Billboard Japan just lately interviewed MAN WITH A MISSION and milet, who collaborated on “Kizuna no Kiseki,” the opening theme music of the anime TV collection Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc.
The 2 had beforehand collaborated on the ending theme music “Koi Kogare.” A CD containing each songs was launched on Might 31. MAN WITH A MISSION can also be in the midst of its first world tour in 4 years, visiting North America, the U.Okay. and different components of Europe in Might and June and taking part in in Asia within the fall.
On behalf of Billboard Japan, journalist Tomonori Shiba spoke with milet and MAN WITH A MISSION’s Jean-Ken Johnny, getting an inside have a look at the method of writing the music and discussing the shared musical roots of the 2 musicians and their emotions about touring abroad.
To start out with, what did you first suppose after they requested you to jot down the opening theme for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc?
Jean-Ken Johnny: It’s actually widespread, not simply in Japan, however world wide, so, actually, I used to be fairly nervous. On the one hand, I used to be very grateful, however alternatively I used to be excited about how I wanted to straighten up and get severe.
milet: LiSA and Aimer sang the earlier theme music collectively, so it might’ve been actually lonely if I sang alone, however since I’d be working with MAN WITH A MISSION, the Final Life Kind, I knew I’d be in good arms.
This time, the anime producers steered having female and male vocals, which is what led to this collaboration between MAN WITH A MISSION and milet, proper?
Jean-Ken Johnny: That’s proper. In Swordsmith Village Arc, Muichiro Tokito and Mitsuri Kanroji, who’re “Hashiras,” battle alongside Tanjiro Kamado. The anime producers stated they wished a music with each female and male vocals, in step with the story. We supplied them with plenty of completely different demo songs.
“Kizuna no Kiseki” options Japanese devices, like shamisen and taiko drums. The place did you provide you with the thought for that association?
Jean-Ken Johnny: We listened to different songs that had been used within the collection and located that the soundtracks for the movies used plenty of Japanese devices. Nonetheless, the theme songs had by no means actually put these devices entrance and heart. We thought we’d give the music extra of an affect by prominently utilizing Japanese devices within the intro. We additionally knew that they’d go nicely with rock, so we figured if we mixed dwell taking part in with sampling, we may create a extremely distinctive music. That was our thought from the very begin once we started writing the music.
“Kizuna no Kiseki” Music Video
What sort of motifs did you utilize within the total melody and sound of the music?
Jean-Ken Johnny: We thought of what parts could be shared in frequent with our musical sensibilities, what style could be proper for the anime, and what would set the music aside from different songs. We determined that another, punk-like vibe would work rather well. From the very begin of the writing course of, we had been considering of getting milet sing, which we additionally hoped would offer the music with a little bit of freshness.
milet, what had been your impressions of the music creation course of?
milet: As a Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba fan myself, I bear in mind listening to the demo and being actually moved by how nicely it went with the precise story. Additionally, my first impression was that the music straightforward to sing for me — I favored the melody, and it made it straightforward to carry out my very own private vocal qualities. I particularly just like the low-pitched bridge. I discovered the entire music to be full of all types of concepts.
Why did you identify the music “Kizuna no Kiseki” (“Miraculous Connections”)?
Jean-Ken Johnny: I believe the Swordsmith Village Arc depicts the significance of connections — not simply the connections between the principle characters, but in addition their connections with the entire individuals who seem within the story. I wished to choose a title that centered on that. To be sincere, we’ve by no means given a music a reputation as direct as this one, however we wished one thing actually highly effective, extraordinarily easy.
Have you ever, MAN WITH A MISSION and milet, discovered any commonalities in your roots and the artists that influenced you?
Jean-Ken Johnny: Completely. Once we began speaking about it, it was simply wonderful what number of artists we’ve each been influenced by. Sigur Rós, Smashing Pumpkins, and extra just lately, The 1975. A ton of artists which are additionally my absolute private favorites. Earlier than we collaborated with milet, the entire band was already followers of her voice and her artistry. Once we came upon that we shared a love for a similar music, it immediately made sense why we’re such large milet followers.
milet: Once I first heard MAN WITH A MISSION, I used to be positive that their rock roots should overlap so much with my very own. However once I truly talked to them about it, I used to be astounded by simply how a lot overlap there was. We additionally talked about film music, and I used to be stunned at how related our pursuits had been there, too, with us each liking composers like Ennio Morricone, John Williams, and Hans Zimmer.
So, milet, your voice was being envisioned for the music from the very begin. Jean-Ken Johnny, what do you suppose is so interesting about milet’s vocals, and what options set it aside?
Jean-Ken Johnny: A part of it’s the super vitality in her voice. I actually like the material of her vocals. I’m always impressed about how unrivalled her voice is. It’s not simply her vocal qualities, but in addition how she sings, and the quantity of emotion she pours into singing. It’s very multifaceted, taking the listener in varied instructions. There’s tenderness, and energy, and sweetness, however on the identical time a sure darkness. There’s simply a lot packed into the feelings of her songs. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba isn’t all shiny and cheery. There are additionally darker parts, deeper parts, like its philosophy and the way it seems at life and loss of life. We wrote the music figuring out that she’d be good for it.
I’d prefer to ask you a bit about “Koi Kogare.” Yuki Kajiura wrote the lyrics and the music to the music, so I’m positive the songwriting course of was completely different than that of “Kizuna no Kiseki.” How did work on “Koi Kogare” begin?
milet: I began including vocals from the demo stage. It was mainly the primary time I’d begun including vocals whereas the monitor was removed from being completed, so I discovered it actually tough. Nonetheless, I felt actually strongly concerning the melody and the lyrics, a lot that it’s all I wanted to 100% perceive the which means and message of the music. I believe I efficiently took on the problem of correctly conveying what was behind the phrases of the music.
“Koi Kogare” Music Video
How did the music association course of go?
Jean-Ken Johnny: First, Yuki Kajiura despatched us the music with milet singing the entire vocals. Then we began to rearrange it as a band. It was our first time working with Kajiura-san, so at first we had been placing out feelers about all types of issues, like vocal vary. She actually revered the band’s music sensibilities, sound, and, I suppose you’d say, philosophy. The method was an easy one for us.
milet, how do you’re feeling about how “Koi Kogare” turned out?
milet: I don’t suppose earlier Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba songs actually emphasised love or girls’s feelings. I personally had by no means actually sung easy songs about being in love earlier than, so it was actually recent and new to me.
What was the recording course of like?
milet: The music was a problem for me. Kajiura-san supplied plenty of detailed course. For instance, she beneficial saying “a” like “wa” within the verse. There have been strategies like that for nearly each phrase. The course modified my ideas about singing. She taught me concerning the meanings of the lyrics, and the which means of putting these lyrics on the melody of the music. It was a extremely treasured expertise for me.
MAN WITH A MISSION can be embarking on the “MAN WITH A MISSION World Tour 2023 – WOLVES ON PARADE,” in Might and June. It’ll your first world tour in 4 years, and also you’ll be visiting North America, the UK, and the remainder of Europe. How are you feeling concerning the upcoming tour?
Jean-Ken Johnny: I haven’t been (abroad) in a very long time. Luckily, we’ve been in a position to be in contact with our followers by way of websites like YouTube. I’m actually trying ahead to assembly them once more in individual. This time, we’ll be happening tour with an entire new album, so I’m positive the viewers can have a good time.
MAN WITH A MISSION has carried out exhibits in plenty of completely different international locations since 2013. Wanting again, how do you’re feeling about that have?
Jean-Ken Johnny: I’ve all the time been enamored by the thought of a band that’s liked world wide, so proper now I really feel like I’m within the technique of chasing my goals. Music has no borders, and it brings folks collectively, no matter their nationalities. World excursions allow us to expertise that, slightly bit at a time, and I see them as extremely vital inside my very own profession. I’m simply overjoyed to have the ability to tour world wide.
international music traits, and the form of rock, what do you see because the strengths of MAN WITH A MISSION as a Japanese rock band?
Jean-Ken Johnny: I really feel like I’m nonetheless on the lookout for my very own specific strengths. From the angle of the rock style, there’ve been some fairly extreme adjustments within the rock scene as we all know it over the previous 10 or 15 years. We’re nonetheless exploring, making an attempt to determine how a rock band can break by way of within the fashionable period. Nonetheless, we do really feel that the spirit of rock nonetheless lives on, unquenched. We see ourselves as carrying on the legacy of 90s music, fusing it with fashionable heaviness and a contemporary strategy. Once I hear information about rock nonetheless going sturdy, it’s tremendously encouraging, and I simply hope that we can be that type of band.
Not too long ago, there’s been a outstanding pattern of Japanese rock bands reaching abroad audiences by way of anime. What are your ideas on that?
Jean-Ken Johnny: Much more than music spreading by way of the expansion of the style, I believe what’s vital is that we’re in an age the place, due to the wealthy social media and web setting, it’s straightforward for localized actions to come up. I believe that for the Japanese music scene, the largest issue is anime. Anime is extremely influential. I really feel like the simplest approach for folks to get into listening to chill Japanese music is thru anime. Anime, I imagine, offers Japanese bands with a possibility to take the initiative and carry out on the world stage. It’s a really highly effective technique for attaining that.
In closing, MAN WITH A MISSION, milet, may you please discuss your imaginative and prescient and prospects after having launched these two songs?
Jean-Ken Johnny: We had been lucky to have the ability to collaborate with milet to create these great songs, so now I’m simply filled with expectation, trying ahead to seeing what sort of future these songs will create.
milet: I’m actually trying ahead to additional refining the songs by way of my dwell performances. I believe once I carry out the songs in festivals and abroad, it’ll open up new vistas. I’m trying ahead to seeing that, and I hope once I carry out, folks will see my individuality coming by way of within the songs, and I’ll be capable of ship the songs’ vital messages on to the viewers.
—This interview by Tomonori Shiba first appeared on Billboard Japan
