Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空 -IZORA-

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

真っ逆さま 上昇した
堕天の飛翔体
罪人は誰? 這い上がれ
落下のキマイラ

反逆のモチーフ 逆回転してる
堕落のエンジェル
エデンへ行こう 自由は進行
ニ人に合うんだ

さあ 呑み干せ 喰らえ 謳え 夜だ
さあ falling down さあ falling down
さあ falling down さあ falling down

オレハ逆撫 怠惰サカシマ
堕天の飛翔体
オレハ逆撫 怠惰サカシマ
堕落のエンジェル

さあ 呑み干せ 喰らえ 謳え 夜だ
さあ falling down さあ falling down
さあ falling down さあ falling down

さあ 混沌と夜だ
さあ 呑み干せ 喰らえ 謳え 夜だ
さあ falling down さあ falling down
さあ falling down さあ falling down

yeah! falling down yeah! falling down
yeah! falling down yeah! falling down

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Massakasama Joushou shita
Daten no hishoutai
Zainin wa dare? Hai agare
Rakka no kimaira

Hangyaku no mochiifu Gyaku kaiten shiteru
Daraku no enjeru
Eden e ikou Jiyuu wa shinkou
Futari ni aunda

Saa Nomi hose Kurae Utae Yoru da
Saa falling down Saa falling down
Saa falling down Saa falling down

Ore wa sakanade Taida sakashima
Daten no hishoutai
Ore wa sakanade Taida sakashima
Daraku no enjeru

Saa Nomi hose Kurae Utae Yoru da
Saa falling down Saa falling down
Saa falling down Saa falling down

Saa Konton to yoru da
Saa Nomi hose Kurae Utae Yoru da
Saa falling down Saa falling down
Saa falling down Saa falling down

yeah! falling down yeah! falling down
yeah! falling down yeah! falling down

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Head over heels Ascended
Projectile falling from Heaven
Who’s the sinner? Crawl back up
Fallen chimera

Symbol of rebellion Spinning in reverse
Angel of depravity
Let’s go to Eden Freedom is progress
Befitting of you two

Come Drink up Devour Extol It’s night
Come falling down Come falling down
The falling down The falling down

I’m an annoyance An idler against the grain
A projectile falling from Heaven
I’m an annoyance An idler against the grain
An angel of depravity

Come Drink up Devour Extol It’s night
Come falling down Come falling down
The falling down The falling down

C’mon It’s chaos and night
Come Drink up Devour Extol It’s night
Come falling down Come falling down
The falling down The falling down

yeah! falling down yeah! falling down
yeah! falling down yeah! falling down

 

Notes:

From Imai and Yokoyamal’s interview in FT107, Imai said that he thought it would be better to add “THE” to the title because the song is in specific reference of Satan and Lucifer’s casting out.

Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空-IZORA

Campanella  A Bouquet For You

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

今夜は雨が降るよう
パパ 行かないで
ダメだよ 殺されちゃう
ほ ら 血が出ている
  砕け散った
  誰がために鐘は鳴る
  鳴り  響け Ding Dong!

兵隊さん マシンガン
ミサイル “花束”
子供たち おとうさん
おかあさん “花束”

今夜も雨になるよう
ママ 泣かないで
抱きしめていてあげる
も う 泣かないで

  愛よ 降って
  誰がために鐘は鳴る
  “It’s a Small World” Ding Dong!

兵隊さん おとうさん
おかあさん “花束”
子供たち おとうさん
おかあさん “花束”

子供たち おとうさん
おかあさん “花束”
子供たち おとうさん
おかあさん “花束”

子供たち

子供たち

子供たち

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Konya wa ame ga furu you
Papa ikanaide
Dame da yo Korosarechau
Ho-ra Chi ga dete iru
  Kudake chitta
  Ta ga tame ni kane wa naru
  Nari  hibike Ding Dong!

Heitai san Mashin gan
Misairu “Hanataba”
Kodomo tachi Otousan
Okaasan “Hanataba”

Konya mo ame ni naru you
Mama nakanaide
Dakishimete ite ageru
Mo-u nakanaide

  Ai yo futte
  Ta ga tame ni kane wa naru
  “It’s a Small World” Ding Dong!

Heitai san Otousan
Okaasan “Hanataba”
Kodomo tachi Otousan
Okaasan “Hanataba”

Kodomo tachi Otousan
Okaasan “Hanataba”
Kodomo tachi Otousan
Okaasan “Hanataba”

Kodomo tachi

Kodomo tachi

Kodomo tachi

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Looks like rain will come down tonight
Papa Don’t go
I can’t They’ll kill us
Look There’s blood
  Smashed to smithereens
  The bell is tolling for someone
  Tolling, echoing Ding Dong!

Mr. Soldier Machine gun
Missile “Flower bouquet”
Children Father
Mother “Flower Bouquet”

Looks like it’ll rain tonight too
Mama Don’t cry
I’ll give you a hug
Don’t cry anymore

  Love rains down
  The bell is tolling for someone
  “It’s a Small World” Ding Dong!

Mr. Soldier Father
Mother “Flower Bouquet”
Children Father
Mother “Flower Bouquet”

Children Father
Mother “Flower Bouquet”
Children Father
Mother “Flower Bouquet”

Children

Children

Children

 

Notes:

From Sakurai’s interview in FT107, he actually worked to reduce the amount of words in this song. He believes that the imagination of the listener is the most important thing of all, so he chooses to omit explanations.

 

Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空-IZORA

Harem of Love

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Hoshino Hidehiko

Japanese

 

炎 に  濡れた
愛のハレム
この世は 夢 ね
愛のハレム

路地裏 少年よ
楽園を知っているかい?
迷い込んだCorridor
わたし ただ étranger²
鏡の 向こう側
老婆が 手招く
酔いしれてLabyrinth
わたし ただ étranger
微かに麝香な香り
砂混じりあなたの影
タナトスの花をどうぞ
ベールを翻し 消えた
炎 に   濡れた
愛のハレム
この世は 夢 ね
愛のハレム

カサブランカ 南へ
マラケシュにひとり
市場を さ迷えば
わたし ただ étranger
おまえは何処から来た?
わたしは何処へ行くのだろう
さあおいで Carnavalへ
死者達と踊れ さあ踊れ
炎 に   濡れた
愛のハレム
この世は 夢 ね
愛のハレム

おまえはそうさ
夢や 幻
鏡よ 鏡
老婆が笑う
あたしもそうさ
夢や 幻
鏡よ 鏡
老婆が笑う よ
A ha ha.. A ha ha
笑う.. よ

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Honoo ni  nureta
Ai no haremu
Kono yo wa yume  ne
Ai no haremu

Rojiura shounen yo
Rakuen wo shitteiru kai?
Mayoi konda Corridor
Watashi tada étranger²
Kagami no mukou gawa
Rouba ga te maneku
Yoishirete Labyrinth
Watashi tada étranger
Kasuka ni masukii¹ na kaori
Suna majiri anata no kage
Tanatosu no hana wo douzo
Beeru wo hirugaeshi kieta
Honoo ni  nureta
Ai no haremu
Kono yo wa yume  ne
Ai no haremu

Kasaburanka minami e
Marakeshu ni hitori
Ichiba wo samayoeba
Watashi tada étranger
Omae wa doko kara kita?
Watashi wa doko e yuku no darou
Saa oide Carnaval e
Shisha tachi to odore Saa odore
Honoo ni  nureta
Ai no haremu
Kono yo wa yume  ne
Ai no haremu

Omae wa sou sa
Yume ya maboroshi
Kagami yo Kagami
Rouba ga warau
Atashi mo sou sa
Yume ya maboroshi
Kagami yo Kagami
Rouba ga warau yo
A ha ha.. A ha ha
Warau.. yo

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Drenched in flames
Harem of love
This world is a dream
Harem of love

Hey, young boy in the alley
Do you know of paradise?
Wandering through a
Corridor I am just an outsider²
On the other side of a mirror
The old lady beckons
Intoxicated in a Labyrinth
I am just an outsider
A faint musky fragrance
Your shadow mingling with the sand
Take this flower of Thanatos
Disappearing with a turn of the veil
Drenched in flames
Harem of love
This world is a dream
Harem of love

To the south of Casablanca
alone, to Marrakesh
As I wander the marketplace
I am just an outsider
Where did you come from?
Where am I going?
Now come, to the Canaval
to dance with the dead, let’s dance
Drenched in flames
Harem of love
This world is a dream
Harem of love

That’s what you are
A dream, an illusion
Mirror, oh, mirror
The old lady laughs
That’s what I am too
A dream, an illusion
Mirror, oh, mirror
The old lady is laughing
A ha ha.. A ha ha
Laughing.. away

 

Notes:

¹The kanji is normally read as jakou, but it would seem that Sakurai decided to stylise it as masukii (musky) instead.

² French for stranger, typically used in legal contexts to refer to a foreigner (alien).

 

Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空-IZORA

2022.09.21 | Victor Entertainment
CATALOGUE THE BEST 35th anniv.

Farewell Shelter

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Hoshino Hidehiko

Japanese

 

儚いキャンドル
地下室でダンスダンス
揺れている
魔法のランプ 瞳には炎

その手伸ばして
指先で Love Love
あと少し
影絵遊び
さあ  お姫様

止まんない雨 夢ならいいね
あなたを 抱き締めていたいけど
誰かが僕らを 殺しに来るよ
狂ってる。。 狂っているよ

今夜 静かに眠る
あなたに合いに行く 必ず
あの シェルターで  待っていて
今夜 地球はまるで
美しい流れ星 綺麗だ
あの シェルターで  待っていて

色を無くした 音も無い世界
愛の歌
震える声で あの子は歌う

冷たい雨 嘘ならいいね
あなたを 抱き締めていたいけど
わたしは誰かを 殺しに行くの
狂ってる。。 狂っているよ

今夜 静かに眠る
あなたに合いに行く 必ず
あの シェルターで 待っていて
今夜 地球はまるで
美しい流れ星 綺麗だ
あの シェルターで 待っていて。。

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Hakanai kyandoru
Chika shitsu de dansu dansu
Yurete iru
Mahou no ranpu Hitomi ni wa honoo

Sono te nobashite
Yubisaki de Love Love
Ato sukoshi
Kage’e asobi
Saa ohime sama

Yamannai ame yume nara ii ne
Anata wo dakishimeteitai kedo
Dare ka ga bokura wo koroshi ni kuru yo
Kurutteru.. Kurutteiru yo

Konya shizuka ni nemuru
Anata ni ai ni yuku Kanarazu
Ano sherutaa de  matteite
Konya chikyuu wa maru de
utsukushii nagareboshi Kirei da
Ano sherutaa de  matteite

Iro wo nakushita Oto mo nai sekai
Ai no uta
Furueru koe de ano ko wa utau

Tsumetai ame uso nara ii ne
Anata wo dakishimeteitai kedo
Watashi wa dare ka wo koroshi ni iku no
Kurutteru.. Kurutteiru yo

Konya shizuka ni nemuru
Anata ni ai ni yuku Kanarazu
Ano sherutaa de matteite
Konya chikyuu wa maru de
utsukushii nagareboshi Kirei da
Ano sherutaa de matteite..

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Short-lived candle
Dance, dancing in the basement
Flickering
A magic lamp A flame in your eyes

Reach your hand out
Love Love at your fingertips
Just a while more
We’ll play with shadows
Shall we, my princess

Wouldn’t it be nice if the relentless rain was a dream
I want to keep you in my arms but
Someone is coming to kill us
Insane It’s insanity

Tonight, sleep tight
I’ll come meet you, that’s a promise
Waiting at that shelter
Tonight, the earth looks just like
a beautiful falling star It’s so pretty
Waiting at that shelter

In a colourless, soundless world
A song of love
Sung in that child’s trembling voice

Wouldn’t it be nice if the cold rain was a lie
I want to keep you in my arms but
I have to go and kill someone
Insane It’s insanity

Tonight, sleep tight
I’ll come meet you, that’s a promise
Waiting at that shelter
Tonight, the earth looks just like
a beautiful falling star It’s so pretty
Waiting at that shelter

 

 

 

Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空-IZORA

Ride of the Valkyries

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

気分爽快かい?
誹謗中傷がグロいわ
吐き気 荒唐無稽
連れて行ってあげる
Righty… Righty Right!!

たった孤独 ひ と り ぼ っ ち
ああ So Lonely Play
もっと深く 深淵を覗いて
頂戴
ワルキューレ 夜が明ける
嘘で 構わない
ワルキューレ 愛してくれ
最後 最後に

胸糞が悪い!
なんで? わたしばっかり???
アイツらが悪い
連れて行ってあげる
Righty… Righty Right!

きっかけは くちづけ
Adam & Eva
ずっと深く 深淵は
おまえを覗いている

ワルキューレ 朝が  狂う
我は 原罪
ワルキューレ 殺してくれ
最後 最後に

Righty… Righty Right!

たった孤独 ひ と り ぼ っ ち
ああ So Lonely Play
もっと深く 深淵を覗いて
頂戴
きっかけは くちづけ
Adam & Eva
ずっと深く 深淵は
おまえを覗いている

ワルキューレ 夜が明ける
嘘で 構わない
ワルキューレ 愛してくれ
最後 最後に
ワルキューレ 朝が  狂う
奴は 原罪
ワルキューレ 殺してくれ
最後 最後に

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Kibun soukai kai?
Hibou chuushou ga guroi wa
Hakike Koutou mukei
Tsurete itte ageru
Righty… Righty Right!!

Tatta kodoku hi-to-ri-bo-cchi
Aa So Lonely Play
Motto fukaku Shin’en wo nozite
Choudai
Warukyuure Yo ga akeru
Uso de kamawanai
Warukyuure Aishite kure
Saigo Saigo ni

Munakuso ga warui!
Nande? Watashi bakkari???
Aitsura ga warui
Tsurete itte ageru
Righty… Righty Right!

Kikkake wa kuchidzuke
Adam & Eva
Zutto fukaku shin’en wa
Omae wo nozoite iru

Warukyuure Asa ga  kuruu
Ware wa genzai
Warukyuure Koroshite kure
Saigo Saigo ni

Righty… Righty Right!

Tatta kodoku hi-to-ri-bo-cchi
Aa So Lonely Play
Motto fukaku Shin’en wo nozite
Choudai
Kikkake wa kuchidzuke
Adam & Eva
Zutto fukaku shin’en wa
Omae wo nozoite iru

Warukyuure Yo ga akeru
Uso de kamawanai
Warukyuure Aishite kure
Saigo Saigo ni
Warukyuure Asa ga  kuruu
Yatsu wa genzai
Warukyuure Koroshite kure
Saigo Saigo ni

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Feeling good, are we?
All that slander’s grotesque
Nonsensical Absurdity
I’ll take you with me
Righty… Righty Right!!

I’m just lonely All-on-my-own
Ah So Lonely Play
Even deeper into the abyss
Oh, please let me look
Valkyrie Dawn is breaking
I don’t mind if it’s a lie
Valkyrie Love me
At the end At the very end

Just sickening!
Why only me???
They’re all so mean
I’ll take you with me
Righty… Righty Right!

It all started with a kiss
Adam & Eva
The bottomlessly deep abyss
is looking at you

Valkyrie Dawn  is raving
We are the original sin
Valkyrie Kill me
At the end At the very end

Righty… Righty Right!

I’m just lonely All-on-my-own
Ah So Lonely Play
Even deeper into the abyss
Oh, please let me look
It all started with a kiss
Adam & Eva
The bottomlessly deep abyss
is looking at you

Valkyrie Dawn is breaking
I don’t mind if it’s a lie
Valkyrie Love me
At the end At the very end
Valkyrie Dawn  is raving
They are the original sin
Valkyrie Kill me
At the end At the very end

 

 

 

Album cover of 異空 -IZORA-, BUCK-TICK

2023.04.12 | Victor Entertainment
異空 -IZORA-

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあても そうさ無いさ
そうか。。

雨晒し SCARECROW 何を見ている
何にも 何にも 見えねえ。。

泥まみれ SCARECROW 何を思う
何にも 何にも 知らねえ。。

雨の色 風の色 鉛色
誰か!³
吹き溜まり 饐えた匂い 俺は腐乱
誰か!³ 誰か!³

逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあても そうさ無いさ
逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあてなんて もう無いさ
何処へ⁉

俺の目玉を狙う 鴉¹  友達だろう?
あっち行け あっち行け 見るな
俺の目玉を狙う 鴉¹  友達だろう?
あっち行け あっち行け 来るな
影法師 神隠し 神殺し
誰か!³
誰もいない 誰もいない 誰もいない
誰か!³ 誰か!³

逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあても そうさ無いさ
逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあてなんて もう無いさ
何処へ⁉

逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあても そうさ無いさ
そうか!

逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあても そうさ無いさ
何処へ⁉
逃げられない 逃げられない
俺はもう何処へも
行くあてなんて もう無いさ
そうか。。

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate mo Sou sa nai sa
Sou ka..

Amazarashi SCARECROW Nani wo miteiru
Nani mo Nani mo mienee..
Doro mamire SCARECROW Nani wo omou
Nani mo Nani mo shiranee..

Ame no iro Kaze no iro Namari iro
Dare ka!³
Fuki damari Sueta nioi Ore wa furan
Dare ka!³ Dare ka!³

Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate mo Sou sa nai sa
Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate nante mou nai sa
Doko e⁉

Ore no medama wo nerau Kurou¹ Tomodachi darou?
Acchi ike Acchi ike Miru na
Ore no medama wo nerau Kurou¹ Tomodachi darou?
Acchi ike Acchi ike Kuru na
Kageboushi Kami kakushi Kami koroshi
Dare ka!³
Dare mo inai Dare mo inai Dare mo inai
Dare ka!³ Dare ka!³

Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate mo Sou sa nai sa
Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate nante mou nai sa
Doko e⁉

Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate mo Sou sa nai sa
Sou ka!

Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate mo Sou sa nai sa
Doko e⁉
Nigerarenai Nigerarenai
Ore wa mou doko e mo
Iku ate nante mou nai sa
Sou ka..

 

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
Not even a place to go That’s right, nowhere
I see..²

Weatherbeaten SCARECROW What do you see
I can’t see I can’t see Anything
Mud-caked SCARECROW What do you think
I don’t know I don’t know Anything

The colour of the rain The colour of the wind
Lead in colour
Someone!³
Blustering winds A foul, sour stench I am rotting away
Someone!³ Anyone!³

Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
No place at all That’s right, nowhere
Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
Not even a place None anymore
Where to!?

Aiming for my eyeball Crow Aren’t we friends?
Go over there Go over there Don’t look
Aiming for my eyeball Crow Aren’t we friends?
Go over there Go over there Don’t come
Shadow figure Godforsaken Godkiller
Someone!³
No one’s here No one at all There’s no one
Someone!³ Anyone!³

Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
No place at all That’s right, nowhere
Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
Not even a place None anymore
Where to!?

Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
No place at all That’s right, nowhere
I see!²

Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
No place at all That’s right, nowhere
Where to!?
Can’t run away Can’t run away
There’s nowhere for me anymore
Not even a place None anymore
I see..²

 

 

Notes:

¹ The kanji is normally read as karasu, but it would seem that Sakurai decided to stylise it as kurou (crow) instead.

² Implying the protagonist coming to an understanding and acceptance of their situation.

³ It is not explicitly written but these exclamations are akin to the protagonist screaming for someone to help.

BUCK-TICK Announces 35th Anniversary Documentary Film,
Annual Budokan Concert

Natalie.mu
18 September 2023

 

 

BUCK-TICK has announced that a documentary film commemorating their 35th debut anniversary is in production.

This will be the third movie that BUCK-TICK is producing since the first, The Buck-Tick Syndrome (劇場版BUCK-TICK~バクチク現象~) which was released in 2013 and the second, BUCK-TICK~CLIMAX TOGETHER~ON SCREEN 1992-2016 which was released in 2017. Filming for this movie began in December 2021 and is still ongoing at present. We all look forward to finding out what we will get to see in it.

At the same time, BUCK-TICK has also confirmed that they will be holding their annual 29th December concert at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. This has been an annual affair for the band ever since BUCK-TICK held a concert in the Budokan back in 2000. 2019 was the only year that they had to change the venue of this event to Yoyogi National Stadium’s First Gymnasium, but apart from this one instance, this is a special performance that has always been held in the Budokan.

Double membership holders of their official fan club and official mobile site can begin applying for early bird tickets starting 21st September, at 12 p.m. Japan Standard Time. General ticket sales will commence 25th November.

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: Natalie.mu

The Poem of June ──
Interview with Hoshino Hidehiko

Ongaku to Hito
July 2023

Text=Kanemitsu Hifumi
Photos=
Minami Shinichiro

 

What has been regained

Hoshino Hidehiko turns 57 on June 16. The way he exudes the aura of a handsome, ageless  uncle remains the same as usual, but ever since he was 35, we’ve been having annual interviews with him every June, his birth month and this year marks the 23rd iteration. These interviews and his journey through life since birth were collected in his autobiography, Simply Life which had an expanded and revised edition published again last September. Following that, one would’ve thought that there will be no more interviews anymore. But the poem of June will go on forever.

At his own suggestion, this year’s photoshoot features him in a yukata in Kyoto, where the band is visiting for one of their shows in the BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA-. And the polish of the execution of this tour is exquisite. Not only have they chosen to construct the world of their album 異空 -IZORA- in a different manner than they used to, the band is gradually regaining what they have lost in the process of going on a proper tour with the lifted ban on audience cheers. It’s just wonderful to see such joy and confidence in a live show. It also leaves the impression that they’re probably looking to chase after tours again next month too.

 

 

 

After performing live in front of an audience, I’ve come to find that this album is actually well-balanced
What’s significant to us is definitely performing live and getting a real sense [of the music]

――I was shocked when I received a rare invitation from you asking, “Shall we hold the interview in Kyoto this year?”

Hoshino (H): Fufufu.

――Was this what you intended (lol).

H: This is (lol).

――We visited Kurumazaki Shrine located in the Saga area of Kyoto for today’s shoot, where the red tamagaki¹ (fence posts) in the shrine grounds made for an impressive sight. When was it that Hoshino-san offered² yours here?

H: To be specific, it’s in the Geino Shrine that’s within Kurumazaki Shrine, right? Last year, I went on a little sightseeing tour with a friend who’s a native Kyotoite and their spouse in between tours. So at the time, I heard that there was a shrine that people in the entertainment industry go to pray at and I grew curious so we went to have a look. That’s when I offered the tamagaki but I haven’t visited again since then. So this was actually the first time that I’m seeing my own tamagaki erected. It was early in the day, but it was quite crowded with people, wasn’t it?

――Seems like it’s become part of the tour route for school trips. We left the hotel at nine in the morning so as to not disrupt them. And now we’re backstage in the concert hall for this interview which was scheduled to start at eleven.

H: I generally wake up quite early so it’s fine (lol). It’s no bother at all. In fact, a schedule like this is easier on me.

――Alright, then. I got to watch the opening show for this tour last month. It’s a little bit different from the shows you’ve done so far, and there’s a strong concept that shows the audience the totality of it.

H: That’s quite true.

――What are Hoshino-san’s thoughts about this change?

H: I guess we could package the world of the 異空 -IZORA- album within the whole concert; from the opening to the last song in the encore. But even so, that’s not all there is. Because we managed to tie our older songs into this as well, I think they got updated too.

――There are still five more dates to go, but have you noticed any changes?

H: The drum solo now comes before the encore begins, but that’s probably about it. Surprisingly, nothing else. Maybe it’s because we’re very focused on getting the concept done right.

――It’s well-structured, isn’t it?

H: When we were completing the album, we forced what was meant for two separate CDs into one, so honestly speaking, I personally felt some sort of discomfort, or something like that about doing that. But now that the album is done and we have performed live in front of an audience like this, I’ve come to find that it’s actually well-balanced.

――I actually think it’s good that there’s no clear theme. At the same time, it also [shows] that this band has been making this wide a variety of music.

H: That’s BUCK-TICK for you. What’s significant to us is definitely performing live, getting a real sense [of the music], and growing that awareness of it. That’s what I understood after we started touring.

――Because it hits home when you have an MC or songs which reminisce about the old days.

H: We certainly do have those types of songs.

――By the way, how did you spend your Golden Week?

H: I couldn’t do anything. Well, the kids have grown up now so it’s not as if they’d ask me to take them somewhere. But more than that, they have classes and club activities even during the holidays so everyone’s schedules are all over the place. That’s why I just stayed at home and relaxed without doing anything.

――That’s good.

H: But, I told you last year that my father passed away, right? It just so happened that the memorial service for the first death anniversary fell during Golden Week, so I thought we should do a day trip and drove to Fujioka. But who knew, even though we left home early, it took us five and a half hours to get there because of a traffic jam made worse by the holidays and a traffic accident. There were even accidents that just happened.

――Normally it would only take you about an hour and a half, right?

H: Right. That really screwed things up. We couldn’t make it in time for the memorial, so in any case, we offered incense, visited his grave, spoke with family and relatives, and soon after made a U-turn home (lol).

――Did you manage to go see the flower beds at the former Fujioka High?
(Note: Flower beds in the image of BUCK-TICK have been planted in at their alma-mater, now Fujioka City Learning Center for a collaboration campaign with their hometown, Fujioka City)

H: Sounds like it was a hit, wasn’t it? Imai-san (Imai Hisashi / guitarist) and Yuta (Higuchi Yutaka / bassist) also went down, and Anii (Yagami Toll / drummer) visited just recently too, didn’t he? But it was so hectic that all our energy was spent, and I didn’t feel like I was in the mood for it at all so…… Unfortunately, I had to give it a miss this time.

 

Our 35th anniversary year technically ends in September
so I think it would be nice
if we could do something to wrap it up at the end

――Changing the topic, Sakurai-san (Sakurai Atsushi / vocalist) has released a ring as fan merch, hasn’t he?

H: Ah, so I heard.

ーーIt’s a romantic one with a design based on Sakurai-san’s vocal waves, but will Hoshino-san also release such a stylish thing?

H: Stylish things are nice but between [that and functional things], I lean towards releasing goods that can be used in daily life so there’s much more of that for me. So I have various considerations to think about.

ーーOnce the tour ends in July, what do you think BUCK-TICK will likely do next?

H: I wonder. Our 35th anniversary year technically ends in September, so I think it would be nice if we could do something to wrap it up at the end.

ーーOoh!

H: Not sure about what’s after that…… It wouldn’t be solo work (lol).

ーーI didn’t ask (lol).

H: I mentioned this earlier too but since we had the original idea of releasing two CDs, I actually have songs that were composed but just not recorded anyway. So I want to continue working on those, but we’ve already taken a break from that too. But, well, we each have our own ideas, anyway.

ーーBut now that you can resume touring in full force, and band activities and live concerts are back as a part of daily life, do you feel like you’ve regained something?

H: Right. Especially when we have a song like Boogie Woogie. The sense that it’s great being in a band…… Come to think of it, this has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but I heard that Ed Sheeran has started working on an album that should only be released after his death.

ーーWhen he’s only in his 30s?

H: I read about it somewhere. He’s still releasing albums but he started putting together a separate one for a posthumous release. Apparently he would add songs to it from time to time and state in his will that this would be released after his death.

ーーI guess he’s making preparations for his death despite his youth.

H: Who knows. But I sort of empathise that he doesn’t want to have any regrets. It makes me want to put some effort into turning those song fragments sitting in my PC into something proper.

ーーI heard that when Imai-san opens up his hard disk, he occasionally comes across song fragments like, “Huh, what was this?” (Lol)

H: It’s not organised, right? (Lol) But when I think about these things, I really want to keep making more music.

ーーAnd today, you even had a photoshoot in a yukata.

H: Yes, right. I thought, since we’re doing the shoot in a shrine, we might be able to enhance the atmosphere if I wore a yukata so I planned for this. What do you think?

ーーSimply awesome. If you’d actively propose such plans in future then we’ll release another revised and extended version of Simply Life in another 10 years.

H: I wonder who would buy a 67-year-old’s Simply Life (lol).

ーーPeople will (lol).

H: I get the feeling that the future topic for our chats wouldn’t be about my kids but about my grandkids (lol).

ーーThere is a possibility of that (lol). But I must say that I got a peace of mind when I had a look around the dressing rooms backstage and found that the other members of your band are generally relaxed.

H: Since the start I felt like we were doing this relatively well. Besides, this time, it’s generally simpler. Our stage setup includes film and video but there’s not much of a set, is there? Since it’s easy to see each others’ faces, I guess that also made  it easier for us to focus on playing the music.

ーーOn the other hand, the costumes were pretty fresh, weren’t they? Including the fact that [yours] looked symmetrical to Imai-san’s.

H: That was, it just so happened (lol). Because I’ve been thinking since a while ago that I wanted to go with a white scheme instead of black for this tour. And in the past, I wore that kind of skirt-like piece before so I decided to just make that white.

ーーIt was nice; like a prince from the Middle East.

H: Middle East (lol).

ーーAnd did you see Anii’s outfit?

H: Ahh. I didn’t look closely but it’s all our old photos, aren’t they? I didn’t get a proper look (lol).

ーーHe turned your funny faces into an outfit without letting you vet them (lol).

H: But I did know that he probably used that photo. When we debuted, our manager at the time would take photos anytime something happened. Whether we were on the move, or eating, or backstage, or overseas, or performing live…… and in all sorts of places. It was the era before data was accessible, so he would always make copies of them for the whole band and distribute them to us. That’s why I and the whole band probably have all the same photos at home.

ーー…… If you have such photos then bring them out and use them for your autobiography (lol).

H: They’re in some corner of the house, although I never tried looking for them (lol).

ーーThat’s not a good excuse, but anyway, there’s a part of this tour that feels somewhat nostalgic, isn’t there?

H: Since we have Boogie Woogie, right? That’s why I think this is a good tour.

ーーFinally, does Hide-san currently have a country or place, somewhere that you’d like to visit?

H: Let’s see…… It’s probably about time for me to visit the European region, isn’t it? Alright, once the tour ends. Shall I go scout ahead of the plans for 10 years later (another Simply Life)?

ーーNah. Europe is kind of…… (reluctant).

H: If that’s the case, how about Miyako-jima next? It’s been recommended to me anyway, it’s okay, really. Miyako-jima (lol).

 

 

Notes:

¹ A visual of the tamagaki at the shrine.

² The “offering” of a tamagaki is not exactly the literal act of bringing your own fence post with your name painted on it. It’s more like “buying” or “commissioning” one from the shrine to put up as a prayer offering. The proceeds are as good as a donation to the shrine.

 

 

 

Return to Top

 

 

AFTERSHOW

2023.05.20 Hoshino Hidehiko BUCK-TICK

The photoshoot took place at Kurumazaki Shrine in Kyoto. As mentioned in the interview, the shoot started early in the morning. After that, everyone moved to the concert venue and the interview was conducted in the dressing room backstage. After a while, the other members of the band start to arrive. On Yuta-san’s desk in the dressing room was a mountain of his autobiography books. They were to be autographed for sale at the concert venue, but he didn’t only sign them; Yuta-san would also draw illustrations associated with the local attractions of each city where the show is held. For Kyoto, he drew the Daimonji Festival, maiko, and the Heian-jingu Shrine but then, he asked, “Any fresh ideas?” So Kanemitsu suggested Tenka Ippin Ramen (headquartered in Kyoto).

After the interview concluded, we left the dressing room and were walking down the hallway when Sakurai the Demon King approached from the other end with a big smile on his face, saying, “Got interrogated recently, Kanemitsu-san?” It was last month that I got interrogated when I went to pick up Yuta-san for his column interview and Yuta-san took a photo of that happening while laughing so I don’t know whether he [Sakurai] saw what Yuta-san took or  whether he read the last magazine edition’s column. Regardless, he got a good laugh out of it. But it was great getting the chance to see the Demon King’s smile ♡

 

 

 

Return to Top

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Images: Yoshiyuki

A new step towards personal transformation
Interview with Higuchi Yutaka

Bass Magazine Vol.359
May 2023

Interview: Nakamura Kengo
Photos: Seitaro Tanaka
Layout: D.tribe

 

Celebrating their 35th anniversary, BUCK-TICK is a band at the forefront of the rock scene. Throughout their long career, they constantly ingest a diversity of musical elements, digest and regurgitate them in unexpected manners, bringing their audience a new touch to their BUCK-TICK sound with each release. 

The same could be said about their 23rd original album, 異空 -IZORA-. Their way of music is alive and well with how the songs go from indulgent rock, to riffs reminiscent of classic rock music, to an alluring jazzy medium, exhilarating beat tunes, to B-T’s style of city pop (?) and more. Bassist Higuchi Yutaka a.k.a. “U-ta” supports the band with a steady foundation revolving around “an approach which involves carefully picking the number of notes”. In this interview, we hear about Higuchi’s present mindset as he continues to look towards the innovation of his band’s sound.

 

PROFILE
Higuchi Yutaka ● Born on 24 January 1967, from Gunma Prefecture. Debuted with a major label as the bassist of BUCK-TICK in 1987. The band has since continued activities at the forefront of Japan’s rock scene with no changes in member line-up. They released 異空 -IZORA-, their 23rd original album on 12 April 2023 and are currently on travelling the country for their “BUCK-TICK TOUR 2023 異空 -IZORA-” until July.
https://buck-tick.com

 

When there’s a reduction in sound
it feels like [the bass] is “breathing”.

――When you celebrated your 35th anniversary last September, it started off with the release of a concept best-of album and the commemorative concert.

Yuta (Y): The 35th anniversary concerts we held at Yokohama Arena turned out to be shows that we could’ve only held in this era considering the combination of societal events surrounding us like COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war. But after that, we made up for it in the following tour which ran through to the end of the year and we managed to make it a kind of “joyous tour”. In recent years, we haven’t been able to tour at all because of COVID-19 and just when we thought we could, Imai (Hisashi/guitarist)-kun broke his leg. Ultimately, we’re a band who started out in the indies scene and used to tour around the whole country driving on the highways, so this tour was super fulfilling for us and I’m happier than ever that we could visit the different cities.

――Your best-of album, CATALOGUE THE BEST 35th anniv. was divided into five discs with their respective themes; “RIBELO”, “GOTIKA”, “ELEKTRIZO”, “FANTAZIO”, and “ESPERO”. That sounded like an interesting experiment.

Y: We’ve released best-of compilations before, so we came up with this format when we were thinking about possible presentations that could make things interesting, and we’ve got quite a number of songs because we’ve continued like this for so long, so ultimately, I felt this was an idea that that we could executed only because we’ve tried so many different things before. Besides, when BUCK-TICK was first formed, no one in the band had any sort of musicality. We’re basically just five friends from the same hometown who enjoy doing this together. We have Imai-kun and Hide (Hoshino Hidehiko/guitarist) as our two composers and both of them kept coming up with better and better music. And I think that as the music we make changes, they have been able to reflect that well in different ways. I think the fact that I have to cater to all kinds of music is training from the two composers (lol).

――How did you tackle the production of your latest album, 異空 -IZORA-?

Y: It’s the same every time we’re celebrating a significant anniversary year, but the “theme” was to make sure we don’t run out of steam during the anniversary year. We wanted to bring an atmosphere that we’ve never had before, or take a step towards something new that we wanted to do.

――The songs which were revealed ahead of the album’s release were Sayonara Shelter which was also recorded on the best-of album, and the two singles, Taiyou to Icarus (太陽とイカロス / The Sun and Icarus) and Mugen LOOP (無限 LOOP / Infinity LOOP). BUCK-TICK generally has a dark image, but all of these songs are cheery, or rather, they sound refreshing.

Y: That’s right. They weren’t made with the fixed notion that “This will be a single!” or anything like that, but I did get the feeling that these songs might be in the running to be released as singles in the middle of producing them. Although, we didn’t deliberately aim to make cheerful songs, it just happened to turn out like this. Whether Taiyou to Icarus or Mugen LOOP, they are songs that bring out a sense of pop that we’ve never really done before, so I guess there’s a possibility that a part of them shows we’re doing something different yet again.

――Do you as a bassist consciously try to incorporate new approaches?

Y: No, ultimately, the priority is “to play the bass in a way that suits the song”. Based on that, I tried employing the use of an upright bass in the songs Noraneko Blue (野良猫ブルー / Stray Cat Blue) and Hizumi (ヒズミ). I rarely ever use an upright bass in recording work. I would generally use a regular bass for the studio recording and then play that live with an upright bass. So this time, I just thought maybe I should try using an upright from the very beginning.

――The extended greasy feeling of Noraneko Blue’s intro was something I thought could have only come from playing the longer strings of an upright bass. Does the phrasing change for you when you play with an upright instead of simply using a fretless bass?

Y: It does. Also, I took the opportunity to record using a mic instead and the sound definitely  had a more human touch to it. It completely changes the vibe too. In terms of sound, what an actual wood bass produces wins hands down, but it’s interesting how [doing this] creates a slightly different feel. I can’t think of a better way to say this, but there’s this vague sense of going off-tune, like the pitch sounding ambiguous which makes it interesting.

――Instead of overusing the unique approach that the upright bass calls for, you only applied it at certain points, like part of the interlude and the chorus. While in the rest of the song, you went with keeping things sounding tight. I think the added seasoning this contrast brings is just exquisite.

Y: When it comes to the bass, I keep in mind the feeling that I’m also part of the chorus singing, in the sense that it would be good if I can really feel the rhythm of the melody and get into it. I think making music with this awareness would naturally lead me towards playing my bass in that manner you speak of.

――Hizumi develops with the same rhythm pattern, but I think there’s an added intentional nuance in there with the way you added a bit of grease only on the fourth beat of the last bar of the bassline in the A melody. It’s as if you applied a technique which lets listeners feel something instead of adding filler phrases.

Y: That’s probably another result of me wanting to bring feelings into my bass and match the vocals. In such a situation, I notice that compared to before, there’s more work done to reduce the sound of the bass these days. I feel like doing that brings out emotion, or makes it feel like it is “breathing”.

Making the bass sound like it’s waving it’s arms, trying to get noticed is just so uncool (lol).

――The first track on the album, QUANTUM Ⅰ is an instrumental and it’s got a heavy synth bass in it. Following that, in the second track, SCARECROW, after the vocal and guitar arpeggio, the bass comes in alongside the synth bass and it was so strong that it surprised me.

Y: That might also be related to the fact that I used a 5-string for this song. I didn’t originally intend to use the 5-string, but simply put, this song is a “weighty” one, so I thought maybe it’s a good idea for me to pile on the “weight” (lol). I hope it was a good choice made.

――The A melody in SCARECROW progresses with long tones, but there that greasy feeling comes in during chord changes which boldly brings out the sense that this is being played by an actual bass. I would think that how much of that you put in is one of those factors that would make subtle changes to the groove, but were you still thinking about how to mesh this together with the main melody?

Y: That’s right. Also, if there’s too much grease in there it’d be like the bass is going, “Heeeey! Hello!! I’m here!” Waving its arms around, being so uncool (lol).

――Like you’re trying too hard to get noticed (lol).

Y: Yeah, and that’s something I definitely don’t want. So while there are parts where the greasing comes in and where it drops for a transition, there are also times when the main melody would stand out more, or the guitar would sound more appealing if just one more note of transition gets included.

――In terms of sound, is the slightly distorted vibe we get from the songs, including SCARECROW, something that is always there?

Y: That’s right. There’s basically always some sort of distortion. As to exactly how distorted, that’s something we decide on with the tech people, but our band does a lot of loops too, so to make it obvious [to listeners] the bass is also distorted, we have to make it sound incredibly distorted. Otherwise it wouldn’t sound like it is at all. That’s why I often get told that “this sounds normal” even when something is in fact distorted (lol).

――How do you do it?

Y: It depends on the situation. Even if I bring in the distortion using an amp, there’s a variety of equipment we use like the ampeg and so on. And even after distortion using the amp, tech and the engineers would do all sorts of effects processing on the sound too. In live concerts, I use Music Man amps and the effector I use is either SOURCE AUDIO or one of the tones from ZOOM’s MS-60B.

――Boogie Woogie has a rather distorted sound but it reminds me of Unison Riff and the guitars sound like that of 70s rock music.

Y: I remember applying quite a lot of distortion to it. If I didn’t, the bass would wind up in a mess. If only the guitars were distorted, then the bass alone would feel like it’s lagging behind when it all comes together. There wouldn’t be that feeling of speed. And that’s why I distorted it. Even the texture of the distortion was made to resemble something from the past. I know that songs like this one aren’t like most of what BUCK-TICK has done before, so I’m looking forward to playing this live.

――THE FALLING DOWN is also coarsely distorted. For certain songs, I’d assume you have to hold your bass a little higher up your waist and play it kind of punk-style, right?

Y: The moment I heard this song, I already got this feeling of being hit by a ball that was thrown at my head. That’s why I just went ahead and played it without thinking too much. When I heard the song, I also thought that if we were to distort things, then it might be interesting to do something that sounds like The Stranglers too.

――What equipment did you use in recording?

Y: I used fretless bass guitars from Greco, and a Rickenbacker. There were two fretless basses; usage was split between an old bass and a new one. Because I feel like it would be better to use the new one if I’m playing an energetic song. I’ve used the Rickenbacker for a long time now. It was even used in Speed on the album Kurutta Taiyou (1991). The sound it makes is pretty coarse, so I guess you could say that the distortion would come with it more than you’d expect. The upright bass I use is made by Landscape.

――What about the 5-string in SCARECROW?

Y: It’s something Greco produced for me in the past. Since it was made way back, you can guess that it’s really heavy. As heavy as two basses (lol). I asked them to make me one more to use as a substitute just in case, and it was about a third of the weight. I was thinking, “Is the difference really that big?!” (lol).

I find myself enjoying playing with a pick recently.

一一Earlier, you said that you’re removing notes more often in your bass play now, and I got the feeling that there was some deliberate decisions made in Na mo Naki Watashi (名も無きわたし / I, Nameless) for which parts had notes and which didn’t. It would’ve been okay for you to just bury the bass with the 8-beat route in the B melody, but you instead went with patterns like one rest at the start of the third beat, and having more notes in the second A melody than the first yet at the same time less than the number of notes in the B melody, so on and so forth.

Y: Precisely. Because this is a song where I think it’s better for me to play as little as possible. That’s already decided right from the very start. I actually thought it would’ve been enough if I just did the “doon, da-da…” through to the end, but it would ultimately just make things monotonous.

――Is there any reason why you started to play with the conscious intention to reduce the number of notes?

Y: I suppose it might’ve started from my desire to prioritise the melody. Back when we just started playing as a band, it was thought that there was no question that the bassist stood on the side of the drummer as the rhythm team, but the bass has now moved a little more towards the melody side of things so I thought maybe I could just do one note at the start of each bar and not play the rest of it? (lol) Or it could be that we started to have more songs that place emphasis on the melody, more slow tempo songs. I think the way I feel the music changed with those types of songs.

――At the start, we spoke about the bass in Mugen LOOP too, but I think its light rhythm pattern with its note values and sound breaks actually add to how pop the song sounds on the whole.

Y: One thing I was concerned about with this song was how it would immediately end up with a stylish ambience if I get even one thing wrong. Because the BUCK-TICK-ness would get diluted if the song tends towards that direction. It would turn into something that probably makes you think, “This might possibly be BUCK-TICK, but something’s off?” (lol). I think we did a good job executing that kind of subtlety.

――While the cheerful sounding Campanella  Hanataba wo Kimi ni (Campanella 花束を君に / Bouquet For You) has a bit of motown vibes in it. Is motown also a genre that Yuta-san enjoys?

Y: That’s right. But this song was the most difficult one for me. When I was working on it, I kind of felt like I couldn’t hit it quite right. I think it was the way I felt the bouncy rhythm, but since it’s something I liked, I gave the old motown songs and other similar types a proper listen and got the feeling that perhaps that may just be the exact problem. Like, “For some reason, I just can’t play like how they sound back in the day.” I think I managed to get the bass in a good spot, but I think I still need to study more (lol).

――In recent years, Yuta-san often plays with finger picking but you used a pick for Taiyou to Icarus?

Y: That’s right. In this album, I used the pick in both Boogie Woogie and THE FALLING DOWN too. Actually, I guess I find myself enjoying playing with a pick recently. I realised I could do quite a surprising variety of things [using a pick], including creating the sense of speed and some other sound production related things. Also, I’ve begun to find play styles like that of The Ventures and Kabe Masayoshi-san’s intriguing. I can’t do it anywhere as well as them, though (lol).

――You’ll soon embark on your album tour. How do you think it’ll turn out?

Y: I mentioned this at the start too, but as we celebrate our 35th anniversary, we don’t know how much further we can go but we’ve made an album that signifies a new first step for us, and since we’ve been in a state that prohibits cheers and has all kinds of restrictions on concerts in recent years, I feel like [this tour] will also be our first step [out of] that situation. By producing an album and then going on tour, we can let our audience experience the songs through an interpretation they may not have had, and depending on how things turn out, there’s also the possibility to turn the songs into masterpieces, so I’m looking forward to that as well as meeting all those who have been waiting for us.

▲From left, Imai Hisashi (guitar), Yagami Toll (drums), Sakurai Atsushi (vocals), Higuchi, Hoshino Hidehiko (guitar).

 

 

 

 

Return to Top

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Images: Yoshiyuki

9

異空 -IZORA- Feature

PHY Vol. 24
April 2023

I thought having fun playing music in a band like that was enough
Except, I gradually started to wonder, “So, what am I going to do next?”…… I guess you could say that I finally woke up from a dream
—Sakurai

photographs by Sasahara Kiyoaki_L management
hair & make-up by Tanizaki Takayuki, Yamaji Chihiro_Fat’s Berry
styling by Shimizu Kenichi

clothes from
kiryuyrik 03-5728-4048
SERIALIZE 03-3499-6002
UK EXTRA http://uk-extra.com

 

Everyone wants to see spectacular lies and made-up stories, to let themselves be deceived
If calling it a “lie” isn’t appropriate…… then perhaps, a “dream”
—Sakurai

After two years and seven months, the band has released their 23rd original album, 異空 -IZORA-.

This album is all over the place, in a good way. In the beginning, they intended to release the songs in two discs so they began composing a diversity of songs, but in the end, they decided to release just one disc and this is what came of it. Yet in here is a realism that conveys the band’s current vibe. Concerts were no longer ordinary occasions and the band had been unable to carry out their activities like they used to due to COVID-19. This led to a slight change in their shared values because they couldn’t see the singularity.

Yet interestingly enough, if you read these interviews, if you listen to their music, you can sense that they all wish to feel the same emotions they felt when they first came together to form the band. Because there was no theme, no direction to follow, each member’s personal thoughts came flowing out. These are the feelings that came through this album.

A moon floating in a strange sky (異空/izora). It turns full with the wishes of these five band members. That’s right. 35 years after their debut, this is an album which shows us their new beginnings.

 

 

 

 

BUCK-TICK Solo Interviews

_______________________

Sakurai Atsushi

Interview by: Ishil Eriko

Because dreams are dreams so they aren’t actually reality, or rather, it’s something you create yourself and enchant yourself with
Besides, I also perform and enchant myself with a version of me who isn’t exactly me, right?

――This came up in an earlier interview too, but surprisingly, Sakurai-san, you visit the park, don’t you?

Sakurai (S): Yeah. To space out in the day. If I have nothing going on that day, I would go with a drink in hand, listen to music, read a book, watch grandpas and grandmas play their sports…… That’s pretty much how I spend my time relaxing. I’m not there because I want to meet people, but it’s just that sometimes it feels like I have to go get some sunlight and photosynthesise or it’ll be bad for me.

――But if it’s raining outside, like today, then it’s not possible, is it?

S: Well, if it rains, it rains so…… I think it’s nice that everyone gets a little troubled just like me.

――Hahahaha! Actually, the word “rain (雨/ame)” often came up in the lyrics to the songs of your most recent album. If we exclude the instrumental tracks, it shows up in seven of the twelve songs.

S: Oh~? Is that so? Even I didn’t quite notice that myself.

――What does rain symbolise to you?

S: I wonder. Just now, I jokingly said, “It’s nice that everyone gets a little troubled,” but everyone dreads rain equally and everyone would say things like, “Damn, it’s raining?”, wouldn’t they? It’s annoying, it dampens moods, it makes people lonely. Opening up an umbrella creates a space that only allows for yourself. That’s the imagery that I get from rain.

――Are there times when you enjoy it?

S: Originally, I really didn’t hate it. The area of my hometown, Gunma Prefecture’s Fujioka City, was famous for how you’d hear thunder almost everyday in summer. I think the weather conditions have changed a little bit now, but I would really hear angry-sounding thunder and see pretty scary lightning in the daytime just about everyday when it’s summer. I was scared but somehow, at the same time, I guess you could say, in awe. I remember seeing beautiful lightning turning the sky a pure white and feeling scared yet finding it equally beautiful.

――That’s something I would like to see.

S: Yeah. Although I believe there’s certainly nothing better than a clear sunny day. But I like this too, the dark grey skies we have today. I also imagine that the vegetation will be very happy with the rain too. They would shine and sparkle in green, and the flowers would soak up the water. I think it’s just as important as the sun for life.

――Yes. The next word which stood out to me is “lie (嘘/uso)”. It shows up in Warukyuure no Kikou (ワルキューレの騎行/Ride of the Valkyries) in the line “I don’t care if it’s a lie (嘘で構わない/Uso de kamawanai)”. But the world at large tells us that we can’t lie, though.

S: Hmm… but the truth is, we tell lies to comfort people or children. Lies like, “Monsters will come and get you if you don’t sleep soon.” We do tell lies to reassure children and protect them, don’t we? I feel that’s the perspective that the lyrics are making use of. A specific example would be how we won’t say, “Missiles are flying overhead,” but instead, we’ll say something like, “It’s raining so we can’t go out.”

――This is something ISSAY-san (Der Zibet/vocals) said, but in his words, “People seek out concerts, movies, and theatre for the sake of seeing a beautiful lie.”

S: Ahh……… That’s my elder sister¹ for you; it’s a whole other manner of speech!

――Elder sister (lol).

S: I see. But that’s nice, isn’t it?

――Yeah. I think one of BUCK-TICK’s jobs is to enchant with beautiful lies.

S: Mhm, although it might give people the wrong ideas, fufufuh. But that’s correct. Everyone wants to see spectacular lies and made-up stories. Everyone wants to let themselves be deceived.

――If the word “lie” isn’t appropriate, what other word would you use?

S: Well…… Perhaps it would be “dream”. Kind of cheesy, though. But I think “dream” is the closest synonym. Because dreams are dreams so they aren’t actually reality, or rather, it’s something you create yourself and enchant yourself with. Besides, I also perform and enchant myself with a version of me who isn’t exactly me, right? Reality is painful, it’s heavy, it’s too cruel. So I think that makes lies pretty effective too.

 

What you find in this Hizumi is also my own personal Hizumi²
Twisted thoughts when it comes to my own mother and father

――Speaking of whether something is real or fictional, in this album, I felt for the first time that the “papa, mama” that Sakurai-san penned has changed.

S: Ah, really? Hm… Maybe because there’s a broader perspective here. In the past, it would be about myself, and my own father and mother. That part might’ve come across exceptionally strongly but if the focus is more on what’s going on in the story, I guess it becomes…… a reference to the fathers and mothers of children in general?

――Indeed. It’s just that I believe your actual parents are an enduring part of Sakurai-san’s roots and also a form of energy that feeds your performance.

S: That’s true. …… I always question myself about it, like, “Isn’t that enough already?” Isn’t it as good as bragging about my hardships (wry smile)? I always think, “Let’s stop doing that”, “I should let go of my parents for my own sake.” But eventually, I always end up feeling that I have to revisit those events before I can start over again. Even so, when I see and hear about what’s going on in the world, there are all kinds of mothers and fathers and families. I guess I came to feel that it might be a good thing for me to sing more about these things, even in relation to myself. And also that it would be nice if I could remain as pure and innocent as a child. Perhaps this naive wish made its way there.

――The “father, mother” who appears in Hizumi; are these figures closer to Sakurai-san’s own parents or that of the character in the story?

S: Hm…… I would say it’s my own father and mother. I have these kinds of emotions in me. I think people will be able to understand all these things that are seeping out of me, though. Mm…… That’s why, what you find in this Hizumi is also my own personal Hizumi². Twisted thoughts when it comes to my own mother and father.

――Where there is murderous hatred, but also the desire to say you love them.

S: That’s right. Apologies for getting depressing, but ever since I was old enough to remember, my mother has been subjected to violence and I spent everyday trembling with my older brother. I only wondered, “Why’s my home like this?” and harboured a fear of my father, and hatred. Why does he put my mother through this? I honestly wanted to kill him too. Towards my mother, I felt pity, and wondered why she sacrificed herself…… There was a time when I told her, “You can just leave with big brother. You don’t have to stay in this house and put up with it.” And she said something like, “Why are you saying such things!” There’s a part of her that believes this is the only place where she belongs, it’s very…… frustrating, I guess. It was a situation that cannot be handled by children.

――It must’ve been incredibly difficult. However, this is unfortunately a special story that is unique to Sakurai-san. It’s not something you’d hear anywhere else.

S:Yeah. That’s true. I believe there are a lot of children who were born into far worse environments and brought up in it. It’s really unimaginable simply because it doesn’t make the news…… There really are a lot of children who matured surprisingly well and avoided becoming criminals.

――I hope this music helps people.

S: Yeah…… That would be nice.

――Yes. Next, I’d like to ask about the word “dream”. Sakurai-san has also sung about all types of dreams in in the past, but it’s rare that you would pen a phrase like, “chasing things like dreams (夢なんて追いかけて/yume nante oikakete)”.

S: Right, we started the band together but for some reason, I myself didn’t really have any goals. I was going along without specific goals like knowing what we wanted to become, or wanting to perform at a particular venue. Just happy to be able to transiently enjoy each day, firing up the audience even with shitty performances. There was a negligent and carefree part of me that didn’t care about the future as long as I could spend another night like that. I guess I genuinely thought having fun playing music in a band like that was enough. Except, I gradually started to wonder, “So, what am I going to do next?”…… I guess you could say that I finally woke up from a dream (lol).

――Hahahaha.

S: I just suddenly started to wonder, “So what do I want to do?” You know? I thought, if my first phase was me voicing my desire to be a vocalist then I have to move on to the second phase. And that’s my personal desire when it comes to our releases. That kept on sprouting and growing. And I guess I just couldn’t convince myself with the surface-level thing anymore. Wondering, “What should I myself sing about going forward?” That’s when I felt like I finally woke up from my dream.

――Right now, does Sakurai-san have a dream of your own?

S: Huh? …………… Perhaps a peaceful retirement.

――Hahahahaha! Will that lifestyle involve band activities?

S: Ah, well, perhaps within the realm of “Oh, the weather looks good today, shall we give it a go?” as an elderly man.

――Depending on the weather!

S: Hahahahah. Saying things like, “My leg hurts.’ (Lol) This isn’t something that would make headlines, but I would like to attain happiness as a person.

――Yes. One more thing I would like to bring up is the imagery of “flowers” that come up in the songs Na mo Naki Watashi (I, Nameless), Ai no Harem (Harem of Love), and Campanella  Hanataba wo Kimi ni (Campanella  A Bouquet For You). It’s something that appears to symbolise life and peace, and also love.

S: Yes. I, as a man who’s over 50 years of age, actually like flowers a lot.

――I think that’s a very lovely sentiment.

S: Fuhahahah. Um, well, it’s because my mother loved flowers a ton. She used to always bring me along to the horticulture corner of the DYI stores to buy cheap potted plants. We were somehow a household which always had flowers in the garden. And when I started performing concerts, I started asking for flowers in the dressing room. I thought it was nice to have flowers around in a dressing room filled with disorderly men. While admiring them, I’d end up thinking, “What a waste. I’ll bring them home.” Even now, I’ll have flowers that I receive on my birthday in my room. So I have always loved flowers. I like receiving them and giving them very much too.

――That’s even lovelier.

S: It’s a life after all. A life that doesn’t speak. Just like the sun, the wind, the rain, insects. Of course, the grass and the trees are also part of all these lives that are connected. And I think it’s all simply amazing. These lives that exist without saying a word.

――Do you have a favourite flower?

S: Do I? Ah, I’m not sure if they count, but I like baby’s breath.

――That’s adorable (lol).

S: Even though I’m an old man (lol). But I like all flowers in general. The ones I have in my room now are probably callas, lilies? They’re flamboyant. You know, people somehow tend to associate roses and the sort with me, but I really love the more simple varieties too. Also…… I just recalled something while we were talking.

――What is it?

S: I’ll occasionally visit my hometown. It’s been more than 30 years since my mother passed, but when I visit her grave, there will already be quite a lot of flowers laid. On her death anniversary and even other regular days too. It seems to me that there are a number of people who would always leave flowers for her these past decades.

――Huh? Even now?

S: Yeah. I am just humbled. In the past, I wasn’t very good at dealing with fans who came all the way to my parents’ home. But my mother always took very good care of them. I told her, “You don’t have to let them into the house,” but she would chastise me, saying things like, “They made the effort to come all the way here!” (Lol) And that fan would assertively add, “I’m Sakurai-san’s fan but I’m first and foremost your mother’s fan.” At that point I could only feel apologetic (lol).

――To think there are some who are that dedicated…… That’s amazing.

S: It’s already been more than 30 years too. While I only visit when the thought of it occurs to me. My older brother visits her grave every year on her death anniversary, and he would tell me, “There’s a load of flowers here again.” I’m really very grateful.

――I’ve got a question for you that might feel rather inappropriate considering the flow of our conversation, but what kind of flowers do you hope to receive when it’s your time?

S: Mm……

――I’m sorry, it’s really inappropriate.

S: No, no. It’s good, isn’t it? To think about these things. Normally the subdued chrysanthemums would be the main flower and I suppose there’s nothing wrong with the standard being the standard. But the flowers that currently show up on my mother’s grave are very flamboyant, not the usual types for a memorial. So, really, something like that. Flowers other than white chrysanthemums. Flamboyant would be nice.

――Then, a gorgeous, romantic bouquet.

S: I look forward to it. Fufufuh.

 

 

Notes:

¹ He referred to ISSAY as お姐様 (onee-sama), “elder sister” in a more respectful manner of speech. The word can also be used to refer to a lady boss.

² I’ve probably mentioned it somewhere before but ヒズミ (hizumi) is essentially this word, 歪み written in Katakana. Because it’s written in Katakana, ヒズミ can also be interpreted as a person’s name. At the same time, the 歪み word is essentially defined as “a distorted or warped shape, or a bad result of something”.
Here, Sakurai could be saying that Hizumi, the character also exists within him, or that there are parts of him that are also twisted in the parallel to what the song describes.

 

 

Return to Top

_______________________

Imai Hisashi

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

I think it was nice to be able to work freely without a theme. It feels like the way it used to be in the past
But we faced difficulty in coordinating our schedules

――Your new song Sayonara Shelter was included in last September’s release of your best-of album, CATALOGUE THE BEST 35th anniv.. Recording work for 異空 -IZORA- started long before that, didn’t it?

Imai (I): That’s right. After we released ABRACADABRA, we couldn’t tour because of COVID-19 and after that…… Well, a bunch happened (lol).

――Sure did (lol). So you can’t use the excuse that you couldn’t make music because there was no time.

I: I’m not making excuses here— (lol). So we started recording work around April of last year but before that, we had a discussion with our staff. That’s where the conversation about how it would be interesting if we were to release two discs with a one or two week interval between them. I was thinking that it would be too.

――Sure is.

I: But I guess I gradually started getting the feeling that it wasn’t very coherent. In the beginning, we only thought about recording but then we had to get ready for the fan club and mobile members exclusive tour and our 35th anniversary show at Yokohama Arena so things started getting busy and we started feeling more and more things overlapping together.

――At the start of 2022, you mentioned that the idea was to release two discs with all types of songs at the same time.

I: At the start, right? That’s why I thought, we’re going to need a whole lot of songs, and when that happened, I thought it was going to be pretty interesting with the variety of songs that will be in it. But in the end, I guess you could say that I started to want a good reason for us to split the songs into two CDs.

――Not simply because you have a lot of songs and a wide variety of them?

I: Exactly. I also figured that I hate that recording takes a long time when there are a lot of songs. It’s like, I might get sick of it if we split them up properly but didn’t find any meaning in doing so.

――Between light and dark, something like that?

I: As an example. At first, we didn’t make any conclusion on that end and decided that we would just start composing music and move ahead with the recording. I guess we didn’t have a real final destination in sight in terms of what would eventually happen with our work.

――So where did the idea of releasing two CDs come from?

I: I think the person who came up with that idea in the very beginning was probably Tanaka-san (director). He said, since it would be our first original release in a significant while following ABRACADABRA, doing this would leave a stronger impact and it would also bring across something like the polyphagous nature of this band. And I concurred that it does sound like an interesting approach.

――When ABRACADABRA was released, Imai-san mentioned that you had the theme of “escape (逸脱/itsudatsu)” in mind, but is there nothing like that [this time]?

I: There isn’t. I thought it might be interesting to produce an album for our 35th anniversary without a clear theme or concept, or anything concrete in that sense.

――How was songwriting without a theme?

I: I think it was nice to be able to work freely. Somehow, it feels like the way it used to be in the past. But with the added difficulty we faced in coordinating our schedules along with the fact that we were going to the studio while technically being on tour, it was pretty tough.

――I would’ve thought so.

I: But as recording progressed, we had demo tapes for about 20 songs lined up. We were working towards releasing two discs so we did sort of finish it in that sense, but then the whole band started wondering whether this was really such a good idea after all.

――There was still work to do on the song lyrics while you were on tour too.

I: Exactly. Music notwithstanding, Sakurai-san still had to write the lyrics and sing his parts. Based on arrangement and demo tapes, we completed the twelve tracks that went into this album release. I think the recording work for three or so has been completed up to the bass stage; they still lack guitars and drums and that got us thinking that maybe we should sit down and reconsider this.

――So it was around the end of last year and the start of this year when you made the decision.

I: Yeah. We decided that we would attach the very first and very last instrumental tracks with the twelve complete songs and call it a day.

――I think because there was no theme to speak of, it has resulted in a collection of songs that represent the current BUCK-TICK with a lot of freedom.

I: That’s right. It wasn’t our goal to do this but on the other hand, it naturally shows what we’re like now in our 35th year together. I guess that’s the interesting thing about it.

 

――How would you describe the current BUCK-TICK in more specific terms?

I: Something like this (lol).

――You just can’t add a few more words in there, can you (lol).

I: Don’t think so!

――Hahahaha!

I: Well, I guess it’s the idea that our band can also play such music. We haven’t had the chance to play together yet so we don’t know how it’ll sound live and I think that’s something we can all look forward to as well.

――The first and final tracks are instrumental tracks with QUANTUM in the title.

I: I thought it would be nice for us to come on stage to those tracks in concert. I wanted to include these tracks in the album and do a bit of world-building before we go on tour.

――It’s defined as a very small unit of energy.

I: But that doesn’t mean anything here. I guess maybe something more like a prayer or a wish.

――You said you had around twenty songs?

I: Eighteen in total, I think. And from those we picked twelve for the album. Apart from that, there are three more songs that I composed but they don’t have anything done, not even guitars.

――Did you want to release two discs?

I: Nah, even if we did manage to record them all, I don’t know whether we’d actually go ahead with it. There may also be some areas that feel kind of wrong although we don’t really have those. Rather, I would prefer to execute things a little more neatly.

――You mean, with a clearer theme?

I: Yeah. We tried putting things together at a point when we prioritised the number of songs over having a theme, and as I mentioned earlier, we ended up with the unintentional effect of bringing out what our band’s current vibe is. And that’s good, but if we were to release two discs like this without any good reason to, it’s a bit…… you know.

――And that’s why this album has such a variety of music.

I: I mean, well, it’s also because when we started talking about composing a ton of songs to release in two discs, that’s exactly what we thought would happen. But [the variety] wasn’t intentional. It might feel that there are more shuffle songs and groovy music than usual, but that’s about it. The rest is our usual. We just want people to have fun when they listen to this album.

This time, I didn’t think about trying all sorts of experimental music, or incorporating this and that
I guess I was more of playing around with whatever came to mind and shaping it

――Imai-san came up with the title, 異空 -IZORA-, right?

I: Mugen LOOP (無限 LOOP/Infinity LOOP)’s working title was originally izora. That stuck with me the whole time so I made it the album title.

――Where did you get it from?

I: I like the works that artist Uchibayashi Takeshi-san creates, and he has a particular one called Ikuu e no Madou (異空への窓/Window to Another Sky). I think it’s normally read as ikuu instead of izora and he also said the same thing to me, but I thought it might be intriguing to read it as izora. And I thought it’d be nice if I could use it somewhere.

――Where did you see this artwork?

I: I bought it myself. I went to Uchibayashi-san’s exhibition and he also let me drop by his atelier for a bit, though.

――What drew you to that piece of art?

I: The homesickness. I like it.

――I saw the piece, the crescent moon is a nice touch, isn’t it?

I: Yeah. And the telephone pole at dusk, and the silhouette of a home. It’s not just the homesick feeling I like, though. I like the way [the art pieces] brings it out.

――So you made that the album title.

I: Yeah. But the purpose isn’t to make nostalgic homesickness the theme. It’s more about what kind of feeling we get when we see “different skies (異空)” like “blue skies (青空)” or “cloudy skies (曇り空)” and all that.

――Were there any changes in the way you composed your music?

I: None in particular. But this time, I didn’t think about trying all sorts of experimental music, or incorporating this and that. I guess I was more of playing around with whatever came to mind and shaping it. There wasn’t anything like a focused aim with a concept.

――Is there a chance that something like that would come around again?

I: I wonder. Wouldn’t that be based on timing or whether there are inspiration triggers? This is a slightly different topic but when I did SCHAFT in the past, we didn’t want to make something similar to the first album which was more industrial and gritty. Instead, we wanted to make music that felt less formal and allowed listeners to enjoy the live-band style music more.

――So that’s why Fujii-san (Fujii Maki) was so confused at the start (lol).

I: Because we were focused on more rock band-styled music, right? The genre is different, but I guess that’s similar to what we have now.

――Which is of more interest to you now?

I: Dunno. I enjoy them both. I guess it feels like a boom.

――Also, this time, you have YOW-ROW-kun (GARI) and Yoko-chan (Yokoyama Kazutoshi) participating in the album for manipulation and remixing too. Their work seems to sound kind of similar but I would think they’re present here as two different types.

I: YOW-ROW is the type to make use of all kinds of things without much hesitation.  When he was working on the remix of Na mo Naki Watashi (I, Nameless), he came over to my home and we came up with a lot of concrete ideas like how the chord progression would go, this and that. YOW-ROW did the arrangement and adjustments after that. If I’m working with Yoko-chan, all I’d probably say is, “Make it major.” (Lol)

――Hahahaha.

I: But I did tell him right from the beginning that I wanted to turn it instrumental. There’s a set direction.

――Your tour is starting for this album that has quite a focus on performing the songs live, but have you thought about how you’d like the shows to turn out?

I: COVID-19 has subsided and now [the audience] can get loud and noisy in concerts, right? That’s definitely one thing I’m looking forward to, but I also wonder what it’s going to be like. Because I kind of forgot after these past few years. So I’m actually looking forward to that. And what kind of music I would make after experiencing it.

――Already talking about the next thing (lol).

I: Because I always get ideas and that creative urge without fail when we’re on tour. That’s exciting, isn’t it?

――We’ve known each other for decades and even now I still ask you about these things, but you never fail to get ideas about what you’ll do next, do you?

I: They’ll come to me, somehow someway. I’ve never had nothing at all. This is the way it’s been throughout these 35 years, so I’m sure the next thing will happen the same way. Once we hold concerts, I’ll start getting ideas of what might be interesting to do next, and we’ll build everything from scratch again together after reducing what was finally consolidated at the end of it to zero. That’s not a thing you’ll get tired of doing.

――That’s true.

I: Because I think there’s still more to create.

――I think the confidence in these words has become the backbone of the band. Now that your 35th anniversary has concluded, we now look towards your 40thーー

I: Because there’s still our 36th, 37th, 38th, and 39th anniversary, right (lol).

 

 

 

Return to Top

_______________________

Hoshino Hidehiko

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

I think it’s an album we managed to put together after having experienced a bunch of things
Everyone thinks so. That we made something good isn’t the only thing we feel.

――With your new album, I get the sense that while it isn’t strongly thematic, it really lets people feel the breadth of this band’s musicality.

Hoshino (H): That’s right. At first, the idea to release two discs was raised and we subsequently started recording. In what way, we haven’t decided though, like whether it’s releasing two discs at the same time or with a short delay between them.

――You were already recording before the release of your best-of concept album last September, right?

H: That’s right. I feel like the whole of last year was spent recording. That’s why we got started early. Even though we couldn’t envision what was next. How many songs we should release, how many tracks to record, what type of songs we need; we knew nothing at all. That’s why we sort of went about it with the mindset that we really were going to release two discs or so.

――What do you mean by “type of songs”?

H: For a period, there was this sense that we were going to have two different themes for each of the discs. Like, light and dark, or something. It’s vague though. And if we wrote our music fixed on that, we’d end up restricting ourselves so I gave my music a flexibility that made it possible to change things up depending on the final arrangement. I figured that it was probably better to have more patterns so I expanded the range. Personally.

――Is that the reason behind the wide range of musicality we got in this album?

H: That’s true. In the end, the songs went into one CD, so maybe it feels like it leans very much that way.

――Roughly how many songs were initially in your demo tape?

H: In the beginning were the three songs we have now. Sayonara Shelter and Ai no Harem (Harem of Love). And Taiyou to Icarus (The Sun and Icarus). These songs were already there even before September’s Yokohama Arena event. And after that, we still kept on continuing with recording between tour dates. From my own compositions, there’s one more song that’s already got guitars recorded for it (lol).。

――So it wasn’t included because you’re only releasing one disc this time and you already had enough songs.

H: For now, it’s put on hold (lol). It’s an interesting song so I don’t want to toss it away though.

――Taiyou to Icarus is a fresh one coming from Hoshino-san. Probably because of the major chord feeling.

H: That was originally composed specifically for the album. With “light” as the focus. I think that’s where the major feeling comes from. I didn’t intend for it to be a single, though. That only happened because everyone came to the consensus that it’s kinda good while we were recording it. When Sakurai-san’s lyrics and singing came in, director Tanaka also said, “This, it’s fit for a single, isn’t it?”

――I think it’s a really good song.

H: So this time, among the four songs recorded, the cheerful ones were Taiyou to Icarus and the song on hold. While the dark ones were Sayonara Shelter and Ai no Harem.

――No matter the circumstance, you’re someone who really strikes a balance (lol).

H: Right? If we were releasing two discs, I thought having two songs in each would be just right, and if we released just one, then we can take our pick.

――What did you envision when you created Ai no Harem?

H: I just wanted something with a “dark” vibe. Probably something with a sort of thick, muddy feeling. The rhythm I went with kind of resembles dub, so I wanted the song to end with that slushy dub.

――If you had the time to, do you think releasing two discs would’ve made for something interesting?

H: We actually had more than enough time here too (lol). But we’ve never released two discs of entirely new music, right? If it does happen, it would probably be interesting, but I really wonder how it would work. Our listeners might just find that they’re only listening to one or the other (lol).

――Hahahaha.

H: If they really really think hard about it. Well, in hindsight, I get the feeling that maybe it was a good thing we decided to do it like this.

――What do you personally think about how the album turned out?

H: Hm… I dare say that it’s an album that naturally reflects the current times we live in and our present stance.

――What’s the stance?

H: All sorts of things are happening in the world now. We often see footage of war and demonstrations on TV but there’s a lot going on in those people’s lives there. Even though a lot is going on, we take it in and continue with our lives. By thinking like this, maybe we’ll be able to become forward-thinking?

――I see.

H: I think it’s an album we managed to put together after having experienced a bunch of things. I believe that’s something not only me, but the other members of the band think as well. That we made something good isn’t the only thing we feel. There are times when that’s enough, but things were completely different ten or twenty years ago. Not that there’s anything bad about it.

――Are you saying that each of these lives have affected the band?

H: Well, I suppose so. As you’d expect, coming to this age, everyone has their own thing going on. There are people who think completely differently from how I think, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have shared experiences. But once we start going on tour and get on stage, things become the same as they were 35 years ago. It’s really strange, though.

――It is.

H: That’s definitely how it is, emotionally. This somehow feels like an album which looks back on those times, doesn’t it? It lacks a concept or a theme as a result, but we were naturally able to come up with songs that fit the way the band is now.

Looking at each era, we’ve always made music honestly according to what’s in our hearts at the time
I feel like that naturally grew to become our aim

――Going back to the album, was there anything different for Hoshino-san with the sound work?

H: Nothing changed at all in recent times. Equipment’s still the same, I guess I only added one more SG to my guitars. But aside from that, there was nothing in particular that changed so our recording methods also remained the same, staff is still made up of the same people (lol). That’s not where any change would be found. But in those areas, including the melodies, I generally always have a desire to destroy it.

――When we talk about Hoshino Hidehiko, the phrase “Hide melody” often comes  up so that’s also a typecast in a good sense of it, though.

H: But I want to do something novel.

――In the 35th year of your career!

H: I’m thinking that this time’s Taiyou to Icarus might be a good starting point. Everyone calls it pop but personally, I think it’s tearful.

――A tearful melody?

H: Exactly. Especially the chorus and thereabouts. I’m playing the right side guitar but when that part matched the melody, that’s when it was finally complete. I kept thinking about it throughout that time. I really thought that the song can’t be released unless these two parts align (lol).

――The alignment of the tearful melody and the guitars.

H: Right, and that’s why it’s not just a simple pop song to me. Because I kept on thinking and thinking and thinking about that guitar (lol).

――The left side guitar plays the chords with strokes, right?

H: Yeah. That’s the main backing. It was hard to figure out guitars that meshed with the song’s melody.

――It’s no surprise considering you’re a guy who wouldn’t release a song unless it’s properly completed (lol).

H: Nah, there’s none of that recently (lol). There are parts that I’m particular about, but everything else is relatively flexible. Because [the song] can grow further when the impressions of the other band members and the manipulators come in. I’ve grown more flexible in that sense.

――But no matter the band member, they all said Hide is stubborn when it comes to song production.

H: I’ve grown more flexible. Although maybe it’s just that I find some things troublesome (lol).

――Brutally frank (lol). But doing that allows ideas from more people to come into the mix and develop it more.

H: Right, right. Exactly.

――Thoughts on Imai-san’s songs on this album?

H: The feel of it is probably the same, isn’t it? The light and dark feeling. And yet the range of it is wide. So while there’s certainly a variety of styles, it’s also the same as usual. I guess he simply decided to have a wider perspective and look at different things because he was focused on the original idea of releasing two discs.

――That, along with the songs that seem to say “I want to go somewhere different” really stand out too.

H: It’s very Sakurai-san. Those words probably call for a melody, don’t they? But I always leave the lyrics entirely up to him, so at this stage, I’m no longer surprised by whatever comes (lol).

――Hahahahahaha. So whether it’s a cat which comes, or whatever else, it’s all okay.

H: Cat (lol). But this album’s Taiyou to Icarus can be interpreted in a number of ways, don’t you think? I won’t say much more though.

――Please say more (lol).

H: No, I mean (lol). When you see the lyrics, right, you might be able to guess what some of it references, but on the other hand, I think, it can be interpreted in this other way, or seen from yet another perspective too. I’d say it’s well expressed.

――Present emotions.

H: That, and because you want to protect someone, you…… It could be interpreted in that manner too.

――And live concerts. Things haven’t entirely reverted to the way they were before COVID-19, though.

H: Seems like it.

――I know it’s still too soon, but have you thought about what you want to do next?

H: Ah, right. I think I still want to produce an album. The song put on hold is still waiting, after all (lol).

――Ultimately, you want to get into band activities ASAP?

H: Yeah. I definitely have the motivation to work on whatever’s next (lol). I want to hurry up and reamp the guitars. Because I stopped at a point where I was thinking about changing the sound if that particular sound isn’t what I wanted.

――Once again, how does it feel to keep going like this throughout all this time?

H: How indeed. Looking at each era, I guess you can tell that we’ve always made music honestly, according to what’s in our hearts at the time. I feel like that naturally grew to become our aim.

――Yes. Now, this is a completely different topic, but when I looked at Boo-san’s (VJ) Instagram page, I found out that the Starfield (星 – star/野 – field) New Year Party is still going on (lol).

H: They posted the photos, right? The Starfield party was originally a family gathering though. My eldest son is going overseas to study in the UK so this also doubles as a farewell party.

――Ahh, so with the families of your friends and everyone.

H: Yes, that’s right. Everyone came together with the intention of this being a farewell party.

――I see. Has he already gone away for studies?

H: He has.

――Are you sad, lonely?

H: Not that much. He just looks like he’s having so much fun that I envy him. It sounds like he’s in a really great place. Because he’s already made friends there and he said that he was going to travel to Spain for a vacation with those friends next week.

――It does sound like he’s having fun.

H: He said everyday’s something new.

――Don’t you feel envious when you see him like that?

H: I do. Everything is fascinating, everything is brand new. No matter what he does, it’ll be his first time with it so I guess it makes sense that he’s having so much fun.

――And yourself?

H: I wonder. I doubt I can do anything like that even if I start now, though. But that’s because I was intrigued by different things back when I was around his age, I think.

――But after you graduated high school, you went to vocational school and soon after started a band, so you’ve actually been doing that and living in this world of just the five of you for 35 years.

H: That’s true. Personally, I feel that I’ve lived my life in my own way but I’ve been so busy that I could only live in this small world. So I think those experiences were most definitely good. I want us all to be able to enjoy our lives in our own way. I guess that’s the only thing I have in mind now. That he doesn’t have any regrets. That said, I did enjoy myself though.

――Agreed (lol). [We hope that they] would enjoy life too.

H: Yes, exactly. I’m still enjoying my life in my own way too.

 

 

 

Return to Top

_______________________

Higuchi yutaka

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

There’s a change in our day-to-day relationship with how we no longer revolve our lives solely around BUCK-TICK
But on stage, we see the same band members we’ve always known, unchanged. I think that’s probably the same for all of us

――This turned out to be a great album featuring a variety of shades of the band.

Yutaka (Y): I guess we managed to make songs of various forms. Acchan’s lyrics too are what he could write precisely because of the times we’re in. I think we managed to produce an album that leaves more impact than ever.

――I would think that the reason why there’s a variety of music is largely because you spent quite a long time recording and your original plan to release two discs in the beginning, right?

Y: That’s right. We had no theme either so it felt like we decided to start with this vague goal and try going in different directions.

――Did anything change in your style of recording?

Y: Mm. But it went smoothly and it wasn’t bad. [Normally,] if we have twelve songs, my part would conclude after a few days of bass recording. After that, it’s just the wait for the engineers to do the mixing. That’s our usual style but this time, they would consolidate about three songs or so together and those songs would have some extent of singing already recorded so it’s easy for me to see how it would eventually turn out. That would also change the way I tackle the next song. It’s good that I can get a clear view of the full picture. Because before, there were a lot of instances of songs where I [hear the final version and] think, “So this is what that demo tape turned into.” (Lol)

――Sayonara Shelter was released in the best-of concept album too, but was it the first song you recorded?

Y: Nope, the first were probably Campanella  Hanataba wo Kimi ni (Campanella  A Bouquet For You) and Warukyuure no Kikou (Ride of the Valkyries). I think Sayonara Shelter was right after that.

――How was it dealing with such a rich diversity of songs as a musician?

Y: It was interesting as a bassist. Because it’s a line-up of songs that allows me to bring out a variety of grooves. If you focus on listening to the bass, you wouldn’t think that they all came from the same band (lol). But once the songs are complete, they turn into tracks that can only be attributed to BUCK-TICK. They’ll become one. That’s something that always amazes me.

――Has there never been an occasion where someone will say, “We don’t do this,” and reject it?

Y: Never. Although, when we debuted, the director person would say, “Stop that, we don’t do this.” And we had to stop halfway.

――I see.

Y: Ultimately, this band didn’t come about because we wanted to do just one thing, but instead with the intention of creating what is interesting to the five of us in a cool way.

――Not to make music, but to make what’s BUCK-TICK.

Y: Yeah. The fact that this is how we started is big. That’s why I think we can do anything. I would think that our fans probably never have thought “This isn’t BUCK-TICK” when they listen to our music.

――Right.

Y: That’s why we have fun no matter what we do. We don’t really have any deliberate consciousness of wanting to make music in a particular genre, like techno or grunge, goth. No matter what we do, it’ll become BUCK-TICK. Everyone knows that.

――The biggest factor which contributes to that is probably because you’ve grown to think about how a song can be executed with all five members of the band.

Y: That’s right. And that’s something we’ve been doing throughout these 35 years.

――Everyone’s got their own lives too, but can you all walk it the same way?

Y: I’m not sure about that. Well, we don’t really have the same amount of energy that we used to have back when we would mess around together until morning comes (lol).

――Hahahaha!

Y: I think it’s better to get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow’s concert anyway (lol). Strangely enough, although I believe that there certainly is a change in our day-to-day relationship with how we no longer revolve our lives solely around BUCK-TICK, but on the other hand, the moment we get on stage, we get that same vibe that we’ve always felt since way back and we become BUCK-TICK. There, we see the same band members we’ve always known, unchanged. I think that’s probably the same for all of us.

When we see scenes of war on TV, it makes you wonder what’s wrong with the world but it’s just reality
I think “異空” is a word that gives off a very strong sense of discomfort

 

――What do you think about the album’s title?

Y: The working title of Mugen LOOP (Infinity LOOP) was izora. I thought it was perfect for this album and this era. COVID-19 caused a pandemic, war broke out in Ukraine. In our lives, we’ve also had the Vietnam war and the war between Iran and Iraq, but we never got to see the bombings and scenes of people evacuating, or the moment of someone’s death. It makes you wonder what’s wrong with the world but it’s just reality.

――That’s true.

Y: I think “異空” is a word that gives off a very strong sense of discomfort…… That said, Imai-kun would probably say that’s “completely wrong” though (lol).

――But you’ve got a point.

Y: With all these things going on in the world, we’re releasing an album like this and going on a national tour again. I feel nothing but grateful. We can visit everyone in their cities for concerts. Things like this was something we thought would never go away and it did. That’s something we learnt from the past three years.

――That’s true.

Y: That’s why, if there’s anything we should do in this gloomy world, I think it’s to do things that bring joy to everyone. Instead of putting together a huge set and putting on a flashy performance in Tokyo, I would rather go around visiting performance halls in each district with the same kind of fervour.

――In one of the song’s lyrics that Sakurai-san wrote for this album, there’s a nostalgic story related to going on tour in a car back then.

Y: You’re talking about Boogie Woogie, right? When I saw the lyrics, I got the feeling that we had all been thinking about the same thing. When we went on tour together riding in that broken-down van, there was a time when we ran out of gas, just like in the lyrics. We ran out of gas on the highway and we pushed the vehicle to get ourselves to a rest stop (lol).

――That’s a good story (lol).

Y: It was such a hard time! I get the feeling that Acchan wrote about those memories because we talked about recalling what we did together as a band in the very beginning, what we had fun doing. It’s like a search to find out what’s at our very core.

――The five of you going on tour together, visiting the cities where your fans away, then heading to the next city.

Y: There’s something precious [to us] in that.

――So for the first time in a while, let’s have the five of you get on board a Hiace……

Y: I’ll die (lol). But the COVID-19 pandemic got me thinking about things even more. It made me aware of the fact that people were waiting for us when we lost the ability to do the things we took for granted.

――Like realising that you’re doing these things for those people?

Y: I’m more than satisfied if that relationship exists. We’ve come this far sharing that among the five of us. Because we aren’t a band where the loudest gets his way. All of us would take each person’s feelings and ideas into consideration as we think about how we can best do something while making sure everyone is happy too. And that’s the way we have always done things.

――Which song did you have a hard time recording this time around?

Y: Campanella  Hanataba wo Kimi ni was difficult. It’s got a simple bass line but I found myself thinking really hard about how I should work the groove to fit it into the song’s vibe.

――What about Sakurai-san’s lyrics?

Y: I know very well that Acchan is processing the air of our times in his own unique way. He can’t pretend he doesn’t know what’s going on and write about something else, I believe. He’s a magnificent poet.

――He really can’t run away from these things. Also, because the original intention was to release two discs, both Imai-san and Hoshino-san put out quite a wide range of music, didn’t they?

Y: Those two probably flipped the switch and got really motivated about it (lol). Both composers’ music are really good. Maybe it was made possible because of the era we’re in.

――If you did end up releasing two discs at the same time, what kind of work do you think it’ll turn out to be?

Y: Probably something intriguing and very very rich in variety. But we couldn’t make it in time, right? (Lol)

――Recording while you’re on tour is a strain after all.

Y: Because we ultimately would prefer to focus. Especially for Acchan because he only writes the lyrics at the very end after the music has gotten the OK. And that’s tough.

――Then it certainly makes it unreasonable to expect it all to be done in between schedules.

 

Y: That’s why we had to draw the line somewhere. I think what we have here is a good enough job done for this round. Maybe the next step would be to come up with yet another thing to focus on.

――Does Yuta-san hold any expectations towards BUCK-TICK like wanting to do a specific thing or wanting to produce a particular type of album?

Y: Don’t think so. It’s good enough for me to work with these band members. That’s my number one wish above all else, and if there’s only one thing I can ever do again, it’ll be that. Ah, but there’s this thing we’ve been doing recently; the five of us taking our old songs and making them new again. That is fun. I’d like to do this more. Not just make new songs.

――Why?

Y: As we work on that, I can sense how much we’ve changed and grown. And it brings me joy knowing that even now, we’re playing the same song with the same band members.

――What is one thing that has changed in you?

Y: Songs with 8th notes, I guess.

――Meaning, bouncy songs.

Y: The ones that go ton-ton-ton-ton-ton-ton-ton-ton. I’m starting to understand what it should feel like. It’s impossible for me to elaborate further, though (lol).

――Hahahahahaha.

Y: It’s hard! But after doing this for 35 years, I feel like I might have finally grasped it.

――Even a veteran like Yuta-san has his ‘finally’s.

Y: Mm. And that’s definitely because we’re a band of five playing together. If I’m playing alone at home, I’d think wherever I am is good enough but when we’re playing in a band of five, everyone has their own interpretations so instead, I’d find myself wondering whether I really am good enough. And that might lead towards something even better, turning it into reality. That’s why I can’t help but find this all so enjoyable.

――Ultimately, it’s about the five of you working together.

Y: That’s the most important thing of all. There was a time when I worked with Okuno-san (Okuno Atsushi who he formed Wild Wise Apes with in 2004), right? While I was doing that, I really felt like, “Ah… this is completely unlike our band”, “I’ve been spoiled”. Okuno-san is a senior who I get along very well with, but even so, there will be no progress unless we discuss. Like, “How’s this?” “Nah, don’t you think this is better?”  But among the five of us, that doesn’t happen and we move on naturally. As we go, we’d be like, “Ah, yes, yes, that.”

――I see.

Y: But even though it’s difficult, there’s still quite an energy. Because it’s not a familiarity that comes from simply having known each other for a long time. In terms of live performances, although factors like the song list and all that are set, but it’s not as if changes or the unexpected won’t happen. And because we do what we do while maintaining that intensity, things can grow within one tour. Like on the first day or something, I was just keenly watching Imai-kun struggle to decide whether or not he wants to have guitar playing before a song or not. Because he wouldn’t even tell me something like that (lol).

――Hahahahahaha.

Y: Our lighting guy was there too and he also said it would be easier on them if he just told them [his plan] (lol). But he plays those things by ear so we always end up with something different on each instance. It’s also like when I move towards the front of the stage, I just do it when I get the feeling I should.

――That’s what makes touring such a precious experience.

Y: It’s a joy. That’s why I would like it if people come and watch us if they happen to have the time. I want to keep doing this for as long as I can. I’ve started thinking more and more often that it wouldn’t be forever, but that’s why I want to keep going for as long as I can, and also why I want to show everyone what our favourite band is like right now.

 

 

 

Return to Top

_______________________

Yagami Toll

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

It’s not like back then when we didn’t know anyone else. Now everyone has their own life
That’s why I don’t want to forget what it feels like when we’re all on stage together

――Thank you for your time.

Toll (T): What shall we talk about today?

――The new album, and how Yagami-san’s doing lately (lol).

T: We made good music so please give it a listen. That’s all! Yagami Toll, out! (Lol)

――Let’s expand a bit on that (lol). So, shall we start by talking about last year’s tour?

T: Due to my advanced age, I cannot remember anything at all (lol).

――Stop it (lol). But I think it was a really good tour where with each show your performance was increasingly perfected.

T: Yeah. We postponed a few shows because of COVID-19, but I agree that it was a good tour. Maybe performing shows in areas other than Tokyo and Osaka might be old-fashioned (lol), but it’s definitely something to cherish, isn’t it? My body will scream but I want to travel around and perform more if I can. Because although the audience still can’t cheer and make sounds, I can feel very keenly that we’re bringing joy to everyone.

――Because the only way to really see your fans’ reactions is in a live concert.

T: There’s a lot I noticed for the first time. I forgot where but at one of our standing shows, I noticed two girls in the audience area somewhere between Hide and Acchan. I think one probably brought her friend with her for the show, but one was crying her eyes out while the other was admiring the stage (lol). Seeing that, I got the feeling that she was probably here to see BUCK-TICK for the first time. It made me really happy to know that people still react like that to us and fans like them come to see us.

――I see. Also, album recording was going on during the tour, wasn’t it?

T: That’s right. I think it might’ve begun at the start of spring, last year. At first, we envisioned that we would release an album with two discs, so I think we were working at a pace that was somehow faster than our usual. Our recording process was different too.

――In what way?

T: We always start by recording the bass parts for all the songs first, then guitars and drums come next as we build it up, but this time, we mostly worked on one song at a time and only after each track is complete, Acchan writes the lyrics and records his singing. Then we start recording the next song again. That’s the process this time. But drums get recorded last so [by the time it’s my turn] all the other instruments are already done. That’s why there were times when I even recorded three songs in the span of a day (lol).

――Sounds tough (lol).

T: The elderly wants to be given more work (lol). But that also meant that I could take my time and rehearse properly before recording so that’s something I’m grateful for. It takes time to decide on the sound specifications in the studio, but once that is confirmed, we’ll be done with the track very soon after. I think it would need three takes, at most. In the past, recording would start with bass and drums at the same time, so we’d try out various phrases and discuss it with the other members of the band, but since how I’m going to drum has already been decided ahead of recording [it takes less time].

――What’s your impression of the songs in this album?

T: I couldn’t see the end so I was confused at first. Like, how many more songs do we have to record before we’re done? Then, at year end, it was announced that we’ll just release one CD so we’re all good (lol) and suddenly, we were done. There are probably three more songs that already have bass and guitars recorded and done, though. All that’s left are drums and vocals. I guess those would go into our next release.

――I believe there was no theme to follow in terms of sound, was there? This album has quite a few different types of songs in it.

T: I had to think about the image of the song before drumming for each and every track. There isn’t quite a sense of unity but I guess that, on the other hand, is what makes it interesting. Besides, I think that’s what things were originally like in the past anyway.

――Do you have a song you like as a drummer?

T: Ever since it’s demo stage, I already got the feeling that Mugen LOOP (無限 LOOP/Infinity LOOP) sounds like a city pop song. And I really love Yoshida Minako-san, who Ponta-san (Murakami “Ponta” Shuichi) drummed for, and Matsutoya Yumi-san when Hayashi Tatsuo-san worked with her. So I really enjoyed it.

――The riff in Boogie Woogie sounds like Yagami-san at your best.

T: Because I thought the riff sounded like [a] Zeppelin [song] (lol). That’s the feeling I got when I heard the demo tape. That’s why I took it as a message from Imai to go all out and drum with Bonzo (John Bonham) in mind (lol).

――This is your first original album release in two years and seven months. How do you feel about having this long a gap in between?

T: Personally, I would prefer to release [an album] once every two years. That period’s just about right. Although we had COVID-19 happening in between, we’re a band who’s always going on tour, so this is still a comfortable gap.

――I expect it’s tough on you if you can’t drum regularly?

T: Exactly. It’s bad if I don’t get to play around with them much because then I’d lose my touch and get rusty. Drumming isn’t something you memorise in your head. It’s something that you immerse your body in, right? The shows that were postponed for that tour are also nearing, so yesterday, I was rehearsing on my own but that alone was enough to make the muscles in my ass ache (lol). So if I don’t start with my own detailed personal rehearsals to do alongside the overall tour, it’ll get difficult in the later stages.

――But having watched your recent shows, I think they’re very stable.

T: Because it’s not about being good or bad at what we do anymore. Physical fitness is all that counts. Because I no longer have a body that’s just starting puberty (lol). In the past, I would think of trying to steal some techniques, or perhaps trying some new styles, but now it’s about being better than yesterday’s me.

――That’s a good line.

T: It’s a line borrowed from Misora Hibari-san but I like it. It basically means that we should grow a little more tomorrow from what we are today, but like I said before, I think living to see the age of 60 just means that I’m an ordinary person. Neither Hibari-san nor Yuujiro-san (Ishihara Yujiro) reached 60. And even the esteemed John Bonham passed away at 32. Those who possess something special tend to go to heaven early like that. I’m still being asked to continue doing what I do, so I have to do my best in this world. I think that’s also why I can savour the joy of continuing activities as a band.

――That’s true.

T: In my teens, I dreamt of playing in a band and drumming as a member of a band. And now at 60, I can still see my dreams. I’d probably get bad karma if I were to call this a pain (lol). Things were not all fun and games, and there were lots of trying times too, but I’m simply very thankful. I have nothing but gratitude. Because I’ve seen a lot of people who really wanted this but couldn’t do it. That’s why I’d feel guilty if the future me doesn’t grow even a little beyond my present self.

My life is all about not quitting. I think it might be a good thing to affirm that.
Because I’m proud of it. And because the ones who allowed me to do so are my band members and all our fans.

――How’s the band after celebrating your 35th year?

T: Same as usual. Then again, everyone has their own lives so it’s impossible for us to always be together, thinking the same things, drinking until morning like the way we used to. But when we get on stage, everything’s the same as always. So much so that it’s intriguing. Come to think of it…… (he starts rummaging in his bag).

――What is it?

T: I was thinking of printing an old photo of us on the outfits for our next tour so I was looking for a few of those…… Look, like these (he spreads out the photos that were in an envelope).

――Whoa, you’re all so young!

T: This is a picture of all five of us in London. It says 1988 here so…… I was 26. This was in the plane but…… at the time we could still smoke in the plane cabins. The guy in the steakhouse with the kingly beard is Hide (lol). This is Hide making a face at Acchan in the old equipment vehicle we had.

――Hoshino-san is a complete jokester (lol).

T: I was thinking it would look nice if I had these printed in monochrome on my outfit so I wanted to discuss this with Yagi-san who always makes our costumes. In the past, I’ve seen shirts printed with pictures like these in fashion shows.

――I think it’s really great!

T: It’s like going back to our roots (lol). I actually don’t really like looking at old photos. Because we were so damned busy that I only have harrowing memories of those times. The moment we arrived in London, for example, the producer got all angry at us and scolded us for not rehearsing beforehand. But it was just impossible! Because we had such a ridiculous schedule (lol). But now, I’m thinking it’s not so bad to look back on those times together with everyone.

――So that’s why you picked funny photos like those instead of the cool ones.

T: Yeah. Like I said, it’s impossible for us to do these things anymore, isn’t it? Because it’s no longer like back then when we left Gunma for Tokyo and all five of us didn’t know any one else. Everyone has their own life now too. That’s why I’m thinking that I don’t want to forget that this is what it feels like when we’re all on stage together.

――I see.

T: And we’re not the only ones involved when it comes to being on stage, right? There’s of course our staff and all our fans who have created this space together with us throughout these 35 years. I just think it might be nice to express how those emotions still remain this way.

――That even after your 60th, your emotions from those days haven’t changed.

T: 60 or not, I’m just a drummer boy for as long as I live. Just recently, I went to a music store with Tetsu (DERLANGER/drums) and I ended up buying a snare. There was an adorable store staff who said they bought it for me and when I tried drumming it, it was pretty good so I took it home. My family’s grown bigger again (lol).

――Hahahahahaha.

T: But it was a type of snare that I didn’t have. It’s a Raddick snare from the 70s and it’s a rim-clamp (note: rim-clamp refers to the snappy being clamped to the rim, while modern snare models has the snappy being attached by strings on opposite ends. The two models create different sounds due to variations in how the sound vibrations are transmitted). The one I have now is a modern model, but now that I think about it, the snare I had at the time we debuted was a rim-clamp from Pearl. I either bought it in my third year of middle school or as a freshman in high school, but I just kept using it throughout that time. I even used it in the recording of Sexual XXXXX!, but I started using a different snare after that. Like what I said about the outfits earlier too. In a similar way, maybe I’m harbouring a desire to go back to my roots.

――In a way, these things are taking you back to those days.

T: Being a band member is a blessed thing, isn’t it? Despite ageing, we can easily revisit those days. And on top of that, we’ve been with the same band members throughout all this time too. Growing older while still staying the same. It’s not half bad.

――But you’re really an older brother who everyone can lean on as a drummer.

T: But there are still so many other seniors around (lol). There’s Hayashi Tatsuo-san and Yamaki-san (Yamaki Hideo). Everyone’s still actively performing in their 70s too. Makoto-san (Takahashi Makoto) who’s 68 is still full of life. I guess it’s all about looking ahead and drumming all out while we’re still alive (lol).

――As a drummer, what thoughts do you have about your own style of drumming that you’ve had all this time?

T: I really looked up to session musicians and studio musicians. Because no matter how you look at it, their level of skill is just sky high. Impossible for me. I really think it’s true. That’s why I formed a band, I was brought in via Yuta’s invitation, and here I am, drumming all this way. That’s my life. But I think it’s a good life. Even when I’m distressed, when I wanted to quit, and when I said I wanted to retire, no one listened to me anyway (lol).

――It’s a famous story (lol).

T: I don’t know whether it’s good or bad, but my life is all about not quitting. I think it might be a good thing to affirm that. Because I’m proud of it. And because the ones who allowed me to do so are my band members and all our fans.

 

 

 

 

Return to Top

 

 

AFTERSHOW

2023.03.16 BUCK-TICK

The photoshoot happened in a studio at Kameari, a city that has a statue of KochiKame’s Ryotsu Kankichi outside the train station. The first to come were Yuta & Anii. The brothers enter the studio arriving in a car driven by Yuta-san. Having difficulty navigating the narrow space, Yuta-san handed the wheel to their manager. Then arrived Hide-san, Imai-san, and Sakurai-san one after another. They took their turns to get ready, and after make-up and a change of clothes the shoot started with solo shots of the members. Actually, there was also the filming of a video scheduled to happen at the same time onthis day. So both the band members and the studio staff were all busy running around. After 3 to 4 hours, the solo shoots and the film recording concluded. Everyone then went to the studio on the first floor for the group shots and the cover shoot. In the midst of a set change, Sakurai-san and Yuta-san left the studio and stood in the parking area talking cars. A heartwarming conversation unfolded: “Is this car Yuta’s?” “Yeah, it’s rather compact compared to Acchan’s car, isn’t it?” “It’s nice, looks like Yuta.” “Just say it’s small!”

And by the time the group photoshoot was done, it was already well into the evening. Now we can all it a day…… Or so they thought. Right then, Kanemitsu was spirited away by Ueda Takeshi (AA=) who came to Kameari for the dialogue with Imai-san that would be published in the main issue. Alas.

 

 

Return to Top

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Images: Yoshiyuki