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aquamarine-v · 4 months ago

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Rock and Read vol.084 Lime & Tatsuro interview (July 2019)

Scans by: @2015mai24

Interviewer: Tatsuro, you’ve done tons of interviews with different people, but it’s actually kind of rare for you to talk with a younger musician, right?

Tatsuro: But Lime's not really that young, right? Didn’t you used to be in another band?

Lime: Yeah, I did, but let me call myself young anyway (laughs).

Interviewer: Lime, is this your first time doing an interview like this?

Lime: I think this might be the first one.

Tatsuro: Not because you were avoiding them?

Lime: No, I wasn’t avoiding them, but… I might be kind of troublesome to talk to, so maybe people were avoiding me (laughs).

Interviewer: We thought it'd be interesting to have you two talk, so we put this together. Tatsuro, how do you usually interact with younger artists?

Tatsuro: Pretty casually, honestly. If they ask me something, I’ll answer. If I have something to say, I’ll say it. If there’s nothing, then I don’t say anything.

Interviewer: Lime, how do you interact with your seniors?

Lime: Ah… I actually don’t have any seniors that I’m close with.

Interviewer: But there are plenty at your agency.

Lime: Yeah, but none of them really take me under their wing. (laughs)

Tatsuro: Well, Free-Will (the agency) is a bit different. Most of the bands there aren’t exactly the “cute and lovable” type. (laughs) Everyone's got an edge to them. I mean, the top guy there (Dynamite Tommy), is the edgiest of them all, so that kind of atmosphere just spreads to everyone (laughs).

Lime: Yeah, it does feel a bit isolating.

Tatsuro: Any bands you’re close with in private?

Lime: Just Ryoga from RAZOR.

Tatsuro: Yeah, those guys don’t have friends either (laughs).

Interviewer: Had you two met before this?

Tatsuro: Ah, we met the other day at Free-Will SLUM.

Lime: That was the first time.

Interviewer: Tatsuro, what did you think of Kizu after watching them?

Tatsuro: I thought they were interesting. Among the younger bands in the current scene, they’re really good. The vocals were great, and their guitarist is cool. But… I hear they’re pretty cocky?

Lime: Very cocky (laughs).

Tatsuro: I think that’s fine for now. Being cocky is a sign of confidence. But there's a difference between being "cocky" and just being unprofessional.

Lime: Definitely, I agree.

Tatsuro: If it’s confidence—like, Hey, we’re obviously the coolest ones here—then I think that’s totally fine.

Lime: At SLUM, you gave me some advice. It was actually my first time getting advice from a senior.

Tatsuro: Oh, really? I don’t remember what I said (laughs).

Lime: I was so nervous that I don’t remember either. (laughs) But I do remember you told me to grasp the atmosphere of the whole room and throw myself into it.

Tatsuro: Ah, I see. You probably weren’t moving enough on stage.

Interviewer: I’ve seen it quite a few times, Tatsuro giving advice to younger artists.

Tatsuro: Only if I actually have something to say. I think I watch bands from a pretty neutral perspective, so if I see something that could be even better, I just throw out a bit of fatherly advice. (laughs) If I don’t have any thoughts, I don’t say anything.

Interviewer: So, you gave advice to Kizu because you had something you wanted to say at that time?

Tatsuro: Yeah. Ken (L'Arc~en~Ciel) used to give me a lot of feedback too—he’d say, "Do this," "Try that," and I’d often think, "Oh, that makes so much sense!" Ken digs into the more technical aspects of things, but I’m not as knowledgeable in that area. I focus more on the overall stage presence—how to move, how to engage the audience. So I just give little bits of feedback based on how it all looked from a broader perspective.

Lime: It made me really happy. MUCC is actually the reason I started my own band.

Tatsuro: Ah, I'm happy to hear that.

Lime: The person who inspired me to start playing instruments was HIDE from X JAPAN. I’d been in bands since middle school, but there was a time I quit.

Tatsuro: Why did you quit?

Lime: I guess I got a reality check… and maybe I was a little bored. I had been playing piano since I was three, then moved to drums, then guitar, then bass, and finally vocals.

Tatsuro: That’s everything! You could do it all by yourself.

Lime: Yeah, but I was doing everything halfway, never really mastering anything. So at one point, I thought, Maybe I’m done with music. But then I saw MUCC’s Kokorononaimachi PV on SkyPerfecTV. It really moved me, and I knew I had to start a band.

TN: They ended up singing Kokorononaimachi together on Hangeki in January 2025. Link

Tatsuro: Oh wow, that makes me really happy to hear.

Lime: That feeling of being inspired, that sense of admiration, I wanted to be able to give that to others too. I felt like I had to start a band.

Tatsuro: Do you write all of your songs yourself now?

Lime: Yeah, all of them.

Tatsuro: That’s impressive.

Interviewer: Do you feel any MUCC influence in Kizu’s music?

Tatsuro: Not at all. But that’s a good thing. Even if MUCC was the reason he wanted to start a band, what he actually wants to create is something different, right? If he has his own message and his own way of expressing it, then that’s what gives his music real power. Also, I’ve heard Kirisho (Sho Kiryuin from Golden Bomber) really likes Kizu.

Lime: Yeah, apparently! I heard he’s bought all our CDs.

Tatsuro: Yeah, back when Kizu had just started, he was listening to you guys a lot. I don’t remember exactly what song it was, but I remember him saying, "This song by Kizu is really cool." He even posted on his LINE timeline like, "I want to go to their live, does anyone want to come with me?"

Lime: Actually, I drank with him once. It was during a time when I was feeling lost, wondering what to do next. Kirisho was the one who pushed me forward. He said, "You should go for it," and that’s what led me to start Kizu. But… he doesn’t remember it at all (laughs).

Tatsuro: Maybe he doesn’t realize the guy he talked to back then is now the vocalist of Kizu.

Lime: Yeah, he totally doesn’t realize it. When he came to greet us backstage the other day, he was so formal with me (laughs).

Tatsuro: How many songs do you have now?

Lime: About 20.

Tatsuro: That’s about two albums’ worth.

Lime: Yeah, but I feel like if we put out an album, I’d die. That’s why we’ve only been releasing singles so far.

Tatsuro: Huh? Why?

Lime: If we put out an album now, it’d just be a best-of compilation.

Tatsuro: No, that’s why you write new songs!

Lime: The thing is, I do everything myself, even the programming. I write all the guitar parts too, so I end up completely exhausted.

Tatsuro: Wait, hold on. So you write the guitar riffs, program the bass and drums, compose the melodies, write the lyrics—everything. Then how the hell does your guitarist get to act so cocky!?

Lime: Ahahahahahaha!!!

Tatsuro: Seriously, I’m shocked! Like, how does he even have the nerve?! (laughs) Well, I mean… I guess that’s a talent in itself. But I really think putting out a first full-length album is a big deal. With singles, each song exists in its own world, right? But with an album, you get to build an entire world across 10 or more tracks. That can be really fun. Plus, you can include songs that wouldn’t work as singles.

Interviewer: Why not just make a full album of all new songs? (laughs)

Lime: Haha… yeah, that would probably make me go bald (laughs).

Interviewer: I feel like the way you both write music also reflects a generational shift. MUCC originally wrote songs through jamming in sessions, but these days, some bands barely even meet up in the studio.

Lime: Yeah, that might be true. I’m someone who actually hates being in the studio (laughs)

Tatsuro: Same. I hate it. I absolutely hate it (laughs).

Lime: Oh, good! (laughs) Last year, I think I was in the studio maybe six times… total.

Tatsuro: You mean for recording? What about live rehearsals?

Lime: No, I mean including rehearsals. The instrumentalists probably go in separately, but I get bored really easily. If I rehearse too much, the live shows stop being fun. I still do basic stuff like vocal exercises at home, but I try not to run through the full songs too much.

Tatsuro: Well, everyone has their own approach, so that’s fine. But for me, rehearsal and live shows feel totally different. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like a live show got boring just because I rehearsed a lot. Every show is unique, you know? Like, maybe at the last show, one song felt amazing, but at today’s show, a different song stands out instead. That kind of unpredictability is what makes it fun.

Lime: Oh yeah, I get that.

Interviewer: You’re both vocalists, do you do anything special to take care of your voices?

Tatsuro: I usually start adjusting about 5 days to a week before a live show. I’m careful during tours, but I don’t do anything regularly outside of that. When I’m on tour or recording, that’s not my usual routine, you know?

Interviewer: Lime, do you do anything?

Lime: I don’t do anything at all.

Tatsuro: You're not worried about not being able to sing sometimes?

Lime: Not at all.

Tatsuro: You must have a strong voice. Or maybe your vocal technique is just really solid.

Lime: Oh, I actually used to wreck my throat all the time. But after going through that, it just stopped happening. That gave me a lot of confidence.

Tatsuro: You don’t really scream much, do you? Mostly high-pitched stuff, right? And even those high tones sound like they're done with mixed voice.

Lime: Yeah, that’s right.

Tatsuro: Mixing falsetto and chest voice, it's similar to the high tones used in metal vocals. That technique doesn’t wreck your throat because it doesn’t put strain on your vocal cords. Harsh screams, yelling, and aggressive crowd hyping—those are what really destroy your voice. But if you keep singing the way you do, you probably won’t damage it. That, and getting enough sleep.

Lime: Yeah, as long as I sleep, I’m fine. Even if I do strain my voice, one good night of sleep usually fixes it.

Tatsuro: Also, talking too much is bad. Apparently, talking is what wrecks your throat the most. Going out drinking especially—being in a loud place forces you to raise your voice. If you’re doing that for 4–5 hours while losing sleep, and using a speaking voice that’s harsher on the throat than singing… that’s definitely going to wreck your throat.

Interviewer: Do you both sleep a lot?

Tatsuro: Yeah, I sleep quite a bit.

Lime: Same here. Especially before a live show. But, Kizu doesn’t really do that many shows. Maybe one a month, if that.

Tatsuro: You don’t do tours?

Lime: I never really saw the point in touring. But now, we’re doing something like our first tour, three shows—in Fukushima, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima, all places affected by nuclear bombings or radiation exposure.

Tatsuro: Ah, disaster-affected areas.

Interviewer: That’s wonderful. So, do you intentionally keep the number of shows low?

Lime: No, honestly, I want to do more shows. The reality is, there just aren’t many events that I actually want to play at. So after turning down a bunch, we just kind of ended up like this (laughs).

Interviewer: Hahaha! One difference between you two is that Tatsuro mainly sings, while Lime plays acoustic guitar as well. Is there a reason you play acoustic?

Lime: Honestly, it’s just because I love BLANKEY JET CITY. I wanted to be like Kenichi Asai (laughs). That's how it started, but that was in middle school. Then, when Kizu formed, I felt like the sound was too thin with just one guitar. I randomly tried playing it in the studio one day and thought, Yeah, this works! But at first, I was kind of hesitant.

Tatsuro: Why?

Lime: A visual kei vocalist with an acoustic guitar.

Tatsuro: No, if you can play it, you should.

Lime: At first, I didn’t even consider playing acoustic guitar. But now, I feel uneasy without it.

Tatsuro: If I could play, I’d want to. The fact that “visual kei bands don’t usually do this” is exactly why you should. If no one’s doing it, that’s even more reason to do it—before someone else does. It’s more interesting, and it makes you stand out.

Interviewer: I felt that too, watching you play acoustic guitar, Lime. The way you play is raw—like Kenichi Asai, Seiko Oomori, or Pistol Takehara. That kind of gritty style is rare in this scene, which made it really memorable.

Tatsuro: And it’s not just a performance gimmick, you’re doing it because it’s necessary. That’s what makes it great, right?

Lime: Yeah, I don’t want to do anything meaningless.

Interviewer: Tatsuro, you often talk about doing what no one else is doing. And I feel like that spirit is really present in Kizu as well.

Lime: Definitely. But it’s not just about being different. You know how there are these textbook approaches that a lot of people follow? I often find myself thinking, Is that really something we need to be doing? Wouldn’t it be better to leave that to someone else? And when you think like that, your path naturally ends up being different from everyone else’s.

Interviewer: I see. Changing the topic a bit—Kizu managed to fill International Forum C just two years after forming. Meanwhile, when MUCC was two years in, you were doing a one-man show at Mito Lighthouse.

Tatsuro: Hahahaha! Yeah, at that point, we were barely out of Ibaraki—if at all.

Lime: I actually have a DVD that looks back on MUCC’s history. I watched footage of you on stage with a shaved head, and it really moved me.

Tatsuro: I was something like 19 or 20 back then. But, you know, LUNA SEA had already released their first album at that age. When you think about it that way, everyone’s journey is different. Life takes all sorts of paths. (laughs)

Interviewer: What was on your mind around MUCC’s second year?

Tatsuro: Probably just, 'Bands are fun! Live shows are fun!' That’s about it (laughs). 'What should we be doing? No idea!'

Interviewer: In contrast, Lime, Kizu isn’t your first band, so your circumstances are a little different.

Lime: Yeah, that’s true. But our drummer, it's his first band.

Interviewer: That means your drummer Kyonosuke must be having a lot of fun right now.

Lime: Yeah, he probably thinks, “Being in a band is so much fun!” That’s all he knows. He hasn’t experienced the struggles. Like now, we can just hop on the expressway, stay in hotels, do a show, eat good food, get sleep.

Tatsuro: These days, young bands don’t even have ticket quotas, right?

Lime: Not anymore. But I just barely caught the tail end of that era. Back then, sleeping in the car was totally normal. And since highway tolls were expensive, we’d kill time taking the local roads until the late-night discount kicked in.

Tatsuro: Nowadays, there's barely any direct venue booking either. Like, no one goes up to the booker after a show and says, “How was today’s live?” and gets told, “Maybe you should do this differently.” Recently, I went to Takadanobaba AREA. I checked out the dressing room, and it was so creepy—everyone was just taking selfies. Every single person. Either doing their makeup or taking chekis and selfies. And I kept thinking, When will they stop?!

Lime: I totally get that. So, in our band selfies are actually banned.

Tatsuro: Honestly, that’s a good move. It’s seriously disturbing. They just keep changing angles and adjusting their expressions over and over.

Lime: Yeah, it’s really disturbing.

Interviewer: Maybe it’s just the times we live in? Speaking of the times, what do you think about Kizu selling out International Forum C in just two years?

Tatsuro: I think it’s totally fine. Everyone has a different trajectory. Some bands take longer, some don’t—it doesn’t really matter.

Interviewer: Do you personally feel like things have moved fast?

Lime: Not as much as people say. From the beginning I thought it was fine to just play in venues like Ikebukuro EDGE. As long as I could keep doing what I want to do there, I’d have been happy. Also, we’re able to have fun doing the band, and the adults around us are the ones turning it into a business. That’s how it is for us, so I’ve never really thought about speed. Even now, I still feel like we’re just having fun, just like when we started.

Tatsuro: So, what happens if it stops being fun?

Lime: I’d probably quit. Just like that. I also think I’ll quit once I feel satisfied.

Tatsuro: And then, what would you do?

Lime: I don’t know… I’d have to find something. But more than that, I just want to be able to say, I'm glad I was in a band. The end of a band is always so sad, you know? Whether it’s money problems, personal issues, or other reasons, every time a band breaks up, I always wonder, Did we really start this band for it to just end like this? When I think about it, I’d want to quit at a point when I truly feel satisfied.

Tatsuro: So basically, that would be the band's natural lifespan. If breaking up due to fights or troubles is like a sudden accident or illness, then quitting because you feel fulfilled is like a band living out its full lifespan and passing on naturally.

Interviewer: And for some, that time comes early, and for others, it comes later.

Tatsuro: Yeah, but the longer you keep going, the harder it becomes to make that decision based solely on your own feelings. Like, say I decide, "I’m satisfied, so I’m going to quit." That might give me closure, but what about the fans? A lot of people would be left confused and with unresolved feelings. I can't just leave them like that. Of course, continuing out of inertia when you don’t even want to make music anymore—that’s also disrespectful. But then again, quitting irresponsibly is also not an option. So, I keep wondering how to strike that balance? I still have things I want to do, so it's not a problem right now, but… when the time comes, I have no idea what I’ll do (laughs).

Interviewer: That’s definitely a dilemma that comes with being in a band for over 20 years.

Tatsuro: Yeah, at this point, the band feels like its own living entity. There are so many people involved—people who honestly care more deeply about it than even we do sometimes. So when you think about that, you realize you can’t just casually toss it all aside. I definitely feel that dilemma from time to time.

Lime: Maybe it's because we've only been around for two years that I can talk like this.

Interviewer: Yeah, so maybe your perspective will change as time goes on.

Lime: Right. I won’t know until I get there.

Tatsuro: Yeah, and after sticking with it for a long time, people end up forming their own philosophy about it. Yours might evolve into something completely different, too.

Lime: But I think that’s something only bands that manage to stay cool for a long time can say. MUCC’s albums change so much from one to the next, but the one thing that never changes is how cool they are. That’s something I really respect. If we’re going to keep going for a long time, I want us to be a band that continues to be cool.

Interviewer: If you were to give advice on continuing to do what you love, what would it be?

Tatsuro: Live shows are first and foremost about you having fun. But the desire to make the audience have fun with you or because of you—that grows naturally, ultimately creating a situation where everyone is happy. I mean, even if you’re doing what you love, if there’s no one there following along with you, you’ll have no choice but to find a different job. I see the relationship between the audience and the stage as completely equal. Neither side is above or below the other. I’m not above them, but they’re not above me either—so don’t get too full of yourself. Though, I admit, that happens to me too sometimes! (laughs) The audience has their own lives, their own timing, and, as humans, their tastes and preferences will change. The idea that people should never go somewhere else or follow another band doesn’t make sense to me. I think people should just choose what they like and do what makes them happy. If this place—our band, our music—is one of those things that brings them joy, then that’s all I could ask for.

Interviewer: What are your thoughts on your audience, Lime?

Lime: The other day, at our show at the International Forum, for the first time, I felt this really warm feeling inside. I never wanted to end a show with “thank you.” I was stubborn about it, like, I’m not gonna say it, no matter what. But when I walked back out for the encore at the International Forum, there was nothing else to say but “thank you.” I was like, Of course you’d feel grateful in this moment, right? But at the same time, it frustrated me. After working so hard to do things differently, I still end up in the same shitty place as everyone else?

Tatsuro: No, it’s not the same. The reason you think some people’s “thank you” sounds insincere is because you can tell they don’t actually mean it.

Lime: Yeah, that’s true. But you know, there are all kinds of people. And the thought that someone out there might see me the same way—that frustrated me too. Also, I’m kind of twisted, so I thought if I said “thank you” on stage, that’d be admitting defeat. So instead, I went home… and thanked them in the bath (laughs). So, to answer your question about how I feel about our fans—I am grateful… I just don't tell them that (laughs).

Tatsuro: Hahaha. But I think it’s important to not say things you don’t actually mean.

Lime: Yeah, for sure. But I do feel conflicted about not saying something I genuinely felt.

Tatsuro: No, it’s fine, really. I think eventually, there will come a time when it’ll just naturally come out. There will be a moment when you’ll think, “I don’t care about feeling like I was defeated. I just want to say it, even if it’s frustrating.”

Lime: That moment hasn’t come yet (laughs).

Tatsuro: So, just save it for then.

Lime: If I ever said something this direct, the guy on kamite (stage right) might throw his guitar at me (laughs).

Interviewer: Hahaha. After talking today, Tatsuro, what kind of impression did you get of Lime? Be honest! (laughs)

Tatsuro: No, no! (laughs) There are a lot of bands out there just kind of skimming the surface, not really putting their heart into it. But I can tell that he’s someone who genuinely knows what he wants to do with his band. That’s rare, and I think it’s great. I hope more bands like that emerge. Even if things don’t go perfectly, if there were more bands out there who could say, “At least we’re doing what we want and we’re proud of it,” I think the visual kei scene would be a lot cooler for it.

Lime: Something I feel really strongly about is that visual kei is cool, and I want to be the best at it. I want the world to see visual kei as something cool, and I want to be the one leading that charge. I was inspired by Tatsuro, and now I feel that if I don’t leave behind that same kind of inspiration, the scene will die out. That’s why we have to be a cool band, and we have to put on cool shows. That feeling is really strong in me.

Tatsuro: That’s why, I think visual kei is actually in a good spot right now. There aren’t many truly cool bands. If you avoid all the uncool things that every band is doing and just focus on doing cool things, people will naturally start to think, “Hey, this band is really cool.”

Interviewer: So you’ll look twice as cool.

Tatsuro: Exactly. Because most bands right now? They’re really uncool.

Lime: That’s why instead of trying to bring back the old era, I’d rather destroy everything. I want my band to break everything down, so that the next generation can create something new.

Interviewer: Today, you received a lot of advice, but is there anything you’d like to ask Tatsuro?

Lime: I mean, there’s a lot I’d like to ask… but at the same time, I don’t want to think of the person I admire as a real human being. So, I don’t want to ask anything more (laughs).

Tatsuro: Hahaha. I get that. But you know, the other day, I got THE YELLOW MONKEY’s new album, and it came with a DVD. It had performances from Budokan, the Dome, different venues, one song from each. And at the very end, there was a clip of them in a tiny rehearsal studio, the kind we use too, just the four of them playing a song together. A single fixed camera, all of them facing each other and playing. When I saw that, I thought, “Damn, I wanna be in a band!”

Interviewer: Even now, after all these years?

Tatsuro: Yeah. Watching that, I thought, 'Oh, even THE YELLOW MONKEY is just four people making music together. We’re no different! I just wanna play in a band!' (laughs)

Interviewer: That’s such a great story! But Lime, I gotta say, I kind of love how you’re twisted enough to say, “I don’t want to know everything about the person I admire.” (laughs)

Lime: No, no… (laughs) But yeah, I’ve already heard some really great stories today, I can't ask for more (laughs).

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