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We were able to talk a little with Lotus Juice during his visit to Nan Desu Kan this year. It was great of him to take the time to talk to us and share an interview with another organization, a radio station here in Colorado. The radio DJ’s questions are marked as ‘DJ’.
Lotus Juice introduced himself as, “a rap artist living in Japan, making music with a lot of anime and game music, such as Persona 3, Katana Giri, Soul Eater and more.”
You played at the Budakon recently for the Persona festival. What was the experience like with the variety of fans?
Lotus Juice: It was intense. Very intense. [Over] 7,000 people, it was broadcast to 27 places in movie theatres in Japan and on the Internet. What was amazing about the show was that it went on for about three hours and people were on their feet, jumping around and having a good time. The band was amazing. Yumi, Chihoko, were amazing singers. I think I did a decent job too (laughs).
DJ: Lots of energy! Speaking of energy, you had an energetic performance last night. This was your first time in Colorado and your first convention in the U.S.? What do you think so far?
Lotus Juice: Couldn’t get any better than this, I think. I didn’t know what to expect of a con. People would explain to me, it’s a little different from what you expect. Off the top of my head, it was so great, people were so nice. My luggage got stuck at the airport, that’s the only thing (laughs). The staff picked us up, brought us here and he had to go back to get my luggage and come back. It’s just great. I’d like to thank Nan Desu Kan staff. The show was great. It’s been so fantastic so far.
Did you draw new inspiration from this, being at the con?
Lotus Juice: I think so. I’m always ready to write new stuff and create new stuff. I kind of wish I had my equipment right now so I could make some beats. [I’ve been] just trying to enjoy the atmosphere and absorb it, take it back to Japan and make some beats. Write something to it maybe. Definitely inspired.
DJ: Talking about creative process. How much of your creative process do you draw from yourself or your surroundings; how much of a percentage does your creative process involve internalizing?
Lotus Juice: It really depends. I think it depends on the concept. Actually when I get these offers from animes and games, what happens is that they send you the material for the project and explain to you what the music is for, which part of the scene they want to use it for. Most of the time it’s battle scenes and I’m not really an aggressive person. As you can see, I’m not like, a gangster rapper. It’s usually like battling the weaker side of me or I don’t know, haters out there. But. It usually depends on concept.
Do you have a favorite type of anime or video games that you enjoy composing music for the most?
Lotus Juice: No, not really. I’ve never been like, a huge gamer. But when I started getting involved in it, I had to play. But now it’s not like I have to play – I want to play. It’s so much fun nowadays. Back in the days, I couldn’t really get into it. Persona 3, Persona 4G, I just played Shin Megami Tensei IV – I just bought Dragon’s Crown. So not any game in particular. I’m fortunate in that every time they ask me to do something on anime or games, there hasn’t been any one game or element that I didn’t want to participate. Sometimes they’re low on budget, it didn’t really matter. It’s good music [and] I’m inspired by it. I have a lot of fun doing it.
Are you interested in branching out into other fields besides anime and games.
Lotus Juice: I’m always open, I’m always willing to work with new artists. I want to work with Raj – we actually did in San Francisco two days ago. We went to his house, his assistant producer made a beat, I got back to the studio and started writing. I wrote 16 bars and started recording. It’s always fun to start recording with new artists because they pull something out of me. And that’s something that you can’t pull out on your own. So yeah, I’m always looking out for new things. I’m trying to be a track maker, but I still need to work on that.
Do you have a favorite song overall or a favorite song to perform?
Lotus Juice: Right now it’s ‘Overdrive’ from Jojo’s Overdrive Adventure. My favorite songs always change. Like with the different seasons. During the winter I want to hear… I like Kimi no Kioku from Yumi Kawamura, a track made by Shoji Meguro. I didn’t participate in it, but it’s one of my favorite tracks. Yeah, so right now, it’s ‘Overdrive’, but next week, it might change.
Since you’ve lived in New Jersey and moved to Tokyo, there must be other places you’d like to travel. Where else would you want to go?
Lotus Juice: I love Tokyo. There’s always something to do. But coming out here, staying in San Francisco, I want to check out more about California. I’ve never been to London [or] Paris; France is pretty big on anime. Definitely want to check those out. The Caribbean…
Interview by: Jess
Our thanks to Lotus Juice for taking time for us! Special thanks to Nan Desu Kan.