One of the pioneering all-female bands in visual kei, exist trace (stylized as exist†trace) has returned with “WHO I AM”—their first full-length album in 11 years, released digitally worldwide on November 19. The 11-track record blends fan-favorite songs honed during live performances with brand-new compositions written specifically for this release. Furthermore, it commemorates their 21st anniversary with the same five members.

We spoke with the band for the first time since 2018 to discuss the making of the new album, their enduring legacy, and what comes next. They also offer some deeply moving advice, and we hope you enjoy this intimate conversation.

: Vocalist Jyo

: Guitarist Omi

: Guitarist miko

: Bassist Naoto

: Drummer Mally

Finding “WHO I AM”

Congratulations on your recent album, “WHO I AM”. The album title feels deeply personal; what does the title mean to you?

miko: For many years, exist trace has often created songs with themes like never let adversity defeat you, stand up no matter how many times you fall, and keep fighting. But now, as we look back on ourselves in our 21st year as a band, what really came to mind was the desire to face ourselves honestly and move forward true to our own feelings. That’s why the theme “WHO I AM” came to us so naturally.

Omi: “Who am I? Why am I here?”. I think everyone struggles with questions like these at some point in their lives. And the older we get, the more we lose along the way. That’s exactly why I want to hold on to what I feel is important right now.

“Even if I lose everything someday, the proof that I lived will never disappear”. This title—and the song “WHO I AM”—made me realize that once again.

Naoto: It gave me a chance to face myself once more. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I’m searching for and what I truly want to express.

Over 11 years have passed since your previous album, “WORLD MAKER”. What inspired you to create a new full-length album? Was there a specific moment or feeling that told you “now is the time”?

miko: Although we’ve released several six-track EPs during that time, the number of songs that had never been recorded but were performed live had grown quite a bit. I wanted to deliver as many of these songs as possible all at once.

Another reason was that we kept hearing from our fans, “We want to hear a full album!”.

Omi: New songs have been born again this year, and there were so many unrecorded tracks we wanted to properly shape. Along with the passionate calls from everyone for a new release, it naturally led us to decide, let’s make a full-length album.

Naoto: The number of unrecorded songs had increased, and above all, I wanted to share them with everyone. Personally, having reflected on our anniversary as a band, it felt like a milestone, and this album is my first step forward from that point.

How do you feel your sound has evolved since the release of “WORLD MAKER”?

miko: After “WORLD MAKER”, the EP “THIS IS NOW” marked a big shift in our sound. In a way, it was like returning to our initial impulses—narrowing our expressive range and going back to the core of exist trace.

Since then, our music has naturally expanded while keeping “THIS IS NOW” as a base, and I feel that now is the most natural, authentic form of exist trace.

Omi: Personally, this album brought together songs with various worlds and vibes, but compared to before, I feel like I can create sounds and riffs more naturally, without overthinking, and just enjoy the process.

Naoto: I feel that each of our individual sounds now overlaps more and has become more condensed than before.

What are your recent musical favorites or influences? Did they influence the shape of “WHO I AM”?

Jyo: For this album, I drew inspiration from Japan’s Takarazuka Revue. During the recording period, I happened to have plans to see one of their shows, and I got a lot of inspiration from it. I recorded while imagining myself as a member of the troupe, so my vocal style ended up a little different from before, incorporating a sense of boldness and bravery.

miko: Recently, I was really struck by the [American] band Polyphia. They’re an instrumental band that blends metal and prog—it might seem niche, but their music is incredibly catchy and stays in your head. I thought that was amazing. exist trace also values memorable melodies, no matter how niche the song is, so I took that as a reference. Also, their hometown is close to the city in Texas where I grew up, so I felt a little sense of connection [laughs].

Omi: I love the songs created by Hiromu Akita, the artist amazarashi. His lyrics capture moments in time, use metaphors beautifully, and either dig deep into the heart or lift it up—I really love that. I think a lot of that sensibility comes through in the songs I wrote for this album as well.

Naoto: Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to soundtracks from my favorite movies and games.

Were there any challenges you faced during the writing and recording process of “WHO I AM” that you feel helped you grow?

miko: For the first time, most of the guitar and bass parts were recorded at home, so each of us was working separately. Since we couldn’t communicate in person like in a studio, sharing ideas and visions through text was challenging. But, unlike a studio session with limited time, we could play a lot more, and I think we ended up recording much better takes than usual.

Omi: This was the first time I recorded string instruments at home. It was a completely different environment from our previous recordings, and I used new equipment, so it took time to get used to it, and I felt a bit lost at first. Spending more time alone with arrangements, sound design, and recording was tough, but I feel it helped me grow and take a step forward.

Naoto: There were new pieces of equipment and some difficult tasks, but I actually enjoyed all of it.

What is your favorite track from “WHO I AM”, either personally, or to perform live? Could you tell us why?

Jyo: “TANGO DIABLO” and “Sabaku no Hana”—I especially enjoyed recording these two tracks.

For “TANGO DIABLO”, I hold a single rose while singing live and throw it to the audience at the end. I always look forward to seeing who will catch it.

“Sabaku no Hana” was recorded right after watching a Takarazuka Revue performance, as I mentioned in question four. I had so much fun singing it with gestures and movements, almost like performing on stage.

miko: I really enjoy playing my opening riff in “REMEMBER ME”. The synchronized hits we play together feel amazing, so I always look forward to performing it live.

Omi: Hmm… the song I’m most excited about is “Kimi ni Aitakute”. I wrote it with the thought that I’d be happy if everyone sang along with me. I imagine our voices coming together as one during live shows, and that thought makes me really happy.

Naoto: I’ve liked “VENUS” since it was first created, and after recording it this time, its personality became even stronger, making it one of my favorite songs.

Mally: For me, it’s “Gekidou”, which was released early digitally. It has a variety of rhythms, but the chorus is simple and delivers the message clearly. With the gimmicks in the A section and the strong sense of unity in the band, it’s one of my favorite tracks.

Tracing a legacy

When I think of exist trace, I think of you as one of the few and original all-female visual kei metal bands. Do you still consider yourselves visual kei? How would you currently define yourselves and your sound?

Jyo: I personally really love the visual kei scene and grew up with that music. But does exist trace fit into any one category? I think it’s fine to let people who listen to our music judge it however they like.

miko: I don’t mind whether people see us as “visual kei”, “metal”, or a “girls’ band”. Personally, the music I loved and what inspired me to start playing guitar was visual kei, so in my heart, I’m always visual kei.

Omi: exist trace started in the visual kei world, and just like back then, we wear the costumes and makeup we like, so I guess our look is visual kei. As for our sound, I think people can feel many different elements, so whether you call it visual, metal, hard rock, or anything else—it doesn’t really matter.

Naoto: I do consider us visual kei, but I don’t think we’re confined to just the visual kei genre. There are many other elements mixed into our music as well.

Mally: I don’t really think about musical genres or even gender. I just pursue the style that I personally feel most satisfied with and love. That said, having been active in the visual kei world has definitely given me confidence and something to be proud of.

The heavy rock and visual kei scenes have traditionally been male-dominated in terms of artists. Yet, exist trace has thrived for 21 years, with the same five female members. When you were starting out, how did you break through as a band in a largely male scene? What were some challenges you faced, and how did you overcome them?

miko: In the beginning, I felt like everyone around us was an enemy. We were sometimes met with harsh words, and there were times we were told other bands didn’t want to perform with a female band. But in the midst of that, we were determined: “We will make them recognize us!”. I think pushing ourselves like that became our strength. I’m glad we persevered and didn’t give in.

Omi: In a male-dominated world, with audiences mostly female and not immediately accepting us, we sometimes clashed with a stubborn determination not to lose, and I think we ended up building walls ourselves. But gender didn’t matter—just facing music honestly and expressing ourselves directly helped us break through those walls.

Naoto: At that time, I didn’t think it would be difficult to enter the visual kei scene as an all-female band. I just wanted to do it because I loved it. It took time for people to accept us, but we kept going because we believed we were cool.

Mally: As a drummer, the difference in power was very noticeable, so at first I focused on closing that gap. From there, I learned expression from the seniors, established my own style, and by pursuing a coolness that transcended gender, I think people’s reactions around us began to change.

What advice would you give to others who are trying to break conventions and stay true to themselves, whether in their art or their personal life?

Jyo: Follow the path you believe in. Even if no one else understands, always believe in yourself.

miko: You might feel frustrated or lonely at times. But the coolest thing is staying true to yourself in the way you believe in!

It’s okay to hesitate or change direction—just run full speed toward where your heart wants to go.

Omi: While wishing to stay true to yourself, you might also wonder what does “being yourself” really mean? In the end, I think it’s having the strength to say you love what you love. I want to always be honest with my feelings.

Naoto: Believe in yourself more than anyone else. Your heart and your feelings are the right answers.

Mally: You will face many obstacles, but I think it’s important to have the courage to confront them and not run away, even if you fail. I also believe that pursuing what you love comes with a cost. Still, I hope you move forward with pride in what you love, believe in it, and go for it. Good luck!

Running towards the future

It has been quite some time since the last time you toured internationally outside of Asia. Would you like to tour, and are there any countries you’d like to visit?

Jyo: There are still so many countries I haven’t been to. I can’t choose just one—how about a world tour?

miko: We haven’t done it yet, but there has been talk of overseas shows. Timing is a factor, but I want to make it happen soon and go meet fans all over the world. Personally, I’d love to go to the Philippines with exist trace, and I’d also like to perform in Italy and Spain, where we haven’t been yet!

Omi: I definitely want to go overseas again. I’d love to bring this full-length album to everyone, meet them, and share an exciting live experience together. I also want to finally visit Spain, which was canceled on our previous tour.

Naoto: I want to go on an overseas tour. I’d love to see old castles and historic sites too.

Mally: We definitely want to do an overseas tour! Recently, our international followers on X have been increasing, so I want to deliver our music to even more fans directly.

If I had to pick, I’d especially like to go to Spain, which was canceled last time, and Italy, a country I personally admire.

What are your dreams for the future of exist trace?

miko: For me, my dream is to go on a world tour, including various parts of Japan. I know fans have been supporting us everywhere for a long time, and I want as many people as possible to hear this new album live.

Omi: This full-length album is packed with our passion, our screams, and everything that makes exist trace unique. I hope people can feel all of our many charms. I genuinely want as many people as possible to listen to it. To do that, I want to go see fans not only overseas, but also outside of Tokyo.

Naoto: I want all the members to stay healthy and perform live even when we reach sixty.

Thank you so much for this interview and for sharing so much with us today! To close out, please leave a parting message for our readers around the world.

Jyo: I think everyone will enjoy the many sides of exist trace in this full-length album. Whether it’s your first time hearing us or you’ve loved and supported our music all along, listen to the album a lot—and let’s definitely meet on stage someday!

miko: Thank you for reading! This album is like taking a trip around the world, filled with songs of many different styles. I’m sure you’ll find at least one track that excites you. I hope listening to “WHO I AM” adds something to look forward to in your tomorrow. Please look forward to the future of exist trace as well!

Omi: Thank you for reading.

Even from afar, your support gives us strength.

I hope the songs from “WHO I AM” can touch your heart.

I look forward to the day we can meet and enjoy a live show together. Thank you always.

Naoto: Thank you for always supporting us from afar.

I hope we can perform in your country someday.

Until then, I hope you enjoy our new album and our music.

The world is unpredictable, but I wish for your smiles.

Mally: I can’t go see fans far away right away, but I hope this new album and exist trace’s music can bring support and smiles to many people’s hearts.
And I sincerely hope we can meet again someday! xoxo

JROCK NEWS thanks exist trace for the heartfelt interview! To find international streaming links for “WHO I AM”, please check out the music entry at the bottom of this post. You can also sample the album with exist trace’s preview video below. Enjoy!

WHO I AM -teaser preview-