Since they first formed years ago,
RENTRER EN SOI have shocked listeners with the way their music style has evolved over time. Continuously changing by doing just as their name suggests - reflecting upon themselves - this passion-driven band sat down with JaME to delve deeper into the meaning of self reflection.
How are you? How was the flight here?
Satsuki: (In English) It was very long! (laughs)
How do you occupy your time during those long flights?
Mika: That depends on where we’re going and how long the flight is.
Takumi: We usually end up playing a lot of games.
Last time you played in the US, you were in Texas. Was there something you got to experience your last visit here that you were looking forward to again besides the concert?
Takumi: New York is really close, so there’s the metro and that whole city aspect that we were looking forward to experiencing again.
As your first time in the New York area, was there something you wanted to see or do while you're here?
Takumi: We want to go shopping in New York!
(Everyone nods their heads)
You've played overseas many times now. Coming into a foreign performance, do you have expectations or are you still unsure of what to expect?
Mika: The crowd reaction overseas is always so high. They jump and cheer and give off so much energy, so being able to see that, knowing that we will get such a high energy reaction, it’s great!
Recently, there was tour here that went throughout the US called TASTE OF CHAOS that featured not only American bands, but three Japanese bands as well. What do you think of being part of a tour where at least half of the audience has never been exposed to your music before?
Mika: We find that whole idea very interesting. Something like that - playing to an audience who doesn’t know our music - something like that would be a really good experience and trial for any band. It’s something we’re very interested in.
Is touring the US like that with a variety of bands something you could see yourselves doing?
RENTRER EN SOI: (All nod their heads) Yes!
What do you miss most about Japan when you're away on a foreign tour?
Shun: The food!
(Everyone laughs)
Takumi: Yeah, the food!
Mika: The food.
Ryo: Definitely the food.
What's the one gift you've received from a fan that's the most memorable for each of you?
Ryo: (Opens mouth to answer)
Shun: (Interrupts
Ryo) Bath tiles! (laughs)
Mika: Once, I received these Japanese bath salts. When I got them, I thought that it meant the fans wanted me to relax, so that made me really happy.
Takumi: Underwear! (laughs)
Satsuki: Accessories. I really like accessories. There’s actually a jewelry store here that I won’t be able to go to while I’m here, so please, someone get me something from there! (laughs)
RENTRER EN SOI literally means 'return in self'. How has self-reflection helped you as a band get where you are today?
Satsuki: As we move on from one thing to the next, we can look back at the things we have experienced and take away the knowledge which we gain with each experience and grow from it. Self reflection, just having things to reflect on, it keeps us striving as a band.
Your last single, Stigmata
, featured Satsuki on the cover of both versions, but the art and style of the two were completely different. Was that done to convey a particular meaning?
Satsuki: There was an A-type and a B-type for the last single and each one had a different image of me on it. The B-type is the one with the extra songs - the acoustic version of
Ushinawareta fuukei no yume and the remix of
Shinwa. For
RENTRER EN SOI,
Shinwa is a very old song that has a lot of meaning. To convey the old and the new, we put together two types: one that represented our old image and one that was to convey a harder challenge - our future.
Between the CD art and lyrics, one can find a lot of religious undertones. Is there something about Christianity that fascinates you, or are you just using is as a way to emphasize the music?
Satsuki: With the lyrics, we’re not actually really trying to make it have a religious undertone, but
RENTRER EN SOI’s music has a lot of psychological and mental undertones to it. Because of the relation between religion and psychology, it comes out that way, but it’s not intentional.
Religious people might not understand or accept your intentions and may find it offensive. Have you ever hesitated on using this kind of material because of that?
Satsuki: Not really, no.
At the end of next month, your new single, Unending Sanctuary
, comes out. Is it more aggressive than your last single?
Takumi: Yes it is. Compared to the last single, it's more...
Satsuki: The image of the song for
Stigmata was more of a wide open song, but for the new single, it's like you stabbed someone with fear in one shot, that kind of impact.
(Everyone laughs).
Satsuki: So please, look forward to it!
Could you tell us about it?
Satsuki: Last year, we released
Bottom of Chaos which is more of a dark, moody kind of album. If you listened to it live, you got that kind of impression, but this year, we wanted to emphasize on more of a nostalgic beauty with this CD.
Takumi: I wanted to emphasize
Satsuki’s beauty, lyrically and vocally. That's how we wanted to make it. It's more of a passionate beauty than what we've done before.
Recently, you've been including remixes and acoustic versions of previously recorded songs. How did you pick which songs you'd do?
Mika: Well, that person who's that vocalist...
Satsuki: That vocalist?
(Everyone laughs)
Mika: said (imitates
Satsuki) "Hey, we should do it,"
(Everyone laughs)
Mika: and the four musicians said "...oh. Well, okay..."
(Everyone laughs)
Mika: and that's how we decided to do it.
RENTRER EN SOI: Yes, just like that!
(Everyone laughs)
Satsuki: Adding to that, because
RENTRER EN SOI means self-reflection, we decided to self-reflect on stuff we did in the past because of the way we feel about self-reflection. We were able to go back and reflect on our past works because of the main song that's in the single and intergrate its relation to the older songs within that. That relation between the old and the new is how we chose certain songs to do the remixes and acoustic versions, so it's not that I'm actually being a pest about it (laughs).
Is there a certain direction you'd like to take these new song versions?
Satsuki: Mika and
Takumi are in charge of the remixes. I trust them so we let them do whatever they want on them. For doing remixes, it's like a different way to emphasize the songs we have already released. You could emphasize the vocals more, but at the lives, there's more energy in being a part of the band, so it's a different way of looking at it.
What were the challenges of making the new acoustic versions of them?
Takumi: We've done acoustic lives before and it's really fitting to the image of
RENTRER right now. We just felt it was time for a challenge, like it was time to do something like that. Because each song has different parts, in making acoustic versions,you do different kinds of singing for it, so working on that was really interesting to do.
Have you ever thought of releasing an acoustic album?
Takumi: We have...
Mika: And we would like to.
Are there plans for a new album soon?
Mika: That's a secret! (laughs) ...But we are making a lot of songs! (smiles)
Lastly, please give a message for your fans.
Ryo: We don't get a chance to come to other countries that often, so when we get the chance, we want to have a good time, so whenever we do come, please come see us and look forward to it!
Mika: When we were about the age of the fanbase we have, we were into other overseas artists too, so thinking that we're maybe like that for certain people makes us very happy. Please keep rooting for us!
Shun: We will continue to make music that will thrill you, so please keep on watching us!
Takumi: We came over here to see you, so I hope you guys can come over to see us too!
(Everyone laughs)
Satsuki: I'll always do my best!
JaME would like to thank JhouseRock Entertainment and RENTRER EN SOI for making this interview possible, and Midori for translating. Photographs by Kathy Chee from Fundy Photographics.
