I wait for a short time in the interview room, then GACKT enters while using the tablet PC and smartphone in his hands. I reach out a hand and say, “Thanks” and we shake hands.
-I read your blog, and recently it seems you’ve been spending a lot of days flying around both inside Japan and overseas.
That’s right. However, now (at the time of the interview) as preparation for my first country wide tour in 4 years, “GACKT BEST OF THE BEST vol.I”, I’m filming videos, rehearsing, and simultaneously working on two “Best of” albums, “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1-MILD-” and “BEST OF THE BEST vol.2-WILD-“, so I’m pretty flat out. Concerning overseas, I’m preparing for future overseas activities such as tours. I still don’t know at this point how concretely we can fill in the details, but to start with, I’m moving forward with everything I can do personally. I’m also intending to separate my Japanese and international management, and simultaneously proceeding with many things related to that.
-By “separating your Japanese and international management”, do you mean you’ll be doing international activities more frequently?
The way of doing things by remaining in Japan while controlling overseas expansion, is behind the times. I still feel that Japan, with regards to overseas and in particular other Asian countries, is looking down on things, when really the positions have been reversed. Other countries’ positions have strengthened, and many outside countries are now looking down at Japan. People living in Japan need to hurry up and realize that.
-You travel to China particularly often, and I think China has that kind of image now.
When you leave Japan and look at it from the outside, there are a lot of sights that make you feel Japan has gotten weaker, seriously.
-Are you saying that in the coming era, Japan will need to align its consciousness more with the other countries it hopes to expand with?
In other words, up until now Japan has been too closed off to other countries. The reason is that Japanese people have been organizing things to only deal with the Japanese market. But now things have changed and that organization no longer exists. However, many Japanese people still haven’t realized that. That’s our biggest problem… For example, hasn’t Korea been drawing in foreign cash with a national policy of using entertainment? The country itself has been firmly pushing the field of entertainment, and gained support from many other countries. The result is, it’s caused a Korean boom in Japan and around the world. Now Japan too is declaring “COOL JAPAN” and trying to promote Japanese culture overseas, but compared to Korea and other countries, it’s late emerging. We have to look at the situation in Korea, and unify the government and people of Japan at last, that’s what I’ve come to understand. But the situation in Japan is still currently one where no concrete measures have been taken.
-With regards to the people and the administration (bureaucracy) joining hands in Japan, I get the impression that there are still a lot of hurdles to clear.
Japan has a strong tendency to be bound by the rules (common sense) no matter what. So while Japan has the elements to appeal to and rapidly be accepted by overseas, they’re just scattering it in front of themselves and there are hardly any people who can actually make use of it. But, if we don’t use Japan’s unique culture as a weapon, and really get the government and people moving together, it’s going to be hard to go outside. In order to pull it along, it’s not just the people’s opinions, we definitely need the strength of the government as well. I think that now we have to get politicians to understand that much better, and I also [do things like] provide opportunities for that. Because someone has to move first, or nothing gets started.
-So if the Japanese people try to do it alone, it won’t work…?
If you look at why Korea has succeeded so far at exporting its culture, it’s definitely because the people and the government joined hands. Both sides have to reach out… realistically there are mountains that can’t be crossed and walls that can’t be knocked down without political power. That’s why the people and the government have to understand each other, and form a partnership to do it. But Japanese people still aren’t understanding that reality, right? The reason is, like I said before, the entertainment business has been organized solely on the market known as “Japan”. Therefore, there was no need to forcefully go overseas, but now, even in Japan, that system is crumbling.
-Even more so in the declining market for CDs, right?
That’s an example, in Japan and worldwide, though Korean products are selling. If you ask if that’s because the quality of Japanese products has declined, it’s absolutely not so. Even so, everyone is interested in Korean products, and the reason they’re fascinated is that Korea is spreading its culture overseas as a government policy, and the people who are influenced by that naturally are interested in the culture and lifestyle, and recognized the quality of those products to the point where it became obvious to buy them. But even if Japan tries to do that, because the people and the government are separate, we won’t be able to make full use of that power outside Japan, and we’ll lose to other countries in the strength of our influence.
-You’re throwing that towards the government and administration side now, aren’t you.
I’m calling attention to it, and I’m talking to them about it. On the other hand, we’re in an environment and position where we have to do that. If we don’t, then the artists who follow us won’t be able to compete in overseas markets. Everyone knows it, how much the market for music in Japan has shrunk, how much CD sales have dropped, that at this rate eventually we won’t be able to be active as artists any more. Everyone wants to widen the location of our activities so that that doesn’t happen, and the reality is that now we have to.
-You had your sights set overseas from much earlier, didn’t you?
Since 2000, I already understood what path Japan should take, and how they should handle things when I looked at the international market. I’ve just been taking actions anticipating that. Everyone’s been looking too much at only inside Japan, up until now…
-Particularly now, having a global point of view is more important than anything.
Or rather, it’s a problem if you don’t have one, I think, seriously.
We have to seriously think about the generation that will come after us, and prepare an environment where new talents can proactively go overseas. But even the market inside the country is already disorganized, isn’t it that everyone vaguely feels that? That’s why everyone needs to take a better look at the reality. “Do you all really think going on like this is okay?”
-But, there are still a lot of people even now who aren’t feeling it as pain. So I feel that being blind to overseas might be the way of Japan now?
I don’t think that other artists “aren’t feeling it”. They’re feeling it hard. Because their CD’s aren’t selling, they’re in a situation where their activities and lifestyle are becoming difficult in reality. Everyone senses that if we keep struggling on like this, we’ll really reach a situation where we can’t be artists anymore. But at the same time, the reality is that no one knows how to deal with it. So someone has to take the lead in creating a path.
-You talked before about splitting your Japanese and overseas management, and I think, particularly with regards to overseas, you want to expand in a way that suits the circumstances of each area…
That’s simply something that relates to the systemic aspect, and we’re already working in One Asia [=an interconnected Asia]. It’s not a question of Japan, but being a member of a united Asia as part of the world. But unfortunately there’s not many Japanese musicians who are aware of that. And there still aren’t many companies that are aware of and sense that. Because I’m changing my contract system within Japan and overseas, I can think about that kind of thing fairly freely. So, with regards to overseas, I’m taking the stance that it’s better to do things with partners overseas. And I’m travelling backwards and forwards between Japan and overseas. This style of doing things isn’t just for me, it’s something that will influence the activities in general of future artists. I think that I have to take the lead for the sake of that as well.
-I see. By the way, by the time this interview is being read, your first national tour in 4 years performing as “GACKT”, “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1”. And the release of two “best of” albums, “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1 -MILD-” and “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1 -WILD-” will also be approaching. Firstly, please tell us how you came to record these “best of” albums.
One reason is that I’m turning 40 this year, and since I always thought I would only live to 30, so having passed that by ten years really makes me feel, “I’m still alive”. I decided that for those ten years, I’d do everything that I could during that time. I’m thinking that I’ll make the “VISUALIVE” that I’m going to do next the last one of the style of concerts that I call by that name. Up until this point, I’ve run along establishing a theme for each tour, but “VISUALIVE”s are incredibly hard shows from both a mental and physical standpoint. Even so, I’ve accumulated a lot of experience with them up to this point. But “VISUALIVE”s aren’t something I can do over and over again, and not easy enough to keep on doing forever. The next “VISUALIVE” I do will be the last. Because that’s what I’m feeling now, before I perform that, I think I want to give “thanks” or a “present” to all the fans who have followed me up to this point. Like I said before, my solo concerts are always created based on a theme, so songs that don’t fit with that theme are naturally excluded from the setlist. So this time, I first want to please all my fans who have kept on supporting me by delivering many songs independent of a theme. After that, I’ll take on my last “VISUALIVE”. For those reasons as well, I decided to give form to this album and tour first.
-In the “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1-MILD-” and “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1-WILD-“, there are songs like “e mu~for my dear~” and “VANILLA” from your first album all the way to recent songs like “HAKURO”, so there are a lot of songs essential to narrating the history of GACKT included.
One mistake I don’t want you to make is thinking of these two albums as simply a repackaging of of all my work from long ago up until now. I’m making an album that conveys “who I am now” and “who I’ll be from now on”. Therefore I wanted to rerecord my songs from long ago, and convey to all of the fans who have followed me up to this point, “who I am now”.
-By the way, is it that you’re trying to bring to a conclusion all the stories within GACKT’s “MOON SAGA” and “Rebirth/RE:BORN” in the next VISUALIVE?
It’s not that I’m concluding those stories, it’s just that it will probably be the last of the VISUALIVE concert style. Of course, if I finish it, and think I can still perform them, I might. But honestly I don’t think I can do performances of such a high level over and over again. The amount of work it takes to create a concert like that is really tremendous and unreasonable. In terms of both mental and physical strength… I’ve been talking to my dancer’s recently as well, and those of them who I met when they were 19 are in their 30’s now. Firstly, the dancers who were close to me in age, have perhaps reached their physical limits for performing VISUALIVEs, and half of them have already left, so now the young guys are the main ones. But even they’re saying it’s tough, so how hard must my concerts be?…I want the audience at my shows to enjoy it at full power, and ride along with it, but for the one’s performing, if you don’t have a considerable amount of physical and mental preparedness, you can’t go on doing it.
-So you’re already pushing the limits?
Right. But I don’t want to say, “I can’t”. That’s why I create boundaries and run to that point. If I finish a performance and think I can do one more, I’ll keep running forward. And if I think I can’t do any more, I’ll step down gracefully. GACKT concerts are not something you can do while pacing yourself, and it’s not in my personality to do that. If I’m not constantly running at full speed, it’s pointless. So, my physical body may break, but…
-What is it that pushes you to go that far?
Even if it’s only a few things, I perform now with the stance of wanting to make things that will reach the nest generation. I have to do things that will raise the young people who will live into the next era, so I’m doing them. If it was just about me, maybe I’d be able to relax more, but it’s not, I want to create a clear path for those who are going to continue on after me. The artists in Japan are all unique and interesting. In particular, the Visual Kei genre is something completely original from Japan! I want to convey that more to the rest of the world.
-You’ve given a lot of opportunities to younger people up to this point too.
That’s right. Since there are a lot of people looking for those kinds of opportunities, if it’s something I can do, I want to create a path for them. Though it’s not such an easy path…
-When I look at you, I feel that those who have a chance to make a new path must cut their way through first.
Even if it’s only a little, to only think of yourself when you get to this age is nonsense. I don’t want to be that kind of adult. A long time ago, I was reckless and caused people a lot of trouble, but little by little I’ve become an adult, and when I turned 20, I started to think that was no good anymore, and began to think about a lot of things. When you grow up like that, you start to think that you need to show gratitude for a lot of things, don’t you? Isn’t that what slowly becoming an adult is?
-By the way, on what basis did you select the songs complied in “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1 -MILD-” and “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1 WILD”?
For these albums, I took requests from the fans of what songs they wanted me to include, songs that were popular in the past, and songs that were known as famous scenes from past concerts, and made the albums with a good balance between them.
-Songs like “Journey Through the Decade” and “Stay the Ride Alive” from “Kamen Rider DECADE” are also included. That was a happy surprise.
It’s because those songs had never been performed at a concert. And, I thought, if I let this chance get away, they might never be, so I decided to include them this time.
- You said before that you re-sang your old songs, right? How was the work of changing your past songs to your new style?
Ah, it was pretty tough. There were ones where I raised the key from the original, and ones where I lowered it. When I thought it was better to match the original, I tried to sing it in the same key, and when I thought I should put in the same nuance as the old one, I put it in. Certainly, each of the songs has their own atmosphere and force, right? I thought hard about how to keep that force.
-There are two new songs included, “Sakura Chiru” and “CLAYMORE”
It’s connected to arranging this album to fit my current image. It’s not that I want to show off my past selves, or soak in memories. More than anything, I want to show “my current self” and “myself from now on”. That’s why I’m fighting even now. The inclusion of new songs is because I want to show everyone, “This is how it turns out if I create something as my current self”.
-”VANILLA” and “ANOTHER WORLD” have obviously changed from the old way of singing them.
It’s not that the way I sang them before was bad, I just changed them because, “Perhaps this way is better now”. That applies to other songs too.
-When I listen to your old songs, I remember what you were like a long time ago, but no matter how old you get, you’re still young in a lot of ways.
No, I think I’ve gotten old.
-No, your body is fit, and you seem to be brimming with energy.
The dancers who come to training with me are 19 and that kind of thing, but when I ask about their fathers, they’re younger than me! When I think about that, I think I’m pretty much an “ossan” [disparaging term for a middle aged man] (laughs).
-But even so, you’re a cool ossan.
Ahahaha. People in the world take “ossan” as too much of a negative. So I don’t really want to be an “ossan”. I want getting older to be cool.
-There must be a lot of people your age who wish they could age like GACKT, and I think that both the older and younger generations are like a target.
What I think with regards to young people is, “You’re young, so you’re not allowed to lose to me”. What I think with regards to people older than me is, “ Be the adult you want to be. Become an adult that younger people will want to be like.” With regards to people the same age as me, I think, “You guys are lacking KiAi! Stop making excuses!” When you become an adult, you have a lot of those kinds of responsibilities. For example, to children, their parents are heros. You have to be a hero. But there are people who have thrown that away. That’s absolutely no good. It’d be a sad thing as a parent to hear your child say, “I wish that person was my parent instead”.
-I think there are many people who’s ears are burning from that.
For example, when you look at someone like Eikichi Yazawa [=a Japanese rock musician now in his 60’s], don’t you think, “This person is really cool?” If Eikichi Yazawa is the face of people in their 60’s, then who is the face of people in their 50’s? Who is the face of people in their 40’s? Wouldn’t it be good if there were more “ossan” you could think of as really cool?
-Is your ideal to become a new symbol of that?
Isn’t it my duty as an adult to become one? Isn’t it my mission as someone who stands on the stage? That’s what I think. Whether or not I can live like Yazawa-san is a different thing altogether. But if I struggle in my own way, and do my best while struggling, I can go on conveying to the kids that, “Growing up isn’t bad,” and, “Being an ossan is surprisingly cool”. If there’s no one who thinks, “That old guy is badass,” no one will want to become an ossan, right?
-I see what you mean… I think in this national tour, “GACKT BEST OF THE BEST vol.1”, once again we can see you being cool, and there are lots of surprises and tricks.
That’s right. But if you’re too stiff with things on the directing side, the number of songs will end up decreasing, so this time, because I wanted to let [the fans] hear as many songs as possible, I made it more simple than usual. But I’m thinking carefully about the balance in that area. Also, I want to show parts that will be a preview for my next VISUALIVE in this show. I want to show something that will make them feel how magnificent the next story to begin will be. I want to show everyone something that makes them think, “This is definitely GACKT”.
-I’m glad to see preparations leading to the next story. If you think about it that way, what is this Best Of album and tour for the fans who have kept supporting GACKT?
It’s something in return. A gift of music. If you say the titles of these two albums, “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1-MILD-” and “BEST OF THE BEST vol.1-WILD-” in other words, it’s “GIFT OF THE GIFT vol.1-MILD-” and “GIFT OF THE GIFT vol.1-WILD-”
-This is something I became curious from hearing about, but you turn 40 this year, so do you ever imagine what you’ll be like in another ten years?
When I’m 50? I’ll be dead, won’t I? (laughs) When I turned 30, I’d been living thinking, “I wonder how many more years I can live for”. So what I’m living on now is borrowed time. Because every day is borrowed time, I prefer to live recklessly. Honestly, because I lived anxiously up until I was 30, thinking that would be the end of my life, when I passed 30, I had a sense of having cleared a goal inside myself. Since I felt that, I’ve come to feel more and more that it doesn’t matter what I do now.
-By the way, about the VISUALIVE you’re planning for 2014, have you thought about what you’ll do after that?
Hypothetical situations, what I want to do, and what I can do are different things. The concept of “IF” doesn’t exist inside me. In any task, completing the thing that is directly in front of me first is everything. Of course, even though it’s vague, if you spread out the map I’m staring at the next thing on, there are sure to be lots of other things written on it. But I’m like a pirate. Rather than plan three or four things ahead, pirates have to take what’s in front of them first, or there is no “next one”. When they’ve taken one thing, then they think about the next one. I’m the kind of person who can only live like that.
-”Pirate” is a very easy to understand way of saying it.
Something I think is, don’t parents often tell their children, “Only think of the thing right in front of you”. I think that’s wrong. If you can’t do the thing right in front of you, if you can’t get past that, you won’t be able to do anything after that either.
-I think that’s exactly right.
Because it’s the ones who are able to concentrate hard on what’s in front of them and seriously take it who will definitely continue down the road after that. But it’s not that they are only thinking about what’s in front of them. Because they’ve all looked ahead as well, they’re trying to take what’s in front of them with 100% of their strength. For example, all the people who are aiming for the Olympics, if you ask them if they’re doing what they’re doing for the sake of the Olympics in however many years, even if they have even further than that planned out in their heads, the first thing is the contest in front of them, right? So they have to get good results in the match they’re playing now. Because they know if they don’t get through that every time, they won’t be able to participate in the Olympics later. That’s why they all pour 100% of their feelings into the match right in front of them.
-I think that’s definitely right.
The point is, while you carry the point of view of a planner in your head, the most important thing is , when you’re face to face with reality, how flexibly you can pour your strength into it. I’m always thinking that’s what’s important.
-I see. (Impressed by his words, my eyes drop to the table and I notice some ear monitors). I just remembered looking at these, but ear monitors used to be fairly big, and when I look at old photos of you on stage, you were wearing big ones too. I always thought they looked really cool.
Ah, those ear monitors (You can see them in the “Live Tour 2002 Kagen no Tsuki~Seiya no Shirabe~” among others). Actually I really liked the old ear monitors as well. But they don’t make those any more, it’s a shame. The old ear monitors didn’t always fit me, and I used to force them into my ears a lot, but, putting them in and taking them out was really painful. Even so, I forced them in. So before I knew it, my earholes had gotten bigger (laughs).
- Huh? What the… (bursts out laughing)!
Seriously, I suddenly realized that when I tried to put normal sized earphones in, my earholes were too big and they didn’t fit me, and kept slipping around (laughs). So I changed to the current in-ear type. Those are much better and less damaging to my ears.
-Well, that was a shocking confession to end with (laughs).
Look forward to the tour and the album!
Zdroj:https://amaia.livejournal.com/287518.html
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