INTERVIEW: Midori – Lovebites

LOVEBITES trajectory up the ranks has been nothing short of extraordinary. Wasting no time since their formation in 2016, the Japanese quintet’s momentum has flowed at breakneck speed, matching their intense brand of classic-driven heavy metal. We here at Distorted Sound are big fans of the band, we’ve covered them extensively in the past, and now, as their second full-length, Clockwork Immortality, looms on the horizon, we spoke with guitarist Midori (check out our original feature via our Patreon page) to get the lowdown on the new album and how the band have no plans to slow down!

You’re gearing up to release your brand new album, Clockwork Immortality, in January. What can we expect to hear from the upcoming album?

Midori: You can expect something that follows in the direction of Awakening From Abyss but has become more aggression. The parts of our songs based in power metal, thrash and speed metal remain unchanged, however I think the mid tempo parts this time have more energy behind them and we have our first ever ballad on this record, so you can expect an album richer in variety this time round.

This is your second full-length album, following on from 2017’s Awakening From Abyss. How has the band developed in that time?

Midori: When we’re making music I’m always impressed with the skills the other members bring. I think our songs highlight each members strongest attributes and these have been expanded upon on Clockwork Immortality. We’ve also been touring and playing much more shows together since the last album, it’s helped make us stronger than ever.

The momentum with LOVEBITES is absolutely enormous right now as it’s only been a year since your debut release, as well as the release of an EP and plenty of touring. How important is keeping up this momentum for you?

Midori: Yes, it’s important. We keep gaining new opportunities from continually moving forwards. Now I feel like the band is full of positive energy. I want to become a bigger band by continuing our activities more vigorously.

And with the new album coming out so soon after your last release, are you hoping it capitalises on the buzz surrounding the band?

Midori: That’s one way to look at it. I hope my answer isn’t too off topic, but when I think about my favourite artists and bands, I’m always excited to see what they will do next and looking for their new material.

Can you describe the writing and recording process for Clockwork Immortality?

Midori: The songwriting started just before the previous work Battle Against Damnation was released. We drew up a plan for Clockwork Immortality, listing all the qualities we want included on the album. Several of the songs began life as ideas for the time of the Battle Against Damnation EP. Once we had a plan of what kind of album we wanted overall we set to work in teams to create songs. Miyako, Miho and Asami each worked in their own team with an arranger and producer called Mao, who we’ve worked with on all our albums so far. Once we had the ideas down we worked to solidify what we’d created.

Clockwork Immortality will be your third release. How do you feel it compares to your back catalogue and do you think it marks your best work yet?

Midori: Absolutely. This album let us explore further aspects of LOVEBITES in a way we haven’t done before. There are various types of songs included, from aggressive types to ballads. I think this is an album that truly reflects us as a band as well as individuals right now and shows a fuller spectrum of our expression.

The album’s artwork is particularly striking. Can you explain what is being depicted?

Midori: David and Carlos of Easy Rabbit Creations drew the artwork following their work on our previous releases. I love it, it’s really cool. The wolf, the incarnation of LOVEBITES, is heading towards a clock, representing time. It’s a visualisation of the meaning of the title of this album, treasure every moment of your time.

Finnish engineers Mikko Karmila and Mika Jussila handled the mixing and mastering for the record. Given their reputation and skill, how was it working with them for this new record?

Midori: We’ve worked with these two from day one of LOVEBITES – they’ve done a wonderful job and keep on doing so! Both the aggressiveness of the instruments and of Asami’s vocals have been able to really stand out because of them. I appreciate to work with such a world class team.

And what do you hope to achieve with Clockwork Immortality?

Midori: I’d like to perform live around the world in 2019 with this album. I would like to deliver our music directly to countries and regions we have yet to visit.

You’ve really enjoyed a breakout year this year, enjoying success at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods as well as a performance on the main stage at this year’s Bloodstock Festival. Reflecting on 2018, how has it been for you and has it set the standards for what you hope to achieve in 2019?

Midori: We were able to take the first steps of what we have been aiming for, we had a chance to see an unexpected opportunity, and it was a year when there were lots of experiences for the first time. While expectations from the surroundings were rising, there was also pressure, but the unity as a band has increased very much. I think it’s definitely an indicator for what 2019 has in store. I would like to appear in more and more festivals around the world, and I would like to play in other cities besides London in the UK. Of course, I still want to sell out the O2 Academy Islington, too! I will continue to act vigorously to continue delivering our music to the world next year.

You are arguably one of the breakout bands to come out from Japan. Since your rise in recognition, has the Japanese metal scene increased in health?

Midori: Thank you very much for saying so. However, I have not realised it yet. I do not know whether it is our influence or not but I’m happy to see people outside of Japan taking interest. I think there are more bands playing overseas now and lots of new metal bands appearing so I feel that the metal scene in Japan is increasing a little. We would like to be able to return the experiences and power we receive from touring outside of Japan and somehow implement it in the scene here more.

To close, we’ll offer you the chance to say any parting words to our readers. Do you have anything to say to the readers of Distorted Sound?

Midori: I am grateful for your continued, warm support! Our first overseas performance was in England, it feels like a second hometown for LOVEBITES. I will definitely come back to perform next year, so please look forward to it. We are also looking forward to seeing you again. Until then, please listen to Clockwork Immortality. See you soon!!

Clockwork Immortality is set for release on January 18th via JPU Records. The band are featured in our latest digital issue which you can get from our Patreon page here.

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