Fukuro shares thoughts on mixing music genres, touring overseas

Fukuro arrived at the JW Marriott ahead of their Anime Expo autograph session and concert with a mountain-high pile of equipment and band merch in tow. Having only arrived in the US the day before, they were now navigating the largest anime convention in the United States in a foreign city during a heatwave. That said, they strolled into the hotel dressed in chic black and white suits and looking as cool as can be.

There was a bit of an organized chaos to them as they hustled to prepare for their meeting with their fans. Between applying makeup and organizing merch, they carved out some time to talk with us.

Join us as we get to know this jazz-rock fusion band and discuss their dreams for touring the US and beyond.

First, could you introduce yourselves and describe your roles in the band?

Yoshiatsu: Hello, I’m the vocalist Yoshiatsu. Nice to meet you!

Daisuke: I’m the pianist Daisuke.

Yutara: I’m the bassist Yutara, nice to meet you!

Lotto: I’m the drummer Lotto, nice to meet you!

Fukuro is a relatively new band, having only been active for a few years—and already touring overseas! How did you all meet and how did the band come together?

Yoshiatsu: From the start, bassist Yutara and I were already friends. The band I was in before disbanded and I decided I wanted to create new music. So I asked Yutara if he wanted to join me and we searched for new members together.

Yutara: We were looking for a drummer first and we saw Lotto’s drumming video on X [formerly Twitter]. We thought he was cool, so we reached out via direct message and invited him to join.

Yoshiatsu: After that, we couldn’t find a guitarist, but we were thinking maybe it would be cool to find a pianist instead. He wasn’t a regular member, but I had played with Daisuke before when I was in my previous band, so I asked him if he would want to join the band. That’s how we got started as a guitar-less band.

Fukuro’s lineup is unique, with Yoshiatsu stepping in as the occasional guitarist. Otherwise, it’s a mostly guitar-less band. Did anything else inspire this choice, and how does it affect your songwriting?

Yoshiatsu: I used to play piano and I like classical music, so I told Daisuke that if we combined rock and classical music, we could create a new type of music. Daisuke is the one who writes our music, so that’s why the music is so focused on the piano.

Daisuke: I like jazz, so that’s where the inspiration comes from. I didn’t set out to make jazz music, but since I started playing with Yoshiatsu, it kind of became like that. The rock parts, the jazz parts, and the cool parts all kind of mixed, to create songs that make Yoshiatsu’s voice shine.

How does composing with a focus on bass, drums, and piano differ from writing typical guitar-driven rock songs?

Daisuke: Probably… the way the chords are used is different.

Yoshiatsu: I don’t think there’s too much difference. Whether it’s with guitar or with piano, it’s still Fukuro’s sound. You can tell that it’s written by Daisuke no matter what the instrument is.

How does jazz work into your band’s music, while still keeping true to the style of “visual kei”? Do you consider yourselves a visual kei band? 

Yoshiatsu: My roots are in visual kei, but we don’t necessarily think of ourselves as visual kei right now. [In English] My roots are like DIR EN GREY. Do you know DIR EN GREY?

Yes, of course!

Yutara: My roots are more Jpop and gaming music. Visual kei is not just about the music or the makeup, it’s the clothes, images, videos, and artwork. It’s the amalgamation of all those things—it’s about the band’s overall image. And I think Fukuro has those parts of visual kei.

You released your first full album, MINORITY – MINORITY back in October of 2023. Can you tell us a little about it?

Yoshiatsu: Since forming, we’ve spent about two years trying lots of different things. We tried a lot of different styles and so for us MINORITY – MINORITY was kind of the culmination of everything and was the best representation of what we had done so far. [In English] The message, quality, and visuals, very high!

If you had to pick, what song from this album would you recommend to readers? 

Yoshiatsu: A recommended song from MINORITY – MINORITY…

Daisuke: Hmm, my favorite is maybe Journey of Albus.

Yoshiatsu: “Albus” is a fake country in an imaginary world. [In English] Not real!

Daisuke: It’s a very soulful song.

For vocalist Yoshiatsu: What made you decide to end activities as the vocalist of DADAROMA and move on to Fukuro? How is Fukuro unique from DADAROMA?

Yoshiatsu: The two are completely unrelated. It’s like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands. It’s a different story.

What changes in vocal technique, songwriting, or creative freedom came with the shift from DADAROMA to Fukuro? 

Yoshiatsu: I became gentler. In DADAROMA I was singing about myself, my thoughts and views, and things I liked or disliked, but with Fukuro it’s more like I want to help the people around me and sing for others.

What made you want to tour abroad, starting with Anime Expo? 

Yoshiatsu: Well, I’m the one who really wanted to go abroad. While I was still part of DADAROMA, I had the chance to go to Japan Expo in France, and it was the first time I realized how people abroad have a different way of enjoying music. Now that the coronavirus is no longer a barrier, we thought now is the time.

Yutara: As for Anime Expo, it was really just a matter of good timing. Like fate.

Yoshiatsu: It wasn’t so much that we wanted to start with Anime Expo in particular, it was more a matter of timing so it was a really good opportunity. [in English] Chance! Chance!

Have you had a chance to look around the convention? What do you think about America’s biggest anime convention?

Yoshiatsu: We haven’t had a chance to see much, to be honest. But earlier when I went to the bathroom, someone shouted “Yoshiatsu!”. I felt like a celebrity.

Yutara: There are so many cosplayers, everyone looks like they’re really having a good time, it’s great.

Do you think this will be the first of many overseas performances? Where else would you like to perform?

Yoshiatsu: Well of course we hope that this is the first of many. After America, the next place I’d like to go is France.

Yutara: I’d like to go abroad as much as we can, while still valuing our Japanese fans too. I’d like to make it to America’s East Coast, like New York.

Lotto: I’d also like to go to Europe.

Daisuke: I’d like to go to Mexico.

Anime Expo has a history of featuring Japanese rock musicians like YOSHIKI who appeared last year. What are your thoughts on Japan’s music becoming popular globally? 

Yoshiatsu: First of all, are we popular?

Well if you aren’t yet, you will be!

Yoshiatsu: I mean, we just arrived yesterday in America and it’s our first time here. We don’t really know what’s going on, but I guess we just do our best and have passion and if people can see and enjoy Fukuro’s original music, then that’s the start.

What are your goals for the future, as a band?

Yoshiatsu: First of all, we just want lots of people to come see us perform. Being able to not only play in Japan but to have the opportunity to go to places like America and France and have people hear our music is our goal.

Do you have any final message you would like to give to your overseas fans?

Yoshiatsu: I wonder… What should I say? Hm… [in English] I love the world! I am not Japanese, I am human! We are friends! We love music! [In Japanese] We love music, so if you do too, then everyone is our friend.

Lotto: I love you! I love the world!

Yutara: [In English] Me too! Me too!

Daisuke: [In English] Can you marry me? Let’s be happy together!

Yoshiatsu: He is looking for a wife.

Daisuke: [In English] I want to be happy with a wife!

Disclaimer: JROCK NEWS is not a matchmaking service, but if Daisuke’s future wife is reading this right now, we hope you will invite us to the wedding.

JROCK NEWS would like to thank Japan Music Revolution for making this interview possible.

Following their interview and autograph session, Fukuro made their US debut on Anime Expo’s community stage in the venue’s entertainment hall. The band’s Road to America tour also included shows in Los Angeles on July 8, San Francisco on July 10, and San Diego on July 12.

If you didn’t have the chance to catch Fukuro at one of their West Coast concerts, they have made a playlist featuring the setlist from their Anime Expo show on Spotify, so you can enjoy their music no matter where you are!

Setlist

1. Ningen Janai
2. Garasu no kutsu
3. MOM!
4. Texas Hold’em Poker
5. BitterChoco
6. Seppun
7. Bakemono no watashiniwa
8. Dorobo no march
9. La La La