kz(livetune)
You’ve been to Australia a couple times before! Welcome back to Sydney! What is it you love about this city and country?
Last time I came during the Japanese summer (July, August), and during this time it’s really hot and humid in Japan, so coming here, it’s much more liveable. On top of that, there’s also really great cuisine, which go down easily for me, so yes, it’s a really liveable place in my opinion.
If you haven’t tried vegemite, you haven’t truly been to Australia… have you tried it?
I’ve never had vegemite, if I get the chance I would have it just once. Maybe I’ll buy it as a souvenir.
The Vocaloid world has been rocked by two recent high-profile deaths (samfree, wowaka). What do you think are their greatest contributions to the Vocaloid scene?
About samfree, I didn’t know him too well, however I did remix his songs, but didn’t talk to him that much, so I’m not sure how to answer this. With wowaka, I think the songs he created are well known by a lot of people. I guess that kind of taste, that Vocaloid rock kind of feel, is unmistakably wowaka and has a big influence. The fast tempo, the phrases, such a style is not just a great influence on Vocaloid, but on Japanese pop music in general.
Working with Donuts in Tokyo 7th Sisters, you composed a song which was very different from your usual style (SEVENTH HAVEN). Personally, it was this song that convinced me to buy the album. What was in your mind when you composed it?
People have said this to me, but I don’t think so. As a DJ I actually found it comparatively simpler, in that it was an easier style of music to produce. If I purely set out with the intention of creating an EDM beat, it would have been a lot easier for me. With [Tokyo] 7th Sisters, the hardest part was when I try to mix my composition to create a song with a proper pop and dance beat. Just creating a dance style music would have been very easy as a DJ but I had a lot of fun producing a dance song incorporating a pop style.
Apart from Tokyo 7th Sisters, you have composed works specifically for other rhythm games: such as STARTLINER (featured in Ongeki). Do you enjoy rhythm games yourself? Are you good at them?
My first influence in music composition was actually beatmania IIDX.
Speaking of beatmania, isn’t Sweet Clapper in there?
Yes, yes, that’s right, it’s in there. I love rhythm games. Let’s just say I’m not bad! But of course the charts these days, the really hard and complex stuff, those are impossible. But the intermediate levels, I’m pretty confident I can clear it in one or two tries.
What is your goal as a musician?
Well firstly I want to keep doing what I do, but I also want to do soundtracks for movies, maybe for Laidbackers and Battle Girl High School. I think it’s still a long way to go for me, so I’d really want to reach that point of creating a bigger production.
Since this is the Sydney Manga and Anime Show, what are your top three manga and anime?
| Anime | Manga |
| Cowboy Bebop | Slam Dunk |
| Lucky Star | Kochira Katushita-ku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo |
| Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex | Bleach |
Next page: nano
