PRYSM | ISSUE 2 - PRYSM LOVES JAPAN - LA CARMINA

Summer 2012 Prysm Magazine | 1#2

La Carmina+DIR EN GREY

BLOODMisaruka

atra aeternaSIMONE LEGNO:DREAM CHILD

YUMIKO KAYUKAWA:

SHIZEN

SAMANTHA PLASENCIA:

AGENT PROVOCATUER

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Prysm Loves JapanFeaturing:

SUMMER 2012

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Summer 2012 Prysm Magazine | 3

features08 Dir En Grey: Awaken The Empire14 Atra Aeterna: Eternally Haunting18 BLOOD: Reign26 Misaruka: All Things Are Fate28 Simon Legno: Dream Child36 Samantha Plasencia: Agent Provocatuer56 La Carmina: Girl On Fire66 Yumiko Kayukawa: Shizen

music16 Tokami19 GOTHIKA20 DEATHGAZE24 SoundWitch25 Rose Noire

fashion & beauty34 Teruyoshi Yamamoto38 Editorial: Butterfly48 Editorial: Bend To Will

arts & culture60 Jamias Vu70 Kyoko Soya72 Dining Amongst The Stars: The Mysterious Neo Tokyo Fooding Bar

more....05 Editor’s Note73 The “Must”: Cutting Edge: Fashion From Japan74 Shopping/Directory

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On The Cover: La CarminaPhotographer: Lee Kembel of Glitter MachineMakeup: Jennifer Little of Glitter MachineWardrobe assistant: Tracy RodgerHair: Toni & Guy, Vancouver

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PPrysm Magazine©

“where darkness meets decadence”™

Adaora Osimiri-LewisFounder & Editor-In-Chief/Creative Director

Matthew LewisEntertainment Editor

Lasha LaneAssociate Entertainment Editor

Anissa TaylorFashion Editor

Somica Renee-SpratleyBeauty Editor

Contributing EditorsShanice WilliamsDavid Strange

Renee Scott

Head of PR/Sales & AdvertistingKelenna Irving

[email protected]

Shana RundelCopy Editor

Publishing PlastiQ Media

DistrubutionMagCloud

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no part of this publication may be reproduced in manner or formwithout the written consent of the publisher or publication

including electronically. All submitted works such as reviews, advertisements, photographs and written works are copyrighted by thier owners. for permission request, please call 1.248.935.6563.

copyright prysm magazine 2012www.prysmmagazine.com

M: @prysmmagazineC: prysmmagazine

4 | Prysm Magazine Summer 2012


Darkest Kisses,

Adaora Osimiri-Lewis

愛T

here are so many things to learn and love from the Land of the Rising Sun: the rich culture, the arts, architecture, delicacies and most importantly - the strength of the people who never let devasting events such as the horrific earthquake and

tsunami that occurred in March 2011 bring them down. But what I love most about Japan is the music, fashion and art that bellow from the alternative and goth subculture

in Japan. Some are hidden jewels that are found amongst the mainstream bands rule the day. What’s exciting and to some, unexpected, is that it grows and grows with each

passing day. In the US, the influence is so widespread that if you did not know what “kawaii”, “harajuku”, “visual kie” or “gothic lolita” is, expect to recieve some rather odd looks - even more so by diehard fans and followers. While a vivid array of fashions and styles that emerge from the alternative scene tend to take center stage, my favorite are the sounds: from industrial bands such as GOTHIKA, goth bands such as BLOOD and Misaruka, and metal bands such as Dir En Grey and DeathGaze. With this issue,

we decided to pay homage to the many pleasures that come out of this great country and culture. What makes Japan’s reach even more influential are those around the world

who have been influenced by the arts, culture and surroundings of Japan....using these as inspirations within thier own craft from Canada, the US, Italy and beyond. Japan is one of the many places on my list of places to visit.....and soon my travels will lead me there.

But in the meantime, I will let this issue be the vessel to take a trip there and get a taste of the many things that merge East and West no matter the distance.

Arigato, Japan.

editor’s notesummer 2012

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音楽Dir En GreyAtra Aeterna

TokamiBLOOD

GOTHIKA Deathgaze Misaruka

Sound WitchRose Noire


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AWAKENTHE

EMPIREIn the world of music, there are bands that come and go

within the blink of a eye, and then there are bands that break the mold and leave you wanting more. This could

not hold truer for the rock band from across the water by the name of Dir En Grey.

Interview and Words by Matt Lewis


京kyoPosition: Vocalist

Name: 京 (Kyo) 　西村享 (Nishimura Tooru)Nicknames: Kyo, Waru, Warumono

Date of birth: 02.16.1976Place of birth: Kyoto

exclusive: dir en grey

Formed in 1997 in Kansai and on the heels of their debut release MISSA, Dir En Grey have hit the ground and taken the rock world by storm, gathering legions of fans in their county of Japan, all over Asia and overseas. They finally hit US soil in 2006, playing numerous stages and cities including New York, Los Angeles and the well-known Austin, Texas music festival SXSW (South by Southwest). Also in 2006, their music video “SAKU” from their 4th album, VULGAR, was voted #1 by the Viewers’ Choice Top 25 Metal Videos on MTV’s show HEADBANGERS BALL. They are the first Japanese artists to be voted #1. The acclaim only grew from there…..and has not stopped since. Dir En Grey has worked to bridge fans of other nationalities into the Japanese rock music scene. On stage, they are not shy and are a force to be reckoned with, sharing the stage with other well-known bands such as Tool, Linkin Park, Mindless Self Indul-gence, Korn, Megadeath, Slayer, Deftones, Apocalyptica, Bring Me the Horizon, Black Tide, Killswitch Engage….to name a few. And the year is still young, so this list is sure to grow with another tour in the works this December. The band is comprised of Kyo, Shinya, Toshiya, Die and Kaoru. Kyo is known to be one of the elite vocalists throughout more than just the sub-genres of rock. His vocal range is very dynamic; from growls to a singing voice that resonates (or permeates) beau-ty. These amazing and world renowned vocals that are belted out of Kyo are not without cost. Dir En Grey’s front man has been hospitalized on more than one occasion for vocal inflammation and ear ailments, and yet, he delivers as if nothing had ever hap-pened once he takes the stage. It goes shows how much passion he has for the music that Dir En Grey creates when upon being released from the hospital, he goes right back to making music. Beyond the impressive vocals that emerge from Kyo, together the band brilliantly has the ability to flawlessly transition from heavy, raw and gritty to melodic and right back to the heaviness that they are most known for without fail. Unlike some bands, who find themselves unable to surpass or even match their previous works, Dir En Grey has perfectly man-aged to overcome such an obstacle. With each album they release, they manage to surpass their previous work, setting the bar higher each time. Of course, you would think that once an album is com-plete that one would be satisfied. But in the case of Dir En Grey,

this only pushes them to create another masterpiece to surpass what they have already created – a masterpiece. Each album is not only diverse from their predecessors, but equally more diverse than many other artists within the same genre. The band’s latest release and 8th full-length double disc album, Dum Spiro Spero (which is Latin for “While I Breath I Hope”) not only delivers the pure unadulterated raw, heavy, directly blow-ing away your mind (and ears, for that matter) that their fans adore, but it also carries within it a depth, pain, sorrow and a message of awareness, continuing to shed light on what is still happening in Japan after the horrific earthquake that occurred. The album cover, designed by the band’s artist Koji Yoda, has been said to represent Tara, the Mother of Liberation in Tibetan Bud-dhism. The bamboo conveys the idea of sacredness and serenity; to keep faith and hope alive even though you are living through difficult times. The emotions that run through this album are in their purest form. It is not uncommon to see bands that stand up for a cause that hits home for them, in which they let it out through by any means that they can to raise awareness. What many might not know is that during the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011, the band was recording Dum Spiro Spero in the studio. Fortunately, none of the members of the band were injured, but may lives were lost that day, including many of their supporters. Immediately upon the aftermath of this tragedy, Dir En Grey started “Scream For The Truth” (www.scream4truth.com), a web-site to bring awareness about the radiation levels that have im-pacted the country due to the damage acquired and remind peo-ple that there is still much more that needs to be done in Japan. Through their latest album and the video “Different Sense”, they continue to let the world know about how this horrific event that is still affecting their homeland today. As they stated in a message to their fans and the world: “The memory is fading from daily life, but the reality has not changed. We need to keep raising our voices.” Make no mistake that Dir En Grey has not only set out to awaken minds and ears through music, but are also attempting to awaken the world and the empire they call home.

MATT LEWIS You have changed things on an international level in regards to destroying the walls of the language barrier

c


while i breathe,i hope....

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新倉薫kauroPosition: guitarist

Name: 新倉薫 (Niikura Kaoru)Nicknames: Leader-sama, Kao,

KaokaoDate of birth: 02.17.1974Place of birth: Hyougo

真也shinyaPosition: Drummer

Name: 寺地心夜 (Terachi Shinya)Nicknames: Shinya, Shin-chan

Date of birth: 02.24.1978Place of birth: Osaka



that once stood in music before you arrived onto the scene. Any response?DIE: I still remember the time when we first played outside of Japan and the fans were singing along to our music, in Japanese! I was shocked, I think we all were. I think it was the fans that broke that language barrier.

LEWIS: You guys have toured extensively with many great bands such as The Deftones, Asking Alexandria, Trivium, and Motionless In White, just to name a few. Who else would you be looking forward to or would like to touring with?DIE: We would love to tour with as many different bands that continue to stimulate us in our music, as long as there is an op-portunity.

LEWIS: For anyone who has not had the luxury of seeing you perform live, can you paint a picture to what they may see?DIE: At our concerts you can expect to experience something that you can never experience in your everyday life. Our stage is definitely something for everyone to experience. If you haven’t it’s about time you did.

LEWIS: You have become an international household name in the music industry. Did you ever see yourself having this great of an impact?DIE: We never imagined to ever play outside of Japan when we first started out the band. Thanks to the expansion and growth of the internet, the distance between countries became closer. People far away from Japan got to know about our music and culture. To-day, our fans are from all over the world and we are very grateful to be able to play in some many countries and meet all of them.

LEWIS: You guys are known for having very devoted fans. Has

there been an example where this has been amplified?DIE: We are thankful for all our fans every single day. It is be-cause of them that we continue to grow as a band.

LEWIS: What is each member’s musical influences that infuses together to create the musical greatness that is Dir En Grey?DEG: On the contrary our biggest influences come just from the things we feel, instead of music.

LEWIS: When performing live, what is your most requested song, or is there a song that has the best crowd reaction?DIE: It’s different for all the different countries, so it’s hard for me to choose just one.

LEWIS: Is there an album that sticks out as your personal fa-vorite?DIE: It’s hard for me to just choose one.

LEWIS: The heart of metal tends to come from a dark place or experience. Does any of this come into play in regards to any per-sonal experiences influencing your writing or lyrics?DIE: I don’t know how much it reflects on the way I play my music but I am sure the things we do and feel on an every day basis does have an effect it.

LEWIS: Are there any other inspirations (visual or otherwise) that fuel the writing process of Dir En Grey?DIE: Recently I do work on my guitar phrases by creating an im-age based on the atmosphere, background and color of the songs, more than before.

LEWIS: Being that you were a Visual Kei band, how was the transition from that to what you are now?

原敏政toshiyaPosition: Bassist

Name: 原敏政 (Hara Toshimasa)Nicknames: Toshiya, Tochi

(Totchi)Date of birth: 03.31.1977Place of birth: Nagano


exclusive: dir en grey

DIE: Back when we first started out, we wore what each of us wanted to wear. Today, we don’t wear costumes or stage wear which are flashy and gaudy, but I feel that what we create on stage today is much deeper, darker and heavier than what we did before.

LEWIS: In Japan, the genre of metal is rising in popularity...mostly in part because of you Do you believe that you were piv-otal in this movement?DIE: First of all, we don’t see ourselves as a metal band. The metal scene in Japan has yet to emerge in the mainstream scene but I know there are bands in the underground scene. I am sure there are way cooler and more “metal-er” bands there.

LEWIS: What difference have you noticed or picked between your fans in Japan and your fans in the United States and over-seas?DEG: In overall, nothing really changed.

LEWIS: With the 8th album which came out back in August of 2011, how have your fan reactions been in comparison to the previous albums?DIE: I can’t say how everyone liked the album or not, as it’s dif-ferent for everyone. But from where I am, I see it as an album that takes some time to really sink into you.

LEWIS: What was the vision behind Dum Spiro Spero?

DIE: We never decide on a concept before we start working on an album. Each one of us would throw ideas around and work on the arrangements, taking our time to make each and every song. As the songs take shape, the album would too.

LEWIS: I have to say in my opinion although you have yet to release anything less then greatness, Dum Spiro Spero is by far my favorite. You seemed to have tapped into something beyond the previous musical works of art. DIE: Every time we get into the production of a new album, what we put to mind is to come up with something that will sur-pass the past record to create something even more exciting. For this album we did the same, taking different approaches that we have never attempted before. But I can see that “DUM SPIRO SPERO” will continue to change as we play it more live.

LEWIS: At times, bands find it hard to break into other markets or areas overseas. Did you find it difficult to cross over into the United States?DIE: When we first started playing overseas, we had to overcome a lot of things like the difference of culture and language, but because we played in all these difference situations I know were not doing things the way the other American bands would either. We always sticked to the way we did things, always taking things forward. We had to challenge ourselves the way a Japanese band would.•

“We always stuck to the way we did things....always taking things forward. We had to challenge ourselves the way a

Japanese band would.”} }


Position: GuitaristName: 安滕大助 (Andou/Kondo Daisuke)

Nicknames: Die, Dai, Dai-sukiDate of birth: 12.20.1974

Place of birth: Mie

安滕大助die

ATRA AETERNA: ETERNALLY DARKA

tra Aeterna is the solo project of Zack Mitchell out of Kingston, Ontario. He is heavily influenced by Akira Yama-oka, who did the music for the Silent Hill movie and video games. Which for those of our readers that are familiar with either one, they know the music is the scariest part. The hypnotic tones given off from Atra Aeterna are haunting and can make you just leave reality and go wherever your imagination can take you. It is the perfect close your eyes and relax music for those of us that have slightly twisted minds. If you do, some of his tracks may create

nightmares. While conducting this interview I can definitely tell that he is a very artistic and passionate person. I hope and know that we will see a lot more from Atra in the future, great promise with this one.

Interview and Words by Matt LeeeisPhotography by Zack Mitchell

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14 | Prysm Magazine Summer 2012 14 | Prysm Magazine Summer 2012

MATT LEWIS: Acclaimed Japanese composer/music producer Akira Yamaoka, best known for Silent Hill Series, is an inspiration to you. It is definitely present in your music - dark, ambient and classical. What drew you to his work? ZACK MITCHELL: The first I heard of Akira’s work was when I saw the trailer for Silent Hill 2. The trailer featured his composition, “Theme of Laura” very prominently, and there was something very intriguing to me about it. I had never really heard anything like it, and the sinister beauty immediately grabbed me. I think the duality of those elements is impor-tant, how his work is saturated with darkness, but every once in a while the light shines through.

LEWIS: Besides the music to Silent Hill, are you a fan of the game as well? I still remember playing the first Silent Hill video game and with a cross between the game and music, I had to turn it off sometimes because of it being too intense and frightening, or at least couldn’t play it in the dark.MITCHELL: To be honest, I actually have not played much of the games. I had a chance to play through the first few hours of Silent Hill 2 around the time of it’s release, but unfortunately never got around to finishing it. I have heard incredible things about the quality of the series, but for me, my interest was always the sound design. If anything, I think that stands as a testament to the quality of Akira’s work; that someone with little knowledge of context can not only appreciate, but thoroughly enjoy the score.

LEWIS: Being that your real name is Zack Mitchell, how did you come up with the name Atra Aeterna?MITCHELL: Another composer who has been a large influence on my work is Clint Mansell, and his composition, “Lux Aeterna” was a piece that I found incredibly interesting. It was somber, urgent, and terrifying; much like the movie it was composed for, Requiem for a Dream. Trans-lated from Latin it means “Light Eternal”, and Atra Aeterna is the other side of the same coin, meaning “Dark Eternal”. I chose the name partly as an homage to Mansell, but also because I felt that in a musical sense, darkness was very important. LEWIS: Looking at your release dates of, Aurelia – March 2009, Aya – July 2009, November- July 2009, Post- January 2011, Machinations- October 2011, Blackbird Belle- November 2011, The Tone Collector- December 2011. How are you able to produce such incredible music at such a high rate of speed?MITCHELL: Quality control was actually something I struggled with a bit when I first started releasing music. My output at that time was gener-ally received favourably by those who heard it, but I found that the greater distance I had from those albums, the more I felt that they were released prematurely. ‘November’ was actually composed in a 24 hour period of time, and while I still love it for what it is, I feel like the melodies should progress more than they do. But it is a learning process, and over the past year, with the release of ‘Post’ and ‘Machinations’, I am learning that I am at my best when I take things slowly.

LEWIS: Your albums are only available digitally, was there a particular reason for that?MITCHELL: Yes, everything I have released up to this point is digital only. I think the main reason was just simplicity. It’s very easy for me to manage the Atra Aeterna Bandcamp site myself, and distributing a fin-ished album to iTunes and Amazon MP3 is fairly straightforward as well. When you get into physical media, you deal with manufacturing, packag-ing, and shipping, which are more complicated. That said, I would like to have physical CD releases for future projects, and I am looking into some

different ways to make that happen.

LEWIS: Have you, or do you plan on playing shows? As a fan of your work I can only imagine a show of your music would almost be up there with the annual Pink Floyd laser light shows.MITCHELL: I have never actually played a live show, and currently it is not something I have much interest in pursuing. I think that with the right visuals it might work, but I don’t see my music as the kind that people would want to go to a venue to listen to. Partially, that’s a reflection of myself, as I’m not a huge fan of live music. I would far prefer to sit in at home and lose myself in a pair of headphones than stand in a crowded club.

LEWIS: So far how well have people received your music?MITCHELL: Well, that would be for other people to judge! All I’m comfortable saying is that the people who do enjoy my music, those who really get it and appreciate what I’m trying to do, have been incredibly supportive. Nothing makes me happier than hearing from a fan. I’ve had people tell me that my music inspired them to write something, or that they started creating their own music after hearing some of mine, and stories like that are what make being a musician worth it.

LEWIS: Have you or do you plan on attempting to write scores for video games or films?MITCHELL: A little over a year ago I did the score for a short film called “The Pail”, and I am currently working on another. It is definitely something I am interested in doing more of, and there are a few potential projects in the planning stages, which should come to light later this year.

LEWIS: Since Silent Hill is such a dark series, do you have a pension for darker influences or inspirations musically? MITCHELL: What appeals to me most, regardless of genre, is music that can make you feel nostalgia for the songwriter’s experiences, as op-posed to your own. I think it’s very common for people to use music as an avenue for escape. On one hand, it’s great to listen to songs that have meaning to you because they parallel your own life, but what I find more rewarding is losing myself in something that I may not have lived through personally, but that I can still relate to very strongly on an emotional level. Music with a genuine sense of darkness to it gives me that feeling more than anything else I listen to. Now, darkness is a broad term, but to me it encompasses a lot of emotions, ranging from the sinister to the hopeless and everything in between.

LEWIS: How is the ambient music scene in Ontario?MITCHELL: As far as Ontario specifically, I must admit I’m not as in tune with the scene as I would like to be. However, I can say that there are several Canadian acts that have provided great inspiration to me. One is Tim Hecker, who released an excellent ambient/drone album in 2011, “Ravedeath, 1972”. The other is the legendary post-rock outfit, Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

LEWIS: Is there a message you would want to give to your fans?MITCHELL: Just keep listening, and I’ll do my best to make it worth your while! And don’t be a stranger, I love hearing about what the music means to you.

LEWIS: For people that are not familiar with your music yet what would you like to state to them?MITCHELL: That’s a tough one. I admit I’m a terrible salesman, so I think I’ll try and let the music speak for itself. •

“Music with a genuine sense of darkness to it gives me that feeling more than anything else I listen to. Now, darkness is a broad term, but to me it encompasses a lot of emotions, ranging from the sinister to the hopeless and everything in between.”

}}


Taking major changes in stride, Tokami has upped their game in the world of Visual Kei performers. Their members have shifted again (for the better), and they have joined a major label, yet the progression has been seamless. They perform more shows and they are more focused than ever. They have been

able to concentrate more on creativity, instead of business. Starwave Records is doing nothing short of brilliance when choosing and taking care of their artists.Inspired by aggressive Heavy Metal, and fused with both unique and beautiful melodies of popular Japanese music, Tokami aims to create music that is violent yet also shows the beauty of melody. Rather than light and radiant things they prefer a more “Shock Rock” approach (think Alice Cooper). Tokami feed off the energy and the mental high that they receive from their fans all over the globe.This band works as a team, composing the parts of their symphony, at times, one by one. Each member having their own unique twist to add. Their lyrics spring from the everyday feeling of life, but in a figurative and non diluted form. Dig-ging in deeply as if to tell a story. Tokami has managed to reach a new level or feeling of consciousness within their internal structure and with other people. They have become stronger.Interview and Words by Lasha LanePhotography by Akio Yokoyama

LASHA LANE: For those of us that are just being exposed to Tokami, please tell us your names and an interesting fact about yourself that not many know about you?AGATO: I’m the vocalist of Tokami, Agato.SHIGE: I’m the guitarist Shige. I’m vegetarian and have never eaten McDon-ald’s.K: I’m the guitarist K. Nice to meet you.ICHIKA: My name is Ichika. Please call me “Ichika”

1000: I’m the drummer 1000. Thousand.

LANE: Many Americans don’t really know what Visual Kei is. So, please ex-plain to us what is it that makes you a Visual Kei band? Is it the look, the music or something else?1000: Tokami is a fusion of the anime culture, Japanese popular songs and metal music (laughs).

LANE: Your image plays a HUGE part in your career as a band, do you enlist help from outside sources like stylists or consultants to help you achieve the per-fect look? Where does your inspiration come from?1000: Getting stimulus from make-up staff, hair staff, opinions from outside the band, out image or concept doesn’t really change.

LANE: Is there a part of US Fashion that really interests you?AGATO: Nothing in particular.SHIGE: I like grunge fashion. If I wear it, I just look like a real poor person, so I envy the people overseas who can wear it and look fashionable.K: I’m really unfamiliar with fashion, so I don’t know.Ichika: Ummmm....I don’t know.1000: Texas!

LANE: Is there an American trend that is really distasteful to you?AGATO: Nothing in particular.SHIGE: I can’t believe a lifestyle where you wear shoes inside your house.K: There’s nothing really that I dislike.1000: I have an image of a blonde steroid beauty in a swimsuit firing away on a machine gun.

TOKAMI:THE PROGRESSION OF SHOCK


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LANE: With your newest album “Resurrection” out on iTunes, if you had to choose one track off the album to shoot a video for which would it be?AGATO: “Fuhai to shinshoku, kurikaesu yami ni toikaketsuzuketa kotae”SHIGE: “Ruler of Chaos”. I’d like it to be like the movie “Fight Club”.ICHIKA: “A Cross The Heart”.1000: “Fuhai to shinshoku, kurikaesu yami ni toikaketsuzuketa kotae”

LANE: You have yet to play to a United States audience. Is this something that you hope to do one day?TOKAMI: Go at any time if the opportunity arises.

LANE: I’ve been reading that at live performances the Japanese audience is quiet while you perform, as opposed to American audience where we sing along and scream in excitement with you. What is youraudience like?1000: Lately, the Japanese audience too is loud with screams!

LANE: If you were to pick one member of your band to spend an eternity with in a locked room, who would it be and why?AGATO: Ichika. I think we could spend the whole life drinking and telling the insider story of how Agato joined Tokami in an endless loop.SHIGE: If that happened I’d rather kill myself. Because I can’t physically stand any of the members.K: I’d prefer to spend it alone. Because if there are other people next to me, I can’t calm down and it would be impossible for an eternity.ICHIKA: 1000. I like beer. He likes beer too. We drink beer always (laughs)1000: It doesn’t matter which one of them, I wouldn’t care. They’d be like air to me.

LANE: In past interviews you always state that you do not spend time together outside of touring. Why is that?1000: Of course, we have rehearsals in a studio, And the members are friends, but also working colleagues. So once you come back home from your work in a company, I think it’s natural that you don’t really spend time with your work-mates.

LANE: Does this affect your song writing/composing when you come back together?1000: We do have meetings for rehearsals and composing.

LANE: How interactive with your fans are you?1000: Call and response (laughs).

LANE: What inspires you as musicians to create the sound that you do?AGATO: Landscapes, the feelings that I have at the moment, I create a story after listening to the songs that the members write.SHIGE: Life, destruction, my favourite artists, and also things like what meal I had last night and such.K: Basically it’s what I come up with at the time, so the things that inspire me vary from song to song.ICHIKA: Yes. My imagination come suddenly.1000: Many things that I’ve thought about in my life and feelings I have at the moment.

LANE: If there was something that you could change about any misconcep-tions regarding Visual Kei, what would it be? (stereotypes, etc)1000: We’re not gay (laughs) We’re also not from outer space. We are Japanese.•



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BLOOD: NEW REIGNA

fter releasing 7 albums, 6 Eps, and 7 singles, BLOOD announced they would end following the release of “Lost Sky”, and a final tour entitled “La Fin de la Journee”. Normally, this would

be the end of the story, but in 2011, they officially returned with the new lineup of Hayato (Vocals), Kazuha (Guitar), Dora (Drums), Azami (Bass) and original member Kiwamu (Guitar, synth, VJ). With no signs of slowing down, BLOOD continues to create music that breaks the normal confines of mu-sic and continues to captivate fans of old and attract fans of new.Interview by Lasha Lane | Words by David StrangePhotogrpahy by Dora

LASHA LANE: For those that have never heard of BLOOD, can you give your name and your posi-tion/instrument in the band?KIWAMU: I am the leader and guitarist of this band, which was, formed 10 years ago. I also write most of the songs, design CD jackets; develop the concepts, and book tours in foreign countries. Re-cently, I started 2 labels for artists in Japan (Darkest Labyrinth/Starwave Records). Now BLOOD re-leases CDs under the Starwave Records label, which I own.

LANE: One of the things that most Americans are unaware of when it comes to Japanese Rock Genres is Visual Kei. Some may have an idea, but can you please explain your definition of VK.KIWAMU: VK is not a musical genre; it is the style of artists. They play many kinds of music as a band. Metal, pop, industrial, hard core, techno etc. But they think about their visual image and music to-gether. That is visual kei. In the VK scene, they can play any kind of music.

LANE: Would you describe BLOOD as Gothic?KIWAMU: The 3rd period of BLOOD was Goth-ic. Recently, BLOOD has their own drummer, so we play hard songs in live shows. A US promoter said “BLOOD is industrial metal now”, I think so too!

LANE: Where do you pull your inspiration from in your songs?KIWAMU: I always write songs from vocal melody. After I think about the melody idea, I think about the other parts. I arrange the bass and drums and think about the guitar as the last part.

LANE: What inspires you in regards to style?KIWAMU: The ideas come from within my mind.

LANE: What are you like when at home?KIWAMU: A past member once said “you are a workaholic”. Maybe that’s right. I always work for something new everyday.

LANE: Is there a stereotype associated with your look that is irritating?KIWAMU: Any kind music scene comes with as-sociated stereotypes. It used to be irritating, but now I don’t mind.

LANE: You’ve been on tour internationally. Name something about a few places that you remember about the crowd’s reception of you. Has there been somewhere a bit more special to you than anywhere else?KIWAMU: In 2003, I played in USA and it was my first time playing a foreign show. I will never ever forget it. It was very interesting and I have fond memories.

LANE: How close are you as a band when not on tour?KIWAMU: When we don’t have a tour, we do things apart. I do many things such as writing and recording songs, making jacket designs, web design, booking the tours, distributing flyers etc.

LANE: You’ve used a few different concepts in the past to define yourself, such the vampire concept and one based on the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Can you explain the process.KIWAMU: We first decide on the concept, then we write new songs on that concept. We think about the unit as a whole. When we release the full album on that concept, we are confident that we’ve done all the things we can do. So we begin again after every full album release.

LANE: Kiwamu, you created Darkest Labyrinth, which was started to distribute BLOOD’s work, but has expanded to distribute a number of artists in Japan. What led to Darkest Labyrinth’s creation and are you pleased with the direction it is going in?KIWAMU: At first, I just worked for BLOOD, but other Gothic artists asked for my help. So I decided to form Darkest Labyrinth in 2007. In 2009, after a number of Visual Kei artists asked for my help, I decided to make Starwave Records. Now, there are many artists I work with.

LANE: In Nov 2008, it was announced the band would effectively end after one last album and tour. Why did you decide to end the band at that time and then reform later in 2010?KIWAMU: In 2008, vocalist Fu-ki decided to retire. He started his bar in Osaka and he wanted to focus solely on that. I noticed in the 3rd period, BLOOD did everything we could do and decided to disband. But in 2010, I found musicians I felt that I needed to work with and decided to reignite BLOOD with them. Same name, but a different style. A new band in my mind.

LANE: With every transition that BLOOD goes through, how do you continue to redefine your-selves? How do you keep things new?KIWAMU: I want to work with good musicians for a long time. I think about that now. Many young bands think about how to “get lasting success in as short a time as possible” but it is impossible. Bands need time. I work for BLOOD and my label step by step!•

The duo of Andro (vocals) and #449 (Synth/Programming,) have a sound that they have coined as “sexed-up electronica” Such as description car-ries high expectations. GOTHIKA’s pulsating beats and lyrical delivery radiate through every inch of your body - and leave you wanting more.

Originally based out of Japan, they have moved their home to Berlin. In 2008, they played one of the most popular festivals in Europe- The Wave Gothic Treffen Festival, and again in 2011...and this is only the beginning.Inerview and Words by Matt Lewis

MATT LEWIS: Being that some of our readers may not be familiar with Gothika, in your own words, how would you describe yourselves?KUNO YOSHIKI: I’m keyboardist #449-Yoshiki- of GOTHIKA. We are a synth-pop, future-pop band based on Berlin consist of 2 Japanese guys. We describe our music as “Sexed-up electronica!”.

LEWIS: You’ve played numerous big festivals and toured with a couple great bands. Given the oppurtunity, what other artist(s) would you love to share the stage with?YOSHIKI: Personally, I’d like to have a tour with Icon of coil and Gren-del. Their music are completely my taste. LEWIS: How did Gothika come to be? How long have you two (Andro and #449) known each other?YOSHIKI: As GOTHIKA, we started 2007. Before having this name, we had worked under the name EUTHANASIE. I met Andro in 2002 in Tokyo, so we’ve known for nearly 10 years. We got to know each other by the fact of both of us love Rammstein. LEWIS: In the video for “Army March Drawn Sword Police”, there are definitely several statements in that song. Was there a statement behind this particular song?YOSHIKI: Actually, there was no specific “message” behind this song. At that time, we got an offer to attend to a Russian compilation CD which has the concept of the second World War. At first, I thought to create something like a requiem song for the sacrifice of the war, but soon I found out that it will have any kind of reality on it. So I decided to go to another direction which means arrange an old Japanese military song to a modern dark electro tune. You can take it as an entertainment or just a joke from us. LEWIS: What are some musical or non-musical influences that helped create the music of GOTHIKA?YOSHIKI: I love all kind of underground electronic music, especially EBM, hardcore techno and psytrance. I’m also influenced by video game music and J-Pop, especially from 80’s as I had spent 25 years in Japan.

LEWIS: The video for the track “Angel ’s Trumpet” has such an amazing and passionate feel to it. YOSHIKI: To be honest, it’s too embarrassing for me to watch this video now. But surely, the movie is beautiful and I love this song, even I can say it’s the best song from my composing life. We’re planning to make a new promotion movie after releasing next album.

LEWIS: In 2008, you re-released “120 Days of Sodom”? What is the differ-ence between the two releases?YOSHIKI: There is a difference on the booklet, but basically it’s the same. We re-released it because we joined Dance Macabre Records and wanted to distribute it to European countries.

LEWIS: How was the transition working with Bruno Kramm’s (from the band Das Ich) record label?YOSHIKI: Joining a record label was not such a big change for me. But the Russian tour with Das Ich in 2008 was a brilliant experience for us! Like I could find surprise at every moment.

LEWIS: What are the differences between your 1st full-length album “120 days of Sodom” and your 2nd full-length album “ZeitGeist”? And when is a third album slated for release?YOSHIKI: About 120 days of Sodom, surely it is attractive. But I couldn’t remove the impression like it’s too random or no order, though I love the songs. ZeitGeist was made on a concrete concept: “War”. It worked well for it, but I’m still not satisfied with the sound-making. The third one will be the album like, “This is what we wanted to make“. We’re now in the process of mix for it. Hopefully, we can release it this summer.

LEWIS: You have elaborate touring history. Any tours coming up?YOSHIKI: It’s on the stage of just an idea. After the releasing the new album, we will do a European tour. And then, it would be great if we will have an opportunity to play in the USA and Southern American coun-tries.

LEWIS: How have you been received by fans in Berlin in comparison to fans in Japan?YOSHIKI: In my opinion, generally German people don’t show an obvi-ous reaction so often. But it seems they are so interested in us like, “What’s coming from these guys?”

LEWIS: What does the future hold for GOTHIKA?YOSHIKI: First, we must finish work for the new album. We apologize that we’re making fans wait so long. We always try to make best stuff every moment.•

GOTHIKA: DIGITAL UNDERGROUND


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DAVID STRANGE: What factors led to the formation of DEATH-GAZE?DEATHGAZE: We formed DEATHGAZE because wanted to take over the world

STRANGE: Most metal bands only play the metal style, but you also play ballads. How did you come to play ballads in hand with the metal style?DG: First off, there are a lot of people that make that mistake, but DEATHGAZE is not a metal band. The thing is, we play music we like. Music we think is cool, regardless of genre. So, naturally, we play things like ballads and heavy metal because we like that kind of music.

STRANGE: Each of your albums possess very unique art direction. Is there anything that influenced such art direction?DG: There are many cases when the sound is influenced by an image. We like to view the world as a mix between the real and unreal.

STRANGE: Why did the band decide to take a hiatus and then return as with just three members?DG: During the hiatus, we decided to change vocalists. Our vocalists un-expectedly left the band. After about a year, the bassist Ai became the vo-calist. Without a vocalist, the music of DeathGaze would not be possible.

STRANGE: Takaki was a member of another band (Ass’n’Arrow) be-fore joining as live support guitarist and later formally becoming an of-ficial member. What is the backstory of Takaki’s journey from coming on as live support to full time member?DG: Our bassist, Kousuke, brought Takaki on to join as live support gui-tarist. Shortly thereafter, we found Tataki to be invaluable as a guitarist and made him a formal member of DEATHGAZE.

STRANGE: Recently, you’ve started to shift from alternative metal into metal- core. Why the change into a new sound for the band?DEATHGAZE: At first, we were strongly influenced by artists like Slip-knot and Pantera. Later, with Ai doing the lead vocals, he wanted to pur-sue the type of music he wanted to sing and so the band’s sound changed accordingly. Of course, everybody loves a catchy melody.

STRANGE: In April, you released have a new album, Creation. For those who haven’t heard yet, what can they expect from the new album?DEATHGAZE: Anyone who listens [to the new album] will think it’s great! (It’ll be a cool album for anyone who hears it.) It is a vivid, (fresh), intense work.

STRANGE: You have a loyal fan base in America and the one thing they would love to know is will DEATHGAZE have a US tour in the near future?DEATHGAZE: We want to do it. Although when we do come, it will be a world tour. If we are offered, we are guaranteed to come!

STRANGE: While a number of our readers are already familiar with the band, for others, this is their first introduction to DEATHGAZE. How would you describe yourselves to those just getting to know the band?DEATHGAZE: There also many cool bands in Japan. Listen to Death-Gaze! I’m sure you’ll love us! We love you all!•

DEATHGAZE: IN THE GAZE OF THE UNREAL W

hat is real and unreal? How would you view them? Would you prefer to view them as separate and completely different from each other or mixed within one another.....ultimately creating something unique? This is the prefered world view of the metal/alternative metal band

DeathGaze. Consisting of the current line-up Ai (Vocals), Takaki (Lead guitar), Kosuke (Bass), Naoki (Drums), they have used this unique view to earn them a place on top of the Japanese rock scene.Interview and Words by David Strange



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SOUNDWITCH: COLORFUL DARKNESSW

ith so many metal acts performing today, most of them using the same musical and visual style, it becomes hard for a band to stand out. But when you have the right combination of all of these aspect, you have the start of something special. Hence in 2005, SoundWitch was born. Armed with a mix of a powerful fe-

male vocalist, a unique visual style, and musical style that uses occult imagery, band members Twin (vocals), May (guitar, programming), Drug-on (guitar), Sack (drums), and Matsubai (bass) has only begun to make their mark on the Japanese rock scene. SoundWitch uses influences from various genres and mediums to

create a experience that none seldom forget. Words and Interview by David Strange

DAVID STRANGE: What are the origins of the band, Sound-Witch?SOUNDWITCH: We formed as a band based industrial, Gothic, and around Drug-on Twin. Sack, May, Matsubai joined then, and became a core part of basic addition to establish a current musical style that incorporates various genres together. STRANGE: Many bands have a visual style that can sometimes become over the top and sometimes distracting, but you chose not to go that route. Why not?SW: There were a lot of nice, colorful things around that then grew in us. It was a lot since I was a child of Western culture of both traditional Japanese culture. A unique sense of color has been mixed with the style, but also so has music.

STRANGE: Were there any bands or musicians you listened to growing up that later influenced you as a band?SW: With five members, we listen to a variety of music, respectively: metal, heavy rock, industrial, popular music, etc. It gives each of the musicians a specific impact. Listening to various music creates a mix, and that, as a result, has affected the music that we play.

STRANGE: With so many goth-metal bands performing today, what makes SoundWitch stand out among them?SW: I think incorporating the flexibility to place the essence of sound is not tied to a particular genre. I thought it was nice to have sublimated our sound, and it is not a big factor in other bands. It is likely to be inspired in not just music, but also from film, TV shows, and paintings. You also may be affected from Sesame Street, for example.

STRANGE: You use a large number of occult imagery and refer-ences throughout your music and videos. Where did that aspect of the band come from?

SW: Because we like a gloomy view of the world such as in Oka-rutikku*. I think it would work out in such a way without knowing the image. I’m happy and will enjoy watching people in the story of each image. *Okarutikku: Occult, Spooky

STRANGE: The last show of your first tour, you performed a “one man” set and then performed a “two man” set at the end of the “GROTESCA SHOW” tour. Where did the idea to do the last shows of each tour this way come from?SW: We did not stick to this style for any particular reason. We released the work, then performed the tour. We went on the final leg of the tour in the style that was most suited at that time for the envisioned experience.

STRANGE: Are there any musical styles that you would like to explore in future works? SW: I think different styles are cool and I think I have adopted vari-ous ones at any time. As we are about to go in that direction in the future, a new song is now in production has incorporated dubstep.

STRANGE: To the aspect of future works, have you started work on your third album?SW: Songs that are to be included in the third album are starting the production, but have not decided a release date. So please, wait for the fun we plan to deliver to everyone.

STRANGE: Are there any future plans in the works for a US tour?SW: Plans for a tour are currently in production, so I’m looking forward to it.

STRANGE: Describe yourself in one word.SW: Multifaceted. •


MATT LEWIS: It’s great to see a fresh band that is free of predefined genres. You are a genre in your own right. What in-spirations help you create your own world in the image of our own existence and music?ROSE NOIRE: Art, real experiences, comics, books, and mov-ies help us.

LEWIS: If you had a tour wishlist, who would you want to tour with?RN: Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park.

LEWIS: The song, “The Power to Revive”, is a charity track that you recorded in light of the devasting earthquake that oc-cured in Japan, and you stated as musicians “all we can do is only create”. Is there a lot of emotion from tragedies like this implemented into your music?RN: It was a terrible thing, and we think musicians can make music by their real emotion.

LEWIS: Outside of musical influences, are there any visual influences that help create the original stories you tell with your music?RN: Some pictures and music videos. We made the music vid-eo for “Dual Evil” during our US tour. Tainted Reality and Blue

Core Studios led the production.

LEWIS: Are you siblings by blood or just by music?RN: By blood.

LEWIS: Do you ever have any Issues being in a musical project with your sibling?RN: We don’t think it makes much difference, but it seems easier sharing the vision than with others.

LEWIS: In 2011, you had a tour here in the US for your first album, Apocalypse. Are there any more tours in the works?RN: Now, unfortunately not yet. We hope that we can go to the US again and even some other countries.

LEWIS: Growing up, did you two have similar or very differ-ent musical influences?RN: In some points our musicial influences are similar, but in other points we had different musicial influences.

LEWIS: To your fans, what message or words of wisdom do you want to pass on?RN: Music is great and what you need now is Rose Noire’s music!! Thank you!•

ROSE NOIIRE: SIBLING BEAUTYIt is not uncommon to come across bands in which all or most of the members are siblings. It is true that those with like minds can create magic. This holds true for a sibling duo from Tokyo, Japan by the name of Rose Noire, who have a sound like no other. Formed in 2009, Vocalist Louie and violinist Jill are two beautiful souls that let everything out in their music and put everything on the line to no fail. Such a beautiful trans-lucent sound that you can easily be swept away into with not a care in the world. They both attended the Tokyo National University of Fine

Arts and Music, which makes these two prime examples of how successful that school is. With hints of Depeche Mode and other influential artists in the alternative genre, the most appropriate word to describe them is “beauty”. From Louie’s vocals reminiscent of Dave Gahan and haunting yet beautiful violin accompaniment by Jill, their music leaves an impression not only on your soul but underneath your skin which was displayed in their debut album Apocalypse. Their 2nd mini-album, Neo Renaissance -1st Movement, to be released July 25, 2012, is surely on its way to becoming another triumph. Taking a classical background and bringing it to the forefront with a compilation of many other styles that

you would not normally see all pinned together, Rose Noire most definitely prepared to dominate- one violin string at a time.Interview and Words by Matt Lewis

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MISARUKA:ALL THINGS ARE FATE

Most bands early in their careers start small and spend time trying to find their sound. Few hit the mark the first time out, but when they do, the effect can be unforgettable. Describing their sound as “Symphonic Metal”, Visual Kei band Misaruka is relatively young in the Japanese music scene, but seem to have the wherewith all of a band that’s been on the scene for years. Formed in 2008 with the original lineup, Rui (Vocals), Mizuki (Guitar), Yusei (Guitar), Azami (Bass),

and Vetchie (Drums) released their first single “Amakusa” and they held their first of many concerts in June of that same year.. “Doll” their second single, was released in Jan 2009, but in Dec 2009 original guitarist Yusei exited the band. After Mizuki left in 2010, the band did something unexpected. They announced an indefinite hiatus as Misaruka and performed under the new name Project -Merrow- with two new, mysterious guitarists. In Jan 2011, Project -Merrow- announced their return as Misaruka and in April released the concept single “Merrow”, a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” from the point of view of the dark witch. After 3 years of being independent, they signed with Starwave Records (a label founded by Kiwamu of BLOOD) and released the maxi-single “Cailleach Rosary”, which continued the story concept of “The Little Mermaid” from “Merrow”. 2012 looks to be Misaruka’s year with the releasing of two free songs through their website (“Curse of Contract” and “Forbidden) and plans to release their first full length album later this year. Armed with a unique

sound, Misaruka looks to make a lasting impact in music for years to come. Interview and Words by David Strange

Photography by Akio Yokoyama

DAVID STRANGE: What led to the formation of Misaruka?RUI: Azami, Vetchie and I looked for a guitarist. As a result, we met Rin and Sawah.RIN: All things are fate.

STRANGE: You describe yourselves as “symphonic metal”, how did you arrive at that description?RUI: I think that it is not necessary to explain it if you listen to “Ro-sary”, “FORBIDDEN” among other things.RIN: The music of Misaruka has various descriptions. For example, a popular song, neo-classical metal, and hard rock. All music is made based on a concept of the fusion of the band’s sound, the orchestra’s sound and synthesizer’s sound..

STRANGE: Were there any bands or specific albums that influ-enced your sound?RUI: Heart and SENS.RIN: I’m influenced by all the music that I have listened to while I’ve lived so far.AZAMI: All N’ All, Earth, Wind & Fire, Use Your Illusion, Guns N’ Roses, Dark Passion Play and Nightwish.VETCHIE: pure soul, GLAY, Buglight, UVERworld, The Silent Force , Within Temptation.SAWAH: Yngwie Malmsteen. I listened to albums “Steeler”, “Eclipse” a lot.

STRANGE: With so many Visual Kei bands performing, what makes your band unique? RUI: My voice, the world of my song. Band arrangement with the originality. For example, the selection of the chord and the making of the rhythm. Also, the classical and pop melody of the guitar sound which Rin plays.RIN: At first glance it is our appearance. Next, the music. The bal-ance of a song, guitar sound and the orchestra sound. Include both the music with the appearance and adding a classical element is what makes Misaruka unique.AZAMI: A story with originality and individual character.VETCHIE: Powerful performances. It is not just kept in the world of the music.SAWAH: A musical masterpiece and good looks.

STRANGE: Up until recently, you had only released singles and maxi-singles, not full-length albums. Why was that?VETCHIE: The timing is best now.RIN: We released an album now because there is a reason to release.

STRANGE: After Mizuki’s departure in 2010, an indefinite hia-tus was announced and then came, Project -Merrow-. Why did the band decide to continue performing under a different name?RIN: The period of Project -Merrow- was necessary to show the world our original story “-Merrow-”. It was also a period to get ready to revive as Misaruka.

STRANGE: How did you know the time was right to resurrect Misaruka?AZAMI: All elements gathered together naturally.

VETCHIE: We were able to meet wonderful new members.

STRANGE: With the single, ”Merrow”, you began to do your own take of “The Little Mermaid”, which then continued in the maxi-single “Cailleach Rosary”. What let the band wanting to explore “The Little Mermaid” as a theme and why tell it from the point of view of the dark witch?RUI: The world has many main characters and it is filled with a vari-ety of thoughts. I wanted to introduce the idea that there are multiple stories and various points of view in the world.

STRANGE: Will the concept of “The Little Mermaid” continue to evolve elsewhere or have you moved on?AZAMI: Misaruka has begun the preparations for next concept, please expect it.

STRANGE: In April 2011, after so many years of being indepen-dent, you joined the label “Starwave Records”. Why sign with a la-bel?VETCHIE: Because I deeply respect Kiwamu who is the label owner.AZAMI: There are many labels in the Japanese visual rock scene and I think that it is, at times, just about competition between groups. I played with Kiwamu in GPKISM and felt that he was a reliable person.RIN: I love Kiwamu, too.

STRANGE: You’re getting ready to release your first full-length album later this year. What can your fans expect from your forth-coming album?RUI: A dream.RIN: This album became a work that is full of variety. It came so naturally because the story has many scenes in the same way as is life. VETCHIE: All the wonder and possibility of Misaruka.

STRANGE: You give away two free songs through your website, both named “Curse of Contract” and “Forbidden”. What were the reasons you released them for free and will they appear on your fu-ture album?VETCHIE: I wanted to provide an opportunity for more people to listen to music of Misaruka.

STRANGE: Are there any plans to tour outside Japan in the near future?VETCHIE: I’ll go. The plans will be made someday.RIN: Unfortunately, not yet. but I want to go overseas heartily.

STRANGE: You’ve done so much, but is there anything you would still like to accomplish in the world of music or even outside of it?RUI: Getting to meet all who are reading this now.RIN: I want people to feel love, and happiness by my playing the guitar. Surely, this is an everlasting wish. There is no end in sight.VETCHIE: I want to perform a world tour.AZAMI: Music does not have an end. However, I wander in search for the end.SAWAH: I want everybody to know Misaruka.•


流儀美Simone LegnoTeruyoshi YamamotoSamantha Plasencia

30 | Prysm Magazine Spring 2012

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dreamchild Karl Lagerfeld adores him. The fashion world knows him. Legions of fans wear his characters on their bodies through the artistic expression of tattooes and his couture-meets-street clothing line. For Italian artist and designer Simone Legno, the world of Tokidoki gives us the joy of exploring his imagination and a world like no other.Interview and Words by Anissa Taylor


dreamchild

時々...J

apan is one of those places that does something magical to people that are open to it. It’s arms of intrigue and influence are long reaching. There’s a mystique about it that turns interest into ob-session. We want to find ourselves reflected in the rising sun of

a culture in which we will always be outsiders and have us forever “chasing the dragon”. Originally born in Rome, Simone Legno has chased that dragon, strapped a harness on it and rode into the sunset with his wife, Kaori. Creating Tokidoki in 2005, Legno has brought to life a cast of characters from his imagination that has captivated the art and design world. Visually, the love-child of pop art and old world Japan, he’s done what most kids who draw strange little characters never imagine doing... Seeing your art in ads, on cell phones, or sitting amongst a collection of vinyl figurines. Becoming a very much sought after artist, he has collaborated with companies such as Levi, LeSportsac, Fornarina, Hello Kitty and Barbie, speak-ing at museums and universities around the globe. Turning a world he created into a real honest to goodness lifestyle brand.

ANISSA TAYLOR: There are always those one or two things that light the fire for us Japanofiles. For myself it was old anime and gei-shas and it’s been a losing battle ever since. What is it about Japan that initially grabbed your attention?SIMONE LEGNO: I think first of all there’s a natural strong pas-sionate attraction to certain things, and Japan is so magic that some people gets totally in love for it and it’s hard to explain. I think it’s hard to explain my love for this wonderful country, it’s some-thing called “Japanisme” is a term coined to describe the craze for things Japanese. It’s something I feel inside, I am totally astonished for everything that comes from Japan, the beauty of their tradition to the super pop flashy aspects of the super modern cities. I love Japanese people: I love their kindness, politeness, seriousness, and even yet they can be quite funny, playful and extremely creative. I have sketches of when I was in kindergarten designing Japanese people and Japanese elements. Not only my art but even my every-day world is colored and decorated by Japanese objects, souvenirs, junk packages, toys, books, prints, t-shirts and food. I think Japan is the most inspiring place for anybody working in a creative field. They are extremely innovative in graphic design, art and street and couture fashion.

But I think what awoke this feeling into me, was probably the “me-dia bombing” of Japanese animation and shows on Italian TV dur-ing the 80’s. It was not just about the characters and the stories, but through animation I could experience the normal lifestyle of people, the way they ate, their houses, neighborhoods, trains, cherry blossoms, trains, student uniforms, rice balls, cherry blossoms, etc, everything is iconic of Japan. As a little kid I got stroke by all of this and developed a certain love and admiration for all of that. Even the drawings from my kindergarten started to be a little of this. When was a teenager I made out of going to Japan, my number one dream. Now I ended up going there all the time (26 times so far) and live in a Japanese neighborhood here in LA.

TAYLOR: The fusion of Japanese and Italian seems an odd couple, but you literally live between those worlds; at home and at work. What have you found to be common threads between the two countries?LEGNO: I think that Japan and Italy seems very different but got many points in common. I think both of them are pretty small countries but for some reasons have been always very innovative and creative in design and art. I think both visual cultures can be very refined and sophisticated but at the same time put passion,

warmth and cure in the items produced. I think in general there’s a big attraction between the 2 countries and cultures, lots of Ital-ians love and respect Japan and vice versa. Between the things in common it comes even in mind the passion for beautiful things, for food and some strong values like family, deep friendship and sense of honor.

TAYLOR: A famous candy company had a slogan that went, “You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!” Indicating a happy ac-cident and “two great tastes that taste great together”... In terms of your art, where is the Italy in your Japan?LEGNO: I think it’s obvious that my hand is not a Japanese hand, even if a lot of people looking at my artwork think that I do. I do kawaii art but in my own way, maybe with the western cartoon touch, some western street art sensitivity. I think when you look some cute Japanese characters they are so Japanese, they have that kawaii that is unique, soft and adorable. I don’t know how to de-scribe it, but there’s a different touch I got, some different way of having proportions that is not like their own. It’s like when you see the handwriting of a guy and a girl, in general there’s a different cal-ligraphy, a different touch. So I think when I design a cute face even if I’d might wanna look Japanese it just comes different from their typical cute touch. I even think that I grew up with elements of my daily life that are different so it’s normal that a character is riding a Vespa, eating spaghetti, running behind a soccer ball instead of eat-ing a rice ball, doing kendo or wearing a student uniform.

TAYLOR: Speaking of “two great tastes”, tell us about ‘Mini Karl’, the collectible figurine of Karl Lagerfeld. At first thought it seems odd because he sometimes appears to be so serious, but he seemed very happy to, in his words, “become a tokidoki”. How did the two of come to collaborate?LEGNO: Tokidoki had a booth in a tradeshow in Barcelona where we were showing our European line. There were some people from the KL team walking by and stopped with much interest watching at my product. They were very amazed and knowing I am one of the top toy designers in the industry they asked me if I wanted to de-sign Mr. Lagerfeld in my own way. I couldn’t dream about a bigger honor. It was even very smooth to work for him since he approved my design immediately and accepted my personal choices.

TAYLOR: For those that don’t know “tokidoki” means “some-times” in Japanese. What does that mean to you and what could it mean for the rest of us?LEGNO: Tokidoki is a happy world. It is a cute, playful and pure, yet provocative, sophisticated world that I imagine, live and dream of. I think it’s a western, modern, cute character style inspired by the kawaii iconography of Japan. It’s a dualism of things, childish and mature, Eastern and Western, funny and serious, exaggerated and minimal, provocative and pure, good and bad, ...tokidoki means “sometimes” in Japanese. I chose a Japanese word because I love Japan. I love everything from the ultra modern hap-py face of Shibuya to the serious magic silence of Kyoto. I chose “sometimes”, because everyone waits for moments that change one’s destiny … by chance or by meeting a new person … tokidoki is the hope, the hidden energy that everyone has inside, giving us the strength to face a new day and dream about something positive that something magical will happen to us.

TAYLOR: As a young man, what scenes were you apart of, what music did you listen to and how did that shape your art?LEGNO: I mostly grew up listening to punk rock and I think this was a very important part of my art and personality. To see punk

sometimes....c


exclusive: simone legno



exclusive: simone legno

rock concerts in Italy you had to hang out in pretty underground places, mostly squatted ones ad it was full of cool characters and people. That’s why in my work there’s so many elements from punk, rock and metal culture, from colored hair, mohawks, tattoos, leopard prints, guitars, skulls etc. I had my metal period during elementary school, and bit after, I have been in skateboarding, and I was in a punk rock band for about 10 years starting in high school. I think some strong scenes, like the punk rock one are very creative, full of people curious to research and find new stuff, people with enthu-siasm, dreams and something to communicate. I think it was ex-tremely important to form me as the man and artist I am right now.

TAYLOR: Is there music in the land of Tokidoki and what would play there?LEGNO: Depends on the characters: Devils listen to metal, Do-nutella to J-Pop, Bastardino to piano, and I imagine a lot of elec-tronic videogames like experimental music.

TAYLOR: Your mother paints as well. What is your favorite thing that she’s painted?LEGNO: I love pretty much everything she paints. I learned a lot from observing her when I was a kid and making questions. She has a nice style, mostly woman with a Rome corners or landscapes on the back. I love the portraits she made of myself and my brother when were kids. We both have our own ones in our houses.

TAYLOR: How did characters like Bulletto + Mozzarella, Adios and Sandy come about?LEGNO: Mozzarella came after the Latte character that set up a new world in my head. Latte came in mind while opening the fridge, putting in common the milk and the cow…so came a milk carton with horns and cow tail. Adios and Ciao Ciao are the fruit of my passion for skull icons so I created a mischievous cute one that loves his girl Ciao Ciao so much that the love lasts forever even after death. Adios, because when death comes it’s “bye-bye” time.

Sandy came in mind during a hot afternoon in South Italy; there was nothing around but sand and cacti. My head as always is look-ing for some ideas in everything I got around. Observing most a cactus I thought its shape was pretty bunny-like. I started sketching and came SANDy came to life. The concept is that the world can be cold and scary so those characters zip themselves in a cactus suit to protect themselves from the bad things in the world.

TAYLOR: You have created this pop culture take of an old world art form. Have you painted with traditional Japanese materials? I would love to see a woodcut of your female characters like Tsuru.LEGNO: I don’t have the knowledge and education enough to play professionally with Japanese traditional materials and techniques. I am pretty much a perfectionist so I guess I would not try if I don’t know or study enough to feel confident and respectful of the Japa-nese school. Anyway, I think it really might be very a interesting challenge since I started to do my girls watching the masterpieces of the traditional Japanese art.

TAYLOR: Characters like her remind me of Lady Snowblood, O-ren Ishii and Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill, and Little Miho from Sin City. Where do you get the inspiration for the women in your art?LEGNO: I don’t know it’s about the idea of some ideal beauty. IN the most of my pages there’s a female character decorating the interface, being a load-bearing element of the graphic structure. I use a female figure with their soft gentle lines, with their sweet and sensual behavior to express “beauty”. I adore the sweetness, sensual-ity, the shyness, the nice and funny attitude of the Japanese women. I adore their strong personality behind such a fragile and delicate figure, being so sensual behind their composure. With the time passing, I felt I could mix to my Japanese female characters some cute little ones to complete their sweetness and their gentle world. Anyway I am just trying to express in words why I design in a cer-tain way, but too often we artists can’t really understand why certain aesthetic choices are done, it’s just matter of pure instinct.


TAYLOR: Did any of that inspire the Tokidoki Barbie? How did you come up with her look?LEGNO: I don’t want to make Barbie a tokidoki Asian girl. I wanted Barbie to stay the beautiful pop icon she is and soak them into the tokidoki world, take elements from my world and dress her up with tokidoki apparel. I wanted her to interact with my world not to become the copy of it, I wanted her to play with my charac-ters and get tattooed as souvenir.

TAYLOR: Tell us about your Help Japan Relief campaign and the art you created for it.LEGNO: When the terrible matter happened, it took a bit to re-cover from the shock and the pain. I really felt I owe so much to Japan that I had to immediately react and do something. Since we already had done a successful project to support Haiti with the ac-tor Josh Dumahel, we thought to make the run and charity product again to support the Japanese population. I was in Italy during that unfortunate march and to be as fast I worked all night to have the

design ready as soon as possible. I am very proud of all my team that worked very hard to fulfill the production, ship the orders, to help out in anyways and make the project work in the best and fastest way. I thank even all the celebrities that twitted, promoted and showed up like Nicky and Paris Hilton, Fergie, Josh etc. Any-way the most fantastic feeling was to see the hundreds of people that showed up and contributed even if it was a rainy day in Santa Monica.

TAYLOR: And what’s next for you and the Tokidoki brand?LEGNO: I am concentrating on keep on perfecting my purely branded product and expand in other markets like Asia or South America. I am focusing on opened projects like the cosmetic line in collaboration with Sephora, New Era hats, and of course couple of collaborations I can’t mention right now. I am trying to find some more time for painting, another true passion I have but couldn’t really find enough time for it being busy with developing tokidoki as a lifestyle brand.•

“There are people who are afraid to be, as you were saying the word intimate, there are people who are afraid to be deeper with

other people, because they’re not used to it, through family, background, or whatever. That’s just how humans are.”

}}


TERUYOSHIYAMAMOTO:FROM SIR, WITH LOVEA lot of times when we look for jewelry, we’re looking for some-

thing to round out an outfit. We wear them a few more times, but ultimately, they become just a new feather; a new twig, in our nests. Then come the day you trip upon a piece that is so

you, it becomes apart of your physical landscape. It’s your favor-ite piece. Fan Fan la Tulipe makes “your favorite piece”. Delicate and personal, Teruyoshi Yamamoto creates the kind of jewelry you never take off. If you visit his Tumblr you’ll see the evidence of someone who possesses the gift to turn the simplest thing into something quite dynamic and interesting. It’s in the angle of a photograph or in the shape of a pendant. In humble materi-als and humble design. Still waters run deep, like a quiet farming village between Wakasa and Kyoto. At the end of the day, he’s just a guy that wants you to see his work And reblog... often.Interview and Words by Anissa Taylor


“

ANISSA TAYLOR: Tell us a little about yourself and how you began designing jewelry?TERUYOSHI YAMAMOTO: My name is Teruyoshi Yamamoto. I am a jewelry designer who was born in 1977 and am living in Japan. I have started to make self-taught silver jewelries after I begun to learn graphic design at a university. Then after graduated from university, I entered an-other school which I could learn jewelry production expertly and became a professional jewelry designer.

TAYLOR: What does FanFan la Tulipe stand for?YAMAMOTO: It was named after the movie called “fanfan la tulipe”. The movie is taken place in the Middle Ages and it is about a womanizer knight who is trying to climb up his way to success. I named it for simple admiration for the main character, Fanfan. I didn’t care so much about the vision of this movie (though I did get inspirations from the movie here and there).

TAYLOR: Describe your personal style and how it translates to FanFan la Tulipe?YAMAMOTO: My personal style doesn’t have any boundaries. I some-times like “mode” and edgy style and sometimes I wear casual fashion. However, I bet I don’t look like an average guy (who works in the offices). If I were to relate to someone, I would say I am like Alexander McQueen.Jewelry designs of fanfan la tulipe are inspired from the inner part of me and it doesn’t really relate to my preference in appearance. I value more in inner self than appearance when it comes to designing the jewelry for fanfan la tulipe.

TAYLOR: What materials do you like do use most often and why?YAMAMOTO: I like silver as material. I think silver is the metal that can express emotions the best. I love the way it shines and how it gets scratched and how it becomes dark. Also, I value the idea more than ma-terial. It is the same thing as expensive paints doesn’t guarantee exquisite painting.

TAYLOR: Some of your pieces, like the Fusion Ring, have irregular shapes that embody “wabi-sabi” aesthetic; How do you come up with the design of such pieces?YAMAMOTO: Many of my design are the outcome of expression of emotions. I take a close look at what is in my heart and transform that shape of emotion to a piece of jewelry. I think emotions and feelings exist

like an air pressure in the heart. It is a sense that I change that air pressure of feelings to design. Also in Okazaki city, where my atelier is located, has a castle and many old buildings with long history. While I enjoy a quiet stroll through the town, I also like intense music such as Nine Inch Nails. Combinations of those different elements lead to the design of my jewelry.

TAYLOR: What is your favorite piece thus far? Tell us the story behind it.YAMAMOTO: My favorite is Skull Ring. I wear it almost every day. I have been painting skulls since I was in kindergarten (I know I wasn’t a regular kid) I have been creating many pieces of skull rings but this is my favorite of all.

TAYLOR: Who is your ideal client?YAMAMOTO: My ideal client would be somebody who will cherish my jewelry for a long time. I don’t care who that person is from in the world but I wish that my jewelry would handed down from parent to child. Anyway, somebody who can love my jewelry would be my ideal client.

TAYLOR: What do you love most about Japan and how does it relate to the way you design?YAMAMOTO: There are many elegant things in Japan. For example, I sense elegance in old buildings, nature, art works, and mode of behavior. I always try to reflect such Japanese gracefulness into my jewelry design.

TAYLOR: You’re very active on Tumblr. Along with photos of your jew-elry you also post photos of your everyday surroundings. What mood do you try to evoke when you photograph?YAMAMOTO: I enjoy every day of my life. If I see beautiful thing, I simply be amazed by the beauty of it and when I see something sad, I just simply shed tears. I photograph the moment when I feel some emotions. It is not that I only take pictures of particularly special moments. I think that special moments in human’s life are just a few. Isn’t it better to cher-ish those regular moments as much as very special moments? I post those photograph to Tumblr as an evidence of me living life fully.

TAYLOR: What are your aspirations for the future of FanFan la Tulipe?YAMAMOTO: My future goal is to introduce to people in the world the jewelry of fanfan la tulipe. I want as many people as possible to enjoy them. I make jewelry while imagining the people enjoying themselves with my pieces. Also another goal is to design for Tiffany!•

Many of my design are the outcome of expression of emotions. I take a close look at what is in my heart and transform that shape of emotion to a piece of jewelry. I think emotions and feelings exist like an air pressure in the heart. It is a sense that I change that air pressure of feelings to design.

“TulipeBangle

SkullRing

LovePendant


SAMANTHA PLASENCIA: AGENT PROVOCATUERS

he’s got a sweet face, but baby, the kitten has claws. Armed with razor sharp attention to detail, Samantha Plasencia is scratching out a name for herself in the realm of avant-guard fashion. Alien queens and shadowy super-heroines strut ferociously through runway shows and photo shoots. A delicious clusterfuck of sexy, tribal, post-apocalyptic hedonism. But with and eye such as hers, it’s never just that. It’s algebra. Having father who custom painted cars, divided by being from a small town in Texas, minus a sewing machine, minus fabric, multiplied by endless imagination, Samantha has managed to create wearable geometry that’s modern with out being overtly futuristic.

And still, there’s something unmistakably, refreshingly, old fashioned. Reserved and disciplined. Something corseted and stitched to perfec-tion. Somethig slaved over. Something constructed with precision and patience. Paper dresses, high collars, and latex... Oh, my.

Words and Interview by Anissa TaylorPhotography by Michael Mapa


ANISSA TAYLOR: The one that people know, if anything, about Texas, is that everything is bigger in Texas. How does Texas influence your de-signing eye?SAMANTHA PLASENCIA: Well ever since I’ve been a kid my dad was always helping me with my school projects, pretty much anything that had to do with being creative. He was always going above and beyond what was asked. I remember being in first grade and the assignment was to make a shape out of food. Just an ordinary shape on a regular 9X11 piece of paper. Instead of just being that, I walked in class with a huge macaroni heart on a three foot piece of cardboard, hence macaroni and tomato sauce was my favorite meal at the time. My dad has influenced my design eye in always going above and beyond the ordinary, even if that meant people liking or disliking it. One time we even made a robot out of toilet paper rolls. He made something out of nothing is what I like to call it. It went from starting by working on cars to me ripping and painting my clothes because we couldn’t afford a machine at the time. “Go big or go home” my fiance always says. Texas has always been a creative place for me because it’s all I’ve ever known. TAYLOR: Paint us a scene of a typical design day for you.PLASENCIA: A typical design day for me is just being at home planning on what to do for the project at hand. I start off by finding what materials or fabric will be used before I know what I’m going to make. I have a huge sketch pad where I come up with a few ideas and make any notes on or suggestions. I lay my carboard cutting mat on the floor of my living room to cut my fabrics out.I dont have a studio so everything is done at my aparment and sewn in the nook of the apartment(a tiny corner that fits my sewing machine and serger). I listen to some Placebo or Emery to get me in what I call my “design mode”. What I normally started with as a design always changes by the time I’m done, which I enjoy. TAYLOR: You went to a school called The University of the Incarnate word, which sounds like quite a place to study design. How was your ex-perience there?PLASENCIA: My experience was a really good one. I got the basic train-ing and skills needed to make it in the real world. Many of the professors are a bit older and have different perspectives on fashion so it was fun having to tell them i wanted to use chain in my designs. I had never sewn in my life, let alone thread a machine. At the end of my time there the students are required to do a small collection and shown in front of many. We started with about sixty students in the design program and ended up with sixteen showing. I won fist place in construction which was a big deal to me considering I hadnt been sewing nearly as long as the others. I share this story with alot of people just because I feel if you really want something you’ll do whatever it takes to get you there. Truly coming from nothing to something. TAYLOR: As a child of the Catholic school system, I know that even if you aren’t Catholic, the atmosphere can affect you in a good way. What did you learn there that you still carry with you?PLASENCIA: Many of the student that went to Incarnate Word aren’t catholic, including myself. You are also required to take a certain amount of hours in religion which is neat because it is all kinds of them not just one. I leanrned alot by taking biblical themes and latino spirituality. It opened my eyes to different prospectives which i’ll never forget. AT: What is your personal style like?PLASENCIA: My personal style is normal, well to me. I work as a visual stylist which has me moving fixtures, setting up events so normally at work I dress like a boy. Comfy and in my sneakers. I even wear my fiance’s plaid button ups with jeans and my chucks. We all know going out is dif-ferent from what you wear on a regular basis and I’m a sucker for awesome shoes. I enjoy dressing up occasionally when going out but still have an edge to what I wear because that’s what I’m known for. As a designer I like to be different and inspire others to be different as well. TAYLOR: If you had endless funds and possibility, how would you dress? What designers would be the beeline for you?

PLASENCIA: With endless funds I would be in Alexander McQueen every single day. He has casual wear which is his MCQ line and couture line for those show stopping nights. I also love Brunello Cucinelli. The style is alot of layering with basic shilouettes giving you that grunge look but still with a fashion forward look. I have always been a fan of Burberry coats. They have such great construction and detail that will last you for-ever. Shoes on the other hand would be a never ending list. TAYLOR: At first glance you look like the girl next, but we all know its not best to judge a book by its cover. How did you get into avant garde fetish wear?PLASENCIA: I think that I’m your typical girl next door. I like doing pretty much anything and everything from doing archery to playing video games. Im a competitive person and always up for a challenge. One of my favorite things to do is rollerskating. Ive even got asked to be on a derby team but that scared the crap out of me so i had to pass on that. I’m a pretty tough person but those girls are scary! Besides, they pretty much told me that I’d be the little piece of meat the other girls are trying to get. No thank you, I’ll stick to my triple axles and jam skating haha. You would never guess that my favorite type of design is avant garde fetish wear. I love designing things that people don’t normally see on an everyday basis. Its sexy, creative, and shows a dark side but still being fashion foward. I was considered an avant garde designer by Auxiliary Magazine and am happy thats where I stand. TAYLOR: The one thing that put you on everybody’s radar is your ori-gami pieces. When one thinks of origami they probably think of poorly crafted paper cranes, but you see a fashion opportunity. How did you come to work with paper?PLASENCIA: This was actually a while back when I was going to work with Jade Noir which does many of my photos now. Her work is very dark with that fashion foward edge which is everything i love. I decided that I wanted to something that she had never seen before and something that I knew would turn heads. I wanted to so make something edgy that had texture. The overall outcome was beyond amazing and gave me that push that I needed to get the ball rolling. I recieved much great feed back and emails wondering when they could get their hands on one of these pieces. I even got to make one for my mannequin at work in Neimans which was really neat and shocked everyone. I want to make fashion with anything i can get my hands into and show that it can be done in a very appealing way. TAYLOR: I’m a really big fan of dramatic accessories and you make quite a few collars. What is it about this particular accessory that catches your attention? Where does this interest come from?PLASENCIA: I love elongating the neck and its dramatic look when styling the right way. Something about restraining the neck and having that perfect posture makes the look mysterious and the model stunning. This is one of my most requested items from most models. Another good thing is that i do not use harsh boning as some do in neck corsets which can be very dangerous if not worn properly. By not using the boning the model has more movement while still giving that perfect long neck look. TAYLOR: What’s on Samantha’s plate next and what do you hope to achieve in the new year?PLASENCIA: I have so many girls asking for a site to buy garments and accessories. I really hope to have a pay site up where anyone is able to buy my work. I would like to do more pieces on a regular basis more so than a made to order garments. Id also like to set up a studio/work room with better machines and equipment for more heavy duty projects. My work will also be on a VH1 show for a previous jersey shore cast member. This will feature more ready to wear and show that I’m capable of making a wide range of different clothing for different clients. This year will be a very busy one with also planning my wedding. The big question people are asking is if I’m going to make my own dress. This year has kept me busy and has only been filled with wonderful things. My fiance and son (Sebas-tian, my french bulldog) always stand behind me and keep me motivated. •

butterfly(蝶)

Photography Dalton Louis






Make Up & Hair: Samantha Marie CloseWardrobe Stylist: Candice Nelson

Clothing: FactoryAccessories: ANH Vintage Jewelry Contstrukt

Underwear: Models ownModel: Claudia @Click Model Management



bendto

willDESIGNER SAMANTHA PLASENCIA TURNS ORIGAMI ART

INTO WEARABLE MASTERPIECES

Photography Jennifer Crowders

(意志を曲げる)




52 | Prysm Magazine Summe5 2012


Model Haley CookWardrobe Samantha PlasenciaMakekup Artist Brandy DuVall

Hairstylist Johnny Serafin

Any teacher or mentor worth their salt will tell you the key to happy work is to do what makes you happy. But we tend to take that at face value and setting for getting a job that makes you happy. The real secret is to take what you love and make it work for you. La Carmina loves cool

things from Japan. Now, it’s her job to know what’s cool in Japan! We don’t know about you, but, that’s pretty damn cool. This Vancouver native is no mere observer of what’s happening in the streets. She experiences cool Japan, guerrilla style. With a roving band of “cool hunters” she has dubs ‘The Pirates’, she gets down in the dregs and hangs back with the brutes. Glorified party girl? Nay. She puts in work. Degrees from Colum-bia University and Yale Law School, she regularly writes articles for major publications such as The Washington Post and the New Yorker. That not enough? She’s a TV host, blogger, and the author of 3 books, making her first book deal sans agent. If there’s anything we love more than a person being themselves, it would be wanting to do something and making it happen by doing it yourself. There’s a million ways to be cool, but there’s only one way to be successful... hustle!Interview and Words by Anissa TaylorPhotography by La Carmina

celeb: la carmina


Girl On Fire


愛好家の軍隊army of lovers......ANISSA TAYLOR: It’s so easy to ask questions like, “What do you love about J-pop culture” but what we’d really like to know is what made it stick? What are “the little things” that kinda cinched the whole scene for you?LA CARMINA: Coming from an Asian family background, I was always immersed in “kawaii” cute design and pop culture. I admit that as a child, I was a rabid Hello Kitty fan (and remain one today!) In my early teens, I visited Harajuku and my mind was blown open by the vibrant street fashion and culture - Jrock, Goth Lolita, Punk. These were the initial coffin-cute sparks that led to where I am to-day. I continue to be fascinated by the link between the alternative fashion, music and subcultures.

TAYLOR: You describe your sense of style as “Morticia Adams meets Hello Kitty”. Would you kindly give us a little taste and de-scribe an outfit befitting such a creature?CARMINA: Industrial stomper boots, frilled skirts, corsets, lace fans and parasols, big hair bows… styled with cuteness and deca-dence. Layers of eyelashes and sparkly nail art are a must.

TAYLOR: And how did you get your name? It’s fabulous. A little East LA chola; a little Celia Cruz... CARMINA: La Carmina” is derived from my real name (Carmen), and a tribute to La Camilla (Army of Lovers), La Carlotta (Phan-tom of the Opera) and La Casati (eccentric 1920s heiress who at-tended parties with two leashed cheetahs). It’s also a tip of the hat to the dramatic intro music of Carmina Burana.

TAYLOR: Your Scottish Fold, Basil Farrow (who has his own blog), seem content to indulge your human whims. How did your love affair begin?CARMINA: My Scottish Fold cat, Basil Farrow (http://www.basilfarrow.com), is a mix of Garfield, a baby lion and a teddy bear. This cutie originally lived with “Rosemary’s Baby” actress Mia Far-row, but through a series of uncanny events, he came into my life. Basil is a total charmer. He has thousands of Facebook friends, was featured on Animal Planet’s Cats 101 TV show, and is a main char-acter in my book Cute Yummy Time. He continues to be my biggest inspiration today.

TAYLOR: One of your latest blog posts mentioned that you stayed at the Yotel, a spaced-themed hotel in New York, during Fashion Week. Please tell us it was amazing as it sounds. CARMINA: Yotel is a space-futuristic-themed hotel near Times Square NYC, with purple glowing lights and a robot in the lobby. They sponsored my stay during New York Fashion Week. I shot a hilarious video there with my partner in crime Yukiro, and Mat Devine of the band Kill Hannah. I can’t wait to show you our alien adventure; please add my “lacarmina” YouTube channel so you won’t miss it.

TAYLOR: You attended the Concept Korea show while you were there. Who were the standout stars and what pieces did you want to take home?CARMINA: I saw many Lincoln Center runway shows during New York Fashion Week, and Concept Korea was a highlight. I loved the angular, structured jackets. But I have to say the male models were the standouts!

TAYLOR: Have you thought about doing a full-on fashion line?CARMINA: I’ve collaborated with a number of jewelry and Goth-ic/Japan clothing brands, on La Carmina collections. Running a full-on line requires committing all my waking hours, and I’d rather

not spread myself too thin. I’d love to keep doing fashion partner-ships instead, so I can focus on the design and modeling, and have the company take care of production and sales.

TAYLOR: If you were going to, what would you like your runway show to look like? Take yourself there for a minute.CARMINA: With unlimited resources, I could envision feathered trailing gowns, and elaborate graveyard prints on silk.

TAYLOR: Being of Chinese heritage; do you follow C-Pop cul-ture? How does their scene differ from Japan’s? How does their scene differ from Japan’s?CARMINA: My family is from Hong Kong, which is very differ-ent culturally from the rest of China. In Hong Kong, the pop cul-ture and fashion have a lot in common with Japan’s. Cute characters and fashion-forward garments are omnipresent. In Hong Kong, however, there is basically no Goth/Punk alternative scene, while Japan has a small but strong one.

TAYLOR: What is it like writing and corresponding for news and media institutions like the Huffington Post and CNN?CARMINA: I’m lucky to work with an editor who “gets” it, and supports the perspective I bring to my journalism. I’m grateful for the chance to write about alternative cultures in a positive way. I also hosted and wrote a “coolhunting” travel video series for Huff-ington Post / AOL, where I scouted out bizarre places in Wisconsin -- such as a cheese castle and retro love hotel!

TAYLOR: Do you feel like doing so has given validation to this world that straddles the line between something seemingly “low-brow” as alt-culture and vaguely “high brow” as the fashion indus-try?CARMINA: I haven’t dwelled on this, since the reception to my work is beyond my control. I focus on creating: I wear what I want, and do what I do. Funny enough, I’ve found supporters of my un-derground lifestyle in the most unlikely of places: TV shows (Travel Channel, Food Network), and international fashion weeks.

TAYLOR: La Carmina and the Pirates is your coolhunting firm, which sounds like any alt-culture denizen’s wet dream slash dream job. How did a job like this come about for you and your crew?CARMINA: My “First Mate” Naomi Rubin and I started a TV fixing, hosting and coolhunting firm, called “La Carmina & The Pirates.” (http://www.lacarmina.com/pirates) We kept getting gigs via my blog and TV appearances, and decided it made sense to start a company. Our services include making arrangements for TV and film crews that wish to shoot in Japan and worldwide (clients include CNN, NHK, Travel Channel, Canal Plus, Discovery, Na-tional Geographic.) We also consult on youth trends and subcul-tures, create tours for visitors to Tokyo, and help businesses make connections with Japanese companies.

TAYLOR: Tell us a little about Hope Japan and your collaboration with Sebastiano Serafini. CARMINA: I recently released two design collaborations to ben-efit Japan: a HOPE benefit t-shirt with Like Atmosphere, and a panda bear necklace with Soho Hearts. Both are for sale here(http://www.lacarmina.com/main.php), with funds going to the Japan earthquake and tsunami victims. These charity collections aremeaningful to me because they’re an artistic response to the disas-ter; a way to raise awareness and rebuild.

TAYLOR: You also have a LA CARMINA x TANK9 x MARY

56 | Prysm Magazine Spring 2012

c

celeb: la carmina


NINE x GPKISM Industrial dance video helping to raise aware-ness for Japan, on the 1 year anniversary of the Tsunami and Earthquake disaster. How did that project come about?CARMINA: On the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami (March 11), I teamed up with two amazing Industrial dancers, tank9 and Mary Nine. We filmed a dance video in Seattle, for Rid-ley Scott’s “Japan in a Day” project. Our footage captures the im-mense positivity and energy of youths teaming up for an important cause. The song, “Iudicium” was provided by GPKism -- we wanted to support this Japanese Industrial Goth band, put on hiatus be-cause of the disaster.

TAYLOR: Could you call Japan as your “spiritual home’?CARMINA: I love Japan; it’s one of my favorite places on Earth, and home to some of my closest friends. But I don’t want to limit my focus to one place. I’m fascinated by underground/dark culture worldwide, and would love to keep traveling to experience it for myself.

TAYLOR: What words of wisdom might you have for others hop-ing to seek their fortune with Japan in mind?CARMINA: When I started my blog, I had no intention of hav-ing Japan be such a large part of my life. You never know where a path will lead, so I’d advise people to continuously launch projects and collaborate with great people… get off your feet, do something and see where it goes! If you’re intent on being based in Japan, I recommend learning the language to the best of your ability, and spend as much time there as you can, immersing yourself in the culture and people.

TAYLOR: La Carmina sounds like an empire in the making. Where do you want to be in 5 years? In ten?CARMINA: There’s an endless list of creative work I’d love to tack-le, and places I must visit. As technology changes, my goals will as well. Fingers crossed that I’ll host the very first intergalactic travel TV show! In the meantime, I’ll continue doing TV show hosting, travel, and creative underground ventures with my friends. I hope you’ll stay tuned to my site, to see our latest adventures.•

“When I started my blog, I had no intention of having Japan be such a large part of my life. You never know

where a path will lead.....”}}


music


美術文化Jamias VuYumiko Kayukawa

Kyoko Soya


arts & culture


George Leonard, writer and creator of “The Samurai Game” wrote the code of the Modern-Day Samu-rai. It is 12 short, yet strong rules that one must live by in order to remain as those that came before

them. The following is a condensed version: “The Modern Samurai honors the traditional samurai virtues: loyalty, integrity, dignity, courtesy, courage,

prudence, and benevolence. The Modern Samurai pursues self-mastery through will, patience, and diligent practice. The Modern Samurai respects and values the human individual and the entire web of life on this planet. To serve others is of the highest good. To freely give and accept nourishment from life is the warrior’s challenge.The Modern Samurai seeks the inner freedom that comes from the study of art, culture, and the wisdom of the ages. The Modern Samurai

aims to achieve control and act with abandon. The Modern Samurai is willing to take calculated risks to realize his or her potential and further the common good.”

There are none to many people in this modern day world that strive to have a hold on values such as these. Those that do usually do not place themselves in a public position where they are left for interpretation. Artist and Photographer Jamais Vu (a term in psychology from the French, meaning “never seen”, which is used to

describe any familiar situation which is not recognized by the observer, or more commonly explained as when a person momentarily does not recognize a word, person, or place that they already know.) has managed to do

both, and to do them both well.

Interview and Words by Lasha LanePhotography by David Jung

MODERNDAY

SAMURAI


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作成するには、征服することですto create is to conquer....J

amias lives very much of his life in the way of a Samurai warrior. He upholds the light while respecting the dark. He celebrates strength and portrays courage to be an unapologetic you. He produces art inspired by the lives of those that inspire him. Dancers, activists, designers and

the occasional mermaid. This work isn’t “art for art’s sake”. These works have showcased art that has very significant cultural value. Promoting as he puts it, “a positive dream vibe in your own conscious state. Sure, it’s art, but it’s progressive, you know?’ Convention is not a word reserved in the artistic vocabulary that this artist uses.

LASHA LANE: The meaning of your name is French for “never seen”. Can you tell me how you came to be known as Jamais Vu?JAMIAS VU: I had the name given to me kind of by accident. I went by Jamie for years and I had a French cinematographer teacher and she heard that I was a DJ under DJ Vu, which was kind of a play on words too you know, ha, ha, ha, DJ Vu. So she was like oh so your like Jamais Vu, “never seen”. I looked up the meaning, the psychological profile of that, and I re-ally felt a connection to it, and I’ve used it ever since.

LANE: So what do you consider beautiful?VU: That is not an easy question either. Beauty is kind of a very subjective subject. What I find beautiful might not be beautiful to other people. So I tried to, in my work at least, to express even beauty I might not connect to. But you know it’s something that I can try to attain and understand. I can’t think of any specific examples. Sushi, that one’s pretty grotesque.

LANE: Yes.VU: This girl eating her own intestines with a pair of chop sticks. That’s something that’s not normally my vibe. You’ll see in the rest of my pic-tures; I’m not normally somebody that’s in your face, grotesque, kind of feel. But I felt like, you know what; there is some message here that con-nects, and in a way that picture is kind of beautiful. It’s just that that one’s more a little in your face and out of my comfort zone. I’m always trying to understand other people’s concept of beauty. And in return that might make me grow as a person and artist.

LANE: Excellent. Your mixture of Japanese Anime with a dark, more sinister aesthetic is just astonishing. What provoked that decision?VU: I just really like people who make costumes, and have that need to express themselves. So for a while there it was just hey you’ve got a re-ally cool costume, I would like to participate with you and make some photographic art of that. So that’s what it was for a while, and I’ve kind of moved on from that, but I still feel like it was really good for me to grow as a person. I needed other creative individuals and to work with them. So it wasn’t any “I love anime, and want to just shoot these pictures” kind of thing. I do enjoy anime. There are a lot of shows out there that present really good psychological profiles. You can learn a lot, especially about Japanese culture in those cartoons. I keep up on some of it, if it’s something that I find very influential. People are taking their time to draw all these frames and videos if you think about it. It is 30 frames per second of, of somebody drawing that. So I try to give it my full attention when I watch something like that because of how much effort’s gone into it. So, you know it’s, it’s just a combination of things.

LANE: When did you get interested in digital photography and digital art?VU: I’ve always had kind of a knack with cameras. My first love of pho-

tography was as a boy scout. I took the photography merit badge, and I had a blast with it. I had this teacher who did photography his whole life. That was his career, that’s what he did until he died. Even though it was only a two day course, it really like left an impression on. I didn’t go back to it though for another five years.So I was dating this girl who was really good at Photoshop, and the fact that she was so good at photoshop, I was like, you know what I want to be involved with this somehow. So I started taking club photos and just random photos of things. Eventually we broke up and I’m like, well what am I going to do now? I’ve got this level of quality that people expect out of my work, so I really sat down and started learning Photoshop. And it just progressed from there.

LANE: So this teacher, was he someone that eventually mentored you or did you look at him in that way?VU: He’s somebody who introduced me to photography. I really never thought about photography before then. It was never something I really set out to do. It wasn’t anything I was really interested in. I connected to it, but then, like I said, five years went by and I didn’t do any of it. I just kind of picked it up again as a hobby and eventually I just started feeling more and more connection to it and just ran with it.

LANE: What’s the most interesting thing that’s ever inspired you?VU: Oh goodness. You know what - every day is an inspiration. Everyday, I learn something new. I accomplish some new goal. I meet new people, find new things. It’s a never ending progress. You’re always bettering your-self if you put yourself in that state of mind. I did some interesting things on the smallest level will happen. I’ll take a wrong turn and then there’ll be this house with this metal sculpture yard. And I’m like “Wow I never knew that existed!” I would have never known it had existed if I hadn’t taken a wrong turn. And it’s just like things like that, like meeting Hannah Fraser. She’s a professional freaking mermaid! She goes and swims in the ocean with whales and stuff. And I meet her and it’s like “Wow, this person wants to work with me?! She is an inspiration.” It’s just things like that.

LANE: A professional mermaid?VU: Yeah a professional mermaid. www.hannahmermaid.com

LANE: Wow! Well, there have been times when artists have had an epiphany of something that drove them to begin creating art in their own unique way. Was there a pivotal moment that this happened to you, something that pushed you towards this art with your photography?VU: None in the least. Just a gradual progression from the desire to better myself.

LANE: When was your first published piece?VU: Published piece. I took a photo of my pug back when I was a kid, and got one of those stupid scams. They publish your photos, photo of the year contest. They select photos of a bunch of people. One of my pictures was picked for that and they put it in the book. That was the first published picture I had.

LANE: How’d you feel about that?VU: I got a big kick out of it. It was hilarious. I was too young....I didn’t realize what those books were and that they really, could do some money making scheme and stuff.

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“Skeleton Key”

“White Crow”

“Blue Jay”

“Dove”


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LANE: So the work that you’ve been doing - let’s just take your piece that was used in Dexter. How did that come about?VU: I ended up knowing the right people and the right place, the right time. They didn’t plan for a photographer in the show. So it was just get-ting around to the shooting time and they were trying to figure out oh what are we going to use for photography? We need something that some spooky fashion photographer would need. They tried using stock photos and they tried looking at a bunch of other photos. And one of the guys in the art department, somebody I had taken a photo of at a club years ago, kept up with my work after I got out of club photography. And he’s like, I know somebody. So I ended up getting on the show because somebody re-ally enjoyed the picture I took of them at a club, and they remembered me.

LANE: So the “Sushi” piece was used?.VU: They actually used about 30 different photos, but that’s the name that everybody remembers. It was the one that they had the crazy line to it, “even I’m offended by those”, or something like that.

LANE: What was the thinking process behind that self cannibalism type of image?VU: A lot of my stuff I leave open for interpretation. I have my own take on it, but I don’t like expressing that because I like to separate my ego from my work. So that one’s just there for people to make of it as it is. All my pictures are like that. Unless it’s obvious I have some political message I’m trying to send. There’s one picture, American Dream, I took to cre-ate the dream. I posted what I felt about it. That one I did add an Artist’s Statement. That one is so ambiguous, you could take that picture and you’d be like, man this America sucks! Everything is ruined. You still get some of that, but with my Artist’s Statement people go “Oh okay. He’s got a positive take on this even though it’s a very dark picture.” That was the exception to the rule! I don’t like forcing a person’s mind in a certain box.

LANE: Right.VU: I do that enough as it is and with the content that’s there. It’s so cool, sometimes hearing somebody’s take on something that you wouldn’t even know about. Somebody will come to me and be like, “You know I really like the spiritual connection you have with this photo.”, when I actually had no intent of any sort with that picture, and I think “Wow. I’m glad you took away something like that from it.”.

LANE: So you’re just glad when it invokes something out of others that you definitely would never have thought of ?VU: Exactly. Art is just an expression of trying to relate to other people. You don’t make art just for the hell of it. You can, but nobody’s ever going to look at it. Nobody’s going to care if you don’t want to connect to other people. I’m really moving in that kind of positive direction with my work. Trying to promote the women’s movement and political stuff because I really feel like art in the western world… there’s a saying I really like, it’s called “Le art pour l’art”. It means “art for art’s sake”, which is very much the western concept. It’s just making art for the heck of it you know, no real rhyme or reason. Which I feel is the exact wrong reason to be making art. I don’t mind to add a growing process, getting better at what you do, but I think art should have a significant value to society and help people better themselves. I want them to see images that give a good message.

LANE: Excellent outlook. You’ve worked with a variety of models, like Megan Keith and Cassidy Haley. What makes you choose the models that you do?VU: Lately, I choose people that inspire me. I want to choose people that I can respect and they do things that I really feel a connection to. Cassidy is all about promoting positive values and healing people. I don’t like just shooting agency models that have no purpose. A generic model, she’s a pretty person who is just standing there and doing what they do. I don’t have a connection. I want somebody who’s trying to accomplish something or generate some sort of positive attitude by what they do. A lot of people I shoot now are like dancers or circus performers or they make clothing like the model Scar, she makes all these wonderful hats. They’re phenomenal!

LANE: Do you see their characters in advance? Or was there a particular instance that you were with them inspired the character or shot?

VU: Every instance is different.

LANE: You were, you said, directly influenced by characters from Final Fantasy7 and 8 to create a tribute that included Vincent and Edea…VU: That was more about the person who made those costumes than the game itself. I love Final Fantasy 6, which is also known as Final Fantasy Three in the states. They really influenced me as a kid. I do like Seven, but not as much as Six. Six hit me at that point in my life that I was a kid and I was like, “Wow this is a great adventure story! This is amazing! I want to be like these characters in this game. So, a lot of that kind of stuff is how I’m influenced. I want it to be like magical, mystical. A lot of this started from how I see things in the real life. I’m always on these adventures, always having fun. I do this Tai Chi break dance. I wear these outfits, it’s hilarious. I think that people are too scared to be themselves a lot of the time. The things I’m shooting are people that aren’t scared to be themselves. I’m just representing them, and how I see them.

LANE: You mentioned your dance. I read recently you saying that you injured yourself. You were ‘broken and bruised”, how is that?VU: I am always pushing myself. You really just have to see my dancing to understand.

LANE: Where do you dance?VU: Wherever there’s good music.

LANE: Not in the, Goth/Industrial scene though? Something outside of that, correct?VU: Yeah. I wouldn’t place me in that scene too often.

LANE: Well that sometimes happens. People evolve and find out that there’s more to life than that.VU: I love the Goth/Industrial scene, but it is not all of me anymore. I’ll go back and visit and say hi. There’s some familiar faces, good friends, what have you. But I’m not just that person anymore. I’m not just a dark creepy person. A lot of my work looks creepy because I have a duality. I feel like you can’t have dark without light, so all my photos are on that vein. They’re kind of… edgy, I guess is the word for it. Like “Wow, that’s kind of creepy, but it’s kind of pretty” and “What is going on exactly there?” I want that question. I don’t want it to be straight up in your face, because I feel that last message isn’t as strong. A positive message that is just Care Bears and pillows, people are going to forget. I feel like positivity is something you work hard for, and by having an edge to my pictures, more people take away that positive vibe realize that, you know what, we got to do this together and we’ve got to stick together and make this happen.

LANE: That is very inspiring. What inspired your spiritual awakening?VU: It’s simply because I’ve become a more positive person. I’m a creative artist, and I had so much lack of structure in my life. I wanted to organize and figure things out. Have a set of rules I follow. So, I looked up all the different religions and cultures. I researched a lot in all different parts of the world and I really connected to the old laws of Samurai. Respect your family. Respect your friends. Behave. Show respect to everybody you talk to. I really feel that American society doesn’t promote that enough, in school and otherwise. So now I follow rules. It’s something I really think about on a daily basis. I think about the things I do and say and I try to make myself better, you know. I have a strong connection to many Asian cultures. I study them consistently. I’ve been reading Book of Five Rings by Samaria Miyamoto Musashi. It’s the book that he wrote based on expression of his strategy and you get a good sense of the Japanese culture. There’s such a strong military and secluded like background. Very structured. Very strict respectful kind of set up. It’s really interesting to study and relate to. Respect, is something I really like in my life. Good manners. You don’t find manners like that here in the States so much. So you go there and it’s like everybody goes out of their way to make sure you’re taken care of. So that’s one of the reasons why I like their culture so much and try to correlate to it more, because that is such a strong message that we should all take away from their culture. The Japanese have this group mentality. Like everybody means something to the greater whole. I think everybody should be thinking that way. It’s not just about me. It’s about what I can do for you, what you can do for me and what we can do together. It is just amazing.•

“I’m always trying to understand other people’s concept of beauty. And in return, that might make me grow as a person and artist.”} }

Summer 2012 Prysm Magazine | 65“Sushi”


arts & culture


YUMIKOKAYUKAWA:SHIZENI remember being thirteen years old and walking around in ripped jeans and scuffed boots. Fishnet shirts and too much black eyeliner; with my best friend during the summer months. Through fragrant wet grass and dusty sand to a little pond on the other side of a field in the back of our houses to catch frogs and let baby fish nip at our toes in the cool water. The sun beating down our backs and the smell of summer gliding in the air, as the grasshoppers hopped and the ants traveled in lines on the grey rocks that we sat on. Nature is an amazing thing. For artist Yumiko Kayuwaka, nature is the very foundation for the artwork that she crafts.Interview by Adaora Osimiri-LewisWords by Shanice Williams


arts & culture“S

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Born in the beautiful Naie Japan where wildlife is abundant and the milky way is visible after hours. Yumiko’s environment and her love of American pop-culture, film, and fashion play an important part in artwork and paintings. She uses a vast color palette and soft yet

dark hues very visible in pieces such as Ferryboat and Men’s Bath Women’s Bath. At 16 years old she made her debut with a manga titled “Mer-ry Christmas Children” which is such an outstanding accomplishment. Now residing in Seattle, Washington, she continues to paint and showcase her artwork through galleries inside the US and in places such as Europe. From paintings that really hit home like New World, which is about the eco-nomic crash in 2008 to more playful pieces like Flood and KAWAII MORI, her artwork is soft and comforting like a hot cup of tea after a rainy day, and as beautiful to admire as the nature from which she pulls her inspiration.

ADAORA OSIMIRI: You grew up in the small town of Naie in Hok-kaido, Japan. For someone who has not been there, what could they look forward to upon visiting such a beautiful city?YUMIKO KAYUKA: Unfortunately, Naie is shrinking. It used to be a coal town until 60’s. Now it’s a farming community by the mountains. I appreciate of that type of environment. When I was a child I cday, find small animals, insects, or play in a small rivers. I’ve never had to worried about bothering the neighbors. At night you could see the milky way. And I loved to hear the orchestra of grasshoppers and frogs. It’s something I miss. OSIMIRI: What was the “match that lit the fire” inside of you to spark the pursuance of becoming an artist?KAYUKAWA: I’m a passionate person. But my way to show it is in my art. Anything I see, hear or experience can create a painting in my mind. I think I love to show my “Pas-sion” to people and enjoy how they interact with it. I like to make people surprised.

OSIMIRI: Did your surroundings growing up play a large inspirational role that is pres-ent in your work today?KAYUKAWA: Absolutely. It’s my backbone. I still love the things I loved at age three.

OSIMIRI: At 16 years of age, you made your artistic debut with a Manga feature. At such a young age, that is an incredible accomplish-ment. What was the name of the Manga?KAYUKAWA: It called “Merry Christmas Children”. It was before the internet, so un-fortunately there are no samples of it online.

OSIMIRI: Knowing that your work would be seen by others, did you have any reserva-tions or nervousness of what others would think?KAYUKAWA: At the beginning I wasn’t nervous. But later people would comment about how sexy my girls looked. That wasn’t really my plan. I know that many young children come to my shows and I was afraid that the images were too much for them. After that I guess my style changed a bit.

OSIMIRI: Various animals seem to have a heavy presence within your artwork. What is the symbolism and reason behind it? Are they used to represent something in particular?KAYUKAWA: I love animals. It’s been my nature to draw/ painting them since I was little. I think people and animals always effect each other. The animals and girls together in my paintings are a symbol of the relationship between mankind and the wild. Because I am against keeping wild ani-mals as a pet or for an entertainment, my policy is stay back. My paintings are my love for them afar.

OSIMIRI: There is such an airiness and fluidity, and still such depth and power. To combine such styles can be a difficult task and could result in a work of art that misses the mark and is a cluster of confusion. And yet,

you bring these to the canvas with such a beautiful delivery that continues expressing itself even after completion. This seems like a feat that comes naturally for you.KAYUKAWA: Thank you, I am exited to hear that!

OSIMIRI: You use a vast color palette of vivid, soft and dark hues...es-pecially black and grey, which manages to speak through the other colors that are present without being overpowering. Would you agree?KAYUKAWA: I have never really thought about it. My ideas come from many directions. It’s just natural for me.

OSIMIRI: American Pop Culture, film and fashion seem to play a hand in your work....including rock music. What are some of your favorite things in these categories that play a role?KAYUKAWA: If I didn’t love American music or movies, my art would be very different. I am not aware about art that much, but Japanese and American subculture is very important to me. Not only listening to music or watching movies, I love to critique and discuss them. Also, learning and researching about subculture things. It filters through my work. Rock bands or movies were the keys for my fashion taste. I’ve never bought a fashion magazine until I was in my twenties. I always liked to dress like a

rock star or some movie hero.

OSIMIRI: Speaking of rock music, do you have a particular sub-genre/style that you favor? What are some you favorite artists or bands?KAYUKAWA: I love rockn’ roll or any kind of hair bands music from 60- 80s. I’m a big fan of Hanoi Rocks, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, etc. Also, I’m a big fan of Crazy Ken band from Japan.

OSIMIRI: Fusing two styles: traditional Japanese with a modern/contemporary touch to create such a unique style. Did you find this difficult to merge or were you look-ing for a challenge to stretch your artistic abilities?KAYUKAWA: It’s my natural style. Both are my backbone. I grew up in Japan but west-ern culture surrounds our lives. I’m a child of both cultures.

OSIMIRI: SHINSEKAI (New World) is such a perfect combination and play on de-struction and beauty. It is like “high fashion meets the apocalypse”. Was this the direc-tion you were going for or is there a story behind it?KAYUKAWA: The theme of the painting was dedicated to the world after the econom-ic crash in 2008.My message was my wish for the world to survive the hard times just like Japan did after WW2. I was frightened be-cause that earthquake/ Tsunami happened in

Japan the day before the show opening with that painting.

OSIMIRI: If you had to select a piece from your collection that best rep-resents you, which one would it be and why?KAYUKAWA: “Ookami – Wolf ” is. The girl is a symbol of my heart for animals. Because I have the policy that I won’t bother wild animals. That’s my way to love them.

OSIMIRI: The list of showcases that your work has been in is quite ex-tensive and extremely impressive...from here in the US to various parts of Europe. Is there a feeling of surrealism that hits you as you have come such a long way since the young age of 16 to now?KAYUKAWA: Well I’ve never thought I’ll make a living with my art. When I debut in Manga at the age of 16, I pinched my face. I still feel that way. My job is to introduce my work to the world. And I feel very lucky to have it. •

SOMICA SPRATLEY: What was your experience like filming on the set of Rika: The Zombie Killer?KYOKO SOYA: This movie was the first time for me to do SFX by my-self after becoming independent. I realized there were so many differences between being an internship and an artist. I could do everything I wanted for the movie. But I had to figure out how to do the makeup, get the ma-terials, and take responsibility for everything by myself.

SPRATLEY:Tell me a little bit about your studio Atelier Soya and how you came into having your work space.SOYA: Atelier SOYa is a group for beauty make-up, special effects make-up, suit making, prostethics, and more. I didn’t need to have such a huge studio space when I was independent, but I chose to have it because this castle makes me realize how important SFX is to me, and realize this is not just a hobby.

SPRATLEY: Walk me through the process of how you make one of your creations. Foam or silicone? Glitter or rhinestones?SOYA: Recently, I have been using silicone for my work, but I use every-thing I can, not only limited to traditional SFX materials.

SPRATLEY: Back to the beginning, how did you get started? Beauty? Special effects? Which was it that really got you moving?SOYA: I started as a beauty make up assistant. I’ve never went to profes-sional school. I couldn’t imagine that I would ever take a conventional job, so I tried that, and then I just continued to follow my heart.

SPRATLEY: What has been your most involved or challenging project?SOYA: In the movie “Deme King” I made a big monster puppet (3 meters tall) and animatronic effects for it. It was my first time trying this kind of SFX. My team couldn’t sleep for 3 months! It was such a tough project but also so exciting.

SPRATLEY: What artists have served to be your biggest influences andinspirations?

SOYA: Dick Smith, Rick Baker, of course Screaming MAD George!! When I watched Michel Jackson’s “Thriller” for the first time, I was dis-turbed psychologically like a physical jolt or shock.. and the movies I love the most are the ones Dick made.

SPRATLEY: With the way technology is moving and increased use of CGI in films, do you feel that us creators, will eventually be wiped off the planet?SOYA: I feel CGI is getting big in our film industry recently. The CG effects movies are surely amazing. They might be able to do everything we can do, but I think special effects makeup and CGI is both similar and dif-ferent. People can touch our makeup like it is real and actually feel it. But an SFX and CGI collaboration is the BEST combination ever.

SPARTLEY: What’s your take on the American remakes of cult horror films like The Grudge?SOYA: I love “The Ring”. There is a big difference between horror movies in the states and in Japan. American horror says that fear should cause a scream. Japanese horror, on the other hand, suggests that fear causes silence. This is a massive difference both in the audience and also in how movies are made.

SPRATLEY: What advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the industry or trying to improve their skills?SOYA: I didn’t go to a school for SFX makeup. I was just interested in it and did it by myself and looked for the place I could do SFX. If you want to get into this industry, just try it! Going to school or being an assistant... anything is ok to start. There is no specific path you need to follow... just keep going.

SPRATLEY: What are you working on right now & what’s next?SOYA: I am working a big project for a big jewelry brand to make a real size animal. I am so excited! I want to do as many interesting projects as I can.•


art & culture

KYOKO SOYA:DEATH BECOMES HERL

iving Dead Girl? No.....not that Rob Zombie record, but a chick actually making all things macabre and grotesque come to life. Kyoko Soya is on the rise to being a leading lady in the world of special makeup effects. Her work is clever, original, and quite frankly disgusting. But in the best

kind of way! Kyoko never wanted to be traditional and knew right on she had to follow her calling. Kyoko began as an assistant in the beauty field with no formal training. Then in 2006, she came into her own studio, Ate-lier Soya, based out of Tokyo, Japan. It embodies everything from runway editorials to body casting and prosthetics. In between traveling home back and to Los Angeles, she stills busy working on wounds, robots, & creature features. She strives to make her concepts “out of the box” and with grow-ing up on like iconic films like Beyond the Re-Animator, Dick Tracy, and Men In Black, her creativity will forever been expanding. Kyoko paints a clear picture on what she is doing, her view on technology, and her take on starting out in the industry. For those of you that love horror films, Rika: Zombie Killer is a true splatter-fest! This lady is wickedly talented and wicked and definitely on the brink of this unique kind of movie magic. I am definitely ready to see what Kyoko has in store next with all of her up-coming projects and films. My admiration for women carrying this work-load is beyond measure. So with that said, Kyoko Soya, please continue forth because “death is only the beginning.”Interview and Words by Somica Spratley


“There is a big difference between horror movies in the states and in Japan. American horror says that

fear should cause a scream. Japanese horror, on the other hand, suggests that fear causes silence.”

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arts & culture

When I heard the name “Neo Tokyo Fooding Bar- Mysterious”, I thought of a cute little anime style resturant that served little bento boxes of panda shaped food. It sounds like a cute little resturant or a “Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi show” song, huh? Upon

checking the place out, I found out it was not a comeback of the popular Cartoon Network tv show, but rather a cool resturant lo-cated in Shinjuku Japan and while it isn’t this Kawaii place filled with Panda ricey goodness, it definitely lives up to it’s creative name. The Neo Tokyo Fooding Bar- Mysterious is a little hole in the wall and I’m sure we can all agree that hole in the walls tend to be full of gems. They offer a lot of interest-ing food and drink with creative names such as “The Murcery” - a blue alcoholic beverage, as well as an array of drinks named after planets. Rich assortment of beer, sour, plum wine, shochu, whiskey, brandy and wine. Other cocktail names included the Sun, Moon, Uranus, Earth, Mars, Pluto, Jupiter, Neptune… Food with creative names such as “Starry Fries”, french fries cut into the shape of stars and served in this metal funnel type bowl and “Earth Salad” a salad constsiting of lettuce, star shapped tomatoes, and half shells of avocado, all wrapped up in this neat glass dome. or perhaps you are more of a desert fellow? They are praised for their Creme Brulee and variety of home-made japanese mayo sauces. Their “Nut parfait style of degree” featured on their website, is fried rice cake balls with chocolate sauce and dollops of cream adorned with sprinkle shapped stars. the portions are small but inexpensive so it balances out and their food is nothing short of a work of art, the contrast and creativity deserves nothing but praise; it’s as elegant as the stars themselves at night. Their food is a fusion of International inspired cusine and traditional Japanese. I thought the button you push to order the food was interesting. The atmosphere has been described as “dark yet cozy”, a space themed resturant with deep blue walls and bright purple lights. You eat your food on the floor in booths similar to rocket ships, and Women in Latex suits serve you when you are ready. There are a grand total of 78 seats with a maximum of 25 per booth. They have private drinking areas and even private couple areas for special dates nights, though they have to be reserved ahead of time. There are two separate menues, one with all Japanese and one with English, which is good for the traveler looking for a cool bite to eat. The average amount of money you spend is anywhere between 3500 yen - 2500 yen. Their slogan is “original cuisine feel

the near future” Don’t let the name fool you, the Neo Tokyo Bar is a mystery begging to be uncovered. If you find yourself wandering the streets of Shinjuku, go uncover the mystery.•

Photos courtesy of www.visitjapan.jpFor more , visit http://www.kitanokazoku.jp/mysterious/index.html

DINING AMONGSTTHE STARSthe mysterious neo tokyo fooding bar in shinjuku, japan delivers exrodinary cuisine while customers are treated a dark, astrology meeets tron atmosphere.Words by Shanice Williams



Cutting Edge: Fashion From Japan by Louise Mitchell, Akiko Fukai and Bonnie English(Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences) The fashion world is no stranger to extremes, pieces that only apply to the run-way or in dreams, creations that some would find “odd” or “far-fetched”. How-ever, to those that live and breath fashion - we call it brilliance and art. And the beautiful thing abou art is that is crosses and streams, borders and imaginations. In regards to the story of Japanese Fashion, while both brief and extraordinary, has been somewhat of a challenge for the Western world’s notions of fashion and aesthetics. Being a lover of all this extraordinary, I was elated to come across this book. Although this book has been out for sometime, it is a like a “holy grail” for fashion students, fashionistas or artistic mind who explore the fashion aesthetics that hit the runway in Japan and the various inspirations behind the design. The Cutting Edge includes the stories of several pioneers in Japanese Fashion: Hanae Mori, Kenzo Takada, the “Big 3”-- Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto, and the extrodinary work of a new generation of designers, that are staples at Fashion Week such as Junya Watanabe and Jun Takahashi. It is amazing to see how much various textiles, ancient tradition and technology play a criticak role in thier design aesthetic - shapes, textures, and even thier surroundings. The Cutting Edge is a glorious work of art that contains just that- beautiful works of wearable art with a intersting history and stories woven into each piece.—Adaora Osimiri-Lewis

Rating: aaaa

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music

“The Fake and the Fabuless”Ginger VIf North Atlanta, GA artist Ginger V made it his mission to set out to create a debut album that would reel you into a world of Vaudeville, love lost, gruesome imagery and electricity - then he has accomplished just that in leap and bounds. His debut “The Fake and The Fabuless” leaves you wanting more. Filled with notes of sadness, violence, and decadence, Ginger V manages to paint various pictures with strong lyrics, guitars, and a voice that reminiscent of Voltaire and Marilyn Manson. This is an album that no matter what style of music you normally listen to you will like and respect it. Un-like some albums that may become stale or boring after a few plays, this album is one that can be listened to repeatedly. The track “Death’s Head Romance” takes you on a musical roller coaster with its great lyrics and truly shows how great Ginger V voice is. The song “As To His Death” exudes such passion and emotion that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and send chills down your spine. “This is What We are Here For” has a dancey-vibe, but with harsh and darkly-infused lyrics and sound that manages to carry a slight homage to Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.—Matt LewisRating: aaaa

The album The Fake and the Fabuless is available now on iTunes

Prepared by MagCloud for Prysm Magazine. Get more at prysmmag.magcloud.com.

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PRYSM | ISSUE 2 - PRYSM LOVES JAPAN - LA CARMINA