INTERVIEW WITH RYOJI SHINOMOTO
RYUJIN DEFTLY DELIVERS HEAVY METAL and blazing guitar wizardry from Japan with their upcoming self-titled album, RYUJIN, out January 12, 2024 by the use of Napalm Information. Mixing each Eastern and English lyricism and that includes manufacturing and a number of other visitor options through Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium), RYUJIN’s excessive velocity riffs and breakneck guitar descents pair with conventional Eastern parts on their self-titled album, handing over a valid influenced through the whole lot from historical orchestral Gagaku to fashionable anime topics.
“THE BASIS OF MY MUSIC IS NATURE WORSHIP AND A WISH FOR PEACE. THAT’S WHY THE NAME RYUJIN FITS SO WELL”
In earlier interviews, you’ve discussed that the identify alternate from Gyze to RYUJIN used to be in keeping with a couple of issues, together with a commonplace false impression of the identify. With RYUJIN being the identify for the dragon god of the sea, what impressed you to make a choice this identify, and the way does water and the ocean encourage your track?
Within the East, dragons are auspicious and non violent. Within the West, dragons are darkish and villainous. The dragon god is regarded as the god of water. Japan is surrounded through the ocean. As a result of the proximity of mountains and oceans, he most probably exists as a god of nature as neatly. While you move to shrines, you notice dragons in all places. The foundation of my track is nature worship and a want for peace. That’s why the identify RYUJIN suits so neatly. But even so, whilst you recall to mind steel, you recall to mind dragons, proper?
How did you select the normal Eastern tools used in this album, and what conventional Eastern track evokes your writing lately?
Sooner than the Covid, I used to be enjoying the ryuteki of a gagaku orchestra at a shrine. That’s the place I realized gagaku track and attempted to mix it with steel. I additionally realized the shamisen and different tools naturally from the people songs I heard in Japan. I’ve Eastern track in my DNA. Then again, steel gamers have no real interest in conventional Eastern track and have a tendency to simply imitate Western track. We had been like that, too, to start with. After that, we began acting all over the world and sought after to create our personal model of Eastern steel. It’s no longer a very easy job, so I’m nonetheless seeking to analysis it at all times.
The clicking liberate for the album says some songs are impressed through Eastern artwork, idioms, and phrases of the Ainu folks of your own home area. Are you able to delve into one or two particular issues that impressed you on this manner?
An instance is Raijin and Fujin, it’s a well-known portray in Japan that depicts the god of thunder and the god of wind. We had been making a song a track about that, and Matt [Heafy, Trivium] got here up with the identify. He wrote part the lyrics and I wrote the opposite part. It’s like me and Matt are Raijin and Fujin! With regards to Ainu tradition, it’s Kunnecup. It approach moon god. I didn’t use any particular myths as a motif, however I wrote concerning the energy of the moon. It’s because my frame is well suffering from the moon. Complete moons have a tendency to make me really feel irritable and mentally volatile. It’s an unavoidable dating since we had been born on earth.
“MY BODY IS EASILY AFFECTED BY THE MOON. FULL MOONS TEND TO MAKE ME FEEL IRRITABLE AND MENTALLY UNSTABLE”
Your album could also be impressed through anime topics, and there may be an Assault on Titan theme duvet in probably the most final tracks. How does this track encourage your individual, and what are your favourite anime sequence of all-time and now?
That track used to be additionally selected through Matt. He is aware of extra about each previous and trendy Japan than we do! It became out in point of fact neatly, so please give it a concentrate. My favourite contemporary anime is Golden Kamuy. The tale is ready in Hokkaido, so you’ll be able to be told so much about Ainu tradition. Additionally, Demon Slayer is attention-grabbing. A couple of songs had been impressed through Demon Slayer, in truth. Each are set in Japan within the Twenties. As for older anime, I favored the Boulevard Fighter anime. I’m particularly keen on Vega and feature been rising my hair lengthy since I used to be 4 years previous.
How did you find yourself operating with Mukai Wataru of the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra for your album?
We are living in the similar the town and had been featured in combination within the native newspaper about 5 years in the past. After a while, we determined to satisfy up. We briefly become buddies. After I came upon that he additionally favored steel, I in an instant requested him to accomplish as a visitor. Recording with him used to be a laugh. It’s a really perfect feeling to paintings with high-level folks. He additionally works on classical track from Western tradition and appears to be searching for the reason why Eastern folks do it. We had been the entire similar and we had a large number of issues in commonplace.
How did you meet Matt Heafy and feature him curious about such a lot of songs? Did he encourage your sound and writing by any means?
He used to be speaking about us on X, and I contacted him instantly. He in point of fact likes our track! It began from there. We wrote one track in combination, however he did the vocal course and the track variety. His largest paintings for us used to be expanding the number of songs and introducing blank vocals. It opened a large number of new doorways for me. He’s the satisfaction of the Eastern folks. I’ve by no means met a gentleman like him.
“I TRY TO DIFFERENTIATE MYSELF FROM OTHER GUITARISTS BY ALSO USING ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTS SUCH AS PIANO OR SHAMISEN.”
It’s transparent that your abilities as a guitarist and soloist are exceptional. Had been there any particular ways or manufacturing possible choices in this album to check your limits?
Thanks for announcing that! I’m nonetheless finding out, and I need to develop into a greater participant. If there’s the rest particular about it, it’s that I don’t in point of fact do guitar solos. I attempt to differentiate myself from different guitarists through additionally the use of further tools reminiscent of piano or shamisen. In fact, every now and then I desire a guitar-like manner and compose whilst enjoying the guitar, however I need to create solos and guitar words which can be as authentic as imaginable.
You simply wrapped up a excursion with PAIN and Ensiferum in Europe. How used to be your revel in in this excursion and do you might have any plans to excursion in North The us in 2024? And if you happen to had to make a choice 3 present bands that it’s essential be billed with on excursion, who would they be?
It used to be wonderful! The entire bands and workforce had been wonderful. Particularly since we shared the similar bus with Ensiferum, we were given to spend a large number of time in combination. I exchanged knowledge with them about Finnish and Eastern track and realized so much from them. I don’t know what’s going to occur in 2024, however I’ve signed with an agent in North The us, so I believe we’ll move on excursion at some point. If I had to make a choice 3, it could be Trivium, and I would like to excursion with Ensiferum once more. Finally, perhaps The Hu in Mongolia? Japan vs Mongolia is tremendous attention-grabbing!
Is there the rest particular that you simply want global audiences must learn about RYUJIN that you are feeling is vital to new fanatics?
Are we the arena’s first samurai steel band? Additionally, it’s track, so I would like you to hear the songs and watch the track movies. I additionally need them to be keen on Eastern tradition. Above all, we might be maximum venerated if you happen to felt that our Eastern steel sound could also be cool.
