MoritaSaki in the Pool 是一支於2021年成立、來自日本京都的獨立搖滾樂隊。他們於 2024年發表首張專輯《Love is Over!》，巧妙融合了甘美的轟音、夢幻流行的旋律，以及和諧動人的男女混聲，散發出獨特的感性氣質與飄渺的漂浮感。在他們即將於5月蒞臨香港演出前，我們有幸透過電郵專訪與樂隊交流，深入探索這支日本瞪鞋超新星的創作理念與音樂世界。
與此同時，由Bloody Mary主編，與香港唱片店Infree Records合作推出的《Infree Records Zine Issue #1》已正式出版。小誌收錄了MoritaSaki in the pool的完整專訪內容，凡購買演出門票的樂迷均可免費得到小誌一本！
MoritaSaki in the Pool is an indie rock band from Kyoto, Japan, formed in 2021. Their debut album, Love is Over! (2024), artfully blends sweet shoegaze distortion, dreamy pop melodies, and harmonious male-female vocals, exuding a unique emotional depth and ethereal allure. Ahead of their Hong Kong performance in May, we had the privilege of conducting an email interview with the band, delving into the creative vision and musical world of this rising Japanese shoegaze star.
Meanwhile, Infree Records Zine Issue #1, edited by Bloody Mary and published in collaboration with Hong Kong’s Infree Records, is now available. The zine features the complete MoritaSaki in the Pool interview, which is available for free to all music fans who purchase tickets to the show!
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【 說明 】
（符合以下條件者，即被視為 MoritaSaki in the pool。）
(1) 以「我們是 MoritaSaki in the pool」作開場介紹
（可接受不同變化的說法）。
(2) 主唱為男女兩人的聲音齊唱（或聽起來是如此）。
(3) 為結他音色加入和聲（Chorus）效果。
(4) 演奏 MoritaSaki in the pool 的歌曲，以及其他藝人的作品。
(5) 然後，對一個人，或是更多人，說出「我愛你」。
[ Instructions ]
(Those that meet these criteria are considered MoritaSaki in the pool.)
(1) Introducing, “We are MoritaSaki in the Pool.”(Some variation is okay.)
(2) Vocal-track is two voices, male and female (or so it sounds), in unison.
(3) Apply chorus effect to guitar sound.
(4) Perform MoritaSaki in the pool’s song and other artist’s song.
(5) And say “I love you.” To one person. Or more.
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【日本獨立樂團 MoritaSaki in the pool 專訪】
【Interview : MoritaSaki in the pool】
採訪撰文＆翻譯 Interview & translation ：Bloody Mary
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Q1. 可以請你們分享樂隊的組成經過及樂團名稱的由來嗎？
Could you please share the story of how the band came together and the origin of the name “MoritaSaki in the Pool"?
> 疫情過後，我們每天都覺得很無聊。於是我們四個——有些時間可以打發，也多少會玩一些樂器的人，聚在一起組了這個樂團。
Natsumi (貝斯/主唱) 是在我們第一次一起演奏的前一天才被找來的。
我們用一個跟這個樂團完全無關的人名來命名。人名，是這個世界上最純粹的一種詞語。其他的詞語往往會被人的認知所模糊。矛盾的是，當這個名字所指的人身份未知時，它反而會帶有一種匿名性。
> After the pandemic, we were bored every day. Four of us, who had time to kill and could kind of play instruments, came together to start this band.
Natsumi (Ba. / Vo.) was called in the day before we played together for the first time.
We named the band after someone who has nothing to do with it. A person’s name is the purest kind of word in this world. All other words are often clouded—by human perception. Paradoxically, when the identity of the person is unknown, a name gains a certain anonymity.
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Q2. 你們的音樂總是散發著清爽的夏日氣息，彷彿有微風輕撫池面，空氣中瀰漫著淡淡的憂鬱。能否與我們分享《Love is Over!》的創作概念與想傳達的情感？
The music of Moritasaki in the pool always exudes a refreshing summer atmosphere. It seemed as if a breeze was caressing the surface of the pool, and a faint melancholy filled the air. Could you share the creative concept behind Love is Over! and the emotions you aim to convey through this album?
> MoritaSaki in the pool 至今發行的每張專輯與 EP，都從運動中汲取靈感。但比起運動本身，更重要的是動態感——也就是身體移動的這個行為，塑造了我們的音樂。當我移動的時候，音樂便誕生了。
舉例來說，《This is a portrait of MoritaSaki.》靈感來自於游泳——這個靈感相當直接。《Ice box》則是受到滑冰的啟發。新專輯《Love is Over!》則是圍繞著《Mirror’s Edge》這首歌曲所建構，而這首歌曲本身就是從跑酷（Parkour）中取得靈感的。
跑酷是一種對平台進行斜向介入的行為。
現在這個時代，一切都是平台——尤其是在音樂發行方面。對我們而言，僅僅是為了適應平台而製作出另一個內容，完全沒有意義。我們並不想融入平台，我們更在乎的，是我們能夠多自由地在其上衝浪。
當然，隨著數位發行和訂閱制成為常態，有很多事情需要思考——例如 4 到 7 首歌曲算是一張 EP，而 8 首以上則被視為專輯。
我認為有趣的是，去實踐一種「暫時性的」概念——不是透過改變平台，而是透過詮釋平台來實現。
這將會是未來世界的一個重要主題。
> Every album and EP by MoritaSaki in the pool so far has taken inspiration from sports. But more than the games themselves, it’s the sense of motility—the physical act of moving—that shapes our music. When I move, music happens.
For example, “This is a portrait of MoritaSaki.” came from swimming—that one’s pretty basic. “Ice box” was inspired by ice skating.
And the new album, Love is Over!, was built around Mirror’s Edge, which itself was inspired by parkour.
Parkour is a diagonal intervention against the platform.
These days, everything is a platform—especially when it comes to releasing music. For us, just making another piece of content to fit into a platform felt completely meaningless.
We’re not interested in fitting into the platform. What matters to us is how freely we can surf it.
Of course, with digital releases and subscriptions being the norm now, there’s a lot to think about—like how 4 to 7 tracks make an EP, and 8 or more make an album.
I find it interesting to implement something provisional—not by altering the platform, but by interpreting it.
This is an important theme for the world going forward.
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Q3. 此次巡演的標題定為「Hello, We Are Tiny Dancer」，你們曾提到「Tiny Dancer」這個詞語喚起了許多回憶，例如 Chara、Elton John及Cruyff in the Bedroom 的歌曲「Tiny Dancer」。當下你們如何看待自己作為「Tiny Dancer」的角色與意義？
The title of this tour is “Hello, We Are Tiny Dancer". At the release party in Tokyo last year, you said that the word “Tiny Dancer" brought back a lot of memories (for example, Chara’s “Tiny Dancer", Elton John, Cruyff in the Bedroom). At this moment, how do you view yourselves as “Tiny Dancer"? What significance does this role hold for you?
> 人類應該永遠都能跳舞。無論是獨自一人，還是在街頭；無論是歡樂，還是悲傷。
不該只是在有音樂、有編舞、有舞池的時侯才能跳舞。那樣就太悲哀了。
我們之所以為人，是因為我們能夠跳舞。
願我們都能成為那種隨時、隨地、因任何理由都能起舞的人。
這就是這個標題背後的祈願。
> Humans should always be able to dance. Alone or in the streets, in joy or in sorrow.
Not only when there’s music, or choreography, or a dance floor. That would be too sad.
We are human because we can dance.
May we all remain the kind of people who can dance—anytime, anywhere, for any reason.
That’s the prayer behind the title.
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Q4. 你們曾在社交媒體上提到，樂隊全員其實都是支援成員（support member），沒有一位是正式成員。當有樂迷翻唱你們的作品時，他們也能自稱為非常規支援成員。這讓人好奇所謂的「正式成員」是否指的是 MoritaSaki 本身？在你們心中，MoritaSaki 是什麼樣的存在？
You’ve mentioned on social media that all band members are actually “support members" rather than official ones, and even fans who cover your songs can call themselves unconventional support members of MoritaSaki in the Pool. This raises curiosity—does “official member" refer to MoritaSaki itself? In your hearts, what kind of existence is MoritaSaki?
> 「成員」並不是指「MoritaSaki」。這個樂團的成立，也不是因為我遇見了「MoritaSaki」。
但如果沒有那場相遇，這個樂團是否會存在——那就不是我們能輕易回答的問題了。
因果的終點與偶然的起點，其實很難劃清界線。這些事物，都是漸變的。
而這種不確定性，正是 MoritaSaki in the pool 所熟悉的狀態。
「MoritaSaki」只是這一切當中的一部分——不多，也不少。
在指令式的行為藝術中，表演者往往是可以互換的——也就是說，可以被輕易替代的人。
對 MoritaSaki in the pool 而言，重要的從來不是那種來自於技巧炫技的視覺奇觀，而是一種普遍性：一種「無論是誰來表演，都同樣有意義」的想法。
然而，這不僅僅是可被替代這麼簡單。它也包含著一個安靜卻重要的事實——即使誰都可以來做，我們仍然選擇了「我」／我們仍然選擇了「你」。
讓我們思考動詞與名詞究竟意味著什麼。
以這種方式，我們樂團演出中所涉及的物質性勞動也變得更加明顯。
而這一切，本身也是笑話的一部分。
> “Member” doesn’t refer to “MoritaSaki”. The band didn’t start because I met “MoritaSaki”.
But whether the band would’ve existed without that meeting—that’s not something we can really say.
It’s difficult to define where cause ends and coincidence begins. Things exist in gradients.
That kind of uncertainty is familiar to MoritaSaki in the pool.
“MoritaSaki”is just one part of that—nothing more, nothing less.
In instruction-based performance art, performers are often interchangeable—people who can easily be replaced.
What matters to MoritaSaki in the pool is not the spectacle that arises from virtuosity, but a kind of universality: the idea that whoever performs, it carries the same value.
And yet, it’s not just about being interchangeable. It includes the quiet fact that—even though anyone could do it—we still choose me / we still choose you.
Let’s think about what it means to be verbal, and what it means to be nominal.
In this way, the material labor involved in our band performances becomes more pronounced.
And that, too, is part of the joke.
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Q5. 正如樂隊名稱「MoritaSaki in the Pool」所暗示，我們注意到泳池這一元素貫穿於你們的創作之中——從現場演出的佈景設計，到 EP《This is a Portrait of Moritasaki》內頁中的描述：「如果到死為止都必須一直待在某個地方，那麼我希望是室內泳池或者滑雪場。」在《Love is Over!》中，泳池這個意象以什麼方式呈現？
As hinted by your band name “MoritaSaki in the Pool," we’ve noticed that the imagery of a swimming pool runs through your work—from the stage design of live performances to the liner notes of the EP This is a Portrait of Moritasaki, which state: “If I had to stay in one place until I die, I’d hope it’s an indoor swimming pool or a ski resort." How does the swimming pool imagery manifest in Love is Over!?
> 這不僅適用於《Love is Over!》，也適用於我們所有的作品：歌曲中很少會直接提到泳池。
MoritaSaki in the pool 所追求的，是一種透過聲音風景所傳達、甚至超越聲音的感受——那種我們小時候在室內游泳池裡，從喇叭中聽到的音樂所帶來的氛圍。
簡而言之，這就是我們所稱的 POOLCORE。
而在這部作品中，我們也有意識地去觸碰一些超越「泳池感」的東西——一種後泳池的質感。
因為——「Love is Over!」
> This applies not only to Love is Over!, but to all of our works: the songs rarely mention pools directly.
What MoritaSaki in the pool is pursuing—through soundscape and beyond—is the feeling of those songs we used to hear coming out of the speakers at indoor swimming pools when we were kids.
That, in short, is what we call POOLCORE.
In this work, we were also conscious of something beyond our usual “poolness”—a kind of post-pool quality.
Because—“Love is Over!”
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Q6. 作為日本新世代瞪鞋樂團的一員，你們怎麼看當前日本瞪鞋搖滾場景的現狀？你們覺得身處的環境如何影響你們的聲音與創作？
As part of Japan’s new generation of shoegaze bands, how do you view the current shoegaze scene in Japan? How do you feel the environment where you are based has influenced the sound and creation of Moritasaki in the Pool?
> 我們最近在團員之間聊到這件事：
日本的新生代Shoegaze樂團，其實並不是從原本英美搖滾脈絡下的Shoegaze系譜中自然延伸出來的。相反地，我們認為他們是透過後網路時代的文化背景而走向這種風格。來自臥室錄音文化所特有的模糊質感，以及你可能會聯想到的那種後網路時代的 Reverb 美學（帶有 “core” 標籤的風格）——正是這些元素引導他們走向 Shoegaze。
而直到後來，他們才回過頭來吸收那些以搖滾為基礎的方法論。特別是對於年輕的日本Shoegaze風格樂團（這裡我們說「Shoegaze 風格」而非「Shoegaze 樂團」！），許多成員並不是聽著 My Bloody Valentine、Ride 或 Slowdive 的音樂長大，而是聽著像 神聖かまってちゃん、LOWPOPLTD、或 HASAMI group 這些樂團的音樂長大。
就我個人觀察，現在很多日本新興樂團的專輯封面，都會使用動畫風格的插圖。當我把這點與後網路文化的影響聯繫起來思考時，就覺得一切其實都很合理。
> We were talking about this recently among the members:
Japanese next-gen shoegaze bands didn’t really emerge from the original UK/US rock-rooted shoegaze lineage.
Instead, we think they arrived at it through post-internet culture.
The muffled textures unique to bedroom recording culture,
and the kind of reverb you might associate with post-internet “core”-tag aesthetics—
these elements led them toward shoegaze.
And only afterwards did they retroactively acquire a rock-based methodology.
Especially when it comes to Japanese shoegaze-style bands (Let’s go with “shoegaze-style bands” instead of “shoegaze bands”!) in their teens and twenties,
I think many of them didn’t grow up listening to My Bloody Valentine, Ride, or Slowdive, but rather to artists like Shinsei Kamattechan, LOWPOPLTD, or HASAMI group, among others.
Personally, I’ve noticed that a lot of recent Japanese bands tend to use anime-style artwork for their covers.
And when I think about that in relation to post-internet influences, it actually makes a lot of sense.
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Q7. 你們對於Shoegaze這種風格有什麼看法？在你們眼中，Shoegaze的核心魅力是什麼，與你們的音樂理念契合嗎？
What are your thoughts on the shoegaze genre? In your opinion, what is the core appeal of shoegaze, and does it fit with your musical philosophy?
> 對我而言，Shoegaze 的魅力在於其聲音所具有的「匿名性」。
那種聲響彷彿是一段來自過去的記憶。
Shoegaze 的聲音是任何人都可以創造出來的，但每個人的版本都不會是一模一樣的。
從這個角度來看，它反而讓人覺得非常當代——就像最近很流行的編織或染布一樣。
它既簡單、又有趣，也非常符合 DIY 的精神。
如果你正在尋找一種溫和的龐克姿態，那我會非常推薦 Shoegaze。
> The appeal of shoegaze, to me, is the anonymity of its sound.
It resembles a memory from the past.
Shoegaze sound is something that anyone can make, but no two versions ever turn out the same.
In that sense, it feels surprisingly contemporary—like knitting or dyeing, things that are trending lately.
It’s easy, fun, and perfectly suited to a DIY spirit.
Highly recommended if you’re looking to strike a kind of mild punk pose.
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Q8. 有哪些藝術家或樂隊對你們的創作影響深遠？
Which artists or bands have had a profound influence on your creative journey?
> 影響我們最深遠的樂團大多是來自我們所在的城市——京都。
我通過觀察他們學會了如何創作音樂。
他們所散發出的能量，跟東京的音樂場景完全不同。
那是一種非常原始的氣息——就像動物一樣，就在那裡。
我非常敬重他們。
如果你對日本音樂感到好奇，我很推薦你去聽聽來自日本西部的樂團——像是京都、大阪、奈良。
那裡真的有很多有趣的事情正在發生。
> Most of the bands that shaped us are from Kyoto, where we’re based.
I learned how to make music just by watching them.
They have a totally different energy from the Tokyo scene.
There’s something raw—like animals, just being there.
I respect them deeply.
If you’re curious about Japanese music, I recommend checking out bands from western Japan—Kyoto, Osaka, Nara.
There’s a lot going on.
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Q9. 在音樂創作上，你們未來有什麼規劃或想挑戰的方向？
In terms of music creation, what plans or directions do you hope to explore or challenge yourselves with in the future?
> 我也不太確定。但我想要疊加大量孩童的聲音。
> I have no idea. but I want to layer a lot of children’s voices.
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Q10. 你們即將在香港舉辦演出，你們對香港這座城市有什麼期待或想像？
You’re about to perform in Hong Kong—what expectations or impressions do you have of this city?
> 能有機會來香港演出，我們感到非常開心——謝謝大家！
我很喜歡《重慶森林》，所以這次終於能親自來到這座城市，特別讓人興奮。
我們非常熱愛美食（尤其是 Natsumi），所以也非常期待能嚐遍各種香港美食！
迫不及待想見到大家了！
> We’re so happy to have the chance to play in Hong Kong—thank you!
I love Chungking Express, so I’m especially excited to finally visit the city in person.
We’re big food lovers (especially Natsumi), so we’re also really looking forward to trying all the Hong Kong food!
Can’t wait to see you all soon.
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訪問 & 編輯 : Interview & Editing
Bloody Mary
香港人。獨立音樂、電影、文學愛好者、藝術行政工作者。
Enthusiast of independent music, film, and literature, an arts administrator in Hong Kong.
Thanks :
MoritaSaki in the pool
Infree Records
Vinyl Junkie Recordings
Tori
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活動詳情：
演出 / Live：MoritaSaki in the pool + butterfly peas
日期 / Date：MAY 24, 2025 (SAT)
時間 / Time：晚上7時進場，演出8時開始 / Doors at 7PM, show starts at 8PM
票價 / Price：Early Bird HK$360 (Limited Quantity) | Regular HK$420
場地 / Venue：MOM Livehouse
地址 / Address：北角英皇道117-121號 七海商業中心 B39室
B39, Seven Seas Shopping Centre, 117-121 Kings Road, North Point
Bloody Mary 