The Embodiment of No.0’s Cycle of “Love & Death” on a Simple Stage

BUCK-TICK Tour No.0 -Guernican Moon-
Standing Tour @ Toyosu

Excite News
20 November 2018

photo by Seitaro Tanaka
text by Yuka Okubo

 

BUCK-TICK’s nationwide tour, TOUR No.0 – Guernican Moon -, which began on October 13, stopped over at Toyosu PIT for their Tokyo show on Saturday, the November 10, the night of the crescent moon.

They will perform at 19 different locations nationwide, with a total of 21 shows for this standing tour, which includes songs from their album, No.0. In their hall tour, BUCK-TICK 2018 TOUR No.0, which ran from March to July earlier this year, the band used an impressive stage set along with videos that brought colours into the songs to draw the audiences’ hearts into the story of No.0. But this time, in this standing tour, although the theme has not changed, a witty set list and spacious staging has turned this into something that allows the audience to experience this world together with the band.

 

The synchronisation of clapping in “Hikari no Teikoku” and the frenzy of the cat paw dance in “GUSTAVE” were further intensified, for example, and even though I, as a reporter, remain calm, as the audiences’ cheers grow ever louder with each of the band members’ movements, I can’t help but feel thrilled. As the cadent drumming of Yagami Toll (drums), the song-like bass lines by Higuchi Yutaka (bass) that brings such a groove, the edgy guitar riffs from Hoshino Hidehiko (guitar), and the noisy yet emotional guitar sound of Imai Hisashi’s (guitar) meld together, the euphoria in the venue gets raised even higher. The expressiveness of Sakurai Atsushi (vocalist), who sang in the spotlight and performed as if he was a part of the videos in the hall tour, has become even more refined and with just his emotional vocals and more aggressive performance, they have shown us the embodiment of the iconic world of No.0 on this simple stage.

As the tour is still ongoing, details will be withheld, but like the name of this tour, the setlist, which was put together with a focus on No.0’s songs, appears to revolve around the keyword “moon”. As if watching over them, the “moon” was present in both their performance of the cries of a high-minded fool in “BABEL”, and their expression of an ephemeral life that seems as if it was about to disappear before our eyes in “Moon  Sayonara wo Oshiete”. Since ancient times, the waxing and waning of the moon along with life and death have been associated with each other and expressed in a variety of ways. That was exactly how they were linked, beginning with the feeling of life coming into existence to the dynamic sound of “Reishiki Juusan-Gata ‘Ai’ ”, and ending with the calls of love filled with open emotion during a person’s final days in “Tainai Kaiki”. Yet, without leaning towards the serious, it appears that the sublimation of the “joy of life” is the heart of this tour. Although his words may differ, here and there, at different points in time during this tour, Sakurai appears to be implying “I wish everyone happiness”, and those feelings of his are, once again, unforgettable.

This tour will continue on until their performance at Kyoto’s KBS Hall on December 22 (Saturday), followed by their performance under the waning moon on December 29 (Saturday), entitled “TOUR No.0 -FINAL-” at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan. I do hope that we will be able to experience this exceptional, jubilant time together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/E1542678328686/

 

BUCK-TICK x HAL Industry-academia Collaboration Project

HAL Tokyo College of Technology & Design
25 October 2018

 

MVs for songs from BUCK-TICK’s album, No.0

Comment from BUCK-TICK’s Sakurai Atsushi:

Thank you for (making) such a cool video for our song “BABEL”
Please allow me to present the “BUCK-TICK Award” to you
I have been greatly inspired by everyone’s finesse
We hope that one day, we’ll be able to work with all of you somewhere, somehow
and that you’ll continue enjoying music through life

With that, a thank you
for the wonderful works by
all the teams from HAL Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo
who invested their precious time and took part in this production

I wish all of you good luck and all the best in your future endeavours

BUCK-TICK, Sakurai Atsushi

 

Source: https://www.hal.ac.jp/tokyo/mind/case_study/18273

 

 

Featured works:

Grand prize winner

 

Runner-up (BUCK-TICK Award)

 

Runner-up (Speed Award)

 

Other words can be found on HAL’s Official Youtube Channel

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: HAL Tokyo

Full details on their new signature models have finally been revealed

GiGS no. 467
May 2018

In Russian

 

Upon receiving the very first reports in last month’s issue that Imai & Hoshino’s new guitars have finally been completed, we immediately went to visit the two of them.
And what awaited us were the models that blended the paths they have carved out thus far together with their present modes.
This time, we bring you an interview about their newest equipment, along with another interview about their latest work, “No.0”.
So what are the guitar build techniques behind these two, who have spent 30 long years together, for eagerly-awaited new models in this upcoming tour? Let’s unravel them through the words of these two men.

 

 

New models loaded with the two men’s current concepts

First, let’s check out every nook and cranny of the new models. Both Imai’s “Maimai”, rigged in a new form, and Hoshino’s model, which possesses the element of surprise, will grab your attention!

 

Fernandes
IMAI HISASHI MODEL GUSTAVE

A new model that has inherited the Maimai Shape, the most popular Imai model. Maimai is equipped with a passive humbucker, and finished with one side planing off, as if to border the body, and the other side with a fragment. With a body made of a maple top and a mahogany back, one can see that in terms of the specs, it follows much of the DAZZLER that was created in 2011.

Specification
Body: Maple Top, Selected Mahogany Back
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Scale: 628mm [Medium]
Joint: Bolt On
Pickups: VooDoo HB 57’s x 2
Control: 2 Vol, 1 Tone, Mini Toggle Switch

Pickups
Both the front and back PU are vintage type VooDoo HB 57’s. Creates strong low mid-range sounds and gorgeous harmonics.

Control
The controls, which are also characterised by a drop around the knobs, consist of 2 Vol, 1 Tone, and a Mini Toggle Switch type PU selector.

Body Paint
The leopard print design on the body was handled by Shin, the same airbrush artist who produced the “Coffin Guitar” in the past.

Joint
A bolt-on joint with 4 bolts. The joint area was shaved off so as to improve performance in a higher position.

Cutway
Here, we have a picture from the manufacturing stage before painting was done. It can be seen that Maimai’s iconic cutaway was exquisitely processed.

Colouring
This is one of the pieces that were in the midst of being painted. The back of completed body is red in colour, however, this rare picture from the manufacturing process shows that the bottom still white at this point in time.

 

Fernandes
HOSHINO HIDEHIKO MODEL TXL-HH Custom

Hoshino, who has amassed a number of original shape models so far, has produced a TL style guitar, the first since his major debut. However, when one pays attention to the details like the PU installed and the extra long neck scale, one can see that instead of a traditional model, it is a guitar that is packed with a variety of ideas. Additionally, there is also a black version of this guitar.

Specification
Body: Light Ash
Neck: Maple
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale: 666mm [Extra Long]
Joint: Bolt On
Pickups: TV Jones TV Classic CR [front], Lindy Fralin Broadcaster Bridge [rear]
Control: 1 Vol, 1 Tone, CRL 3-way Selector

Pickups
The PUs are a set of TV Jones, the same as those used in Gretsch guitars, and a vintage type Lindy Fralin.

Control
The controls are made up of simple specifications, with 1 Vol, 1 Tone, and a 3-way PU selector.

Neck
With the neck, he sought reverberating bass notes and a good pitch, and uses a 666mm extra-long-scale.

Body Material
This is the body material before painting. After playing and comparing it with Alder wood, he has decided to use light Ash wood.

Fret
Incorporating opinions from the staff on guitar tech, he decided to equip medium jumbo type frets.

 

 

 

 

Imai and Hoshino talk about the concepts that went into their new signature models

From here on, we asked both Imai & Hoshino about their design aims for their new guitars.
Through their words, you’ll be able to feel their intentions, as guitarists who are still exploring evolution even as they celebrate their 30th anniversary since debut.

About Imai’s New Model
Reflecting his own sensibilities with both sound and looks

ーー While this looks like a new Maimai model, when we look at the specs, its a model that’s almost like a Dazzler, isn’t it.

Imai (I): Well that’s because it isn’t a single coil to begin with. Since it’s becoming a type with a spiral shape, I wanted to make it the newest version.

ーー And your pickup is a vintage type?

I: Since Maimai has a single coil, there’s no need to go with that either, and anyway, I wanted a slightly “thicker” sound too.

ーー When making this guitar, what was the one thing that Imai-san placed the most emphasis on?

I: For sure, the looks. If you were to describe all the previous Maimai’s till now as anime versions, you could say that I wanted to make this one the live-action version.

ーー With regards to the Maimai that’s almost a flat top, you’ve added a dip in the controls area and have had the outer periphery of the body shaved off, making it more three-dimensional. So what about the leopard print?

I: Somehow, when I woke up, it suddenly popped into my head that “this might be good”. Initially I was thinking about the stabiliser or something but I kept feeling like I wasn’t sure. In the midst of that, I thought of this, and it all clicked.

ーー What about the words “BRAVO TANGO” on the back of the neck?

I: With the ABCs, they can be specifically referred to in a way where B is “Bravo”, C is “Charlie” and so on. So if we switch B-T with that, it turns out to be “BRAVO TANGO”.

ーー I see. I believe that this guitar will be actively used from this tour onwards but do you have an image of which songs you’ll be using it for?

I: I haven’t decided yet but if we’re talking about songs from “No.0”,  then I suppose “美醜LOVE (Bishuu LOVE)” and “GUSTAVE”.

About Hoshino’s New Model
The best sound quality with close attention paid to the smallest of details

ーー A TL style guitar is one that you used when you debuted, right?

Hoshino (H): Actually, I used a Telecaster quite a lot when it came to recording. Now, I don’t use it as often but there have been so many recent songs that are single-coil types that I’d think that 70 percent use Telecasters. So because of that, since it’s also our 30th anniversary, I thought it would be nice to come full circle and go back to the TL style.

ーー And in it, the first thing that catches your eye was the pickup.

H: I had tech listen in as I try out various ones, and in the end, this is what I went with.

ーーWhat was the direction that were you looking to take the character of your sound in?

H: Aside from the pickup, I also tried playing with a few different body materials to pick out the one that made the nicest sound to me but I did wonder if doing it like this would bring out it’s diversity. The front’s TV Jones creates a sound that’s like something in between a humbucker and a single-coil, while the rear pickup gives a slightly withered feeling. It gives the impression that it has a, perhaps, sharper, or rather a clearer sound, as compared to the SG style from before.

ーー You’ve also given it an extra long neck and bigger frets as part of its features.

H: These were also ideas that came from tech and the builders, but I’m glad that I gave it a go. Simply making the scale a little longer stabilises the pitch and the way the bass notes come out.

ーー The guitar has two colours, white and black, and a prototype of the black one has been used last year’s lives as well but for this tour and in future, what cases will this guitar be used in?

H: I think the white one might become the main guitar though. For the songs… I’ll probably use it  for “薔薇色十字団 -Rosen Kreuzer- (Barairo Juujidan -Rosen Kreuzer-)” and such.

 

 

 

 

No.0’s guitar sound,
an overlap of both men’s images

Finally, we’ll have Imai and Hoshino talk about their latest work, No.0, from their perspectives as guitarists. Just like we have with their signature models, we will draw closer to the depths of the guitar sound produced by these two, who continue to gaze upon new visions.

「If there is something that hooks into me Anything can develop from it」

 

ーー In your latest production, when did you start to foresee “the kind of guitar I’ll play”?

H: That happens before making a new song. It’s like this when I make my demos, and it’s also the same when I receive Imai-san’s demos. Because everything that I need to do will be in it.

―― I’m driving into this a lot but, when you’re producing the song, at which point do the guitars come in?

H: The demo is made in the form of drums, bass, synth, then both guitars, but on the other hand, there are are also occasions when we write a song, starting with the guitars. Like, when the intro’s guitars surface first. This time, all 3 of the songs that I wrote had the guitar parts done first at the start.

I: I, too, have quite a number of songs that were written with the guitar parts first. There are times when I develop a song from a chord progression that I like, or from a riff, or from a melody, or from a rhythm.

―― That’s everything (lol).

I: Because if there’s something that hooks into me, anything can develop from it.

―― When you get into the mood of “well then, let’s write a song”, is that how it always goes?

I: The “well then, let’s write a song” thing is an action pattern that I hate though. The best scenario is when “ah, (an idea) sprang up!”. Anyway, it’s troublesome to start from nothing (lol). Well, the more I work on it, it’ll somehow work out. Maybe fiddle with the synth a bit, if I get a feeling or something I’d develop it from there and so on.

ーー Do you have something like a collection of ideas that you keep?

H: If I’m playing my guitar in the studio and something I like comes up, I will definitely record it.

I: In the past, LUNA SEA’s J (B) said to me, “I put recorders in the various rooms of my house and if I think of something I’ll immediately record it. It might’a be good for Imai-san to do that too”. So I bought around 3 recorders and tried doing that, and before you know it, I’m even recording things that makes me wonder “Huh, do I really need to record this?”.

ーー Because you can record everything at anytime.

I: I even recorded things that would normally feel embarrassed about (lol).

ーー At which stage do you decide on which equipment to use?

I: That depends. There are times when I’ve decided during the songwriting stage that “I’ll use this guitar for that”, yet there are also times when I haven’t made a decision even right before we start recording.

ーー If it comes to you right at the start, is it often a individualistic guitar that is chosen?

I: If I want the sound of a guitar that has a modulator built in it (POT), then that’s the only choice that I have, or if I’m looking for a soft and distorted sound then it’ll be the ES-335, and so on.

ーー Looking at the list of equipment that you’re using for your new work, unexpectedly, there’s quite a lot of orthodox equipment, isn’t there.

H: That’s right. From that we’d choose, like “if I want a single coil…” or “if I want a humbucker…” and such. I’d refer to the sound of my part in the demos that Imai-san made. And after that, I’d go to the recording studio and try playing a few. For example, even if it’s a single coil sound, I’ll have to work out which nuances I want to bring out.

ーー If it’s your own song, will Imai-kun come along as well?

I: Yes. If it’s a demo I made at home, I can’t really express things like whether it’s a single coil or a humbucker, or if it’s clean or distorted.

ーー The song “Barairo Juujidan -Rosen Kreuzer-”, that was written by Hide-kun (Hoshino) is a good number that shows the contrast between both of your guitars, isn’t it. It creates a situation where you can hear Hide-kun’s exemplar, clean sound on the right side, while on the left side, Imai-kun’s almost extremely noisy sound.

H: That song was made from having a Telecaster cutting and melding together with a distorted bass. In addition to that, I thought of having Imai-san playing freely, so I used arming and delays in the demo, then put in a guide of Imai-san’s part. But it’s just that I played it so fittingly that it’s impossible to copy, so in the end, I could only add in a guide that says “something like this” (lol).

I: The bridge* and the chorus are the parts that I have to play and it was put into the demo properly but the verse* was absolute bullshit so I did it that way as well (lol).

ーー Though I believe that there are times when you’ll have to pull though your own songs all on your own.

H: When Imai-san shuts himself up at home and can’t come out, then I’ll be like “All right then, I’ll play all of it” (lol). But recently we’ve been doing it through exchanges with each other.

ーー Through email?

I: No, I’d receive CDs. With those I’d attach handwritten tablatures.

ーー Whaaat, to that extent!

I: Looking at that, I can check and confirm, like “Ah, so in this part I’ll have to press like that”.

H: Though he’d add one more line to the staff notation, then draw the shapes of the fingers on it (lol). There are quite a lot of open chords so I figured those had to be conveyed properly.

ーー And for Hide-kun’s songs, it also appears that there are many that become difficult with chord name notation.

H: That’s right. Even I, myself, don’t know the chord names (lol).

ーー What about when it comes to the chords in Imai-kun’s songs?

I: I’ll play in front of him and show him.

H: That’ll be my musical score.

I: He’s a special guy.

H: With notations that only I can understand (lol).

ーー I would like to hear about you actual sound production too. For example, what is the mechanical sound right at the start of the album?

I: I think we processed the sound from the BOSS’ SY-300 (guitar synthesizer)?

ーー The SY-300 was also used in other songs, right.

I: That, unlike other guitar synths that require dedicated pickups, you can use it as if it was an effector. You can just press the shield, play the amp, and the sound of the synthesizer will be made. I thought that this sensation is interesting, so I used it in the end.

ーー The normal synths are also often used but what segregates it from the guitar sound?

H: The order has the synth coming in after the guitars, so it’s done in a way that makes sure that it doesn’t clash with the sound.

I: Though in “光の帝国 (Hikari no Teikoku)” and some others, we mixed and re-mixed them over and over to get that balance between the guitars and the synth, didn’t we.

ーー As usual, the beauty of the reverb from Hide-kun’s guitar stood out.

H: Though, that might also be affected by the blending of the reverb from the effector and the ringing in the room?

ーー During the interview from last month’s issue, Imai-kun touched on a characteristic of the new work that you referred to as “a sound that protrudes”.

I: I’m constantly conscious of a protruding sound, a foreign body sensation. This time, that naturally came out when writing the songs. Things that made me think, “huh, why did I play something like that?”. That was a strange feeling.

ーー So, going forward, you’ll be playing this sound live then.

H: For me, I suppose so, to some extent. As long as the atmosphere of the song is maintained, I think we’d have no problems at all with the live versions.

I: Like having the sound source play from the computer, then playing the sound anew live, right. Also, I think the guitar phrases for “Barairo Juujidan -Rosen Kreuzer-” changes everytime. Like today, I’ll play this part, or something (lol).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans Bad pics: Yoshiyuki

 

 

BUCK-TICK Announces A One-Night-Only Live Stream

OKMusic
30 May 2021

 

 

BUCK-TICK has announced a special live session entitled Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara 〜SHOW AFTER DARK〜 which will be streamed in July. This is the second time that they will be holding a while new live show for streaming. The first, ABRACADABRA LIVE ON THE NET was held on 21 September last year to commemorate the release day of their album ABRACADABRA and featured the songs on that album played in accordance with the work’s tracklist. However, this time, it is a special one-night-only show with no accompanying release. Furthermore, this will also be BUCK-TICK’s first show in 2021.

The show will consist of two parts made up of a special setlist selected for this occasion from the many songs they have released over their 36-year career. Some of the numbers have been boldly rearranged to leave a completely different impression from their original versions.

Peeking into the tent of curiosities as the night deepens, you’ll find an unfamiliar visage on the BUCK-TICK you thought you knew well. Is it dream or reality, or perhaps, are they real or fake──. This will probably turn out to be a curious experience that blurs the lines between dreams and reality on this one summer night.

A new artist photo has been released along with the live announcement. Looking at the picture, we can expect a conceptual show to unfold.

More details, including the date, will be announced later.

 

■『Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara 〜SHOW AFTER DARK〜』

https://buck-tick.com/feature/specialsite_s-a-d

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://okmusic.jp/news/424272

BUCK-TICK comments for Crystal of Re:union collaboration

12 April 2018

 

In Russian

 

Crystal of Re:union will be celebrating their 2nd anniversary with a new, second chapter with BUCK-TICK providing the theme song for it. Here are the comments from the members of BUCK-TICK regarding this collaboration.

 

――Comments from the members of BUCK-TICK――

(1) Having seen the PV where the song was used, how did you find it?

Sakurai Atsushi (S): I felt very honoured.
Imai Hisashi (I): I think it fits the song.
Hoshino Hidehiko (H): It was just like a PV, cool!
Higuchi Yutaka (U): We don’t really have animated PVs, so I thought that it was interesting.
Yagami Toll (T): It was wonderful.

(2) Do you normally play games?

S: Not really, but please do play Crystal of Re:union
I: I want to but…  a whole lot and throughout the day
H: Right now, I don’t have the time to relax and enjoy games.
U: Not recently.
T: I like “Ryu ga Gotoku” (the Yakuza series).

(3) I am curious about whether the dark perspective that one feels from BUCK-TICK’s music is something that is intentionally made or something that is naturally produced as it is. Please do tell us about it if you’d like to.

S: For me, Sakurai’s private world is the world that is most calming.
I: Both.
H: It’s something we have.
U: Based on the flow of the songs that we’ve written so far, I think it’s natural.
T: I think it’s both.

(4) The fact that the producer of Crystal of Re:union is a huge fan of BUCK-TICK has been revealed. What do you think of the profile icons that were made?

S: Thank you for depicting it so beautifully (youthfully). It’s wonderful.
I: Nice!
H: Thank you for drawing it handsomely,
U: Thank you for making it look cool.
T: It’s wonderful.

(5) What are your thoughts on the equipment items “Blood-soaked Guitar (weapon)” and “Heaven-Piercing Rage (headpiece)”?

S: I’m envious…
I: Interesting
H: Rage* (lol) That’s amazing!
U: I want an equipment item too.
T: It’s cool.

*Rage is written as “怒髪”. In its individual Kanji, 怒 means  “anger”, while 髪 means “hair”. In a literal sense, the equipment can also be called “Heaven-Piercing Angry Hair”, which is probably what made Hide ‘lol’.

(6) I especially respect the fact that you have continued working together for more than 30 years with the same members! Is there a secret to how you keep at it?

S: There’s no secret. But everyone loves music and we enjoy it.
I: I don’t think there is one
H: Not in particular…
U: Respect
T: There’s no secret. It is destiny.

(7) Please tell me about the highlights of the album, “No.0”, that the tie-up song is recorded in, and of the tour of the same name!

S: Intensions and extensions, also birth, and death, enjoy your story as you feel it.
I: I think that this is a cinematic and iconic album, so if you experience both the tour and the lives as well, it’ll be interesting.
H: The highlight is, from the opening to the ending  all of it.
U: It’s a wonderful album has been completed, it’s a tour where you’ll be able to see a variety of perspectives.
T: Also, the new music and visual are highlights.

(8) Please say something to the users of “Crystal of Re:union”!

S: Look out for me. Thank you, and do have fun.
I: Nice to meet you. Do come and have fun at our lives too.
H: Do have fun playing the game!
We’re in the midst of a nationwide tour. If we happen to visit somewhere near you, please do come and watch our Live too!
U: Both Crystal of Re:union and BUCK-TICK thank you for your support.
T: Do play it, and enjoy yourself.

 

 

Promotional Video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Content source: http://www.4gamer.net/games/334/G033492/20180410036/
Image source: http://www.cryuni.com/cp/buck-tick/

 

 

Tour “No.0”, the culmination of BUCK-TICK 30th Anniversary Project, begins

Excite News
2 April 2018

photo by Seitaro Tanaka
text by Yuka Okubo

 

 

Pushing forth through the 30th anniversary of their major debut with their 21st new album release “No.0”, BUCK-TICK have started their nationwide tour “BUCK-TICK 2018 TOUR No.0” on March 31 (Friday) at Yokosuka Arts Theatre.

The world of “No.0” was densely represented in what was shown on the first day of the tour; births and ends; creation and destruction; love and death. Using stage sets and videos that visually expanded the world of their music, along with lighting that plays with darkness and light, and BUCK-TICK’s current sound, they brought this profound and universal theme to life.

In the scene of the members’ entrance, which made effective use of video and the stage set, a wave of loud cheers and applause erupted from the audience who were bursting with anticipation. For those who will be enjoying the tour at a later date, details will be withheld, but the setlist centres around the songs from “No.0” also has selected past songs added into it that connect deeply with the world of No.0.

As if in concert with our heartbeats, Yagami Toll’s reverberating rhythm pushes open their world with “Zero-Type Model 13 [Love] (Reishiki Juusan-Gata [Ai])”. In “Ophelia”, Hoshino Hidehiko’s guitar sings wistfully together with the song, while in “BABEL”, the presence of Higuchi Yutaka’s solid bass phrases was strongly felt. In the industrial number, “Nostalgia – Vita Mechanicalis -”, which was led in by the noisy guitar sounds played by Imai Hisashi, captivated the audience with a theatrical stage performance, and in “Moon  Tell Me Goodbye (Moon  Sayonara wo Oshiete)”, we were intoxicated by the beautiful band ensemble and Sakurai Atsushi’s emotional vocals.

Next, the story of “Night of Guernica (Guernica no Yoru)” that was spun with a video makes one forget to blink. Sakurai, who usually sings in a vocal style where he plays the part of the main character in a song, made “Return to the Womb (Tainai Kaiki)” a highlight, expelling a voice filled with naked emotion. The compulsion and tremendous energy conveyed from the stage overwhelmed the audience who were left absolutely still.

 

The main part of the show, which was put together without any MC, was serious and left a deep impression in everyone’s hearts, but when it came to “GUSTAVE”, dancing wildly in cat poses with Sakurai in the hall became another one of the tour’s highlights. It looked like the band members were also enjoying the world of No.0 that they have built together with the fans.

Looking around in the hall, men and women of all ages can be seen in the audience, and this “No.0”, which ranked number 2 in the weekly charts, can be said to be a work that once again vouches for the originality of the band who continues to refresh their masterpieces even as they celebrate their 30 years in their careers. As they continue the cycle of creation and destruction, BUCK-TICK will play a total of 29 shows, including one more show added for July 26 (Thu), at Tokyo International Forum Hall A.

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/E1522674061453/

 

BUCK-TICK Interview
Closing in on the state of “oblivion” with an overwhelming persuasiveness

OKMusic
02 February 2018

Interview text by Kyosuke Tsuchiya

 

 

I personally felt that they were iconic songs

Following the conclusion of a series of performances celebrating their 30th debut anniversary, they announced the release of their new album『No.0』. While the simple title was surprising, it represented BUCK-TICK’s widely varied musicality, and in the content itself, their unwavering assertiveness.

 

 

──Preparations for this time’s『No.0』was ongoing in the midst of the 30th-anniversary activities, so it seemed to me that this wasn’t something that was produced based on a specific concept…

Imai (I): Yes. Like, we decided to create something great from what we’ve already made. However, looking at them after they were finished, I personally felt that they were iconic songs. I guess that’s kind of interesting. Also, I think we have become more capable of successfully incorporating things like discordant sounds and protruding sounds.

──Aren’t those things that have always been present in past works as well?

I: But personally, I felt that it was in this album that we were truly and comfortably able to work those in well. It’s not like there was a particular theme or anything like that though.

──What kind of approach did Sakurai-san take towards this?

Sakurai (S): One that’s sharper than usual, with the performance, carefully, even stronger, more beautifully… I seek stronger, more beautiful words, to bring things closer to the perfection that I can create within myself now. That’s why, for the lyrics and the singing… I normally do concentrate on them but this time, I was extremely focused on it, so that was quite tiring. Words that fit together more beautifully, words that are right on the verge of piercing into people’s hearts more deeply… Just so that it doesn’t cause hurt. I kept thinking and thinking about all those things in this manner. Even with the song itself I’m careful with the vibrato down to the last note, careful with the pronunciation too, and such. If I can do it to the point where I don’t feel regret when listening to it again at a later point in time, I think that the people who listen to it will be able to get the feeling of “ah, this is nice” from it. It’s okay if they don’t get the feeling that “this is amazingly good”. Just “ah, this is nice”.

──From Sakurai-san’s perspective, how do you view Imai-san’s recording scenes?

S: As expected, he’s been highly particular towards the sound with these few [songs], and he’s become rather strict with his orders and requests towards the sound manipulator Yokoyama Kazutoshi (lol). He’s both an artisan and an artist, and as each of the sounds get stacked up on each other, he doesn’t compromise. Poor Yoko-chan (lol).

I: Hahaha. I won’t give an ‘OK’ until the end (lol). That said, I don’t think that we’re doing anything difficult since I’m really just going along freely, as I please.

──After the『BUCK-TICK 2017 “THE PARADE” ~30th anniversary~』at Odaiba concluded, didn’t Sakurai-san say “I think that its an album where you’d feel like you like (the author)”? I seemed to me that there was a point made by Sakurai-san about the album in the root of that remark.

S: Was it not to your liking? (lol) If I have to say, I think that you’d like it if it’s as if the character is shrouded in smoke, flitting around here and there, making you wonder which is the real Sakurai-san (lol), I believe that’s why I said that.

──I see. Was there a song that became the key to this time’s production?

I: I don’t think there was anything in particular that was like that. But with “Guernica no Yoru (The Night of Guernica)” and “Reishiki 13-Gata ‘Ai’ (Type-Zero Model 13 ‘Love’)”, things like 6/8 and 3/8 time signatures naturally came out, and even I, myself, thought that that was interesting. Because that was a sensation that never came up before. I didn’t even think that much about the melody, and it just immediately came out smoothly. The songs that were written in the earlier stages were “Moon  Sayonara wo Oshiete (Moon  Tell Me Goodbye)”, “BABEL”, “Bishuu LOVE (Love the Beautiful and the Ugly)”, and the sort.

──Why was “BABEL” chosen as the very first single to be released?

I: During the point in time when the demos were made, I already had the single candidates in my mind but after we entered the studio and worked the sound in, I thought that this type of songs probably aren’t suitable to be used as singles, and while I was thinking about that… “Moon  Sayonara wo Oshiete” was also one of the single candidates but considering that this single would be the first one for our 30th anniversary, I also had the thought that a powerful song might be better after all. Following that, it wasn’t a challenge, but having a song like “BABEL” as a single is quite like us too.

──It sure is a song that can only be BUCK-TICK’s. Also, the theme of “BABEL” is one with profound meaning too.

S: “BABEL” became the working title of the demo, didn’t it. I felt the impact of it there, and it just so happened that there was Bruegel’s『The Tower of Babel』exhibition going on at the same time. It seems like it has been held overseas as well, but lots of fans said things like “Did you go for (the) Babel (exhibition)?” to us, and they even sent lots of gifts over. In such a situation, I got brainwashed (lol), and wrote my own interpretation of what “BABEL” is.

I: We’re worried whenever we set a working title. Because Sakurai-san can get influenced by it too (lol). However, in this case, the idea that the image of this song was “BABEL” just popped up and floated there. Then as when we were looking up what the general idea of “BABEL” is, it happens that『The Tower of Babel』exhibition was being held, I wondered if somehow it called out to us.

──So it overlapped with such coincidence. The verse《Call me Babel (Ware wa BABEL)》is quite powerful too, isn’t it.

S: Well, this is in the Tower of Babel story but in it exists the theory that aiming for the sky in an attempt to draw closer to God is a foolish endeavour. That’s to say that the symbol of that foolishness is me, its human.

──The words《I embody oblivion (Watashi wa nu de aru)》in the beginning leave quite an impression but the “oblivion (無*)” exemplifies Sakurai-san in recent years, doesn’t it.

S: Interesting isn’t it. It is as imagined. Because, instead of me explaining it, I want it to be something that belongs to those who have listened to it.

I want to say “anti-war” like it’s only natural to

 

── Once again, you’re shrouded in smoke… Was the decision to put “Reishiki 13-Gata ‘Ai’” as the opening song made early on?

S: That’s right. When the song came up, there was a conversation about how it would be nice if this was the first song, so I said: “Alright, I’ll write the song lyrics for that purpose”. This is a little off-topic but I thought that it would be good for “Tainai Kaiki (Return to the Womb)” to be the last song. Because of that, I don’t think that it’s far-fetched but if it is, then let’s make it the first song in the womb. Of coming into existence. I did wonder whether it’s also an intro with that kind of a beginning. I wanted the title to create a feeling that is similar to a take-off, that the first code from the uterus really came with the nuance of “It’s a new model!”.

──Much like how “BABEL” is about how foolish humans are, “Bishuu LOVE”, which comes after “Reishiki 13-Gata ‘Ai’”, questions just what love is, and I wonder if it could be preaching as well.

S: No no, that’s just presumptuous (lol). I suppose when you think about what makes love stand out… In the past, you’d talk about darkness and light and so forth, but don’t you think that love resonates more beautifully when there’s a great deal of darkness or the ugly. It creates an unpleasant feeling when something like that gets emphasised and love buoys up, making the basis of it difficult to see, doesn’t it.

──The beginning starts with sound effects that sound like you’re communicating with the universe, it gives a decadent spread of industrial flavours, doesn’t it?

I: Yeah. It gives a rather creepy feeling, I like it quite a lot. It’s not a discordant sound, but I wondered if I could construct something like a cluster of noises, like a bass riff clashing against a guitar.

──In the 3rd song, “GUSTAVE”, as well, you’ve woven together yet another different form of love. Furthermore, you even draw our eyes to true meaning hidden behind the pop style of the song. It’s the same in “Barairo Juujidan -Rosen kreuzer-” as well though.

I: With Hide (nickname for Hoshino Hidehiko), when it comes to his songs, I would receive things like the chord chard or the tablature from, then I’d make a copy of it and go into the studio but this time, he wrote “up to you” on areas like the intro and the verse (lol). Even though he says “up to you”, he’s already done everything up in a mess (lol).

S: For some reason, recently, we’ve put in one song that isn’t completely agreeable, and probably, I thought that I should mess up with the same feeling (lol). Like I even wanted to write the kind of the lyrics that would make you go “What the hell is this!?”.

──However, I think that “Bara (Rose/薔薇)” is a keyword that holds meaning, since it also appeared in the next song, “Salome -femme fatale-”.

S: Although the characters in the song itself are subtly different, there is love symbolised in the typical way, and in the case of “Salome”, it is a dangerous thing, or a dangerous person slipping into your chest and the like… Even in “Barairo Juujidan -Rosen kreuzer-”, there was the intention of wanting to create an atmosphere that exudes danger, that it really was an unrighteous, evil organisation.

──The existence of that Rosenkreuzer came from Germany, and through that, I can see that it is linked to “Guernica no Yoru”, which is reminiscent of Picasso’s masterpiece. The meaning behind that is not hedonistic either, is it?

S: Instead of having me explain it, I would definitely prefer it if you would feel it for yourself after all, but it’s not for sure that Rosenkreuzer actually existed. It was something that was going to help in a variety of areas, and I’ll be happy if you could imagine such a link while enjoying it.

──“Guernica no Yoru” is a song that you can’t listen to without tears, isn’t it?

I: As I passed it to him, I thought and hoped that he would do this song with the title “Guernica”… but I didn’t say anything about that. Personally, it was comparatively, I suppose, a masterpiece to me, and since it’s a song, I wondered what kind of lyrics he would deliver… and it was as expected of him (lol).

S: Thank you (lol).

I: It really felt like it was a dream or something, in our common ground it was like “ah, I see”. I think it turned out to be a good song.

──I’m surprised by Imai-san’s sense that he already wanted to give the song the title “Guernica” when he was writing the song, but with regards to the actual lyrics, we’ve clearly seen parent-child relationships, especially in the last few works, and it has once again become a major theme.

S: From the title, no matter how you try, Picasso’s『Guernica』will come to mind. As to why Picasso painted『Guernica』, I had a vague idea of what he thought, but as I went along digging deeper… Recently, this is indirect but, I want to say that I am against war, like it’s only natural to. I wondered how I should turn that into music, a song, as an opus. But you’d loathe something that’s too far removed from yourself, wouldn’t you? At that point, what I suddenly remembered was watching the very first movie that I ever saw in the theatre “Benji,” which is a film about a dog, in the one and only theatre in my hometown, Fujioka in Gunma Prefecture. It was the 3 of us, parent and children. But it played double features, and the other movie was『The Clocks Were Alive』, which about the bombing of Maebashi, and the impact was so great that it blew『Benji』far away to some other place, you could say I was almost frozen in place. It was as if I was experiencing sleep paralysis. In the past, we put provisional lyrics in our song “Kirameki no Naka de… (Into the glittering…)”(song from the album『darker than darkness -style 93-』, released in June, 1996)before, back then, I spoke of having watched a sad movie with my older brother. From those experiences, air raids, Guernica, my older brother, and the theatre got tied together and turned into this.

──So this song’s persuasive power stems from actual, personal experiences.

S: Yes. And that’s why, I, myself, am not making it in such a way that’s completely pleasing to the sense, you could say that I’m poking at the core of it. However, I put a lot of thought into the words as I chose them. To avoid creating unease, or to prevent misconceptions.

──This topic seems to be related to “Tainai Kaiki” as well…

S: No, I don’t have such an intention but we did also talk about how it might be nice to have “Guernica no Yoru” as the last song. But, no, since we wanted to end with “Tainai Kaiki”, “Guernica no Yoru” naturally became the second last song. That also happened naturally, didn’t it? It was as if it was meant to sit in that position.

I: When we were deciding between song during mastering, we also decided on the length of time that it would take the get back to the first song from “Tainai Kaiki” to make it feel like you can listen to it on repeat. I think that this turned out to be one interesting album.

 

 

 

 

Credits to This is NOT Greatest Site for the English versions of song titles and lyrics featured in this article.

 

Notes:

* 無 can also be interpreted as “nothing/null/zero”

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://okmusic.jp/news/245695

 

BUCK-TICK Streams Their Film Concert Online To The World

OKMusic
2 May 2021

photo by Seitaro Tanaka
text by Yuka Okubo

 

 

In September 2020, BUCK-TICK released their album ABRACADABRA. The release was followed by their national tour, TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN which began in October and ran for 3 months in the form of a film concert. I’ve actually gone down to the venue numerous times and marvelled at the impressive way the film makes me feel as if I’m at a live performance and the immersive acoustics which accompanies it, but I was once again able to enjoy the world of ABRACADABRA to the fullest through the band’s determination to “show” with their performance and camerawork in this long-awaited web stream.

To the music of the SE -PEACE-, sparks approach the stage with the occasional explosion like a dragon with a life of its own. The use of AR in this film concert’s production is another one of its highlights. The tour title emerges from a big magic lamp and when the cosmos unfolds to twinkling stars, the band appears on stage.

The first song to grace the stage was Tsuki no Sabaku. Imagery of a vast desert and the palace built in it, Sakurai Atsushi (vo) wrapped in a black cloak with his face hidden behind a veil, the intro’s tribal rhythm from Yagami Toll (D), the forlorn sounding chorus sung by Hoshino Hidehiko (G). Visually and aurally, this was a number befitting of the exotic image associated with the title ABRACADABRA

Following it, they pumped up the energy with the uptempo Que Sera Sera Elegy delivered with a duet by Sakurai and Imai Hisashi (G), and the dancey Kemonotachi no Yoru YOW-ROW ver.. SOPHIA DREAM, which unfolded into a psychedelic universe with Higuchi Yutaka’s (B) characteristic bassline could very well be considered as a new frontier for BUCK-TICK.

 

In this TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN, clips like close-ups of Yagami’s feet working the bassdrum, fingers moving on the guitars and bass guitar, and band members looking straight into the camera were included, giving the audience a chance to enjoy the show from angles that you wouldn’t normally see in a normal concert. I was especially floored by the way they filmed Sakurai singing as he lay on the floor of the stage doused in red lighting from overhead in the heavy digital rock number, URAHARA-JUKU.

Chilling the gurgling and boiling frustration of URAHARA-JUKU all at once was Kogoeru which followed next. I was held fast by Sakurai’s performance; the cold, distant emotion with which he sang and the way he gestured cradling a child as he sang a lullaby. Imai’s solo guitar came after so as to preserve the lingering notes of the song and as it fades away, they head into the song with the story of a game between a man and a woman, Maimu Mime. Sakurai’s vocals as he sings and acts out both parts, the ensemble filled with nostalgia reminiscent of the Showa era, and imagery of a bar district lined with signages named after the titles of past BUCK-TICK songs were all a joy to watch and see. 

The thrumming, solid-sounding, heavy, industrial rock track, Villain came next, followed by the electro dance song Datenshi  YOW-ROW ver., and the captivating retro-chic disco number Dance Tengoku, before leading into MOONLIGHT ESCAPE. To free ourselves from the guilt of running away; the message of this song that is also Sakurai’s wish was channelled with his blithe vocals to an airy tune. Then, the words “LOVE” and “PEACE” which appeared with the band’s singing and images of outer space brought a pop of colour to the catchiest song of the album Eureka. Afterwhich,  a memorable impression was left by the sight of Sakurai singing the album’s final song, Boukyaku bathed in a single spotlight in the middle of a pitch-black stage. 

The main set thus far had been entirely made up of songs from the ABRACADABRA album, but closing off this segment as the last song was the euphoric Luna Park. Coupled with Datenshi in BUCK-TICK’s previous single release, Luna Park carries the hope of the possibility of seeing each other again tomorrow. And so, the main set ends with the warm, comforting sound of hope that even in such a world, we can still close our eyes and dream good dreams.

For the encore, they lined up songs from their discography which showcased BUCK-TICK at their best which also carried the messages that they had for this world now in chaos. Hoshino waved his right hand to the audience (on the other side of the screen) and Yagami went straight to his drum set, while Higuchi and Imai took photos of the venue with their phones. Scenes that are no different from a regular concert’s encore made me wonder if it was being held live, a feeling that I also got when I watched it in the halls last year.

The first song played was FUTURE SONG – Mirai ga Tooru –. Sakurai and Imai sing “Onward  Its the future (進め 未来だ)” together backed by a powerful rhythm before singing “Laugh at all that is darkness (闇の全てを笑え)”. In Madman Blues -Minashigo no Yuu’utsu-, a song about a world devoured by an ever-growing amount of monsters which seems to have foretold our present, the duet of a brutal onslaught by Imai’s high-pitched vocals and the eerie quivering of Sakurai’s low tones comes together, bringing a chilling sense of unease.

Just as I thought they were turning things around with the warm glow of the soft, melting ensemble of GIRL, lit candles appeared all over the stage and ROMANCE played, showing off the true essence of BUCK-TICK’s gothic world. Then, my heart was filled with Hoshino’s electric acoustic guitar and the piano music of Sekai wa Yami de Michiteiru where Sakurai’s voice, too, reverberated gently to the familiar rhythms of Yagami and Higuchi. The most emotional moment came at the end of the song when Imai knelt down and strummed his guitar. Then, they proceeded into their last number, New World. To the clean, illuminating sound and strong, powerful vocals, their message to “Cut through the infinite darkness (無限の闇 切り裂いてゆけ)” pierced deep into my heart.

In the light, it becomes darkness, yet in the darkness, it becomes light. That is what BUCK-TICK’s music has always been. It becomes a place of refuge when things get so glaringly bright that it feels as if everything would disappear, and at the same time, it can be the hope that shines in the darkness of despair. As of now, the world is still filled with darkness, but I believe that eventually, the day will come when a new light will shine.

BUCK-TICK TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN will be archived until Friday, 7 May, 23:59. In addition, precious past live concert footage will be streamed on their official YouTube channel and on NicoNico Live during this Golden Week to bring a nightly buzz of joy on social media. 

Until the day a new world unfolds, BUCK-TICK will be the light which stays by the sides of those who seek it. And I believe that when it comes, they will present us with a new world of BUCK-TICK to be someone’s light and shadow. Until then, I can hardly wait.

 

 

【Setlist】

SE -PEACE-

  1. Tsuki no Sabaku (月の砂漠)
  2. Que Sera Sera Elegy (ケセラセラ エレジー)
  3. Kemonotachi no Yoru YOW-ROW ver. (獣たちの夜 YOW-ROW ver.)
  4. SOPHIA DREAM
  5. URAHARA­JUKU
  6. Kogoeru (凍える)
  7. Maimu Mime (舞夢マイム)
  8. Villain
  9. Datenshi YOW-ROW ver. (堕天使 YOW-ROW ver.)
  10. Dance Tengoku (ダンス天国)
  11. MOONLIGHT ESCAPE
  12. Eureka (ユリイカ)
  13. Boukyaku (忘却)
  14. Luna Park

 

<ENCORE>

  1. FUTURE SONG -Mirai ga Tooru- (FUTURE SONG – 未来が通る –)
  2. MISTY ZONE
  3. Madman Blues -Minashigo no Yuu’utsu- (Madman Blues -ミナシ児ノ憂鬱-)
  4. GIRL
  5. ROMANCE
  6. Sekai wa Yami de Michiteiru (世界は闇で満ちている)
  7. New World

 

Website
https://buck-tick.com/feature/specialsite_livestreaming202105

 

『BUCK-TICK TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN』Trailer

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://okmusic.jp/news/421805

BABEL – The first of BUCK-TICK’s 30th Anniversary Project

BARKS.jp
15 November 2017

Interview text by Imai Tomoko

 

 

BUCK-TICK has released the single, 「BABEL」, as the first part of their debut 30th anniversary project. As it has been for the past 30 years, their first new single after around 14 months is a song that brings a breath of fresh air and sounds distinctly like them. They, who have been active without any member changes since their debut with the video 『BUCK-TICK Gensho at THE LIVE INN』on 21 September 1987, released their all-time best compilation 『CATALOGUE 1987-2016』, that transcended beyond record companies labels, on 20 September 2017. They also held the 『BUCK-TICK 2017“THE PARADE”~30th anniversary~』on 23 and 24 September at Odaiba Yagai Tokusetsu Kaijo J Chiku, Tokyo. The driving force behind their new song 「BABEL」, that was created in parallel with such an overview of their past work, is something extraordinary. Sakurai Atsushi and Imai Hisashi talks about the events that led up to the birth of the new song and what comes next.

 

 

■ Making up a god and then desperately trying to surpass that god
■ I have thought that, it would be nice if that was possible

 

── The new song 「BABEL」 is a profound one that is packed with BUCK-TICK’s personality, how did it come about?

Imai Hisashi (I): This was probably the 3rd song from the initial stage when I started writing songs that will be used in the album. I was creating it at home, and at the demo stage, I thought, “This might be good as a single”. After that, when we started recording the album, other cool ones started being made, and I wondered if another song should be the single but surprisingly, this became the first single.

── What were the points that made you think that it would be suitable as single?

I: Perhaps it was the flow of the song, or maybe it was the beat. It’s heavy but, it feels like it progresses steadily? It also has a feeling that we haven’t had so far. The feeling that the chords are novel, like how it goes from major key to minor, I think the way it develops and that key changes are quite interesting.

── Certainly, most singles are pop songs but this is a little different, isn’t it. That unlikely feeling.

I: Exactly. I also had the intention of wanting to produce a song that captures with such a feeling. Not only is it pleasing to the ear, I think that even something like that holds something that the fans and listeners can accept.

── Did you consult the honest feelings of the fans and the fans’ votes for your 30th anniversary best-of album project as one of those evaluation criteria? Unexpected songs that weren’t singles or popular songs were included too.

I: That vote could be done once daily, and one person can vote multiple times so if there were diligent people, those songs will be ranked highly (lol). That’s why I was like “Heeeh~”. Well, I did take it into consideration though.

── But I did think that it’s because of that that a song like 「BABEL」 was created though.

I: How do I say it, not to “attack” but, something like this can be considered as pop as well. I think that even something that’s not something melodious and a little esoteric can be amusing.

── Even the arrangement leaves an imposing impression but does that overlap with the theme of the song?

I: The one who made the basic sound on the demo and put in the synthesizing was YOW-ROW-kun though.

── Imai-san is the vocalist in Fuji Maki-san’s SCHAFT right.

I: Yes. The amount of sounds that YOW-ROW-kun has is just so many that you could say that the development is dizzying, and had interesting parts.

── Yokoyama (Kazutoshi)-san has joined in BUCK-TICK’s recording though?

I: That’s because Yoko-chan and YOW-ROW-kun has different areas. YOW-ROW-kun is unhesitant, he has a part of him that decides ”I’ll put this kind of sound in”.

── This may sound rude but, with a generational difference, are there areas where you were in sync with Yokoyama-san?

I: There’s that as well, isn’t there. With Yoko-chan, we look at each other’s facial expressions and so on (lol)

── (lol) Was something like that a breath of fresh air for the song as well?

I: Not necessarily, but a variety of songs were indeed created.

── When producing the song, what was the image for lyrics like these?

I: This part is about this song so, I’ll hand it over to you.

── For Sakurai-san, what, in this song, inspired you for the lyrics?

Sakurai Atsushi (S): This song had a working title.

── Is that so?

S: We always have a temporary working title. I thought about it for quite awhile, assigning that working title.

I: I was like, why are you thinking about it so much (lol). The word「Babel」popped out, but we were also worried that the working title would affect the lyrics. Having said that, when the substance of it was expressed, it turned into this. In comparison, there was a time when we thought about the working title for around an hour.

── Is it because you want to to impose the image of your own song on the lyrics?

I: It was a jumble of thoughts along the lines of “I don’t want to but~”, like “what are we doing” (lol). So, when producing the song, this word,「Babel」, just sprung up normally. After that, when we searched online, it just so happened that the「Babel Exhibition」was being held, and I thought, well that’s just perfect.

── Was the word「Babel」something that created an image for you?

I: Simply put, it’s roughly “the Tower of Babel”, like a tower of treachery.

── Did Sakurai-san write the lyrics based on that working title?

S: Going back to the earlier topic, I also overheard that the working title was carefully chosen. So going with that flow, when coming up with song lyrics and doing the synchronisation, it’ll turn out exactly like that, the story will change completely, and it’ll get a different title too. I do have that flexibility too but, however, as a hint, there are times when the weight of it is different too. Imai-san mentioned this as well but there was a「Babel Exhibition」too, and even though they probably didn’t know about this song, it felt like the fans jumped the gun, saying things like “I went”, and sending us more and more merchandise (lol). Since I also knew about Babel as a child, I wondered, again, what will happen if I put it into words. I thought about it in parallel with the title.

── What does Sakurai-san think of as「Babel」?

S: In short, something like the egoism of man.

── Did you write the song lyrics around that?

S: Right. The, I suppose, main character, makes up their own god, then desperately tries to surpass that god. I have thought that it would be nice if that was possible, as a song, as a piece of music.

── At first glance, it doesn’t look like there are a lot of words in these lyrics, but I thought that what was stuffed in it was quite substantial.

S: That’s right. At the start, physically, there were quite an amount of words, at 5 or 6 pages on the PC. I gradually eliminated that.

── I would think that writing 5 to 6 pages at the start is quite tough but isn’t it even tougher to work on rewriting and cutting down on that?

S: Although I hate bragging that it was tough (lol), I was really tired this time. I noticed that each time, the degree of exhaustion seems to multiply.

── I wondered if the theme for the revision that you toiled on was the 2 aspects of Babel that Sakurai-san spoke of earlier. The purity and egoism of man. BUCK-TICK has depicted those ambivalent emotions well.

S: That always becomes the subject or the motif. Though I do think that if I’m a better person, it would’ve then been a different motif.

── I believe that there’s a profoundness that’s unique to Sakurai-san and BUCK-TICK, but in such a grandiose theme, there is also a playfulness showed by overlapping words with English, like “ifu no nen”, it makes me feel that there’s a good atmosphere.

S: Right. You might say that making people feel perplexed and think ”I wonder how serious these people really are” when they hear it, or creating the feeling that it’s not straightforward, is playfulness. Then next, we might produce a song that you’ll hear when you go shopping at the convenience store (lol). This time, that’s the kind of thing it is.

 

■ I definitely thought of an atmosphere akin to that of a monarch’s fragility
■ Terrified, shaking, asleep. They’re also part of the song lyrics though

 

── With regards to singing techniques and the like, were there areas that you were careful about or that you had difficulty with?

S: Once I write up the lyrics, I go ”Right, I’ll sing now!” (lol). I need a switch that tells me that it’s not done. Because if I’m not immersed enough in the singing phase, I’ll get the feeling that it doesn’t feel right. With regards to「Babel」, it’s a feeling similar to the emperor from The Emperor’s New Clothes. I definitely thought of an atmosphere akin to that of a monarch’s fragility. Terrified, shaking, asleep. They’re also part of the song lyrics though.

── So you don’t assume what you’d do while you’re singing when you’re writing the song lyrics?

S: I do think of that, at the same time.  Because it’s a solitary world in the middle of the night. If it’s “the flesh of the lamb and wine”, I’ll have it like this, and eat it with my hands, or something (lol).

── Phrases like “motto chi wo (give me more blood)”  are rather impactful lyrics, aren’t they.

S: Depending on circumstances, I’ll probably round it off and make it milder, but because this is an absolute monarch, he does not mince his words, like if he wanted to kill that person or something, that’s what it is.

── In the first line, there is “I am non-existent” though.

S: It goes around in circles, doesn’t it.

── Looking at the completed version, was it Imai-san who entitled it「Babel」?

I: Nope,  when Sakurai-san’s song came in, I thought ”Ah, this is will be good as a single”」.

── Please tell me about the B-side「Moon Sayonara wo Oshiete」.

I: It’s a song from the album that’s currently in the works, that has been remixed by Ishino Takkyu-san. This is a new song that has been released as a remix first.

S: The latest song.

── It’s bold to suddenly remix it and record it on a single. isn’t it.

I: We had a meeting about what we should do about the B-side, the idea of possibly asking Ishino Takkyu-san for a remix surfaced. We gave Takkyu-san a choice of 3 songs. The original song is completely different. It wasn’t made in this club style.

── I did think so, but where did the idea of asking Takkyu-san to remix come from?

I: From Director Tanaka-san. I thought it was interesting too. When I heard what he created, the feeling of the gradual build-up is wonderful.

S: I liked it a lot too. I was also happy that it could be transformed into that style of dance music because it’s based off the original song. Rather, it’s great that two songs can be enjoyed.

I: The original song was a candidate for the single too.

── It could be that Takkyu-san had the desire to do it because it was that kind of song.

I: Exactly. I thought that the feel of the chords were interesting too, and of course, I suppose it was easy for him to make the tempo and BPM more club-like.

── Is the album nearing completion too? Even on September 23/24, at the「BUCK-TICK 2017 “THE PARADE” ~30th anniversary~」that was being held at Odaiba Tokusetsu Kaijo, you’ve briefly mentioned the new work.

S: Since we started rehearsing for that event just as we were entering recording for the new work, it was tough to switch from the newest songs to the debut songs (lol). My body couldn’t switch at all. When I got on stage, I was resolute and determined and it was all right but I was kind of unable to convey those feelings (lol).

── How were those two days?

I: It was fun. Suddenly going from recording and work on new songs to performing past songs live, I couldn’t get used to it at the start of rehearsals but as the concert neared, I got more excited too. I’m glad that we did it.

──It was fun for the audience, but it was also amazing that there were 42 songs in 2 days. Where did the idea of having such a big difference in content for those two days come from?

I: Somehow, we changed it halfway, then ended up changing everything (lol)

── Did you think that you’ll be able to do it soon because they were songs that you’ve previously performed tens of times before?

I: No, not at all. With the old songs, it was like ”Why did we put this phrase is?”. It felt absurd. I first listened to the source tracks at home to pick up the sound of it, and did rehabilitation before the rehearsal so that was quite exhausting (lol), like “How did I play this?” (lol). I analysed it. Like, “If it’s me I guess I’ll do it like this?” (lol)  or, I probably wouldn’t do something this confusing, I’ll probably do something easy so, ah~ it’s like this.

── It’s tough because it’s not recorded on a score, isn’t it. I would think that as you play, won’t there be a lot of retrospective feelings as well?

I: More than that, I thought that it was amazing that on the 2nd day, we started with「Fly High」and ended with「Mudai」. Far from Tsundere, it’s more like having a dual personality (lol).

S: (LOL)

── (lol) But with your newest song「New World」at the end of the encore, I think that should settle it. How was it, having tried holding this event?

I: It was, of course, a good thing, and I think that we brought joy to the audience too. I’m glad that we did it.

S: After all, having been doing this for 30 years, this is also the first time that we were able to stage something like this, and I think that even for people who don’t know our earliest songs, they’ll also be able to think “So they did something like this”, and feel like they made new discoveries. Once again, I thought that anniversaries are delimiters. Then, we were also able to create a switch of starting something new because there was also the recording for the new songs, which makes me feel like it started with this.

── That start of new things is what this 「BABEL」turned out to be. I’m looking forward to what comes next. You also have a nationwide tour, and a year-end final being held at the Budokan over 2 days too.

S: That’s right. While everyone is celebrating for us, while we can still do it (lol). I’ll be great if we can energetically do it freely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://www.barks.jp/news/?id=1000148965

 

Vogue Editor’s Ano Hito ni Aitai!

Vogue Japan
16 July 2015

Photos: Tak Sugita at Sept
Stylist: Satoshi Hirota
Hair&Makeup: Takayuki Tanizaki at Fats Berry
Special Thanks to Le Baron de Paris www.lebaron.jp/

 

 

The highly influential, and uniquely original BUCK-TICK celebrates 28 years since their major debut. This time, we will be interviewing guitarist Imai Hisashi, who, even among the band’s 5 members, has, by far, the most individualistic visual sense, and is also the composer of their avant-garde sound. We will ask the man himself about his continued creativity in challenging new styles over the years, and his eccentric personality that galvanises the hearts of many!

 

 

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When I was a child, I thought of myself as an inconspicuous existence.

 

—— Since young, were you a child who liked things that others normally don’t?

During my childhood, I wasn’t like that at all. Like, it was only natural for me to, I guess, be inconspicuous, or just be normal. You could say I was quiet. I think I was like that.

—— Around when did you start expressing your individuality?

So, hmm, around the time when I was in elementary school, I think, I gradually began to start stating what my preferences were though. For example, even with clothes, little by little I was able to say what I liked. Also, I liked drawing (more than people). In the beginning, I’d be drawing sketches on the back of flyers and the sort. Since I’ve loved drawing since I was in kindergarten, I think that’s where it started. Probably.

—— Around when did you start having an interest in music?

Well, if it’s so-called rock that you’re talking about, then it’ll be when I was a middle school student. It sparked from the technopop that was popular at the time

—— Back then, were there people around Imai-san who listened to the same kind of music as you?

Sure there were but, as expected, most of my friends listened to it because it was popular. For example, even if they bought the album, they’ll only listen to the song that was the single and things like that.

—— I see. At the time, were there people who you looked up to in music and fashion?

I guess it was the fashion of those people back then. With the 3 members of YMO, it wasn’t their stage outfits but their plainclothes dressing that they wore in their private lives that I liked a lot. Since there were photo books that were released too, I wouldn’t say that I went as far as to do research but I was influenced by them. And, Hotei-san. I referred to Hotei-san’s hair and make-up, and his fashion a lot. I thought that he was someone who possessed a unique sensibility. Back then, when I went to watch BOOWY’s live, I really scrutinised the clothes that they wore, like their suits and even their shoes.

—— Imai-san often wears pointed shoes, so was that inspired by someone?

(Laughs). No, that’s just because, well, since they can make shoes that clowns wear I thought, well, why not make it for me to try.

—— That is to say, you had an original made.

Yes.

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It’s also good that there are people within the band who give off this haphazard feeling.

 

—— I think that Imai-san gives off the image that you are someone who is often challenging new things. Though, the fans probably think so too. Be it with your hairstyle, or your music, and so on.

Somehow it just naturally turned out that way, yeah. Because I think that it’s boring if I were to stick to the same hairstyle all the time anyway. I’ve been doing things like changing my hair colour every week since my teens (lol) What is it (lol). I like doing things like that, you see.

—— Have you ever wondered, “what will the people around me think when I do something different like that?”, or “do I really look cool like that?”, or things like that?

I’ve had thoughts like “I guess I’ll give it a thought” but. I don’t…… really think about that, I guess (lol).

—— You’re basically an optimist, aren’t you? (lol)

Ah, relatively so (lol). I do want to be like that.

—— Is it something like, “my style is different from the other members’, but, oh well”?

But I do think “I guess it’s good that things are like this” though. That there are so many people within the band who give off this haphazard feeling (lol). If U-ta (BUCK-TICK’s bassist, Higuchi Yutaka-san) did something like that I think it’d probably turn out that he wouldn’t stop (lol).

—— Because all 5 members of BUCK-TICK have their own style, don’t they?

I think that it’s more interesting because everyone has their own, I guess you could say, individuality, or personality.

—— That’s true. Also, I’ve noticed that Imai-san often says “cool” in interviews and such. For example, when you said Lingua Sounda (BUCK-TICK’s original label with Tokuma Japan Communications) “sounds cool”, or when other songs are released and you say they’re “definitely cool”. What Imai-san’s criteria to consider something “cool”?

I don’t know whether it’s a criterion or not, but. Say, for example, the name “Lingua Sounda”. That was something that we decided to put out into the world, so, in it is the strength to exist in the world. This is what makes me think that it’s interesting. That’s why the meaning or reason in it is…… In the beginning, it did mean something to me too, but it turns out that I’ve gradually come to lose it (lol). Like, it’s nice, just because (lol).

—— I believe that there are many youngsters who have been influenced by Imai-san too, but how do you feel when you see those people? I’d think that you’ve often collaborated for lives and things like that though.

I think there are lots of people who make me go, “Amazing”.

 

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I do hope that the words will be read and noticed properly.

 

—— In the past, there was a book that wrote about the history of BUCK-TICK, and in it was a question that asked, “There are people who say ‘I don’t think that Imai-san actually plays the guitar’. How do you feel about hearing that?”. I can’t remember the exact words though (lol).

Lol.

—— And then, to that question you answered, “The guitar isn’t something to compete with. I believe that it is my job to deliver phrases and melodies that resound in the hearts of people”.

That, somehow…… feels serious, doesn’t it (lol).

—— I was so moved. Because of how clearly it captured the meaning behind why you play your own style of music and that resolution and purity, it has become the one scene that represents “coolness” to me.

Seriously speaking, I guess that’s what it feels like, yeah. To me, I think that it’s a means…… whether it’s my expression or my way; whether it’s the guitar or the music, yep.

—— Do you write songs with the sentiment of “I want to convey something to people”, or thoughts like that?

There’s a part that does think like that though, but there isn’t really a message-like meaning…… nor a heavy or critical sentiment either. Of course, the words…… I do hope that the lines and lyrics will be read and noticed properly too, but I guess, nowadays people don’t read it at all (lol) That, I do think, too. Well, I think about a lot of things while composing.

—— Does Imai-san consider both the melody and the lyrics to be equally important parts?

Yes. Right.

—— At the end of the day, what is music to Imai-san?

Well, (this) started from me having the thought of wanting to play in a band and wanting to make it my profession since young. I already thought about these things when I couldn’t play an instrument or anything at all. That’s why, in the end, you could say that it’s like a method or a means (to me)…… I guess.

—— The visual part of it too is also a means for your own expression……

Like makeup and so on, I do think of wanting to do it, but I suppose you could say that it’s necessary for music as a job; there’s a reason for doing it. In the end, I’m doing things because I like it, right? It’s of course, though.

—— This is a strange question but (lol) have there ever been times when you wonder whether you came from another planet? Personally, there are times when I do feel like maybe Imai-san came from another planet (lol)

Lol. Um…… I’ve been told, very strange things (lol). By that…… those people (lol). Sort of.

—— I knew it! (lol) Do you have any stars that you’re interested in? For me, when Andromeda appeared in the lyrics, I wondered if Imai-san came from Andromeda (lol)

Lol. Nah, but you see, that’s only because the number of syllables is just right (lol). But it does seem like they exist, doesn’t it? Aliens.

—— Yes. I’d say so. Do you feel like you’ve got a special sense, or have you ever felt anything like that? (lol)

Lol. I have the openness to accept such things (lol)

It’d be great if I could influence, with an inclusion of various misunderstandings

 

—— Going back to music, I believe that you compose each song with care, so is there a particular song that is close to Imai-san’s heart?

It’s not coming to me right now though. I suppose, say, for example, when the melody of a chorus naturally comes to me without much difficulty and it is one that makes me feel that it’s the best melody that could be, it feels really great. You could say that it’s something I created, but it turns into a feeling of discovering something that was originally already there and that makes me feel happy.

—— So, there are times when it comes out smoothly, and there are other times when you have to work hard for it?

Yeah. There are times when I get very distressed. But when I get distressed, in its own way there is, to a certain extent, what you could call a compromise; like, I guess I should just worry about it and something will come out of it. That’s what I think, though.

—— Sorry for talking about myself, but for me, the song that I’ve got the strongest love for in my life is “Brain, Whisper, Head, Hate is Noise” (from the album Kurutta Taiyou). Listening to it again since I became an adult, I thought that it really is such a great song, so much so that I wanted to praise my middle school self who said that they liked this song (lol) So, about that song, how do you feel about it?

Lol. I like it a lot too. Ah (lol) Somehow, now, I feel so very rewarded though (lol)

—— Both the music and the lyrics in that song made me think, “How did those ideas!”.  It’s really amazing!

Ahh, it’s great, ain’t it, that song.

—— What kind of image does Imai-san have of that song?

For that, the chorus is rather melodious, but other portions are pretty much only made up of one chord and were given an ethnic ambience. I suppose it’s got a relatively psychedelic image.

—— I see. Thank you (lol) So, regarding your activities going forward. Is there anything you want to do or want to challenge?

In the end, with music, it’ll be about BUCK-TICK though. Challenges and such…… It’d become quite weird if I were to say that there are none (lol). But I guess it’s not like that, I think. Of course, I’m going to compose new songs, one by one, with all my energy for each album though.

—— So, to say, that’ll go on from now on and forever.

Yes. That’s right.

—— For Imai-san’s fans. When it comes to Imai-san, it is expected that you are seen as someone with a charismatic image, but what kind of existence do you want to stay on as?

I think it’d be great if I could (continue to) influence, with an inclusion of various misunderstandings.

—— A word for the readers of VOGUE, if you would please.

I’d be glad if you’d find (me) interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://www.vogue.co.jp/lifestyle/interview/hisashi-imai