Astan, October 2005
translated by Geisha

In the first part of this interview we heard a lot about Mana’s preferences and inclinations. Part two is a bit more respectable. In the meantime, Juka has left Moi dix Mois and, despite being asked repeatedly, Mana would unfortunately not comment on this subject. Therefore it will probably take some time until the new Moi dix Mois album is released. The DVD with excerpts from this spring’s European tour should make the waiting more bearable for the well-disposed Moi dix Mois fan.

When will the new Moi dix Mois album be released?
Mana: I’m currently composing new songs. Since there are more guitarists in the band, I’m now composing for “twin guitars”. I hope to create a new style/sound for Moi dix Mois. Once this has been done to my satisfaction, I will release a new album. Please look forward to it.

At the Japan Expo in Paris you said you were looking for new acts for Midi:Nette. Have you found someone exciting already?
Mana: On the occasion of the Japan Expo, I received a demo tape from a French Visual Kei band. It sounded very interesting and it prompted me to intensify the search. Of course, French Visual Kei can barely be found in Japan. If someone is interested in working with me, they should send me a demo. I’m happy to support interesting and good artists.

Has Mana got preferences in terms of the artists’ nationality?
Mana: I’m not interested in an artist’s nationality. I’m interested in an artist’s music. Perhaps their appearance – their look. But not a person’s nationality.

Mana’s first concert?
Mana: I performed on stage for the first time during high school.

What has to happen to make Mana flip completely?
Mana: It is always good to stay calm and composed. Also, I wouldn’t reveal such a secret. It could prompt someone to provoke me.

Is there a connection between your way of dressing and the music?
Mana: It is a possible way of giving my musical perception/ideas a physical shape. You could say the same about my makeup. I want people to experience my emotions through several senses at the same time. Experience my world through the senses of seeing and hearing.

What exactly is Moi dix Mois and what roles do the band members have?
Mana: I write the music. I write the lyrics. I produce Moi dix Mois. Tohru, who is on drums, is a “mood maker”. He is responsible for making everything sound harmonious. Juka (who since left the band) is an innocent boy. K, our guitarist and support singer is wild and aggressive. They are all independent and very interesting personalities, every one of them. It is my task, amongst others, to bring these different characters together and to unify them.

How was the concert in Germany? Had Mana been to Germany before and does he want to come back?
Mana: I had been to Berlin before. The concert was a very beautiful experience and the German fans were great. If and when I will return to Germany I cannot say at the moment but I don’t think that the concert will be a one-off experience.

What does a musician have to bring along to become an accepted member of Moi dix Mois?
Mana: Such a person has to understand what I’m trying to express with Moi dix Mois. Such a person has to be prepared to share my world with me. That’s the most important point. This person should also be curious and inquisitive. Such a person mustn’t be a herd animal under any circumstances. Personality is important to me.

Why did Mana decide on women’s clothing and not dark men’s clothing?
Mana: I wanted to create a new style. I want to express the female beauty through my male being. Men’s clothing leaves less room [for experimentation] than women’s clothing. For a stylist women’s clothing is much more experimental and expressive – simply more exciting.

Which three things go with you to the famous island?
Mana: A sharp knife, a soft pillow and a full length mirror.

What is Visual Kei?
Mana: The sinister – the visual, whose subject is the world’s beauty and mystery.

Will a Moi dix Mois album be released on the European market?
Mana: Perhaps in a special limited edition. I haven’t decided on it yet but the thought is of course tempting. For that I need partners who I trust and who live up to my standards.

What does Mana think about the problem of illegal downloading from the internet?
Mana: Moi dix Mois is not exclusively about music. The visual aspect is very important and very decisive for Moi dix Mois. I think the people who like Moi dix Mois also share our very own world with us. That’s a feeling – a connection. It is not only about sound for us but also about a form of visual expression. You cannot download that.

Steff