Interview with (the one and only) Jez Cris

I will start with the questions and answers...

Question 1.

Where did this interest in Japanese music appear?

Answer 1.

⇒ I was raised in a home of rock, since I was a child I had lots of influences from rock classics as A-ha, Whitesnake and Kansas, but I was always half crazy, like in that age with was in the pinnacle being EMO, I liked things like My Chemical Romance, and other hardcore bands. As a child, my friend’s older sister heard things like Dir en Grey, the GazettE, and some things that I will not be able to remember hahaha I had around 8 or 9 years, one day I asked her to lend me one of her CDs and since then I have not stopped to listen.

Question 2.

Do you remember what was the first band and music you listened to?

Answer 2.

⇒ I can’t remember exactly, but I imagine that it has been or Dir en Grey or Versailles, respectively Obscure or Philia.

Question 3.

Is there any reason or reasons that take you to like this type of music?

Answer 3.

⇒ I think that the Japanese rock, in general, has a very important characteristic that differs from the rock of the rest of the world, which is the experimentation. Not seen on the rock of the rest of the world the creativity that is seen in a large part of Japanese rock, inside of visual kei there is a huge range of sub-genres of rock, and some even invented, both mixing elements. The reason I like this type of music would be without a doubt the goodwill that they have to try new things.

Question 4.

From the various musical genres, which you like the most?

Answer 4.

⇒ I like a little of everything, I think that everything has its expression and his time. Perhaps it was easier for me to say what I don’t like hahaha

Question 5.

Which bands would you recommend it to anyone who wants to have a first approach in Japanese bands?

Answer 5.

⇒ First, who wants to have a first approach to bands from Japan has to bear in mind that Japan has bands of many different genres and not only “bizarre” as per usual we say.

Listen to the major ones like Dir en Grey and the GazettE to understand what influences smaller bands as XAA XAA and DADAROMA.

Question 5a.

Within the same framework, which songs would you recommend?

Answer 5a.

⇒ My beloved ones from each bad cited are Kodou – Dir en Grey, HEADACHE MAN – the GazettE, Koyoi Wa Utsukushii – Xaa Xaa and Oboreru Sakana – DADAROMA. It is what I recommend.

Question 6.

What it draws more your attention to the songs; The letter? The melody? The instruments?

Answer 6.

⇒ For me, what makes a good music is the set of work, normally I hear an entire album, for only then I will evaluate each song by itself. But without a doubt, as a translator, the letters captivate me more.

Question 7.

Thinking about the future, what would you like to see in Japanese bands? (Changes? Improvements? New bands? New ideas?)

Answer 7.

⇒ What I would like to see does not depend directly of the bands, but of the fandoms and labels, the Jrock needs to open itself to expansion, there is a large number of fans who are dissuaded from Japanese artists because it is very inaccessible, we need more shows, more ways to consume their content, there is a lot of incredible things coming from Japan, what I would like to see already exists, it is just I don’t have ways of accessing it.

Jez Cris is a beloved fan and enthusiast of the genre Visual Kei & Japanese Bands, which made me think she should be the first one to be interviewed, also she is someone who translate musics and songs from them, in case you need any translation, feel free to visit her website, that i will leave down bellow.

Links:

• Blog
• Facebook Page

☞ Don't forget to follow her, and help/support what she does, it is worthy, also one of the few persons who makes lovely translations to portuguese/english/japanese to romaji.