We had the opportunity to interview MYTH & ROID vocalist KIHOW during Comic Fiesta 2024, where the artist shared insights about their musical journey, creative process, and connection with Malaysian fans. As the vocalist of MYTH & ROID, known for creating iconic anime theme songs for series like Overlord, Re:ZERO, and Made in Abyss, KIHOW offered a candid look into their evolving artistry and memorable performances.

Musical Evolution and Creative Direction

KIHOW revealed that MYTH & ROID’s sound has undergone significant changes since their inception. Rather than maintaining complex compositions, the band has shifted towards simpler arrangements that demand more authentic expression. “Compared to when we first started off, obviously there’s going to be a lot of change but the most striking thing is that, compared to when they first started, both the sound and the lyrical nature of their song has gotten less complex, but simpler,” KIHOW explained. 

This simplification isn’t about making things easier – quite the opposite. As KIHOW noted, “It’s also more difficult to hide things through just being complex.” The evolution reflects a more mature approach to their craft, with KIHOW emphasizing, “Instead of just singing for the sake of looking impressive to other people, now I sing for the sake of myself and expressing my own sound. So instead of singing what people want, I am singing as KIHOW.”

Re:ZERO and NOX LUX

The latest addition to MYTH & ROID’s discography, “NOX LUX” for Re:ZERO’s third season, marks KIHOW’s first vocal contribution to the series. The creative process involved careful consideration of the band’s direction. “The members of the band had to sort of have discussions over the direction they wanted to go with the music, whether it was to preserve the mythical theme, the mythical vibe that they had established with the music before,” KIHOW shared. 

For KIHOW, a self-proclaimed fan of the series, this project held special significance. “When we finished creating it, recording it, producing it, and then when we started performing it, I felt that a door had opened,” they reflected. “I finally realized how it feels like to have a song be for me, to have a song that I had poured my heart out into… being able to add the KIHOW touch in the process of making a song for a series I’m so in love with.”

Malaysian Connection 

KIHOW’s 2018 Malaysian concert stands as a defining moment in their career. The connection with Malaysian fans left an indelible impression: “Unlike the concerts I’ve done before, from the first song I started singing in the concert, the crowd was singing with me. And this is something I can say now, but the crowd was singing so loudly, I could barely hear the music myself.” 

What made the experience particularly special was the audience’s dedication: “It’s not just the volume of the crowd singing, it’s the fact that the crowd knew the lyrics to all of the songs on the set list, and they sang from the beginning of the first song all the way to the end of the final song I performed that night.” This experience has become a source of inspiration, with KIHOW stating, “Now, whenever I’m onstage anywhere, I think back to that sort of energy and I get a lot of courage from it.”

Looking Forward 

Returning to Malaysia after six years, KIHOW promised fans an evolved performance at Comic Fiesta 2024. “Because of the gap between the years in my performances, again it’s been six years since 2018, which was the last time I performed. In that time, I hadn’t just been sitting down, I had been performing, doing concerts throughout Japan,” KIHOW explained. 

This experience has shaped their approach: “You can enjoy a very different experience than you would have had in 2018 especially with the sort of sharpened knife of performance I have honed over the years.” The setlist was carefully curated to reflect this growth, with KIHOW noting, “The set list this time is full of both fresh and new songs, as well as songs that could have been performed last time that people said they wanted to hear.”

Message to Fans 

KIHOW’s gratitude to Malaysian fans runs deep, particularly during challenging times. “Everybody has bad days, days where you have really high highs and really low lows, it comes cyclically,” they shared. “When you are going through those days of really low lows, you think back to the days when you had the really high highs.” 

The 2018 Malaysian concert remains a crucial source of strength: “One really significant high that I have experienced is the 2018 concert that MYTH & ROID had in Malaysia, it’s so near and dear to my heart that even when I’m out performing in other places, whether it’s Japan or otherwise, when I’m having a low day, I think back to that concert filled with faces and people and song who appreciate MYTH & ROID’s music. It gives me courage and a way for me to push forward, even on the really bad days.”