スブロサ SUBROSA Feature
PHY Vol. 26
December 2024
Because what I now know is that even if something like this happens,
I will keep the band, keep BUCK-TICK going
—Imai
photographs by @Ogata_ photo
hair&make-up by Tanizaki Takayuki, Yamaji Chihiro (Fat’s Berry)
styling by Shimizu Kenichi
clothes by
kiryuyrik 03-5728-4048
JULIUS TOKYO STORE 03-5728-4900
BUCK-TICK’s new album, スブロサ SUBROSA.
A year ago, no one could’ve imagined what the band would do after losing their vocalist who had been the main pillar of the band’s worldview. We believed that they would need time, no matter what they intend to become. But without a moment’s pause, they decided to keep the band going and announced a Nippon Budokan show scheduled for a year later at last year end’s BUCK-TICK Genshou -2023-. With their intentions conveyed to their fans, they started recording work in April.
Vocalist and guitarist Imai Hisashi kept composing music as if to atone for an absence, while vocalist and guitarist Hoshino Hidehiko made the decision to record main vocals for the first time. Bassist Higuchi Yutaka and drummer Yagami Toll entered the studio together for rehearsals as the band’s rhythm section for the first time in decades.
The respective band members took their own first steps forward towards what they felt BUCK-TICK would be without Sakurai Atsushi, leading us to this album. With a total of 17 tracks including three instrumental tracks, it holds a variety of songs while the band’s worldview thus far faded into the background. Feelings of loss and absence, and even compassion for others are found in the lyrics. Including doubts and hesitation, this is the reality of the four members of BUCK-TICK who have decided to keep it going.
This in-depth feature celebrates BUCK-TICK’s new beginning, covering interviews with each of the four members and commentary on every song on the スブロサ SUBROSA album.
BUCK-TICK Solo Interviews
_______________________
Imai Hisashi
text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
I want to try out the various possibilities and explore more
We’ve gained freedom, but it’s also something that we have no choice about except to find ways to enjoy the process
――I heard that concert rehearsals have begun.
Imai (I): Mm, although it’s only been two days so we’re still trying to figure out what it’ll be like. We’re still undergoing trial and error, but after that, I think it’ll be the same as usual, with things taking shape among the four of us.
――I assume there are a lot of firsts.
I: Yeah. And we don’t even know how our audience will take it, right? Like the shape of the mic.
――Mic?
I: I thought it’d be better if we had a cool mic instead of the usual, but that means we’ll probably have to use wired (note: connected by cables) ones or something. There’s a bunch to try, and the staging will change depending on it, so there’s all of that.
――The biggest concern would be striking a balance when it comes to singing while playing the guitar, right?
I: Right. I might not be able to keep swapping around (the guitars) like usual. That’s why I’m only using around three different ones. The number will probably increase later on, but I’m singing while (playing). I’ve been trying a variety of things, like using synth instead of guitar when it comes to me on the spot, but I feel all these will gradually shape up as we go.
――In the January interview, you mentioned that it might be a good idea to go with different styles that might involve removing the encore segment that we always expect, or having segments where the band may not necessarily be on stage, or only playing instrumentals, things like that.
I: I think that’s something to think about only after the setlist is confirmed. Once that is done, I want to try out the various possibilities and explore more. You could say that we’ve gained freedom in different ways, but it’s also something that we have to do anyway so there’s no other option except to find ways to enjoy the process.
――Between nervousness and excitement, you’d probably call it excitement, right?
I: Mm.
――Now, back to your new album スブロサ SUBROSA. How has the response been?
I: Well, this is what you’d get when it’s an album made by the four of us. Everyone’s been telling us a bunch (lol), but that’s the main thing, I think. That this is what we get when we keep making music.
――Ever since you decided last year that the band will keep going after Sakurai-san passed, you’ve written a lot of music, haven’t you?
I: Yeah. I made demos for a few songs by last year end. That’s why when the new year began and I met up with the band and Director Tanaka, I let them hear a quick preview of what it’d be like. After that, I made more demos the same as always so I ended up with a lot.
――What a kid (lol). But even then, Imai-san already had the intention to make this a 2-disc album.
I: Even after listening to the songs that we made, I felt that there was no way for us to wrap it all up nicely within 10 tracks. That’s why I kept thinking about 2-discs, 20 tracks but the atmosphere around me was (lol).
――They felt it was too much.
I: Yeah. But since we’ve established that the band is made up of the four of us, I wanted to increase the number of songs that can be performed with just the four of us. You could say I wanted BUCK-TICK to be filled up by our present four members, or rather, more densely packed by us.
――It might be odd to call it uneasiness, but do you get that feeling where you wonder what would happen?
I: I wouldn’t say no, but if I were to think about it, there’s no end to the things there are to think about. And besides, we haven’t done anything, right? I think it’s a waste of energy and effort to be worried about how things would turn out at this point in time. That’s why I shut all of that out and simply kept on working at it.
――Imai-san has sung in the past but Hoshino-san’s singing is definitely a noteworthy point. Did you sense a change in his mindset?
I: I think he decided to sing precisely because he wants to. Rather than feeling like he has to do it because we lost a vocalist, I think he’s doing it because he wants people to hear his singing (lol).
――Well, you’re still exploring too.
I: We are. But that’s good, isn’t it? I think we’ll some day forget this feeling of being unfamiliar with it all anyway. This youth and innocence (lol).
――Ahaha.The sense of ‘getting things done despite feeling lost’?
I: Yeah. I suppose this is what I felt when we first formed the band. And after having done this for so long, I realised that at some point in time, unconsciously, I ended up with a lot of restrictions within myself. I say this a lot, but it’s important to take advantage of this situation. Turn a negative into a positive.
――That’s including the notion that this is your only option so you don’t have any other choice except to do so.
I: Right. I’m not worried or anything. Because all we’re doing is being a band. We’re not doing this because Acchan isn’t here. We’re doing this because we want to make more music. Because we want to play as a rock band.
――Agreed. All things considered, the song lyrics this time around are very interesting too. Especially when we look at Muyuubyou SLEEPWALK. I was surprised when you said in another interview that this one’s “about quantum mechanics”.
I: The quantum universe, because that’s where [he’s] headed. Something like that.
――Sakurai-san?
I: Yeah. There’s no physical body, but if you think about it from a quantum perspective, it’s not really all that big a deal, is it?
――When you say quantum, you’re talking about the general term for very miniscule units of matter or energy, right?
I: Rather than dead or alive, it’s more of a question of whether you exist or not, isn’t it? Existing, doesn’t exist, existed. Something like that. It’s not a big deal. Just a natural phenomenon?
――Just a phenomenon.
I: There are many examples of such things in the world, aren’t there?
――When did you start growing an interest in that mentality?
I: I don’t know, but it happened naturally. Not because I had an interest and read a bunch of books about it, but it just came to me, on a normal day, and at some point it took root.
――Naturally, huh.
I: The first time I heard of it, even I thought it didn’t make sense (lol). I found it interesting how I didn’t get it. No one’s seen that sort of thing anyway, and there’s no right answer either. Sometimes I even wonder whether perhaps it doesn’t matter anyway.
That’s right, he’s here somewhere
Nothing special, just the way it’s meant to be, a little more detached
――And with Meiousei de Shine, I thought it was about the different perspectives between micro and macro. It’s something like that, right? Something about differences in how you see things.
I: Partly, but also it’s a veery distant image. It’s not so much about whether there’s anything on Pluto or not, but more of dying or living in as far away a place as I can think of. It’s not as if I came up with this after thinking it through in detail, but I just wanted something like a powerful keyword that conveys that feeling of a faraway distance.
――Words like “Pluto”, “stratosphere”.
I: Well, something like that. I think I said this before too, but I don’t consciously think of these things. The words just happen to come to mind. And I’ve never just thought about living or dying or anything like that.
――Do you feel like you’re writing lyrics from a bird’s eye view?
I: Don’t know. Because when I compose lyrics, firstly, I scribble down anything and everything in a notebook in my room. Only after that do I make sense of it bit by bit and start to make them look more like lyrics. While the words hold meaning in fragments, it’s just a list so I don’t write all of that down with any intention of making them meaningful. I first compose the music and then work on fitting the words in, but what I’m doing is really picking up words from within that notebook to flesh it all out.
――So that’s why you describe it as something which happens ‘naturally’.
I: But that’s just what it is. Sometimes I do feel like, “Ah, I was thinking of that,” but there’s no actual attempt to even try to compose according to a set theme or anything like that.
――Which is why although Imai-san’s lyrics in this album have parts that are abstract, there are also a lot of parts where we can sense that they’re about the absence of someone, thoughts to the fans, and even feelings of loss.
I: Isn’t that right? Although I have no idea, personally. I don’t think there’s ever been such a shock, or such an event that shook my heart anyway. It’s not just the fact that he passed away. I think that might’ve been expressed in my words. Since I wrote them without conscious thought.
――I’m sure there are different ways to interpret it when people from all walks of life hear it.
I: Mm. Well, it’s probably easy for everyone to make the connection since there are lyrics. But there are those who also enjoy reading into things like that so that’s not for us to stop. It would be rude of us to forcefully declare “no, that’s not right,” anyway (lol).
――It’s probably too early to say but your next album will likely undergo a lot of changes as you do your live performances, right?
I: Mm, there will be changes without a doubt.
――Do you think the words that come to your mind will change too?
I: I wonder. But I can’t make lyrics out of what doesn’t exist in my heart anyway. So I don’t think there will be great changes there.
――What kind of live performance do you want to give?
I: I just want to have an enjoyable show, I guess. Rather than taking things too seriously. Besides, we ourselves have no clue what it would be like or how the audience would perceive us, so we’ll probably never know unless we actually make it happen. We’re as good as a new band after all. But I think that it would be good if we could enjoy ourselves, all things considered.
――Do you feel like there are expectations riding on your shoulders?
I: Nope, not at all. I don’t feel anything like that at all, and I’d probably hate that most of all. After all, I think BUCK-TICK is about doing things the way we want.
――But he’s around here somewhere?
I: Mm. It’s just the kind of phenomenon it is.
――This is also a phenomenon?
I: That’s right, a phenomenon. He’s here somewhere. Nothing special, just the way it’s meant to be, a little more detached.
――Speaking of which, I heard that there was a completed song which was the first thing the four of you recorded. But it isn’t in the album.
I: That’s right. Because Yuta absolutely insisted that we were to finish one song before we started album recording. And that song was something I wrote before which I intended for Sakurai Atsushi to sing so I never considered that I would sing it. The melody was completely different too.
――I suppose the lyrics too, then.
I: I didn’t intend to write the lyrics myself. I just felt that my only option was now to sing. It was pretty tough
――But both Yuta-san and Anii were singing praises about it, saying it was great and all with how Imai-san’s lyrics were dedicated to Sakurai-san.
I: But that’s because I wrote those lyrics for Sakurai Atusushi so it was super straightforward, completely unlike スブロサ SUBROSA. That’s why I didn’t want to release it ahead of the album. People would probably be mistaken by it.
――I see.
I: That’s why, when Yuta said that he wanted to complete this song before starting album recording, honestly, I think Yoko-chan had this look that said, “Hold on now, are you kidding me?” (Lol) But it turned out really well in the end though.
――Do you believe that the band will keep going?
I: Mm. But now I already know for sure that such things are bound to happen.
――That someone will go at some point in time, right? We’ve known this all along but we chose not to see it.
I: Yeah, exactly. But what I now know is that even if something like this happens, I will keep the band, keep BUCK-TICK going, see.
_______________________
Hoshino Hidehiko
text by Ishii Eriko
I really just felt “I guess I have to do it”
without worrying or dwelling on it too much
――Frankly speaking, I never thought I’d get to continue having interviews with BUCK-TICK so. I’m happy and grateful that I have this opportunity.
Hoshino (H): Ahh. Thank you.
――How do you feel in this present moment?
H: Right…… Well, we finally made an album and started promotion work just like that. I feel more settled, or rather, relieved. It’s the ‘alright, let’s do this’ feeling.
――During the Budokan performance a year ago, Hide-san said, “The parade will go on” twice.
H: Right, yes.
――How did you feel saying that on that day?
H: …… How, indeed? At the time, I thought, well, all these people who have gathered here for us are probably feeling anxious. So I should reassure them first, and tell them that we’re going to keep going. I thought that was necessary; for ourselves, and for the people who came to watch us too. And the place to say it was at the Budokan, right?
――During that stage, how much of the upcoming blueprints did you already have in mind?
H: Nah, at year end, nothing.
――Nothing (lol). Not even a new song?
H: Nope. I heard that Imai-san did work on it a bit but, nothing for me. I only decided to sing before the year end, so I knew that was the direction we’d be taking though. But anyway, at that point in time, I had zero clue as to what we’d do with the melody, what kind of vibe it’ll be and all.
――It was also a surprise that Hide-san volunteered yourself and made the decision to sing.
H: Mm…… volunteered myself, in a way? Strictly speaking, we affirmed our intention to keep going on the day the four of us sat down together. The vocalist conversation of course came up, but it went in the direction where we believed that it would be better for the song composers to play that role. Imai-san was a vocalist even before and he’s done duets too. From that standpoint, Imai-san’s vocals were a given. And since I’m also a composer, well…… That’s how it went. It really was just a natural progression.
――I believe there are a variety of possibilities that come to mind. For example, finding a new vocalist, or inviting different people who fit the world view of respective songs.
H: Ahh, but such options were never considered to begin with. We never talked about inviting someone to be the vocalist or anything like that.
――So you never even tried imagining it?
H: That’s right. I don’t think we thought about that very much, all of us.
――It’s just a wild thought of mine, but I think I would’ve hated it if someone else was brought in and they started acting as if “I’m the next generation”. It makes me wonder if [your decision] actually took into consideration what the fans would think.
H: I wonder. But…… Instead of an external issue, I think this is more of an internal issue. I really just felt “I guess I have to do it” without worrying or dwelling on it too much. When we’re in such a critical situation, the only thing that’s left to do is to resolve it. So things just naturally turned out this way.
――Right. By the way, does Hide-san have experience in singing in front of others?
H: In front of people?
――Yes. Of course, there were chorus parts too.
H: Ah. Definitely yes when it comes to choruses, but…… apart from that, only during karaoke sessions, probably. Hahahah.
――Karaoke. Any signature go-to songs you’re particularly skilled at?
H: Signatures are, songs by the old big three¹, probably. Fufufu.
――Do you like singing in general?
H: Yeah, I do sing and all so at the very least, I don’t hate it. It’s just that I don’t think I can go as far as to say that I really like it though. I feel like I can’t really say, not yet.
――Can’t really say, but your only option is to do it. How do you switch your mindset from such a situation?
H: Hmm……Well, we did the Budokan show, then the new year started, then I slowly started composing music, and while composing music I’ll definitely sing the demo vocals anyway. Besides, at the composing stage I was already writing with the assumption that I would be the one singing. I suppose it was sometime during all of that when the switch gradually flipped towards singing for me.
――Was there a song that provided that extra push?
H: Nope, nothing like that. Besides, when I got started and the music started tumbling out, I still had no idea. I only finally managed to visualise things at the very last stage after a whole bunch of other songs were done. Only then, I understood that these were all going into one album. That’s why it really was only after the trackdown was done and we’re at the “Yes, we’ve done it!” stage…… that it hit me for the first time that, “Ah, this is the sound of what the four of us made as BUCK-TICK reborn.” It’s genuinely an album that was started by trial and error to the finish.
――And naturally the work was also unlike anything before.
H: That changed, and even my mindset had to change too. Before this, it was OK as long as I wrote my own songs. But now, I have to make the guitar playing as simple as possible because I have to think about singing at the same time. While also looking to strike a balance between the both. But song writing went surprisingly smoothly. Considering there were parts that got done without much fuss.
――I felt tense when I started listening but it turned out to be a smooth ride. The way I found no discomfort was really to the point that I found it almost strange.
H: …… You’ve got me wondering why too (lol). Could it be the melodies? The composers are still Imai and Hoshino, that hasn’t changed either. Although there’s more of Imai in the realm of lyrics.
Of course, emotionally, it holds the emotions of five people,
but it’s really four people who worked on this. That’s the kind of album it is
――Hide-san composed the music for four songs, and among them, two have lyrics written by you.
H: Mm. This time, I wrote lyrics for those that I had a specific theme for, but I worked with Imai for those that didn’t.
――Your responsibilities have grown. I’m repeating a question here, but did you not consider bringing in an external someone, like a professional lyricist to work on just the lyrics?
H: Ahh. I did…… consider it a little bit. When the four of us initially gathered, the topic of how difficult it would be to write lyrics for the whole album did come up. So, of course, the option of asking someone external for help was raised. But then we talked again about how we want this to be something that shows what the four of us are capable of. So we made the decision that we’ll do whatever we can among the four of us. And this is the result of that.
――And no one disagreed?
H: That’s right. We’ll give it a go and do whatever we can.
――Was there an energy or a sense of unity that you haven’t felt in recent years?
H: Ah, there was, yes. As you’d expect. Since we’re in such a situation after doing this for 30 years. Besides, I don’t think this would be possible if there wasn’t something strong within the four of us. And I think it’s the fact that all four members of the band feel the same way.
――In his interview for Ongaku to Hito, Anii said that “Hoshino changed the most”.
H: Hahhahhah. Well, I guess. Thus far it’s always been the Sakurai, Imai team who does all sorts of promotion work too. I had the easy position where I didn’t really need to do that.
――Actually, you probably only PHY interviews, more or less (lol).
H: Right. But my role has changed so I’m prepared for this to no longer be the case. For example, thus far, it was always Sakurai-san who would come up with ideas for the staging and hold discussions with the director about all these things. The order of the songs in the setlist is decided by the opinions that the members of the band have, but in terms of the stage direction, the atmosphere, there are parts that revolve around the singer himself.
――Are there now more situations where Hide-san has to take the initiative?
H: There are times, yes. Certainly with my own songs, but going forward, on stage too. I think we’ll have much to discuss before finalising things. Since the division of responsibilities is now completely different than what it used to be.
――How should I put it? Since you’ve decided that “there’s no option but to do it”, you found a version of yourself who’s capable of pulling it off?
H: Fufuh. That’s right. I think that’s what it is.
――Do you feel surprised by yourself?
H: I do. Because there were just so many things that I didn’t need to worry about until now because I could just leave it to the two of them. Those have now turned into areas where the only option is for me to step up and do it.
――This might be rude of me to say, but I actually thought you were the type who had the potential to be a great frontman.
H: ……You think so? I don’t know about that. It would be great if that were true though.
――Really, Hide-san’s singing is really good. Although this isn’t really something to say in front of you (wry smile), but as I progressed into the later half of the album, I was so shocked getting the sense that, “It’s really BUCK-TICK!” It’s as if the past and the present were fused together.
H: Really? Thank you.
――Firstly, it didn’t feel like you were treating it as if it’s fine if it doesn’t sound good just because it’s the first time you’re singing.
H: Nah, there was some of that? Since I’m really a freshman, a newbie. There’s a part of me that wants to say that though. But as far as possible…… There’s also the fact that this was recording work, so I could take breaks and sing over and over again as many times as I wanted, but as far as possible, I just wanted to make it good.
――Also, in paradeno mori, I was struck by one line in particular: It doesn’t matter what they’re saying here (こっちの話はどうだっていいさ / Kocchi no hanashi wa dou datte ii sa). I was curious as to what frame of mind brought these words to you.
H: I wonder too? Well, it’s a message-type of thing. Kind of saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll be doing what we do here”. “Feel free to fly where you want.” With that kind of nuance, I suppose?
――It’s just that I thought you might’ve wanted to tell him about the unimportant things in reality, or say to him, “Actually we’re having a really hard time here!”
H: Hahahah! There’s a lot of that, though. Feelings of how it’s not really things that “don’t matter” on that side.
――Is Hide-san the type of person who simply accepts things without panicking?
H: Nah, I’m human so that definitely happens, you know? I suppose it’s just that I don’t really let that show. But things have happened in the past, just like now, I think that things will surprisingly find it’s own way to work out.
――Emotionally, do you feel the same sense of accomplishment you’ve always had with the completion of yet another album? Or does this feel more like the first album of a new band?
H: Well, it’s a… we often speak of it as a new life for the four of us, but that’s what it feels like. Of course, emotionally, it holds the emotions of five people, but it’s really four people who worked on this. It’s not quite a crystalisation of that but that’s the kind of album it is.
――How satisfied do you feel?
H: Ah, very much. As I said earlier, I believe that BUCK-TICK’s sound, BUCK-TICK’s style really comes through throughout. It’s got a good flow, and there’s a variety of songs. And they’re all songs filled with love.
――I don’t know what the future brings but I think this is going to be a very special piece of work.
H: Indeed. I really think it’s the kind of album that we could’ve only made now.
――To hold on to this theme forever…… will be painful.
H: Of course. That. I guess this is an album we felt we had to release as a chapter marker, of sorts.
――I assume that we’ll get to hear this live, this month, at the year-end Budokan show but what kind of performance do you envision now?
H: Uh……We’re still in the preparation stage, so at this juncture, not even we can quite imagine what it’ll be like (lol). There will of course be our performance, and I suppose we’ll be including videos. Well, I do get the premonition that it’ll feel a little bit different than usual thus far though. But we also have the intention to do something interesting, so. There’s a bunch to practice for.
――Also, I’d like to ask whether you plan to include old songs in your show.
H: Right now, we’re thinking about it. About which songs we can pull off at this time.
――Which also depends on whether Hide-san can sing them?
H: I’m thinking about it with the assumption that I’ll be singing. …… I think that’s something else you can look forward to.
Notes:
¹ The big three or 御三家 (gosanke a.k.a G3K) is a term refers to the three greatest young stars of the pop music scene. The three who Hide specifically references are most likely Showa era pop stars Hashi Yukio (橋幸夫), Funaki Kazuo (舟木一夫), and Saigou Teruhiko (西郷輝彦). There’s a new big three (shin gosanke;新御三家) from the 1970s as well but I don’t think these guys are the ones Hide was talking about.
_______________________
Higuchi yutaka
text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
What had always been made by five people is now being made by four. I understand it but……
I was uneasy. How will it turn out? And will everyone accept it……?
――I heard that live rehearsals started after the Ongaku to Hito interviews.
Yuta (Y): Yeah. But we still don’t know anything. I’m saying this again, but we’re all figuring things out as we do it. How will this turn out? What reaction will we get? Will people enjoy it? …… We have no clue at all. Because the value of all the experience we’ve accumulated thus far has become as good as zero, hasn’t it?
――In terms of recording work, Imai-san and Hoshino-san have always sung the demo vocals so in a way, they’re still doing similar things, but it’s pretty different when we’re talking about live performances, right?
Y: In terms of presentation too. Also, Imai-kun and Hide will have to sing and play the guitar at the same time, so I think the biggest concern now is how that will go. Instead of the song selection and arrangement [being a concern], it feels like they’re figuring out how best to handle that huge change.
――Sounds like you’ll still need some time.
Y: Since we’ll be appearing on stage for the first time in a four-man formation going forward, there’s no immediate answer. Once we’ve experienced this turn and seen the audience’s reaction, we can take the next step forward. It feels as if we just formed the band at this age. Ahh, that’s what it felt like.
――Does Yuta-san think about what you want to do in live performances, or what you think would be good? Anything like that?
Y: Hmm…… Don’t think so. First of all, I want to properly present what we did, what we came up with. Because even our staff had to figure things out. There’s no answer to be found anywhere. All that was built up over close to 40 years have now been reduced to zero and that’s where we’re starting over from, so it’s what you’d expect.
――After we spoke about the album in Ongaku to Hito, I’d assume you had the chance to hear what other people think. What were their reactions like?
Y: Everyone said it’s a good album. And I guess many also said that they expected a more digital, technological approach but it turns out not.
――I asked you this before, but what kind of album did you expect it to become?
Y: I couldn’t imagine it. Groping around and figuring things out as we made music in an impenetrable fog, that’s what it felt like. There wasn’t anything to worry about but I was uneasy. What had always been made by five people is now being made by four. I understand it but, how will it turn out? And will everyone accept it……?
――Right.
Y: I’d think our fans were worried. And yet, they supported our decision to do this as a band of four. But we can’t just depend on that. This album and the concerts we’ll hold after this will be the starting point of a new band. Besides, nothing really changed with recording. And even though I can rely on experience to some extent, we’re really starting over again when it comes to live performances. If it’s a new band being formed, it’s fine for people to look at us with the expectations of a band just starting out, but this is BUCK-TICK, right?
――Imai-san said he doesn’t intend to be burdened, but it’s undeniable that you’re carrying the weight of the band’s name.
Y: Ultimately, we decided to do this because the faces of our fans came to mind. We’ve been able to play as a band throughout all this time because of the fans who stuck with us from the beginning, the fans who joined in recently, because of people like them. I can’t pretend that’s never been the case…… and I believe everyone feels the same way. Also, we and the staff, we all think of us as BUCK-TICK, I’m sure. The fans probably do too. It’s a part of our lives. I want to cherish that. Since it’s something we’ve been doing for so long.
――When album recording was going to begin, things didn’t start all of a sudden, but rather, Yuta-san insisted on first completing a song that wouldn’t be part of this release, right?
Y: Because I wanted to know our determination.
――Determination?
Y: Our determination towards doing this as a band of four. I didn’t want to do this out of a force of habit. I’m capable of doing tasks. I can listen to the demo, digest it, come up with the bass lines to play. But before we start that phase, I wanted to understand what a song made by the four of us would sound like, be convinced by that, and then move on to the next phase. With this one song, I could sense everyone’s and my own determination so we will probably be able to do it with that…… I guess that’s what I had in mind.
――And after that, the actual recording work for the album started.
Y: I feel like Imai-kun’s demo came really early on. Before we entered the studio, we had some time. Recording started in April and we spent quite a long time on it so you could say that we only moved on to the next song only after the song we’re working on is more or less done.
――I see.
Y: But Hide is now a vocalist and Imai-kun has to sing properly instead of doing the rapid-fire vocals he used to do. That’s the biggest change of all, and I think the two of them had it much harder than me. Anii said it too, but Hide has really changed a lot. Even his determination, and his decision to change.
It’s something we decided on ourselves, and gradually, I’m growing to accept it
But sometimes, it feels a little bit weird that I can accept it
――There’s a variety of music genres among the 17 tracks, aren’t there? Until now, songs are a summary of Sakurai Atsushi’s worldview and I’d think there was a part of the songwriting process that kept that in consideration, but this time, there’s none of that.
Y: Imai-kun and Hide basically decided that they’ll do anything and everything that they’re capable of doing, or at least, that’s what it felt like. Because if we dwell on what we think won’t be suitable, what we think we can’t execute, what might not be feasible for a live performance, we won’t be able to move forward. It really wasn’t a situation where you could say things like, “This isn’t the time for that.” (Lol)
――It would seem that Imai-san wanted to increase the number of songs that the four of you could perform so much that you ended up with 17 tracks, and he even wanted to make it a 2-disc album if possible.
Y: I think that’s a good thing. Isn’t it better to first focus on moving forward and only after that think about what we’ll do with all our past material?
――How did you approach the three instrumental tracks?
Y: Normally, I guess. Although it’s probably not right to say that (lol). They’re instrumentals so the tracks were more or less done up by programming. But, I guess, I wanted it to feel as if the four of us were playing in it so I thought, maybe I could add my bass in and discussed it with Imai-kun.
――I received the CD for your single, Raijin Fuujin – Resonance today. The album is about to be released, rehearsals have begun, and you’re about to go on tour. Does this situation make it feel as if you’re taking step by step, making progress?
Y: Very much. But it feels like I’m starting to understand every time I do something…… It’s kind of difficult to put into words though.
――Hmm…… Are you referring to the understanding of [his] absence?
Y: That’s right. We decided ourselves to do this, and gradually, I’m growing to accept that this is what it feels like. I believe that this is correct, and I do think that this is good too. But I guess sometimes, it feels a little bit weird that I can accept it.
――That you can accept Sakurai Atsushi’s absence.
Y: Mm…… But I have decided to move forward.
――It makes me wonder how things would go if you didn’t make this choice.
Y: No idea……………… But if otherwise, I guess we’ll probably go on a hiatus. Because I don’t think we’ll break up. More of a, please give us some time to think. I would think that’s the normal approach.
――Did you want that kind of time?
Y: Hmmmm……… It might’ve been good. But since we’re not a band of people in our twenties or thereabouts…… Not to quote Kuroda (note: Kuroda Hiroki／former Hiroshima Toyo Carp pitcher), but we don’t have that many [baseball] throws left in us (lol).
――That’s true (lol). And that’s why you have the desire to go through with whatever you can do and maybe you’ll understand along the way.
Y: Right. I think that’s the most correct [way to put it]. That’s why I want to do my best to make sure that I will believe that this is the right choice.
――You don’t talk about such things with your fellow bandmates?
Y: I don’t, but I think everyone just wants to make our way down the path we have to take. I dare say that this is something that we can all agree on without ever having to talk about it. And most of all, when I get to work on something with the band, I calm down. Just like when I see our fans having fun. That’s why I think that the more performances we do, the more we can get to that feeling again.
――It might be rude of me to ask, but I think that there are people out there who have been searching for someone like Sakurai Atsushi.
Y: I think so too. When I’m alone I’d end up spacing out and start wondering what Acchan would do if he were here…… Things like that. So I think that’s definitely true. Because he was a beloved person after all.
――Back to the topic of your album, the lyrics really leave an impression, and you could say that a lot of them ooze with the feelings of this moment.
Y: That’s of course. Hard to expect otherwise when something this big, this overwhelming happened.
――Is there a song which left the deepest impression on you?
Y: I suppose…… the last track.
――Tasogare no Howling.
Y: I feel like this is the one song that we approached most differently so far. It’s a song that feels slow, but it’s kind of…… It feels like we’ve matured (lol).
――Matured (lol).
Y: Although it’s weird to say it at this age.
――But I somewhat understand. Something like how such things do happen and how we can’t stay innocent forever even though that’s a matter of fact.
Y: Yeah. It’s not about feeling sad, or happy, or lonely. It’s the coming and going of suddenly feeling like you’re in a daze and rooted to the spot. I think this album is really well done.
――What do you think the four of you will make next?
Y: That goes along with how thing have always been. Even as a band of five, when asked what our next album is going to be like, we’d answer, “I don’t know anything as of now.” But when we perform across the country after the album is released, something will come into our grasp and we’ll turn that into an asset of ours, before moving on to the next thing.
――And that’s what you’ve always done, over and over again.
Y: That’s right. But I don’t think we’ll ever be able to create a world view like 異空 -IZORA-, the last one we made with Acchan. It’s a detached one. That, I think, is impossible now.
――Makes you wonder why Sakurai-san got so detached.
Y: That’s all of us, actually. You wouldn’t have thought that Imai-kun who gave me canned coffee in his room during our high school days would later become a band musician who writes hundreds of songs, right? (Lol)
――Hahahaha. The fact that things changed so much.
Y: That’s the feeling of having done this all this time. As a way of life, I suppose it’s the same for all of us humans. That’s probably what it means to grow.
――That everyone became detached.
Y: But there’s just one thing that’s special to us, and that’s the fact that we’ve always been in this one same band all this time. With the same line up, without any breaks. That’s why Acchan, Imai-kun rapidly changed from the way we were when we messed around without a care in the world, to the incredible vocalist and songwriter we know. But because we’ve always been around each other, we also know the sides of them that haven’t changed from back then. It’s our fortune to have been able to see this. I wanted to keep on watching but……
――Yeah.
Y: But we have decided to continue as a band of four, and I believe that we didn’t make the wrong choice. This is probably up to how much sincerity we will face our fans with, and work on the band with from now on. I want to make sure that whatever we do won’t tarnish the long time we’ve spent together as a band of five.
_______________________
Yagami Toll
text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
Above all, that Imai is gonna sing ballads?
If he was only thinking about himself he wouldn’t go in such a direction.
――I heard rehearsals have begun.
Toll (T): They sure have. Unlike the recording sessions, these carry quite the sense of incongruity (lol).
――Well, you’ve just begun after all.
T: There isn’t much of a problem for drums. It’s just that the overall atmosphere is completely unlike what it’s been before. We’re only four people now so the feeling has changed from the sight of us alone, and because this is where we are, we had to start by figuring out what type of mic to use and we had to think about our positions too. Hide will be singing as a vocalist for the first time. Imai has done it before, but in the past, he could wander around the stage like some projectile while now, he has to sing the lead melodies properly. Imai’s gonna sing a ballad, y’know? Completely unprecedented.
――Sure is.
T: It feels as if we just made our debut despite our age. I think our fans would probably welcome us kindly. But we don’t want to take advantage of that. We want to put on a show that is properly satisfying, that would motivate our audience to come and watch us again. But there’s really no way to know [how things would turn out] until we start.
――You mentioned that although you felt the absence of a once constant presence during recording, it didn’t feel that strange?
T: That’s right. Both Imai and Hoshino are excellent composers so I know that they will write good music. And I also figured that we’re definitely going to have instrumental tracks. In contrast, drum parts are now very simple.
――Meaning?
T: There are a lot of simple drumming patterns along the lines of simply maintaining the rhythm. It’s just my guess, but both Imai and Hoshino have to sing, so they probably made things this way because they’re being conscious of that fact. Thus far, Acchan has always been able to sing perfectly no matter how convoluted the chord progression but now, suddenly, that’s not possible so they have to make sure they don’t dig their own graves (lol).
――Hahahaha. Recording work isn’t any different than what it’s been before, right?
T: That’s right, same goes for the way we do things. There were no changes in our staff team either. It’s still the same studio too. Nothing’s changed apart from the fact that Acchan isn’t here. I guess we tried as much as possible to have the same roster of staff. Because it’d mess things up if there were such sudden changes.
――How are the members of the band faring from Yagami-san’s point of view?
T: There were many moments where it’s clear they’re doing their best, but I suppose everyone generally appears calm? Things are really on fire and it’s actually an emergency situation but without putting that into words, we started and finished recording work and rehearsals as per usual…… Ah, but with Yuta, before we began band rehearsals for the concerts, the two of us went into the studio.
――That’s rare.
T: It’s the first time in decades. Until now, I was of the mind that it wouldn’t be too good if we did this too much so we refrained from it. Because then our rhythm would become too rigid. Yuta and I are brothers after all, so no matter what we do, it wouldn’t be as if we were playing with strangers.
――Is that bad?
T: When two unrelated persons compete against each other, things will come together to create a groove. Even though this is true, at the same time, Yuta will say things like, “I’ll become Anii’s shadow.” He’s always been serious about such things since young, so you could say he’s stubborn (lol). It’s only natural that the younger brother supports the older brother, that’s his line of thought. That’s not good within a band, so I believe we should stop rehearsal sessions where it’s just the two of us, hone our own grooves and bring that back to the band.
――I see.
T: That’s why I say that it’s better that we don’t rehearse together and play as if we’re strangers (lol). In the first place, the rhythm section doesn’t really rehearse anyway. And despite that, in the past, magazines would always say, “They’re brothers so it’s only natural that they’d groove together”. I’d feel pressured by that so I’d say, “Yuta! Practice time. We’re going to strengthen our rhythm!” and every free moment we have we’d go to the studio. But I’ve come to realise that’s not good, y;know?
――So what made you decide to rehearse this time?
T: It was a suggestion from our staff, our junior from Fujioka High School and has been my drum tech since we performed at Shinjuku JAM. The idea came to us because he said, “Why not take this opportunity to rehearse as brothers?”
――In other words, at this time, with the band starting activities again as a four-piece band……
T: It was a “why revisit your roots” kind of suggestion. It could be that he started from such a place too. Both Yuta and I were kind of reminded of the past. Although it’s a little embarrassing at this age, y’know? But it’s good that we did this at this point in time.
――This album steps away from frontman Sakurai Atsushi’s worldview and has turned out to be something with quite some freedom and variety.
T: I think this is a good thing in itself. We should be free to do whatever we want. Because our second era already began the moment the four of us came together to talk and decide that we will keep going without breaking the band up. It’s good that our song composers Imai and Hoshino write whatever comes to mind for them. Besides, there’s no need for us to recreate the past.
――That’s true.
T: Even so, there’s no way that the two of them can do it while ignoring our fans and the BUCK-TICK vibe that we’ve built thus far. You’ll get it when you listen to this album. There may be electronic music and instrumental tracks, but it’s fundamentally still music and songs made by a band. Above all, that Imai is gonna sing ballads? If he was only thinking about himself he wouldn’t go in such a direction.
I believe that Acchan would be happiest if we can show him
how cool we are now as the four-member BUCK-TICK
――There’s a really wide variety of music and a large number of tracks in this album, isn’t there?
T: I think they wanted to go through this worldview thoroughly. But I don’t think our old songs will just disappear. We’ll probably rearrange them and make them singable for Imai and Hoshino. Like what we did with Koroshi no Shirabe. This might be difficult with songs that are too saturated with Acchan’s style, but we should be able to make things work. Because we’re a band who made such an album even though we’ve lost an absolute vocalist.
――That’s exactly right.
T: I think we’re doing some unprecedented things as they progress. Outside of Japan, band names, or rather, their brands tend to be preserved. Like Deep Purple who has had a number of vocalist changes to the point where no one remembers the very first was Rod Evans (lol). You can’t be that unsentimental in Japan. We’re like that too, so we decided against bringing in a different vocalist and have Imai and Hoshino sing. But even so, carrying on this brand is pretty tough.
――And yet, you’re doing it.
T: Well, we’re a band who’s been around for almost 40 years after all, right? We [the band] are not the only ones who went through those years. When I think about that, I do believe that retaining the BUCK-TICK name as we continue activities is the right move. This definitely won’t be easy, but the person who started this band, Imai said we’ll do it so we will.
――He himself denies it but I think that takes a lot of resolve.
T: Because it’d be easier if we just reintroduced ourselves as a new band, right? But that’s not what we’re doing. That’s our graciousness towards the people who have shared their lives with BUCK-TICK. But the one who came up with the name “BUCK-TICK” was Imai to begin with, and we started out with the intention to create a kind of weird pop-rock band unlike any before. After that, Acchan’s awareness skyrocketed and his worldview steered the band, but our beginnings were simply that [pop-rock band]. I feel that this album is an extension of the band [Imai] envisioned right in the very beginning.
――I see.
T: I guess that’s why I think it’s fine for them to do whatever they want. For me, I’m just staying put here until BUCK-TICK ceases anyway (lol). I went to get my fortune read recently, and it appears that when I’m allowed to quit is not up to me (lol).
――I see.
T: It’s not as if I can find a job now either (lol). Well, for now, we’re going to have to work hard in getting others to recognise us as the four members of BUCK-TICK. We’re newbies so I’m even thinking that it might be better if we did in-store events like we used to (lol). Holding our CDs and saying things like, “We’re a new band, please support us!” That’s pretty much how I feel now.
――I’ll say it again, to keep going despite it all takes an amazing amount of resolve.
T: If we gave up here, I think Acchan would say, “What the hell? Y’all are giving up the moment I’m gone?” Everyone probably thinks the same. Because he’s the kind of person who would definitely say that. It’s obviously true, isn’t it? This is the guy who sang until the very end, right? Doesn’t that show you just how tenacious he is?
――Right, that’s true.
T: He’s someone who hates being the one who drags others down. He’d get angry and be all, “What? You’re quitting just because I’m not here? You’re kidding me!” Because he’s the kind of person who would get fired up if he sees that happening. When we were in our indies phase, he often said one thing. “BUCK-TICK aren’t pushovers.” Back then, we’d receive challenge letters saying things like, “We’re coming to thrash your shows.” And when that happens, Acchan would start arming himself with a bat or something as if he’s preparing for war (lol).
――Hahahahaha.
T: A wild dog of the indies scene. Worked his way up. You’ll understand how such a person thinks after being with him for such a long time.
――And even after you can’t play anymore. Do you think you’d feel the same way?
T: I believe I would. If I can’t drum good anymore then I’ll go scout a good drummer in (lol). That’s what a band is like. When I heard the news, even I thought it was the end, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that Acchan would’ve wanted us to keep going.
――The song lyrics in this album, naturally, felt as if they were written for Sakurai-san and the fans.
T: Does feel like it, doesn’t it? I think this album will probably be quite appreciated. Because in a way, it’s still an extension of early BUCK-TICK. That’s why I think that our next album is where we’ll get a real review. We have no idea what kind of response we’d get when we perform live, and we’re still figuring out where we’re heading next but that’s something to look forward to.
――Indeed.
T: Also, this is off topic, but when Jim Morrison of the Doors died, the remaining three band members made an album, right?
――After his death, they did release two albums under the Doors. Vocals were handled by the remaining members too.
T: I have that record and I knew Acchan liked the Doors so I asked him, “Do you want the Doors abum that the three members made after Jim Morisson’s death?” And he said, “Nope.” (Lol)
――Hahahaha, where’s this going?
T: He liked Jim Morrison. And I believe we have fans who are more or less like that too. But that can’t be helped, right? To these fans, I have nothing but gratitude too. But despite that, we’ll continue playing as a band, as BUCK-TICK.
――But unlike the Doors, BUCK-TICK has Imai Hisashi and, above all, you’re a band who’s been at it for almost 40 years. These are facts.
T: Right. We have people who have walked through life with us together through all these years. And we don’t want to leave that behind. This four-man BUCK-TICK will be making great things as a rockband going forward. We’re still figuring out our live performances, but it’ll definitely turn out great. All I can say is, please have a look.
――Indeed.
T: Before we started production work, we talked about things of various dimensions. Like reproducing Acchan’s voice with “A”, or recording and completing unreleased takes. But it was inelegant, and most of all, we felt that Acchan would definitely be unhappy about it. While there might be a possibility that those would one day see the light of day, I believe that Acchan would be happiest if we can show him how cool we are now as the four-member BUCK-TICK.
『スブロサ SUBROSA』
The Band’s Album Commentary
1. 百万那由多ノ塵SCUM
(Hyakuman Nayuta no Chiri SCUM)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: This is about, human life since the creation of mankind. I was sure that this was definitely going to be the first track. Hide was pussing for スブロサ SUBROSA but I didn’t give in (lol).
Hoshino: Imai-san said he wanted this to be the first track. This song has the members of the band coming in one by one. First, Imai-san sings, then my guitar comes in, followed by Yuta, and finally Anii. It seems like that’s what he wanted to do. The lyrics were also written by Imai-san so it’s not quite for me to say, but they’re straightforward, aren’t they? I guess it’s what this one year has been for BUCK-TICK, or, well, I think there are a few different emotions in there.
Higuchi: A song that says, “Let’s get started.” The message it wants to send is clear so I tried to make sure that my playing didn’t obstruct the song. That’s why I didn’t really change the bass parts from what Imai-kun had in the demo tape. Coming in with whole notes, calmly. Really simple. I like how its the programming track and a guitar, with Imai-kun’s voice on top of it, then the bass quietly comes in, the drums sound, and everything becomes one.
2. スブロサ SUBROSA
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Higuchi: When I heard the demo, Imai-kun’s let quite an impression. This song had me feeling like this would become a song that’s representative of this four-man BUCK-TICK. I also anticipated that this would be the [album] title. I listened to a demo with the same title that Imai-kun made for the previous album but I have no recollection of it (lol). As usual, I played the bass part from start to end, all the way through. I think I did around five takes. Rather than recording things phrase by phrase, I was looking for a good performance with the producer among those. Thanks to that, there’s a human flavour it in, like an undulating feeling despite the fact that this is a very digital sounding track.
3. 夢遊猫 SLEEP WALK
(Muyuubyou SLEEP WALK)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Higuchi: This is another song I like. It was in the running to be made a single, this trippy latin-sounding song. I think it’s a type of song that BUCK-TICK has never really made so far. Whether it’s a deliberate challenge or just a coincidence, there’s a variety of rhythm patterns in this album and that goes for this track too. The vibe is difficult so I added quite a bit of inflection to my bass playing.
4. From Now On
Lyrics/Music: Hoshino Hidehiko
Hoshino: A dancey track. The process of making it went very smoothly and I actually quite enjoyed the work. Till now, I more often than not try to make the demo vocals sound as Japanese as possible but this was in English. It’s just that it was written in a really straightforward manner, emotionally speaking. These are words that we could tell ourselves, and I guess you could say it’s a message we want to convey to our fans and the people around us. “It’s alright, don’t worry”. It’s not random, but you could say that I wanted there to be words to move us forward or something. That’s how I felt writing it.
5. Rezisto
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: “Disgorging of a pig’s entrails is his voice (Buta no zoumotsu wo maki chirasu no wa kare no koe / 豚の臓物をまきちらすのは彼の声)” is, as you’d guess, about Endo Michiro of The Stalin. Coming up with this line wasn’t deliberate on my part. It just naturally came to mind. Programming music is forefront here, but we were quite particular about the bass.
6. 神経質な階段
(Shinkeishitsu na Kaidan)
Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: I’m the one who came up with the title but my intention was to name it something intriguing. I thought it sounded interesting for stairs to be nerve-wracking. Call it noise made by the synthesiser or an ambient sound, but this chord progression feels intricate, which I personally like. The bass thrums in with whole notes, but that’s what got included after Yuta said he wanted to play something, anything really, and I asked him to go ahead.
Higuchi: Imai’s demo version was already the complete track, but I wanted my bass included. It’s interesting how it mixes with that 70s-sounding synth that feels inescapable. Midway, they said to play whole notes, so there were subtle changes there. I wonder what it’d be like if we were to play this live. Maybe I’ll appear on stage alone halfway through (lol).
7. 雷神 風神 – レゾナンス #rising
(Raijin Fuujin – Resonance #rising)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Hoshino: The duet idea came from Imai. “I’ll sing the first part so you’ll sing the next.” “Ah, OK.” That’s how it went. It was a completely valid thing to do, and it’s not as if there were any rules or restrictions. This structure where Imai-san and I both sing makes it much easier to grasp so we decided to make this the single first. Well, it lets people look ahead to what BUCK-TICK will be like from now on, and moreover, it’s an easy to understand pop song that draws the listener in. Even the lyrics hype things up from the very start. Isn’t it good? It feels like it’s saying, “Let’s boldly set off on the parade again.”
Yagami: A classic beat. Also known as the golden eight beat rhythm. It’s the basic of basics that beginners learn but how do you get a good groove out of that? I drummed with the pride of someone who’s been doing this for 47 years. It’s precisely because the beat is simple that it has such weight. When I heard the title, Jomo Karuta’s “雷と空っ風 義理人情 (rai to karakkaze giri ninjou)” card came to mind. Despite the fact that it’s normally “風神雷神 (fuujin raijin)”, it’s the opposite here, so why? I asked Imai this question and he said, “Huh? ‘Cuz Gunma.” (Lol)
8. 冥王星で死ね
(Mieousei de Shine)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Yagami: Afrobeat, through and through. It’s been a while since I drummed this rhythm. You can’t drum this without using timbales, so they also had to be brought ouf for the first time in a while. But the pitch is lower so it doesn’t really sound like timbales are present here. They’ve originally got a more shallow sound. In any case, I just had to keep drumming here. I have to keep the beat going to the end so it’s, in short, tiring. There are a lot of rhythms that sound like they loop in this album, but this tops them all. Drumming all the way through would have me drenched in sweat. Staff would ask, “Do you want to do it again?”, and it just feels like I’ve been made to do a thousand practice drills.
9. 遊星通信
(Yuusei Tsuushin)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Yagami: This was another tough one. A song which sounds like old classic hard rock. What makes it interesting is that Imai was the one who composed it. It’s similar to Boogie Woogie in terms of genre, but the beat is more intense here. It’s hard rock, so it takes a lot of work. And I have to China cymbals so the settings for my drums had to change quite a bit for this song. It’s a song that’s rather worth the effort to me, as a drummer.
10. paradeno mori
Lyrics/Music: Hoshino Hidehiko
Hoshino: Just like the title, lyrics from a bunch of our old songs are strung together here. I didn’t intend to write like this but all these phrases kept coming to me so…… Well, I guess I’m writing this. And I progressed from there. I think this is one of those songs with lyrics that I want to hold on to. But I did want to give it a major scale, up-tempo feeling. With a nice vibe. Keeping live performances in mind, I also really wanted it to liven up the mood.
11. ストレリチア
(Strelitzia)
Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: I messed around with the original version of this track at home and somehow found a starting point and then built it up from there. That’s why I don’t really have a concept (lol). When I brought it into the studio and let the others listen to it, someone said, “Don’t you think a sitar would sound good in this?”. I thought of doing that with an effector but it just so happened that we have a sitar guitar so I thought, well, then let’s get Hide to play his lines with this.
12. 絶望という名の君へ
(Zetsubou to Iu Na no Kimi e)
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Hoshino Hidehiko
Imai: Come to think of it, it’s the first time I wrote lyrics for Hide’s music. He told me to “write something that tugs at the heart” but I was thinking about how the melody is essentially that of a ballad. It already feels emotional so I decided to write strong lyrics that don’t draw upon that. Instead of making it [a message] to someone, I made something that could be relatable to anyone and everyone, about a way of life.
Hoshino: I was thinking, I want something to sing. Only the music was composed by me for this one. I thought, if I asked Imai-san to write the lyrics, he’d definitely come up with something good. Most of all, I wanted to us to collaborate, make something together instead of doing it all on my own. That’s why all I said to Imai-san was, “write something that tugs at the heart.” But when I saw what he wrote…… It has power, has kindness. I thought they were great. And for me, it feels good when I sing it.
13. TIKI TIKI BOOM
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Higuchi: The bass has a rap-like rhythm that follows Imai-kun’s rapping. It was difficult but this song ended up with interesting bass lines. It wasn’t something we decided to do ahead of time, he simply told me I’m free to do it however I wanted so I gave it a go. There are only two rhythm patterns or so, but I tried out different cuts. I thought it was interesting how it comes together with Imai-kun when I cut according to the rhythm. And when Imai-kun sings the flat parts, I’d make the “chaka-chika-chaka-chika” sound with the bass.
14. プシュケー – PSYCHE –
Lyrics: Imai Hisashi
Music: Hoshino Hidehiko
Hoshino: This is another one where I composed the music then asked Imai-san to write the lyrics. It’s okay when I have a strong theme in mind, but I have difficulty with writing lyrics. That’s why this time, [I simply asked Imai with a] “Imai-san, I’ll leave this to you”. So, this song, generally, the melody has something stylistic remaining in it. There were parts where I sang while being somewhat conscious of the facial expressions I’m making. Of course, I can’t imitate Sakurai-san, and I think it’s as good as impossible to compare with a vocalist who had been doing this for over 30 years. But I’ve already decided to be realistic about it and this time, I’m singing it in my own style.
15. ガブリエルのラッパ
(Gabriel no Rappa)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: When I looked it up, I found out that it’s supposed to be a shape that represents “the connection between the finite and the infinite” but I just found that out (lol). I didn’t title it with that in mind. To me, the horn (rappa / ラッパ) is a sign that something has happened, or is going to happen. Like sticky notes in a book. At first, what I imagined wasn’t “Gabriel (ガブリエル)” but something along the lines of “Angel’s Horn (tenshi no rappa / 天使のラッパ)” but I eventually decided to title it “Gabriel’s Horn (Gabriel no rappa / ガブリエルのラッパ)” because it sounded more evocative.
Higuchi: This is another unique song. It’s pretty much one chord from the start to the end. It’s one of the typical BUCK-TICK elements we’ve always had, isn’t it? That’s why the same melody goes round and around on the whole, making it feel like a song that would loop around in your head so much that it shows up in your dreams (lol). But maybe, on the contrary, because of that, whatever Imai-kun is saying slides straight into your head. The impact of his words comes through.
16. 海月
(Kurage)
Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: A song that feels somewhat like jellyfish floating. That’s why I left that as the title without thinking any further. It was made largely through programming and I thought it was fine as it was, but right at the end of recording, the keytar (a keyboard-like instrument in the shape of a guitar) I ordered arrived so I decided to use that and add some sounds.
17. 黄昏のハウリング
(Tasogare no Howling)
Lyrics/Music: Imai Hisashi
Imai: It’s a song that’s calm but actually has quite a lot of melody to it. From the start, I wanted this to be a song with the same phrases repeating over and over, without much emotion. I also didn’t envision anything for this track at all but once I had written about a third of the lyrics, I got the sense that this would be the title of the song. And from there, this song became more concrete in various directions.
Yagami: This is a masterpiece. When I first heard the demo, I got the impression that this was probably going to be the last track in the album. There are a lot of songs in this album that sound like they’re dedicated to Acchan but even among them all, this song in particular feels very much like one in its lyrics, melody, and sound despite how calm it sounds.
Editor’s File
text by Kanemitsu Hirofumi
Tomorrow comes for everyone. This album is a light for those who are lost
And that, is what we call hope
In all honesty, I never expected that they would finish an album so quickly.
From the members’ perspective, of course, they have suddenly lost a lifelong friend they’ve know since high school. How deep a sadness they were dealt from this is unimaginable. Then, from the band’s perspective, it’s the loss of the frontman with an overwhelming presence who had woven together their worldview until now.
Normally, it’s hard to think about the future so soon. Just like what Higuchi said, take a year off and use that time to think about what’s next. I initially expected that they would need such an interval. They could’ve gone on a hiatus, break up the band and form a new one, those are all valid options too.
They’ll be a band of four. There were probably no objections of any sort among them. But will they continue as BUCK-TICK? I can imagine that apart from Imai, there was more or less uncertainty in them all. How well will people accept “BUCK-TICK without Sakurai Atsushi”? There are too many unknowns.
You could probably also imagine that the songs that they will make from now on will differ quite a bit from what they have made so far. Songs that they can no longer perform will also surface. If that’s the case, you’d think that it’s better to change the name of the band and start from scratch again, just like how Joy Division became New Order after they lost Ian Curtis. You’d also think doing this would make the band feel less burdened.
But the four of them did none of that. They didn’t end BUCK-TICK, or, no, perhaps, it’s that they couldn’t put an end to it. This is probably a kindness to the fans who have made BUCK-TICK a part of their lives and walked this far with them, and to those who have similarly lost important people in their lives. It’s probably also because they personally feel that he’ll always be somewhere near they led to this.
Despite such uncertainty, they moved quickly. Or rather, it could be that they wouldn’t be able to bear it if they didn’t make a move too. It was decided that Hoshino would record vocals, and he provided four tracks for the album. He even wrote lyrics for two of them. Considering his junior mentality, this is an unimaginable change in his stance.
As if drawn by that energy, Higuchi and Yagami began recording and life returned to its usual pace. The fact that the two of them recently started rehearsing the rhythm section together before a live performance could also be seen as a sign of their increased awareness.
And Imai. He started putting together demos last year, and the band held their year-end show at the Nippon Budokan as a “BUCK-TICK Genshou (バクチク現象)”. The show utilised Sakurai’s video footage and voice tracks, making it distinctly different, and a requiem as well. And then, as the New Year came and went, his speed of demo creation went up. In April, they started going into the studio and after spending a long time recording, they produced a voluminous 17-track album.
His driving force. It’s probably to avoid facing the reality that he is no longer around by resuming what’s regular day-to-day life for them; composing music, recording songs, and performing live.
“From that moment, I forcefully pulled down (the shutters).”
These words that Imai said in his Ongaku to Hito interview are probably the only ones in recent interviews that reflect his true feelings. If he did nothing, this reality would start slipping in through the gaps of the shutters. And to forget that, he would write music, play in the band.
He had always said similar things in past interviews. It was probably the time I asked about Sekai wa Yami de MIchiteiru (世界は闇で満ちている). He said, “In this world, you won’t always be happy but I believe that you’re free to do whatever you want.” And then, he said, “If I wrote about negative things, I find myself becoming like that so I don’t like doing that.” That’s why he depicted a world bathed in light.
Yet in this album, even if he’s kept the shutters closed, the uneasiness and nebulous emptiness that sits somewhere in his heart still surface in his words. Rather than the diversity of sound, it is this raw emotion that gives the album its structure.
Death comes suddenly Without explanation
Upon this death the autumn sun shines brilliant Nevertheless, without explanation
(死は突然にやってくる 何の説明もなく
その死の上に秋の陽は輝きわたる やはり何の説明もなく)
Listening to スブロサ SUBROSA, these words by the recently deceased poet Tanikawa Shuntaro comes to mind. If being sad can turn back time, I’ll be as sad as I can. However, that’s not how it works. Tomorrow comes for everyone. This album is a light for those who are lost. And that, is what we call hope.
AFTERSHOW
BUCK-TICK
October 15th. The day of the photoshoot, also for the cover of Ongaku to Hito. But first, we started with PHY’s. The first to arrive at the studio was Anii who kept poking about Hanshin Tigers’ sudden back-to-back defeats to Yokohama in the first stage of the professional baseball Climax Series two days earlier. Looking at this with disdain was younger brother Yuta-san. “Well, if everything goes smoothly, it’ll be the Giants!” said the comfortable Anii but any baseball fan would know who the eventual winners were (lol).
While Yuta was getting his makeup done, he picked up a magazine by Otani Hanpei that the editor-in-chief, Kanemitsu, had bought at a convenience store to kill time, and in many ways he was escaping reality. The shoot was being done in an old detached house studio so the backyard had a wall covered in greenery and when Yuta-san leaned against it, insects burst out in attack and he ran away, screaming, “Whoaa, bugs!”
Speaking of which, Imai-san ended up getting bitten by mosquitoes out of season, making his chest turn red. Our apologies.
And the next shooting location was an old factory in Kawasaki, also the filming location for popular Netflix production, Tokyo Swindlers. When this was mentioned to the band, Imai-san and Hoshino-san reacted with an, “Eh!” It looks like everyone has watched it.
Then, exactly one month after this shoot, on November 15th, we conducted these interviews in the record company’s premises. Assuming that rehearsals for the live show would have been done, we conducted these interview very close to our deadline. For the first ten minutes, I was anxiously talking to Yuta-san about the free agent issue revolving around Hanshin’s main batter, Ohyama. Then, I discussed the issue of the Giants not being able to participate in the Japan Series despite winning the pennant race with Anii.
Hoshino-san was then interviewed by Ishii-san when Imai-san confidently arrived in a green souvenir jacket. They had a radio session after the interview so this was the first interviews done without accompanying alcohol for the first time in a while. Imai-san said that he had a show to go to, that he wanted to see Otoboke Beaver.
Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: Yoshiyuki