BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai recently caught up with Japan's BLOOD STAIN CHILD guitarist Ryu Kuriyama to discuss the band's latest album, Idolator, and its official release in Europe and North America, as well as plans for their upcoming album, due out later this year. The following is a brief excerpt from the interview:

BW&BK;: What has the reaction been to the Idolator album from the European and North American fans? Are the reactions and feedback any different from the Japanese fans?

Ryu: "All of the reactions have been very good. We have been receiving a lot more messages compared to before the European debut, especially on our MySpace page. And Idolator had good positions in the editors polls (soundchecks) in the German magazines.. The fans in Europe and US send us messages and they're not shy. The other day, a 15 year old American boy sent us a message asking (vocalist) Ryo, 'How can I make a scream like you?' That's different from the Japanese. Japanese are very reserved about everything."

BW&BK;: Do you think it's important that Blood Stain Child has a record deal outside of Japan? I notice that most Japanese metal bands are quite happy to focus on the Japanese market. They don't seem to care or worry about the outside world.

Ryu: "It's important for us, absolutely. We've been hoping for a CD release in Europe for a long time. It means that our music will spread out to more people in more countries, which is why I have been writing lyrics in English. In addition, I simply like Europe. They often say Blood Stain Child has a European sound, therefore it's natural for us to focus on that market. Most Japanese bands want to be heard only by Japanese, I think. It's enough for them."

BW&BK;: What are your plans in relation to the rest of the world? Will you continue to release albums via Dockyard 1 or was deal than just a one album? Are there any plans to tour Europe or North America?

Ryu: "Of course we would like to release our CDs all over the world. We hope to release the next album in Europe and US via Dockyard 1. We really appreciate that Dockyard 1 released Idolator in Europe because I think it's very difficult to release a band so far away in Japan. But, we already are sure the next album will be much stronger than Idolator, and we have confidence that it could be released in Europe. We have no plans for a European or North American tour at the moment, but it will be really great if that comes true after the release of next album."

BW&BK;: What does the new album sound like compared to Idolator? Have you changed your sound again? Are there any more new influences in your sound for the next album?

Ryu: "The sound direction will not be change so much because we established our base with Idolator. We're working with Tue Madsen again, but it will be much better than Idolator. Drums, bass, guitars, vocals, and synthesizers; all of them will be fused together perfectly. And there are some new elements such as female vocals."

BW&BK;: Did you know from the beginning that you wanted him to mix the album? If so, why? What makes his work so special for you?

Ryu: "We had to go slowly to confirm the work with him this time, because Tue is very busy these days. As you know, he's one of the most popular producers on the metal scene, but fortunately he made the time for us somehow. From the beginning of this project we intended to ask him for the work. I think that he perfectly understands both of analogue and digital sound, and can make them with his excellent skills. For our music, digital sound such as synthesizer are very important. On the other hand, analogue sound such as guitars and voice are important too."

More details regarding the forthcoming album and release dates will be revealed soon. BW&BK; can confirm, however, that the new album features some unexpected new elements added to the band's sound, and that Dockyard 1 is interested in releasing it outside Japan. We'll keep you posted.