With expressive vocals and a guitar technique inherited from his father that gave birth to legendary anime songs, ZAMB has hit the anime song industry! Interview with ZAMB, who sings the ED of "Jyakami-chan'" [Welcome, newcomers! Vol.16]

With more and more anime being released every day, newcomers are appearing on the scene one after another. In this series, Akiba Research Institute will conduct in-depth interviews with "newcomers" of interest to Akiba Research Institute!　That is "Newcomers, welcome! The interview is called "Welcome, Newcomers!

This time, we will talk to two members of the 2.5-dimensional metal group "ZAMB," led by vocalist Izumi Zukiga and guitarist GAK.

ZAMB is a promising newcomer who will make their CD debut on June 10 with "Love Satisfaction," the ED theme for the spring 2020 anime "Jyakami-chan Drop Kick.

The high-speed metal sound created by the two, Zukaku-san's elongated vocals and GAK-san's overwhelming guitar technique, attracts not only Evil Gods but many anime fans as well. It would not be an exaggeration to call it one of the most popular anime songs of this cool season.

In this interview, the two members tell us about the secret story behind their formation, episodes related to music production, and the making of "Love Satisfaction".

The story behind the birth of the 2.5-dimensional metal group "ZAMB

───Thank you very much for joining us today! Let me start by introducing myself.

Zuiga: Nice to meet you, my name is Izumi Zuiga, vocalist of ZAMB.

GAK My name is GAK, the Guitar & Scream member of ZAMB.

───Please tell us how the unit was formed.

Zukiga I wanted to form a band with an intense sound, so I consulted with producer Daisuki Nagato, who introduced me to GAK a few months later. So I thought I could try to form a band with him. I don't know what he was thinking (laughs).

GAK I used to be in a visual-kei band, but after that band broke up, I was working on my own detailed proposal and demo sound files, saying "I want to form a band like this," while writing and arranging music. One day, I received a call from the producer, Mr. Daisuki Nagato, and learned that a band called "Zukiga Anison Metal Band" was going to perform live.

When I actually observed the rehearsal and performance, I felt that the vocal image I had in mind was very close to that of Zuga's. I had written my own proposal for the band, but it was not written in Luxembourg. I had drawn a storyboard of my own image of the band's look in my own proposal, and I had a feeling that this was exactly what I was looking for.

After that, I met Izumi Zuma through a producer, and we decided to go on under the name ZAMB.

─ ─ Even before your CD debut, you had been releasing metal arrangements of anime songs on YouTube.

Zukiga: When I was a student, I lived in a dormitory and TV was almost always prohibited, so it's not like I've always been a ...... fan, but there were a lot of anime fans around me and they all talked about anime with a twinkle in their eyes. If you talk about it that strongly, it becomes contagious (laughs).

GAK My father was originally a guitarist in the band "MAKE-UP" (Hiroaki Matsuzawa, who passed away in 2010), which was active in the Japan Meta scene in the 1980s, and he also wrote many anime songs such as "Saint Seiya. Because of this background, HR/HM guitar sounds and anime were played at home since I was a child, and I was familiar with such culture from my childhood.

─ How do you decide on the songs for your metal arrangement videos?

GAK We select songs based on the points of "This is the best for metal arrangement in terms of tempo and melody" or "This metal arrangement is probably still rare in the world ......", with objective opinions of the production staff.

Drawings Everyone says, "I want to do that! I want to do this! It's hard to come to a consensus. It's tough, but it's fun (laughs).

─ ─ I thought you were a power vocalist, but in the "Drop Kick to That Girl" video, you show off your cute voice and even scream in some songs, surprising me with your versatile expressiveness! What do you think are your charms and strengths as a vocalist?　Also, from your point of view, what do you think is attractive about Zuga?

Zuga: I am a powerhouse, aren't I? (laughs) Thank you. It is nice to be praised. Attractiveness ......It's a pretty S question to let people talk about their own attractiveness by themselves (laughs). On the contrary, I would like you to tell me, but I still have a lot more to draw from. I hope I can gradually show that in songs with various grooves and ballads.

GAK: Regarding your voice, I think it is rich in overtones and flexibility. I think that even in a genre I have never sung before, I can probably sing 80% of the songs just by listening to them once (laughs). Also, the higher the pitch of the "n" sound in singing, the more difficult it is to pronounce and make it resonate, but Zuga-san leaves a beautiful waveform of the sound of all the letters. When I am editing vocal data, I feel as if my ears are about to pop (praise ......). In terms of human nature, I would say that he has an innocent image. I would say that he has an artist's temperament. I think he is just like the vocalist characters in music-related anime and manga (laughs).

─ ─ You can clearly see GAK's amazing guitar technique in his videos, but I was also impressed by the coolness of his sharp performance. What do you find attractive about yourself as a guitarist, and what are you conscious of or particular about? Also, from your point of view, what attracts you to GAK?

GAK As for sound, I took the opportunity of ZAMB to switch from a 6-string guitar to a 7-string guitar, and I reexamined and upgraded my recording environment. I mainly like ENGL, Diezel, and Peavey 5150 type guitar sounds. When I want a sharper impact, I use the MXR "fullbore metal" distortion compact effect pedal.

In stage performance, I am particular about "turning." I believe that "turning" is the royal road to coolness, not only on the guitar. I would like to continue to combine the rock star's royal performance, such as playing a single chord and raising one's hand, with modernity because we live in the age of 2025. I want to keep going around (laughs).

GAK 's charm is, first of all, his face. And he is too serious and perverted. He must be very particular. I respect his professionalism for entertainment.

─ ─ Please tell us about the musician who has had the greatest influence on you both, or who is your target musician.

Zukiga: I don't have a target musician in the sense that I want to be like him, but I would like to perform with Takanori Nishikawa, who is well established as an ani-song artist, someday. When I heard him sing live, it was breathtaking.

(laughs). As for Japanese artists, B'z, T.M.Revolution, Iceman, Daisuke Asakura, Tetsuya Komuro, and Hide. As for foreign artists, I was influenced by zilch, Arch Enemy, Slipknot, Metallica, Bonjovi, etc. As guitarists, my goals are Takahiro Matsumoto and Toshihiko Takamizawa. I would like to pursue a guitarist who can "make you listen" and "attract you. I also hope to eventually be able to bring out a bitterness in my playing as well (laughs).

Love Satisfaction" was born out of serious play by adults

─ ZAMB will make its CD debut with "Love Satisfaction" to be released on June 10. Was the tie-in with "Evil Girl" decided from the beginning?

Zukiga: The tie-up was decided after we were selected in a competition. We submitted several songs in a short period of time, so it was a furious production.

─ Did you know "Jyoshin-chan Dropkick" before the tie-up was decided?　What were your impressions of the work and how did you feel when the tie-up was decided?

Zuiga There were "Jyakami-chan" fans among the staff, so it had come up in conversation during the recording process. I actually saw it when we decided to write a song for a competition. The character was strong, the story was loose, and I looked at him and said, "Oh, so this is the charm that the staff member was talking about. I get it." I watched it.

GAK I had read about it in manga form in the past. I also love works set in everyday life, such as "Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Koen Mae Hashutsujo". So I love the worldview of "Jyoshin-chan Dropkick" where stimulation comes out of nowhere in the midst of a relaxed everyday life. When the tie-up was decided, I felt "Finally! and "I wonder if it will be okay even though it is a very metal song. ......" But when I actually saw the ending video, I was very grateful, impressed, and moved by the match between the Evil God and the music!

─ ─ What were you careful and conscious about in making the ED theme for "Jyakami-chan Drop Kick'? What other episodes from the creation of the music were impressive to you?

GAK When I am making music, I always place importance on the intro next to the melody. For the intro of this song, I had the image of "the devil's chorus descending" in my mind, and I was conscious of the catchy and pulsating phrases.

I wrote the lyrics from the perspective of Evil God-chan, and since I was in the mood, I enjoyed choosing words through the filter of her worldview. For example, "For stupid and ignorant people." Normally, I wouldn't say such harsh things about people (laughs). (Laughs) I also really enjoyed the recording process. We had to make a decision on short notice, and since the production was in a state of rage, we were often locked in the studio late at night, but even then we laughed so hard we couldn't stand still. Looking back, it was so silly that I forgot why I was laughing (laughs).

(Laughs) In terms of production, it was great that we could play around with the arrangements and singing styles. In music production, I think it is important for adults to have fun in a serious way. So I am glad to have staff and members who are willing to do that with me. I am grateful for that.

─ The coupling track "Kimi ni Tsukiyo Arimono" is also a speedy metal number. This one was composed and arranged by GAK-san. Please explain the song and tell us about the production episode.

Zukiga: "Kimisachi" is a great song, isn't it? I thought it was a very GAK-like melody. In terms of the lyrics, I chose "Kimi ni Tsuyosachi" as the title because the word "Kimi ni Tsuyosachi" shined through in the various words I tried to fit in. I was conscious of playing with words to make the other words stand out. I wanted to make it a Japanese person among Americans! Something like that. As a result, I wrote the lyrics with the image of "I am Lou Oshiba! and I wrote the lyrics with that image in mind.

GAK Since the title track is a royal speed metal song, I was conscious of the modern metal style, which is one of my roots. I tried to express "the feeling of the beginning of the battle" in this first single. I believe that the melody, guitar and synth arrangement also helped to put forth the general framework of the GAK essence.

─ ─ This is the unit's first original anime song, how did you feel after finishing it? How did you feel after you finished it? Did you notice any differences from the original song?

I trust GAK's sense of melody, so I leave that to him and say very little. I think his technique of bringing out the best in his voice and the excitement of the live performance is very good. The only thing is that I enjoy filtering the songs through the anime filter. Words that are different from the usual come to mind, so it is fresh when I am making the song. In a way, I feel like an actress when I sing.

GAK I have always been conscious of the "anime song feel" when creating any song. However, when it came time to create the song, there were some aspects that were not so straightforward, and I was reminded once again of the depth of anime songs. For example, the length of the intro, the sense of time from the beginning to the chorus, etc....... If it is too long, it will be too slow. I tried to keep the melody and phrases compact and dynamic. In this respect, I learned a lot from the metal-arranged covers of anime songs.

─ What do you think is the charm of anime songs?

Zukiga: You are allowed to be unpredictable and over-the-top. It is always dramatic, and there is a wide range of interpretation. I think such freedom is the charm of anime songs.

GAK I like the so-called "kitchen" coolness. Words, gestures, situations, and designs that are unfamiliar in everyday life are cool to me. This is expressed naturally in the anime. I think anime songs support that worldview. There are many different styles of anime songs, but I think there is a common concept of "heat" underlying them.

─ Finally, what kind of unit would you like to be one year from now? Or, what kind of activities or goals do you want to have in a year's time?

Zukiga: We are going through a difficult time in Corona right now, so I hope that the staff is able to get together again for production and live activities. That is exactly what I would like to do, I would like to perform live in Akihabara. I also want to travel around the world to perform. And I want to eat delicious food all over the world (laughs). Personally, I would like to do radio.

Most of all, I want to write a song that everyone will know. I want to make new songs every day so that I can be known as "ZAMB, the song from that anime. I will work hard to make new songs every day so that I can be like that.

GAK We call all the fans who support us every day "Z". It is my fervent wish to make the "ZAMB sound" even stronger with them and to hold a one-man live concert. I would also like to continue to make "cool music that everyone has been waiting for" so that we can be invited to many anime events.

Thank you very much!

CD Information

Love Satisfaction/ZAMB

June 10, 2020 release date

Price: First pressing (CD + DVD [Music Video included]) 1,400 yen (tax not included), Normal pressing (CD) 1,000 yen (tax not included), Period pressing (CD + DVD [TV anime non-credit ED movie included]) * newly-painted digipak specification 1,500 yen (tax not included)

<Contents

Love Satisfaction

(Words by Izumi Zukiga, Music by Tatsuya Kida, Arrangement by Tatsuya Kida, GAK, Hiroyuki Nagato)

Ending theme of TV animation "Jyakami-chan Drop Kick

Kimi ni koukou be

(Words by Izumi Zukiga, Music by GAK, Arrangement by GAK)

Love Satisfaction -Instrumental-.

Love Satisfaction -Instrumental-

Love Satisfaction -TV size ver." is included only on the periodic disc.

(C)YUKIO, COMIC METEO, YAGAMI-CHAN DROP KICK Production Committee