Ave Mujica, the truth behind the mysterious heavy sound The true image of the ensemble created by five talented people[Interview Part 1]| ORICON NEWS

Next generation girls band project “BanG Dream! Ave Mujica, a real band born from “BanG Dream!”, released their first CD mini-album “Alea jacta est” on the 13th.

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The band develops content that intersects “reality” and “virtual” where users solve mysteries presented through music videos, digital singles, videos, and SNS. On June 4th, he appeared in front of fans for the first time at “Ave Mujica 0th LIVE “Primo die in scaena”.

After their first live performance, both the characters and cast were shrouded in mystery, and they finally “formed” in the 13th episode of the anime “BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!”, which aired on the 14th. Riko Sasaki (Gt & Vo, Doloris/Hatsuka Misumi), Yuzuki Watase (Gt, Mortis/Mutsumi Wakaba), Yumi Okada (Bass, Timoris/Kairi Yahata), Akane Yonezawa (Dr, Amoris/Nyamu Yutenji) It was revealed that the band is made up of five members: Kanone Takao (Key, Oblibionis / Shoko Toyokawa).

In this first part of the interview, we take a closer look at the personal aspects of the five members, including their history with musical instruments and their views on music. How is the ensemble that shocked many fans in “0th LIVE” created?

■Confession of the history of music and instruments of five people

–First of all, could you tell us about your musical history?

[Sasaki]I once tried to teach myself how to play the guitar when I was in junior high school, but I gave up halfway through. However, when I started my career as a singer, I decided to focus on the creative aspects of writing lyrics and composing music again. I’ve been singing ever since I was in the second grade of elementary school, and I sang songs from a variety of genres, including pop, rock, and jazz. I’ve never sung in a genre like Ave Musica, but I love songs with a dark world view, so it’s really fun to sing.

[Watase]I started playing guitar after joining Ave Musica. I’m often asked, “Wasn’t it difficult to suddenly start with a 7-string guitar?” I was so ignorant that I didn’t even realize how special it was to start with a 7-string guitar (lol). So when I was approached about Ave Musica, I thought, “Let’s just give it a try.”[Sasaki]I had only played 6-string electric and acoustic guitars, so the thickness of the neck and the feeling of pressing the strings was completely different. In that respect, it felt like I was trying out a new instrument, just like Yuzumun (Watase).[Okada]I took piano lessons when I was in elementary school, but that’s about all I can say about my experience with musical instruments. However, about three months before I was asked about Ave Musica, I suddenly thought, “I want to develop my strengths and special skills in my work as a voice actor,” so I started learning the bass. Then I was told this story…I felt very lucky.[Yonezawa]I started playing drums when I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, and from there I continued to play in bands as a hobby through junior high, high school, and university. I’ve always been a drummer, and the reason I moved to Tokyo was to play drums.[Takao]I have been playing classical piano since I was 3 years old. I even won first place at a piano competition in Milan, and at that time I was seriously aiming to become a pianist. Ave Mujica was the first time I played with a band, and the feeling of combining the sounds with other instruments was very refreshing.

–I also saw “0th LIVE”. So stop lying. …What is your real background? (lol)

[All]It’s not a lie! (lol)

–The quality of the performance was such that I wanted to say that (lol). In the final episode of the TV anime “BanG Dream! It’s MyGO!!!!!” broadcast on September 14th, a live scene that seemed to be a direct reenactment of the end of that live show was played.

[Sasaki]I am truly grateful to everyone. I think it was because of these five people that we were able to practice for so long without telling anyone, and also the staff who supported us, and even though nothing was revealed, “0th LIVE To all the fans who came to see us…I can’t thank you enough.

[Watase]That’s why I’m so impressed by the greatness of MyGO!!!!!, who have performed live while hiding their faces. I was also there to watch “MyGO!!!!! 4th LIVE “In the sound of moving forward””, where MyGO!!!!! appeared for the first time, and I couldn’t stop crying. We’ve only performed once, but we’ve been practicing and rehearsing individually for over a year.

[Yonezawa]It was a year that felt like a really long time. I also participated in the motion capture of the characters, so when I saw the scenes where the characters were actually performing, I was moved and thought, “This is how the filming turned out!”

[Watase]“0th LIVE” was a live performance that was shrouded in mystery, but from the next live onwards, you will be able to see our characters and our own performances.

[Okada]I’m already getting excited (lol). I’m also looking forward to the performance that links with the characters.

――Because “0th LIVE” was full of mysteries, as the story of the anime progressed, predictions such as “There’s a kid using a SCHECTER 7-string guitar?” became heated.

[Takao]We were also looking forward to seeing the thoughts of the fans. I was always surprised and thought, “Do you already understand at this point?!” (laughs)

■Analyzing the appeal of Ave Musica as an instrument player

–From your perspective, what do you think is the musical appeal of Ave Mujica?

[Watase]When it comes to guitar, I think it’s the coolness of the lead riff and solo. Basically, I mainly play backing, but I also tried playing single notes on songs like “Futatsu no Tsuki ~Deep Into The Forest~”. I think it’s cool, but I’m also really nervous (lol).

[Sasaki]It was also my first time trying solo or playing single notes, so I’m still nervous (lol). However, as I practiced more and more, I started to think, “Let’s try putting more emotion into it” and “Let’s try giving it a heavier nuance,” and even though it’s difficult, I’m having fun with it.

[Okada]So you play it while singing? Really awesome.

[Watase]I will also do my best to have fun while playing! I get nervous when it comes to single-note phrases, and I tend to concentrate on what’s at hand.

[Sasaki]When we performed “Futatsu no Tsuki ~Deep Into The Forest~” at “0th LIVE”, I played it with Yuzumun back to back, and you could feel how much power he put into each single note. (lol).

[Watase]It’s kind of embarrassing! (lol)

–There are unison phrases in the song, but how do you practice them?

[Watase]In addition to individual practice, I also try to practice jointly with Rikochi (Sasaki). Rather than practicing phrases, it’s more about adjusting how to stretch and cut sounds properly.

[Sasaki]When I practice individually along with the sound source, I also adjust the sound so that, for example, my guitar is on the right side and Yuzumun’s guitar is on the left side.

–How about the bass?

[Okada]I think “Choir ‘S’ Choir” is a tough song. While everyone else was keeping the rhythm on the front beat, the bass was the only one on the back. Also, the tempo is fast and the phrasing is delicate, so I actually use down picking and alternate picking in the song. There are a lot of songs that are challenging like that, but “Ave Mujica” is just fun to play (lol). I especially like the phrase in the section that changes to triple time.

[Yonezawa]I really like that bass phrase, too. I’m always humming it.

–What do you think is the key point of Ave Musica’s drums, Yonezawa-san?

[Yonezawa]Is it the setting? I’ve always played with a simple one-tom, one-bass set, so this was my first time playing with a two-bass set surrounded by lots of cymbals. Also, since I’ve mainly been playing ballads and pop songs, all the songs feel fresh in terms of melody.

–In Ave Mujica’s songs, you can often see the footwork and fill-ins that are typical of double bass.

[Yonezawa]When I first heard the sound source, I thought, “Wow!” (laughs). It’s fun because it’s all new experiences for me, such as how to put fills in and how to approach things.

–How about a keyboard?

[Takao]Regarding the keyboard, I would like you to pay attention to the placement of the keyboard especially when performing live. The two instruments are placed in a V-shape, and the organ and piano tones are played simultaneously with both hands.

–Bandori! There are many bands that have a keyboard player, but this is the first time I’ve seen one with a V-shaped arrangement.

[Takao]I didn’t get used to it at first, but gradually I was able to play while taking steps. I think it’s characteristics include not only the way it uses different tones and phrases, but also the settings that place emphasis on performance.

――Ave Mujica 1st LIVE “Perdere Omnia” is scheduled for January 27th.

[Okada]With the start of Ave Musica in the anime, you could say that the characters become alive… Therefore, we would like to create a performance that takes into account not only our own playing techniques, but also the appearance and gestures of the characters.

[Yonezawa]I think it’s more powerful than “0th LIVE”, and I think we have to do it. So, I hope you come with high expectations. Also, as the Ave Musica characters start moving, I think people will notice that everyone on stage is completely different from the real us, so I hope they enjoy that as well (lol).

[Takao]The characters have that kind of relationship, but as a real band we all went to an amusement park and visited Riko-chan’s house the other day (lol).

[Sasaki]We get along really well in the band (lol).