The upcoming new chapter of the bassist who established
himself while evolving his playing style in the middle of fierce battles he
experienced overseas.
“When it comes to digital releases, it just feels like data”
“I don’t think there is another album that makes me want to die so much inside
while I’m listening to it as this one (laughs).“
“If I have the opportunity to do music out of DIR EN GREY, this is the genre I
want to try “
“If there’s a world in front of you that you didn’t know before, look at it,
and if there’s something you think that would be even better, you can pick it
and bring it home.”
Notes before reading: This is the second part
of personal interview of Toshiya from the magazine Headbang Vol.27 released on
18th August. The interview is 11 pages long, this part covers the last 5
and a half.
You can read the first part here.
You can get the magazine at Amazon Japan or CDJapan.
Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.
—– —-
Text by Hiroko Goto
- Even as the start of a new chapter, I think it will be a great time for
those who have been waiting for it. I’m looking forward to the reactions
towards the new single.
T: That’s right. Also, this time, it’s the first time we are
releasing a single in this way, so I wonder how is going to feel. It’s a little
wait-and-see.
-Because Dir en grey have never been available in almost
any music streaming services before too. This time, are you releasing the
single in this format due to Corona?
T: That’s right. Originally, we tried to put it out as a
physical one.
-I see. Do you see this digital release format as
something positive?
T: I have no choice but to think positively for the time
being (laughs) Because if we release a single, and it’s not going to
listened, there is no point on doing it but, after all, as we do it, if there
is a way for people to listen to it, I think it should be used.
However, to use any method to release it because there is a way to do it, I
think that’s different for me. While we were carefully checking those aspects,
I think I would like to take into consideration several things. Simply, because
I’m a coward (laughs). It’s kind of scary because I feel like the songs are all
over and the songs are our best asset. After all, I want to cherish/value them.
Of course, I think there are many positive things in distributing them but now
that we are doing it, I think we must distinguish between plus and minus sides
of it.
-Especially for Dir en grey, the package is usually elaborated and you can
also feel the sense of commitment/pickiness on it.
T: That’s right. When it comes to digital releases, it just
feels like data. So that’s why it’s a matter of the value of the things. The
value that you can give it them, or the level that you can take it at. I would
like to think about the future as I’m looking at this release.
-After this single, what direction do you want to move
towards from now on as a part of Dir en grey?
T: As a band, while constantly incorporating what seems new
to us, we want to challenge both, our activities, and songs. Right now, once
again, we want to try it with the feeling that Dir en grey can do anything。
-I see. Comparing yourself to the Toshiya from the past,
you have a better judgement about what you can do and what you can’t, and you
want to think about it properly. Each member thinks that way as well, so I
think it would be nice if you could absorb each one’s good points and bring it
to the band. Nevertheless, as everyone simply has a different age, a different
personality, and the environment in which you grew up is different, I think
there are different things that each of you want to do. Among them, for me, I
don’t think it’s necessary for each of you to achieve 100% of what each one of
you wants to do. Combining several % well, I think you are a band that
eventually will reach the 100%. If you can keep that way, there will
simply always be an interesting taste and you can keep being an exciting
band.
“The first band I came across was Guns N’ Roses. It was
an encounter that felt like ‘what on Earth is this?”
-From here, I would like to ask you about the
‘Inspirational albums’ you have selected and approach your personality
when it comes to music. Personally, I feel that your musical tastes are less
visible than the other four members.
T: Hahaha. I get that a lot (laughs).
-Are you aware about the things that are not appealing to
you?
T: I am. I mean, I know what I like, but I don’t know why I
like it (laughs) Basically, I like music.
-You chose 20 albums in particular, what was your
criteria in order to choose those?
T: I simply chose these ones because I think these might the
ones, I was listening to at the time I was more sensitive/impressionable by
music.
-There are a lot of works from the 80’s and 90’s as a
whole, Were you listening to these before you got in the band?
T: There are also some that are after the formation of the band and I also
include some that I was listening to before playing in the band. There are many
from the time when the band was formed, and we made our debut.
-The genres are quite wide, it’s firmly pressed line-up
to of iconic masterpieces. In what specific areas have you been affected by
them?
T: For example, Guns N'Roses 'Appetite for Destruction’
(1987), when I was in middle school, I was like ‘What on earth is this?’ when I
came across them. It was a time when LA metal (80s metal/glam metal) was
popular. Van Hale was also very popular, and Europe’s “The Final Countdown” was
being played all around. That’s how I met Guns, but the first thing I heard was
'Use your Illusion I’,'II’ (1991). Then, I heard there were more amazing (from
them) albums before those, so I listened to 'Appetite for Destruction’.
-When you came across Guns N’ Roses, did you think “the
band is cool”?
T: It’s a very stupid idea but, it was a time in which music
was equal to delinquency, and live houses had the image of being a sink/den of
iniquity* (laughs). At first, I was like ‘What is this?’ and then I got
interested. Including such an atmosphere, I think it was cool and I had a
strong sense of admiration.
*a place where immoral or illegal things are done.
-When you go from there in chronological order, what kind
of transition are you going through? In your selection, there are a lot
of grunge (albums) too.
T: That’s right. Exactly after that, the wave of grunge
came. But if you say which one is the one ruling the movement, for me
it’s not Nirvana. When I dug down while listening to that genre, I personally
fell in love with Pixies. It was a time in which listening to one artist made
us feel more connected. Here and here there would be good friends, here and
here there would be people that you don’t get along with. I got worried about
that when I listened to them.
I went to see Pixies’ performance in Japan a few years ago and it was really
good. If I have to say something about that time, at the Pixies live, the
lighting goes red through one song and it’s just red.I was impressed by the
effect of only using that colour in the scene. After that, when we talked about
what kind of production we wanted to do on our tour, I said “I went to see
Pixies and I said “ I want to do this in the same way because such
lighting was interesting” (laughs)
-Is that so?
T: It’s a band that’s influenced me from that perspective.
“I had a friend who liked thrash metal. He told me that this
kind of music existed”
-While there is a trend from hard rock to grunge, on the
other hand, there are also metal elements you are interested in such as
Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” (1986) and Pantera’s “Vulgar Display of Power”
(1992), which are known as masterpieces. When did this kind of metal music get
into your life?
T: When I was in high school. At that time, I had
friends who liked Metallica and slash metal such as Pantera and Slayer. I
learnt this music existed, and I started listening to it.
-This didn’t come to my mind until now but, in fact, some
of them can be called the roots of metal.
T: Yeah, I really liked it. I also liked to listen to the
band that guitaris Steve Vai made as a solo band under his name (Vai). When I
was in high school, I had a lifetime friend who was shredding his guitar and
looked like a bakateru* guitarist (laughs). I had a lot of fun.
*Bakateru (A Japanese made-up word from “baka” and “techniques”) is a
person who plays an instrument using simple/stupid techniques that made them
look like professional players.
-That’s good (laughs) While there are hard rock and metal
in your choices, the overall impression is that there are many bands and works
with a slightly downer atmosphere.
T: Certainly, I think I like downer style a little (laughs).
Stone Temple Pilots has also a part of hard Rock and a strong grunge
effect, bit I like the indescribable downer feeling. Then, I chose Alice in
Chains for the selection. Alice in Chains is another downer band that I like.
When I first heard it, I couldn’t understand it at all. I didn’t even know what
was good about them (laughs) From them, I like Dirt (1992) which I chose this
time for the selection.
-By the way, it has the same name as your apparel brand….
T: It has nothing to do with it (laughs). But, as it
is an album I like (even if it has the same name) I guess it’s fine.
-And, when it comes to downer works, you listed “OK
Computer" (1997), from Radiohead.
T:I don’t think there is another album that makes me want to die so much inside
while I’m listening to it as this one (laughs). When I was in the states with
Yoshiki producing the single, I have the impression I listened to it a lot.
-Radiohead also has had several changes through their
career, but if you have to choose, is this one?
T: If you ask me which one from Rahiohead I would pick, as
expected it’s this one. Maybe I like feeling like dying (laughs)
“If I had the chance to play music elsewhere, I would
like to try an industrial band”
-(Laughs). As for genre, you also included industry
albums such as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry.
T: I like industrial because I have the strong
impression it’s not only about the band sound. For me, it has something,
like asking for the impossible. If I have the opportunity to do music out of
DIR EN GREY, this is the genre I want to try, an industrial band.
-I definitely want you to try to do it. I can tell
you are listening to music with several components but, what are your roots as
a bassist?
T: After all, I like Guns’s Duff McKagan the most. The one
who shocked me like “This…. this is bass!” was Japan’s bassist Mick Karn. I
felt like ‘What’s this?’. He had the magical image of a man that lived in
Greece (laughs). I also like the bassline of Alice in Chains or Stone Temple
Pilots, which I mentioned earlier.
-I see.
T: Also, in terms of bass, Pantera’s 'Vulgar Display of
Power’ was made in a way that the original cd was only vocals, guitar and drums
(laughs). But in their 20th Anniversary Edition (Deluxe Edition In 2012) I was
happy to be able to hear the bass properly.
-When it comes to types of bassist, rather than someone
who slaps the bass, comes to the front, and stands out, many artists (bassist)
have the image of keeping the groove.
T: That’s right. Originally, I didn’t really like finger
playing or slap bassists. My first motivation was Guns, so I had the image of
rocking, like holding the base down and playing with a pick. To me slapping had
an image of a fusion style.
-In fact, considering your own play style now, I think
they are connected.
T: They are. However, there was a moment when my thoughts
changed a bit in that aspect. When I went abroad and went together on tour with
Deftones and went to festivals, the bassist Chi Cheng looked very cool. KORN
was on the same tour, so I was watching Fieldy’s playing as well.
-It was at the “Family Values Tour” in 2006.
T: That’s right. That was the moment in which there was a
change of era not only musically but also of my self-consciousness. Of course,
I still liked my play style then, and of course I still like it now, but the
idea that I can only do that, and I can only do that…. I started to want to see
more things (that I could do). Compared to that time, there is a lot of
information, isn’t it?
-Indeed.
T: There are a lot of ways and you choose yourself from that
huge amount of information, so you can pick only the good things. But at that
time, there wasn’t that much information available, so all I knew was from my
own experience. It was like that for things, the length of my ruler was fixed.
That…. it overlaps with the story of 'Clever Sleazoid’ that I mentioned
earlier, when I starter to look overseas, I realized that I could clearly see
that “this kind of world exists”. I started to think differently about it,
hating without trying it. If there’s a world in front of you you didn’t
know before, look at it, and if there’s something you think would be even
better, you can pick it and bring it home. Looking back at it again, I
think my playing style has changed since we made a full-scale expansion
overseas and I turned my eyes to overseas.
“Deftones are the band that influenced me the most once I
saw them playing live and went on tour together with them”
-From Deftones, you chose White Pony’ (2000)
T: I was shocked when I first heard them. As I said, at the
time I saw them live and went on tour with them, if I had to say an album that
I felt strong about and affected me, it would be this one. I think their
latest work at the time of the tour was the 'Deftones’ (2003) or 'Saturday
Night Wrist’ (2006), but when they played the songs of 'White Pony’, the
audience went crazy. I was very impressed.
-From that perspective, many of the bands you chose have
co-starred with DIR EN GREY. Are there other bands that impressed you?
T: We were with Metallica together at overseas festivals,
but after watching it live, I thought it was really amazing. Since Pantera
stopped before I could see them, it was nice I was able to see Metallica. In
that sense, I was very excited to be at the same festival when Faith No More
restarted their activities. I originally liked it and thought I couldn’t watch
it anymore, so I was excited when I realized I could see them live.
-That sounds good.
T: Also, we had been with Alice in Chains in a
festival.Then, I heard from the dressing room that the guitarist was playing
the guitar all the time. I remember thinking “Ah, I like that guitar” (laughs)
-As expected, you have many stories with the bands you
were appearing together.
T: That’s right, that’s a good thing (laughs)
-You’ve appeared together with Tool at OZZFEST JAPAN
2015.
T: That’s right. At that time, Tool was active, so we also
have appeared together at overseas. I didn’t actually watch the live then.
Thankfully, I had the opportunity to watch them from a wing* of the stage
later, which was really amazing. It feels like being on a trip. Thinking that
way, I think I might like bands that makes me go a bit on a trip.
*The wings are the hidden areas to the left and right of the
stage
-Also, since Japanese bands were not going abroad as much
as now, that you were actively expanding and constantly playing overseas,
looking at it, it seems like a good era.
T: Now, I think we were able to go abroad at a really good
moment, so it was really a good era. I think it’s normal for nowadays bands to
go abroad but there are bands you can’t see live now; at that time, I could see
the music scene. It was good that we were able to go there at that moment.
-Tool’s '10,000 Days’ (2006) is the newest work you’ve
mentioned. Since then, there has been a big change over time, and now there are
more choices such as music streaming services. Has the way of listening to
music, or the variety of it, changed?
T: At that time, you couldn’t hear a CD unless you bought
it. Furthermore, in the old days, you couldn’t afford to pay about 3000 yen
each time you buy an album. There are many works that I was interested but I
couldn’t listen to. In that sense, I think it’s a good time to listen anything.
But at that time, I paid for listening to that one album, and since I bought
it, it was nice to listen to it for a long time. When it comes to streaming, it
sounds like “something you are playing while doing another thing”. Going
back to what I talked about, that’s why it’s a scary part, and I’m still a
little behind the times.
-As you are in the artist creator side, you feel like you
want people to face your work firmly.
T: As expected that’s it. Well, it’s the selfishness of a
creator (laughs). That’s the truth of these things, to be honest, I think that
music and magazines are just for entertainment. Because, if had to think about
if I will live or die tomorrow, I think I would pick food, not music or books
(laughs). If you think about it in that way, I wonder what really entertainment
is.I think that because of the entertainment, it is possible to obtain the
richness of a human heart. It has become more difficult than it used to be, to
determine what kind of value to add there.
Zdroj: https://thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness.tumblr.com/post/627394321301258240/toshiya-personal-interview-special-headbang-vol27?fbclid=IwAR20gfdHtcPjzmbkavlJ541jHu92F0n-gsFAxJMXwI3p6byHHZaHA_viXhI
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