On June 26th, right before the Ra:IN concert in Berlin, Xplosion had the chance to interview the whole band. Actually, we are really proud that we had this opportunity, although our project yet is very young.
The band and Ra:IN's management was so nice and it indeed was a joyful interview. The band members were, as we expected it, short with replying - that's Ra:IN, eh? 
Nevertheless, Ra:IN allowed us an insight into their world and revealed some interesting information to us.
So I’ll stop the preamble now, and wish everyone much fun with the interview!

Xplosion: Hello everyone!

Ra:IN: HELLO!! (laughter)

Xplosion: Thank you for taking the time for that interview with us. First of all, we'd like to introduce ourselves. We are from a website called Xplosion and this website is made from fans of mainly X JAPAN but also all other projects related to the members, like PATA...

PATA: Oh I see, thank you!

Michiaki: I see (laughs)

DIE: MySpace?

Xplosion: We also have MySpace, yeah. I would like to ask a question that your European fans get to know you a bit better: Could you please everyone introduce yourself a bit?

Michiaki: I am Michiaki, the bassist.

PATA: I am PATA, playing the guitar.

Tetsu: I am the drummer, Tetsu! How are you doing!

DIE: I'm the newcomer, DIE! (laughs)

Xplosion: What was the concept to create Ra:IN?

Michiaki: The concept...? Uh... Rock!

(laughter)

Xplosion: I see. How did you get the idea to play all together in one band?

PATA: It's nothing but a pure accident! (laughs)

Ra:IN Manager: By accident! They met each other at a bar and one day, while they were having some drinks there they decided to create an own band. While thinking about it like "Here’s PATA who plays guitar" and so on, they eventually ended up with that idea.

PATA: Yeah, I think that's how it was!

(laughter)

Xplosion: How did you come up with the name 'Ra:IN'?

PATA: We have a godfather! He named the band.

Xplosion: Both DIE and PATA were already playing together in Spread Beaver, but how did you all get to know each other and eventually came together to play in a band?

DIE: Well, first I met hide, and PATA was playing guitar there.

Ra:IN Manager: Michiaki participated in the hide Singles. Only Tetsu isn't related to hide, but they know each other.

Xplosion: If you had to pick only one song from METAL BOX, which one would it be?

DIE: Each song.

PATA & Michiaki: All! All!

Xplosion: You are currently recording a new album, when is it planned to be released?

PATA: We'd be grateful if we're able to release it within this year. Hopefully the end of this year.

Xplosion: We are really looking forward to hear it.

Ra:IN Manager: And we already recorded two for an EP for this European Tour which we sell at the concerts.

Xplosion: Now we have some questions about Ra:IN’s Tour in Europe. You've already played some shows in Europe, did you enjoy them?

Ra:IN: Yeah yeah yeah!

DIE: The fans were so exciting and welcomed us so nicely!

Ra:IN Manager: We played in Slovenia by accident. Did you hear that?

Xplosion: Yeah we read it on DIE's blog.

(laughter)

Ra:IN Manager: That's great!

DIE: Yeah very crazy night. (laughs)

Ra:IN Manager: Basically we were supposed to play only one show in Warsaw but we ended up playing actually three concerts in Poland.

Xplosion: How is the contact with the fans? Is it very different from Japan?

DIE: No, no, no! Not so different! The fans are all so great and smart (makes a crazy face). Same as in Japan!

Xplosion: Do you have any anecdotes to tell except the one with the police in Slovenia?

PATA & Michiaki: If there were any funny things... . Everyday! For example...

DIE: When PATA was in the bus, he used to sit in the front seats, right in front of us. And there were a lot of alcohol and paper cups that PATA gathered up in the front - he's really a master on that! So when we were looking for it like "Where is the cup?" PATA just replied "Here!" (laughs) He's the master in the front!

Ra:IN Manager: You've made a lot of litter!

DIE: Yeah! He (PATA) keeps the litter.

Ra:IN Manager: He put everything together... litter picking...

Xplosion: Last year, PATA and Michiaki played a concert at the Japan Expo; do you keep good memories of your trip there?

Michiaki: Yeah, but there were only two of us...

Ra:IN Manager: We're sorry that there were only two of them last year. So, this year the whole band will come.

Xplosion: Why didn't Tetsu & DIE come with you last year?

Ra:IN Manager: Financial reasons... Unfortunately

(laughter)

Xplosion: Do you plan to come back to Europe?

Ra:IN: Yeah. Of course!

Ra:IN Manager: We were actually supposed to go to Helsinki.

Xplosion: Why didn't you go there? We already wondered why you didn't go to Finland.

Ra:IN: Yeah. We don't really know why it didn't happen...

Xplosion: And other plans to travel anywhere else in the world? For example other Asian countries, United States or South America ?

DIE: Probably.

Ra:IN Manager: Maybe there will be a South America Tour in November.

DIE: Mexico and Costa Rica.

Xplosion: And the USA?

Ra:IN Manager: No, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, Chili, Peru, Argentina.

DIE: Peru!? Not Peru! I'm scared!

Xplosion: You're afraid of Peru? Didn't you know about the plans to go there?

(laughter)

DIE: No, I didn't know it! There were many Japanese murdered and kidnapped, taken away...

Xplosion: Ah, I see... Now we have some other short questions for you. What's your favorite band or artist at the moment?

PATA: My recent favourite band... . None.

Xplosion: Do you still like bands like Led Zeppelin?

PATA: Yes, I like them.

DIE: Michael Jackson... 

Xplosion: What about you, Michiaki?

Michiaki: X JAPAN.

Xplosion: Tetsu, what about you?

Tetsu: Huh What!? ... Ra:IN.

(laughter)

Xplosion: What's your favorite drink of the moment?

PATA: I wanna drink shôchû*!

Xplosion: Does everyone else also like shôchû?

Ra:IN: Yeah we wanna drink it! Can we get shôchû here ? Is there a japanese liqueur shop here?

DIE: Can I get Cassis here?

Xplosion: We're not sure, since we're not from Berlin...
Did you get any really crazy gift from you fans?

PATA: There was something... A cat.

Xplosion: A living cat?

Ra:IN Manager: No, not a living cat - a toy.

DIE: And a heart shaped box with glass inside - shot glasses and cake.

Ra:IN Manager: (shows the size of cake) With photos of the members printed on it. And we really could eat it!

Xplosion: Yeah! That’s probably marzipan then - it's possible!
Do you have any wishes for the future?

DIE: Rule the world!!! (laughs)

Michiaki: Eh? For the future? There’s not really something...

DIE: We wanna keep on rockin'!

Ra:IN Manager: Maybe, we can not really think of the future right now. For us, future is actually tonight, thinking of the upcoming concert.

(laughter)

Xplosion: There are also fans that couldn't come to your concerts right now. Do you have a message to them?

PATA: There will be more possibilities in future to come!

DIE: Come next time!

Xplosion: Thank you!

* Shôchû is a Japanese alcoholic beverage, made of rice - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C3%B4ch%C3%BB

Interview by Maverick and Hypno
Written and edited by Hypno, Lucs, Maverick