We sat down with members Arata-san (vocals) and Reiji-san (guitar, keyboards), from THE SIXTH LIE at Japan Expo Paris. During their stay, the band performed three shows, alongside signing sessions and other activities. In this interview, we discuss their inspirations for three of their popular anime songs: “Hibana” and “Yuusetsu” for Golden Kamuy, and “Shadow is the Light” for A Certain Scientific Accelerator, all of which we enjoyed firsthand.
Q: I want to get to know you better before starting with the questions. If you could jump into the world of Golden Kamuy, which faction would you join: Sugimoto’s crew, the 7th Division, or Hijikata’s faction? Why?
Arata-san: I would choose Tsurumi’s faction. I think I’d fit right in.
Reiji-san: In my case, I’d choose Hijikata’s crew. It’s a group where everyone is individually very strong. I think it would be easier to fit in when everyone is focused on their own strengths.
Q: As a foreigner, I was amazed that there was an anime focused on this unique period in history after the Russo-Japanese War but before the First World War. Were you familiar with this era of Japanese history before Golden Kamuy? And what about Ainu culture?
Reiji-san: As for the World War era, of course, we studied that in school. But thanks to the anime—especially between Seasons 1 and 3—I learned so much more about Ainu culture than I ever knew before.
Arata-san: When I was in third grade, my grandmother brought me to see an Ainu performance. I was a sleepy kid at that time, but as I grew up, I developed a lot of respect and fascination for their culture.
Q: You have a characteristic “future rock” sound that blends electronic and rock elements. I find it interesting that your first anime song is for a historical anime. Was it hard to combine your future rock sound with the story of Golden Kamuy? Why do you think “Hibana” is so compelling?
Arata-san: We’re surprised by how well it’s doing overseas.
Reiji-san: We are more focused on futuristic electro rock. But for the anime, we separated ourselves from the electro part and focused more on a heavier rock sound to better match the world of Golden Kamuy.
Q: You mentioned that life and death play a crucial role in Golden Kamuy. For me, someone who doesn’t know Japanese, I felt very nostalgic and melancholic listening to the song. What is the key element that made this possible?
Arata-san: Difficult question! When we were younger we listened to pop rock and bands like Scream.
Reiji-san: Yes, those iconic rock sounds really shaped us. For Golden Kamuy, we took a step back from our usual approach, using older rock music that we grew up with for inspiration. That’s why the tempo resonates so well with overseas audiences too.
Q: You also mentioned that “Hibana” feels like an opening theme, and I agree. What distinguishes an anime ending theme from an opening theme?
Both: Opening themes usually have a punchy energy that gives a strong start to an episode. In contrast, ending songs have a lingering feeling. However, for “Hibana” we chose to use an opening-style approach because we wanted to go for a heavier, punchier sound.
Q: Regarding ending themes, you also performed “Yuusetsu,” Golden Kamuy’s third ending theme. You mentioned that you were inspired by an Ainu idea that everything and everyone has a role to fulfill. How else has learning about Ainu culture influenced you while working on Golden Kamuy?
Reiji-san: In Ainu culture, there’s a belief that a spirit or god resides in everything. Because of that mindset, we started taking much better care of our instruments and every element of the music.
Q: Moving on to the A Certain Magical Index franchise, which power would you pick and why?
Arata-san: Flight, for sure! It would be very convenient for travel.
Reiji-san: For me, it would be too hard to choose because all the powers are way too strong! [laughs]
Q: For “Shadow is the Light,” the opening song of A Certain Scientific Accelerator, you entered the world of science fiction. How did you include your own sound? How did you choose the song title?
Reiji-san: The A Certain Magical Index series already had its own established sound and identity, so we blended that with THE SIXTH LIE’s unique style. It became a mix of who we are as a band and the existing atmosphere of the franchise.
Arata-san: Regarding the song’s title, the lyrics were written by Ray. In the song, we express that human beings are born with both good and evil within them. The title embodies that concept.
Q: The A Certain Magical Index franchise is known for being a long-running series spanning light novels and manga. How did you deal with so many references and a large amount of source materials?
Reiji-san: Golden Kamuy was a new anime when we worked on it. In contrast, with A Certain Scientific Accelerator, we actually grew up watching the anime, so we were already familiar with that world.
Q: Arata-san, you mentioned that in order to give voice to Accelerator you brought your darker side. How did you get into the mind of an anti-hero with such insane abilities? Did you have any trick?
Arata-san: At first, I wasn’t sure if I was actively flipping a “switch.” But since the track itself is naturally dark, I instantly get drawn into that atmosphere.
Q: You mentioned that you were inspired by Western bands like Linkin Park. In Latin America, many scenes from popular anime such as Dragon Ball and Naruto were edited with Linkin Park songs. Are there any anime or video games you would like to mix with your own music?
Arata-san: Akira.
Reiji-san: Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. We are doing a cover of one of the songs for Japan Expo. Funnily enough, Chikahiro Kobayashi—who voices Sugimoto in Golden Kamuy—also voices a character in Cyberpunk 2077.
Q: Are there any other countries you would like to visit or perform in?
Arata-san: America. We haven’t been there yet.
Reiji-san: It’s been seven years since we were last in France. We’d love to be invited back here again.
We want to thank Arata-san and Reiji-san for the interview opportunity and for sharing an insight into their creative process. We hope to see them at future conventions!
Concert photos by: @cdecasa_s (me)
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