We are not alone
BUCK-TICK
text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
photographs by Goto Michito_UM
hair&make-up by Tanizaki Takayuki, Yamaji Chihiro_Fat’s Berry
styling by Shimizu Kenichi
Just imagine.
Here’s a band formed in 1985 by a group of friends who attended the same high school. Without ever changing their member line-up, the band was consistently active and were looking forward to celebrating their 40th anniversary next year. Then, the vocalist unexpectedly dies. The remaining members of the band are all in their late fifties to early sixties. Normally, this is where the story of the band ends. Not only is their frontman gone, they will have to start all over again from square one after losing a dear friend they have shared close to 40 years of experiences with. And to top it all off, they’ll have to do that while bearing the name which has been engraved with the memories they made as a band of five.
This is an impossible endeavour. And yet, despite it all, these four did it.
And it’s because they know that their almost 40 years of activities are not something that they could’ve done alone.
A year has passed since Sakurai Atsushi’s unexpected passing. With four members now, BUCK-TICK is releasing the single, Raijin Fuujin – Resonance on November 20th, and the album SUBROSA on December 4th. The album features Imai Hisashi and Hoshino Hidehiko on vocals and consists of 17 songs including instrumental tracks. Furthermore, the lyrics strongly convey their emotions regarding the absence of a cherished person, and to the fans left behind.
Life is all about love and death; it was an all too cruel reality that befell a band who had always faced this head on. Yet even as they wander and feel their way onward, this album tells us that moving forward is the only answer.
We dedicate this cover and lead feature to the future that the four of them will walk together.
Individual Interviews
_______________________
Imai Hisashi
It’ll be the four of us making music with myself and Hide as vocalists.
While experimenting, we were also looking for the best style we could work in
Having a guest vocalist on our albums is probably not going to happen in future, I think
――The album is complete.
Imai (I): I think we probably managed to do something interesting here. Since it’s the first time we’re making music with four people. It’s like, ah, I guess this is what it is now. Fresh, isn’t it?
――If Imai-san didn’t decide to continue BUCK-TICK on that day, this album wouldn’t have materialised, and even the band might’ve ceased to exist. When was it that you started to envision what you’ll do next?
I: It wasn’t really a decision. I guess it was more of a, “Uh, so…… We’re doing this, right?” When the four of us came together, that’s all I got across, but as you’d expect, there was no concrete vision. But if we’re going to do something, we can’t continue to do rhythm-heavy songs with something melodious as the focus. We wouldn’t go as far as to call it hip-hop or rap, but I figured it might be better if we made songs where the voice lines followed more of a rhythm (than a melody), or music that works in a different way than what we’ve been doing so far. We’ve also got songs like that last track (Tasogare no Howling) that’s kind of undefined, so I could sort of see (a way forward). After that, we were experimenting with all kinds of ideas while shaping the songs, so I guess you could say that’s what this album embodies.
――I see.
I: No matter what we do, it’ll definitely turn out unlike anything we’ve done before. That’s what I thought. I didn’t intend to force ourselves to stay along the lines of what we did, but neither did I think of doing something completely different. This way, we have the freedom of not being tied down to our past work while embracing our new limits. Song writing became interesting (in that sense). I had the thought that although we’re still named BUCK-TICK, this release could be regarded as a new band’s first album.
――The first thing that came to my mind was what was going to happen to the role of the vocalist.
I: Ah, that, from the start I figured it’d be me. No trouble there. I think Hide thought the same too. Thus far, we’ve had a powerful frontman. When I wrote music, lyrics, and did the guitar arrangements, I decided on the parts I’d play. Essentially I did whatever I wanted, but since I’ll be singing things won’t be like they were before. But therein also lies the opportunity to turn that into an advantage where I can come up with new arrangements.
――And for this album, I think you had no choice but to be specific with the theme.
I: Well, I suppose.
――If you asked me, I’d say it was Sakurai Atsushi’s absence. And your thoughts to the fans. I noticed that these [themes] were reflected in the lyrics.
I: It’s certainly there, and I think it comes through. But I didn’t have in mind that specific intention to compose lyrics and music with such a theme. It just naturally turned out like that.
――Unconsciously.
I: Yeah. But there are 17 tracks this time, right? With three instrumental tracks. This was a conscious decision. Besides, I’ve always said I wanted to have a 2-disc release.
――Ah, I see.
I: From the very beginning, I composed a whole bunch of songs and said I wanted to make a 2-disc album. I kept making noise about it to the very end (lol), but it just wasn’t going to happen no matter what. In the end, I could only say, “Fine. We’ll make it one disc only but we aren’t changing the number of tracks!” (Lol)
――Hahahahahaha. Why were you so insistent on the number of tracks?
I: I wanted to increase it; the number of BUCK-TICK songs done by the four of us. That’s all.
――Ahh…… I see.
I: This is for the future. There are surely songs that we won’t ever be able to perform again, so I wanted to increase our options. How our concerts will look like, that’s yet to be decided though.
――Speaking of which, there were songs from the year before that you prepared for a 2-disc 異空 -IZORA- album but ultimately didn’t release, weren’t there?
I: Those aren’t in here this time. Although, there was a song entitled スブロサ SUBROSA at the time when we were working on the 異空 -IZORA- album.
――Eh!
I: I think about half of the lyrics are the same as what it is now? But the music is completely different. It used to feature more of the typical band sound. Since 異空 -IZORA- was to be a 1-disc album, that song was removed from the demo. Sakurai-san did say, “I wanted スブロサ SUBROSA in too, though.” But I think it sounds cooler the way it is now.
――SUBROSA, the album name means “in secret” or “ in private” in English. In Latin, it means “in secret, under (a) rose” (薔薇の下で内密に / bara no shita de naimitsu ni) which is also tied to the name of this year end’s Budokan show, Naisho no Bara no Shita (ナイショの薔薇の下)
I: But I’ve had this idea even before now. I wanted to incorporate this word [into our work] somehow and I’ve been waiting [for a chance]. This was then brought out during 異空 -IZORA-’s time, although this word was only used as a lyric.
――Imai-san and Hoshino-san have always had the intention of recording your vocals, but did you consider the possibility of having guest vocalists or using past voice tracks?
I: We did last year’s Budokan show with Sakurai-san’s voice tracks, didn’t we? I think that was something we absolutely had to do. But only on that occasion, and that’s it. After that, it’ll be the four of us making music with myself and Hide as vocalists. While experimenting, we were also looking for the best style we could work in. At the very least, having a guest vocalist on our albums is probably not going to happen in future, I think.
――How’s Hoshino-san’s voice?
I: It’s that Hide melody (lol).
――Well, of course (lol). But I never expected him to have such potential as a vocalist.
I: ……Ah, really? You’ve never heard Hide sing?
――Nope.
I: I knew what he sounded like to begin with, though. Because Hide always sings the scratch vocal tracks on his demos. I see, so everyone had never heard him sing until now (lol).
――(Lol) So I assume that he’s fine if he uses the same voice as he does for singing on the demo tapes.
I: Or rather, it’s less about whether he’s fine or not, and more that, since he said himself that he wanted to sing then that’s enough, isn’t it?
――So it’s the intent that counts?
I: Mm. I believe (Hide) said that he wanted to do it.
――Also, you mentioned that lyrics naturally came to you, so I can’t help but feel like the emotions towards the person who is gone and the feelings towards those who are trying to accept that absence are motifs [in the lyrics]. For example, like Muyuubyou SLEEP WALK……
I: This one’s [about] a world of quantum mechanics.
――Qu-quantum mechanics?
I: Mm. Stuff like Schrödinger’s cat (Note: A thought experiment by a physicist which states that if a cat is put in a closed box with a fixed probability of poisonous gas emitted, it may be considered to be simultaneously both alive and dead for a period of time until the box is opened. In other words, this cat can physically be in two states at the same time: alive and dead, showing the difference between the microscopic and macroscopic perspectives). And how you can go to all sorts of places if you went to the quantum sea (量子の海)¹. Even into dreams. I imagine that’s a thing.
――But…… even if you didn’t write the lyrics with that intention, a lot of people are led to that assumption, aren’t they?
I: Well, I suppose. Then, it’s fine, isn’t it?
――But you’re saying that you weren’t set on a theme.
I: Mm. It appeared on its own. So I wrote it. There’s probably a lot which are like that in this album. But I’ll say it over and over again, there was no conscious effort to write with this theme.
――On the contrary, you could say that it still comes out [despite the fact].
I: I think so, yes.
――This is only an example, but when you work on your next album, you’ll probably come up with something that doesn’t give off that sense of an undercurrent of “Sakurai Atsushi’s absence” unlike in this album, right?
I: That’s for sure. Personally, I’m looking forward to it. Even this time around, there are no more restrictions on not only the lyrics but also the music, so it got really interesting. But, still…… I think there’s more we can do.
――Do you get the feeling that there are certain songs you’ll never be able to play again?
I: Hmm…… This time, not particularly, I think. Instead, it’s more fun thinking about what we can do with this current BUCK-TICK and making it happen.
――Since you made Raijin Fuujin – Resonance the single, did you make a conscious decision to sing in unison?
I: In the beginning, not really. Muyuubyou~ carries some impact too so we were saying that it could be a single too. But [we agreed that] the twin vocals where I come in first and Hide comes in next probably makes it easy for everyone to grasp that this is a new start.
――Zetsubou to Iu Na no Kimi e and Pushukee -PSYCHE- had lyrics written by Imai-san while the music was composed by Hoshino-san. Why is that?
I: Because Hide asked (lol). But for these, the intention was to write about humanity in a vague and general way. They’re not about Sakurai-san, neither are they about any particular person. He just wanted strong lyrics. Hide said, “Make it tug at the heartstrings.” But for me, I think focusing on strong feelings works better than reminiscing.
――In Zetsubou to Iu Na no Kimi e, there’s a line that goes “that’s what we call hope” (それを希望と呼ぶ) where one could say that “hope” (希望) is interchangeable with “light” (光), and this gives me the impression that this is what Imai-san always looks towards.
I: At first, “future” (未来) was written instead. Because I didn’t quite like using the typical “hope” versus “despair” pairing. But at the very end, I decided it’d be better making things easy to understand. Also, the feeling of the words coming together. That’s the only part I couldn’t decide on until the end.
I wanted to try and see what would happen if we did something different
Bearing everyone’s feelings, not wanting the band to disappear
It’s less of that and more of experimentation. I wanted to try
――I believe a big reason why there are so many songs is certainly for the sake of increasing the number of BUCK-TICK songs by the four of you but I wonder if it’s also a result of Imai-san’s trial and error.
I: Trial and error, huh…… Can’t say there’s none of that, but it’s more of a “well, something like this could work too?” vibe. And making things work while getting lost.
――Were you lost?
I: Of course. Limitations were lost and while it feels like we could do this, we could do that, things are unlike they ever were before, aren’t they? There’s no “correct answer” or anything like that either.
――Were the other members in the same spot?
I: I think everyone was figuring it out. But when it was time to record, we could rely on Anii and Yuta.
――It’s good that progress could be made even with the uncertainty.
I: Such an experience……isn’t one I wanted but it’d be good to think of it as something that would lead us to good things down the road, right?
――But I think Imai-san is a person who depicts light because you’re more afraid than anyone when faced with death.
I: Fear is definitely there, an immense lot. Because [death] means that we won’t ever be able to do what we wanted to, and losing someone who had always been close by is…… painful. But it’s a fact of life, isn’t it? It’s the one thing that happens to everyone without bias. Out of nowhere.
――So, because it’s a fact of life, we should try not to be too sad or lost.
I: There are times when I would subconsciously stop it when I get that way. That said, this time, it really was way too sudden though. So much so that it’s difficult to anticipate or prepare (lol).
――Which is why I kept wondering how Imai-san feels when you consider this to be a fact of life.
I: From that moment, I forcefully pulled down (the shutters).
――Not that you’re treating it as if you didn’t see anything, right?
I: Of course. Because I first had to think about the band, the company, the fans and all. But for myself, I forced things shut. This probably isn’t the best way to say it but I stopped myself from thinking about [death]. Not exactly in the sense of Schrodinger’s cat, but simply as if [he’s] in a different form somewhere else.
――What do you think would’ve happened if, say, anyone in the band doesn’t want to do it, can’t do it, says it’s impossible?
I: It depends on how strongly they believe that, but there’s no point in chasing after someone who wants to leave, you know? But Anii and Yuta and Hide, neither of them were like that and I didn’t even consider that they would become like that. But if it were to happen that way, then I think I’ll keep at it even with three people.
――This definitely goes to show that continuing the work of this band is the rightful cause in Imai-san’s heart, the one thing that you must do, and I feel that this drives you.
I: Perhaps. I just hated the idea that we can’t do anything anymore just because Sakurai Atsushi is gone.
――You didn’t believe that was all BUCK-TICK was.
I: That’s the only kind of BUCK-TICK we ever had so I don’t know, but…… personally, I wanted to try and see what would happen if we did something different. It’s not so much to do with bearing everyone’s thoughts and feelings, or not wanting the band to disappear. I just wanted to give things a try, experiment a bit.
――That’s so Imai.
I: That’s this album was a really fun experiment. Next, it’s a question of how we’ll bring this to life in a concert. If it’s not possible, then we’ll consider changing. And that’s another part of the fun, isn’t it?
――You’re very conscious of the fact that there are restrictions on Hoshino-san because he has to sing while playing the guitar, right?
I: If Hide’s doing it, he’s probably thought about the details already. Isn’t that the way it’s been since forever? (Lol)
――Hahahahaha.
I: He kept telling me, “It’s better to think about this properly.” (Lol) To me, I think it’s good if the live performance is different [from the studio recording] but…… There’s a good saying for this.
――What is it?
I: Uh…… Playing it by ear (lol).
――Hahahahahaha.
I: If you think something’s difficult to pull off, why not just change it? While it’s true that we have to think about it properly, there’s also playing it by ear.
――But isn’t it also the first time that Imai-san has such a prominent vocalist role?
I: Mm. Recording was tough due to other things, but I’ve never sung this much live. Lucy was approximately half.
――Aren’t you worried about that?
I: I’ll be careful not to get carried away (lol). But that’s another thing I won’t know until I try.
――Say, if you find that it’s too tough without a break, then you’d put together a setlist that allows you to take breaks in between, or something.
I: Exactly. And anyway, we’ve got instrumental tracks now so I’m thinking about how we can make good use of that time.
――Talking about this, it’s unavoidable for us to arrive at the topic of “continuation”. So, did you feel strongly about starting over again with a band of four?
I: I did, and I also thought, maybe it’d be easier for us if we changed the band name (lol). I still think about it sometimes.
――You do?
I: Because as long as we use the name BUCK-TICK, we’re a band of five, right? There’s good and bad for this. I assume the easiest thing for us to do is to declare that we’re a different band now. There are a number of reasons why that might be the better option. But, it’s…… It makes my chest hurt.
――So, that much you’ll undertake.
I: Yes, and my defiance against the idea that we can’t do anything if it’s the four of us (lol). I want to show that this is what we are capable of doing.
――Ah, I see.
I: There’s no theme or concept at all this time, and I didn’t have any such discussion with the other members of the band either. So whatever we’ve got here is what we were genuinely able to do without any embellishment.
――Hide-san’s paradenomori makes me starkly aware of that.
I: That’s a Hide song so it’s a common occurrence (lol).
――I wouldn’t put it like that (lol).
I:But I think I’ll feel uneasy unless I leave it like this. Because even if we release the next album or more albums in future, it would feel like it’s too late [for us to do what we did this time]. That’s why I think this is how it turned out on its own.
Notes:
¹ This one’s a little bit odd because I didn’t find any definitive answers to what Imai is possibly talking about here. It could possibly be the quantum field theory (QFT) but this isn’t written as 量子の海 in Japanese. Googling “量子の海” gives me a result from the Digimon universe and a result from the Honkai Impact universe. To add, based on what Imai said about going to all sorts of place via the “量子の海”, this definition fits the Honkai Impact definition so… make of it what you will.
_______________________
Hoshino Hidehiko
After Imai-san composed a few songs and they started to take shape, I could finally see the light
Maybe my resolve was strengthened, or rather, the urge to just do it came to me
――I was thinking of going through the events leading up to the completion of the album.
H: Sure.
――Let’s start with the four of you gathering to talk after Sakurai-san’s funeral. That was when everyone confirmed their intention to continue BUCK-TICK.
H: That’s right. We decided to continue the band with four members. And right there we talked about a bunch of things. There wasn’t anything specific but, maybe we could have instrumental tracks? Things like that. It feels like we were just discussing whatever.
――Coming from Imai-san, right?
H: Mm. The biggest takeaways that came out of our discussion from that time was firstly, the consensus that whatever we make going forward will be completed among us as a team of four. That we won’t bring in anyone as a guest artist. That we’ll continue BUCK-TICK with we four remaining members. So we talked about how we’ll do what we can in this form.
――What are Hoshino-san’s thoughts on this?
H: If we were to do this, then there’s no other way. But honestly, although that was how the conversation went, I’m like “Hmmm～”, there are other factors.
――Like?
H: For music, both Imai-san and I compose it so that’s not much of a problem. But when it comes to lyrics and singing and the worldview which comes with them, the first thought that came to mind was how are we going to pull those off? At the time, I honestly couldn’t think of how we could go about it at all. Most of all, the worldview is going to change drastically. There’s no way the four of us could succeed [what Sakurai built].
――In other words, you had your worries.
H: But we had also just affirmed our intentions to do what we could as a band of four. That’s how I felt. And at the time, the reality that (Sakurai-san) isn’t here anymore hasn’t sunk in. Sure, we’ve decided that we’ll do it but we don’t know anything. We couldn’t imagine even a probable idea of what it would become. Because rather than basing our decision on music, we’re moving first with our feelings.
――So when was Hoshino-san first able to visualise?
H: A while after that conversation, after Imai-san composed a few songs. Listening to them, I could finally see the light as they started to take shape and I felt like I could start composing again bit by bit. You could say that was when my resolve was strengthened, or rather, the urge to just do it came to me.
――What kind of urge?
H: The person with the powerful worldview and impressive presence who has always been in charge of singing has suddenly left us, hasn’t he? To take up his role as a replacement is nothing short of impossible . But if we were to do this with the four of us, we don’t have a singer so someone has to do it. So, I figured, that’s probably gotta be me and Imai-san. Since we’re writing the music too.
――Right.
H: I can’t replace him but I can only find out what I can do in my own way. Going along with it, this time, we sang the songs we wrote. It wasn’t a conscious decision but that’s just how it turned out.
――Till now, if an album has 12 recorded tracks, Hoshino-san will be in charge of two songs and the rest will be left to the other two. I believe that was more or less the division of responsibilities within the band.
H: That’s right.
――How did it feel approaching music in a different way from that?
H: There were definitely differences compared to how we’ve done it all this while. And usually, we’d know the general feel of the album by the time a few song demos are done, right? There was nothing like that this time. We were really starting from zero.
――I see.
H: Which is why we didn’t even think about the division of work. We were all focused on what we could do with the current BUCK-TICK, what we wanted to do, and try making what we wanted to create.
――Till now, your stance was to make music your way in parallel to the album worldview that has usually been established by Sakurai-san and Imai-san.
H: That has now turned into believing that all I can do is try and produce what I think is good. No one knows how things will go so, in any case, I would try and produce something without thinking too hard about it.
――How does it feel doing that?
H: I was uncertain. If I’m the one singing, there’ll definitely be limitations in place. Thus far, I just needed to write a good song and everything will be OK but now, I have to think about the balance between singing and playing guitar while composing otherwise I would find that I can’t sing or play something.
――Has it got to do with vocal keys or something like that?
H: Partly, but also, I’ll have to play the guitar and sing live. Since that’s the case, I’ll have to use a relatively simple melody. Otherwise I’ll regret it later (lol). Because it’ll be tough. And because I’m already aware of that.
――Of your limitations as a guitarist.
H: That’s right. If we had a vocalist, I’d have no problem playing an arpeggio that’s completely different from the singing. But it’s definitely impossible for me to sing and play that arpeggio at the same time (lol). So now that I have to choose, I’ll keep the guitar playing simple and more often move the technical parts to synth.
――How was Hoshino-san’s experience with recording vocals yourself?
H: It went along surprisingly smoothly. The work itself wasn’t all that difficult either. But then again, well, it’s a recording, right (lol).
――I see.
H: I’d expect things to be different when it’s live (lol). That will have to depend on future experience.
――Did you feel like you were lacking anything while recording?
H: Nope. Before I knew it, I was focused and immersed in the work. I didn’t think of anything else. But occasionally, there were moments when I’d wonder, “Why am I singing”.
――Imai-san used a lot of metaphors in his lyrics but it feels like Hoshino-san’s lyrics are quite straightforward in expressing your feelings towards the fans and your message for those who have left us.
H: Well, I suppose that’s how it is. It’s our first album since becoming a band of four after all. And I think there are going to be lyrics that I can only write about at this point. That naturally came out on its own, didn’t it?
――So rather than deciding on a theme and working with it, you tried letting this work naturally without too much of a conscious effort.
H: Yes, exactly. Without rejecting anything that comes out (lol). I did want to go about this without being too self-conscious about it. Because I had a feeling that this is how the lyrics would turn out one way or another.
In these few years, there’s a drop in how much we get to talk about our own lives
But completing this one album,
I get the feeling that our thoughts and feelings have changed again
――Hoshino-san’s lyrics to paradenomori pretty much made it a response song with the way the lines clearly pay homage to a number of songs.
H: I had no intention of writing lyrics for this song either. But when the music was done and I was going to add in the demo vocals, the first line of the song suddenly came out. Whenever I made a demo tape, I more often would use sounds that sounded japanese rather than nonsense English but after that happened, the second line of the song became a callback to Dokudanjou Beauty (lol).
――And so you built it up from there.
H: I wrote in a bunch of fun lines while looking at old lyrics. Similarly, Ningyo -mermaid- would liven up the audience so assuming we played this live…… That was the train of thought I went along with (lol).
――The lyrics were linked.
H: When I imagined that he was probably going to the sun, the moon and visiting all sorts of places, that’s the exact lyrics I ended up with (lol).
――Even the song name is a homage to memento mori.
H: That’s right. Actually, From Now On was similar where I included the lyrics and wrote the song while thinking about performing it live.
――While the lyrics and music for those two songs come from Hoshino-san, both of them were composed with Sakurai-san and the fans who love him in mind. Clearly.
H: Mm. Certainly when it comes to those two songs. But you can also sense that vibe from the album on the whole, right?
――Right. I thought you’d tone that down with metaphors while bringing out the worldview of the album more, so this is a surprise.
H: It’s not something I expected either (lol). That this is the extent of it. All of this probably came out of Imai-san naturally too, I assume.
――Right.
H: Furthermore, we’re all figuring things out. We did decide to do this as a band of four, but we have no way to know whether this is really the right choice. I guess this album is the conclusion we arrived at. That’s why, although there was no theme in place, it naturally just turned out like this.
――Do you think about what kind of music BUCK-TICK will make after releasing this album and going on tour?
H: What do you mean?
――I think this time’s album is ultimately centered around Sakurai Atsushi’s absence and your thoughts to the fans left behind. But you can’t sing about this forever.
H: Not yet, then. I don’t know. But after having made this album, I think the four of us sense a different kind of potential than what we’ve known so far. It’s like, even though we’re a band who’s been together for close to 40 years, we find ourselves standing at the starting line all over again with this album.
――That’s true.
H: But I think that’s a good thing. At least for me, after making this album, I feel that there’s still a lot of potential for this band, and I’ve even come to find that there’s still stuff I want to do. It feels like I’ve become a little more proactive.
――And you can’t really deny that you were content playing the role of Sakurai-san and Imai-san’s junior in the BUCK-TICK thus far.
H: In a way…… That role is something I’m comfortable in though. But things took a sudden turn and everything changed so I had to be more involved in the band…… Although this isn’t the kind of thing anyone should only realise at 58 years of age (lol).
――About a year has passed since the band became four members. Have you sensed any sort of change in your relationship, or anything like that?
H: We dropped from five members to four so there’s a slight increase in workload (lol). But that’s about it. Other aspects didn’t really change. But…… Recently, growing older, we do talk about work and recordings but there’s quite a drop in how often we get to talk about our own lives. But completing this one album, I get the feeling that our thoughts and feelings towards each other have changed again.
――Because Hoshino HIdehiko who has always stepped back has now become the frontman, right?
H: Frontman…… I don’t know if that’s what I’ve become. But I guess, in a way.
――Did it cross your mind that the frontman’s had it tough all this while?
H: Ahh, definitely. Besides, I think singing 20 plus songs in one concert is really difficult. I also understand why he doesn’t really want to talk after a concert. We all know how much he’s been using his voice and I’ve always thought it was tough on him. I’ll probably get to understand even better after I’ve tried it myself and performed live.
――Because at the same time, he wrote almost all the lyrics and created worldviews.
H: You’re right. And his performances naturally come to life because he’s the one who wrote the lyrics. Because he’s definitely the one who saw it through properly. It’s not possible for me to stand in the exact same perspective as such a person and although he’s a vocalist who could bring the world he created to life in a performance, it’s simply impossible for me to do that as someone who’s just starting out. We can only do what we’re capable of pulling off.
――Just starting out a little before your 40th career anniversary (lol).
H: Correct, just starting out. But since I’m just starting out again, it means that I’ll be able to start over so I think that’s also a good thing…… Yeah. Sakurai-san has Sakurai-san’s own world. Different than Imai and Hoshino’s world. But I think elements similar to Sakurai-san’s thoughts will appear.
――Because this time, the crux of the album has to do with his absence, the fans’ feelings, and your own feelings.
H: It just so happens that this is the way it turned out this time.
――Since we’re on this topic, what will become of the next one? This is also a significant theme. And there’s no way you can keep reusing this forever.
H: That’s true and I’m sure that our fans also aren’t eagerly anticipating such a vocalist (lol). But, well, I think you’ll get it once you see it.
――Has it ever crossed your mind to use Sakurao-san’s voice?
H: Well, more on that later.
――Sounds deep (lol). But I assume that the most important thing about this album is to show how things will be done from now on with BUCK-TICK as a four-man band.
H: This time, yes. Especially so.
――Among everything, I’m quite sure that Hoshino-san’s awakening was also a crucial point for this new beginning.
H: Hahahaha, really?
――I sense that the way you look at the band has changed. When I went drinking with Anii and Yuuta-san just a little while ago, Anii was all drunk saying, “Hide’s really giving it his all. Out of all of us, he’s changed the moooooost!” about fifteen times or so.
H: Hahahahaha. I see (lol).
――And I think so too.
H: I appreciate it.
――But have you thought about taking on the vocal work seriously? This time around, I’m really rooting for vocalist Hoshino Hidehiko too.
H: I’m grateful, but I don’t feel up for it, you know? I went with the flow and this is the result, that’s all. And rather than polishing up [my skills], there’s still a mountain load of work that the four of us has to do. We’re as good as in our first debut year as rookies (lol).
――Hahahaha. But you’re right, there’s never been a band who’s 40 years into their career when they start over as a new band with a new style, is there?
H: We’re newbies, so please go easy on us (lol).
_______________________
Higuchi Yutaka
Personally, it doesn’t feel like anything has started yet. After the album reaches everyone’s hands, after we’ve performed live
after we’ve all shared the experience of being in this state together, then maybe I’ll finally feel like I’ve taken that first step forward
――The band’s present emotional state has materialised as the lyrics and sound in this album.
Y: Yeah. I’m just glad it’s complete. But personally, I’m still figuring things out even now. I can’t bring myself to feel that sense of accomplishment from finishing the album, and at the same time, I don’t know whether or not this was the right choice.
――I see……
Y: But, one thing. It’s a good thing that we didn’t call it quits at the time. That’s what I think.
――You’re talking about the decision the four of you made one year ago when you came together after Sakurai-san’s funeral.
Y: That’s right. Honestly…… Thinking back now, I couldn’t even think about the band. I couldn’t think at all. But Imai-san said to keep the band going, and everyone decided to go ahead with it after talking. For me, it’s easy to give up, but we’ve got all these people who have supported us for over 35 years. It’s a lot of people. I suppose the strongest thing I felt was that it would be weird to just give up so quickly without giving back to these people.
――I see.
Y: It’s that feeling of knowing nothing. Really. All I had was the belief that this was the one thing I absolutely had to fulfil.
――Following that, there was the Nippon Budokan concert, the New Year, and then recording work started in April.
Y: Yeah. At the time, I selfishly said that I wanted [us] to finish one song properly first. BUCK-TICK’s recording work is normally divided into parts to record, so I’d play the bass for a few songs in one day and after that, guitar and drums, synth and vocals would be recorded. Then the sound engineer puts it all together and shapes the song. So instead of making progress on a few songs simultaneously, I just wanted us to finish one song first. Because then I wanted to be able to sort out my feelings with that.
――Yes, I recall that.
Y: Then Imai-san brought his song. That song…… it’s not on this album but it’s a really good song. It almost made me cry…… Or maybe I did cry (lol).
――In other words, it’s an emotional song.
Y: Yes. Then, we tried recording. We always start with bass, so I was the very first one. But…… the things we actually do haven’t changed at all. We’re in the same studio seeing the familiar faces of our staff. Then I played my bass. I heard Imai’s demo vocals through my headphones. It’s the same as usual. The only thing is that Acchan isn’t around. That was painful.
――I’m sure.
Y: But meeting the members made me feel a little bit better. Because up until that point, apart from the Budokan concert and rehearsals and column interviews, I was stuck at home for close to half a year, barely stepping out. Everyone contacted me out of concern but I couldn’t quite muster up the motivation to go out. That’s why this gave me a bit of a breather.
――So you completed the first song.
Y: My feelings didn’t get reset but I suppose I grew to believe that we should try moving forward even if it’s by trial and error. Even now, I still feel that way though.
――That you’re still feeling your way through.
Y: Yeah. I mean, what has always been in great shape was suddenly turned into a crumbled mess and we have to start all over again…… It’s just like how it was when we came to Tokyo and started the band…… No, actually, since it’s a structure that has been around for almost 40 years, I guess this is even more of a trial and error process.
――So, the album is now complete but how does it feel starting the four-man BUCK-TICK with this?
Y: Hm…… Personally, it doesn’t feel like anything has started yet. Maybe I’ll finally get the sense of taking that first step forward after the album reaches everyone’s hands, after we’ve performed live. Essentially, after we’ve all shared the experience of being in this state together. Everyone hasn’t seen our four-man band photo yet, right? That’s why nothing has started yet.
――I see.
Y: I think that’s the way it’ll be from now on. Up until now, we’ve been creating as a five-man band with all of our fans. When we move forward, this is the asset that we have. It is what helps us and leads us. But now we’ve lost that, you see.
――It’s like everything’s turned back into vacant land.
Y: That’s what’s happened. Please continue to support us the same way you have with BUCK-TICK thus far…… I can’t say that. From now on, we’ll do our best to build up memories and trust bit by bit, but it’s hard work doing that from nothing. Because it takes time, and it’s difficult for us to tell what’s the right way. We know nothing as of now. Cover pages that we’ve always done now feature four people…… That’s a first, isn’t it? From here on out, it’s just trial and error. Besides, it still feels weird that we’re a four-man band to begin with.
――Even for me, when we were preparing design drafts and preparing catering for the shoot, there were times when I’d suddenly realise, “ Ah, right, it’s for four people.”
Y: Because BUCK-TICK’s media team, designers, stylists, and even make-up artists are all people who have worked with us for ten, twenty years so everyone’s a bit lost. We’re all figuring things out. That’s why I think we’ll find out whether our decisions were correct or not based on what we’ll do going forward.
――I would think there’s definitely a sense of insecurity.
Y: But there’s also the advantage of being able to do whatever we want because there are no restrictions. Imai-kun said that too.
――Even though you’re still figuring it out. Now that the album is complete, how does it feel having the new BUCK-TICK set sail?
Y: LIke this (lol).
――That things haven’t really been sorted out? Or that it’s nothing but anxiety?
Y: As I said earlier, there’s definitely pride in that we made all of this with our fans. That’s why I want to hurry up and start performing live…… Even though it’s scary. But it’s because I think that [only after that] can I build it all up and start something.
――Was it a natural outcome for Imai-san and Hoshino-san to do vocal recording?
Y: Naturally, or rather…… We first thought about how we were going to do this among the four of us. There’s no way for us to bring someone in as a vocalist. And it wouldn’t be right for us to play along to Acchan’s vocal recordings at this point in time. In other words, we had to think about what could be done by the four of us. And when we got to the question of what we’re going to do about vocals…… it was decided that Imai-kun and Hide would do it.
――Moving on, how did Yuta-san feel as the songs gradually took shape?
Y: The things we do did not change. I simply receive the demo tapes and think about what kind of bass lines I should play. But as the number of songs grew, the amount of things to do would also grow, right? So it felt like things gradually went back to normal.
The pride we feel about Acchan and the things we’ve accomplished
I think the whole band feels that way
I want us to play together as a band until the end of my life
――What about the lyrics?
Y: Ah, nothing there. Just like the way it was when Acchan was around, lyrics are a territory that belongs to those writing them so I won’t say anything.
――But don’t you feel anything after hearing the completed songs?
Y: Right, there’s that. In terms of sound, it didn’t turn out as digital as I expected it to be .In the beginning, I had the feeling that it’ll all revolve around Imai-kun now so I thought we might lean more towards techno and electronica but that didnt happen at all. The vocal work being more rhythmic and hip-hop style stands out but on the other hand, there’s a part of it that has a strong rock flavour to it too.
――What about the large number of tracks?
Y: Well, Imai-kun said from the very beginning that he wants to greatly increase the number of songs, so (lol). 17 tracks. But even this number was what we settled on after stopping him. He said, “I kinda wanna add more songs in,” but, you know, time (lol).
――He did say there was the intention to make it a two-disc album.
Y: Yeah. I felt that this was enough though. There’s a variety of songs and I think it’s an album that easily conveys that this is what this four-man BUCK-TICK is starting with.
――It’s easily understood, and because there’s a variety of songs, it also doesn’t determine the direction you’ll be taking from now, right?
Y: We’ve said we’re figuring things out but even though this is to be expected, [the album] also shows that we still have the potential to grow.
――These 17 tracks, I believe, represent Imai-san’s desire to move forward.
Y: But, you see, even Imai-kun is still figuring things out. Since he’s the main composer, he more or less bears the burden of having to write his own songs, but at the same time, I think you sometimes forget in the process of songwriting.
――In the sense of turning a blind eye to reality?
Y: Yeah. Not everyone is that strong. Whether it’s moving forward or looking back, it’s a different experience for each person but you’ll be sad, you’ll be hurt. It’s just the presentation that’s different.
――So Imai-san is pushing ahead in an attempt to cover it up. He also said that you put together 17 tracks because you wanted to increase the number of songs that you could perform as a four-man BUCK-TICK.
Y: I suppose so. I would think that there are old songs that we can’t play anymore from now on.
――How do you feel about this being rewritten as the new normal?
Y: We’re not rewriting anything. We’ll properly preserve the past. So that we can bring it out and revisit it anytime. But now, I guess we first have to move forward. I think we can reminisce whenever we want, so we should keep moving forward and once we managed to build a new BUCK-TICK together, we can look back at the past and maybe then we’ll be able to create something even better.
――But you’re starting from zero again with a focus on new songs with band members with an average age of 60 despite losing your vocalist after more than 35 years of being in the same band with no change in line-up. And to add on, you’re carrying the weight of the BUCK-TICK band name. You could say it’s quite the surprise, or even unthinkable.
Y: There’s no doubt that this is [possible] because we have people who support us. And I believe it’s because that’s the one thing we’ve always treasured. Also, BUCK-TICK has always gotten all sorts of reactions from everyone whenever we release a new album like excitement, surprise. I also have the desire to bring these types of surprises to everyone…… I might’ve ended up saying this in a rather presumptuous way, though.
――No, no.
Y: And also because having people think, “So this is the way it goes?”, “I’m looking forward to the concert!”, things like that, it’s also another form of happiness for us.
――But I really didn’t expect the lyrics to be filled with such real emotions to this extent.
Y: Ahh, really? Kanemitsu-san, you’ve heard the music quite some time ago, but you didn’t get to really look at the lyrics, right?
――That’s right. Because rather than the sound or lyrics, I was more taken aback by Hoshino-san’s potential as a vocalist when I got to listen to it after our column interview.
Y: Hide also gave his all. He’s amazing. When I heard the track down, I was a little emotional.
――I received the lyrics after the album’s completion. Of course, there are parts that I can see are reflections of what happened in the band, but the emotions, like the feelings towards the people who are no longer here, your feelings towards the fans left behind, it all really hit home.
Y: It felt real?
――It did.
Y: Then that’s good. But I think it’s okay for everyone to see it in their own perspectives. When it comes to interpreting the lyrics and all that.
――Because it’s got a myriad of thoughts and feelings in there, right? Even if there wasn’t a particular way you wanted to do things, how did Yuta-san feel when you played bass [for these songs]?
Y: I suppose this is good enough…… That’s all (lol). Whatever it is, it was all trial and error. And this time, I feel the weight [of decision making]. Because there’s no one right answer. That’s why I see it as trial and error. It’s the first time that we’re shaping a song while feeling so lost. But…… There’s probably no other way except to move forward.
――I suppose so. And also because you’ll only find out the answer after you’ve done it all, right?
Y: Yeah. There’s no right or wrong.
――I assume it’s still in the visualisation stage, but what do you think performing live will be like?
Y: You know…… It’s the same thing again. Trial and error. Whatever we do, everything. Although, the one thing I’m most concerned about is the fact that Imai-kun and Hide will be singing, so I guess I’m wondering what’s going to happen with the guitars. There might be a need to change the arpeggios for songs that are difficult sing while playing guitar. And it’ll also be their first time singing on stage for close to two hours, so there’s the question of the physical toll of that. We won’t know unless we try anyway.
――Do you, for example, think about retaining the old atmosphere in part of your shows?
Y: Probably not. Last year, we performed to footage of Acchan and his singing at Budokan, right? I think it’d be weird to do that forever.
――I see.
Y: Personally, for me, I feel that we’ve done whatever we should’ve done with that so I think we don’t have to do something like that for a good while. And if that’s the better way to do things, or if everyone asks us of it, then we could put an end to BUCK-TICK for the time being and after a few years, do another BUCK-TICK Genshou (バクチク現象). It might work in that form…… But I don’t know.
――Hmm……
Y: If that’s the route we’re taking, then there’s no more BUCK-TICK. Because I think that such a thing is only done by those who have disbanded. But, you know, I think we can always reminisce. It might not sound very convincing coming from me, who’s still figuring things out, but we have to think about moving forward now. Because if we don’t, we won’t be able to look back.
――Frankly speaking, I think it’s a very heavy burden for the four of you to shoulder the band name BUCK-TICK.
Y: It sure is heavy. I think we’re applying a lot of effort.
――I suppose the reason why you still do it anyway has to do with the sense of responsibility towards your over 35 years of activities as well as the feelings of your fans, as you mentioned earlier.
Y: You’re right. And I guess, how proud we feel about Acchan and the things we’ve accomplished so far. At the very least, this is what I believe…… No, I think the whole band feels that way too. Everyone’s amazing. I respect them. I’m glad that I’m in a band with these members.
――I’m glad that Yuta-san says that.
Y: I want us to play together as a band until the end of my life.
――I felt that conviction in the album. That even with four members, you’re still BUCK-TICK and at the same time, you’ll always be a band of five. It’s a work filled with resolve and hope.
Y: I’m glad to hear that, truly.
――But, although his absence and your feelings towards the fans have naturally become the theme in this album, you won’t be able to do something like this for the next work.
Y: We know that. But since we were able to come up with this album, I think we’ll probably be okay. And as we keep going on, we’ll be able to look back again. As long as we can do that, I think we’ll definitely be fine. That’s why the four of us absolutely has to move forward, just so that we can properly reminisce [in future].
_______________________
Yagami Toll
I only play drums during recording so it’s the same as usual
But on and off I’ll still get the feeling, “Ah, right, he ain’t around…….”
――It’s already been a year.
T: Time flies, doesn’t it? And the band goes on, with a new album out. It’s a curious thing. It never even crossed my mind that such a future would come to be. I mean, a year ago I thought it was already The End, you know?
――On that day, when you heard the news and got the call from your staff.
T: Yes. I thought, “This will mean that it’s over.” Because I believed that it wasn’t possible to even think about BUCK-TICK without Sakurai Atsushi, and we’ve always said that if we’re missing even just one person out of us five, this band will break up. But when I met the other band members after that to talk, the look on Imai’s face said that he had no intention of quitting at all. And when he asked, “Ya’ll don’t wanna quit, right?”, I nodded. If Imai the ringleader says we’re doing this, then the only option is to agree.
――Did you believe that you could keep going even without Sakurai-san?
T: I had no idea how we were going to do this. But the man who created the band, Imai said we’ll keep going. So the only thing we coud do is make it happen. As a drummer, I just have to play my part and properly execute what I’m asked of.
――I’ll just ask again, but why do you think Imai-san suggested continuing the band there and then?
T: It’s just my speculation but I think it’s got to do with his sense of responsibility. We can’t just forget about our fans and leave it all behind. Because they’re the seeds that we’ve sown. Like, how could you just chuck your fans aside! (Lol)
―――Hahahaha.
T: Besides, it’s tough to carry on the BUCK-TICK name without Acchan. I think, to do that, the one thing you absolutely need is that sense of responsibility.
――Songs that sound like they’re singing about your feelings towards the fans are also in the album.
T: Yea, that’s right. But even now, I’m worried (lol). We somehow managed to complete the album, but I’m wondering what we’re going to do about the upcoming tour. Because all the experience we’ve accumulated until now is pretty much useless! Can you believe that I’m starting from scratch again at 62? (Lol)
――What was the recording work like?
T: I only play drums during recording so it’s the same as usual. For decades, I’ve listened to demo tapes with Imai and Hoshino’s temporary vocals while drumming and setting things up according to the song, so that’s exactly the same. Because Acchan’s vocals only come in after drums have been recorded. And also because we don’t always meet in the studio. Even so, on and off I’ll still get the feeling, “Ah, right, he ain’t around…….”
――What are your first thoughts after listening to the album?
T: The total length of the album surprised me the most. It exceeds Six/Nine’s level of 17 tracks at 70 minutes (lol). We’re going against the trends of this era. I was wondering how many songs we’re gonna make at first, but I noticed that Imai wanted to be able to have concerts only consist of songs that are made by the four of us. He more motivated than usual and had all these songs quickly done up. Imagine that coming from the guy who doesn’t start writing the songs until we’re almost past the deadline!
――Hahahahahaha.
T: But after trying to make music together as a band of four, I’m once again reminded of what stellar composers Imai Hisashi and Hoshino Hidehiko are. They sure are no average joes (lol).
――What are your thoughts on having heard the vocals recorded by Imai-san and Hoshino-san?
T: I also thought it would work if Imai and Hoshino sang. There’s no one who can substitute Acchan so it’s fine as long as someone among the four of us does it. I always hear Hoshino’s singing voice in demo tapes so I thought he could do it. And after that meeting , Imai also said, “On the contrary, I think the possibility of what we can do has grown.”
――I see.
T: Besides, even Acchan, when he went from being the drummer to a vocalist, I really wondered whether he could do it. And after decades of hard work, he became such an amazing vocalist. It’d be savage to compare Imai’s and Hoshino’s voices to the Acchan of recent years. Instead, I sensed potential. There’s still room for growth, and that’s quite something.
――Hoshino-san’s voice is great, isn’t it?
T: You know, to me, I think Hoshino changed the most this past year. He had always put himself in the role of the junior. In this band are Acchan and Imai who were two scary seniors from the same school as him, so he could never grow out of that relationship. Even though he’s amazingly talented as a composer, he decided on the role that he would play in BUCK-TICK on his own. And since then, he never seemed to want to step out of that.
――Right?
T: But this time, Acchan’s gone and it’s not possible to leave all the vocal work to Imai alone. I think he really took a calm look at this from a macro point of view. Then, without being told by Imai, he volunteered himself to do vocal work too. How reliable is this guy!
――Yagami-san kept saying this to me when we previously went drinking too (lol).
T: I can’t believe that the frivolous and unreliable Hoshino has turned out like this. You really see everything the longer you live (lol).
――On the other hand, does Yagami-san feel any change in yourself?
T: Who knows. I’m just a drummer anyway. I might get misunderstood for saying it like this, but I’ve always felt like I’m just helping out ever since Yuta brought me to Tokyo to join BUCK-TICK. If they need me, I’ll drum. If everyone says they want the band to continue, then I’ll do my best with drumming. Thanks to this, I’m healthy. I’m in my sixties but I don’t feel like I’m experiencing any decline at all (lol).
――This album is quite diverse in terms of sound. How did you find it as a drummer?
T: There wasn’t anything particularly difficult. Because both Imai and Hoshino didn’t present me with any sort of impossible task that would cause me a headache (lol).
――So they’re not asking for beats that cannot possibly be made by a human being like they did in the past (lol).
T: Because there are strengths and weaknesses technically speaking. I’m finding it especially so recently, though. Oddly enough, I’m not interested in making myself look good. Because [to me], drumming the right way means to drum in a way that makes it easier for the singers to sing. I’ll omit any rhythm that might make things difficult for Acchan even though it was already decided that I’d drum a particular way during the recording phase. Sometimes, fans would complain that I’m cutting out parts of the original but it’s easier for him to sing precisely because I cut things down.
His voice isn’t there, he isn’t singing, the melodies are different
Four people made this happen, but within these 17 songs
I think there’s no question that Acchan is in here
――I guess it’s no surprise that there’s a strong impression that this album is a message to the dearly departed.
T: I do feel it. In truth, there are songs that weren’t included in this album that are even more amazing. There’s no mistaking that Imai dedicated those songs to Sakurai Atsushi. No matter whether you were aware of it or not, it’s completely soaked in those feelings. I think it really was the biggest shock of our lives after all. For everyone.
――Indeed.
T: And Tasogare no Howling. This is a wonderful song. When I heard it, I guessed that it was definitely going to be the final track of the album, and sure enough.
――What made you think so?
T: Isn’t it just that kind of a song? I don’t really want to say it myself, but…… I believe that this is another song that Imai dedicated to Acchan. It brings to mind a bunch of stuff…… You know, I often dreamt of Acchan right after his passing too. It’s always pretty much the same dream. Acchan is alive, and I’m like “Eh!”, all shocked. Which leads to me thinking, “Didn’t we already announce that he died?!” “Oh, shit! We can’t just tell people he’s alive now!” And after panicking, I’d wake up (lol).
――I see.
T: I kept seeing that same type of dream. Even though it’s already been a year. And each time, I’d think, “Would be nice if this [reality] was the dream instead.” That’s the same kind of vibe I felt. From that song.
――I thought of Muma-The Nightmare too.
T: How should I say this…… This is very recent, but my mother passed away. So, you see, that’s just the stage of life I’m at. I don’t really have a lot of happy occasions happening, and funerals keep coming. No matter how you look at it, our lives are also closer to the ending phase than otherwise, right? That’s why I often say, I believe that those of us who are still alive have things that we still need to do. Those who have left us have already done enough so they get to graduate from life and rest. Us, who are still alive, have not yet matured so we have to continue training in this world.
――It would be nice to relax but we have to work hard and train.
T: Yea. Furthermore, we belong to the entertainment industry so our work revolves around bringing joy to everyone. Which means we still have more joy to bring.
――Now that the album is released, concerts will be starting soon. There’s no doubt that it’ll be the first time you’re playing as a band of four, and you’re probably figuring things out but……
T: I’m apprehensive. We frankly have no clue how the audience will respond to a show revolving around the new songs with only the four of us performing. To add, there will be close to 20 songs to sing, and neither Imai nor Hoshino have that experience, do they? Furthermore, the new songs were written with the expectation that they would be sung, so even the arrangements and how they work are completely different from our old songs. All things considered, there’s no way I won’t be worried (lol).
――That’s true.
T: But we’ve also overcome many of such moments before, right? When I think about it that way, I’m sure that we’ll be okay. We’ll be okay, but Acchan was there in those moments I recall. And in our next show, he won’t be.
――…… That’s true.
T: Because it’s always been the five of us, right? Including our years as an amateur band, we’ve been around for almost forty years. We’re close friends and bandmates too. We’re not sick of each other even though we’ve been together for such a long time. We make music together as a band, we drink together too. Everyone’s got their own quirks and we’re all unique people. If we go drinking, Imai will suddenly blurt out our next concept.
――And the four of you will listen and share the theme.
T: That guy won’t talk unless he’s drunk (lol)
――Hahahahahaha. But Imai didn’t tell you about any themes this time when you were making the album.
T: He didn’t. Or rather, he didn’t have to say it for us to get it. Maybe that’s it.
――I see.
T: On the contrary, I think Imai couldn’t compose the way he had until now, where he would imagine Sakurai-san singing and write the music based on his key. So as a songwriter, he was freed from that. And to that end, he probably found a lot of freedom.
――That’s probably right with the music.
T: But it feels like we lost our one-hit KO weapon. You might even feel like something’s missing. But what I think is good about this album is even though his voice isn’t there, even though he isn’t singing, even though the melodies are different, and even though it’s only four people who made this happen, there’s no question that Acchan is in there. Within these 17 songs.
――Ah…… That’s very true.
T: That comes across very strongly in the lyrics too. Yet we have become more free and we didn’t hold back on the music we made. I suppose we have to go even further beyond this.
――I wonder what you need to do to make that happen.
T: Imai and Hoshino just have to work hard (lol).
――That’s of course (lol).
T: I’m just a drummer anyway. A drummer’s job is to play the drums, so I just need to do my best at it. Whether I’m happy or sad or angry, I have to be able to play the drums without being affected by these emotions. That’s why all I can do is to produce my best drumming for the music that Imai and Hoshino makes. To create nuances that makes it easy for everyone to perform and sing to. That’s why although I really only need three takes when we record drums in the studio, it takes a lot of time to decide on the sound and when it’s bad, I’ll have to switch around between a number of snares to try the sound out.
――The sound of the drums in this album’s Meiousei de Shine was impressive. Even though it was unusual that the song had an afrobeat, the drum sound matched it perfectly.
T: Because I used timbales for that song. I often used them in the band’s early days. Like in HURRY UP MODE. And this time, I used this drum (shows a picture). This is about seven by fifteen inches (note: diameter of fifteen inches, depth of 7 inches). It’s big and deep so it gives out a really thick sound. This is the snare that I used for this album’s Raijin Fuuji – Resonance. Also, with that song, I thought a heavy sound would be fitting of the song title so I used this one and hit hard.
――And that’s how you carefully assembled the sound to steadily support the band.
T: That’s what I believe a drummer does. We have to hold up the rhythm accurately. Following that, the guitarists and vocalist can do whatever they want.
――Because of this awareness, I guess it could be said that there’s always a cool factor to a song no matter how emotional it gets.
T: It’s great if that’s true. But jokes aside, this is all so unprecedented. When you lose a singer, you’d normally find a replacement or bring in a new singer, right? But we’re not doing that and have selected people from those of us who remain. You don’t really hear of such things.
――In a sense, he was a singer with a formidable presence who built worlds, so there’s no replacement for such a person, is there? With this in mind, the only option would’ve been to cease activities, but you didn’t do that.
T: I think it’s because of that sense of responsibility. That’s why can only ask all our fans who’ve been with us to please support this second era of BUCK-TICK. Because with Acchan gone, we’re as good as a different band. You could probably tell from the way Imai’s writing more songs that usual that going forward, we’ll have more and more new songs that will become the main music we’ll place. But we’re definitely not forgetting [the past].
――That’s right.
T: With these feelings, we’ll keep the band going until the very end. Compared to back when we debuted in our twenties, the amount of time we have left to do this isn’t much but our feelings are aligned. We want this to last as long as possible.
――So please prioritise your health.
T: My body’s in perfect shape now. I haven’t had a medical check up but I’m absolutely fine!
――Please start with going to the hospital.
T: Ahh, but I eat and shit well!
――Then that’s great…… On the surface. Please go for a proper check up!
T: You sound like my mother (lol).
Editor’s File
This is who we are. In the moment that the curtains close on the album
BUCK-TICK embarked on their second era without a shadow of doubt.
text by Ishii Eriko
At first, it took me white a long time to start listening to one song. The band of five who reached their final form after close to 40 years of evolution, and the band of four who chose to keep going even after their wings were torn off. They shouldn’t be compared against each other, and there’s nothing to be said in comparing them either. We have to respect their decision. Also, this is better than suddenly shutting it all down. There is no choice but to somehow bite the bullet and accept the unavoidable incongruity and unfamiliarity.
Raijin Fuujin – Resonance the single. Although I didn’t have the capacity to feel it, Imai Hisashi was singing “upward air current (joushou kiryuu / 上昇気流)”, then Hoshino Hidehiko came in with “On this earth, this is survival (kono sekai de iki nuku koto da / この世界で生き抜くことだ)” letting us listeners hear his singing voice for the first time. If we see this as the determination of a band starting their second era, then there’s no other option but to accept it. I’m glad I listened to it. Just like that, it was only a few days ago that I managed to finish writing this review essay for this publication. There’s nothing more that I would like to say other than this…… Or so I thought.
When I received the album, スブロサ SUBROSA, I started to write this whole manuscript in one go. I thought, “What on earth, there’s loads I wanna write!” Because this album is very, very BUCK-TICK. This is because it didn’t feel like the work of the four remaining members, rather, it felt like the next release from the band of five who had spent almost 40 years evolving. I’ll just be brutally frank here. BUCK-TICK is still BUCK-TICK.
Firstly, their sound. The simple prediction that gothic elements which dance in the dark nights would fade to give way to a stronger blend of Imai’s cyberpunk specialty did not come true. Dark and edgy, at times reigning as a full-bodied dark art, then glistening pop-like, aggressive rock’n’roll and riotous tribal beats come flying out. The breadth of diversity did not change at all. Rather, now that I think about it, at a total of 17 tracks, it’s firstly a number that I’ve never seen in recent years and it goes far beyond the spirit of patching things up and doing what you can. It’s more like they cannot help but reach this state of over achievement because they’re just overflowing with ideas. While I won’t get a peace of mind by simply adding eyes to the Daruma with this brush, the way they make their sound sharp as ever has certainly improved. In all seriousness, there are many songs which blew me away.
And the singing. If we only look at the first song, Hyakuman Nayuta no Chiri SCUM there is no denying that the expression is stiff. I looked around and confirmed again and again that there’s only one shouting man before accepting the fact. Nervously, I found the initial message that I wanted to deliver. The lyrics were uncharacteristically straightforward so I could only take it as it is, but this feeling is, in short, similar to what I wrote about in the beginning. It’s like a thesis I wrote in my head.
But all at once, BUCK-TICK woke up from the second song, スブロサ SUBROSA onwards. An agile forward-moving beat. Words and melodies energetically tumbling out. Rather than the head, the body takes back the band. There’s no trial and error. They’re opening door after door with an assertive curiosity. To quote the lyrics, BUCK-TICK is a “Perpetrator of a pipe dream Wilful offender of a bright future”. It’s the Imai Hisashi who’s anarchic and unconventional as always, so much so that I could laugh. And again, Hoshino Hidehiko’s singing is better than expected. This usually aloof guitarist blown around by the wind, displayed an astonishing wealth of emotion and playfulness. After the second half of the song, I suddenly realise that my ears no longer feel strange. Even though I thought that this could never happen.
The three instrumental tracks left a deep impression. They weren’t samplings that sounded like interludes. Depending on the track, they were as long as five minutes, making them soundscapes which unfold over ample time. There is no singing, but they express a distinct mood of “being present”. Being instrumental tracks, they’re free for interpretation but I don’t want to use words like dreamy or profound to describe them. In fact, they’re warmer. I could feel kindness, love lingering close by like an aftertaste. He’s here, still. This is my interpretation of the songs that have no words to explain them.
In fact, he’s there. All five members of BUCK-TICK are present somewhere in the two men’s singing, in each lyric. Most vivid of all is Zetsubou to Iu Na no Kimi e which has music composed by Hoshino and lyrics written by Imai. I think you should first enjoy the song as it is so I won’t go into specifics, but what’s great is how the members complement each other now while coexisting. This is a song that clearly proves that this band is one which takes all pain and turns it into hope for life as they move on. In addition, the album delves deep into the depths of the gothic world from this point on and it happens so quickly that I remember feeling alarmed by it. An enigmatic energy. What is it that allows BUCK-TICK to keep moving so detachedly even in such a situation? It gives me goosebumps all over again, the reality that such a band is making their move again.
The last track is Tasogare no Howling. This might be the very first time that I’m writing about the guitar solo in a BUCK-TICK song, but Imai’s guitar solo which bursts out at the very end was sublime. It resounds in in a way that sounds like wailing but it is definitely nothing like being lost in despair. This is probably enough. This is who we are; in the moment that the curtains close on the album which declares as such, BUCK-TICK has embarked on their second era without a shadow of doubt.
Review
Kanemitsu Hirofumi
BUCK-TICK『スブロサ SUBROSA』
Releasing December 4th (ALBUM)
It feels voluminous with a total of 17 tracks, including three instrumental tracks. Following Sakurai Atsushi’s sudden passing, the remaining four members of the band have decided to keep going with Imai Hisashi and Hoshino Hidehiko in charge of vocals. Lyrics gushing with their feelings towards Sakurai and their fans who were left behind on that day are raw and very touching. I was moved to tears by their strength of caring for one another. I truly respect their willpower to continue with the band.
Takeuchi Haruka
BUCK-TICK「Raijin Fuujin – Resonance (雷神風神 – レゾナンス)」
Releasing November 20th (SINGLE)
Raising the curtains on their new era, this single had its lyrics and music composed by Imai Hisashi, with Imai and Hoshino Hidehiko dueting. When you take some of the keywords like “FLY HIGH!!”, “survival (ikinuku / 生き抜く)”, “Set your heart on fire (haato ni hi wo tsukero / ハートに火をつけろ) out of context, I can’t help but feel like they are metaphors of the band’s determination but it’s exquisite how I’ll never get tired of hearing it in their brand of rock’n’roll. In this new, unpretentious step forward for them, I can almost hear Imai’s easygoing voice saying, “It’s fine as it is.”
Aftershows
2024.10.15
BUCK-TICK
The photoshoot for the special edition PHY was held at a house studio in Tokyo first. After that, we changed locations. This is Kawasaki. We arrived at a large warehouse with an intimidating atmosphere. Today’s shooting location appears to have been used in quite a number of different movies and drama series. Most recently, it was used for a scene in the popular Netflix production, Tokyo Swindlers where Lily Franky got pushed over the edge. “This place?” “Eh. Here?” Imai and Hoshino who have finished watching Tokyo Swindlers were very intrigued. But there was one person who was scared; Higuchi Yutaka who couldn’t handle being in high places at all. He was afraid that the handrails on the narrow outdoor stairs which led to the rooftop were rusty, and he nervously climbed teh stairs while telling himself, “As long as I don’t look down, it’ll be fine”. And for some reason, there was an old tourist cruise boat moored next to the warehouse. It was already night and this boat couldn’t be any creepier. At first, Kanemitsu thought of asking the band to board the boat and have their photoshoot there but Higuchi vetoed the idea (lol). Laughing, Imai teased him saying, “Quick, get up there. It won’t take a second,” while Higuchi-san shook his head with a stiff expression. Hoshino and Yagami laughed as they watched the two of them who so naturally fell into what their relationship might’ve looked like back in high school, while Higuchi-san who was genuinely scared retorted, “It’s no laughing matter!” (Lol)
