A band project created for Ryuji, the total produce of The Brow Beat is taken care of by PENICILLIN's HAKUEI. 'I would like to create a band', transcending generations, a resonating rock spectacle driven by Ryuji's serious gaze and attitude, The Brow Beat got its start. That meeting that was something like destiny, with HAKUEI saying, 'I fell in love with his voice', and proclaiming Ryuji's charm, the two of them reveal the episodes behind the production of the 1st album "Ragnarok".
To begin with, what was the opportunity that prompted the meeting between the two of you?
HAKUEI: The year before last, Ryuji-kun participated in the second stage of "Teiichi no Kuni", I had written the theme song [for the musical] and it's a relationship that has been going on since I went to watch the stage play.
Please tell me your first impression from that time.
HAKUEI: Ryuji-kun (Sato Ryuji) had appeared [in the musical] as the character of Kuga Shinji, his role was something like that of a yankee [1], and on top of that, it was the character that most possessed the soul of rock.
Ryuji: Yes, that's right.
HAKUEI: It's a character who is so passionate, to the extent of being smothering, and I became so hooked [on to the character] that I wondered 'whether Sato Ryuji was really such a person', that was my first impression. During the after-party celebration for that stage, Ryuji-kun initiated a conversation with me, saying, 'The theme song ("Nippon") is really good'. And as I responded with, 'Thank you. I, myself, too had confidence in that song', he said, 'Actually, I've been listening to HAKUEI-san's songs from inside my mother's womb.'
Ryuji: My mother loves PENICILLIN. So, of course I know about HAKUEI, and I've been buying and watching his DVDs from my years in my hometown. Because of the way the stage is organised/arranged, in the second part of "Teiichi no Kuni", there is a 15 minute break in between, and when I returned [to the dressing room], because HAKUEI-san was in front of the dressing room, I was infected by this weird tension (LOL). If I remember correctly, that was the day that we had the after-party celebration.
HAKUEI: Yes. During the final performance.
Even though he wrote the theme song, to think that you'd be able to speak to the person himself, you said?
Ryuji: Yes. During the after-party celebration, god whispered in my ear, 'You, if you let this chance escape, you'll never have such an opportunity again' (LOL).
HAKUEI: Hahaha. During the after-party, the both of us talked to each other the entire time.
Ryuji: Yes, we did talk to each other.
HAKUEI: At that time, I heard that he loved rock and that he had played the drums in a band, and I thought, ah, he has a musician's disposition. From there, we'd go out for meals together.
Ryuji: HAKUEI-san would invite me out quite often.
HAKUEI: I don't actually remember how I invited him out; that was how naturally it happened. The cameraman Kobayashi-kun who took the photos for the pamphlet and who also did the shoot for "Gekkan HAKUEI x nirvana. black", after that, because he also took the photos for "Gekkan Sato Ryuji x Kobayashi Hirokazu", we had such a connection, and there was also the time when I heard that Ryuji-kun was searching for some punk boots and lent it to him via a stylist. He also invited me for that after-party celebration.
Ryuji: Before I met him [HAKUEI-san], I had watched him through the screen, and I thought that he was someone who had a sharp gaze and would be a scary person. When I actually spoke to him, he was really good-humoured/sociable and even joked around, and I was surprised. At first glance, I thought that he seemed like the type who would turn me down, to think that he would come to take me under his wing and take such good care of me, at that time, it was something that I couldn't imagine.
HAKUEI: Hahahaha. Based on my apperance, I'm such a type (LOL).
Ryuji: I was really very happy. The entire time, HAKUEI-san listened to me as I talked about how, 'I love this type of music, I don't like that type of music', and he shared my feelings about my taste in music, and was like, 'I understand. This is what I think', 'Yes, that's right.'
HAKUEI: Like 'this is the part that is cool about that band', it is because we have this [shared] sense that I thought I could lend him my strength. If there was a gap in way I feel that rock should be expressed as opposed to Ryuji-kun, probably, I think, I wouldn't be doing this together with him.
Ryuji: I am constantly being influenced. Because he brings me out for meals with considerable frequency.
HAKUEI: He [Ryuji-kun] might be the one I go out for meals with most often.
Ryuji: It's the same for me. Occasionally, to the point where I'd be infected by his [HAKUEI-san's] style of speech (LOL).
As the networking [between you] deepened, how did it lead to the activation of the band project in Ryuji's name, The Brow Beat?
Ryuji: Yes. When I spoke of wanting to carry out band activities, HAKUEI-san drew from those feelings.
HAKUEI: That was during the end of the year 2016, and his manager said, 'We're getting all excited about doing it [forming a band] together with you, what do you think?' As we were talking, I said, 'It would be best that we do what the person himself wants to do'. When I spoke to Ryuji-kun, I knew from a first-hand experience that this [thing with Ryuji-kun] was the real deal. I would create [the band] with the purpose of being able to, as much as possible, honestly/genuinely express what he wishes to do, with me as his shield. More than anything else, it was the interest in 'what would happen if we did it together' that welled up within me.
The desire to try and produce?
HAKUEI: Rather than produce, it's more like the feeling of a band collaboration. And being a producer on the part of The Brow Beat (LOL). We said that we'd think first about his thoughts/wishes for [his] music and his feelings towards the band project. Up-tempo songs, ballads, pop songs have been recorded for the 1st album "Ragnarok", but at the core [of the album] is Ryuji-kun's voice that stirs/shakes the soul. Together with tatsuo-kun (the guitarist for "Litchi Hikari Club") as well as the arranger and engineer Watanabe Sousuke, we discussed it numerous times, and that was how we worked towards creating the album. Ryuji-kun's voice is the type that pierces the heart, husky with harmonics like a crunchy scone, so how do we draw out that charm. I fell in love with his voice.
Ryuji: I'm so sorry for all the trouble I caused. Even though HAKUEI-san said, 'it was like creating a band', the entire time, I enjoyed myself combining our efforts and working hand-in-hand with different people to complete the songs. For me, personally, I found it difficult to bring out the naunces of the ballad, but HAKUEI-san didn't compromise and, receiving his advice, I sang it multiple times.
Speaking of which, how did you go about creating the up-tempo number 'Black & Black' that you wrote the lyrics for together and that you sang as a duet?
Ryuji: Up until the first hook/climax [of the song] it was me and from the second one onward, it was HAKUEI-san. HAKUEI-san decided on the title.
HAKUEI: I received the request from Ryuji that he 'would like to have one song that we sing together', and so I thought that it'd be better if we wrote it in our own words, I liken the [concept of the title of] "black" and "black" to the two of us, and even though it was his first time writing lyrics, there weren't any problems at all, even the other songs were OK on his first attempt.
Ryuji: No, no.
How was the shooting for the music video?
HAKUEI: The performance is really flashy, isn't it?
Ryuji: I'm glad that I am working as an actor.
HAKUEI: More than that, it was a performance that was completely filled with a passionate outburst of emotion. After all, the backing musician playing [for the band] is Chirolyn-san (who is also famous as the bassist of hide with Spread Beaver).
Ryuji: It's incredible, isn't it?
HAKUEI: For the music that Ryuji-kun wants to do, that is the kind of musician that is needed, I think, even the drums and guitar are flashy, but to be able to stand at the centre of that, boldly and without hesitation, and to have a magnetism that draws attention, he's dazzling. When we first shot the music video for the album's first song "AIRISU", I told him all kinds of things like, 'You don't have to force yourself, and when your body moves on its own, it's okay to just go for it', but it was all needless worrying (LOL).
Ryuji: In the early stages, it was good that I was able to listen to [HAKUEI-san's] advice. I was able to adopt things [into my performance].
Your first nationwide live tour will begin from January 17. Will HAKUEI-san will also be participating as a guest?
HAKUEI: Yes, if I don't collapse, I'm scheduled to appear (LOL). Right now, we're thinking of the arrangements [for the tour]. It's his first tour so there is a part of me that worries about him like a parent would, but it would most likely end as needless worrying. After all, my instincts have never been wrong on things like this.
Ryuji: After being told something like that, it leaves me no choice but to give it my all.
HAKUEI: Without a doubt, he [Ryuji-kun] will make it happen.
Zdroj:https://rz-jocelyn.livejournal.com/tag/artist:%20hakuei?fbclid=IwAR2Jr7opmlJooa1QCUNXLCKmKaWYzKzhtftgy6-Aw1PxOW_GKWw6lLKzPBs
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