the hatch『333』Interview – Chaos Crystallized into Pop

Last Updated on 2025-12-23 by a-indie

There are bands that are difficult to describe in one word when asked, “What kind of music do you play?”

the hatch from Sapporo is exactly that kind of band.

Just when you think it’s intense hardcore, beautiful piano resonates, and Latin rhythms move your body.

Their new album『333』has become an album where their chaos is crystallized in the most pop and beautiful way.

From the past of leaving a keyboard on a vending machine to all-night mixing sessions.

Maririn, who has been following them, asked all five members about the surprisingly human stories behind their unpredictable sound.

Artists: Midori Yamada, Ryoken Miyazaki, Kento Yamazaki, Soichiro Anzai
Interviewer: Maririn Editor, Proofreader: BELONG Media, A-indie

The Journey of the hatch Starting from Sapporo’s Metal Circle

The Origin of the Band Name and Formation Background

－Maririn: I believe this is our first interview for BELONG Media, so could you tell us about the band from the beginning? First, please tell us about the origin of the band name the hatch and how you formed.

Midori Yamada: Only Zakiyama (Kento Yamazaki) knows about the formation. Actually, Zakiyama is the only original member.

Kento Yamazaki: That’s right.

Midori Yamada: There’s a university in Sapporo that’s famous in a bad way…

Kento Yamazaki: Super famous (laughs).

Midori Yamada: These two (Yamazaki and Miyazaki) were seniors and juniors in the same metal circle there. Zakiyama was one year ahead. It was like a regular circle band that Zakiyama started, right?

Kento Yamazaki: At first, yeah.

Midori Yamada: It was already called the hatch back then, right?

Kento Yamazaki: Yeah. The previous members left and Ryoken (Miyazaki) joined. At that time, we were a three-piece and I was on bass and vocals. When we decided we wanted to add a dedicated vocalist, Ryoken met Midori (Yamada), and they hung out a lot. Then Midori started coming to the university.

Midori Yamada: Yeah, I was hanging out there constantly. Even though I wasn’t a student at that university.

Kento Yamazaki: He was hanging out at the circle constantly. Then we went to see a live show together… what was it?

Midori Yamada: Was it sibitt?

Kento Yamazaki: We went to see rapper sibitt’s live show. I asked him “Can you play any instruments?” and he said “I can play trombone,” so I said “Then let’s start a band together.” When I graduated from university, Ryu-san (Ryutaro Iwasaki) helped out on drums, so we became a four-person lineup. Then last June, Midori called me saying he wanted to add Souchan (Soichiro Anzai) as a member, and that’s how we became the current five members.

Midori Yamada: At first, I was abandoning instruments on my way home. I brought a keyboard to the first live show, and we did about two shows with keyboard, trombone, and vocals. At the second live show, carrying the keyboard on foot was too much of a hassle, so I left it on top of a vending machine near Sapporo PARCO and went home. I was just a vocalist for about three years after that. After the 1st album (『Opaque Age』) came out, we decided we needed a keyboard, so I bought one.