No.2 Moeka Shiotsuka
PROFILE
He is the vocalist/guitarist in Sheep Literature and also works as a solo artist. He delivers fresh and fragile music that is gaining the support of young people. He is also expanding his activities by attracting attention from various fields other than music, such as the fashion and culture scene.
Instagram:@hiz_s
A time to reflect on oneself, something that has never happened in one's life before.
In December 2020, an announcement was made on the official website of the three-piece band Sheep Literature that Moeka Shiotsuka had contracted a new type of corona virus. It was stated that she was mostly asymptomatic and had already recovered, but how did Shiotsuka herself feel about her corona experience, which coincided with the release of her major debut album, "POWERS"?
I have to confess that my physical condition hardly changed at all. But one day I noticed that my sense of taste was strange. I took a PCR test, and it was positive. I thought, 'What am I going to do? I thought about the next day's work and the people I met yesterday, and I regretted my lack of control.
No matter how many infection control measures one takes, the risk of infection cannot be reduced to zero as long as one lives a normal social life. Even so, Shiotsuka says that he still felt a sense of self-blame at first. The mental burden of feeling as if one is guilty of being infected is one of the symptoms that the new coronavirus has brought about in the social psyche.
"This may sound strange, but when they told me, 'Stay home and don't work,' I felt a little better. I was suffering from an anxious state of mind that said, 'Am I a corona?' I was suffering from an anxious state of mind. Of course, I can say this because my symptoms were very mild.
The large individual differences are a characteristic of this virus. Fortunately, because he had few symptoms, Shiotsuka made several positive realizations during his recuperation.
The members, everyone at the office, and the fans were all concerned about me before they were concerned about themselves, and I was able to experience a lot of kindness from people. I was also relieved that no one had contracted the virus, as far as I could tell. Also, since I couldn't leave the house anyway, I watched the drama series on Netflix for the first time, and I was surprised that such a way of using time existed in this world! (laughs). Studying music, reading books, doing yoga.... I was able to use my time in ways that didn't exist in my recent life.
I want my music to be for someone's health and escape.
Mr. Shiotsuka says that the coronary disease caused him to take a fresh look at his life and reconfirm its irksomeness. Behind this is the ever-accelerating pace of our information society.
I have always been addicted to my cell phone. Even when I was in junior high school, I could not let go of it. I was constantly bombarded with all kinds of information, and I was constantly thinking to myself, 'What am I going to do next? I would be constantly thinking about feelings, what I wanted to do, and what I wanted to do. I am constantly going back and forth between my feelings, what I want to do, and my thoughts. I guess you could call me a workaholic. Not only work, but also how I want to live my life, I am always chasing after so many options, and I can't move through them efficiently, so I am always lost. When I had an astrologer look at me, he told me that I was born under the star of conflict, and that is exactly what he meant... (laughs). (Laughs.) It was only after Corona that I realized that if I continued in this state for a long time, my mental balance would become unbalanced.
A star of conflict. It may be like the core of Mr. Shiotsuka's heart. The conflict is not limited to his own inner self, but is also directed toward society.
I don't mean to sound like a big deal, but there are so many problems in our society, and I wonder what we can do about them. I don't want to make a big deal out of it. For example, there are various ideas and facts about former President Trump. It is really complicated when you include international circumstances and personal feelings. I think that what I am seeing is not the only fact. As I think about these things, I wonder where I should place my hope. Is there any meaning in my singing? I began to wonder about that.
She expresses her seemingly pessimistic thoughts in her words with a light touch. Her body, swinging in the pendulum of conflict, may be inextricably linked to the driving force that continues to create something.
I think I am vulnerable to stress, and that's probably why I do music. Maybe I like being able to voice my thoughts. Maybe I simply like singing. I hope that through my music, someone can become mentally healthy, and I would be happy if I don't just push positive thoughts, but if they feel that it is okay to be conflicted, to be dark, or to not say difficult things. I think it's okay if they take it as an escape, as if there are other people suffering from similar problems."
Dealing with worries and conflicts is an essential survival skill for healthy survival in a complex society. Expressing oneself may be one shortcut to a healthy mind and body.
