gurren Lagann Goes Jazz post, now it’s Touhou that goes jazz this time around. Sent to me by Moritheil over at Anime Diet and The Mortheil Review. This Touhou jazz/swing song and animation is done by the masters of flash animation and doujin music themselves IOSYS. It’s quite amusing and the song will get stuck in your head after awhile. >_< People get drunk and there is dancing and singing and that’s about all I understand about the crazy animation. I don’t know much about Touhou though only that I played one of the games before and that’s about it. Click Here to see the high quality original flash animation in all it’s high res glory!
Are you a fan of Touhou and if so why?
I can’t get enough of this awesome cover of Sorairo Days the Gurren Lagann opening song by Tokyo Brass Style. I think it’s awesome and the band is great as well. Anyone else know of some cool covers of anime songs or have heard of Tokyo Brass Style before?
