Pushing Through It All: ACME - "RISING SUN" Examination & Interview

We've had the pleasure to sit down and talk with ACME a couple times in the past (with interviews that can be found HERE and HERE) and we're sure that we'd have had an opportunity to do so again in 2020 if not for the current, ongoing worldwide pandemic. A trying year for everyone around the world, ACME, like countless bands around the world, pulled through it as best they could and would round out the year with a rather interesting song in the form of "RISING SUN". Let's take a closer look at both this song, its MV, and even close out with a discussion about the song with the band themselves!

"RISING SUN" is a song with music written by ACME and lyrics written by both vocalist CHISA and producer/songwriter Seann Bowe (who's worked with several other music artists such as MIYAVI) who penned the English lyrics. The song is not so much a departure from ACME's previous sound as much as it's an evolution. Mixing traditional Japanese aesthetics, with a modern hard rock sound, complete with EDM elements, only briefly touches on the awesome composition found in this song. Adding to this delicate blend of sounds, the lyrics are easy to sing along to no matter if they're in English or Japanese. ACME is completely on point in this one, and the song itself has something of a hopeful message and feel to it. Let's talk a bit about the MV though, as it's another piece of the "RISING SUN" puzzle that shines bright.

"RISING SUN"s MV follows a singular person as she travels throughout various locations in Japan in-between hanging out with ACME themselves. These outdoor segments can be fairly nostalgic as travel to Japan from the most places is still fairly restricted and casual sightseeing, as seen in the MV, are something og a distant memory for many. One couldn't be blamed for getting lost in this MV even if they're not a fan of the song itself though we defy anyone to not want to at least bob their head along in unison at parts. It goes without saying that the video is beautifully shot and edited, and it goes along with the tempo changes of the song itself which go from light to heavy throughout. It's rare to find an MV that matches its song as perfectly as this one. Overall "RISING SUN" is perfect for both the ACME fan and for the uninitiated to dive into ACME for the first time.

Before we dive into this further, let's hear a bit about the song from ACME themselves!

---

A-to-J: "RISING SUN" is quite a departure from your previous music can you tell us a bit about it and what the song means to you?
A-to-J: 今回のシングル「RISING SUN」はこれまでの音楽とはまた打って変わった曲になっていますがみなさんにとってどんな曲となりましたか？
CHISA：活動の仕方が今までとは全く変わった中でだした作品なのでACMEにとって大事な曲になりました。まだ戦っている途中ですが、ウイルスに打ち勝ってみんなで夜明けを迎えたい、そんな曲です。
CHISA: This song came from a time when our activities had drastically changed, so it became an important song for us. We are still fighting it, but we want to beat the virus and welcome a new dawn with everyone. It's that kind of song.
SHOGO：今までのACMEの音楽よりもっとヘヴィーな音を作りたくてギターとベースのチューニングを下げて作った曲です。よりカッコいいサウンドになりました。
SHOGO: We wanted to create music that had a heavier sound compared to our past music as ACME, so we tuned down the guitar and bass sound. It came out sounding really cool.
RIKITO ：これまでメンバー4人が培ってきた経験を活かし今のACMEが自信を持って世界に対して勝負ができる究極の1曲だと思います。
RIKITO: By bringing together all four members’ experiences, I think we were able to make this ultimate song that we can challenge the world with.
HAL：今までのACMEの中で最高傑作！ツアーをしたり、アメリカに行ったり様々な経験を通してインスピレーションを受け、そのひとつひとつがACMEの音楽になっています。
HAL: Our best one yet! After experiencing tours, and going to America, we were inspired. Each and every one of those experiences have become ACME’s music.

A-to-J: The song also has a chorus that is mostly all in English, what were your reasons for going this way?
A-to-J: コーラス部分がほぼ英語で書かれていることに理由はありますか？
CHISA：2020年1月のWEST COAST TOURから帰国後に次にリリースする曲はどんな曲が良いか考えていました。残念ながら今はコロナウイルスの影響により海外でのライブが難しい状況ですが、その時は海外での活動にさらに力を入れたいと思っていたので、英語でメッセージをもっと伝えたいと思ったのが理由です。
CHISA: After coming home from our WEST COAST TOUR in January 2020, we thought about what kind of song we wanted to release. Unfortunately right now with the Coronavirus, it is difficult to do concerts overseas, but that was a time where we wanted to put more effort into our overseas activities. That’s the reason we wanted to send our message in English.
HAL：歌詞はCHISAが書いてので本当の理由はわかりませんが、彼は英語を勉強しているので日本語を忘れてしまったのかもしれません。それか｢世界の人と一緒に歌いたい｣と言う気持ちがこもっているのだと思います。
HAL: CHISA writes the lyrics so I don’t know the real reason, but he has been studying English so he may have forgotten Japanese. Plus, I think it has his hope to "sing together with everyone in the world".

A-to-J: The MV for "RISING SUN" features a lot of outdoor scenes around Japan that are rather nostalgic for those outside Japan who can't currently travel abroad, can you tell us a bit about it?
A-to-J: 現在渡航禁止令が出ていて日本へ遊びに来られない海外ファンにとっては少しノスタルジックな仕上がりとなったロケーション撮影の多く使われた同タイトルのMVについて少し教えてください。
CHISA：ノスタルジックさは狙ってはいなかったので、RISING SUNのMVを観て日本に来てもらって、ACMEのライブを観てもらうという計画だったのですが、ウイルスに振り回される結果になってしまいましたね。演奏シーンが今回はなかったのは演奏は実際にライブで観てほしいという気持ちもあったからですが、早くライブがしたいですね。
CHISA: We weren’t trying to make it nostalgic, but we were hoping for people to watch our music video and come to Japan and see our concerts. Our plans have changed a bit with the virus though. We didn’t include a scene where we were performing because we wanted people to actually come see us live. I want to do a live show soon!
RIKITO ：MVをどのような作品にするのかという打ち合わせの段階からいろんな意見が出ていたのですが、結論東京という街を活かした海外ファンが見ても興味を持ってもらえるような作品になったと思います。
RIKITO: We had a lot of ideas from our brainstorming stage for the music video, but in the end I think  we wanted to showcase the city of Tokyo and hope for our overseas fans to gain interest.
HAL：世界にコロナが広がって簡単に旅行ができない世の中になってしまったのでMVの中だけでも日本に来てACMEに会えたような作品にしたくてこのような仕上がりになりました。
HAL: The music video became a piece where you can watch it to meet ACME and come to Japan, even with the Coronavirus spreading across the world.

A-to-J: Can we expect more music similar to "RISING SUN", such as in English and in this style, in the future?
A-to-J: これからも「RISING SUN」のようなスタイルや英語の歌詞に期待してもいいでしょうか？
CHISA：もちろんです！
CHIA: Of course!
SHOGO：期待して下さい！世界に届くような曲を作っていきたいと思います！
SHOGO: Please look forward to it! We want to make songs that will reach the world!
RIKITO ：もちろんこれからもRISING SUNを超えるようなヘヴィーな音楽であったり、それ以外にももっと幅広くいろんな音楽のテイストを取り入れてこれからも進化し続けていければと思います。
RIKITO: We want to continue making music that exceeds "RISING SUN" and its heavy sounds, but also continue to evolve by incorporating a wide variety of musical tastes
HAL：もちろん！期待に応えるバンド、それがACMEです。
HAL: Of course! We are ACME, the band that meets your expectations.

We trust that they will definitely meet your expectations and you can check out both band on social media (via the links below) as well as the MV for "RISING SUN". After that, you may want to check out the streaming/download links also provided before and even CDawgVA's video where he joined ACME for a day, complete with an onstage appearance during a performance of "RISING SUN"!

​Be sure to stay up to date with ACME on social media!
Official Site: http://acme-official.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACMEOFFICIALJP
Instagram: @acmeofficialjp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/acmejapan
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/acmejapan

"RISING SUN" Links:
Streaming/Download: https://big-up.style/gEVc7sBA2b​
MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeXZSNkEWQo​
CDawgVA Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Iqm3A9aTNw

The above interview was translated by Konomi Kawamoto. Wrap-around content by Rose Avery. Special thanks to FAKE STAR USA for assistance with the interview.

"RISING SUN" MV

CDawgVA "I Tried Being In A Japanese Band For A Day"