Rayko of Lolita Dark
Interview conducted on June 27, 2020
By Dan Locke
Rayko Dig has produced music that becomes the soundtrack of your epic lifestyle. since the band’s debut in 2012, Lolita Dark has been consistently performing to the sold-out crowd at various venues in U.S, and in Japan (Japan debut album “Citizen’s Revenge” by Spark/Universal Records Japan)
Recently Lolita Dark took their already pristine live performance to the next level by teamed up with Hollywood Light Orchestra.
Happy Anniversary?
Thank you! Happy Anniversary to all of your anniversaries too 🥳
What is your upbringing?
A PhD MD father, a magnificent and beautiful mother who was and is an amazing jazz singer, also helped my father’s clinics as an accountant. Constant music playing in the house, bi monthly jazz parties at our house with famous jazz cats from around the world…
How did you start to write music?
My progressive Japanese female piano teacher. She, instead of leaving the little “piano lesson hater girl” that she called me, she suggested we burn all the sheet music in my back yard and start training my ears where she thought was gifted. After two weeks of intense training she asked me to close my eyes and think of my mom. Then she asked me to start playing what I see and feel in my heart. Music started composing itself, my fingers started performing neutrality, and I performed the entire piece. So, the first song I ever composed was about my mother. It just effortlessly flew out of me. That day was the beginning of my life as a composer. I owe her this recognition.
Do you remember how you got your first guitar?
Yup! Guitar center on Hollywood Blvd lol a blue Fender Strat!
And do you still have it?
I think so 😅
Before Dig Jelly, you released 2 solo CDs. Why did decide to do a solo cd before creating a band?
I came to The US to proceed music career. I couldn’t wait until people started discovering me. I wanted to push the issue lol without a product how will they raise interest, right?
How did you get Dig Jelly started?
My solo project Rayko toured right quick with some hired musicians. My producer at the time then introduced me to a band with hire, three guts who’s been playing together for a while /good chemistries. I then changed my music forum from Jrock to more aggressive semi prog rock. The band name changed from Rayko to Dig Jelly as I grew towards the new chapter of music. The original drummer Joey is still with us today!
How the band did get its name?
That had to be off the record lol
With your cd Para Noize, you were selling over 1000 units per week. This was all before people started to use the internet r to sell their products. How did you sell so many?
Honestly, I don’t recall accurately … But I’m sure it wasn’t 1000 CDs every week. I’m sure it reached 1000 a week at one point though. It’s from shameless promoting including the making of 30-60 second commercials to run on the cable channels that targets our demographic, and constant live performances!
You have toured with the likes of Veruca Salt and the Lovemakers of Interscope. How was that? Did they teach you anything about the world of music?
It was definitely the one in the life time experience. Learned a lot about humanity more than anything, both beautiful and dark.
Doing the MySpace data loss how much data did you loss because you did not have a backup of the data (pictures, music)?
They were all lost? I didn’t know 😱
Why did you change the band name to Lolita Dark? in 2012?
Every time you see new band names from me it’s not that I’m just changing the names but they are Completely different type of bands. Student genres. Rayko, Dog Jelly, Lolita Dark… None of them are too alike. I have so much music in me, I wanted to express and project my musical diversity. I keep growing with Music ✨🤍✨
I love the video for “Queen’s Decade”. Tell me about the making of the video?
Thank you! I chose the former Nisei Queen to play the role of vengeful Home (Japanese queen). She truly brought out the rage of Hime, who lived for years and years to take a revenge on her Tono (King), who betrayed her and left her to rot in vengeance. The video Grapher captured the errieness throughout the video amazingly well. It was shot with the RED camera, the same camera used to shoot a lot of major films such as The Transformers.
We are blessed to be gifted with a big network of people who help us out like this!
You got a 5-year recording deal with Lolita Dark in2015. It is now 2020. Anything new coming out?
The international tour to Japan was such an exceptional experience! I know not too many of us are granted opportunities like that often. The record label folded a couple of years after that but our records sold a lot through Universal Records Japan, and we are quite happy with that, and everything that came out of this experience ✨🤍✨
How do you stay healthy while touring?
The main three of the band Rain, Joey, and I’ve always been such health nuts! We bring groceries to cook even on our tour bus lol you don’t need the gym to maintain and/or lose weight (I used to be a licensed PT/individual meal planner to the wives of the Hollywood Executives, before becoming a full time composer) we constantly worked out with our body weight, brought jump ropes, and played ball everywhere there was a court!
I see you performed at the Huntington Beach Cherry Blossom Festival. Have you been to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan?
Yes, many times! Fairmont Hotel in Tokyo is one if the best location, if you can’t get to Kyoto.
How was it to sing the National Anthem the first time after becoming an American Citizen?
Man…. First of all, I am so grateful you follow me the way you do… Thank you so much! The recognition alone is just subversion to feel!
It was the experience I’ll never forget! The former Nisei Queen Erika Mariko Olsen on Queen’s Decade video is who introduced me to that opportunity 🤗
What was Japanese EDM pop Fusion Vol.1?
Some years ago I had this blessed opportunity to co write and perform vocals on this song “Reaching for the Stars” with a Grammy winning producer/engineer Isha Erskine and his partner Chris Stoll. It’s purpose was to get this song into an industry’s mega music library company Epitome Music http://epitomemusic.com
How did you begin to become a composer for TV shows?
My agent came to me one day and said “Rayko, a new amazon prime TV series is looking for three authentic Japanese songs from 50’s that are Not influenced by US music, using only the instruments that were available in Japan at that time. Van you compose, write lyrics,
What was the first show you wrote music for?
I think if I remember correctly, it was for a film called “Micro Mini Kids”. I guess it was kind of big in Germany.
Did you get a physical Emmy, since you compose and produce music for the Amazon Prime show “The Man in the High Castle?
Nope, I wish lol it was a sync licensing 🙂 two of my songs were on Sela rate episodes so it really brought blessings! The show itself received a few Emmy! They deserve it!
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
I love any ways to connect people to my music 🙂 it’s like having conversations/exchanging emotions with strangers worldwide.
Digital vs. vinyl?
I really don’t have a preference, but love the sound if the old vinyl skipping. I use midi samples of that on some music I compose.
Any plans to tour?
Cancelled bunch of love shows due to COVID. It’s ok 🙂 this gives us time to finish a lot of session work!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?
Heal The World by Michael Jackson. The video reminds me So little has changed since.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
A few clubs are closing including the historic rixal venues like Troubadour (if the rumor is true)
Many canceled concerts. But as long as we have web, music today, actually is more needed throughout the world for healing. I believe this is why we are getting double, triple of requests.
I see you have been doing videos during self-quarantine. I saw your video on making Organic Ginger Drink. What other types of videos are you creating?
I did some “home workout” video, more “healthy meal” videos, videos of my fur daughter Zoloft…etc but haven’t got any chance to edit them. Will be releasing homemade music videos soon tho.
Also, I hear from the grapevine that a secret admirer is making a video for me with a compilation of some of my work 
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
This isn’t a hobby but I’ve recently been making a ton of beats from hip hop to trance. I’m enjoying it on my own as well. I have been blessed with an incredible amount of session work for the last four years. The demands are very high for me to create, compose, and record multi genre of music. I’m constantly updating myself with new sound, and it has to come from new gear. Ima gear junky so though it gets expensive it creates more work for me. It’s catch 22 ㊗️ Can’t complain 😃
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?
This is the thing! We’d LOVE TO!! But as I stated above the work load got even heavier as the quarantine started and I’m trying to find the time here and there to sleep lol Soon! I promise!
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
It is a new world we live in. Anything is possible. I mean I never thought I could make my living just by making music! My dream came true! So ya never know what happens in life! Persistence is always the key!
First it was an article in the New York Times, then Rolling Stones talked about it and finally Live Nation CEO said that concerts may not start again until fall of 2021. Do you think this could happen?
We bought four tickets to Jacob Collier concert for April and they haven’t refunded a penny. Hoping they will reschedule. Really was looking forward to it.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Lol Japan needs to teach us and fund us to do that lol
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
My husband, best friend (Our drummer Joey) and I living in a big house with a huge yard with our moms, And sis, taking care of abused farm animals and lots of dogs. Building a “euphoria land” for the elders where they get to “enjoy” the remainder of their lives. All that while constantly creating music with my wonderful team, and managing music-related businesses
Anything you would like to say in closing?
For all the thriving and striving fellow artists. I was juggling 6 jobs until 3yrs ago, including waiting tables at a tiny Izakaya in Los Angeles, until my agent called and I made the sync licensing deal with an Amazon Prime three-time Emmy winning TV series. Then immediately the second placement on the next season of the same show followed! One of my older songs got discovered and placed as an ending credit on a feature film “The Wolves of Saving Hill” featuring Kurt Fuller, my band Lolita Dark got to tour Japan, I was recruited into a magnificent team of people lead by Franki K Music to collaborate with http://www. FrankiKMusic.com/, Disney called for a job, Adult Swim called for a job for an entire season, now I’m creating music Every Day for living, and able to provide for my family.
I’ve had an extremely complex yet exceptionally interesting and gratifying life since my childhood to date. And since the age of 5, Not even a day that passed by that I was not doing music. I thank God for the support I had from my parents, and continuous support by my core band members Rain and Joey, Frank Kilpatrick from Feanki K Music, our teammate, and everyone that believed and supported my music when it seemed nobody else did.
I can’t forget to thank Peter Kimmel. The one who inducted me to Amazon.
I thank God for the gift of persistence and will, to survive thru all hurdles I had to jump over and crawl under.
When you believe in something full-heartedly, there is just No Way to quit. So, if you do believe in yourself with that one thing, keep pushing on.. keep pushing on!!!
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