ulma sound junction’s Soul Poured into Anime Tie-up Songs: “We Can Even Do Slice-of-Life Anime” [Interview]

Rock band ulma sound junction, celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2025, provided the opening theme song for the TV anime GUILTY GEAR STRIVE: DUAL RULERS. Their powerful music amplified the anime’s sense of speed and passion, truly driving the excitement forward. Anime! Anime! had the chance to interview all the members, diving into their thoughts on the opening theme “AXCLUSION,” the fascinating story behind their formation, and even their personal interests in anime and games.

[Interview/Text = M.TOKU Photography = Ayumi Fujita]

Continuing to express without being constrained by musical concepts

（From left), Fukuzato Shun, Kasemoto Tamotsu, Tamura Hisao, Yamasato Yoshitaka

――This is our first time interviewing you here at Anime! Anime!. First, could you tell us what kind of band you are?

Bass & Vocal – Tamura Hisao (hereafter, Tamura): We are a band formed by four childhood friends from Ishigaki Island. Before we knew it, 20 years have passed since we formed. As for genre, we play progressive rock, which isn’t exactly what you’d call mainstream music. Nevertheless, by chance, we’ve had opportunities to provide theme songs for anime and other media. Recently, we’ve also been creating songs in the genre known as J-Rock.

Guitar – Fukuzato Shun (hereafter, Fukuzato): Some of our songs are over 10 minutes long, you see.

Drums – Kasemoto Tamotsu (hereafter, Kasemoto): We even have songs where the vocals don’t start for four minutes, right? (laughs)

Guitar – Yamasato Yoshitaka (hereafter, Yamasato): That happens, yeah (laughs).

Tamura: …As the members just mentioned, we pride ourselves on being a band that continues to explore various forms of expression without being confined by conventional musical concepts!

Forming a Band of Childhood Friends

――So, you formed a band with childhood friends!

Tamura: Yes. We all went to the same junior high and high school, and Kasemoto and Yamasato have been together since kindergarten.

Kasemoto: Our family homes are also close by. About 30 seconds running distance?

Yamasato: That’s right.

Kasemoto: But actually, we formed the band in Tokyo, not Ishigaki Island or Okinawa.

――Oh, really!?

Tamura: We were each playing in bands since our school days, but we had never formed a band together, just the four of us.

――What was the catalyst that made you decide, “Let’s form a band, the four of us!”?

Kasemoto: Yamasato and I had come to Tokyo and were seeing each other often, sort of like drinking buddies.

Yamasato: And then, when Tamura came to Tokyo, the conversation about “How about we form a band?” came up. After that, we had a chance to go back to Ishigaki Island for the coming-of-age ceremony, and Fukuzato seemed to have some free time then, so we asked him, “We’re thinking of starting a band in Tokyo, want to come?” After that, you came to Tokyo in about half a year, right?

Fukuzato: No, it didn’t even take half a year. It was about three months.

Kasemoto: That was really fast, wasn’t it? (laughs)

――Was that because you felt you could make it as a band with these members?

Fukuzato: No, back then, I honestly had nothing else to do (laughs). So, at first, I went to Tokyo without thinking too deeply about it. Before I knew it, we’ve been playing in a band for 20 years.

――I see (laughs). Well, perhaps the fact that you have the kind of relationship where you can casually ask “Want to do it?” is precisely why the band has lasted so long.

Tamura: I think that’s definitely part of it.

《M.TOKU》