Visual Kei is a term used to indicate a Japanese music and clothing style with varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes. Bands well known to be Visual Kei are L’arc-an-ciel, Dir en grey, The Gazette, Alice Nine, D’espairsRay and Girugamesh among others. We have recently noticed that there have been newer bands emerging who aren’t from Japan but Korea but do really well in the Visual Kei scene in Japan, one of them is Madman Esprit (toured Europe recently) and another still very much unknown band named VOID, they have released their first album Neo Decadence last year and are touring South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
VOID has adopted the 2010 Visual kei style and recently released their first album “NEO DECADENCE” but are already working on their next single. We got in contact with them and had the chance to conduct an interview, So lets get to that and have VOID introduce themselves.
Q1: Not many people in Europe know VOID yet, Could you introduce yourself?
A1: Hello, nice European fans, it is good to meet you! We are the Korean Visual Kei / New Wave Band, VOID. We debuted in 2018 and released our first EP. In 2018 we also toured in Japan, Taiwan, in Korea, and performed again in Japan in March 2019. In the last year we have been working pretty hard (lol) and will release our next single in the summer of 2019. Our members are TOA (vocalist), Robyn (Guitarist), Bi Su Hyun (Bassist), and Shin (drummer).
유럽의 멋쟁이들, 다들 반갑다! 우리는 한국 비주얼록/뉴웨이브 밴드 보이드야. 우리는 2018년에
데뷔했고 첫번째 EP를 발매했어. 그리고 아마 2019년 여름에 새 싱글이 나올 것 같다.
2018년에는 일본, 대만, 한국에서 아시아투어를 했어. 우리 1년동안 좀 빡세게 산 거 같다(ㅋㅋ).
우리는 2019년 3월에 시부야에서 공연을 한번 가졌고 지금은 싱글 작업에 매진하고 있어. 멤버?
다음과 같아 : 보컬 토아 / 기타 로빈 / 베이스 비수현 / 드럼 신
Q2: How did you start playing music?
A2: We have all been in bands for over ten years – just not the same bands! TOA and Robyn have been in visual kei bands. Bi Su Hyun was in an alternative rock band and also enjoyed visual kei. Shin played drums in jazz and pop bands but was close friends of the other VOID members. Due to this and also being a reliable drummer, Shin was chosen to join VOID as an official member in 2019.
우리 다들 거의 10년정도 활동 한 거 같아. 물론 다들 다른 밴드에 속해있었지. 토아랑 로빈은
옛날부터 한국 비주얼계에서 활동했어. 비수현은 얼터너티브 록밴드를 했지. 물론, 그때도
비주얼계를 좋아했지만. 신은 재즈밴드나 팝밴드에서 활동했지만 나머지 멤버들과 아주 친했어.
그리고 아주 믿음직한 드러머였지. 그래서 그는 보이드의 멤버가 됐어.
Q3: How did you come up with the name VOID?
A3: The name was decided by Robyn. The earliest two members, TOA and Robyn, were feeling a great deal of futility. “Let’s fill in the void with meaningful things.” Robyn first brought up the team name, and that is why we became VOID. After that, the other members joined… and we began to have fans, also. The void began to fill, just like the band’s name.
이걸 처음 정한건 로빈이야. 그 당시에, 초창기 멤버인 토아랑 로빈은 엄청난 허무함을 겪고
있었거든. “공허에서부터 유의미한 것들을 채워나가자.” 로빈이 처음으로 팀이름에 관해서
이야기를 꺼냈지. 그게 우리가 보이드가 된 이유야. 그 후에 멤버들이 들어오고, 팬이 생기고… 팀
이름처럼 공허에서부터 채워지기 시작했지.
Q4: VOID is from South Korea but you’re inspired by Japanese Visual kei, Can you tell us why?
A4: This is a question that needs a little bit of a complicated explanation. First, you need to know that for us, visual kei is not just “Japanese culture”, but rather “cultural shock”. When all of the members were younger, Japanese products and culture were banned in South Korea – there was no legal way to enjoy anything from Japan. In the members’ early teenage years, South Korea began to allow the import of Japanese music, anime, games, and other culture – and visual kei was officially imported. For us, Visual Kei was a culture shock like David Bowie or Queen. Why? Because we had never seen such a thing before! So it is not enough to say that we were influenced by Japanese culture. We were influenced and completely shocked in our adolescence by this culture.
이건 조금 복잡한 설명이 필요한데. 우선, 너희들이 알아뒀으면 하는 게 있어. 우리에게
비주얼계는 단순히 일본 문화가 아니라 ‘문화충격’이었다는 거야. 왜냐하면 우리가 사춘기를 겪기
전에는, 한국에서 일본문화를 소비하는 것이 불법이었어. 하지만 우리가 사춘기를 거칠 때,
한국에서 일본문화가 개방되었지. 그때 비주얼계도 정식으로 한국에 수입되었어. 우리에게, 이
비주얼계는 데이빗 보위나 퀸 같은 완벽한 컬처쇼크였어. 왜? 왜냐면 그 전에는 본 적이 아예
없으니까! 그래서 우리가 일본문화에 영향을 받았다는 건 충분한 표현이 아니야. 우리는 우리의
청소년기에 충격 받은 문화들에 영향을 받은거지.
Q5: In a country with so much KPOP, how did you come in contact with Visual Kei?
A5: All of the members’ personalities are crooked (LOL). We don’t want to do anything that is easy. Of course, we are also not good at dancing. Korea is a country where trends change very quickly. We want to be craftsmen who keep doing one thing and honing their skill in this sort of place. That is why we do visual kei.
그건 멤버들 성격이 다 삐뚤어져서 그래(ㅋㅋ). 우리는 쉬운 건 별로 하고 싶지가 않거든. 물론
우리는 춤도 잘 못추고. 한국은 트렌드가 매우 빨리 변하는 나라야. 우리는 그런 나라에서 한가지
것을 오랫동안 하는 장인이 되고 싶어. 그게 우리가 비주얼계를 하는 이유야.
Q6: Who inspires you?
A6: TOA : People who I have met in the past
Robyn : Weather and emotions (not people)
Bi Su Hyun : ME
Shin: Amateurs playing and everything in the world.
토아 : 과거에 만났던 사람들
로빈 : 날씨나 감정
비수현 : 나
신 : 아마추어들의 연주, 그리고 세상의 모든 것들
Q7: Who are you favorite artists?
A7: TOA : TAKUI, MUCC
Robyn : L’Arc~en~ciel, ONE OK ROCK, Alan Olav Walker
Bi Su Hyun : HIDE, Martin Adam Friedman, Polyphia
Shin : Nickelback, my first story, anika nilles, Benny greb
Q8: You released your first EP, can you introduce it to our readers?
A8: The name of the album is “Neo Decadence”. We did it ourselves. Writing, composing, producing… We’re a little queasy and embarassed now that I think about it again(joke). Before this album, we thought we should do the right thing when we do Visual Kei. This is the album that got us to the limit. CD JOURNAL also reviewed this album as a flawless Visual Kei release. In AMAZON JAPAN, this album was temporarily out of stock. We think it’s a good album. It’s an album worth listening to once.
이 앨범의 이름은 <Neo Decadence>야. 우리는 스스로 다 해냈지. 작사, 작곡, 프로듀싱. 다시
생각하니까 조금 토나온다(농담이야). 이 앨범 전에는, 우리는 비주얼계를 좀 적당히 하자고
생각했거든. 이건 우리를 극한까지 끌어올린 앨범이야. CD JOURNAL에서는 흠잡을 데 없는
비주얼계라고 리뷰해줬지. 아마존 재팬에서는 일시 품절 되기도 했고. 우리 생각에 좋은
앨범이야. 한번쯤은 들을만한 가치가 있는 앨범이지.
Q9: What is your favorite memory so far about being an artist?
A9: TOA : When I saw a fan memorizing all the lyrics I wrote.
Robyn : When the new song was released.
Bi Su Hyun : Every moment when I’m a member of VOID.
Shin : Every moment we prepare for the performance, agonize over it, and meet each other’s opinions. And the results and performances of it.
토아 : 내가 쓴 가사를 외우고 있는 팬을 만날 때
로빈 : 신곡이 나올 때
비수현 : 보이드를 하는 모든 순간
신 : 우리가 협의하고 결과물을 향해 나아가는 모든 순간, 그리고 그 결과물들.
Q10: What does VOID hope for in the future?
A10 : TOA : THE LEGEND.
Robyn : The band that counts down from 7 days before the release of a new song in Times Square in the U.S.
Bi Su Hyun : TOKYO DOME ARTIST.
Shin : The team that will lead Korean rock.
토아 : 전설
로빈 : 신곡이 릴리즈 되면 타임스퀘어에서 7일 전부터 카운트다운 하는 밴드
비수현 : 도쿄돔 아티스트
신 : 한국록을 이끌어가는 팀
Q11: Going to your live show, what can people expect?
A11: Well, it’s a performance, too. We think the good thing about Visual Kei is that we’re not bound by a single piece of music. So we can play various kinds of music, too. And we’re usually kind(lol). That’s one of the good things.
음, 역시 퍼포먼스겠지. 그리고 우리가 생각하는 비주얼계의 좋은 점은 하나의 음악에 구속되지
않는다는 거야. 그래서 우리는 다양한 음악을 연주할 수 있어. 그리고 우리는 대체로
친절해(ㅋㅋ). 이것도 좋은 점 중 하나겠지.
Q12: You’re recording a new single, can you tell us about it?
A12: Fast beat, strong sound. It’s just VOID. Come to think of it, it’;s also the first time all four of us have participated. Until then, the members weren’t completely decided. You can count on it.
빠른 비트, 강한 사운드. 보이드 그 자체지. 돌이켜보면, 멤버 모두가 참가한 건 처음이로군. 그
전까지는 멤버가 좀 불안한 면이 있었어. 기대해도 좋아.
Q13: If our readers are interested in finding your music, where can they find it online? How can they buy your first EP?
A13: You can buy our first EP yourself from Amazon Japan or CD JAPAN. Oh, I don’t know if you guys know, but Spotify also has our music.
아마존재팬이나 CD 재팬에서 우리 앨범을 구매할 수 있어. 너희가 아는지는 모르겠는데,
스포티파이에도 우리 음악이 있어.
Q14: Is there anything you want to tell our readers?
A14: I hope you guys know us a lot through this interview. Please support us a lot. Thank you!
VOID SOCIAL MEDIA
Website: http://bandvoid.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bandVoid
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/band_void/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0FEulQsL_ED8nsllS8LBDA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7u66MmKK9VyodZrXHElNbN
Thank you VOID for taking the time to answer our questions, hope to see you soon!
