Interview for ROKKYUU MAGAZINE

Crossing the BLACK LINE, Exclusive Interview

by Leela McMullen, Mio Nagasaki, posted May 4, 2012

Just who are BLACK LINE? ROKKYUU struck the gold mine in pop-culture and Western music reference in just thirty-minutes while simultaneously learning about the four members of this exciting new band, not to mention the concept behind their music.

ROKKYUU is always on the lookout for up and coming new bands but we keep a close eye out for those well-known artists gathering new projects, too. BLACK LINE is the perfect combination of these two finds: Mikaru (ex Dio Distraught Overlord) and Syu (a.k.a. Denka, ex Dio Distraught Overlord) are back in the game with some new players, Yudai and Jun. The band have yet to release their music but are performing regularly and ROKKYUU got the jump on them with an interview guaranteed to satisfy both the geek and the rocker inside.

69: First of all, please introduce each other in pairs.

Syu: Our guitarist Yudai is a guitar freak who loves Gundam and LUNA SEA.

Yudai: O-Syu-san [drums] is a strange person.

Syu: Very good!

Jun: Our vocalist, Mikaru-san…

Syu: [Laughs] Why so formal?

Jun: Oh, yeah. He’s mysterious. I don’t understand him at all.

Mikaru: Our bassist, Jun, is a man who is very sexy naked.

[All laugh]

69: If you were a character from a genre of your choice, who would you be and what roles would the other members fill? Let’s give you some

‘thinking time.’

Syu: Whatting time?

69: Thinking!

[All laugh]

Syu: Then… Disney. From Disneyland… I’d be Stitch, I think. An alien. [Points] Donald Duck. [Yudai] Winnie the Pooh. [Mikaru] Mickey Mouse. [Jun]

Jun: I’d have to be a movie or a manga, I think… Die Hard?

Syu: Try something major.

Jun: Major? … I need ‘thinking time.’

Yudai: A lot comes to mind. I have lots of ideas for Gundam, but right now I’m stuck on Slam Dunk.

Syu: Who am I?

Yudai: I haven’t thought about O-Syu-san but that guy [Mikaru] would be Rukawa.

Syu: What? Why?

Yudai: And this guy [Jun] would be Miyagi Ryota.

Jun: Who?

Yudai: Oh, don’t you know? Michi, then. How’s that? Hm……. Mikaru is Sazabi [Char's Counter-Attack].

Jun: Gundam?

Syu: It’s Gundam.

Yudai: O-Jun is cute, so Char’s Z-GOK. [Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Char's Counter-Attack]. O-Syu-san would be…

Syu: Zakurero.

Yudai: No, I already used Char. So, O-Syu-san is… Rick-Dias [Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam], I think.

Syu: I don’t know it. And you?

Yudai: I’m…Hyaku Shiki [Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam].

Mikaru: Here we go. Lord of the Rings.

[All exclaim and laugh.]

Mikaru: [Chuckles and points] Pippin! [Jun]

Jun: Who’s that?

Mikaru: Pippin! Frodo. [Syu] Gandalf. [Yudai] [Laughs] I’m… What’s his name? The boss.

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