With the dawn of a new member on the horizon, it only feels right that Mana Manomu has taken a step forward as the newly appointed leader of Satanic Punish.
With the new era of Satanic Punish set to begin on May 25th this month, Mana Manomu, who has been the sole driving force behind Satanic Punish for a year now, will finally be joined by newest member Shikiin ‘RinRin’ / ‘Cathy’ Catherine. Now, it’s Manomu’s time to shine as the groups official leader.
With a year’s worth of experience working alone, as well as the milestones she has hit along the way, Beyond Senpai wanted to catch up with Manomu and talk about not only her time in Satanic Punish, but the groups latest song, ‘metaverse’, as well as her thoughts on the groups newest member.
A new dawn begins for Satanic Punish as, at last, a new member was revealed on May 5th, 2024.
Cathy – new member official photo
Shikiin Catherine – though she prefers the nicknames Cathy or Rinrin, she has stated on social media – has been welcomed as the newest member of the extreme idol unit.
Joining leader Mana Manomu, Cathy has expressed her feelings since the reveal about becoming the newest member ahead of her debut on May 25th. Prior to Cathy’s reveal, the dates for Satanic Punishes up-coming Autumn EU tour were announced, and will take place on September 20th in Arnhem, The Netherlands, and September 21st in Cologne, Germany.
In an exclusive interview, taken before the announcement and name reveal was made, Cathy tells Beyond Senpai how she feels about becoming the newest member of Satanic Punish and gives the fans an insight into who she is.
Ten years ago, a special mission began when the Far East Mention Mannequins travelled from the year 20XX. Since then, the Japanese duo have spent the past decade bringing their infectious pop-rap to the world, and gaining a loyal fan base of agents along the way.
Releasing hits such as ‘Whiplash’, ‘Peach‘, and the massive ‘Fxxk Boyz Get Money‘, FEMM have traversed the globe as the ‘Living Mannequins‘. With their robotic dance moves and call for girl power, this one of a kind unit have certainly made their mark in the music world.
Thanks to their message and music, an international fan base ranging from the US to the UK and Europe has grown, allowing FEMM to perform at several major festivals including HYPER JAPAN (London), JAPAN EXPO (France) and most recently COMICON ARABIA (Saudi Arabia).
And now, the time has come where RiRi and LuLa have completed their mission, and will return to the year 20XX. The news of this came early in 2023, and FEMMs agents have waited for news of a farewell performance and final music release. That release came late in the year with the self produced EP CHERRY and the subsequent MV for title track ‘CHERRY On TOP‘. A rush of nostalgia erupted among agents, with flashbacks capturing the last decade.
Along with the new EP, final shows were announced, with UK agents being blessed with not one, but 2 live performances in London on December 16th, at The Lower Third in the heart of Soho. This final concert will be the ‘Cherry on Top’ of an incredible music career, and is sure to be one that goes down in history, with emotions taking over in a big way.
On the run up to these final shows, RiRi and LuLa joined Beyond Senpai for an exclusive interview to tell us about the new EP, the live shows in London and what the future holds.
Beyond Senpai: Welcome back to Beyond Senpai! And welcome back to London! How do you feel about the upcoming final FEMM shows in the UK?
RiRi: Thank you for having us back! We are so excited:) This is the first time we are planning our own show, and it’s been a lot of work, but we really wanted to make it happen to see our agents one last time♡
BS: Your agents are so excited to share the last few shows with you here in London, how did you decide that London was the city to perform in for this last time?
LuLa: Since we have a special place in our hearts for the city, we thought it would be a perfect place to perform our last show.
Our Latex costumes were initially inspired by London’s “Fetish” fashion & culture, and most of our costume material comes from London.
Also, some of the amazing artists we’ve worked with (Like Danny L Harle, Weirdcore, MYLK and more) are based in London, and we feel very close to the city. We are really excited to come and perform one last time!
BS: We were excited to hear the new EP that was released last month, please tell us about the new record, CHERRY, and single, CHERRY on TOP and what input you had in making the record.
R: “CHERRY on TOP” was composted my MYLK, music producer based in London, and I wrote the lyrics. We wanted to make a song that had a strong vibe singing Girl Power. This has been our colour and feel for years, and I think we could reach that aim.
In the EP “CHERRY,” we have our first solo songs “Butterfly to the Moon” and “Living in the Spotlight.” These are really emotional, and we sang it from our hearts. We hope our fans love it 🙂
BS: The music video for CHERRY on TOP was so nostalgic for your fans! Please tell us how the theme for the music video came about, and what were your favourite moments in making the video.
L: Thank you for the compliment. We worked with a creative team who know us from the early days, and they really get us. This MV is a mixture of both elements from 1.0, which was our earlier years that was in hardcore mannequin style, and 2.0, where we evolved into more human.
I think our agents (fans) will enjoy us wearing our signature latex costumes, and also a cute Faline Enrejar outfit that I have handpicked myself for a new look for the 2.0 side. Another thing I liked was the FEMM bills that the director made. It was really cute. Watch closely so you will know what I mean.
BS:CHERRY is the final ep to be released by FEMM, tell us about how it felt recording this last record. Do you feel it is the ‘cherry on top’ of such a great musical era?
R: It was only us and a recording engineer in the studio, while we had a director in earlier years. This EP is self produced, and it’s all us! From the concept to creation to delivering it. We have special feelings about this EP.
BS: The London shows are a few short weeks away, what are you most looking forward to when performing at The Lower Third venue? And can your agents expect any special surprises?
L: Simply, very excited. Since this will be our solo show, it will be really intimate. Just us and our agents. We love that!
We will play both old songs and new ones too. It’ll be our first and last time to sing our solos, so that’s something NEW and FRESH:)
BS: Your music career spans a decade now, what are the most memorable moments you have had during this time?
R: We’ve been to so many countries, and met so many FEMM agents there. Every face and every smile were so precious to us. The show we just had in the US (Amine Weekend Atlanta) was really emotional. We got to spend lots of time with our agents and it is memorable for sure.
BS: With London being your last international show, what live performances have made the biggest impact on you and why? And what songs are you most looking forward to performing for the last time?
L: Almost all the shows we’ve performed oversea were memorable, but this last concert will be a very special one. Not just being the last, but since we got a lot closer to our agents over the years, it will be really emotional and amazing.
R:Fxxk Boyz Get Money will certainly be fun. Lot’s of memories.
BS: With these final live performances, FEMM has said they have completed their mission, do you feel you have managed to fully complete the FEMM era as artists? And what can your fans look forward to in the future?
R: Yes. Because our main goal was to unite with humans and make peace with them. Having AI culture so close to us these days, I think the border is getting thinner everyday.
As mannequins, we will go back to where we belong, but our bodies as Emily and Hiro will remain here. Agents can still see us on social media:)
BS: RiRi and LuLa, thank you once again for joining us in this interview, and for one last time, can you send a message to your loyal agents who have supported you for the past ten years?
R: Thank you agents, for always supporting us. Any country we go, you guys loved “Fxxk Boyz Get Money,” “Wannabe,” “PoW!” and the list goes on. Thank you for the great memories you have gave us. Music is eternal and we will always be there for you:)
L: Thank you for always sending lovely messages to us.
I really wanted to meet all the agents from various countries I haven’t visited yet, but I will keep on sending love.
We want to thank you till the very last day of 2023. We hope we can meet as many agents as possible on Dec 16th.
Beyond Senpai thanks RiRi and LuLa for joining us this last time, and for the past 10 years as FEMM. We wish them the very best for the future.
London Concert info: 【Last FEMM-Isation】
Date: Sat, 16th, Dec Venue: The Lower Third (London)Afternoon Show: 1:00pm VIP and Meet & Greet 2:30pm General Entry 3:00pm Show Starts Tickets: https://link.dice.fm/Q2874d426e29
It’s time to gear up and get ready for a show to remember, because singer-songwriter ANLY is heading to the UK and Europe for 3 exclusive live performances this November.
Hot off the release of her 5th album, ’26ml’, the Okinawan native is bringing her live show overseas on the ‘Loop Around the World Tour’ to London, Glasgow and Dusseldorf, where she will bring her live loop-pedal performance to the stage.
Growing up on the north coast of Ie Island, ANLY spent her youth listening to the CDs that her father had bought from mainland Okinawa, made up of mostly 60ʼs and 70ʼs rock music, and also enjoyed music played on FEN radio (Far East Network by US military).
In November 2015, ANLY debuted with Sony Music Records. Her first single CD included a song in collaboration with Gabrielle Aplin (recorded in London), with her debut single hitting No. 3 on the Rock chart in Japan. She went on to win the “SUPERNOVA AWARD” in 2018 at the “HONG KONG ASIA MUSIC FESTIVAL” in Hong Kong.
ANLY made a huge breakthrough in 2017 when she sang the opening theme “KARANOKOKORO” for NARUTO 20, the last theme song for the anime epic. ANLY went on to record the themes for “Beautiful” for anime “Seven Deadly Sins” in 2018, “Tranquility” for the movie “Die Neue These (宇宙英雄伝説)” in 2019, “Star Wink” for movie ”Natsumeʼs Book of Friends” in 2021, and also “VOLTAGE” for anime “Boruto Next Generations” in 2022.
Performing internationally since then, this is the first time ANLY will perform in the UK. With her first appearance at the O2 Academy2 Islington in London, this performance will be followed by a night at The Garage in Glasgow. With a wide array of music under her belt, ANLY’s fans are sure to be blessed with an incredible performance.
Amidst her very busy schedule, ANLY joined Beyond Senpai for an exclusive interview ahead of her upcoming shows.
This summer, Himari Tsukishiro (NECRONOMIDOL) will embark on her first world tour under her solo dance and vocal project ISILIEL.
After announcing her solo project just 1 year ago, fans of Himari have been enjoying the journey of ISILIEL. With the release of her solo debut album, ‘Moonbow Genesis‘, this spring. And with spring comes the renewal of old and all that is fresh and new.
The MOONBOW RISING World Tour will see Himari perform across the globe, with shows in Asia, Europe and North America. Her dedicated fanbase have been waiting patiently for the details on the upcoming performances.
A new punk band has arrived, so girls, let’s do it flashy!
Fans of the ‘fancy animal’ punk band Knuckle Chiwawa can look forward to a new all girl punk outfit headed by long time punker and legendary front woman Shibakuzo Rei-chan.
Now, Meriken Chiwawa has become a separate unit with Rei-chan on vocals, Yamada Oi on guitar, and Hitsuji on bass. And these girls are ready to bring some fresh and flashy punk rock onto the scene.
Rei-chan has been active in the underground alternative scene in Japan for over a decade, most recently with Knuckle Chiwawa, releasing music and touring extensively with them since 2019. However, she tells us ‘It’s time for girl punk bands now!’
Gritty, fast and in your face, we can expect Meriken Chiwawa to tear up the stage with their explosive live performance. Releasing first single “Shibakuzo no Theme” back in April 2023, Yamada and Hitsuji officially joined the ranks a month later making Meriken Chiwawa a 3-piece.
Rei-chan, Yamada and Hitsuji joined Beyond Senpai to chat about the debut of the new unit. Lets do it flashy!
Come April 29th, the stages of Japan will darken with the promise of a new era for Satanic Punish, who will go through a major lineup change with the graduation of Legendary Members, Webshikiand Himeno Usagi. After making their debut in March of 2020, both Webshiki and Usagi created an image and sound for Satanic Punish that is undeniably theirs, but after three years with the group, both are ready to pass the baton and allow Satanic Punish to flourish under a new system.
Now, new member and soloist Bokuga Sakura will be joining the front lines of Satanic Punish alongside fellow member Mana Manomu – who joined the group at the tail-end of October 2022 – and crafting her own image within and for the group upon her official join date, which begins on April 29th, 2023.
Tokyo punk rock legends TsuShiMaMiRe are set to send their British fans wild with their first ever live show on UK soil.
With a history spanning more than two decades, Mari, Yayoi and Maiko are ready to bring their eclectic punk rock style to the Lexington, London, on June 14th. After 20 full length releases and multiple live performances worldwide including an incredible 15 US tours, the group has made a name for themselves on the live punk circuit.
Formed back in 1999, the trio have not only toured and recorded extensively, but also went on to establish their own record label, MOJOR RECORDS, in 2010, where bassist Yayoi’s solo project FERRET NOISE can be found.
The creativeness of music takes many forms, from the audible to the visual. And the artwork presented to us on our favourite record sleeves tell just as much of the musical story as the songs themselves.
SERPENT
Illustrator Yu-ki Iwata, known as Carnage Society, is one of the creative souls who works alongside bands and musicians to bring to life those album artworks.
Working as a freelance illustrator since high school, Yu-ki has worked on artworks for many prominent metal and visual kei artists. And more recently, with influences from death metal and grind core, Yu-ki has developed their style further, fusing kawaii and gore to create the original character GORE-GIRL.
Yu-ki joined Beyond Senpai to tell us more about the creativity involved in being an illustrator.
As November draws to a close in the coming days, so does the final chapter in DEARDEVIL’s journey. With a final performance set for November 22nd, AKANE, ARARA and RISA will take their final bow together, before walking backstage and into a void of the unknown.
Of course, this does not mean that this is the end of the members and their individual journeys as performers, but is instead the beginning of a new chapter in their lives and careers, and wherever that path may take them, the fans will be there to cheer them on.
Beyond Senpai 