#ongaku! sans

[miumiins]

fountain pen drawings 🖋️

[coffee-delusion]

Skirt

is a solo project by Japanese singer-songwriter Wataru Sawabe.

He started home recording when he was in high school, and started his solo career under the name “Skirt” after entering university. In 2010, he launched his own label, Kachuka Sounds.During his student days, he played with various artists. From 2024, he is playing with Yuta Sakuma (ex. Insect Kids / drums), Yusuke Sato (Camera = Fountain Pen / keyboards), Shimada Boy (ex. NATURE DANGER GANG, Fujirokku (temporary) / percussion), Naomi Iwasaki (The Uranus, Controversial Spark/Bass) as supporting members. Some of his works can be found in films.

AniDB

[yridenergyridenergy]

Toshiya's interview in Ongaku to Hito 2024/06 - translation notes (re: Atsushi Sakurai)

Toshiya mentioned that no matter the race or country, those in front of him at concerts are all human beings, in the end. The only difference is that people outside of Japan are more free.

He was given Atsushi Sakurai's shoes by "Sakurai-san"'s family and was told: "Take me to many places with these shoes." For that reason, he felt kind of obliged to get out and visit Europe on the last tour.

Toshiya thinks that if Dir en grey had not been invited to tour in Germany a decade ago, they may have stalled in Japan and, without room to grow, the band might have been over. It was the mentality that they were in when composing Withering to death.

He went to see Buck-Tick's concert at Garden Theatre (after Sakurai's death?) and he was moved by his mentions of the parade continuing forever, even if he becomes a ghost.Toshiya got a DVD as well but he has not been able to watch it yet.

Apparently hide was supposed to attend Dir en grey's first concert at Shibuko in their debut but he passed away just a few days prior. He went to hide's funeral and, from what I gather, seniors were very emotional about that.

The same day that Toshiya first wore his Atsushi Sakurai-inspired costume to film Yurameki, the news of his death came... But he had learned of it a few days earlier, when it actually happened. Otherwise, if he had discovered it on the same day of the music video being filmed, he simply couldn't have done it.

"Then, for the first time in years, I cried a lot... Like, I was scared."

Music helped him heal.

In Europe, he saw people wearing T-shirts (of Buck-Tick or Atsushi Sakurai). Toshiya took pictures and sent them to Yuuta from Buck-Tick, which made him happy.

[junk-story]

Interview Archive 2, 5.1994 - Ongaku to Hito Special Edition

This interview is on pages 62-67 of the magazine. Footnotes can be found at the bottom of the text.

ISSAY – the aesthetic man who “continues to spin round and round in a dead end with nothing to do”, from DER ZIBET, who debuted in ‘85 as “the founders of Japan’s aesthetic-style rock revival”. Sakurai Atsushi – the aesthetic man of “complete self-deprecation, going mad in any case”, from BUCK-TICK, who debuted in ‘87 as “the first aesthetic-style rock band dominating Japan nationwide”. This will be the first interview between these two. Whether you call it visual kei, makeup kei, aesthetic kei, or Japanese-style decadence kei, this movement became dominant in Japan’s current rock scene before we knew it. Although it’s been analyzed from various perspectives, in a nutshell, I wonder if at the center of this movement is “an exceptionally large desire to escape a difficult reality”. Not liking to look at reality, they seek out a place of repose that’s “somewhere that isn’t here”, and they hide thoroughly within themselves. And while Japan is a peaceful country and they were born during this moratorium [on violence], they are “hippies”. Those who have become the beacons of this are, without a doubt, Der Zibet and BUCK-TICK. With that, a meeting of two giants who rely on each other – but it really suits these two.

Ichikawa: I’ve had pending questions for when this interview happened for a long time, since I was working at a certain other music magazine, but now that we can finally do it, somehow I’m still feeling shy.

ISSAY: Hahahahaha.

Ichikawa: First, I’ll start with the perfunctory questions.

ISSAY: The story of BUCK-TICK and DER ZIBET’s formation?

Sakurai: Hahahahaha.

Ichikawa: Hahahaha. I’m tired of hearing that sort of talk already.

ISSAY: Alright then, how we first found music? (laughs)

Ichikawa: (Ignoring him1) Sakurai, around what point did you learn of DER ZIBET?

Sakurai: Around when I was 19 or 20, wasn’t it? I’d come to Tokyo from Gunma, and during the time I was living together with a friend, I borrowed a tape from someone and listened to it.

Ichikawa: Was your first “Violetter Ball (Murasaki no Butoukai)”?

Sakurai: Yeah. I thought it seemed good and listened to it. And then, by chance, I was passing by Eggman in Shibuya...and it was written there, “DER ZIBET LIVE!”. I thought, “I wonder what sort of feel it’ll have, this is my chance” and bought my ticket for that day. That was the first place I watched them…

Ichikawa: Der Zibet are decadence at its finest, aren’t they.

ISSAY: Yeah. We’ve been told by those around us to tone it down. (laughs)

Sakurai: By the way, ISSAY-san, you were singing with a mask on.

ISSAY: Really? ...That’s not great! (laughs)

Ichikawa: (laughs) The first time you saw them it was that sort of live?

ISSAY: ...I think it wasn’t that sort of pantomime pantomiming, at the time at least.

Ichikawa: What hairstyle did he have?

Sakurai: The same as now, I think. Yeah, like that.

ISSAY: Was it black? I think maybe it was red. Red or green, one or the other.

Ichikawa: (laughs) This guy, he was giddy2, wasn’t he?

Sakurai: No...well, I thought he was cool…

ISSAY: I’m glad! (laughs)

Ichikawa: Hahaha. Did you listen to Der Zibet after that too?

Sakurai: I think after that was around the time when I had first started with BUCK-TICK, not yet as the vocalist, but as the drummer.

ISSAY: Oh?! Atsushi, you were the drummer at first?

Sakurai: Yeah.

ISSAY: I had no idea. (laughs)

Sakurai: After that, while we were touring around during our indies era, at Nagoya’s ELL, DER ZIBET’s video was playing. I thought again that they were cool. Then, when we came back from touring, among our few (laughs) fans, there was a kid who loved DER ZIBET, and they gave me that video. I watched it again and again in my room like I was devouring it.

ISSAY: You watched it again and again! (laughs)

Ichikawa: What parts of Der Zibet did you like? Don’t worry; just be honest.

Sakurai: Hmmm, well I’ve performed vocals as well, so that’s where my eyes go, don’t they. ISSAY-san was cool.

ISSAY: (laughs) See~?

Sakurai: It wasn’t just singing...the added value of his performance on the stage was really impressive.

ISSAY: We were trying various things at that time. Like where I’d sit on top of a stepladder and sing, or I’d have an enormous clock.

Ichikawa: Wahahaha. You’d go onto the stage holding candles.

ISSAY: Not candles! A lantern. All four of us wore black coats and appeared on stage holding lanterns.

Ichikawa: You did as much as you could underground, didn’t you.

ISSAY: When I think of it now, I wonder if was Japanese gothic. (laughs)

Sakurai: Hahahahaha.

Ichikawa: Is this guy embarrassed, I wonder?

ISSAY: No no. (laughs) Well, performing something itself isn’t really embarrassing. Just, when it’s said right to your face...that is embarrassing, a bit. (laughs) There’s a kind of embarrassment when someone says, “A long time ago, we all went to this picnic, right?” and they bring out a picture of you from your high school days, right? It’s embarrassing.

Ichikawa: So Sakurai, you felt there were some commonalities with Der Zibet, right?

Sakurai: …...Hmmm…...how can I say this – I felt like they were a young boy’s words. There’s a boy who has his own world and there is a girl who yearns for him in it, like that? Yeah, it may have a girlish perspective to it. Or it could be like a so-called father complex.

Ichikawa: Sakurai, you’ve had a complex about your lack of personal worldview as an artist, on that note.

Sakurai: Because I still can’t express myself in words, I haven’t gotten to that point yet. The person named ISSAY-san who has already achieved it is right before my eyes…

Ichikawa: Then, the heart of a young girl longs for him, and he also ends up a father figure – a person having difficulties, and you are too. (laughs)

Sakurai: (laughs) I envy him, that’s the kind of feeling I have.

Ichikawa: The first time ISSAY saw BUCK-TICK was in London in ‘88, wasn’t it. This was while Der Zibet was recording “GARDEN” and BUCK-TICK “TABOO” respectively, and you performed in a foreign country.

ISSAY: That was my first time seeing them live. However, the first time I met them was at the public TV recording of Meguro’s Rokumeikan.3

Ichikawa: That was the time that SION, Der Zibet and BUCK-TICK all were recording on the same day. When you went to the dressing room, they were there and you became acquainted?

Sakurai: (embarrassed laugh) Yes.

Ichikawa: Was that around the time BUCK-TICK debuted?

Sakurai: Yes, right around the time we debuted.

Ichikawa: When you went to the dressing room, there were these boys with their hair straight up.

ISSAY: That’s right. But they were such good kids. (laughs) Atsushi and Imai were adult-like, but the two on rhythm (Anii and Yuuta) really talked to me a lot. It was just a “We’re BUCK-TICK!”, “Oh, hello” sort of exchange, but. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Sakurai didn’t speak?

ISSAY: He said, “I’ve been to see one of your concerts once.”

Sakurai: (embarrassed laugh) Is that so?

Ichikawa: The Sakurai of that time was a guy that consistently didn’t talk. Right before their debut, when I was doing my first interview with BUCK-TICK, Sakurai and Hoshino, they were a fleet of silence, the two of them, you know? Despite their gaudy hair standing straight up. (laughs)

Sakurai: (laughs) Waah, we were useless guys.

Ichikawa: Well, you were eyewitness to BUCK-TICK’s live in London.

ISSAY: There was a message from Atsushi in my voicemail. “I heard you’re going to London to record around the same time as us, so if you can meet up, let’s meet”, something like that.

Ichikawa: Sakurai, what are you embarrassed about?

Sakurai: Nothing, nothing. (laughs)

Ichikawa: You’re blushing like a schoolgirl, you know. (laughs)

Sakurai: ……...(laughs)

ISSAY: Hahahahahahaha. So, I heard that BUCK-TICK was going to perform live there, so I went to watch them with the other members [of DZ].

Ichikawa: I think I can ask this now, but, performing live in London was tough, wasn’t it?

Sakurai: Yes, it was tough. But, well, it was just a rush of performing and coming back home. I didn’t think I could perform sober, so I don’t remember it, but. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Just drinking up like crazy before the show. (laughs)

Sakurai: Yeah.

Ichikawa: Sounds desperate. (laughs) Were Der Zibet your only Japanese audience members?

Sakurai: It looked like there were a number of exchange students as well.

Ichikawa: Wasn’t it embarrassing with Japanese people being there?

Sakurai: And they were in the front row. (laughs)

ISSAY: Right. I was thinking that they may have come all the way from Japan to see them. I thought, “Wow, BUCK-TICK is awesome.” (laughs)

Ichikawa: Bottom line, what were your impressions from the live?

ISSAY: I thought they were doing their best. (laughs) They had a lot of spirit. I think it was the ending, that was amazing. Like BOOM, BOOM.4 It was like, “ooh, they’re really doing it.” (laughs)

Sakurai: Hey, that’s something you’d say about a sports player. (laughs)

ISSAY: It felt like you guys were like, “Listen to this, you bastards!”

Sakurai: We might have seemed like nasty guys. (laughs)

ISSAY: No, not at all, there wasn’t a feeling of nastiness to it; you were greeting them with smiles and properly did the MC in English.

Ichikawa: MC!!!

ISSAY: In the middle, speaking English got troublesome so he ended up speaking Japanese, but. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Woooooow. (laughs) This guy who can’t even speak for the MC in Japan, there’s no way he could do it over there, right?

ISSAY: Hahahahahahaha.

Sakurai: Right. It was impossible.

Ichikawa: But this is a nostalgic story.

ISSAY: Yeah, nostalgic. But I remember stuff from that time.

Sakurai: Me too. And I was glad you came to our dressing room.

Ichikawa: Thinking about it, both BUCK-TICK and Der Zibet recorded internationally as a one-time thing.

ISSAY: For us, it’s because when we go there, we end up making dark stuff. Like, the dark and extremely heavy “GARDEN” that was so heavily criticized by the people invested in it, when we listened to it in London it seemed normal. You don’t think it’s dark at all.

Sakurai: That’s right. Ichikawa-san also completely disliked our “TABOO”, so. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Well, when you go to London, it suddenly ends up feeling quite frightening, doesn’t it? And artists need to have a strong sense of themselves.

ISSAY: I ended up having the constitution for it, undoubtedly. I had fun, being in London. Wasn’t that the case for you?

Sakurai: Certainly mentally speaking, it was very comfortable.

Ichikawa: But Sakurai, you’ve been on vacation to Hawaii before.5 (laughs)

Sakurai: That place is totally harder. (laughs) There’s this obsession of like, if you don’t go outside you’re missing out...(laughs)

ISSAY: Aah, I get that! (laughs) Well, did you end up going outside?

Sakurai: I did end up going out.

ISSAY: Did you swim in the ocean?

Sakurai: I did. (laughs)

ISSAY: Isn’t that nice~, that you swam in the ocean~? (laughs)

Sakurai: Hahahaha.

ISSAY: Let’s go next time, it’ll be fun. Let’s go, let’s go. (laughs) Last summer, for the first time in 15 years, I also went to the ocean, sooo (laughs)

Sakurai: What sort of fun? (laughs)

Ichikawa: Decadent people going for a swim in the ocean. (laughs)

ISSAY: After that, we’ve met in passing a number of times. Definitely, I think it was when we were coming back from touring in Nagoya or somewhere, but we were refueling our gas in the parking area off the highway and (laughs) these guys with long hair came in. I was thinking, “Huh? I’ve seen these guys before”, and there was the bassist. He went, “It’s BUCK-TICK!” (laughs) And from the back, making an extremely embarrassed looking face about it, came Atsushi. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Wahahahaha.

ISSAY: I was like, “Oh, it’s Atsushi!” (laughs) Besides that, we also met up in front of Nakano Sun Plaza when Peter Murphy had a concert there.

Sakurai: I remember that well.

Ichikawa: Because events like that are few and far between, right. You guys live withered lifestyles like retired old men. (laughs)

ISSAY: Definitely. (laughs) Events that move me are few and far between. But look, I was moved at first when I met up with Atsushi, I was like, “It’s Atsushi~!”

Sakurai: Hahahahahahahaha.

ISSAY: Atsushi, you’re a homebody too, right?

Sakurai: Going by car from a metropolitan area to a suburb is okay, but getting to the point of leaving my room is difficult.

Ichikawa: This guy would probably be happy if you came over to his room to hang out. (laughs) You would just be idling away the time, though.

Sakurai: Well, there are no enemies from the outside there. (laughs)

ISSAY: You get tired of it right, the stuff that comes with going out.

Sakurai: Yeah, it’s tiring. I wonder why that is.

ISSAY: Because people other than you are there. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Wahahahahahaha.

Sakurai: Hahahaha. 100%. (laughs)

ISSAY: Thank you very much.6 (laughs)

Sakurai: For me, even though I’m at this age, I still happen to get embarrassed and scared about it. I want to go to Toukyuu Hands7, but I can’t, things like that. (laughs)

ISSAY: I can’t go either, you know. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Sakurai, what do you want to go to Hands for?

Sakurai: My light bulbs burnt out, so to go buy more. Places like supermarkets don’t sell them, they’re a special kind. In the end, I had someone else buy them and bring them to me. (laughs)

ISSAY: Right? I do that too.

Ichikawa: That’s no good, you guys. (laughs)

ISSAY: For me, there was a time where I wanted a takoyaki set, so I sent the manager to buy it for me.

Sakurai: Ah, I bought that too. The one from Toukyuu Hands, right? (laughs)

ISSAY: Ah, really? Next time, let’s have a takoyaki party, just the two of us. (laughs)

Sakurai: We’ll do it, we’ll do it. (laughs)

ISSAY: A dark, decadent takoyaki party. (laughs)

Ichikawa: While listening to the Sisters of Mercy.

Sakurai: Hahahahahahaha.

Ichikawa: I’m coming too.

ISSAY: Please do. (laughs)

Ichikawa: So, in “Masquerade”, the song you costar on in Der Zibet’s “Shishunki II”, it became a “decadent duet between teacher and student”.

ISSAY: Weren’t you the one who planned that? (laughs) But, that really was extremely fun. (laughs) And the finished product is quite interesting.

Ichikawa: Like the way the qualities of your voices are so similar.

ISSAY: Right? (laughs) Like, there are many parts where you can’t tell if I’m singing or if Atsushi is singing, even for me.

Sakurai: That’s been said a lot.

ISSAY: I was surprised by that. So, if you listen to how Atsushi normally sings, it’s completely different from me, right? But, when we happen to be doing a part in the same artistic style...you know?

Ichikawa: By the way, ISSAY, what do you actually think about the music BUCK-TICK is performing?

ISSAY: I haven’t listened to all of it completely, so I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s interesting. It’s weird, isn’t it? There aren’t guys performing that kind of music on major labels, are there? So I’m really happy about that, and that it’s so well received. I think that’s a really good thing. From the time they came out, I’ve thought, “This went major. That’s great!” (laughs) Even though the things they perform are quite often actually grotesque.8

Ichikawa: I think the people at Victor who gave them the OK are great too. Here are these “amateurs” with incomprehensible lyrics who didn’t know the fundamentals of their instruments, so you get a lot of weird sounds. At an average record label, they would have ended up getting the boot.

ISSAY: Normally, most likely.

Sakurai: I think so too. (laughs)

Ichikawa: If I’m speaking frankly, and I’m still thinking this, but I can’t help wondering why they were sold on BUCK-TICK.

Sakurai: Fufufufu.

ISSAY: Me, I somehow understand. I suppose the melody was easy to follow and that had a lot to do with it. I don’t think it’s necessary at all to persist in that, but as an element of their work that’s easy to accept, I wonder if it wasn’t a big part of it. Although their lyrics seemed muddied, and although their hair was done like it was. I think their melodies were amazingly alive. I wonder if they really felt that.

Ichikawa: Well, if Der Zibet had also debuted four years or so later, maybe they would have sold big.

ISSAY: Hahahaha. I wonder. (laughs)

Ichikawa: But you know, on the point of how what we call aesthetic kei or visual kei’s “weird sounds” movement gained a following in Japan, I think BUCK-TICK’s contribution is huge. Especially when you think about how aesthetic kei is currently flourishing.

ISSAY: I think so. You’re great, Atsushi!

Sakurai: (laughs) Not at all, the me of today wouldn’t be here without ISSAY-san.

Ichikawa: You guys are so creepy. But lately, the number of lovable “aesthetic fools” are getting increasingly scarce, aren’t they?

Sakurai: Because fashion comes first.

Ichikawa: Stylers9 are born on after another, but it’s just the shape of one. In the amateurs, in indies, and on major labels too.

ISSAY: Hahahahahaha. Styler (laughs)

Sakurai: (laughs) What is that exactly, a styler?

Ichikawa: Hm? Someone who personifies STYLE10.

Sakurai: Hahahaha. What a great way to say it.

Ichikawa: In the middle of the ‘80s, there was an underground aesthetic music scene centered in Shinjuku, and it was nothing but fine fools, wasn’t it?

ISSAY: It was, it was. Jean Genet11 was doing well.

Ichikawa: (laughs) There were no bands that I think a major label would be willing to spend production and advertising costs on thinking like, “This will sell!”

ISSAY: That’s right. But it’s because they had power.

Ichikawa: That underground power, it comes from a scene that has a sad history where, regardless of how good they were, their values were different from the above ground, and for this reason alone they were not recognized, right?

ISSAY: But isn’t that how it ends up in the world?

Ichikawa: Der Zibet is also still the odd one out among that group – because even while ISSAY’s “aesthetic of spinning circles in a dead end” stands out, the sounds have also been properly done.

ISSAY: It was still weird though. (laughs) However, we really were criticized for it. At the time we first put music out, it was written about as “kayou rock”.12 If you had slightly melodious lyrics, you’d quickly be branded with that.

Sakurai: We were as well. (laughs)

Ichikawa: But now there are no fools. And that’s regrettable. Because as I see it, rock is pulled along by fools. It improves the expression and the like.

ISSAY: Well, but…

Ichikawa: Guys like us need to keep going, is what I’m saying.

ISSAY: That’s what you meant. (laughs)

Sakurai: Hahahahahaha.

Ichikawa: I’m asking this right at the end, but ISSAY’s solo album production project is actually now going on in secret, but of course, Sakurai Atsushi, I think you must be obligated to participate in it in any case, right?

ISSAY: Hahahahaha. Will you do it?

Sakurai: I’ll do it!

1 This is literally noted in the text, lol. 2 This could also be “restless” or “flippant”, but those fit less well to me. 3 A live house in Tokyo. The internet tells me this show was on January 17th, 1988. 4 Onomatopoeia translation hard. 5 I felt this transition was weird in English, but it’s clear in Japanese at least that he’s implying London shouldn’t have been comfortable compared to Hawaii. 6 This is basically the first time in the whole interview that ISSAY speaks formally, and it’s for exaggerated effect. Very opposite of Sakurai, who has been 100% formal. 7 Now just “Hands” – a home center store for housing and lifestyle products. 8 “Egui” means a lot of things, but it’s apt for B-T’s music: dark topics on emotional things, taboo social subjects. 9 I spent like 5 minutes trying to figure this out before reading on. He made this word up. Sakurai and Issay didn't know what he meant either. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Ichikawa. 10 “Style” was written in English here. 11 This appears to be a reference to this playwright’s style of work more than he himself. 12 Better Japanese music historians may know more than me, but this seems like the pre-Band Boom name for this kind of music. THE ALFEE, for example, is listed as one of the founding groups of this sound on JP Wikipedia.

[that-fangirl]

Today I came across an interview Atsushi had, back in June 2019. And there was a specific part of it that almost gave me shivers.

"―― Right (lol). Our conversation has taken quite a turn but whether it’s about being healthy or about being able to perform on stage, neither can go on forever. I believe that is what you got to feel firsthand this time.

S: Yeah. How long I can keep doing this…… I thought about things like that. Especially recently when there are those who choose to voluntarily retire. Although, of course, I, too, wish to keep going as long as my body and my voice permits. But, well, it’s not something that is within our control. If we can sever off what naturally happens, it would be easy but that is rarely the case. Because being born human, we have emotions, and memories, and blood relations after all. It’s difficult to sever things away. But despite that, time still goes by. Right…… Very recently, I decided that I would do whatever I wanted to do. And I wouldn’t do what I didn’t want to do.

―― You’re saying this in a positive light.

S: That’s right. Because, really, just recently, a friend who I’ve known for 30 years passed away. He went suddenly and it felt like, ‘…… Ah, that’s it?’. That person lived his life as he liked, so I guess that was one thing my friend taught me.

―― Was your friend sick?

S: Nope, he suddenly collapsed. Cerebral haemorrhage or something. Mm…… It was a little too abrupt. Even now, it still hasn’t sunk in though."

It feels rather strange to read this interview and to find the similarities, doesn't it?

Either way, I believe for most of us, it still hasn't sunk in that he is gone. But I also think Sakurai-san would want us to live our lives to the fullest as we like.

We still miss you, Sakurai-san. It still hurts. But it will get better some day...

[prfm-multiverse]

Since "PLASMA," the recording style has changed; now, whenever Nakata-san thinks of something, we record it right away. We’ve been recording quite frequently.

-- Kashiyuka, Ongaku to Hito October 2023 Issue

[yougetsu]

OTH: What is it about Sakurai-san's vocals that captivates you?

JT: It's expressive power, of course. Also, the quality of his voice. He has a specific voice. Its main distinguishing feature is not so much the purity of the notes as its shrillness. Such a voice very intensely conveys both suffering and euphoria. This is a good property, right? We live in a time now where you can do whatever you want to your voice with professional equipment, and I really don't like that, but he never relied on those things. He relies on the natural evolution of the expressive power of his voice as he gets older.

Excerpt taken from the interview with Junichi Tanaka for Ongaku to Hito (Nov, 2015).

Sources: livejournal, pikopiko.

[manjuhitorie]

Ongaku to Hito March 2023 Issue - Bocchi the Rock! Insights and Interviews with Bandmen

Shinoda from Hitorie: I’m a big fan of the guitarist who does the arrangement work for Kessoku Band, Mitsui Ritsuo (also known for his work in The Youth, Lost in Time, and la la larks). I’ve been listening to The Youth since I was a teenager, and now that I’m older have I gotten the opportunity to perform shows along with Mitsui-san, on top of getting to go out drinking with him as well. Before I had watched the anime ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ I had happened to stroll upon the music video of “If I could be a Constellation” from the soundtrack. I had assumed it was just any other old popular song, until I saw Mitsui-san’s name on it. “Holy shit, Mitsui-san is gaining traction?!” I thought, [he laughs]. To top it all off the song was absolutely brilliant. I had been hearing the name ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ floating around a lot at the time, but this song is what finally got me to sit down and watch it.

I had started with the manga, so I then got to really appreciate just how well the anime expanded off of the snail’s pace of the 4 comic. It made me realize just how mighty the anime really is. The creators’ sheer determination to shape it into something people would enjoy runs deep through every aspect of the show, and that’s what makes it such high quality.

Not to mention that it depicts real life. What had surprised me the most were how realistic the octopus rice crackers in Enoshima on the screen were, that scene alone made me feel like I was watching live-action instead of anime. Also the scenery of Shimokitazawa city and the guitar section of the music store and stuff. It made me go “Hey I’ve been there before”.  When you actually know the city, it makes you wonder if maybe the girls really are out there in the city rocking out somewhere. That’s the level of attention to detail we’re talking with this show. The part I especially empathized with while watching was Bocchi-chan’s mentality, the way her mind works. Her mental struggle with people; the way she afraid of certain things when it comes to interacting with people… It all really hit home. I would never my crawl into a garbage pail or hide under a cardboard box to perform as she did but, the meta portrayal in scenes made me realize that I too may shelter my heart.

I’ve always been not so great at talking with people but, I’ve always enjoyed standing up in front of a crowd more. So concerts are nothing but a joy for me. That’s the difference between Bocchi and I. Though it’s true that playing guitar in the comfort of your own home versus performing on stage are two totally different worlds. There’s some things on guitar you can only play at home for some wild reason. I find that skills I’m technically capable of will, for some reason, just refuse to show themselves on stage. Possibly because when you’re aware that you’re standing up in front of an audience, along with the subsequent necessity to align yourself with them and the other performers, it all impacts your performance in a strange way. Bocchi-chan was stressed over this at first too, and I understand her sentiment deeply. I was like “I feel you!”.

After receiving advice from others did Bocchi-chan slowly but surely begin to find her own style and put her own twist on things- this part was really so much like what happens with real bands. By doing music with others do you actually reflect on yourself more. In my case, I was under the impression that I was the best guitarist in the world back when I first joined Hitorie. There, my bandmates politely told me that I needed to practice more, and I realized that in order to adapt to this band I would need to put much more effort in. My naivety chipped away at me. There’s so many things that you’ll never understand simply by mulling all by yourself. It’s all more the reason why doing things with others is so beautiful. That’s the epitome of bands if you ask me.

The most impactful episode to me was episode 8, when Kessoku Band had their very first concert. It was all going downhill, and I was thinking to myself “Been there, done that”. The bass drum flipping over during the intro was so realistic, merely listening to it made me feel nervous, yet then to flip the tables did Bocchi-chan improvise and rip out an ad lib guitar solo. Just wow that was so cool! Bocchi-chan’s talent and potential of which she was never able to unleash alongside the band finally awakened. It was so cool that I cried just watching. I can tell the people making the show have an abnormal amount of passion, they make us viewers feel as if they’re watching an actual living breathing band in action, and it’s just incredible.

Also the music itself is purely and simply great too. Mitsui-san had mentioned in an interview at some point that he had purposely wrote the songs with fewer notes. He refused to use instruments other than the ones the characters use, and he eschewed from letting instruments drown each other out as much as possible. And the fruits of his efforts turned the album “Kessoku Band” into a single collection of an unbelievable amount of electric guitar. Just last year was there discourse and theories on the internet about how guitar had become obsolete and unwanted. Because many artists are skipping the guitar solo and stuff. Yet this album pays no heed to such and is just a raw unadulterated masterpiece of rock.

When I see albums like this take the number 1 spot in rankings, it makes me realize just how much of a farce discourse on the internet is. I’m sure there’s people out there whose interest in rock bands was piqued after watching the anime but, I want people to take this opportunity to start forming their own bands and come on down to see some shows as well. Also, if the anime is going to continue on into the future then I would love the chance to be a part of it. Please let me write a song for ‘Bocchi the Rock!’!

————————————————————

Takamura Yoshihide from BLUE ENCOUNT:

Our bassist, Tsujimura (Yuuta), had told me about “a cool anime” he had seen, and that’s what got me to watch it. I had spotted the name in Twitter trends prior but I was sitting on the fence, like “It must be good if people are talking about it, maybe I should watch it too”. Then only once I saw the incredible quality of the first episode did I too get hooked.

Bocchi-chan’s shut-in tendencies and negative vibes were striking. Such as playing guitar in her closet, or getting so depressed that she sunk into a trash can. Nobody in real life would actually go to such lengths, yet that's exactly why the exaggerations were so impactful. This kind of thing is only possible in anime, and I love it when people use extremes to portray. Not only does is it exciting to watch, but they painted the scenery of Shimokitazawa so vividly and realistically that it brought back memories of back when we were in indie band and we performed there ourselves. Between the year 2010 and 2011, we were constantly performing at a venue called Shimokitazawa ReG. Not many people came to see us back then but, when we opened for KISD the tickets sold out off of reservations alone. I was thrilled, yet then on the day of the show only about half the people showed up. So in episode 8 when due to a storm people who payed for tickets didn’t show up, it really struck a chord. Plus, there really are people who only show interest in the band they came to see, and don’t so much as bat an eye at the other. And how to attract their attention is the number one struggle of an indie band. Playing a guitar solo to do so, as Bocchi did, is one orthodox method. I myself jumped down on to the floor once (he laughs). I just wanted the audience to at least look at one of us, so I just desperately threw myself out there. That’s why I personally really understood how the girls on stage must’ve felt too.

The other part which left a huge impression on me was Hiroi Kikuri. Ordinarily she’s just another sake-loving drunk, yet when she gets up on stage does her other charismatic side show its colors. I think they really hit the nail on the head with this. People whose livelihood is a tad off from the humdrum; people whose sensibilities are a bit strange, they can still become a star. That so the impression I got. They may have exaggerated it, but I do believe this was the kind of message they were aimimg to express.

Also, for indie bands and amateurs, are the managers of livehouses actually big people in their lives. So I thought the fact that they included a relationship between Kessoku Band and a livehouse manager, Seika, was great. The first livehouse manager to ever support us was someone by the name of Kumamoto B.9 Fukuda-san. Unlike in the anime though, he was a big scary dai-senpai who made chills run down my spine whenever I saw him (laughs). Yet, it was until later did I learn that behind the scenes he had actually been looking out for us, had been taking care of things for our band, and had gotten us a lot of connections. It’s really thanks to people like him that bands are able to grow, slowly but surely. Having someone close who supports you is just so important.

The interesting but difficult part of being in a band is that you’re a bunch of different people all striving for the same goals. Each member of Kessoku Band has such unique personality, they’re all enjoyable, and I must say, that they start off with such a high level of musical ability. Bocchi-chan is absolutely incredible at guitar, and the other 3 are way past the high school level. We could never have held a torch to them back when we were in high school ourselves (laugh). Yet unfortunately throughout my life I’ve seen my fair fill of players whom may be incredibly skilled individually and yet never make it as a band. When it comes down to the aspects that aren’t just raw technique, they run into a wall, such as the struggles involved in creating something together with other people, or the questions posed about how to make their concerts a success. The difficulties and challenges involved in being a band, they’re all represented in episode 12. And that’s what made it feel so realistic. Getting emotional and snapping at each other mid-concert, snapping their guitar strings.. By getting through it bit by bit did Kessoku Band’s concerts improve bit by bit too. All the little things add up and make bands grow.

With that said, if you were to compare Bocchi-chan in episode 1 to her in episode 12, it’s evident that she hasn’t changed much. And I love that. Her shyness is part of her core personality, it wouldn’t just change overnight. Just performing a concert at a shool festival won’t turn your whole world upside down, the next day is just any other old day, and that’s the end of it. I absolutely loved how that was the ending for the show. Despite life not dramatically changing, obtaining a single, small valuable experience may just impact one’s mentality and the way one interacts with the world even just a teensy tiny bit. That’s why it felt so relatable, and natural to watch.

I haven’t read the manga yet so I have no idea what will happen next but, if it’s to follow the same patterns as other classic media then I’d imagine they’ll strive to become mainstream. However, I’m also interested in just seeing more of whatever antics the gang gets up to at school and at the livehouses.

————————————————————

Takeuchi Kiyoka:

Strolling down the streets of Shimokitazawa, passing by a giant merchandise store on her way to a concert venue, Goto Hitori. As soon as she arrived at her destination “STARRY” did her face turn pale, as she internally screamed the words “Is this hell on Earth…? “. The venue “STARRY” of which Kessoku Band makes their base of operations is modeled after the real life venue “Shimokitazawa SHELTER”. When I first entered SHELTER I too had shared the same sentiment as Hitori going down that dark stairwell in the first episode. The accuracy astonished me.

The anime is stuffed with countless moments, spectacles, and sights of which anybody who’s interested in bands has surely seen in their life at least once. The streets of Shimokitazawa are obvious but, the insides of SHELTER were even depicted with such detailed accuracy. From the stairwell when you first enter, to the big clock, the wall covered to the corners in band posters, and the arched steel pipe chasing the walls. In reality the steel pipes are a blackish color while the anime instead opted for an eye-catching red, plus the size of the backstage area is slightly different but, even though they did switch things up a bit for the sake of the anime, the overall faithful re-creation and the sincere delicate process with which they made it is just pouring out of the screen.

The home base of the alcoholic rocker Hiroi Kikuri, Shinjuku FOLT, too is lovingly modeled after the existing venue, Shinjuku LOFT. The black and white checkerboard floors, the screen veiling the stage, the stage passes plastered across the backstage walls- they’re all sure to evoke a strong sense of familiarity for anyone whom has ever been there. Countless anime have been incorporating real life places into their stories over the years but, what makes ‘Bocchi the Rock!’ unique is that they potray the places and environments surrounding Japanese band culture with minute detail. There’s never before been a “band anime” that explained about how livehouses are treated as restaurants, or about their ticket quota. They don’t merely display a place, they go the extra mile to depict the various affairs and experiences which accompany band life. That’s what gives the show such a high resolution, that’s why it feels as if the members of Kessoku Band are drawing breath before you.

Things may be adapted for the animation but, a reality that brings real life and entertainment together is truly within ‘Bocchi the Rock!’. So I can’t help but wonder if maybe the girls are out there rehearsing in a studio right now, or maybe they’re off doing some part time work somewhere, or what if they’re planning their set list for their next show- these flights of fantasies of mine just naturally take off. Yet more so then anything, do I think this. To a livehouse I want to go, to a concert.

[ngt48fanshub]

NGT48’s First Triple Center: Fujisaki Miyu, Otsuka Nanami, and Ogoe Haruka on “The Group’s Transformation” (Interview + Images)

Fujisaki Miyu, Otsuka Nanami, and Ogoe Haruka serve as the triple centers for NGT48's 10th single, Isshun no Hanabi, which will be released on August 28. The three, who joined the group around the same time, express a shared sense of “relief” in taking on the center position together. With many of the first-generation members who supported the group from its early days having graduated, NGT48 is entering a period of change. Here, the trio discusses their thoughts on this transformation and their hopes for the future.

Fujisaki Miyu: “Showcasing the Best Aspects from Different Angles”

Ⓠ How did you feel when you were chosen to serve as the triple center for this single? Miyu: Triple center is a first for NGT48, but when I heard that the three of us would take on the role, I felt “a great sense of relief.” I’ve been a solo center before, but doing this alongside two others who have been my close teammates for nearly six years gives me a lot of confidence. I think the three of us are quite balanced, each with our own unique strengths, so I feel we’ll be able to show the group’s best from a variety of angles.

Ⓠ Could you tell us a bit about these “different types”? Miyu: I’m often in a leadership role as NGT48’s captain, so I tend to take the lead. Haruka has a lot of opportunities to represent the group externally, so she helps spread the word about NGT48. Nanami has shown her talent by placing 5th in the recent “AKB48 Group No.1 Singing Contest” and was selected for the dance lineup in Ongaku no Hi 2024 (TBS). I think each of us complements the others’ strengths very well.

Otsuka Nanami: “Excited to See NGT48’s New Form”

Ⓠ Haruka, how did you feel when you heard you’d be part of a triple center? Haruka: I thought, “So this is the approach we’re taking!” (LOL). Since neither the formation nor choreography was decided at the time of the interview, I’m curious and excited to see how it will all come together. With many of our first-generation seniors having graduated, and Homma Hinata-san having just left, I do feel some unease about where NGT48 is headed, but there’s also a sense of excitement about trying something new as a triple center. I feel a strong responsibility for us to give it our best.

Ⓠ How is it working with Miyu and Nanami? Haruka: I’ve been a solo center before as well, but this time, I hardly feel any of the usual pressure—in a good way. I feel like I can approach our activities with a real sense of stability.

Ⓠ Nanami, what are your thoughts? Nanami: When I heard about the triple center, I was excited about seeing a new side of NGT48. I do have some apprehension about what direction we’ll take going forward, but right now, I’m mostly happy that the three of us can be in this role together.

I’ve been an idol for six years, and this is my first time standing in the center position. I feel like everything I’ve done so far has built up my confidence for this moment, and I want to stand here with pride.

In the early days, I didn’t often say out loud that I wanted to be center, but in the past few years, I’ve started to express that desire to fans. Achieving that goal this time has boosted my confidence, and I want to become someone who’s recognized by both the members and fans.

One Year Since Rika Nakai’s Graduation…Ogoe Haruka: “A Hole in My Heart”

Ⓠ With Nakai Rika graduating with the previous single, and Homma Hinata graduating in April of this year, members who have led the group for years are leaving, while new fourth-generation members are joining. How do you feel about these changes in the group? Nanami: Until now, the two of them had an enormous impact on the group, so when we’re invited to festivals and outside events, I sometimes feel a bit uncertain.

In terms of NGT48’s recognition in the public eye, Rika-san and Hinata-san’s presence was huge. With them gone, when people ask, “Who is in NGT48 now?” I feel that the next names they should hear need to be ours, as we’ve been chosen as centers for this single, and I want it to be that way. Haruka: I’ve admired Nakai Rika-san for a long time, almost thinking of her as a mother figure. When she graduated, it felt like there was a gaping hole in my heart, and I was deeply affected by it for a while. Even now, nearly a year later, I still feel a great sense of loss.

I tend to spend most of the year feeling negative, with my spirits usually low, but Rika-san would always brighten the atmosphere. Just talking with her was a joy. Since she’s no longer here, I’ve recently begun to feel like I need to stop dwelling in gloominess all the time.

Ⓠ Hopefully, there will be more positive days going forward. Haruka: Yes, I’d like to add about ten more positive days to the year (LOL).

Fujisaki Miyu: “If We Can All Put (What We Learned from Our Seniors) to Good Use”

Ⓠ As captain, how do you feel about it, Miyu? Miyu: Both Rika-san and Hinata-san had many opportunities to work outside the group, and they contributed more to the group than anyone else. At both of their graduation concerts, they taught us so much, but now I sometimes feel that we don’t have nearly enough experience to teach our juniors in the same way.

Hinata-san’s graduation concert was after the fourth generation joined, so although their time working together was short, I think the fourth-generation members learned a lot from her. I hope that we can all put these lessons to good use for the future of the group.

Fujisaki Miyu & Otsuka Nanami Make Waves with Appearance on "Ongaku no Hi 2024"

Ⓠ Speaking of activities outside the group, Fujisaki-san and Otsuka-san’s dance performance of “Ageha Chou” on “Ongaku no Hi 2024” with the 48 Group members has become a hot topic. Miyu: The response was tremendous. We don’t get many opportunities to perform alongside other 48 Group members, so being featured on a televised music show like this was incredibly valuable. It had also been a while since NGT48 had an opportunity like this, so the entire group was thrilled. Nanami: In recent years, chances to connect with other 48 Group members have lessened, so I was surprised to see many members who joined after me. Observing how other group members approached the program helped me realize things I could improve on. I hope to share what I learned from this experience with our juniors.

Ogoe Haruka Appears in Drama with AKB48's Oguri Yui & Former HKT48's Nako Yabuki

Ⓠ Haruka, you’re currently appearing in the drama Subarashiki Kana, Sensei! (Airing Sundays at 10:00-10:54 p.m., TV Asahi) alongside AKB48’s Oguri Yui and former HKT48’s Yabuki Nako. Do you get the chance to talk with them? Haruka: I’ve only had one opportunity to meet Oguri-san so far (at the time of the interview), but since I play a classmate of Yabuki-san, we have plenty of chances to chat. She asked me to call her "Nako-chan," but I haven’t managed to actually say it yet.

Since we’re all in the same class in the show, I’ve gotten close enough with the other cast members to speak casually, even if we’re different ages. But when it comes to a 48 Group senior, I just don’t have the courage to casually greet her with a simple “Good morning.” While I speak casually with all the other students, I suddenly switch to formal language only with Nako-san, which makes things a bit awkward (laughs). During the rest of the filming, I hope to be able to call her “Nako-chan” at least once.

Ogoe Haruka on the New Song: "A Touching and Soft Style, Perfect for NGT48"

Ⓠ Could you tell us what to look for in the new song Isshun no Hanabi? Miyu: This song has no intro, interlude, or outro, so it feels like it builds up more and more until it just ends. Like the title suggests, the lyrics and the composition give a sense of fireworks lighting up the sky—capturing both a feeling of excitement and a sense of fleeting beauty. Haruka: My impression of the song is that it's quite touching and gentle, which is one of NGT48's strengths. I felt it’s a song that helps us realize that things we might have had right in front of us but are now gone become all the more precious because they’re no longer there. Nanami: When I listened to our recording, I felt the sound of the music blended perfectly with everyone’s voices, creating a wonderful atmosphere. I hadn’t heard many songs that include the sound of fireworks, so I’m excited to see how it will look in performance. I’m predicting that the choreography will reflect the image of fireworks (LOL).

Summer Challenges – Otsuka Nanami: "Two Things I Want to Work On"

Ⓠ Lastly, could you each share what you want to tackle this summer? Haruka, last summer you mentioned in an interview about spending more on yourself. Haruka: Lately, I’ve felt even more inclined to invest in myself, both inside and out. I turned 20 recently, so I’ve realized that it’s important. For outward things, like going to the spa, I’ve recently started going to saunas, too. I might be a little late to the trend, but I’ve finally gained the courage to try new things I hadn’t before. Now that I’m 20, I’d like to try going out for a drink alone. Miyu: Recently, I had the chance to go out to eat with fourth-generation members Sato Hiroka, Isozaki Nana, and Hara Ayumi, and I want to make it a point to go out with my juniors more this summer.

I’ve always been a bit shy, so I hadn’t really gone out to eat even with my peers, let alone juniors. But now that I’m one of the older members, I want to use these opportunities to connect, especially for conversations we might not have otherwise. I hope that by doing this, the group will benefit, and I can help bring us closer together. Nanami: There are two areas I want to work on. First is my talk skills. Recently, I’ve had more fieldwork assignments on TV, and I noticed I lack vocabulary, so I asked my peer, Mimura Hino, who’s basically a vocabulary pro, for advice. She told me to watch comedy routines, so I’ve been watching a lot of those lately.

The second area is performance. I placed fifth in the recent AKB48 Group Singing Contest No. 1, but I wasn’t completely satisfied, wondering, “How did I get this far with my singing?” So I’d like to keep working on my singing as well.

(From The Television web, published 2024/08/23)

[alpineshepherdlass]

I would feel much more hesitant about posting these adorable Eighties-era manga drawings of mostly David Sylvian pining after Ryuichi Sakamoto if not for the fact that: 1) the Professor himself reportedly brought up these comics in an interview, presumably because he also enjoyed them?; 2) David is a benevolent, present-day-oriented sort of guy; at worst he’d regard them with polite indifference, and 3) Atsuko Shima did such a fine, fine job creating these, and I covet the ones heartofdavid describes below - more than the handful I’ve managed to find! ALAS.

The main David/Ryuichi comic was serialized in Ongaku Senka for many years, and in the storyline it seems the attraction was mutual - after [Sakamoto-san’s then-partner Akiko Yano] gave her approval of the relationship (one of the storylines, very funny). Subsequent stories were about rivals for either of the duo's affections - one that comes to mind is Bowie going after Ryuichi, and Bowie and David doing a serenade sing-off in a restaurant - but always with a happy resolution. David's appearance changes over time, until he is shown as a glasses wearing, natural hair colour, long hair in a ponytail...housewife type of figure (lol) usually shown in an apron, cooking or cleaning.

[mementoboni]

[part 3/3] Kaoru no Dokugen - Chapter 0: The person I admire

"The person I had always admired was waiting for me with a beautiful face."

Notes before reading:

This chapter is from Kaoru’s first book “Dokugen" released on October 2015. It is placed after Chapter 35 (the last chapter), not part of “Ongaku to Hito” magazine. You can purchase the book 👉 here.

The title is written in Kanji as “憧人” (Akogareru Hito), which means “The person I admire”. (Actually, I’m not sure if this is how it’s pronounced 😅)

I first translated this chapter into Traditional Chinese in 2021, but later I found that there was no English version, so I decided to translate it again into English.

The translation is divided into three parts (I didn’t expect it to be so long in English…). This is the last part. 👉 part 1. & part 2.

In this part, Kaoru talks about how he was encouraged by YOSHIKI, and how he got HIDE's ring from the other Senpai.

Repost and share are welcome.🙌 This is the first time I have translated so much words into English, so please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.☺️

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The person I had always admired was waiting for me with a beautiful face. I might have been there and met HIDE-san with a different feeling from the people around me. Why do I say that? Because it's the first time I met him. I introduced myself in my mind and thanked HIDE-san for coming to the Shibukou (渋公=渋谷公会堂) live.

Even now, I still wonder, “If he's still alive, would I be able to talk to him? Would I be able to drink with him? If he comes up with a crazy idea, would I be desperate to do it?” Something like that.

Other members of DIR also meet and build relationships with people they admire. Sometimes I imagine that if I receive a message from HIDE-san at night that he is in Fukuoka, would I just take a taxi and run to him? Well, I don't know if I could have that kind of relationship…

It is such a pity that I could not talk to HIDE-san while meeting him. But it was TOMMY-san and YOSHIKI-san who allowed me to meet HIDE-san that encouraged me.

There was a drinking party after the funeral. When TOMMY-san, who invited me to the party, introduced me to YOSHIKI-san for the first time, YOSHIKI-san looked at my face and said: "You like HIDE-chan, right?” I was surprised to hear that all of a sudden.

When we recorded with YOSHIKI-san in LA, there was a part where I really wanted to put in a guitar phrase, so I thought about the phrase in that part for days, recorded it, and handed it to YOSHIKI-san for confirmation. YOSHIKI-san: "Do you really need it here? Wouldn't it be nice to have none?" Me: "No, it's necessary! I'll think about it a little more, please listen to it after I'm done." YOSHIKI-san: "I see~ Kaoru is really the same as HIDE-chan on this point. Even if I told HIDE-chan that part is not necessary, he'll definitely add something else." He may have said it out of concern, but I was really happy about that.

From kyo-san of D'ERLANGER, I received the ring that HIDE-san was wearing. At first, I said I could not take it and declined him. "I have a lot of memories of HIDE-chan, you should have this.” kyo-san then said, so I accepted it.

"What kind of person do you think HIDE-chan is?" "He's just like how you think." I heard about HIDE-san from other people. I'm very happy even if that's all. As expected, he is really cool.

Even now as I'm writing this, I’m still nervous, painful, and I feel my heart racing several times. I wonder if I am allowed to write about that person.

There are so many things I want to say and ask. Although it's not the time to go to that world yet, if I could meet you and talk to you now, I would definitely say it first.

“Daisuki desu!”

ever free.

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part 1. & part 2. & 中文翻譯

[tomeltinto]

For us to be ourselves (2023/12/06 Interview)

The Novembers released “At the Beginning” in the first half of 2020, while the new coronavirus was just starting to exert its fury. In the same year we fell into a situation where concerts with a live audience could not be held, but starting from 2021 they held one-man concerts in Usen Studio Coast and Zepp Haneda (Tokyo), appeared in large-scale festival Fuji Rock Festival, and in addition to that each member has intensified their own solo activities and kept moving widely. Then, after 3 years and a half from their latest work, they completed the ninth full album, “the Novembers.”

The name of the band was crowned as the album title, and it is about 16 years after their debut album of 2007, “THE NOVEMBERS”. Members explained the reason as “We wanted you to feel that the Novembers of now are this”, and revealed that it is a “rock album where the us of now are condensed”. At Ongaku Natalie, we are celebrating the release of this work with an interview to Kobayashi Yūsuke. Looking back to “At the Beginning”, he's talking to us about the background in which they created this rock album, “the Novembers”.

──The period of the creation of the previous work “At the Beginning” was just the period when the new coronavirus was spreading around, and back then you [Kobayashi-san] talked about how, along with the state of the world, the composition of an album would change as well.

Back then we had scheduled a tour not just in Japan, but in Asia as well, and that period ended with many activities related to “At the Beginning” that could not be executed properly. So, honestly, it became a work where many regrets and feelings linger. It became introspective as in “what can we do now?”, because of several activities that we had to cease.

──“At the Beginning” was a strong album with a dark mood, also because it came after 2019’s “Angels”. At first “Rainbow”, that depicts in a majestic way a “beginning”, was supposed to be the last song, but you were saying that with the spreading of the virus, you decided that “if it hasn’t yet begun, it’s already too late”, so you decided to move the song order at the top.

The air of the moment of creation and the zeitgeist flow into every album, and since we changed the song order and the arrangement, matching “At the Beginning” to the state of society, maybe it was more in real-time than anything we had ever done. We were constantly trying to think “That’s good”, and as we continued doing this in the album, and it was not like only in this particular moment we thought “let’s do this in this mood”. However, I feel like there were many moments when we were looking for both parts oozing out of ourselves and the most self-conscious parts. The result of working on what kind of band we are, so, became the style of that album.

──In 2020 the Novembers temporarily halted concerts with a live audience, but starting from 2021 you gradually restored them, and continued one-man (shows) in large venues like Usen Studio Coast and Zepp Haneda (Tōkyō). And also, in 2022 you appeared in Fuji Rock Festival, so it seems like you had a favourable new start.

Looking back, large-scale concerts continued then.

──On the one side, when you held the one-man show at the Liquid room, in november 2022, you said “I’m writing new songs, but I didn’t give them to my bandmates yet, and only the songs I didn’t show anyone have increased”, and “what I want to do with this band, it’s become something that weighs heavily on me”. Was this disquieting state somewhere [then]? What was the situation like in the band back then?

My words at the time worried the fans and I apologized for that. Starting from 2020, all the members tested each their own strengths in activities outside of the Novembers, me with the Spellbound, Takamatsu started working with Petit Brabancon.

──Even outside of music, Kengo worked in many collaborations and Yoshiki [Ryōsuke] even opened a clothing brand. That’s quite vast.

Obviously, both Kengo and Yoshiki kept making music, they also started being support members for other bands. All of us have experienced new methods, aesthetics, philosophies from other places, different from the Novembers.

──About the individual activities of the members, did you set in advance until what point to undertake them?

Not particularly. Each one of us had a positive experience in their own field, and since we wanted to have a good communication once we would meet again, there were no restrictions. On the one hand I was fretting about not neglecting the activities with the Novembers, but I also felt frustrated about not making an album.

──Were there different parts, points where you made use of the activities outside of the Novembers, during the making of the album and in live performances?

I think there definitely were, but it wasn’t like we were talking about it like “let’s change this” or “let’s make use of this action from that one time”. We do not talk about it, but I feel like it shows from the performance, from the sound.

The meaning of the Novembers being the Novembers.

──At Natalie, we asked you a few times to talk about the activities with the Spellbound, and one of those times you said that “[you]’d like to use with the Novembers what I got from the Spellbound”. As with the Spellbound as well you’ve worked tirelessly on the creation of an album, concerts and large-scale festival performances throughout several dates, I imagine this has been for you a valuable experience.

It’s been only three years since I’ve started working with the Spellbound, and I’ve spent such an intense time that it doesn’t feel so short. So I end up inevitably comparing music by both the Novembers and the Spellbound. Before I started working with the Spellbound, I was creating with a feeling like “I will only make the songs I want to make”., and I realized that that’s something that makes me self-sufficient, for better or for worse.

──Working with Nakano Masayuki, (The Spellbound, Boom Boom Satellites), your way to confront music has changed quite a lot.

Nakano-san always thinks earnestly like “how can I change the world with music?”. I think that seeing this scene before my very eyes, I understood why I was so attracted by Boom Boom Satellites and why they’ve been driving my life. At the same time, I understood how serious and hard it could be to guide people and the times in a positive direction.

──So, also the attitude and music you were looking for in the Novembers changed as well.

The hurdle of a standard of value entered in me all at once, so I could no longer be satisfied saying “That’s a pretty good song”. I kept thinking about what it was that could make someone happier, something cooler, and time passed while I was working. So because of that, rather than saying that I fell into a slump, it would be a nuance close to being conflicted with all my heart, so as to make a better work. To make an example with food, I was fermenting. (Laughs)

──Fermentation (laughs). Did the other members know that you were so conflicted while writing?

Honestly, after falling into the Corona outbreak, we didn’t meet much with the other members. We’ve been friends since our 10’s, so if we had united it would have been like always, but I was convinced like “I have to settle this matter all by myself”. Obviously, it’s important to have time alone to think, but thinking along with someone else is important too. And with that, we weren’t able to share daily things like “I want to make this come true, now and in this situation” and grow together.

──Because they’re long-time friends, there are things it’s hard to talk about.

On the contrary, there are things I have to tell them because they’re friends. However, there are times where I prioritized too much getting along and harmony, and I ended up not having a meaningful contact. For a band, if you throw even a pebble, there’s the possibility that that harmony could crumble. But more than settling “let’s continue this band the four of us”, we had to think together about what it means for the Novembers to be the Novembers.

──About “Kanashimi ga kawaitara”, released this April, you commented this: “we’re taking back ourselves” and “we’re ascertaining the meaning of being the Novembers and the meaning in our meeting”. So there was this background.

Yes. We’ve also had the time to deeply consider how to keep going with the band from now on, with this meaning.

Creating an instant when we come into contact with new music.

──Before the general distribution of the new album “the Novembers”, it was put on pre-sale in each venue of the one-man tour, and even tickets where the members would be handing over the CD were arranged.

Just releasing an album, and only then carrying out a tour would be dull. Now the distribution became the main point, and the span between it and presenting the new songs becomes shorter, so we wanted to deliver it more carefully and thoroughly. So by presenting the new songs of the album with a tour before the general distribution, we made the very first moment of contact with the new music into a live concert. Also the CD conveys directly the feeling that “This is us now”.

──Even naming the album after the band name was due to “I want you to feel the very band itself”. We could say it’s like you returned to the early days of your activities in a way, with an act close to having someone taking into their hands the sound source at the venue, going to see the concert without including prior information, buying (the album) in a direct sale if they like the songs.

In addition, since in case of purchase of a ticket including the album, we were making people decide in advance whether to buy or not the album without having listened to even one of the new songs, it becomes even more of a hurdle. Since there were many people who bought that ticket including the album, I was grateful and also very tense. Because it conveyed not only the desire to support our activities, but also the thought that they believe that the new work of the Novembers is something good.

──You went and personally handed over the albums to the audience, how was it?

There were many people from whom I felt that they really looked forward to this, and there were many people that thanked me like “I’ve been following you for nearly fifteen years, but it’s the first time I’ve spoken to the members” or “Thank you for always been so close to me”. We also receive messages on social media, but I was happy that we could let them express their feelings in front of us.

──So far, you as a band have always been treasuring the act of giving something to someone, the letter and the flower seeds enclosed in “zeitgeist”, the formula of the “share-CD” in the single “kyō mo ikitane”, where you included 2 CDs with the same contents, the delivery of the “Tour 2022 - Kangiten” after the end of every performance, the paper with the lyrics of the songs you’ve just performed at concerts. The very personal delivery of this album, we feel what you want to convey in that stance.

From the personal delivery words and feelings are born, and since the energy you can’t see comes and goes, we can say that it’s a truly intimate communication. When you think that it’s not only a thing, but also every conversation and gesture is a gift, the appearance of your everyday life, and the way you grasp the facial expression and aura of your partner change as well. Precisely because I live with someone, I am regularly becoming more aware of a feeling like “I want to increase the happy moments”.

If we don’t express all we have now, the baton of energy won’t stay.

──As the comments you made when the release date of the new album “the Novembers” was announced, like “a rock album where the us of now are condensed”, and “after all it’s really cool to be in a rock band. It’s that kind of album”, this was an album where you condensed the charm of rock that you [the Novembers] have pursued until now. From the first song “BOY”, you demonstrate your will to plunge forward with lyrics like “Please don’t stand in our way, if we destroy everything”, “We are reborn, pressing on the accelerator”, and it feels like you divided the songs into two, the first half that emphasises guitar sounds from you and Kengo, and the second half, from the sixth song “GAME”, that emphasises the rhythm elements from Takamatsu and Yoshiki. How did you decide the whole composition or concept?

This time I wrote all the song at pretty much the same time, and in that I could see a connected story. And from that eventually I came out with the theme of a “rock album” and it was kind of like the flow.

──So in the first half you express frankly a sound like “The Novembers is this kind of band” with “BOY”, and after that “Seaside” is new wave, “Daremo shiranai” is hard and alternative, and songs that shake free from every genre that you have taken as a motif follow.

To be honest I didn’t realise the idea of musical taste and genre. It’s not like we especially discussed “BOY” being the first song. More than calculation and deliberateness, the mood and aura of the band that we can’t express with words became the criteria for the musical composition and the song order. Somehow it was more of a feeling like the fighting spirit, in a way, of “let’s express everything we have now”, “the baton of energy we’re giving the listener, it won’t linger if we don’t do our best”.

──It’s the feeling, and the individuality of each song has stood out.

Also I think that the idea of every member like “I want to be like this” or “I want to develop like this” is dwelling in each song. The songs grow in the same way as watering flowers, it’s a natural and healthy way of creating.

──The ballad in the middle “Katachi aru mono, Bokura wo tabanete” while incorporating a mood similar to “Saikin Anata no Kurashi wa dō” and “kyō mo ikitane”, is a challenging song that also features the sound of saxophone.

We played this at Shindaita Fever, at the celebration for the 15th debut anniversary, and thanks to that we completed it. Not only at the exhibition, but I also participated at a talk event with tobird, who has been handling our artworks for a long time, and while we were looking back at the activities until now, I realised that we have many accomplishments, like treasures. And I wanted to turn those memories into a song.

──This talk event was focused on looking back to all of your activities from the early days up to now, there were many valuable topics.

There are also parts where you reflect when you look back on past events, but I also understand things I finally realised now and that I treasure. I often daydream if I’d look glittering if the me of the past saw the me of today, and if I’d be a person who could inspire [that past me]. On one hand there were moments when I thought “I was good back then”, and I feel like I’ve lost something important. But through the past (I’ve) accumulated, I want to keep being the best now.

Not to get closer to the ideals, but to keep working while feeling

──One more song in the middle of the record, “November”, precisely because it recalls the name of the band, does it quote elements from the past songs, does it give a new interpretation?

“November” is a song I’ve developed from some lines I wrote back in 2010, so it’s not like I wanted to collect and reinterpret the motifs of old songs. In my case, the more what I want to express with a song is concrete, the more its explosive power grows dull. Picturing the blueprint and creating by getting closer to that ideal, it’s just not my thing. Most of the time I complete things touching the songs, working all the time while feeling with all my heart.

──So what’s the reason you gave it the title “November”?

At the stage of the rough sketch of songwriting, without parts of the song composition like A-melody, B-melody, the hook, being clearly defined, it just kept on flowing like a road movie, and it was good. Only at a later time it started to sound like it was a symbol of our band and existence itself.

──In the second half follow “GAME” which showcases Yoshiki’s powerful drumming, “Cashmere” where Takamatsu’s complex bass becomes intertwined with ethnic tunes, “Morning Sun” which abundantly uses step recording vaguely resemblant to the 1980s synthpop, songs with a characteristic way to use rhythm. It’s also something that the Novembers challenged in recent years, and developed ideas of new sounds.

With “GAME” using only one type of riff I wondered what kind of song could come out, and it was ready with the rehearsals in studio sessions. Normally I try to make sounds accurately with the effector board, but I just tried to perform with the amp and guitar in the studio. For how long the time I couldn’t make songs along with the other members, I feel like we genuinely rejoiced at being able to perform the 4 of us together. I completed “Morning Sun”, like “November”, based on an idea I’ve had for a long time.

──Like “November” and “Morning Sun”, there’s also the pattern of developing ideas conceived several years ago.

But instead of dragging them out, it was like thinking unintentionally “Let’s do this song once more”. Truthfully, this year we’ve encountered some trouble with the hard disk where we had been safekeeping the original tracks, and we lost all the songs we’d made and stored during the corona.

──You also talked about it during the talk event. Yoshiki, who was sitting there too, said that “We were absolutely depressed.”

Especially if we’re counting the number of songs, there were enough to make three albums, and they all disappeared. But we broke through it, and while making use of some ideas left in my head, reflecting also the ideas of each member, as a result we used this as a chance to make fresh songs, and it tied us together.

The power of words “Dakiau yō ni” unleashed

──Then, the last song “Dakiau yō ni” is the song that probably symbolises not only the album, but the Novembers from now on. In an interview with The Spellbound, you said about lyrics “the form when transcribed, the type to be fixated on the world view that is expressed in the lines”, but hearing those words, I realised that the Novembers’ lyrics have, to a certain extent, many long lines.

I see.

──Also, regarding that, “Dakiau yō ni” accumulates short and kind lyrics like “Even if I forget the fun things, let’s walk just a bit” and “Even if I forget the happy things, we will walk”, and it feels like the whole song enhances the power of words.

This is also something my activity with the Spellbound has had a huge influence on. I think earnestly about something I want to convey, I understand how closely I can examine it, and it paid off with the result that a better standard has been raised.

──This feature of your poetry is also shown in the single “Kanashimi ga kawaitara”, and I suppose that it was further defined in “Dakiau yō ni”. Furthermore, with “I’m gradually coming undone, breaking, when I can’t understand anything anymore, reassure me”, and the influence generated by the Novembers, with “I’m gradually coming undone, even if I break, because you make me remember my shape” you’re making the fans that have been following you feel a sense of trust. Precisely because every word is so sincere, it’s like a persuasive power has born.

I’m glad. It was worth to value so much which words I should use.

──By the same token, aside from the songs that could, for example, cheer someone up, if the words employed are too dark the persuasive power fades as well, if the tone is too strong an uncomfortable feeling arises, as if you were being forced. This balance is very difficult, but how do you think about the lyrics while also paying attention to all that?

Lyrics are very mysterious, when I looked at them as characters, when I read them aloud, when I talked about them, when I sang them on the melody, the way they are transmitted changes in each moment. Even the simple “Fine”, the impression changes completely if it indicates a specific someone, or if it doesn’t necessarily indicate it. It happens that the energy of the singer yields the persuasiveness of those words, and the opposite happens as well. It’s hard to quantify it and to explain it, but because the deep emotion of music is born from vibes and feelings impossible to analyse. When I value that, it sparks joy in me too, and I’m able to share that feeling for the first time to the listener. It resonates.

──Also, it’s a case-by-case thing, but there are also cases where discrepancies arise between the original artist’s intention and the listener’s interpretation.

Yeah, that’s unavoidable… there are people who are deeply moved seeing the hard work, and there are others that may have a negative reaction. But if the feeling of “I want to make something good making something” is true, what is transmitted by the work could change. The old me would be making music with a feeling like “I like this kind of music” or “I like this beautiful thing”, happy just by looking at those things. I jumped out of that extent of self-absorption, and I started thinking “I want to create for someone who also includes myself”, and then the moment I’d feel like I maybe I’ve actually delivered it, I’ve started thinking that that was good.

Rock changes the “here” you are into “somewhere”

──There are people who claim that due to many musicians being on the scene for a long time, and the number of listeners increasing, they gradually could no longer understand who to make music for, or that they could no longer write lyrics. You [seem to] address your songs to the right person, how do you gain that consciousness?

I’m that kind of person who worries about the lyrics all the time too. But maybe that’s normal, and the fact itself that both I and the listener could think that the words and melody I came up with are good, it’s a miracle. Maybe it’s about wondering if the thought of “I want to share it even if it’s painful” will prevail. Also, I think it can coexist with the wish for both the people close to us and the world to be happy. It’s important to write lyrics as if we were writing about the meaning of our existence in the world in a letter, and I feel like that kind of songs will keep being heard forever.

──Another one, this album is, again, a work where you’ve been searching what rock is, and rock is violence and beauty, and it’s sinister, you can express it with many images. What do you think rock is?

Yeah… I believe rock changes the “here” you are into a “somewhere”. The rock bands that changed my life are all like that, they made me feel like the place where I am now has changed into a completely different world. To put it in other words, it changes something in a person to the point their world view changes. They’ve been driving my life, and that energy still remains inside me. That’s why I’m doing it too. To me, that’s rock.

──Indeed in this album, with words like “start walking” and “fly”, it’s depicted a state where you tap into a different world. Going even further, in the line “we’ve flown beautifully to the other side of the rainbow” in “Dakiau yō ni”, is charged with the desire to go in the same direction of “Rainbow”, that was supposed to be the last one of your previous album, and, differently from “ANGELS” and “At the Beginning”, the whole album is wrapped in a bright atmosphere, and it’s like finally it’s showing in a very Novembers-manner the words you’ve been saying for a long time during the MC speeches, “Let’s meet in a bright future”.

I have the actual feeling that we made a good album. But there’s also the feeling of “we can make an even better one”.

──It’s also important what appears in the vision of what comes next.

Yes. More than vision, it’s about premonition and hope. Rather, without those it’s very tough (laughs). From now on too, we’ll keep having this feeling like “let’s make an even better one”. So if with the last work of my life I’ll feel like “I did it!”, it will be the best.

[tarry-a-lot]

"Vivre a en Crever" Takarazuka ver.

"Yasuragi ni Tsutsumarete" Romaji

WM=Mozart, AS=Salieri, Together

FS=Franz Xaver Süssmayr, GS=Gottlieb Stephanie LP=Da Ponte

——————————

v1.

WM: Subete sute sari kata no ni orosu

sore wa yasuragi no sekai

.....

AS: Teki mo mikata mo subete nakunari

sekai wa ai ni tsutsumare 

.....

Kimi to yū

AS: raibaru meguriatta

——————————

c1.

Unmei ni kansha shitai yo

Tagai wo tatae au

WM: Subete wo yurushiatte koso

soko ni melody 

umareru no sa

——————————

b.

M: Saki ni iku

S: Mata itsuka

Totemo mijikai

Sayonara shiyou

——————————

*instrumental w/ La Cavalieri singing*

——————————

c2.

Bokura no ongaku mirai e

tsuzuku, Mirai e tsuzuku no sa

——————————

dialogue. 

LP: Heika mo mimakarare, oimōto gimi no Marie-Antoinette sama mo Paris de tōgoku sareta rashii

FS: Sou desu ka, shokei wa manugarenai deshou ne

GS: Zaisan ga attemo, mibun ga takaku temo, jinsei te iu mono wa munashii mono da na

FS: Desu ga heika wa kono Wien wo ongaku no miyako to sekai ni shirashimeraremashita

GS: Hanbun wa Mozart no okage kana?

LP: Sou desu ne

FS: Tokorode de Ponte san, anata wa aibou no Mozart sensei ga nakunararete kore kara dousareru no desu

LP: Shintairiku America ni watarou to omotteiru

GS: Oh-, America e? 

FS: Shintairiku ka

LP: America de dai ni no Mozart wo sagasu yo!

[productions-sarfati]

COMMUNIQUÉ - DÉCÈS SEIJI OZAWAA

C’est avec le cœur lourd que nous vous informons que Maestro Seiji Ozawa nous a quitté paisiblement le Mardi 6 février à l’âge de 88 ans, chez lui à Tokyo .

This is with a heavy heart we announce that our very dear friend and one of the most influential figures in the world of classical music, Maestro Seiji Ozawa, passed away peacefully at his home in Tokyo on February 6th at the age of 88.

Citizen of the world, as he liked to call himself, his talent knew no bounds. Seiji's legacy resonates across generations, leaving an indelible mark on the global musical landscape.

Born in Shenyang, China, in 1935, Seiji's musical journey began at a young age, guided by a passion for excellence and an unwavering dedication to his craft. He honed his skills at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo before venturing to Europe where he won the Besançon International Orchestra Conductors competition .

Seiji's meteoric rise to prominence saw him assume leadership roles with prestigious orchestras worldwide, including the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and notably, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Music Director for an illustrious 29 years. In Europe, he forged very close ties with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and in Japan he created the Saito Kinen Orchestra in 1992 in honor to his teacher Hideo Saito. With France among so many projects, with the Paris Opera he created with Olivier Messiaen “Jean François d’Assise” in 1983 and with Henri Dutilleux the “Shadows of Time” and “Le temps, l’horloge” with the Orchestre national de France.

Throughout his career, Seiji's conducting style was characterized by its dynamism, precision, and an unparalleled ability to breathe life into every note.

Beyond his conducting prowess, Seiji Ozawa was a tireless advocate for music education, spearheading initiatives to nurture young talent and inspire future generations of musicians. His commitment to fostering a love for music among the youth remains a cornerstone of his enduring legacy. He created in 2000, in Japan, the Ongaku Juku Music Academy and in 2004, in Switzerland,  the Seiji Ozawa International Academy .

He made a profound impact on the world of classical music and deeply touched countless lives through his artistry. Though he may no longer stand before the orchestra, his spirit will forever resonate in the timeless melodies he brought to life and the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to experience his brilliance.

Seiji's passing leaves a void in the realm of classical music, but his legacy will continue to echo through the ages, inspiring countless musicians and enriching the lives of audiences for years to come.

All our thoughts go to his family.

This has been the greatest honor to be by your side all these years .

Rest in eternal harmony, dear Seiji. Your baton may be still, but your music will live on forever.

Vony Sarfati- Productions Internationales Albert Sarfati  - February 9th 2024

[junk-story]

Interview: Ongaku to Hito and Sakurai Atsushi - Ichikawa Tetsushi x Kanemitsu Hiroshi, Part II

This interview is on pages 52-57 of the magazine. Footnotes are included in numbered parentheses and can be found at the bottom. For Part 1 of this interview, click here.

~~~~~~~

Ichikawa: It may have been a shock, but in short, [BUCK-TICK's] material elevated. Really, because they were able to turn their work into art, we can grasp now how they were able to bring forth a decadent rock masterpiece like 21st Cherry Boy. Although that kind of dark decadence is seen as a negative, they established it as an excellent form of entertainment, which is fantastic. When I listened to that, I wondered, “Why has Sakurai made a breakthrough to this point?” What did you make of that? 

Kanemitsu: I think he was able to gradually create distance between himself and the band - in a good way. It wasn’t because their relationship had worsened, and there were still times where they’d be up until the morning drinking, but, as you might expect, after nearly 20 years had passed since they debuted, their relationships with people had expanded too, right? When that happened, this sort of scene, where Imai-san would finish an interview and the other 4 were drinking while they waited for him, it almost completely disappeared. This positive sense of individualism is how BUCK-TICK came to be born. 

Ichikawa: I see. In the 21st century, I was listening to the works of B-T as a fan only, so I didn’t bear the weight of that darkness. 

Kanemitsu: What I call acting out the darkness, that elevated their work as entertainment. But normally, when you have this individualism come to be, it leads to actively pursuing solo activities…and that can be troublesome, certainly. 

Ichikawa: That’s the self-indulgence I talked about earlier. (laughs) When that happens in a regular band, they disband and it’s over. Suddenly some new thing starts, and the other members end up not knowing what to do. But Sakurai ended up feeling guilt about this, because he was a man with a kind heart. Thanks to that, the unique worth they had as a band that continued for 35 years with its original members came to be. 

Kanemitsu: In what ways did you feel Sakurai-san’s kindness? 

Ichikawa: Well, in many ways, the Sakurai Atsushi I carry with me is still a yankii(1), you know, a good-looking yankii full of chivalry. We talked about the time when his mother passed before, but there is no shortage of that kind of material. For instance, the launching issue of Ongaku to Hito. I asked Sakurai to be in it as well, and even though it wasn’t around the timing of any [album] release, he said, “Well, since it’s a magazine Ichikawa-san is creating, I’ll do it”, and in the middle of a national tour he came back to Tokyo from Numazu after the concert was over, and it was after midnight at an oden food stall in Sendagaya where we had a no-makeup photoshoot and interview. He was a man who could simply do such things. 

Kanemitsu: What about Sakurai Atsushi made us so charmed by him, do you think? 

Ichikawa: Hmmm…his face? 

Kanemitsu: Well, that’s some brutal honesty!(2) But certainly, it was important. (laughs)

Ichikawa: Wahahaha. There’s that issue with Sakurai Atsushi on the cover where he’s wearing an unremarkable white shirt and has a slight smile, right?(3) That one is among my top three favorites. For some reason, it was a time where there weren’t any interesting releases, and there was no content to be had during this lull, so we ended up in a tight spot for an artist to put on the cover. To be honest, we made the offer to Sakurai like, “heeeelp!”, and I was grateful when he readily consented. They also didn’t have any releases coming up, so I suggested we try a risky(4) cover with no decadence, where Sakurai had a casual appearance and is looking into the camera with a smile; he had also become more concentrated(5) at that time and said, “Let’s do it!”

Kanemitsu: That’s why he cut his hair without anyone’s permission. (laughs)

Ichikawa: I’m glad we didn’t go that far with it. (laughs) But really, Sakurai Atsushi could not be detached from my magazine. There were always plenty of guys skillful at conversation, but I have never met another frontman who, even though he wasn’t good at speaking, could expose his inner thoughts to such a point. Of course, there were also those with negative feelings, like, “It’s all just to tickle the B-T girls’ fancies”, but I hoped, even without him knowing, if we could drain the low-water swamp called Sakurai Atsushi, something amazing would happen. I wanted to do something with this man. It was the same for you too, right, Kanemitsu? 

Kanemitsu: I didn’t have that “I want to do something”. But I did have something like a maternal instinct. (laughs)

Ichikawa: (wry laugh) I understand that too. You can’t leave him alone. 

Kanemitsu: Because at some point, there were only a few articles about the album releases outside of ours. 

Ichikawa: Why was that? As I said earlier, during my time, he spoke frantically as if it was needed to confirm something to himself - so in other words, something must have changed where he could become more self-contained. 

Kanemitsu: It was like Sakurai-san created his own style. As though, dressed up in decadence and gothic imagery, he tried to act out his ideal Sakurai Atsushi. 

Ichikawa: The same as kabuki. The great name of “Sakurai Atsushi” was focused as he would be in the traditional Japanese arts. 

Kanemitsu: Yes, yes. I think that was a good thing. 

Ichikawa: It finally makes sense to me. So that’s why it happened. That Prince of Darkness character was created. 

Kanemitsu: There was what you call the Prince of Darkness character, but he also loved cats, which brought out his playful face. If such a person were to appear on TV with Shiina Ringo, everyone would be hooked. 

Ichikawa: A rare creature, really. (laughs) This may be inappropriate, but it seemed to me that Sakurai could only bring the curtain down(6) on Sakurai Atsushi in the way he did, or by going into a life of seclusion, unknown to anyone. Because he was carrying such sin(7) with him. 

Kanemitsu: Well, as someone who saw him from the 21st century point of view, I feel that he’d aged well in this way, and he wanted to enjoy the rest of his life happily. It’s just that he was a sensitive person, so he was affected by things like children being displaced by war, the oppression of people based on gender, and so on, and when he tried to get closer to the emotions of the weak, he would be forced to remember his own pain, so I suppose in the current era, it was hard for him to live…that’s what I think, anyway. 

Ichikawa: Hearing the talk about the Sakurai Atsushi of the 21st century from Kanemitsu today, it makes sense now. For me, who only knew the Sakurai of the 20th century, the Sakurai of the 21st century is like a different person. I was very fascinated with him all the same. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but it’s like he established a whole separate persona. How can I say this…maybe I could call it guilt. I could see his guilt so clearly through his songs in the 20th century, and it was made invisible in the 21st century. And, invisible things aren’t bad ones. Because that just shows how accomplished he was at fulfilling his role as Prince of Darkness. That’s also how he elevated to being a charming big name. 

Kanemitsu: As a musician, an artist, the purity of his expression had reached a level so high as to be incomparable [to anyone else]. 

Ichikawa: His skill in the 21st century clearly went up. But, although the Sakurai Atsushi of the 20th century was still a work in progress, that progress had turned into a serious dead end that was plain to see. So there were many people who were able to empathize, and I think he himself, the band, the media, and the fans all came together, able to become a community with a shared destiny. It’s strange, but in other media, BUCK-TICK was just shown as a cool band, right? However, at Ongaku to Hito, it wasn’t like that in either the 20th or 21st century. 

Kanemitsu Because we got to see them as 5 people with 5 different styles of character. 

Ichikawa: In other words, they’re “Osomatsu-kun”(8).

Kanemitsu: Hahahahaha!

Ichikawa: When I was doing it, they were “Osomatsu-kun”, and while Kanemitsu’s been doing it they’ve been “Osomatsu-san”. Their appearance between the Showa and Heisei eras was totally different, but the original people were the same. In both the 20th and 21st centuries, Sakurai was Sakurai, and his foundation and attitude didn’t change, only his appearance from that of an unusual self-deprecating man to the Prince of Darkness did; as a result, he was popular in both cases. So, as Ongaku to Hito, speaking from our beginning, he is the person we should be the most grateful for, and he was the kind of man who made me feel like I had to include him in our publication. 

Kanemitsu: He was. No matter how cool Sakurai Atsushi looked on the stage, everyone knows that he actually also had these traits. 

Ichikawa: Of course, with that presence, that appearance, and the look in his eyes, no one would know he was actually this cute and loveable character. 

Kanemitsu: Through the medium of Ongaku to Hito, you and I wrote about those parts of him, so now everyone knows. 

Ichikawa: That’s true…a long time ago, when I was doing a late-night Friday FM radio live broadcast, I had Sakurai on as my first guest. We were at the Satellite Studio in Ginza, and even though I hadn't asked them to come, Takuro and Hisashi [of GLAY] came. We finished at 3 AM and the 4 of us were drinking when Sakurai said, “Will you come to my place?”, which was unusual. When we went there, the windows - all of the windows - had these pitch black curtains on them, it was like being at a planetarium. (laughs)

Kanemitsu: Hahahahahaha!

Ichikawa: We drank in that dark room until we eventually were struck by sleep, but even when I woke up, it was pitch black and I had no idea what time it was. (laughs) When the sun was at its peak, I woke those 2 [from GLAY] up and they went home, but while that was happening, Takuro said to Hisashi, “If you’d told me 10 years ago that I’d go to the home of BUCK-TICK’s Sakurai Atsushi and drink together with him, I never would have believed you”, and I’ve never forgotten that. It was purely moving, emotionally. 

Kanemitsu: Everyone wanted to become like Sakurai Atsushi. 

Ichikawa: It must have been a dream for them. However, it’s a dream that no one could achieve. This sounds misleading, but I think you have to want to be like Yoshiki [of X JAPAN], if you’re going to abandon yourself to despair(9). (wry laugh) But no matter what gimmicks you make use of, you’ll never be Sakurai Atsushi. And for better or worse, it was tough. 

Kanemitsu: I’ve said this many times, but him finding that gothic style was big. 

Ichikawa: The gothic atmosphere seemed like maybe the one he was most comfortable in. The decadence created a kind of surreal and abnormal worldview. But Sakurai Atsushi himself was not abnormal at all, nor was he trying to intentionally deviate strongly from what’s accepted(10). It was just the suit of armor(11) that best fit when he was confronting the world, definitely. 

Kanemitsu: It was Sakurai Atsushi’s suit of armor, wasn’t it. But whether he ended up putting it on or not, he empathized with people’s sadness, and he was a person who could shed tears. And because that seeped out, everyone loved him. Those feelings [of empathy] were expressed in what became his last album, Izora. 

Ichikawa: I see. Well, perhaps he would have continued on expressing it, if he could. 

Kanemitsu: I really think so. There were yet many things he could do, and many he would have wanted to do.

~~~~~~~ Footnotes: (1) I think most people into this scene are familiar with this term, but in case you aren’t - yanki/yankii refers to a young delinquent, usually one who dresses in a sort of street/biker style. (2) If someone has ever said to you, “wow, tell us how you really feel!”, it has the same sort of feeling to it as that, although a bit more polite since Ichikawa is the elder of the two, lol. (3) I believe he is referring to the January ‘95 issue cover, based on his description. (4) Risky in the sense of something not usually done. “Nikopachi” is the type of photography he describes, and online sources generally spoke negatively of it as something not befitting professional photography. (5) Literally “boiled down”. I think this is a reference to paring back his visuals from what they were earlier in their career. (6) This is a metaphor for Sakurai’s passing - but I liked the nuance of his wording and tried to retain it. (7) This word really does not translate well - in different contexts it can be sin, guilt, karma. I translate it again as “guilt” below as it’s more befitting the context, but in all cases here, it’s a sort of heavy emotional load brought upon oneself. My husband’s preferred definition translated to “a living with the burden of past wrongdoings and feeling a sense of remorse”. (8) Per Wikipedia: a comedy manga that revolved around of group of brothers who cause all sorts of mischief. (9) I asked for more clarity on this - what he is getting at is, it’s possible, if you really want to, to become like Yoshiki, but no matter what you do, you can never become like Atsushi. (10) The direct translation for this was “be a heretic”, but heretic is a loaded word in English, and this does not have any Christian overtones. (11) He specifically says “mobile suit”, as in the suits from Gundam.

[coherencyaddict]

Kondo with his 211 pure silver Ongaku

Scull: Aha! When you're sitting in the dark, Kondo-San, listening to your audio system, tell me, inside your mind, are you "seeing" the music? Shibazaki: Seeing, yes. Actually he sits in the dark with a lit candle, and he concentrates—with his eyes closed—on this light as he listens. Then the sound is visualize