Sakurai Atsushi — A Three-Part Special

Pati-Pati Dokuhon #2
October 1990

Interview:
小野嶋大
DAI ONOJIMA

Photo:
北岡一浩
KAZUHIRO KITAOKA

Inner cover photo・Momotaro

 

The activities that followed their absolute revival, the concept Aku no Hana itself has been elevated into a lofty theme.
And now, he is undergoing a period of intense recharging while eyeing the next step to take.
Just what is it that shaped not only his work within the band, but also that vivid solitude that his presence flaunts?

 

 

 

SUPER LONG INTERVIEW ①

A Virtuoso’s Solitude
LONELY HERO

Sakurai Atsushi
BUCK-TICK

 

The activities that followed their absolute revival, the concept Aku no Hana itself has been elevated into a lofty theme.
And now, he is undergoing a period of intense recharging while eyeing the next step to take.
Just what is it that shaped not only his work within the band, but also that vivid solitude that his presence flaunts?

 

 

 

Okinawa, 16 June 1990.

I am here to conduct interviews with BUCK-TICK. A business trip for the interviews with all the members of the band to be published in this edition of Pati▼Pati, and Sakurai Atsushi’s long interview for Pati▼Pati Dokuhon’s publication.

Ahead of their upcoming first concert in Okinawa on the 18th, the band had been checked into a resort hotel by the coast since the day before. The advance flight was a precautionary measure against any possible delays or cancellations, but it’s a good thing because it also doubled as a way for the band to get some rest before the conclusion of their long Aku no Hana tour.

We first got the interviews for this issue of Pati▼Pati done by lunchtime and spent the whole afternoon on the photoshoot. Ultimately, the perfect clear blue Okinawan sky and sea…… somehow doesn’t suit BUCK-TICK after all. It’s the mid-winter scenery of a chilly sea under a frozen overcast sky where these guys walking around quietly all wrapped up in black clothes would fit, rather than the azure sea of mid-summer .

The photoshoot ends in the sweltering heat and their manager, the editor, the promoter from the record company, Sakurai Atsushi, and I return to a room in the hotel. The manager puts on a David Bowie CD but the only audible sound aside from that was the faint hum of the air conditioner.

This would be the first time that was interviewing Sakurai Atsushi. While band’s director is a close friend of mine, I wasn’t particularly familiar with Sakurai. At most we’d smile and greet each other when we met, but that was all. This was to be the first time we’d be talking at length face to face with each other. Some years ago, we had drinks together at a Chinese eatery in Nakano after the Peter Murphy concert. There were a number of other people present at the time but I recall that Sakurai Atsushi didn’t say much; he was mostly silent, smiling.

The interview began with a slightly awkward and somewhat shy greeting.

(It should be noted that the following interview has not been cut or adapted in any way, except for obvious misstatements and subject confusion.)

Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, Ryu Murakami’s Coin Locker Babies. … Because I empathise with Dazai in many areas.

―― How do you find Okinawa?

Sakurai (S): (Smiles) I can’t really… Nothing really comes to mind when you say Okinawa.

―― First time?

S: Yeah.

―― Isn’t the sea an uncommon sight [to you]? Since Gunma is landlocked.

S: Yeah… But I’ve been [to beaches] a few times for shoots.

―― Do you like the beach?

S: Well… As long as we’re just talking about looking… (smiles).

―― You don’t like swimming in the sea.

S: At all. I don’t like it, swimming (smiles).

―― Doesn’t seem like your kind of thing.

S: My kind of thing…
―― It’s hard to imagine a tanned Sakurai Atsushi, though (smiles).

S: Really… I’d look like a South American. If my face got tanned (smiles).

―― Weren’t you reading a book earlier?

S: Ah, this one? … Strategies of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu… (smiles).

―― Not something anyone would expect to see you reading, is it?

S: No, because this is my manager’s. But I like it, though.

―― Hu~h… Do you read regularly?

S: Mm… During a tour I’d be tired so I won’t feel like reading, though. But when I have lots of time, I’d read when I feel like it. I guess that’s the extent of it.

―― When did you arrive at this hotel?

S: The day before… Or yesterday, I think.

―― What have you been doing since you arrived?

S: Departure was… early, around 8, so when we got here, I slept for a while, then at night… I went to the bar downstairs to drink (smiles).

―― You don’t really go and explore the city during tours, do you?

S: No, I do. … At night… No, in the day too, I’d go every now and then but… When things are set, it’s quite difficult to move, so…

―― On your own?

S: Even if I were to go alone, in the end… I’d want to go, but I don’t really…

―― Because you’ll draw attention, right (smiles)?

S: Yeah.

―― … Any books you’ve read recently that you enjoyed?

S: Recently I haven’t really… been able to read much but… mm… the ones that left an impression on me are Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, Ryu Murakami’s Coin Locker Babies. They’re pretty old though. The ones that leave me feeling, “Ah, that was good,” are probably just these. I do remember what I’ve read quite well though. … Osamu Dazai has a strong impression on me, or rather, there was a lot I empathise with, so it sticks with me…

―― Dazai[’s work] revolves around repeatedly hurting himself, doesn’t it?

S: Yeah.

―― Set in [the] world [of a protagonist] who wishes they’d never been born.

S: Yeah, mhm.

―― Is that what you empathise with? Because there’s a part of you that feels like that too?

S: No, that’s not the only thing… I think it’s because I’m very self-conscious about how other people look at me. And somehow, some part of me worries about whether people think that something about me is weird and what they think about me. It’s that insecurity…

―― So how do you think people see you?

S: … I don’t know. (Smiles)… If I say it, people might see it that way, so I won’t, though (smiles).

―― Ah, I see (smiles). Do you have this clear divide between your regular self and the person you are on stage? That these are two different people?

S: That’s… true. Yeah, but the album or song always comes, so it’s more like my humanity or personality builds on it.

―― So it’s a different entity even though it’s connected to your personal life in some way.

S: That’s right. It’s like how every [show’s] setlist is fixed, but mentally, what I’m singing about is completely different. Besides, there’s no way that I can keep singing with the same feelings I had when I wrote a song… It’s like an increasing need to sing with a new understanding, to sing the same words with how I feel on the day itself. … And I think that’s kind of tough.

―― … Say for example, you had that outdoor shoot earlier, right? And the whole band, excluding the camera crew, would definitely head to the venue together in a tour bus, right? Normally, whether or not they have to, the members of the band would alight and start walking around looking at this and that, right? Since it’s your first time here. But the members of BUCK-TICK just sti and wait quietly in the bus.

S:

―― Saying it like this might sound like a bad thing, but it gives me the impression that everyone is very introverted. It might just be your personality but isn’t the curiosity about the things around you the initial spark that leads to self-expression?

S: Yeah.

―― With that in mind, wouldn’t there be a lot of things that are new to you since it’s your first time to Okinawa? Don’t you want to recharge yourself in your own way by jumping headfirst into those novelties?

S: Mm… I do really want to but… This will probably be boring to hear, but you know, collective action, doing things as a group? To wander around and not return to the designated spots when it’s your turn to shoot… I definitely feel that things like that are an absolute no-no… And besides… I can’t stand the heat. (Smiles) I really just can’t. I’m okay with the cold, though. … But it’s just this feeling that everyone moves the moment someone does.

 

I won’t make the effort even though what I want is right in front of me…
I think attempting to go for something looks pathetic……

―― This is probably just a lame assumption of mine, but don’t you have any desire to be absurd since you’re in a rock band? Like disregarding your manager, wandering away, doing irrational things, going on a rampage, expending your energy through those actions, or letting something untamable explode out yet still sticking your head into all sorts of things out of curiosity. I personally think it’s a good thing to possess that sort of restless energy.

S: Mm, yeah.

―― That’s why I’m wondering where you’re taking in your energy from. Especially Acchan, since you write lyrics, what’s the source of your energy and ideas?

S: I suppose it’s dissatisfaction and a desire for more… 

―― Regarding?

S: Myself… Or rather, the outside world through my eyes… I can’t quite explain it properly but… I [personally] think I’m very selfish but… Today, I wanted to blast the air conditioning and go speeding somewhere in my car again though. (Lol) But [the frustration] isn’t related to such trivial things, but rather the times when these mental and physical frustrations build up, or when I’m being forced to let them pile. … I’m the kind of person where it becomes visibly obvious whenever there’s something I don’t like. So when it comes to energy, I think people can absorb as much of it as they want as long as they can vent it. Like if something unpleasant happened before a show, after the show they’d tell me that today was a good day. And that’s despite the fact that this person was absolutely pissed off and thought that things weren’t fine at all. (Lol). So these things happen too… People might look at me and think that I’m relatively calm, but… I also want to feel like [the whole world] belongs to me.

―― Ah, it seems natural for you to be frustrated.

S: Yeah.

―― That you’ll be upset when things don’t turn out the way you hoped, and such.

S: Mm…

―― Is that your dissatisfaction towards a world that doesn’t work the way you want?  Or…

S: It’s dissatisfaction towards my own inability.

―― Your lack of power.

S: … There’s that too, and also times when I don’t even try. When I won’t make the effort even though what I want is right in front of me…

―― Why?

S: … (Smiles) Because I think I’d give up. Thinking about those things after the fact, I suppose I’m just thoroughly indecisive (smiles).

―― Why would you give up?

S: … Probably because I want to play it cool. I mean, I think attempting to go for something looks pathetic.

―― And that’s something that you consider when it comes to aesthetics?

S: Mhm… Everything I’ve said thus far is related to aesthetics. 

―― Including your dislike for recklessness.

S: … No, I like it. If we five members of the band can’t really make a decision on the details of a setlist or a stage, I’d just suggest something and push for it. Although, I don’t really know whether you’d call that being reckless… It’s the same when there are arguments too… Something like doing what I have to when I have to.

―― But you don’t like putting it out there that you’re being reckless or something.

S: Hm… I guess… so.

―― Breaking a sweat while you’re giving your all…

S: That’s… dependent on the context. Whether it’s my reckless side, my personal opinion or desires, I think showing it all off will leave me with nothing. I guess there’s a part of me that thinks it’ll be the end of me if I’m attacked.

―― You don’t want to show your hand.

S: Mm… But there are times when I feel impressed when I see someone giving their all.

―― So there are times when you think that it’s good to quit playing it cool and live according to how you truly feel.

S: Mhm. It happens sometimes…

―― Yet why can’t you?

S: Hm… If I go with my true feelings… it’s a bit… I don’t think I can do it right. To just be sad when I’m sad… I can’t do that when there’s a concert, can I? Like, if I were to get so nervous that I lock myself in the bathroom alone (smiles).

―― Even if that’s where you hold on to aesthetics, don’t you think that it restricts you instead?  When it comes to singing or performing.

S: Hm…

―― I’d assume that there’s naturally some lack of freedom in daily life, but what about your performance?

S: I guess in the end… I unconsciously started to pursue only the things I like.

―― I mean, wanting to actually sing about this particular thing but that’s not the image it has, things like that.

S: No, I think I’m shedding more and more of my restrictions when it comes to that. I intend to do things the way I want to.

―― Ah, I see.

S: This is only from the perspective of lyrics, but in the past, we’ve insisted that these are just love songs. Yet when watching movies or reading novels, I noticed that those aren’t the only parts of it that are cool and that there are many other factors and [my view] just keeps expanding. Well, whether it’s really expanding or I was actually just short-sighted, I don’t know but my satisfaction is growing…

 

Ever since I was a child, I’d try my best to stay out of sight… I was timid.
I thought if I were to come into contact with other people, I’d get hurt or something…

――The lyrics you speak of aren’t lyrics that are realistic, right? Because the words you use and the way you phrase them is abstract anyway. Is this because there’s a part of you that doesn’t want to write about reality?

S: Hm… I can write honestly about my reality, like my personal experiences and thing I’ve been caught up in, but I’m not particularly interested in what happens overseas, controversial topics and the like, so… I guess in the end, it’s difficult for me if I’m not personally involved in it and can’t get a feel for things myself…

―― Not only talking about what goes on in other countries, but even when it’s your own daily life, and topics like those… It’s the way you pick your words and all. For example, if you’re to say “I love you”, you definitely wouldn’t say it straight, would you?

S: Nope, I don’t do that. But Imai does. (Smiles)

―― Ah, I see. (Smiles) As a figure of speech, right?

S: …… But sometimes I think that’s pretty cool too.

―― Isn’t it a pain to play it cool?

S: I guess I do feel that way when it does become a pain.

―― Is that how you’ve always felt?  Ever since your amateur days?

S: … Not so much when it comes to being cool, rather… Ever since I was a child, I’d try my best to stay out of sight… I was timid. [Thinking that] if I were to come into contact with other people, I’d get hurt or something…

―― You’re afraid of getting hurt.

S: Mm… When I’m young, it was all about that.

―― As the singer of a band, don’t you have to cast your shame aside?

S: Mhm.

―― So why are you here, now, despite having been that timid when you were young? You were initially on drums, weren’t you? It gets me wondering where such a change came from.

S: … That’s ultimately also because of the major frustrations I had… When I started singing, I just wanted to impress with my fashion. I don’t know whether to call it a misconception or whatever, but I felt that I could do it and… Recently, when I’m writing, it sounds bad but I get the feeling that I’m pretty much putting my own thoughtless stupidity out there on display. Because I’m showing people that this level of work is written by me. Whether it’s my vocabulary or my sentence structures. Although, I don’t mind if people say that I’m not clever. But the embarrassment from that… I just feel that I can’t do things in the way of someone who would say, “I’m a person who feels these things.”

―― Is that different from when you’re singing?

S: In the end, that’s also coming from the same thing as firing outwards, right? Besides, if it’s music, people know the kind of chord progression it would have. Likewise, if it’s song, I can only use this voice that I have.

―― Does it feel good to show yourself in that light?

S: Feels good… hm… [rather, it’s] a thrill… I don’t know how people would look at me but the best possible thing for me would be if I could go one step ahead and make myself the spectacle. … Because [staying here,] my frustrations would just continue building with my doubts about how people see me, whether I should present myself in this way and what they’d think of me now, whether stopping there would just get me labelled as normal. I feel that going beyond allows me to declare that this is what I’ll write and sing about, go ahead and have a look, this is the direction I’m taking.

―― Isn’t that confidence?

S: Hm… maybe… it is, and… I think getting there will save me.

―― Do you feel like you’re already there?

S: Hm… Well, there’s an intention to [get there].

―― To become something other than yourself?

S: To become the person I am on stage.

―― And that’s a different person from your usual self?

S: I suppose… yes.

―― What’s different?

S: What I said earlier… It’s casting aside my usual psyche and singing… To bring out actions and emotions that fit the song…

―― But isn’t that song something you wrote yourself?

S: Mhm.

―― You’re saying that’s still not you?

S: Yeah, because it could be different depending on my mental state on a particular day. Besides, the day I wrote the song and the day I sing it are completely different days.

―― Do you enjoy this divergence?

S: Getting into character is definitely fun. Like when I feel like this today but I think that will change when I sing a particular song. When I wonder whether I can get into character.

―― I guess that’s something like saying that Sakurai Atsushi is a diamond that sparkles on different sides depending on the light. Or rather, you have two sides, like a back and a front.

S: … I think there’ll always be a divide between the watcher and the being-watched, so… I don’t think it really matters to the one who’s putting themselves on show. … Even if they roll around and get all messy and dirty. I think it’s be interesting if they feel that being dirty is cool. It’s not just about being shiny.

―― So what’s the part that you won’t show? The part you keep hidden in the back?

S: … The boring parts. (Smiles)

―― Parts that aren’t cool.

S: Or rather, the very down-to-earth parts. Like brushing my teeth, washing my face; those parts.

―― So, for example, isn’t there a band called KASUTERA¹? Do you have no interest in singing all about the world that exists within a one metre radius of you like they do?

S:

―― Ah, that’s an extreme comparison, though. (Smiles)

S: I’ve never thought about that. … Besides, I don’t think I’d write “Ah, it’s thundering” even if it is thundering [outside right now] anyway. (Laughs)

―― Does that have something to do with your own pride?

S: Rather than pride… I think it’s good that people can express themselves honestly. We shouldn’t make fun of their perception of things. They’re just different from other people; that’s what I’d like myself to remember. … Although, it feels like they’re showing us that the things they think of are special, a little out of the ordinary. In the end… everyone perceives things differently, and there’s no way to say what’s the norm anyway. It’s like attaching pride to what you think or write. I wouldn’t make fun of what’s others’ so I don’t want what’s mine to be ridiculed either. If it was… then I’d retaliate, I’d do something along those lines. … I guess it’s only recently that I began to feel like this.

―― Previously…

S: Maybe I was more conformist…

―― You were afraid of being hurt.

S: Yes… It was about being cool in a casual and understated manner… Although, that might still be the case.

―― Not casually, but playing it cool more blatantly. (Laughs)

S: Yes. I’ve come to think that’s fine. It’s okay to do it openly.

―― Around when did you start gradually shifting from the idea that you’re introverted to thinking that you’re just different from other people?

S: Mm… But it’s because it’s been different as compared to other families for as long as I can remember.

―― Your environment?

S: My home environment. I’ve also spoken about this in a previous interview but… I mean, it’s a real bore to talk about but… My father was someone who would get violent when he drank,  and my mother appeared to feel like she had no choice but to live with it because she had two children. Because that’s been going on before my eyes for as long as I can remember… And these things didn’t happen in the homes of my friends around me so. … Everyone goes to places with their family, the whole family, and they have great relationships with their neighbours, and so on. Seeing that, I just can’t help but wonder why my family is like this. It feels dark even though the same lights are on. Even though I’ve also got four people in my family… it feels very… empty. Ever since then, after realising that [my family is] different from other families and all that… it might be… an exaggeration, to say that I grew unable to talk to and interact with people… but, before I knew it, that’s the kind of personality I had. I don’t really… talk to my parents, my father, and at some point I got into a fight with my older brother and there was a period when I stopped talking to him too… In middle school, I’d often get the idea that I’m weird, or gloomy though…

―― … You were alone.

S: …Mm.

―― You were aware that you were alone.

S: Mm… I have memories of listening to pop music in my room alone, even on Sundays and the like.

―― I mean, there is such a thing as being alone without being aware of it, but it was hard to cope with knowing that you’re alone at that age, wasn’t it?

S: Mm, that’s why, I’ve shed… tears before. … Wondering why I’m here alone, even though it’s a Sunday afternoon and the weather is nice outside… My friends would be there if I went outside, but I didn’t try…

 

My father died, and it’s like a hole suddenly opened up…… within myself, and the family too.

―― Do you think such an environment affected your personality and the things you do now?

S: Mm… probably.

―― So, Acchan, what you’re referring to when you’re talking about being “different from others” isn’t what you’re better at, but rather, your weaknesses?

S: That’s right. … I’ve definitely never thought that I’m better than others. That my family is wealthier, or my father is better, or my mother is smarter… Although, my older brother’s a very diligent person… and I… am very average in my studies so I don’t think I’m good at it anyway. And my personality is far from being bright and cheerful. (Smiles) Neither am I particularly motivated when it comes to sports. Nor am I the type who can answer when a teacher points at me. Much less a person who would raise my hand on my own volition. In the end… there’s a strong inferiority complex, or rather, personally, that’s something I feel. A lot.

―― And this inferiority complex didn’t lead you in a negative direction, but instead brought you to the positive outcome of joining a band.

S: Mm… If I actually took a negative turn…

―― That’s what led you here.

S: Mm… The four [other band members] left for Tokyo while I remained in the countryside, working as I should, giving up, and drinking all the time… I thought, nothing matters anymore. I had no confidence in my drumming anyway… and I thought, there’d only be the three of them left [at home] if I went to Tokyo. I did a lot of bad things in high school and caused trouble… my mother was made to shoulder the responsibility alone, and if I were to just head off [to Tokyo] like that… I felt bad for her. If we’re talking about what led me here… my father died and somehow, it’s like a hole suddenly opened up… within myself, and the family too. … It affected the family a lot, actually. And myself too. … This hole suddenly appeared and I thought, there’s nothing here for me to do. Then… with nothing to do, I was aimless, just holding on to being in the band. I wanted to stand out and perform in front of people with them all… so I said, I kind of want to go to Tokyo and be with the band… there wasn’t anyone who could stop me… well, there was, but… there wasn’t anything else I wanted to do anyway so I decided to go. And my mother also said that it’s okay [for me to go]. … So I went to Tokyo, crashed at someone’s place… Before that, I did voice my interest in becoming the vocalist to the band, and right around the time I was going to Tokyo, they were in Tokyo talking about our vocalist at the time not being up to par, so I said, then let me take the spot… A lot of things happened in that one year after I graduated from high school, and that was what started it all. Since things were already in the red… I decided to do what I wanted to do.

―― Saying that you want to be the vocalist is really the desire to stand out, right?

S: Yeah.

―― But how do you reconcile your awareness of this inferiority complex and the belief that there’s nothing about you that’s better than others, with your desire to stand out?

S: Hm… Somehow, my desire to show off and be cool has become the priority and… I got this sort of feeling that I’m the only one who knows about my inferiority complex anyway, so. I thought I could start over from zero without being held back by anyone.

―― That’s… something like, having no one you know anymore when you leave your family back in your hometown and come to Tokyo.

S: Mm… It ends up sounding like a sob story when I talk about these things, but it’s really… a decision to start over…

―― In the sense that you don’t want to show those bad sides of you anymore?

S: Mm, I’ve put them away since then…

―― Hidden away?

S: … Or not. … Maybe it looks bad from an outsider’s perspective, but anyway, even if [these parts of me] showed up in Tokyo, I was enjoying myself a lot. Because there wasn’t anyone who would grumble at me and I did whatever I wanted… But there was just one thing; I was still being a burden to my mother and she still sent me money. I wasn’t working. And during those times, I’d still go and have fun even if I felt that this wasn’t good. I’d just play around because it’s enjoyable…

―― Doing that despite knowing it… But if we look at it from another perspective, this part of you with the inferiority complex is as good as the basis of being Sakurai Atsushi, right?

S: Mm.

―― I wonder if throwing that away, or hiding it would leave you without something to go back to.

S: Mm, there’s no way to get rid of this inferiority complex in me anyway.

―― But I wonder, whether it’s because of the time or the place, did the parts of you that expose your complex disappear when you made the decision that you would come to Tokyo?

S: Nope, it’s not like that. There’s already plenty of the things I don’t like about myself being shown. (Smiles) I think these things appear even when I’m just talking to people. It’s the same with my mannerisms. Even when I’m being interviewed… I think there are times when I’ve left a bad impression. And even my lyrics… sometimes I feel that everyone listens to what I write now, but if it was any other point in time, people would probably think I’m disgusting for writing such things.

―― Meaning?

S: …… That I’m completely out of touch with the times or something… I think people probably wouldn’t be able to accept those who write about their frustrations or the things they don’t like about themselves if we weren’t in this present era.

―― Do you mean this is the reason for BUCK-TICK’s commercial success?

S: Mm.

―― … Was this something you’ve always been conscious of since you started in the band? Because, you know, the more people hear you, the more you’ll be appreciated.

S: Mm… I suppose we’ve always wanted many and all sorts of people to listen to us since we started out. … But it’s honestly not because we want to get rich or be famous. We’ve just been looking for somewhere we can be ourselves and be cool. So, we put on shows without caring whether we would make money or not and ask people to come and see us just because we want people to see us… even now, that… hasn’t changed, I believe. It’s great if we can make money, but if we can’t play, there’s nothing we can do about that anyway…

 

No way for me. Because I can’t do it alone.
[I’m] cool precisely because I’m in a band, is how I feel now… strongly.

―― It sounds like being on stage stage was where you felt truly seen for the first time.

S: … Mm.

―― Does it have to be on stage?

S: Hm… I think it is the only place that excites me…

―― The only?

S: … Mm… That electricity… doesn’t exist [anywhere else].

―― That comes from crowds of people watching you.

S: Mm, I think that’s step two. Step one would be us putting ourselves out there on show. Like making sure that we can be seen and heard. After that we can go, “Ah, they’re watching us.” … Well, it’s the same thing anyway.

―― Showing people who you are is cool.

S: Mm.

―― And that’s separate from your inferiority complex.

S: … No, I think it’s the same thing.

―― You’re not particular about wanting to show only the nice side of things?

S: I… am not. I don’t mind getting dirty if it means it’d be cool.

―― Where do you get your reference for what’s cool?

S: … I dunno. (Points at his chest) It ends up being how I feel in here (smiles). There are all kinds of words, all kinds of people, all kinds of performances, and all kinds of songs too, so I can only say that it depends on how I feel at that point in time…

―― Do you have any specific, ideal forms of coolness?

S: … I think it starts with regular trend followers. If someone thinks that pop songs are great, I think it’s fine anyway. … Even artists. Those who can make people think that they’re really cool will do fine even if their songs aren’t particularly good. … Whether there’s something specific… I dunno. There isn’t just one. Because [it’s a combination of whatever] I think is cool at any one point of time.

―― Based on appearances?

S: Mm, I suppose so. … But at the same time… I find myself wanting people to see both the inside and the outside as one. Like someone that looks perfect on the surface but leaves you wondering what they’re really thinking…

―― The opposite exists too. Like a person who looks grimy on the outside but possesses sublime beauty on the inside.

S: Ah, that’s true. It’s just that when we talk about what catches your eye, it’s usually the pretty things. When you’re listening with your ears it’s… certainly different, though. There are works of art that I think are really cool too. Whether it’s a painting, or a movie, or a song, or an object. … How both are two sides of the same coin, and that sense of danger it brings.

―― A sense of danger… As in, feeling like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

S: Mm. It’s probably not entirely true, but that’s how I feel and all.

―― Like you’re being hunted.

S: Mm. Knowing this and letting it show all at once.

―― And you’re trying to bring that out.

S: Mm… If I have it.

―― Something that’s right on the very edge.

S: I want to have that even if it’s just the vibe of it. … If I actually did have it… it might just crush me though. (Smiles)

―― You like artists like Peter Murphy and David Bowie, right?

S: That’s right.

―― Do they give off that vibe?

S: Mm… Not Peter Murphy but Bauhaus…

―― Ah. (Smiles) There’s an obvious difference in that area, right? (Smiles)

S: Mm… (Smiles)

―― What about movies?

S: Mm, it’s definitely that type, the sort of movies with that vibe… Like Purple Noon is one of those that I like. The one with a young and handsome 24-year-old Alain Delon… He really was such a soft, pretty boy… I don’t know what he’s really like, but in the movie, I felt… he was really cool. … I guess I like the bad boy-type of characters…

―― A fleur du mal [惡の華 / Flower of Evil]

S: Mm. (Smiles)

―― Do you hate the wholesome types? (Smiles)

S: Ufufu… wholesome types… It depends on who or what we’re looking at. (Smiles) … But I guess it might be true. I don’t think a really cool someone singing a stupid song works out… It’s not impossible, but it’s more like, I’d think something else would be better. … Others might think differently, but I’d tend to have my own idea of what fits this person.

―― Hm… If that’s the case, do you feel that your reason for singing a particular way is mostly because this style suits you better, rather than because this is what you want to convey?

S: … Hm… Personally, for me, the priority would be to get what I want to convey out there. How I want to do it… I think it’s decided at the same time. I might’ve chosen to write those words in my lyrics because I felt that one fits me better than the other. Maybe it’s subconscious or something, but I naturally get a sense of how I want to do something. And that comes with the decision making that I do with picking words that suit me better… Like when I read a book or something and find something that I like. Even if it’s not my style, I’d make it mine, something like that.

―― That’s very professional of you, but on the other hand, you have your own image of yourself, right? So wouldn’t you have a tendency to get tied down by that image and box yourself in?

S: Hm… But isn’t that image being created by the audience rather than the performer?

―― But it seems to me, Acchan, that you have your own idea of it.

S: Mm, in the sense that I’d want to reinforce that image when I’m working. And when I’m moving on to the next thing, I’ll get rid of that reinforced image.

―― You’ll get rid of it?

S: Mm… Well, because I’m not already on whatever’s next. (Smiles).

―― Ah, it’s like you’re still at step one.

S: Mm, it feels I’ve only now begun to grasp it… myself. … I’m not disregarding whatever came before, but… I’m now getting a hold of how I really feel regardless of what others may think.

―― Is there a chance for drastic change?

S: A chance… I don’t know, but… possibly… it might happen.

―― All of a sudden you’ll wear ripped jeans, (smiles) and release songs that sound like the Blue Hearts. What do you think? (Laughs)

S: I wonder what that would be like… I don’t know. … Because there are people out there who would say that’s good too, right? I really don’t know.

― Well, no matter how I look at it, I don’t think it suits you, though. (Laughs) … If that happens, wouldn’t it be restrictive for you being in the band?   Even if you wanted to change your image, you’d still have to consider the band’s overall image……

S: No, no way for me. Because I can’t do it alone.

―― Why?

S: I can’t write music. (Smiles).

―― But that…

S: Could be solved if I just asked someone else to do it?

―― No, actually… Haven’t you ever thought of learning how to?

S: Hmm, but, you know… [I’m] cool precisely because I’m in a band, is how I feel now… strongly.

―― Why a band?

S: It’s like… There are people who play the instruments, right? So it’s not like I’m singing karaoke. If it was someone who doesn’t care about me at all playing the instruments, it wouldn’t be enjoyable… That’s why our image is important… If I asked, “I want to do it like this. What do you think?”, the members would share their own ideas instead… That doesn’t happen a lot [out there], does it?

―― So you’re saying that it’s coolest to perform with the other members of your band furiously playing their instruments with you in the middle singing.

S: Mm. I think it makes me look good, and it probably makes the guitarists and bassist look good too… (Smiles)… Well, it may not be true, but… There are those who leave a band and go solo, right? … I hate to say this, but that would make me feel like I’m handling the weight of everything on my own… Like I’m a world apart from the next person…

 

If we’re just talking about connections, it’s through concerts, right?
The distance gets bridged… and we can have a conversation if we want too.

―― Peter Murphy is someone like that, right? But David Bowie isn’t. Even though he originally started out in a band.

S: Hmm… He’s kind of, he doesn’t seem to second-guess himself… He’s got this magnetism that could eat you up.

―― And that’s not what you have?

S: I’d say I’m not at his level… because I’m not a person who can do everything himself. … He can do it all, can’t he?

―― But he isn’t all about music theory and doesn’t give off the sense that he’s musically inclined either, does he? It just feels like he finds the right colleagues to work with and puts their abilities to good use.

S: But the one who gets put in the spotlight is him…

―― Yes, exactly. Picking out the best bits. (Smiles) Extracting the essence and tossing them away when they’re all out, (laughs) what an outrageous guy… So, putting it bluntly, you said that being with the other members of BUCK-TICK now is where you can be the coolest version of yourself. Does this mean that if there’s a different situation where you can be even cooler, would you move there instead?

S: A situation where I look cool… I can’t think of any (other than being in BUCK-TICK). … Being in a band (that isn’t BUCK-TICK) isn’t all that cool, is it?

―― So no matter how much this person, Sakurai Atsushi, wants to keep changing, he feels that the band BUCK-TICK probably has the perfect public image right now. There’s no running away from it being in such a situation where you’re capable of selling records like this, getting such crowds at your concerts, is there? Haven’t you ever felt conflicted about this? Like, maybe the neon “BUCK-TICK” sign gets in the way? Putting it bluntly?

S: [No,] because I think it’s fine to carry that signboard around while doing other unrelated things.

―― But isn’t there a certain image that comes with the mention of BUCK-TICK? (Smiles)

S: Not really… I’d hate it if the image [attached to me] made it such that I can’t do anything but…

―― You have the freedom?

S: Mm. If, for example, I want to act in a movie, I can anyway.

―― A movie would be nice. Is there something [coming up]?

S: No, not at all. But… I’m interested.

―― Aren’t there talks?

S: There were, in the past. But I didn’t think it was particularly cool. (Smiles) It was a science fiction movie, but it wasn’t quite…

―― You’d like something like Purple Noon?

S: Mm.

―― The closing scene really left an impression, didn’t it?

S: Mm. Because the music fits well.

―― With your present status, you can’t easily go out and take a walk, can’t say indecent things, can’t fart in front of people; you find yourself in all these situations now (smiles) as Sakurai Atsushi.

S: Mm, but… I feel that if I want to, I can do anything.

―― But you don’t want to, right? (Smiles)

S: If there’s something I want to do, then I’d do it.

―― Being stoic goes hand in hand with playing it cool, but I can’t help but feel a little concerned that you’re stuck in such a situation when you’re repeating the process of writing music, recording music, performing on stage day after day.

S: Sakurai hates putting up with unpleasant situations the most, so I think it’ll be fine, though.

―― Fine?

S: Mm. If I decide that I want to do something, then it’s not an unpleasant situation to tolerate.

―― Going back to our original discussion, I definitely think it isn’t a good thing to distance yourself from the world too much. Cultivating something in a sheltered environment might create something very beautiful, but if it has no contact with reality, that’ll just make it extremely vulnerable and you can’t say that it doesn’t come with any risk either.

S: Mm.

―― But it’s not as if I’m saying that you should get big and burly. (Smiles) So… you said that concerts are what excites you the most, right?

S: Mm.

―― I think that should be the way for musicians, but there are lots of other exciting things out there apart from concerts, right?

S: Mm.

―― So I think it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you to consider looking for these things elsewhere, you know?

S: Mm… hmm… I don’t really like the idea of protecting something, or being protected. … If we’re just talking about connections [to reality]… In making music, these connections are probably concerts, right? If I’m just someone who people see on record covers, someone they always listen to, always see in magazines, on TV, then… the distance [between me and my audience] grows. The distance gets bridged during a concert, one way or another… and we can have a conversation if we want too.

―― But conversations in a concert are… not exactly conversations, are they?

S: Mm… It’s not as if I can descend the stage, take a seat next to someone and ask, “How are you?”, right? (Laughs)… Music comes first, so there’ll always be some sort of divide [between us and the audience] if we build up some sort of image.

 

I want to go deeper into the glass [greenhouse] yet,
I want to become more open, more honest.

―― Artists are first and foremost human beings anyway, so isn’t it of course that their humanity contributes to the basis of that artist’s expression? If their humanity gets placed in a glass box and cut off from reality… Whether we’re looking at Imai-kun’s or Acchan’s lyrics, they’re all the product of your imagination flowing out from inside of you, right? That’s why, apologies for being blunt but, it feels like you’re losing your roots to your lyrics when you become more and more disconnected from reality. 

S: … This might not answer your question, but I like Ozaki Yutaka a lot… I admire people like him who can show [the world] who he is, what this city is with such brazen honesty. … But it’s my emotions; I want to be more open going forward or maybe I want to go deeper into the glass [greenhouse]… I want to become more honest.

―― Do you mean… that there’s a part of you that isn’t honest?

S: Mm. Like my wordings, writing about things that I don’t even feel…

―― What you said earlier about making yourself seem cool.

S: … Maybe that’s it. … But it could also be that I didn’t know. Right? What I want to do, what actually… suits me… whether it still suits me now, I don’t know either.

―― You don’t know whether or not it’s a good idea to show that side of yourself.

S: Mm. … I’ve become a lot more honest now.

―― You’ve gone in the direction of wordplay.

S: Mm. Lyrics that are just nice and sparkly. Lyrics that only aim to sound cool. … But… frankly, I really want to become more honest going forward. I’ve come to feel that I want to put more honesty in my work. Recently. Finally. … I don’t know what direction I’ll be taking though. Whether I’ll move closer towards the people, the city, or… maybe I’ll just put myself in a steel case.

―― You could turn to the streets, or alternatively, turn inwards, continue to examine yourself thoroughly and expose every single thing you have including the ugly parts and the things you don’t like. Whichever way you go, they’re both impressive in their own way, aren’t they?

S: Mm. That’s why, I think I can only be honest.

―― It sounds like you’ve gotten more confident by arriving at such a state of mind.

S: I suppose so… Confidence… Maybe that’s just my desire for more. (Smiles)

―― Meaning?

S: Hmm… There might still be a part of me which feels that these aren’t my words. LIke, that’s wrong… I think that might be why I forget my lyrics though. (Smiles)

―― They’re not familiar to you.

S: Mm.

―― There was something that Keith Richards said² that was simple, yet really meaningful: once you tell a lie, you’ll have to tell another to keep up with the first one. You’ll have to keep lying to no end. Keeping that going would be such a troublesome chore, so he decided to only speak the truth. (Smiles)

S: But wouldn’t it be trouble if you were to do something bad and then talk about it truthfully? (Smiles)

―― Do you like talking about yourself?

S: Hmm… There are times when I get embarrassed thinking back about events like these and realising how much I ended up talking about myself. (Smiles)

―― Like, “I shouldn’t have said that.” (Smiles)

S: Exactly. Or, “I should’ve been more discreet.” (Smiles) But there’s a time lag when it comes to magazine publications, so.

―― You’d look at it and think, “I didn’t realise I said that.” (Smiles)

S: Exactly. Because I have the urge to say things at that point in time even though I’d think like that later on. Although, I still think it’s fine if people understood what I said well enough.

―― Especially when you released Aku no Hana. There was so much magazine coverage. Have you ever felt sick and tired of doing these things?

S: Yeah. Everyone keeps saying it’s a comeback, it’s a comeback, but we’re the ones who felt that blanks the most and we went for those with really knowing why and what for. And when we suddenly have some spare time to think about it, I’d find myself thinking, what the hell was that? Wondering whether it was really necessary, things like that. … There were times when things just stopped at the managing office and the record company and our intentions couldn’t get communicated. On TV, in magazines. … I think it’d be good if we could consolidate and talk about things as a band instead of individually but…

―― I’m here saying this in front of our editor, but… There’s one particular type of person who works for Japan’s rock magazines publications, and that is the type who can bleed a person dry. (Smiles)

S: Well, funny enough, recently, I’ve been thinking I have to get smarter. In that area.

―― You know, Miyata-kun from J(S)W³, he says that he doesn’t speak honestly in interviews. He said that, he’ll be truthful if the interview turns out to be a good one, but if not, he’ll just smile and say whatever’s appropriate.

S: Mm.

―― J(S)W’s exposure is significant too, right? So that gets me wondering if that’s his way of protecting himself.

S: Mm… Wouldn’t people just assume that it was discussed with his manager or something? When we talk about what kind of interview we’ll be having, artists will often be told not to tell the interviewer whatever they want anyway. (Smiles) … That’s why, when I think about the interviewers who refer to questions written on a piece of paper during the interview… it’s… it makes me want to be wittier… Because, if I answered in a way which lets the interviewer reply without needing to think much, then I would have to answer quickly too. … We all aren’t good talkers, but somehow… those who speak without thinking with their heads… or rather, who speak from the heart… those types, well, when you look at them, you’ll get it, I think.

―― Even interviews that are just question 〜 answer, question 〜 answer do indeed qualify as interviews though. But that’s not a good interview, is it? Because good interviews become a conversation between people.

S: Mm. … It pisses me off when people who don’t know anything write music reviews but… well, I guess there’s nothing I can do even if I do get upset by those people to begin with… I’d just think of it as them doing their job and writing a thing. (Smiles)

―― Ah, music reviews. There are also times when even if you feel that this person doesn’t get it, you’ll have to accept that it’s your fault for not conveying things in a digestible manner…

S: Yeah, that’s true.

―― … I guess we’ll stop here today. Thank you for your time.

S: Thank you for your time. We’ve somehow gone off topic though.

―― Mm, somehow or other… But we didn’t expect the interview to turn out like this, right?

S: Right… I bet you never imagined such a serious topic coming from a guy who you watched Peter Murphy with and got wasted with after the show. (Laughs)

 

 

The topic that was originally suggested to me by the Pati▼Pati editorial department revolved around talking about his life from birth until now. However, Sakurai Atsushi expressed that he didn’t want to talk about his past anymore, so I changed the theme a day before the interview to make it something that explores his style and aesthetic sense.

But in the end, as you can see, he spoke very openly and frankly about his childhood. I think he made this interview very worth reading as a result. I am grateful to him for his cooperation.

The day of the interview happened to be Hoshino Hidehiko’s 24th birthday too. After the interview ended, the members of the band and staff members close to them gathered at the hotel’s bar for a modest birthday party. After the peaceful party, I was teasing Sakurai Atsushi as he played a mahjong game that he was certainly not good at (sorry!) in the hotel’s arcade. Flashing a natural and effortlessly charming smile, unlike any he showed during the interview, he said, “Aw no, this is good, just like that.”

Sakurai Atsushi is a man who possesses both an unparalleled beauty and a talent for remarkable performances. To him, the only people who he can truly open his heart to are probably his four fellow band members. And yet, in spite of that, there’s an underlying shadow of irremediable loneliness in his face. Perhaps his true anguish can forever never be understood by anyone, not even his band.

But even so, he has to push on. He cannot be fawned upon or flattered. He cannot show weakness or naivety. We can only imagine for ourselves how deep his loneliness extends from the melancholy he wears on his face.

Sakurai Atsushi. A true virtuoso. And virtuoso’s solitude so exists because he is a virtuoso.

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ カステラ (KASUTERA) is a rock band who formed in in 1986. They had their major debut with CBS Sony in 1989, then disbanded in 1993.

² I couldn’t find the actual quote.

³ Shortened name for JUN SKY WALKER(S), a rock band who had their major debut in 1988, broke up once in 1997, and then came back together in 2007.

 

 

 

Sakurai Atsushi: Talking Points
1987.11 – 1990.9

BUCK-TICK’s first appearance in Pati▼Pati happened back in the November 1981 issue. But, in fact!!   Sakurai Atsushi wasn’t present for that issue’s interview because he was sick. He was front and centre in the pictures from the photoshoot, but since he called in sick, not a single word from him was given. And so, with such a story from behind-the-scenes, we’ve gathered all the interesting remarks the “charismatic Sakurai Atsushi” has said. This collection of statements might just help us discover a new side to him. It’s up to you to digest every single word he’s said.

 

I think I ultimately see the stage as both my starting point and the place I come back to.

January 1988
●It’s the first time I’m being interviewed on my own like this.

May 1990
●It makes me happy that people from all over are excited for us. But the more noise the audience makes, the more I want to show off. I find myself wanting to silence them. When I hear their screams and cheers, I start to get fired up too and the urge to overpower them even more wells up.

February 1989
●Love is murderous intent……

April 1989
●I’ve been moving further within myself even with my lyrical themes.

December 1990
●Because I was delinquent and stubborn in the past.

March 1988
●I don’t mind. Anyway, I consider “others’ expectations of you” to be a good thing. But it’s not that simple.

July 1988
●This time, I decided to try and write a bunch of lyrics that generally captured what constituted love songs to me ahead of recording. This song follows a story about “innocent love”. I think there are a lot of people who treat that as a joke now, though…… Weren’t there people who entered suicide pacts because of this innocence? Because the couple might’ve been holding onto a world of eternity just between them even if no one else understood. Well, I don’t think any of us have ever gone that far, but I think you’ll similarly feel like you’re in heaven when you truly fall in love.

December 1988
●I think I spend most of my time thinking about myself. When I wonder about what other people think of me, it’s about me, right? And if I’m thinking about a woman, it’s because I’m with her that I’m thinking about her. No matter what it’s about, I’m just thinking about it with myself as the main focus. There’s no escaping that I’m a narcissist.

February 1989
●On second thought, my “TABOO” and your “TABOO” should be the exact same thing. Surely……………

August 1990
●Hm…… I think I ultimately see the stage as both my starting point and the place I come back to. Video footage and CDs are what gives it form…… something like that.

January 1988
●My old man died while I was mucking about. I thought my mother would be even more against it after his death, but she told me to do as I pleased.
It just so happened that right at that time, I was starting to think about really changing from being a drummer to a singer…… This decided it for me. That I would follow through with the idea of becoming a singer.
This was winter, 2 years ago.

April 1988
●There are very real situations, but there are also parts that aren’t. Personally, it feels lihe there’s really a versions of me who’s writhing around and suffering in a place far removed from reality. (Smiles) That’s the idea behind the song ROMANESQUE.

 

I always feel that I must look good whenever going to stand in front of a crowd.

May 1989
●If you have something to say, please go ahead. I’d rather avoid having people making moves on things I’m unaware of.

September 1989
●Yes, I guess I have to think about business and things like that but……

January 1990
●Men are more romantic.

February 1990
●I’d turn into the interviewer, asking, “so, how was it?”.

March 1990
●This is really Imai-chan’s world, so I just went along with the vibe and sang along with the song. I sound energetic, don’t I?

January 1988
●Anyway, it seemed like I was an indecisive, introverted child. I think I played alone most of the time…… My report card would also say things like, “Let’s try to play with everyone more.” …… That’s all they ever said. (Smiles)

December 1988
●Yes, exactly. (Smiles) That’s why, although people might look at me and think I’m a stuck up asshole, I wondered whether I’m putting too much effort into this too. I always feel that I must look good whenever going to stand in front of a crowd. So much so that I feel stupid for caring so much about it.

May 1989
●Confidence…… only looks like it’s there. (Smiles)

September 1989
●I want to do it. There are a few hurdles, but well, it is what it is… I can only leave it to them……

February 1990
●Whether it’s discomfort or apprehension or security, as long as I can make you feel something, that’s good enough. It’s the worst when someone tells me they don’t feel anything at all.

May 1990
●Hmm… Although it’s true that I don’t think 100% gets communicated…

July 1990
●At events. But we couldn’t chose in the past. Like what time, and so on. We want to do it under the best possible circumstances, but festivals and those types of events aren’t the most conducive, so I’d be thinking that we’re better off not doing this if we had known this would be the case. (Smiles).

September 1990
●Hm…… That’s true. …… It’s not exactly about compromising but I guess you could say it’s my confidence in how I feel, I don’t mind even if people don’t understand……。

April 1990
●I’ve drawn some rough sketches for each song. Making progress while discussing with my manager.

January 1989
●Hide is in top form. (Smiles)

 

I’m happy if I can show my audience a world that is nowhere close to reality.

February 1990
●There are inclinations that differ from my own, somewhere. Like the idea that this particular style is cooler in a particular situation, and things like that. That’s why, rather than calling this self-contradictory, I think it’s more about somehow establishing myself as the protagonist somewhere.

April 1990
●Besides, I already had the video in my head while we were producing the album, so the process was fun in that sense.

January 1988
●In the beginning, all I knew was that I was going to leave a lasting impression on the people who were coming to see us. That was all I could think of in terms of impact.
Right now, I’m in the midst of conducting trial and error to figure out things like how I can change my expression of the ‘song’ while maintaining a natural impression.

January 1989
●It’s good. Because skinheads get really excited when they see such a flamboyant set. As I said, men are more romantic after all. (Smiles)

February 1990
●For example, I’m happy if I can show my audience a world that is nowhere close to reality even if I’m singing about something dark. Isn’t this more fun? Besides, if I were the audience, I’d enjoy these types of songs more too.

March 1990
●But don’t you feel sorry for the children? Because they’re the ones left behind.

May 1990
●But rather than straight up telling you exactly what the song is about, I wanted to make it feel like there’s something else to be found deeper within. It’s up to the audience if they want to dance no matter what song is being played, so… I think it’s also fine if they enjoy themselves so much that they’re moving their bodies.

July 1990
●We want to present the best representation of ourselves. [The idea of] a ballad echoing in the silence of the night is a good one.

April 1988
●It’s a very simple sound because it was created by the five of us through thorough work. But there’s a reason for it. Being that we wanted to return to the straightforward music that has our signature band sound. Because we wanted to try going back and starting out from there again. In a way, we did what the five of us are now capable of doing while also incorporating what we’ve obtained from outsiders so far.

February 1990
●This is something that people who always look sad will relate to, but those who awkwardly play it cool are the last to fall apart, aren’t they? Clowns generally play a comical role, right? But when they revert to their true self, they’re usually serious people or it’s a 180-degree change. If you’re nothing but a joker all the time, dying like that is……

March 1990
●Things I don’t like somehow happen when binge drinking, or having a serious talk over drinks and all that.

 

I’d realise, “ah, so this is how I look.”

April 1988
●I take inspiration from the music and write; I’d listen to the music and try to convey what I want to write about as honestly as I can. Just like the music, I want my lyrics to show all kinds of emotions and feelings too. To that end, it would be nice if I have the imagination to think about and experience all kinds of situations. But I want to add to the audience’s imagination rather than pushing something to them. Specifically, I want to depict things like a person’s inner workings instead of reality. It gets tainted if things are too realistic. Like, it gets all twisted and there’s nothing to hold onto…

May 1990
●I suppose you could say that it’d be good if I feel comfortable before and during the performance… Although, I would want to get into it, or make myself look cool, or try doing something indecent…… But that’s because there’s another party present after all, so… The so-called ‘relationship’, the impulse and the desire to do something happens at the same time. Because the moment I make a move to do something for my own gratification, it immediately becomes something I do for the audience’s satisfaction instead.

March 1990
●Yeah, I like those a lot. Like Aoi Teruhiko. We had his records at home, my mother liked him too.

April 1988
●We want to put on a thrilling show for the audience. Like, the type that’s so unpredictable that you can’t tear your eyes away from it. Something that makes them feel a kind of jeopardy. It’s boring if the audience can watch us calmly. (Smiles) I want them to be constantly excited.

December 1988
●Hmm… I don’t like the idea of letting people see my weaknesses… I want them to think I’m strong. The type who can’t be taken advantaged of. Who feels better off alone. It’s a bleak disposition, really. (Smiles) When I start thinking about bad things, I’d fall deep into that hole. I don’t like that side of me, but I’m the cutest one of all.

May 1989
●It’s ultimately because till now, we can’t see anything aside from what we want to do.

April 1990
●Initially, we didn’t have that scene of burning a flag, but it was there and then when we got the idea that it might be better if we did it.

March 1990
●Hey. (Smiles) This MISTY BLUE is a girl’s name. So, the main character [of this song], the man is drinking alone when he recalls the time when they danced together. It’s a retro setting, set in a bar from the era of modern girls and boys¹. Well, you could also say that it’s in a European club instead of somewhere in Japan, though.

July 1990
●Because I discover new things every time. Like when the light shines from behind me and my own shadow is reflected on the wall, I’d realise, “ah, so this is how I look.” When I suddenly look back, it’s like “so this is what my shadow looks like,” or, “oh, so cool.” (Smiles)

March 1990
●But you see, if they think that they are happy, then they are. I’m sure.

May 1990
●Although it’s not exactly a game of catch, it’s the way I’m always throwing… but it feels good when I manage to catch hold of it when the audience throws it back. It’s those series of moments.

May 1989
●The charisma as an individual in the band…… I want each of our own unique colours to show from within the one single base made up of the five of us.

 

 

Notes:

¹ What were know as modern boys and modern girls in 1920s era (shortened to モボ・モガ) were young men and women in 1920s who were influenced by Western culture in both mannerisms and fashion sense.

 

 

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BUCK-TICK Glossary

Following Sakurai Atsushi’s super long interview and Talking Points, the 3rd part of this B-T special feature is a special edition of our well-known BUHi♥BUHi column, Ojima Hitoshi’s Roadie Line SPECIAL. We unravel the “Glossary” of all things B-T from あ to わ, in Gojūon, the Japanese alphabetical order. Now then, what backstories will we uncover?  That’s for you to read and find out. Here we go…

 

Ojima Hitoshi’s Roadie Line SPECIAL

あ (A)►
Asami Shigeo (浅見繁男).
BUCK-TICK’s chief roadie. We’ve been working together since their indies days. A man with a perfect personality and a million-horsepower engine.

い (I)►
Imai Hisashi.
Needless to say, he’s BUCK-TICK’s lead guitarist. Usually a right-hander but he plays a left-hander guitar “because it feels more natural to hold it like this”. Songs that Imai-kun composes are pretty amazing. Has the tendency to go all in on one thing but gets bored of it easily too.

う (U)►
Will Gosling (ウェル・ゴズリング / U-eru Gozuringu).
Recording engineer for albums TABOO and Aku no Hana. He’s always got a smile on his face. When he was in Japan for recording work, he always carried a picture of his wife and baby with him.

え (E)►
Angelic Conversation (エンジェリックカンバセーション / enjerikku kanbaseeshon).
A song where acoustic guitars are used. Feels grandiose. Music by Imai-kun, lyrics by Acchan.

お (O)►
Ojima Hitoshi (小嶋人志).
That’s me. 23 years old. A roadie. Personality: laidback.

か (Ka)►
Pirated goods (海賊商品 / kaizoku shouhin).
Bootleg merch sellers would often open up small stalls and sell them outside concert venues. Don’t take pictures without our permission and sell them, you bastards.

き (Ki)►
Cure (キュアー / Kyuaa).
An English band. Hide and Imai-kun love them to bits. They’ve recently made a comeback after a change in member lineup. They’re real cool.

く (Ku)►
Gunma Prefecture (ぐんまけん / Gunma-ken).
Where the five band members and two of the roadies come from. Five are from Fujioka, two from Takasaki, and six of us come from Fujioka High School. That said, we don’t have any famous specialties, but Gunma’s mothers are plucky…… apparently.

け (Ke)►
Kensington.
A store that was in charge of the outfits B-T wore in the past. It’s in Harajuku.

こ (Ko)►
High school (高校 / koukou).
Excluding Anii, four members of the band and Azami and I attended Fujioka High School. There were tons of weirdos and it sure was fun. But it’s a boys school.

さ (Sa)►
Sakurai Atsushi.
B-T’s vocalist. I think he’s the coolest and sexiest band vocalist in all of Japan. Personality: a considerate person.

し (Shi)►
Shakehand (シェイクハンド / Sheikuhando).
B-T’s office in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward. Please send your letters to the band here.

す (Su)►
Stage (ステージ / suteeji).
I suppose looking at the stage that is visible from the audience area probably feels like you’re looking at a different world. B-T’s shows are always cool.

せ (Se)►
Set.
The set[list] for each show comes up to about 2~3 hours. Although it depends on the occasion and the location too. What really sucks is that there are heavy items too.

そ (So)►
Splitting image (そっくり / sokkuri).
They’re not very much like oni, but there are a lot of them, aren’t there? Fans who look like doppelgangers of Imai-kun and the other band members when they attend concerts. Everyone’s so enthusiastic.

た (Ta)►
Tagaki Osamu (高木修).
CEO of Shakehand. He’s always taken good care of us. Has an attractively deep voice.

ち (Chi)►
Ticket (チケット / chiketto).
Don’t buy from resellers…… but I guess there’s nothing much we can do about it. A case of early birds getting the worm.

つ (Tsu)►
Tour (ツアー / tsuaa).
This year’s Aku no Hana was long. It had 53 shows, huh? We visited all sorts of places too. Acchan was melancholy on the last day. He said, “A~ah~, it’s ended.” It’s sad when something’s over.

て (Te)►
All-nighter (徹夜 / tetsuya).
Happens when we’re recording or composing, and even when we’re getting this manuscript done.

と (To)►
Toilet (トイレ / toire).
Three out of the five members of the band will definitely be in the toilet before the concert starts. Be quick and hurry back.

な (Na)►
Nagaoka Takeshi.
The new assistant manager who started with us this year. He’s been working with us since the Seventh Heaven tour in different ways, so we’ve known him for a long time now. A born and bred Osaka native.

に (Ni)►
First in Japan, third in the world (日本で1番世界で3番 / nihon de ichiban sekai de sanban).
A slogan used during their indie days. As to why third in the world, it’s apparently because the top two spots are taken by Beethoven and Bach.

ぬ (Nu)►
Nukutee (ぬくてぇ).
I guess it’s Gunma dialect, means “warm”. Acchan says it a lot when he’s messing around. E.g. “Aren’t my hands warm” (オレの手ぬくてぇだろ / ore no te nukutee darou)

ね (Ne)►
To sleep (眠る / neru).
I love sleeping. The longest I’ve slept for is about 20 hours. When we’re on tour, Acchan and Imai-kun will definitely go to the dressing rooms to sleep.

の (No)►
To drink (飲む / nomu).
Everyone loves alcohol. Especially Imai-kun and Acchan, the two really seem to love it. Imai-kun’s mom used to say, “Don’t force him to drink too much”, but I’m the one who’s being forced to drink.

は (Ha)►
BUCK-TICK (バクチク / bakuchiku).
How many years has it been since the band was named BUCK-TICK. The person who came up with the name is Imai Hisashi-kun.

ひ (Hi)►
Higuchi Yutaka.
B-T’s bassist. We were classmates in highschool. He’s the most sociable of the band and the most childish too. Personality: conscientious.

ふ (Fu)►
Fan (ファン).
They’re musicans who have fans. But there are many who don’t have common sense or courtesy these days. We should be careful.

へ (He)►
Bass (ベース / beesu).
The bass guitars that Yuta play are from Spector, and they produce a pretty good sound. The bass [instrument/player] is less conspicuous than the guitar [instrument/player], but there’s a lot that goes into it.

ほ (Ho)►
Hoshino Hidehiko.
B-T’s rhythm guitarist. Tall and stylish. Personality: mellow, yet dependable.

ま (Ma)►
Masuoka “Joe” Yoshihiko.
B-T’s chief manager. Plays the guitar and is actually good at it. And above all, he’s a pervert. Personality: your typical blood type A person.

み (Mi)►
Musician friends (ミュージシャン仲間 / myuujishan nakama).
As you’d expect, everyone’s got a lot of rock connections. Like ROGUE, and Ziggy’s Oyama-san, and Himuro-san…… Well, there’s no end if I’m going to name them all so I’ll stop here.

む (Mu)►
The old days (昔 / mukashi).
There are lots of things we had fun doing back in the day. There’s a lot we could do for fun even though we had no money. Acchan would always bring up the past when we drink.

め (Me)►
Make up (メーク / meeku).
The band has been applying their own make up since they were amateur musicians so they’re good at it. Yuta and Acchan would take about 30 minutes while the other three would need about 90 minutes. There’s quite a variety of products they use too.

も (Mo)►
Morioka Ken-shi.
SOFT-BALLET’s keyboardist. He was the one who handled keyboards for us in Theme of B-T and the SEVENTH‐HEAVEN album. Super cool and over the top.

や (Ya)►
Yagami Toll.
B-T’s drummer. He’s Yuta’s older brother. And the oldest in the band. His slim body and small head is enviable. Personality: sociable, a person who knows a lot about society.

ゆ (Yu)►
Yunker (ユンケル / yunkeru).
A necessity when we’re on tour. Everyone drinks it when they’re feeling drained and need to recover from fatigue. Usually priced at 800 yen.

よ (Yo)►
Drunk (酔っぱらい / yopparai).
What happens when they’re drunk? Acchan, he doesn’t really change but he turns into a chatty person. Imai-kun sleeps. Hide starts to make himself comfortable. Yuta talks a lot and eventually falls asleep. Anii starts his sermons.

ら (Ra)►
LIVE.
What the band loves doing most. When they were an unknown indie band, they’d often have only 30-ish people attending their shows outside of Tokyo, but now, the fill up Tokyo Dome with 50,000.

り (Ri)►
Rehearsal (リハーサル / rihaasaru).
Something they’ll always do before a tour or a concert. During a tour, they’d usually spend a little less than 2 hours before the show with a sound check.

る (Ru)►
Answering machine (留守番電話 / rusuban denwa).
Another indispensible thing. Everyone’s got it. There are times when I’d get unintelligible messages from Yuta on mine.

れ (Re)►
Recording (レコーディング / rekoodingu).
An annual affair. They’re always keeping the motivation to produce a good album going and doing their best.

ろ (Ro)►
London (口ンドン / Rondon)
A city that seems to suit B-T best. A place where they once recorded an album before. They performed a show too, and Imai-kun was in super high spirits.

わ (Wa)►
Watanabe Sayuri.
B-T’s stylist in-charge. She’s been working with them for quite a long time. Handles everything with regards to the band’s outfits. Personality: quite an enigmatic person.

 

 

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Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: morgianasama on LJ

【New Product Information!】
Long-awaited by fans, the『ATSUSHI SAKURAI×TAEYANG』collaboration doll arrives!

Groove Official Blog
13 May 2022

 

Fans’ long-awaited『ATSUSHI SAKURAI×TAEYANG』collaboration doll is finally here!!
Orders begin at 11am today, Friday, 13 May!

『ATSUSHI SAKURAI×TAEYANG』
 ¥26,950(w/ tax)

This is a message from Mr. Sakurai:

Please love and care for it.

Don’t give it up

Sakurai Atsushi

A doll of Sakurai Atsushi,
a collaboration that garnered lots of attention from fans ever since it was announced,
has finally arrived through TAEYANG!

TAEYANG is a fashion doll that allows you to pose it however you wish!!
It is approximately 350mm at full height. Not only can its eyes move left and right,it can even wink and close its eyes
The body also features a versatile range of motion so you can make it strike your favourite pose

The TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN concert outfit has been faithfully reproduced in doll-size.

Various clothing items like the hat, cape, and scarf can be removed or worn depending on your preferred outfit choices.

In addition, his cane, mask, candelabra, and even the bells are included so that concert scenes can be recreated in greater detail!

Under the supervision or Mr Sakurai, the blacks of his makeup and even his lipcolour has also been beautifully reproduced.
Beautifully applied nail polish adorns the hands.

Enjoy those concert moments again in your own home!!

 

 

-Special website-
<Here>

 

-Product specifications-

【Item name】
TAEYANG/ATSUSHI SAKURAI

​【Price including tax】
¥26,950- (Japan-wide shipping cost included)

 

【Pre-order start date and time】
Pre-ordering will start at 11:00 AM on Friday, 13 May 13 2022.
It will end at 11:59 PM on Friday, 17 June 2022.
The first 200 units will begin shipping out in late May.
201st unit and all those after will be shipped out in late July.
※Reservations for the first 200 units have closed.
Thank you for your support.
Orders after the post date of this blog will be shipped from late July※

 

【Payment method】
We only accept credit cards, bank transfers, and PayPal.
(We do not accept other electronic payments options such as PayPay and Rakuten Pay. Convenience store payment is also unavailable.)
For bank transfers, there is a specified due date, and if you do not make the transfer by the aforementioned due date, we will not be able to process your payment which, in this case, will result in your order being cancelled.
Thank you for your cooperation.

 

【Sales outlets】
Available only at Groove Online Shop. 

『Groove Online Shop』
<Here>

 

-For product inquiries-

Groove INC.
ケイアイビル 2F
〒113-0033 Tokyo, Bunkyo City, Hongō, 3-chōme−21−8
TEL:03-5805-3150   FAX:03-5805-3152  / e-mail:info@groove.ws 

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: Groove Official Blog
Additional images: Product’s special website

 

 

BUCK-TICK comments for 2nd Livehouse Aomori Quarter Support Project

CAMPFIRE aomori_quarter
April 2022

 

 

Members of BUCK-TICK have left comments supporting the second fundraiser for Livehouse Aomori Quarter.

More information can be found on their fundraiser page here: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/364749

Their comments are as follows below:

 

 

Our first show at Aomori’s live house around 35 years ago was at 1/3.

You could count the number of people in the audience, but even today,

I still remember feeling very touched knowing that there were people here

waiting for us far away in this city we’d never been to.

This place made us feel very comfortable too

with the somewhat shy yet handsome Master and his beautiful wife.

We, too, have continued to make music hoping to come and play Master’s again.

When that happens, I hope you’ll let us drink until dawn again.

Mmー, maybe it’s impossible to stay up until daybreak now?

With a photo album from my youth to accompany the drinks

and Master’s smile to compliment them, let’s drink to our fill.

That’s right.. to make sure that can happen, everyone!

Please start helping by buying the merch. I’ll leave it in your capable hands.

 

 

Sakurai Atsushi(BUCK-TICK)

 

 

 

 

 

We’ve played here tons of times,

and when we weren’t here for a show, we’d come here to drink.

 

Fun memories…

 

And it’s a place to share music‼️ 

 

It’s a live house we can’t afford to lose♪

 

So to keep them going 🙌

 

Let’s do our best👊We are strong🌈

 

 

Imai Hisashi (BUCK-TICK)

 

 

Aomori immediately brings to mind 1/3

 

Over 30 years ago we toured Tohoku in a battered HIACE (BUCK-TICK),

and were warmly welcomed during our first time to Aomori back then,

by the audience who came to see us, and Master and all the staff.

 

We haven’t been able to perform lives in recent times, but around 4 years ago, we went to Bar space 1/3 for an after party

where master brought photos and our autographs from those days and we started reminiscing about the past over drinks.

 

Let’s protect this irreplaceable Aomori live house that is Quarter(1/3).

 

BUCK-TICK is rooting for them too!

Everyone, please lend them your support as well!

 

 

Hoshino Hidehiko(BUCK-TICK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our first tour after our major debut in 1987 brought us to Tohoku.

We played a show at Aomori 「FREE LIVE SPASE1/3」 for the first time during that tour

which marked BUCK-TICK’s beginnings in Aomori.

The rise of rock in Tohoku in those days was amazing by national standards, and I believe it all originated from this live house.

I hope that everyone will join us to give our all in supporting everyone at Aomori Quarter, and make sure that Aomori’s precious flames of rock don’t get extinguished.

 

Higuchi Yutaka(BUCK-TICK)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This live house really looked out for BUCK-TICK when we debuted.

It’s an important place for music-sharing in Aomori.

It’s now been put in a perilous situation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The future growth of music is in danger. Please lend them your support.

Your help is truly appreciated.

 

 

Yagami Toll(BUCK-TICK)

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/view/364749

9

Go-Go B-T Train Feature

PHY Vol. 19
September 2021

Although we can’t see where our final stop is, I hope that everyone will ride with us until the very end

text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
photographs by Chito Yoshida
hair & make-up by Tanizaki Takayuki (Yagami), Yamaji Chihiro (Sakurai, Hoshino, Higuchi)_Fat’s Berry
styling by Shimizu Kenichi

clothes from
kiryuyrik_03-5728-4048
LAD MUSICIAN HARAJUKU_03-3470-6760
SToL   fcp-online.com
UK-EXTRA   http://uk-extra.com

pictures from
Komatsu Yosuke (Imai)

 

A fixation on life emerged, and when I start obsessing about the future, I get lonely
That’s why, we have a song that says let’s run, let’s not think about anything else and just go

When it comes to music releases, BUCK-TICK’s latest single Go-Go B-T TRAIN is due to be released on September 22. It will be their first release in the one year since the release of their album ABRACADABRA. Last year, they held concerts in the form of a livestream and a film concert tour in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, but only managed to hold one single concert with a live audience present at Nippon Budokan at year end.

After maintaining the constant of touring the country with the release of every album for nearly 35 years, there is no doubt that inimitable this band must have felt as if something cherished has been snatched away from them in the past year. We still can’t go back fully to what things were like in the past, but they have scheduled a national tour and they are finally going to get things started again. The single that they were releasing on the opening day of the tour included a song reaffirming the deep bonds we have with our loved ones and another leading us into tomorrow with gusto. At the same time, the band, who will be celebrating their 35th anniversary next year, would be showing their true emotions on stage. Part of the tour has been postponed to give Imai HIsashi (guitarist) two months to fully recover from a fracture, but it doesn’t change the fact that this single is a sign of beginnings. 

In this front cover special feature, we look into ours’ and BUCK-TICK’s future through these extended interviews with the members of the band, including Imai.

 

 

 

 

 

BUCK-TICK Solo Interviews

_______________________

Sakurai Atsushi

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

And we’re showing age in all sorts of ways but until we’re irreparable, the five of us will keep on running into the unknown
I thought it’d be nice to tell such a story

―― A terrible thing has happened around the departure timing for this train, hasn’t it?

Sakurai (S): Yes. We have to talk about that first, don’t we? We’ve inconvenienced a number of parties with Imai-san’s (Imai Hisashi, guitarist) fracture.

―― No, don’t say that. Although, when I look at Imai-san’s social media [Instagram], I can see that he’s living a healthy life in hospital. 

S: Ah, really? I’ve never looked at any of anyone’s media things. How does he look? Well?

―― Yes. Well, or it could be that he just doesn’t want us to worry.

S: Because there’s nothing else we can do except wait, right? It’s not as if he’d get better faster if we spank his butt and say, “Hisashi, what do you think you’re doing!” (Lol). We’d rather that he gets to fully recover without worrying about us.

―― So many things start to happen as we grow older.

S: A few times I’ve missed concerts myself due to illness, so it’s not as if I don’t understand how Imai-san feels right now. The hospital is a place that really makes you feel cut off from society, so there’s nothing to do but focus on getting well. Thankfully, it appears that he’s received a lot of warm well wishes from our fans. So that’s probably a relief for him.

―― Indeed. Now, about your single, Go-Go B-T TRAIN. The impact of this title is something else!

S: Everyone tells me that (lol). At first, we planned to kick off the concert for the members of our fan club on the September date of our debut, and then we started talking about coordinating to release our single on that date as well. So at the sample stage, Imai-san brought two songs while Hide brought one, but with Imai’s songs, both songs had a lot of momentum in them. The other song had the same speedy feeling that Eureka from ABRACADABRA had. Going in that direction was possible too, but personally, I felt that Go-Go B-T TRAIN left an impression unlike any other before. What I felt from the information I gleaned from the scant few bits of sounds in the sample tape was…… I’m going to start saying weird things again (lol).

―― Hahahahaha, go ahead.

S: It kind of reminded me of an attraction at an amusement park. You know how there are those roller coasters that look like a train?

―― That aren’t flashy and speedy like Space Mountain¹.

S: Exactly. The ones that feel more clickety-clack (lol). And get you wondering whether this train is really okay for riding. When children climb in for a ride, it’s a whole lot of noise and commotion and nail-biting thrills (lol). That’s the kind of atmosphere that comes to mind.

―― And that’s connected to the keyword ‘train’.

S: That’s right. Because even the bass progression felt like it was bumping and rumbling into me. It’s like, this ‘train’ is a metaphor for BUCK-TICK, and we’re saying that we’re going to keep going from here on out. And we’re showing age in all sorts of ways but until we’re irreparable, the five of us will keep on running into the unknown. I thought it’d be nice to tell such a story.

―― That the present BUCK-TICK is like a train rumbling as it goes.

S: Remember, there were certainly periods when we played it high-tech (lol). But I felt that doesn’t match what we’re like now.

―― That’s also the case when we look at your music, isn’t it? With simple compositions that have more emphasis on a human touch from the band rather than the electronic feeling that programming gives.

S: Eh…… I’m going to say something weird again, but (lol). Aren’t there lots of people who come across as electrical? (Lol)

―― Hahahahahaha!

S: No matter how cool or how great their sensibilities are, once the power goes out, once the plug gets pulled, you won’t even get the slightest response out of them (lol). Regardless of how attractive they are, they won’t be able to get their message across. I don’t think that’s what we’re like now. It’s like…… we’re powered differently? (Lol)

―― Like pedalling like hell on a bicycle instead of running a machine with the push of a button?

S: That’s right. That’s the manual, hands-on flavour I got from this song. Like we’re breaking a sweat to run in this era where it’s the default to go green and high-tech. Burning coal with blackened faces as we sweat it out in a manually-run steam locomotive. Seeing the bullet train overtake us in an instant on the side, even as we envy, we know that each mode has its own virtues. That’s the kind of train I’d like us to be.

―― So where do you think your virtues lie?

S: I think it’s got to be in our humanity where we’re alive and tinged with excitement. No matter how hot or cold it gets, our body temperature remains around 36.5 degrees celsius, and if we get injured, blood will flow. It’s obvious, but I guess you could say that we shouldn’t forget about these kinds of people and the things they do. Especially for me, because I sing and there’s a part of me that will let my heart out through my emotions and my psyche. And that’s something I have to cherish.

―― And why do you think it’s possible to do that with this band?

S: Because this band, to me, is my musical life. Because it is nothing more or less than what’s at the very root of me. I believe all the members feel the same way too. This is where I tried all sorts of things. Things that didn’t work out, we learned from them and now, we’re here. That’s also why we’re still not done yet.

―― Even if it’s tacky, it’s really great that you’ve chosen such an obnoxiously human theme and you’re singing about boarding the B-T TRAIN and heading off together in this era where people are becoming increasingly separated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

S: Yeah. It’s easy to be cynical and I’ve been like that before as well, but I don’t think I am right now. I just feel that people like us who make music can’t afford to be cynical. While some of our fans have been with us for decades, there are also those who only became fans after watching that recent dialogue program (lol).

―― Hahahaha, by seeing you camping?

S: That’s right (lol). Although we can’t see where our final stop is, I hope that all these people will stay on the ride with us until the very end.

―― Like, “I’m the train conductor” (lol).

S: Hahahahaha!   That’s right.

 

I guess what we want to bring across is, in the end,
the beauty of people which shows itself in many different forms

―― Now, it’s B-side, Koi (恋). The sound approach Hoshino-san took was fresh, but the tenderness portrayed in this song, and that sense of drawing level with sorrow is just wonderful.

S: Hide’s (Hoshino Hidehiko, guitarist) sample was really so simple. All it had were the music, the rhythm, the chords, and the vocal melody. What would decide the song’s direction from there would be dependent on the story and the lyrics I write, but recently, the frame of reference that I get from my first impression upon listening to the sample stays true until the song is complete. It happened with this song too. It’s relaxed, with that gentle rhythm and melody in medium tempo that Hide is so good at.

―― It certainly is.

S: So once I’ve decided on the story, I’ll write the lyrics to it, and while doing that, I just can’t help but be influenced by reality, like what’s happening around me at the time and events that have happened. During that period, there were a number of people in recent years who…… like people I worked closely with and close friends, or their family who passed away. When I heard that melody, I thought it’d be nice if I could turn this into a story of remembrance for them. I also felt strongly that it’s something I’d be able to execute better if I went with what I think I feel inspired to sing about the moment I listened to it, than go with something I prepared beforehand.

―― It sounds like somewhere in you was a feeling that you can’t do this unless it’s realistic to you.

S: I believe so. For example, when I use the words “Tengoku e no tobira wo tataite iru”², it feels very irresponsible if I just used them without any form of personal basis. Perhaps it feels rude to do that without expressing experiences and emotions that I actually went through. I wouldn’t even be able to convince myself, you know?

―― While it’s a requiem to the departed, it’s not just about them but also about the people who were left behind. I thought that was nice, and that it’s a perspective that’s quite typical Sakurai-san.

S: Yeah. Unintentionally, the perspective of both the departed and the bereaved were…… If I put it into words, it’s going to sound misleading, but the bereaved’s perspective came to me quite easily too.

―― That there are parts of yourself that can be replaced too, right? I guess you could say it’s the feeling of being left behind.

S: What I feel is definitely that helpless sense of loss. Waking up after a night of sleep and feeling, “Ah, I hope that it was all just a dream,” but then, it gets shattered. And it’s that feeling of, “So it wasn’t a dream……”

―― It’s accepting the reality that the person is no longer where they’ve always been.

S: It is. Putting it dryly, “All living things are bound to die”. So it’s a natural process, but the sense of loss that the ones left behind feel, of course, depends on the relationship between the bereaved and the departed, but if the bereaved was really close to the departed, then the pain is, I believe, indescribable. But as we keep cycling between, “It can’t be helped.” and “Just, why?”, we gradually arrive at resignation and acceptance. We’d come to think that it’s okay to forget. And it’s also okay to remember. But I’m just talking about going in circles now (lol).

―― But while they’re going in circles, we don’t know what we should say to the bereaved, and that’s what you’ve taken and put it into the form of this song.

S: That’s right. While dwelling and worrying about nothing. Isn’t this just about beautifying death and making myself feel better…… I’ve wondered about that, but in the end, I personally feel that perhaps it’s okay to leave it as a pretty story. That’s how I managed to find resolution.

―― You couldn’t say it directly but you wanted to convey something to these people so much that this is what came of it.

S: That’s right. Hm…… Different scenes will come to mind, and if there are those among our listeners who had experiences with goodbyes, I think it’d be good if they’d synchronise these scenes with the song and let their emotions overflow. So, I’m going to say something weird again, but whenever I catch the scent of summer, I just can’t help but wonder if this is the scent of death, and get the sense that souls are close by. Although, I remember watching my parents preparing for the first day of the Bon Festival when I was young.

―― On the first, we want them to come home quickly so we display a cucumber horse. And on the last day, we display an eggplant cow to let them go home slowly, right?

S: Yes, exactly. When I was young, I thought it was strange and I’d wonder what it’s about, but as time passed, I gradually came to understand that hanging paper lanterns, decorating the altar with Hozuki are the different things that tell us that our ancestors are coming from the nether world to visit us. That’s why summer, to me, is a season when we’re made to realise that death is close at hand. I don’t say this lightly, but it’s the same; bombs being dropped during the war, or when the war ended, or the Japan Airlines crash³. You’ll feel souls close by. And it overlapped with those dates too, this time’s production period.

―― I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I think it’s just wonderful that you’re in touch with the feelings of the bereaved rather than just singing about how it’s sad.

S: Thank you.

―― The melody has Hoshino-san’s signature style, but the composition is so very simple and the cadence controlled. Such music is rare.

S: It is. The verses express the quiet feelings of the ones doing the sending off, then when we get to the chorus, composure is lost. And finally, in the end, serenity. I got the feeling that this series of development was probably there from the start.

―― So, part of your tour has been postponed but it’s been a while since you’ve gone on tour. About a year and a half?

S: That’s right. The film tour was just a screening, so it’ll be the first actual tour in a while. I’d be happy if we could really do this. Of course, we still have to do it in accordance with the rules, but I think we’ve been very physically and mentally restricted until now with all sorts of invisible constraints put in place, like not being allowed to go out, and limits on the number of people who can gather or meet in one place. So it’d be nice if we could relieve ourselves of it, even if just a little.

―― I suppose Sakurai-san, you also felt that lack of freedom and that’s why, in a bid to inspire yourself, you titled the song Go-Go B-T TRAIN, right?

S: I indeed felt that very strongly. By choosing such a title, I make myself feel like I have to go somewhere, I need to go. Honestly speaking, I did feel a little uncertain about whether it would work. But no matter how many times I thought it over, I kept coming back to this title in the end. I felt that this was the only one that would work now, at this point in time.

―― Although the words feel tacky at first glance, you felt that it’s better to bring across that power, or that message of “Let’s go!” strongly.

S: That’s right. Without playing it cool, without being condescending. We’re still going (lol), but it’s that we’re commencing our last spurt.

―― Do you feel like you’re running out of time?

S: For me, personally, both of my parents passed away early, I’ve ravaged my own body all this time, and I’ve even had some major illnesses so what I feel is more like, anything can happen at any time and it will be what it will be.

―― Well, I suppose.

S: Although, no one knows when something would happen, right? I just find myself thinking about these kinds of things a lot these days. Even though they’ve never happened before. There’s this particular desire to keep living, like a fixation that started to emerge from somewhere. And when I start obsessing about the future, I get lonely (lol).

―― I completely relate to that. You’re happy with what you have in front of you, but you start to have expectations for the future.

S: I think that’s why, we have a song like Go-Go B-T TRAIN that says let’s run, let’s not think about anything else and just go.

―― Indeed. Behind the notion of setting off without thinking is also the feeling of counteracting the worries and anxieties that may come, right?

S: Cancelling them out is one, but there’s also the sense of packing them all into your luggage and bringing them with you aboard this train.

―― Ah, that’s right. That train-like area is very characteristic to this band. 

S: Well, it’s because I’m the one responsible for those train-like areas.

―― Hahahaha.

S: The high-tech, high energy sensibilities we leave to Imai-san. I’ll just be chugging along…… Ah, right. Once, when I went to an amusement park, there was a parade with all the different character mascots and among them was a vehicle shaped like a turtle. And right in the middle of the parade, that turtle vehicle lost power so not only did the lights which decorated it go out, it couldn’t move at all (lol).

―― Ahahahahaha!

S: Then, as if to try and keep us unbeknownst to it, the staff started pushing the turtle vehicle themselves and kept the parade going. That impressed me. That amidst all the flashy, pretty mascots smiling at you, there were people giving their all to move that turtle vehicle that stopped moving. That contrast was just so beautiful. It really got me thinking that this is what being human is.

―― It’s so much like Sakurai-san to think of that as beautiful.

S: I guess what we want to bring across is, in the end, the beauty of people which shows itself in many different forms.

 

Notes:

¹ Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain ride.

² A line from Koi’s chorus: 天国への扉を叩いている / I’m knocking on heaven’s door

³ The JAL 123 crash.

 

 

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Imai Hisashi

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

That’s how it always goes. This is the kind of song it becomes because we’re performing it as a band
Because the 5 of us are doing it together. That’s a good thing, and besides, that’s how we’ve always been doing things anyway.

―― It’s been a while. Although, I’m greeting you in your hospital bed through zoom. But how’s life in hospital?

Imai (I): Uh…… Normal (lol).

―― As far as I can tell from your social media posts, you’re having healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Looks like you’re living healthily every day.

I: Because there’s nothing else to do besides going for rehabilitation and eating, right?

―― Have you had surgery?

I: Long ago. Now it’s just rehabilitation training every day. I can tell that I’m gradually recovering. But even though I can’t move my leg, I’m in perfect health, so it’s kind of…… weird (lol).

―― It sounds like you’ve got lots of time to spare, so how are you spending it?

I: I read books, watch YouTube when I feel like it, listen to music. As to what I’m reading and consuming, I won’t tell you yet (lol).
―― Can’t play the guitar?

I: Not yet (lol). I’m thinking of asking them to bring me a silent guitar next time.

―― Alright then. This is the first interview with Imai-san since the release of ABRACADABRA, and in this past year, your only performance with a live audience present was the year-end one at Nippon Budokan. And it couldn’t even be carried out the way it used to.

I: There’s nothing we can do about that. Since COVID-19 is around. Although, not to say that it’s a good thing, but [because of it] we also got to do some interesting stuff with live streaming.

―― Like that day’s Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ~SHOW AFTER DARK~.

I: Yeah. I’m glad we got to do that. The point of doing a live stream, I think, is because we get to present things in a way that can only be done through that format. I think live streaming itself isn’t bad. Likewise with the film concert. But I’d say that it’s something completely different from a live concert.

―― So you’re saying that while it’s a valid format, it’s no replacement.

I: Yeah.

―― How did you feel when you got to perform before an audience at Budokan last year-end?

I: It really hit me. That it’s definitely different when we perform with an audience. It’s obvious, but it just feels different compared to performing with no audience.

―― Were you thinking that after the Budokan show, when the new year comes around, you’ll be able to tour with an audience attending your shows like they used to?

I: I don’t think I really did think like that. Because I don’t expect that we’re in a situation where we can soon say that we can hold concerts like we used to from this month and this day on. And besides, I’d think we’ll remain in this state of things for quite a while more.

―― This time around, you’ll be releasing Go-Go B-T TRAIN. Did you have some sort of plan, like, when the new year comes around we’ll compose something, or, we should go with this particular theme for our next release?

I: I think I probably did think about those things, but I can’t remember anymore (lol).

―― Whaaaaaaaaaaat.

I: I guess there was the idea of doing something new again.

―― So, rather than something that shows your overall direction as part of a [potential] album, Go-Go B-T TRAIN is just a new song to be released at this point in time.

I: That’s right. We started talking about how it’s about time to release a new single, so I started thinking about the music.

―― Like, since you’re going to tour from autumn through to winter, you should release something before that.

I: That might’ve been it. I thought I should just compose something anyway, and I had 2 songs done, but both of them were equally upbeat. I don’t know why, but I guess that’s just the kind of mode I was in.

―― It’s like the kind of rock melody that a youngster who just formed a band would write with that motivation.

I: Compared to the other song, Go-Go B-T TRAIN has the same riff repeating over and over, and a part of me thought such a song could be fun too.

―― I heard from Sakurai-san that Go-Go B-T TRAIN’s working title was rebels.

 

I: That was just a working title. No particular meaning behind. But I did wonder if Sakurai-san got some sort of idea from the working title.

―― Like, a group of renegades?

I: It doesn’t make sense though, does it? Hm. Hearing the song again with the lyrics, I thought it was nice.

―― That readiness to go somewhere with your trusted friends, running towards your dreams, yet there’s a moment that lingers somewhere in there?

I: Exactly…… isn’t that nice?

―― I also thought the carefree-feeling parts with the whistle added in were quite like Imai-san’s style.

I: The whistle was an idea that came from Tanaka-san (director). I thought it had a good feeling and I quite liked it.

―― When I asked Sakurai-san about his impression of the sample, he had his own interpretation of it and thinking about it, I’d guess that it’s the band that turned that into the song that it is now.

I: It is the band (lol). That’s how it always goes. This is the kind of song it becomes because we’re performing it as a band, because the 5 of us are doing it together. That’s a good thing, and besides, that’s how we’ve always been doing things anyway.

―― The simple, stripped-down band sound like that of this song appears to be the trend right now, so is this something that Imai-san is looking to do, or is this perhaps the theme going forward?

I: No, it’s nothing like that. As for an album…… Actually, I do currently have a rough idea of what might be good to do, but I can’t really explain it.

―― But you have a vague idea.

I: Yeah. But once I put it into words, it’ll just sound like the same thing as usual. But this, whatever I’m thinking of when I work on a single versus now, it’s completely different, I think

―― So what were you thinking of when you were working on the single?

I: I forgot.

―― Hahahaha, please remember!

I: Well, we spoke about producing a single. At the time, we weren’t thinking about what we should do or what kind of music we should make next at all. While wondering what could come out of such a situation, I picked up the guitar and came up with that riff, so I based [the next song] on that and kept the idea as it is, letting it take shape without getting too hung up on details.

―― And what about Hoshino-san’s song, Koi?

I: The song he composed is quite the opposite to mine, so I thought it’d be good to include that in the single as one of the songs.

―― Alongside these new songs, you’ve also included the newly rearranged Uta Ver. 2021 and JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver. 2021 which were unveiled during Misemono-goya~. First of all, what got you thinking about rearranging them like that and recording them again?

I: I don’t remember the details, but when we decided to do our second live stream, our staff were giving us suggestions about what venues would be good. From there, we began to get all kinds of ideas of what would make Misemono-goya~, like the staging and the costumes and the sort. We thought that performing half of the entire set acoustically would fit this image and that it would bring an interesting feel into this BUCK-TICK’s concert, like another new perspective or something. But it would be boring if we were to just perform acoustic versions, so I guess I probably thought that I should create new versions of the songs with new arrangements.

―― And since the response to Misemono-goya~ was great, you figured that this could work.

I: That’s right. When we started talking about producing the single, I said, “Then, maybe we should include those too?”

―― When it comes to BUCK-TICK, you’ve often had your songs remixed by other people, but looking back, it’s surprisingly rare for you to make bold rearrangements of existing songs.

I: That’s right. So, we did something like unplugged arrangements of our songs on a centre stage for an encore at Locus Solus no Kemono-tachi at Makuhari 2 years ago, right?

―― They were Suzumebachi, BOY septem peccata mortalia, and Keijijo Ryuusei, right?

I: Since then, I started to get the feeling that changing the arrangements of more past songs and recording them might be interesting too. Like, we executed that well, didn’t we?

―― Makuhari’s show was already 2 years ago, but you’ve never really approached things that way even though the band is in your 34th year of activity, right?

I: Ahh. But it’s not like we didn’t want to anyway. Look, there’s SANE.

―― Ah, that’s true (Note: They rearranged SANE from the 1996 album COSMOS and recorded it for their 2012 single, Elise no Tame ni as SANE ーtype Ⅱー). That’s rare though (lol). To the extent that I’m under the impression that new things attract you.

I: But I felt that doing stuff like this isn’t bad either. Besides, I do also like the arrangement of that ICONOCLASM that we didn’t record for the single. I think we’ll probably want to do it again at a different time in future.

 

Right now, in terms of things I want to do, it’s not as if tons and tons of this and that keep springing up
but I just feel like they’ll come to me from time to time. I’m pretty sure we’ll definitely be okay like this.

―― A few of your tour dates got postponed, but Imai-san, you’ve already got an idea of what you’re aiming for, right?

I: Yeah. I was looking forward to it. Besides, I’ve already told them the songs I want to perform.

―― You couldn’t conclude ABRACADABRA in the form of a tour, but do you on the inside feel like you’re ready to move on to whatever’s next?

I: Because although I want to wrap it up properly, that urge to compose new music is already welling up, you know? And this will be our first tour in quite a while too, so I’d expect that there are quite a number of songs that everyone wants to hear us play. Of course, we will perform songs from the ABRACADABRA album, but I don’t think we really thought to keep that as a focus of our setlist or anything like that.

―― And your recording process didn’t change at all?

I: Yeah. We didn’t change anything in particular. Since we’re recording in the middle of the pandemic, we’d do things like regularly ventilate the room and wouldn’t stay till late, or make sure that we don’t crowd in the studio or share the same mic, but we didn’t make any changes to the way we carry out our recording.

―― Got it. Although, the title Go-Go B-T TRAIN was rather surprising, wasn’t it?

I: [We went with it] because Sakurai-san said it’s the best one to go with given the kind of song we’re making. We had samples of all the songs and when we were deciding on which song to record, Sakurai-san voted for rebels and Hide’s song so I think he already had an image [of the final product] at that stage. That’s why I went along with it, like, “Alright, then let’s go with that.”

―― Like the lyrics “You should hop on too Come on The departure bell is ringing”¹, would Imai-san say that you’re also feeling rather strongly that sense of ‘we’re going to keep moving forward together’?

I: Of course. Besides, I believe that there’s still a lot that we want to do.

―― And as long as you do feel like that, you’ll be okay. Ah, but didn’t Charlie Watts (the Rolling Stones) pass away just the other day?

I: Right. How old was he?

―― 80, I believe.

I: Well, I guess I have another 30 years or so.

―― Right (lol). From that perspective, do you feel like you’ve still got time?

I: Yeah. But I don’t know for sure (lol). Right now, in terms of things I want to do, it’s not as if tons and tons of this and that keep springing up, but I just feel like they’ll come to me from time to time. I’m pretty sure we’ll definitely be okay like this.

―― You feel certain of it.

I: Yeah, I do. I don’t know why, though.

―― Maybe it’s because that’s how it’s always been all this while.

I: Yeah. I guess it’s also because I’m quite sure that I definitely won’t ever feel that I don’t ever want to do anything ever again. I might get like that if I worked alone and I fell ill, but not as long as I’m healthy.

―― The fact that you’re saying that from a hospital bed (lol).

I: Hahahahahaha.

―― Well, I suppose since you’re there, there’s no denying that you’ll get healthier(lol).

I: Yeah. Since I’m not drinking(lol). And I don’t feel like drinking at all anyway. Or rather, in the first place, I gave up on it.

―― What. I even thought to be mindful today and drank my beer from a mug.

I: It doesn’t matter (lol). It pisses me off more when people do things like that because of me!

―― My deepest apologies (lol). But I never thought the day would come when I’d be interviewing Imai-san through a screen.

I: Not something I expected either (lol).

―― Ah, come to think of it, Ishigaki-kun (Ishigaki Ai / guitarist) quit music, didn’t he?

I: I heard about that from others too.

―― I wonder why.

I: It’s because I have a band, right? That’s why I can keep going.

―― So are you saying that if you didn’t have a band, you’d probably be thinking that it’s about time to go home to take over the store?

I: I wouldn’t take over the store(lol), but the band’s existence is certainly a significant reason.

―― Is it because you feel that there are things you can do because you have your bandmates?

I: Yeah. Even when I think about everything we’ve done until now, they’re kind of impossible if I worked alone, aren’t they? Funny story, [if I were a solo artist,] I’d have to make all the decisions myself, the behind-the-scenes stuff, produce everything myself, right?   That’s impossible for me. Doing everything alone requires a whole lot of power.

―― Is that why you feel that the five of you working together like this brings a good balance of things?

I: In a band, if it’s made up of 5 people, everything gets cut down to a fifth, right?

―― Whether money, or time, or happiness and frustrations, or sorrows and joys; everything.

I: In a band, there’s a vast range of possibilities for things that I can’t do on my own. Besides, looking back, there were quite a few things that couldn’t have possibly been endured if I were working alone, you know?

―― I understand that well. Anyway, I suppose you’ll probably be hospitalised for a little longer.

I: I wonder. Because for me, I’d rather get discharged once I’m more or less done.

―― Done with what?

I: My leg. Rather than leaving the hospital halfway through (rehabilitation) and fumbling around while holding concerts, I’d prefer to properly recover.

―― Because that’s an issue that comes before concerts. Anyway, take your time to recuperate.

I: I’ll do my best (lol). Eh… Sorry to everyone for the inconvenience caused.

―― Hahahahaha. It’s okay.

I: The shoot; it was just the four of them?

―― It went without a hitch. Sakurai-san wrote ‘Imai Hisashi on the polaroid for the lucky draw (lol).

I: Hahahahahaha!   Good then (lol).

 

 

Notes:

¹ 2nd line of Go-Go B-T Train: 君も乗りなよ さあ 発車のベルが鳴る (Kimi mo nori na yo Saa Hassha no beru ga naru)

 

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Hoshino Hidehiko

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

I have fragments of other songs, but I didn’t finish all of them and just focused on this song.
A more minor-sounding song would work too. But for some reason, this was the most fitting one

 

―― Thank you for joining me on Zoom today.

Hoshino (H): My pleasure.

―― I’ve really grown accustomed to seeing Hoshino-san’s home studio on screen.

 

H: Nothing changes (lol). Ah, have you interviewed Imai-san?   How’s he?

―― He looks like he’s doing well. You haven’t spoken to him?

H: I haven’t. I got a missed call from him the day he got injured. That’s the only time we spoke, I think.

―― What did he say?

H: I thought he was calling to confirm something about the songs for the coming tour, but when I returned the call, he said, “Sorry…… I broke my leg.”

―― How did you respond?

H: I said, “What!   I see…… Take care.” (Lol)

―― How composed (lol).

H: I was shocked, though. At first, I thought he hurt his ankle or something because he simply said that he broke his leg, but after a while, I heard that it was actually his femur. That’s essentially a major joint of the leg, isn’t it?   That’s quite serious, isn’t it?

―― At a time when you’re about to release a single and have confirmed your concert tour, it’s quite tough, isn’t it?

H: Well, yeah. But when we think about what we can do, the only thing there is is to give him time. Him getting well is the most important (lol).

―― That’s true. Now, I’d like to start my conversation with Hoshino-san by talking about Koi, the song you wrote as the B-side to the single.

H: Ahh, yes.

―― This is the one that you mentioned during our annual Ongaku to Hito interview in June, where you said, “The new song is pretty good.”

H: How did it go…… I can’t remember (lol).

―― You spoke about it (lol). True to those words, it’s really very good, and it’s a bit of a new frontier for a Hoshino song too, I’d say.

H: I don’t have many major chord songs in the first place, so this one might be a slightly different type, I suppose.

―― When did you write this song?

H: This, I worked on at the start of this year. At first, we were talking about releasing a single on our debut anniversary and going on tour from autumn to year-end. So I thought, “Then I need to compose something.” And at the start of this year, I started putting together the sample track. I began how I always did, with my guitar first, but I gradually incorporated things like a synthesiser melody in the intro and so on. Then, in the plug-in (note: general term for additional instrumental sounds and effects installed as an add-on to desktop music/computer music), there was a nice programming tune that I thought was suitable for this song, so I decided to compose the song around that. It’s a song with quite a major-chord feel, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it at first.

―― Isn’t it okay anyway, even if it’s major sounding (lol)?

H: It’s okay but, you know (lol). But, see, there are colours within the band, right?   That’s why I was kind of agonising over it. Although, I thought it was pretty good when I was composing it, so I decided to continue with this direction.

―― Maybe it’s the synthesiser tune in the intro, but for the tone of the song to be brought to the forefront like this, I don’t recall that it’s something that happens a lot in Hoshino-san’s music.

H: I suppose you’re right. With this song, things around the synth music, the programming’s rhythm pattern and all that were pretty much done at the sample stage, so I decided to present it [to the band] just the way it sounded as a sample without replacing anything with my guitar. And that’s why the guitars are deliberately made to sound subdued.

―― I can tell that it’s quite elaborate. I had a feeling that it doesn’t stray far from the image that Hoshino-san had in the beginning when putting the sample together.

H: You’re right. I suppose it’s also true that it’s more elaborate than usual. I had Cube-kun (Cube Juice) work on the manipulation for me and he added a bunch of other things in too. That’s probably what gave the song it’s accentuation and added depth to the music.

―― Like the way Sakurai-san’s voice sounded unruffled until came in with a bang at the chorus.

H: That part was composed with the guitar in focus at the sample stage but I asked for it to be replaced by the synth melody and it worked out very well. In the end, that became the crux of the song. I suppose you’re probably right in that a song like this is fresh.

―― I’ve noticed a particular trend, especially in your singles but does Hoshino-san make a deliberate effort to write songs that contrast Imai-san’s?

H: Right. Although, these days, I start by thinking about what kind of melodies I want to compose then go ahead with that in mind. Because doing that brings out the songs in the album and makes them better. The assumption of making an album is based on the premise (of Imai-san’s songs).

―― Was Koi the only song Hoshino-san presented this time around at the sample stage?

H: This was the only one I let everyone hear. I have fragments of other songs, but I didn’t finish all of them and stopped working on them halfway to focus on this song. Of course I do have more minor-sounding songs, but for some reason, this song was the most fitting one.

―― This is very fresh even for a superfan of Hoshino’s songs like me!

H: Ah, really?

―― The tone or the impression of the synth melody in the intro is something that you’ve probably never done before.

H: Maybe, yeah. Because I wrote this song with the thought that perhaps it might be good to keep the guitars in the background.

―― So how do you feel about Sakurai-san naming this song Koi and writing the lyrics he did for it?

H: It’s a pretty good name, isn’t it? Koi. I kind of assumed that he would give it that thoughtful frame.

―― It sure is a compassionate song that looks at the feelings of those who have lost people close to them.

H: It’s a coincidence but don’t you think the music also exudes a similar ambience? I thought [the music] matched [the lyrics] surprisingly well. Even though I left the lyrical content entirely up to him.

―― Next, what about Go-Go B-T TRAIN?

H: The title’s pretty bold (lol).

―― Well, I thought so too (lol).

H: There’s quite some courage there. I also thought it’s quite like Sakurai-san to present it so upfront.

―― It’s like a song by a band who just found its members and went straight into a studio to write something with that enthusiasm (lol).

H: Hahahahaha, that’s true.

―― The sustaining riff leaves quite the impression despite its simple composition.

H: It is, because it’s something that’s Imai-san’s specialty and it’s got a good groove too. Normally I would think that the song would start at the chorus with a bang, but there wasn’t any of that. Brazenly running in yelling, “Hey hey hey!” comes across pretty nicely too, doesn’t it? (Lol)

―― I thought it’s pretty amazing that you’re releasing such a song in the band’s 34th year (lol).

H: Amazing, isn’t it (lol). Imai-san had a sample for another song and it’s also another up-tempo one. It’s not bad, but this turned out well, didn’t it?

―― What do you think about the lyrics?

H: It’s definitely a sort of a message to everyone in the midst of this pandemic. I suppose it’s only natural that these are the kind of lyrics that come about when musicians are agonising [over our situation].

―― Are you referring to the lyrics that inspire determination with words like, “Come on, this is where we begin, let’s go!”?

H: That’s right. Because we haven’t been able to meet our fans through concerts since our show at Nippon Budokan last year, so I’m sure that’s a feeling that’s been growing in everyone.

 

We’ll have to do this with less than half our usual audience, and our audience can’t cheer or shout or move about much, right?
And despite that, they’re willing to come and see us. I feel like we’ll be complementing each other with something more important, or rather building a deeper and stronger relationship with the other.

―― I’ve asked you before, but does such a reality trouble Hoshino-san?

H: Of course it does. It’s like there’s this…… unsettling feeling that drags on and on.

―― You want to hold concerts but you can’t really. Is that what causes it?

H: It’s also because that’s something we’ve been doing for over 30 years, right? We’re still recording and releasing quite a bit of music, but in the end, we pride ourselves on being a band who mostly does live shows. So we’re just bearing with the fact that we can’t do that now.

―― We’re still right in the midst of the pandemic, but do you think it’s possible to change the style of such activities?

H: Ah, well, who knows. I want to do whatever we can but that’s all there is, right? No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible for us to do nothing but live streams. And there’s no point in thinking about what we should do for a live stream unless we can use [the technology] well. Because it’s definitely not something that can replace live concerts.

―― Reason being it’s not good enough if all you can do is stream no-audience concerts, right?

H: Yeah.

―― Also, Go-Go B-T TRAIN feels manual, it gives me the impression that everyone is really putting their back into making the train move.

H: Right. This is my personal opinion, but this song might just become a significant juncture for the band, I think. It even reminds me of our early days.

―― Exactly. I’m really getting that from it but rather than a throwback, I feel like there’s also a sense of looking towards the end and preparing for it.

H: Since next year will also be the year of our 35th anniversary, I suppose there’s also some form of motivation to give our all as we approach it.

―― But to break a bone at such a time……

H: Perhaps that’s a sign from god. Whatever it is (lol). Well, but we can’t do anything about falling sick or getting injured, right (lol).

―― Because once we cross the age of 50, everyone starts getting all these problems like it’s the most normal thing (lol). Hoshino-san seems to be the most reliable one in the band, even down to your life plans (lol).

H: I don’t think so (lol). Look, look at this (note: he shows his finger on screen). It recently got caught in the door and bled internally, and now the nail’s turned all black.

―― That’s so risky! The idea of one guitarist fracturing his thigh bone while the other fractured his pinky finger, this is just bad.

H: It’s the first time my finger nail turned all black like this.

―― Please be careful. But really it’s because you’re in a band that things work out, isn’t it? For everyone.

H: I suppose we’ve got a good balance going (lol). But that’s because all of us, we don’t really know much about making music outside of this band. We don’t know how long we can keep going for, but I think we all want to keep on running for as long as we’re able to.

―― Yeah, and there’s whistling in these two songs too (lol).

H: It was originally in Koi’s sample. I thought of asking Sakurai-san to do that in the actual recording. Then, somehow, at some point, it also turned up in Go-Go B-T TRAIN (lol).

―― Hahahaha. Also, you’ve recorded anew Uta Ver. 2021 and JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver. 2021, which you performed on Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara 〜SHOW AFTER DARK〜 as B-sides to this single.

H: We’ve done acoustic arrangements of our own songs before but those arrangements that we did just for this time’s Misemono-goya〜, it was pretty enjoyable. Or you could say, interesting. So I think there’s a possibility that we’ll make use of them again on different occasions in future though.

―― I can’t really think of times when BUCK-TICK changed the arrangement of your songs and performed them. Performing an acoustic set was also a first for you at Makuhari.

H: Because we’ve never spoken about rearranging our songs before Makuhari happened. There were probably a few songs recorded, I think?

―― Like SANE.

H: I think there’s also My baby Japanese ーtype Ⅱー. But that performance at Makuhari really sparked it off.

―― Thinking about it, I really wonder why you’ve never done this until Makuhari.

H: BUCK-TICK without fail releases a new album every year or two and then goes on tour after that. This is the schedule we’ve established, so I think there’s just never been space for us to think about daring to change up the arrangements. If we did, we’ll be talking about making new music anyway. That’s why, I suppose this is a good place for us to start things off too, isn’t it?

―― I guess no matter the band, when they reach a standstill, when they can’t figure out what else they want to do, the’y d turn to doing acoustic versions or rearrangements of their songs.

H: Now that I think about it, I don’t think we’ve experienced that before. But I think it’s not a bad idea to try out such an approach from different points going forward.

―― Actually, how do you feel about it, after having done Uta, JUST ONE MORE KISS, and the unrecorded version of ICONOCLASM this way?

H: It really highlighted to me how great the melodies are. Even ICONOCLASM. It’s a song that revolves around that one riff, but I feel like I really got to know the most important aspects of this song.

―― Although the soundscapes for both Go Go~ and Koi are completely different, it’s true that their melodies are what stands out.

H: You’re right. BUCK-TICK’s approach to music production is varied and we do lots of things, but everything revolves around the melody. It’ll inevitably come through when we change the arrangement.

―― And your tour is about to start. Although, the first half has been postponed. Of course, the situation we’re living in in this day and age is indescribable, but it looks like you can perform with a live audience now, right?

H: In our present situation, yes. I think we plan to do it with half capacity, though.

―― How do you feel about getting to perform with a live audience again?

H: Happy yet uneasy, a mix of these two. It’s just that, because we don’t know what things will be like later on. While I think it’s a good idea to do this while we can, there’s a lot of uncertainty, you know?

―― You just can’t say that you’re feeling nothing but happy that you can perform again, right?

H: It’s not entirely a celebratory thing, is it? It’s difficult. But since we’re performing and people are coming to see us under these circumstances, I think both our fans and we, the band are willing to complement each other where the other falls short.

―― Agreed.

H: We’ll have to do this with less than half our usual audience, and our audience can’t cheer or shout or move about much, right?   And despite that, they’re willing to come and see us. I feel like we’ll be complementing each other with something more important, or rather building a deeper and stronger relationship with the other.

―― Indeed.

H: We just want to do this carefully, you know.

―― Another thing, it doesn’t look like songs from ABRACADABRA will be taking centre stage in this tour, does it?

H: We had a few ideas, but considering the current situation, we decided that we’ll be performing a variety of songs. While it’s true that we didn’t get to tour for ABRACADABRA, we managed to do a livestream, a film concert tour, and a Budokan show for it anyway. Although Budokan was the only live in-person show, there’s more or less the feeling that we’ve gotten a reaction to it. And also, it’s precisely because we’re in these circumstances that we feel like people will be more excited to hear a variety of songs instead.

―― I see. I assume that you’ll probably be looking towards your next release following the tour, but where do you see the band going?

H: I still don’t know regarding the music, but there’s a bunch of different influences showing up in the lyrics, don’t you think? Since Sakurai-san is a person who only writes about what he’s really experienced.

―― I suppose he would write about that. Since these are huge changes we’re going through.

H: That’s why I’m looking forward to it.

 

 

 

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Higuchi yutaka

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

It’d be great if people get the idea that this band is still going to do more
Because that’s how I feel too when I listen to this song

 

―― Thank you for your work on the photoshoot. (Note: This was the only interview which took place right after the photoshoot.)

Yutaka (Y): Yeah. But it feels so weird doing a shoot with just the four of us (lol). Like, “Huh……? Oh, right, four.”

―― Imai-san had surgery for that fracture he got in the trochanteric section of his left femur, right?

Y: Somehow, just the name of that diagnosis makes it sound very serious and I was really worried when I first caught wind of it.

―― Part of your tour got postponed. And you can’t even do a photoshoot with all five of you present now.

Y: I feel sorry towards everyone who has been looking forward to the concerts, but [we had to postpone them] because we want to do this with all five of us together in perfect shape. That’s why we wanted to make sure that Imai-kun could focus on getting well.

―― Let’s talk about your new single, Go-Go B-T TRAIN; what does Yuta-san think of it?

Y: Go-Go B-T TRAIN is a good song but the b-side that Hide wrote, Koi, was also wonderful, wasn’t it?

―― It was.

Y: Even the new arrangements in Uta Ver. 2021 and JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver. 2021, I thought they were interesting because they reflect our present. The world has started to feel a little dark since we’re in the middle of a pandemic, but [these songs] feel like a motivational pat on the back, like a “How are you!”

―― BUCK-TICK= Theory of Antonio Inoki¹ (lol).

Y: Oh, stop it (lol). But I do think that’s the role they play. That it would be nice if they’re helpful towards helping someone be more optimistic, even if just a tiny bit.

―― So how did you arrive at the decision to record these 4 songs?

Y: To start, we planned to hold a fan club-only concert on 21 September at Toyosu PIT. Then a national tour that starts in October would follow. And since that date is the anniversary date for our major debut, we spoke about releasing a single on the same date too.

―― Nothing related to starting work on a new album?

Y: We didn’t go there. I thought that’ll probably be what we’re moving towards next after the tour concludes. Because when the new year came around, Imai-kun and Hide presented their samples, then Acchan wrote the lyrics and we recorded them in May. The two songs. And a little before that we had rehearsals for Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara 〜SHOW AFTER DARK〜. Around March, I believe. Using an image of the venue as a reference, we formed a clearer picture [of what we wanted to do] and found that everyone responded really well to the old songs that we rearranged for our show.

―― You’ve made bold new arrangements for quite a few songs in that stream, but setting Uta and ICONOCLASM to a shuffle and the melodious JUST ONE MORE KISS left a particularly strong impression.

Y: Yeah. And the band felt confident about those three songs too. After we were done with recording in April, the suggestion to include those arrangements into the single came up since we’ve worked those out anyway. Then we recorded those too. There’s more than enough swing with 2 songs sounding like that already so maybe we’ll keep ICONOCLASM for next time when the opportunity comes around.

―― That’s easy to grasp (lol). How does Yuta-san feel about the unplugged-style arrangements for Misemono-goya~?

Y: They were great. But in the beginning, I thought it might be difficult to keep that concert vibe going if we only did acoustic arrangements throughout. Yet, although we generally call it “acoustic”, we managed to do swing and a variety of other arrangements too. Also, I think it went well, having done it in a two-part format.

―― Indeed.

Y: But personally, I’ve always wanted to do acoustic versions since before. That was probably 2 years ago? When we did it for the first time on a substage during the encore at Makuhari?

―― Locus Solus no Kemonotachi at Makuhari Messe, right?

Y: It was so good, like, I could really feel that it was the five of us performing together. I mean, it’s always been the five of us on stage, but there are other sounds going on too, and we tend to be using in-ear monitors, so we can’t really get to feel the sounds and music that each one of us are making. But with acoustic arrangements, we can have an awareness of each other’s breathing as we perform. And that’s where its great.

―― You enjoyed it largely because you could sense that the five of you were playing together on stage, rather than showing the world what you could do.

Y: Yeah. That’s a sensation I hadn’t had in a while.

―― There’s some of that in Go-Go B-T TRAIN too, right? Of course, there are added sound effects and all, but there’s also a part of it that sounds like the kind of simplicity a band produces.

Y: That’s right. And it’d also be great if it gave people the idea that this band is still going to do more. Because that’s how I feel too when I listen to this song.

―― Meaning?

Y: Meaning there’s still a lot we can do, I suppose. That, although we’re a band who will be celebrating our 35th anniversary next year, we’re not tired of this at all, and there’s still much we’ve yet to try.

―― Conversely, we could also say that this is proof that this band has been able to do interesting things all these years without the need to switch up the member line-up or make all kinds of changes to your approach.

Y: That’s true. We never really gave much thought to whether acoustic versions or rearranging old songs to record them again would be of interest (lol).

―― Now, Go-Go B-T TRAIN. What was it called when Yuta started recording work on it?

Y: The name was yet decided. I think even the lyrics probably weren’t written yet. It’s a song with a riff that leaves a strong impression, so I didn’t really do much in the way of inputting my own ideas or trying to change up the bass line. I just held onto this 16-beat rhythm and kept playing. It was surprisingly difficult (lol).

―― Because it’s not like your bass is humming along with the momentum, right? You have to keep a tight hold on the rhythm behind the jangling guitar.

Y: Please write that although it looks simple, it’s actually really tough (lol).

―― Driving home the point, huーh (lol).

Y: Because, you see, the bass in this song plays far in the background so you unfortunately won’t really be able to hear the nuances at all, you know? That’s kinda sad for me (lol).

 

It’s great that we’ve all been able to dream together all this time.
That’s why I hope to continue dreaming, with everyone.

 

―― So what do you think about naming such a song Go-Go B-T TRAIN?

Y: I thought it was interesting. That Acchan probably felt a strong sense of, “Alright, everyone, let’s go!” I don’t think there are many who would use such a song title.

―― Right (lol).

Y: I suppose he wanted to convey that feeling no matter what others might think of it. That feeling of departing on a journey together.

―― It’s as if he wants to take us somewhere.

Y: Maybe to a world unlike the one we live in now. That inspires hope, and brings a sense of determination. We had a song called PARADE previously. This song is sort of like a different version of that. Although we’re a band who thrives on performing live through these decades, we’ve been unable to see anyone or go anywhere, and we know that it’s not going to be easy to go back to how things used to be. I believe that’s what we had no choice but to reckon with in this past year and a half of COVID-19.

―― Indeed.

Y: It took time, and circumstances are still not perfect but we finally scheduled a tour and will be heading to everyone’s cities, and I believe [the song is] Acchan’s feelings about this put into words. The whole band feels the same. Getting to perform live only once a year is as good as not breathing to us.

―― Because all of a sudden, you can’t carry out what’s as good as the regular life you’ve had in the 34 years since you’ve debuted, right?

Y: I even felt sad, you know? We want to visit everyone’s hometowns and breathe the same air with them but we can’t and that’s really just sad. There are some places we still can’t go in this tour, but we definitely have the intention to make it next time. Because we always make the promise that we’ll come back again every time we conclude shows in that place. So we have to [make good our promises].

―― Because that’s been the band’s principle all this time, right?

Y: Because [it’s important to us to] be in the same space with our fans. Because I also know how special it feels when a band [I like] comes to my city. The first concert I’ve ever watched  was Yazawa Eikichi’s show at Numata in Gunma, and yet I can still remember it all clearly. Since then, it’s now easier to go to Tokyo and all the different areas, but I still feel that it’s something special when a band visits the city I live in, you know?

―― So it’s like Yuta-san travelling to meet your younger self.

Y: That might just happen. It’s been decades but I don’t want anyone to feel left out or alone like I did. Feeling like [the band] will never come to my hometown again and things like that. Especially in this situation with the pandemic, there’s likely only a limited number of bands who are actually on tour so I very simply just want to bring them joy.

―― Just as described with Go-Go B-T TRAIN.

Y: From our perspective, it’s the kick-off declaration of, “Let’s go!”, telling everyone that we’ll be riding this B-T TRAIN into everyone’s cities. That’s all it is. I believe that’s the reason why the lyrics were written with simple words; to convey those feelings of Acchan’s.

―― So, Koi written by Hoshino-san.

Y: It’s a good song, isn’t it? It’s like the complete opposite of Go-Go B-T TRAIN.

―― It’s really good. A whole new world.

Y: Acchan’s kindness comes through the lyrics, doesn’t it? I feel like it really conveys Acchan’s open mindedness and his gentle nature that we personally know.

―― Right?

Y: The goodness of Hide’s mid-tempo music and Acchan’s lyrics really came together well. You can really sense the individual qualities of each song.

―― These two songs bundled with the newly arranged two really brings that across, and I think this single, on the whole, seems to reaffirm something while bringing hope in the midst of this situation where you’re performing concerts only once a year.

Y: I think so too. Although the tour has been postponed, I’m really happy. That we’ll be able to see [our fans]. It would be great if this could be a start.

―― A start in many ways.

Y: That’s right. But all we’ve got is hope. Although we can only hold concerts in halls at half capacity and the audience can’t cheer, this is a start.

―― I think all the bands had no choice but to reset themselves in a way during this pandemic, so this is like putting things back together again, isn’t it?

Y: I guess other artists are dealing with this too, aren’t they? I think in the end, we have to think of something, you know? While stopping tours and concerts is understandably part of infection control measures, it’s like death [to us]. And there are people who have been waiting for us [to return], so we want to somehow bring concerts to them and let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them. That’s all it is.

―― And so you had your very first live streamed concert, and film concert tour, and Misemono-goya〜 too, right?

Y: Holding concerts in those ways are valid but we’ll finally be able to do it in the way it’s meant to be done.

―― We all hope that Imai-san will make a full recovery and make a proper return with perfect performances on tour.

Y: I believe it’s going to be a wonderful tour. Because this is where it all begins.

―― But even in this situation, Yuta-san is always positive, aren’t you?

Y: Because what’s going to get done if we wallow in despair? If we don’t believe [that things will work out], all those who have been waiting for us can’t move forward either, can they? We’ve had to postpone the first few shows, but we want to make this tour a huge success. That’s the goal. Besides, compared to a band whose members are in their 20s, we’re obviously left with a limited amount of time where we can still do this.

―― Well, that’s an undeniable fact of growing older for myself included.

Y: That’s why rather than going backwards, I always think that there’s something that we can do. Which is why we want to put on as many concerts as we can now. Borrowing Kuroda’s (Kuroda Hiroki / Pitcher for Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Retired.) words, I don’t have all that many pitches left in me (Note: When Kuroda returned to his old club, Hiroshima, after being held back by Major League Baseball, he said, “I don’t think I have many pitches left, so (pitching for the Carps is more) fulfilling.”), but concerts are the most satisfying of times for me.

―― Such a band singing Go-Go B-T TRAIN is a good way to prepare for the worst.

Y: Because things are pretty harsh for us now, in these circumstances where we can’t really hold concerts the way we hope to. Every one show we do is very very precious to us. And that’s why, it’s always been this way to us but more than ever, it’s both our dream and our duty to cherish live concerts and carry that out to bring joy to everyone, even if just a little.

―― Indeed.

Y: It’s great that we’ve all been able to dream together all this time. With the members of the band, with all our fans. Besides, next year will be our band’s 35th anniversary. We want to continue going strong.

―― It certainly is wonderful. Hopefully, you’ll be able to throw a big celebration.

Y: Yeah. But I’m truly grateful, that’s all I can say. That’s why I hope to continue dreaming, with everyone.

 

 

Notes:

¹ Muhammad Hussain Inoki is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, martial artist, politician, and promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. He is best known by the ring name Antonio Inoki, a homage to fellow professional wrestler Antonino Rocca. 
This particular line probably has something to do with Inoki’s personality and his impression on general society. There have been many parodies/impersonators when it comes to him so watching some of them might shed some light on the impression to be made here.

 

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Yagami Toll

Interview by: Kanemitsu Hirofumi

We can’t really go back to the normal we used to live before, so I believe everyone’s feeling melancholy
I felt that it’s a good thing for us to be singing, “Let’s board the B-T train and move out!” like this.

―― A photoshoot without Imai-san.

Toll (T): I was shocked. I think it was right before the shoot? I received a call from Imai out of the blue too. He’s not usually a guy who calls, so I was fretting. I asked him, “What! What happened!” and he said, “Anii, I’m sorry…… I fractured a bone, in my leg. I think I probably won’t be able to do concerts.” (Lol).

―― That’s bound to be a shock.

T: Nah. I think receiving a call from Imai shocked me so much that all I thought of it was, “Huh, so it’s a fracture.” (Lol)

―― Hahahahahaha.

T: And it was his femur, wasn’t it? The first thing that came to mind was how he was supposed to live life normally. Concerts come after that. He could probably just stand there and play or sit in a chair and play, but he would probably need some time before he can go back to performing the way he usually does in live concerts. That, I’m a little worried about, though.

―― Indeed.

T: Well, the bone will eventually heal itself anyway (lol). So we just have to think about what we can now when the time comes and do it. Most important is that all five of us are doing it together.

―― All there is to do is wait. Anyway, Yagami-san, you held your annual birthday concert the other day. And you actually managed to get Yoshida Minako-san as a guest performer this year!

T: I was over the moon (lol). I invited Minako-san with nothing to lose, and initially, she apparently had another appointment scheduled on that date so I was rejected. But then that appointment was cancelled and like a miracle, she became available. I’ve been a fan of hers since I was in high school…… You know, I even asked her to autograph the FLAPPER LP (released 1976) that I bought over 40 years ago when it first came out. Look. Here, look (shows a photo of it in his phone).

―― You’re grinning like a middle schooler (lol).

T: I was absolutely delighted. I also requested to perform Yume de Aetara and Toki Yo, where I’d of course be the one playing backing drums but I was even more nervous [for this] than BUCK-TICK (lol).

―― Hahahahaha!

T: Those kinds of city pop songs are difficult. Drums for Yume de Aetara were played by Hayashi Tatsuo-san (Tin Pan Alley) and I wanted myself to stay true to that era so I drummed while listening to the clicks of the original tempo (lol). Ponta-san (Murakami “Ponta” Shuichi) drummed in Toki Yo and the tempo in this song was difficult too. It wouldn’t sound good unless I’m super laid back playing it, so that was a tough one.

―― Let’s hope we can make your 60th birthday concert next year a big one. Now, about your new song, Go-Go B-T TRAIN.

T: What about it?

―― To start, the song title is a surprise (lol).

T: I suppose so. Since this Go-Go here comes from Hinan GO-GO (lol).

―― Let’s pause the jokes here (lol) before we end up making those kinds of ideas sound credible. So, the song, it’s got a pretty simple rock and roll beat, doesn’t it?

T: The riff repeats a lot. And from a drummer’s perspective, there’s a lot of cymbals going on. I have to hit them about once per bar, and when I let Imai listen to hear his thoughts on it, he said, “Hmm…… Feels a little lacking.” (Lol). Then he asked me, “Anii, do you think you can hit the cymbals even more?” and I had to politely decline him with, “Apologies. That won’t be possible unless I have three arms.” (Lol)

―― Hahahahaha!

T: I suppose he probably wanted it to sound noisy. To replicate that noisy banging that comes with manual labour at work. That’s why he made such an impossible request for more than one hit of the cymbal per bar (lol).

―― How do you feel about this song sounding like it’s built on the enthusiasm of a newly-formed band?

T: I thought it was interesting. You could probably say it feels like Imai Hisashi’s restlessness. It’s great that there’s still a part of him that’s mischievous even as he grows older. Although he got too playful and ended up fracturing a bone (lol).

―― …… We shouldn’t be laughing at that (lol).

T: But you can see a healthy Imai in the MV (lol). Ah, right, that. This single’s MV was the first time in a good while that the whole band came together for a shoot. These days, we’ve been doing our shoots individually and then editing them later, but [this time] all of us gathered at the same place and filmed our performance shots. That felt great. In a way, it’s also connected to the band’s perspective of this song. Like a “whoa, everyone’s here” kind of vibe (lol).

―― It does indeed align.

T: I’d think that maybe our fans might’ve been looking forward to an MV where we’re all performing together.

―― With these lyrics that say invites everyone onto this train to ride into the future, although things may be tough. What did you think when you heard this coming from Sakurai-san?

T: When I first head the sample, I thought it’s been a while since we’ve got a song with such a good vibe, but I never expected that it would be named Go-Go B-T TRAIN so I was surprised by that. The first thing that came to mind was Hagiwara Kenichi’s SHOKEN TRAIN (lol).

―― Ah, that’s true. But the SHOKEN song is steeped in that dandy-ism that calls for everyone to follow him but here, it’s more of heading off together, isn’t it?

T: You’re right. There’s someone who’s missed the train though (lol).

―― Stop it (lol).

T: But, well, living in a pandemic like this, we can’t really go back to the normal we used to live before, so I believe everyone’s feeling melancholy. So I felt that it’s a good thing for us to be singing, “Let’s board the B-T train and move out!” like this.

―― And the B-side, Koi. What did you think of it?

T: It’s a good song. I never expected it to hit the way it does.

―― It really strikes a chord, doesn’t it?

T: He’s kind, isn’t he? Acchan. In recent times, we’ve lost a lot of people close to us. It’s only natural at this age and we can’t really do anything about it, but these are people who have been working with us all this time as concert staff and people around the country who we’ve grown close to…… After all this time, there are now more farewells than congratulations. Dedicating [this song] to all these close acquaintances who have passed, and the people who mourn their passing. It’s a nice gesture, isn’t it?

―― I’d say it’s very much like Sakurai-san to write the lyrics from that perspective.

T: Because that person is very sensitive, and that’s just the type of person he is. No matter what he pens, it all comes from his own experiences. And that’s what makes it good.

 

There are many joys that come with being in a band, but this I can say for sure
To keep doing this with the same group of friends. Nothing beats that.

―― How did recording go for your drums this time around?

T: It was quick. The drums were recorded last this time around too, but both songs were done in a day (lol).

―― You were recording in the midst of this pandemic, so all of you couldn’t be in the studio together at the same time when you started studio work, right?

T: We went in at different times. The composer would definitely be there, and if it’s my recording day, then he’d listen to how the drums sound for me, we’d discuss and decide on what’s good or what needs to be changed. We’d be switching up this and that, change the snare a few times. And in the end, we went back to the original setup because we figured that’s the one that worked best after all.

―― This time, you’ve also got Uta and JUST ONE MORE KISS recorded with their new arrangements. These came about because the band was doing Misemono-goya〜 and made the effort to fit the songs into its theme, but what’s Yagami-san’s perspective on rearranging old songs like this and recording them again?

T: I thought it was interesting, and besides, didn’t we have an acoustic set at Makuhari back when we did Locus Solus no Kemonotachi? After doing that, we had the feeling that [things like the songs in this single] might be interesting too.

―― Because it’s rare that there’s anything that you’ve never really done during this long a career, right?

T: I think all of us think the same way, but we’ve probably always felt that when a song is labelled done, that includes its arrangement. It’s like how you’d immediately know “It’s that song!” the moment the guitar intro starts playing. If you rearrange it, then no one would know, right? Maybe that’s why the topic of boldly messing around with a song never really came up.

―― And that idea only came about as a result of deciding to make the live thematic because you thought it’d be boring to do the same old for a livestream in a pandemic.

T: Maybe they began to feel that something like that could work too.

―― Yagami-san, you’ll be celebrating your 60th next year. Is there anything you’d like to do?

T: I’d want to do an unplugged kind of thing. It’s easier to execute live too (lol).

―― That’s not the point (lol).

T: But actually, I’ve been thinking about a few things. Didn’t the Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts suddenly pass away just recently?

―― That’s right.

T: And it happened to Ponta-san too. Rather than just feeling sad, it’s a loss that such amazing people have left us. Because we can never hear those drums of theirs anymore. But people have a limited amount of time to live, so we can’t do anything about that. In Ponta-san’s case, I actually received an email from him in January with New Year greetings. In the email, he  said that his doctor had advised him to stop work for the time being but “I’m doing great!” along with the punching emoji. Then he passed on in March. I was shocked.

―― With both Charlie Watts and Ponta-san, from an outsider’s perspective, we’d feel like they’ve already done it all, but only they would know whether or not that’s true.

T: Because they’ve built an era, right? And we’re still in the midst of it. That is, until the B-T TRAIN departs.

―― It’s still quite there, is it?

T: But we don’t have forever, do we? I just said earlier that there doesn’t exist a person who won’t die. If anyone of us goes that way, we’d probably quit. But for some reason I’m the eldest one in the band and yet I’m the healthiest of all. I’ve never even been hospitalised before (lol).

―― Please stay healthy!

T: I’ve always been a paranoid person, so the moment I feel like my body’s a little weird, I’d immediately go and see a doctor. I think it was about 3 or 4 years ago when I cough influenza but I didn’t realise it at all (lol). In the beginning, I intended to visit my usual doctor to inquire about administering a garlic injection and when they did a flu test, I was told, “Yagami-san, you’ve caught Type A.” (Lol)

―― And that’s why you recovered quickly.

T: They gave me the prescription there and then and I did recover quickly. Also, I’m taking 4 types of supplements everyday. So I’m healthy. My knees aren’t deteriorating, and my bloodwork’s all perfect!

―― Because the train is still running.

T: But isn’t there a common saying? That it’s always calm before the storm. I also broke my pinky toe before, right in the middle of a tour. I was half-asleep, going to the bathroom half-asleep in the hotel when I busted it against a corner of the wash basin. It swelled up like hell. I thought that it was definitely broke but when I went to the doctor’s for a checkup, they apparently told me, “It won’t affect your concerts at all!” So I had a roadie tape up my pinky toe with the 4th. I think I did about 3 shows like that. Since then, I’ve always stuck sponge to the corners of the washbasin (lol).

―― But even with Charlie Watts’ passing, aren’t the Rolling Stones still going on tour with Steve Jordan as support?

T: I wonder about that. But in the end, the Rolling Stones are a business so there’s no way to end it, is there?

―― Well, I guess that’s more or less the case.

T: And in fact, even after Brian Jones died and Bill Wyman left, they’ve changed members a number of times. That’s the kind of history the Rolling Stones have. Even if the members of the band changes, the band itself still goes on and maybe that’s group’s creed. I think the Rolling Stones will continue on until Mick Jagger passes away. Even if Keith Richards dies, they’ll still keep going.

―― That’s true.

T: This is my own opinion, but in our case, it’s the end if anyone of us are no longer involved. I’d say it’s probably better that we stop too. Not a break up, but a cessation. I think that’s a better way to put it.

―― Because you’ve been together for 35 years ever since your major debut, right?

T: In my mind, I’m doing this in a way that will leave me no regrets no matter when it all ends. Say, if tomorrow, for some reason, anyone of us in BUCK-TICK can’t keep going anymore, then in that case, we wouldn’t want to keep things going with a member replacement…… That said, I believe everyone feels the same way. If we were to continue even if that happens, then I would probably quit.

―― I see.

T: Then I’ll finally go back to Gunma (lol).

―― Because that’s your dream retirement, right (lol).

T: It’s been 36 years since I was abducted by Yuta. I’ll soon be 60; it’s about time for me to build a house in Gunma and stay there. If I’m not in BUCK-TICK, then it’s even more likely that I’d have already done that (lol).

―― But doing this, believing so strongly that the band’s existence is tied to the 5 of you working together is the band’s resolve, like a sincere conviction soaked with ephemerality. I think all of those are connected.

T: Yeah. There are many joys that come with being in a band, like selling well, becoming popular, writing a good song, playing at large venues, but this I can say for sure. To keep doing this with the same group of friends. Nothing beats that. Having come this far, we’ve been through all sorts of things; like musical differences, reaching our limits as an instrumentalist, things related to our families, our views on life, but being able to keep this band going with the same members, to make music and perform concerts together is truly wonderful.

―― Indeed.

T: I think if we were more scheming, if we wanted to get rich and live in big houses, if those were the kinds of goals we had, we might be able to achieve them but we definitely won’t be happy. What makes me glad that I’m still in this band with these four also includes things apart from simply performing together. Time and again, I realised how big a deal this is to me.

―― I see.

T: They’re kind, all of them. Looking at it from another perspective, you could say that they’re not greedy. For the band as a whole, we might’ve become bigger if we did have that hunger, but I think it’s great that we’re able to celebrate our 35th anniversary like this.

―― Because the answer is that you’ve kept this going together.

T: You see, we’ve done a photoshoot with just four of us since Imai broke his leg, right? Somehow, the vibes are weird. Like, “Huh……? Ah, oh, right.” (Lol). We can’t be missing any one. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again; with my 60th just around the corner, I can’t be happier that I feel this way now.

 

 

 

 

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Editor’s Article:
We will keep hoping to never wake up from these dreams as we keep swaying in this chugging B-T TRAIN

text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi

“Huh……? Ah, oh, right.”

Realising that someone is absent, that he isn’t there brings confusion to everyone on site. The ones standing in front of the camera lens looked uncomfortable, and on our end, we can’t quite decide where the members of the band should stand. A peculiar wrongness has a hold over this place where something that should normally be there is missing.

“Isn’t this the first time we’re doing a shoot with only four members?”

Someone said that. And it might just be true. Looking at the group photo of the four of them, the sense of absence comes through so strongly that you’d just know. Yet on the other hand, there is also the certainty that it’s just not them without all five members involved. The fact that the same members have kept it going for nearly 35 years gives it that strong impetus.

The unexpected accident that Imai got into right before the interview was a reminder that this band is neither rock solid nor stable, but rather a miraculous balance and a result of their individual efforts. This is something that could easily happen to any band. It might be too much of an exaggeration to say this, but this highlights a very important part of the band who is approaching their 35th anniversary.

It’s something that is close to what we can sense from their single, Go-Go B-T TRAIN. This song leaves quite the impact with the fine line that is the title, while its content holds the call to board the train named BUCK-TICK and venture into the uncertain future together. Twenty years ago, Imai wrote the line “Let’s speed through the springtime of youth”¹ in Shippuu no Blade Runner and this is similar to that. However, there is a difference between then and now; sincerity. While Sakurai and Imai’s contrasting perspectives still exist, they aren’t happenings of a far-off world. I dare say that Go-Go B-T Train has the aftertaste of resolution that follows hope. And as it rushes along with everyone’s dreams onboard, it’s a “a fabulous one-way-only TRIP”². That’s right, there’s no turning back. Bluntly speaking, it’s a song about a suicide pact painted in a positive light.

As to what birthed such a song, it’s the inescapable reality of the COVID-19 pandemic that is its’ backdrop. A world divided by COVID-19 with no sign of things returning to normal. Restrictions have been placed on band activities, reducing the amount of time a band gets to share with their fans through concerts to almost zero. Although it looks like it’ll take some time before things can revert fully to how they used to be, a national tour for a live audience is finally about to begin. That joy was, in a large part, a contributor to this song, announcing that they’re going to depart on a journey for the same dream with everyone who’s coming aboard the BUCK-TICK train.

But it is not all hopes and dreams there. It’s a ticket for a one-way trip. This is a final spurt towards the invisible goal that is the end. To the band, they’ve sung about life and death, making it their theme thus far and it’s drawing closer to reality, rather than simply existing as a concept. This song is steeped in this too. Furthermore, it reminds us that the dynamism of this almost-35 years old band where “It has to be these five members” and “It’s the end if anyone of us are no longer involved”, along with the love and trust for these five men are in the coming days.

―〈The dream continues Oh Baby Fiery flashing To the ends of the world〉―³

That’s right, BUCK-TICK is made up of these five’s and our dreams. And B-T TRAIN is the train that runs with these dreams. It’ll take on all forms of reality and everything that comes in its way to run endlessly. Its final destination is when the dream ends. When it’ll happen, no one knows. And that’s why we will keep hoping to never wake up from these dreams as we keep swaying in this chugging B-T TRAIN.

 

 

Notes:

¹ 共に青い春を駆け抜けよう / Tomo ni aoi haru wo kakenuke you

² Line from Go-Go B-T Train: 片道だけの素敵な TRIP / Kata michi dake no suteki na TRIP

³ Last line from Go-Go B-T Train: 夢は続くよ Baby ランランラン 何処までも / Yume wa tsudzuku yo Baby Ranranran Doko made mo

 

 

BUCK-TICK NOW ON SALE 
Go-Go B T TRAIN

[Tracklist]

  1. Go-Go B-T TRAIN [Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi/Music: Imai Hisashi]
  2. 恋 (Koi)[Lyrics: Sakurai Atsushi/Music: Hoshino Hidehiko] 
  3. 唄 Ver.2021 (Uta Ver.2021)
  4. JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver.2021

 

[Included in both limited and regular editions]
Audio discs are SHM-CD format (superior quality CD fully compatible with all CD players).
Includes download card for easy playback of the SHM-CD recording on smartphones.
PlayPass® compatible (Valid until: 30 September 2022)

 

[Limited edition exclusives (for both type A and B)]
◎A: Blu-ray included/B: DVD included

  1. 「Go-Go B-T TRAIN」(MUSIC VIDEO) 
  2. 「唄 Ver.2021」(Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ~SHOW AFTER DARK~)
  3. 「JUST ONE MORE KISS Ver.2021」(Misemono-goya ga Kurete Kara ~SHOW AFTER DARK~)

◎Special packaging

 

 

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AFTERSHOW

2021.08.17 BUCK-TICK

They had a photoshoot at Scott Hall, a historical auditorium in Waseda Hoshien. And my pure chance, in the same vicinity was AVACO STUDIO where BUCK_TICK recorded the first album they released with a major label. “Isn’t this where AVACO STUDIO is?” The moment the four of them entered the waiting room, they started to reminisce. The photoshoot started off with the two-shot featuring Anii and Yuta first. While checking the pictures that were taken, Anii burst out laughing, “Yuta, send this to mom!” Yuta-san responded with, “I wonder if this counts as being filial?” Ah, what a beautiful show of brotherly love. Then, Sakurai-san who was being photographed at a piano suddenly pressed the keys. It doesn’t form any particular melody, but it has a strange ambient feel to it. Perhaps editor-in-chief Kanemitsu recorded that sound on his phone and listens to it on occasion. After the shoot concluded, he autographed the polariod that would be the lucky draw gift to our readers. After a while, Yuta-san brought it over with a, “Acchan’s signed it!” When he showed it to us, a signature for “Imai Hisashi” who wasn’t here on this day was also there! “O-ho!” Kanemitsu’s cry of delight could be heard while the Devil King’s smile appeared on Acchan’s face with a grin.

Interviews were subsequently held. As printed, Imai-san’s was held from the his hospital room, while Sakurai-san and Hide-san had their interviews remotely conducted from home but both Sakurai & Hoshino were, for some reason, particularly talkative. Or rather, they chatted with a more relaxed vibe than usual. Perhaps being at home makes them drop their guard after all?

 

 

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Translation: Yoshiyuki
Text images: Yoshiyuki
Photo images: meghararayanneh.sakurai on VK.com

Chanting the guardian mantra in the midst of a pandemic

VROCK HK Vol.13
December 2020

 

Interview with vocalist Sakurai Atsushi and guitarist Imai Hisashi

Riding on the wave of their 33rd anniversary this year, BUCK-TICK has released their 22nd album, “ABRACADABRA”, offering protection to people’s hearts and minds in the midst of the global pandemic with a musical spell that has traveled through one third of a century. After a year of trouble in the music industry, the band is finally coming back to the Nippon Budokan for their end-of-year performance. On the eve of this event, vocalist Sakurai Atsushi and guitarist Imai Hisashi were interviewed for the first time by Hong Kong media from across the ocean, communicating their message on the new album and their thoughts on the current moment.

 

 

―― BUCK-TICK is releasing a new album this year on the 33rd anniversary of your debut. The title of the new album is “ABRACADABRA”, which seems to have a deep meaning in this age. Could you tell us about the meaning behind this title?

Imai Hisashi (I): In the lyrics that Sakurai wrote for the song “Eureka”, there is the word “ABRACADABRA”, which I found very memorable. It also has the meaning of being a talisman in the pandemic disaster.

Sakurai Atsushi (S): There is nothing we can do except for chanting spells with music. It would be a blessing if this incantation could make someone somewhere smile.

―― During the process of making this new work, have you been affected or inspired in some ways by the pandemic?

S: In terms of the work itself, we did not want to be influenced by the pandemic , but just wanted to simply depict a story. Only “Eureka” sings of the mantra of love.

―― In the late 1980s and 1990s, BUCK-TICK’s works were released on cassette tapes and vinyl, and now, after a long gap, ABRACADABRA is released on vinyl LP and cassette tapes, as well as on CD, digital music, and streaming, which are music formats that span multiple eras. For BUCK-TICK, having witnessed the development of music technology at various stages, how does it feel to see the rise of cassette tapes and vinyl again?

S: When I was a child, I felt the moment of putting the needle down on a record player was like some kind of ritual. Each era has its own music, and there are different ways to appreciate them, so music will never disappear, which I find to be something wonderful.

I: Cassette tapes and LPs, etc., are all very interesting objects. LPs have huge covers, which is something that I really like.

―― Different media have their own different textures, so among the various formats released this time, which one has the sound that you like the most?

I: When I compared the sound in the studio, Hi-Res audio had the better sound, but in my heart I wanted to listen to it on LP. Since it’s not easy to skip tracks on LPs, it makes you feel you can listen very carefully.

―― This year, music performances are difficult to carry out, and it has become popular to perform with no live audience. In fact, as early as 1991, BUCK-TICK had its first-ever performance without a live audience titled “SATELLITE CIRCUIT” (a commemorative show for the opening of WOWOW TV). This year, BUCK-TICK also held a live, no-audience show called “ABRACADABRA LIVE ON THE NET”. After almost 30 years, how did you feel when you stepped on the stage without a live audience again?

I: Although there was no audience in the venue, I could sincerely feel that “people are watching” and played accordingly.

S: Even when I had entered my own world, I was also conscious that someone was watching from the other side of the camera. We also took challenges with things like the AR technology that could only be used in recorded footage.

―― The band also held a screening of “TOUR2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN” this year, and even though it was also a performance strategy under the pandemic, the idea was very innovative!

S: It’s great to have a concert tour for fans all over the country to see. Although the members were really upset that they couldn’t play and the vocalist couldn’t sing, we’re really grateful to the performance and event staff who helped tour the country despite the danger of infection. Also, we’re grateful for all the fans who came to the venues.

―― The first and last performance of the year will be the end-of-year Budokan performance, which will also be broadcast live on the Internet. How does the band think of a performance via a livestream format as opposed to a regular performance?

I: There is no limit to the number of people who can watch the performance via livestream, and people can watch it overseas too, so I think it’s interesting as an approach.

S: It would be the best time to sing and dance together with the audience, but the most important thing now is to prevent infections, so I believe it is the best possible method. For those who want to go to the concert but can’t make it, especially for the medical practitioners who work hard every day, I hope everyone will have a chance to enjoy it. Please pre-record if possible, and in order to not forget, I will also record mine.

―― The livestream is also a way to give more overseas fans the opportunity to participate. In fact, many overseas fans have been coming to Japan to see BUCK-TICK every year. Has BUCK-TICK, one of Japan’s top bands, had any plans to go overseas?

I: I hope that we can be heard and seen by people all over the world.

S: Actually, I traveled privately to Hong Kong about 30 years ago. It was a very exciting city, and it would be great to have a chance to perform in Hong Kong in the future.

―― The band has already launched collaboration products such as headphones and embroidered jackets. Do you have any future collabs in mind outside of music?

S: Hong Kong Disneyland?

―― BUCK-TICK’s music has continued going on for over 33 years, and the band has strived tirelessly to release new works. Where are the motivation and the inspiration coming from?

I: Naturally out of living and experiencing daily life.

S: Anyways regardless of genre, loving music, loving singing, exposure to art such as novels and movies, and feeling the joy, sadness, and love of seemingly ordinary everyday life, can all give rise to various passions.

―― BUCK-TICK’s music has inspired many people over the years. Can you tell us what genres or musicians the band members have been listening to recently?

S: The young generation of Japanese musicians. “King Gnu” and “Fujii Kaze”.

I: I tend to listen to Ambient Music more often. Also Raymond Watts’ post-industrial project “Pig”.

―― What are your goals for the coming year?

I: To create cool songs.

S: In a word, “ABRACADABRA”, we will continue to move forward even while coexisting with the pandemic. I would like to sing, and I would like to hold concerts if possible. It would be nice to meet with everyone in Hong Kong and the rest of the world again through livestream or YouTube. I am grateful for the opportunity to be interviewed this time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Best wishes to Hong Kong.

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Endless Dei
Source: VROCK HK Vol.13

 

2021.09.22 | Victor Entertainemnt
Go Go B-T Train

Love¹ (Koi)

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Hoshino Hidehiko

Japanese

 

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

  恋 焦がれ  夢 幻

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

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

  恋 焦がれ  夢 破れて

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

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

Romaji

By: Andy

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

  Koi Kogare  Yume Maboroshi

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

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

  Koi Kogare  Yume Yaburete

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

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

English

By: Yoshiyuki

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

  Love Aflame  A dream An illusion

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

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

  Love Aflame  A dream Torn apart

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

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

 

Notes:

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

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

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

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

 

2021.09.22 | Victor Entertainemnt
Go Go B-T Train

Words by Sakurai Atsushi

Music By Imai Hisashi

Japanese

 

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

片道だけの素敵な TRIP
サヨナラネ地球 アナタトチューリップ

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

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

蒸気仕掛けの  三日月投げキッス
サヨナラネ宇宙 アナタトチューリップ

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

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

夢は続くよ Baby ランランラン 何処までも

 

 

Romaji

By: Andy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yume wa tsudzuku yo Baby Ranranran Doko made mo

English

By: Yoshiyuki

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Notes:

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

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

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

⁴ Or, new moon.

 

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

SPICE
January 2022

Text=Yuka Okubo
Photos=Seitaro Tanaka

 

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

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

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

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

 

 

Come, come on over and have a looksee”¹

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

Act I  SE [Instrumental]

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

Act II

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

ENCORE

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

 

 

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

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ First line of Diabolo

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: SPICE

 

 

27 November 1991  Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO
Live Report

Fool’s Mate
February 1992

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

 

Thrown back in time in one night’s dream

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

 

 

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

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

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

The opening song was Taiyou ni Korosareta.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Keep it coming.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Setlist
Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO  1991.11.27

—Theme of B-T—

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

—MC—

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

—MC—

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

—MC—

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

—ENCORE—

E1. HYPER LOVE
E2. PLASTIC SYNDROME TEPE Ⅱ

E3. …IN HEAVEN 
E4. MOON LIGHT

 

 

 

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Morgianasama on LiveJournal

 

 

The ornaments are incendiary*.
── Sakurai Atsushi Mesmerises!

GQ JAPAN
September 2021

Photos 奥脇孝典 Takanori Okuwaki@UM
Styling 清水ケンイチ Kenichi Shimizu
Hair&Make-up 山路千尋 Chihiro Yamaji@Fats Berry

 

Having turned 55 this year, Sakurai Atsushi who made his major debut in 1987 as the vocalist of BUCK-TICK is a forerunner of the rock scene even now. This rock legend who “have always been fascinated by the New Romantic movement” charms us bewitchingly, clad in his latest look.

 

 

 

Coat ¥649,000 | Sweater ¥209,000 | Pants ¥132,000 (All from TOM FORD), Sunglasses ¥55,000
〈TOM FORD EYEWEAR /All the above are from Tom Ford Japan〉
Necklace ¥242,000 | Bangle  ¥1,320,000 | Ring ¥286,000 〈All from TIFFANY & CO.〉

“The architectural tailoring is reminiscent of British brands, and the way it fits the body was really cool. I also liked the combination of the metal buttons and gold jewellery.”

Music rejuvenates me

A glossy shirt and slim-cut jeans, along with a pair of heeled boots. Sakurai-san showed up at the studio in an all-black ensemble. The moment he came in, he introduced himself with, “I’m Sakurai from BUCK-TICK.” There were, however, no mannerisms suggestive of the impetuous performances he puts on stage. He was mild-mannered and his tone, courteous. “It’s been a while since I last did a fashion photoshoot, but I had fun,” he said.

“My fashion is really, simply, black. I feel at ease when I wear black, and somehow I look sharper as well, so part of it is that it’s easy for me, and like putting on armour, when I wear black and slip on my boots, I’d naturally get into the zone.”

The hallmarks of BUCK-TICK when they debuted were heavy makeup and flamboyant outfits. But where did that come from?

“We’ve been influenced by 80s punk and New Romantic music, artists like David Bowie and Sex Pistols, Culture Club and all that since we started out as an amateur band, so we learned and imitated them with the makeup and the music. Putting on makeup gets me into the zone before we go on stage and perform in front of everyone. That stretch of time gives me such a sense of fulfillment. Back then, we’d be told that men aren’t supposed to wear makeup, but now, we’re at a time when there’s no need to decide that “men have to be this way”, everyone is free [to be as they please]. I think this trend of enjoying your own life is something good.”

Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the band’s formation. Still rocking at 55 years of age, the one thing that keeps Sakurai-san’s unchanging style alive is music.

“I drink and there are times when I neglect my health, but music is what rejuvenates me. Music is the only secret behind my energy cycle (lol). Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve come to think of the day-to-day life that I’ve led up until now as a miracle, so all I hope is to perform as many concerts as I can, and to keep making music for as long as it is possible.”

 

Jacket ¥583,000 | Pullover  ¥117,700 | Pants ¥506,000 | Three-strand necklace (Top) ¥162,800 | Necklace (Middle) ¥138,600 | Necklace (Bottom) ¥113,300 | Belt ¥244,200 | Bracelet ¥73,700 | Ring (Right hand) ¥24,200 each (est. price) | Ring (Left hand) ¥40,700 〈All from DOLCE & GABBANA〉

“The glitter from the embellishments and accessories designed into the set-up brought about a positive feeling and made it an enjoyable look to shoot.”

 

Coat ¥512,600 | Shirt ¥57,200 | Pants ¥171,600 | Stole ¥36,300 〈All from YOHJI YAMAMOTO〉

“I actually became a fan of Yohji in my 30s and there was a period of time when I bought the pieces for my own collection. It’s been a while since I’ve worn [clothes from Yohji Yamamoto] but it’s impressive to see that there is this consistent attitude in the craftsmanship that hasn’t changed since that time. I occasionally visit the Aoyama store, so it’d be cool if I get to bump into Yohji-san one day.”

 

Jacket ¥517,000 | Shirt ¥330,000 〈Both from GIORGIO ARMANI〉
Necklace with brooch ¥4,730,000 〈MIKIMOTO〉

“Matching Armani’s signature velvet texture with pearls creates an air of nobility, doesn’t it? This is the first time I’ve worn pearls but it’s got an elegance and an aura of tranquility, I think they can be used on a variety of occasions.”

 

 

PROFILE
Sakurai Atsushi

Born 1966 in Fukuoka City, Gunma Prefecture. Made his major debut as a member of BUCK-TICK in 1987. The band has remained active ever since with no change in member line-up. Legends in Japan’s rock scene, they celebrated their 35th year together in 2020 and continue to be an influence of many artists’ to this day. Their latest single, Go-Go B-T TRAIN is set to be released on September 22 while their live Blu-ray & DVD, TOUR 2020 ABRACADABRA ON SCREEN/ABRACADABRA LIVE ON THE NET is now available. Their national tour, TOUR2021 Go-Go B-T TRAIN will kick off on October 3.

 

 

 

Notes:

* This was a challenge. The title was 装飾がバクチクする (soushoku ga bakuchiku suru). You’d probably recognise バクチクする as the phrase that was often used as a naming pun for BUCK-TICK. It was translated as “explosive”, “crackling”, “fire cracker” (this doesn’t work as a verb) but in this case I chose “incendiary” because the whole piece wasn’t exactly as… bombastic as the other words might imply. The clothing prices though…

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Source: GQ JAPAN