#planet bonds

[roseband]

hold the moon

[djpri]

[FT INTERVIEW] 180410 Livedoor

Even Japanese Celebrities Focus On Them! We Approach FTISLAND’s Pranks and Natural “Humaneness.” What a mischievous bunch. FTISLAND is a Korean rock band but they are fluent in Japanese. During the interview, they suddenly started talking about sexual contents and continuously went off topic. But their humaneness and love for a band captured the hearts of many Japanese celebrities, starting with ONE OK ROCK. FTISLAND’s biggest charming points are main vocal Lee Hongki’s heart stirring singing voice and their boundless LIVE performance. In their 8th album『PLANET BONDS (released April 11th) and the following tour, we hope you see their kind humaneness.  

Which Member Is Like An “Avocado?”

―― When it’s been 8 years since a major debut in Japan, you are pretty much done with new interviews. But this is your first time with Livedoor. We want to know about you. Let’s start with guitarist Seunghyun.

Hongki:  After drinking, we went straight to Seunghyun’s place. It was so messy. If I was a girl, I’m never going back (Laughs). He’s that kind of a person.  Seunghyun: Ah... I’m sorry

―― ^^ What about drummer Minhwan?

Jonghun: He may not look it but he is filled with emotions. Jaejin: And he’s manly...he is very patient, tries hard to understand the other person. He’s a cool guy. 

―― What kind of a person is leader & guitarist Jonghun?

Hongki: He has a sensitive heart. Like a jelly or breasts?

―― Hongki, please refrain from sexual content during the interview ^^

Hongki: Eh---!

Jaejin: Isn’t he more like an avocado than a jelly? ―― What do you mean?

Jaejin: I think he is hard on the outside but soft on the inside with a hard seed in the middle, just like an avocado.

―― I see. That’s a good comparison What about bassist Jaejin?

Jaejin: Jaejin is a good person! Minhwan: Don’t talk about yourself (Laughs). Jaejin is the brain of FTISLAND. He always comes up with good ideas. Jonghun: (After using a translator program) He is a hedgehog. Minhwan: Ah, I know! He usually hides his weapon but can strike anytime. Jaejin: I’m a man who does it when I need to!

―― And finally, how is vocal Lee Hongki? Jonghun: He is a hamster. If you just look at him, he looks nice. But he is very clear on what he wants to do and what he doesn’t want to do. So he just keeps doing fun stuff. 

Hongki: I’m not a cute animal like that. I’m a chameleon! I keep changing. 

Acknowledged by Korea’s Legendary Singer, Hongki’s Vocal

―― It’s been 8 years since your major debut in Japan but 11 years in Korea. I’m asking this late but how did you start as a band?

Jonghun: I can’t dance so I couldn’t be an idol (Laughs). But I was always interested in music. But doing it alone isn’t fun so I thought, it’d be fun to do music together as a band. That’s how I started. 

―― Starting with drama『You’re Beautiful,』Hongki has been doing music and acting. You actually acted as a child. Why did you want to be a singer instead of an actor? Hongki: Because I was good at singing (Laughs). In middle school, I went to noraebang every day and everyone told me I was really good at singing. So I sang at a school festival and got recruitment offers from various places. My current agency is one of them. At that time, I was losing interest in acting so I thought it’d be nice to be a singer. 

―― If you hadn’t sang at the school festival, you may have not become a singer. Also, who is your most influential artist or song?

Hongki: Korean artist Im Jaebum. His singing voice warms my heart. He is called ‘Rock Daddy’ in Korea. He is a legend. He told me, “you are my son.” He also invited me to many TV shows.

Jaejin: Lee Hongki! Hongki told me, “you are my son.” He said he’ll always take me to LIVE. (Laughs) Hongki: Hey, don’t copy me (Laughs)

JH: For me, it’s British rock band MUSE. But I prefer their old songs over recent ones. 

MH: I like American rock band Hoobastank. Before debut, we went to see their LIVE. It was my first time seeing them and I nearly cried. 

Seunghyun: I’m influenced by Japanese artist Ozaki Yutaka’s ballad songs. They really touch my heart. I also like ‘Forget Me Not’ remake by Shimizu Shota. 

From Arata Mackenyu to Ayano Go, FTISLAND Has Many Japanese Celebrity Friends. 

―― In『Primavera』released in 2015, FTISLAND collaborated with ONE OK ROCK’s Taka and the two bands’ friendship is famous among fans. What do you talk about with ONE OK ROCK members?

Hongki: We talk a lot about music. We ask about the music we are doing now and songs that we are working on. 

―― In February, ONE OK ROCK had a concert in Korea. Hongki: Many Japanese bands are doing LIVE in Korea lately. Taka told me, “I’m going to Korea. I want to see you.” But I couldn’t go to the LIVE because I had a shoot for drama ‘Korean Odyssey.” The shoot ended around 3:30 a.m. so I went to see him briefly. So I ended up going straight back to the drama set without sleeping (Laughs). Jaejin went to the LIVE. 

―― How was ONE OK ROCK LIVE?

Jaejin: There are many Korean male celebrities who are fan of ONE OK ROCK. So I went to LIVE with them. It was great. It’s one of my TOP 5 LIVES. I’m not in a position to judge but I want to tell him, “it was great!” ―― Which part of LIVE did you like? Jaejin: When we do LIVE, we don’t put cameras on stage. But ONE OK ROCK shot from the stage and showed that on the screen. Seeing that, I thought cameras aren’t as distracting as I thought. The video of fans singing together looked pretty. I want to try that at our LIVE too.

―― You found a hint for your LIVE. 

Jaejin:Yes. I can learn from other band LIVEs.

―― I want to hear about your friends. At last December’s『FNC KINGDOM IN JAPAN』actor Arata Mackenyu came to see your LIVE.  

Jaejin: That’s right. I don’t have any younger friends so Mackenyu is cute (Laughs). A friend introduced us and we became close. Mackenyu isn’t like a party animal. I think he just really likes to chat with a bunch of guys. He is cool, works hard and has a clear idea of what he wants to do. Even though he is young, we stay as friends. 

―― Hongki calls actor Ayano Go “girlfriend” ^^  Hongki: Not just Ayano Go, I have many Japanese celebrity fans. A friend introduces me to his friend so I got to know many of them (Laughs). I think we are good at Japanese because we made many friends in Japan. But it’s hard when they all come to Korea. 

――  Why?

Hongki: I’m speaking Japanese in Korea. But when a Japanese friend comes to Korea and introduce him to my Korean friend, I have to translate Korean and Japanese (Laughs).

―― That sounds hard. Earlier, you talked about ONE OK ROCK LIVE in Korea. It doesn’t look like a band culture is that big in Korea. What benefits do you think Japan have for bands?

Minhwan: Japan has many rehearsal studios. I’m jealous of that because there aren’t that many in Korea. From big concert venues to small stages for amateurs, there are countless options in Japan. But there aren’t even that many LIVE houses in Korea. So there’s not many opportunities to see bands. I’m sure there are some kids who don’t know about bands. You only see idols on TV.

―― If Korean children tries to do a band, where do they practice? Minhwan: A school or a church. Jaejin: In Korea, a street called Hongdae is the music street similar to Simokitazawa in Japan. But it has very few studios and LIVE houses.

Gaming in PC Room, How They Enjoy Japan.

―― You’ve come to Japan several times. How do you have fun in Japan? Seunghyun: I went to a PC room in Nagoya to play a network war game that I’m addicted to (Laughs). The members said they’ll come later so I made an appointment and got there first, downloaded the game and waited. I often go to a PC room in Tokyo too. 

―― You come to Japan and still play a game?

Seunghyun: Yes (Laughs). I do think I should stop when I’m in Japan but other than that, I’m the happiest when shopping, taking a walk, drinking craft beer and eating delicious food. 

―― In Korea, bottled beer is the main alcohol.

Minhwan: I don’t really go out...But when I come to Japan, I want to eat ramen or natto.

―― Can you eat natto?

Minhwan: Yes, I really like it! I always eat natto before LIVE. Jonghun: I often go to art galleries or art exhibits.

―― For your first Indies album『So long, Au revoir』released in 2009, Jonghun painted the jacket picture. What do you paint lately? Jonghun:　For『So long, Au revoir』I painted a moon. Now, I’m drawing a star. I don’t just draw space. 

―― Jaejin?

Jaejin: I enjoy local Japanese food like Misonikomi udon in Nagoya. I like food that doesn’t exist in Korea. It’s like with green vegetables and has sticky white balls in the middle...(Draws a picture).

―― Ah, that’s okura. Jaejin: Okura is delicious. Ah, you can find it everywehre in Japan (Laughs).

―― Hongki? Hongki: I enjoy going out for a drink with friends. I sometimes drink Japanese alcohol. I like Highball. 

「If you keep the bond, you can reach your dream」The Message In The Album

―― 8th album『PLANET BONDS』comes out April 11th. What message is in the title song 『Hold the moon?』

Hongki:　I wrote『Hold the moon.』 It’s main theme is “hope” and “dream.” “BONDS” in 『PLANET BONDS』 means ties. There are many kinds of ties. FTISLAND met by ties. We included the message that if we keep the bonds, we can reach the moon, which represents our dream. In『PLANET BONDS』jacket, we are going up the staircase to the moon.  

―― I see. Where will FTISLAND go in the future? Hongki: We’ll buy about 3 buildings and tour via a private jet. (Laughs). 

―― The album has 10 songs. Please tell me your favorite song and recommend the best time to listen to it. Hongki: Mm~ I like all of them... Once you listen to『SAYONARA,』its melody and lyrics will stay with you but...I guess I have to pick『Golden.』I hope you listen to it when you lose self-confidence. I wrote its lyrics. It goes “yourself is the most handsome, the coolest.” I hoped it’d boost self-confidence. There are ups and downs in life. When there are good times, there are also bad times. But you are still the coolest so you don’t have to worry. 

―― Then the lyrics are based on Hongki’s real experience. Hongki: That’s right. I like myself the best so I trust myself the most. I get angry when I fall but I get up in the end. I went through several of them in life but I try to forget the bad right away. I don’t drag the past along. I hope everyone does the same. 

―― Jaejin?

Jaejin:　『Skyway.』I recommend you listen to it while showering in the morning. It has good beats and it’s a very romantic song.

Jonghun: I pick『FLOWER ROAD.』All the members sang it and I hope we sing it together at LIVE. Minhwan: I also pick『FLOWER ROAD.』

Seunghyun: I like『SAYONARA』 and Jaejin’s 『Dancing on.』It’s fun to perform『Dancing on.』I look forward to performing it at our next LIVE. Minhwan, isn’t it hard to drum for Jaejin’s song? Minhwan: No problem! Jaejin: As expected, FTISLAND’s drum is so dependable!

――Following the album, arena tour『FTISLAND Arena Tour 2018 -PLANET BONDS- 』begins April 26th. FTISLAND’s charm is always LIVE! Hongki: Yes, we only have LIVE. I think our LIVE applies ointments on our fans’ heart. I think it’s healing. 

―― Which song from the album would be the most fun to play at LIVE? Hongki: We haven’t done it yet~ Every song is different. Some songs can be more fun to listen to than when performed LIVE. So we don’t know until we try them. I’m looking forward to everyone’s reaction!

*** Cr. LIVEDOOR + DJ. Pri @tumblr (Twitter @Chocopiek) 

[fti5]

FTISLAND PLANET BONDS [Full Album]

cr: FTISLAND [FULL ALBUM]

[starryhong]

「FTISLAND Arena Tour 2018 -PLANET BONDS-」

[tonguetiedvisitor]

IT’S HERE

[roseband]

『PLANET BONDS』individual teasers

[fti5]

[VID] FTISLAND 8th Album ‘Planet Bonds’ Medley

Tracklist:

Hold the Moon

Stay What You Are

Dancing On

GAME

Paradise

Interlude

Golden

Skyway

Sayonara (Goodbye)

Flower Road

cr: FTISLANDofficialjp

[fti5]

[VID] FTISLAND 8th ALBUM ‘PLANET BONDS’ Teaser(All Members Ver.)

cr: FTISLANDofficialjp