Interview with lynch.

Though this isn't your first interview with JaME, could you please introduce yourselves once more to our readers, maybe with a funny fact about you this time?

Hazuki: I am vocalist Hazuki. I love fishing a lot.
Akinori: I am bassist Akinori and my hobby is fishing. I enjoy listening to rock and metal music. Currently, I am into JAZZ-EDM（electro-swing), which might be popular in Europe as well.
Asanao: I am drummer Asanao. I am free and do things at my own pace.
Reo: I am guitarist Reo.
Yusuke: I am guitarist Yusuke. I am skinny, but I love martial arts.

lynch. was formed more than ten years ago. Do you think your musical style has changed? How far does the new album differentiate from the music you made in 2004?

Hazuki: At first, we single-mindedly did our best to do what we wanted to do and that was our limitation. However, what we should do as a band became clear to us now, and consequently we were able to compose our new album with more depth and details.
Akinori: I would say it is more like the band grew by learning a lot of things over the years rather than it changing its musical style.
Asanao: I think that the concept and what we want to do in each work have become clearer and more sophisticated.
Reo: We have been consistent with using a different musical style depending on the theme of each album.
Yusuke: I think the core of the band has been the same. We create music in the best sound we can produce at that moment in time.

Speaking of it, since the new album has the title D.A.R.K – in the name of evil, what are your personal opinions and thoughts about "the evil”?

Hazuki: It is one of the most important elements in rock music.
Akinori: It is a difficult word for Japanese people to pronounce (laughs).
Asanao: Each member of the band is evil in his own way.
Reo: I think that necessary evil exists.
Yusuke: Good can exist because there is evil. That is why we need evil in our society.

One of your new songs is titled only as D.A.R.K. Are the four capitalized letters an abbreviation for something? And if yes, what words do these letters stand for?

Hazuki: No, it is not an abbreviation.

What is the symbolism of the burning piano on the cover of your new album?

Hazuki: It symbolizes the piano sounds in INTRODUCTION and D.A.R.K..
Reo: It is a symbol of beauty.
Yusuke: It symbolizes an album title itself.

Your image is rather dark; it's unusual to see you in clothes in anything other than dark colors. Why did you change the image so drastically for the ETERNITY single, for which your image is very romantic and you are wearing white clothes? How did you feel in this arrangement?

Hazuki: I thought it would make a strong impression on viewers.
Akinori: It is because white is the opposite color of black.
Asanao: I wear colorful clothes in my off-stage life.
Yusuke: It is because the concept of the song is “white”.

After releasing eight albums, your discography is pretty impressive. How do you choose which songs to play live?

Hazuki: We select songs the band would like to play live at that moment, as well as what fans would like to listen to.
Akinori: We select songs that best represent the vibe and concept of each live. Also, we structure the set list in a way that makes the show go smoothly and makes fans really enjoy the whole ride.
Asanao: One particular member comes up with an overall idea for a show, and we modify it later together.
Reo: Usually, our main composer Hazuki comes up with a set list, and sometimes we change it according to members’ opinions.
Yusuke: At first our vocalist Hazuki decides a set list, and then we have a discussion to finalize it.

What do you expect from your tour DARK DARKER DARKNESS? How would you like to challenge yourself during this tour?

Hazuki: We would like to expand our scale as a band through this tour.
Akinori: I would like to paint Japan in “DARK” and establish both a strong character and public image as a band.
Asanao: I think we have already been able to express what we wanted to show in the album. The next phase is to actually communicate the confidence we have in our music to fans during live shows.
Reo: We would like to become able to express a deeper concept on a larger scale.
Yusuke: We would like to feel and create unity.

Your roots are in Nagoya. The characteristic of the local music scene is that most musicians know one another. Do you still feel a sense of connection with the Nagoya scene even though your expanded your career? Do you stay in touch with fellow musicians from Nagoya?

Hazuki: As for musicians in our hometown Nagoya, members of coldrain are good friends of mine.
Akinori: The city of Nagoya has a lot of unique artists. My junior band Unveil Raze actually participated in STU MARSHALL (DEATH DEALER)’s project. There are a lot of promising bands in Nagoya.
Asanao: I do not think we have good bands in Nagoya these days.
Reo: I keep in touch both with my seniors and juniors.

Speaking of friends, you will perform with MERRY, MUCC, LIPHLICH and other bands during MERRY's first sponsored live, NOnsenSe MARKeT 3F - LAMB FEST.-. Do you like performing with other artists? What do you think about the host and the other bands you are going to perform with?

Hazuki: I enjoy working together with other bands. I think MERRY is a very ambitious band.
Akinori: I enjoy collaborating with other bands because it gives us a lot of inspiration and helps us to grow.
Asanao: I like them.
Reo: I think it is the fest of the bands with unique characters.
Yusuke: I like collaborating with other bands. I always respect the bands we work with.

If you have the chance to collaborate with another artist, who would it be and why?

Hazuki: One day I would like to collaborate with various vocalists, both male and female, and would like them to sing the songs I compose.
Akinori: I would like to take an element of female chorus because I think that would help us to broaden our worldview

What is music to you?

Hazuki: Music is the best and closest hobby and entertainment of ours.
Akinori: Music enriches our lives. It gives us both courage and disappointment.
Asanao: It is part of my life now.
Reo: It is our daily life.
Yusuke: It gives me energy to live.

Your music is listened to around the globe by now, and for a few years already your albums and single, as well as your latest album, were released throughout Europe. When you think of all this, what emotions and feelings are aroused within you?

Hazuki: I am very grateful and happy.
Akinori: Of course, it really delights me to see a lot of people in different countries enjoying our music. I would be happy if our songs could communicate something to a person abroad whom I have never met before, and also become the background music of his or her life even for a moment.
Asanao: I receive a lot of messages on Facebook. One day I would like to perform lives abroad.
Reo: I would love more people in different countries to enjoy listening to our music.
Yusuke: It is very wonderful for me to see our music go beyond our homeland and reach people in different countries. Also, it is a good opportunity for us to prove that there is a great band in Japan.

And to close our interview with you, could you please leave a message for our readers?

Hazuki: Please continue to support us.
Akinori: Thank you for finding the band that was born in a small town of a small country in this big world, and even taking an interest in reading our interviews. We will do our best to become a band that you guys can proudly share with your friends, so please support us. I am looking forward to actually seeing you guys in a live show in the future!
Reo: One day we would like to have live shows abroad, so please look forward for it.
Yusuke: I am looking forward to seeing you guys in the future!

JaME would like to thank lynch. and Gan-Shin Records for this interview opportunity.