Interview Exclusive

Interview with Dios

11/08/2022 2022-08-11 21:00:00 JaME Author: Christine

Interview with Dios

In a short interview, the members of pop trio Dios give a quick introduction to their sound and their first full album "CASTLE".


© Dios. All rights reserved.
A unique band formed in 2019 by three well-established solo artists with very different musical styles, Dios draw their name from Dionysus, the god of euphoria and drunkenness in Greek mythology, and the villainous Dio from vocalist Tanaka's favourite manga, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure". Their sound is fittingly eclectic, blending together elements from genres such as pop, R&B, hip-hop and Vocaloid and game music. Their first full album CASTLEreleased digitally worldwide on June 29th, showcases their diverse, complex sound. The album is said to tell a story of 12 chapters in a castle situated deep in the forest, touching on universal human emotions that have remained unchanged through the ages.

Shortly after the album's release, JaME had the opportunity to ask this group about their origins, their dynamic as a band and the concept behind the album.

Your sound is rather eclectic. How would you describe your music when introducing it to a new listener?

Dios: Dios is made up of three individual artists, including rapper, vocalist and lyricist Tanaka (formerly known as Boku no Lyric no Bōyomi), guitarist Ichika Nito who currently helms the crown for the best guitarist in Japan, and beatmaker and gaming music composer Sasanomaly. Coming together as a brand new band, it’s a deep-dive into a brand-new audiovisual experience that complements all three band members' individual sounds and music sensibilities, while creating a new expressive music palette that fits the dynamic and coherence that makes up the Dios sound.

You all have a lot of experience working as solo artists. Was it difficult at all to adjust to performing together as a band? Have you learned anything new from each other?

Dios: When Tanaka was toying with the idea of forming a band, the immediate thought was to have Ichika and Sasanomaly as part of the band, and they had no doubts about working together. In terms of working together, we try to create without deciding on a production flow. We pass data to each other to check out and experiment, and not only Sasanomaly creates songs, Ichika also sometimes does the creation. It's interesting to see how this allows us to transcend our individual boundaries and create things that we didn't imagine.


Where did the idea to build the album around the concept of a castle deep in the forest come from?

Dios: It started when Tanaka produced an image board. The word CASTLE was the name of an apartment in the neighbourhood, and we thought it had a really nice vibe/atmosphere – it’s like a '"CASTLE" which contains a lot of the scenery visuals, similar to what Dios originated from. When you access the music inside the "CASTLE", you are connected to different worlds.

The concept behind Darkroom is interesting. What inspired you to write a song about a topic like that?

Dios: The single is about whether we are happy and safe if we stay in a place with no stimulation. It asks how people can accept the irresistible and live their lives while preserving their "self".


Why did you choose Runaway as your debut single? Is there something about this track that you feel captures the spirit of Dios?

Dios: Runaway is about two destined lovers wanting to escape and make their moment together forever, rather than facing what will happen tomorrow and being alone. One of the characteristics of Dios is the large number of listening points that were developed and kept within this four and a half minutes. These include the guitar that stands out for Ichika's technique, the detailed arrangement from Sasanomaly that sneaks into the abyss, and the vocals. Runaway was created as a positive escape from where you are and into the unknown. It's similar to Dios in that we are made of a collective of three people who are trying to step out from everything that binds them and run in search of freedom.


Please leave a message for your fans around the world.

Tanaka: May I be a colour in your life, may I be a castle that can enchant you.

Sasanomaly: May I be a museum piece in your heart.

Ichika Nito: Listen to me a lot!

JaME would like to thank Dios and CANGLO Pte Ltd for this interview opportunity.

The full CASTLE album is available for streaming via Diosofficial YouTube channel below. Links to download and stream the album on other popular online music platforms are available here.

 Download or stream "CASTLE"  Dios - Official YouTube channel
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