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Wintermute Interview Transcript
Interview / インタビュー
Pea Soup | Apr.8.2026 - 12:00 AM EDT

こんにちは、はじめまして。僕の日本語はよくないです、だから 英語で 書きます。すみません

Hello Wintermute, the first time I heard your music was when I first listened to mikgazer vol.1 and heard Alchemy. That album is what got me into vocaloid, and since then I've listened to thousands of vocaloid songs and hundreds of producers. But through it all, you've always been my favourite. Since the first time I listened to Stray Light, up until now, your music is still my favourite, and I've never had an artist have this much of an impact on me.


All of this to say, I'm making a page on my website right now dedicated to you, and I wanted to ask if I could interview you so that I could get to know more about you than what's written on the vocaloid wiki.

I have a few questions right now though,

  • Is your English good?
  • Is the best way to contact you over email? Or is there another way you'd prefer to communicate?

I look forward to hearing from you,
よろしくお願いします

Wintermute | Apr.8.2026 - 2:18 AM EDT

Hi,

This is wintermute.
Thank you for listning my songs.

> - Is your English good?

I'm not good at English, but I can use machine translation.

> - Is the best way to contact you over email? Or is there another way you'd prefer to communicate?

E-mail is OK.

Pea Soup | Apr.9.2026 - 9:12 AM EDT

Hello,

I’ve gathered a list of questions, but I know there’s a lot of them, so if it’s too much you can skip some you don’t want to answer.

  • What first got you into music, and at what point did you realize you wanted to be an artist?
  • What inspired you to start making music? Specifically Vocaloid shoegaze and dream pop?
  • Over the years, how has your music taste and style evolved?
  • What led you to drop the name dkex and start going by wintermute?
  • Have you had any other aliases than wintermute and dkex? If so please specify
  • Do you prefer using physical or digital equipment?
  • What type of guitar, amp, and peddles do you typically use to make music?
  • Whats your favourite song that you’ve made? Or the song you’re most proud of?
  • Why haven’t you released any music in over a decade?

Mikgazer

  • What was your reaction to having your song “Alchemy” used on Mikgazer?
  • How did you meet the producer 36g? And have you met any other producers that made music for Mikgazer, like “南ゆに” and “中野”?

Stray Light

  • Is there an overall theme for the album you’d like listeners to know?
  • How does the sound of Stray Light reflect your headspace during its creation?
  • What influenced this album? (music, movies, books, art…)
  • What song on this album are you the most proud of?

Blood Color Flower

  • Is there an overall theme for the EP you’d like listeners to know?
  • What influenced you to release an EP after 6 years of not publishing anything?
  • How does the sound of Blood Color Flower reflect your headspace during its creation?
  • What influenced this EP? (music, movies, books, art…)
  • What song on this EP are you the most proud of?

Closing questions

  • Do you have any plans in the future, regarding music or another art form?
  • Do you have any additional things you’d like to say?

Thank you so much for replying, I’m looking forward to your response.

Wintermute | Apr.9.2026 - 12:31 PM EDT

Hi,

> • What first got you into music, and at what point did you realize you wanted to be an artist?

ぼくがギターをはじめた時、ヒーローは日本のビートロックバンド”Boowy”でした。作曲をしたいと思ったのは坂本龍一の音楽を聴いた時。

When I started playing the guitar, the hero was the Japanese beatrock band "Boowy". I wanted to compose music when I listened to Ryuichi Sakamoto's music.

> • What inspired you to start making music? Specifically Vocaloid shoegaze and dream pop?

今のぼくのボーカロイド音楽のスタイルはナンバーガールやRide、Sonic Youthなどのオルタナティブバンドをごちゃ混ぜにした音楽を作りたいと思ったところからはじめています。

My current style of vocaloid music started when I wanted to make music mixed with alternative bands such as Number Girl, Ride, and Sonic Youth.

> • Over the years, how has your music taste and style evolved?

最初は今よりずっとエレクトロニック寄りで、ミニマルテクノやアンビエントばかり作っていました。ロックのスタイルをはじめたのは友人にコピーバンドに誘われてギターをまたはじめてからです。

At first, I was much more electronic than now, and I only made minimal techno and ambient. I started my rock style after my friend invited me to a copy band and started playing the guitar again.

> • What led you to drop the name dkex and start going by wintermute?

エレクトロニックとはまったく違うロック形式の音楽をやるので、どうせなら名義も変えようかと思いつきで。

I'm going to play rock music that's completely different from Electronic, so I thought I'd change my name anyway.

> • Have you had any other aliases than wintermute and dkex? If so please specify

No.

> • Do you prefer using physical or digital equipment?

ぼくは熱狂的なデジタル機器のファンです。

I am an enthusiastic fan of digital devices.

> • What type of guitar, amp, and peddles do you typically use to make music?

ボーカロイドの曲ではFender TelecasterとLine 6 POD xtを使っています。

Fender Telecaster and Line 6 POD xt are used for Vocaloid songs.

> • Whats your favourite song that you’ve made? Or the song you’re most proud of?

Blood Color Flower.

> • Why haven’t you released any music in over a decade?

お金を得る仕事が忙しく、その上体調を壊してしまい、休養していたらこんなに時間が経ってしまいました……

I was busy with the work of earning money, and on top of that, I was sick, and when I was resting, so much time had passed...

> Mikgazer
> • What was your reaction to having your song “Alchemy” used on Mikgazer?

コンピレーションを企画したのは友人で、そのために書き下ろしました。

It was a friend who planned the compilation, and I wrote it down for that.

> • How did you meet the producer 36g? And have you met any other producers that made music for Mikgazer, like “南ゆに” and “中野”?

コンピレーション参加者の何人かはボーカロイドのイベントで挨拶程度はしたことがありますが、ほとんどネットの繋がりですね。

Some of the compilation participants have only said hello at the Vocaloid event, but most of them are connected to the Internet.

> Stray Light
> • Is there an overall theme for the album you’d like listeners to know?

個別にリリースしていた曲をまとめたアルバムなので、一貫したテーマとかはありません。なのでただ楽しんで聞いてほしいです。

Since it is an album that summarizes the songs that have been released individually, there is no consistent theme. So I just want you to enjoy listening.

> • How does the sound of Stray Light reflect your headspace during its creation?

ぼくが曲を作る時、頭の中にあまり確固としたプランはなく、短いループをとにかく録音してみて、それを聴きながらどうしようか考えることがほとんどです。

When I make a song, I don't have a firm plan in my head, so I usually record a short loop anyway and think about what to do while listening to it.

> • What influenced this album? (music, movies, books, art…)

とくに一貫したものはないんですが、タイトルはウィリアム・ギブスンの小説”ニューロマンサー”からです。ギブスンは古いロックが好きだそうです。

There is nothing particularly consistent, but the title is from William Gibbson's novel "Neuromancer". Gibbson seems to like old rock.

> • What song on this album are you the most proud of?

Fury, Melancholy and Joy.

> Blood Color Flower
> • Is there an overall theme for the EP you’d like listeners to know?

こちらもテーマは特にありませんが、ミックスにはこだわりました。

I don't have a particular theme either, but I was particular about the mix.

> • What influenced you to release an EP after 6 years of not publishing anything?

当時はCDでアルバムにするのはもういいかなと考えていたんですが、クリプトンが運営しているKarentというレーベルにお誘いを受け、デジタルリリースが可能になったので、何か作ろうかと。

At that time, I was thinking that it would be enough to make an album on CD, but I was invited by a label called Karent run by Krypton, and it became possible to release it digitally, so I thought I'd make something.

> • How does the sound of Blood Color Flower reflect your headspace during its creation?

My Bloody Valentineのアルバムmbvをかなり意識していたと思います。

I think I was quite aware of My Bloody Valentine's album mbv.

> • What song on this EP are you the most proud of?

Blood Color Flower and Fall.

> Closing questions
> • Do you have any plans in the future, regarding music or another art form?

早く音楽を完成させたいと思っていますが、体調との相談です。

I want to complete the music as soon as possible, but it's a consultation with my physical condition.

> • Do you have any additional things you’d like to say?

日本以外にもたくさんのリスナーがいることに驚いています。感謝。

I'm surprised that there are so many listeners outside of Japan. Thank you.

Pea Soup | Apr.10.2026 - 5:35 PM EDT

すみません、さっき聞くのを忘れていました……あなたの漫画や小説では「dkex」という名前を使っているのを見かけました。ロック以外の分野でも使い勝手が良いから、この名前を使っているのでしょうか?

お手数ですが、『サイコ・トリガー』の簡単なあらすじも教えていただけませんか? 日本語がもっと上手くなるまでは、なかなか読めなくて……

Wintermute | Apr.11.2026 - 2:38 AM EDT

Hi,

> すみません、さっき聞くのを忘れていました……あなたの漫画や小説では「dkex」という名前を使っているのを見かけました。ロック以外の分野でも使い勝手が良いから、この名前を使っているのでしょうか?

単純にニックネームだと考えてください。dkex名義はボーカロイドより古い作品群につけられてます。

Just think of it as a nickname. The name dkex is given to works older than Vocaloid.

> お手数ですが、『サイコ・トリガー』の簡単なあらすじも教えていただけませんか? 日本語がもっと上手くなるまでは、なかなか読めなくて……

これはサイバーパンクです。舞台は遠い未来の地球です。テクノロジーが発達しすぎた結果、上流階級のエリートたちは地球外へ進出してしまいました。その残された荒廃した地球で暮らす少年デイモンと少女ミカが、過去のオーバーテクノロジーと接触し、あれやこれやするという物語です。

This is cyberpunk. The setting is the earth of the distant future. As a result of the overdevelopment of technology, the upper-class elites have advanced outside the earth. It is a story about Damon, a boy left behind, and Mika, a girl, who live on the devastated earth, come into contact with the overtechnology of the past and do this and that.

もし情報が必要ならお気軽に。
それでは!

Pea Soup | Apr.24.2026 - 7:17 PM EDT

ども 、
もう一つ質問があります、「a life in orbit」は小説と漫画ですか?両方のストーリーは同じですか?
また、イラストを描いたの?

Wintermute | Apr.25.2026 - 12:11 PM EDT

a life in orbitは、最初にマンガで書いていました。絵を描くのがとても大変だったので、途中から小説に切り替えて完結させました。絵もぼくが描いています。

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