Miral (Sigh)

Hello Mirai! Great that you wanted to answer some questions from a very small metalzine in Sweden :) What is happening with Sigh right now?
Now we're working the track for John Coltrane tribute, which will be released on a German label next year. Doing Coltrane track is quite different from what we usually do, so it isn't easy at all. Also I've already started writing and recording bits and pieces for the next album.

The music of Sigh is very different and mixes a whole bunch of styles. What are your main musical influences?
As we three grew up listening to lots of metal from the 80s when we were teenagers, so I can safely say that the bands like Venom, Celtic Frost, Ozzy, Mercyful Fate, Bulldozer, Iron Maiden etc. are the biggest influences on us. Besides metal, I was taking the classical piano lesson for more than 20 years, so classical music is another big clout on me.

What music do you listen to most yourself?
These days I listen to the Beach Boys a lot. You may have an impression that the Beach Boys were worthless surfin pop band for the teenagers, but their stuff from the late 60s are totally insane and creative. I'm collecting the bootlegs of their unreleased album "Smile".

Tell me more about Enoch, you have collaborated with Killjoy (Necrophagia), Phil Anselmo (Pantera!!), and Opal Enthroned (Viking Crown)..Can we expect something more odd than Sigh?
Well, now I must say I am not sure if it will really happnen. It's something beyond my control, so I can't tell much about it. If it'd happen, it'd be a total horror album with lots of synth/sampling. I won't say it's more odd than Sigh, but I guess you can easily imagine how it'd sound from Sigh's synth parts.

What response have you got from critics and audience about your latest album, "Imaginary Sonicscape"?
The most of the response has been very positive. Still I've seen some negative reviews, but I understand that what we're doing is not every one's taste.

Are you famous in Japan, or more famous outside your homecountry? Is extreme metal big in Asia?
As we're on a major label here in Japan, I guess we're quite well known here. However, extreme metal things are very small in Japan while many people are enthusiastic about melodic power metal bands. I think Malaysia has a quite big following of extreme metal. I guess we have way more fans abroad than in Japan.

What do you think of the black metal scene today?
As I haven't listened to black metal stuff at all for more than five years, so I can't give a right comment on today's scene.

Do you think the Europeans will see you performing live in the near future?
Yes, I do hope so. We're hoping to tour Europe next year. We do love to play in as many countries as possible.

Thanks, and good luck to you! I think Sigh is great!
Thank you very much for the interview. For our latest information, visit our website at https://www.listen.to/sigh.

Sigh is:
Shinichi - Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Takamine acoustic guitar, Yamaha RX5
Satoshi - drums, tambourine, triangle, bongo, handclap, suspended cymbal, bar chimes, vibraslap
Mirai - Fender Rhodes, Hammond, Minimoog, Yamaha acoustic piano, Hohner Clavinet, Yamaha string machine, Roland Vocoder Plus, other keyboards, sampling, programming, modulator, effects, Speak & Spell, recorder, melodeon, bass, vocal, etc.

The interview was made by: David A, 2001