In the vibrant world of Japanese music, Broken By The Scream stands out with their unique blend of metalcore and idol pop. This quartet has captured global attention with their distinctive sound. As they gear up for their first European tour, they sat down with AsianStyle.cz to discuss their musical journey, influences, and excitement about connecting with international fans. Dive into the world of this extraordinary band and discover what makes their music resonate across diverse audiences.
Good day, Broken by the Scream! This is asianstyle.cz and we’ve prepared a few questions for you. As you prepare for this tour, what are your hopes and goals for your first European experience? What do you want to achieve through this tour?
ツバキ (Tsubaki): I am honored to be able to perform at the big event, the Motocultor Festival on the 17th, and I’m also very grateful to be able to tour Europe. Until now, we could only connect with our fans through YouTube and social media, so I’m happy that we can now share the joy of music with them. I hope that many people will enjoy Broken By The Scream’s music on this tour.
Can you tell us about the origin of Broken by the Scream? How did the band come together and what inspired the fusion of metalcore with idol pop?
イオ (Io): I think as we pursued the music we like and the Japanese-style music in our own way as Broken By The Scream, it naturally took this form. I also love both extreme music like metal and the poppy Japanese-style music.
Your music uniquely combines brutal metal elements with the upbeat catchy aspects of idol pop. How do you balance these two contrasting styles during songwriting and production?
シズク (Shizuku): The intense music style and constantly changing developments are characteristics of BBTS, but the cuteness of the lyrics is also a feature of BBTS. Balancing coolness and cuteness might be where we strike that balance. Although the lyrics are in Japanese, we hope everyone will pay attention to their content as well.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences both from the metal world and the idol scene?
イオ (Io): We were influenced by bands like WHITECHAPEL, Jinjer, and Infant Annihilator for our screaming style. There are too many bands and artists that I like… I enjoy music with grand and dark worldviews like deathcore, dark ambient, and black metal.
ツバキ (Tsubaki): I think BABYMETAL is really great. They are still spreading Japanese music to the world.
ヤヨイ (Yayoi): I like Slipknot, Arch Enemy, and in Japan, bands like Maximum the Hormone and Dir en grey.
シズク (Shizuku): Rather than a specific artist, I loved going to live houses after school, so naturally, I wanted to shine on stage myself.
Given the intense energy of your performances, how do you prepare for live shows both physically and mentally?
ツバキ (Tsubaki): BBTS has intense dancing and performances that feel like a sports day event. Each of us has our own way of conditioning before a live show. For example, Iorin (Io) keeps wandering around and practicing death voice in the dressing room. (laughs)
ヤヨイ (Yayoi): We recently had a one-man live with two shows in one day in Japan. After overcoming that, I feel like we’ve become much stronger! (laughs)
Your fanbase is quite diverse, ranging from metalheads to J-pop fans. How do you connect with and cater to such a wide audience?
イオ (Io): It’s true that Broken By The Scream attracts fans who enjoy a wide variety of music, but we don’t particularly focus on that. I think it’s fine for people to enjoy the music however they like. Whether they’re going wild or watching quietly from the back, it’s all good. It makes us happy if everyone watches with kindness and enjoys the show.
Have you noticed any differences in how your music is received in Japan compared to international audiences?
ツバキ (Tsubaki): I feel that especially with first-time audiences, the reception is quite different between Japan and overseas. It feels like overseas audiences get really excited right from the first day if they think Broken By The Scream is good. You can directly feel the emotions. Of course, the enthusiasm of Japanese fans is just as strong! (laughs)
Where do you envision Broken By The Scream in the next 5 to 10 years? What are the key milestones you hope to achieve?
イオ (Io): BBTS has been around for seven years now, and we finally get to perform at big festivals and tour overseas. It’s a rare thing for an idol group to last this long, so we’re grateful and lucky. With the new lineup this year, we have momentum, and we want to continue performing in various countries and spreading Broken By The Scream. Our goal might be to be the main act at Motocultor in five years? (laughs) Of course, there are many festivals like Wacken that we want to perform at too!
If you could collaborate with any artist either from the metal world or the idol scene, who would it be and why?
ツバキ (Tsubaki): The artists everyone mentioned earlier are definitely ones we’d like to collaborate with. But I also think it would be interesting to collaborate with artists from completely different genres. If we could collaborate with Lady Gaga, we’d be thrilled! (laughs)
If Broken by the Scream were characters in an anime or a video game, what kind of character would you be, and what would your special abilities be?
ヤヨイ (Yayoi): Each of the four members of Broken By The Scream has a different personality, so I think we’d fit well in an anime or a game. Wouldn’t it be fun if we were characters in a fighting game? And they could use BBTS songs! (laughs)
イオ (Io): I think something cute like the Powerpuff Girls would also suit us.
You have fans in Slovakia and the Czech Republic who are excited about the possibility of seeing you perform someday. Is there anything you’d like to say directly to your fans in these countries?
シズク (Shizuku): It’s a shame we can’t do a live show even though we’ll be so close this time, but we definitely want to visit Slovakia and the Czech Republic someday!
ヤヨイ (Yayoi): Besides performing live, if we visit, I’d love to see castles as well!
ツバキ (Tsubaki): We should make sure to ask for a day off! (laughs) We’re looking forward to meeting you all! Of course, we’d also be happy if you could come to see us on our EU tour!
イオ (Io): We’re bringing Broken By The Scream’s music to the world, so please come and see us!
