Girls Just Want To Have Fun!

"BIG GUEST VISITS OUR OFFICE!"

Kero Kero Bonito came to Girl Houyhnhnm editorial office!

Photo_Go Tanabe　
Text_Yuichiro Tsuji

JAPANESE ENGLISHv

“Kero Kero Bonito” is the London-born artist
that is consisted of a bilingual Sarah in Japan and British mix,
Gus who is always wearing a soccer game shirt, and quiet of few words Jamie.
Their somewhat geeky visual and effortless songs
in a good sense stimulate appreciative listeners point loosely, but surely.
Three members of such Kero Kero Bonito came to the Girl Houyhnhnm editorial office the other day!
We interviewed them a lot about the “Summer Sonic 2017”
that they just appeared, about Japan and about their music.

Lyric 's inspiration source is "everyday-life".

Many people enjoyed the music of Kero Kero Bonito on the live at "Summer Sonic 2017" the other day.: Gus
It was a lot of fun! We love to perform live on a big stage. Of course we like small venues too, but it is somewhat easier to play in front of a lot of audiences.; Sarah
Because I am a mix of Britain and Japan, somehow I’ve gotten special feeling. I performed live with a feeling like "I’m back!" It was my first time to appear the music festival in Japan, so it was really fun.; Gus
Audiences in Japan was very good at reaction. It was truly awesome.

Did you hang out anywhere in Japan?: Gus
The place that I liked most is Ochanomizu. I could buy Roland musical instrument on the cheap. I was happy. Also, we went to Nagoya for promotion yesterday and went to spicy restaurant at off-time. Do you know Misen?
“Misen”! Yes, Nagoya’s specialty. How was it?: Gus
Delicious! Hot! (In Japanese)
Rough. You study Japanese, Gus?: Gus
A little bit. I took Hiragana test the other day.

Speaking of Kero Kero Bonito, Japanese lyrics is one of your characteristics. How do you write lyrics?: Sarah
Inspiration source is everyday-life. I write based on things that happened to me and what I thought as a starting point and expand them.
Then you add melody to create songs?: Sarah
That’s depend on songs. Sometimes I write lyrics first, and sometimes I add lyrics after I have created songs.

Attractive music, not bound by nationality or language.

What’s subject do you talk when you are all together?: Jamie
Music, food, movie, exploring town, travelling and books. We are interested in to touch various cultures.; Sarah
We are almost always together. Feeling like we are living together. lol; Jamie
Gus’s house is my second house. lol

How did the three of you meet in the first place?: Gus
Me and Jamie were friends from a long time and we did the band together. So, we wanted to do something new, was the starting point of forming Kero Kero Bonito. I wanted to meet someone who I wouldn’t know for my everyday life, so I asked my friend to help me to recruit singers on an online board. That friend is a mix of Japan and Germany, and he posted to the board called “MixB” that is used by many Japanese.
You wanted Japanese?: Gus
Not particularly. lol Actually we posted to other boards too. All I asked was a unique person whoever it is. Sarah applied through “MixB” as it happened.; Sarah
I think it was close to graduating from the college at that time. I was thinking that I wanted to do something new and I just found the post. I never played music, so I thought it should be interesting.

Gus and Jamie had an interest to the Japanese culture?: Gus
Of course! I like video games so I’ve been playing Japanese games since I was little.
Influence of game music is also appearing in the music of Kero Kero Bonito, right?: Gus
That’s right! (In Japanese) I especially like “MOTHER2” and “SUPER METROID”.
What kind of other music influenced the three of you?: Sarah
It was HALCALI that we all listened to when we formed the band. Listening to "HALCALI BACON", we were like "Like it! Like it!" lol. Everyone likes dance music after all.; Jamie
I like Grime and Garage too.; Gus
Also pop music. I am listening to Perfume a lot as a Japanese artist. Not concerning nationality or genre, I like the music of a composer called Conlon Nancarrow recently.

How do you dig music?: Gus
I go to CD shops. Finding the music using your own foot is the best way. When I went to Indonesia before, I went to a CD shop in the basement of the shopping mall. Then the staff introduced me a lot of synthpop songs, and that communication was a lot of fun. There are certainly good memories in the CD shop.
surprisingly searching for music in an analog way.: Gus
Of course I use online service too. However, because the amount of information is huge anyway, it’s difficult to find really good music among them. The pleasure when I met good one is exceptional though.

By the way, when Mixmaster Morris (Irresistible force) came to Tokyo and played DJ at Daikanyama UNIT this year, he played Kero Kero Bonito “Flamingo”.: Gus
Wow! That’s fantastic. I’m truly honored.
I think he is a big figure presence in the music scene in London. Do you guys have friendship?: Gus
Though I’ve never met him, Irresistible Force is one of the artists that I respect. Maybe we’ll play his song for our next live. lol
Please tell us destination of Kero Kero Bonito at the end.: Gus
I’d like to perform live at Budokan oneday!; Sarah
Also, I want to keep making international music across the border. I want to deliver what everyone feels great without being bound by nationality or language.