ALTIMA are a digital J-pop group widely known for making the Shakugan no Shana ED. They are:
- Maon Kurosaki – vocals – a self-described anime otaku
- Mototaka “Motsu” Segawa – rapper – loves US dance/house music
- Satoshi “Sat” Yaginuma – sound production; instrumentals
Motsu, you put the band together. Could you tell us why you felt compelled to work with these artists?
Motsu – At first . . . ? I love J-pop – and my old band, m.o.v.e., starting doing less digital J-pop. I found on YouTube that I could do digital J-pop with Sat, and we just needed a vocalist who was into it. We found her, and we were set!
Any funny or inspiring stories from the road?
Maon – In Thailand and in HK, the crowd had memorized the songs and sang with us! I felt that music connects us, even across distance, borders, and cultures.
Motsu – I love how loud the fans get in the US! It’s the best feeling, being cheered on like that.
Sat – We visited many places for the music videos and had a lot of experiences. It’s a real honor to be in the US.
You are each from different musical traditions. What is the concept of ALTIMA?
Sat – What we aim at is digital J-pop. I don’t know if you’d say digital pop exists elsewhere in the world, but digital J-pop is exactly what we want to do.
What artists inspired you?
Sat – Motsu~! (Grins across.)
Motsu – (Laughs.) (Pauses.) For me, as a rapper . . . Beastie Boys, 2Unlimited, house music . . .
Sat – Run DMC, Walk this Way!
Maon – For me, actually, a lot of anime artists! Minami Kuribayashi, Mizuki Nana, JAM Project – I found this style of music most interesting and I want to tell the world how wonderful it is!
Sat – I also manage FripSide . . . we were successful and I had the chance to work with Omura Tetsuya. I said, “I did it!” It really felt like a milestone in my life.
Maon – I also really respect Hamasaki Ayumi.
Sat – Hey Motsu – you’re in the same company as her, aren’t you? (laughter)
How do you deal with creative differences?
Motsu – Janken! (laughter)
Maon – Jan! Ken! Pon! (makes hand motions)
[Editor’s note: This is Rock, Paper, Scissors, which is ubiquitous in Japan.]
Sat – Seriously, though, we’re all in different age groups – 20s, 30s, 40s. We don’t really argue and we have no problem talking things over.
What are the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your music careers?
Motsu – Starting up this group, actually. Three years ago, not everyone was sold on this idea. We faced a lot of opposition. It was worth it though – we’re here now!
Sat – I likewise feel the greatest challenge was putting this group together. But I was a huge fan of Motsu already, so I knew I wanted to work with him!
Motsu – (Embarrassed) Oh, thank you. Thank you.
Maon – My own greatest challenge? Actually, it was stepping up and singing! I am really the introverted type; I love being inside playing dating simulation games, but when I discovered the world of anime music, I became passionate about sharing it with everyone. So stepping into the light was my biggest challenge.
You mentioned that Run DMC influenced you. Is there any chance we’ll see a Run DMC cover some time?
Motsu – Yes. Come to our concert tonight!
What’s your favorite swear word?
Maon – English or Japanese?
Motsu – Jikusho!
Bonus question: Where’d you get your shades? They’re very distinctive.
Motsu – It’s my own brand! Ghetto Blaster. So we could say I made them myself.
You move so fluidly! Did you have dance training, Motsu?
Motsu – I started out as a dancer.
Do you have a message for your US fans?
Motsu – You guys give us huge greetings when we come to the US. It’s great to have you cheering us on!
Sat – As the producer, let me say – we try for an unconventional style. I really want to see how fans react to it!
Maon – Even in Japan, it’s a rare opportunity to do everything raw. Here in the US, it’s an especially rare opportunity to bring you our raw sound, our raw voices . . . I’m looking forward to it!
Sat – I really hope we can spread exposure across the country to those who are looking for our sound. So I hope you guys can write good articles and convey our spirit to the world!
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