Archive for August, 2005

L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka – 14th August 2005

This is the translated script of the radio show that aired on 14th August 2005 on FM Osaka’s Sunday Special. I translated this by ear, from an mp3 of the show. I strongly suggest listening to the mp3 of the show as you read along in order to get the best effect.

Begin

(The intro plays : part of Spirit Dreams Inside and STAY AWAY with a voice saying Welcome to Osaka)

hyde : L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka.
All : AWAKE at Osaka.
Voice : L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka.

Host : Good evening! Hamahira Kyouko here. It is now Sunday the 14th of August and the time is 8 pm. You’ve waited long enough! As of now we are broadcasting FM Osaka’s Sunday Special, L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka. The members of L’Arc~en~Ciel are here with us for an hour’s time and I think we’ll have a good time together. The members of L’Arc~en~Ciel have entered the studio. Please, let us hear your voices, one at a time! Good to have you!

tetsu : Good evening! … tetsu here.
Host : This is tetsu-san.

yukihiro : Konbanmi! (Note : A strange variation of Konbanwa, which means good evening)
yukihiro : (giggles) yukihiro here.
Host : (laughs) Konbanmi! yukihiro-san here.

hyde : Eh… That’s gonna be hard to say, later.
Host : (laughs)
hyde : Good evening. hyde here.
host : hyde-san here.

ken : Good evening! ken here!
Host : ken-san here! Good to have you!
All : Good to be here.

Host : And so let’s start off. Ah, we have many topics to cover. First, I think we should put on a song for everyone. Since this program is highlighting the album AWAKE, let’s start with the first number from there! Could we have the songwriter, yukihiro-san, introduce the song, please?
yukihiro : New World.

(New World plays)

Host : We have just heard L’Arc~en~Ciel’s New World. FM Osaka Sunday Special, L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka is in full swing. Once again, we welcome L’Arc~en~Ciel to our studio. It’s a pleasure to work with you!

All : It’s great to be here!

Host : While we were listening to New World, it seems tetsu-san was greatly enjoying his look out the window.
tetsu : Right, it’s a lovely view.
Host : Isn’t it? Thank you very much. It’s a point of pride, you know?
tetsu : It is!
Host : Since we’re on the seventh floor of the building. It can be rather dazzling. OK! Today is the 14th of August, it’s the middle of summer, it’s quite hot. Also, the movie, Fullmetal Alchemist : Conqueror of Shambala is in theatres. I think most listeners already know that. In fact, I already went to see it, myself. The opening theme to this movie happens to be L’Arc~en~Ciel’s Link. The single was released July 20th, and, ah… I’d like to ask hyde-san about this single.
hyde : Mm.
Host : When you were working on creating this single’s lyrics, what sort of things were influencing you most?
hyde : Hm, let’s see. I didn’t want to lose to the movie. The movie was made
very passionately, there are lots of stars involved, and I didn’t want to be defeated by that spirit. I thought it would be best to find a certain synergy, and work with that. Not to say that it depends entirely on the movie, but if the movie does well then so will this song. I wanted it to be a good song, too.
Host : Of course, you must be very familiar with the story of Fullmetal Alchemist, and I heard that you had meetings with the staff of the movie, too.
hyde : Yes, yes. I did.
Host : How about the title, Link? What’s the meaning behind it?
hyde : Hm, well, seeing the original, watching the videos and so on, what stands out is the bond between those two brothers, right? I thought that was wonderful. So I translated that bond into English.

Host : So… I’d like to hear about the other parts involved, as well. For the guitar, ken-san…
ken : Yes!
Host : About this number, Link.
ken : Yes.
Host : Could you tell us about what kind of feeling you get from performing this song?
ken : Yeah. It’s summer-like, so I played with a refreshing feel.
Host : Ah, it has a light and bouncy feel to it.
ken : It does, yeah.
Host : Hm, during the recording, how many guitars did you need?
ken : For that one, not many. More than just the one, so really just two. And once in a while I took out a third one.
Host : Ah, I see (laughs). And it seems there were two basses used. tetsu-san used two, right.
ken : Right, right.
Host : (In a different voice) Ah, so that’s how it is. Now let’s ask yukihiro-san.
yukihiro : Yes.
Host : As a drummer, what did you think of Link? What were you made aware of?
yukihiro : Um, I played with a springy feeling.

Host : Ah… And now the one who composed the song, tetsu-san.
tetsu : Yes.
Host : How was it this time? For this song.
tetsu : Oh yeah, well… Hm, since it’s an anime opening, I thought it should be a song little kids can enjoy, too.
Host : Hearing you mention young children just now reminds me… When I went to the the Fullmetal Alchemist movie at the theatre, how to explain… They had a showcase displaying the soundtrack, as well as Link, very prominently, and there were kids, elementary school aged, looking like they wanted it very much. And their moms got there, took out their wallets, and bought it for them.
tetsu : They must have been happy.

Host : Yes! They must have been. I think that this summer, and even later, this song will mean something to all kinds of people. Also, I’ve seen the promotion video. There were many different age groups making an appearance, as well as having all the members performing, so I thought it was very interesting. It even looked like you were playing from the bottom of the pool. I wondered how that must have been to film.
hyde : It was pretty tough.
Host : (laughs) Was it? It must have taken a long time (laughs). But, while you were making this promotional video, ken-san…

ken : I broke my foot midway through, yeah.
Host : During that video, right?
ken : By the time we were filming that pool scene, it was already broken so…
Host : Oh, was it?
ken : So I couldn’t stand on that foot (laughs).
Host : And so now that foot is recovering. I’m glad (laughs).
ken : I’ll remember…
Host : This promotion video (laughs). I’m sure you will.
ken : Yes.

Host : yukihiro-san, what were you up to during the making of this promotion video?
yukihiro : Eeehh….. I was worried about ken-chan.
Host : Hmmm…
ken : Liar! (laughter) You just played video games the whole time. (much laughing) Actually, the only game he played was Katamari Damacy.
Host : Yes yes yes.
ken : He played that.
Host : That’s the one with the rolling.
ken : That’s right. So, I was always there watching him. I saw him get very close to complete, but I didn’t get to see the end.
Host : Ohh…
ken : But, I was there until the end. (laughter)
Host : While he was worrying, he completed the game.
ken : Yeah, right.
Host : I see. Thank you very much. Now we’ve been talking about Link and discussing its promotion video, so I think we will now listen to L’Arc~en~Ciel’s latest single. It is also the opening theme to Fullmetal Alchemist : Conqueror of Shambala. L’Arc~en~Ciel, Link.

(Link plays)

Host : We have just heard Link by L’Arc~en~Ciel. Released July 20th, this is their most recent single. Today on FM Osaka Sunday Special we are broadcasting L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka. I am here with everyone from L’Arc~en~Ciel for a full hour. Now, moving on, also included with the Link single was a number from P’UNK~EN~CIEL. I think we’ll be hearing that, too. This time, it was a TETSU P’UNK production.

TETSU P’UNK : Yes.
Host : Ah yes, right now in the studio we actually have P’UNK~EN~CIEL.
TETSU P’UNK : (sighing) Yes.
Host: (laughs) It was a TETSU P’UNK-san production. As it was being produced, which points did you attach the most importance to?
TETSU P’UNK : Aahh…
Host : (laughs)
TETSU P’UNK : Uhhhhm… That stuff.
Host : (laughing)
TETSU P’UNK : Well yeah. Every time, one of us takes a turn producing the P’UNK song, for P’UNK~EN~CIEL. And it so happens that this time it’s my turn. So, yeah. That’s how it is.
Host : And the choice of which song to use was also up to you, TETSU P’UNK.
TETSU P’UNK : That’s right.
Host : Why did you choose to do this one, Promised Land?
TETSU P’UNK : Um… I wanted to sing it.
Host : Mmhmm, mmhmm, it’s just that there seems to be more of an unworried feeling to this 2005 version.
TETSU P’UNK : That’s true. Compared to the original, the key’s gone down a notch. Also, I tried singing it in falsetto.
Host : That’s what you meant by those whispers, earlier.
TETSU P’UNK : (whispery) That’s right…
Host : (also whispery) Speaking as TETSU P’UNK-san.
TETSU P’UNK : (still whispery) Yes, I need the practice…

Host : (laughs) Thank you very much! Let’s move on. With the questions. Of course, each of you are now playing or singing different parts than you do as L’Arc~en~Ciel, so I think it must also feel different. How did you first think up the idea to try performing with this setup? TETSU P’UNK-san.
TETSU P’UNK : It first started a long time ago. We would change parts a lot, like for the encore of a live. So it evolved from that.
Host : And how is it now? Since this makes it the fifth time, right? As P’UNK~EN~CIEL.
TETSU P’UNK : Yes, that’s right. Inexplicably, we’ve gotten good at it.
Host : That’s good.

Host : And… the other members too… Since the first piece of work as P’UNK~EN~CIEL, how do you think it has changed? What do you think, KEN P’UNK-san?
KEN P’UNK : As KEN P’UNK… I haven’t made any progress. (laughs)
Host : Really? But, you could have gotten advice from yukihiro-san since he wrote the original drum parts.
KEN P’UNK : We never talk about that (laughs).
Host : (lauhgs) yukihiro-san, what do you think of KEN P’UNK-san’s drumming?
yukihiro : It’s wonderful.
Host : Oh. He’s gotten better, of course, improving as you’ve gone through these last five productions.
yukihiro : Right. (laughs)
Host : There you have it, ken-san. I mean KEN P’UNK-san.
KEN P’UNK : Somehow, it’s like I can stay calmer now. It used to be that I couldn’t keep cool when I was drumming. As KEN P’UNK. Acquiring that composure is a big change, for KEN P’UNK. It’s totally unsettling.
Host : (laughs) Even though it’s unsettling, you still have fun with it, right?
KEN P’UNK : I can’t find out for sure.
Host : You play with all you’ve got?
KEN P’UNK : With all.. Um, er, it’s… it takes training.
Host : Aha.
KEN P’UNK : My heart grows prettier. Because of the training. It’s like when they walk on fire going “Papapa” (Note : I think he means a type of training monks do in order not to feel pain)
Host : (laughs) That really does take training.
KEN P’UNK : That kind of training. It’s a renewal.
Host : Putting your own body in a trance.
KEN P’UNK : Yeah. By getting rid of those human traits, you improve.
Host : (laughs) You do. But as KEN P’UNK, your performance is influenced by your experience as the guitarist, ken, right?
KEN P’UNK : Oh yeah, ken and KEN P’UNK are different people…
Host : Yes, right! So, please pass on my greetings to ken-san. (laughter)

Host : So, how about you, HYDE P’UNK-san?
HYDE P’UNK : Ah well.. kind of like what ken-chan said, except I don’t think I’ve gotten any more stoic (laughs).
Host : Oh… Ah, and now I think we will enjoy listening to the number from P’UNK~EN~CIEL that was included on the Link single, so let’s have the one who produced this song, TETSU P’UNK-san introduce the song.
TETSU P’UNK : Here’s Promised Land 2005 (Note : He said it as two zero zero five)

(Promised Land 2005 plays)

Host : Broadcasting from FM Osaka, this is Sunday Special : L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka. I’m your DJ, Hamahira Kyouko. The guests are, of course, L’Arc~en~Ciel’s hyde-san, yukihiro-san, tetsu-san and ken-san! It’s going fast. We’re already halfway through the program. I would like the remaining half to stand out even more than the first half. And so! As of August 6th, L’Arc~en~Ciel started up their AWAKE tour 2005 in Nagoya. They will also be giving us some shows here in Osaka. Those will be on Wednesday, August 17th, Thursday, August 18th, Saturday the 20th, and Sunday the 21st! That’s four days at Osaka-jo hall. Even more than last year’s SMILE tour. What can we expect to see during those four days? Before the actual lives come around, could you tell us a little something, hyde-san?
hyde : Eh, this time… Yeah, during the entertainment, I think it’ll be good to have a cool feeling going.
Host : Ohh…
hyde : Yeah.
Host : This tour is, of course, named for the album AWAKE, so I think it would be appropriate to take the talk in that direction. This is your tenth album as L’Arc~en~Ciel. While you were creating this piece of work, hyde-san, did you keep in mind that it was the tenth?
hyde : No, I didn’t. I only realized it later. When I noticed, it was just “Oh really?” and it was like a new realization. Like just another thing to make note of.

Host : Mmhmm, I see. It seems that creating this album took a particularly long time, or so I’ve heard. How did the recording go, as you made progress on this album AWAKE? Also, I’ve heard that ken-san was called the demon of the recording.
ken : I’m a demon?
Host : (laughs) So the rumours say.
ken : (laughs) Rumours go around the world…
Host : (laughs)
ken : Rumours make a lot of people out to be demons. (laughter)
Host : Like who?
ken : No one’s a demon, really.
Host : Although I’m sure all sorts of things must happen.
ken : Yeah. If you saw it all, you might find a demon (much laughter).
Host : Ok, other than that, ken-san, how was the recording for you this time around, for AWAKE?
ken : Oh, yeah… Umm, let’s see. I just tried to play this or that, somehow. And then, if it wasn’t working out I’d try something a little faster, and if not that then something shallow. Then I’d give, say, the shallow version a listen and do it again if that one was getting somewhere. So, by doing it that way, how can I put this, it feels like it caused a decrease in production.

Host : hyde-san, during this long recording process, twelve songs were produced, so did any piece in particular remain with you?
hyde : Ahh… Well, usually I always write the lyrics… Eh… None of them were easy to write (laughs).
Host : No easy spots (laughs).
hyde : That was kinda cold.
Host : (laughs)
ken : You know, I’d be thinking “Oh, hyde might change it!” and then he’d appear out of nowhere (laughter).
Host : He’d just be loitering around waiting to strike.
hyde : At first, I thought it would be good to stay close cause they’re hard to work with… This sounds like sucking up but, I’d stick around and suddenly be able to find lyrics for a song, right? But then, as soon as I did, I’d notice the drumming for a different song (laughter) and suddenly be stuck again.
Host : Mmhmm, mmhmm (laughs).
hyde : So I looked for all sorts of spots to work from.
Host : Ah. So you must have found your inspiration somewhere, well…
hyde : There was a spot I had to be in, or something like that. But it was cold there (laughter). On top, it was really really hot, but where I was it was totally freezing. Especially for my ears.
Host : I see.
hyde : I remember that.
Host : Ah, so while writing your lyrics, you were searching for the perfect spot. So! I understand that the one who came up with the album title AWAKE was also you, hyde-san. What does it mean to you?
hyde : Ah, well, first of all I wrote a lot of lyrics concerning love and peace. And so I kinda thought “How would it be if everyone awakened to this?”

Host : Ah, I see. The first song we heard on tonight’s broadcast, New World, it was also the first song on the album. Its lyrics were done by yukihiro-san, and the music is by yukihiro-san and hyde-san. It was also a single. This is what became the opening of the album. How does it feel to put on the album, and every time you put on AWAKE, you hear New World right away, yukihiro-san?
yukihiro : Mm… I… I thought it was good.
Host : Over and over again.
yukihiro : Yes.

Host : tetsu-san?
tetsu : Yes!
Host : About AWAKE. There was the creation process, then you saw it completed. Is there anything you still remember strongly about it?
tetsu : Uhmm… I kept on catching colds.
Host : Uh oh.
tetsu : It was amazing though, I’d say… That’s all I remember.
Host : I see. When you were recording, it was still the cold season, wasn’t it?
hyde : Yeah.
Host : So that’s why the room was cold, and why you caught colds.
tetsu : That’s right.
Host : I understand. Thank you very much. Now let’s listen to AWAKE. Also, you have these shows coming up at Osaka-jo hall, and I think the fans are greatly looking forward to them! Let’s now listen to two songs in a row taken from AWAKE. Let’s have ken-san introduce those two songs!
ken : OK! Here’s L’Arc~en~Ciel’s Killing Me and Jiyuu e no Shoutai. Enjoy!

(Killing Me and Jiyuu e no Shoutai play)

Host : We’ve just heard two songs from L’Arc~en~Ciel’s album AWAKE, Killing Me followed by Jiyuu e no Shoutai. This is FM Osaka Sunday Special L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka. We have been playing songs from L’Arc~en~Ciel’s album AWAKE. Eh… I think we will now continue talking about the upcoming AWAKE tour 2005. Each member can take a turn! The tour is approaching! tetsu-san?
tetsu : Ah… I, it’s not just before tours though. I always go to a gym.
Host : Oh… you do that regularly, right?
tetsu : Yeah.
Host : Mmmhmm. Well, I’d imagine you need to be in good condition to avoid getting exhausted after so many shows. Or else you’d collapse afterwards.
tetsu : Um, I started to go to the gym again about two years ago. Since then, it’s gotten a lot easier. Being on stage.
Host : Ah, of course. The benefits materialize.

Host : How about yukihiro-san?
yukihiro : Yes! Um, I … Before a tour, I worry. When the rehearsals for that tour start, my lifestyle naturally gets more ordered and organized. I think that’s a good thing. Yeah.
Host : Ordered and organized, do you mean that you have a set time to sleep, to get up, to have your meals and so on?
yukihiro : That’s right. I get tired at night, and sleep. Time passes quickly until the next rehearsal. Time to go places, eat, and stuff… It puts casual detail into my life. (laughter)
Host : So it ends up being important to you, doesn’t it?
yukihiro : Well, I’m the type to go for what I want.
Host: Eh…
hyde : Yeah, but sometimes he won’t come eat. (laughter)
Host : Whaat? Please, eat! (laughter)
yukihiro : Thanks (laughs).
hyde : I wonder if we’ll go together today…
Host : Oh please, be sure to eat lots of delicious food. So that you can play the drums as powerfully as you always do.
yukihiro : I do my best.
Host : Yes! (laughter) Also, yukihiro-san, it’s obvious from the crowd that they love you.
yukihiro : Thanks a lot.

Host : So, how about you, hyde-san?
hyde : Nothing, really.
Host : Oh? Same as always?
hyde : Mm.
Host : Mmhmm.
hyde : Nothing.

Host : ken-san, you?
ken : I don’t usually do this, but this time, well… I’ve had lots of spare time to watch DVDs. I rent some, take them back, and rent some more.
Host : Movies?
ken : What was it again? Gonsaun (Note : Or Konsaun? The title of a movie, presumably, but I don’t really know. This part is confusing since I don’t know what he’s talking about. Sorry!)
Host : With that rather macho guy…
ken : Eh? No, you’re thinking of something else (laughter). He tells them to look right in the middle, and then gave it to them.
Host : Oh, when they looked..
ken : Yeah.
Host: Thank you very much (laughs). And so, there will be lives at Osaka-jo hall, right? On Wednesday August 17th, Thursday August 18th, Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st. Four days at Osaka-jo hall! Of course, regrettably, the tickets are already sold out. For all the fans who were lucky enough to get tickets, I think you’ll have an absolutely great time! And when this tour is over, in September, L’Arc~en~Ciel will head into their Asia tour, called ASIA LIVE 2005. They will be doing lives in Shanghai and in Korea. This will be their first Asian tour.

Host : So, when it’s your first time doing a live somewhere, I imagine it must feel pretty different from doing an ordinary live, right? Let’s ask tetsu-san.
tetsu : Mmmm… the first time. Yeah, the first time…
Host : That’s right. Like for example, before, you did a live in Baltimore, America, right? It must have felt hugely different from how it is standing on a stage here in Japan.
tetsu : Well, not hugely. But, well, I had to look for menus that were easy to understand. That was on my mind, a bit. And I thought this was a first for a lot of people.
Host : This time in Shanghai and Korea, what do you think it will be like? What are you looking forward to?
tetsu : Um… yeah, I want lots of delicious food. That would be nice.
Host : Ah, good idea. As a Live Plus, you can go around sampling all that city’s good food.

Host : That was tetsu-san. How about you now, ken-san?
ken : Oh yeah. Once in a while, I get fan letters and stuff. Hm… things like… “I’m waiting for you,” “I want to go,” and so on… Things they want to see happen, you know?
Host : Of course, the Japanese L’Arc fans have many opportunities to have fun with you, and I think the local fans, there, are looking forward to seeing you, too. This should be another huge opportunity for them, all your fans. I’m sure all of them are thinking “Finally! L’Arc is coming!” And so, for example, you did America, and now Shanghai and Korea, you did America before. I kind of want to ask you : Where else would like to go do a live? Is there anywhere else you want to go? ken-san?
ken : Anywhere? Chile?
Host : Chile? How come? Ah… you’re enthusiastic about it.
ken : Yeah. And I’ve never been there. I wanna go.
Host : Oh… What about hyde-san?
hyde : Hmm… well, why not Chile?
Host : (laughs) Really Chile?
hyde : Yeah, next time we’ll go somewhere like that. (all laugh)
ken : Next time? (laughs)

Host : It seems yukihiro-san found something interesting. He’s laughing at the back. (He can be heard laughing in the background) yukihiro-san heard them saying “Chile, Chile.” Yes, yukihiro-san?
yukihiro : (laughs) Yeah, let’s go to Chile. (laughs)
Host : To Chile? (laughs) Just Chile?
yukihiro : No one else would think of Chile.

Host : tetsu-san…?
tetsu : Yeah, Chile. (laughter)
Host : So that’s it. Chile.
tetsu : Chile. Of course, we don’t have any plans. I think I’ll be really popular there (laughs). Give it half a year, and my popularity will be awesome.
Host : (laughs) I don’t really get it, but this is super interesting (laughs). Right. But it’s somewhere you’ve never been, so doing a live there, of course that would catch your interest.
ken : Yeah, that’s right.
Host : So it seems the next one will be Chile! (all laugh) Then someday, we will see L’Arc~en~Ciel Live in Chile.
(all laugh)
Host : Will it really happen?
(all laugh more)
Host : I think I’d like to go. Anyway… you’ll be playing this song during Asia tour, too, of course.
hyde : He wrote it while thinking of Chile.
Host : (laughs) ken-san did?
ken : Right…
Host : (laughs) And with that…
ken : It’s got the feel of being in a gondola, doesn’t it… Maybe in Chile? (laughs)
Host : That’s in South America.
ken : Yeah, South America.
Host : Yes. So… (laughs), please introduce the song…
ken : Then… think of Chile during Jojoushi.

(Jojoushi plays)

Host : (laughs) That might be rather Chile-like.
(All laugh)
Host : I can picture the mountains and birds.
ken : That’s what Marco was looking at (laughs). (Note : Marco from the anime 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother; the main character, Marco, wandered around South America searching for his mother.)

Host: FM Osaka Sunday Special L’Arc~en~Ciel AWAKE at Osaka. It’s gone by so fast! But it’s already time to finish up! Please be understanding. For the end, let’s have each of the members, one by one, give a message to the fans who are listening. tetsu-san, if you could please start.

tetsu : OK. Um… I want to see everyone come to the tour.
Host : Thank you very much. yukihiro-san, please?
yukihiro : Let’s keep working together.
Host: Likewise! It’s good to have you around. I’m sure we’ll have lots more fun together. OK! hyde-san?
hyde : Ok. I’m going home, but I’ll be back. See you later. (all laugh)
Host : Make sure your house doesn’t get cold! Ok, thank you very much (laughs). Now, ken-san?
ken : Ok… please be understanding. We were all chatting a lot during the song (much laughing). We’ll work on talking like that even more.
Host : Sorry.
ken : No no, it’s us, it’s us (laughs).
Host : (laughs) Thank you very much. Really. And so there you have it. Next, I guess it’s up to those who bought tickets! You get to see L’Arc~en~Ciel on Wendesday August 17th, Thursday August 18th, Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st at Osaka-jo hall for AWAKE tour 2005. Thank you very much, everyone, for being here today.
All : Thanks a lot!

The host goes on to present the next show and close this one. The members say their names one last time, and the show closes.

Transcribed and translated by Natalie Arnold.

Tetsugaku 37 : Strengths

– When asked to name a strong point, something you can say “I’m better at this than other people” about, what comes to mind?
[Let’s see, I’m relatively quick about making changes, aren’t I? Even I think “I’ve changed!”]

– That takes a lot of strength, doesn’t it? Even when it requires something you hate doing, you don’t let it drag on much?
[Hmmmm…… Well, it doesn’t really matter if I let it drag on or not. I get the change made. When your needs are pressing, you have to change. Even if I formerly held a certain opinion, if I think there needs to be a change, I’ll contradict it. Not moving forward is a waste of time. Well, that just means I’m “sloppy” about going back on my word (laughs).]

– You call yourself sloppy? tetsu-san, you aren’t the stubborn type?
[Deep down, I really don’t want to be stubborn. I want to have a soft head (1) (laughs). Of course, I think I do get stubborn sometimes… But I remind myself that I don’t want to be stubborn.]

– Mmhmm. Now, please elaborate on your other good points, things you like about yourself.
[My good points? It’s when I’m asked a question like this that I don’t want to say what my good points are, you know? It’s time to say “No comment” (laughs). Not to brag, but I have good aesthetics, don’t I? Probably.]

– Is this because when you see someone bursting in with “Me, me, me!” you think “How uncool,” about them?
[Actually, no, I think it’s impressive. “I wish I could say things like that.” Usually, I think about balancing all sorts of things.]

– That might be it. Perhaps, tetsu-san, your strong point might be “not worrying” or something?
[That’s a strong point? (laughs) But, there are a lot of people who don’t worry about things. In this line of work, especially.]

– On the other hand, there are also a lot of people who get incredibly nervous, aren’t there? Going into their room an hour before the show starts, and so on…..
[That’s worrying too much. Thinking about only that. So, I’m sloppier (laughs). I think I’ll make myself into that kind of character, from now on. Because, I’ve got this image as a “hard to please, picky person” and I want to change that. I’m sloppy! (laughs) No, really. Before a show, I’m going “Uh oh! Only ten minutes left, I gotta get ready!” While I’m getting ready, I don’t have time to be nervous.]

– (laughs) Other than going on stage, do you get nervous about anything?
[Besides going on stage? When a lot of staff or band members are around, I get nervous about stating my own opinion. I get embarrassed. So, making an announcement in front of a school classroom makes me more nervous than performing at Tokyo Dome does…… Well, I don’t have to do that anymore, but before, I did, whenever I raised my hand in class to share my opinion…… but it wasn’t really nerves, just that I didn’t like it. When I don’t need to stand out, I don’t like to.]

– For example, when you state your opinion, you might be told “Fine then, you do it,”……
[Ah, it’s easier to follow instructions. It’s tiring to be the one giving instructions. “Ah, they might do it all wrong,” or “I can’t let them handle it”… I don’t like looking after others like that.]

– But don’t you have to, because of your position?
[Since I’m the leader, there are things I have to look after, and things I need to do or say even though I don’t like to. Also, sometimes it won’t be my own opinion, but something we all agreed on, but it has to be me who passes on the message, and no matter what I do, I’m made out to be the bad guy, I’m misunderstood. Like they’re thinking “Why does tetsu get the last word?” That’s very hurtful, for me personally.]

– But don’t you think that’s a strong point, too? You have persuasive power, like “Since tetsu-san said so, let’s do it that way.”
[No waaaay, but it would be nice if that were true.]

– Also, it’s a strong point for you, tetsu-san, to be able to think “That’s how it’s going to be” and stick with it as you move forward. For instance, since you thought “hyde’s best on vocals!” and pushed for that, ken-san’s energy was directed towards guitar when he joined.
[Well, when I’m that confident about something I can stick to it unwaveringly. I do have confidence in myself, and once I reach a certain degree of certainty about my own answer, I can argue for it. It’s just that, I have to reach the point where I’m sure “This is absolutely the right thing to do.” That is, it has to be best for me as well as for everyone else involved. When I say things like that, I seem like a very self-confident person, so I don’t want to do it very often.]

– Is that so? I think that kind of strength is a very important quality in you.
[Nah, for me to think “This is absolutely the best way to go,” doesn’t happen all that often. Most of the time, I’m unsure. “This is good, that’s good, they’re both good…” is a lot more common. A clear cut “This is the best way” only happened a few times in my life.]

– So it’s even rarer for you to be confident about something and actually advance it?
[Guess so. I don’t understand myself, anymore. So I don’t want to talk about strong points. I’m sloppy!]

Interviewer : Honma Yuuko
Translated by Natalie Arnold


1. In Japanese, someone stubborn is said to have a “stone head,” much like the English term “hard-headed.” So, tetsu is saying he wants to be the opposite of stubborn, hence soft-headed. Go back.

TETSU69 – Love for NANA special interview

This is a translation of the Love for NANA special interview published in CD Data, relating to TETSU69’s work on the LOVE for NANA ~ Only 1 Tribute ~ album. I originally posted this on minna_genki, linked in the sidebar. This is a revised and spellchecked version of the same thing. The only real difference is that I’ve read the manga since I first wrote this, so there is much less confusion on my part.

For those who don’t know, NANA is a shoujo manga by Yazawa Ai. It features two bands, Black Stones (Burasuto, or Blast) and Trapnest (Toranesu, or Trance) for which the songs on LOVE for NANA were supposed to be written. Also, the manga is being made into a movie, but the movie has not yet been released at the time of this publication or translation.

Begin interview

– How did you first become interested in reading the NANA manga?
[I read it because it was recommended by a friend. Before that, they had recommended ‘Kagen no Tsuki’ to me. I don’t really read many manga on my own, but since it was only three volumes I said “I guess I can read that” so I did, and found it very interesting. I asked if Yazawa-san had any other interesting manga like that, and that’s how I heard about NANA and started reading it. I find the fashion and cars in it are very realistic. It adds detail to the story.]

– So, have you met Yazawa-san in person?
[Yes, about three years ago, wasn’t it? It wasn’t a data gathering meeting or anything, it was just a let’s meet up sort of thing. At the time we were thinking it could turn out to be a good reference for later, and we ended up talking about a lot of my personal experiences. After that, she started coming to lives once in a while.]

– What did you think when you heard about the tribute album?
[It’s a privilege to get to participate in a project for a manga I happen to like. I’d been wanting to make a song for either Blast or Trance, and ended up choosing Trance.]

– By the way, at the press conference for the tribute, you said something about how you “became Takumi” didn’t you?
[It’s a matter of being in the same position… A band leader and bassist, I can relate to that pretty easily. I think I’m the type of person who can do the same type of work that he would.]

– So you had his consciousness during the creation process?
[When I imagine the band, Trance, I come up with a character who isn’t that different from myself. We have a lot in common, even though I don’t think we quite have the same view of the world. It wasn’t too hard to get into that sort of consciousness.]

– Trance has a female vocalist though, did you keep that in mind too?
[ That’s right. I tried very hard to make the melody I wrote fit something a girl would sing.]

– Then, the song ‘REVERSE’ was really born quite naturally.
[ I had other possible songs besides this one. I thought about which one was truest to the world of NANA. That is, I think I can choose right because I’ve experienced that world.]

– tetsu-san, you were really able to synchronize with NANA, right?
[I’ve started recommending NANA to my friends, too. When I make a new friend, I always tell them “You have to read this.” I say that to everyone around me, really. For example, I brought it up when I was working on my image with my stylist, but it really isn’t an easy thing to explain. It’s much easier to just tell everyone to read it for themselves and get the right meaning that way.]

– So then how do you feel about participating in a tribute to something that’s on your mind so much?
[I went through a lot forming L’Arc~en~Ciel, but that’s not the main point. As a solo artist, TETSU69, I don’t think I’m as well-known among fans. It’s that aspect that is participating in the project though, and I’m very happy that more people will have a chance to be exposed to my music this way.]

Translated by Natalie Arnold

TETSU69 on Music Station – Wonderful World

This is a translation of the talk preceeding TETSU69’s preformance of Wonderful World on Music Station. I originally posted it deep in the comments of a thread on LiveJournal.

Since I translated it by ear, instead of from written media, the possibility that I misheard something makes it much more likely that something was mistranslated. I apologise in advance if this happens. It’s probably best to watch the clip while reading this, or at least be familiar with it.

Begin

TETSU69 : Nice to meet you.
Tamori : looking surprised Oh, that’s right, you’re a different person without L’Arc.
TETSU69 : Yes, I think so.
Tamori : Let’s see if you’re up for this (laughs).
TETSU69: That’s right, I’m by myself, so I have no choice but to talk now.
Tamori : Give it a try. Is it really that different?
TETSU69 : Yeah, the biggest difference is how little attention I get. (audience laughs) Compared to L’Arc.
Tamori : What sort of comparison?
TETSU69 : I went to New York recently, and I couldn’t get the seat to go down. I wanted it to go flat but…
Tamori : That doesn’t look good (some laughing).
TETSU69 : I was just another customer.
Tamori : All the seats were probably like that. What did you do after?
TETSU69 : Well, I was in New York, so first I went to check in at the hotel. I opened the curtain and there was a skyscraper.
Tamori : Ohh…
TETSU69 : When I came with L’Arc… we were in the building next door.
(laughter from the crowd)
Tamori: Other than that, what else was different?
TETSU69: Well, a lot of things actually. I wanted to save money on food, because the studio was expensive, so I got things that were on sale and ate in my room. Everything I got from room service was cheap, bargain basement, and I had my staff do things too. (people are laughing as he says this)
Tamori : New York bargain basement… That’s totally different! They didn’t save money like that before.
TETSU69 : It’s completely different.
Tamori : Did you take the trains?
TETSU69 : In New York… Until now, I had used cars, but this time I took the subway.
Tamori : Pretty rough!
TETSU69 : It is rough.
Tamori : Would you please go on to standby?

Transcribed and translated by Natalie Arnold

tetsu x Takanori : R&R Newsmaker talk

This is a translation of the article that appeared in the May 2005 R&R newsmaker. Scans were posted on the minna_genki community linked in the sidebar. I have also added that entry to my own journal’s memories. This translation was originally posted in that journal entry. This site only contains a spellchecked and revised version.

The small teaser blurb was cut since it’s embarassingly sappy. That sort of thing comes across much nicer in Japanese. There’s nothing important or especially amusing to it, anyway. Also, tetsu’s Osaka-ben is hard to render in English without slipping into equivalent regionalisms, so since I’m Canadian, his little “..yanen”s are becoming “eh?”s. I hope no one is too badly thrown off.

Begin

tetsu X Nishikawa Takanori talk

Both TETSU69 and abingdon boys school participated in the NANA tribute album, “LOVE for NANA~only 1 Tribute~”, but is there a surprise relationship between tetsu and Nishikawa Takanori?! To answer, this lovely talk was put together!

I already knew I was clumsy, but I’m still going on. (Nishikawa)

Nishikawa : (looking at tetsu’s outfit of the day) No matter how you look at it, that’s pink! (laughs)
tetsu : ‘Cause, I’ve liked it since way back. Look, from my point of view, that is not a pink Porsche! (laughs)
Nishikawa : Ah! I seee.
tetsu : It takes a successful man to ride second in a pink Porsche (laugh together). When I went to buy the new Porsche, they asked me “What colour this time?”
Nishikawa : “Piiink!~”
tetsu : “Both of us, eh?” (both laugh)
Nishikawa : Me too, I’ve been heaaaavy on the pink lately. Lately (shows his socks while saying this). See, (points to his sunglasses) the lenses are pink.
tetsu : ‘s that good? …… Heh, Chrome Hearts. I got Chrome Hearts too, eh? (Note : Chrome Hearts is a brand name)
Nishikawa : Yeah. I think I saw them at the press conference (for NANA).
tetsu : Good! There’s pink ‘ns~

— And so, the pink info continues.
Nishikawa : That’s a dirty way of talking (laughs). But, it’s been quite a while since the last time we talked. That was at last week’s PopJam, right?
tetsu : Yeah. In Kobe.
Nishikawa : That day, I had nothing special to get back to, but since we couldn’t meet up the next day, I just said “See you later” anyway.
tetsu : Oh (beautiful laugh).
Nishikawa : And you never answered my email. I thought you were heartless (laughs).
tetsu : No no. Nishikawa-kun, you’re too polite. Too many manners. I’m sloppy about what I say (laughs).
Nishikawa : I realized that, so now I just stick to you like its normal. At first it was “Not getting close means rearranging my social calendar 100%, so might as well?” or something (beautiful laugh). I thought you were probably the type who doesn’t like to get into deep relationships, or something like that.
tetsu : Not at all, you’re welcome with me.
Nishikawa : I guess I’m just as sloppy (laughs).
tetsu : Like I said, I’m clumsy!
Nishikawa : I know that, but I’m still gonna go on. I thought “Hey, yeah, this guy could ruin me.” Then, I couldn’t really understand your personality, but I put two and two together. I got a feeling like “This guy’s only cold in what he says”. And I think you said “Can’t help it. That’s just how I am, eh?”
tetu : Yeah, yeah, yeah (laughs). It’s really fun remembering all this.
Nishikawa : But then, just like procrastinating on returning a rental, a bunch of stuff piled up, and it got kind of awkward. (laugh together).
tetsu : Reaaally careless.

And I even asked “Let’s be in a band together” (tetsu)

— So then, how did you two meet?
Nishikawa : I first met tetsu-kun at Umeda’s in Osaka. tetsu-kun had a baseball cap on.
tetsu : Seriously? I doubt it (beautiful laugh). I was at my job, right?
Nishikawa : Yeah!
tetsu : That was when I was working at the accessory shop.
Nishikawa : And I went there.
tetsu : Back then, Nishikawa-kun was a big name in Osaka!
Nishikawa : No no no! (Long suffering laugh) I was in a band in Osaka. I was asked to join a different band, with just “Wanna start up a new band?” The guy who asked was a guitar player, and I would be the vocals, right? And we talked… “What about the other ‘ments?” so he said “I’ve got someone.” I waited around a while, but then I got to meet the one he had in mind, and it was tetsu-kun. I greeted him with “Nice to meet you,” but he was in the middle of work so I said “Sorry,” and left. This and that happened, and the guitar player suddenly stopped contacting me. All that talk was for nothing. And then later, tetsu-kun got his debut with L’Arc~en~Ciel.
tetsu : You make it sound so beautiful (laughs).
Nishikawa : Wha~! I was definitely just summarizing everything for the article, not even using that many words.
tetsu : But it was never that interesting before.
Nishikawa : It doesn’t have to be interesting, it’s just reality. That’s all! (laughs)
tetsu : That’s what you think. Back when I first met him, Nishikawa-kun was a great sell. Like just about everyone in Osaka knew Luis~Mary.
Nishikawa : Whoaaaaa~~~(long-suffering laugh)
tetsu : That’s why when I first met him, my impression was “I think I’ve seen this guy on TV or something!” (beautiful laugh)
Nishikawa : Uwa~~ You’re too much (laughs)
tetsu : I was a no-name back then. So when you said we could start a band together, I thought “Haven’t I already decided my future?” for a moment, and I hesitated. I thought “Starting a band with Nishikawa-kun might be my way to a debut.”
Nishikawa : Uuhaahaahaahuhaa(bursts into laughter)
tetsu : I was hoping and waiting, and then Luis~Mary debuted and decided to go to Tokyo (both snicker).
Nishikawa : You’re WRONG! (long suffering laugh)
tetsu : Wrong about you wanting to be in a band with me, it looks like? (beautiful laugh)
Nishikawa : Hey! You just twisted my words around~.
tetsu : But this way it’s so much more interesting (both share a laugh)
Nishikawa : You twisted my words midway through~ (bitter laugh). I thought I’d contact the other people involved, and from then I just went on and couldn’t help but debut (with Luis~Mary). But I really would have wanted to be in a band with tetsu-kun. Now, I think about what it would have been like if I’d been the one by tetsu’s side. But that can’t happen now. (both laugh beautifully). I’m constantly keeping an eye out for it, though. For that position next to you! (laughs)

I’ve allllways kept you in mind. (Nishikawa)

— What about your interaction since the plans to start a band together were interrupted?
tetsu : The kid involved in that, the guitar player, stopped contacting me, too, and Nishikawa-kun went to Tokyo, as a pro musician, and I was just another Freeter (Note: Someone who is not a student and doesn’t have a real career) working part time in Osaka’s Umeda (laughs). We’re in contact now though.
Nishikawa : See~ he’s twisting words around again!
tetsu : It wouldn’t be wrong to say I was told “We live in two different worlds.” So there ain’t no way you can say we were standing on the same dirt. Then I came this far! (Both laugh)
Nishikawa : Fwaa (laughs). I always kept you in mind. I said “Hey, isn’t that…” when L’Arc~en~Ciel debuted. Back then (L’Arc’s) stylist was someone I knew, so I said “You’re doing L’Arc, aren’t you?” “But we only ever met once, so they wouldn’t remember me.” After my band split up, I spent about a year and a half doing nothing but wasting time at home. While I was doing that, L’Arc was just taking off. “Wow, what’s next, eh?”
tetsu : Haha, that’s distant (beautiful laugh).
Nishikawa : ‘S true, though. Like, there were no other encounters? But now saying “Do you remember?” would be kinda presumptuous, wouldn’t it?
tetsu : But I do remember.
Nishikawa : No no no no (harsh laugh).
tetsu : Nishikawa-kun, it’s like you think L’Arc’s bassist isn’t the same person you met back then in Umeda.
Nishikawa : That’s a big misunderstanding. It was a complete coincidence.
tetsu : Seriously? I’d have thought you wouldn’t remember me at all.
Nishikawa : It’s because I saw you regularly. That’s why I could do this Coming Out thing so soon. I though there was no way you’d remember me.
tetsu : That’s what I thought, eh?!
Nishikawa : “That’s what I thought, eh?!” You always say things like that! (beautiful laugh).

Luis~Mary’s spark stuck with me. (tetsu)

— When was this Coming Out?
Nishikawa : Around the year before last. Some of the staff members around me had worked with tetsu-kun. I told those people “Truth is, I know tetsu-kun from way back.” And one of them ended up telling tetsu-kun.
tetsu : Yeah, yeah. So that’s when I first knew “He still remembers me!” When we first met, I was an amateur, right? From what I remember, I think your impression couldn’t have been far off.
Nishikawa : Is that so? I guess that’s the distant past. tetsu-kun made L’Arc. You made your own spark. You went to Live Houses and propped them up. Seeing that, I can’t help but go “Wow.”
tetsu : Speaking of that, I was at the record store in Umeda, Warutsu-dou, right? When I was working there, the kid who played bass for Luis~Mary even had a spark when he said things like “Please get that for me.” I’d have gotten the whole store for him! (both laugh beautifully). Really, eh? (more laughing).
Nishikawa : That period was a great help. But, hey, I bet I know where you got that shirt (they were wearing NANA shirts). (both share a big laugh).
tetsu : It really is such a small world! I was at the store in Aoyama buying this, then when I was in front of the register getting it wrapped, I felt someone’s eyes on me. (laughs) I thought “Is a girl staring at me?!” but then I checked and it was just Nishikawa-kun.
Nishikawa : Hey, when people meet me it’s not “Oh”, it’s “……Wow~~~” that’s supposed to be the reaction (laughs). I just faded in. I don’t cut in. When I found him I was gonna say “Hey! tetsu-kun” but I didn’t. Does it feel like I just faded in going “……Wow~~~!” (laugh together). Time passed like an analog recorder. We’re at the era where they use Pro Tools, so reactions should be like flipping a switch, already! (both have a big snicker).
tetsu : First off, (the other person) probably thinks “There’s no way he’s noticing me” about Nishikawa-kun. Plus I was in a hat and shades, and I thought “No way am I gonna expose myself.”
Nishikawa : Well, that I can understand! (laughs).
tetsu : It’s different, though. Out of all the members of L’Arc, I’m the least recognized. I’m sure of that. No, it’s true.
Nishikawa : While you’re saying that, for me it’s more like, now I’m normally “moving with Zero Aura” or something. (both burst into laughter). No exposing. Even when I go get food, my aura is so low that I don’t get any service (laughs).
tetsu : Me, I can go to the same store 10 times or more and they still aren’t gonna remember my face.
Nishikawa : This guy sure knows a lot about music, but for the life of me I can’t remember where I’ve seen him before~ (laughs).
tetsu : I don’t really have that much confidence in myself.
Nishikawa : No waay~? That’s no good, you definitely need to change that.

Out of five mails I send, only one ever gets back to me. (Nishikawa)

— What have you done since the Coming Out?

Nishikawa : I arbitrarily send him mails, but he only answers about one out of every five.
tetsu : I guess I could put a bit more effort into answering them.
Nishikawa : That’s why I felt awkward at first. It’s like we’re not friends.
tetsu : The hell are you saying?! To think you’re my best friend (laughs).
Nishikawa : But, you could have told me that when we met (beautiful laugh).
tetsu : But I’m really clumsy. So…… that really hurt (pained laugh)
Nishikawa : It does hurt. This goes to show how sharp I can be. I couldn’t keep it in any longer. Oh, hey, I didn’t mean to get you depressed. You just spend too much time thinking “What should I write?” and “What do I send?” right?
tetsu : Yeah!

How about being a guy version of that twin vocal group, t.A.T.u? (tetsu)

— What kind of person is Nishikawa-kun from tetsu-chan’s point of view?
tetsu : He’s so polite! And also, he makes alllll my old dreams about what I wanted to do in life come back to me. It’d be great if they could all become reality. The things I want to do now, that is.
Nishikawa : When I wanted to make up a homepage, the web designer I got had come to me through tetsu-kun, you know.
tetsu : I’m trying to stockpile members for my solo work’s band. Hey, would you stop stealing my members? (laughs)
Nishikawa : I had no idea (laughs). tetsu’s page was in a magazine with a bunch of others, and when I had a look I kept saying “Oh! I want this too!” the whole time.
tetsu : So, we should go shopping together sometime.

— Somehow it seems like your tastes overlap.
Nishikawa : Maybe we were bandmates in a past life (laugh together).
tetsu : That time in the clothing store, I figured “He’s probably going to (abingdon boys school’s) recording from here,” so I thought about calling you over. (laughs beautifully)
Nishikawa : Shower me with those sweet words if you must!
tetsu : If I’m going to join in, it should be as vocalist~(laughs).
Nishikawa : Should have said that sooner.
tetsu : How about being a guy version of that twin vocal group, t.A.T.u?
Nishikawa : If we go that far, we’ll have to be exported to Russia (laughs).

— What if you’d known each other without any connection to bands……
Nishikawa : That’s more than ten years to change, so it’s pretty hard to imagine something like that. I just can’t consider that much stuff, eh? (laughs). What I mean is, if we went back, we might have a chance to make it together. So that’s why I won’t turn my back on tetsu-kun and keep trying hard to stay in the same front lines.
tetsu : I don’t think there’s any kind of crisis on that front.

— What are your expectations about your upcoming activities?
tetsu : From my point of view, Nishikawa-kun is just about perfect. I still totally suck, so I gotta do something about that. I’m completely cut off from my public image, right? My working side can do that sort of thing, but outside of work I space out. So…… I’ll work hard. It would be ungraceful of me not to.
Nishikawa : I’ll keep working hard the way tetsu-kun does to make the things I want to do seem ‘interesting’. I want to think of us as rivals, or make others think of us like that. Forever.

(Interview and transcript / Tojo Sachie)

Translated by Natalie Arnold

TETSU69 on Music Station – Fifteen Half

This is the translation of the Music Station interview from a show where Takanori Nishikawa (AKA T.M.Revolution) was also a guest. He and TETSU69 did their talk segment together, and then each performed a song.

Since I translated it by ear, instead of from written media, the possibility that I misheard something makes it much more likely that something was mistranslated. I apologise in advance if this happens. It’s probably best to watch the clip while reading this, or at least be familiar with it. Takanori tends to talk over tetsu, so tet-chan doesn’t get to say much here.

Begin

Tamori : Here’s T.M.Revolution, Takanori Nishikawa-kun.
Takanori : Hi, it’s good to be here.
Female Host : We’ve heard that you and tetsu-san are old acquaintances from when you lived in Osaka.
Takanori : Yeah, and then recently… (turns to tetsu)
TETSU69 : Yeah.
Takanori : We each realized we still remembered each other. I was so sure tetsu-kun had forgotten me. Before, we’d talked about starting up a band together, but that was about 13 years ago?
TETSU69 : Right, right.
Tamori : And then?
Takanori : Well, somehow it just fell apart halfway through,
TETSU69 : And then he ran away from me.
Takanori : I wasn’t running away. (some laughing) I didn’t run. That’s rude.
TETSU69 : You had to have your debut first.
Takanori : No, no, no,
TETSU69 : You jumped at the chance.
Taknori : No, I thought tetsu-kun didn’t want to do it with me. And then later I thought he’d forgotten about me, cause you know he went to all sorts of places, like with L’Arc~en~Ciel, and when I finally reached him I said “You forgot me, right?”.
Tamori : Ah…
Takanori : Then he was like “Yeah, I forgot you.”
TETSU69 : *tries to talk but is cut off* (It sounds like he was going to contradict something.)
Takanori : No, no, even though there was distance between us, I think we thought about each other a lot. (some laughter)
Tamori : But since it had been so long, how could you even expect him to recognize you?
TETSU69 : Well, Nishikawa-kun had his debut first, and some records…
Takanori : No no no…
TETSU69 : So I was sure he’d have forgotten about that guy from the accessory shop.
Takanori : No, no, NO! (Much laughter) I’m telling you, you’re wrong!
Tamori : So you both still remembered.
TETSU69 : Right, right.
Takanori : No.
TETSU69 : Oh.
Takanori : Well, um, you know I was in a different group when L’Arc~en~Ciel was starting up, and though we each played a lot of livehouses, it was always different ones, so we didn’t have the chance to meet up. Even so, I thought “I wonder how it would have turned out if I’d had him with me.” but I kinda hid those feelings.
TETSU69 : *in Osaka-ben* Oh, really? (laughter)
Takanori : Yeah! (laughs) I kinda figured you were better off abandoning me (laughs).
TETSU69 : *still in Osaka-ben* How come?
Takanori : It’s hard to say…
(Everyone laughs)
Tamori : Then, when did you both meet up again?
Takanori : Last week? (checks with tetsu) This week?
TETSU69 : This week.
Takanori : It was this week, earlier. Doing different songs.
Tamori : You heard each other? Who heard whose song?
Takanori : I heard him, and knew it was him right away but thought “Uh oh, I can’t go!”
TETSU69 : No, it’s ok, cause Nishikawa-kun’s my senpai.
Takanori : No, no, no no!
TETSU69 : With your early debut.
Takanori : That’s not the same thing. So I was in the same place and went up to him “Excuse me, I’m Takanori Nishikawa, is there any chance you might possibly remember me?”
TETSU69 : Talking all politely.
(Lots of laughter)
(People talk over each other here. It sounds like the host was saying Takanori talks too much, but it’s unclear.)
Tamori : tetsu-kun, do you have a different story?
TETSU69 : I didn’t recognise him at first, cause he used to have hair down to here. (indicates Takanori’s lower back)
Takanori : Uh oh.
Tamori : He must have looked like a girl.
Takanori : That was kind of bad. But you know, tetsu-kun used to work in Umeda.
Tamori : He did? (tetsu is laughing)
Takanori : It was while he was working that I first introduced myself. He was wearing a baseball cap or something, and he was busy with someone else but I still said “Hey, nice to meet ya.” and I still remember it all clearly.
Tamori : Ohh…
Takanori : Isn’t that something?
Tamori : And now you’re both here.
TETSU69 : I wanted to be in his band, but he fled. Debuted first.
Takanori : No no! He’s so mean, that’s not true. But weren’t you happier with your other band? (some laughing)
(they start bugging each other, but the hosts cut in)
Female Host : I think we’ve taken up all our time! Let’s move on to music.

The performances come next. The intro blurb for TETSU69’s song was : The lyrics to this song seem to express feelings that pile high one day at a time, and some people have been known to cry at the end. Here’s TETSU69 with Fifteen Half.

Transcribed and translated by Natalie Arnold

interview with yukihiro

Our last interview is suited to be the finale, he is “the one who makes Taiko drums tremble,” yukihiro. During the interview, we were told about “yukkie’s adventure : the journey” and with ‘AWAKE’ he has finally been able to reach his New World.

– While interviewing the other three, I got the impression that “We would have preferred to get the album made faster, but it got drawn out,” about the creation process. What do you think, yukihiro-san?
[That’s true. It took a long time to complete because there was a lot of roughness to work out. I thought it made things more interesting. I wonder if that might be just me, because of what I’ve heard from some others. For example, with my drum part, I’d be thinking we needed to do a few more takes to get the song exactly right, but even though I wanted to do more, they wouldn’t let me.]

– Ahahahaha. For the entire album, do you still want to redo the drumming, or are you satisfied with how it turned out?
[Hmm, I’d have to take it apart, one song at a time. If I had the time, I’d probably put more into it? Like I was saying before, I had my own opinion on things, but everyone else said “This one’s good!” and I’m not the one who decides. Actually, if I were to listen to it, I’m sure I’d be saying it’s good.]

– The third song is ‘Jojoushi’. According to some listeners, of the singles released for this album, this is the one where the speed “takes off and flies into a world of its own” as if the song were coming to us from days gone by. I get the feeling that this time around, L’Arc has put effort into drawing the listeners into their world.
[I think it was a great decision to pick that song for a single. We had ‘Killing Me’ and then we had ‘New World’, so I think ‘Jojoushi’ seems unusual in that line up. There aren’t any other bands who do that. We pay attention to the balance of our songs. I played it carefully.]

– hyde had said “I’ve been wanting ken-chan to write a song like this” too.
[Yeah, we were waiting for it. hyde-kun wanted to sing this type of song. I thought “Yay! Finally!” too (laughs). The image I get for this song is of ground beat (acquired from hip-hop, soul, jazz, and alternative, it is a beat composed by mixing the savage elements of city noises). Let’s go, ground beats.]

– ……..yukihiro-san, do you always have an ideal case in mind for each song?
[Well, when it comes to songs, I’ve always got all sorts of different music floating in my mind. That’s why I get a good, nostalgic sort of feeling from those ground beats; I’ve played them before. I also liked listening to ground beats since way back.]

– I see. What are your thoughts on the upcoming tour?
[The tour.. well, first we’re going to need some practice (laughs). The recording was really long, so listening to the first stuff we did makes me think “Oh yeah, we did this too!” and so on (laughs)]

– You’re touring outside of Japan this time, too.
[Yeah. I wonder if we’re really ready to do that? I’m kind of unsure. I’m worried about what the people who’ll come see us are expecting to see. ….Well, it’ll be a first, and I don’t want to lose out to Yon-sama.]

– Hahahahahaha, it’s great how you said that.
[I won’t lose to the Korean boom! I’ll get the old ladies too! Just watch me (laughs)]

Translated by Natalie Arnold

interview with tetsu

The third man is the leader, tetsu. tetsu has the most difficult position within L’Arc, but he still manages to leave his mark as an artist.
tetsu was the one who pulled everyone together for the revival live ‘seven days’ two years ago, and he kept them together for the creation of ‘SMILE’. In discussions with the other three members, it came to light that the resumption of activites and creation of ‘SMILE’ was an important step in their progression as a new band. Having dropped his melancholy pop work, tetsu was the driving engine behind the reformation.

– This is a particularly straightforward, gimmickless album. I’d like to start by hearing your own thoughts and feelings about it.
[ It’s a good album…….. and it’s our tenth one, too.]

– Yes (laughs).
[I had to think to remember that number (laughs). And then I thought “Wow, really the tenth one?” (laughs) Somehow, I don’t feel like we’re a band that’s already produced ten albums. ….. But it’s a really good album (laughs). The songs are all impressive. And it took a long time to make, too. The members of L’Arc, we’re all pros. We have high expectations because of that, and of course we live up to them. I don’t think we even need to bother reaffirming that. We’ve each come to reach higher levels. I don’t think we did it consciously, since we still put the same emotion into our work as we always have, but we do so at a higher level. Going back and listening to our old albums, I think “Ah, I’d put more thought into that now” or “Why did we decide to do it that way?” about various parts.]

– Is that proportionally from a sales point of view?
[No, it doesn’t amount to sales. It’s kind of tricky. I think it’s the same as with cars (laughs). I’ve always been the type to go for sports cars. Low-riding, fast cars. But these days, it’s RVs and that sort of big, huge car that’s popular, right? Though it’s mostly women buying those (laughs). Anyway, it’s the same sort of thing. Sometimes, what’s popular in the world doesn’t match up with my tastes. ……everything becomes obsolete at some point, so I have to keep evolving so I don’t end up the same way. But, that’s going to happen to what’s popular now, too (laughs). I think eventually, the time will come again for things I like, but in the meantime others are going to make fun of me. If what I like isn’t popular, I think it’s a problem for the rest of the world (laughs).]

– I think you’ve done a very good job of balancing the feelings you want to express in this album with the desire to make the album sell. Did you keep both of these aspects in mind while making it?
[No, I never focus on making an album sell well during the creation process. It’s not that I never think about it; I can’t help but be interested in what will obviously sell. I’ve never been interested in things that don’t sell. I’m completely uninterested in only appealing to the maniacs. If it has a sellable aspect, and it turns out not to sell, after thinking about the aspects I can conclude “It’s too bad for those who didn’t get it” (laughs). Things get made for the general public to buy, that applies to music, movies, cars, all sorts of things, but I think it’s definitely possible to take it too far….. After all, there aren’t many people who can tell what’s going to be the next big thing. If you aren’t with the majority, it’s because you’re ahead of them. When the majority is a step or two behind, you won’t have the numbers to make that much profit. So in order to appeal to the public, you need to be approachable and keep your design uncomplicated, if your stuff has a design. That’s how it is in music, but after all, I don’t think even the most popular music can appeal to everybody. So really, popularity isn’t linked to quality, really.]

– This album, ‘AWAKE’ showcases the band’s current fulfillment, but I think it still inherits from the previous one, ‘SMILE’. There was tension pertaining to the “Aren’t you glad L’Arc came back together?” feeling, and parts of that product felt very cut off from the rest, while others seemed somewhat unfinished. I hope ‘AWAKE’ managed to stay free of these issues.
[That’s true. Indeed, when we were making ‘SMILE’, the four of us were just coming away from our solo projects so we still had to work on becoming L’Arc again. But during the ‘SMILE’ tour, we spent a lot more time together and emerged much more L’Arc-like, so that’s probably why these two albums have such a large difference.]

– (laughs). Actually, on ‘AWAKE’ there are very few of your songs, tetsu-san. There’s the first song to be released from it, ‘Jiyuu e no Shoutai’ and ‘TRUST’ and that’s all. However, it’s still obvious from listening that you had an uncredited influence. Your basswork sung more than ever before. You have the talent to make it dance (laughs).
[(laughs) That’s just how it turned out this time. But to be honest, I consciously wanted to downplay my own songs. I don’t think the others noticed (laughs). …..That’s right, I intentionally reduced my song count. How to say it…… Everyone else wrote really good songs, so I didn’t have to try hard (laughs) I downplayed myself, even though we’re following up three singles by me from last year. After all, ken-chan’s fans want to hear a ken-chan song, and so there was that bashing…….. I’m really bad at confrontations. That’s why I wanted to hurry up and get a ken-chan single released, and I was very glad when ken-chan’s ‘Jojoushi’ got picked to be the single. I never tried to push my own songs to be singles, though I’m sure the tetsu fans think that would be a good thing. Looking at the whole picture, it’s better for me to pull back a bit this time. I don’t know if that’s a positive or negative thing, and I’m the one saying it (laughs). After all, L’Arc is four people, not any single artist. I know we each have our own fans, but I’d much rather see everyone come together as one. If we do badly, our fans will split. Artists have a character, and fans also have a character; if there are a lot of extreme fans, there are a lot of quiet ones too. That’s why I can’t lump all the “L’Arc fans” together. Also, as a buisnessman I have to make sure they’ll by the CD, and make sure they’ll want to buy tickets for our lives. There are a lot of people among the fans who tell us “I haven’t bought your CDs, but I like you! I’m a fan!” but I have to make sure I thank even that type of fan. Hmm… When I was putting together ‘TRUST’ I was thinking of something from the tetsu bashing : “tetsu songs are always just bright, happy pop songs! We’re sick of it!” and comments like that. I decided to write a melody in minor… But you know, I’ve written songs like that before, like with ‘finale’ and ‘Shi no Hai’. But I’m stuck with the “tetsu songs are all chirpy pop songs” label so I redoubled my efforts to make this type of song. “What do you know about me?” So it’s become an antithesis to that, the song ‘TRUST’.]

– But that’s a novelty among the songs on this album. I thought everyone else had made up-tempo, bright, feel-good songs for it. This one goes the other way, being dark and heavy, and there isn’t much distinction between the chorus and the main melody, but I’m sure you’re aware of that and put thought into maintaining the balance despite your reasons for making the song this way. I think this album does an excellent job of showcasing your skills.
[I understand. Somehow, I know the fans think it, even the other members think it, that “Another tetchan song means another pop song”. I don’t want them to think that way anymore (laughs). So I’ll see what happens with this dark song. I think it’s still balanced. This time around, I had prepared seven songs. Actually, I brought the most possible songs. But, I also got my songs eliminated the most (laughs). …….. But I’m kind of happy about that. Anyway, the single we’re releasing after the album is another of my songs, so that also adds balance.]

– It seems you’re going to be very busy from now on.
[L’Arc’s going to be busy until September. After that, hyde has solo work planned.]

– Will you be doing solo work too?
[I don’t know yet (laughs).]

Translated by Natalie Arnold

interview with ken

Our next artist is the guitarist, ken. ken has once again put a lot of himself into the creation of ‘AWAKE’.

– Let’s start by talking about the new single that you wrote, Jojoushi. It’s become quite the popular song, ken-san!
[Hahahahahaha! Thank you very much.]

– What are your real thoughts about it?
[My real thoughts (laughs) Hm….. I composed some of it with the guitar, but I also did some parts from the keyboard. When I was working with the keyboard, I had to make sure I was only using chords I could actually play, but I put everything I had into it. Using this method, I was very careful with the melody that would turn into the song. When I compose by singing and playing guitar, I end up forgetting the tune (laughs). There’s no way to see a song objectively while composing it, so then with just guitar and singing, it’s easy to end up with something ugly. But working with the keyboard, I was able to gain an extra level of detachment and put more effort into it. That’s how that song was born (laughs).]

– Now, I’d like to move on to talking about the album. What are your feelings about it?
[Well, we went to LA to record the strings for ‘Jojoushi’. While we were there, I caught a cold and spent the next two weeks in bed. I don’t remember much else around that time (laughs). What else to say….. Practically speaking, it was spread over such a long period, but we kept the same feeling throughout the album. That’s not just my own feelings, I’m sure it’s the same for the others, too. It really was a long, drawn-out recording. But the mixing days went zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom, and finished really fast. Now, it feels like we’re in the end credits of a movie, right where they suddenly cut in with Jackie Chan’s mistakes and bloopers (laughs). I feel like fast-forwarding (laughs). That’s really how it feels. Oh, and now that we’ve decided the set order, I listened to the album for the first time and went “Wha?! Even though there’s lots of variation, it doesn’t feel scattered. The whole thing is great to listen to.”]

– That certainly applies to your own songs, ken-san. You have a beautiful, touching ballad, as well as a full-out pop song. And then there’s the song that makes you want to do stupid, noisy things all night, ‘EXISTENCE’ (laughs).
[Right (laughs). Right now, I can’t tell if it’s a good thing or not, but ‘EXISTENCE’ and ‘Jojoushi’ both represent aspects of my current self. They both feel like things I’ve never expressed before. Sometimes though I find myself thinking “Where did this come from?” (laughs). But I mean, I have a good feeling about both songs. But, the’re a lot more aspects of myself that change all the time (laughs). I think I just have a short attention span. Well, I think that goes for everyone, it’s human nature to look for something new to play with. So, I need to restrain myself a little. A little restraint doesn’t hurt, just like keeping away from another round of drinks. Yeah, whenever I started thinking that people suck while working on this album, some evil spirit from heaven would come down and keep me in line (laughs).]

– In a previous interview, I heard you say “The current L’Arc might be an anachronism, but doesn’t the current era actually want this kind of analog way of doing things?” Of course, we stuck to only talking about music here, but maybe we can afford to bring up something a little different. I think that the present-day world is caught up chasing illusions, so your work is a message to call them back to reality.
[This album kind of feels like a letter. …… So, I’m going to want replies (laughs).]

Translated by Natalie Arnold

interview with hyde

We will begin with hyde. This is not because hyde is the frontman, but rather because we feel he was the ‘front songwriter’ for this album. His are the singles ‘Killing Me’ as well as ‘New World’ which he did with yukihiro. Furthermore, hyde has three new songs planned for release with the album (for a total of five). As for the song lyrics, ken and yukihiro wrote one song each, but the remaining ten were done by hyde. No matter how it is approached, the album ‘AWAKE’ is very ‘hyde-like’.

– It’s finally complete. It seems you worked very hard this time.
[Fufufufu.]

-Though they are all quality songs, you have the most with five of the twelve. Let’s start by getting your honest feelings about this album.
[Well, I used my best judgement during the recording (laughs) this time around. We even kept working on it over the New Year’s holidays. That’s why I have more of a “Finally! We’re done!” feeling right now (laughs), but it still doesn’t feel like it’s over.]

– Does it still feel unfinished?
[No no no, that’s not what I meant at all (laughs). We’ve worked enough (laughs). But even when we took breaks, I kept working on my own solo project, so it felt a bit like a never-ending process (laughs).]

– Do you have any remarks on the musical aspect of this album?
[Hmm, what to say…… It feels skillfully made. Our age and experience has added depth to the playing, but it’s still youthful. It’s a bit experimental too. I think this album couldn’t have been made if we didn’t have our current skills. I don’t know much about other bands, so I can’t say for sure, but it’s like “Does anyone else usually pull this off?” (laughs). What am I saying…… We’ve matured, but we still do impulsive things that aren’t easy to accomplish. That’s why I think we’re a mysterious band, the current L’Arc. As we gain experience, it feels like the impulsiveness of our early days is fading, but we’ve gained a polish we couldn’t have had without those early experiences. There’s a painter I know who still has a strange novelty to his work even though he’s over 60. I think that’s what it means to have talent. It’s not just knowing the techniques or writing a good song; I think talent means using your youthful impulses to showcase your skill.]

– About the music, is there anything on this album you would have preferred to discard?
[There was. In the end, we discuss everything, and we decided from the beginning that we wanted music that would excite the audience for the live shows. That’s why two of the songs (that he submitted for the album) had to be completely re-made (laughs). You can say what you like, but what they want to see in lives are major, up-tempo songs, and so we’re better off playing that. There are songs on this album I very much want to see come to life that way. When I listen to the other members’ songs, I get a feeling of “Yeah, they all feel the same” from it.]

– While making this album, did you learn something new about the other members?
[It’s hard to see, but I got a whole new sense of just how good the others have become. For the guitar, even when he’s improvising, it threatens to overwhelm me. The same goes for the bass and drums. I wonder if there are any other bands this good. They keep showing me things I’d never heard before and never knew about before.]

– The songs ‘Ophelia’ and ‘My Dear’ were, after all, written during your ‘ROENTGEN’ period, but now they’re being used for L’Arc. Could it be that the band’s chemistry overwhelmed what you had originally set out to do with those songs?
[Well, yes, that’s fairly obvious. I really don’t have a good sense for arrangements (laughs). There’s no way I could have come with those arrangements for ‘My Dear’ on my own. If it was just me, it would sound much more ordinary (laughs). That’s why I say they’re so skilled. I don’t have that talent at all, I approach the songs much more superficially. I’m a vocalist, so it’s like “Well, at least I’m a good person?” (laughs) This time, I want to make it to “At least I’m a good vocalist” level (laughs).]

– Then, hyde-san, I have one last thing to ask you. Throughout this album, the word ‘sky’ has been a reccuring theme. I thought you might want to explain that. When you talk about the sky, what is it you want to express?
[Hmm….. Well, I apply the word sky a lot, to imply things about a fullfilling existence, or my image of the future, or lots of meanings like that. Let’s see…… It’s where I send my prayers when I’m troubled. If they get solved, I always wonder if the solution came from the sky. It means many different things to me. I don’t know if I can answer the question without leaving something out, but I do want to answer. It’s complex though, so all I can do is ask you to interpret my feelings about the sky from the words I write.]

– You talk with the sky often?
[ No, but I talk to a lot of people up there (laughs).]

Translated by Natalie Arnold