#that's up to your interpretation!! if they were ginkas then

[tarochimochi]

Losercake, everyday, daily.

Day 15

[octranslations]

Haiiro no Ginka Volume 51

Haiiro no Ginka vol. 51

June 2011

Translation Credits:

Die Meisyo De Meisyu - Cammie

Die Meisyo De Meisyu Special - Cammie Interview of Different Sense - Risu Gansonaki Kaoruya - Cammie Toshiya Aibiki no Mori - Risu

Shinya Dr. nemunemu no daigyakusyu - Nao

Die Meisyo De Meisyu

“DUM SPIRO SPERO”

This phrase was unfamiliar and I just encountered it for the first time, but I really like it.

I wonder if there was ever a time where it took so long until the album title was decided.

Listening to the songs that are near completion, I can look back to the days of recording.

Personally, I was playing guitar while feeling distressed over many things, which was rare and has never happened until now.  

However, you cannot distress over such things.  Japan has gotten into a situation where you cannot say “I’m tired” or “It’s tough”.  

Should we continue with recording?  Are we allowed to continue?

Our decision was “What we can do now, and what we should be doing, is to continue recording and complete the album”.  

The recording continued while Japan was in such a state.

Honestly, there was never a time when I could smile from the bottom of my heart.  

It’s different from the way I usually feel when the album is near completion.  

“DUM SPIRO SPERO”

This album is packed with many emotions.

Die Meisyo De Meisyu Special

Die’s NEW HAIR was present during the?a knot?only TOUR!  There must have been many people who were surprised with his image change, which he has not done for a long time.  

Now, for this hair-cutting ceremony (although I am just exaggerating), ?a knot?actually did an exclusive interview!  

… Rather, when recording was almost ending, one day in April, Die contacted us and told us, “Let’s put this in the newsletter.”  ?a knot?just replied in two phrases, “Of course” and “Thank you!” and we went ahead to report this event.

On the actual day, as we went to the site, he was discussing with hair and make-up artist Mr. Yamaguchi. As they looked at the PC (computer) while they talked, we took a glance, and Mr. Yamaguchi’s PC had photos of all the hairstyles Die did in the past!  Finding a photo of Die during his trademark red hair period, “My hair is standing up a lot (laughs)” and he seemed nostalgic.  

As the overall image was decided, the (hair) cut began.

“I will adjust the detailed parts as I cut,” said Mr. Yamaguchi.

We asked Die what kind of style it was going to be like, and he said, “Why don’t I cut it short?” As he put on the cape and had his hair brushed, it was long.  This is likely from growing his hair out for the past 2 years.  Before taking one last look at his long hair, Mr. Yamaguchi chopped it off!  There was already a lot of hair piling up on the floor.

Photo

From here on, seeing how the cut goes, the subtle difference was going to be crucial, so Mr. Yamaguchi also became very careful when he used his scissors.  

Mr. Yamaguchi would cut a little and check and Die would say, “Why don’t we cut it a little more?”  This went on for a while.  Die finally said O.K. when his hair became really short.  And deciding on the length of the bangs, it was finished!

When your hair becomes this short, the impression also changes.  

Die said, “It’s lighter~” and with a light footstep, he went home.

INTERVIEW OF DIFFERENT SENSE

On May 9, at a certain studio in Tokyo. This is the day when the world finally starts moving after the Golden Week, and each and everyone in DIR EN GREY are rehearsing for the upcoming “a knot” fan club only tour, starting after the 5th, entitled “THE DECOMPOSITION OF THE MOON”. In between that, they gave me some time and I spoke with these 5 people. Of course the main topic is the new single, “DIFFERENT SENSE,” whose advance reviews and expectations would be peaking by the time this article is read by everyone. An excessive introduction is probably not needed. So let me present the interview.

Interview/Text?Yuuichi Masuda

--You released “LOTUS” a year after “Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami” and you released this single during the time when I was looking forward to the new album next. Was this going exactly as planned in the beginning? Die: It was sort of in our minds. But it was something that was decided on while seeing the whole picture of the album while we were fixated on completing it. It was a question of, would “LOTUS” connect to the album or would we release one more single and go from that? And because of that, again in good way, we didn’t know where to go.

--I think it would be hard to imagine “LOTUS” as an introduction to the album, but definitely it would have been difficult to envision making “DIFFERENT SENSE” as the preface/introduction. Kaoru: That’s right. At the beginning there was only this feeling of “maybe we should try doing this song”. But along with the progress of the album work the conviction that “we should use this” became stronger, but there was nothing like “it had to be this song” for the single released here.

--When I listened to it for the first time without prior knowledge of it, I couldn’t stop laughing. Of course this is praise. It felt like that development/progression that is highlighted on one part or “Ah! It’s coming” element just kept bearing down. Wasn’t this one of the songs that were created for the album? Kaoru: No, if I remember it was a song meant to be a single. In fact the original idea/first draft was there since “Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami”. It’s actually a song that was left alone that we remade again. At that time, we weren’t able to reach the point where we could see its destination as a song…

Die: The impression of the song itself was pretty different. I think the tuning was probably different too. Including “LOTUS”, there was a big change in our sound concept, right? From that, while adhering to something like our “current standards”, we tried remaking it from scratch.

--It also feels as if two different songs were fused together.

Kaoru: The intense/violent feeling in the first half and the growing mellow from midway. From the very start it was that kind of flow. But be that as it may, it wasn’t decided on to have a hard/sudden progression. But as a result it feels like it has become an even more extreme song.

Shinya: At the very beginning as I recall, the guitar riff was also different, and also there was no guitar solo. It was a pretty different impression. It’s also been awhile since the first time I listened to it, so that’s why I don’t accurately remember what I felt when I first listened to it. But I think in the end that releasing this song right now during this time was correct. I simply think this is a period to build on the album songs.

Toshiya: When comparing it with the first draft, the impression is definitely different, but the overall structure is definitely the same. But, if there is a reason why this song was released as a single, it was simply to “build/generate momentum for the album,” or rather, it felt like that was the only reason. A song that would lead into the album. And because of that the song that was most suitable was this song. That’s how I interpreted it.

--What about Kyo-san?

Kyo: My impressions of the song are very different from my very first impression.

--Did what you will sing itself change a lot because of that?

Kyo: No, the melody is pretty much the same and I think half of the lyrics were the same. It broadened while basing it on what I wanted to sing at first.

--It’s a song with a very big gap. Even if that is something not rare for a DIR EN GREY song, this extreme amount is…

Kyo: I wonder about that? Well in the end we were making it alongside album songs so…I think my sensations were paralyzed. For my ear now I can normally listen to it (laughs).

--Therefore, the songs in the album are…

Kyo: I wonder what they’ve become (chuckles fill the air).

--And the key to this bold song’s progression is the guitar solo. A while ago based on what Shinya-san said, this was not present at the very beginning.

Kaoru: Yes. Somehow this time Shinya is overly pushing/praising the guitar. It’s like he’s inciting people (laughs).

Shinya: No, I am not inciting people (laughs).

Kaoru: It’s like he’s getting everyone’s expectations up before listening to the song, or like he is trying to raise the hurdle. I wonder, what kind of ulterior motive does he have (laughs).

--Shinya-san, could it be that this is some kind of revenge? (laughs)

Shinya: No, no, no, there’s nothing like that. It was simply because I thought that the guitar solo is such an important point. I honestly think that. I really wanted something like that.

--In fact, for DIR EN GREY songs, guitar solos are something that are not “always there because it is needed for form’s sake” so this was something that you thought of doing, right?

Kaoru: That’s right. But it was with a casual thought like “Want to try doing it?” When we were talking about adding in things that we haven’t done up until now, I thought of adding this part to this song.

Die: Yes. However, that doesn’t mean that all of the songs in the album have a guitar solo; there was never anything like that.

--Some time ago a certain vocalist who came to watch a live of this band said, “If they don’t put in even just a little guitar solo, that vocalist couldn’t take a break and I feel sorry for him”.

Kyo: Hahahaha! But in fact, it hasn’t changed much. Even so there are a lot of parts where I sing. In terms of sound rage, the highest note is not that extremely high, but the part from the last chorus until the major chorus where I sing with a high range is considerably long so it’s pretty difficult. Honestly I think it’s a bit tough (laughs).

--The title “DIFFERENT SENSE” if directly translated, means “different sense’. Is it okay to interpret it as such?

Kyo: Yes. I think that is fine as is. Also regarding the lyrics, whatever comes to mind when a person reads it is fine. It’s always been that way.

--Even if it were the same thing, if the perspective and feelings were different then it would be seen differently. Is that what you meant?

Kyo: That meaning may be included but, in any case you are free to interpret it. It’s because these lyrics contain previous ideas that I’ve had for quite some time and it’s not something that I want to suddenly sing now; in a sense, these are things that I’ve always thought about.

--This summer’s Europe tour’s title, “PARADOX OF RETALIATION” overlaps one passage “retaliation and paradox” found in the lyrics. Is this a certain kind of keyword?

Kyo: No, it’s nothing like that.

--Using an intense word such as “retaliation” made me feel that there might be some kind of trigger.

Kyo: There is no special trigger or reason. I’ve had that wish for some time.

--And in one place, Kyo-san’s new persona will appear again.

Kyo: It’s not because I want to increase ways to sing. It just so happened that in that place I would like to sing that way.

--I understand. But anyway it’s a song with a lot of information.

Die: It literally feels like the sound is surging towards you. It’s like being attacked by sound. In fact when we tried playing it, it’s like fighting with that sound. Because it’s like being attacked from different directions that’s why we need to skillfully go with it. Recently when we play new songs at rehearsals, there would be a rough idea like, “maybe my body will get used to it if we play it around this number of times”. It’s like it will be fine if we play it a certain number of times. In that sense, the present situation is, it is a song that requires the most number of times to play. It’s tough or simply put, it’s because it has so much information. It’s also because there are various types of sound surging towards you.

--During the tour as you perform every day, how you will completely ride that wave may change, right.

Die: That’s right. That’s why at the same time, it’s also a song that is very rewarding to play.

Kaoru: My feelings are similar. But in this case, in fact there isn’t much time from recording until we start the tour, so that’s why my feelings when I played it during recording were still left behind.

Die: Aah, there’s also that.

Kaoru: That’s why it’s not as difficult as suddenly playing a whole album.

--During those times, for example it’s difficult to remember the details of songs that you recorded during the early part of recording?

Kaoru: There’s also something like that. Nonetheless this “DIFFERENT SENSE” itself is not a completely easy song; it’s because I’ve already listened to it several hundreds of times during recording, so I’ve definitely been able to digest it. But, because of that my sensations have become paralyzed. Right now, this is already something that does not sound like a complicated song for my ears.

--In a sense, that is scary (laughs). But in fact, even though I myself had an impression that it was confusing/dizzying when I first listened to it, it’s strange that now it sounds like a natural development/progression.

Kaoru: Yes. In that sense it’s because your [senses] are paralyzed, it’s because there are a lot of complex/complicated album songs that there is this kind of paralysis.

--What about Shinya-san? Did your impression with this song change?

Shinya: There was an impression that it was dizzying and tough. That impression itself hasn’t changed from the very beginning. In fact before starting rehearsals with the whole band, the bassist and I practiced together…it was really tough (laughs). It’s a song that required a substantial amount of practice. Toshiya: When you think that you’ve gotten used to it, suddenly you’d miss something. It’s that kind of song. Of course it’s not that I am lazy but there are times when something just disappears from your memory. That’s why it’s not enough to just get used to it, I think that there are a lot of those parts respectively.

Kyo: In my case, there wasn’t a particular impression that it was dizzying. [My senses] were paralyzed, as suspected. If you were to ask me which parts to listen to, ultimately I think it’s everything.

--During the ferocious singing in an intense portion, the Japanese lyrics were so distorted that I really couldn’t understand it. By the way, while it had a bold progression, in the very, very last part it finished with the words “blue sky”.  Did Kyo-san himself take that gap into consideration?

Kyo: No, unexpectedly I didn’t. It was nothing more than following the song’s flow.

--What I thought of at the same time was, normally it would be a waste and split it into 2 songs.

Kaoru: No, I wonder about that? I really don’t know what normal is but if that happened then on the contrary it would again be difficult. If we thought of splitting this song’s first part and last part into 2 songs, if anything I think that it would become even harder than now. In fact, rather than be something that was finished in line with a plan, it was more of a result of after trying it. Well, anyway, we will be performing it in a detached manner at lives for a while (laughs).

--By the time that this newsletter reaches the readers, they can listen to the audio sample and the music clip may already be released. The shooting is already done, right? What kind of video will it be this time?

Kaoru: About that…I don’t know (laughs).

--Eh?! What do you mean?

Kyo: I think I understood it a bit, but I can’t explain it.

Toshiya: Yes. I think nobody yet knows the whole picture (laughs).

Die: It is still only in the director Kondo-san’s head (laughs).

Kaoru: It’s always the same case, and we really don’t know until it’s done (laughs)

--You mean that in DIR EN GREY’s case, instead of the director creating a video based on the band’s request, there are more cases when videos are created as a work of the director himself with regard to a song?

Kaoru: Yes, of course we also state our intentions since we also talk before [shooting].

Kyo: I think this time it would probably have been better to have had more meetings before shooting (wry smile).

Kaoru: That’s how much we couldn’t read the finished form. Basically the performance scenes were shot in front of a blue screen and it would be edited after, but we still don’t know what kind of video would be inserted in right now.

Die: But a few minutes of the sample that this person brought to show us “this is how it will be like” is…seriously going for too much. I thought, isn’t that bad (laughs); it’s like it’s something that would logically have a problem being aired for even 1 second (laughs). It’s because that person completely does not take that into consideration.

Kaoru: Well to put it bluntly…it was nearly a porn video (laughs).

Die: Because of that we persuaded [him]. Let’s do it a bit more properly (laughs).

Kyo: Before that when we spoke, he definitely said that it was something with a “high artistic quality” (laughs). But it turned into like “Wait a minute, what is this!?"

Kaoru: In the end, for this time as well, it is ultimately certified that “Kondo-san is not normal!” (laughs).

--I am excited and looking forward to the day I can see the finished work (laughs). So about the song coupled with this single which is a remake of “Tsumi  to Batsu” (At this point the title hasn’t been changed to “Tsumi to Kisei”, so unfortunately I couldn’t mention it). For DIR EN GREY creating such a self-remake is not something new but have you talked about trying to record this song again from before? Kaoru: No, when we were talking about what to do, somebody said what about this song. So it was just something we tried. I think this was the first time that this song itself was raised as a candidate; for the fans I think they were guessing that “the next one might be this, right?”. As much as possible we wanted to choose something different from that.

--In fact, did the ambience considerably change from the original song?

Kaoru: Oh yah, you haven’t listened to it right? (chuckles)

--Yes. I’ve only listened to the main song.

Kyo: …I see.

Die: Well it would be better to just look forward to it.

--Eeeh. Please don’t bully me (laughs).

Die: Wait a minute. You’re not a child anymore (laughs). But, well, it’s considerably different.

--So much so that even the fans wouldn’t know even if they listen to it?

Kaoru: No, I think the fans would know. But they may not know instantly.

Die: If they listened to it without knowing it was that song, they may not recognize it until it reaches a certain part.

Kyo: Yes, they definitely wouldn’t know until then.

Die: Worst case scenario, they may not know for a couple of minutes (laughs).

--Doesn’t that mean that it’s nearly become a different song (laughs)? Of course, that line in the opening in the original is also gone, right?

Kyo: Of course! The lyrics…I wonder how much, I think only about 10% is probably left from the previous song.

Kaoru: For the record we won’t be playing this song during the upcoming fan club only tour.

--Well I think I will look forward to the next chance again. In this single you recorded a live take of “RED SOIL” on top of this song. I think an explanation is not needed regarding this so I will omit it but…even if we speak now, I still cannot envision the new album’s vision that you will be releasing in the future. For example when comparing it to “UROBOROS”, what kind of album will it be?

Kyo: It felt like there were complex songs included also in “UROBOROS” but personally, I really don’t know about this one (laughs). Of course in a good sense I think that it’s new in terms of genre but at the same time it’s very much like us. That’s why I think that we’ve created something more than what we’ve done up until now. Anyway it’s dense/rich. Regarding each and every song’s denseness, [my senses] were paralyzed but now when I listen to “UROBOROS”, it somehow feels light.

--“UROBOROS” becoming light…somehow just imagining it is scary.

Kaoru: But, in fact I feel that too. Anyway of course there are parts that we built that we did with all our strength, but looking back, there’s also feeling that we’ve gone until where we could go.

--You mean that it is complex but straight? It’s not trying to choreograph something simple into something complex but originally directly expressing something complex.

Kaoru: Ah, yes. You could probably say it that way.

Die: For me what was big was the sound image. For the past few years, the sound that the band has always wanted, the Dir en grey-like sound image that we aimed for in “UROBOROS” but we weren’t still able to do, I think we’ve gotten much closer to that. Of course right now we haven’t completely reached it yet, but we’ve gotten such a good response while doing it. That’s why I am really looking forward to the day we complete it. The sound itself has such a feeling of speed. But the songs are not simply fast; it feels like the sound is flying, there’s a feeling that the sound with such a feeling of speed would attack you.

--Ah, that is also literally an overlap of the impression with “DIFFERENT SENSE”. Like a dizzying rush.

Shinya: As expected the album itself is also dizzying. Each and every song is a song that you can’t remember with one listen; it’s also complex, and there are a lot of song types. So much so that it is incomparable to “UROBOROS”.

--Of course at the time when “UROBOROS” was completed, Shinya-san also felt the complexity and difficulty, right?

Shinya: That’s right. But, now I don’t think that “UROBOROS” is not as difficult as this. As expected I think [my senses] were also paralyzed.

--What about Toshiya-san?

Toshiya: I wonder how to say this? I think that it’s an album that’s very like this band: dark, heavy, and difficult. Also it feels like a step forward. It may be new but it’s very like us. If you sum it all up I think it would become something like that. It feels like with all of the elements we have gone further than ever before. In that sense, I think that were able to properly update. Also as always I am entrusting it to the listeners.

--I am looking forward to the day I can listen to the whole album. As a reference I wanted to ask, right now today have you decided on the album title? Kaoru: No, not yet, actually we need to decide on the title today (laughs).

Kyo: The only thing not decided on is the title. There are a couple of candidates but we haven’t been able to completely narrow it down. And we will need to decide on it this time no matter what.

Kaoru: Would you like to think about it together? (laughs)

--No, I’ll pass (laughs). In fact, with “UROBOROS” it was a symbolic title that strongly aligned with the work itself, and it wasn’t something that you thought of beforehand, this was something that you decided on as it neared completion, right?

Kaoru: That’s right.

--But what I could really understand today from listening to you is that with this next album it is extremely difficult to simply find words to accurately describe it (laughs).

Kyo: That’s right!

Die: One word is not enough. It’s like it can’t perfectly fit it or there is no equivalent word that exists. It’s because it has already surpassed that level. But even so we don’t want to use a weird explanatory long title.

--I feel like if you can’t think of a suitable word that one of the selections would be the title “DIR EN GREY”.

Kyo: Actually we thought about that for a moment. But we thought it was a bit different.

--KORN has released an album with no title but that is something you want to avoid (laughs). Lastly please let me confirm. The band is already finished working on the songs and now you are just waiting for it to be complete, right?

Kaoru: That’s right. Now we are mixing it. The tracks are already abroad, and already we have started communicating with the engineer abroad. We’ve also somehow decided on the song order. Around the time this tour ends, I hope that we’ll be able to do the mastering…

And thus as we finished the talk, discussion about the album title began, and I myself left to head to the next interview location. The result, the album title’s final decision, did not happen on that day which was the deadline. I heard about these mysterious words, “DUM SPIRO SPERO” along with the announcement that “it will be released on August 3rd” some time after that. It won’t be long before we will see the full picture of this album after “UROBOROS”, that these 5 people have consciously said was their “more than craziest” work. I wonder if we will taste that “different sense” from it? It is something that we want to wait for as we entrust our bodies to the dizzying shocking waves of “DIFFERENT SENSE”. The stimulation that is difficult to paralyze is definitely contained in it.

Ganso Naki Kaoruya

Is everyone doing well?  This is Kaoru.

Yesterday, the ?a knot?tour has just ended. It was sad to end when the band was getting into a good condition. When we do an ?a knot? tour next time, I hope we can go to more places~. And the long, song-writing ~ pre-production~ recording that is tough yet fulfilling is about to end. I  feel a little sad for this album to be finished. The album took 2 years to make, but with various feelings, we were making this. We began as we sought for things while working, so it took a lot of time to get the songs into shape. Around the middle, I used my brain at full speed to arrange many songs and I went here and there. In the end, I was chased around with the song’s final arrangement and we also had to stop our work after the earthquake. Personally, I was recording as I knew my feelings towards this album differed from before and after the earthquake.   I think each member has various feelings put forth. Please listen.

In August, “DUM SPIRO SPERO” will begin with European Tour 2011 PARADOX OF RETALIATION. We still have a little more time before the National Tour 2011 AGE QUOD AGIS in September, but please look forward to it.

See ya!

Toshiya Aibiki no Mori

Production work for the album called, DUM SPIRO SPERO, "While I breathe, I can hope," is finally over.

Now, as we are surrounded by this reality in this world, this ALBUM will be trying to make its first cry here in Japan, where we really don’t know what the truth is and what we should believe in.

Tomorrow is…it is like we are blindfolded and fumbling around the present.

Because of this kind of present there are several meanings in the ALBUM title, So that’s why a paradoxical meaning is also included…

And, this ALBUM will be broadcast to the world from here in Japan. Yes, our “will”, “thoughts”, “screams”, and “wishes” will take off throughout the world through music, which is the world’s common tool.

Already, the ALBUM’s heart is beating.

Nobody knows what will happen to us, to Japan, and to the world from now on. During this time, five people with one resolve have arrived at a prayer, and created something like it in this album; please somehow live, take it with those hands, listen to it…and feel it.

We are here.

Dr. Nemunemu no daigyakusyuHello, everyone. As always I am cheerfully creating this corner. And so, I shall introduce the letter for today.

"Hello, Mr. Nemunemu. Mr. Nemunemu seems to really like apple products but if you really like apple that much, I think you can peel apples, right?" I received this from the roadie George from Tokyo.

Of course, I have never peeled an apple even once but Dr. Nemunemu has a lot of time to do this. So, I quickly went and bought an apple and a knife.

I haven't really used a knife since home economics class in elementary school, and I don't know how to peel [apples] so I started peeling while being nervous.

I was somehow able to peel around 5cm. And the knife was really scary. It's as if it can cut my hand. I wanted to stop but I somehow tried my best to continue. And then suddenly, I was able to peel off a slightly longer bit of skin.

And I tried a little more and finally I was able to completely peel it.

Personally, I wasn't satisfied with it. So, I ate the apple and went out to buy the second apple then started peeling it. A little after beginning I was able to peel off the longest peel that I had so far.

I think I remembered the trick to it. And then, I finished peeling the second one.

It had sort of become more fun so I ate that apple and bought the third one. And when I finished peeling the third one

I praised myself that this was pretty well done. While thinking that I could peel the next one without a wrong cut, I ate that apple and bought the fourth one. However

I think my stomach was a bit stuffed with apples and I was using a lot of strength in my hands so my hands began to hurt, therefore I wasn't able to peel it well at all. So I took a few hours of rest, then, I again challenged myself and bought the fifth one.

It's a bit crooked in few places but I was able to peel it more thinly. I am now no longer afraid of the knife. So I lost my interest in the apple peel, and with the knife I wanted to do more things and I made a face on the apple.

It turned out to be much like a work of art. And I have also grown tired of apples so I challenged myself next with oranges/mikan. I sank my knife into the mikan.

Then I cut it some more.

And as I peeled off all the skin of the orange,

When I flip it

Surprisingly, it ended up as a reindeer! Chopper!

And so, I shall end this at the point where I can skillfully use a knife.

(answer to vol. 50) And as for the last volume's answers for finding the difference. Surprisingly, only 1 person got it correct. It looks like many got caught with the confusing traps that Dr. Nemunemu laid out. The first confusing point was that a lot of people counted the left and right parts of the shoe as two things. Normally, you combine the left and right of the shoe and count it as one. And so, this is only counted as one different thing. This also goes the same for the horns that grow out of the head, a lot of people counted it as two things. For the horns, usually, you count both the left and right as one horn. And so, this is also a mistake. The place where the people knew the least was the hairline along the neck at the right side. There were really only a few people who found it. And now, for the present this time, it's a remodeled tanktop that Dr. Nemunemu wore on the tour. For the people who want it, send in your member number, address, name, age, telephone number and comments about Dr. Nemunemu's counter attack (a longer comment will have more advantage.) to aknot.

And until the next issue, goodbye.

Translator's Notes: Chopper is a character from manga/anime series One Piece who can turn into a reindeer and a human.

[octranslations]

Haiiro no Ginka Volume 40

Haiiro no Ginka Volume 40

September 2008

Translation Credits:

All translations by Cammie

UROBOROS

Since 21 months after the release of The Marrow of a Bone, Uroboros will appear to the world.  You may find this time very long or short depending on your feeling, and the same could be said if you associate this work’s title as “the returning point” or interpret it as “an endless inquisition.”  I actually don’t have any answer for this, and maybe the band members may not have a clear answer either.  Yet, Dir en grey has set foot into a territory they have never reached.  In other words, they have always had a proposition to pursue themselves to the limit, and have shaped the ideal that has been exceeding ahead of them. Do you have the courage to dive into the beautifully mad world?  Are you ready to place yourself into a loop, which you will never escape?

-Yuichi Masuda

Tour 08 Death Over Blindness

2008 May 4th – They finished appearing on the event and then moving…

After finishing “hide memorial summit,” Dir en grey headed to their next venue in Okayama without having any time to rest.  Few hours later after leaving Tokyo, they met with Mr. Takahashi, the event promoter of Candy Promotion in Okayama, and by then, everyone was tired and silent the entire time.

May 5th- Crazymama Kingdom

Osaka-fu: Death Over Blindness tour has begun with three consecutive show at Namba Hatch.   Originally, 5/4 was a moving day, but due to their appearance on the event (hide memorial), the show in Okayama became the 5th day of the 6 consecutive shows.  Due to the venue’s situation, we could not use the backdrop from Namba Hatch.  However, the emblem that was on the tour goods (t-shirts and stickers) appeared behind Shinya’s drumset.  It was difficult to create the same impact of a large venue, but because this place was compact, the emblem helped to bring out liveliness.

In backstage, there was no space for many people, and the staff members were taking a break near the hallway where you can see the audience waiting for the door to open.  By the way, this venue is on the fourth floor of a nice-looking building.  No one would even dream of such an intense show happening on the upper floor.  During the show, the audience began to jump with the music’s beat and the floor began to shake.  On the last song, The III D Empire, the staff near the stage had to hold up a “no jumping” sign.

May 6th- Crazymama Kingdom

The line for entrance began to move as the time was 6pm, and the sky made us think of summer dusk.  People were slowly filling in the venue, and the camera and speakers set up here connected to the band members’ room as they were able feel the excitement of the audience directly.  The venue filled with more heat than yesterday, and from the first song, Ryoujoku no Ame, the band members and audience seriously took on each other.  Especially with small stages, one can feel the raw and concentrated condition between the staging of 5 members and the reaction of the audience.  Near the front stage, the fence could not withhold the push from the back, so the front row audience had their feet up near the front edge of the stage.

During this performance, dead tree left an impression where Kyo sung serenely and eerily as he stared at one spot while the audience stopped their movement and stared back in awe.

May 8th - Club Diamond Hall

It has been a while to come to Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya city, Club Diamond Hall as the red wall is covered with foreign artists’ flyers, and this appearance reminds you of a live house in Europe and the United States. Before, we had more shows at Zepp Nagoya, and because of that, it feels strangely refreshing of having a different Nagoya atmosphere.  After 3pm, the stage was not big, but the Tech team took their positions and checked everything carefully.  On the floor, there was Toshiya watching them.  This tour has 2 new songs included and they were performed at Club Diamond Hall as well.  Glass Skin was performed where Kyo had a spot light on him while the overflowing sound of piano resounded.  Kyo began to sing with an ecstatic facial expression, and with the guitar parts, the hue of the band’s sound was oozing out.  The left-hand side was overlapping with the song, and shakes inside the small amount of light.  This song has a smooth texture, and it brought a moment of silence to the heated floor.

May 9th- Club Diamond Hall

We are half-way through the tour.  The other new song, Stuck Man was a contrasting song from Glass Skin as it had a vibrant tempo, and shook the ground.  During this song, Kyo counted together with the audience and raised their fists into the air, heightening a rush of blood to the head.  Toshiya strummed the strings sharply with his slap-bass technique, and from the performances during the tour, his sound seemed to become fuller.  Also, the lighting matched with the song as it shined the back drop; and it sometimes changed into a shady form and lured people who watched it into a peculiar world.  It felt like Stuck Man during Nagoya’s second date had brought itself together.  It was a new song before and had some rawness, but from this day, this new song changed into a combination of maintaining freshness and stability.

May 16th- Zepp Sendai

Heading into summer, the surroundings of the Sendai train station near Zepp Sendai have paper lanterns and pennants hung on street lamps and stands that appear florid because the “Aozora festival” is coming up on the weekend (Apparently, this festival will take place on the day of the second show here).  Sendai was infused with energy and the sunny May weather welcomed Dir en grey.  In the venue, a large banner was put up on stage as it has not been used since the Namba Hatch shows; once again, one is blown away by its presence.  The audience that will gather in front of this banner and create a critical state must be a superb view.  A few hours later, on the stage with that banner hung, Kyo’s voice ringed in the air.

“Sendai, you guys are better than this!  Can you do it?”

The voltage of excitement was rather easy on the first day at Sendai, but after being aroused by Kyo’s voice, one does not even have to guess that the show became more intense.  

May 17th- Zepp Sendai

On the second day of Sendai, there was a completely different set-list from yesterday.  The venue’s spirit was as if it was continuing from yesterday’s encore.  Around the middle of the show, there was a special effect with the lighting and backdrop during Conceived Sorrow that was eye-catching.  We used a special machine, which makes Kyo’s form appear on the backdrop and change with the song’s style and tempo.  One should note that Kyo’s overlapping forms several times was not a projected image, but a creation through special light effects.

“It was all right…”

Kyo spitted out some water and after commenting about today’s show to the audience, he left the stage.  After the show, there was news that one band member lost his jewelry he wore during encore as it flew into the audience floor.  But few minutes later, an audience came up to the staff asking,

“Does this belong to one of the band member?”

This band member thought that his jewelry would never return, but he was very happy about the miraculous happening.  We would like to use this moment again to thank this audience.

May 19th- Aomori Quarter

We were nearby the ocean, and around the venue, one could smell the salt. In front of the venue, a large blue truck with the band name and title awaits sonorously for visitors.  Because it’s the beginning of the week, we did not see too many audiences waiting near the venue.  However, before entrance time, many Dir en grey fans surrounded the place.  Like Okayama, this venue is built compact, so we can anticipate vivacity.  In this show, one would feel strongly of how Dir en grey considers the time between songs to be very important.  During the time between songs, Kyo’s voice delay would disappear, and you can say that the superb timing from each song determines the live itself.  The timing to begin Obscure’s SE after Kodoku ni shisu yueni kodoku was brilliant.  As Die’s guitar sound continues to echo, in which timing does the SE begin…?   This is possible through the communication and sensory link between the manipulators: Mr. Furuta and Dir en grey.

May 20th- Aomori Quarter

Stormy day.  There was no space to have a tour goods booth in the venue, so as the winds were getting stronger, staffs outside had to hold on to the tent that was getting blown away (basically saying they had to sell tour goods outside).  Even with the bad weather, fans were coming up to the booth seeking tour goods.  Meanwhile, in the band member’s room (which is usually a fancy bar), preproduction for the next album was going on. The tour and music production were happening at the same time, and the members must have been very busy, but their source of power is the view they would see in a few minutes: the live and the audience.  When the storm was finally over, the tour’s last regional date, the show in Aomori, began.  During Dozing Green, smoke rose up, and it became a creature manipulated by Dir en grey’s music, which changed shape according to the 5 member’s movements and attached onto them. Near the end of the show, behind Kaoru, there was Die reaching his arms to play on Kaoru’s guitar.  This was a rare scene that could only be seen in an extra time of encore.

*This date was Manager Inoue’s 36th birthday, and after RH (rehearsal?), birthday song filled up the venue. A cake was brought to Mr. Inoue who seemed somewhat surprised and embarrassed, and a small birthday celebration took place.  We weren’t notified at this point, but after 4 shows later at Shinkiba Studio Coast, we celebrated birthdays of Mr. Tomochi (or Tsuchimochi?) who is in charge of flipside and Mr. Yoshida who is in charge of the manipulator.  Dir en grey staff team has a lot of people born in May.

May 23rd- Yokohama Blitz

Before the show, Kaoru had a big package, and peeking into it, as we have touched about this topic during vol. 39, Nine Inch Nail’s new material had arrived.  Looking happily and checking out what was inside, Kaoru could not help but be amazed by its splendor.  During the summer of 2007, Nine Inch Nails and Dir en grey appeared together in the Ankkarock festival.  Today’s set list included Shokubeni, Karasu, and with that flow, the nursery rhyme, Kagome appeared.  Kyo almost weaves out the melody bringing fear and sadness.  Lurking with eeriness, Kagome became a splendid introduction for Karasu.  Nursery rhyme and Dir en grey does not seem to go together.  Yet, the lyricist and composer are unknown, and this song has many stories due to its mysterious origin (one may check this up on Wikipedia or I can translate Dr. Nemunemu that actually talks about Kagome in the earlier Haiiro no ginka), which may actually link with Dir en grey’s world.

When looking around at fans calling encore, there was one man who left an impression where he held onto his head and looked dazed out.

May 24th- Yokohama Blitz

On the second date, it was unfortunately raining, which may had been signifying tsuyu(rain season) coming up.  During Kigan, people were jumping up and down as it shook the floor and vibrated the walls that spread to the projector and the image on the backdrop with many kanji on the screen also swayed heavily.  The audiences participated actively, and their action reflected back to the stage, making it a rare occurrence to watch.  After the show, people were waiting at the cloak area where rain was pouring onto their heads just like earlier before the show started.  However, was that wet and elusive shine emitted from rain or sweat…?  These audiences covered the outside of Yokohama Blitz. Finally, the tour only has Shinkiba 3 Days left.  What kind of growth would happen within these 3 days?

May 28th- Shinkiba Studio Coast

Today is the first day of Shinkiba Studio Coast 3 days.  Shinkiba Studio Coast has a good sound, and at the rehearsal stage, the song and delay had a distinct echo, which was impressive.  Before the show opening, we were called by Toshiya.

“I want to give my mic stand as a present for the newsletter (Haiiro no ginka).”

Toshiya’s mic stand has followed his moves and acted with one heart and mind as they shared joys and sorrows together, and next to his bass, it has been a sub-partner existence.  It has flown high during The IIID Empire (ex: hide memorial summit) and received Toshiya’s shouts during Agitated Screams of Maggots.  Such an important possession will become a present from Toshiya’s sincere courtesy (Please look at the application page [?????] for more information).  Mr. Fujiki, the stage director and Manager Inoue could not hide their surprise when they heard Toshiya’s request.  Even before the start of the show, this live was filled with air of hunger and crisis.  The lights went out, the SE began from darkness, and the members appeared.  The show began with this first voice:

“Tokyo??!!!”

Dozing Green began with a ground-shaking rhythm, and guitar riffs gushed out, making the place move along with the music.  During Kodoku ni shisu, yueni kodoku, Kyo repeatedly kept saying “Love you,” and the entire place froze.  “Love you, love you…”  What is Kyo calling for…? These words are emotional yet, as they begin to lap over, they change into something lifeless.  A mantra seemed to surround this space while the guitar painfully echoed, leaving an afterglow.

May29th- Shinkiba Studio Coast

As the show is about to start, the atmosphere of the venue began to change.  Being the middle of the 3 days, the second day’s show was about to begin.  Going downstairs towards the stage, the 5 members with intense ardor huddled up; it’s time.  The first song was the new song, Glass Skin, and right after, Grief began.  The set list had a smaller dynamic, and it had many medium heavy numbers.  And as Kaoru expected, there was a different feeling and slight frustration that seemed strangely new.  Due to this set up, Hydra 666 turned into a detonator.   In real time, Kyo’s figure was shown through the special effect onto the backdrop, and it showed a subliminal world.  Kyo got up onto the standing platform and raised both arms high in the air, and the audience responded by raising their arms, and screamed back “6! 6! 6! ”  The 2 lapping figures of Kyo did not only make the audience, but the staff including the one doing the special effect impressed.  It was indeed a stunning view.  After finishing encore, Die had a clouded expression on his face, and he smashed the guitar head to the ground, stopped moving, and crouched on the floor for some time.

May 30th- Shinkiba Studio Coast

“It’s a fight between each one of you and me.”

The last day has arrived.  In Dir en grey’s lives, cozy relationships cease to exist.  It is better to say that the members’ and audiences’ life energies collide into each other.  During Ryoujoku no Ame, Kyo began to scratch his chest as if something has awakened inside of himself; it is difficult to put in words, but this sense of atmosphere began to eat away the entire space.  Kyo uses his body to propose the “meaning of life,” and the depth of these words to the audience.  Dead tree sings about human’s frailty, and from Kyo’s wound, the oozing blood mixed with sweat, trickled down to his abdomen.  Kyo released everything of himself into this moment without any lies or deceit.  Following this, Karasu started with Shinya’s pulse-beating rhythm together with the resonating guitar sounds that make you imagine of amplified spots.  The backdrop sometimes had cracks that looked like streaks of lightning.   These cracks increased, and when the countless fissures covered up the eye, Kyo got up onto the standing platform and got seated in a kneeling position (Zen meditation), and looked up at the sky.  This view was frightening, and it would make a person shiver.  There were no use of explosives or weapons, but a sensory fear ran loose.  We now witnessed how the 5 members had finally gone into “some territory.”  After the show was over, Kyo still had blood and sweat dripping down from his left chest.

Death Over Blindness took place parallel to the music production, and in actuality, the band would have wanted to focus on their song composition as their feelings of weariness, pressure, and impatience are beyond our imagination.  However, for the members who have been distant since the last show near the end of 2007, the existence of stage has allowed them to seriously take on the audience that has great meaning, and perhaps they have been able to get new stimulations.  In September, the mother body (Dir en grey) would reach its trimester and you will be able to feel the new life’s (new album) heartbeat.  From the day of the Glass Skin single release, Tour 08 – The Rose Trims Again will begin.  Would the band be able to find a clue in this tour for their 7th album, Uroboros?

Gansonaki Kaoru-ya

How are you guys?  This is Kaoru who is exhausted but full of high spirit.

Today (I began writing this on 8/11) at 8am, I finally finished recording my guitar part, and feel relieved… But we’re now onto mixing.  We still need to work on synthesizer and some parts we need to record and replace, but we need to keep going because we seriously do not have any time.    Five days later, we were no-where near finished with mixing…We might not make it.  We slept over at the studio until the last day of mixing, and this time there was a feeling of being finished, but around noon… Koni-young’s Mac was acting strange and had to stop; we started this process again when there was only 18 hours left…

And 45 hours later, Die, Mr. Furuta, the director, and I went to NY for mastering.   Until today, we have not been able to sleep for the last 2 weeks, and finished Uroboros.  After we finished mastering and listened to the album from start to finish, my eyes became a little watery because all my memories of recording came back…  We started making songs at the beginning of this year, and from March we got together, argued about the songs, tweaked them, and began preproduction.  Around April, after the songs were ready, we recorded the rhythm parts, made another song and then another preproduction, and repeated that process.  All the songs were ready just before July.  After that, everyday was intense recording. This past month, I seriously have not gone outside.  It was really tough near the end, but I give my appreciation to all the staff who worked very hard!  Because of you guys, we were able to make the most insane album!

And if this Uroboros resonates in your heart, that would be great.  This work is packed with Dir en grey sound that is not trendy or obsolete.  I would like you guys to listen to it carefully, and I hope it becomes an important part of you.

For the people who have always watched us, For the people who have watched us, And for the people that will know us from now,

Here is Dir en grey.

Thank you everyone, I seem to have full of appreciation.

Now, let’s go drinking?!!

I bought a deluxe limited album from a catalogue.  I hope it comes soon~.

Kyo's section (Announcement)

We are asking for questions.  For the next vol. 41, “Happiness of nothing, the assembled neck” will have Kyo answer to fan’s questions.  Please have your fan club number and name (or nickname), write your question down, and send it to “Haiiro no ginka vol. 40 Kyo e no shitsumon.”  The deadline is 9/30th.

 Music Clip Shooting of Glass Skin

Raining season is near the end, and while the moist air covers the cloudy sky on this day of July, somewhere in Tokyo, the shooting for Glass Skin has begun.  Last time for Dozing Green, many screens were set up at the shooting location, but this time, everything was done in the studio.   Everything became CG footage, and there were no props or big sets; there was only blue screen that would process the image composition.  This was not at a far location and the traveling time was short, but being in the same place for hours, it was a battle against the gradual tiring air circulating and barren background.

While Shinya’s drum set was getting set up, the staff team began to wrap white tape onto the silver parts of the frame of the drums.  The basic color of this drum is white, the same with the bass and the surface of the snare that has no problem, but all the frameworks supporting the set is silver.  Silver colors is like a mirror, and without taping, when you shoot the drum set, the blue will reflect and make the drum set look like it’s floating.  All the artists who use a blue screen do this procedure, but for Visual Trap (Production Company) the amount of work they do is top notch for Dir en grey.

After 12pm, the members arrived.  This shooting took place in the midst of their music production when they worked every day until early in the morning.  We asked Die who was smoking at the lobby about how they were doing and he mumbled, “My hard disk memory inside my head is so full.”  The five member’s desire for the extreme must have brought this suffering…

In the member’s room, Mr. Ohno who is in charge of costumes and Kaoru were discussing what he should wear.  Mr. Yamaguchi who is in charge of make-up was observing the two and made a remark.  “You look like a cool, modern-looking vagabond Tora-san!” (note: Tora-san is the main character from the Otoko wa Tsuraiyo series)  Kaoru’s fashion was coordinated innovatively wearing everything black with black-framed glasses and sandals.  Kaoru was trying on a hat, but in the end, he gave up wearing the hat and sandals, and wore his usual black boots and headed for the studio.

1:30pm Shooting began.  Kaoru was first, and a total of 6 cameras were set up left, right, up and down in the middle area in rows.  First, the camera shot the member from the front.  Because we were using blue screen the entire time, there weren’t anything striking about these photos, and the changes that happened during this shooting were difficult to express.  However, using multiple cameras, changing camera angles and positions, and shooting various patterns would definitely result into low-key efforts and long hours.   How were these shootings and procedures going to be compounded?  After the first shoot, the staff began to composite the shots with the CG they had prepared beforehand.  Many staff and Kaoru surrounded Mr. Kondo, the director, and waited nervously.  Then, behind Kaoru, the background had a world of white painting spreading before their eyes.  Even though this was a rough image, one cannot be amazed by its high quality, and the daily evolution of CG images.

3:00pm Kaoru ->Die have finished and next was Toshiya’s turn.  There was something different about Toshiya’s bass.  The bass’ body was tattered up, and it was finished with a posh taste and looked like an aged vintage.  The band members and staff all focused their attention the bass’ “broken” qualities.  While the shooting continued, the taping for the drum set continued.  The drum appeared as if everything was white all along.  The schedule started to delay due to the adjustments of blue screen and the shoot, and various takes even though there was no actual moving of location.  

4:30pm Kyo’s shooting began where his top part of the body was bare, and he wore a purple adidas jersey that had yellow stripes.  This time, Kyo did not have a clip where he sings.  This time, all 5 members did not shoot together, and they only had separate shootings.  Kyo’s shooting was slightly different as he moved his body slowly along with the music you could barely hear.  He tried looking up and down, spread his legs, and covered his face with his hands, and expressed himself through body language.   At times, when there was the music playing in the studio, you could only hear Mr. Kondo’s direction.        

After taping for 5 hours, Shinya’s drum set was finally ready, and it was set up at the blue screen.  Checking the monitor, there were some parts that were still silver, and needed adjustments.  For complete CG, this detailed work is extremely important.  Afterwards, the music video shooting went on by positioning the camera, moving them, and shooting various shots.  Each time, it was checked under the monitor for different angles and adjusted them.  Mr. Kondo and the staff continued to check whether it was “all right or not” as the angle of the reflecting board (white board) could change the way the shot look.  They even used a rotating platform to shoot the band members 360 degrees.

The date had changed and the time was now three in the morning as the grasses and trees were asleep. A thick clear acrylic board was laid down and the drum was being set up.  Why a clear acrylic board?  This is because we can shoot from beneath.  Underneath the acrylic board, a rail was set up so that a pulley would move forward.  No shoes were allowed on the acrylic board because although it’s thick, you can see through what’s beneath, that may make one cringe.  The band members were amazed by the intricate structure of the acrylic board setting.  Seeing the band member’s shoe sole was rather strange…  Everyone began to finish one after another.   Each time there was a loud applause from the site.  Simultaneously, the drum set was getting broken down.  All the taping neatly wrapped was getting ripped off.  Last was Kyo who sat on top of a boxed cart to shoot him in a perched position, but on top of the acrylic board, he did not use the cart.  In order to look like he is sitting on something, subtle leg opening and angle became important.  Everyone stopped what they were doing and watched this shooting.

“Okay, that’s a wrap!”

After Mr. Kondo’s approval, the shooting finished.  The clock’s needle now points near four in the morning.  All the members were getting sleepy due to the long hours of music video shooting and music production.   Outside, gusty rain was hitting the concrete ground.  There was no time to remember about the shoot as the band members got into the bus and went off.  After the main characters were gone from the studio, the staff quickly broke down their equipments.

As for the music video, what kind of image would lapse over their movements?  Later on, the footage that was shot today combined with CG would be checked many times and be finished.  We yearn for the entire picture.   Making of Artistic Photography- Glass Skin

While shooting a music video for Glass Skin, near the studio’s elevator hall, preparation for Glass Skin’s photo shoot began.  Ms. Ogata was our camera(wo)man.  Her photos maintained a fragile part, a characteristic particular to females, and had a wild manly texture, which established a good reputation from the band members.  The elevator hall used to be a normal place to stock big props and equipments for the studio.  However, once everything was removed and the concrete floor was exposed and was ready for shooting, it became a lifeless space with roughness, which was extremely off the hook.

The shooting was in the order of Kaoru->Die->Toshiya->Shinya->Kyo.  Of course, while the solo photo shooting took place, other members had to be in the next studio and work on the music video concurrently.  Die changed his ambient atmosphere from the music video, and tied his hair back, and his exposed skin and expression stirred up even more sharpness.  Kyo was shot standing, but he also took shots on a crouching position.  His hat and sunglass made a good shadow, and his tattoo on his body stood out from darkness.  All five members’ personalities were brought out, an austere elegance ran, and the photos were turning out well.  After finishing solo shots, group shots began.  Since this place was usually for a transportation company, if one was off from their position, the warning lamp would go on.  When this went on, you couldn’t stop the red light reflecting into the photo.  Everyone including the staff was careful not to go near the sensor.  The width of the space was narrow, and it was difficult to decide on the best alignment for the 5 members.  “A little up.  A little to the right.  Good, good, good…”  Ms. Ogata instructed the assistant with the hand-held light.  This place had a situation to adjust lighting and shadow, but it turned out to be a good work with atmosphere.

The photo shoot finished and everyone surrounded Ms. Ogata’s computer.  The member and staff were looking with intense concentration.  A few minutes later, everyone gave an approving look and the artist photography session ended.  The photos shot on this day was given to the staff immediately, and later on, after the members looked over, the photos released right now were decided.

Die – Meisho de meishu

Rider – Yukinobu Hasegawa (Interviewer) Chef – Hideaki Shimada                     *note: I’m not sure whether I got their first names correct.      

I got a call from Die during the middle of July when he must have been busy with recording.  He asked me for my free days; he is a guy with adult’s manner.  But you’re the one who is busy.  So, we were able to meet at the end of July.  The place was at a bar restaurant where Die went to eat frequently.  This place was popular with stocks of many shochu (Japanese vodka) all over from Japan, and appetizers made by the young shopkeeper.  Today, we ordered salad, special crab-cream croquette, and a soft fried burdock root as our appetizers, and while we relaxed, we began drinking.

Hasegawa: Wow, it’s been a while.

Die: That’s true.  I think it’s important to have this time sometimes.  This place has good food.  Have you ever been here?

Hasegawa: I have.  In the end, there was one musician and mentor who slept on top of the table (laugh).

Die: This place is changing into a hang-out place.  This place is so good~.

Hasegawa: But please drink 5% alcohol.  I’m not letting you drink the 20% just yet.  Well, cheers, Renaissance.

Die: What’s that (laugh)?

Hasegawa:This is Hige-danshaku’s (Japanese comedians) signature phrase.  But you haven’t been drinking because of recording right?

Die: I would go home and have one drink.  I’ve been in the studio for a long time.

Hasegawa: You had a tour in May, but did you spend the other hours on production?

Die: No, I took a break in January and February.  I didn’t do anything music-related on January.  From February I was in a music-making mode, so I didn’t go outside of home.  I only went out drinking twice a month.  

Hasegawa: Song-making pressures you and forces you to develop ideas, so in a way, it becomes a battle against stress right?

Die: Yeah, you don’t know whether it’s good or bad.  And you become concerned with something so detailed.  Once you distance yourself from a song and listen again, it’s like what is this. Why did I spend so much time with this?  Besides, it’s not good (laugh).  Song-making is nothing but “against oneself.”

Hasegawa: Did you have good ideas around February?

Die: Rather than idea, I had sounds I wanted to make.  I would play the guitar with that thought, but if you make songs with this mentality, it’s not that good.

Hasegawa: Oh, so you would have a goal, and it would only move forward in that direction, and nothing else comes up?

Die: If you try to actualize your idea, it becomes something you can find anywhere (laugh).  When I’m playing around with my guitar and think I have a good phrase, I try to put that in.  Then I begin to develop from there.  If I do it this way, it’s easier to evolve in a good way.   Imagining beforehand would make ideas fixed.

Hasegawa: You yearn for unpredictability?

Die: Yes, yes.

Hasegawa: When you have a fixed imagination, you would lose interest in your own work, but if you play guitar without any fixed ideas, do you come up with ideas beyond your imagination?

Die: Yes, yes, if I don’t pre-determine and play randomly, there’s a catalyst born in that moment.  There may be 2 sounds, but if you put on an effect, they would sound interesting too.  You can make that kind of idea.  But where you’re recording, there are too many possibilities, and it’s difficult to decide.  You can do it this way or that way, and want to try all of them, but in reality, you don’t have any time.  There would be new sound by tuning your guitar differently, distorting acoustic guitar sounds, and think of those ways.  At this point, the recordings for drums has finished, but there are so many songs that need decision on arranging or tone, so I’m thinking, for this song here, for that song there, and my mind is scattered everywhere.  Every day, I’m always in this situation.  It’s probably impossible for me to try out everything during this recording period.  

Hasegawa: “It’s probably impossible?” (laugh)  But if you try to do everything, you won’t be able to finish your work.  

Die: A person once said that you need common sense to decide.  It’s important to have this common sense and be able to say this is it and choose quickly.

Hasegawa: It’s nice to take time to create your work, but a work should be exposed to people’s eyes and ears or it won’t provide any significance of existence.  Then, the listener’s feelings would be injected and have a new life born again.  

Die: For significance of existence, the songs need to be performed live.  So after making a song, I think the recording to completion shouldn’t take too long.  We would get bored of it (laugh).  The songs would become something without any stimulation (laugh).    

Hasegawa: Even if the actual people (band) would get bored, we (listeners) wouldn’t be, and not even have the chance to hear it (laugh).  

Die: Well, that’s true.

Hasegawa: I think it’s actually better to have deadlines.

Die: Because of deadlines we’re able to exert our power as if we’re at a fire site (laugh) [note: basically saying one can exert their full potential at desperate moments].  For The Marrow of a Bone, we mixed for 36 hours continuously.  We kept listening, and we couldn’t make decisions.  That was not good.  You should decide after listening with rested ears, so I want to avoid mixing for 36 hours straight.

Hasegawa: Engineer overseas record orderly and they never work overtime right.  I think they work that way so that they make the right decisions.  

Die: That’s partially true.  But with Japan, it’s not just with music; there is a cultural aspect for Japanese to work hard.  There’s diligence.  For people overseas, I think that’s impractical.  I think they’re more like we’re done today so let’s party kind of a rouse.

Hasegawa: Are you half-way through your work right now?

Die: No, I’m finished with 90% of guitar packing.  I’m using a re-amp method, so I’m recording my parts as much as I can, and then use another time to create sounds.  I still have a lot of that left.  So even if I finished recording my parts, I’m not done and I actually have more work to do.

Hasegawa: Impressions of sounds change with tone too.

Die: Yes, yes.  I’m just putting in the raw materials now.  But I think this is a good way to be able to create sounds later.  You can decide on the tone after all the guitar phrases are put in.

Hasegawa: If you don’t re-amp, all the recorded sounds remain in the audio source.

Die: In that case, when a different guitar tone comes in after the first guitar part, the phrase you want people to hear recedes back.  You won’t have that kind of problem with re-amp.

Hasegawa: You definitely have intricate phrases for this one too right?

Die: Yeah, I’m building them up.  I always wonder whether this recording will ever end.  I’m in an opposite mode from last year when it was all touring.   It’s hot summer right now, but without any sunlight, having air conditioner full blast at the recording studio, I’ve immersed myself in there.  After we finish the album, we’re finally going outside.

Hasegawa: With this weather, your skin is fair like Sonoko Suzuki.  What are you some skin-lightening researcher (laugh)?

Die: Yeah (laugh).  I haven’t been in the sunlight.  The only time I feel the hot weather is for a few minutes when I go outside of my home to when I go inside the car.  When I go inside the studio, I need to wear a jacket because it’s so cold.

Hasegawa: Everyone must be jittery.  Are you guys pretty tense?

Die: Not really.  There’s Mr. Konishi, our engineer, who isn’t like that, and it’s easy to tell from his mood.  Rather, he makes these small-time jokes.  Nothing but oyaji jokes (note: Oyaji refers to older men in their 40s and up; although it varies from people’s perception).

Hasegawa: Then please tell us one of those jokes.

Die: I’m not oyaji.  They’re Mr. Konishi’s oyaji jokes too (laugh).  Anyways, I don’t feel too stressed.

Hasegawa: Maybe your experience with long tours overseas changed your mindset?

Die: No, that and recording are totally different.  Our staffs say that when we go overseas, our personalities change.  When we return from overseas, we’ve become American-like or so.  I have no idea what exactly changed though (laugh).

Hasegawa: I think you guys aren’t too uptight anymore.  Years ago, you guys had this presence that wouldn’t make people go near you.  When you guys are on tour and recording, I think your private life becomes tense, and it’s hard to talk to you lightheartedly.

Die: Oh, I guess we do have that kind of change.  We did shows with different circumstances and locations last year.  We didn’t have any leeway, but we couldn’t be tense all the time.  Once we go up on stage, then it’s all right to act that way.  We should take a bigger stance.

Hasegawa: I think you’ve changed when you’re on stage too.  Before, you were stoic, and only the people who understood you figured out what you guys tried to do, but they would not raise their voice with excitement; they just kept to themselves.

Die: Yeah, I think there was that kind of feeling.

Hasegawa: Now you guys are aggressive and make assertions.  You stir up the fans too.  That way, people watching you guys can jump into your shows.  

Die: I think last year made a huge impact on us.  With the number of lives and situations; we had 3 domestic tours, 2 US tours, and 2 European tours, and went on a total of 7 tours.  With the US, we had a headlining tour and a supporting-act tour with Deftones.  Headlining tour allows you to have your own space, but with support, you’re touring along with Deftones, so there was a team effort involved.  At first we were unable to fit in.  A lot of American staffs told us stuff.  “Why do you do stage shows like that?  It’s not appealing.”  Stuff like that.  For them, having an appealing element is important.  “Why aren’t you trying to attract the audience whey you guys are an opening act?”  But we’re not that type of band.  We’ve been doing our way of stage and because of that we are who we are now.  And then they (American staff, etc) would say, “No, that’s not what I mean.  Don’t you guys have any MC?”  Or “You only look down when you play your guitar; you’re not stirring up the audience at all.”  People told these things to us the entire time.  We had a discussion within the band, and rather than having any conclusion, each of us changed naturally.  Our shows were completely different when you compare the beginning and the end of the Deftones tour.

Hasegawa: That’s not an experience everyone has.  It must have influenced you in some ways?

Die: I think we need to have a bigger view.  Not “as Japanese” or “because we’re Japanese,” but be who we are no matter where we go.

Hasegawa: By having this experience, you no longer have any adoration for overseas, and you don’t have any border lines right?

Die: Is it?  I want to be able to show our stage and communicate in English when I go there.

Hasegawa: Did confidence root in to you unconsciously?

Die: Well~ not really confidence.  The mode is different for song-making and recording.  I constantly have a sense of “this is seriously not good” when I can’t come up with anything.

Hasegawa: How do you overcome self-resentment?

Die: You have to look at yourself broadly.  When you look with a bigger view, some things become trivial.  If you feel negative about yourself, it’s a small matter.  If you think about life, you want to have a good one.   In life, negativity is merely a page.  It’s all right to have that page within life.  In the end, you should be able to think, “I had a good life” before you die.  This age and this time are trifling matters.   There’s no need to feel extremely distressed.  So if you look at yourself in a broad perspective, then it’s really nothing urgent.  But you need to work hard moment to moment, or else you won’t be able to have good life ultimately.

Hasegawa: That’s life philosophy right there.  By the way Die-chan, you lost weight.  Why?

Die: From this year up to the tour on May, I wanted to have a strenuous time over something.  I wanted to do something I determined until I got up on stage.  I wanted to be on stage after feeling pressured.

Hasegawa: Sort of like a votive?

Die: Yep.  It could have been anything, but I kind of decided of getting rid of all my body fat (laugh).

Hasegawa: Why did you want to pressure yourself?

Die: Last year it was good to have many shows, but when we weren’t doing shows, we became really slack.   I felt like being on stage was a given, but I knew that was not the way to think.  There should be more depth for each live, each time we get up on stage.  So I needed to pressure myself so that I motivate myself to make me yearn to go on stage.  I actually wanted to improve my English, and that would have been better, but I’ll start on that once I finish making the album.  So I really didn’t need to lose weight (laugh).  I’ve witnessed the extreme too.  I calculated calories, so during April, I didn’t eat any rice, but you really need sugar for your brain to work.  I guess for Japanese, rice is necessary.

Hasegawa: You sound like Hadaka no taisho (note: Originally refers to Kiyoshi Yamashita, a painter.  Film and drama series were made based on his life) saying you like to eat rice balls (laugh).

Die: It’s true though.  But when you write US in Japanese characters it’s ?? (“rice” and “country”).  Why is their main food bread (laugh)?  Isn’t it the country of rice?

Hasegawa: If you complain like that I think many bands would envy you.

Die: Would they?  Lately many bands go overseas expectedly.  But there aren’t too many people who witnessed the actual site.  It’s really different from your imagination; we’ve received direct reactions.  People would throw stuff at you and I think, “Wow, after doing this many lives we’re still not good enough.”  People would throw crushed beer cans with ends sharpened, which fly into our stage, and we once had rocks thrown at us too.  That was the time when we were at festivals.  It was like that 2 years ago when we attended Rock am Ring where Korn, Deftones, and Guns and Roses were on the same stage.  If we would try a medium-tempo song, a lot of stuff would get thrown onto the stage.  And it was the World Cup period so these small soccer balls flew in (laugh).  You can throw as many as you want; it won’t hurt or scratch me (laugh).  When you’re with bands that have travelled around the world, there are many reactions.   So you shouldn’t be swayed just because you toured once or twice in the US and Europe.  

Hasegawa: Ah, so you shouldn’t call yourself to be “going international” at this level?

Die: I wouldn’t really call it “going international” though (laugh).  But I think that experience is very interesting.  When you’re shot down, it actually becomes a motivation.  This happened when we’ve been together for 10 years, so it felt like we can climb further together as a band.

Hasegawa: You had this ridiculous amount of energy emerging like you did back in your debut?

Die: Yep, yep.  You’re able to go without having any fear.  I think that’s really important.  You record, release an album, and go on tour; when this becomes a rotation, it’s difficult to maintain motivation.  Your passion begins to disappear.  You begin to wonder whether it’s right to repeat this process every year.  We were about to go into that phase, but were given a place to feel inspiration, and the band was able to solidify again.  I think 2006 to 2007 was really energetic.  We also were able to accomplish many things.  You need to have rough times.

Hasegawa: Once you finish recording that would start again?

Die: Yes. The album after the one we’re making now is going to be way ahead.  I think this means we’ll be doing a lot of shows.  It’s coming up.

Hasegawa: How are you like when you’re on stage?

Die: I can’t understand myself either; when I’m doing a live, I become so energized.  I think that’s really natural for me.  I want to play guitar in high spirits to the point where I’m about to lose control.  I don’t want to be calm on stage.  From the beginning, I want to feel carried away.  I want to listen what’s around me and get on top, and lose control; this is what I enjoy these days.

Hasegawa: You awaken from your own sounds?

Die: Yes, yes.

Hasegawa: Did your votive bring changes during your tour in May?

Die: It was completely different.  I felt joy to be able to go up on stage.   It’s been a while since I felt that way.  It actually felt refreshing.

Hasegawa: Did your aesthesia sharpen?

Die: I guess so.  And I also had this feeling of “I’m at my place.”  There’s the audience, the SE begins, and once I was at my position, I felt like “This is the atmosphere.  I’m finally here.”  But then, a fan said, “Die-san you look languished; and sent sugar rice (note: snack?) to me as a present (laugh).  I’m fine you know. .. Well, shouldn’t we start drinking the issho bottle (note: This is a glass bottle measurement.   It’s equivalent to 1.8 liters/.476 gallons)?  Let’s drink Kirishima.

You’re finally drinking Kirishima Die-chan?  And you’re drinking it rock too. You’re drinking shochu like water, and the issho bottle is about to be empty.  We’ve been drinking and being drunk for three and a half hours. You said you were all right, but I don’t think that’s the case.  He (Die) kept shaking my hands and I thought my fingerprints were going to disappear.  Afterwards, I left the restaurant.

Dr. Nemunemu no Daigyakusyu

This month’s Dr. Nemunemu has begun.  Right now, I’m in the midst of recording the new album.  One day, our studio was very close to Tokyo tower.  Dr. Nemunemu visited Tokyo tower when he was 9 years old when he went on a family vacation; that was the first time.  Later on, when he was 18, he went there for some magazine series.  As people who live near Mount Fuji never climb the mountain, when you live in Tokyo, you don’t want to go to Tokyo tower.  However, Tokyo tower has Noppon, mascot characters that have two brothers.  They are twin brothers where the older brother wears a blue clothes and the younger one wears red clothes; and the older brother is showing very good character.  I would like to quote from Tokyo tower’s message board how this character is.

I went to Disneyland.  Many characters were popular.  Will Noppon plan to join them in the future?

Noppon: If the charismatic mouse pleads me to join, I will.

Last week, I went to Tokyo tower for my birthday by myself.  I was happy to see the older Noppon brother doing a celebration dance.  I think I’ll come again alone next year.  Older Noppon brother, thank you!

Noppon: Bring someone along with you next year…

So, this older Noppon brother makes these comments that are unlikely of an official Tokyo tower mascot.

Dr. Nemunemu was intrigued by Noppon for a while, so as a topic for my corner, I decided to search for Noppon.  I first decided to buy tickets to go to the observatory, but since it was a Sunday, there was a long line.  My high spirit fell immediately.  I was about to leave when I could care less about Noppon until I saw this poster.

You can actually visit Noppon if you go to Foot town on the first floor.  I decided to go there right away, and there he was!  The younger Noppon brother!  I didn’t expect to find him so easily, and I thought this would end my corner quickly this time, and began to look for older Noppon brother.  However, he is nowhere to be found.  I asked the person at the information center, but they didn’t know where he was.  We looked for him on the other floors of Foot town.  He is not found.  The staff cameraman K-san had a laptop, so I asked him to go online and go into Tokyo tower’s message board and typed in, “We came here just to see you Noppon.  Where are you?”

We waited for a while, but no response.  Older Noppon brother is just as I expected.  He ignored us.

While we were searching, on the fourth floor, I found a trick art gallery.   Dr. Nemunemu loves trick art, so he went inside.  Then, I found older Noppon brother!

When I looked closer, it was a trick art painted on the wall.  I was tricked.  But the trick art gallery was too small, and this was not enough.  I need to go to a bigger gallery or else I won’t be satisfied.

Calming myself, I returned to the first floor of Foot town and thought that I needed to come back here and search for the older brother.  In the end, I took a purikura (small photo stickers) that has Noppon inside the frame.  As I was taking this photo by myself, outside the curtain, K-san was yelling, “The blue one is here!”  I thought to myself, “really?”  And when I went outside, the older Noppon brother appeared!  He’s wearing weird clothes too.

I was glad to see the Noppon brothers.

Now, I would like to give my purikura to one person as a present.  If you want it, please write your member number, address, name, age, phone number, and impression on Dr. Nemunemu’s Daigyakushyu corner (longer writings are advantageous), and send it to 106-0032 Tokyo-to Minato-ku Roppongi 4-8-6 Pacific Capital Plaza Building 6F ?aknot?Nemunemu present?.  Last winner was No. 18355 Fumi Noguchi-san.   Congratulations.

Dr. Nemunemu was not convinced with the size of the trick art gallery, so the next day, he went to a trick art gallery that was known for having may works; and headed for Takaoyama Trick Art Museum.  I was very satisfied because there were so many works.

Satisfied, Nemunemu corner will now end.  Let us meet again if we have a chance.  Good-bye.

Aibiki no Mori

How are you?  The newsletters proceed quickly, and we have released our 40th volume.  Time indeed passes very quickly.  And our 7th album Uroboros will be finished!!  I want everyone to listen to this sound soon.  I want as many people to listen to it.  I am looking forward to it.  Also, our tour will begin!  This time, we will visit places we have never gone before, so I’m looking forward to them.  I am willing to go to places where I’ve never been before.  I want more people to watch our shows.  We’ll be heading to the US and go into training!  It’s intense, but there must be many things to gain.  And once I digest everything, I would like to head to Osaka-jo Hall at the end of the year.  I’m thinking to end 2008 in a great way.  Thank you!!