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INTERVIEW WITH RHYME

RHYME

Q and A With RHYME Singer and Actress of “Fashion Blogger”. She won the Best Actress/Modle Award and Best Music Award, also was nominated for Best Major Brand Production Award for her Music Video at LFFF2020

1. Tell us about yourself and how did you start as a singer/musician?

Hi LFFF! My name is Rhyme.

Yeah, I don’t know what my parents were thinking on my birth date, but they were always out there into music and style. I started making music on a program called SONY acid at age 6. That’s as early as I remember just dragging loops and playing on the computer for ages. Not long after I picked up the saxophone and continued developing and learning classical music. I then became really interested in Poetry and spoken word and experimental music. I never thought of myself as a singer. I don’t have a great voice, but I have a message and a tone, so I ride with that. Plus, I love to tell a story.

2. When did you move to Japan? Has migration influenced your work?

About 4 years ago I moved to Japan. It took me deep, like underground here. I wasn’t meant to move here but it took me in. Honestly it has shaped a lot of my style and now I am writing in Japanese, I play the Koto, and am learning the intonations and lyrical juxtaposes of Japanese artists to mix into my own work. Also, the fashion and visual too, Tokyo is a fast 25hr city with mega technology, so there’s a lot to take in.

3. You won Best Music Award, Describe your sound and genre of music?

Yes, wow I can’t believe it! Seriously again, thank you. It’s a big deal to have that kind of award, I never expected it. For my Project RHYME SO, which is a duet project of myself and Shinichi Osawa, a legendary music producer, we have this theme going where we mix tongue twisting irony and satire almost with hype future beats and dance music.

Shinichi Osawa is a great electro pioneer and nu wave while I am very rock and experimental, so we try to fuse it together to make some sort of new POP. The song ‘Fashion Blogger’, has almost blah talking style, easy to say along (like fashion bloggers easiness these days on insta). We decided to mix it with a catchy baseline dance track, li_lethrowback style.

4. Of all the music videos you made, which one is your favourite?

DUHHHHH ‘FASHION BLOGGER’

5. Where do you find your inspiration?

It was collaborative in the construction of the storytelling but it all derived from Ice-skating competitions, almost the same as competing on Instagram; who has the best look, the best skill, who do the crowds cheer for, who gets the most numbers, who puts in the most work. And of course, it’s all-inclusive. Meaning this big perceived competition full of sass and judgement also brings us together, learning with each other and sharing inspiration. MILK saves me when I fall at the end, inspired by living up to our peers when times get tough and helping each other in time of need and the welcoming and hand holding crossing over and in-between any title or label.

RHYME

6. Who would you like to work or collaborate with?

Personally, I want to make music with Madonna, Marilyn Manson and Eminem.

7. Is there any fashion icon you would like to work with?

Oh! Rei Kawakubo from Comme des Garcons.

8. How did you decide to have MILK in your video? How was your working experience with MILK?

MILK is an icon.

We really got along and shared our passion for Figure Skating. I used to skate for 15 years before the clip, same as MILK. We instantly bonded and I got to learn a lot of fun moves from her.

9. What is the original concept of the Fashion Blogger video?

Fashion Bloggers being obsessed with their phones, their likes and generally themselves.

The kind of dark side of the internet and consumerism promos. Like, imagine if you were figure-skating and in the middle of the program you just whip your phone out to check your updates. We wanted to show this message like, “Hey! We are living, and phones are great as tools but how far are they sucking us away from our own life program.”

10. Tell us about the fashion as seen in the video and choosing your costumes, you and MILK?

MILK did all her own costumes and wigs, she got them made in LA by her sew stress. We in Tokyo also custom made the main big outlet with the white fluffy shoulders, but it was tough to skate in because they were heavy and, in the way, but so nice to wear.

A great stylist called BABYMIX did the whole costume /wardrobe direction. Although I picked the diamante one to wear at the end. Almost like I became the boy, in a bodysuit and MILK was the girl, in a tutu skirt dress. So, we played with roles a bit in the costumes.

11. You won the Best Actress Award for your performance. acting, dancing and singing all at the same time must be very hard, please tell us more about it?

I was born for it.

12. What you’re working on now and what are your next projects?

The project RHYME SO is about to launch a super collaborative release with the rest of our catalogue! Finally, and more on the IAFB theme in a sass, slam kind of way.
My personal music also touches on this ‘internet girl’ a character who is also at some point the ‘fashion blogger’ but it’s way darker. I got a new animation coming titled YAJH, it’s about the super evil side of the music industry and what artists will do to get there and who decides who gets a chance.

13. You always work with diverse artists from all over the world, how has the pandemic affected your collaborations? Have you done any online collabs?

Ah yeah, just a word out there to everyone struggling, FEELS. Yeah, I’m working remotely with DWARA right now from London. Her work is beautiful!

14. What advice do you have for emerging artists?

Still trying to work it out. Well, that’s beautiful, channel the frustration.

Thank you LFFF for giving emerging artists and creators a platform for their work to be celebrated!!!

Love RHYME #fashionblogger lol