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Eve of Destiny © Haruhiko Ash 1997-2004.

Interview from 17 May 2003 at That Spring! Festival in Magdeburg.

This interview is taken and translated from the German MangasZene #16 (August 2003). The translation was done for us by Shirasugi who also conducted the interview, but we also want to thank Kazu for sending us her own version before we were given the official one (some of the phrasing has been adopted from her translation at places).
 

MZ (= MangasZene)

MZ: Hello, welcome to Germany!

Eve of Destiny: Hello. Thank you.

MZ: How was Eve of Destiny created?

Haruhiko Ash: After the The Zolge disbanded, I wanted to do something new musically. I wrote songs for about 6 years and worked on a concept which lead to the creation of Eve of Destiny. First I was alone, then Közi joined me in 2002, after Malice Mizer had stopped their musical activities.

MZ: Eve of Destiny ... How did the band get this name?

Haruhiko Ash: It was the title of the first demo-tape and became the band name as well.

MZ: Is there a concept in Eve of Destiny or how do you define your style?

Haruhiko Ash: Hmmmmm ... ATTITUDE! (laughter)

MZ: Attitude?

Haruhiko Ash: Right! ’Attitude’ is the best word to describe Eve of Destiny. Its attitude is very similar to the attitude of my former band The Zolge. The Zolge was a punk band. We do not restrict ourselves. We do what we really want to do, we realize our dreams and that’s what we express. We are not interested in business. ‘Search and destroy! Anarchy!’ (laughter)

MZ: What are your lyrics about?

Haruhiko Ash: Hmmmm ... it’s difficult to explain ...

MZ: What made you perform in Europe and Germany?

Haruhiko Ash: I always dreamt of performing on the same stages, at the same cities, in front of the same audience as my favourite bands. That dream has come true and I’m really happy about that every time.

MZ: What did you feel at your first live in Germany? (1999 in Leipzig at 8. Wave Gotik Treffen)

Haruhiko Ash: As I performed for the first time in 1999 in Leipzig, I was just HAPPY, that I was standing on the same stage as Siouxsie, a musician that I really like a great deal. The German audience is great!

MZ: Do you perform in Japan as well?

Haruhiko Ash: Yeah.

[amasanin’s note: Eve of Destiny had not at that point played in Japan. This is possibly a misunderstanding or a mistake of the German/Japanese translator who was present at the interview. My guess is that Haruhiko either thought he was asked if he is active in Japan or if he had played in the past personally.]

MZ: What are your favourite countries?

Haruhiko Ash: France and Germany.

MZ: What do you like best about these countries?

Haruhiko Ash: The Germans are nice! There is no quarrel between Germany and Japan. I was in Rothenburg 10 years ago. I followed the Romantic Kaidô Tour and was really surprised about the great gentleness of the Germans towards me. That was great! Until now, I’ve been to the German towns of Rothenburg, Frankfurt, Leipzig and Magdeburg.

Közi: I like especially that the cities are so full of history. And I like the beautiful old buildings. Leipzig is the first German city I’ve been to.

MZ: Have you already been to France?

Közi: Yes, one time.

Haruhiko Ash: Yes, several times. Next year we want to perform in France as well.

MZ: What do you dislike about Germany?

Haruhiko Ash: Hmmm ... (leans forward with a conspiratory grin) the fridge in our hotel here is broken! (laughter)
 

MZ: (laughter) Ok, let’s talk about something else ... What do you think about so many Visual Kei fans coming to see you? Do you consider yourself Gothic or Visual Kei?

Haruhiko Ash: We are surprised, but it’s great that so many come to see us. When we perform in Japan, they will consider us Visual Kei. And when we perform out of Japan, we are considered Gothic. We do not care about the genre. We are what we are.

[amasanin’s note: Haruhiko’s answer is a little confusing but his ‘when we… they will’ is really a future tense.]

MZ: Is there a Gothic scene in Japan?

Haruhiko Ash: Yes, but it’s very underground.

MZ: What do you think about Gothic Lolitas?

Haruhiko Ash: They are not really gothic.

MZ: Why did you chose music as profession?

Haruhiko Ash and Közi: Profession?! We do what we really want and have fun doing it.

MZ: Which bands and musicians do you like?

Haruhiko Ash: I like The Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Siouxsie, The Fields of the Nephilim, Rosetta Stone ...

Közi: I like so many musicians that I can’t name them all now. Hmmm ... for example, I like Mylène Farmer, baroque music ...

MZ: Have you been to a Mylène Farmer concert?

Közi: Unfortunately not. But I watched a concert on video. That was really great! I like French chansons.

MZ: MangasZene reports mainly about manga and anime. Do you like manga and anime? What would you recommend to our readers?

Haruhiko Ash: It’s difficult for us to recommend something. You and your readers probably know manga and anime better than we do. We watched it with enthusiasm as children, but nowadays we just see it every now and then on TV, in order to relax. But ... hmmm ... we like the works of Go Nagai, like Devilman! Közi has a Devilman tattoo! (Közi laughs and nods, shows his right arm with the tattoo that shimmers through the transparent blouse. Haruhiko Ash says something about another tattoo and points towards Közi’s torso, but he laughs and stops him.)

MZ: What do you think about the fact that manga and anime have become so popular in Germany?

Haruhiko Ash: We are quite surprised to see anime when we switch on a TV in Germany.

MZ: What are your favourite movies?

Közi: I like horror movies, especially movies by Dario Argento. I like his films Suspense and Phenoma.

[amasanin’s note: I’m guessing Közi said Suspiria? As far as I know there is no Argento film called Suspense. Phenoma = Phenomena].

MZ: Please describe your character.

Haruhiko Ash: I was hysteric in my childhood ... (laughs) But that’s cured.

Közi: ... gentle ...

Haruhiko Ash: Right! Perfect! Doesn’t he look gentle? (laughter)

MZ: Közi-san, do you still have contact with the members of Malice Mizer?

Közi: Yes, we meet sometimes.

MZ: I’ve been told, that Malice Mizer is having just a break for indefinite time. But is it true that they stopped activity completely?

Közi: Yes. Malice Mizer is over. Now I belong to Eve of Destiny.

MZ: Recently there’ve been no news about Yu~ki in the music scene. Did he stop his activity as a musician?

Közi: No, he is writing songs.

MZ: How about performing at our convention?

Haruhiko Ash: No problem!

MZ: Even is the audience is mainly composed of fans of manga, anime and Visual Kei?

Haruhiko Ash: No problem! Just let us know when and where!

MZ: Please give a message to our readers.

Haruhiko Ash: Do not care so much about the look, listen to our music! We'll see each other again! We'll come back to Europe soon!

MZ: Thank you very much for the interview!

Eve of Destiny: You’re welcome!