[TRANS] ONE OK ROCK Rolling Stone March 2015 Interview PART 1
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: (SOURCE)
日本 - 中文 translation by: 沈哂哂 (SOURCE)
中文- ENG translation by: @ jiashuais
RS: This year is the 10th anniversary of the band since it was formed (interview is in 2015). Being the band’s founder, and leader at the same time, what are your feelings about this Toru?
TORU: Time went by so fast! But the members now, compared to when the band just formed during high school are completely different. I think Tomoya became a member from around 8 years ago?
TOMOYA: Yeah, it was after a year when the band was formed that I joined.
TAKA: In fact, it was only when Tomoya joined the band that we truly began to do activities.
RS: Well, the journey for these 10 years that passed by, are there any meaningful feelings about it?
TAKA: Yes. A member dropped out midway when the band has just started, it was really very unstable. And even though we’ve already released a CD that time, it actually felt more like a warm-up exercise before a long run.
RS: I see. First of all, let’s talk about how each one of you were exposed to rock music.
TAKA: I think the band that inspired me to do it was RIZE. I was able to meet Akkun (Nobuaki Kaneko) through an introduction by a friend in Shibuya. Days later on, he invited me to watch them live. Before this I only listened to J-pop. So when I saw their live I was hit by a very strong shock wave. After I went home, I didn’t go out for a very long time. I locked myself up in the room.
RS: A (post-concert) withdrawal syndrome?
TAKA: Yeah, my condition was kinda like that. Watching RIZE live really gave me a shock, the feeling was beyond the scope of my knowledge. In my mind, whether it’s a singing performance or an artistic performance, everyone should be doing it on a big stage, it has already become a fixed assumption for me. And that time, RIZE was performing on this really small stage in Yokohama, but even though the venue was very cramped like that, the fans were very passionate. The essence of the lyrics JESSE was singing also stunned me, and moved me so much. Even if the stage and the venue were small, it’s still a way of passing the art. The impact of such a small stage was immeasurable. Ah, I really wanted to form a band. I guess from then on, it dawned on me that this really is rock. It turns out that Toru was also listening to RIZE and other overseas band that time, and he was starting to form his own band. I was also in a karaoke style, senseless (no direction) three-man band.
TAKA: It seems like Toru came to see us, then later on invited me to be their vocalist.
RS: Toru you were a dancer before?
TORU: That’s right. Together with Ryota. Actually, I did not listen to rock before, as nobody around (me) was into that kind of music. I only began to really listen to rock when I was preparing to form a band. That time, I was just starting to watch lives of bands like RIZE and it gave me a rush. I got really excited, so I quickly made my own band. Although I was able to gather the members right away, our vocals are somewhat lacking, it even came to a point where I asked a friend, “Who is absent today?” I just had this feeling of someone not being here. And then later on, I met Taka by chance. But the time from when I was exposed to rock music to when I formed the band was extremely short. Listening to it has influenced me to quickly made a band, so I thought that we will surely face challenges.
RS: Ryota and Toru were together in a dance group before?
RYOTA: I was in a dance group with Toru from when we were in grade school (Ryota is considered a senpai at this), since then we were together forever (laughs). We moved from Osaka to Tokyo together, dorm life also together. It was probably during high school when Toru got really addicted in rock music, however, I didn’t have the slightest interest in it that time. There was once when Toru invited me to watch them at the cultural festival because they were singing RIZE songs. Still, I was anything but interested.
RYOTA: It’s just that, those girls at the side were screaming loudly, so I thought it was somewhat fun (laughs). Not long after, Toru came to my dorm room again, “Bass guy quit, Ryota you do it.” Even though I’ve never heard of rock all my life till that day. Because I was told, I said “Okay, I’ll do it”, just like that. But when I joined I still didn’t feel anything, then suddenly he told me, “Because the studio was already booked for rehearsal, you need to memorize these Good Charlotte songs before that day.” It was really stupid; it was not fun at all.
Everyone: (explosive laughter)
RS: Those were difficult times.
RYOTA: Indeed. I’ve always been dancing since I was young, there were times when I got really tired, especially in thinking about the future that is full of uncertainty……
TORU: Moving to Tokyo was a good thing, but if I’d still remain the same way as how I was and without any improvement then I thought I have no choice but to go back to Osaka. Therefore, I could only hope to explore something new. However, those things I could never do on my own. So I looked for someone who was most familiar to do it with me and it was Ryota.
RS: So you dragged him with you (laughs).
RYOTA: Actually, even until now it’s still fresh in my memory. The topics that we discussed in the company office were all things related to the band. Not only that, we also talked about the possibility of being kicked out from the (Amuse) dormitory, so then we would have no choice but return to Osaka. These were the kind of conversations I had with Toru, on the night of that very same day on the rooftop, I think I was also crying.
TORU: Yeah we did! We had small rooftop meetings (laughs).
RYOTA: Toru was basically, “What should we do? I don’t wanna go back.” And so on. Then I was like, “Wow?!”, “Eh?! Seriously, a band?!” (laughs).
TORU: That time (he) still can’t play the guitar, I don’t know where to start.
RYOTA: Toru also said, “Those two guys* does not have a new home, they’re just staying here temporarily and that’s not really good.” He said this without a hint of being discouraged at all. So I told him: “In that case Toru, let’s hope it will go well. Okay, I’ll go prepare myself.”
T/N: The guys Toru was referring is them.
RS: The last member who joined was Tomoya, and also the oldest. What were you doing prior to joining the band?
TOMOYA: That’s right. The first time I saw them I felt that everyone was very passionate. I was able to fit in right away, so I was really happy. Actually, I was already a drummer of another band then, but that time we were already shaky and facing a lot of problems. Also if I promised to drop by the next time, everyone is present! This got me so conflicted (about leaving my old band for them). Why is it that when I’m with the guys, they have the ability to make it not hard for me to open up?
TORU: That I know for sure! (laughs)
RYOTA: (In truth) rather, Taka said, “Leave it to me, I will definitely pull him in.”
TORU: We used the method of “eating” to catch the prey.
RS: What did you guys eat?
TORU: Seize him through the stomach.
TOMOYA: At that time, I was really, really poor. After our meeting, everyone said they want to go out for dinner. I haven’t eaten rice meals for a while then, but I didn’t have much money with me. We finally went to a cafe, as I sat down and looked at the menu, I saw that their orange juice costs 500 Yen. I instantly thought “Oh, this is bad.”, I felt like crap really. I could only weakly say, “I’ll just have water.” Then Taka said, “I’ll treat you.”
TOMOYA: Because that day I was very hungry, so I said without hesitation, “Is that okay?” Taka really treated me to steak and orange juice.
TOMOYA: No. I did not make a decision that quickly (laughs).
TORU: After that we went bowling, then somehow when we were done playing we ended up at Taka’s.
RYOTA: Taka said something like, “Play a bit for us.”
TOMOYA: Taka’s place even had electronic drums. So I played, after my little moment I heard them cheering.
TAKA: Bam! The second he hit those drums you can really feel the brilliance, couldn’t help but give a thumbs up. There you go! (laughs)
RS: From the very beginning when the band members gathered together, the ultimate goal was the world right? Until the end of the 20th century, rock music has always been low-key from west to east, to come out of Japan and to fight the level of those bands from the world, it truly is a dream. At the start of 2000s, the internet has spread extensively, and there is finally fair competition between bands. To aim for the world, where do you get your confidence and vision?
TAKA: It’s because Toru was very strong and unyielding. I also want to put out good music, so I went to Toru’s dorm where we would record and compose songs together, the West became our reference, particularly American bands. At that time, I only know a few bands, so I kept on downloading all of the songs in Toru’s computer, my iTunes didn’t have enough memory. After everyone shared their music with each other, we felt that the Japanese style of music seems to be lacking. We wanted to know where this cool music came from, and how they can easily transfer the emotions in their songs to their lives. Then it turned to desire of going to those places, and if possible do lives like those bands. So with this band, we really wanted to go to America. Toru and I went to buy plane tickets; we were flying to New York without any plans.
TAKA: No, to try our luck there. But we don’t have a visa, it really was silly, there’s school and then there’s our company. We got our tickets, but they were cancelled eventually.
TORU: We didn’t even get a refund; ah it was just really absurd.
TAKA: Yeah, and we even have the audacity for misplaced anger.
TORU: Right, and all that money that were gone in a flash.
TAKA: After that we no longer fully trusted the company and even the adults. How should I word this, I think that time we were like brats. And felt like everyone who tried to get in our way are considered enemies (laughs). At that point, I already don’t want to do with anything related to the so-called J-pop. I mean, I’ve already seen all those things. I’ve become more and more inclined to the West. And there’s also that incident.
RS: The world of J-pop is too much trouble (laughs).
TAKA: Yeah. The Japanese music industry is so confined. Looking at all those documentaries of American bands, whether they’re just speaking or doing something else, they have so much freedom. Band = life, as long as the band exists, we will never stop living. We just wish to go to America to develop our band and they did not allow us. “What nonsense is this?”, we were mocked like that. We didn’t have the right to raise questions about the system of the Japanese music industry. We only have to become even more powerful so that others would have nothing to say.
RS: With what you said, driving the Japanese system to be like the mainstream music seems to be the easiest route, but if you’re really set on breaking stereotypes, then you must enjoy it, and at the same time, understand the huge risks that comes with it, being prepared always is a must.
TAKA: Taking it from my, Toru and Ryota’s standpoint; they started since grade school, me during first year of junior high, we’ve went through so much trauma in that kind of system. You can say forming a band was a way to break away from that past. What we refer to as the so-called entertainment industry, what kind of place is that exactly? At a very early age, how many would be able to understand how it works? Because of this, I’m all the more convinced of the possibility of us going against it. Even if it has nothing to do with the topic, but I still want to say this, although bribing people with dinners just to get them to join the band is considered dirty, but from the start I’ve always believed that we would always be together and could go a long way. We also encouraged one another, if we did not, then no matter how much we try to pull other people in, they would ultimately withdraw, and we’d disband. As a leader, anyone with eyes can see Toru’s efforts and hard work. So, isn’t that great?
RS: Then what about you Ryota?
RYOTA: Now, I can still recall a lot of things. I, I’ve always…I feel like I have to keep up with them. What Taka and Toru said, I can totally feel their sentiments. I also want to go overseas to give it a try, and they always have my complete trust. If those two would say something, then it will definitely not go wrong.
TOMOYA: I really like this band, it’s amazing. It was my dream to be in a band where we could break the world together. Finally meeting the members together to become partners of our life’s greatest undertaking, it feels like we’re destined to entrust one another even more than our lives. There is a powerful force, it guides us ahead of our feelings.
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