Interview: Oeil’s Mitsuko Hoshino (English and Japanese)

It has been a lot of fun looking at a growing shoegaze scene in Japan and finding a ton of cool bands who represent the genre well.  This week I was privileged  enough this week to be able to speak with Mitsuko Hoshino of Tokyo-based shoegazers Oeil.  Oeil has been active in the shoegaze scene for years and Hoshino has also participated at such events as My Bloody Valentine night under the alias mitsuko strange as a DJ spinning shoegaze tracks.
As a brief introduction, Oeil is a 3-piece band consisting of Takafumi Hibino (vocals/guitars/programming), Nina Kurosu (synths/guitars/vocals), and of course Mitsuko Hoshino (vocals/bass/keyboard).  I absolutely recommend checking them out as their tracks are wonderful and dreamy.

You can check them out and give them a listen on Facebook and Myspace.  You can purchase their first EP “Urban Twilight” here.

A big special thanks to Mitsuko Hoshino for taking the time to be interviewed.  Enjoy!

MusoJapan: When was Oeil formed?

Mitsuko Hoshino: The band started in 2006, and that summer performed its first live show as far as I know, as I joined in 2008. Oeil’s lineup underwent a lot of changes in 2008, so it can also be said that that is when the band actually formed.

MJ: Who is the band’s biggest influence?

MH: Kevin Shields [of My Bloody Valentine]. From what I am told, the band was initially “themed” after “Loveless.” We are also largely influenced by bands like The Cure and the Sundays.

MJ: Does Oeil have a principle songwriter or is it more of a collaborative effort?

MH: The songwriting is done by Hibino.

MJ: How would you describe your sound to someone who isn’t familiar with Oeil?

MH: A strawberry drowning in cream.

MJ: Oeil’s last album “Urban Twilight” was released in 2007, and in 2008 the band appeared on a shoegaze compilation album. Since then have you continued writing new songs? Are there any plans for a new album release?

MH: We have been performing new songs live since 2008. As far as a new album, we will probably use the songs we’ve written to this point.

MJ: In addition to playing in Oeil, you also DJ. What sort of music do you spin?

MH: It all depends on how I feel and what sort of party it is. Lately though, I’ve been into Soft Metals, Grimes, and Echo Lake.

MJ: The underground scene has a wide variety of sounds to offer to foreign fans of shoegaze music. What is your opinion of the Japanese shoegaze scene and the overall indie music scene in Japan?

MH: When Oeil was first formed there weren’t many opportunities to see shoegaze bands out there, and Oeil was still pretty rare, but lately a lot of bands with sounds similar to ours are becoming less rare. Recently, the recognition of shoegaze bands has been rapidly increasing, but I feel like it is still early to call it this generation’s shoegaze scene. I think there is still room for growth.
As for the entire indie-music scene, there are lots of bands with a variety of sounds and I feel it is very substantial. We are always excited to hear this new stuff.

MJ: What are Oeil’s plans for 2012?

MH: We played live in January, and this year we will release music in some form. As soon as we figure anything out we will be sure to let Muso Japan know.