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Our interview with Kyoso Doppel

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inartistic
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日本語版
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Meet Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) in our latest interview!

Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) is an Osaka-based band who changed their name and concept earlier this year. They graciously agreed to an interview with us about their latest direction. Read on to learn more about Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) and their intentions in this new era!

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) group photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) group photo

Interview with Kyoso Doppel

Nice to meet you, Kyoso Doppel! Please introduce yourselves.

Nice to meet you, we're Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル).

We usually perform around Kansai (Osaka), and our concept is “dramatic poetry shoka” (劇情ポエム唱歌). We have released a wide range of songs, from loud rock songs to ballads, all focusing on classical Japanese lyrics and literary elements.

We have various songs and videos available on streaming sites and YouTube.

Ed. note: shoka is a type of song created for Japanese schoolchildren in the late 1800s.


Please tell us about the formation and how you came to know each other.

In 2019, our vocalist HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ) formed our predecessor band, diverse effect in Doppelgänger. Due to a member change, we've been active as Kyoso Doppel since March 2022.

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) V. HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ) solo photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) V. HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ) solo photo


Earlier this year, you changed your name from diverse effect in Doppelgänger to Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル). What inspired this change?

With this new lineup and new concept “dramatic poetry shoka”, our musical direction has changed considerably.

2019 through 2022 were turbulent years where we all experienced things that had never happened before. The ideologies, the divisions, the verbal bullets—none of these can be talked about in a polite way.

As artists, we believe we should directly express how we've felt about this era. And to present our “most true selves,” we've stuck to our native language of Japanese through our lyrics and performances, which helps us express these things in the most intentful way. Our band name is part of that.

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) G. INO solo photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) G. INO solo photo


Your latest single, “Re:創狂”, came out this past Spring. Could you tell us a little bit about it?

Since it was our first digital single after our name change, we were extra conscious of the loud elements and the beautiful melodies that our sound has. As the lyrics state, the message of the song is “in these turbulent times, I want to be able to think for myself and not be dependent on anyone else; that is my utopia.”

Ed. note: the single's title is pronounced the same as risoukyou (理想郷) {utopia}.


You have embraced digital distribution from the beginning. What factored into this decision?

You often hear the opinion that “CDs have stopped selling due to the spread of streaming platforms,” and that's true. But we believe that, as a result, there are more opportunities for people to listen to a wider variety of music.

We still intend to release CDs in the future in limited quantities, but above all we would like people from around the world to be able to stream our music.

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) G. Kei (慶) solo photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) G. Kei (慶) solo photo


Please tell us a bit about your songwriting process.

Regarding the song composition, guitarist INO is the main composer; vocalist HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ), bassist RYOSUKE (リョヲスケ), and the others gather song ideas and the band arranges them; and guitarist INO does the final mixing.

The lyrics and melody line are all written by vocalist HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ).

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) B. RYOSUKE (リョヲスケ) solo photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) B. RYOSUKE (リョヲスケ) solo photo


For each member, what is your favorite song to perform and why?

Vo. HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ)

Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先). I was really able to put my feelings about the era into the music and lyrics for this one. This song is my “now.”

Gu. INO

Re:Soukyou (Re:創狂). This could be called the theme song of Kyoso Doppel. I really like the lyrics, melody, and music because each part has a different expression.

Gu. Kei (慶)

Natsu no Hi no Koto (夏の日のこと). The origin of this song goes back 10 years. It's based on something I used to play with HARUTO (ハルタ) and over the years it took on its current form. It's a song that brings up many memories, so I'm particularly attached to it.

Ba. RYOSUKE (リョヲスケ)

Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先). In my career, this is the song with the simplest bass phrase I've ever played, but also where I spent the most time considering each individual bass note.

Dr. Tatsuya (龍也)

LULLABY (ララバイ). The MV shoot we did where we carried musical instruments around a shopping district was especially impressive.


Which song would you recommend to first time listeners?

Of our songs released until now, we recommend Re:Soukyou (Re:創狂) and Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先). Both of these are available on YouTube and streaming services.


Please tell us about how you came up with the concept for your MV “僕は其の花を摘んで握り潰した.”

The lyric concept is “nothing lasts forever,” so for the MV we wanted to show “those who tried to obtain eternity and destroyed it.”


You have all been in various bands in the past. How have your musical tastes and goals changed over time?

We always try to be in touch with new things, so our musical taste has broadened considerably. As for vocalist HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ), his exposure to ambient and alternative music has led him to package “the atmosphere and environmental sounds of this era” into our sound. As a band our goal is to capture our “direct expression of our feelings about this era.”

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) D. Tatsuya (龍也) solo photo

Kyousou DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) D. Tatsuya (龍也) solo photo


What is your ultimate goal for Kyoso Doppel?

We know that times will continue to change; instead of taking a pessimistic view, we want to continue to express our personal feelings about these changes.

We want to continue the band while overcoming the things that we can't change; we'll throw away preconceived notions about band activity and continue without disbanding.


Do you have any upcoming plans such as releases or lives?

On October 30th, we released our first EP, Hikari no You na Mono (ひかりのようなもの). The CD version is available through our web shop, and the limited first edition features a paper jacket with an atmospheric design. It's also available on streaming platforms, so please listen.

2022-11-05
Kyoso DOPPEL狂想ドッペルHikari no You na Monoひかりのようなもの CDCD
  1. (5:10p.m)
  2. Natsu no Hi no Koto (夏の日のこと)
  3. (1:19a.m)
  4. LULLABY (ララバイ)
  5. (4:45am)
  6. Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先)
2022-11-05
Kyoso DOPPEL狂想ドッペルHikari no You na Monoひかりのようなもの Digital配信
  1. Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先)
  2. LULLABY (ララバイ)
  3. Natsu no Hi no Koto (夏の日のこと)

The MV for Akegata, Kuukyo no Saki (明け方、空虚の先) is available on YouTube.

As for lives, we haven't decided any details, but we are planning a performance in Osaka sometime in early 2023.


Please leave some parting words for the readers.

Vo. HARUTA KOUHEI (ハルタ コウヘイ)

I like what Bob Marley said: “Some people can feel the rain. Others just get wet.” We live in crazy times but let's keep our imaginations alive.

Gu. INO

I want to continue challenging myself to make music that only Kyoso Doppel can.

Gu. Kei (慶)

Please come experience Kyoso Doppel's world view at our lives.

Ba. RYOSUKE (リョヲスケ)

Please come experience Kyoso Doppel live!

Dr. Tatsuya (龍也)

I want to continue to be flexible and change without being satisfied by the status quo.


Please listen to our first EP, Hikari no You na Mono (ひかりのようなもの), which we're really confident about.

We will continue to do Japanese rock as “dramatic poetry shoka” Kyoso Doppel, and we look forward to your support.


Thank you to everyone in Kyoso DOPPEL (狂想ドッペル) for participating in this interview.

This interview was organized by and conducted by and with translation and assistance from .

If you want to support us and make future artist interviews possible, please consider joining our Patreon.

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