Spice e-plus interview Die & Toshiya 27th April 2021

 

—This interview was done on the last day of the  “Explosive screening ‘Meguro Rock-May-Kan GIG” but, even though there is no audience in that live, the band could play together on a stage for the first time in a while.
-So, how about you, Toshiya?
-Do you mean now after such a period? I wonder if there was a moment in which those feelings you had went up as the new songs for the album took shape.
-As a result of concentrating on production in such an environment, do you feel a good response in what you are creating now?
-Yes. I feel you are a band that doesn’t know the meaning of “withering” and in a good sense, doesn’t settle down.
-It seems that you are using a Fender Jazzmaster for recording, did you do that choice because of what you just said?
-I’m looking forward to hearing “Oboro” live, but recently you announced a live performance at the Tokyo Garden Theater (“Sogai”) on May 6th. After cancelling the tour and Pia Arena MM performance scheduled last year,  does this live performance with audience mean that, after all you have been through, you can see a way that the band can perform in this situation?
-Is it necessary for yourselves to continue the band in the future? Is it also a trigger/spark for you?

Die: That’s right. There was no audience, however at the time of recording there were some moments in which it was difficult to play as there were no limits. The fact we were able to get together for the first time in a long time and play together as a band was simply touching/ emotional.  However, it becomes difficult if you can’t see the audience. Last year we did an unattended live broadcast but that was the first time and as it was broadcasted in real time, I was nervous. In that sense, this time was a bit different from the previous live without audience we did.

-How was the “Meguro Rock-May-Kan GIG” for you, Toshiya?

Toshiya: First of all, I think it was the best thing to be able to show movement as a band. Also, I’d say overwhelming? About being able to play together, I think the words I’d use would be “happy” and “fun”.

-Ah, it felt like returning to a place that it’s like the origin of the band.

Toshiya: That’s right. When the five of us played together for the first time, it was interesting and fun, somehow, I think I was really nervous about it. It’s not something that paralyzes you, I think it was a natural feeling after all. In this special environment because of Corona, it was like the first time we played together, I thought again “after all, this is it”.

-In terms of freshness, you also had the chance to play “Ochita koto no aru Sora” (digital single released in August 2020) live for the first time.

Toshiya:  Yes. After all, I could realize that as opposed to when you play it with headphones, the rhythm is adjusted in an atmosphere in which the air is moving around.

Die: Actually, I felt it was a song that felt familiar and I was playing it while feeling that if we went on tour, I would be able to create more and more grooves.

“ We can’t play lives but as we are making songs for the album, we are moving forward. I’m hopeful because of that” (Die)

-Along with the latest songs, there were some nostalgic songs that suit “Meguro Rock-May-Kan GIG”, especially “JEALOUS” was a surprise. Moreover, it was the original version, not the “reverse” one.

Die: Hahaha. Well, we’ve played old songs on the “mode of ~” tours, so it’s a song we can still play. However, the tempo of the songs at that time was too different from what it is now (laughs).  It’s simple, but it feels like I’m playing a song from another band.

Toshiya: Regarding “JEALOUS”, we were planning to play it at the cancelled tour『TOUR20 Sogai』

- I didn’t expect to heart it at this timing.  Hearing it after a long time…. the impression I got is that the sense of consistency has increased in “JEALOUS”.

Die: Hehehe.

Toshiya: I think that’s right. As we didn’t listen to the click (of the metronome) in the old songs, if someone was going faster, everyone would go faster to keep up the rhythm, and if someone messed up, everyone would be drawn into that.  In that sense, I had a lot of freedom but as recent songs (the rhythm) are matched by this clicking, in order to do that, I tried “JEALOUS” using a metronome this time. That’s why I think you got that impression that it “clicked”.

Die: Well, I think we should had done it more freely.  Not using a metronome click as we used to do, the tempo of the song is determined by the feeling of the venue. Certainly, at that time, everyone was doing it like that so I wish we could do it in that way this time too.

Toshiya: Yes, that way is a possibility as well. If we have a chance, I think it would be good to do it in such a highly flexible situation. Well, from time to time there will be different rhythms within the band, if the members are simply playing at that moment and doing well, I think the audience will listen to it naturally  and will go with it comfortably.

-I see. So, it’s been said for a while you were in the process of making an album, has your mindset changed since when you were working in “Ochita koto no aru Sora", which was done in a relatively early stage of this Corona situation, until now?

Die: For me personally, I don’t think it has changed. From the beginning, my feelings are heading towards a new album. We are releasing a single this time, but we were working on arranging different songs in parallel, so the mood is basically the same. We haven’t been able to play lives since last year due to the corona, but that doesn’t mean we’ve changed the way we make it. Basically, it hasn’t changed our way of working remotely.

“When I listened to the melody, I felt the hope that “I’m sure we can make something beyond our imagination next time.” (Toshiya)

T: Personally, there have been quite a few changes during that time. The world situation has changed due to the Corona situation and I wondered if we could released the single we made and if the fans would listen to it. I want to play concerts but I can’t do it……how could say it?….this is my point of view but….it’s like I didn’t know what’s the purpose of the band, it’s a bit confusing for me. It’s a big thing for me to think that way. Well, now I feel like I have no choice but to move forward. Until that seemed like that, I was thinking where I should rely on, I felt like, where should I set a goal?

Toshiya: That’s right. I haven’t seen the goal yet, but I’m working on pre-production with the band right now. After that there will be a period in which the songs will be released. I was listening to the songs that the members brought there, and it was really interesting for me.

-Oh, is it interesting?

T: Yes. It’s completely different from the songs I made myself, and when they pass through the filters of each members, they become versatile and I think that’s very interesting. I don’t actually see the members face to face and interact with them but when I listened to the songs, I felt the hope that “Oh, I’m sure we can make something beyond our imagination next time”. I think the other members  might also hope for that, or renewed their feelings like about it like, “I have to do my best for DIR EN GREY”.

Die: Well, about that you mentioned, making songs for the album … You can see hope as Toshiya said, we can’t play lives, but we’re moving forward. I feel hope in that.

-That you had to work on the album during this corona situation had a positive effect on your mind.

Die: But after all, there is a continuous cycle for the band, touring and producing, and one of them is missing. I don’t feel the that tension there. So, while thinking “There is nothing we can about it because we can’t play lives", we are making the next new album and continuing with the hope that later we will be able to tour again.

T: Of course, there is a response, but I wonder if it’s really good to pack our current feelings together in it. I haven’t found a decisive factor yet. Several complications came out quite a bit but, maybe it’s the way it is now, and it and I guess it’s not over yet.

Die: Rather than “in this kind of situation”, the hurdles are simply rising. Everyday, there are many….many….(laughs)

-Hahaha. Was that so?

Die: Yes. It’s always the same but, if you find a keyword or a hint to the next album, it will lead you to make several songs. Now I think it is still part of our work to find that. I can’t really say at this point what kind of specific feeling is but, if we find it, we can change the shift, or it will be easier to find the direction of the album. Right now, we are exploring this aspect and we haven’t come to any conclusion yet. There will be a moment  it would be like “this is the atmosphere” and it will flow in that way, so I guess it will be easier to go that way. We have no option but explore it further.

“It’s been 24 years since the band was formed, and it’s like the challenges we are going through are also reflected in the MV, it’s not like we are going to sit back and rest on our laurels” (Die)

-I think the song that gives you a glimpse of how the next album will be it’s the new single “Oboro”. At the time of this interview, just the 15- second MV teaser was released but….no, it already is having a strong impact!

Toshiya: Hehehe

Die: (Smiles)  As for the MV, the concrete idea came out from Kyo, and from that idea everyone went to do it in that direction but, well, it’s like it can’t be done without us, right? It’s been 24 years since the formation, and it seems that the things we are challenging are also reflecting in things like that. It’s not like we are going to sit back and rest on our laurels.

Die: That’s right. When I was shooting the MV, I talked a bit with Kyo, I was like “Isn’t this too edgy? It’s too much”. Probably, I think that a scene like this can be shown firmly even in a MV where only 5 people play, and I think  it can be expressed in a simple form, but DIR EN GREY isn’t just there, after all, I thought we had to beat in/smash down more and more. So, the MV set this time reminded me of the atmosphere when we debuted, I was feeling like it was still aggressive and no good.

-In an era when there is a call for compliance/ obedience, you must have an image of reliance.

Die: Haha. But there is a part that it can’t be played (on TV etc…) (laughs).

-It’s true (laughs).

Toshiya: Well, so this is also part of DIR EN GREY. This talk we just had, I wonder if this scene with the five members playing is also part of what DIR EN GREY is. Personally speaking, I want to try to go to other places rather than this one at the next chance. I still don’t know what that would be, and when it comes to what we are actually going to do, I think everyone, including myself, will be concerned about it again. However, if some form remains, I would like to do something that it’s constantly evolving.

-When it comes to the style of your MVs, you want to be a band that has no limits.

Toshiya: That’s right. For example, DIR EN GREY is gloomy, isn’t it? DIR EN GREY is heavy, difficult, and intense, isn’t it? Of course, I think it’s an option that we can be caught like that (in a MV) but if we even want to surprise ourselves, after all I think I want us to keep working as hard as we can. I’m sure we jumped over those limits but maybe….just maybe….I think that’s  the things the 5 members are looking for….

-In 24 years of activity as a band,  if now it’s time to shake off everywhere, that’s your strength as a band.

Toshiya: Yes, I think so.

-So, “Oboro” is a ballad with a power and lyrics unique to DIR EN GREY, I felt  the core was made in a way to make you listen to the song and the live  performance of it in a fresh shape. It’s because each part is powerful, even though there are instruments in it that are not the usual ones in the band. As for the arrangements that the band did, was it simply a scraping work?

Die: Now it’s simpler than it used to be, we’ve been focusing more on how to make the sound that’s in more powerful than actually just adding more. As I had that mental image,without overdubbing  the guitar arrangement as much as possible, I went in the direction of reducing it. It might be a bad way to say this but, I approached the arrangements with the feeling that this is what I’m going to play live later, so it was like “don’t do anything crafty/pretentious”.

Die: That’s right.  After all, for chord stroke parts, etc… I’m going to play with that guitar and that tone quality later. So, when I tried to use that kind of chord progression for the first time in a while, it was simple, but it felt like something fresh. It really resonated with me, and when I listened to it myself, I simply thought, “Oh, that’s good” (laughs).

-Hahaha. That’s good. Is that feeling of being a raw band an essential point for you?

Die: Well, that’s right. At the so-called chorus part,  it wasn’t  just about filling the backing with the low notes of the guitar. I also took on a new challenge to be able to see the scenery further.

“I think there will surely be something that makes it fun for the band, fun to match our sounds again, there will be something that it’s going to feel interesting for sure.” (Toshiya)

-I see. Also, the bass phrase is a basic one, but it’s done with an approach that makes each note stand out, including the tone quality/timbre.

Toshiya: Regarding “Oboro”, I simply thought  the dynamic image of it would be the most attractive thing, so I wanted to hear each and every sound without really doing anything extra. Up until now, there were too many things we wanted to do, and we wanted to include that and this as well, I had a sound barrier, but I couldn’t hear what I wanted to hear. While narrowing down the main points and making it possible to listen to each part you want to hear firmly, still, each of the members started  working on it with the idea that to be able to listen to each part of it would be the virtue of this composition.

- As a result, the bass sounds with a thick sound image that has a strong presence.

Toshiya: That’s right. At the end, I think the part where you can hear the sound of the bass alone is quite distorted, but that is the tone through all the song, and the sound is quite distorted. However, when the sounds overlap, the low feeling is more noticeable than the distortion. Normally, if it is distorted, it tends to overlap  when you join all the parts. However, as I said earlier, each member was thinking about how they wanted to hear their own sound, and even if it is distorted very much, the sound has a strong presence. I think I was able to reach such a result firmly.

-While setting up the coordination/the harmony of  the musical instruments, is your main idea oriented toward making a song “that makes people listen to it”?

Toshiya: Yes, I have in mind that it’s going to become a song. After all, it’s because I’m thinking it will be a full song. However, I think at that point the band sound has become unbeatable.

Die: First of all, the basics of a song (without the lyrics) start once the instrumental part is recorded.  At that point, I still have no idea what kind of song we are getting into, so after the approach of how it’s going to be the singing part actually comes, the task is replacing some parts with a backing that makes the most of the lyrics. I’m always trying to figure out how to make the lyrics stand out.

(* It was announced that this “Sogai” live will be postponed due to the announcement of the state of emergency on April 23rd.)

Toshiya: The members and the staff included talked about this a lot, but in the end, after a lot of discussions we came to the conclusion that it couldn’t be “as under these circumstances we can’t do it, we won’t do it’  but rather, the talk went into the direction of “If we don’t do it, we won’t accomplish anything”, of course, there is a national guideline for lives and we have to obey it. While thinking about that, as for DIR EN GREY, nothing will work unless we take action. If you don’t take a step, nothing will happen. If you don’t move now and say “Let’s wait for the time to come”,  it’s more like, “when will that time come?”.

- That’s true.

Toshiya: Then, instead of waiting for the time to come, we thought it would be better to make “now” the right time for us.

- While there is a change in your previous mindset, you made the best choice you can make now.

Toshiya: That’s right.  Our mindset is simply different from those days.

Die: As Toshiya said, if you don’t experience a live performance during Corona, nothing will come out, and if you simply say, “we won’t do a live concert during Corona,“ that’s all. I think we should also have the experience of a live performance under the regulations. At the moment, we can’t ask everyone to come, but it’s important for the future that we don’t wait without moving at all, that we take a step forward and experience this kind of live. It’s a live that was decided with no idea of how it will turn out.

Toshiya: Yes. We felt that we couldn’t get anything unless we acted on our own to get something. We had a discussion about what we could do while following the guidelines, and we thought that it was the live concert that would be the spark/trigger for us, so I would like to take on the challenge of the next live concert with that decision. As I mentioned at the beginning of this interview, I think there will surely be something that makes it fun for the band, fun to match our sounds again, there will be something that it’s going to feel interesting for sure. In addition, although there is a limit on the number of people who can attend the live, this time there will be  audience there. It’s a commonplace but, I think we can get something like a synergistic effect by colliding with the people who is going to come.

- It will finally be a live  with audience in front of you.

Die: That’s right. However, the hurdles are still rising. You have to make a live concert following a guideline such as half of the capacity of the venue or not being able to shout/scream. I don’t think it’s good to say, "As the audience can’t shout/scream, we are not sure about doing it”. Since we decided to do it, I think we have to do a DIR EN GREY live that has never been seen before. The future setlist and so, we have to change the method itself…. There is no point in doing it unless we get to convince all the fans who come to see us under these circumstances. “I’m glad I came”, “I’m glad I was able to see it”, things like that, I want to make a live that everyone can think of.

Zdroj:https://thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness.tumblr.com/post/650763922209751040/spice-e-plus-interview-die-toshiya-27th-april