As part of our series on Japanese game music bands, allow me to introduce Yumi Kawamura x Lotus Juice, a duo most famous for working together on the Persona 3 soundtrack. If you’d like to see Yumi Kawamura x Lotus Juice perform in the West, let them know in the comments section below!
Please introduce yourselves.
Yumi: We’re Yumi Kawamura x Lotus Juice, and we’re from the Persona 3 team.
Lotus: I guess you could call us a band. Yumi and I worked together on Persona 3 soundtrack, and now we perform live too.
How did you meet?
Yumi: We were chosen to rap and compose music for Persona 3. The first time we met was in the recording studio.
Lotus: Yeah, we know each other from Persona 3, but now we go out drinking together a lot [laughs].
What was your first project together?
Lotus: The first track we worked on together was “Burn My Dread -Last Battle-” for Persona 3.
Yumi: Yeah, back on the PlayStation 2.
What’s your relationship with Atlus?
Lotus;: Since working with Atlus on Persona 3 I’ve been able to continue making tracks with them for other games. I recently worked with them for Shin Megami Tensei IV, and the music is amazing. The level of quality is really high. In doing that work I’ve realised that I want to put out music that’s really accomplished, so I want to devote a lot of time and care to my work.
Yumi: After I came to Tokyo the first thing that people saw my name in was singing the theme song for Jantei Monogatari 2 on PC Engine CD-ROM, [laughs]. After that I laid low for many years, and while I was kind of a starving artist I had the chance to go see the Persona 2 announcement event at Velfarre. As someone who always loved RPGs and Atlus games, that event was really spectacular. Hitomi got on stage singing the theme song, and I remember being overcome by really strong feelings of jealousy, yearning, frustration, and helplessness. About 10 years later, I was singing on Persona 3. Even now though, my dream is to sing theme songs for games and anime [laughs]. Sound producer Shoji Meguro was one of the first people who, upon first meeting me when I came to Tokyo, gave me the chance to compose the theme song for an Atlus game for the first time. It’s been 20 years since I first encountered Atlus, so I’d say I’m pretty attached now [laughs].
What’s the difference between game music and other forms of music?
Lotus: The degree of freedom. I think maybe it’s nice to not have to put out music that has to sell [laughs].
Yumi: Of course, with games the music originates from the visuals and story, so I think there’s maybe a kind of synergy there.
What’s your favourite part of performing live?
Lotus: I enjoy the music, but the best thing is seeing the faces of the people in the audience enjoying it.
Yumi: It’s talking between songs, no question!
Would you like to perform overseas live if you had the chance?
Lotus: Actually, I recently received an offer to go by myself, and I think I will. Performing overseas probably puts me a little out of my element, but as long as I’m invited I’d like to go. Since I rap in English, I think maybe it’s a little easier for me.
Yumi: I can’t speak English, but since I can rely on Lotus… definitely!
Japan Game Music Festival 2013 Setlist
Burn My Dread -Last Battle- (Persona 3)
Mass Destruction (Persona 3)
P3fes (Persona 3)
Visit Lotus Juice’s official site and follow Yumi Kawamura and Lotus Juice on Twitter!
Thanks to John Rozewicki for translating and Inagaki-san for photos and organising the interview.
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