Author: Yoshiyuki

KA.F.KA | [Aug 2015] On Their First Album《Fantome † Noir》

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

On Their First Album
《Fantome † Noir》

ROCK JET Vol.62
August 2015

Interviewer ＝ Fujitake Toshiya

 

・Interview・


KA.F.KA
Tsuchiya Masami
ISSAY

 

Leaving a legacy

―― Congratulations on KA.F.KA’s first album, Fantome † Noir being released. To start, please tell us about how the band came to be.

Tsuchiya (T): Touching on that will result in a large amount of printing to do (lol).

―― That’s okay (lol).

T: The very condensed version of it starts with my obsession with trip-hop back in the 90s and how I almost lost the desire to create and express myself during these past 10-plus years. I questioned the way music was being dominated by the internet and this situation where music itself was being turned towards that direction.
Expression is something that can only become material when there’s an audience and the level of those who are looking to make that happen have dropped so much that I felt like there was nothing I could do but sit and stare. Also, it dawned on me that I haven’t created anything worthy of a legacy.
I know that things will someday get better. But I figured that it’ll probably take quite a while before that happens. Because people themselves have become stupid enough that it’d take them a long time to realise that something isn’t right about this.
So, it was during the period when those thoughts occupied my head that I met ISSAY-kun. About 4 years ago, I was given a reserved seat at a BUCK-TICK concert and it just so happened that ISSAY-kun was seated next to me. I knew of him but I never had the chance to have a proper chat with him.
There, I spoke about the same topic that we’re on right now, and when I asked whether he’s left some sort of legacy, he said there’s nothing, so I said if that’s the case, maybe we should have something to leave behind. To leave a legacy, in this sense, would mean to make music.

―― So he asked you, out of the blue, whether you’re leaving a legacy.

ISSAY (I): That’s right. He started by asking me whether I’m leaving a legacy. I answered, “I’m not leaving anything.” And that’s where it ended then. The next time we met, I was thinking of doing something that involves making this kind of music when he asked, “Shall we work together?” Tsuchiya-san is someone I respected as a musician, and when I watched him play guitar at Kawamura Ryuichi-san’s¹ concert, I thought he was an amazing guitarist and if I ever had the chance, I’d like to work with him.
Having someone like that reach out to me, I readily replied, “Yes, let’s work together,” without a second thought. I was beyond happy. I only realised the gravity of the situation when the band started work.

T: It just so happened that at the time; that was 2013, by the way, Kaneko Mari-san² asked me if I would perform something at a Kyoto live house. In my head, the thought of creating something like this [KA.F.KA] had already formed but I was still undecided about when it would happen and what shape it would take. At that point in time, there was no band, nothing, except for the conversation I had with ISSAY-kun about ‘leaving a legacy’. But the words, “Let’s leave something behind” became a sort of motivator and I replied [Mari], “Well, then I’ll perform in a band.”

―― Out of nowhere.

T: That’s the time when things get done, right? So in any case, I started with ISSAY-kun, so Morioka Ken (ex-SOFT BALLET) will certainly be within reach. I saw drummer MOTOKATSU-kun playing at SUGIZO’s concert and I thought he was a great drummer so I reached out to him. As for our bassist, I asked KenKen, who’s also Mari-san’s son.
At that event, we performed as a band named KA.F.KA. It was wonderful. And the best part was the superb tension. We started our journey without any songs, wrote them within a few weeks and got in rehearsals too. It wouldn’t have worked if it weren’t for this sustained tension. We could spare no effort or time. But those nerves brought wonderful expression to life.
It’s been about 10 years since I did any sort of attention-grabbing musical endeavour by then, so I created my own record label and released my solo album Swan Dive first. I had ISSAY-kun sing 3 songs in that album. The song Last Shadow was obviously a KA.F.KA song, but I felt that it was needed in Swan Dive so I put it in. When I was making that album, I told the band members that the next album I’m making would be for this band. And so here we are now.

―― I see. So you’ve already started on this present album when you were producing Swan Dive which was released in 2013.

T: Swan Dive consists of 6 songs. KA.F.KA’s Fantome † Noir also has 6 songs. These two works put together are equal to one album. In other words, I’d prefer it if you’ll take them as one 12-song album. The A- and B-side; the front and the back of a vinyl record. They are to be listened to one after another. 
When Coyote, the last song on Fantome † Noir ends, it goes back to the first song of Swan Dive, Swan Dive Part-1. That’s the way it’s designed.
It would’ve been difficult to make a 12-song album all of a sudden, wouldn’t it? While I do have my own record label, it was difficult to match schedules with the members of the band. Especially with KenKen who was so very busy that we had to ask Ueno Kouji-kun³ to play bass for KA.F.KA.

―― What made Tsuchiya-san reach out to ISSAY-san?

T: It’s because he’s the most striking person by far. Is there anyone else who cuts as conspicuous a figure as him among rock vocalists? I can’t think of any. And in my mind, I don’t see e ISSAY-kun as just a vocalist. Instead, he’s more like an avant-garde performing artist…… Actually, it’s probably more accurate to describe him as an avant-garde dancer. That’s the image I have of him.
There are many vocalists who unwittingly flirt with their audience. Of course, this isn’t possible unless there’s someone at the receiving end of it, though. There are all kinds of rock bands, and there’s a lot of difference between the way each vocalist carries themselves. Whether they’re flirtatious or not. It’s important to share the emotion but I don’t believe there’s such a thing in rock music where we ask [the audience] to “please listen” or “please sing along”. That may be a thing in other musical genres. But I have clear standards when it comes to this area.
There aren’t many vocalists who have an aesthetic sensibility in being unflirtatious. And because of that, ISSAY-kun is the cream of the crop in the rock genre. His stage presence, his choice of language, his lyrics; all of this make the sum of ISSAY-kun’s attractiveness.

―― It is indeed true that flirting [with the audience] in rock music is unseemly.

T: I’ve instructed ISSAY-kun against chatting on stage. ISSAY-kun is a good person. And his goodness comes through once he speaks (lol). We can’t show that. If people know that ISSAY-kun’s a nice person, even my own performance will become flirtatious to the audience (lol).

――  ISSAY-san’s an angel, isn’t he (lol).

T: We absolutely cannot let people know about that (lol). Ultimately, I want him to exude the presence of a scary, aloof person for KA.F.KA’s performances.

Phantom of darkness⁴

 

―― KA.F.KA’s worldview also comes through in the lyrics but the music comes first, then ISSAY-san listens to it and writes the lyrics for it, right?

I: That’s right.

―― What were your thoughts when Tsuchiya-san handed the music to you?

I: The worldview is very well thought out. That was my impression. But honestly, the very first thing that came to mind when I heard it was how complicated and bizarre it was. All parts were necessary no matter what angle you consider them from. The chord progression, the melody line, all of them appeared to be necessary. But the feeling of the guitar and all that, they were so unconventional and complex. Like, ah… I’m supposed to write lyrics for this song…… (lol).

―― Do you mean it was difficult?

I: No, because the worldview was concrete. I first listened, then grasped it with my own image of it, and after that went to check whether there were any keywords or anything like that via email, then did I come to understand what Tsuchiya-san intended through a word or two. I was able to get into the music’s world easily.

―― Is it different than when you’re writing lyrics for your own band?

I: I’ve never made that comparison, but when I’m writing lyrics, I have to make my way through a dark tunnel once. The tunnel for KA.F.KA’s lyrics has a deep darkness to it but I get through it unusually fast, so it’s short. That’s what it feels like.

T: My concept is to be “difficult to comprehend”. That’s what makes it different from my solo album. When it comes to my solo work, it’s musically kind to my listeners but that shouldn’t be the case for KA.F.KA. That’s the very thing I asked ISSAY-kun to pay attention to. His good nature has a tendency to show in his lyrics after all, and we can’t let that happen.

I: That, I’ve been told quite sternly (lol).

―― Don’t flirt with the audience, make it hard to understand.

T: But because of this, the universe of the songs also get to grow through the listeners’ imagination. I was surprised when I received the lyrics to Coyote. It got me thinking, “Oh, this is it!” And, just as expected, Coyote is well received. As to what brought about this response, I’m inclined to believe it’s the lyrics.
Be it film or music, all of it is actually an art of memory. The key to it is the amount of memories the performer has made and how much they have experienced. The more original the performer can be with their unique and strange experiences that only they have ever had, the better. In Coyote, it’s enjoyable if both the listeners and the composer possess memories of similar experiences, and even if that isn’t the case, the [audience’s] relationship with the song begins if they think it’s a circus song.
How moved you are [by the song] increases if it’s linked to a memory. That’s my ideal. And it’s the one thing I won’t compromise on.

―― Is the band’s name is inspired by Franz Kafka?

T: Precisely so.

―― Please tell me more about the album’s title.

T: After forming KA.F.KA, we held 3 shows in the form of an event which we called Fantome † Noir, meaning phantom of darkness⁴. It can’t be done with a person who doesn’t live in darkness. It’s not feasible with someone who’s cheerful and energetic or someone who comes alive in the summer. 

―― So, what you want is to illustrate the world of those who belong in darkness when it comes to KA.F.KA.

T: That’s my theme too. I like rainy days more than sunny days. I’d rather a dimly lit room than a brightly lit one. Instead of standing up, I’ll sit on the floor, hugging my knees. Those are the clear ideals I have.
Back to the topic of the album title, I already had in mind to name the album《Fantome † Noir》since the event started. 
I really don’t want to make an album in a rush when it comes to leaving something behind as a legacy. And that’s why there was no going around and asking “What should the title be?” or “What should the cover look like?” at all. Because I’ve been spending a long time asking myself questions to come up with the concept. So all of it had already taken shape when the time comes.

―― Does ISSAY-san like Franz Kafka?

I:  I read his work when I was in high school. Actually, there’s a song Kafka from Tsuchiya-san’s solo album RICE MUSIC, and I’ve once done a reading of Kafka’s Metamorphosis on stage with that song in the background. So while we were talking about these topics, I started discussing Metamorphosis with Tsuchiya-san and it suddenly drew out the very feeling that I got when I first read it, like, “It’s like this, right?!” I was surprised. That made my spine tingle.

―― That was the feeling of being understood, right?

I: Yes. It made me realise that there’s a house in my heart, and there was, surprisingly, a door in such a place. And this wasn’t pointed out to me in the, “It’s there, isn’t it?” way. It was more like a feeling of being given something to think about and as I thought about it, I noticed the door’s existence. And that I’ve opened that door before in the past. That’s how I’ve been feeling this whole time ever since KA.F.KA began. 

―― You’re not adding something new, but rather, you’re recalling a long-forgotten thing that exists within you. This is connected to the concept that art is based on your memories, right?

I: A door I’ve forgotten. And there’s also a door within me that I wasn’t aware of. I came to realise it with a, “Ah, so something like this exists in such an area.”

T: That’s right. ISSAY-kun is without a doubt an exceptionally rare person. His interests also lie in strange places. But it wasn’t my intention to draw anything out from within him. All we did was have a regular conversation and something like that happened. Isn’t it fascinating?  It’d be ideal if one could make something with that and turn it into a profession. A profession is a calling, work that lives. That’s why it’s not about putting up with something for the sake of doing what you want; that would make it a job. If you consider this from a Western perspective, it’d be called ego though. I really love the phrase, “This is what I was made to do.⁵” 
An occupation is something you say you are, right? It’s especially the case for musicians and all too. That’s why I’m thinking that someday, I want to write “poet” in my occupational field.

I: That’s so cool. I wanna write that too.

T: You’d just want to, right?

―― How wonderful it is that the both of you met. It’s as if it happened because you were meant to come together.

T: I strongly feel that. When I started making music, I had my period fo popularity and saleability too, but the seniors i met at the time said to me, “The real fun comes much, much later.” They also said, “When it’s time to die, it’ll happen in an instant so it’s okay.”

―― Really?

T: They were pretty easy going about that. And that was what I was told about 30 years ago. I noticed that meeting someone isn’t something that suddenly happens out of nowhere; it’s something that was years in the making.
Recently, I met Chuya-kun from the band Allergy for the first time, I felt the same way with him too. He’s been working with someone I’m very close to for a long time. The person who inspired me to become a musician had recorded with Chuya-kun before. Of course. I did know about the band Allergy since the 1980s, but I was surprised when I watched them perform for the first time after they reformed. They were just too cool. It’s like I witnessed first-hand someone who performs with the same awareness as us. ‘This is no ordinary person’, I thought, ‘I should talk to him’, and when I did, ‘I knew it’. He’s very similar to ISSAY-kun too. 

―― You’ll meet the people you’re meant to meet. And when that happens, you’ll be able to portray what you’re meant to portray.

T: It’s also important not to resist things and to let things go.

―― This is inspiring.

T: That’s what it is, right? Life. Because people are living things. Other people won’t know what makes a person happy. I did wonder before why do lazy people exist, but that’s precisely a case of what I just said.

―― There’s more to life than just living, right?

T: But [the answer to that] isn’t quite ‘the future’. I’m not optimistic about the future.

―― Are you saying that you’re not optimistic about what society will be like in the future?

T: That’s right. But society itself is a personalised thing, so if someone is under the impression that it doesn’t exist, then it doesn’t exist. 
The existence of people implies that there’s a universe that exists within each one of us and the moment the universe inhabits the body is the moment when the person is acknowledged by the universe. This appears to be similar to puberty. The awakening of the mind in that period is very similar to it. This is apparently when one’s personal values are determined. I believe it is during this period when the unnoticed door is formed. And that’s why boys and girls have a hard time when they enter puberty. Everyone has a door. But if you think you don’t have it, you don’t. If you think you do have it, you do. It makes me feel better to think this way.

I: Things will be quite tough until you arrive at this perspective.

T: That’s the kind of song The Prisoner is. And in the end, both the perpetrator and the victim are 15 years old. If an incident like this happens, if this song turns into reality, I’d be shocked though.

Joy Division and The Doors

―― Is there some basis behind the idea to form such a band?

T: As I said before, it’s the desire to leave something behind. Also, Joy Division’s a big part of it, right? I absolutely loved their 1978 release, Unknown Pleasures back when it first went on sale, but personally, I somehow feel that what we now call post-punk was still in its adolescence at that point in time, so I enjoyed it without truly understanding what it was. No, rather, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I only understood it from a technical perspective. Time went by before I finally realised, “Ah, so that’s what it’s about.”
In the end, it took me about 30 years [to get to that point]. 30 years is the equivalent of one cycle. In my case, it’s coming around for the second time. In my youth, I had my first adolescence, then I turned 30 and that was when I experienced another adolescence since becoming an adult, and now, another 30 years have passed and I’m once again gaining the ability to look at it all objectively.
Back then, I couldn’t explain what it was to others and more than that, I’ve come to understand that I overlooked the most important parts of it. Don’t you think this happens a lot? People who realise this probably get to live happy lives. Of course, even if you don’t realise it, it’s alright. Because it’s that person’s life to live. But it’s fun to find out.

―― So Joy Division is what started it.

T: That’s right. I realised it after discovering them once again. One day, I took their CD out of my cabinet for no particular reason to listen to them and found myself astounded. Listening to them now, their playing sounds exceptionally crude from a technical standpoint but that wasn’t what got me.
It was the question of why they decided to make something like this at such a time. And they weren’t the only ones, this was happening on a global scale back then. Something was changing and we could move towards it. People who saw things as they were held that belief. But I don’t have any proof of that. Which is what makes it cool.
That’s what we’re lacking the most these days, right? If you’re asking me whether people can be moved by blind faith or unquestioning conviction, I think they no longer can be. That’s the reason why things are no longer interesting.
The beginning of the 20th century, the 1910s were interesting. That was the age of German Expressionism. People came to think that it’s beautiful to destroy whatever came before. But there’s no proof at all that it’s truly the case. But it got to a point where they decided to destroy what they’ve created since it’s right in front of them. Then they questioned how they should destroy things. Which led to the pursuit of the beauty of destruction.
When punk came to an end, a mountain of things that had been broken was left before us and we found ourselves wondering how we were supposed to rebuild it all. We stood upon a mountain of rubble. We had Surrealism and Dadaism as our foundations. So, how do we rebuild it?
There is an appeal in that. How we chose to build differed from band to band. Among them, it was YMO who brought in technology.
Where do we go after Dadaism? It required a lot of energy for us to build the roads into the future too.
It couldn’t have been done unless you were driven. If you weren’t standing at the precipice, you wouldn’t have the energy for it. You wouldn’t even have enough to tell yourself, “I’m going to do my best.” Flailing and struggling in the sweeping trends, you’ll push to your very limits and there, you start to wonder, is there something I can do…… That is the point of time when a mysterious energy rises up.
But you must first tear things down. Because the lovely thing about humans is how they won’t understand unless they get to see first-hand the state of destruction.

―― Does this mean that Tsuchiya-san doesn’t align with Dadaism?

T: I do, after destruction. But that’s contemporary history or contemporary art that’s yet to be established. We haven’t arrived at its conclusion yet.
Joy Division and Factory Records were born out of Manchester, where the Industrial Revolution occurred. Therein lies a big hint. And as to what comes next, think about it yourself. It’s most definitely no coincidence.
What happened in Germany also happened in due course of history.

―― I see. I’m starting to understand why you named the band KA.F.KA.

T: It’s a courtesy, isn’t it? It’s a flow with proper etiquette. What’s important isn’t that the style of expression is new. If you have Shakespeare in your foundation, what you say will for some reason come across as beautiful even if you’re saying something harsh in your words. There’s not much point in being straight-up aggressive, neither is it attractive. Kafka wrote, “Our salvation is death, but not this one.”⁶ It’s brilliant, isn’t it? What does “this” refer to?

―― Right (lol).

T: Because a universe exists within each one of us. And in the end, that’s what it comes down to.
Our salvation is death. But what “this” refers to differs. That’s why we’re alive.
Kafka is just brilliant.

―― Like the eternally unobtainable in The Castle. But that’s why it’s good, right?

T: That’s right. Ultimately, where is the destination? You might have already gone past it.
There are those who say that the terminus for civilised society was 50 or 60 years ago. When we achieved a good balance. But after that, we’ve just been carrying out wasteful activities. There are also those who say that it all ended after the atomic bomb was created. That we’re just making things we don’t need.

―― Where does music stand in this?

T: This is the reason why music is important. Because it has to be made with care. To use it for the sole purpose of making money out of it is blasphemy. That’s not what music is.

―― I’d like to ask you about understanding people. For example, Miyazawa Kenji for years polished the story of Night on the Galactic Railroad⁷ while rewriting it for years, and in the end, he passed away without it ever being released to the world so what we’re now reading is the incomplete manuscript he held onto the whole time. Naturally, it was never read by anyone before his death. Not only that story, but all of Miyazawa Kenji’s works and his genius wasn’t understood in his lifetime.

T: This is because, the greater the excellence of a work, the longer it will take to understand it. But I think Miyazawa Kenji was very happy when he wrote Night on the Galactic Railroad. Because he created such a work of art. However, the level of those around him was too low for them to understand him sufficiently. And that is the misfortune of those who were not Miyazawa Kenji.
Van Gogh was put in the same situation. His wonderful works of art weren’t understood when he was alive. But I believe he spent an immense amount of energy painting those works, and he must’ve been absolutely thrilled with them. He must have been at the height of joy when he completed his paintings. Be it Miyazawa Kenji or Van Gogh, they were only understood by a few people like their siblings in their lives.
But now, Van Gogh’s paintings go for billions of yen. Something is fundamentally wrong. And that is the sad reality of our present era. You’re celebrated if you sell so many copies [of music] that it becomes a trending song, or if you generate lots of sales. But there’s probably nothing we can do about it because it’s a system that’s created in line with the society we live in.

―― KA.F.KA’s an amazing band. When the time came, Tsuchiya-san made your move and ISSAY-san joined in to create such great music.

T: It might be amazing to people like us, but I’d suppose society would consider this as no big deal. But we’re Miyazawa Kenji in this case, so that’s fine anyway (lol).

―― I see (lol).

T: I don’t expect what we’re making to be that easily understandable. Because even for me, I took 30 years to understand Joy Division.

―― ISSAY-san likes Joy Division too, right?

T: There aren’t many who can listen and feel Joy Division above a certain level. In ISSAY-kun’s case, I believe The Doors came existed before [Joy Division]. He has a good sense of etiquette.
I went to see the Dolly project that ISSAY-kun is working on and there, I watched him perform Kurt Weill’s Alabama Song from Bertolt Brecht’s play, The Threepenny Opera. I have never seen a performance that did Kurt Weill’s song justice. The version he performed was The Doors’. And that he performed it quietly in a blue room was great. [He made it] a place where revered art is born.
Now, The Threepenny Opera is recognised for its outstanding artistry, but when it first premiered, it was thought to be a very strange thing. Probably because it looked like a miscreation in theatre.
Joy Division’s Ian Curtis admired David Bowie and was said to have become the kind of singer that he was. And as to why David Bowie was thought to be attractive, it’s because The Doors existed. Like Hayakawa Yoshio’s album, To Think Being Cool Is This Uncool (かっこいいことはなんてかっこ悪いんだろう / Kakkoii Koto wa Nante Kakko Waruindarou), that’s exactly what The Doors have achieved.
As a band, The Doors existed in the era when all the different facets of rock music were being established so in other words, they were thoroughly worn out. As a rock band, they gave off such a fatigued feeling, it really was Hayakawa Yoshio’s To Think Being Cool Is This Uncool. But that’s a good thing.
This To Think Being Cool Is This Uncool also applies to Joy Division. If we show a DVD of their concert footage to young ladies who don’t understand rock music, I think 100 out of 100 of them will say that Ian Curtis is gross and that will be the end of it (lol). But that’s a natural reaction. How could they understand? It’s not something that is easily understood.
Both The Doors and Joy Division truly gave their all in what they did. But it was crude. They were all out crude. But they had the courage to continue fighting in that state, and that’s what rock music is to me. It’s not something that’s smart or achieved by fixing the sounds with a computer.
It doesn’t matter to me if people call [us] gross and leave it at that. I’m not even that interested in getting people to understand us. As to why, it’s simply because we’re all different.
I’m categorised as part of the Beatles generation but this is no joke. When I was in middle school, there were only one or two people talking about the Beatles in school. And yet, now, those who were kids when the band came to Japan to perform are calling themselves the Beatles generation, and those who get called that think they are in this group too.

―― Was Tsuchiya-san listening to the Beatles in middle school?

T: I lived in the suburbs, but I was lucky in the sense that my older sister was exchanging letters with an American for her English language studies and her pen pal sent us Meet The Beatles!. That’s why I started listening to them very early on. Their harmonies were the very first thing that struck me. And that was when my musical journey began.

―― Where did ISSAY-san’s musical journey begin?

I: For me, I was rowdy as rowdy could be when I was young, so there was no time for music. But I was introduced to David Bowie and T. Rex and Sex Pistols, and that was when I started to listen actively. It felt like music said “Yes” to me.

T: Where from did you get this present disposition of yours? These exceptionally gentlemanly aspects and the like.

I: Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

T: Maybe family lineage.  Were your ancestors perchance samurai?

I: Yes, I do have samurai ancestry.

T: They must’ve been rowdy yet classy people as well (lol). I was born in Fuji-shi, and he, in Numazu. We’re both from Shizuoka.

I: When I was a teenager, I was so rowdy that I wasn’t allowed to stay in that city (lol).

―― Well then, I wish you all the best in your future endeavours (lol).

 

 

 

KA.F.KA will be performing! 
WORLD HAPPINESS 2015 
23 August 2015 (Sun)
Doors open 11:00 / Show starts 12:30 (Performance scheduled to end 20:00)
Yumenoshima Athletic Stadium, Tokyo
info: http://www.world-happiness.com/

  _______________________

《Fantome † Noir》
KA.F.KA

MBRC-9901 
Mazzy Bunny Records 
2000 yen (excl. tax)

  1. Jack The Midnight 
  2. The Prisoner 
  3. 夜明け前 ~Before the Dawn~ [Yoake Mae ~Before the Dawn~]
  4. Labiera Beladen 
  5. Silent Party 
  6. Coyote

 

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ Luna Sea’s vocalist.

² Kaneko Mari is a singer whose career began in the 1970s and took off with Smoky Medicine, the band she formed with Char. Her two sons are KenKen and Kaneko Nobuaki of RIZE.

³ Ueno Kouji was the bassist of THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT. He’s currently in the band the HIATUS.

⁴ 暗闇の怪人 (kurayami no kaijin) is the actual phrase used, rather different from the direct translation of Fantome Noir, i.e. black ghost. The reason why I went with “phantom” for 怪人 is actually because Phantom of the Opera in Japanese also uses 怪人 in its title (オペラ座の怪人 / Opera-za no Kaijin).

⁵ This might not be the most accurate translation of “それを生業とする” but I think it most closely conveys what Tsuchiya is talking about here. A more literal translation of this phrase is, “This is what I do for a living.”

⁶ I think that’s the quote he’s referring to. If it’s wrong, please let me know.
The line in Japanese reads: 死は確かに救いだ。ただ君が考えているそれとは違う。

⁷ 銀河鉄道の夜 (Ginga Tetsudō no Yoru), sometimes translated as Milky Way Railroad, Night Train to the Stars or Fantasy Railroad in the Stars, is a classic Japanese fantasy novel by Miyazawa Kenji written around 1927.

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Pics: Yoshiyuki

 

BUCK-TICK Lyrics | 恋 (Koi)

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

2021.09.22 | Victor Entertainemnt
Go Go B-T Train

Love¹ (Koi)

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Hoshino Hidehiko

Japanese

 

ずっと前から　そう　わたしの中に‥
あなたが誰かを　知っている
お顔を見せて　ねえ　笑ってみせて
わたしの名前を　呼ん で　欲しい

 　恋　焦がれ　　夢　幻

 あなたは踊り疲れて　眠る　ああ
 真っ白な爪先　血が滲む　ああ
 天国への階段　登ってゆく

ひとりでゆくのさ　ひとりきりだよ
降り出した雨に　誰も
暗闇を歩く　勇気はあるかい
怖くは無いよと わた し　嘘 を

 　恋　焦がれ　　夢　破れて

あなたは踊り疲れて　眠る　ああ
わたしのこの両手　すり抜ける　ああ
天国への扉を　叩いている

踊る　踊る　踊る　君は　愛
淡く　淡く　滲む　僕の　恋
踊る　踊る　踊る　君は　愛
淡く　淡く　滲む　僕の　恋

Romaji

By: Andy

Zutto mae kara　Sou　Watashi no naka ni‥
Anata ga dare ka wo　shitte iru
Okao wo misete　Nee　Waratte misete
Watashi no namae wo　yon de　hoshi i

 　Koi　Kogare　　Yume　Maboroshi

Anata wa odori tsukarete　nemuru　Aa
Masshiro na tsumasaki　chi ga nijimu　Aa
Tengoku e no kaidan　nobotte yuku

Hitori de yuku no sa　Hitori kiri da yo
Furi dashita ame ni　dare mo
Kurayami wo aruku　yuuki wa aru kai
Kowaku wa nai yo to wata shi　uso wo

 　Koi　Kogare　　Yume　Yaburete

Anata wa odori tsukarete　nemuru　Aa
Watashi no kono ryoute　surinukeru　Aa
Tengoku e no tobira wo　tataite iru

Odoru　Odoru　Odoru　Kimi wa　ai
Awaku　Awaku　Nijimu　Boku no　koi
Odoru　Odoru　Odoru　Kimi wa　ai
Awaku　Awaku　Nijimu　Boku no　koi

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Since the very beginning, yes, inside me‥
I’ve always known who you are
Let me see your face　Hey, smile for me
Won’t you call me… by… my name

 　Love　Aflame　　A dream　An illusion

You dance until you tire　You sleep　Ah
Alabaster nails　Blood trickles　Ah
I climb the stairway to heaven

I go alone　All by myself
In the pouring rain, who
Dares traverse the dark?
“Fear not,” I… lied

　 Love　Aflame　　A dream　Torn apart

You dance until you tire　You sleep　Ah
These two hands of mine　slip through　Ah
I’m knocking on heaven’s door

Dance　Twirl　Sway　You are　my love
Lightly　Faintly　Trickling　My　affection
Dance　Twirl　Sway　You are　my love
Lightly　Faintly　Trickling　My　affection

 

Notes:

¹ A very difficult word to translate. There’s a difference between the usual 愛 (ai) and this 恋 (koi). The easy way out would be to simply translate 恋 as “love” but therein lies the question, how do you differentiate between the two?
On its own, 愛 is something deeper than 恋. Most would actually define 恋 as something akin to a crush.

According to FT Magazine #101, Sakurai said that the idea behind this song largely revolves around life and death (go figure) and it was written as a sort of requiem for his friends and acquaintances, both from work and his private life, who passed away in these recent few years. And the word 恋 was the word that came to him when he was working on the song. In other words, 恋 doesn’t equate to a “crush” here.
So I looked at 愛しい (itoshii) versus 恋しい (koishii) to get another perspective. Note that these two are adjectives. This time, while both refer to affections, 愛しい appears to focus more on a sense of protectiveness towards the other, while 恋しい is more about an intense attraction towards the other and a strong desire to see them.

This other nuance, along with yearning (another definition of 恋) seems more aligned with what I think Sakurai is trying to convey.
So, while I still settled for “Love” for the title, I’d really rather use something else but I just can’t quite come up with a better word in English.
You’ll see that I used “affection” towards the end so I hope it somewhat conveys some of that nuance.

All in all, I don’t actually think “Love” is the best possible English title for it, but I’m out of ideas at the moment.
So do drop me a message anywhere if you want to suggest something 🙂

 

BUCK-TICK Lyrics | Go Go B-T Train

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

2021.09.22 | Victor Entertainemnt
Go Go B-T Train

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

夢の続き Oh Baby  派手に魅せてやろう
君も乗りなよ　さあ　発車のベルが鳴る

片道だけの素敵な TRIP
サヨナラネ地球　アナタトチューリップ

この胸に  火をを付けて  走れ B-T TRAIN
愛を燃やせ  轟轟 On Baby  飛ばせ B-T TRAIN

夢は続くよ Baby　ランランラン　何処までも
ガタガタ & ゴトゴト　野を越え　闇をゆけ

蒸気仕掛けの  三日月投げキッス
サヨナラネ宇宙　アナタトチューリップ

この胸に  火をを付けて  走れ B-T TRAIN
愛を燃やせ 轟轟 On Baby 飛ばせ B-T TRAIN

愛を燃やせ  愛を燃やせ  走れ B-T TRAIN
轟轟 On Baby, Go-Go On Baby  飛ばせ B-T TRAIN

夢は続くよ Baby　ランランラン　何処までも

 

 

Romaji

By: Andy

Yume no tsudzuki Oh Baby  Hade ni misete yarou
Kimi mo nori na yo　Saa　Hassha no beru ga naru

Kata michi dake no suteki na TRIP
Sayonara ne chikyuu　Anata to chuurippu

Kono mune ni  hi wo tsukete  Hashire B-T TRAIN
Ai wo moyase  Gougou On Baby  Tobase B-T TRAIN

Yume wa tsudzuku yo Baby　Ranranran　Doko made mo
Gatagata & gotogoto　No wo koe　Yami wo yuke

Jouki shikake no  mikazuki nage kissu
Sayonara ne uchuu　Anata to chuurippu

Kono mune ni  Hi wo tsukete  Hashire B-T TRAIN
Ai wo moyase Gougou On Baby Tobase B-T TRAIN

Ai wo moyase  Ai wo moyase  Hashire B-T TRAIN
Gougou On Baby,  Go-Go On Baby  Tobase B-T TRAIN

Yume wa tsudzuku yo Baby　Ranranran　Doko made mo

English

By: Yoshiyuki

The dream continues Oh Baby  Let’s give a show with great panache
You should hop on too　Come on　The departure bell is ringing

It’ll be a fabulous one-way-only TRIP
Goodbye Earth　I’ll blow you a kiss from my lips¹

Light the fire in my heart  Run B-T TRAIN
Let your love burn  Thunder² On Baby  Fly B-T TRAIN

The dream continues Oh Baby　Fiery flashing³　To the ends of the world
Rumbling & clattering　Over the fields　Into the darkness

A flying kiss for the steam-powered crescent moon⁴
Goodbye Universe　I’ll blow you a kiss from my lips¹

Light the fire in my heart  Run B-T TRAIN
Let your love burn  Thunder² On Baby  Fly B-T TRAIN

Let your love burn  Let your love burn  Run B-T TRAIN
Thunder² On Baby,  Go-Go On Baby  Fly B-T TRAIN

The dream continues Oh Baby　Fiery flashing³　To the ends of the world

 

Notes:

¹ Sakurai has mentioned that he was doing a play on the word ‘tulip’ (チューリップ) here where チュー is the kissing onomatopoeia and リップ is, well, lip.

² I’d say this was meant to be a form of wordplay to rhyme with Go-Go. I translated the kanji to give an idea of the kind of image it inspires. This particular kanji also last appeared in the lyrics of IGNITER.

³ Again, ランランラン sounds like wordplay to me; “run, run, run”. So like ², I translated the kanji to give an idea of the kind of image it inspires. 

⁴ Or, new moon.

 

BUCK-TICK | [Jan 2022] SPICE: Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK～ in Nippon Budokan — Live Report

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

BUCK-TICK’s Only In-Person Concert in 2021 at Nippon Budokan
『魅世物小屋が暮れてから』Official Report

SPICE
January 2022

Text＝Yuka Okubo
Photos＝Seitaro Tanaka

 

On Wednesday, 29 December 2021, BUCK-TICK held their concert Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK～ in Nippon Budokan. BUCK-TICK’s performances at Nippon Budokan started in 2000 with TOUR ONE LIFE, ONE DEATH, and since then, the only time they performed elsewhere was in 2019 when they moved their venue to Yoyogi First Gymnasium because of refurbishment works at Nippon Budokan. In light of the spread of COVID-19 in 2020, they also made their one and only in-person concert that year a Nippon Budokan show. And this year, their national tour which was supposed to commence in October had to be cancelled due to Imai Hisashi’s injury, making this show the one and only in-person concert for them this year too.

The concert Blu-ray & DVD release of the concert they performed last year at Nippon Budokan on 29th December, ABRACADABRA THE DAY IN QUESTION 2020 went on sale on the same day as 2021’s performance and along with it was the announcement of their upcoming first release for 2022, the concert Blu-ray & DVD release of Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK～ on Monday, 7th March. Adding on, they announced their activities planned for 2022 after the concert ended with a fan club-exclusive concert in July, the Yagami Toll ～60th Birthday Live～ on 19th August, the 35th Anniversary Special Live on 23rd and 24th September, a national tour which begins in October, and finally, their annual concert at Nippon Budokan on 29 December.

They also further announced that in spring of 2023, a new album is going to be released. With a teaser website set up for their 35th anniversary too, expectations are high for BUCK-TICK’s activities in 2022.

Below is the official report from 29 December 2021’s Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK～ in Nippon Budokan.

 

 

“Come, come on over and have a looksee”¹

The curtains were raised on BUCK-TICK’s Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK～ in Nippon Budokan with that beckoning call on 29 December 2021 in Nippon Budokan, Tokyo.

A buzzer signalling the start of the show resounded around the hall and as the instrumental piece played, a video leading us to the back of a circus tent played on the gauze screen which hung at the front of the stage. This is the same introduction from their Streaming Live Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ～SHOW AFTER DARK which happened last July. 

Just as the show title suggests, today’s concert is billed as a two-part show that would follow in the footsteps of the Streaming Live and up until the end of the introduction, I’m sure everyone, myself included, was expecting to see the same bewitching, alluring, and salacious worldview we witnessed in the real world. There was no time to waste. 

BUCK-TICK is holding this 29th December concert for the 21st year in a row, but it was only around a month and a half ago when they announced that it will be happening. Having had to cancel their national tour because of Imai Hisashi’s (guitarist) leg injury, they had been debating whether or not to do this until the very last minute. If they decided not to go ahead with this concert, it would mean that they’d have had zero in-person concerts in 2021. That would be a first for them since their debut. Even in the COVID-19-dominated year of 2020, they had just one in-person concert on 29th December. Their strong desire to see [their fans] altered the course of their decision of whether or not to hold the concert. It’s easy for us to imagine that  preparations kicked off at a rapid pace once the decision was made.

When that same introduction as the Streaming Live ended, the band could just barely be seen behind the title logo, inducing a huge round of applause. Then came the booming of the timpani sounding high. With a “Come, come on over and have a look-see”¹, DIABOLO marked the start of the show.

Lively circus visuals coloured the gauze screen with images of trapeze artists flying through the air and bears on bicycles, and behind it, the band played on, swaying their bodies, relaxed. Entertaining the audience with a silk hat in hand, Sakurai Atsushi (vocalist) wandered the stage, going from right to left and back. When he theatrically sang, “Adieu, goodbye”², the screen fell away and the band was unveiled. I could feel the spike of excitement in the hall at that moment under my skin. The audience can’t be vocal with their support this year too, so they responded with a loud and extended applause. We could see Imai lying on a chaise lounge kicking his legs up in the air. And on his feet, he clearly wore high-heeled boots.

“Welcome, it’s great to see you. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Following this short greeting, they kept the excitement going by treating the audience to Muma -The Nightmare. All at once, we were transported into the underworld.

In hindsight, this was impulsive. If they kept with the format they had in the Streaming Live, which had an acoustic set for the first act, then it’d be a little more reassuring that Imai’s still-healing leg wouldn’t be overstretched, and at the same time, we’d still be able to enjoy a similar worldview that of July’s. But hasn’t BUCK-TICK always been one to entertain us with possibilities and potentials far beyond what we imagined?

In reality, the expressions of the audience who have raised their two hands to the provoking Muma -The Nightmare with its high tension song and ensemble, was filled with ecstasy. Imai strut around the stage with his cane as he played his guitar. When I laid eyes on him, I had probably already fallen truly and deeply into the dream bestowed upon me by the incubi³.

Following DIABOLO and Muma -The Nightmare, there wasn’t a single title track that was performed in the first act, but it was a lineup of highly intoxicating songs that immerse you in their world when you listen to them. It felt as if each song took us on a trip to a foreign land.

Led in by the jingle of Sakurai’s ghungroo⁴ was Rakuen, then torches were lit aflame during Shanikusai -Carnival-. Just those lights alone made for a mesmerising performance. Imai played a tune from Erik Satie’s Gnossiennes in a short interlude that led into Lullaby-Ⅲ, where Higuchi Yutaka (bassist) played a jitterbug rhythm on his upright bass and Sakurai played the role of the foxy madame of a bar as he swayed with his rouged lips and black feather boa. 

Claps sounded to the beat of Hoshino Hidehiko’s (guitarist) Spanish guitar in Zekkai, and in Living on the Net -Acoustic Ver.-, two acoustic guitars strummed at a 16-beat rhythm reminiscent to that of Kecak⁵. Yagami Toll (drummer) drummed a tight beat as they brought us into a neo-futuristic world in Hikari no Teikoku, and then took us on a jaunt through outer space in Eureka. Then came the final song for the first act, Boukyaku. The emotionally rich soundscape and song drew us into a realm of nothingness. Sakurai’s haunting humming to the outro of the song made it linger all the more.

The second act opened with BABEL. With up-tempo tunes from recent years like Kemonotachi no Yoru and Datenshi YOW-ROW Ver., along with acoustic arrangements of certain numbers, 8 out of the 11 songs performed were singles.

Compared to the first act which was dominated by songs that sang of scenes, the songs in the second act painted emotions. Sakurai and Imai’s duet in Villain depicted outright hatred. The nihilism lying hidden beneath the negotiation took centerstage in Maimu Mime where Sakurai performed both the man and woman roles with differences in his vocal tone and gestures. MOONLIGHT ESCAPE was sung with flowing and elegant vocals released from stress. And in this act, they performed an absolute gem of their arrangements, Keijijou Ryuusei -Acoustic Ver.-. Between the interlude into the next song, Imai’s plucking of the Kagome Kagome⁶ melody was exploding with lyricism. Sakurai’s voice was also even more vulnerably beautiful than usual. 

Bringing us nostalgia by the buckets was JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver.2021. I believe there’s probably a good number of people who remembered the thrill of hearing the whispers of “I want you, I love you.” and “I‘ll kiss you.” added arbitrarily at the end. It was refreshing to hear the jazzy acoustic arrangement of Uta Ver.2021, and Sakurai sounding lascivious as he exposed his thighs during the performance of ICONOCLASM Ver.2021 arranged to a shuffle beat. Basking in the afterglow of that, the booms of a timpani sounded once again, signalling the end of the show as it woke us up from this long dream we’ve had.

The last number of the second act was Alice in Wonder Underground. The light-hearted number brought us back to reality and yet, the intro of that same thundering timpani brought back the memory of DIABOLO, the first song in the first act and Imai singing the line “Come, come on over and have a look-see”, leaving us stuck with the strange feeling of having wandered into a parallel world where the show was just beginning now.

Although there was a 15-minute ventilation break for infection control between the first and second acts, the esoteric worldview that we were constantly immersed in from start to end left me in awe.

In the encore, they performed their latest single, Go-Go B-T TRAIN and its B-side, Koi live for the very first time. A requiem for dearly departed loved ones, the performance of Koi saw Sakurai dressed in a long, red satin kimono as his ephemeral yet beautiful and strong voice sang in the graceful ensemble woven from the silence.

Following that, they dove into Go-Go B-T TRAIN with Sakurai beating on his red tambourine. Higuchi’s bold bass sounds and strong presence, Yagami’s heavy and tight drumming keeping the foundations strong, the heavy riffs born of Imai and Hide’s two guitars, and Sakurai’s steady voice all came together to sprint forth powerfully as one. 

In light of the cancellation of their autumn tour also named Go-Go B-T TRAIN, Sakurai said, “At last, we’ve boarded the B-T TRAIN. Here and now, I’d like for us to forget about what’s happened this year and look forward to doing lots of concerts next year.” 

During the members’ introductions, Imai said, “Thank you for waiting. It’s not the first time that I’ve somehow gotten myself into situations like this so, I hope for your continuous support.” He then stuck his middle finger up before turning it into a peace sign, tickling the audience. 

And closing off was the upbeat Dokudanjou Beauty -R.I.P.-. In the brightened hall with the lights turned on, the band and the audience celebrated the grand finale face to face with the strongest sense of togetherness they’ve felt on this day.

BUCK-TICK will celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2022. In July, they will hold a fan club & mobile website members-only concert. Yagami Toll ～60th Birthday Live～ will be held on Friday, 19th August. Their 35th Anniversary Project will commence in September. An Anniversary Special Live YOKOHAMA ARENA is planned for 23rd and 24th September, Friday and Saturday respectively. They will  go on a national tour in October. A concert will be held on Thursday, 29th December at Nippon Budokan. And finally, a new album will be released in spring of 2023. The band’s upcoming activities were announced one after another after the show, further exciting the audience.

Each member’s thoughts towards their 35th anniversary were actually already printed on posters by to the escalator at the Kudanshita underground station, the station closest to Nippon Budokan. The common message put forth by them was, “Let’s go  Let’s head into the future⁷.” These words were the same words from Sakurai’s powerful statement during the MC right before New World, the last song they played at 29 December 2020’s Nippon Budokan concert. 

The B-T TRAIN has just started running again to cut through this infinite darkness and head into the future. I hope that you won’t miss out and will have fun on this train ride through a year to remember.

 

 

SETLIST
Misemono-goyaga Kurete Kara 〜SHOW AFTER DARK〜 in Nippon Budokan
2021.12.29　Nippon Budokan

Act I  SE [Instrumental]

  1. DIABOLO
  2. 夢魔 -The Nightmare [Muma -The Nightmare]
  3. 楽園 [Rakuen]
  4. 謝肉祭 -カ－ニバル- [Shanikusai -Carnival-]
  5. Lullaby-III
  6. 絶界 [Zekkai]
  7. Living on the Net -Acoustic Ver.-
  8. 光の帝国 [Hikari no Teikoku]
  9. ユリイカ [Eureka]
  10. 10. 忘却 [Boukyaku]

Act II

  1. BABEL
  2. 獣たちの夜 [Kemonotachi no Yoru]
  3. 堕天使 YOW-ROW Ver. [Datenshi YOW-ROW Ver.]
  4. Villain 
  5. 舞夢マイム [Maimu Mime]
  6. MOONLIGHT ESCAPE  
  7. 形而上 流星 -Acoustic Ver.- [Keijijou Ryuusei -Acoustic Ver.-]
  8. JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver.2021
  9. 唄 Ver.2021 [Uta Ver.2021]
  10. ICONOCLASM Ver.2021
  11. Alice in Wonder Underground

ENCORE

  1. 恋 [Koi]
  2. Go-Go B-T TRAIN
  3. 独壇場Beauty -R.I.P.- [Dokudanjou Beauty -R.I.P.-]

 

 

【35th Anniversary Teaser Website】
https://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/linguasounda/b-t35th/

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ First line of Diabolo

² Line from Diabolo: 御機嫌よう　さようなら (Gokigenyou  Sayounara)

³ 夢魔. Apart from being the word for “nightmare”, it’s also what an incubus or succubus is called in Japanese. Quite literally, it’s meant to be a demon that appears in/through a dream, or torments you in your dream.

⁴ It’s supposed to be a musical anklet of many small metallic bells strung together. It’s usually tied to the feet of classical Indian dancers but in the show, Sakurai holds it in his hand.

⁵ Kecak is a form of Balinese Hindu dance and music drama that was developed in the 1930s in Bali, Indonesia. Since its creation, it has been performed primarily by men, with the first women’s kecak group having started in 2006.

⁶ Kagome Kagome is a Japanese children’s game and the song associated with it. In this game, one player is chosen as the Oni and sits blindfolded. The other children join hands and walk in circles around the Oni while chanting the song for the game. When the song stops, the Oni tries to name the person standing directly behind them. Here’s a… not creepy version of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4vPvzX9PMM

⁷ The line “行こう 未来へと、行こう。” [Ikou  Mirai e to, ikou] that is found above the words NEW WORLD for YOU. See all the “posters” here: https://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/linguasounda/b-t35th/

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: SPICE

 

 

DER ZIBET | [Mar 1988] SNIPER IN ‘88 — Band interview

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

SNIPER IN ‘88

Pati-Pati Rock ‘n’ Roll
March 1988

Photos by Sashi Motoko (佐志素子)
Text by Editorial department

 

The first time I came into contact with their concerts was in a live house in Shinjuku. On behalf of rock magazines, I’ve been to a few live houses but watching children being absorbed in their “kids’ meal” level of inferiority left me, in all honesty, sick of it.

On this night, the venue was packed with girls dressed up in black outfits. And for some reason, the live house was filled with an overwhelmingly charged atmosphere. On this night, DER ZIBET put on a show so manic and savage that it was more than plenty; that shook me to my core. In terms of the show itself, I did get a sense of inexperience from the structural problems and issues with the live house but in an instant, I understood what they were trying to do, and I found myself believing in them. These guys were serious, although they were also testy with impatience. 

“YOU MEET THE ROCK PARTY” is a project where we introduce rock bands we’ve selected to the readers of Pati-Pati Rock ‘n’ Roll. And kicking things off as our first band, we have DER ZIBET. We wanted to share with as many people as possible the joy and the fever that everyone gets to experience at their concerts that exemplify the “wild and danceable”. This interview with them was held after their two hall shows at Osaka’s Banana Hall and Nagoya’s HeartLand.

 

 

―― First, let’s hear about what you think of “YOU MEET THE ROCK PARTY”.

Hikaru (H): It was fun. This is just the first event but I think this is something that [people] can look forward to in future too. But I got the feeling that our reputation hasn’t quite built up yet. First-timers at our show were also starting to enjoy themselves in the second half, weren’t they? 

Issei (I): To perform an actual concert of what’s so far been spreading in print and then having the magazine make us known all over the country, it’s [a] groundbreaking [project], isn’t it? It always feels like this when DER ZIBET performs at a place we’ve never been to before. Although we’ve performed at this venue many times before, there were probably a lot of people who were seeing us for the first time, right? I was glad to see them gradually start dancing despite the case. Because things never turn out the way we expect it to.

HAL (HA): The audience weren’t our fans but a recon team, or something… They’re like people who’re here to see what kind of band we are.

Mayumi (M): It’s an honour to be the first (lol). I think this magazine has been satisfying the hearts of the audience these days (lol), so yeah, maybe it’s a good thing to bring on a little more party atmosphere.

―― Hey, wasn’t there a video? (Before the show started, a film was being screened by 4 projectors onto walls and such. Captured in it were things that each band member liked) Tell us about what you picked for that and why.

I: So, for me, my house is full of junk, y’know. I just can’t get myself to throw all these things and they pile up so much that I don’t even have space to sleep. [The things I picked for the video are] the things I see most often within that pile. A broken alarm clock. A music box. A book. A Lindsay Kemp¹ photobook. Things like that.

H: I focused on what’s in my bag. Like my driving license, my wallet, an ero-guro picture from the early Showa period.

HA: Boots, hat, beard, a Chinese doll from China atop my bass guitar. The cover of a Mingus² album. At the very end, my eye appears…… This is meant to represent an “eyeball”.

M: Ingenious (lol). As to what I chose, you know how in university there’s a library and a research lab, right? I borrowed a whole variety of books for the purpose of research and just like that, I dropped out (lol). So, those are fancy books that can never be bought with pocket change. Books about music, the arts, theatre, and so on. I picked a few out of them [for the video]. Aside from those, there’s also a Dalí³ brochure a fan gave me and things like that.

―― All your strange hobbies are being shown (lol). Right, so you’re releasing your LP soon but will your live concerts change after it’s out?

H: Yeah. Now that we’ve got this far, it feels like we can go anywhere. We’re not leaving anything behind, and besides, from this album on, we’ve included elements that make people feel and want to listen to our music in a way that’s different than before. Our live shows will probably end up with a mixed [format]…… Not only will it have a strong groove, but the flow on the whole also won’t change too, something like that.

I: I think the scale [of our shows] will grow bigger. Until now, our shows have been structured to make people go to their limits. You could say that our shows are like an hour’s sprint at full speed…… But this time, I think we’ll have a kind of tempo.

H: You know, in the past, we split [our shows] into two portions, and for the first, the audience can’t stand. We’d insist that they sit. …… Then suddenly we’d come out with oil lamps in our hands (rofl).

M: Sounds stupid, doesn’t it?

HA: We even had a street lamp erected on stage.

M: Wasn’t that around the same period? Next to the street lamp was the oil lamp, right? We did that a lot. But it wasn’t a bad thing. It’s just that, I guess it was embarrassing or something (lol).

―― Did you do that too after your debut?

I: We did at Kudan Kaikan, didn’t we? The [audience’s] reaction, wasn’t all that great (lol).

M: We did so many different things that I get exhausted thinking about it. I guess it’s sad, because we can’t get to the next level if we don’t do all this.

I: We were seriously theatrical. Yes, so theatrical that it’s nauseating. Maybe that’s the kind of nuance that comes through.

M: I think we can do it if we look at it as a form of entertainment. We’ve matured a little more now too……

HA: I want to make something like the progressive music that’s come after new wave.

―― That’ll leave an impression. In a past interview, you’ve said that what you want to do is more like a “tear [your shirt] buttons off” rather than a “undo [your shirt] buttons”.

HA: I guess in comparison, this time, we’re asking people to go off the beaten track, something like that.

 

I: Won’t putting it into words narrow [the possibilities] down? But well, yes, it’s like a state of nothingness. Or a state where there’s nothing but yourself. There are many ways to get there, and rock happens to have the essential element of aggression. Steadily stripping things down…… I guess you could say that even we are facing our true selves when we perform…… It’d be wonderful if we could turn our shows into spaces where everyone listening could do the same, don’t you think?
A while ago, I went to look at paintings…… You know, while I was viewing the art, I felt something that brought me to the verge of tears for the first time. That, in the end, is seeing the artist who drew it, right? And I could also see myself looking at it. It’s the most basic thing of all. Being able to see yourself as a human being.

―― Stripped down to the bare essentials, right?

I: The trouble with performing live is when people start to think, you know. I feel that it’s not about the words saying this or that. Rather, it should be [a sense of] “Ah, I get this.” If each and every person would feel like that, wouldn’t that be great?

―― So it’s not about persuading them.

I: When you listen to rock, [the most important thing is] that sensation of the very first thing you felt, right? That feeling of being forced to strip naked. The way it’s so unexpected. Making you wonder how it got you like this. That’s the one powerful thing rock music has. Rather than persuading you, it strips you naked and leaves you outside. That’s why, it makes you feel what you want to do instead of making you think about it.

―― You know, these days, pop songs that have always been so popular are now on the decline. Recently, I read the data that an advertising agency released and there’s one part in it that said we’re moving from the era of expressing “something similar to the heart” to expressing “the heart itself”. It has to be real if it’s going to work. How composed are you? How serious are you? There’s a stereotype, and people are no longer looking at the sweet. That’s the kind of era it’s going to be. Isn’t it amazing? Well, you could of course say it’s no surprise. That’s just the conclusion this advertising agency came to after studying the trends.

M: We want to become the leaders in that sense, though. For the kids 40 years in the future to be good people and follow the rules and keep their acts together…… Spiritually speaking, everyone ends up the same in the end, right? But the truth is that every single person is different. Although no two people are alike, we’re all really one human race. So to what extent can we express ourselves?   Socially speaking, it’s not accepted much, is it? But with music, we’re free. I think more and more people are starting to feel that way. [With music,] we can show ourselves off in a civil manner, not physically or violently. This way, it’s peaceful, we’re making music, right? For us, we were born in the mid-1950s, so I think we’re the first generation to realise what the younger generation thinks these days. Those older than us don’t really matter. Because they can do whatever they like and they’ll die first. It’s the younger generation.

I: They somehow believe things too carelessly, don’t they?

HA: But, you know, haven’t we always been cynical ever since we were kids? Then we’d brush it all off as a joke…… Come to think of it, that makes it difficult to tell what’s actually real.

I: You can’t really tell who’s friend or foe.

H: Because words like “That’s rank” and “Tragic” and all that were always on our lips. If something’s really moving to you, you’d say it’s rank⁴. Now we’re past that, right? We don’t use these words so lightly now. It’s exaggerated, right?

M: I guess it’s like the old days.

I: We just hope that the era where people are convinced they’re safe would end. From the perspective that everyone should take things seriously, you know?

H: But that we think that we can do that through music and lyrics. We want to think about it, but we don’t want to put it out there directly.

M: Because doing that is authoritarian⁵, right……

I: Ultimately, just one field is enough……⁶

―― Have you decided on the title of your LP?

I: DER ZIBET.

―― That’s straightforward. Why?

I: To say that this is “DER ZIBET”.

H: We could’ve come up with a one-word title or something, but we feel that there are still many people who don’t know us so…… We figured that this would be the most straightforward way to get that across.

M: This is our company (lol).

HA: With a capital C.

―― What does DER ZIBET mean though?

H: What it means is, well, the word “ZIBET” is what the civet cat is called in both English⁷ and German, but the “DER” that comes before it is a definite article in German that has been altered to an English reading. Germans wouldn’t know this word (lol).

―― So what about the single you’re releasing on 21 March?

I: It’s Only “You”, Only “Love”.

―― Why did you choose to make this the first cut?

I: Because it’s got good energy (lol). We really hope people will listen to it.

 

 

DER ZIBET is a band that has now just started to have a voice. Because they have finally broken out of their societal situation; of being too manic an artist. And also, because their self-titled album DER ZIBET will also be released on 21 March. The experimental approach that they have taken so far will probably continue in future too. But this attitude of ensuring satisfaction before moving on is, I believe, also one of the purest forms of rock ‘n’ roll history. I hope they will keep rocking forever with this purity. And also, that their live shows and albums will knock us clean out.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ Lindsay Keith Kemp was a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist, and choreographer. He was probably best known for his 1974 flagship production of Flowers, a mime and music show based on Jean Genet’s novel Our Lady of the Flowers, in which he played the lead role of ‘Divine’. Owing to its homosexual themes and perceived decadence, reviews were sometimes hostile, but it was widely considered a theatrical and sensory sensation, and it toured globally for many years. He was also a mentor to David Bowie and Kate Bush.

² As in Charles Mingus, an American jazz double bassist, pianist, composer, and bandleader. A major proponent of collective improvisation, he is considered to be one of the greatest jazz musicians and composers in history, with a career spanning three decades and collaborations with other jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herbie Hancock.

³ Salvador Dalí.

⁴ The original word here is クサイ (kusai) which is normally a descriptor for something that smells, or just to say that something stinks. But in this context, they’re obviously referring to some old slang interpretation of クサイ which no longer exists. I can’t think of any similar sort of slang/trend phrase in English, so I picked the rather questionable option of “rank”.

⁵ The word Mayumi used was “fascism (ファシズム)”. I didn’t use that direct translation because the implied meaning of it has probably evolved over the years to possess different connotations than it probably did back in the late 80s.

⁶ I don’t really know what he’s referring to but here’s the original text for your consideration:
あくまで、ひとつのフィー ルドでいいと……

⁷ Since this is an English translation, we know that’s not true lol. I believe he’s definitely talking about the word “Civet” but is just a little mixed up with the pronunciation of it.

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: morgianasama on LJ

DER ZIBET | [Jul 1996] X cross talking: Der Zibet・ISSAY

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

X cross talking

J-rock Magazine
July 1996

Interviewed by Hiroshi Ishida
Photographer Akihito Takagi

 

Once the music is released, it’s not a personal possession any more

In March, the more than a decade long career of DER ZIBET was packed into a best-of album Ari which they released alongside their 12th full album Kirigirisu. They were supposed to go on their promotional tour for these two albums, Ari to Kirigirisu¹ but the tour was unfortunately put on hold when a band member suddenly took ill. You can imagine the shock of the fans who have been looking forward to their first tour in almost a year, but the band probably feels the same way too. How does ISSAY, for whom live performances are like an anxiolytic, feel about this? Let’s hear it from the man himself in his own words.

 

 

Be it pantomime or music
You can’t do either without the soul of a poet

―― How’s the general reaction to Ari and Kirigirisu?

ISSAY (I): … I don’t know.

―― Don’t the music reviews in magazines interest you?

I: It’s not as if I don’t care for them at all though. I do think it’s good to just read and see what that person feels about it. In the end I just feel distant from that kind of thing.

―― Because these reviews are subjective.

I: Besides, if they weren’t, the writer’s existence is moot. Even if it makes me think, “That’s not quite right though,” once the music is released, it’s not my personal possession any more. That’s why I just take [these reviews] as a matter of “Ah, so this person feels this way.” But if it sounds like “This guy isn’t listening,” it makes me want to beat them to death (lol). Like, “How dare you write something like this when you weren’t even listening enough,” or something (lol).

―― When I was listening to your latest album Kirigirisu and your best-of album Ari, I was really intrigued by ISSAY-san as an expressionist though. Like, with your lyrics, it feels as if a particular part of you is being brought out.

 

I: I suppose, first and foremost, it’s the sense of loneliness that’s always there, right? The sense of loneliness, alienation; those are the kinds of things that I want to bring out in a positive light. Because we humans are alone when we’re born and we’d be on our own ever since. I always want to put that positively. That, and the “swaying”, I guess. There are periods when our emotions get swayed, right? There are loads of these instances like In our adolescence, or when we fall in love, and I think it’d be great if I can bring that across.

―― Guitarist HIKARU-san said that, ‘ISSAY is picky with words but he’s pretty flexible when it comes to lyrics.’ But what does ISSAY-san think about this?

I: Right, I suppose that might especially be so in recent years. Because it’s a problem if you end up with the wrong impression of a particular word when writing lyrics. Even if someone suggests to me that it’s better to change a certain word, I’d say something like, “I don’t think it can be replaced.” To me, if I see the word “孤独 (kodoku / solitude)”, it’s neither negative nor positive. Because I see it as nothing more than a state of being. But if you change that to the word “寂しい (sabishii / lonely)”, it turns into something else entirely, so I’m very particular when it comes to things like that. But not when it comes to the order in which the words come. I’m not too bothered by the minor details as long as the song makes proper sense in the big picture.

―― As Der Zibet’s vocalist? Do you see it like this precisely because you’re one of four members of a band who each have strong personalities?

I: I don’t think that I’m just one quarter of the band. Besides, I think the one singing is the greatest of them all (lol). And once I start writing lyrics, it’s already out of my hands. How I’m going to sing it on stage next time is up to the future me who will be performing it so it’s about expressing how I feel about that particular piece of work, y’know?

―― Even though it’s something that originally came from inside of you?

I: But you see, it’s turned into something that is no longer the same thing as what was initially conceived, so if I were to keep holding on to the energy that I had in the beginning, [the song] would become too subjective and that’s not good. In the end, I’d be taking on a different stance when I perform. That’s something that I’ve been doing in recent years, especially since I released my solo album.

―― So, what’s Hamlet Machine, this other unit that you’re doing away from Der Zibet with Mizunaga-san?

I: Mm… Spite, I suppose (lol). I guess it’s unfettered spite and aggression. I’d say it’s something that is even more aggressive and abrasive than Der Zibet. An abrasive solitude, spitefulness; that’s the kind of thing we’re doing.

―― Der Zibet is a flesh and blood band but Hamlet Machine uses programming which gets me thinking that your method of expression would also change, so when you say that it gets aggressive, is that because of the background music being programming after all?

I: If we’re using programming, the background music will still be perfect even if we’re doing something crazy. That’s why I can always let loose with a piece of mind (lol). Because in the case of Hamlet Machine, at the music composition stage, we’re already assuming that the music will be played by a machine, you know?

―― Since ISSAY-san also does pantomime, do you think that you’re performing with a different side of yourself when you’re doing that as compared to music?

I: No, I think of it as the same. In the end, you can’t do pantomime if you don’t sing, you know? Because I think of it as a song without sound or a voice, so, be it pantomime or music, you can’t do either without the soul of a poet, y’know? That’s why, although the parts of me used in performance are different, in the end, I’m doing the same thing. But the pantomimes that I do are only those where I perform with my master, so since they’re not created by me, it’s probably more enjoyable (lol).

―― Come to think of it, what made you start pantomime?

I: I just happened to bump into my present master (Mochizuki Akira / 望月章) (lol). He suddenly asked me, “Won’t you perform in my next show?”, and I said, “I’ve never done it before so, I won’t,” but he said, “I’ll only let you do things within your ability,” so I said, “If that’s the case, then I guess I’ll give it a go.” More than 10 years have passed since…

―― You got hooked (lol). Is it because you were influenced by your master’s performances after all?

I: No, I was already performing before I saw his work. It’s because I liked that person.

―― Were you drawn by his character?

I: Saying it’s his character is weird but, yeah, I suppose it’s his character in a way.

―― I’d assume your master is one of them too, but aren’t there quite a number of artists who influenced you, ISSAY-san?

I: There are lots. I think that [the music] I’ve listened to all this while has definitely all influenced me. Besides, there are quite a number of musicians who inspired me to start listening to rock music. Like there’s David Bowie and Lou Reed and The Doors who [influenced me] in that sense of it, but I only decided to make music after I listened to T. Rex. I ended up with a huge misconception when I heard T. Rex… I thought, “If [this is rock], then even I can do it, right?” (lol). I think that was a serious misconception, but that’s what made me start music, you know (lol).

―― (Lol) But you’re here today because you thought that way.

I: Exactly, yes. Cocky, isn’t it? (Lol). I got this far in life by being cocky. Through misconceptions and cockiness.

Because making music, writing lyrics,
these are things I have no choice but to do

―― What made you decide to start writing lyrics?

I: It’s because I originally liked reading. I used to read Mishima Yukio and all that. So, one day, I found Tanikawa Shuntaro-san’s poetry collection in a second-hand bookstore, and that got me thinking maybe I should write lyrics..

―― Again, why?

I: I wonder… It made me want to try.

―― Not because you thought, “Even I can do it.” (Lol)

I: I think the idea that “Even I can do it” probably did cross my mind (lol). Since my life is just one of hubris (lol). Lyrics written with such simple vocabulary were fresh, weren’t they?

―― Even now, do you still remember the lyrics you wrote when you just started out?

I: (Lol) Because I have them. At home.

―― You still have some left?

I: I keep them. You know, I made small changes to the lyrics I wrote when I was in high school and turned it into our debut song Matsu Uta (lol).

―― Such lyrics you’ve written back in your high school days probably seem fresh when you read them today.

I: They do. They’re amateurish but I didn’t write them particularly because I absolutely had to come up with something, so it was really interesting because my emotions were in dire straits.

―― You didn’t have deadlines either back then, right?

I: Nope, none at all. And I never even had the mind to sing or anything like that back then, so it really was just me and my need to write, you know? Now, it’s me and my need to stand on stage, but at the time, I had to write lyrics no matter what. So much so that I found myself at the precipice of my… How do I say this, [these lyrics are] unpolished because they were written based on the unstable parts of my psyche, but they’re about things that we all understand very well, right?

―― I’m sure you felt a sense of release after you vented that out.

I: Probably, right? Then again, that much is still the same even now though (lol).

―― I heard that ISSAY-san had your own solo activities prior to the formation of Der Zibet, so what did it sound like?

I: I guess it was something that feels like a mix of punk and glam and electric pop.

―― So how did you go from that to deciding to form Der Zibet?

I: I was a one-man act so the members (of my backing band) weren’t fixed. It’d be a different lineup every month too. So I got sick of such an uncertain set up and was thinking about forming a band and giving that a go when I got acquainted with my present band members, and I thought, “Ah, this is it.” The moment I met this group, I decided that I’d formally form a band with them and make music with them.

―― And just like that, you’ve been together for 10 years. It’s amazing.

I: Yeah, in the end… I suppose it just goes to show how appealing this band is, right?

―― Come to think of it, ISSAY-san once acted in a movie too, right?

I: (Lol) I did.

―― So, why didn’t you continue down that path but chose to pursue music instead?

I: Rather, it’s because I had no choice but to do it. For me, making music, writing lyrics, these are things I have no choice but to do, you know? This isn’t a case of, “I’ll make it if I’m capable of it.” Even if I’m not, “I have no choice but to do it”, that’s how I felt, so… It’s still the same even now. Like, when I act in a movie, I’m not doing it because “I have no choice but to do it”. Back then, I only did it because of the people I met and because I thought it seemed like it would be fun. It was indeed fun in reality though.

―― From the perspective of such an expressionist like yourself, are there any recent artists of note to ISSAY-san?

I: There a~ren’t, are there, at all (lol). Even Western music hasn’t been interesting these recent few years. There’s good music, but I guess I just can’t get into it. … But I really like allnude’s present album² a lot though.

―― (Lol) I feel like I understand that.

I: Until I listened to that album, there were no artists that I liked recently at all, and there weren’t any artists who could get me emotionally invested like in the past, so I started to wonder whether it’s me who changed. If that were true, it’d be sad, but you know, when I heard allnude’s present album, I thought, “So I’m not wrong after all.” (Lol) I realised it’s just that there wasn’t anything like this until now.

―― When I listened to that album of allnude’s, I thought, “Ah, it’s Der Zibet.”

I: (Lol) We sound completely different, but we have things in common, don’t we?

――Somehow, there are similarities between Mizunaga-san’s lyrical universe and ISSAY-san’s.

I: That’s because we’re twins, me and that guy (lol).

―― (Lol) Then what about your little brother Sakurai Atsushi-san?

I: (Lol) I think he’s definitely putting out great work with his band BUCK-TICK. Because I also really like that last album³ that I participated in.

―― BUCK-TICK’s another band with a strong personality, aren’t they?

I: It’s nice to see them do things the way they want like that, isn’t it? When I went on a radio show recently, they played BUCK-TICK’s upcoming single and that was interesting too. It was a very good song. No, it really was good. Noisy (lol). The melody was pop, though, right?

 

Without concerts to hold
it feels like I’m going to lose it

―― It couldn’t be helped that your bassist HAL-san suddenly took ill, but it truly was unfortunate that your tour had to be put on hold considering that your show at Osaka was going to be the first in about a year…

I: I believe the band feels that more than anyone else. Including HAL. Because, you see, we’re useless human beings, right? (Lol) We have to get on a stage or we’re useless. That’s why [situations like] these are very frustrating. The number of shows Der Zibet had in these few years are too few so we want to play more but (lol).

―― (Lol) How is HAL-san?

I: He’s slowly getting better.

―― So I guess your tour will be confirmed as soon as he recovers.

I: That’s right. We feel that he shouldn’t force himself and that we should wait until he’s in good shape though. But looking at how he’s doing now, I think [the tour] probably isn’t going to be something that far off in the future. So we’re getting ready to charge when it happens (lol). And when it does, we’ll be having a ton of concerts. Without shows to play, it feels like I’m going to lose it. I really can’t take it (lol).

―― So once your next show is confirmed, the energy will be…

I: Through the roof (lol).

―― Considering how much you love being on stage, do you still remember the first time you went up there?

I: I was a real mess, y’know. I was so nervous. Because I did it despite being a person who’s always been bad at putting myself out there in front of a crowd (lol). I downed a pocket bottle of whiskey before going on stage. I was plastered drunk on stage, y’know. The first few years I had to drink because I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t go out (lol).

―― So why do you go on stage despite that?

I: Because I had no choice but to go on stage. If I don’t [do this], I’d get thrown off balance on the inside. If a person’s balance is thrown off, their mania⁴ would go out of hand and all that. So in the end, I have no choice but to do it, right? Even now, right before I go up on stage, I have the desire to go home (lol).

―― (Lol) No one would ever get that idea when they see you perform though.

I: It changes the moment I step out, y’know. Until then, I can’t do it. As long as I can get out there, I’ll be fine though…

―― The expression on ISSAY-san’s face when you’re singing live looks really happy.

I: I am happy, that’s for sure. Up on stage is where I’m most comfortable. I guess [on stage,] I can be anyone; I can feel very free. 

―― That’s the kind of place a live show is, right? Not only the ones on stage, but even the audience can escape reality…

I: Rather than calling it an escape, I think it’s more that [this particular space] is made up of only the innermost part of you. For example, there are lots of times when you can’t directly express that, “This is it!” even though that’s what you really think, right? And [live shows are] spaces where those barriers don’t exist at all. Since whatever you find in that space is really your innermost core self and that’s really what constitutes a live show, I think it’s truly a place of freedom

―― We touched on this earlier too, but HIKARU-san and HAL-san both have active solo careers. So, on that, does ISSAY-san have any plans for a 2nd solo album or anything like that?

I: I’m not particularly interested in making another solo album. Even with my last solo project, I didn’t release an album because I just wanted to release one, you know? It just happened because I wanted to do a cover album, I did it, and it turned into a solo project. And that’s nothing I couldn’t have done in Der Zibet, right? It’s more or less just me doing what I want to do. Maybe [I might start another solo project] if I find something that I can’t do with Der Zibet like how that cover album turned out, but unless that happens, I don’t have even the slightest intention of going solo.

―― Since that’s the case, what do you think about HIKARU-san’s PUGS⁵ and all the other solo activities of your bandmates?

I: That’s not really HIKARU’s solo band work, right, just him joining in. “He’s doing interesting stuff,” is what I think but… (lol). I think he understands that too, but I suppose he might be doing it with the idea that it’s his solo work though.

―― With all your bandmates all dabbling in their own activities outside of Der Zibet, does that reflect in your album and  your music?

I: I think it does, y’know. Because with this present album, HAL, for some reason, said, “I want to bring out the good elements of ISSAY’s solo album [in this album].” I suppose when each of us head out, or leave home, you know, we see the goodness of home (lol). Because you’d get an outsider’s perspective and you’ll be able to see things with fresh eyes. Furthermore, we get stimulated differently when we work with other people, so that can also be brought back into the band, right?

―― It appears that the reason why the lyric work came first for Kirigirisu is also a result of HIKARU being influenced by his participation in Sasano Michiru⁶ recording work.

I: Because he is always picking up and bringing back those kinds of new things and techniques. I think I do that too, of course. Also, I think that’s the source of Der Zibet’s power to keep changing though.

―― Maybe [he] does things with the mind that, “This might be interesting to do with Der Zibet.”

I: Maybe the thought that, “This method might suit ISSAY,” passes his mind, right?

―― For an album packed with all those things, it requires quite some time between the end of your recording sessions to the release date, right? During that period, do you start thinking things like, “It might be good if we did that for this particular part.”?

I: No, no. The sample CD will be done some weeks before we release it, right? Until then, I can’t look at it objectively. Because I’d become objective for the first time only after that sample is done and I listen to it.

―― Until then, you’ll be immersed in the accomplishment of completing an album.

I: Because I’m still in the midst of that album, y’know? But when the disk is done and I listen to it objectively, I’d think, “Well, isn’t this cool,” (lol) and when the album tour is over, that’s when I can truly be objective. I guess it’s because I can’t flesh it out unless I perform it on stage after all.

―― The tour’s been halted, but are there any songs from this album that you’re dying to perform?

I: I want to do them all (lol). Although we did do Garasu-goshi no Sekai (ガラス越しの世界 / The World Through A Glass) in that gig we did last year end. I think songs like Gokuraku Ressha (極楽列車 / Paradise Train) and Dr. Real Love will probably be lots of fun.

―― For,  I’m hoping to hear Kirigirisu wo Koroshita no wa Dare? (キリギリスを殺したのは誰？ / Who Killed The Grasshopper?) live though.

I: I actually think it’ll turn out to be something amazing (lol).

―― Especially that part in the chorus, when the noisy guitar whines and groans right after ISSAY-sings.

I: Y’know, when it gets too noisy, I can’t sing, right (lol). It was difficult when we were recording too. I’m like, “Scary. This guitar feedback, tone it down~~. I can’t sing~~.” (Lol)

―― Will it be okay live (lol).

I: We’ll make it work somehow. Because we’re professionals (lol).

―― You’re getting more and more excited for the tour.

I: It’s not that far off, so do look forward to it.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ In reference to Aesop’s fable

² Taking the date of this interview into account, the album in question is allnude’s Children Of The Evolution. Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAimKiv6WCQ

³ That will be Six/Nine. ISSAY provides vocals for 愛しのロック・スター (Itoshi no Rock Star).

⁴ The word I translated as “mania” is 躁鬱 (sou-utsu), which is a word specifically used to refer to bipolar disorder or manic depression.

⁵ PUGS was formed in 1994 with HONEY★K, Hoppy Kamiyama, Okano Hajime, Steve Eto. Other musicians would join in to play with them typically as a band of six. There’s a short English article about the time they played as a second stage act on the Lollapalooza 1997 festival tour. https://wc.arizona.edu/papers/90/166/11_2_m.html

⁶ Michiru Sasano, is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter who debuted in 1988 with Japanese pop band Tokyo Shōnen where she was the band’s songwriter and vocalist. After the band broke up in 1993, she became a solo artist

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Morgianasama on LiveJournal

 

 

DER ZIBET | [Feb 1992] 2nd FOREVER MY WORSHIP – ISSAY・Jim Morrison

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

2nd FOREVER MY WORSHIP
The search for a musician’s everlasting idol!

Fool’s Mate
February 1992

Text＝ISSAY
Photos＝Saori Tsuji

 

Following the well-received first of this series, today, we have Der Zibet’s ISSAY penning his thoughts about Jim Morrison, the vocalist of The Doors who dominated the late 60s and early 70s with their intense stage presence and visionary sound.

 

 

JIM MORRISON
(The Doors)

One night, when I was still in high school, a strange melody from an organ that I heard on the radio echoed in my ears. After the intro, my nerves were wrung by a voice that sounded wide awake on the surface and, at the same time, as if it was smouldering underwater.

That moment did me in.

Come on, baby, light my fire ／ Come on, baby, light my fire ／ Try to set the night on fire 

(Light My Fire)

This was my first encounter with The Doors.

 

As I recall at the time, their song The End was also the theme song of the movie Apocalypse Now, so it was a period when [my interest in] The Doors got rekindled for the umpteenth time. At the same time, I believe their songs were being played on the radio too.

Anyway, a few days later, I ran to the record store and bought the one and only copy of a compilation album, The Doors’ Greatest Hits.

This album which starts with the song Hello, I Love You, which Der Zibet also covered before, was perfectly made for newbies. At first glance, it looks like a pop album, but their characteristic acrimony was more than enough to intoxicate a tender high schooler. Having fallen for a deep dark world where a raspy voice like that of a teenager whose voice just broke floats in the repetitive flair of the keyboard, I decided that I would collect their original albums, but for all it was worth, I lived in a rural town by the sea where even the record stores didn’t bring in The Doors or anything like them. In the end, I could only keep borrowing whatever I could from friends and seniors at school. It feels like it was only quite recently that I really managed to collect their albums.

 

Now, here’s a simple list of their discography for those who aren’t too familiar with The Doors.

 

January 1967  “THE DOORS”
October 1967  “STRANGE DAYS”
July 1968  “WAITING FOR THE SUN”
July 1969  “SOFT PARADE”
February 1970  “MORRISON HOTEL”
July 1970  “ABSOLUTELY LIVE”
April 1971  “L.A. WOMAN”

Looking at it now, written like this, it really hit me that this was all in the span of a mere 5 years. They’re a band who within the mere 5 years of the late 60s, made 7 albums and came to an end right after the sudden death of their vocalist Jim Morrison. They’ve actually released a few other albums after that, but I do not acknowledge The Doors without Jim Morrison. Because to me, Jim Morrison is The Doors.

The man who claims that the spirit of a Native Indian who died in a car accident he witnessed as a child jumped into his soul. The man who got so drunk and drugged that he stood on the road and suddenly screamed, “I am the lizard king! I can do anything!” The man who sang, “Father, I want to kill you. Mother, I want to fuck you!” and got fired from a live music club. The man who emptied fire extinguishers inside a studio because he thought a fire might start if things got too heated among the band during recording. So on and so forth. Now, stories about Jim Morrison have even spawned numerous books in Japan, and even a movie. In a way, he’s one of the legendary rock musicians.

The Jim Morrison you’d see in concert on video is one whose eyes are wide open, clinging to the mic stand as he talks along with the music, as if singing (This is the aptest way to describe that man’s song). Then, in an instant, he twists and turns with a desperate shout, tensing up as he brings that tension to a peak.

In one interview, drummer John Densmore said, “On stage we (the members of The Doors) could get into a rhythm with Jim and let him do what he wanted, but we couldn’t get into a rhythm with his personal life.” But I suppose that’s the kind of person he had always been, Jim Morrison.

Standing between dream and reality, between real life and fantasy. While he had been traversing back and forth between the two, he had been sinking deeper into the depths of himself.  That is why he could sing such amazing songs. That is why his shouts were always directed inwards.

In the mid to late 60s. When the world was experiencing the height of the hippie movement. It was a time when anyone and everyone was dreaming of going to San Francisco. In the midst of it all, in Los Angeles, The Doors’ existence was like an overpowering shadow to the sun-kissed hippies (flower children).

At a time when everyone believed in being thoughtless and carefree and lauded doing things hand in hand as if they were under a spell, The Doors peered at their (own) inner selves.

Break on through to the other side ／ Break on through to the other side, yeah

 (Break On Through)

This is the powerful refrain of the very first song of their 1st album. Everything that The Doors are began here, and in the end, it feels as if it ended here too.

The image I harbour of The Doors is that of an eternal summer. The sounds and smells of flora and fauna in the early morning filled with the inexplicable exhilaration of youth and, the fleeting moment of eternity pierced by blinding white light.

And in a little less than 5 years, The Doors had gone on into that eternity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Morgianasama on LiveJournal

 

 

BUCK-TICK | [Feb 1992] Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO – Live Report

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

27 November 1991  Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO
Live Report

Fool’s Mate
February 1992

Text＝Iwamoto Miki (岩本美紀)
Photos＝Ikeda MIchihiro (池田倫弘)

 

Thrown back in time in one night’s dream

It was a truly abrupt move by them. Just when we thought that they would go off to work on their own projects after their tour ended, they suddenly announced that they would be performing at live houses. Scheduled were performances at Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya’s QUATTROs for one night each. Since it’s been a while since their last performance in a live house, this has gotten us wondering what it’s going to be like. Hearts pounding with anticipation, a crowd gathered at the venue.

 

 

Wednesday, November 27. BUCK-TICK performed at Shibuya QUATTRO. How many years has it been since they last stood on the stage of a live house? Naturally, tickets were extremely difficult to get. Whether they were the lucky fans who cleared the tough obstacle of a lottery, or fans who unfortunately didn’t get a ticket, there is no doubt that people of all walks of life and with all sorts of emotions were gathered here.

Entering the venue was the familiar sight of a horizontal black curtain hanging over the stage, something that you’d often see back when they used to run the live circuit. The white “BUCK-TICK” text against a black background brings back a wave of nostalgia. Compared to large venues, this small set in a cosy space offers an intimate view no matter where you stand. Waiting for the show to begin, a man’s cheer of “Atsushiー!” came from somewhere in the audience, leading to the crowd’s ‘whoo’s and laughter and applause filling the venue. The fans’ desire to see the band as soon as possible was manifesting in a number of different ways.

Then, the lights went out. To the backdrop of Theme of B-T and the club illuminated in red light, the band appears. Last to come on stage was Sakurai holding a cigarette by the corner of his lips. The light at the end of that cigarette looked even redder than usual on the darkened stage. Then, a spotlight shines on Sakurai. He’s wearing brown sunglasses!

The opening song was Taiyou ni Korosareta.

Only in a live house will we get to see U-ta and Yagami positioned a little lower instead of being on their usual platforms. With Sakurai’s forceful gesture, the sunglasses flew. Imai and Yagami were dressed in red while Sakurai, Hide, and U-ta were dressed in black; outfits which created a simple and unusually unified image.

In the second song, TO-SEARCH, Imai went from the left side of the stage to the right, lining up with U-ta while Hide moved to the left. This feeling that they were all focused on the same thing was not something that could have been felt if this was a bigger stage, and it’s probably another one of those things you can only see in a live house setting.

“Now, then, playtime ends here!” Following Sakurai’s words, Aku no Hana begins. There was even a fleeting moment when Sakurai joined Imai under his spotlight and hugged. The mood of the audience shifted along with the songs; they sang along when the band continued into HURRY UP MODE, the club sang in symphony, but when they went on to perform MY FUNNY VALENTINE, the audience listened quietly. Then came the second MC.

“It’s been a while. It’s been a while since everyone’s this excited.”

In response, the audience replied with the words, “We aーre.”

“Well, then, please fall deeply and descend on behalf of the tens of thousands who didn’t get selected.”

Blue and yellow lights set the mood to the song that started, VICTIMS OF LOVE. During the interlude, Sakurai sucked on another cigarette as he drew close to Hide’s face, then, changing spots, he plastered himself to Imai. Sakurai displayed his emotional expressions with subtle hand gestures like running his fingers through his hair. With his blond hair, Imai looked like a foreigner too. Then came a rare number; MISTY ZONE. Fans jumped up and down to this lively, bouncy song, and clapped in time during ICONOCLASM. They were, in short, beyond fired up.

At the third MC, Sakurai appeared to respond to the calls of the grooving audience with,

“Seems like I don’t have to talk today.”

“Keep it coming.”

It was a comfortable, friendly vibe. As if we were having a casual conversation.

“And now, for the first time,” JUPITER began with an air of melancholy and the atmosphere in that space turned hushed as people quietly listened on. When the song ended, Sakurai gently clasped his hands to his chest and they proceeded into Sakura. Two heart-aching songs, back to back.

From LOVE ME, they continued on into Speed and the audience was once again fired back up. Then, as if seeing the audience through to the climax of it all, the members left the stage. The applause for an encore echoed endlessly……

“I aren’t even tired at all.” Those were the words that Yagami said into the center mic when he came back out for the encore. A searchlight was hoisted up, shining down at the audience who laughed at this unexpected MC. The song which started was HYPER LOVE. it was then followed by an extremely nostalgic song; PLASTIC SYNDROME. When the song was over, Sakurai closed with a deep bow.

In the second encore, they played IN HEAVEN, and the very last song which capped it all off was MOON LIGHT.

Somehow, it felt as if the members of BUCK-TICK and everyone in the audience slipped back in time together to the wonderful memories of “those days” that have been etched into their hearts. Those were a warm and pleasant few hours that allowed us to experience the impossible; to relive precious memories that we don’t ever want to forget. A dream within a dream…… And now, this one night’s dream has probably also turned into new memories that are now carved into the hearts and minds of everyone who was there.

 

Setlist
Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO  1991.11.27

—Theme of B-T—

  1. Taiyou ni Korosareta…
  2. TO-SEARCH
  3. HURRY-UP MODE

—MC—

  1. Aku no Hana
  2. M.A.D
  3. MY FUNNY VALENTINE
  4. Angelfish

—MC—

  1. VICTIMS OF LOVE
  2. MISTY-ZONE
  3. ICONOCLASM
  4. PHYSICAL NEUROSE

—MC—

  1. JUPITER
  2. Sakura
  3. LOVE ME
  4. Speed

—ENCORE—

E1. HYPER LOVE
E2. PLASTIC SYNDROME TEPE Ⅱ

E3. …IN HEAVEN 
E4. MOON LIGHT

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Morgianasama on LiveJournal

 

 

BUCK-TICK | [Jul 2020] Ongaku to Hito: Annual Interview with Hoshino Hidehiko

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

The Poem of June ──
Interview with Hoshino Hidehiko

Ongaku to Hito
July 2020

text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
photographs by Sasahara Kiyoaki_L MANAGEMENT

 

20 Years of Poems¹

To think that the annual June solo interviews with Hoshino Hidehiko would see its 20th year. The phrase “persistence pays off” must have been referring to this interview series. For such a memorable milestone, plans like visiting his favourite Southern island, releasing a photobook, or throwing a fancy party were in the making, but due to the emergency declaration and self-quarantine measures put in place in light of COVID-19, we found ourselves in a mood which leaves us unable to do interviews or anything with any pizzazz.

This segment ended up being handled the same way with a short photoshoot in the garden by Tama River, followed by a remote interview held on Zoom. We mainly talked about the band and their album recording which got put on hold, and about his usual laid-back everyday life, but we also hope that the days when we can relax and talk normally about these regular things will return soon. And next year, we’ll really go to a Southern island for this interview!

 

 

The album is hard to describe in one word (lol). It’s simple but there are songs that have new wave or techno influences too

―― What do you think?　Your first Zoom interview.

Hoshino (H): I heard a lot about it. My soccer friends had a remote drinking party recently but I was late and didn’t get to join them (lol).

―― Hahahahahaha.

H: I want to join them next time, though.

―― I’ll be waiting to hear about it from you. Well, it’s the 20th year of this Poem of June interview and I was thinking of setting it on a Southern island but……

H: There you go again (lol).

―― No, no, no, I’m serious. We’re going to be a year late but let’s make it happen next year. We’ll publish Simply Life 2 as well (lol).

H: If only things would settle down, right?

―― Of course.

H: How’s Ongaku to Hito coping?

―― We only come to the office when we absolutely have to, but we’ve basically switched to working remotely. For shoots, they’re now mostly screenshots or selfies too, or like today; a quick photoshoot with a small group of people on short notice.

H: Yeah, even TV programs are either being recorded remotely or broadcasting reruns. Everyone’s struggling.

―― BUCK-TICK’s recording got suspended too, right?

H: Yeah. Recording quickly came to a halt the moment the state of emergency was declared in Tokyo. That was around the start of April, so I’ve been staying home for more than a month since then. I haven’t really left the house except to buy food.

―― What do you do at home?

H: Nothing special…… But in such a situation, don’t you get the urge to rearrange things at home?

―― Totally!　I’ve been spending my days decluttering and making orders on Amazon.

H: Likewise (lol).

―― What kind of rearranging are you doing?　I can see from the screen, in your background, that you’re in your home studio.

H: I didn’t really make any changes here, but I made other parts of the house, like the veranda more comfortable.

―― What did you do?

H: I DIY-ed, stuck tiles on the deck. And I bought a hammock.

―― A hammock for the veranda!

H: It turned out rather nicely (lol). I was also lacking in exercise, so I did yoga with videos on YouTube.

―― It’s the same in my house (lol).

H: If this goes on for another month, you’d definitely run out of things to do.

―― Since you’re a musician, have you seized this chance to write heaps of songs?

H: Somehow, I can’t get into the mood for that (lol).

―― Please get into it (lol). But when you look at Instagram, doesn’t it seem like Imai’s composing a lot?

H: I heard he is.

―― Do you check his Instagram account?

H: Soーmetimes (lol). A little bird told me that he collaborated with a different Hoshino-san² and I was like who, who?

―― You’re bandmates and yet someone else had to tell you!

H: Hahahahaha. That’s because we don’t contact each other all that frequently.  But recently, since, you know, we’re in these circumstances, I asked them if we should hold a meeting on Zoom.

―― An invitation from Hoshino-san?

H: Yeah. But no one replied (lol).

―― Hahahahahaha.

H: I think I spoke about it with Yuta for a bit. Like, “What do you think?” But after that, we didn’t have any particular reason to hold meetings anyway; we’re just waiting to get back into recording.

―― But although it was suspended, I heard that you guys were actually making good progress.

H: Recording was going unusually smoothly (lol). All the songs were pretty much done and there were just a few songs left to record for the guitar, so it feels like if we had just a few more days [it would’ve been completed]. Though, I don’t know whether Imai-san might still be composing more.

―― Was it because the song compositions were simple that things went so well?

H: That’s right. The songs themselves were simple with lots of guitar parts and riffs too. Generally speaking, these songs aren’t the type that are jam packed with sounds. It’s more like playing guitar phrases rather than layering things on. That’s why the work itself is relatively simple.

―― How does Hoshino-san envision this album to turn out?

H: It’s hard to describe it in one word (lol). It’s simple, with less sounds, but there are songs that have new wave influences. There’s even a sort of techno song included, and stripped down songs like Datenshi. I think we’ve made this album from a different angle than the last.

―― What about Hoshino-san’s songs?

H: I’ve composed 3 songs and I think the recording’s all done already. But I still don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Because we don’t know when we can get back to work anyway, right? Besides, I don’t expect that we’ll be able to gather in the studio in a big group to work  on things like we always had. We’d probably have to cut down the number of people and make sure it doesn’t get too crowded.

I hope that our future will be one where this time next year, we’ll be able to ask, “Shall we visit a Southern island?” and laugh about it

―― Makes you wonder what it’ll be like.

H: It’s hard to say. Because this isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved with us making some sort of effort and doing our best to work it out, right? The only way around it is to keep up with [safety] measures on a personal level. Like, washing your hands for 20 seconds, doing mouth rinses, bringing your own disinfectant alcohol solution when you go shopping.

―― But it’s tough to keep doing this too, isn’t it?

H: Isn’t it way unexpected that a pandemic of this scale would happen in our lifetime?　Like, who would’ve thought that the kind of event that would show up in a history textbook would happen now. Now we can’t even do the things we used to take for granted. We can’t even go out and have a meal with our friends. We can’t have a face-to-face conversation. And especially in the case of livehouses…… I never realised how lucky we were to have had all these things we took for granted. Really makes you wonder what live concerts will be like in future too.

―― Because you can’t perform shows the same way anymore if we’re going to go with what they’re now calling the ‘new normal’, right?

H: What are they referring to?

―― Keeping at least a distance of 1 metre between you and another person, needing to be far enough from each other to allow singing or cheering or just holding it online, avoidance of crowding, close contact and closed spaces, etcetera.

H: Makes it difficult, doesn’t it? Thinking about it like that it seems like we can’t even start [putting on shows]……

―― Because this problem basically won’t go away unless we can get immunised or vaccines get distributed, right?

H: Isn’t that why we’re all in agony over this? At the same time, we can’t even go out for drinks, can’t even go exercising. And when that happens, we end up doing nothing but clicking the buy button on Amazon (lol). Since the hammock is working out well, I’m thinking about getting a high-pressure cleaner.

―― What a family man³!

H: Hahahahahahahaha. I’m just thinking that it’ll probably be necessary for us to live comfortably. Like, I want to do the things I normally won’t be able to do.

―― Speaking of which, how’s your health?　You got hospitalised last year and lost quite a lot of weight but after that……

H: I started wondering about a bunch of things about myself so after our tour concluded the last year-end, I thought I should probably get another check-up at the start of this year so I went to the hospital, and everything’s good so.

―― That’s good then. We’ve both come to an age when we need to take care of our health.

H: Because once you pass the age of 50, it’s just a battle against yourself, isn’t it?

―― A battle against yourself!

H: Everyone feels the same, right?　It’s something you come to understand once you’re over 50 (lol).

―― If, next year, I say, “Let’s go to a Southern island for our interview in June,” where would you like to go?

H: Shonan⁴ is good enough (lol).

―― What.

H: I mean, I hope that our future will be one where this time next year, we’ll be able to mention that and laugh about it.

―― But the only thing we can do is to believe that’s how things will turn out and keep going. Although, I think I might continue working from home a little longer though.

H: We’ll have to stay home a bit more. Ah, come to think of it. I had a photoshoot at Tama River for a bit just now, right?

―― Yes.

H: I just remembered; we also did it at Tama River 20 years ago, right?

―― Ah!　Now I remember (lol).

H: Though, at the time, I was also wondering, “Why an interview with me now, at this timing?” (Lol)

―― And you’ve been wondering for 20 years (lol).

H: I didn’t think it would go on for so long.

―― I think the most significant thing to me back then was probably that you poured your heart out to me and said that you were happy to be in this band. Because those weren’t the kind of words you’d hear from band members⁵ in those days.

H: I suppose that’s true.

―― I hope that the band will continue being active for the next 5, 10, 15 years and that this Poem of June will keep going, and that our magazine will endure.

H: Let’s keep our fingers crossed (lol).

 

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ Fuubutsushi (風物詩) is defined as “something which is reminiscent of a particular season” or “a poem about natural scenery or a particular season”.

² With Hoshino Gen. Imai actually posted thrice.
1st: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Ftx6-JMtK/
2nd: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_IcNrApePI/
3rd: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_K3wX_J-Aw/

³ In Japanese, the phrase is straight up マイホームパパ (my home papa).

⁴ Shonan (湘南) is located southwest Kanagawa prefecture which is approx 1 hour away from central Tokyo. Shonan area is basically a seaside region of Sagami Bay from Enoshima to Oiso.

⁵ Not sure if he was talking specifically about BUCK-TICK or bands in general.

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Patowinds on Tumblr

BUCK-TICK | [Jul 2001] Ongaku to Hito: Annual Interview with Hoshino Hidehiko

Posted on by Yoshiyuki

The Poem of June ──
Interview with Hoshino Hidehiko

Ongaku to Hito
July 2001

Text = Kanemitsu Hirofumi
Photography = Okada Takayuki
Styling = Yagi Tomoharu

 

So, Hide-san
How’s BUCK-TICK recently?

Hoshino Hidehiko is BUCK-TICK’s guitarist. If you’re a fan, you’d definitely know that this friendly and easy-going personality of his is his honest self, but this person really hasn’t changed one bit. In a good way. There are times when he seems inconspicuous because of the exceedingly spontaneous guitarist named Imai Hisashi, but it is his guitar and melodies that give the band its vibrant allure. While Sakurai and Imai are busy with SCHWEIN, it appears that preparations for BUCK-TICK’s activities were also ongoing and there’s even a new Hoshino song included in the songs that are currently being recorded. There’s much to look forward to in the near future with BUCK-TICK. So how about it, Hide-sa~n?

 

 

—— Readers have been asking, ‘What’s going on in the realm of BUCK-TICK’s activities?’ (lol). So here we are, having this interview.

Hide (H): Yeah, well. But recent days have been just like what you’re seeing in the photos. Personally, I’ve been spending my time quite leisurely everyday. I’d routinely wake up around midday, watch daytime dramas (lol).

—— Fuhaha, daytime dramas.

H: The ones that started recently aren’t that great though, are they…… Well, but I am writing songs (lol). And recording just happens to start today too. We’re working on it bit by bit in the free time that we have.

—— On Hoshino-san’s song?

H: That’s right. Today we’re going to start recording something that I wrote myself. And there’s also Imai-kun’s song. We’ve just begun so I can’t really go into detail yet.

—— You’re being unusually assertive (lol).

H: Not at all (lol). But, well, since they’re quite busy with SCHWEIN, you know? So I have to show that I’m working hard here too (lol).

—— So about SCHWEIN, what do you think?

H: In short, they’ve taken an industrial-like approach [to music]…… I guess you could say that much was as expected since [the music] felt like the kind of sound that those two, Raymond and Sascha would make.

—— Is Hoshino-san personally on the fence……?

H: It’s not like that. I’m interested in it, though. Recently, when it comes to things surrounding guitar sounds…… I’m not talking about an intensive use of programming. More like, adding rough guitar noises [into the music] and…… that sort of direction. That’s what I’m liking recently. This year, I don’t expect that we’d be holding many BUCK-TICK concerts anyway, so I don’t think I’d out in public much. And that’s why I figured it’d be important.

—— Do you think that these extra-curricular activities would bring something significant to BUCK-TICK?

H: I wonder…… Well, there might just be something? I’m sure there’s something that will be brought back [to BUCK-TICK]. There won’t be anything coming from me though (lol), to the band.

—— An easy-going statement, as usual (lol).

H: As I’ve often been told…… (lol). But if there were to be changes, it’s better if it happened anyway. Besides, I’m pretty sure we’d fall into some sort of convention when we’re making music in the same environment with the same people. That aspect…… is a plus to me.

—— The conventions within the band itself?

H: ………… I think they definitely exist, right? Conventions. Whether they’re good or bad. And that’s why I want that to change, to some sort of transference…… In the end, it’s bad if we don’t make progress, right? That’s something I felt keenly 2 years ago.

—— Like, ah, turns out I feel like that (lol).

H: Yes…… My heart’s gone dull (lol). It felt to me like we weren’t getting anywhere 2 years ago, so I’ve been feeling uninspired since then. Most of the time I just feel like, “I want to perform live,” and things like that. I need to be in front of people (lol)…… Because then I have to appear in public. Otherwise I’d look a mess (lol). I don’t really think about myself, you see.

—— Hahahaha. Since it’s just everyday life (lol).

H: Yeah (lol)…… Well, nothing can be done even if I jump the gun myself anyway (lol).

—— It feels like you’re a band of 5 who think as 5 different people (lol).

H: Yeah. I think we’re quite independent of each other anyway (lol).

—— But hasn’t the band been progressing in good form since the release of ONE LIFE,ONE DEATH?

H: Yeah…… I think it’s good. Well, in terms of level of satisfaction though, it comes with each composition. Like the reactions I get, or when someone tells me its good…… Those are pluses to me. At least, that’s what I feel.

—— Are you concerned about the kind of reactions you’d get?

H: Mm……………… I think I am…… Well, I act as if I don’t mind but I do (lol).

—— So you’re just acting (lol).

H: No, I do care, usually even. Although, I’m not bothered. Not really (lol).

—— Wahahahahahaha!

H: I care on the inside (lol).

—— Whether it’s the lyrics or the person, you haven’t changed one bit (lol).

H: Yeah. Because I don’t think the bottom line has changed at all. It’s the same for me and even Acchan’s still the same since the first time we met. You’d get that sense too when you look at the band. Though, I guess we’re changing bit by tiny bit (lol). In the end……I think the parts that don’t change, won’t change no matter how many years we do this. I guess most fundamental aspects [of ourselves] can never be changed by people, or anyone for that matter. And we just stay like this; it’s as if we don’t interfere with one another.

—— Even though you say that, the 5 of you are often together, aren’t you?

H: I actually think we can stay together precisely because we don’t butt into each other’s affairs. We do go too far, though (lol). How do I say this…… Well, I guess it’s like, we don’t touch the things that we shouldn’t…… I don’t really give it that much thought, though (lol).

I’m happy being here. And I’m sure that it’ll stay like this going forward. All the way

—— Do you think you think you’ve achieved the ideal you have in mind?

H: Right. It’s also been 15 years since the band was formed, hasn’t it? About what we’d be like now, back then…… we didn’t think about it at all. For example, we played our first gig at Shinjuku’s JAM or something, but we only thought as far as, “Man, I hope we get to play at LOFT next,” (lol) you know? We didn’t think about where we’d be now and somehow…… it doesn’t feel like we’ve grown up, barely. Hey, am I an adult (lol).

—— Hahaha, please don’t pose that question to me.

H: Mm…… I don’t quite feel it, you know. It feels like I’ve gone through a time warp (lol).

—— From 15 years ago? (Lol)

H: Or rather…… The idea of what makes an adult back then…… is completely different, isn’t it? Although, its true that if you look at an old photo, say, from 5 years ago and compare, we’d look completely different and you’d probably even think things like, “Ah, I’ve gotten more wrinkles,” (lol) but it’s not as if we live our lives checking these things all the time, and besides, I’ve still got the same band mates around me anyway. And on top of that, we do the same things, have the same relationships, play the same roles when we drink, laugh about the same things; everything’s the same (lol). There’s something weird about this, isn’t there?

—— Like an island that’s cut off from the outside world (lol).

H: The Galápagos Islands (lol).

—— Have you ever thought something like, “I didn’t expect this would go on so long.”?

H: I did think that it would be nice if we could keep on going…… It happens that just spoke about this with Yuta just now. Like, “We’ve already known each other for 20 years, huh.” Something that was just said out of nowhere. It was shocking and at the same time it really just sank in (lol). I thought, “20 years, right. That’s amazing……”, but there we had Anii still drumming like he always had since the beginning, and Yuta was being Yuta as usual (lol). It got me wondering, “Where are these 20 years?”

—— Right?

H: It’s so weird~.

—— Seems like it happened to someone else instead (lol).

H: No, no, no. I think I would feel that I’ll probably be playing in a band for a long time to come because this is such a cosy place for me to be. Besides, depending on the person, it’s probably not good to spoil them, I think…… all while being spoiled, hahaha.

—— But I find myself wondering what is it that ties you together in such circumstances? Considering that you don’t butt into each other’s affairs.

H: Hm. What indeed…… There’s no particular “something” though…… And, well, when it comes to the music, it’s obviously because I like the sounds that everyone makes. Maybe that’s what.

—— Don’t you want to get a feel of those sounds from somewhere else?

H: I somehow don’t really…… I don’t want to do it unless its BUCK-TICK, you know? Once, I was invited to take part in the recording of ISSAY-san’s solo work but…… I just couldn’t wait to go home (wry smile).

—— Fuhahahahaha.

H: But it’s not as if I don’t like recording work itself. My surroundings, like the presence of staff members who I don’t know at all, not seeing the faces who have always been there…… Being there, I felt very uncomfortable (lol).

—— Is it the vibe? (Lol)

H: Mm… I’m not so good at it………… Like, I’m not good at dealing with people I’m meeting for the first time (lol)…… I don’t think I was like that when I was a child, though.

—— So, if you were with BUCK-TICK, you could chat casually, and you’d be at ease.

H: That’s one, for sure. I’m happy, and besides, I’m enjoying myself (lol).

—— You’re definitely the person least likely to be described as distressed or stoic (lol).

H: I don’t really want to work too hard (lol).

—— Whether it’s because of that or not, there’s a reason why Hoshino-san’s melodies and sounds feel so gentle.

H: You know, people say that, but I don’t really know why either (lol). But there was a period of time when the, melodies and whatnot…… people would say that they’re very much my style, and I really hated it when they put it like that, and I was like, “I’m gonna show you a different side instead!” So there was this period when I forced myself to go in a direction that was nothing like my style.

—— Deliberately?

H: Yeah. But then suddenly, it sort of hit me like, “Ah, the best is to go my typical way.” So I made that my brand……or something like that (lol).

—— Is your position in BUCK-TICK a pretty comfortable one?

H: I get very…… Rather, I have a lot of freedom [to be myself] (lol). That’s what I like about it. But if the only songwriter was Imai-kun then maybe…… I might start to feel that even being in a band isn’t much fun because I guess the things I’m required to do would feel prearranged (lol).

—— Ah, so you want to have the space to assert yourself a little (lol).

H: No, not that. The fact that most of my songs are BUCK-TICK’s…… I doubt that’s the case (lol).

—— Ahaha. But it’s true that the band isn’t stuck going in one direction because of Hoshino-san’s presence, right?

H: Yeah. Because I’m making music as it comes to me; I just go with the flow. Without forcing things. Without thinking about unnecessary things. That allows me to make music spontaneously…… Without considerations like what’s trending now, none of that…… Besides, even without all those, [the music] still holds up anyway, and I actually feel that in BUCK-TICK, we can’t [make music] if we’re sensitive to those kinds of things. I definitely don’t mean that we turn our backs on it though.

—— Right.

H: I just feel that we don’t have to think too much about it. As long as we can evolve slowly while swimming in the same tank…… In the end, we’re all in this together. I hope that our bottom line will always stay the same, and…… even if we have our own personal concerns, this is where we can forget about it all, right (lol). That’s why, at this point in time, I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m happy being here. And I’m sure that it’ll stay like this going forward. All the way.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

※ This interview was published online by Ongaku to Hito on 16 June 2020 as part of a series of interviews they began posting during the lockdown in Japan during that year. This particular interview was chosen partly to celebrate the 20th iteration of Hide’s series of annual interviews which was going to be published in the July 2020 issue of the magazine.

In the online post, there was an additional introductory paragraph written for this piece, also written by Kanemitsu Hirofumi:

June 16th is the birthday of BUCK-TICK’s guitarist, Hoshino Hidehiko. Here at Ongaku to Hito, we conduct an exclusive interview with him every June, and this year will mark the 20th iteration!　In this latest July (2020) issue of Ongaku to Hito, Hide-san talks about his laid-back everyday life. But this character of his that has remained unchanged throughout all this time is one of his biggest charms. So here is a republication of the interview from 20 years ago. The Poem of June [Roku Gatsu no Fuubutsushi¹] began with an honest sharing of his feelings towards the band. Let’s celebrate his 54th birthday with a comparison of the new interview and the interview from back then which were both shot at Tama River!

¹ This particular interview series with Hide is an annual special called “6月の風物詩”. Fuubutsushi (風物詩) is defined as “something which is reminiscent of a particular season” or “a poem about natural scenery or a particular season”.

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: Ongaku to Hito