ROCK AND READ VOL. 077 - TORA INTERVIEW

Photo credit: ROCK AND READ Twitter

SUPPORTING CHARACTER.

Tora, who makes his first appearance in this magazine after roughly four years. In those four years, the band went completely independent and changed their band name. Tora, the guitarist, has come to be responsible for directing music videos. Although he responds with indifference, saying “Nothing has changed”, that he is also working on videography is surely the result of him thinking about what he should do for A9.

Tora, who, unlike his physical appearance, says that “finding the gaps” as a supporting member to the main role suits his personality, he looks back on his life as a creator.

Apparently, the last time you appeared in this magazine was roughly four years ago.

Tora: Nothing as changed in these four years. Oh, but now I’m making music videos.

That’s right. I would like to hear about the changes that have happened over the last four years, including how it was that you came to make music videos. Since leaving your previous management company, A9 has reached this point, even experiencing dangers about the existence of the band itself. When there were concerns over continuity of the band, what did you think?

Tora: I myself didn’t feel any threats to the continuity of the band. I did think that we were in a rough spot and… Actually, I’m the one who is most in a rough spot when it comes to just living out a life. But thinking that we would probably continue, on the inside, I was calm. I think that’s just my personality. (Here, Tora gets a phone call from Show. After talking for a while, he says with a smile) He complimented me on the music video! That’s a relief~! I’ve never written a song and had the members compliment me on it, though (laughs).

But they will compliment you on music videos?

Tora: (With a smile) They do! My talents might lie there instead. When it comes to music videos, I don’t really care about myself.

But you are also a member, Tora.

Tora: I am. But when you end up going this far (supervising, camerawork, direction, editing), you also include shots of yourself where you think look a little weird. In order to maintain overall balance. The reason why is because it’s a scary thing. I’ve got this fear that someone might say to me “You put in cuts that make the other members look bad in order to make yourself look good, right?”. If that’s the case, you end up choosing a cut of yourself that makes other people look good, and you just end up going “I don’t care anymore. This is fine”. That’s why only my cuts look a little iffy (laughs). There aren’t really any cuts that make me look cool. But in order to create the music video, I look at a lot of footage. Really. I watch the entire music video frame by frame. I watch every single frame and pause it to check that there is no strange looking faces.

You even do such tedious work?

Tora: Yes. There are 24 frames in one second, and I watch all of them. I watch the entire music video like tap, tap, tap (pretends to tap the keys on a keyboard).

So you check the members faces frame by frame?

Tora: Yes, because there are some people who have a fear of freeze frames (laughs). I check Show’s face in particular. Even if your face is that good looking, if you look ugly during a freeze frame, it just ruins everything. So there shouldn’t be any weird faces.

So in the music videos that you made, there should be no ugly faces, even if you pause it.

Tora: Right. It should be fine. Oh, I have some pretty ugly shots though, because I gave up. I mean, you wouldn’t look at your own face frame by frame. Who cares about me.

Is the music video that Show just complimented you on for the lead song “UNREAL” from your new album “PLANET NINE”?

Tora: Yeah. Actually, I was only just working on it (interview took place in the middle of March). I watched the music video for about three days straight, and I finally finished it.

You began working on videography once you went independent, right?

Tora: That’s right. When I realized that we can do everything by ourselves, I wanted to do something new. I have always liked videography, so I started working on it.

So whenever you had music videos taken in the past, did you observe how it was all done?

Tora: No, I didn’t go so deep into the details. Music video shoots are crowded with people, and there is none of that coordination you get with shooting still photos. A music video is something that is jointly made with about three teams all interacting at the shooting location. We do talk with the director, but the filming location is brutal, and you don’t really feel like you can ask “How are we going to make this?”. So even if you wanted to study it, if you don’t have a certain level of knowledge, even if you were to be at the filming location, you wouldn’t know what’s what.

So where did you learn about videography?

Tora: On the internet. And in my case, I started from video editing. Thinking “The video editing will surely turn out okay in the end” and wanting to just be able to at least do editing, when I first started doing this, I had the mind of an editor. The same goes for photos, but with videos, there is the material which is processed. Since you can make anything through editing, at first, I thought that editing was everything. But lately I’ve realised that it’s the material that is more important. Now, I’m learning about cameras, lenses, and lighting, and bought some equipment myself.

What?! Do you have a complete set of filming equipment?

Tora: I’ve got a full set now. We can film a music video using only the equipment we have now.

So you bought equipment for cameras, and not guitars (laughs)

Tora: Yeah (laughs). The guitar is fine too, but I’ve already gone way past the level of buying guitar equipment to learn about it.

So in the world of videography, you bought equipment and are learning the basics.

Tora: That’s right! Because if I don’t first learn the basics, I won’t be able to understand what’s what with even more expensive equipment.

So for the purpose of video production, you are getting both knowledge and equipment.

Tora: It has really escalated, and I’ve gotten more and more equipment.

Did you start video production because the members told you to?

Tora: It was completely of my own will.

Is it fun to watch the same footage for three days straight?

Tora: It’s not fun. Oh, I don’t know, it might be fun. I might even like it quite a lot. I like making things. The same goes for songs. Maybe that’s why.

Be it making songs or music videos, they are both the same in terms of making something.

Tora: They are no different.

When you were a kid, did you like building plastic models and such?

Tora: Not at all (laughs). For my generation, we were into Mini 4WD toys. I have memories of really fiddling around with the Mini 4WD toys and remodelling them. In my generation, plastic models weren’t really popular.

So your life as a creator started with remodelling Mini 4WD toys. How did it develop from there on?

Tora: After Mini 4WD toys, it was manga. I would divide a piece of paper into four sections and draw really simple drawings in each section to make a book. I would trade that with my friends. That was when I was in elementary school.

Did you have a talent for drawing?

Tora: Not at all. Apart from me, there were two other guys who would draw manga, and one of them was really talented at drawing. Thinking about it now, I only really started drawing because I was jealous of his talent. All I did was simply imitate his drawings. Since I was a kid, all I pretty much drew was manga about fighting. It was fun to draw and come up with stories.

What came after manga?

Tora: Did you have a newspaper committee at school?

We did. They are involved in making the school newspaper, right?

Tora: Yeah. I get the feeling I did that.

Did you nominate yourself to be on the committee?

Tora: Yeah. Probably because I like editing. Despite the fact that since I was born until now, I’ve never read a single book that was just text.

Rather than manga or printed text, you probably liked the work of editing it into a single body of work.

Tora: That’s why talking to you, what makes me think that I’ve not changed at all is surely because once I learn something, I want to communicate that information I’ve gained to everyone. The same goes for videos. I learn about something once, absorb it all in, and want to communicate that information to everyone. Like “I learned it!”. Because you can do that, I think creating things is fun.

You want to show people what you made and have them compliment you.

Tora: I want them to sympathise with it. Since I put something out there because I think it’s good, I want them to sympathise with it. That’s definitely what it is.

And because you want everyone to sympathise with it, you study.

Tora: No, it’s not like I study because I want people to sympathise with what I made. I study for my own sake. I want them to sympathise with the thing that I, who had studied up on it, had made.

I see. So after the school newspaper, where did you focus your creative efforts next?

Tora: I guess that would be music…… Ah! No, there was still something else. Back then, there was this thing where you could make role-playing games. There was a game where you could make RPGs like Dragon Quest, and I played that all the time (laughs). This was pretty cool (laughs). Thinking about it now, it was a pretty amazing game, being able to make RPGs. RPGs can’t be made so easily, and it was hard. First of all, you would make a city, then you would place people there and give them their own lines. RPGs back then had a key system. For example, you could give one of the people spread out across the entire city a key. If you spoke to that person, they would give you the key, and you move to the next step. So I would think up of stories to make people talk to that guy with the key. I would make these games with three to four friends, and at the end, we would come together and play each other’s game. I must have spent three to four months making the game.

That is still a lot of time to spend on it, as a child.

Tora: I must have played that game quite a lot. But when you actually played the game, the game didn’t even last for 15 minutes! Well, of course it didn’t, now that I think about it (laughs).  Of course. When the ending credits of a game comes up, don’t you see the names of hundreds of people? That’s what it takes to make a game.

Did it not make you feel like you wanted to become someone who made games when you grew up, and to create an RPG that was the real deal?

Tora: No, I would give up. Because it took me three to four months to make a 15 minute game (laughs). At that time, I thought “I’ve got no talent for this, it’s impossible”.

So did music come after RPGs?

Tora: This was around middle school, so I was already doing music. The creating that I did from here on was creating music.

What inspired you to start writing music?

Tora: What made me want to write my own original music was that my juniors had played their own original song at a live, and it was a really good song. I got annoyed, like “Why can they write such a good song?”. So the first song I wrote was pretty much a plagiarised song… Huh? I think it was the opposite. The first song I wrote might have been too original, and a real awful song. In any case, I wrote songs learning by imitation. It was a time where I didn’t have a computer yet, so I would set down a recorder beside me and record onto a cassette tape.

Did you make songs with the same feeling you did when you were making games?

Tora: When I first started, it did feel similar. It was really fun. Since it was my juniors who first wrote an original song and played it live in front of everyone, I was looking forward to whether or not my own original song could also be played, if I wrote one, and I feel like I was really motivated by that.

So did you start learning how to write songs?

Tora: I learned by imitation. Unlike now, the internet was not widespread yet, so there was not much information. All you could do was believe in your own instincts and write songs. If you were to read magazines, they did write up on how to compose songs, but the magazines back then were really careless about it (laughs). They would write things like “With this, even you can write songs!”, or “Let’s write a song using a chord from a Mr. Children song!”, and they would have the chord entirely written out (laughs).

Like “you can write a hit song if you use the chord progression from this Mr. Children song”?

Tora: Yeah. Well, of course you could. But in the beginning, I didn’t even know what chord progression was. It was only until much later that I begun to understand those things. Song writing is about instinct.

So when was it that you actually learned about song composition, and didn’t only use your instincts?

Tora: Who knows…… It must have been when I joined alicenine. It’s more like I gradually learned about it.

Did you yourself feel that it was necessary to learn it?

Tora: No. Actually, when alicenine. had first formed, I thought “Writing songs is a pain in the ass”. Even at that time, I wrote songs, thinking that it wasn’t going well. I thought “This doesn’t feel right. I’m not suited to song-writing”. Even so, I still wrote songs, but no matter what I did, the songs felt lame to me. I really hated that. In general, I don’t really have a lot of self-confidence, so regarding my musical talent…… Ah…… No. It’s not that I felt like I didn’t have any talent. I mean, even without studying–

You were able to write songs learning by imitation.

Tora: Yeah! It’s a mystery why I was able to write songs. Despite not researching anything. So if that’s the case, then maybe I actually do have a knack for relative pitch?

That’s what it would mean. Where do you think that sense of pitch was honed?

Tora: Maybe from the pop music that I listened to when I was a kid. My dad is really tone deaf! To the point it’s unbelievable. It’s really bad that I’ve never met anyone in my life that was as bad as him. He can’t sing the same melody. When there are songs playing in the car and he hums along to them, it ends up being a completely different melody. It’s so off it makes you wonder if he was trying to harmonise instead. That’s why when I was a kid, I would always ask him what he was singing. My dad would be smiling awkwardly and say “I’m singing the song that’s playing now”. I had no idea what he was singing (laughs).

But even so, your dad still liked music, right?

Tora: Seems like it. He used to own a flute. Also, the very first instrument I played was my dad’s acoustic guitar. Now that I think about it, he must like music. So why is he so tone deaf (laughs)?

It’s a good thing that you’re not tone deaf and can sing!

Tora: I can’t sing (laughs). But my voice is just like my dad’s voice. Lately, not just my voice, but even my tone of voice is getting similar to his. It makes me think “Gross!”.

Is it similar to the point that you wouldn’t be able to tell who it is over the phone?

Tora: I don’t think you could. Our voices really are similar.

Do you also look like him?

Tora: I don’t look like him at all. I’m only similar to him in weird ways, like our poor eyesight or our voices.

So let’s get back on track. You didn’t give up on song-writing even though you thought that perhaps you weren’t suited for it. Since there are other composers, you could have just left the song-writing to them. So why didn’t you?

Tora: After doing this for a long time, at first……  This is something I can only say now, but when alicenine. first formed, I didn’t feel any enthusiasm from them. I really didn’t like that. It was a time when we were just focused on doing live shows to get more fans, even though we hadn’t decided on a musical direction. It’s not as though we had something that we wanted to do, but we were like “If we just stand on stage and look cool, we’ll get more fans, so let’s do it”. That’s a really awful way to put it though. We were doing it with that kind of feeling, so to me, I didn’t give a shit about it.

Oh, so thought there was no need to think too deeply about song-writing?

Tora: Rather than a really detailed song, I thought it would be better to write a simple song that would allow us to look cool on stage, and write a song that we could all enjoy. That’s the mood I was in back then. But right after that, we joined our previous management company and got influenced by our seniors. We asked how our seniors wrote songs and worked with many producers. I learned of the enjoyment of song-writing. At first, Saga suddenly got a lot better. Don’t you get fired up when there’s a rival around?

Are you the type of person to work hard when you have a rival?

Tora: I am. When there is such a person around, you can leave it to them. I’m the type of person who wants to find a gap, like “This part right here!”.

Hahaha. You’re the type who wants to compete not in the main area, but on the side?

Tora: I’m not sure if it’s a competition. But for example, it was like this in “UNREAL” too, but lately, I’ve been playing the synth. It’s like I own a synth shop now!

But your main job is guitarist.

Tora: That’s right. But I don’t even write songs with the guitar. I mean, Saga writes songs with the guitar!

Hahaha. Well, both you and Saga can play more than one instrument. You are similar in terms of that trait.

Tora: I guess. Though there may be people who read this and think “You’re a guitarist, so write songs with the guitar”, my response to that is “Do you know just how many songs I’ve written in my life?!”. We’re not a newbie band, so we can’t move forward if we don’t write songs in new ways. If you don’t do that, you’ll end up just writing the same song over and over. I never really had a limit on my capacity, so I try to skillfully expand on that. I think most people who write songs are pretty much like that. I want to avoid writing the same song over and over, as much as possible. It’s not always the case that you should make a Part 1 and Part 2 with every song. So my approach is that I would rather dive into an unknown world to write a song, because perhaps I’ll be able to write something completely different?

And so now it’s like you own a synth shop?

Tora: Yeah, but right now, the shop is virtually empty (laughs). I thought I have no choice but to do this. So lately, I’ve been really devoted to the synth.

I see. I think that your idea of “Looking for the gaps” is really unique. But why do you think that way?

Tora: Although I’m sure that everyone wants to be the number one hero, I’m not like that at all.

Have you always been like that?

Tora: Yeah, always. I’m fine with being the supporting character. That’s why (comparing it to games), I hate weapons that have a “main character” feeling to it, like swords. Or rather than hating it, I don’t really like it.

So what do you use to fight then?

Tora: Bows and stuff (laughs). I’m fine with not being the main character. I’m sure that a relatively large number of people in the world want to be a company president, but I don’t think that way. I think that I don’t want to be the president.

Because being the president would be bothersome?

Tora: Because I’m not suited to stand in the very top position.

When did you become aware of that?

Tora: I get the feeling that it was quite a long time ago, but I’ve been feeling that way a lot quite recently. I think that it’s more fun to be the support. I really think that way when I play Monster Hunter.

Oh, like when you make a party?

Tora: When I was playing with La'cryma Christi’s SHUSE, he told me “Tora, you’re a real considerate guy” (laughs). “If only everyone was as considerate as you”. I didn’t think of myself as being a considerate person, but I realised that the stuff I bring along to a battle is a little different from what other people bring. I bring a lot of items for other people.

You mean items used for helping the other members?

Tora: Yeah, because I’d be in a bind if they died. I bring lots of items for such times. I always bring those items with me, and I make sure I don’t run out of those items.

Your personality really shows in those areas too. By the way, what are the other members like when you play with them?

Tora: Lately, I’ve only been playing with Saga, but Saga is unique. He doesn’t particularly provide any support to his allies, but he also doesn’t charge in by himself. While monitoring the situation, he watches his allies die, and says “Oh, so you died”.

Do you not like girls who are not considerate?

Tora: Hmm, it depends on the extent. It’s not like I really hate it. But it would be nice if they were considerate. But I think I shouldn’t ask of them to be more considerate.

You don’t ask of the other person to be considerate just because you are.

Tora: Yeah. In general, I don’t really think that I am doing the other person a favour. Rather, I do things thinking that it’s quite shameless of me.

Doing support work?

Tora: Yes. Although people might think of it as being shameless, when it’s over, I’m like “You guys had fun, right?”. I guess that’s my stance. “It was fun, right?”.

You don’t ask for them to give you the same support in return.

Tora: Nope, because I am happy just thinking “I bet right now they thought "What a relief~”!“. Although I don’t know who I’m playing with when I playing online games, I feel happy imagining things like "Oh, I bet this guy is really happy~” (laughs).

At the supportive spirit is connected to “finding the gaps” within the band.

Tora: I think this is perhaps reflected especially in the videos. In our band, we have a person that can do artwork (Show), and we have a person that can do accounting (Nao). There was no one who knew how to do videos. Regarding songs, I think Saga is A9’s main composer.

When did you come to think this way?

Tora: The way Saga puts his feelings into it is amazing. Or rather, his feelings in regards to the song. I lose to him not in terms of whether the final product is good or bad, but in the process.

Is that so?

Tora: Yeah, because there are many times where I feel like I don’t put that much feeling into it. Although there are times when Saga brings a song that he is not quite confident in, when he brings a song that he is really confident with, I bow my head in defeat.

So rather than the song quality, what’s important is how much feelings and passion is poured into the song.

Tora: That’s what I focus on. A song that we can deliver to everyone is only based off the results, and they might think that the process is not at all important. But thinking about it as a creator, the way you pour your feelings into it is really important. Although a person’s feelings towards their piece of work is not something that can be seen and communicated to everyone, I think that at least to my members, who are closest to me, I have to be considerate of that.

So if there is someone who pours their feelings into it as a creator, then you don’t mind being a supporting character?

Tora: If I leave things to Saga, who puts the most feeling into it, there are times when he decides that my songs would be better, and decides on my song as the lead song. I leave that all to him.

You don’t contend for the lead song.

Tora: I secretly contend for it.

What?! Do you have such feelings?

Tora: Yes, secretly (laughs). But 80% of the time, it’s Saga.

For the main song composing. So you contend over the remaining 20%.

Tora: (Quietly) More or less. Well, songs are a difficult thing.

But isn’t it only because you are confident that you can make something that Saga cannot make that you contend over this part?

Tora: Hmm…… Oh, I guess. But when it comes to songs, there is no right answer. Saga’s personality is one that wants to get close to the correct answer, but I want to go based on instinct. There definitely is that difference.

I think perhaps what made you realise that in the empty spaces in the band, the use of synth was possible, was when you wrote “KID”. And then due to “UNDEAD PARTY”, which features the synth even more, the A9 members have come to be able to put on the kind of performance where they set down their instruments to sing and dance. What do you think of that, Tora?

Tora: I bet people think it would have been better if we could have done that kind of thing when we were younger.

Did you want to do that kind of thing when you were younger?

Tora: No, not at all. In general, I don’t want to stand out, so I don’t like such flashy things.

Is that so?

Tora: I mean, can’t you tell from this interview? No matter how you frame it, I’m a nerd! My general style is that of a nerd. Well, I do think we can only do that kind of thing now that we’re older. In general, I’m someone who doesn’t want to do anything. So when alicenine. had formed, I thought that Saga was standing in a good position, and for the first few lives, I was standing where he stands now. In general, I don’t want to come to the front, and I didn’t even want to talk. I just wanted to write songs, practice the guitar, and focus on doing the things I wanted to do. I thought all I had to was live my life while immersed in the things that I liked, but the world was not so kind (laughs). In the end, I had to talk and stuff (laughs).

You are responsible for the talking in A9.

Tora: Yes. I also hate having my photo taken. I’ve never liked it. I have complexes, or rather, I don’t like the way I look, so I really don’t want to be in the same shot as everyone. I hated it so much that at first, I stressed over it. That’s why not once have I checked the photos taken of me. Because if I saw it, I would probably reject all of them.

So do you also dislike seeing yourself in video?

Tora: If I really start looking into the details, I’ll really end up not liking it, so I just casually look at it.

Why do you have this complex?

Tora: I don’t know. Everyone posts lots of selfies on Twitter and stuff, but I don’t really like that. I sometimes force myself to post selfies though.

So does that mean you also don’t like standing on stage?

Tora: No, it’s not to the point where I don’t want to stand on stage. Oddly enough. I get the feeling that I’m different when I stand on stage.

So it’s not like you’re forcing yourself to smile and look like you’re enjoying yourself.

Tora: Yeah. That’s because when I try to make everyone have a good time, there is a response (from the audience), which makes me glad.

So you are confident when you are playing the guitar?

Tora: That’s a tough one (laughs). I want to act like I am full of confidence, but it doesn’t go so well.

What is the thing you can show us that you’re the most confident in?

Tora: Monster Hunter, I guess.

Haha. So I would like to ask about your activities from here on. As a creator, regarding videography–

Tora: Of course, I’d like to keep going with it.

What kind of song do you want to write as a song composer?

Tora: In general, I want to write songs where you can see what it will be like played live. Because I don’t think that my role is to simply write “good songs”. Songs that are written when we are missing a song for album, or a coupling song on a single. Although there is still the chance that I happen to write a song and that I think is a really good one.

At such times, do you try and push for the song to be the lead song?

Tora: I definitely don’t. Usually, I’m silent during meetings. To begin with, my ego isn’t so strong. I’m the one with A9 with the weakest ego.

That is the exact opposite of your appearance.

Tora: But if there’s not even one such person, you can’t clear the mission. Even if I were to say that I’m the one attacking the most, people will just say to me “Then go do it by yourself”, and I’ll either die or it will be too bothersome to clear the mission. It’s better if we all go together!

It’s the kind of personality that’s necessary in a group.

Tora: I’m the kind of guy that you should have one of in your team (laughs).

Zdroj:https://mokkoriness.tumblr.com/post/187067636394/rock-and-read-vol-077-tora-interview?fbclid=IwAR0anmNIsysf9_edGI9jyXO7K-x0T-EpqYsWrzycJsvS7qD7uJnCL6zyMiE