Saying
that can make you feel some dignity, I suppose.
It wasn’t spontaneous that you stood on the stage of Tokyo Dome but
you earned
it by playing
other big venues before.
That’s
right. That’s the case I think.
Now
that I think about it, there are many people who think that Budoukan
is small too, right?
It
was small, right? The venue that felt the
biggest
until now was Shibuya AX (lol). Because it was the first time we
experienced a live in
that dimension
and it felt really wide! It was like ‘Why
here? “Why that many people?’(lol).
It
was fresh, wasn’t it? (lol) I’ll come
back
to talking
about Tokyo
Dome but how was the live itself?
We
didn’t feel the scope
much but
I think we were able to release the GazettE as always. We weren’t
intimidated
at all by
Tokyo Dome. After the live started I even forgot that it was Tokyo
Dome. I just thought that it’s the tour final or something like
that. There were no strong feelings about Tokyo Dome.
Even
though it was the place you had
been aiming
for
since childhood, when you stood there yourself, it was
kind of different, right?
Yeah,
it's strange though.
If
musicians stand on stage nothing matters anymore, whether
live house, arena, Japan or oversea. Thats’s
pretty common.
Yeah.
Because
I'm always behind the drum set, the space Ihave
doesn't change, right? There's no room
to run around and also no stage passage. Especially since I started
to pile up (more equipment), right? I ended up with a space where
even if I close my eyes I'm still able to hit the drums (lol).
Somehow
relieving, somehow lonely (lol). If you're summarizing the Tokyo Dome
live, there were many things that happened on the journey
towards it but
is it okay to think that the live isn't negated by them?
It
is. Not just for me, all the members
have absolutely no impression that the live itself was
negated.
Personally
I'm really happy that I was able to see a typical the GazettE live in
Tokyo Dome. I had goosebumps when ‚DIM SCENE‘ started to play and
I think I won't forget that feeling in
all my lifetime.
Ahaha!
I'm happy (lol). After Tokyo Dome was over, as expected I was saved
by the voices of the fans. I was simply happy, wasn't I? We were told
things like ‚You came so
far?‘,
or ‚ I’ve
been
following the GazettE for so many years now, I'm so happy!‘. Those
words really saved me. In this respect Tokyo Dome was a really great
live I think.
I'm
relieved to hear that.
It
was
in
another magazine but Ruki-san was interviewed right after Tokyo Dome,
right? At that time, Ruki said: ‚When we did the live in Tokyo
Dome, we noticed many things‘ How do
you think
about that?
I
think he meant that we had
just been
looking
upwards until then. Whenever
we released an album, we would
go on
tour and talk about where our final should be, we were
always
aiming to reach
one step higher than before, right? If you think like that Tokyo Dome
would be the biggest live house you could aim for, right? Especially
because Tokyo Dome was our dream and
afterwards
we started to think about where we should head from now on. But it
was
easy
to
turn back to the past, while
we listened to everything everyone had to say. In conclusion we
wanted to pursue the real joy of the GazettE, with this goal
in mind
everyone changed. If just one person had
not turned
into that same
direction, the whole band would have
been in an tenuous situation, I think. But
that
never happened. I just
snapped, and reached my goal, Tokyo Dome.
It took about 8
years until
then,
I think, but the change just naturally happened. Even though we
didn't talk about it,
at that time either,
we walked those steps in unison after
all.
That’s
the magic of ‘The
GazettE magic‘, you're in a great condition, right?
Exactly
(lol). Afterwards we immediately went
through
selecting
songs
again,
but all the songs we brought were nostalgic! (lol) When we listened
to what
everyone
had
created, we remembered many things from the past. We said a lot of
things like ‘ahh, this chord process is nostalgic’ or ‘this
texture is super nostalgic” (lol). That
made me remember that
everyone
in the band has the same feelings. As
expected of the main producer, Ruki, he showed us that he was looking
one step ahead. This one was really good. It combined
the awesomeness of bands from the past with
looking ahead
into
the future.
That was “VORTEX.”
You
didn’t go with the phrases “back to the roots” and “nostalgia
for the good old days”. Instead,
the right answer was to walk a new path, right?
Exactly.
That’s Rukis strength, isn’t it?
After
Tokyo Dome you had the two sided tour ABYSS/LUCY, then VORTEX was
released in
2011 “TOXIC” which was an album that expressed
the GazettE’s aggressiveness.
For
ABYSS/LUCY we decided to do a 2 days
FC tour in spring 2011, right? We thought the
concept
would be more interesting if we did
2 days.
Then we decided to do lives that
are the polar opposites of each other.
That means we wanted to show our FC members something they usually
wouldn't be able to see, and it hadn’t had such a deep meaning
first.
But
I have the feeling that such extreme lives have a great meaning for
the band.
That’s
right. When I did ABYSS, I had a lot of songs where I thought, ‘Ahh,
If you play them now, they’ll sound like that, huh’. Besides, I
thought that the GazettE is valued for the aggressive parts but I
also understood that everyone likes the emotional parts too. In that
sense, the tour was really successful.
ABYSS/
LUCY also had a connection to the latest album DIVISION, right? I
think the GazettE is a band that won’t let anything end idly.
Yeah.
We don’t do things that aren’t connected to
each other,
right? It’s the same as the conversation
about the recording we had earlier, there are many things you
wouldn’t know until you tried
them. Once
you do
it yourself, you really
understand
them,
use them and proceed and repeat that. It’s just a natural flow that
DIVISION is also connected to ABYSS/LUCY.
Before
we talk about DIVISION, how was the previous album TOXIC?
If
I think about the feelings, TOXIC and VORTEX were exactly the same,
right? It was fun, not being tied to anything, but being able act
freely. Thanks
to that,
which
it
turned into an album that
had a great feeling
of freedom to
it!
We didn’t aim for anything
specific but just like always, we had a certain amount of singing,
songs
to go wild to…
with that
balance
it turned into quite
an aggressive album.
The
tour for TOXIC was an aggressive and artistic one,
and I got the impression that you directly shaped what you really
wanted to do.
The
tour at that time had an open feeling too. That’s why we had a lot
of things we turned our attention to. For me that was the sound,
right? For me it was a big thing to concentrate on my sound and on
improving
it. I’m
convinced that
if we were
to
meet again in 5 years for an interview, this topic will come up
again.
Thanks
to the
experiences we’ve
gained until now, we didn’t just
“try” to
change,
we did
“change”.
It was the first time that I had
changed
something based on the future. The
result
was
great
and made the tour really satisfying. When I saw the live DVD I also
felt that myself. I thought that the sound had
improved.
Even
now, where nearly 10 years have passed, you still
have
that affronting
posture that brings great results, right? After the tour for TOXIC
was over, you released the new album DIVISION this year in August.
Of
course we talked about the
next
year during the TOXIC
tour. In
that conversation Ruki told us that he had doubts about releasing
another single, the reason being that we thought an album
would offer deeper content. Besides, after releasing something we
usually
want to go on tour but if we just created
a single there would only
be
3 new songs. A
tour like
that
wouldn’t be much different than the previous tour. For showing
everyone the current the GazettE an album would be the best!
You’re
really hard
to deal with, right?
Ahaha.
Well we did
the talk about doing a mini album but everyone was a little hesitant
about that. When Ruki proposed to make two
mini albums into one, everyone went like ‘That’s it, that’s
it!” (lol).
You
took that step in unison too, right? (lol) DIVISION was
split into two
groups (the first press limited edition), but how did you decide to
separate them?
Until
then I still had just one drum! (lol) In the beginning we had the
singing and the
aggressive
songs.
We made those
our sound source, went on tour with them
and so on. If
we think about our live flow until then, we really
couldn't think about doing just
5 melodious songs, right? At that time we remembered ABYSS/LUCY. We
were able to create such diverse
lives because
of the two days played.
Had we played just one, it would
have felt
halfhearted,
right? So when we thought about how to separate the songs
into groups,
the next that happened was TOXIC. TOXIC started with VORTEX, but it
was already
a
step ahead of VORTEX too.
We talked about releasing more songs like that. That's
where
the first CD was decided on.
Based on that, we had to release a new the GazettE for the second CD.
If
we
wouldn’t
do that we weren’t
going
to turn into a
new direction. And
with
those turns and twists we decided to really
go for that style.
While
separating it into disc 1 with melodious and luxurious,
and disc 2 with aggressive and digitally
produced
songs, those two disc still
have
links to each other which makes it exquisite.
I
know right? This is no advertisement but if you didn’t listen to
the first press limited album, which is separated into 2 parts, there
is no meaning? The first press limited version conveys our current
self completely. Not just with the two faces but also the artwork and
the booklet. It was RUKI who thought about that too but even the
other members
were getting behind
the intention in the progress. I think you’ll know why we separated
it into 2 parts if you
buy the first press limited. You know, I want you to buy the first
press at all costs (lol).
I
understand that very well. Although it’s 2 parts, both are intended
to be independent and in the process of completing them you were
especially careful about that.
I
think that’s because we already had some kind of balance in our
heads
when we chose the songs. That’s why, even
after
the separation, the
album had a
really great structure.
As
expected. Could you give us one
song of
DIVISION
that gives you
a strong impression?
From
disc 1, it’s IBITSU, isn’t it? Because that was also our starting
point. Out
of all the songs on DIVISION,
that songs feels best to play. The
idea of it
already existed
at
the time of REMEMBER THE URGE and it’s
a song with a lot of emotional attachment. To live in the same
generation as we do, to love music, and as people who started a band
together, this song just grabs the heart, I think. I’m really happy
we’re able to perform such a song. To
young people who
listen to it
now, it might sound old or it might feel fresh, I don’t really
know. But I think that it’s
a
wonderful song
and that it
pushes me to convey
the greatness and coolness of this world. It’s presumptuous though.
Why I’m saying this is because it is typical for the GazettE but I
don’t want you to think of
the band right away when you listen to it. I
rather
want to convey that Visual Kei means that such a coolness has
already been
present
since former times. I like IBITSU because it makes you feel exactly
that.
I
think it’s really important to have the consciousness to express
the following: On disc 1 there’s
KAGO NO SANAGI which was written by Kai-san, right?
Yes.
It’s
been a while since Kai-san wrote a song, right?
I
always bring songs though (lol). Fans often tell me to ‘write more
songs’ or things like
that
but
well, I do bring them! (lol) That’s why I’m really happy that
KAGO NO SANAGI was included. Lately, even if I was able to feel some
response from
the members, the song still wouldn’t get picked
during song collections meetings. In the past I didn’t look
confident while everyone was listening to the song and while I
secretly thought that the song is good, I remember the pleasure when
it got
approved in
the end
(lol). When I brought this song, it was pretty low quality compared
to the demos the others
had
brought with them but I thought maybe it conveys the atmosphere
nonetheless. Whether it was the process of the chords, the atmosphere
of the song or the structure, if just
one
member
had been
pulled in by one of these, I would have been really lucky- that’s
how I felt. And then, when they heard this song, when they heard my
song
they became silent… that was a really rare picture for me (lol). I
was like: ‘huh? Won’t you say anything to me?’(lol) Even though
they’re usually chuckling, they just kept silent and listened.
That’s why I thought ‘maybe…?’. So
we talked about it and the conclusion was that the song really wasn’t
bad and that made my doubts pass
(lol)
It’s
a great emotional song and grew into the role of the hook of disc 1,
right?
Really?
I don#t really know (lol). I’m often told that the chords I create
are strange, though. But I think that song was difficult for
everyone. From the demo onward the arrangement was pretty strange,
but thanks to everyone’s help we were able to complete it in a good
way, weren’t
we?
I’m
expecting your
next songs too. How is disc 2?
Disc
2 is more… there are many things but what should I say…One
particular song that leaves an
impression is DERANGEMENT, I guess? It’s an enthusiastic song and
has something like a ‘constant fun kind
of feeling to it.
It’s rare for the GazettE to
do things such
as
changing the rhythm to match the song development. That’s why this
song leaves a strong impression, right? There are many more things
about this song though.
Aren’t
there many songs on disc 2 that
are difficult for
the drums?
There
are. It was the first time we included so many loop beats throughout
the whole album, right? Until now, we’ve
had songs like
FILTH IN THE BEAUTY where
the loop is just in the background and the band is in front. This
time, it was exactly like
that too!
We have quite a lot of songs where the
beat
pattern is made out
of loops and raw drums. To tell the truth, I still don't have the
confidence to reproduce that properly during the lives. In regard to
that, I have one personal goal for this tour, and
I'm
really sorry for the fans, but I think I'll tone
down
the wild actions during the live a little. Being
able to hit the drums without hurting the body is connected to
hitting the exact rhythm synchronously
with the loop. I’ve
always
left this part out
until now! Despite the fact that you shouldn't leave parts out
as a drummer. It‘s a good opportunity
for me to
try it, because
you can‘t hit the drums without shifting so you’re
always making
a big show but there’s
is difference
between that show and being able to do big hits (on the drums).
For
that purpose I‘m building up my lower
body right now.
Is
it necessary to work out? Usually you'd think hitting
the drums would use more body strength, right?
No,
how should I say that… It's really easy to understand, I say it
simply. Are you right handed?
I
am.
Can
you throw a ball with one hand like with the other?
I
can't.
It's
the feeling to try to be able to do exactly this! The point is, my
right leg has
always been my priority until now,
my upper half is also moving as if it's cheating. I don't know if you
can call it cheating because it also creates a rhythm at
the same time.
I want to correct that. It's kind of ridiculous to talk about it!
I've
been hitting
the drums for half my life now and always had that kind of playing
style.
That‘s why it‘s impossible to suddenly be able to use the left as
well as the right, so
I‘m starting from the beginning again. I’ve
been playing Luna
Sea’s JESUS and
also
other
song
with
my
left hand for
some time now.
In doing this I returned to the beginning, doing everything I always
did with the right with the left. I think it will take a few years
but I do
want
to pursue it. I have more
knowledge
about drums now so it is different from the past but because
I use
my right hand only,
my left hand also improved. That‘s why I‘m convinced that it‘s
efficient but nothing you‘ll accomplish in 2 or 3 months.
That
surprises me a lot. Even if you don't change the form, for you, who
achieves
so much, to go
that far...
That's
the price for skipping (lol). We'll
be
performing the songs from DIVISION on tour soon, won’t
we? I don't want the audience
to feel that I’ve
had
difficulty! At lives people who never look at the drums… for
example other member’s fans, they
are always watching the person they like. But the sound of the drums
just naturally enters the ear and it’s
comfortable because it doesn't disturb
the rhythm so
you
can enjoy the live, right? If I say it like that, isn‘t
that a ‚zero condition‘ for the listeners?
I
want the songs from DIVISION to reach that far too, but that zero is
quite high at
the moment.
When my drums join the loop beat it doesn’t waver at all so they
would notice. It wouldn’t be good if the fans felt odd without
knowing the reason.
When I thought about how I could avoid that,
I
realized
that I have to correct myself.
Stoic
as ever, aren't you? Not running from the problems but to confront
them is something I really respect.
Thank
you very much. But that's also connected to improving the skills as a
drummer, and because it's definitely something crucial
for the GazettE. I'm practicing without giving up. It‘s just, like
I said earlier, to master that, I think it will take years. That‘s
why for
now,
I want to reach as far as I can until the tour starts. I‘m
practicing 6 days a week alone.
Eh?
6 days a week?!...I don't have words for this anymore. Please be
careful to not destroy your health, okay? I'm returning to the topic
of
the GazettE but after 10 years, what is the GazettE aiming for from
now on?
Hmm...I
think that many people say that about the GazettE but we
really are
a haphazard band! In a really good way.
If something comes up that we want to do we won’t feel relieved
until
we try it, right? Furthermore, with the experience we have gathered
until
now, we're confident that after trying something new,
the next thing to do will come up automatically.
We’ve
already decided on
most
of next years activities and it
was either our
manager or someone else
who
wrote „Song production" into
our schedule. I doubt
that
anyone
will write a
single
song though. When
the next thing we want to do comes up but
we
haven’t
experience it yet,
we won‘t be able to produce songs for
it.
That‘s why even when
you ask me what we‘re aiming for next, the
truth
is, I really can‘t say anything (lol).
Oh-Okay
(lol). It’s
just
that
top
bands
that just
surpassed the 10 year mark
usually calm down with the
releases
and other activities, don’t they? The GazettE didn’t show any
signs of doing so and I get the feeling that you’re creating a new
image of a top band.
I
wonder. I have
always
loved
lives since the past and lives are everything for me. I’m sorry but
whether it’s photo
shootings,
interviews or recordings,
everything's connected to lives in a good way so I enjoy
doing them.
I
think that’s probably the same for all the members!
That’s why I want to have energetic lives
from now on too and like I said earlier, to have the ideal live, new
songs are necessary.
In that sense, I think that the GazettE won’t change its pace from
now on either.