And what if rap WAS only about sex, violence, and drugs... what then? Would you be justified in looking down upon it as not being "real" art? What would your justification be? Sex is immoral and taboo? Drugs should never be mentioned outside of D.A.R.E programs? Songs about violence turn children to it? Would you turn that standard to other genres as well? I know you wouldn't, I know you haven't, because it's never really been about the topics explored.
"gerard way should be held accountable for associating with jimmy urine for a long time and being good friends with him as he openly said the n word and defended it" i say as im dragged away
i had a dream where baldis basics had a msi spin off and jimmy was baldi but he didnt do anything but stand there and look cute. the game was called steve righs basics not jimmy urines basics and there was like 4 different steves and one was rlly stubby and it only spawned when u went upstairs and would make gargling/vomiting noises. lynz and kitty would fight each other and throw one of them into you depending on who won the fight. the walls were like a pastel pink and purple gradient it was very pastel except for the upstairs which looked like a modern home. there was also anime girls.
I keep misreading positive words as negative words (and negative words as even MORE negative) and its stressing me out, like literally yesterday I told my friend his eyes looked amazing but then later I re-read it and thought I had said his eyes were disgusting..???? how do I make my brain stop being so negative?
Mindless Self Indulgence interview with gekirock 04/17/09
(there will be a minimal amount of changes done by me as far as this translation goes, most of it is done through google translate)
Bold Red Text = Interviewer (MAY-E)
White text = Little Jimmy Urine (Vocals / Programming / Main Songwriter)
- Was the band incorporating electronic sounds from the very beginning, when they formed in 1997?
Yeah. As my mind got crazier and I stopped caring so much about interpreting music seriously, our sound became more concrete.
- Your music incorporates various styles, including punk, heavy rock, and electronica. Could you tell us about your background?
I grew up listening only to movie soundtracks. For about three years after that, all I did was buy records at used record stores. That's when I learned about all sorts of different genres of music.
- Your sound is unconventional, so I'm sure you've been called by many different names over the years. For example, what kind of unique comments have you received?
It seems like the press has been trying to describe us for the past 10 years... We've come up with an interesting formula: "MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE = Choosing a band + A band that's the complete opposite + Regular drug use + Fantastical locations." This is constantly evolving.
- Since you didn't belong to a specific scene, were there any difficulties as a result?
It's very unique, with both positive and negative aspects.
The positive aspect is that you don't need to pretend to stand out. The negative aspect is that it's difficult for us to fit into such a boring world.
- I imagine you've received a lot of offers from major labels, but are you not considering going major?
I'll go anywhere there's money, anywhere I can spend money freely.
- With news of Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance and Lyn-Z's marriage and other non-music-related news tending to attract attention, did you ever get tired of the public's attention being focused on things other than music?
Yeah, not all press releases are good press releases. Especially when they're repeated too persistently, they can get really annoying sometimes.
- However, I think it's wonderful that MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE (hereinafter MSI) has achieved solid results, such as charting with songs that have such an impact that they overshadow news other than music. I think this is due to the band's ability to continue for more than 10 years, but what do you think is the secret to being able to continue as a band for so long?
It's like a dangerous trapeze act, similar to tightrope walking. If you look down, you'll fall.
- Congratulations on the release of the Japanese version of "If." This album is a double disc, and the bonus disc includes completely unreleased tracks, making a total of 32 songs including remixes—that's an incredible amount of content. Fans in your home country are probably jealous of your Japanese fans.
I'm jealous of the Japanese version of "If" too. I haven't gotten my hands on it yet. We've really packed the Japanese version with extra tracks, new songs, remixes, and even a new cover design. I'm seriously excited!
- "Shut Me Up," which was a huge hit in your home country, has become a killer tune at our club event "Geki Rock," but the other songs on this album are just as punchy and addictive, and I find myself listening to them over and over again. I particularly like "Issues." Could you tell us about the concept of this song, representing the album?
"Issues" is a song that Steve, Kitty, and I wrote together. We all love old-school hip-hop, so we wanted to take this song in that direction.
- Five songs from this album, "If," debuted in the top 5 of the Billboard charts, and three songs even reached number 1. That's an amazing record. It's rare for a band to release so many singles from a single album. Did you anticipate this level of success when you released them as singles?
The best thing about MSI is that there are no rules. There are no rules about how to write songs, how to play them in shows, or how to market your music. So we do what we want to do, and whether we succeed or fail, we're the ones who made the decision.
- Do you start creating songs by programming? I can't imagine you creating them by jamming, and I'm very curious about your music production process, so please tell me about it.
The main theme when creating tracks in this band is that the song is king. If there's something good about the sound, we leave it as is, and if there's something that's not good, we boldly remove it.
- How do you come up with such catchy melodies?
I love pop music. But I love deconstructing pop music even more, which is probably how I got such a unique sound.
- Of all the remixes you've heard, which one did you like you the most?
I like all the remixes of every song.
- Your visuals, such as your makeup and hairstyles, are certainly eye-catching. Do any of the members have a specific fashion theme?
We're obsessed with everything about the band's image—the music, the design, the stage, the shows, the marketing business, and of course, how we're perceived, including fashion. Each member has a part they want to play and dresses they want to wear, but it's just a coincidence that they're similar in that respect.
- It looks like it takes you a long time to style your hair. Do you do it yourself?
Oh, I love that question. All I can say is that a hair dryer is involved.
— What do you consider to be the essence of MSI?
Eat dumplings until you throw up!
- Japan has a thriving anime culture. Your music and Japanese animation seem like a good match.
Yeah. We're all influenced by different anime and cultures. Some of us like "Spirited Away" or "Jin-Roh," while others like artists like Takashi Murakami. Some are influenced by "MONSTER" or "DEATH NOTE."
- You'll be coming back to Japan for Punkspring 09. Please tell us about your aspirations.
Watashi no hobākurafuto wa unagi de ippai desu!
(English translation note: this translates to; “my hovercraft is full of eels”, and is a direct reference to Monty Python.)
prguitarman
titsay
vaporwave
tangentwithtanner
theartofmadeline
areudirty
