– Was there always music in your home, growing up? If your parents liked music and constantly had records playing, maybe that had an influence on you.
[It wasn’t like that at all. My parents were the kind of people who never listened to any music. They’re still like that.]

– Did you take any music lessons, like for the organ or piano or something?
[No, I didn’t. We had a piano at home, but I could never play anything beyond ‘Nekohunjatta’(1).]

– I think you would have been in fifth or sixth grade when when music programs like ‘The Best Ten’ were becoming popular.
[That was earlier, actually. When I was starting elementary school, I watched ‘Best Ten’ every week. Rather than say I watched it, it’s more like that’s what was playing on our living room TV. I moved forward with music on my own, when I started listening to radio and buying records around fifth and sixth grade. Before that, I only heard about music shows when they naturally made their way to me.]

– A lot of popular songs were very typical of that era. Of the popular songs you heard back then, are there any that left a lasting impression on you?
[I like Sawada Kenji, Julie, a lot. That was probably around third or fourth grade. After all, his looks were awesome!]

– Was the first record you bought one of Julie’s?
[I don’t think I got as far as buying his records.]

– Did you ever sing one of Julie’s songs in front of an audience?
[In elementary school, during a recess, I got up on stage and did a Julie impression (laughs). I didn’t go alone though. A friend came with me.]

– Did you enjoy your music classes in school?
[I hated music class. Music isn’t something you can appreciate that way.]

– So, around fifth and sixth grade, you began to actively seek out music to listen to. What was the first music you had an opportunity to listen to?
[It was probably YMO. Or Ippudo or something. They were on TV or radio; back then everyone listened to the radio, didn’t they? And YMO and Ippudo were popular then, right? So of course, it was normal that their music would get to me, too. Until then, all the music I heard came from idols who were on TV alot, or from checking the hits on the radio. When I first heard YMO and Ippudo, I felt they were refined, or polished. Even though I was a kid. In terms of fashion, and of the music they made too, they still seem different from anything else out there, don’t they? Then, around the start of middle school I gradually bought more and more records. That time was the New Romantics Boom, so that’s the kind of music that was in. I listened to Duran Duran and stuff, I think.](2)

– Duran Duran certainly were exemplary of that boom. Also, they were the most popular.
[After that, there was a metal boom around the world. Ozzie Osbourne and the like would play regularly on ‘MTV’. We had the L.A. Metal Boom, too(3). With Mötley crüe and Ratt and stuff. That sort of music was getting to be common, and it played on ‘MTV’, which made it more popular. I listened to that kind of music. That’s what got me to listen to hard rock and heavy metal. At first, it was all western music, but then I found out there were Japanese bands like that, too. I got into Japanese metal, like Loudness, Earthshaker, or 44Magnum. Then, I eventually found out about the world of indie music, and started listening to some of that. That must have been around my first or second year of high school. Then I discovered Dead End. Dead End wasn’t one of those popular bands that were on TV.]

– Did you ever encounter any music that had more impact on your life than Dead End?
[Not by a long shot. Knowing them has put me through more emotions than anything else.]

– Do you feel encountering music has caused big changes in your own life?
[It has. Once I encountered music, I started playing some myself, and that led to making my own music. And so, that’s why I do this kind of work now. Of course encountering music changed my life. It’s the one thing in my life I’m passionate about. The one encounter I feel so strongly about …… I’m incredibly glad… that I can say it was music.]

– Even though it was such a powerful encounter, you couldn’t have known if it would ever stop being a hobby, if you would ever turn pro. What do you think it was that made things turn out the way they did?
[A little effort and luck. It’s probably a bit different than in sports. There, you can probably make it on pure skill. But in music, skill alone won’t be enough to make you a pro. Being cool won’t be enough. In the end, it’s a question of balance between many things, especially talent and luck. Even if you’re lucky enough to become a pro, you could get stuck with very controlling, restrictive people. I think that’s where luck is most important.]

– What advice would you give to people who are currently trying to become pro musicians?
[Nothing. It’s not like what you’re dreaming about. How about “Give up”? (bitter laugh). It’s just that if you don’t have the skill, it’ll be harder than getting into Toudai(4). Getting into Toudai, you can pull that off just by studying, studying, and studying, right? But with music, you have to practice and practice, even after you become a studio musician.]

– It’s about as likely as winning the lottery, right? The odds of success, I mean.
[That’s right. That’s why I’m deeply grateful, even for the stormy parts (laughs).]

– Hold on to that sentiment.
[So, you know, I don’t let myself get too wrapped up in ecstasy. It’s the entertainment business. I’m extremely happy that I’ve been able to get this far with music. There are people I want to make music for, and that motivates me. I’m truly happy.]

-Interviewer : Toujou Sachie
Translated by Natalie Arnold.

1. Nekohunjatta means “I stepped on the cat”. It’s the title of a simple piano tune that serves as an easy piece for beginners. Go back.

2. All these artists were mentioned and footnoted back in Chapter 05. The New Romantics Boom was also explained there. Go back.

3. The L.A. Metal boom was thrash music, which is essentially any fast metal-punk fusion with no screaming. Mötley crüe and Ratt were typical of the style.Go back.

4. Toudai, short for Tokyo Daigaku, is the name of Japan’s most elite university. It has an extremely difficult entrance exam, and only admits the brightest of high school graduates. Go back.