Translation of the ONE OK ROCK members’ birthday wishes for Toru 2020
It’s a long post because of the pics so I’m inserting a read-more here! Translations under the cut. :)
Taka (x)
“Happy birthday @toru_10969
You’re 32 years old now! Lol
My first Instagram post in a long time is Toru’s birthday photo! Lol
It’s the best! Lol
And as always, I’m grateful!
Thank you for your support, now and in the future! Congratulations!! Leader!!
Ah, you guys. It's been a while! 🤘🏻”
From the comment section:
“We’re working on the album. 👍”
“Thank youuu!! 😜“
Ryota (x)
“Toru, Happy Birthday 🎁🎈🎂🎊
You’re pretty cool usually but...I like the Toru who goes wild once in a while 😂
Thank you always!”
From the comment section:
“Thank you!! Stop that editing lol”
Tomoya (x)
“Toru, congratulations 🎂
Our riliable leader 🤨
Thank you always 🌈
Even at 32 years old, have fun like Toru usually does ✨🕊️”
From the comment section:
“Thank you for the present[s]~ 😎“
Toru (x)
“I turned 32 years old. Thanks again to the best family for congratulating me!!
This year, Tomoya prepared a surprise cake the day before (on Uber Eats lol) and made a handwritten meal voucher. Thanks a lot! Looking forward to the presents from the other two as well 🧐
It’s a shame that this year, the time I would tour every year and the place I could enjoy music together with everyone was snatched away from me. Next year, I want to light up this suffocating world with more music. Be sure to meet at a venue next year! Look forward to it 😎”
MUSICA March 2013: “ONE OK ROCK, ‘Jinsei×Boku＝’ Individual Member Interview” Part 1: Toru
I figured that unlike the magazine interview translations I did in the past, I would post this one in parts since I can only work on it whenever I happen to have some free time between classes and assignments. I’m sorry if this somehow ruins the reading flow for some of you, but I decided that this is the best option, or at least that I prefer doing it this way rather than having an unfinished translation rest in my folder until spring break (plus I got the impression that this is the common method with individual interviews upon looking at how other translators did it). Hope you enjoy reading nonetheless! :)
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native, therefore there might be translation errors in this as well as unnatural grammatical structures. For that reason, please refrain from retranslating into other languages as well.
Picture source: My own MUSICA magazine copy
▶ Leader, your awesome album is completed now, but for the interview I want to start with you.
“Really?! Thanks for having me.”
▶ I got to listen to a couple of songs that had not gone through mixing and mastering yet which keenly made me feel like this would become a very outstanding album in the end. What led to that?
“This time, around 2 years ago, we created an environment for ourselves where we could record over a long time span, because of that we were able to use that time efficiently… Especially the fact that we were able to create a rich production with engineers from overseas, that was the greatest thing, I think. The engineers that we asked this time were involved in making the music that we longed for and always listened to, so in a way they were also the ones who presented the musicality that we are aiming for. For that reason I was sure that we had something in common and requested them [to work with us], thinking they could certainly lead us to the sound that we are aiming for.”
▶ Did you make a specific order to, for example, John (Feldmann) or Chu (Madsen) to “finish it like this”, or did you tell them to do as they please, which one was it?
“We told them our requests to some extent, but we were also excited to see how our songs would be returned to us. This time, it was like asking for their help on the basis of their accumulated preferences and all the things we have created so far.”
▶ But I don’t think that it’s all thanks to the mixers and engineers who made American rock that this work turned out the way it did. For example, not every Japanese player can become a pro only by throwing a major league baseball. After all, I think it was the music that was suitable for them to choose from as well as the membership that applies to ONE OK ROCK that led to this work turning out the way it did. When Toru made this album, what did you want to focus on when you started?
“With ‘Niche Syndrome’ and ‘Zankyo Reference’, we’ve done a lot of things by trying stuff we’ve been wanting to try since the beginning and working out our direction as ONE OK ROCK, but in order to continue from there, I strongly felt like I wanted to do something new. Whatever we do now, I am confident that it will have the sound of ONE OK ROCK, and if we don’t try new things now I think we will become unable to do them in the future, so by putting them into a work now, I thought that our band image in 10 years would change too.”
▶ Now is seriously an important time period, isn’t it. So in the end, 3 of the songs you wrote were included in the album. “Ending Story??”, “Clock Strikes” and “Smiling down”. Each of them being a very different type of song, especially “Ending Story??” and “Smiling down” are placed in very important spots of the album tracklist.
“When I started writing the songs, I had to stop many times over because I happened to feel similar to when I was writing songs in the past and last year, I was in a state of exploring various things within myself. However, when new songs like ‘Deeper Deeper’ came from Ryota and Tomoya, I tried to get rid of all the stereotypes I had until then, and as I had my breakthrough, these songs were born.”
▶ Actually, from Ryota I heard that this time you submitted demos that were already at a stage close to perfection, how did you feel about making them at that point?
“Even though they were only demos, when I was trying to do something new, I thought that the members wouldn’t be convinced if they couldn’t properly see the colours of those songs. For that reason, I only wanted them to listen once I had packed as much detail into the songs as possible. Being able to do it in such a way was also my own personal growth, and I feel like it’s become easier to share the image of a song with the members now even when I’m still in the process of making it.”
▶ As a person who is no vocalist and does not write songs centred around singing melodies, I think Toru established a unique style when it comes to presenting his songs to the band. I want to ask some concrete questions regarding those very songs. First of all, “Ending Story??” which can be said to be the actual first song after the introduction track. It’s a very dramatic song that fits the top of the album.
“That’s right. For me, it’s a song I made with the idea that the members too would think it’s something new. I thought this wasn’t a song I could make in a normal session, so starting with the synth I put everything in and finished a demo focusing on the tone.”
▶ The difference between this time’s album and “Niche Syndrome” and “Zankyo Reference” is clearly shown in this song. The first songs so far were beat rock...for example the one on the previous album, “LOST AND FOUND”. So the difference to that [album] was shown with just this one song.
“Before that there was ‘Never Let This Go’ on ‘Niche Syndrome’ and ‘LOST AND FOUND’ on ‘Zankyo Reference’, at that time those two songs were our royal road. However, I got tired of making such a royal road-song the first one on the album this time. I also thought that people would not look back on the first song when listening [to the album] if I didn't add some new elements, therefore I wondered if I could come up with a new ONE OK ROCK colour if I focused on synths. I also want us to be a band that does such kinds of new things naturally. We wanted to show that we’re not just playing in the small world of Loud Rock.”
▶ That’s a clear statement. Next, “Clock Strikes”. From what kind of place was this song born?
“When I made the demo for ‘Clock Strikes’, many of my other songs felt rather dark for some reason. Our vocalist seemed to only make ballads at that time, so I felt a little alone those days (laughs). For that reason, I wished for a song with a wide band sound and wide chorus and wondered if I should write it (laughs).”
▶ To put it the other way around, the feeling of your royal road should be renewed with this one.
“Yes. That’s why the moment I had the melody, I thought, ‘that’s it!’. From there on, changing the cords to match the melody made me feel really good, so we immediately decided on the arrangement with everyone in the studio and put it together. For that reason, the liveliness and momentum of us all working together in that place was flowing into the music too, and I wonder if that opened up the sound as well. It’s a very important song in the sense that it made me break free from a situation where I was only writing dark songs.”
▶ Another song is “Smiling down”. That one is an extraordinarily ground-breaking song I think since it’s like a Loud Ballad Walz, something completely different and new.
“That’s right (laughs). It’s a super dark song that I made in the aforementioned time period where I wrote nothing but dark songs. Originally, it was a song that spread from the guitar’s arpeggio, but rather than doing something half-hearted, I added piano and synths and made the song wondering if I should try to shake free from taking the plunge into the dark world...I haven’t made many songs of that type so far, so there was also this feeling inside me that I wanted to give it a try. However, I wondered if what’s on the album would still be sufficient if a song with this sort of atmosphere was added, I couldn’t imagine what would happen until the very end. I had a clear image for the sound, but the vocal melody changed around 3 to 4 times from the original demo. Along with the anxiety of whether what we came up with was good, it’s a song that worried me until the last minute, hoping that we would be able to reach a new place. But when the vocals were added eventually and the colour of the song came through properly, I think we also came to a deeper understanding of the song.”
▶ I think this song is in no way a pop song. But it’s one of the most effective songs on the album. As Toru said, it’s a crystal-like song that clearly challenged the band as a whole in an aggressive manner and sought new things.
“Thank you so much. But regarding ‘Clock Strikes’ and ‘Smiling down’, at first I could not imagine what kind of position they would have on the album at all (laughs).”
▶ But still, the three songs that Toru made this time are “Ending Story??” that set the world view of this time’s album, “Smiling down” that clearly shows that the band is moving into a new and deep direction as well as the band’s sense of speed, while “Clock Strikes” feels balanced which is necessary to clearly show the groove while giving the feel of the royal road. These songs very much cover the key points. I thought that Toru’s sense of balance, which allows him to make such songs, is also the core of this album.
“No, no, it’s not like that. From my point of view, the core song of the album was already made in the beginning stage, and because of that I was able to pursue a different direction.”
▶ Which song would that be for example?
“‘Be the light’. That one truly is a majestic song.”
▶ It’s a song that really shows Taka’s desire to make ballads, isn’t it?
“That’s right. When I first listened to the song, I felt like our next album would lean towards American rock and that there might be more middle-tempo songs. Also, unlike our ballads and middle-tempo songs so far, I had the impression that this one had a somewhat mature feel to it and that it wouldn’t be strange for a veteran to play it. There were some other songs that I was sure were the same, so I thought I too would boldly try many things myself.”
▶ From here on, I would like to talk as a guitarist. I think the album this time is definitely a guitar album. What I mean by that is that it’s an album with far more sounds than your previous works; the album has synths, strings and sound effects, but I think the reason you were able to bring in that kind of sound is exactly because you turned into a band that can bring the guitar properly to the front. I think the reason why the rock sound is at such a world standard is because the guitar is ultimately coming. How aware are you of that?
“Actually, as I’m in a band, I realised this time that it’s surprisingly difficult to narrow down the part I wanted to show as a guitarist and the part I wanted to show as a songwriter. When it comes to songwriting, you first think about the story of the entire song, so if you were to try to make the guitar stand out, you wouldn’t be able to make something good in the end. However, as a guitarist I was conscious of how I could make my presence come out stronger when we went to the studio this time. So, as a guitarist I feel like I was able to swiftly run this time.”
▶ This may be an extreme analogy, but I feel like songwriting is somehow like French food. The dish is complete with various things on the plate, and the sauce that you put on it is as important as the arrangement. Furthermore, the way you pour the sauce as a performance is very important too. In a sense, I think it’s a gesamtkunstwerk. However, I thought that guitar and drums were something like Ramen Jiro* (laughs). Of course, that one takes delicacy and time too, but it seems like it’s all about whether it has an impact or not.
(*T/N: A chain of ramen shops in Japan, apparently Ramen Jiro is known for its large portions and its distinctly flavored broth)
“Indeed (laughs). As a guitarist I want to play this phrase the most, but if I was to do that I might collide with other sounds and also interfere with the song, that balance is extremely difficult. However, from hereon it will definitely become necessary for the guitar, bass and drums to bring out the sound they respectively want to play so that the space of each person’s sound can be seen clearly. I think if we can do that, we can level up as a band.”
▶ As Toru is a guitarist, I think you’ve encountered conflicts and challenges all the time in ONE OK ROCK. You wanted to start a band, so you put it together as the leader. When the band found stability, you started thinking, “What am I as a guitarist?” and when Alex left you’ve been fighting the conflict of “What should I do?” and the pressure from those around you. After all that, you finally made it to this album now. But what happened, especially after “Zankyo Reference”? What do you think made you want to play this sound?
“As a person with a guitar, I really wanted to be able to fascinate people with just the sound. I wondered, do you make a song just be excellently playing the guitar instead of getting into the song? I wasn’t a guitar kid, I’ve only come to like the guitar more and more when I came to like music. That’s why, how do I say this, in the beginning there was ONE OK ROCK’s music, and playing the guitar that goes above that was the part that was very difficult (laughs).”
▶ But I was watching your Yokohama Arena Live DVD and I think the reason you were able to play at a venue of that scale is because you firmly showed your presence as a guitar rock band. So I just imagined that Toru might have struck himself with the determination that his guitar had to be one of the keys to being a rock band.
“I’m happy that we were able to play at such a big place like Yokohama Arena, but I totally wasn’t satisfied with those 2 days. While playing live, I felt like there must definitely be other things that I could show more of. In other words, I wondered if I hadn’t been recognised as a guitarist yet. Of course I think that I successfully established my role as ONE OK ROCK’s guitarist, but in what position do I stand as that? I felt like it would definitely be more fun if I enlarged the scale of the things I can express. That’s why I strongly felt like I had to become a guitarist who could play at the frontline. ...I thought I was only talking about this, but maybe those feelings were actually reflected in the songs for this time’s album too.”
▶ I think Toru is a person who always looks closely around himself and who has a sensuous understanding of how to apply what he is doing to that, and I think the same goes for your guitar playing. Even in this work, you’re strongly taking into consideration how a ballad song could get a more dynamic sound through your guitar playing, and for riff-heavy songs like “Deeper Deeper” you really come through. I think that according to the song, various looks are drawn with the sound of the guitar, so the guitar has begun to become an expression itself.
“No~, not yet, not yet, I’m still in the middle of climbing up. I’ve only just started, definitely. Otherwise I don’t think I could reach the place I want to go to from now on.”
▶ How did you perceive the changes and awakenings of the other members in this album as the leader?
“Tomoya and Ryota wrote the song called ‘Deeper Deeper’, so them being in a position now from where they submit songs is great. It was a song that opened up a new path for the band as well, so what those two gave us was huge.”
▶ And Taka?
“That guy was amazing. His melody lines are completely different from those in the past, it’s becoming more common for him to create something that is even wider and fresher. It’s almost like melodies that you can dance too, isn’t it?”
▶ That’s right, Taka’s melodies keep changing. Whether they be heavy or dark, they’re always thundering about. I guess they just remain rock'n'roll.
“That’s for sure. That very fact really got to shine as the sound of this time’s album, as melodies born exactly because of that sound. Besides, not only the melodies but also the members are boosting each other, there were many things instantly born from that circumstance this time. Having a lot of such experiences means that without mistaking, we are making something cool and good, and I think that’s because all the members are coming forward with new things. Fitting the album title just right, doesn’t it?”
▶ This album was made by you all imposing clear hurdles on your own, and I think you were able to experience many wonderful moments because you cleared them song by song.
“That’s right. Until now, I had been thinking, ‘Is it okay that we go this far?’, but this time, in a good way, I was able to work without thinking too deep about it, and I was convinced that if I could make something cool, it would be our music.”
▶ I think what makes you think that way is the self confidence you gained over these past 2 years of activities. What do you think Toru himself has gained confidence in?
“I’m actually still not that confident (laughs). However, I’ve always been able to surpass [myself], and I think it’s great that the moment a song was created by bringing various things to each member, I thought, ‘Oh, this is it’.”
▶ Please take on the arena tour with your head held high. Lastly, what do you think “LifexMe=*” is for you?
(*T/N: Translation of the album title 人生×僕=/JinseixBoku=)
“...Music and the band, yeah. Music is what I really value and love, and what I want to do is this band. I think that all of my life now is a combination of those two.”
Received photos of the EOTS booklet from my friend D (since I have yet to order my own copy haha) and to return the favour I summarised for her what the members were saying when they watched the DVD together (side note, as cute as I think the booklet is, I wish they would do this on video again like they did with Budokan waaaay back, actually seeing their reactions on screen was so nice). This is NOT a 1:1 translation but a summary of the highlights, so I felt free to paraphrase pretty much everything, please keep that in mind.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native
Photo kindly sent to me by my friend Artio
Eye of the Storm
gauze curtain was ordered from London, that sort of opening was something they always wanted to do
Taka took the video of his face for the opening animation himself
they comment on the fact that Ryota and Tomoya often coincidentally give the same answers in their individual interviews
the instrumentalists stood behind the curtain while the opening was playing which made them super nervous
Toru made lots of mistakes because it's dark behind the curtain
Taka also wanted to play EOTS overseas but their manager and members insisted they should spare it for the Japan tour
arrangement was changed so that the band sound would come through better
because of that, Toru got to play a lot
rearranging their songs takes a lot of time but other oversea bands do it too and they're learning
Take me to the top
after being asked why they included the song, they say they tried playing it at rehearsals and felt something towards the song they had never felt until that point
from oversea people they heard the song feels like it’s from a modern rock band but when they performed the song in Japan there was something like a gap
they thought if they managed to stuff it into their EOTS setlist this time, they would we able to play it normally from then on
according to Ryota, it's a song that's easy to move to so it's fun
they had "sent the song to heaven" since they already played it time and time again for festivals but revived it for this tour
they say that the first song in a setlist gives the feeling of an opening and the second the feeling that the live has begun
We are
they cannot remember why the song ended up being so far up in the setlist but that very fact only shows that the number of songs they must play live is increasing
it kinda broke the tension they had build up until then
during previous tours they performed that song when they had already run out of stamina but this time, Taka could sing it normally
Ryota saying OOR is serving the fans well by performing old songs early during the concert
the arrangement for We Are has not changed
Toru is still playing a lot, it’s a "setlist without rest" for him
it’s a song that does not only strike but that makes the venue become one, ONE OK ROCK's new "way of fighting"
Taking Off
Taka saying he was super exhausted on that day and that apparently he's always like that when it's recording day
Tomoya saying it was because the recording was so shortly after New Year's
Taka saying even his voice wasn't good and that it was super bothersome
Ryota: "I didn't notice you were in a bad condition."
Taka: "You never do!"
Taka at that time wished he could have cancelled the recording
Re:make
also an unexpected song since it usually appears in the middle of the setlist
whenever they play the song the tension goes up like crazy and they have no idea why
instead of recklessly playing the song like he did until then, Toru played more balanced this time and thus was able to keep his energy until the end
Ryota played the bass Tomoya gave him for this song
during rehearsal they were not sure if he would be able to use the bass at all because its sound is lighter than that of his other ones but Ryota wanted to use it for Re:make or Change
Can't Wait
the song that took the most time to rearrange
when they had to cancel their second Nagoya performance because of Taka's throat issues and rehearsed, his voice was the hardest to control for this song
it's the song with the biggest range so they would play it first at rehearsals, it's also the hardest to sing from the album
Taka saying if he cannot sing the baritone voice for this song, he cannot sing at all, song became the "key to their concert"
the song is so hard Taka didn't want to sing it anymore after 2 times because it was so difficult to move to yet singing in a stiff position is no fun
the song is so different from the album version that Ryota doesn't even remember the original version anymore
Clock Strikes
Ryota always said the same things for his MCs
Taka comments that he's like that on every tour, always saying the same everywhere
Toru told him before to just talk about the thoughts he had on that day but Ryota fears that if he did that he would not be able to concentrate on the rest of the live anymore because he would be thinking about what to say during the performance
they say every time they would send Clock Strikes to heaven but end up not doing it because of the famous long note that the fans are anticipating
Tomoya saying that quite frankly, he slowly has enough of the song
they don't feel like playing the song at rehearsal anymore, same with The Beginning
since they have played the song so many times now, they can perform it with ease so it's a safe song, even when they're in a bad condition
they say the song could be replaced with We are since they have a similar feeling
Taka says he's seeing white whenever he does the long note and that he might collapse from doing it when he gets older
Ryota saying the instrumentalists are having a good time performing the song and only Taka is suffering, Tomoya adding that's because they don't have to think of anything
Head High
[already translated here]
Grow Old Die Young
another hard song to sing because of the high key
they lowered the key for their oversea tour but went back to the original tune for Japan
Taka says he felt like he was gonna die singing it
the members wanted to perform the song in its original key because according to them it sounds better, much to Taka's dismay
Taka was squeezing out his voice for this song throughout the whole year, he's fearing that one day his voice won't come out anymore
the song causes Taka a lot of stress
they're around an hour into the recording now and Taka says that it's been a tiring hour
Change
before Change they chose fans to come onstage with them which they confirm happened completely random, they also didn't plan beforehand what they'd talk about
Taka saying the mood would go up like crazy because people wanted to be chosen by them, it was like a hostess bar (TN: of course this is coming from Taka lol)
amongst the people they chose they also chose wrestlers and fans from overseas
Taka always wanted to perform this song with a proper band sound
they reached an age where this kind of song is important
Ryota laughs at his own bass play and says it's something that "Tanaka-san" taught him to do and that he always does now
Tomoya and Ryota keep mentioning him until Taka chimes in: "You're mentioning Tanaka-san but I don't think the people reading this know who that is lol"
Hideki Tanaka, the bassist of YKZ, taught Ryota how to play the bass when he was in highschool, Ryota says he's super good but he was super scary during lessons
they compliment Toru's guitar playing during the MC which created a nice atmosphere and Toru says that it was hard to create because of the previous break where they got their fans onstage
Worst in Me
a song that's finally easy on Taka
the arrangement for this song was also aiming at the band sound
the song has a mature feeling to it when performed but also a very chill and loose feeling that they had not expected and they wondered if that would be good live
Tomoya told Toru to play a longer outro and while Toru waited for the end, Tomoya just kept playing on and on because he thought the endless guitar solo was cool
Taka's parts in this were decreased drastically so he told the other 3 to do more and stand out
Taka: “I love how Toru plays his solo.”
Toru: “I love it too. It's the Ibanez WH10.”
Everyone: “Hahahaha!”
Tomoya: “When I told you to do a longer solo, of course you had to add that Ibanez sound effect (laughs).”
Toru: “It's a good toy for when I want to reach my climax (laughs).”
Be the light
Taka said there are still a lot of earthquake disasters happening but because their oversea activities became more, the chances to send the message out to their Japanese fans declined
it is a good thing to be able to send their message out but in reality they're tired of performing that song too because it's an old one
after this song there would be a song with acoustic guitar followed by the instrumental, therefore Ryota was super nervous and forced himself not to think anything weird to be able to put all emotions into this performance
Tomoya had a lot going on inside his head since he would have to play the piano after this song and continuously closed his eyes told himself to calm down
they felt like everyone in the venue became one and the view of all the flashlights was beautiful
In the Stars
Tomoya's muscles were cramping from playing the drums so intensely before so that his hands were shaking which only added to his nervousness to play the piano
Taka adjusted his singing to Tomoya's playing
according to Taka, it's very hard for someone adjust their playing to his intuitive singing, but since they couldn't bring a professional pianist with them, he adapted to Tomoya
he's been learning to adjust tempo and rhythm since around the time of Niche Syndrome
Ryota was so nervous to play the acoustic guitar that he missed his entry on the second day of the Japan tour and from then on studied his guitar playing devotedly at home
Ryota adjusted his playing by watching Tomoya's hands or the movement of his shoulders
to Toru, this is a song representing the teamwork of the band members now, so what he's hearing now when listening to the song has changed too
Instrumental
Toru would play something different at every venue, so his solo was never the same
Taka says there is a difference in reaction between oversea and Japanese fans
oversea fans look at each part separately while Japanese fans look at the whole thing so Taka doesn't know which part would make them go "ohhh!"
it became an outstanding instrumental due to Toru's riff and solo
Toru bought a Stratocaster guitar right before the tour and although he's a beginner with that kind of guitar he thinks it ended up sounding very nice
the sound from his Stratocaster guitar is very different from his other guitars, he describes the phrase as very simple
Photo kindly sent to me by my friend Artio
Push Back
halftime, they mention that the concert is super long
Interviewer: "Taka appears on the stage in the back."
Taka: "Avengers! (laughs)"
Taka had to run back to the main stage after only singing a few lines because otherwise he wouldn't make it in time
Ryota saying that Taka's rest is over now and he has to use all his strength again
they comment on Taka's face looking super stressed and that it must be hard for him to continue singing right after running
although it was hard for Taka, that way the tension went up again
if Taka was to take a rest he would cool down so he has to keep up with the tension onstage by chasing it
they changed the arrangement of the song halfway through their oversea tour but were unsure if they should play that version in Japan since the songs that get Japanese fans heated up are different from those that get oversea fans heated up
for the camera focus scene, Tomoya concentrated so hard on the camera once that he forgot to continue playing the drums
Toru's guitar solo has a 90s feel to it which fit the song quite well
Kimishidai Ressha
it's a very fun song to play
they could properly see their fans' faces as well
Toru was starting to get exhausted but couldn't lose focus while having fun to the song since Jibun Rock would be up next
the interviewer comments that they’re obediently serving their fans
Taka says he doesn't plan on doing that yet, but the fans are continuously changing so he wants to make enjoying the performance easier but it's difficult
he says that making a compromise between the performance he wants to do and the live the people enjoy is half-arsed, so he tries to change it up everytime
when it comes to performing, they often do now what's expected from them, like jumping at a certain moment because they usually do so, and not because they feel like doing it right then
they experienced a lot of things such as falling off the platform or getting stuck, or Toru falling off the stage which they learned from, but according to Taka they're slowly becoming cheap pie
Taka continues by saying that sometimes they find a solution for this and sometimes they don't, but becoming decrepit is not cool so finding a balance is hard
Jibun Rock
this is a song they have to be careful with because they can stumble and fall easily
Taka could barely lift his legs at this point anymore
they learned that when they start to feel tired they need to focus extra much and Taka adds that it's because they're not young anymore
they were surprised by how quick this song actually is
since they continuously produce more and more songs they don't get to perform old songs that frequently anymore
they feel like it’s becoming impossible because they're scared they would have to chase after the tempo now
they performed Jibun Rock because after Push Back and Kimishidai Ressha they needed a song that would wake everyone up, another candidate for this was ONION
Taka did the sliding everytime, he said it was super hot and hurt a lot, he even had a strained back halfway through the tour
Giants
talking about the MC*, they say it's difficult to express their thoughts because they can only do it at venues since they don't appear on TV (*I translated the Gians MC before, you can watch it here)
their message is a simple "we're working seriously, so you have to work seriously too"
Taka tried to convey how important the year 2020 is to him
when Taka made the EOTS album, many things made him think it’s "mysterious" but when he looks back now he can see many reasons why things had to change
they didn't decide on what point during the MC Toru would join with his guitar, according to Tomoya Toru was all "I have no time to rest, I have no time to drink" at that time
the MC became longer and longer because Taka wanted to convey their feelings as it's the only place where he could explain ONE OK ROCK's ongoing story
Taka says he likes doing it that way and therefore spent a lot of time on that MC
they only added Giants halfway through their oversea tour and only played it in Europe, not in the US
because of that they didn't rearrange the song in the studio but at live houses
they too don't know what songs are good to be played live
the song felt meaningful as it was performed in the afterglow of the MC
they didn't settle on how often they'd repeat the chorus at the end, Taka would just scream "last!" and then it'd be the last
The Beginning
they almost had not included the song in the tour setlist but they felt they need to play it
to EOTS songs they say you cannot really move your body so to let out all the energy the audience saved up this song was necessary
Ryota saying that the first time he had heard the song he had gotten goosebumps but by now he had heard it too often and didn't feel anything anymore
they cannot leave out the song because the fans need to get exhausted in the latter half of the concert
it's a different tension than "Kimishidai Ressha" but by continuing to play the song, there's the feeling of a shared tension with the audience
Mighty Long Fall
Taka: "There's not much crowd surfing anymore."
Interviewer: "That's true."
Taka: "Everyone is getting old together with us (laughs)."
they often play The Beginning and Mighty Long Fall following each other in the setlist because it's more fun that way
they still want to play those fierce songs when they're 40 or 50 but Taka says he's sure he cannot move the same way by then anymore
Tomoya suggests they could lower the tempo for him but Taka says that he can only do it until he's 40
Ryota complimenting how well Taka can move and noting that he really has a lot of energy
Tomoya pointing out that Toru isn't headbanging properly and Ryota tells him to do it properly with them
Toru: "If I do more than that, I might get a hernia."
Taka: "Then I should come up with a new move!"
Wasted Nights
it's a very important song that they needed to deliver on this tour
it's a song that has to be put at the end of the setlist because it has the feeling of ending something to it
it was hard because of the gospel-like way of singing
they tried a lot for this song like having Taka perform the intro on a piano when they toured overseas (though he stopped doing that halfway through the tour) or expanding the intro
since on the recorded song version there's a lot of singing voices layered, they decided they had to sing the song together
they 4 of them met at Toru's place and practiced
having Wasted Nights close the main setlist leaves a feeling behind that makes you think "from tomorrow on I'll do my best too" instead of the usual "that was fun!" that they did until then
Taka: "Yet we're still coming back for the encore (laughs)."
overseas, the tour would end here but in Japan they of course still need to play KKD
Stand Out Fit In
the song was a new challenge but the theme is very current
when they thought about what song to perform, they wanted to pick something up form the current era alongside their own thoughts and feelings
according to them, Japan is a special country in various aspects as it often looks at groups and lacks the feel of individual focus
while touring the world they noticed that everyone is free and that the way they should be as individuals is very important so they picked up on all of this for the song
Taka saying although he lives in America he doesn't experience what's illustrated in the MV to that extent, but he's aware that it's an issue in the world
Tomoya noting that the orange EOTS shirts didn't sell so well so he was asked to wear it during the encore and thus came to like wearing orange a lot
Kanzen Kankaku Dreamer
Taka's MC before KKD became longer and longer
Toru says his guitar playing in the background became more quiet because he thought the fans couldn't hear the MC properly otherwise
Tomoya was standing the entire time
they’re aware that the people who come to see them know that the concert will end with KKD
they don't wanna do the song anymore and ask to play something else just once
to shout at the audience, Toru used Ryota's mic and Ryota notes that he’s always saying the same thing
when it was Tomoya's turn to scream into the mic, he says he always screamed the name of a speciality from the region they're in, before he used to scream things like "come on!" but he got tired of that
he couldn't properly catch what he was saying on the recording but since they were in Yokohama on that day, they assume he said "kiyoken"
they finish the DVD and say they're exhausted just from watching
Toru says this doesn't feel like a live from this year at all since the world had changed so much since then, he feels like it's been much longer
Ryota says that at that time they were performing too much, overseas and in Japan, and he just wanted to rest for a month, but now he wants to perform live so so bad
Ryota: "Playing live is very important to us after all."
Photo kindly sent to me by my friend Artio
My final thoughts
Honestly, my biggest take from this is that Taka is the one suffering the most during their concerts lol, which makes sense in a way, as EOTS had its focus mainly on Taka’s powerful vocals, so naturally he had to show the same strength live onstage. It’s kinda sad to hear them actually say though how tired they are of their old songs by now, but I get it, it’s been 7 to 10 years since those songs were released.
A friend of mine was kind enough to send me some pics of the booklet that came with the Eye Of The Storm DVD. From what I understood, the members sat down with someone, watched the DVD together and commented on what’s happening on screen. Anyway, the Head High comments were quite interesting because Taka and Toru were out there spilling some beans, haha. Love their relationship so much.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native.
Picture source: 10969taka
(x)
“Head High”
ー This song has the best beginning. Taka and Toru going to the center stage together.
Toru: It wasn’t even decided that we would go there, it was more like, “let’s go”.
Taka: That’s what you call boys love (laughs).
Tomoya: That opening was like an attack that you came up with towards the end of the tour. The song got everyone heated up.
Taka: Is that so?
Tomoya: At that time, I actually removed my headphones and chatted with Ryota.
Ryota: We were saying stuff like, “How are you feeling?”.
Tomoya: “Today is fun,” I said, but none of the fans have seen any of this.
ー Hahahahaha.
Taka: Well, at the time of “Ambitions” tour, we came up with the idea that it would be nice if the two of us got involved with each other like a British band. And this time I wanted to do it in the same atmosphere, being close to Toru. Singing a quiet song at this timing was quite hard, so I thought that unless Toru sings with me I couldn’t get into it. Besides, I’m only singing along to my own atmosphere, therefore it’s hard to match the guitar.
ー You don’t even hear the clicking.
Taka: Right. I’ve been studying with Toru for many years because we wanted to be able to do this live and we’re growing up in the sense that we’re finally able to perform songs like this. However, it’s very difficult for two people to keep breathing together as they do it in a different tension every time. Sometimes it’s out of sync.
Toru: Taka wasn’t feeling well on that particular day, and I understood. If it was to reach me as well, everything would break apart, so we had to match each other according to the tension of that day. We’ve been doing that kind of thing all the time.
Taka: I actually use falsetto more [for that song], but on that day my voice just wouldn’t come out, so even when I got to the chorus, I kept using my modal voice all throughout. It was super draining.
Tomoya: (While watching the video of Taka finishing the first chorus) From that point on, the “chat-team” joined you too (laughs).
Taka: I didn’t know if my voice would come out or not, so I decided whether to sing in falsetto or modal voice at the last minute. By doing that, I was cornered more and more.
Toru: Through our earphones we are able to hear small nuances, therefore we immediately understood that it was hard for him to sing in falsetto on that particular day. And well, it was the recording day too so the situation was quite serious (laughs). There were some laid-back days when we would go to the front and play around with fans, but we couldn’t afford doing that on that day.
Taka: We couldn’t. Playing around was out of the question.
Toru: I also wanted to extend the outro and connect it to the next song to make it feel like a medley. There were many small arrangements like that.
Taka: Thinking about it, it may have been the Orchestra Tour where I was able to sing most normally so far. Other than that, I’m more likely to perform in a stiff state. With an orchestra, there is only a limited number of songs that can contain strings, right? That’s why all the songs that were qualified somehow ended up being all in the same key. Moreover, it’s easier to sing with an orchestra supporting you while it’s quite difficult only with the band sound like this.
ー Did you lean your head on Toru’s shoulder every time?
Taka: I did. But on that day it was out of frustration (laughs).
Tomoya: Hahahahaha!
Ryota: Ah, can I tell you an inside story? Toru at that moment gave me a signal at the turning point of the song. While leaning on Taka, he kept staring at me and together we adjusted the timing. He was like “Go, go!”.
Tomoya: Sounds like he had been caught cheating (laughs).
Toru: I was moving my face so much.
Ryota: Toru, sometimes your bangs hang down and I can’t see your face.
Toru: Also, Taka was so close that I could have hit the hand I was playing with.
The anon from a few days ago asking what was said during the concert made me consider actually translating it. Luckily enough, it was fairly easy to understand! I wonder if I may be bending the rules a little too much with this one, but on the FOW website they only state that the distribution of picture and audio material is prohibited, so fingers crossed. I skipped through the concert, so it may be possible that I missed some tiny adlibs.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native, therefore there might be translation errors in this as well as odd grammatical structures. Please also take into account that since I had to rely solely on my listening skills for this one, it may be possible that I misheard one thing or two. Apologies for that.
Photo source: toru_10969
[Kanzen Zaitaku Dreamer]
[Opening Sequence]
Taka: (voiceover) What’s itching in your heart can easily turn into all sorts of negative feelings. Before that happens, I’m asking you all, the things you want to do and the things you want to try, please give them a go. Everyone, every single one for sure has such sort of feelings in their heart. Please, start from now on!
Again, we are your beloved band ONE OK ROCK!
[The Beginning]
[Taking Off]
Taka: Good evening, it’s ONE OK ROCK! The long-awaited day has come, how are you all watching on the other side of the screen? We want to put everything into this special live, all our anger, our frustration and our joy. Now then, let the ONE OK ROCK special online live begin!
[Change]
Taka: Once again, good evening, this is ONE OK ROCK. Everyone, what are you doing in these times? There are still days when we find ourselves at a loss, and there are also days when we unite and push forward. We are relieved to be welcomed today with such various feelings. In the 15 years of band activities it’s our first time doing a concert in this kind of way. However, I would like to make a change today and convey to you what we can do with this screen. From this screen, in order for you to be able to catch my feelings, our feelings, I will do my very best. Until the very end, have a good time!
Ryota: Are you having fun? I’m having so much fun. It’s been awhile since we did a live show, I’m so excited. Let’s enjoy ourselves until the end and spend the best day ever together. Have a good time until the very end!
Tomoya: Everyone behind the screens! Are you doing well? Thank you everyone for watching and having fun with us in this different form! The concert will still continue, so enjoy it with all your heart. I would love to have a good time with you all, that’s why I hope you stay with us until the end!
Toru: How are you doing, everyone! Are you well? Thanks to you I’ve activated, but hey, how are you all? I couldn’t hear you, try again. Are you doing well? Are you doing well? This really is lonely, but I want to enjoy this time until the very end. Everyone, have a good time!
Taka: The things ONE OK ROCK has not done and the things we have done, we put them all together and will express them to you guys. From your special seats, I’m asking you to open your heart so that your voices reach us!
[I Was King]
Taka: (in English) Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, are you guys fucking ready?
[Mikansei Koukyoukyoku]
[Kimishidai Ressha]
[Clock Strikes/One Way Ticket]
[The Last Time]
Taka: I can still go on! Your voice hasn’t quite reached us yet, so what’s up, you guys! Let’s go on!
[Start Again]
[VTR]
[Yokubou Ni Michita Seinendan]
Photo source: toru_10969
[C.h.a.o.s.m.y.t.h.]
Photo source: toru_10969
Taka: During these times, I feel like there were a lot of tears that should not have been shed. Originally, there would have been fans here, we would have done our Asia tour and our anniversary performance. I’m sure all of that would have been a lot of fun and I can’t help but wonder what the remains are now in this space where I am.
During these Corona times, I stayed home for months and months and was made to think about a lot of things. Up until now, this earth was born, humans were born and music similar to our own genre wants to be born too, I thought about many things like that. I should have noticed various things in the process, but I thought there were many people who did not help at all with Corona.
“Humans really are so tiny,” I thought.
At that time, we were scared and couldn’t think about moving forward, what we had cultivated so far did not work. I thought that human beings would not realise what’s important until such a moment came. Now, more than looking for a cure for Corona, what we need to do most is to mutually accept and love each other. I feel like our beloved persons must be most important to us in these times. If we manage to do that, I’m sure the virus will go away. Seriously.
I may have said something absurd just now, but I happened to see the tears of many people, that’s why I was made to think this time again that the person in front of you really is important.
The next song is a song that was originally sung for a lover, but will be sung today for all the people on this planet. It‘s a good opportunity for us to convey our love, so I‘d like to sing it with all my might. Please listen, Wherever You Are.
[Wherever You Are]
Taka: So, I wonder how the feeling is behind the screens!
I'm sure my friends are watching too, and my family, and your family (to Toru) and your friends (to Ryota), I think they're all watching.
And I'm sure it's not only the Japanese watching, but also the Asian fans where we could not tour this time, and the Australians who we visited right when Corona started, Europeans, Americans, South Americans too, I believe they're all watching. I believe that our thoughts reach them. Everyone watching today, thank you all so much.
So, when we were rehearsing for the online live, there were many things we didn't know how to do, so it was extremely difficult.
(to the band) You're all so quiet, join the conversation and say something! Why are you letting me do this?
Ryota: We entrust you with this, don't we.
Taka: That's right! Join in. (looks at Toru)
Toru: (quiet)
Taka: You guys…
Toru: We're listening.
Taka: You…you guys, are you only listening to what I’m saying??
Ryota: We're really listening.
Taka: Didn't you think of something to say??
Ryota: I was wondering where I could join, but I found it hard to…
Taka: The light is on you as well.
Ryota: But there's this feeling of nervousness-
Taka: There's always the feeling of nervousness!
Ryota: (stammering)
The others: (laugh)
Taka: Since this is a live internet broadcast, let’s look at it. Can we borrow the iPad for a second?
Ryota: Let’s look at it.
Taka: (looking at the iPad) I see. Ah, it’s like this.
Ryota: Does it look good?
Taka: Yeah, it’s amazing. Here, look. (shows iPad to the others) It looks like this, the image is also really clean. Isn’t that amazing?
Toru: (away from the mic, in a quiet voice) Really good.
Taka: Right! Isn’t that right! (to the members, laughing) Talking in a small voice like we usually do won’t be transmitted here, so you have to speak properly. (looking at the iPad again) This is amazing.
Toru: There are a lot of comments.
Taka: Let’s look at the comments for a moment, like yesterday’s Instagram live, here. (gives iPad to Tomoya) How are they?
Tomoya: There’s not only Japanese, but comments in many different languages.
Taka: Ah, you’re right.
Tomoya: That makes me really happy.
Taka: (in English) Thank you for watching today, we love you guys so much. Love you! (in Japanese) This is amazing!
Toru: Thank you, seriously.
Photo source: toru_10969
Taka: After all, it’s a little uncomfortable like this since there is no real live-feeling, but I’m sure people are having fun right now. I’m happy. I’m really happy. I’d like you to keep watching, thank you so much, everyone.
Among all the things that happened, there were some that I could save by myself and some that could be saved by the band, but then I wondered what to do for those who we couldn’t reach. After all, I think that various people have to cooperate and consider the situation together. At that time, I was made to think about what kind of work a musician does, and what they’re originally supposed to do. An artist expresses the things they are able to do, but what shape would be appropriate for that? With not only the cooperation of ONE OK ROCK or myself, but of many more people, today’s live is just like that.
There were members who came together when I happened to think about all the things that I could not do. Artists of the same generation with the same thoughts who are very devoted to human beings. People I too haven't been involved with yet, but with whom I‘ve formed precious new friendships. Due to their difficult schedules not all of them managed to be here today, but I would like to spread the song we made, believing in the feelings of the members and mine, and that we can get together and save something. Please listen, re: project.
[re: project]
Taka: (in English) This is our new song! Listen!
[Wonder]
Photo source: ryota_0809
Taka: Keep going with that same high tension! We’ll only be causing more neighbourhood nuisance from now on, so I’m asking you to jump! Do me the favour! I’m saying this to you! To you! (in English) This next song is called Stand Out Fit In. Let’s go!
[Stand Out Fit In]
Taka: It’s the last two songs. Thank you for having watched for this short amount of time.
We honestly have lost a lot, haven’t we. However, the four of us will for sure, just like you guys, be able to obtain a lot of things from now on. Without giving up, our message is the same as always, only the meaning is a little different this time: “Please look forward and do your best.” I would like to finish with the last two songs now. I’m sure we will meet again. I believe in that. Until that day comes, we will be waiting, always. That’s why, from now on hold onto your feelings (T/N: guessed this one). Everyone behind the camera and behind the screen, if possible I want you to sing along with me. Are you ready? Are you ready? (in English) This next song is called We Are.
[We Are]
Taka: During these times, there was a moment when I thought there was no dream or hope, but as long as we move forward this definitely won’t be the case. Without mistaking, I‘m not the one who has the influence and trust that definitely affects people who are having difficulties in these changing times. That’s why I ask you, please live! Make sure to experience a lot and help someone to love you properly! I’m asking you, I’m asking you!
[We Are last chorus]
[Wasted Nights]
Taka: Everyone who watched us, thank you so much. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely hope that this concert will lead to the next. First of all, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful artists who participated in this special online live today.
Violin, Emiri Miyamoto!
Keyboard, Gakushi-san!
And the dancers who danced with us onstage during Change, Plan Chime!
And thank you to all the members of re: project who came to join us during their busy schedules!
I will never forget this day. Don't forget, believe that we‘ll meet next time, and live strong. The distance between us will shrink, someday for sure.
Rockin’on JAPAN June 2014: ONE OK ROCK “FOOL COOL ROCK!” Interview Translation
Since I moved recently and still don’t have WiFi at my new place, I happened to have some free time on my hands that I chose to use to translate one of the old Rockin’on interviews sitting in my book shelf. Pray that I get internet access before ONE OK ROCK hold their online concert in October lmao.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native, therefore there might be translation errors in this as well as weird grammatical structures. Please take notice that some sentences are paraphrased and therefore not perfectly identical with the original.
Picture source: rockinon.co.jp
ONE OK ROCK’s first appearance in Rockin’on JAPAN in a long time. There are many things that we were itching to ask the members, such as, “What will your new song be like?” or, “How are your new developments doing?”, and now we finally got the chance to interview them. ONE OK ROCK’s first film “FOOL COOL ROCK” will be released on the 16th of May for 3 weeks only. It’s a documentary that follows their oversea tour that was held for a month and a half starting from October last year. Taka regularly declares that he wants to perform, regardless of whether it’s domestic or overseas, and the fact that ONE OK ROCK’s music is actually exceeding international boundaries can already be seen just by looking at their YouTube comments for example, as many multinational words appear there. This documentary is a wonderful rock movie illustrating authentically the distance between ONE OK ROCK and the world. Why they leave Japan, and what it is worth betting on… We got to talk to the members about the work that outlines these things authentically.
● First of all, this is a great documentary at the same time.
Taka (Vo) “Yes.”
● It’s nice that you can laugh properly.
Tomoya (Dr) “Hahahaha.”
● I think it is also a great documentary in terms of entertainment, since a part of ONE OK ROCK’s activity overseas cannot really be experienced being in Japan. This documentary however explains them all extremely well.
Taka “That’s right.”
● So, the footage starts at the very beginning of the European tour. How was your mental state at that time, Toru?
Toru (G) “Right. Europe in and of itself was a first for all of us. We also haven’t gone there in private before, so we were excited to see how it’d be like. With our usual motivation unchanged. When we arrived, there were all those people waiting for us. It was like a concert situation that you could not imagine, yet so many new things were waiting. For that reason I got super excited after arriving.”
● There was a scene in the opening sequence that I dare to say can be called the highlight of the documentary. It was when your tour bus arrived in Paris in front of the venue and you went, “Wait, are those our fans?”, “This must be a mistake?”, “You’re joking right?” (laughs).
Toru “I permanently said that (laughs).”
Ryota (B) “Toru kept saying it aaaall the time (laughs).”
Toru “I said, ‘They must be here for a different event?’”
● Was that your actual genuine reaction?
Ryota “Yes. We couldn’t imagine at all how many people would be waiting at a venue that we had never been to before and were surprised. That’s why we said those things. But it actually made us extremely happy to see that that many were lining up for us. Anyway, I was deeply moved realising that I would be able to perform in front of all those people.”
● What about Tomoya?
Tomoya “Right. I was already super excited before going, but when we got there I had even more fun. I was a little nervous about our travel schedule, food, etc., but regardless of that everything was new and fresh. Our fans too, what I felt for everyone waiting for us was so strong. It was a lot of fun until the very end.”
● I assume there was also an unusual tension before the concerts started. In the dressing room or so. What kind of agitation was that?
Taka “What that was? We got agitated at the venue in France, didn’t we? The things we do are always the same. We are just doing concerts, but I think there was a little bit of agitation about France.”
● Especially on YouTube you can read many passionate comments under ONE OK ROCK’s songs coming from overseas, but when you went to the actual venue, was the reaction there any different from what you see on the web?
Taka “I actually haven’t seen much of those comments. I’ve heard that there are many comments from overseas, but don’t you think that [knowing about them] would directly affect the live performance? We too usually know foreign bands, for example bands that Americans don’t know. Because we like bands. In that sense, right? I’m sure it’s the same, people being able to sing your songs and being crazy about you, that kind of thing is hard to imagine. That’s why we were surprised by the reaction that totally exceeded our expectations.”
● Your fans sang with you as though it was normal, right?
Taka “Right. It was so normal, I was surprised.”*
(*in Japan the audience usually doesn’t sing along with the artist)
● And on your first day in France, how did the moment you went up on stage feel like?
Taka “It was so damn loud I couldn’t hear anything. It was crazy, like, ‘They like us that much?’”
● Hahaha. What about Ryota?
Ryota “My initial thought was that it’s completely different from Japan. Especially the reaction from the ladies, the way they were rioting was amazing. Wait, it was the 3rd floor, was it?”
Toru “Yeah.”
Ryota “There seriously was a girl about to fall. She got so heated up she was pitching forward to that extent. And the distance was so short that I could properly see the face.”
● Your set was about 90 minutes long?
Taka “That’s right. One and a half hours.”
● Do you feel like your performance itself was the same as in Japan?
Taka “Right. It’s been rare for us to have an hour and a half long repeated events continue for a long time, we had to figure out how to deal with that.”
● How was the tour road? Naturally, the environment was different from Japan, I guess.
Taka “It was comfortable.”
Ryota “The movement of the bus was very comfortable. There were also beds properly prepared for us. It wasn’t bothersome at all but seriously nice.”
Tomoya “After the concert we would all take a shower.”
Taka “Showering, more like bathing in cold water.”
● Hahahaha.
Tomoya “We were quite dashing (laughs).”
Toru “At the live house.”
Taka “Sometimes there was no hot water.”
● Did it make you think of the old days, being in such a less fortunate environment?
Taka “Ah, rather than being reminded of the old days, I felt like I could do these things because I like them. Everything is a little different than our old days anyway. I feel like I can’t explain it properly. Yeah, I feel like I could do it because I like it.”
● You can’t help having fun?
Taka “Yeah. Well, though it’s exhausting and there are so many things we have to do.”
● As you travelled to various places through Europe you took the Strait of Dover to get to England, right? So, this may just be because of the way the footage was edited, but it seemed as though everyone’s facial expression was a little tense as soon as you arrived in England.
Taka “Ah, really? Why was that? Maybe because it was our first day off?”
Tomoya “Yeah. We’ve been to several cities [at that point].”
Ryota “Yes yes.”
Taka “I think it was because we felt like, ‘Let’s be super lazy today and then do our best from tomorrow on’.”
● I see, so you were pretty much focusing your energy.
Taka “Yes. I rarely go to England, but I’m really interested in its culture. Though looking at the things that interest me, I somehow didn’t feel like I was really doing sightseeing. I also felt pressure because, well, it was during our tour. I don’t mean anything in particular but despite saying that, I think that England is the centre of Europe. There are so many people in the city centre who run around with an antenna, because of that I think this way. Therefore I felt like I have to go there more and more often to be able to connect to our next [tour].”
● I don’t think everyone who goes overseas for the first time feels like they’re carrying something on their back.
Taka “Right.”
● I think you went with the sole rule of naturally going along with the norm. Do you think that feeling was transmitted in Europe as well?
Taka “Hmm...we just felt like we were finally able to tour there. So the next time we go there we want to think of it as our home. It’s more or less just a matter of making it bigger and bigger. Of course I was happy, but if I had to say it, it’s a place where we can’t understand the language. Even so, I think we have an environment where we can perceive and enjoy each other’s company because we don’t understand one another. But the next time this becomes the norm, if I think about how to improve upon that, of course it's no good to keep things as they are now. And the cycle goes on, I guess.”
● I see. Speaking about the film itself, I think that it was made in a style giving the impression that the director was very close to the band. Did that kind of communication go well?
Taka “In terms of atmosphere, it was our first time working with that director too, so we were wondering how it would go in the beginning. But rather than not intervening with our vibe and taking good shots, it felt more like we were accompanied throughout our tour. That was really good.”
● Right. So neither too close, nor too far away?
Taka “Exactly. They were waiting with the cameras, but rather than filming us [directly], they kept sticking behind us so the cameras didn’t enter our field of view that much. That created a very natural situation for us which is why we could adapt easily. Because of that I think if people who don’t know us as well as people who like us watch this, they will feel like, ‘Ah, they’re touring in that kind of way’.”
● But I think this is also an interesting documentary for those who already know the band fairly well.
Taka “Ah, really?”
● They get to see a ONE OK ROCK that is rarely shown, after all.
All “Ahhh.”
● Taka hitting Tomoya’s head in the changing room is the same as in Japan.
Tomoya “Hitting my head… (laughs).”
● Tomoya seems amused by that as well (laughs). But we got to see that indescribable bratty attitude again after a long time. In Japan, no matter how big the festival stage is, you can't see that expression.
Taka “That’s right.”
● Yep. It was something fresh.
Toru “Because it’s all raw, yeah.”
● The Asia tour part is also included in this documentary.
Taka “Yes.”
● Starting with Taiwan, it ended up being an amazing tour.
Ryota “There were so many people in Taiwan. Hong Kong and Taiwan were crazy.”
● The Taiwan venue, was it bigger than Zepp*?
(*Zepp venues in Japan can usually hold between 2000 and 4000 people)
Taka “So much bigger than Zepp. Almost like an arena.”
● That’s amazing! Tomoya, how was your reaction upon going to Asia again?
Tomoya “Right. Of course there were places that I’d already been to before, but there were also countries that I visited for the first time. It was my first time being in Thailand, Jakarta and Malaysia. The atmosphere, the smell, the food, etc., all these things were completely different depending on the country. It seriously was so much fun.”
● The scene of the live house owner being livid left an impression.
Tomoya “Ahhh, in Malaysia?”
● Yeah.
Tomoya “I was so anxious (laughs). I kept saying, ‘What should we do…’ in the dressing room.”
● Tomoya, your face was the most anxious (laughs).
Tomoya “Ah, I’m not really good with that (laughs).”
● As shown in this documentary, when it comes to ONE OK ROCK’s activities, going abroad is becoming commonplace, and I think that you will continue to expand into countries that you have not been to yet, but does that mean that from now on the Japanese activities and the oversea activities will be completely separated?
Taka “It depends on the time and situation. Sometimes the system is entirely different and sometimes it is okay to leave the system as it is. Since the way of doing things is different, what if we forced them into our own style? However, our impression is that Japan and America are the same, though sometimes and in some cases there are also things that have to change. But in order to enjoy everything as usual, you have to be flexible. For example, in Japan you say ‘wanokurokku’, while overseas it’s ‘one okay rock’, times and cases of such separate methods exist. Our current feelings are that we want to be flexible when it comes to that.”
● I see. After watching the documentary, I thought about it, and your band really loves to go meet people that you haven’t met before.
Taka “That’s right, meeting people we’ve never met before and making them like us. We’re really into that.”
● Furthermore, there is no prejudice at all. Inviting those who want to watch and capturing them with your songs and performances is a strong awareness you have. One can totally see that the reason you guys went overseas is that you just want to go for it.
Taka “That’s right. Whether we’re actually doing it correctly or not remains a mystery, but it makes those who haven’t met us like us. Feels like the moment a woman finally turns around (laughs).”
● Yes yes. What’s more, ONE OK ROCK is like the unusual temptation to drop a slightly complicated woman.
Taka “Yes yes. That’s what we do with our human power and band power (laughs).”
● Besides, there are various techniques, you also have the skill to say “I like you” straightforwardly.
Taka “Yes.”
● You also have the skill to suddenly come out naked (laughs).
Taka “Right, we can do it all. Therefore, depending on the time and situation, the way of attacking changes. Nothing more than that (laughs).”
Toru “(Laughs) But the culture is different. When it comes to Japanese people we know how to do it since we know the Japanese character. But when we go somewhere for the first time, it’s an entirely different feeling. That’s when I go, ‘ah, it’s no good like this’. Of course, there were parts that I knew, but those parts were still very different. I usually live a completely different life, but those people genuinely want our music, and being together in that moment really makes me happy. It feels really good, the feeling that something not so usual occured.”
● I see. Tomoya, what’s your most memorable episode?
Tomoya “This is also included in the footage, but when we had our first concert in Paris, all the power went off. Me, totally not taking any notice of that, went on stage. Going, ‘Hold on a sec!’, I went back and the batteries were replaced and we could go on. ‘Ahh, there are such kinds of things overseas,’ I thought. There are definitely troubles, but despite that I need to stay calm and composed, I talked about such things with the members. Yet I never imagined that I would appear suddenly [on stage] only to return backstage right away (laughs). But because of that I was able to go on putting lots of fighting spirit into our concerts. It was the first concert, therefore it left a big impression on me.”
● When the power went off, Taka was approaching the staff saying, “We’ll do it acoustically”.
Taka “(Laughs)”
● Were you serious?
Taka “I was. Even if you can’t do it, you have no other choice but to try. Well, the staff getting all nervous was what I hated the most! All the rattling around us, I wondered what to do. If they’re panicking, it’ll eventually affect us too, right? Remember who we’re doing the concert for. Don’t panic but head towards a more fun direction.
● Let’s enjoy the trouble.
Taka “Exactly. Isn’t it stupid if you don’t get to enjoy the trouble? Like you cannot do something only because there’s some trouble. I really hate that kind of thing (laughs).”
● Moreover, you were prepared for such things when you went overseas.
Taka “Precisely.”
● What about Ryota?
Ryota “I enjoyed the outdoor live performances in Singapore and Indonesia. It felt super nice. We only do festivals outdoors in Japan. Plus, when you’re performing for an hour and a half, it feels good to be outside. Especially Indonesia and Singapore are memorable to me.”
Tomoya “It was super hot in Jakarta though (laughs).”
● How about Toru?
Toru “The mosh in Germany was amazing. Other European countries sing out loud, but Germany got heated up in a slightly different way. They were kind of naughty?”
● Probably because metal, hard rock and other loud music is strong there.
Toru “Yeah, yeah. I got that kind of feeling too. Because of that, I realised that everything is very different depending on the country.”
● Then lastly, what about Taka?
Taka “I went to a freemasonry lodge in England.”
● Hahaha. Forreal?
Ryota “You were so excited about it! Do you usually get that excited seeing such things?”
● Do you like it?
Taka “I do. I like things that I could never inquire about, no matter how hard I tried. Meanwhile things that I understand bore me (laughs).”
Ryota “I heard there is a lodge, but when we all went it happened to be closed. (Taka said,) ‘Then I’ll definitely go in the morning before the concert!” and he actually went (laughs).”
Taka “There was an uncle who came out on the day it was closed. We talked. ‘Is this the freemasonry lodge?’ I asked, ‘That’s right,” he said. He was very kind, that old man. ‘Are you interested?’ ‘I like these things a lot,’ I replied. ‘How interesting, come on.’ he said and let me in although it was closed. ‘Enter this time slot and this time slot, so please come tomorrow’, ‘Thank you,’ I said. So, the next day I bought a souvenir and returned home. It’s a nice duck (laughs).”
● Hahaha. By the way, your new song plays at the end of the documentary.
Taka “Yes.”
● It’s a wonderful song that makes me anticipare your next development. I’d like to talk about that in the near future.
Taka “I think it’s perfect but well, I cannot tell anymore if it works or not. We made more songs than ever before. We wrote around 30.”
Ryota “We created so many demos.”
Taka “I felt like dying, but I cut a lot from here and there and re-sessioned it with everyone. For that reason, it feels quite condensed, but the condition is really good!”
Hitting Tomoya’s head, an amusement for absolutely everyone lol. (x)
"ONE OK ROCK is a Japanese band.
No matter what happens, our home will always be Japan!!
We love you Japanese fans from the bottom of our hearts.
ONE OK ROCK Taka"
MUSICA September 2013: “ONE OK ROCK, 2013 first half summary!!″ Interview Translation
Weirdly enough, though I vividly remember the Jinsei era to be the most active era here on tumblr, I couldn’t find a single full magazine interview translation from that time. Since I got my hands on quite a few magazines from back then, and because I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic overall lately, I decided to translate the MUSICA interview from 2013 in which OOR reflect on the first half of the year, their “JinseixBoku=“ album release, the “JinseixKimi=“ tour and also talk about their upcoming “WHO ARE YOU?? WHO ARE WE??” Europe/Asia tour and what their next goal is.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native, therefore there might be translation errors in this as well as weird grammatical structures.
Picture source: musica-net.jp
▶ It’s been awhile. The last time we met like this was when I interviewed you on the album exactly half a year ago.
Taka (Vo) “Thanks for having us.”
▶ Today’s interview is about looking back on the first half of 2013 that has passed since the release of “JinseixBoku=”. Fist of all, I would like to ask what you have been doing as of lately after the arena tour was over. How has each of you been?
Ryota (B) “As the instrumentalists went back to our studio after the tour was over, I feel like I and Tomoya were constantly making songs together.”
▶ Oh, something like “Deeper Deeper” that you two wrote recently?
Ryota “(Laughs) I said I wanted to write a song that had a different feeling than ‘Deeper Deeper’.”
▶ Did you decide that after the last tour was over?
Ryota “That’s right. Each of us decided to make songs right away, and in addition to that thought about what songs we should make that we could use for the next album or the next opportunity given to us.”
▶ Do you feel like Ryota and Tomoya formed a songwriting team now?
Tomoya (Dr) “To me, it’s difficult to write a song all by myself (laughs). However, I was able to write ‘Deeper Deeper’ together with Ryota, so I wondered if I could enter the studio with all my might this time too. Taka or Toru have been writing songs respectively too. ...Even after the end of the tour, we played quite a few festivals, so I didn’t get to soak in the afterglow of our tour, but rather felt like I was making songs while being in festival mode.”
▶ So, what’s the essential key for songwriting?
Tomoya “...well, you do it gradually? (bitter laugh)”
▶ Why are you looking at Ryota (laughs).
Ryota “No, the truth is, after this interview we wanted to give Taka and Toru a first listen to a song we made. That’s why I’m a little nervous right now (laughs).”
▶ That means you made something good.
Ryota “Yes (laughs). It’s just one song, but it’s a song that you can actually listen to now, so I’d like them to hear!”
▶ How about Toru?
Toru (G) “I went back to work as well, and after that spent time thinking about the Europe and Asia tour in autumn. Of course we will perform live the way we always do, the same as in Japan, but I hope we can change some factors up a little while taking in various impressions. After that, we will play some lives in Japan again, but regarding those I thought it would be nice to do something different as well, like arrangement.
▶ I heard that you went to America to polish your skills as the person in charge of the guitar.
Toru “Ah, but I didn’t go after all (bitter laugh). I wanted to, but in the end I had to stay here [Japan] for some sound making. But if I have the time, I will go. After all, there are many places I want to go, many things I want to see and many things I want to make. I always want to absorb new things, so I definitely want to go to all these places.”
▶ In what way did Taka spend his time?
Taka “Basically, I’ve been fully enjoying my time alone. I already selfishly went to LA by myself.”
▶ Hm? For surfing?
Taka “No (laughs), I went there for work before. I couldn’t help spending a lot of time in Japan until now, so when I went abroad, I thought about how I want to live in the future. For me, by the time I made this album and the tour was over, I already thought about having to go to the next distinct stage. To figure out how the foundation for this next stage should be made, I went to LA to meet with various people.”
▶ I think “JinseixBoku=” is not only a message album, but also an album that was made with the intention to have its sound resonate beyond the borders of Japan, so to say. ‘Does going to LA mean we can do more things overseas?’ or, ‘what if we did things overseas? How would that be?’, did you go there to feel something like that?
Taka “I did. I somehow understand foreign culture, but I wonder if experiencing something that is overwhelmingly different from Japan in front of our own eyes and acknowledging this is something that is absolutely necessary. I’m not trying to force anything, but there are overwhelmingly different things - at this present stage, if you talk about bands trying to do something like that in Japan, I think there is only us. While doing exactly what only we can do, it is not just for us to stop it, we want to be able to connect to various bands and properly change the future of the Japanese band scene and several other things - with that in mind, even if I’m somewhat tired, I wondered if I had to properly confirm the things that I was required to confirm.”
▶ Understood. Now I would like to hear again how you spent the months after “JinseixBoku=”. The album interview with MUSICA was pretty much at the very beginning, so everyone’s feelings weren’t quite organised yet. To put it concretely, Ryota noted, “This work, it’s a little heavy, isn’t it?”, so I think it was a time when everyone was still not sure how this album would be accepted by the world. But in reality, when the album was released to everyone, it was able to achieve fantastic results. Regarding this, how do you feel? Please tell me.
Ryota “Indeed, I said something like that. But when many people who gave it a listen told me that ‘it’s a good album’, I felt relieved.”
▶ You were rewarded, huh?
Ryota “That’s right (laughs). Also seeing everyone’s reaction on tour, listening to the album and being together was really exciting. In that tour environment, I felt like our feelings for this album were transmitted properly.”
▶ Compared to how you expected things to be, how was reality, like your reaction or the sales, after the album was put out?
Ryota “This is an album that we made with great confidence, so I was sure there would be reactions like this, and that people would love it. I was really confident in this album.”
▶ Gotcha, you had it coming.
Ryota “Yeah, I had it coming (laughs).”
Tomoya “It’s a natural thing, but so far this is the album that I put the most enthusiasm into while making it, so there was also the same kind of response. I think it’s really nice that all this is connected to the end result, and that the tour connected to the lives was successfully completed with a great sense of accomplishment. Exactly because of that I now have a strong desire to make something even better for the next time. Like this, I feel like I’m in a new song-writing mode, and it’s fulfilling.”
▶ At the time of the album interview you said, “This album has a wide range and we got to try new things. Because we were able to make a work like that, we could see clearly where we were going with it,” but did you feel that way even after the release?
Tomoya “Yes. The things we tried with this time’s album can definitely be used for our next album too after all.”
Toru “As the album took the longest time to make, it was also the hardest one so far… That’s why, when I look back to the stage of production now, many things come to mind in terms of the songs and also in terms of how it all took time. But once the album gets released to the world, in an instant I forget about those difficulties. Seeing everyone giving it a listen and share their reactions makes me so happy. After all, when we were making it we got absorbed in figuring out how to make it better and better, so for the first time there was a feeling of liberation too once the CD got released. When that happened, I found myself wishing, ‘it would be nice if this became an album that would be listened to forever’.”
▶ “It would be nice if this became an album that would be listened to forever,” or in other words, if it became a standard album for those who like music. I think it’s an album that you can continue to listen to for a long time. What do you think made the album that way?
Toru “Everyone feels that way, but I have great emotional attachment to this CD, so I never dared to waste any time. The fact that things that took place over the span of more than 1 year went into this record means that it summarises 1 year of our precious lives, so I think there are things other than lyrics and sound that hold more meaning. Exactly for that reason, I think it would be nice if people listened to this album until we release our next one, and hope that in the next few years, we will be able to deliver our sound as we proceed to the next step.”
▶ At the time of the album interview you said, “The sound of ONE OK ROCK has solidified to some extent, but this time we wanted to try something new. We thought we had to do it now, otherwise we wouldn’t get to try those things anymore. If we try something new, I think we might get to see something like our image in 10 years, so we will work hard”. With that album that you made with the feeling of working hard, you achieved a sharp sales break. In what way did you realise that?
Toru “Having all these people listen to the new things that we challenged, I don’t know if they can sympathise with any of it, but to us, there are many parts that we are happy we did. Among those, I think that of course there are some that make it clear what direction we are going for and what place we are heading towards. It seems that every time we release an album, things like our pillars become thicker and thicker.”
▶ What about Taka?
Taka “Yeah… It’s all in the past, so right now I don’t feel anything in particular.”
▶ Why is that?
Taka “Until now, we have exceeded something every time and proceeded forward. For example, even at festivals we became able to play on the main stage last year, and this year we got to play on the main stage at a good time even. But right now, to be frank, I don’t really sense that our CD is selling so extremely well...”
▶ But it’s a real victory for a rock band.
Taka “Is that so...”
▶ What makes you think it’s not?
Taka “...I had a dream regarding sales. We live in a time where CDs don’t really sell anymore, so as expected I feel something like stress regarding that to a certain extent.”
▶ In other words, it means that this is the limit of the market right now.
Taka “That’s right. In the future, as we pursue music with more appetite, I think there are times when it is good for us to be dominated by something, and there are times when it is not good for us to be dominated by something. There’s the feeling of wanting to break those boundaries. That’s about it. I am already facing towards our next goal and so full of where we should set it. In other words, the things that have passed I feel like can be answered when they’re looked at through very calm and awoken eyes.”
▶ In other words, the more you look at it with awoken eyes, the more you think that by making this album and going on this time’s arena tour, ONE OK ROCK has become a representative of Japanese rock bands. I think it’s the scenery you wished for ever since you started the band, and what you’ve got now at this point is the best.
Taka “Hmm, but my attitude hasn’t changed much. There is absolutely no sense of accomplishment… I want to reach for more, I want to go further. Honestly, there really is no such thing as a sense of accomplishment for me.”
▶ Is it like there being no positive or negative?
Taka “Yeah, there is none. This may be a little misleading, but ever since we formed the band, I have been thinking that I would not lose to any other vocalist, at least in Japan. That hasn’t changed until today. Beyond that, there isn’t really anything else in Japan. From the very start I had put that sort of belief in everything, not just in songs, so I don’t think that I am heading for Japan anyway. Maybe I’ve been thinking more and more about what lies ahead as I was making this album…”
▶ At the time of the album interview I said, “This album is the first album with a clear view on the world. You didn’t make a top album for Japan, but you created an opportunity to expand into the world”.
Taka “Yes. I don’t know if we actually expanded into the world with this, but in case we have to prepare ourselves for that, making this album that includes all these new challenges was necessary after all. To put it the other way around, now that all this is over, we’re at a stage where we think about what comes next and release albums. Because I’m always running towards what lies ahead, I don’t really feel all this that much (laughs).”
▶ However, as we talked about the contents of the album you were saying, “I realised that I was doing ONE OK ROCK for myself, and was convinced of that. For that exact reason, I sang songs and wrote lyrics with that feeling, all this is this album”. But to have this work that you made for yourself directly connect with everyone in the world, is a very soulful event, don’t you think?
Taka “That’s right...On the contrary, what does everyone think? When listening to this, how does everyone see us?”
▶ From what I can tell based on the magazine interview reactions and tweets, there seem to be tons of people who are happy to have this work as a mirror that gives them the chance to capture themselves. In fact, I think Taka said something similar in one of his MCs.
Taka “That’s right...Somehow my head is seriously so full of what we’ll do next, I really cannot talk about anything from the past (laughs). Maybe I’m about to explode. But well, what I can say as ONE OK ROCK at least, is that we want to climb all climbable mountains to our deaths. So now that we climbed Mount Fuji, the next one would be Mount Everest. Something like that. However, doing that you go downhill 2 times and have a hard time going up 2 times. That moment is painful, of course, but if you look at it more objectively… I can’t phrase this well, but I feel like the future will hold many hardships, so I don’t think deeply about the things that have been completed anymore. Come to think of it, the capacity in my head totally filled with future things (laughs).”
▶ No, no. This may also be connected to these future things; after the album release you got to participate in Simple Plan’s song as a featuring artist and made an appearance at PUNKSPRING, right? What kind of help could this be for your development in the future?
Taka “This was the first time that I created something with an oversea artist, so as expected it became extremely encouraging… To be honest, I was really worried in the beginning whether I should do it or not, but now I’m glad that I accepted the offer.
▶ I think it’s totally a welcome story for Taka, but why did you hesitate?
Taka “Well, their sound is completely different from our songs. Things like ‘How would this be perceived?’, I couldn’t predict at all, so I was wondering to some extent if the timing was right for me to do this. However, more than that anxiety, after the making of the album finished I went to LA to talk with them and do the recording and realised that such ways, breathing air different from Japan and getting deeper into what to do next, are also necessary… I thought about that a lot.”
▶ I think you gained a lot of know-how, but among all the things you learned, which one is the most impressive to you?
Taka “In short: The fact that Japan and America are completely different. Only that. It’s a weird thing to say, but when a Japanese band wants to sell and succeed in America, I think that maybe 80% of them happen to sell by doing the music they like. So basically, what was it about the Japanese that made them Japanese? I thought it was quite difficult to get into America and succeed there. I felt like I was stricken by the interval between despair and hope… But I think it’s good that I got to go there and feel it myself.
▶ Collaborating with Simple Plan, was there something that you thought was overwhelmingly different compared to yourselves?
Taka “What is it… Maybe the fact that admiring foreign music in the first place is a problem.”
▶ Ahh, a standpoint problem.
Taka “Yes. As long as we're making music based on our admiration for foreign music, we can't seem to hate them no matter what they do. It’s just a completely different place, so you can't look down on them in any way. (laughs)”
▶ So for example, an English artist, despite selling fairly well in the UK, couldn’t build a house.
Taka “That’s also the case in Japan (laughs).”
▶ Recently, it’s been said about Japan too, but in the UK it’s actually the case. That’s why Oasis and many others head for America. For the UK, the American market is in a different league. It still feels like there's a very high stronghold there.
Taka “That’s right. Because it’s called the American Dream. I have never heard of the Japanese Dream. So, if you want to succeed in Japan and build a house and have a nice life then doing that in Japan should be fine, but that’s not the case. If you’re being asked for your reason to go to America and were to reply ‘It’s just because we like American music, so we want to breathe American air, play lived in America and simply live in America,’ all this can be done in Japan too. When they say ‘Why are you going to America?’, say you go in order to succeed. Only that. When I calculated what it takes to win, though it wasn’t much, I knew that there would be various difficulties waiting for us, but come to think of it, I am only actually feeling them now.”
▶ And the arena tour started in May with the Golden Week, a tour with 11 performances at 6 locations and 100,000 people in motion. I assume it took a long time to practice for this tour while converting “JinseixBoku=” into a live setlist.
Taka “We decided to order the songs for the live first by changing the places that we thought felt wrong little by little many times over, but since this time it was an arena tour, we made sure to also include things that we wanted to ‘show off’. In the past, our arena tour was only 2 days at Yokohama Arena, other than that it was live houses where we could perform recklessly at, but this time we thought it was different. We were very aware of the importance to show off what we’ve got.”
Ryota “Especially things like how we stage the performance, doing something a certain way at a certain point in a song, it felt like we were making more decisions than usual.”
▶ During the first song “Ending Story??”, Ryota and Toru were suddenly spinning.
Taka “Right. From the first song I imposed an unreasonable demand (laughs). The impulsive tyrant was released.”
Toru “We did a lot of rehearsing this time.”
Ryota “Yep, starting from January we were constantly rehearsing.”
Toru “There we fixed things to some extent, and going to various regional arenas on the other hand made me feel like I could easily rehearse on the same day. The length of the set is almost the same for all venues. Wherever we went, I thought we were making the venue our own.”
Tomoya “Same for me. Of course I was the one playing, but the lighting but the general flow and work of everyone other than us was solid too. I think the overall presentation of our performance has become this time’s theme.”
▶ I actually watched your performance at Yokohama Arena, it felt like that arena became your home.
Taka “I’m glad (laughs). Thank you very much.”
▶ It’s not only the performance, but the combination of this new album’s scale of emotions and the potential and aura of you 4, I think.
Taka “On this tour, I finally got to see that around our second concert in Fukuoka. That one was over so fast, it surprised me. The tour final at Yokohama Arena of our past tour was very frustrating… I thought that I wouldn’t wanna hold that concert a second time - there is no way that sort of huge venue can be felt properly. Of course, the people who like us and came to see us may have gained a lot from this, but we can’t know that. To be honest, I haven’t seen that live until this day. It’s really frustrating and embarrassing.”
Toru “I haven’t seen it either.”
Tomoya “Me too, apart from checking I haven’t seen it yet. If I like something, I would play it many times over at home, but I wonder if I would even get excited watching this one, or if it was even any good.”
▶ …Ryota, please turn this unpleasant atmosphere around.
Ryota “Ah, but I was also left with a frustrated feeling after that live (bitter laugh).”
Taka “Somehow, I felt like I only had to make it through that live (laughs). But this time I already happened to see that [combination of the album’s emotions and our potential and aura] in Fukuoka, so from then on I got really impatient. ‘What will we do next,’ I would say while thinking in fear, ‘I wonder if I’m trying to wrap this up here’. So I was aware that, as much as possible, I don't want to get too comfortable.”
▶ But the regret that you felt during your last time at Yokohama Arena seems to have influenced both your album “JinseixBoku=” and the tour in a positive way, don’t you think?
Taka “That’s right. Just like the title*, there were thoughts and feelings that we wanted to combine with this tour. So, this time there were 3 consecutive days at Yokohama Arena, yet if we really think about it, it’s also 3 days at the same place (laughs). I don’t think there are many bands who did that. We also wanted to find out what it meant to do all this in that place. Some people [fans] may have been there for all 3 days… The first day, the second day, the third day, I was happy to play all of them and would like people to say that they were all different. I made a great effort not to crush my voice, but I didn’t want to hold a sentimental concert only because of that. That’s why I had exactly decided on what I needed to do, and following that was the tension of in what way I could calm my mental state while getting emotional.“
(*title translates to Life x I =)
▶ I went to watch you at Yokohama Arena on the third day, the last one. On that third day everything was energetic, it was a live rather full of heat and emotion.
Taka “I guess that’s right. My parents also came to see us, it was a somewhat weird feeling (laughs). However, that was only the 5th concert, the tour would still continue. The following live was extremely good! That concert in Osaka was so much fun, it made me think that starting from our next tour, we need to make it something like a routine to perform at Osaka-Jo Hall every time. During that tour, I could clearly see our next goals one by one. To go back to that mountain metaphor from before, I could always see clearly at which point [in the climb] our band was. For that reason I was very scared.”
▶ Wasn’t it Mount Fuji that you climbed? Mount Fuji has become a world heritage site and Japan’s one most recognisable mountain to the world.
Taka “That’s right. In the sense of thinking that we’re the best, there was a ‘Isn’t this almost the summit?’ kind of feeling. We still have to do many things, but there exist many aesthetics for bands. While there are bands with the aesthetic of going all the way and then disbanding, there are also some that continue thinking the beauty lies in going on. So, talking about what kind of aesthetic we have in our band, of course it’s a band that thinks it’s wonderful to continue, however if we were a band driven by the motivation of holding a huge firework for one moment before disappearing, then our journey is about to come to an end. I feel like BOØWY* disappeared all of a sudden.”
(*Japanese rock band, active from 1980 until 1987)
▶ But I think most members of great bands in the past didn’t think they would bloom brilliantly and die in elegance.
Taka “That’s right.”
▶ That’s exactly why although the Sex Pistols were in perfect form, when they went on tour in America they grew tired and the band rotted until they eventually quit. With the benefit of hindsight, wouldn’t everyone be like that? I think the reason for that is because after finally reaching the top, you can’t hide your weaknesses anymore and something like cracks in your heart appear. However, ONE OK ROCK now should be able to easily prevent that from happening.
Taka “But if you go like this, then with the benefit of hindsight there is also the possibility that a band might just disappear. That being said, after taking this into account, I thought that possibility was very scary. When you thought that the summit of Mount Fuji was coming close, isn’t there immediately the path down? Yet, after we descended, we have already decided what mountain to climb next, and that mountain will be twice as high. We have yet to think about the route to that summit and some other things… Working with Simple Plan had a great impact on me and I decided that after the end of this tour, we would definitely go breathe American air and knew that by that time there would without a doubt be a wall in front of us… So if we go over there and fall sick, we might not make it (laughs). When I went over there, I seriously thought, ‘This may be difficult. It may be the first challenge for ONE OK ROCK’. If your changes are really zero, then the decision whether you want to advance to America or not might be a really tough one. Of course we will definitely do it (laughs). On the other hand, in the unlikely event that something happens and we return to Japan saying, ‘we’ll focus our activities on Japan after all’... When we return to Japan there will be both, the beauty of continuing knowing that the summit is close and working hard to extend our life span, right? I don’t know if we can obediently accept our fate and continue our activities in that case.”
▶ Can you keep your motivation, or will your attitude be shattered there, it’s about that isn’t it. In the major league, Hideki Matsui eventually retired, denying his return to Japan.
Taka “Exactly, exactly (laughs). ‘I went to succeed in America, but failed. Can I return to Japan and start again?’, it’s a straightforward thought I think, but I don’t want to end up like that so I’m testing the waters to some extent… That’s why I was really scared.”
▶ I understand that feeling very well. However, I think this was a wonderful and irreplaceable tour that finally made you able to reach such a place, that allowed you to perform with such a level of quality and that gathered fans who were enthusiastically waiting for you. What do you think?
Ryota “Well, this tour was honestly so much fun… Yeah, I made incredibly fun memories. But my hip got a little hurt…”
▶ Ah, that happened again.
Ryota “It happened just in time for this tour, so that was the only thing I really didn’t like… I put a lot of fighting spirit into the actual performances compared to our rehearsals, so that’s when I strained my hip… So when we happened to reach our tour peak in Nagoya, it seems I was the only one left with a bitter feeling. I’ve always planned to look out for my body more. Other than that, I wondered if our next tour would be just as great.”
Tomoya “For me too, the strongest lingering feeling is that I had a lot of fun. The number of performances was quite small, but I could still clearly see that we improved a lot until the tour final.”
Toru “Thinking about it again, I think the people who come to see us are different every time. Every single person is different, and after the tour I got to feel that happiness of those over 10,000 people who came to see us. Grasping what we portray in various ways, listening to our music, coming to our concerts precisely for that… I don't think there are a lot of people who can just casually go to a live show, so I am really happy that each of them came driven by desire of ‘I want to see them’.”
▶ Of course it’s very valuable to feel the presence of 200 people in a live house, but it’s amazing to have tens of thousands of people in each place, devoting their lives to the tension there. I think this was a tour that actually made you feel that there were things like responsibilities and duties, wasn’t it?
Toru “After all, there were different cheers and different atmospheres in the live houses every time, so of course there existed different things to feel in those places. But no matter the size of the venue everyone loved it, so the feeling of ‘let’s have fun!” lingered in the air wherever we went. Of course the pride to carry out this tour was huge, but more than that we were just so happy that we did it at all.”
▶ During The Beginning you said, “Once this song is over, you guys go out there and start doing something. From now on you will be the ones giving dreams and hope to other people. I’ll give you the baton. I believe in you”. Even more memorable was, “I think the era of rock bands where people only admire and cheer is over. We will go out with you working hard and fighting together, therefore this is not a relationship where you can just cheer in admiration”. In a sense you were talking about something like a new rock band perspective and this happened to remain. Do you remember when you said this?
Taka “A friend of mine also approached me about this, but I don’t remember anymore. I probably said it overtaken by emotions (laughs).”
▶ Perhaps those words hold such persuasive power exactly because you said them with such impulsiveness, I totally felt that new key.
Taka “Yeah. I think it’s because we’re touring arenas this time. Considering our position between the bands that have come out in the past - just like we said on the album, we play music for ourselves and don’t plan on taking responsibility for our listeners. We’re doing what we can and say what we can at 100%, but I don’t think anyone will grow only from that. After all, everyone is working hard in the same way - even under normal circumstances, while there are only a few people who chase their dreams and make them come true, it’s said that if they were to keep doing it, it’s probably no fun every time. If there were 100 people, only one of them would stand out, but if there are 100 people and all 100 of them work hard together, that would raise the level too, wouldn’t it? That way, the number of those who stand out might increase from 1 to 5. If you realise that you’re being admired and start a band for that reason, I think that’s the wrong decision… From my point of view, the admiration just comes because you’re making money.
▶ (Laughs)
Taka “I’m talking about something like this today (laughs). But I cannot help but think that that kind of thing is just super ugly.”
▶ But thinking back to when I was a child, it wasn’t that simple.
Taka “But that’s a thing about my generation. The kids today already have an iPhone in elementary school, so I think they should be more clever.”
▶ They have a more objective view.
Taka “Exactly. But precisely because of that I want them to have that passion. Of course we always offer that passion at our lives, but it’s impossible to say that it’s always perfect. I think there is also that feeling that we don’t want ourselves to become idolised characters. So, with that in mind, perhaps I said these things in order to protect ourselves.”
▶ There is also the current state of bands in our present age, isn’t it.
Taka “That’s right. Something’s up with bands these days. I think the things that come in the very beginning are different. It’s important that you want to sell, but that’s not my belief. It’s easy to become frustrated and raise your beliefs, but I wish for the bands of the present age to raise their beliefs without becoming frustrated.”
▶ I get what you mean, I wish for that to happen as well. But having done this job for 25 years now, I think that since the 90s the market for Japanese rock bands has completely changed. In short, people who thought that there was no way they could take over the market and that it was the place where bands belonged, suddenly became able to celebrate their major debut, whereupon the market became visible and soon the allergy of appearing on TV for promotion disappeared too. In addition to that, times have gotten extremely severe now, for when there is no tie-up to a single release, there is no point in releasing a single in the first place. So isn’t ONE OK ROCK alive in those severe times? How do you think about the balance you maintain in such surroundings?
Taka “Thing is, it’s mortifying because I understand both sides. But also considering the record company, I can’t help but think that the real cry of the heart is, ‘which is more remarkable, you or the band?’. You guys want to make money, and for that reason you find a band and figure out a methodology to sell your works, but that’s all. Other bands sense this anyway… It’s annoying. But saying it to the extreme, I can’t help but wonder if you would still be successful without any talent. That might go well at first, but I don’t think that such music will ever be transmitted to adults, even if you were to play it at a live house.”
▶ I see.
Taka “And the fact that such guys come in swarms is so damn annoying. I understand that this is established as the market, and I think that’s good because only under such circumstances bands like ours can come to think ‘let’s work harder’. However, despite that there are still too many bands like that… But I can’t just turn towards them and go, “the fuck are you guys” right (laughs)? I won’t say that, but as someone who makes music, a musician, no matter what misunderstanding I might cause, I can’t give up when it comes to that.
▶ I would like you to tell as many scenes and bands as possible how you use the money earned by this band.
Taka “Ah, forreal (laughs)?”
▶ As a prime example of how one can properly return to music.
Taka “Returning to music, right? Would that be okay?”
▶ I think so. Include all the details about spending the money you earned on engineers and producers in your next work.
Taka “Ahh. You’d like that.”
▶ Going back to the tour talk, the DVD that you release in October includes a documentary. I recall the documentary from your previous tour to include many funny and wild moments. Can you tell us what kind of atmosphere this time’s tour had?
Taka “I think that this time we’re not playing around that much (laughs). As I said before, I kept my calmness as I was thinking though all kinds of things, I didn’t have time to fool around. It was fun, though. There were so damn many staff members! It was almost absurd!!”
▶ It was a Rock’n’Roll Circus.
Taka “That’s right. There were a lot of people we didn’t know, therefore it’s quite inexcusable that I rarely went out, even to just hold a speech. I only went out once, but other than that I mostly ate by myself.”
▶ Was that because of your throat?
Taka “It was also because of that, I was kind of on the edge. There were a lot of people, everyone smoking and drinking alcohol, and wanting to start a conversation with me.”
▶ Ahahahahaha!
Toru & Tomoya & Ryota “(Laughs)”
Taka “‘Hey, this is still the 1st day! There’s still tomorrow, you idiots!’ I couldn’t help but think like that. I’d have that kind of attitude right away, that’s why I didn’t go out (laughs).”
Ryota “But well, I really wanted to smoke.”
Taka “Well, being exhausted and wanting to get drunk from delicious alcohol, I sort of understand where you all were coming from, but for me it was kind of hard to get to that enthusiastic high. There are 3 people who can help me with that! These 3 people here who understand everything about me and who attend those closing parties for me even though they’re tired!”
▶ How does the leader (Toru) behave there?
Toru “Well, I just talk normally. This time, there were only a few closing parties. At a live house, the number of staff members is different, so it can be done with a small number of people. This time, even if we went to a different region, we would usually have concerts on 2 consecutive days, therefore I had not chance to go for a drink since there were a lot of things that I wanted to talk about…”
Taka “The final one you did with a boom though.”
Toru “I really talked a lot. ‘I wanna do more like this,’ each of us exchanged our positive ideas, it was more like a discussion rather than a closing party (bitter laugh).”
▶ So it was a really balanced tour.
Toru “It may be that it was balanced, but every single concert this time had been the biggest one for us so far, so naturally the depth of thinking was different too.”
Tomoya “I also exchanged my opinion with the staff members at the closing party. I got to talk about tuning and that kind of sound-related side with people from PA and tech, that was really great, I think… This time, I was playing around with the tuning during the concert myself. Until now, I hadn’t laid hands on it and left the job to someone else because I was scared, but to get the very kind of sound that I wanted, I figured it would be the fastest if I did it myself. I wanted to become able to do it little by little, so I discussed it during rehearsals and closing parties and then got to put it into practice. That’s what I worked on this tour.”
Ryota “Talking to the staff when I was drinking around the time of the 6th concert, I was told by the PA person, ‘I’ve been wondering, during ‘Liar’ I don’t get to feel it here (points at heart) at all, did you change your bass?’. I used a 5-string bass before, but decided to switch to a 4-string bass. ‘Is that so,’ I thought, and when I changed back to a 5-string bass for the next concert, they told me “I felt it!” (laughs). I think that kind of communication is important. To all of us, ‘Liar’ is an extremely important song and perhaps there were many people thinking the same way. I learned from this.”
▶ Was there anything impressive at the last closing party?
Tomoya “At the end of the Nagoya live, Toru’s legs were constantly cramping.”
Toru “Hahaha. I was hit by such fatigue all at once, that suddenly in the dressing room they cramped. It was during the recording of our comments or something that I suddenly collapsed with a bang and couldn’t move anymore from there. My body was screaming.”
Taka “We’re expected to go out and play at night (laughs), it’s useless unless your condition is properly adjusted for that. The final is at night.”
Toru “Well, I made it back, right? For the final of the final (laughs).”
Tomoya “Additional performance?”
Taka “Encore?”
▶ Talking about where you were encoring (laughs). Taka, have you been impressed by your communication with the staff at some point?
Taka “It was our first time working together with the monitoring PA for this time’s tour, and since the monitoring circumstances weren’t all that great on our last tour, to be honest, I was quite nervous about the monitoring before the tour started. I’m constantly thinking through a lot of things, therefore I also had a precise expectation of how that PA should be. Of course I understand that it is a difficult profession, therefore I really thought about how much I should say, right? But in the end, the staff took great care. I still remember how during our first day in Sendai, my in-ear monitor was acting up. The Xebio Arena had just opened and we were playing there for the first time, for that reason I didn’t know how the acoustics of that venue were, and since it was the tour’s 8th performance, I struggled with my throat. Additionally to that, I had a slight cold. Then, when I sang I didn’t feel good at all, I felt so worn-out. After that performance, I asked the PA to do something about it, and on the second day I was able to perform in that arena in the best environment that I had felt for myself during the tour. So in fact, I got to taste the tour’s best day and the tour’s worst day in the very same venue (laughs). At that time, I felt the greatness and the love of the staff for the first time and also thought that I had to work harder on myself… I was driven by many emotions. That’s my no. 1 memory of this tour.”
▶ I think Taka’s ability to instantly see what he should do for and how he should be perceived by his fans is amazing, but with the scale of yourselves increasing over the years, do you find it difficult how you’re seen by those behind the scenes and how you treat everyone?
Taka “It is difficult. However, one thing I can say is that I think we have to assume that above anything else we are artists and do live performances for our fans. In that sense, if you don’t tell the staff that you think differently about something, none of you will grow from this. That’s why I’m often being thought of as the ‘bad guy’ in the beginning (laughs).”
▶ Then, I would like to talk about the future now. Starting on October 23rd in Paris, your first Europe & Asia tour will begin. From what I can tell looking at the schedule, it’s an unprecedented scale and in the sense of aiming for America, I think this tour is of extreme importance. Can you tell us about your enthusiasm?
Ryota “Well, I’m strongly feeling like ‘we’ll do it!’. There are places I always wanted to visit, I wonder if the opportunity for that has finally come. I’m just so full of wanting our music to reach people outside of Japan. This is our first time in Europe, so I still have no idea. I wonder if there will be a lot of white ladies*.”
(*he uses 姉さん/big sister)
▶ It would be strange if there weren’t any.
Ryota “No but, even when I watch a DVD of an artist I like, I can see that sexy women are crazy in Europe, I wonder if they’ll be like that at our live too.~”
Toru “You mean letting out their boobs (laughs).”
Ryota “Exactly, exactly (laughs). They’re usually taking off their clothes. The expectation that I could see such a scenery…”
▶ When I went to see L’Arc~en~Ciel in Paris, I got to see exactly that kind of scenery. Bras and panties flew in front of me.
Tomoya “Shikano-san*, does that mean such a possibility also exists for us?!”
(*name of the interviewer)
Taka “Alright, let’s get naked then. Will tell them, ‘Take off~!!’.”
Tomoya “That would rise the tension.”
Ryota “Damn, that’d get us fired up, we would get to experience all sorts of things.”
▶ I heard that it was already a fairly wild live in Taiwan, but what is it like for Tomoya watching from the back?
Tomoya “I can clearly hear everyone singing with us from where I am. It kind of feels like all the emotions are being exposed. This time, our tour final will be in Taiwan, I’m so looking forward to that.”
Toru “At present, we are not in situation where we can release CDs overseas, so for now we can only convey our music at concerts, which is a necessary starting point, I think. I still have dreams about these things, but for now I feel like doing this Europe/Asia tour will eventually lead us to America and the future. I want to properly show off what we’ve got, I think. I’m having tons of fun, but I cannot tell what kind of scenery we will become… I want to go wild to my heart’s content.”
Taka “I’m… Somehow I’m showing my effusiveness today, I should say something soft at the end….”
▶ That worry weights a lot (laughs).
Taka “(Laughs) Even in private, I have not once been to Europe, this is my first time going since I was born. Everything’s unknown. What kind of people will be waiting there, I’m looking forward to finding out.”
▶ But I heard that Japanese culture is hyped in France...
Taka “Because of anime right?! ...and that’s how I’m getting emotional again (laughs). I really want to find something that gives sense to us coming and that we would return for.”
▶ This will be a very realistic talk, but in America if you don’t spend around 3 months putting in serious effort, you won’t be able to leave behind your footprints. As a stepstone before going there, I think the European tour will be a very realistic experience.
Taka “That’s right. Going to America itself is easy, but it’s still a step-by-step procedure… There is only one reason for us to go to America. When we search for that reason, we have to do other countries first - it's a miracle that we can sell tickets for a one-man live in an area that we've never been to (laughs). It’s a bit like putting those people on the side first, but if there are more people waiting in Europe than in America, then I think we should go there first. In Taiwan, it felt like we were going, “why are we in this situation?”. The airport was panicking.
▶ The souvenir shop was selling T-shirts with “ONE ROCK” written on them, right?
Taka “Right. T-shirts with ‘ONE OK’ on them were being sold, and when we went to town, fans came running towards us. It feels so weird, and is completely beyond me (laughs).”
▶ You said there is only one reason why you want to go to America, that reason being you wanting to become the world’s no. 1, right?
Taka “The world’s no. 1…”
▶ Isn’t that the point?
Taka “The goal that we aim for while doing this band until our death also includes America. Rather than wanting to be the best America, if we do our best everywhere, including America, then I think we would inevitably become no. 1 there too. We’re 25 years old, we really don’t have time. There’s limitation - because it’s difficult to continue doing the same kind of performances as we do now at the age of 40 or 50. In that sense, I am full of impatience now.”
▶ More impatient than Honda (Keisuke) going to Milan or not?
Taka “...I’m obviously more impatient than Honda.”
▶ Why?
Taka “Something like, in 5 years I’ll be 30, ain’t I already an old uncle with 30?! I can’t say thoughtless things any longer.”
▶ I will say this irresponsibly, but with this band’s current momentum and talent and potential, rather than making one album into an English version or a Japanese version, I think that it would be possible to have completely different works with 12 songs for the American album and 12 songs for the Japanese album, that each hit in a different place. I’m selfishly imagining you to go such great lengths.”
Taka “...that, I’d want to do it if there was someone we could work together with. Our biggest problem is that without an adult who understands our way of thinking, we cannot do it. If we cannot solve this problem, I will probably stop it all. This is something only we can do, I think. Being unable to do what you think you can do because of an adult is the worst that can happen to a rock band, In my opinion. We are 25 now, so we know by now what we can do and cannot do. America is also a challenge, so what we have to do now is something that we have to do during the limited time we’re given. No one has the right to stop us from doing that. I think this must be understood. It’s already outdated to tell us, ‘you’re still young, you’ll be fine’. We’re already 25, aren’t we? I don’t even drink alcohol before noon anymore, that’s evidence that I’m losing physical strength.”
▶ This deterioration is a little too quick.
Taka “But for real, I’m having such worries now.”
▶ In terms of music and band strength, how do you feel about it right now? Of course, I know all those negotiations and agents are important, but let's leave those out.
Taka “No, we can’t leave them out. If we left them out, everything would turn into an empty dream, therefore we can’t do that. Therefore I do whatever I can, such as going to LA when I have time, everything is connected there. Growing up in Japan, Japanese people never learn about American culture. No matter how good the Japanese of the American person living in Japan is, problems will definitely always occur. At the same time, I don’t think that 100% of the Japanese who can speak English perfectly are able to go over there and do their thing smoothly. For that reason, we have to do something that we are only able to do now, and must fight based on that as well. At least for the process of executing this, I really think we all have to work together.”
▶ In contract, at this point in time you’ve been to LA lately, yet so far you feel like you cannot say that the conditions [there] are good [for you].
Taka “Yeah, I cannot say that at all (bitter laugh).”
▶ That’s reality.
Taka “Yes, this is reality.”
▶ Understood. I think you’re also making new songs?
Taka “We are. The band is super positive and earnestly making songs, it feels like I’ve never worked this hard before.”
▶ Is there something to talk about regarding a clearly set release?
Taka “No, we haven’t decided at all yet. Until now, I made all these songs from scratch with the feeling that they are necessary, but considering that I want to record deliberately in America now, there is nothing better than having these songs with me. However, we’re only just heading there. That’s why each of us is making songs with more and more seriousness.”
▶ Let's try to create a situation where the bell to the studio can ring at any time.
Taka “That’s right. ‘There you go!’, like that. I want to keep only that.”
▶ Do the songs you made have a nice feeling?
Taka “Ah, not at all.”
▶ What’s that, what’s with that statement.
Ryota “Kyahahahahahaha!”
Taka “Well, I feel like I’m with everyone.”
▶ I don’t understand the meaning at all.
Taka “No no, I really want to absorb the good things about everyone…”
▶ Toru-san, please save this one.
Toru “Eh, save what?”
▶ “My songs are amazing! I’m holding the future of the band!”, say that.
Ryota “Hahahahahahaha!”
Toru “No no, I can’t say such big things. The album from before was our 6th one, the next one will be our 7th.”
Taka “It’s already our 7th! (laughs)”
Toru “But I think it’s become a great turning point. The band has been in good shape for the past few years, the number of songs has increased, and the direction of our luck has been decided. Now our new goal is recording overseas, but since we started the band when we were 17 to 18 years old, to think that this will already be our 7th album… I think it has great meaning. I don’t think making an album is a separate process, and even if we release them one by one they will have great meaning, I think the amount of energy used will increase significantly. So how can we overcome this and express something new in our own style in order to create something good? For the way we will do it for our next work, I think it’s time to take various worldviews into consideration.”
▶ So in short, there is also the thing about how to climb up from your current situation, and since it is your 7th album as a band, it may be a transitional period for your career. I think the next one is very important in various aspects.
Toru “That’s right. I think we might get to see even bigger things for our next one [album]… After all, there is a wall that we have to climb over and over, which means desperately going on without slacking off.”
▶ Understood. Hoping that your activities after this interview will be significant. I think we can end here. Thank you very much.
All 4 “Thank you very much!!”
---
My final thoughts
Toru saying that he hopes Jinsei to become an album that people would listen to forever, I wonder if he still remembers having wished for this at some point in his life because evidently Jinsei has actually become OOR’s most significant work.
Also Ryota talking about sexy white onee-sans, I can’t believe this guy haha, but props to him, he got married to a Canadian beauty in the end (if only 2013 Ryota knew hahaha).
Reading about them hoping the audience would get naked and Taka saying he would make them when in the end it was them who took off their clothes LMAO. I remember reading that Taka told the audience in Paris to strip but the audience only shouted the same back and we happened to get these iconic moments HAHA
Halfway in and then going, “I’m a shy boy”, you little liar lmao
(the original posts of both gifs were deleted, I saved them from the reblogs on my own blog here and here)
Anyway, 2013 OOR really was something else but I’m glad I got a little more insight on their dreams and ambitions from back then. :’)
“I caused some worries. Fortunately it was only a mild case and I was able to leave the hospital and return home without problems. Really, it took so long... Life in isolation is much harder than I thought, there were moments when I thought I was going crazy, but now that I can finally breathe the outside air again, I'm taking deep breaths of relief. Above all, I would like to thank the hospital staff that supported me during my hospitalisation, thank you so much for looking out for me. Also, to all the fans who sent me warm messages, the members who were there for me and my friends, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Toru”
Taka「メンバーが減った時もう終わりだとか散々言われた。ふざけんな！俺を誰だと思ってるんだ！どんだけすごいDNA受け継いでると思ってるんだ！Toruが俺を導いてくれたんだよ！(TomoyaとRyotaの)二人が俺を支えてくれたんだよ！俺はこれからも絶対にONE OK ROCKをあきらめません！！」
x
Taka: "As the number of members decreased, I was constantly being told that's the end. Stop shitting me! Who do you think I am? What amazing DNA do you think I have inherited! Toru led me! The other two (Ryota & Tomoya) supported me! I will never give up ONE OK ROCK!!"
- Taka MC EOTS Tour Japan @ Yoyogi, January 30th, 2020
Source: PATI-PATI magazine, Feb. 2010
*I bought the magazine, this is my photo
A shocking dream you had recently!?
Taka: It’s not a dream, but during the tour* I experienced sleep paralysis. I couldn’t sleep at all, and the moment I had a presentiment that “I might experience sleep paralysis,” my body wouldn’t move anymore. When I forced my eyes open, the mirror was shaking and I could hear something unintelligible. “This is bad!” I thought, and as I raised my arms, my body finally moved. Frightened, I went to Toru’s room and he let me sleep with him.
Toru: At 6 in the morning! How troublesome! (lol)
(*”Overcome Emotion” Tour I guess)
As far as I know, this very interview has been translated already, but I had always wanted to translate this part myself because I think it really shows how much Taka trusts Toru.
"Today feels like I'm meeting my long distance girlfriend again after a long time. Because of the proximity, I can take you to bed and we can do nasty things, but I'm so nervous, it seems I cannot hold hands. But in the end, let's come* together!"
- Taka, Hachioji MATCH VOX, 2013.09.29
(*yes, he means that come lol, 2013 Taka really had no chill)
On July 7th 2020, MY FIRST STORY released 2 instrumental albums titled “BGM” and “sleeping”. This is the translation of the members commentary on “sleeping”, found on the band’s official website.
From myfirststory.net
1. Deep sea
You are now being sucked into the deep sea. Don’t think about anything and mindlessly surrender your body to the sound. Relax. And you get sleepy. (Nob)
2. 瞑想温泉 (meisou onsen) Meditation Onsen
If you go far through the waves, you will reach an onsen. There you can forget about the hustle and bustle of your daily life while meditating. And you get sleepy. (Sho)
3. Green
You’re now in the midst of a lush green forest. You feel the wind, and while hearing the chirping of the birds, you get embraced by the woods. And you get sleepy. (Nob)
4. 潜在入口 (senzai iriguchi) Entrance to One's Potential
Let’s move deeper into ourselves. Close your eyes, of course.
There, do you see that single light over there? I can’t see it. Get sleepy. (Sho)
5. Morning
The feeling of quietness when the morning sun starts to rise is nice, isn’t it...
The birds too can be heard clearly. With that sort of comfort, fall asleep again…and get sleepy. (Nob)
6. 深層夢限 (shinsou mugen) The Limits of a Deep Dream
Imagine lying down on a tatami mat while listening to the sound of rain...
The soothing atmosphere of the rain will take you into a deep dream. And you get sleepy. (Sho)
7. Old memories
Happy and sad memories from when you were little, memories of time spent with your families and loved ones, are more vivid when you close your eyes.
Like this, you want to head straight to dreaming...and you get sleepy. (Nob)
8. 呼吸調和 (kokyuu chouwa) Breathing Harmony
Take a slow, deep breath. Now imagine your body floating. If you do that, voila. You get sleepy. (Sho)
9. Rain
Rainy days are depressing, aren’t they… But if you listen carefully, the sound of the rain is soothing, isn't it? I played the piano while soaking in the comfort of the room. Look, look, you get sleepy. (Nob)
10. 整調神経 (seichou shinkei) Tuning Nerve
Do you have a dream? Go ahead and think of the dreams you tend to forget when you are busy. And you get sleepy. (Sho)
11. 夕焼彼方 (yuuyake kanata) Beyond The Sunset
The days I was little. I knew nothing then.
Go to that nostalgic world of innocence and peace. And get sleepy. (Sho)
12. Far away
Lie down by the beach and listen to the sound of the waves. Nothing is more comforting than this, huh?
Think of such a scenery and have a good night’s sleep.~ You get sleepy. (Nob)
Translation: Taka’s Instagram hashtags January 29th, 2020
On the day of their EOTS Japan tour semi-final at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Taka allowed the audience to take videos and photos on their smartphones during the encore. Usually taking videos and photos during concerts is strictly forbidden in Japan, therefore this was something out of the ordinary. After the concert, Taka shared his thoughts about the experience on Instagram.
Photo source: 10969taka
#やってみないとわからない。
#I won't know if I don't give it a shot.
#その気持ちを大事に今日は撮影OKしてみた
#In order to handle this feeling, I tried allowing recording [videos and photos] today
#ファイナルだし
#Because it's the [tour] final
#でもやってみて、、、
#But as I tried it,,,
#実際撮られたら楽しくない笑笑
#I realised it's no fun when the live is actually being recorded LMAO
#きっと世界中のアーティストがそう思う
#Surely, artists all around the world think this way
#画面越しより生で感じてほしい
#I want you to experience everything live rather than through a screen
#それがライブ
#Because that's what a concert is
#ルールはくそ
#Rules suck
#でも
#However
#破るべきルールとそうじゃないルールがある
#There are rules we must break and rules that should not be broken
#それをみんなに感じてほしかった
#I wanted everyone to feel this
#珍しく長いハッシュタグ
#Unusually long hashtags
#いや、まてよ
#Wait a second
#これハッシュタグの意味、、、
#All these hastags,,,
#ただの文章
#Might as well be an essay
#笑笑
#LMAO
#新しい試み
#New attempts
#いつも成功するとは限らない
#Are not always successful
#明日はどうしようかな
#I wonder how tomorrow will be
#ノリで考える
#I'll think about it thoroughly
#明日は明日の風がふく
#The winds of tomorrow will blow tomorrow*
(*proverb meaning "Tomorrow is another day")
#ださい
#How uncool
#ようは何が言いたいのか
#In short, what do I wanna say here
Translation of MAH's comment about their song FATHERS from SiM's latest album “Thank God, There are Hundreds of Ways to Kill Enemies”, taken from the album’s song explanation booklet that came with the limited edition.
Thought it was so sweet to hear such words from someone like MAH, who always had a 0 fucks attitude, haha.
Important: I’m no Japanese or English native, therefore there might be translation errors in this as well as weird grammatical structures.
The biggest change in the past 4 years since our last release, “THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE” is that I and GODRi became fathers, SIN got married and that without question everyone has a family now. By the way, for some reason the SiM staff members and many of our friends gave birth one after another in the very same year, therefore the content of our conversations suddenly changed too and [we] felt like “fathers”. I had the option to keep these changes that occured in my private life a secret, but that didn’t suit me. Nowadays more and more bandmen publicly announce their marriage, but if it came to what was being said at that time, that “some fans will leave when the members get married”, I knew that the ‘music itself’ that I made would not have that much power [to make them stay], yet I didn’t want to keep attracting customers or sales if it meant cutting my own money and hiding the people who were supporting us. If the band gets dropped, so be it. We state the facts as they are, because we trust in the band called SiM and in our fans. Because whether or not we will continue receiving support only depends on the works I create and the way I live. Just kidding.
Those things, the pride I held from being a father, a husband, I thought of putting those current feelings straight into my music, but it is not a trivial story that has you sit on the fence or that is conclusive.
After my wife got pregnant, I saw the world with completely different eyes. Until then, I had not even thought about things like, “Why is there no elevator here?!” when I was by myself, or before my wife’s pregnancy. To the perspective of a grown-up man, an artist, and someone who would soon have a child, you can say that this new addition was a huge and pleasant incident for me.
As seen in the lyrics, when I thought that I would die alone I did not care about the consequences in my normal everyday life. One day I’m going to die anyway, so I might just do whatever I want, I was like that. It’s different as an artist, of course. However, “For my family, every minute, every second counts, I must live long” is what I think now. This may be a generalised feeling, and completely opposed to the spiritual belief of ROCK that I had before, however, with pride and coolness I can call this ‘MAH’s ROCK lifestyle’ now.
When it comes to the music, I really favour the light reggae melody. The B melody was arranged in the style of my favourite female singer Amy Winehouse and at the end of the first chorus there is an acoustic guitar part that is an homage to Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song”. There is also a naturally flowing transition before the second chorus to a 3-beat rhythm that I think is perfect. To be honest, starting from this second chorus I had planned to make the whole song in triple metre but that did not work well and about half a year later, I decided that I wanted to make only the second chorus in that rhythm. With that decision, the tangled thread was unraveled.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that the lyrics after the second chorus speak for the feelings of ‘all fathers’ that are on their way home from work. For that exact reason, the song is called “FATHER’S’”. To tell the truth, we too want to spend day and night with our families and children, but that way we cannot provide for those precious people. To give rein to this little life and to let it fly into the infinite world, it is necessary for us to move away from it. With that dilemma we will fight forever. It may be absurd to wish this would be understood, but sometimes I want to say it.
(For some reason 1 and 2 are ‘pei-pei’, and starting from 6 it’s English) There will still pass a lot of time before my son, who has only just started counting numbers, will be able to understand the lyrics.
But when that day comes, I still want to be a cool father.
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