"Once upon a time, there were mannequins," a dignitary might write in the future, but it's true that during the plum blossom season in 2016, two singing, dancing mannequins known as "FEMM" were at the Kototoi Dango tea shop in Sumida-Mukojima, eastern Tokyo.
The history of this tea shop, which has its origins in the Tales of Ise, a collection of poems composed by Ariwara no Narihira during the Heian period, dates back to the end of the Edo period, some 170 years ago. The two beautiful mannequins, clad in latex, suddenly appeared there, not seeming to eat the tebo dango, but simply observing them. Influenced by the Western music scene of the late 1970s, including Kraftwerk and Devo, Tokyo gave birth to world-renowned techno pop culture in the early 1980s, with acts like YMO, Plastics and P-Model. But what emerged in the 2010s was an evolved Pink Lady? Or an android version of Wink? This mannequin duo, who even cover Pink Lady's "UFO" ("UFO feat. Fz from sfpr vs Invaderous"), emerged from the internet scene alongside EDM.
FEMM (short for Far East Mention Mannequins) has been well-known in digital media for the past two years for their dance, rap, and even fashion show appearances. Though originally discovered in Tokyo, their reputation has grown in international media, and they even appeared as "artists" in the fashion section of the latest March issue of Vogue Japan, titled "TOKYO NEW GLAM."
So, this time, a futuristic mannequin has appeared in East Tokyo. Since mannequins can't talk, we spoke with RiRi's agent, Honey-B, and LuLa's agent, W-Trouble.
--How was shooting in the East Tokyo area this time?
Honey-B (RiRi): It was a cute location and fun. We've shot in front of Kaminarimon Gate and been to Asakusa before.
W-Trouble (LuLa): This was my first time at Hanayashiki, but the colors were really pop and I loved it.
- Can you tell us how the unit FEMM was first formed?
Honey-B: It started out as a regular FEMM mannequin. Two of us agents felt that the mannequin had some special powers, so we gave it those powers and it became FEMM. Around 2013, we started seeing it out on the streets.
- Do you have the power to give you two agents special powers?
Honey-B: No. We don't have the technology ourselves; it's the organization we belong to, FEMM's Agency Syndicate, that has the power to do so.
-That scene is also included in the teaser video released on YouTube.
W-Trouble: Yes. Their background stories are explained in the video, and there is a scene where they actually breathe life into them.
-I was also surprised to learn that FEMM's video was produced by "IKIOI" and choreographed by "Hidali," and that some of Japan's most representative creators were involved. Is FEMM a super mannequin unit specializing in the entertainment of dance and music?
Honey-B: FEMM's raison d'être is not to provide entertainment; RiRi and LuLa are the leaders who want to spread the message that more people should know about mannequins, who have been unfairly treated as tools. When conveying that message, music and dance are the easiest ways to reach people's hearts, so we use those methods. Our first goal is to raise awareness of the current situation of mannequins.
W-Trouble: FEMM is a mannequin made to resemble a human, but it was born out of a concern that perhaps humans actually have emotions and human rights. Currently, the number of mannequins continues to increase all over the world, and FEMM's Agency Syndicate is an organization that can maximize the inherent abilities of each mannequin. Anyone can have a FEMM as their avatar by registering as an agent on our website, FEMM.jp.
-Do RiRi and LuLa have different personalities?
W-Trouble: LuLa is a housekeeper-type mannequin. RiRi breaks easily and sometimes stops working during a live performance, so LuLa has a feminine personality and will fix her. She likes nurse outfits and suits somewhat feminine songs like "Kiss the Rain" and "Kill the DJ." Honey-B: RiRi has a strong, aggressive personality and is trained in martial arts and other combat sports. She also looks good in army uniforms and other clothing. She seems to like rap and songs with a strong beat, like her new song "PoW!", which will be released on the 24th.
-Aside from the music scene, including rap and dance, you've also done a lot of modeling work, walking the runway with Mitsukoshi Isetan President Taiyo Onishi at Kansai Yamamoto's show and appearing in fashion magazines.
W-Trouble: Since they're mannequins, even as agents I'm curious about what kind of outfits people want to dress them in. After all, wearing clothes is their primary role, so they're not bound by any particular fashion style and have a strong desire to dress them in any kind of clothing. Conversely, I'd like to value the voices of those who want to use FEMM as material for production.
-What are your expectations from your major debut?
W-Trouble: I'm looking forward to more opportunities for more people to get to know them. I'm interested to see how this will enable mannequins to coexist with humans.
Honey-B: For the past two years, I thought that digital distribution via the internet would be enough to spread their voice more widely, but fans and agents said they wanted something that would allow them to read the lyrics and display photos, so I think that's a good thing.
-Their digital-only album, "Femm-Isation," reached number 10 on the US Billboard World Chart. I think your overseas activities will continue to increase, but I heard that your agents always answer interviews in English? I'd like to hear a little about you two as well.
Honey-BW-Trouble: Unfortunately, I can't answer questions about our private lives. It's top secret.
[FEMM Profile]
Since being "discovered" in 2013, you've only been active online, but on February 24th, you'll finally make your major label debut with a 2-CD set from FEMM's Agency Syndicate (DISC 1 contains 2 new original songs, 3 newly recorded remixes, and 5 remixed tracks, while DISC 2 contains the complete digital-only album "Femm-Isation" released last year, for a total of 23 tracks).
Text: birds-nest
