One of underground premier bands - Sigh.
Everyone probably knows this band as they have achieved a great respect in the Metal/Black Metal scene.
Sigh has new album out and here is interview with Mirai Kawashima, Sigh's bassist/vocalist and pianist.
Interview taken by V.K. (on September 6, 1999)
V.K.: Hello, how are you today? First of all Sigh has a new album out
"Scenario IV: Dread Dreams". Could you tell us more about the album? What it's about, and what are
your feelings about the album as a whole?
Mirai: Compared to the previous album "Hail Horror Hail", the new album
is way straighter and "metal", but as a whole album it stays as
twisted and weird. As the title implies, we tried to create the
music in the dream. In the dream, there is no rule, so time could
go backwards, you could see the future. People tend to seek the
meaning behind music or sound, but this time there is no meaning
at all behind any sound on the album as it is music in the dream.
I guess it is the heaviest album we've ever made.
V.K.: What are your personal favourite songs on the new album?
Mirai: I like "In the Mind of a Lunatic" the best. Song structure, production,
riffs, orchestrations and everything came out as we wanted.
V.K.: What is your favourite album of Sigh?
Mirai: Of course "Dread Dreams" is the best right now. I am sure we
progressed between each album, so I like "Hail Horror Hail"
next, and then "Ghastly Funeral Theatre".
V.K.: "Infidel Art" was very grandiose and symphonic. Will similar album ever
come out from your horde?
Mirai: Well, it is a hard question to answer. Even we ourselves do not know
what our future releases will sound like, there is a possibility
that one of them will be similar to "Infidel Art". We'll see.
V.K.: The Japanese Black Metal scene is not very known on our
shores (Canada). Could you please give us more information about the current situation in Japanese Metal scene?
Mirai: The Japanese scene is very small but still there are some great bands
worth mentioning such as Sabbat and Abigail. Sabbat have been around
for 15 years now and they released lots of CDs and EPs. They play
black metal in the vein of 80s thrash, their latest album "Karisma"
is incredibly great. Abigail play fast thrash influenced black metal.
Their debut CD was out on Australia's Modern Invasion a few years
ago, so you may be able to find it there.
Unfortunately there are several stupid bands formed by wanna-be's
but such bands will fade sooner or later.
V.K.: Change is something that is natural, especially for an artist. How did
Sigh changed throughout the years? both artisticly and personally.
Mirai: Artistically, we've been learning lots of things on music, so
at least our music has been progressing. I am not sure if you
call it "change", because our attitude against music has been
the same since we started the band. Personally, as it's been
almost 10 years since Sigh were formed, we all were more matured,
but again the essence has never changed drastically.
V.K.: How does life affect Sigh musically and lyrically?
Mirai: I guess everything in my life can be an inspirataion on music
and lyrics. Music you listen to, movies you watch, landscape you
see, dream you have, books you read, anything can be a seed of
songs. So maybe I could say my life is Sigh, rather than life
is affecting Sigh.
V.K.: Synth is very big part of Sigh's music, especially on "Infidel Art"
album. Do you feel in any way that synth might dominate your
music one day more than guitars right now do?
Mirai: No. We are a metal band although we took in lots of other musical
styles, so we will stick to gutar-oriented music forever.
V.K.: Sigh is a band known for combining Black Metal together with 80's
thrash. What were your main influences when you grew up?
Mirai: Yes, 80s thrash is our biggest influence as we grew up listening
to bands like Venom, Celtic Frost, Bulldozer, Possessed, Exodus,
At War, Necrophagia, Anvil Bitch, Post Mortem, Kreator, Sodom,
Whiplash, Deathrow, Destruction and so on.
V.K.: What is your opinion on today's Black Metal scene? Any bands you
would like to mention?
Mirai: I must admit that I do not know anything about today's black metal
scene. I haven't bought any black metal albums for a few years. I listen to some
90s bands like Electric Wizard, Goatsnake etc., but I mainly listen to
80s thrash/heavy metal.
V.K.: Bands like Morbid Angel saying that they are religious bands. Could
Sigh say that they are religious band or at least have view on it?
Mirai: I wouldn't call Sigh a religious band. It is true that we sing about
religious things, and we have a view on religion, but I guess it is
different from "religious".
V.K.: I heard you had some contact with Euronymous. What were your
relationship with him? And what do you think about his murder and his
murderer Varg Vikernes?
Mirai: Yes, I had a pesonal contact with Euronymous. He was a real innovative
person, so if he was alive, the black metal scene today might be much
different. His death was tragic, but what happened between Vikernes and
him must have been something pesonal between them, so I do not have
a right to say anything about it.
V.K.: There is a lot of racism, nazism and other shame bringing things in
Black Metal scene nowadays. What is your opinion on kids that inflict the scene?
Mirai: Are these kind of things big in Canada too? As we are from Japan,
there are no metal bands sticking to racial or Nazi stuff. It is
real strange that there are many Nazi bands in Poland. Do they know
how World War II began?
V.K.: Are you in Favour for Black Metal scene being disconnected from other
Metal styles? Just like it was in early 90's when Black Metal was an underground style.
Mirai: In the beginning of 90s, black metal rose as a rebellion against
trendy death/grind, so it was necessary to be disconnected and
exclusive. It was black metal's identity. But now, I do not see
any point in being disconnected any more.
V.K.: Sigh has been signed to Cacophonous for quite a while now. Does
Cacophonous treats the band good? Is the promotion as good as you want it
to be? Few other bands that are signed to Cacophonous and worth
mentioning?
Mirai: Unfortunately I can't say anything good about them. We are so glad
that now we can leave them. They are so lazy and they never keep things
they promised. You know lots of bigger bands like Cradle of Filth,
Dimmu Borgir, Gehenna, Bal-Sagoth etc. left Cacophonous. If they would
have done things right, they would be one of the biggest labels in
the world. At the moment we do not know who are on the label except us.
V.K.: Sigh is influenced a lot by classical music and horror soundtracks,
correct me if I am wrong, please?
Mirai: Yes, it is true. I do love classical music especially that from
20th century like John Cage, Webern, Xenakis, Stockhausen,
Messiaen etc. Considering that 20th century classical music was
often used in horror movies, it sure fits our musical style.
I also love especially Italian horror movies soundtrack such as
"Beyond", "House by the Cemetery", "The Gates of Hell" etc.
V.K.: Is there any chance of Sigh coming on tour through Canada?
Mirai: I do hope so. Cacophonous Records do not arrange any tours at all,
but now we've left them, so we do hope that the new label we will
sign to can arrange the tour for us. We would love to play in as
many countries as possible.
V.K.: Black metal always been a style which lacked of production. There
never was an explanation from anyone, why? Sigh always had good production
but I thought maybe you know why a lot of Black Metal bands lacked in
production?
Mirai: I guess it was a rebel against the over-produced albums which were
trendy such as Morrisound stuff in the beginning of the 90s. Black
metal bands thought 80s thrash stuff with bad productions sounded
much more powerful and evil. I think "Under a Funeral Moon" by
Darkthrone was the best album with intential bad sound, it is so
powerful and evil.
V.K.: Music is something that affects personal life, and for some people it
is life. So how is life of musician and artist, do you have a lot of free
time? Is alcohol or drugs part of your life? If it is, does it affects your music in anyway?
Mirai: Unfortunately we can't live on music so we all have to work. Therefore
we do not have a lot of free time. During free time, we have to compose,
learn about music, practice instruments, answer mail, answer interviews
and so on, so our life is rather busy. It would be great if we could
live on music, but having job besides music may be good because if
we would live on music we might have been musically more conservative.
I do not take alcohol that much but I take some drugs like pot. I am
sure the drug experience will affect our music. It's hard to explain
in what way it is though.
V.K.: Thank you very much for this interview. I wish Sigh will get all the
glory you deserve. Any final words to "Metal Vision" readers and Canadian Sigh fans?
Mirai: Thank you for the interview. Our fourth full-length album is out
now. I hope you can find it at your local shop. Our latest info
can be obtained at out Internet home page at http://www.asahi-net.
or.jp/~nd6m-kwsm
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Sigh's Contact:
mkawashima@iad.bch.ntt.co.jp
nd6m-kwsm@asahi-net.or.jp
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