Posted by: on: September 28 2008 • Categorized in: Uncategorized
This is a translation of a reprint of an interview that originally appeared in PATi-PATi, June 1996 issue. This is the first interview that Itou Aki held with hyde and sakura, respectively. The other half was printed in the July issue of the same magazine. This was reprinted for the Box Set of The 15th anniversary in formation. The translation is based on the reprinted version.
BEGIN INTERVIEW
L’Arc~en~Ciel has become such a household name that the oddly foreign word no longer bothers the ear. Though I feel it is far past due, on this occasion of their first appearance here in PATi-PATi, I wish to get to know them as more than a band; as individuals. First, hyde and sakura…
—–
Seated directly across from his handsome features, I find that, unlike what I had imagined, his presence fills the room with an amiable air. In that peaceful atmosphere, he was able to do that which should be unthinkable in a first interview (though perhaps only unthinkable to me) and rested comfortably in agreeable silences.
hyde [Recently? Let me see… I’ve been picking out furniture. Because I moved.]
It seems that he had spent half a year searching and searching for the perfect articles. [I have deep desires (laughs) which is why it took so long.] Such was his explanation, which also impacts his band activities.
hyde [There is a certain perfection that I seek out. It applies to everything. To my work with the band, and to my personal life. This year, I think I’d like to focus on my own life. I think that the more I do for myself, the more I can do for the band.]
It seems that he was extremely concerned with the overall image of L’Arc~en~Ciel, until he saw the video of last year’s live at Budoukan (1).
hyde [I saw the video over and over while it was being edited, and kept thinking “This isn’t even the kind of vocalist I wanted to be,” over and over again. It’s strengthened my desire to express my true self, and to do it soon. That’s why, this year, I think I want to put more work into myself.]
Speaking of areas where he is confident:
hyde [I’ve become confident because… because I’m happy, I guess? I’m incredibly happy right now. When I write lyrics, I can feel it. I’m sure it affects my personal life too, and I think it will be clear through the lyrics I write from now on.]
As for the concerns of ordinary life, he says “It all feels like a game (laughs).” He is so happy that it makes him laugh. Heh, I wish he could share that with me.
hyde [Things I want to do? It can be anything? Let’s see… I want to go for a drive. I just bought a new car. I have time off once in a while, but I can’t really take off because I’m supposed to be writing new songs, you know? Since I have things I’m supposed to be doing, I feel like I’m doing something wrong if I run off to go play. So, I end up staying home. Then, when I tell myself “Time to write a song,” I end up arranging my new furniture in my head (laughs).]
Just for driving, he had five MDs(2) filled with his favourite songs, so all that he has left to do is to actually drive the car. However, his songwriting progressed during the tour, and then, he naturally had those songs left over for recording.
hyde [A little while back, I bought a new guitar. I gave it a name. I called it Batman. (laughs) Since I have to write songs, I thought I’d take it on tour with me. Oh, but I showed it to a friend and he was kind of shocked (laughs).]
With these words, my talk with this happy man was concluded.
*****
Halfway through the interview, he unflinchingly pulled to his lips the one-litre bottle that had been in front of him and emptied it in a flash, although it had been one-third full of Pocari Sweat (3). Manly (or perhaps simply chaotic), natural (or perhaps extremely random) and brusque in his actions, I still could not help but feel that he was not allowing me to see his true self.
sakura [Tours? They’re such a pain. I like travelling, and I love playing lives, but I think tours are a pain. We have to be at this place at that time on this date, and I really hate having things decided for me like that. I figure I must be a natural free spirit. I hate being in a group. I’ve always been like that. I’d rather play by myself.]
And yet, he has come far with this band. I said as much, and he replied:
sakura [That’s because I like them.] As if it were perfectly obvious. Yet the talk continued…
sakura [Humans are stuck thinking two-dimensionally. Like they can only walk. Multiply this times that. The natural world isn’t like that. It’s three-dimensional.]
sakura [In India, they have three gods.]
sakura [Hydrogen is the first element, you know.]
sakura [It was humans who decided that there were 365 days in a year. A long time ago, like in Egypt, they had a monthly system that matched the flooding of the Nile river.
sakura [I think that harmony, for humans, has to come from overcoming the five desires and five senses… Oh hey, don’t I sound like a priest or something? (laughs)]
sakura [Japanese is 95% expression.]
And on it went. In any case, it seems that his mind moves swiftly. And then, it came to this:
sakura [Sometimes I start thinking about a lot of things, and it’s as if the answers are already inside me, and even if I got the answers out, they have nothing to do with the fact that I’m alive, right now.]
He turns a cold eye to the fact of his own existence.
sakura [Cold? Well… I’ve been told I am, by women. But, I’ve also been told that I’m nicer than I look. Hm, that one probably happens more often? (laughs)]
It seems that his personality has another side.
sakura [I used to worry about all this tension I had bottled up inside me, you know, like for example on the day of a live, I’d make sure I was in the best possible condition to go on stage, but these days it doesn’t matter to me any more. Even if I’m feeling bad, that can be fun in it’s own way, too. “Ah, I feel terrible, I’m in bad shape, but this is fun.” (laughs) It’s great, and I guess this sounds like I’m just saying whatever comes to mind, but I feel really positive lately, you know.]
This ability to laugh and move forward even when feeling down is a mark of the original free spirit, positive thinking. I saw the ease of his far-ranging conversation.
Words – Itou Aki
Translated by Natalie Arnold
1. That would be the final live of TOUR heavenly ’95, held December 27, 1995, at Nippon Budoukan which is Tokyo’s most famous venues. Go back.
2. In this case, probably stands for Magnetic Disc. High tech for the mid 90s, this would essentially just be a long-lasting and high quality mix tape. Go back.
3. An oddly named Japanese sports drink that does not actually taste like sweat. The name is probably a corruption of sweet, while also being linked to the sweat produced by athletes, to whom the drink is marketed.Go back.
Posted by: on: September 20 2008 • Categorized in: Uncategorized
This is a translation of a reprint of an interview that originally appeared in PATi-PATi, July 1996 issue. This is the first interview that Itou Aki held with ken and tetsu, respectively. He is the writer of many of the interviews that appear in these magazines, so it is quite interesting to see these First Impressions This was reprinted for the Box Set of The 15th anniversary in formation. The translation is based on the reprinted version.
BEGIN INTERVIEW
If L’Arc~en~Ciel were a great bird upon the stage, its left and right wings would be the guitarist, ken, and the bassist, tetsu. What are they thinking, right now? Where do they intend to fly?
*****
We discuss his return to Tokyo after spending a long time away: the season had changed.
ken [But you know, I went around the whoooole country in my my leather jacket. No matter how hot it got. And I’m wearing it today too, see? (laughs).]
During the tour, he received fireworks from a fan. Having wanted so badly to set them off, he spares no effort in recounting the episode, his expression like that of a child describing his summer vacation voyage. That emotion effortlessly draws everyone around, myself included, into Joy.
ken [The live was over. We travelled at night, in our bus, so when we got to the hotel it must have been about 1 AM, I guess. The hotel was exactly directly in front of the beach, so I went over to a pier or something nearby, and I had about 50 rockets, WhizzzzzzBANG! Kept launching them like that. And then, I could see somebody in the hotel window and it looked like they were waving to me so I figured it meant “Yay, this is fun,” so I went “Allright!” and got even more enthusiastic, and then later on I got complaints from the front desk. We were on tour! Doing stuff like that lets me forget how busy I am and get my mind off things. Because I’m really that busy (laughs).]
It is as though he was born with a switch inside him that can turn negatives into positives. That switch makes itself known, through his music and all of his life’s work, without his even noticing it.
ken [But you know, it wasn’t even like that before. Exclusive? It gets to be like that sometimes, it does. Even in music, there have been times where I just couldn’t not use distortion on my guitar. And then, it got to the point where I was to listen to a whole bunch of CDs, and right now I just need to listen to the ones I like and absorb them completely.]
ken [Interviews? I really like them. Because, you know, there’s no other place where I can have someone listen to me talk and go on and on and babble about whatever I want, like this (laughs).]
ken [I get bored easily, you know. But not with the band, I’m sticking with that… It’s not like I’m making myself stick with it or anything, really, it’s just that it’s so much fun, and it stays fun. I guess it’s like, since we’re going to do this, we might as well have fun doing it.]
When it comes to guitar, he takes back his self-proclaimed easily-bored status.
ken [I have no idea why I haven’t gotten bored with it, it doesn’t seem to me like I’m any good at it. I don’t listen to other people (laughs). But when I do listen to others, they say some really great things. I know how good that feels, so maybe that’s why I can’t stop.]
Some people can naturally “feel good” and promote that Joy in a a gripping, pleasant atmosphere. That is my first impression.
*****
L’Arc~en~Ciel took off on a two-week journey for the sake of their nationwide tour. In mid April, they began their travels in the north, coming down south in a reversal of the cherry-blossom front (1). It is said that all their travel was done by bus, at night.
This interview was held on the 14th day of the journey, on the day they returned home from Shikoku. The first conversation concerned their travels. (Of course, I was the one to bring it up) He spoke on the subject of long trips, which he does not enjoy.
tetsu [I’m not comfortable being away from my home for weeks at a time. Because then I can’t see the people I want to see any time I want to see them. I like the actual lives, though.]
Is it not difficult to pass the time, particularly during these long journeys? Naturally, I had to ask him such questions.
tetsu [No, not at all. I have so many things to do until the live starts.]
It is said that such is always the case, even as the number of lives increases.
What a serious person. That is my first impression.
It may also be a side effect of the strong impression he makes by carefully choosing his words and speaking them at his leisure.
tetsu [What I’m into, lately? Buying CDs. That’s always been the case, though. Lately, I’ve been listening to globe and DREAMS COME TRUE (2) a lot, backstage. globe release about five singles per album, don’t they? There’s no doubt that those are fun songs, right? (laughs).]
He seems very careful, and though he is quiet, he seems like a good person. That is my second impression.
Charmed by his kindness, I ask him a sillier question: Do you sing along?
tetsu [I sing the whole songs, actually. KEIKO’s part. My falsetto is high (laughs).]
10 PM. His first Tokyo night in a long time. Once this chat is finished, he will have work to attend to.
tetsu [Tough? ….It really…. isn’t. Because, this is what I need to do to have people listen to our songs. That’s why I don’t mind doing interviews like this, either, yeah.]
The end of the end. I tried asking him this question: -If you had a day off, what would you do?
tetsu [Play with my friends.]
-And if you had a week off?
tetsu [Play with a lot of friends.]
-If you had a month?
tetsu […..I’d play with even more friends.]
-Are you the type to constantly stay in touch?
tetsu [Well, no, not exactly. I get told “You never ever call!” Even though I want to treasure all my friends.]
The interview is over. He is holding two weeks of fan letters (It seems that he reads them all in his spare time). He heads to the recording studio to work on TD.
The next day, the new song was finished.
Words – Itou Aki
Translated by Natalie Arnold
1. The cherry-blossom front is the phenomenon that occurs across Japan every spring. Cherry trees, which are common all over the country, bloom first in the southernmost islands, followed by progressively northern areas, in a northward Front pf pink flowers. Go back.
2. DREAMS COME TRUE is a Japanese pop band composed of Nakamura Masato and Yoshida Miwa. They formed in the late 1980s and are still active today. globe is another Japanese pop band, but as they only formed in 1995, they were a new phenomenon at the time of this interview. The group is composed of Komuro Tetsuya, singer KEIKO, and rapper Marc Panther who is, in fact, French. Go back.
Posted by: on: September 14 2008 • Categorized in: Uncategorized
This is a translation of a reprint of an interview that originally appeared in WHAT’s IN?, June 2003 issue, just after the Shibuya Seven days 2003 lives were announced. This was reprinted for the Box Set of The 15th anniversary in formation. The translation is based on the reprinted version.
BEGIN INTERVIEW
In the midst of their lively solo projects, L’Arc~en~Ciel have just suddenly released three simultaneous ‘Best of’ albums, thus reminding the world of the high quality of their works. Now, the four of them have abruptly decided to reunite for a seven-day live. What could this concert, the first in two and a half years, possibly mean? What will become of the band’s future? This publication had the occasion to speak with them on a fine April day. These personal interviews will plunge into the depths of their hearts, accompanied by precious photographs – The truth lies here.
*****
In his solo project, he alone can, and in fact must, determine every single sound, package, and picture. How will this experience come into play regarding L’Arc? We ask this, along with a few questions about the upcoming seven-day live, to hyde, who has just entered the second chapter of his solo project.
—
– To start off, could you please tell me exactly how “Shibuya Seven days 2003” came to be?
hyde [Up until now, the usual pattern has been to make an album and then have the tour to go with it, but back when we were indie, we had the lives first and made an album later. We’d been talking about that back when the band decided to take a break, and it probably stuck, so I think this live has something to do with that whole thing. We didn’t discuss it that way explicitly, though.]
– How did it come to be set for seven days from June 28 to July 6?
hyde [We all have our own projects, plus there’s the venue’s schedule too, so all things considered this is just what turned out best. At first we were thinking of making it a proper tour, but somehow we decided it was better to make it weird (laughs).]
– How did you feel when it was first decided?
hyde [It’s gonna be a lot of work (laughs). Since we’re doing this, we have to put on a good show, you know? It won’t be enough to just start rehearsals a few weeks before the lives, like we always did before; I think we’re going to have to work it until our heads explode.]
– Since the four of you haven’t worked together in quite a while, it seems to me that you would need some extra time.
hyde [Indeed. In a way, it’s going to be exhausting. But at the same time, part of me is looking forward to it. I know I can rely on the other members, and they’ve each spent the last two, three years producing their own sound, so I’ve been wondering how that’s going to impact their playing. Obviously, there has to be some kind of effect, they’d be lying if there wasn’t, and that was the whole point of stopping with L’Arc in first place.]
– As for yourself, hyde-san, how do you feel you have changed since the break?
hyde [Going back to the band means I can specialize in a single part, but since I’ve gained some knowledge of other parts, I think I’m a deeper person now. Before, I’d want to put things in just because they sounded cool, but now I know more about what seems cool to the other parts, so, let’s do it that way. I have a feeling it’s going to make me better, tactically speaking.]
– You’ve gained additional points of view, then.
hyde [That’s right. Ever since the beginning, in L’Arc, there’s been a sense that each of us is the ruler of his own mountain, and it was always cool when we clashed that way, I’m sure it helped to refine the balance between us, and it’s always been thrilling, and yet now I think we might reach a whole new level of equilibrium.]
– The fact that the other members now have experience doing lead vocals will also play a large part, won’t it?
hyde [You know, I’ve been working hard too, playing guitar, and to a certain extent the more experience everyone has, the more it deepens us as an ensemble, and I guess it will help us understand each other better than ever before.]
– What kind of live do you want this to be, hyde-san?
hyde [About three years ago, I went to see Mötley Crue, and since it was a greatest hits tour, it was like their best songs were on parade. I thought that was awesome. In a way, I’d like our live to be like that. Up until now, I think all our lives have been set up to focus on a single album and deliver it to the crowd. But on the other hand, wouldn’t it be fun to just play the songs that everyone loves, like it was a big party? I want it to be something that L’Arc’s fans will enjoy. I don’t think it’ll be quite the same though, maybe in ten years or so. Anyway, I guess this show will be kind of like seeing Haley’s comet (laughs).]
– To pull off such a live, in any format, you must have a lot of confidence in the band’s sound.
hyde [I didn’t think I’d be so confident, honestly, but now that we’re doing it, I think it will be great.]
– Would you say that taking a break from the band and working on your solo projects has changed the way you see L’Arc?
hyde [Working by myself, I found myself wishing for things that the others can do, wondering how they pulled off certain sounds, asking a lot of questions (laughs). Having L’Arc get back together will let me relieve those desires. I think it feels a lot like having someone finally scratch an itch that I couldn’t reach on my own. Of course, that’s what it comes down to, naturally. Things like that are hard to notice without taking a step back, you know.]
– How do you want the band’s activities to proceed after the lives?
hyde [I think we’re going to head toward making an album, but rather than go straight into recording, I’d rather do more lives. I don’t want to exaggerate and say we need to strengthen the bonds between us, but I think it would be nice to have more intense feelings to build on before we move on to writing songs.]
– hyde-san, how do you go about keeping your solo work and band activities apart, in your mind?
hyde [It’s really quite simple. It’s like separating work and play. I don’t mean that one is work and the other is play, work is fun in it’s own way and so is play. If that wasn’t the case, life would be boring. Keeping solo and band activities from interfering, aside from the scheduling, isn’t much of a problem for me. They’re both fun. To put it in an extreme way, it’s like buying a Playstation; if you play the same game all the time, you get bored with it. This is a lot like that (laughs).]
Words – Hasegawa Makoto
*****
In creating his other band, SONS OF ALL PUSSYS, he jumped into an indie lifestyle that is the polar opposite of the monster band that has become L’Arc – such is ken. What could he have in mind for L’Arc now that he has recaptured the flat feeling so particular to the indie era?
—
– How did you feel when this live was decided?
ken [Doing lives is mostly an excuse for the four of us to get together and make some music. I think that by playing our instruments, listening to each other play and hearing the sounds that come out, we express ourselves and communicate our feelings far more effectively than we ever could by talking with words. That’s why, as a band, this is a perfect opportunity to determine what kind of music we want to make and what kind of direction we’ll be heading.]
– Were you surprised to suddenly end up playing in Yoyogi for seven days?
ken [At first, there was talk of doing it in Osaka too, but instead of going for four days in Tokyo and three days in Osaka or something like that, we decided to stay the whole seven days in Tokyo, specifically in Shibuya, because it’s crazy and more fun that way. (laughs)]
– The number ‘7’ also has deep meaning attached. There are seven colours in a rainbow, and in the old testament, it is written that God created the world in seven days, so it’s a number that symbolizes all of creation.
ken [I think we picked seven days because it has so many meanings readily available. Back in June, we wondered if it might be better to drop it to keep things from going overboard. Then we figured that since we went with the idea of doing everything in Tokyo, we were better off keeping it just for the fun value.]
– What kind of live would you like this to be?
ken [First of all, we need to rehearse; we need to hear each other play for real or else there’s too much stuff we can’t work out. I think things will become clear after that. Then, since we released those ‘Best of’ albums, and we know there are a lot of people who want to see us live, I think we’ll simply respond to their feelings and give them what they want. That means we won’t be playing new songs, we’ll focus on what we’ve already got, and I think that’s what we need to do right now anyway before we can move forward.]
– Even though you’ll be playing old songs, since all of you have been working on your own solo projects, things won’t sound exactly the same, will they?
ken [I think you’re right. I wonder how the solos have affected us. How have we changed? I don’t know, I guess I’ll just have to see; and yet I think we’ll just be L’Arc again, won’t we? I guess there are two ways it can go. Either we’ll try to be the same L’Arc we always have been and automatically stay inside our old shell, or we’ll use what we learned during our solos to break out from that shell.]
– Which way do you personally want it to be?
ken [I want us to last forever, so I want us to keep on evolving. But it’s possible to keep going without making any progress. You know, like traditional arts, we could end up just repeating what we did before. Ultimately, I just want all of us, all the members, to move forward to a happy place.]
– ken-san, at the moment, you are active in two different bands. Has your experience with S.O.A.P. caused you to rediscover the good sides of L’Arc?
ken [A 3-piece band is completely different from a 4-piece+keyboards band. In S.O.A.P. I have fun playing guitar, and in L’Arc I enjoy the whole ensemble, that’s how it feels to me. Also, in both bands I indulge myself with the melodies, but to me, the goal isn’t quite the same in each one. Just, if I’m going to be working with L’Arc now, I have a feeling that my sense of melody is going to be a bit different from what it used to be. The reason being that in the last two years, I heard and saw a lot of things.]
– L’Arc’s ‘Best of’ albums were released in March. Since it’s been so long since you made those songs, did you have a chance to enjoy them, as a listener?
ken [I didn’t have a chance to listen to those albums, myself. Actually, since my manager had them, I just heard them in the car while going around on tour with S.O.A.P. It was more about the memories than the actual sound of the songs (laughs). Plus, in the back seat there were some staff members that were always around with L’Arc, too, so we reminded each other about a lot of things. About the thing with the lights, and the thing with the fireworks. I was so happy, hearing those stories all over again. It let me know that everyone really had a good time working with us. At the time, some details seemed so much more important, and other things were completely invisible. For the S.O.A.P. tour, all our travelling was by car, and so I had the time to rediscover a lot of things.]
– How do you feel about the fact that it’s been ten years since you released your first album, DUNE, in April ’93?
ken [Right now, I feel like I’ve gone back to the flat mood from back when we were making DUNE. Back then we didn’t care about topping the charts, or about our position in anything at all. The more we went on, the more people got involved with us, and a lot of things got complicated, and some things got pretty messed up because of it, but the last two years have been a chance to reset everything, so from now on, even if more people enter the picture, I won’t let it get messed up. That’s how I feel. Now, I’m ready to pour my pure feelings about what I like right into the music.]
– What are your expectations for the other three members?
ken [I don’t want to work them into the ground, except that I do, musically speaking (laughs). I want to produce some intense sounds. I have so many ideas to try out, my heart is pounding with anticipation of the collaboration that’s about to start.]
Words – Hasegawa Makoto
*****
Having built up his own label on which to promote his solo project TETSU69, tetsu is now facing the seven-day live by preparing his body as a bassist. As he is the leader of the band, what does this L’Arc live represent for him? Let us ask and find out.
—
– It’s really been quite a long time since you’ve had a live. Two years and a bit, right?
tetsu [Doing a live as a band… you’re right, it has been a while.]
– As for the live itself, have you already got everything planned out?
tetsu [No, not at all. About all I’ve done so far is go through all our songs since the beginning and put together a list of the ones I want to do.]
– What kind of songs did you pick out, tetsu-san? Also, what did you have in mind as criteria for selecting those songs?
tetsu [Ah… Personally, I looked at the Best albums (the three ‘Best of’ albums released in March) and picked songs that weren’t on them. The Best albums were put together without any input from us members whatsoever. So, I picked songs that I would have put on them if it had been up to me, so we can do them for the live.]
– How did you feel when listening to the Best albums?
tetsu [What was it like… Ah, I wish they’d put in this song instead of that one… It felt pretty nostalgic, somehow. And… My performance was so youthful, back then. The arrangements, the playing, they were all kinda…. Listening to it, I unconsciously started mewing, kinda. There’s no way I’d do things the same way, now… Part of me can’t help but think like that.]
– I see. You’ve spent the last two years working on your solo project, and now you’re going back to L’Arc~en~Ciel. Looking back at the band, do you see it any differently, now?
tetsu [Differently… I don’t feel like I’m looking back, actually. Obviously, L’Arc~en~Ciel is a wonderful band. I still think so, and I always have; it’s a wonderful band. Anything I want to do, I can accomplish with them, and I think they’re all wonderful people. To think that I’ve been able to make a band with these wonderful members… it’s so incredibly touching.]
– Could you tell me what, specifically, is so wonderful about the other members?
tetsu [No… er… I can’t, they’re just too wonderful (laughs).]
– I understand (laughs). So, tetsu-san, what do lives represent for you?
tetsu [Let’s see… Personally, I … Okay, so take recordings. They have a very ‘secluded’ feel to them, you know? We hide away in total seclusion, until we come up with something to show the world. After that come the releases, then the lives, the tour, which is like… Boom, exploding all over the place. That feeling… I’ve really come to enjoy it. To me, that’s what lives represent, so no matter where we play, it’s always fun for me. It can be a livehouse or a hall or an arena or even outside. There’s something enjoyable in the atmosphere, each one is unique and can only be tasted once.]
– L’Arc~en~Ciel has moved on to progressively larger venues with time. How do you perceive that trend, tetsu-san?
tetsu [We can play big venues just as well as small ones, so doesn’t that mean our range has gotten pretty broad? Thanks to that broadness, we have a choice of things we like to do in any given live, so there are fewer rules restricting our work. That’s the reason we can pull off anything. Of course, it’s more fun that way, getting to do what we want. It’s very enjoyable, actually. We’ve gotten to a point where… L’Arc doesn’t do that many lives. Ever since our indie period, I’ve always been pushing to reduce the number of lives we do.]
– I see. Is there any particular reason why?
tetsu [Well, hmm… Back when we were indie, we didn’t have that many songs, and indie bands have lives two, three times a month, right? At that rate, you end up with fans thinking they won’t bother coming to this live since they can always just come to the next one in a week or so. And then no one comes to the lives. Doesn’t that happen a lot?]
– Indeed (laughs) it does.
tetsu [See? (laughs) So, I want each and every live to be precious, and to do that, there has to be fewer of them. I want the people who come to see us to feel a bit of fear, a sense that they can’t know when the next live is gonna be. And of course, we’ve certainly increased the number of fans mobilizing to see us, since we’ve had this strategy all along.]
– What do you personally want to do in the upcoming lives?
tetsu [Honestly, right now it’s my body… I’m working on getting back in shape, like I was two, three years ago. Naturally, the fans haven’t seen us since two, three years ago, because L’Arc stopped. This time, when they see us again, I don’t want anyone to think “Oh he’s gotten fatter” or “Ah, he’s getting old.” So, I’m in the middle of a training program to get back into the shape I used to be. You could say I’m preparing my body for the lives.]
– But you don’t look any different to me?
tetsu [No way! I’ve totally changed (laughs). I’ve lost muscle and I’m not as strong anymore. I did some lives for my solo project, but it wasn’t too intense and it was too easy on my body. L’Arc lives are much more… They’re really intense. I do a lot more with my body. So now I have to get that body back. As the day of the lives approaches, I’ll probably have other… feelings, the part of me that goes into Live Mode coming back in full. But well, that’s still two months away, so I can’t know for sure right now (laughs).]
Words – Itou Aki
*****
He uses computers to create a world of sound, then grips a mic and steps up front. In a sense, as acid android, yukihiro is as different as he could ever be from the self he displays while with the band. That said, he was the first of them to start preparing for the lives. While re-examining his drumming style, he remembers L’Arc lives of the past.
—
– Could you please tell me how this new L’Arc~en~Ciel live, the first in a very long time, came about?
yukihiro [How it came about? How was it again… We had a meeting, talked about doing something, decided to have some lives, and I guess that’s it?]
– Live first… is there a reason you decided to do it that way?
yukihiro [What do you mean? You think it’s because we didn’t have enough time to make an album? (both burst into laughter)]
– What are your thoughts on this approaching seven-day live?
yukihiro [I don’t know anything yet. All I’ve done is practise the drums.]
– In the studio?
yukihiro [Yeah. I go to the studio alone, and play. During my solo project, I didn’t play the drums at all… I haven’t played them in about a year and a half. So at first, I got blisters on my hands. I’m OK now, though. I’ve been playing for five or six hours a day, I guess. I really started over from the basics. Like… baaang! Hitting each drum one at a time. Next, I play an 8-beat, or something. Anyway, it’s a good opportunity to re-examine my style, all the way down to the basics. Right about yesterday, I started playing actual songs again.]
– By the way, what was the first song you played?
yukihiro [The first one was “Niji”. I completely failed (laughs). I was just all over the place, my balance was completely rotten. That’s why I think I need to work out until my body can handle drumming again. If only I had the muscles for drumming! You know (laughs). It’s all I need to live! (laughs) Like I said before, just yesterday I started playing whole songs again, and it started to feel a little bit real. Like a faint feeling that I’m really going to do a live. But I really need to practise… Practise, and memorize everything again (laughs). So far, I’ve been remembering the basics, it feels like I’m doing everything over again.]
– I see. And we’ll be able to see the results in this upcoming live.
yukihiro [Yeah. It’ll have to show, won’t it. I’m sure it’ll work out fine. It has to (laughs).]
– May I change the subject a bit? yukihiro-san, do you remember what it was like the first time you played a live with L’Arc~en~Ciel?
yukihiro [That would be the time we called ourselves the Zombies. It was at… Rockets, in Osaka. I was nervous, of course. I think there was a mistake, and we had to stop, at some point. But it wasn’t me who made the mistake. I think we started playing something with a completely wrong structure (laughs). But I don’t remember it very well.]
– And L’Arc~en~Ciel’s big live at Tokyo Dome was just after that, right?
yukihiro [The Tokyo Dome live… By then I wasn’t nervous anymore. It felt like I’d moved beyond the need to be nervous. Playing in the Dome, it doesn’t feel real. Even in the middle of the actual event, it didn’t feel like I was in a live at all.]
– Of all the lives you’ve done with L’Arc~en~Ciel so far, which one has been the most memorable for you?
yukihiro [That would have to be the Big Side one, I guess. In Tokyo, for the outdoor tour.]
– 1999’s “GRAND CROSS TOUR”, the final concert. You were there two days, right?
yukihiro [Yeah. It simply feels like that was my best live.]
– From your point of view, what makes a live good, yukihiro-san?
yukihiro [Let me see… It’s like, the way I hit (the drums), there’s always a response. Then, when I’m done, it’s like… Yay! In my mind. On the other hand, when there’s something lacking, it’s really obviously lacking. I always reflect on things as soon as they end. Checking for mistakes, parts that should have gone differently. Places where I wasn’t really feeling it…. …Every time there’s something not right, I reflect on it right away. Anyway, that time, for “GRAND CROSS” in Tokyo, it was the conclusion of the tour, too, the very last day, so it really felt like an accomplishment, you know? The “Light my Fire!” (1998) tour was pretty long too, I guess. When it was over I thought “Ah~ I made it.”]
– Has anything been settled for this summer’s lives? If you have any ideas or plans, please share them.
yukihiro [Nothing yet… not particularly.]
– Have you started to think about the song list?
yukihiro [I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m still remembering all the songs, working my way through.]
– So what will you be focusing on between now and the lives themselves?
yukihiro [I will try not to hurt myself, I guess. I get hurt a lot, just before a live (laughs). But you know, I’m looking forward to these lives, a lot. We haven’t even started rehearsing yet. I know I said I was drumming, but I’m just playing by myself at this point. All four of us together… we haven’t gone there yet. So first of all, I’m looking forward to that, to us getting together again. It’s been a really long time… I’m wondering how it’s going to go, and I’ve got a lot to look forward to from now on.]
Posted by: on: September 6 2008 • Categorized in: Uncategorized
This is a translation of a reprint of an interview that originally appeared in PATi-PATi, January 1998 issue, shortly before the release of winter fall, and during the recording of HEART. This was reprinted for the Box Set of The 15th anniversary in formation. The translation is based on the reprinted version.
BEGIN INTERVIEW
On the stage, on CD, and in every conceivable type of activity, there is always L’Arc~en~Ciel, and for L’Arc~en~Ciel alone there is a groove that only one man goes on playing – he is the bassist, tetsu. Through seven key words, this personal interview opens the door within his heart.
—
Date
I haven’t been dating lately… You want to know my ideal date? I’d get up early just to go on that date (laughs). So, around 10 o’clock I’d drive over to pick her up and when I got to the front of her house her mom would come out too and say “Be careful!” or something to her off. (laughs) Then we would go for a drive, all the way to an amusement park, somewhere kinda far. And then normally I’d want to go on all those scream machines, I guess. We’d have lunch at a restaurant somewhere inside the park, and stay out until the evening. Then, since we came kind of a long way we’d leave the amusement park early. On the way back we’d stop for dinner, and I’d drop her off at home. When I’m on I date I want the girl I’m with to be smiling the whole time. But, no homemade lunches… please. (laughs) You know, I’ve always been bad with homemade food. I really can’t stand it. That’s why, on a date, I’d rather go eat at a restaurant.
Car Stereo
It’s wonderful! My car stereo, that is. My car can seat four people, normally, but I’ve got a 25cm subwoofer set up on the back seat. So, only three people can ride. (laughs) Actually, it cost more than the sound system I have at home. How much!? A bit more than the one I have at home. (laughs) So yeah, it sounds really great. That’s because I was really picky about the sound quality, of course. I peeled off all the upholstering on the doors and stuff, and then I put in lead sheets wherever it was dried out, and that took about two weeks. At first I was going to keep the subwoofer in the trunk, but it just wouldn’t fit. I had no choice, so I had a speaker box made and set it up on the back seat. So now when someone sees my car for the first time, they’re surprised. “What’s that?” “A subwoofer.” (laughs) And you know, since I can turn it up so loud, it’s actually better than my home system. And plus, when we’re recording and I go home afterwards, I can just keep listening to the DAT tapes(1), so I can keep checking things all the way home. We’re in the middle of recording right now, so I’ve been listening to our songs all the time. I play the DAT tapes in my car constantly.
Winter
I don’t do well with cold. When it’s cold, I have a hard time getting up, you know? So, these days, I just leave the heater on at home all the time. But, because that’s always on, my skin is getting dried out. … I’ve got problems (laughs).
Girls
I like girls who are cute, with a nice personality, and smart too. “Oh, her, she’s kinda cute,” (laughs) as soon as I find myself thinking that, I start to like the girl. What makes me think she’s cute? The moment I notice her cute face (laughs). I’ve always been accused of going for the pretty ones. At least I’m consistent about it, and it’s not like I can really help myself (laughs). I like Alicia Silverstone. A long time ago, I saw her in an Aerosmith video and I’ve liked her ever since.
I hardly read any manga, I only ever watch it (as anime). The first one I got obsessed with was [Ginga Tetsudou 999](3), the movie. I didn’t like the TV series much. Cause of the art style. But in the movie, doesn’t Tetsurou look so cool?! I thought “I gotta see this.” For TV series, my first obsession was Gundam, you know. I like a lot of SF shows, of course. I get hooked on them a lot. But you know, when I was really little, I hated anime, in my heart I was thinking “This sucks. It’s for kids”, and I didn’t have much interest in it. And then I saw [Flanders no Inu](4), and I cried (laughs). Oh, yeah, while we’re on topic, I want to mention this. I get a lot of fanletters that go “I heard that you got into Evangelion(5) recently, tetsu-san” but you know, it’s not just a recent thing. I was already pretty into it when the reruns were on last February, but I guess it didn’t come up in interviews until now or something!? Just because the interviews got published in the fall, that’s why it’s only coming up now. It’s very regrettable that people think I just got into it “recently” (laughs). What’s so cool about EVA?! Okay, you know there’s the part where Lilith gets pierced by the Lance of Longinus, by Rei-chan, right? In the TV show, when the spear came out, she didn’t start growing legs again, but in the movie she grew legs right away. What’s up with that? But I like how it makes you wonder (laughs).
Tastes
My tastes are intense… I suppose… Hmmm (thinks hard). I think I’ve gotten a bit more mellow, compared to how I used to be. Even when it comes to food. I used to be really picky about food. There are lots of things that I can eat now, but never used to eat at all. Like peppers , onions, and fish. And stuff I still don’t eat?! Liver and innards and stuff. I like yakiniku(6), but I only order sirloin and garbi. I used to have yakiniku all the time, but these days I eat more fish than meat. Maybe I’m getting old (laughs). It used to be like “What do you wanna eat?” “Yakiniku!” but now I like to have shabu-shabu as a meat dish, and I’d rather go for sushi instead.
Music
Right now, the music I want to listen to the most is the new L’Arc~en~Ciel album, the one we’re still working on. At the moment, it’s about halfway done. You know, every month, I buy many different artists’ CDs, like at least ten, and listen to them, but even on the albums I like there’s only two, three songs that I listen to. So, say I buy 10 CDs, and on each of those albums there’s only two songs (that I like) or so, so I collect all those songs onto a single album with only songs I like. On this new L’Arc~en~Ciel album, it’s going to be all songs I like. That’s why I want to hurry up and listen to it. We’re releasing a single first, but that song is already done. It’s more upbeat than Niji, a light-hearted L’Arc song.
-Interviewer: Itou Aki
Translated by Natalie Arnold
1. Digital Audio Tapes, or DAT tapes for short, are similar to cassette tapes but record sound as digital, as opposed to analog, data. They are now almost obsolete, but their CD-quality sound had them used by professional recording studios and radio broadcasters for most of the 1990s. Go back.
2. Manga are Japanese graphic novels, and they are the basis for most Japanese animation, aka anime. Go back.
3. Called Galaxy Express 999 in English. It and Gundam are both very famous anime series, though the later has lasted much longer. Go back.
4. In English, A Dog of Flanders. This is an anime series that is rather famous for making grown men cry, despite being a children’s drama. Go back.
5. Neon Genesis Evangelion, one of the most successful anime of the 1990s. The scene tetsu discusses would constitute spoilers if explained further. Go back.
6. Yakiniku is a meal where the diners cook small pieces of meat over a grill, which is set into the table. Various cuts of meat are available, including innards like the liver, stomach, and guts. Garbi is meat from the belly of the animal. Shabu-shabu is a different meat dish where very thin slices are lightly boiled in soup, again at the table. Go back.