Who is that hiding behind the dance group in their newest music video shot all over Nagoya?

Music group World Order isn’t only known for their robotic dancing and electronic beats. Their act can also be delightfully comedic when employed in the right situations, usually during their publicly shot music videos set around the world. Seeing the group pump their arms and “walk” by popular destinations is now as iconic as it is mesmerizing. While Genki Sudo, the founder of the group, is no longer the full-time front man, it seems he is continuing to dance with World Order, at least in their newest music video, “Singularity”.

The video features the perfect mix of all the elements we’ve come to love from the group, including suited dancers moving around robotically and an intricate “dance machine” that could only come from the minds of World Order. Fans are treated to a few special guests part way through the video as well. World Order is basically challenged to a dance off with a bunch of office women in the conference room. However, these aren’t just any regular ol’ office ladies though; they’re eight members of SKE48, one of the sister groups to AKB48 that are based in Nagoya. They’re the perfect companions to help World Order enjoy the sights and sounds of the third largest city in Japan, as soon as they all bust out of the office.

WORLD ORDER are Japanese male dance performance group. They have performed worldwide at the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL and boast tremendous popularity overseas. They are also participating successfully in nutritional commercials. We conducted an exclusive interview with each of the members (Genki Sudo, Masato Ochiai, Akihiro Takahashi, Hayato Uchiyama, Yuusuke Morisawa, Takashi Jounishi, and Ryuuta Tomita) at their “Art Exhibition”.

■Releated article：Worldwide famous act WORLD ORDER to perform at J-POP SUMMIT 2016 in San Francisco!

――Since your formation, you’ve had your eyes set on heading overseas. With that in mind, please tell us how the group came to be organised.
Sudo: Because I am known as a mixed martial artist and kickboxer and because of the things I have been able to do, there have been times where it has been a hindrance on my career. I released my solo CD when I was a martial artist, but there were mixed responses, things like “Ah. I see…” I’m see as a martial artist here in Japan, so those kind of reactions came about when I appeared on YouTube too, so I felt like I wanted to go and make my debut overseas. My style now was born from how people from overseas stereotypically see Japanese people: serious and diligent. That, combined with wearing a suit and glasses while dancing like a robot is the style we have made.

――You performed at the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL in various countries around the world. What was the reaction like from the overseas audiences?
Morisawa: Their responses were amazing. From every breath to every drop of sweat, everything of us was conveyed and received well. We really felt everyone’s excitement and gaze while we were performing, the tension was high. Everyone really livened up together.

――Are the responses at your concerts in Japan different from those overseas?
Uchiyama: A lot of our solo concerts in Japan are seated, so everyone just quietly watches the stage. Even at festivals, Japan has its own way of having fun.
Takahashi: Outside Japan, I feel the responses aren’t all that different from each other from country to country.
Ochiai: Our performances are generally something to watch and enjoy, but audiences overseas also take the music into account and so enjoying everything at once. They’re really good at having fun.
Sudo: Japan has a unique scene. I’ve come to worry whether or not we are okay with it. People are polite. Everywhere but Japan really goes for it, and when I see that, I wonder “are we really this popular?” and feel misunderstood (laughs).
Jounishi: Parts of our dances take a kind of approach that Kabuki and Noh performances do, so I wonder if our Japanese fans are thinking in terms of that. But people overseas don’t worry about that and can just have a good time.
Tomita: We go all out with everything we have wherever we go, but there are people that don’t understand Japanese, so we make up for that strongly by conveying what we are saying through our performance.
Takahashi: Before our performance at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL in France, we had a chance to interact with the fans. There were a lot of people that greeted us in Japanese. We received a very warm welcome.

――This interview is currently being held at the exhibition centre for your “Art Exhibition” project you started last year. I feel there is a lot of very Japanese-like motifs and expressions about it. Is this true?
Sudo: The Art Exhibition is a place for each member of the group to show their work outside of music. Up to now, it only includes the members’ domestic work It’s especially made up of Japanese-like motifs. We have no plans to make it available overseas. But regarding WORLD ORDER’s primary work – our performances – they are packed full of things Japanese and reveal each member’s potential.

――WORLD ORDER dress in suits and neckties, erasing each member’s individual looks, but I actually think you each have great individuality. Can you do a free-talk and introduce each other? We’ll start from Morisawa. Please tell us about his image.
All: “Yuusuke is a spontaneous guy”. “He has a strong heart.” “I like the gags he pulls in company.” “He’s a fine young man!”

――Next, tell us about Takahashi’s image.
All: “He is kind to everyone, no matter who it is”. “When you talk with him you can feel at ease”. “He’s also really stylish”.

――What about Ochiai?
All: “At first glance he might seem scary, but he’s a big sweet tooth”. “He’s really good both in his work and private life.” “He’s in charge of the choreography, so he has an air of leadership”.

――And Jounishi?」
All: “He’s a smart person”. “Even in a talk like this, he’s able to explain himself using words that nobody knows.” “Because he graduated from the University of Tokyo!”

――What about Uchiyama?
All: “He’s natural, I guess?” “He has a small face (laughs)” “He’s kind to the earth.” “He has great recognition from people”.

――And Tomita?
All: “There’s nothing really in particular… (everyone in agreement)”. “The fact that there is nothing is conversely amazing.”

――And finally, tell us about Sudo.
All: “He’s talented!” “He’s really cool!” “He really has charisma.” “He’s fashionable.” “He is very attentive in his consideration.”

――So it’s safe to say that you’re all charmed by Sudo Genki, correct?
All: Yes! (why are they all laughing?)

――I heard that you all went strawberry picking and treasure hunting on a bus tour to Izu. Strawberry picking is kind of cute and a bit different from WORLD ORDER’s usual image, right?
Takahashi: Hahaha. We took our families with us and it was a lot of fun. We picked strawberries, we hunted for treasure, and we performed live. There was a lot of different things packed into one day.

――Finally, we’d like to hear about the group’s future plans from Sudo.
Sudo:

Original Text:  Tanaka Tashinori / Photography: Atsushi Yamada (SHUTTER)

WORLD ORDER http://www.worldorder.jp/
MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL http://fes15.moshimoshi-nippon.jp/
J-POP SUMMIT http://www.j-pop.com/

■Releated article：Festival Report: J-pop Culture Fans Blown Away at MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in Paris and London!

Viewed as a parody of diligent businessmen by their overseas audience, WORLD ORDER are architects of their own unique one-of-a-kind style as they fuse pop and sensitive dance music with their intense dance performances which always demonstrate their strong physical capabilities.

WORLD ORDER have proven their brilliance with their activity overseas, having performed in France and Singapore for last year’s MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL. Now, they deliver to their American fans a long awaited concert.

J-POP SUMMIT

J-POP SUMMIT is America’s largest Japanese culture event. From music, to IT, technology, fashion, film, travel, food, anime, art, games and more, this huge festival offers anything and everything you could imagine from Japan. This year will see the event head into its 8^th year.

MOSHI MOSHI FESTIVAL, an event under the “MOSHI MOSHI PROJECT” umbrella, aims to deliver pop culture from Japan to the world, held their Singapore installment from Sept. 5 (Sat.) – 6 (Sun.) at the *SCAPE The Ground Theatre / *SCAPE Playspace, wowing a total of 7,500 J-pop culture fans.

Live performances were held on both days at the *SCAPE The Ground Theatre with the first act being TEMPURA KIDZ. Impressing the crowd with their immaculate moves, they performed hit tunes “Miira Killer” and “LOLLiPOP,” making the crowd roar ecstatically from the beginning to finish. Calling out “We love Singapore!” to wrap their set up, the crowd cheered and set them up for a great finish.

WORLD ORDER took stage after the adorable KIDZ, making an elaborate entrance on stage with their exhilarating dance performance, prompting the crowd to go wild. After performing “WORLD ORDER,” Genki Sudo took the mic to MC in English, where his humor-filled introductions to the members made the venue boom with laughter. As the group entered the latter half of their set, the group kept the audience on their toes with solo dance performances followed by their signature tunes “FIND THE LIGHT” and “MACHINE CIVILIZATION.” Despite this being their first performance in Singapore, their brilliantly concocted performance completely entranced the audience – with Sudo speaking out “Are you Having a good time?” the audience gave a huge uproar to end the set.

The final act of the Sept. 5 was CAPSULE. Kicking it off with “more more more,” they followed up with “Another World” and “Hero.” Toshiko Koshijima kept the floor’s energy alive whilst Yasutaka Nakata showcased his DJ prowess. The audience held their hands up in the air and danced the set away, completely immersed in the pounding beat. Koshijima called out, “Are you ready? Here we go!” and the setlist entered the latter half, including tracks such as “Starry Sky,” “Love or Lies” and “Sugarless GiRL.” They left the stage and entered once again to play their encore, “Glider,” when WORLD ORDER joined them on stage. Only at MOSHI MOSHI FESTIVAL could this kind of collaboration take place. By the time the show saw its end, the floor had reached the peak of its excitement.

TEMPURA KIDZ were also the first one up on Day 2. Showing up with different outfits than the previous day, they took stage with a completely different setlist, including songs such as “Mask Mask” and “Happy Natsumatsuri,” heating up the floor just as they did on Day 1.

The second act of the day was Hachioji P, starting off with “Electric Love feat. Hatsune Miku,” the DJ didn’t hesitate to bring in his latest track “Little Scarlet Bad Girl feat. Hatsune Miku” into the first half of their set. “This is so much fun! Do you guys like Vocaloid? Let’s keep the energy up!” he called out, and the energy continued to rise as he performed “Desktop Cinderella feat. Hatsune Miku” from his latest album, and left the audience feeling more than fulfilled.

kz(livetune) took the stage next. Starting off with a mash-up of his mega-hit track “Tell Your World” and Porter Robinson’s “Sad Machine,” the crowd immediately went wild. “CLICK” followed and the crowd saw no stopping of the euphoric wave that had washed over the floor. He then called Anna Yano onto stage, where they performed the livetune-produced “Shape My Story” together. Claiming this is her “first time singing it,” she went on to perform the opening theme song to anime, MILPOM★, “Milky Rally.” This pleasant surprise, needless to say, brought huge delight upon the crowd.

The final act for Day 2 was yanaginagi. They got the audience up on their feet by calling “Jump, jump!” and started off with “Beedoro Moyou.” This being their third performance in Singapore, they claimed “it was awesome how we could come back to Singapore to perform!” and went on to perform their ever-popular “Haru Modoki.” Prepping the audience beforehand with the words, “We’ll take you on a wild ride in the latter half!” they started off with “Zoetrope,” immersing the crowd in the music all the way to their last track, “Mitsuba no Musubime.” There couldn’t have been an act that could have wrapped the night up better than yanaginagi.

The *SCAPE The Ground Theatre that transformed into a live venue by night, and hosted free events during the day of Sept. 6 (Sun.) where BPM15Q, USAGI, PCF(Keitan/Tadanon/TAKUMA), matsushita, Anna Yano and AMIAYA performed on stage as well as JSTO. Fashion shows took place on the stage as well, making the audience call out for more of the freshest J-culture.

The *SCAPE Playspace opened up admission-free booths on both days – models and artists performed on the mini stage set up inside the venue, which invited a huge crowd to get a glimpse of the great freebies.

The booths included a free Karaoke “LIVE DAM” booth where performing artists also made surprise appearances, whereas the “COOL JAPAN FUKUOKA” booth showcased the appeal of Fukuoka prefecture, and the “marukome x MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON” booth gave away free samples of the traditional Japanese soup – miso soup. Furthermore, free photo-shoots were held at the “CHEERZ” booth making use of the BPM15Q, the “EXIT TUNES” booth kept the mini stage energized, the “GOLD RUSH” booth bought in whatever you had to bring in, and the “JAPAN SHOPPING FESTIVAL” booth introduced J-fans to Japan’s shopping festivals. The lineup of booths doesn’t stop there – the festival also had ready the anime-short “MILPOM★” booth, as well as the “MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON” booth where they pleased fans with their MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON original “Gudetama” items as well as other Japan-themed souvenirs, making it an irresistible shopping experience for all visitors alike.

“MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015” will be held in Paris and London in October, and in Tokyo this November! Don’t miss out on the J-pop-culture-filled fest!

《Information》

■Details on upcoming ”MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015” events

・MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in PARIS

Date：Oct.3（Sat.）- 4（Sun.）

Location：Paris, France

Venue：Le TRIANON

Ticket information：http://www.fnacspectacles.com/place-spectacle/manifestation/Variete-internationale-MOSHI-MOSHI-NIPPON-TRMOS.htm#/calendrier

Lineup：

Oct. 3（Sat.）CAPSULE / Yasutaka Nakata（CAPSULE）/ BOOM BOOM SATELLITES

Oct. 4（Sun.）WORLD ORDER / Charisma.com / TEMPURA KIDZ

・MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in LONDON

Date： Oct. 11（Sun.）

Location：London, U.K.

Venue：Roundhouse

Japanese techno-pop dance unit WORLD ORDER will join MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in SINGAPORE (Sep, 5 and 6) and MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in PARIS（Oct, 3 and 4）.

WORLD ORDER is a seven-piece Tokyo-based dance performance group formed in 2009. They are known for their looks that resemble hardworking Japanese businessmen – or “salarymen” – and highly detailed choreography that goes perfectly well with their synth-driven dance tunes. It didn’t take long for the world to take notice of the band’s talent – with many eager fans in Asia, North America and Europe, WORLD ORDER finally announced these long-awaited concerts in Singapore and France!

“We are very excited to perform to our international fans!” says a member of WORLD ORDER, who have been receiving a lot of messages from excited fans in other countries. On top of their regular performance, the group will prepare a special performance that consists of six members for those two locations.

By touring around the world, the MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON Festival team aims to promote the latest in Japanese pop culture. The team will be on the road throughout the year and will regularly announce more J–pop related events. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more exciting news!

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MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in SINGAPORE

Date: Sept. 5 (Sat.) and 6 (Sun.), 2015

Location: Singapore

Venue：*SCAPE The Ground Theatre / *SCAPE Playspace

Ticket information:

Early Bird (Aug 6 to Aug 12): S$78/day

Normal (Aug 13 onwards): S$88/day

Admission to Exhibition Grounds and Day Stage Activities are free.

Artists：

Sept. 5: CAPSULE / Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) / WORLD ORDER / TEMPURA KIDZ

Sept. 6: Nagi Yanagi / kz(livetune)feat. ANNA YANO / Hachioji P / TEMPURA KIDZ and more…

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「MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON FESTIVAL 2015 in PARIS」

Date: Oct. 3 (Sat.) and 4 (Sun.) 2015

Location: Paris, France

Venue: Le TRIANON

Ticketing information

Oct. 3: CAPSULE / Yasutaka Nakata (CAPSULE) / BOOM BOOM SATELLITES

Oct. 4: WORLD ORDER / Charisma.com / TEMPURA KIDZ

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ABOUT MOSHI MOSHI FESTIVAL