[Yoake]

The team of C-K-Jpopnew's interviewed moumoon.

Hello, could you introduce yourself to our readers who don’t know you yet?

Yuka: Hello, I’m Yuka from moumoon! Our band’s name can be translated as “gentle moon”. We held our concerts on full moon days. Our music is like the moon, it has several forms that change over the days.

Masaki: moumoon is composed of Yuka who writes the lyrics & Masaki who composes the music. Our music mixes a lot of different styles, so listen to one song or two & you’ll understand.

How would you describe your music?

Yuka: By the easiest way: Japanese pop. Moumoon’s world is a bit like the chemical reaction if we were to mix on the one side an optimist vision of the world & on the other side an enchanting & slightly dark world.

Masaki: If we had to be based on the rhythm & melody, we would belong to several musical types, I think that this multiple aspect is very Japanese. So, to make it simple, we’re making Japanese pop.

How do the writing, arrangement & recording take place?

Yuka: Usually, Masaki composes a melody, he sends it to me & then I write the lyrics. However lately, we often write the melodies together. Afterwards, I create the lyrics, we try different arrangements, & since we are quite perfectionist, it takes some time. Some songs were born after almost 3 years.

Masaki: Yes, lately, we start the creation process together since the beginning. But, when I was still doing it alone, I used to take my guitar or sit down at the piano, and I used to play freely, to try other instruments, sometimes I even used to go for a little walk, letting the inspiration come until a melody took shape. Then, I used to talk with Yuka about different arrangements we could do. I think we have a creation process very resourceful, handy.

What are your influences?

Yuka: I think I’m most influenced by alternative rock.

Masaki: I listen to music from different countries, but what is of use to me to create music, is rock a bit retro & pop.

It’s the first time you hold a concert in France, are you nervous?

Yuka: Yes, my heart is beating very fast. Every night before going to bed, I think about how to do this concert.

Masaki: I’m split between excitation and stress: how do French hear our music? Will they like it? I’m still thinking a lot about what we’ll do. But, don’t misunderstand me, I really can’t wait!

Are you planning to come back in France to do a solo concert to satisfy your French/European fans?

Yuka: There is nothing planned after Tokyo Crazy Kawaii Paris, but yes I already really want to come back.

Masaki: Currently, there is no plan, but I hope we’ll be able to come back soon on the French stage!

Do you think that your arrival will incite other Japanese artists from your label avex trax to come in Europe?

Yuka : If by listening to us, moumoon, you are inspired to discover even more Japanese music, we would really be delighted. We’d really like that people like Japanese music even more!

Masaki: Yes & there are so many wonderful artists at Avex, it would be really great if they could come to Europe.

Which moumoon's song is the hardest to sing live?

Yuka: The hardest are our most recent songs. There are some parts with which we did not get accustomed to, and then there is more stress.

Masaki: The song « Hallelujah », it's a very powerful track, full of emotion. More than difficult, I would say that it's a song that brings a certain satisfaction when it's played.

What are your future projects? Is there a single scheduled for this year?

Yuka: Currently, we are working on a new album.

Masaki: We are creating & improving a lot of songs. Moreover, we collaborated recently with Disney & we are recording songs for ads in Japan.

Do you have something to say to our French readers?

Yuka: France is my favourite country! The « mou » in moumoon is a French word, that’s saying how much we love France! That's why I would like to discover France & I would like that French discover moumoon too. Our songs bring this little warmth inside, this fullness. Each month, we hold a concert for the full moon which is streamed live on Ustream, so you can watch it peacefully from your computer. And when you’ll look at the moon, think of moumoon! I really can't wait to see you for our concert!

Masaki: Hello everybody! We’re doing our best to bring you a bit of gentleness with our songs. They met several kinds of music, there is rock, electro, ballads, & many others. We are really glad to be able to come in France & perform in front of you, so, everyone is welcome to listen to us!

Source

A BIG THANKS to Linoa62@AHS for helping me about the translation. ^^