OJApr: Your tour in Latin America finished at the end of December, could you tell a bit about it? What were your expectations, and did it meet your expectations? ALI: We really didn't know what to expect but surprisingly it wasn't as rough as I imagined it to be. I really, really enjoyed the whole experience. Mind boggling.
ANIS: It was pure fun! I was very surprised to see lots of people singing along with us.
Everything was more than I ever expected.
OJApr: How were the audiences on the tour? How did they differ if at all from MONORAL’s Japanese fans? ANIS: They were very LOUD! Not so shy either.
ALI: They were fantastic. Probably the wildest crowd we have ever encountered.
They seemed to enjoy the music, and that means a lot to us. As for the difference,
I think the Latin American fans are louder, and they drink more.
OJApr: Any interesting stories that you can share from the tour? ALI: There are tons. I think we did a lot of silly and stupid things. We were pretty pumped up for our gig at Sao Paulo. As we got on stage and started the first song, Anis and I jumped at the same time, colliding in mid air, and fell on stage with our feet in the air. I knew we were gonna get physically hurt sooner or later on that trip…
ANIS: I will have to write a book about it! Well, I have to say that we were really drained on our OFF DUTY days, more than on live days, because we enjoyed the drinks too much! I have pictures of Ali that I can’t show anyone. He was sooo out of order!!
OJApr: How comfortable do you feel traveling outside of Japan? Did you enjoy so much moving around during the tour? ALI: Personally, it wasn't as rough as I expected it to be. I will say that it was no pleasure cruise spending 30+ hours to get from Mexico city to Fortaleza Brazil. The tough part was keeping our luggage light enough to fit the plane weight limits because we kept receiving big bottles of booze from our lovely fans (Thanks by the way!).
ANIS: Very comfortable. I really felt at home everywhere, maybe because I’ve been traveling between Japan, Paris and Casablanca since I was little.
OJApr: If you had to pick, what would be the most memorable place for each of you during the tour? ALI: This is a tough one because each of the places we visited remain in my heart. Mexico was the first country we performed in as a band outside of Japan, so obviously. I will never forget that. We had so much fun in Brazil. Chile was extremely beautiful and somehow exotic. And who can forget a city like Buenos Aires? But I'd have to say I was overwhelmed by the beauty I encountered in Rio de Janeiro the most. That place is magical.
ANIS: That’s a very difficult one for me too. I liked all the places. I wish that we had more time to spend in each city though…we did have time to do some sightseeing in Mexico and Rio; and that was fun. But in the other places, we barely had time to look around, so I would really like to re-visit and enjoy.
OJApr: Generally speaking, what impressed you most (food, architecture, landscape, people, etc.)? ALI: You know, it's always the people. I have been to the Great pyramids of Giza, but what impressed me the most is the taxi driver I got into a fight with at the foot of the pyramids. So with this trip too, it's the people that impressed me, not because I fought with them though.
ANIS: The kindness of the people! We were really treated well and all the promoters and staff were like buddies. I felt a special bond, wherever we went… maybe I was there in my former life?
OJApr: What in the whole impressed you most of all? (maybe kitchen, architecture or people's relation etc.) ALI: Everyone’s response to our music and all the love we received.
ANIS: That music has no borders. We hear that often in interviews of bands and artists, but now I can say it is true, after all I saw in Latin America.
OJApr: We’ve seen some of the photos from your trip, did you take any of those photos yourselves? Did you have time to be tourists in the countries you visited as well as performing? ALI: Yeah, I think we took some of the photos. We didn't have much time to do the tourist thing, but our staff from each of the country did there best to show us around with the little time we had. I am very grateful for that.
ANIS: Whenever we had one day off, we went to do something touristy. But we only had few chances… except for Rio and Mexico City. We all climbed the famous Teotihuacan Pyramid in Mexico, it was a special experience! Rio was like a little summer vacation; the beach, the bikini girls, very relaxing!
OJApr: When was the last time you visited someone elses concert? Whose concert it was? ANIS: Vamps!
ALI: Actually yesterday. One of my friends was performing in a band called BARBEE BOYS.
OJApr: Does the music you listen to influence your creativity with MONORAL? How much are other musicians an influence are your music? ANIS: I think so…How much I don’t know. For me, my state of mind has more influence on my creativity. I have to be in good mood to create music.
ALI: Off course everything we listen to influences the music we make. It's not a conscious thing most of the time. My ear tends to get glued to any music that surrounds me whether I like it or not… so I have a very hard time shopping at grocery stores with horrible back ground music. If it's something I like, it's hard also because I start to concentrate on the music more than shopping. I am much more interested in the music itself, not the musicians.
OJApr: Do you typically write the music or lyrics first? ALI: I usually write the music and some fragments of lyrics at the same time.
ANIS: Both at the same time. But before recording, the lyrics usually have to be rewritten!
OJApr: What is your favorite part of performing? ANIS: You’ve only got one chance. There is no re-take.
ALI: I think there is a special kind of freedom on stage and at a gig in general. You can do things you normally wouldn't do and still be forgiven because it's “rock n’ roll” or whatever. This goes for the audience too, you know.
OJApr: On the 29th of October last year you have released your new album "Via". Could you describe the album please? How is this album different from your last album Turbulence? ANIS: I think that it’s the kind of album that you should listen to if you don’t know MONORAL at all.
ALI: Most of the songs on Via have been written during the Turbulence session. For me it's kind of “the other side” of Turbulence. I think it's much more raw sounding and dark. Concerning the sound, we have been able to do things that we have never tried before and I am very happy we were given the opportunity to do that.
OJApr: Is there the song from the new album Via that you particularly like? Maybe it is fun to perform, listen to in your car, has a special meaning, etc.? ANIS: It changes every week. Right now it’s Sun Shadow! I like listening to Costa Rica and Safira while driving. Sometimes is good when you want to relax…
ALI: All of the songs are extremely special to me and all of them have their stories but the last song on the album, “sometimes”, is a very old song that was written and some parts of it have been recorded ages ago. Listening to that reminds me of how we started as a band and how much time has passed. It's not my favorite song on the album, but it makes me nostalgic every time I hear it.
OJApr: Do you check the comments of your fans online? Do you ever communicate with your fans online? Have you ever chatted with them anonymously? ANIS: We used to have a chat on our official website long ago. I used to chat from time to time, but I am very slow at typing! Now, I write a blog, so I am communicating with them in a way.
ALI: Yeah, I do check the comments from time to time. I know that people spend time writing to us and I really appreciate them. I particularly enjoy reading their impressions of the songs because you get different perspective of the work. And a lot of them are entertaining and full of love. I do not communicate online because we don't have any protocol to do that as a band yet. It has never entered my mind to chat anonymously. I will start to do that right away. (Just kidding)
OJApr: You performed at "NIGHTMARE OF HALLOWEEN 2008" and have performed at various Rose Night events in 2008. Do you like events/festivals? How are they different from your solo concerts? ALI: I like events and festivals because you get to see how other bands function on stage and off. It's inspiring sometimes. I think the great thing about events is that we get to perform in front of audiences that maybe don’t know us. It's fresh for both the audience and the band. I enjoyed watching the local bands in Latin America that shared the stage with us. It was too bad we had a very limited time to watch the others over there.
ANIS: There are more people involved and that’s always more fun. I wish you could all see the backstage too!
OJApr: Would you like to perform together with any other artists? If so, with who? ALI: Yeah, well I'm sure there's tons but can't really think of any right now. Maybe the Chris Brown and Rhianna reunion concert… might be interesting. Maybe Blonde Redheads. I have an immense amount of respect for the work they do.
ANIS: s.o.a.p! I have great memories playing with them and it’s been a while since the last time we played together. Also the band called “eleven”! They are great!
OJApr: As we know, you are going to start your Japanese tour soon. Could you tell your fans a bit about your plans once the tour finishes? Can we expect any new songs soon? ALI: We are having a lot of discussion concerning our new materials. Can't really say when they will be released but we will be working on them. We have a lot of touring planned this year and I'm sure it will be a very busy year for Monoral.
ANIS: We are always making songs, even during our sleep, so hopefully we’ll be releasing some songs this year.
OJApr: Can we look forward to more photos from your Latin America and Japanese tours? ALI: Off course! There are so many photos it's insane. Just to go through them all takes about 30 years, but we'll get them out for the fans.
ANIS: Sure! Please keep checking-out our Website!
OJApr: How would you describe MONORAL’s music to people who have not yet heard your awesome sound? ANIS: It is like a pie and a fish at the same time! I really hope that Ali’s got a way better answer than me!
ALI: Rock, melancholic, fragile. Intense, beautiful.
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