Neo Genesis 29 - All-member interview (2008)

 

Meeting them after two weeks, since the Gazerock Festival at the Fuji Q Highland Conifer Forest on August 23^rd, they look refreshed. This time, once more they looked back on the live, and we talked about the feel of [LEECH], the new single, which was first presented to public at Fuji Q. And then, on the second half, from those readers that visited the Neo Blog, out of those many questions addressed at them, we selected 8 questions. Those five answered those questions with a sincere attitude while mixing in a lot of laughter.

 
- Since the open-air live it has been two weeks now. Directly after the show, in the interview there had been a lot of detailed points you reflected upon, however, if you look back on it now, how do you feel about it?
 
Aoi: At that time, in the interview, I said that we, by no means had experienced doing a live in the rain, but when I think about it now, I think that it was probably a good experience, wasn’t it?
 
- Was there anything in particular that was good about that experience, you could tell us?
 
Aoi: Now there wasn’t
 
- (laughs)
 
Aoi: I don’t wanna do that a second time!
 
Kai: Playing in the rain, right?
 
Ruki: Cancelled because of rain! Well, setting the live itself aside, we look at it from the front. How the fans felt about it, I really don’t know.
 
- Well, looking at it objectively, the fans embraced it just as much as a hall concert. It felt like there were people gathering that loved Gazette and were able to enjoy the live even in the rain.
 
Ruki: Really, was it like that? I’m relieved to hear that. That’s great. Well, as for the performance, how was it then?
 
Uruha: I thought, maybe there would be a little more bashing.
 
Aoi: Like for example?
 
Uruha: About how the fireworks couldn’t be seen, how only one side of the fire worked out, different things. (laughs)
 
- But that’s not what the fans were after, were they?
 
Uruha: We really wanted to enjoy this, but for us there were those little things we do care about, that’s probably why we couldn’t enjoy this, after all. And then, when there was no sound coming from Aoi-san’s guitar for the second time, his expression was really frightening.
 
All: hahahahahaha
Aoi: We did [Nausea and Shudder] twice, but when the sound went out during the second solo as well, I really blew off!
 
- The circumstances of [Nausea…] really seemed very disturbing.
 
Aoi: Yeah, the whole block around [Akai One Piece] was really terrible. … Ok, this is really becoming a terrible kind of conversation; let’s get on to something more fun.
 
- Yes, let’s do that. I thought we would do some cheerful talking today.
 
Ruki: That day was really a little mysterious. It was pretty different to our imagination.
 
- How was it different?
 
Ruki: It was raining, we couldn’t go outside.
 
Aoi: Frankly, we couldn’t enjoy it.
 
- Well, this isn’t really any more cheerful a conversation (laughs) But speaking of which, [Shadow VI II I] is one of the manager’s favourite songs, didn’t you play it just for his sake?
 
Kai: Oh no no, when we decided over the songs it was more like something we realized afterwards.
 
Aoi: Two years ago the open-air, (since he became our manager), that was the first time for him (to do an outdoor live) in Japan. With that song it is left in his memories, and without knowing the reason, he started talking about it, and let us do it.
 
Ruki: After way too long, even though we remembered, it took some time.
 
- How was it for Kai-kun?
 
Kai: The live was really joyful and the mood was delicious.
 
Reita: You say that in a way only people from the city say it.
 
Kai: No, that’s not true! (laughs)
 
- But nature’s power is great, isn’t it.
 
Kai: Because whatever it does it does. You really can’t do anything against it.
 
Uruha: We really wanted to do the live while looking at the Fuji.
 
Kai: The scenery we imagined was a little different.
 
Aoi: The actual scenery is certainly great, isn’t it.
 
Uruha: That’s really regrettable.
 
Aoi: Frankly regrettable.
 
- When making nature your ally, you have to go with whatever, haven’t you?
 
Uruha: Certainly when it comes to seeing the scenery. When you can’t feel the nature, you surely don’t need it as an ally, and I really thought, the feelings would rise even more, when looking at it by myself.
 
Ruki: However, it really influences the mood when doing a ballade.
 
- That was really awesome. I really thought that it was made for rain. The sound was also a little blurry in that.
 
Uruha: That was a good feeling of humidity.
 
Aoi: The torches’ smoke was also pretty awful. It was [Kyomu no Owari, Hakozume no Mokushi], wasn’t it?
 
Ruki: We always leave the special effects to the staff. Because they always do more than we ask for! Nevertheless…
 
Kai: Like: That’s enough! (laughs)
 
Ruki: Because in the smoke no one could see us. (laughs) Well, it can’t be helped.
 
Reita: After the main part of the show was over the person responsible for the special effects said [I wanna die!!]
 
All: hahahahahahaha
 
Reita: When you look at the photographs, you can see how the one fire pillar rose up pretty high, and the excess was regrettable.
 
Kai: The Gazette special effects team keeps continuing with the blunder.
 
Aoi: A year ago there wasn’t even one on the fire pillars.
 
Reita: Well, every two years it’s getting one more.
 
Aoi: Then in two years, there will be eventually two going off!
 
- Eventually, this has again become a meeting of reflections. (laughs)
 
Reita: But the joyful things have been joyful.  That there wasn’t a roof was just splendid.
 
Uruha: Well, if you consider that a joyful thing in this conversation, then that’s something I can’t agree with. Don’t you think?
 
Ruki: Yeah!
 
- (laughs) To present [LEECH] to the audience for the first time, was a plus, though, wasn’t it?
 
Uruha: Ok, that was great. Presenting a new song outside has never happened before. And it was also good that we did it without saying [That’s a new song!]
 
Ruki: How the people went along was better than I thought.
 
Aoi: That was certainly something!
 
Reita: Next time, we want to do our own production with an even more open feeling. We want to enjoy this together with the fans.
 
Ruki: Yes, that’s right. We want to do it with an open feeling (towards them).
 
- No revenge this time?
 
Aoi: We will do it again!!
 
- Ok, looking at it then, this is the conversation about [LEECH] then. I think, those three song, which have been recorded, are the packed up three essential elements (of Gazette).
 
Aoi: What kind of spirit would that be?
 
- The first would be [Gazette isn’t supposed to be pop (music)]
 
Reita: More than not being supposed to be, even if there is pop, we don’t become this, do we? As humans.
 
- You mean, you are not that kind of people.
 
Aoi: It’s concerning the pop (mentality) within your heart.
 
Ruki: This doesn’t just mean, we don’t like pop, does it?
 
Aoi: Within us there are certainly ‘pop’ things.
 
Uruha: But with that meaning it’s ‘pop’.
 
Reita: Well, that’s our kind of ‘pop’, isn’t it?
 
- You mean the essence within J-Pop, don’t you?
 
Kai: I think that it is less about why things/music styles are avoided or embraced, rather than the things that come out to be as a result.
 
- The thinking put into [LEECH], did it find everybody’s approval?
 
Ruki: It’s the real anger we felt, while we wrote it. [Like this, it’s the point in time when we came to not believe people], that’s what we thought.
 
Uruha: Well, but it’s a thing which is pretty common in this society.
 
Ruki: It is regrettable, if this is allowed to pass through,though. If we just said [It can’t be helped.]
 
Reita: We’ve learned that, haven’t we?
 
Uruha: However, it’s not us, who says this, is it? Everyone came to think this and we were merely making this into a song then.
 
Ruki: No, that’s not the case.
 
Uruha: Yeah, that’s not the case. (laughs)
 
- The second element would be [The destructive sound]. Like in [Distorted Daytime], this seems to be primarily an element of Uruha-kun’s songs, I think.
 
Uruha: Is that so?
 
Ruki: There are many (like that)!
 
Uruha: So many (laughs).
 
Aoi: Are you ill?
 
Uruha: What? (laughs) For me it’s not just about destructivity, rather the opposite of constructing something - concerning the atmosphere. I think, if there is no delicacy in it, then I don’t bring it across. The destructive things that develop just naturally get absurd and if I didn’t show the destructive things, then there would be no meaning behind it. Especially when I am angry, when I don’t make music with a focus on the fine tunes, I don’t bring anything across.
 
Reita: I always wonder if making such a sound is more difficult. And then I always think that there could be more, I think, there could be an even better sound to it. Well, I don’t know, how to do it the best way.
 
- So that is the thing you are aiming at when you produce music.
 
Reita: There are lots of good artists, but when it comes to Japan, it seems the sound is not just as good. When you just listen to ours, you come to realize that [this is gazette’s sound] – when the sound is even more intense, I think.
 
Aoi: I think that it is maybe spiked with a thorn, like some dirty sound. I don’t think about, if we have more thorns compared to some other bands, it is as it is.
 
- Where do Gazette’s [thorns] come from?
 
Uruha: Doesn’t this usually come from all of one’s life? It’s not like we do anything special to create anger, when we write songs. I think it just comes from all the human emotions. However, I really wonder where all of Kai-kun’s pop-songs come from.
 
Reita: That’s not pop-songs.
 
Ruki: There is lots of grief floating in them.
 
Reita: Aren’t those places reflected, where you would ask [in what way is his private life so black]?
 
Kai: fufufu!
- (laughs) Well, then the third element would be [sex-appeal and glamour], I think. This time, it is [Hole]
 in this context.

Reita: Gazette's sex-appeal, what's that?

Ruki: Nothing!

- I think it is something you feel, more like the manliness.

Aoi: We get it if we told, we are cute!!

Reita: Maybe not!

Uruha: Maybe, if it was either coffee or black tea, I think it would be coffee.

(All of them are gazing at the front cover of the previous issue)

- Isn't it obvious?

Ruki: Well, I wear sunglasses.

All: hahahahahahaha

Aoi: Completely without sex-appeal (laughs).

- (laughs) Actually, wearing sunglasses does bring across certain things.

Aoi: Hmmm

- Well, concerning guys' sex appeal, the girls can probably feel it better.

Aoi: I see.

- The song in which it can be feltoften happen to be Aoi-kun's songs. is what I wanted to say.

Aoi: Nononono!!!

If there are things accumulated more than anything, it is sex-appeal and glamour, isn't it?

Reita: Concerning human careers, isn't it?

- You all seem very humble and as if it is difficult to answer, so let's move on to the next part (laughs).

- From here on we would like you to answer the questions we requested in the Neo blog.

 

All: Yes please!

 

Q: Hello, this year I will be a second-year company employee. As of late I started to support another department, and while it reminds me, how inexperienced I started this work, I lazily began to reflect upon myself. All of you, do you remember the time when you had just started (the feeling of being new and have pure intentions towards one’s work) ? If there was an occasion or an episode, please tell us. Best regards.

 

Ruki: As for me, there hasn’t been such a thing as such initial pure intention. Therefore, whatever there had been, I took it lightly.

 

Aoi: Because when you go back to what would be the beginning, you’d be deciding over the setlist, right?

 

- Is that so? (laughs)

 

Ruki: But now I work harder on it!         

 

Uruha: But I would say, when we watch the video from our first live, there is certainly something you can still feel. Like [Those guys are terrible], how they somehow try too hard. It feels like everybody was unexpectedly settled with this, though.

 

Ruki: It seems like it, doesn’t it?

 

Uruha: The feeling that comes across is not that of being at ease and with that being able to do it in that state. Like [There are quite a few disturbing things about what they do]. That’s the atmosphere portrayed. Somehow, today isn’t there a different strength to it??

 

- When you look at it, now is it more a feeling of [Let’s give our best!], then?

 

Uruha: That’s probably because their (Gazette of that time) hopes were a little smaller than what our hopes are today. How we thought, we can’t/shouldn’t sell (the music, the tickets), can we/should we. (laughs) However, without this thinking behind it the feeling was more of that we sold (the music) by just doing it. 

 

- That’s a genuine way of thinking, isn’t it?

 

Uruha: Genuine, indeed. Awesome…they were, certainly.

 

Reita: fufufu

 

- Kai-kun, how was it for you?

 

Kai: At the first live I wasn’t part of Gazette then. (laughs) Well, but I certainly have learned from how I have been back in the days. However, there is probably nothing that I would be going back to.

 

Aoi: What actually means initial intention / beginning (in that sense)?

 

Ruki: When you are asked to [Go back to the beginning / Look at your initial intentions] then that usually means, not to get carried away by it, doesn’t it? Usually it isn’t said in a good way. What this person was saying (by asking) [Is there something in the beginning, you want to go back to?], was, more than going back to being inexperienced / new to things, if it was better to go back to that sort of “ambition”, wasn’t it?

 

Aoi: Because if we had stopped with that kind of ambition, there probably wouldn’t be any more CDs coming out, would there?

 

- Where does this kind of ambition in Gazette come through?

 

Ruki: It would be how we use media and can cause action, isn’t it? Thinking within ourselves [If we did that, it could be fun], we believe in it, and bring out those produced things. Eventually, isn’t it just very joyful if the fans are surprised and moved by it then?

 

- Is it about bringing across joy?

 

Ruki: On the listening side I want to think that it is good and that it is bad.

 

Aoi: We pretty much like to cause an expression on people’s faces. Like [What’s this?]

 

Ruki: And therefore as  the conclusion of a live we rapidly keep asking ourselves, what we are planning to do from then on, how we want to see those faces, how we just want to hear those cheers (for the next thing).

 

Uruha: That’s also the case, and for us the first audience would the other band members and staff. And when we let those people hear the songs for the first time, (we ask ourselves) what their expression is like. And from there we imagine what the expression of the fans would be like. I think, it would be impossible, if we only had the response from us band members, though.

 

Ruki: It’s like thinking about what we give as a gift for our birthday, thinking of a surprise…isn’t it a bit like that? The time we make music, we think [Let’s surprise them], because being surprised is just a really happy thing.

 

Reita: For me, it is just any kind of response, no matter what we do. And also watching the DVD of our first Budokan live.

 

- What for?

 

Reita: I don’t watch it with any intention, and this is a little awkward, but then I just start to cry.

 

All: (laughs)

 

Ruki: Really?

 

Reita: Somehow it feels, as if it isn’t us, that is being portrayed there, and I come to think [Well done, you worked hard!] It’s like the sensation, when Kameda became world champion.

 

Aoi: You think that every time?

 

 Reita: I do!

 

Uruha: Then, do you always watch it from the very beginning?

 

Reita: No, mostly the second half.

 

Uruha & Ruki: How superficial!

 

Ruki: However, there certainly was that feeling of achievement, at that time. The feeling of achievement was even bigger than thinking about the next tasks.

 

- When looking objectively at something that can move you emotionally, then you are encouraged and come to think to give your best.

 

Reita: Yeah. And to like the other members.

 

All: … … … (laughs)

 

Reita: Uhm yeah…(laughs) If the outcome of your work is hard to grasp, it is difficult.

 

Aoi: Because, for us first and foremost, we don’t do this with the feeling of “work”.

 

Q: I am not Japanese. Now I am learning Japanese. Do you feel as if you have your dream fulfilled? What is each of your ambition these days?

 

Uruha: Our dreams have not yet come true.

 

- What are your dreams then?

 

Uruha: To say it, there are a lot. To reach them is the simple purpose of it. Even now we are still pursuing them!

 

Reita: We started the band because we adored those cool bands. And because there is no maximum to the awesomeness, I keep thinking that we can still go on. For example at what venue we would like to play next. Well, even though that dream is probably accomplished at some point. However, even if we accomplish that, we absolutely come to look at the next dream, and therefore, we constantly address it, to eventually catch up with it.

 

Kai: The things we want to do and our dreams are becoming more is one part of it all.

 

Aoi: About dreams… … I really don’t want to talk to people about.

 

Kai: Well, it’s probably ok if you don’t say it.

 

-   What is your ambition right now?

 

Ruki: It is that I want to perfectly complete each project by itself. That’s just a bit of it, but if things don’t turn out how I have thought them up, they are going to be extremely imperfect (in my opinion). Therefore, at all costs, I work constantly on them until they eventually possess their final shape.

 

Q: What’s the most frightening thing in this world?

 

- This is concerning emotional and physical things that can be frightening when looking at them from different angels.

 

Aoi: Dreaming of the band’s break-up.

 

- Have you dreamed of such a thing?

 

Aoi: I haven’t. It’s just hypothetical.

 

Uruha: For me it is doing this business… … …

 

Aoi: What do you mean ‘business’?

 

Uruha: I say that, because if this became like a real business, wouldn’t it be extremely scary?

 

Ruki: You came to ask yourself that (laughs).

 

- Is the commercialization of music frightening?

 

Uruha: Popularity for example; being swallowed by the flow of things in this world is terrible. I think that we were able to live until now, was because we go against this.

 

Kai: And also, accidents are frightening, aren’t they? If anyone out of us five got into an accident, it would mean a stop at once. Health is first and foremost.

 

Ruki: But you are certainly the most dangerous!

 

Kai: (laughs) Yes, and because I am the most dangerous, it’s frightening.

 

- Even if you are careful in an accident yourself, it can still happen.

 

Uruha: The time you die, you die. Therefore it’s better to give you best now!

 

Kai: Yea…

 

Reita: Something that is frightening for me is, as it is in [LEECH], that human, which is becoming the ‘ally’ (in the wrong way).

 

Uruha: Ha…

 

Reita: Well, I think, it’s about giving and taking from each other, isn’t it? However, if Gazette is used for something, I think it is extremely scary and I start feeling angry about it. One should really be careful about that. It’s hard, if you doubt from the very beginning.

 

- How is it for Ruki-kun?

 

Ruki: Something frightening…. It’s not supposed to be a continuation of the previous question, but about the ongoing projects, failing at them is the most frightening. And also, ghost phenomena are scary. Once in my home’s entrance way, when there was actually no one there, but there was a scratching noise, then my dog really started barking. And without the power switch being turned off, the A/C would just stop. That was really scary.

 

- Are you able to see ghosts?

 

Ruki: Absolutely not, but there is a gravesite near my home.

 

All: Aaah…

 

Aoi: But living near a gravesite is good, isn’t it?

 

- Because it’s protected?

 

Aoi: Yes.

 

Ruki: How so?

 

Reita: Rather the opposite. (laughs)

 

Ruki: Those strange phenomena, are each lazily scary.

 

Reita: Yeah, since you say [lazily] in a conversation about gravesites.

 

All: Eeeh (roar of laughter)

 

Uruha: Very good!

 

Ruki: That was an accident…

 

Aoi: (facing Reita) Good ‘footwork’, man.

 

Reita: hehehe

Q: In your private live, are there good things about having the other members around? At what times would that be?

 

Aoi: In case I forget my wallet, I could at least get as far as getting a can of coffee. 

 

Kai: The wallet is just a small part of it, isn’t it (laughs)

 

Reita: How about I helped you, when you moved?

 

Aoi: Aah, Mr. Moving-service!

 

Reita: Ey!!!

 

Aoi: (laughs) However, one way or the other it was some man’s help. Kai-kun didn’t even show up once.

 

Kai: I certainly couldn’t go. (laughs)

 

Aoi: But that’s about it, when it comes to the good parts about having the other members, isn’t it?

 

Uruha: In case you lose your keys, you got some place to stay over night.

 

- That’s more like it is convenient to have the other members, rather than that it’s actually good.

 

Uruha: That’s Mr. Convenient!

 

Ruki: Ey!!!

 

Aoi: And also, whenever he wants to go some place, he gets a ride by car, even if he could walk (and while saying that he looks at Reita).

 

Uruha: I seem to somehow be Ruki’s personal driver.

 

Reita: (laughs) Well, our homes not that far apart so if there is something (needed) it should be ok.

 

Aoi: One person lives pretty far, though (he says looking at Kai).

 

Reita: Just for example, even if you forget your mobile, if that person knows it’s at home, someone of us can still walk the distance if he tries (and get it).

 

- So you help each other.

 

Aoi: When one of us is really in trouble.

 

Uruha: And since we all have keys to each other’s homes.

 

Kai: That’s not that good of a feeling. (laughs)

 

Aoi: If you come home and someone would be there, you wouldn’t want that.

 

- (laughs) When does Kai-kun come to think about this (that it’s good to have the other members)?

 

Kai: For me it is that they help me, when I constantly stay over night at their places.

 

Aoi: He is really an annoyance.

 

Reita: Someone’s always got to lodge Kai-kun and then we take it on the others. Well, but eventually it is always Uruha who says [Well, come to my place then!]

 

Ruki: But ironically, whenever he needs to stay at someone’s place, it’s never Uruha’s name that falls first.

 

Aoi: Like he is suppressing it until the very end.

 

Kai: No no no no (laughs), that’s not the case.

 

Ruki: Only after Uruha-kun offers it, he stays over.

 

Kai: Certainly it’s not like that. It’s only about being told I can stay at someone’s house. Therefore, when he told me to come to his house, I was really happy.

 

Reita: However, he called Uruha-kun his [last safety measures].

 

All: hahahahaha

 

Kai: I didn’t say that!

 

Q: If Gazette was to be described in a dictionary, what description would it have?

 

Aoi: [Lazily]

 

Reita: Well…[A bad breath military band] (Reita jumbles with the syllables and that’s the best I could make of it…Aoi knows what he mean. [iki fun ga gun batu na bando])

 

Aoi: [A band with a very unique atmosphere] ([fun iki ga batsu gun na bando])

 

Reita: Next!

 

Aoi: If I was put it into that dictionary it would be [Universe]!!

 

- That’s good!

 

Aoi: Not really good…(laughs)

 

Ruki: Something with a destructive feeling to it. … like a broken radio.

 

All: (laughs)

 

Reita: That’s the worst!!

 

Aoi: Can we go on to the next?

 

Ruki: The point is, it’s similar to the very first conversation about musical composition, that’s by no means a pretty feeling…

 

Reita: Lastly the leader has to decide and strike it!

 

Kai: If I was asked what kind of item Gazette was… … … Isn’t it simply [Gazette]?

 

Ruki: See, Rei-chan! (that’s even worse)

 

Reita: Is a right hook/punch ok?

 

Kai: Yes, next!

 

Uruha: With just that it’s not going to happen. (laughs) This is difficult.

 

Reita: Well, [a Japanese rock band] I don’t think it is THE ONE Japanese band, but Gazette isn’t just any Japanese rock band.

 

All: … … …

 

Ruki: What’s it with you? (laughs)

 

Q: How do you continue/preserve the friendship between all of you?

 

Ruki: On the contrary, why wouldn’t we continue it, surely that would be the moment when we forget how we have started the band. How we came to gather together, how we came to start the band and such. Even though there might have been filthy people. Surely the way of making music has changed, but this connection does not break, though. The point is, that if the human nature changes (in that way), one can’t continue. However, we don’t change like that.

 

Uruha: If we come to not being able to talk about the basic sound, then it would be the end.

 

Reita: It isn’t good to be too aware of, under which conditions we would be able to continue, is it?

 

Aoi: Just thinking the thought of it, right?

 

- Therefore, we this is probably not about letting you think of this more then.

 

Aoi: Maybe.

 

Q: Where does your inspiration to make music come from?

 

Ruki: As for the lyrics the inspiration comes from normal everyday life.

 

- In the conversation about the single, Uruha-kun already said, that it comes from all of the human emotions. That’s it in short, isn’t it?

 

Uruha: Yes, that’s it. It just comes from everyday things.

 

Aoi: For me, (it’s things that come to my mind) when I take a bath or when I drive my car.

 

- When you relax, then?

 

Aoi: Even though I don’t relax, when I drive my car. … But probably, when I don’t have to concentrate. I just come up with something, when I reach home.

 

Ruki: That’s dangerous!!!

 

- When you come to think about a melody, you arrive?

 

Aoi: I produce it in my head and then I already arrive.

 

Uruha: Dangerous!

 

- How about Reita-kun?

 

Reita: When I drive my car or ride my bike. … … Well, I don’t really use it (for songs), so I should change my way of doing it, shouldn’t I?

 

All: hahahahahahaha (roar of laughter)

 

Reita: I want to ask that question, too (laughs)

 

Kai: It also does not apply to my much (laughs), but in any case it would be something like watching a movie.

 

Reita: By the way, what did you watch, when you made the rhythms to those last three songs?

 

Ruki: It must have been a foreign movie, wasn’t it?

 

Kai: (laughs)

 

Q: Please describe the single coming out in fall in one word please.

 

Aoi: [Lazily]

 

- Please do it with a more precise word.

 

Ruki: It would be “Bare Soul”, wouldn’t it? More than just anger, it’s a forceful thing….and “abhorrence”.

 

Uruha: There is anger and also sorrow.

 

- And lastly, please let us hear what thoughts are behind the tour title [From the Distorted City]!

 

Ruki: Translated directly, it means [(Greetings sent) from the distorted city], however, this is not meant to be a fictional place, it is the where we are right now. Not even in a weird way, it’s a message sent from here, with an emotional meaning. I would like to enjoy the tour.

Zdroj:https://kiniro-ageha.livejournal.com/6643.html