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2022.06 PHY vol.21 - Kyo interview

text: Higuchi Yasuyuki

translation: kyotaku

please buy the magazine if you're able to! cdjapan ・ amazon.jp ・ hmv

let me know if you notice any typos and other mistakes; (my comments)

-- What kind of album do you think it is?

京 One where you get it's DIR EN GREY just by listening to the intro, a strong one.

-- I had this unwavering feeling that as long as it's these five people any sound will be DIR EN GREY.

京 I think whichever song you listen to, you will soon be able to get that this is DIR EN GREY. But it was hard to find the final compromise [for us]. Compared to before it was different, we couldn't play shows, it took more time than before to record, even as we had many songs we didn't see the final goal for a long time. Moreover, we don't really talk [with each other].

-- That's true.

京 We were moving forward without having talks like 'let's do that with this'. That's why I think it was difficult to find a place where all 5 of us were overlapping as everyone was searching like 'which way?'

-- Did you have a specific vision like 'next I want to do this'?

京 Personally I had. I already said this earlier, but something rich which makes you realize it's DIR EN GREY already on a short listen. Previously, the album had very intense melodies/tunes, so with more emphasis on the worldview I wanted to express better the curent DIR EN GREY. Moreover there are already some albums with worldviews, so something not similar.

-- I already felt from the first song 'this is different from the previous works'. Was that your aim from the beginning?

京 It wasn't my aim, but I remember that I said 'I want a long song(s)'. It's the lowest number of tracks we had on the album so far. There's also no SE, but I think it ended up as something with a richness we haven't had before.

-- I think each of your past works don't belong/connect to each other, but this time it's an album that seems to extracts up to now DIR EN GREY's strong points. Yet, I feel like you didn't make it this way with this in mind, it became like this naturally.

京 Naturally... well it might've been like that, but that worries me in a way.

-- Worries? Why?

京 When something that only that person has comes out naturally I think it's really wonderful. But in my case, I can't be satisfied with that, the another me says 'you're not this kind of amazing person'. Like 'don't coddle yourself'.

-- Your usual pessimistic (I'm trash) ideology.

京 Yup. That's why this time I tried out different things when singing.

-- I really noticed that. That you tried some styles you haven't done before.

京 Being in a band for this long, 'Kyo from DIR EN GREY' is established, I feel that everyone would be fine if I just rehashed the things I've done before, but I wouldn't. I can't stand it if I don't pursuit yet newer ways of expressions. Actually, I'd prefer it if I didn't have to do it. It would be easier.

-- Like, it'd be fine to do that.

京 I would really be okay with that, but the other me wouldn't allow that. That's why I want to test myself more.

-- Your singing this time left the impression of becoming this album's personality/identifying element. For example the way you used falsetto in '13' is very distinctive.

京 But if you just listen to the voice itself it's really strange, there's a part that sounds like a joke. 'Mouai ni shosu' and 'Otogi' were like that, it involved a lot of trial and error to not let them sound like that (like a joke) and allow them to fit well.

-- A quick listen left a dark and heavy impression, but in a way it's an album of songs (as opposed to instrumental pieces). So it's easy to enter the album's worldview.

京 Ah, the sound is maniac/fiend, but I guess it's easy to listen to.

-- But in fact, I feel like I received/interpreted something positive from your songs.

京 That's... an unusual opinion.

-- Really?

京 Well, I can't really put myself in the audience' shoes, so I don't know. I just want to say that the thing I was shouting stopped feeling fesh or interesting. For example in the case of the 1st song 'Schadenfreude', until now I'd be shouting in the heavy parts of the song, but this time I'm attacking with the melody. In 'Perfume of Sins' as well, in the part where usually would be singing there's none. Changing things with things like that, naturally the amount of shouting decreased. You get a positive feeling from those things, right?

-- There's also lyrics. For example in your previous lyrics, there were many songs where the singing directs the anger and hatred towards oneself, but this time I think there's also connection with the different singing stance or direction.

京 That's true. This time it's... more of a panoramic/holistic feel.

-- It is. Before you were writing lyrics with questions to oneself or hurting oneself, but it's not like that this time.

京 It's not, right? If I had to say it's more like 'actually everyone has feelings like those right? Usually everyone hides them but everyone has them, right?'

-- So in other words, there's a nuance of trying to find a camaraderie. This might be why it gives you positive feeling.

京 But it wasn't done on purpose at all. I don't want to share feelings with someone like in 'I want everyone to think like this'. That's not what I'm hoping for.

-- It felt like singing to someone who was a lot like yourself. If someone like that heard the song it'd feel like you were saved.

京 Well... if there was a person like that it'd be nice, but I don't have feelings like 'it's for that person' or 'there must be someone who thinks the same'. I'm not holding any expectations towards other people or should I say I'm not asking for anything.

-- What do you mean by not asking for anything?

京 For example fans would say things like 'I'll follow you for my whole life!', right? In the past I was someone who took that very seriously. But, then in some point of that whole life they leave. And with people who said 'I'll be writing a letter everyday!' after a month there's no more letters coming. That's why... I don't want to have any expectations towards people, like 'that's how it is'. I was the wrong one asking too much of other people. So it's something I'm doing out of self-centeredness (thinking of myself).

-- So you're saying you're now living your life without taking a glimpse of how other people are feeling.

京 But, just a little bit somewhere, I might be having just a tiny 1mm of expectations.

-- I think that's natural. It's simply a human nature to keep asking and expecting even if you have been disappointed or have given up somewhere.

京 But I'm trying not to think like that. I want to be more self-centered.

-- This part of not wanting to hold any expectations towards people, it's like this loneliness-like thing is breeding through in some places. I feel like this kind of feeling is also on the album.

京 I guess that's what a band is all about. For example, even as we had a huge show in Budokan, when I get back home and eat by myself, I feel 'what was all of that?'. I think 'was all of what just happened a dream?'

-- The loneliness gets born there. A bit like, even as there were so many people there for me, now I'm all alone.

京 For fans the feeling is probably similar. After the show ends and they are pulled back into reality, it feels like '...huh?'. It's probably the same.

-- That's true.

京 There might be some connection through that part I guess. Depending on the person, for some the 'we've played at Budokan!' or 'we've sold this many CDs' kind of achievements might give them confidence, but I'm not like that. I really would like to be.

-- But I think those are lyrics of someone who cannot become like that (laughing).

京 Hahahahaha. But, that's kinda why I'm doing things thinking about myself. Be it the new music or shows.

-- Even if you do things thinking about yourself, why do you think you're able to continue the band for 25 years and release new music?

京 Uhm... often I'm envied by people like my kouhai (younger colleagues/musicians). They say 'it's great you can do things you enjoy'. But it's just that I've been lucky. I've been blessed with a good timing/period, band members, label, just that, the rest is the same with everyone else. It's not like I'm someone great, there's no reason to be envious of me.

-- I understand what your kouhai say. From the third person's perspective, you're someone who knows properly what you want to do and pushes to get it. And because of that there's a chance people around you might be bothered by it, that they might think it's troublesome or selfish. Even so there are still people around you because you're better than that.

京 Is that what people think?

-- At least that's what I think (laughing).

京 That's... well, I'm happy.

-- I thought why it is easy to enter the album's worldview is because you can express yourself without any pretending.

京 Ah... that's true. One thing I can say, no matter if it's Kyo in DIR EN GREY or Kyo in sukekiyo, I can only let out my real self. The truth is, I'd love to be able to have an on and off button and express in front of people a completely made up self, but I can't.

-- No matter what, the you who is the root/foundation will end up coming out.

京 The only way I can do it is to express myself by cutting off the part of myself and throwing it. Moreover, for the musician me and everyday me to be as close as possible is really hard, and with that it's also hard to deal/interact with people. Even if I lay myself bare doesn't necessarily mean other people will respond. That's how I've always been feeling.

-- I think it's not only you, everyone is like that in this band. You're the kind of people who are just not able to make music that would lie to the current you even if you wanted to.

京 That's true.

-- It's a good point of this band. At last, let me ask you how did you end up with the album title PHALARIS.

京 We're thinking about the title when the songs are all together, and this one fitted the image the best. I researched various torture tools and this is the one I wouldn't want to experience the most.

-- It was apparently made by a man named Phalaris.

京 In those days tortures were carried out in front of the people. They treated this tragic event as something to throw a revelry/loud celebrations for. When I was reminded about a scene like this I thought that a lot of distasteful bits people usually hide will come out there.

-- It's good to ask/hear story like this one from the person who chose to use such a terrible thing as an album title (laughing).

京 ......is that so?

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