Kiro & Shin
Not a Break-up, Just a Break

08.08.2010

We met Kiro and Shin, ex-members of extremely popular German band Cinema Bizarre, in a Moscow café two days before “White Snow Party”, where they were supposed to appear with exclusive DJ sets. They were accompanied by their colleague Ricky, better known as DJ Daniel de Paris, but he opted out of the interview. I believe the reason was not his extreme modesty, but a plate of spaghetti, which he failed to finish off with before my arrival. At the same time, Kiro and, to a lesser degree, Shin, were quite ready to answer my questions.

First things first: how could this happen that Cinema Bizarre being quite a successful band was over so suddenly?

Kiro: I think we had really great audience and we had really great time as a band – we had great concerts and so much fun. But the reason we have a break now is not that we don’t come along anymore – we’re still friends and we meet each other very often. We just decided to have a break, because each of us wanted to do his own stuff, to have his own project. We just had to go different ways, but maybe we’ll be together again in some years – nobody knows. Definitely it’s not a break up, but just a break. We don’t know what will happen in two or three years. We’ll see.

And why have the two of you decided to go on working together?

Kiro: We see each other really often and we decided to make these DJ-sets together here in Russia, because we just like the idea. People write to us and they ask us to come here, because they want to see us. And now we’re here and we’re having fun. Yesterday we played in St. Petersburg, the audience was great and they were dancing all the time. I hope in Moscow it’s the same and they also like dancing here.

So your DJ-sets are only for Russia and you’re not going to play anywhere else, right?

Kiro: Well, there’s nothing planned. But we’re looking forward to play somewhere else some day. But no dates yet, only Russia.

Are you still in touch with your ex-manager Tilo Wolff?

Kiro: No.

And what can you say about your former bandmates? Are you interested in what they’re doing now?

Kiro: Yes, sure. We still stay in touch with Yu and Strify. We see Strify really often because he lives in Berlin, but Yu is still in America and we don’t know when he comes back. But we three live in Berlin, so we know a lot about each other’s lives.

(all this time Shin has been looking at us absently and not taking part in the conversation)

Shin is not very talkative, is he?

Kiro (turning to Shin, laughing): You can talk now!
Ricky: Short night and long trip, you know. (takes his spaghetti plate and moves to a neighboring table)
Kiro: Yeah, in this train…

I see, well, but there’re still a lot of questions left. Do you miss playing in a band? Do you still play your instruments just for yourself?

Shin: I still play my instrument and I also started to learn how to play piano again. I want to write music and have so many things to do…
Kiro: Yeah, we really try to do something new. I’m into fashion now, I want to be a fashion designer. And I have so much fun doing that. Yeah, that’s right, there’re so many things to do.

And do you want to get education and to be a professional designer?

Kiro: Since February I’ve started pre-education and it’s really cool, I make some stuff and I really like it.

Do you have any plans to work in the fashion industry in some years?

Kiro: I don’t know yet. I’ve just started… But I have many ideas and I’ve already met some people I could work together with. So we’ll see what future brings.

Do you wear the stuff you make?

Kiro: Yes. Yesterday I had one thing I’ve made on me. It was like black… (shows some sort of a shirt with a cryptic symbol on the collar)

And what about you Shin? What do you do except playing drums and piano?

Shin: I just have fun and enjoy my life. Nothing that important. I’ve just started at school, I went back to school again. Next to that I’m gonna make music, concentrating and preparing… (shows something big with his hands)

You said about writing your own songs – what is it you write?

Shin: It’s about everything, everything I feel or want to feel… It’s about love, enjoying your life and so on…

Okay, let’s talk about love songs…

(both laugh)

I think most of your fans are girls and they must be interested in your personal life. Any news?

Shin: I’m still single.
Kiro: No, I’m not single, I’m in relationship. And I’m happy.

Shin, maybe you’ll find someone here in Russia, what do you think about it?

Shin: Maybe-maybe. You never know where you meet someone and it’s always a kind of surprise. But I always need a lot time to find a new person and get to know her.

But now you have to write song about imaginary love, right?

Shin: No. There’re about real love. About my past.

I see, unhappy love, broken hearts, right?

Shin: Yeah. Mostly broken hearts, yeah…

As far as I know there was a contest for your fans: they had to make something special for you and if they’re the most creative they can meet you. So any cool things so far?

Kiro: Presents?

Exactly.

Kiro: Oh yes. This one for example. (shows me a locket with his name on it) And today I got a really cool fashion book with great pictures. I was so happy to get it! It’s a really nice present. And I got a big monkey.

So you like meeting your fans, don’t you?

Kiro: It’s great! Sometimes they’re just looking at us and are too shy to come closer, but I’m like “come on, come here!” (grabs the air with his hands) And then they’re not that shy anymore. There’re cool fans in Russia.

I see. Well, I haven’t heard your set yesterday, so I have no idea what kind of music you play – what is it like?

Kiro: Well, there are different kinds of music, like electronic, pop music and so on – it’s just a cool mix of everything. Everybody likes different kinds of music, but here everyone can find some songs he or she likes.

Is there a kind of “show” you’re going to make during your sets?

Kiro: It’s just we in the focus, we’re just playing music. Well, of course we do jump and dance… Well, you’ll see it tomorrow.

It’s not tomorrow, tomorrow’s Friday…

Kiro: Oh, I have no time after yesterday. No time feeling. When we took the train in St. Petersburg it was night, like 12 o’clock, but it was light like day…

White nights…

Kiro: Yeah, white nights… “Beliy noch”.

Oh, you pronounce it so lovely… Are there any more Russian words you know?

Kiro: Yes, I know some.

Privet?

Kiro: Privet, kak dela?
Shin: For the show in St. Petersburg I had a small notice of how to speak some Russian. (laughs) It was like “are you ready?” and “jump” and things like that. And they were like “Uhhh, Shin can speak Russian”, but no, I was just repeating these words…
Kiro: And I also know some bad words too, but don’t wanna tell you these bad words… I know “krasivye devochki”…

That’s it! And what else makes you wanna come to Russia again and again?

Kiro: Well, I even don’t know why, but I feel comfortable here. I like people here, they’re really nice. I like summer here, the weather is perfect…

It’s so hot outside!

Shin: Yeah…
Kiro: Yes, but we had so fucking… oh sorry!... bad weather in St. Petersburg. It was raining-raining-raining for two days and there were stormy clouds and we had nothing to do outside.

By the way are you still a fan of Russian band t.A.T.u.?

Kiro: Yes, I still am. Since 2003 I guess. Yesterday I played about five of their songs…
Shin (laughs sarcastically): Five…
Kiro: (laughs) Yeah, some remixes. I love them.

What is it you like about them?

Kiro: I don’t know. I really don’t know. It’s the music and everything. The whole package. And lyrics for sure, because I love deep lyrics. It’s even hard to understand sometimes what they want to say…

Have you ever tried to translate their songs from Russian?

Kiro: Yes, sometimes, a little bit.

Talking about the language of lyrics, Shin, in what language do you write your songs?

Shin: English. I think I can reach more people by writing songs in English. And songs in German are nothing special for me to sing.

But you know this language better…

Shin: Yes, of course. But it’s a challenge for me to write in English.
Kiro: Yes, I agree that it’s better to sing in English. It’s easier to express feelings in this language. And people from all over the world can understand it, because English is something like “main language” now.

And what are the countries you’d like to “reach” with your music most of all?

Shin: Russia.
Kiro: I also like Asia. Last time I was in Bangkok and Thailand, it was really great. I spent holidays there and that was my first time in Asia. And I want to see more countries, like China and Japan. I really want to go to Tokyo and see the lifestyle there, how people live there. I think it’s so different from the European way of living.

You seemed to be fans of Japanese culture when you formed Cinema Bizarre. You were very much into anime then, right?

Kiro: Yes, but not that much anymore. In my childhood I used to watch “Pokemon” or “Sailor Moon” (laughs) and I like that, but I don’t like any new stuff, because it has nothing to do with art anymore. It’s just… All these computers. And when I was younger it was art – no computer graphics and all this stuff. And what children watch on TV now… I just… I don’t like it, maybe it’s just not my generation… I don’t feel the passion.

And what about Japanese music?

Kiro: Yes, I listen to some bands like Dir En Grey or Gazette, but not that much… And we never said we were like visual kei band, though they inspired our style, of course. I like some songs, but that’s not the kind of music I can listen to every day.

And what is the kind of music you can listen to every day?

Kiro: I like dance music, pop music. There’re so many musicians I like…

Are you good dancers?

Kiro: You mean choreography or just party dancing? Well, when I go to party I dance. I like it. It’s fun.
Shin: I like dancing, but I can’t say I’m a good dancer.
Kiro: Me too!

You had so many changes in your image over the last three years – where do you get ideas about what to do next with you hair and so on from?

Kiro: I can get inspiration from anywhere. I can have a nice idea for example lying in my bed at home. Sometimes I just see something I like very much and… It just happens. I like changing my style. Maybe one day I’ll have a beard and no hair (laughs), I don’t know. I just like trying something new.
Shin: I think I’ll stay blond for a long time. I tried to change my color and to be dark-haired…
Kiro: Not for a long time… (laughs)
Shin: But now I’m blond again, because I like it more. It’s the biggest part of my image. (laughs)

It’s time to say goodbye, but let’s talk a bit about your future plans or just your dreams about your future life. Maybe we’ll have a chance of seeing you in Russia again soon?

Kiro: We don’t know yet. We surely want to come back, but we don’t have any plans. We’ll see what happens with us in future. Now I just want to enjoy our time in Russia and then go back home and do my fashion design.
Shin: And I want to become as famous as David Guetta and just make music.

Special thanks to Anna (New Look Concert Agency) for arranging this interview

Ksenia Artamonova
June 24, 2010
© HeadBanger.ru