han rediseñado la web oficial de x japan ^^ y han puesto unos videos de resumen de los conciertos 
http://www.myspace.com/xjapanofficial
http://www.myspace.com/xjapanofficial
-
Cambios en el aspecto y funcionamiento del foro. Ver detalles
hide (genio musical) cumpliria 43
- Iniciador del tema butterflies
- Fecha de inicio
Mafi
2
y esta dedicada a mafi ^^
Gracias Nami :jajaja: como sabes lo que me gusta
En el último video de endless rain... maldita torre de luces o lo que sea... mira que si te toca delante.....:novale:
Una preguntilla... porqué Toshi no se quitará las gafas de sol durante el concierto? :mmm:
mafi ^^ no se xq no se quita las gafas toshi xDD la verdad que le encantan,y son una especie de signo de identidad suyo,pero antes se las quitaba... desde que volvio x japan no le hemos visto los ojos a este chico toshi queremos verte lo ojitos!!!
SUGIZO ha dejado un mensaje en su myspace!!! me encanta este chico,si x japan siguen juntos, dios lo quiera!! :reza: y si necesitan un guitarra,lo propongo como 6º miembro de la banda ^^ vosotros que opinais??
no entiendo ni papa xDD voy a ver un traductor
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
X JAPAN
The three days at Tokyo Dome were totally crazy and full of troubles, but somehow we got through it. I’ve been totally wiped up yesterday and today, but I think that the three shows were really wonderful. All the X JAPAN fans were beautiful, and I’m so thankful that I was able to help and to experience such a blissful time full of love, passion, and forgiveness.
YOSHIKI said the same thing, but both the X JAPAN and the LUNA SEA fans were really great and cool. They are irreplaceable companions who have lived through this era with us, and I’m proud and thrilled that we can keep walking on together.
No one could ever replace hide. I certainly can’t. He was too overwhelming, too important. But I noticed something amidst the pressure and complications…my task is to become his medium. In other words, through playing together, to stand behind the band and support their potential. And I intend to do it to the best of my ability.
I always say a prayer before a concert. Asking for the guidance of my guides and angels is an important ritual to me. This time, I prayed to hide. I asked him to somehow support me as I tried to support X. That hide’s will would be transformed into sound through my body and fingertips, that his soul would descend to Earth. And I also prayed that my feelings reached every member of the audience.
It’s been 20 years since I first met hide, but playing together with him these three days and feeling as if he was embracing the stage, I truly felt that we understood each other more than ever before. He was definitely there on the stage of Tokyo Dome. And he was definitely happy…I think he was probably having a great time.
I was also reminded anew of the astounding god-like power of X JAPAN and the unfathomable greatness of hide himself. What an amazing group of people. I really need to keep on working hard myself!
I am so honored that I was able to offer my support for the historical rebirth of my brothers in X JAPAN, and my much loved and respected older brother hide.
Thank you everyone for coming. You were wonderful, and I hope to see you again soon.
SUGIZO
toshi queremos verte lo ojitos!!!SUGIZO ha dejado un mensaje en su myspace!!! me encanta este chico,si x japan siguen juntos, dios lo quiera!! :reza: y si necesitan un guitarra,lo propongo como 6º miembro de la banda ^^ vosotros que opinais??
no entiendo ni papa xDD voy a ver un traductor
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
X JAPAN
The three days at Tokyo Dome were totally crazy and full of troubles, but somehow we got through it. I’ve been totally wiped up yesterday and today, but I think that the three shows were really wonderful. All the X JAPAN fans were beautiful, and I’m so thankful that I was able to help and to experience such a blissful time full of love, passion, and forgiveness.
YOSHIKI said the same thing, but both the X JAPAN and the LUNA SEA fans were really great and cool. They are irreplaceable companions who have lived through this era with us, and I’m proud and thrilled that we can keep walking on together.
No one could ever replace hide. I certainly can’t. He was too overwhelming, too important. But I noticed something amidst the pressure and complications…my task is to become his medium. In other words, through playing together, to stand behind the band and support their potential. And I intend to do it to the best of my ability.
I always say a prayer before a concert. Asking for the guidance of my guides and angels is an important ritual to me. This time, I prayed to hide. I asked him to somehow support me as I tried to support X. That hide’s will would be transformed into sound through my body and fingertips, that his soul would descend to Earth. And I also prayed that my feelings reached every member of the audience.
It’s been 20 years since I first met hide, but playing together with him these three days and feeling as if he was embracing the stage, I truly felt that we understood each other more than ever before. He was definitely there on the stage of Tokyo Dome. And he was definitely happy…I think he was probably having a great time.
I was also reminded anew of the astounding god-like power of X JAPAN and the unfathomable greatness of hide himself. What an amazing group of people. I really need to keep on working hard myself!
I am so honored that I was able to offer my support for the historical rebirth of my brothers in X JAPAN, and my much loved and respected older brother hide.
Thank you everyone for coming. You were wonderful, and I hope to see you again soon.
SUGIZO
Última edición:
MENSAJE DE SUGIZO-SAN
bueno,traductor-sama xDD
--pero que hermosas palabras dice de hide sobre todo,y de los fans y de x japan!!!--
mensaje:
Los tres días en el Tokyo Dome fueron totalmente locos y llenos de problemas, pero de alguna manera llegamos a través de eso.He sido totalmente eliminado hasta el día de ayer
y hoy, pero creo que los tres show se muestran realmente maravillosos. Todos los fans de X JAPAN son hermosos, y estoy tan agradecido de que pude ayudar a la experiencia y tal vez la plena felicidad del amor, la pasión y el perdón.
YOSHIKI dice la misma cosa, pero tanto los fans de X JAPAN y LUNA SEA son realmente grandes y frescos.Son insustituibles compañeros que han vivido a través de esta era con nosotros, y estoy orgulloso y emocionado de que podamos seguir caminando juntos.
Nadie puede sustituir nunca a hide.Desde luego, no se puede. Él era demasiado abrumador, demasiado importante.Pero me di cuenta de algo en medio de la presión y de las complicaciones… mi tarea es la de convertirme en su medio.En otras palabras, a través de tocar juntos, de pie detrás de la banda y el apoyo de su potencial. Y tengo la intención de hacerlo a lo mejor de mi capacidad.
Siempre digo una oración antes de un concierto. Preguntar por la orientación de mis guías y ángeles es un importante ritual para mí. Esta vez, oré a hide.Le pedí que me apoye de alguna manera como he tratado de apoyar a X.Esa voluntad se transformaría en el sonido a través de mi cuerpo y alcance de la mano, que su alma se descienda a la Tierra.Y yo también rezó para que mis sentimientos hayan llegado a cada uno de los miembros de la audiencia.
Ha pasado 20 años desde que me reuni por primera vez con hide, pero tocar con él estos tres días y sentirse como si él estuviera abrazando el escenario, sentí verdaderamente que nos entendimos mutuamente más que nunca.Fue definitivamente allí en el escenario de Tokyo Dome. Y él era definitivamente feliz… creo que probablemente fue un gran momento para él.
También me ha recordado de nuevo el sorprendente poder como-dios de X JAPAN y la insondable grandeza de hide mismo.Qué increíble grupo de personas! Realmente necesito seguir trabajando duro yo mismo.
Estoy tan honrado de que yo pude ofrecer mi apoyo al histórico renacimiento de mis hermanos X JAPAN, y mi muy querido y respetado hermano mayor hide.
Gracias a todos por venir. sois maravillosos, y espero verlos pronto de nuevo.
SUGIZO
bueno,traductor-sama xDD
--pero que hermosas palabras dice de hide sobre todo,y de los fans y de x japan!!!--
mensaje:
Los tres días en el Tokyo Dome fueron totalmente locos y llenos de problemas, pero de alguna manera llegamos a través de eso.He sido totalmente eliminado hasta el día de ayer
y hoy, pero creo que los tres show se muestran realmente maravillosos. Todos los fans de X JAPAN son hermosos, y estoy tan agradecido de que pude ayudar a la experiencia y tal vez la plena felicidad del amor, la pasión y el perdón.
YOSHIKI dice la misma cosa, pero tanto los fans de X JAPAN y LUNA SEA son realmente grandes y frescos.Son insustituibles compañeros que han vivido a través de esta era con nosotros, y estoy orgulloso y emocionado de que podamos seguir caminando juntos.
Nadie puede sustituir nunca a hide.Desde luego, no se puede. Él era demasiado abrumador, demasiado importante.Pero me di cuenta de algo en medio de la presión y de las complicaciones… mi tarea es la de convertirme en su medio.En otras palabras, a través de tocar juntos, de pie detrás de la banda y el apoyo de su potencial. Y tengo la intención de hacerlo a lo mejor de mi capacidad.
Siempre digo una oración antes de un concierto. Preguntar por la orientación de mis guías y ángeles es un importante ritual para mí. Esta vez, oré a hide.Le pedí que me apoye de alguna manera como he tratado de apoyar a X.Esa voluntad se transformaría en el sonido a través de mi cuerpo y alcance de la mano, que su alma se descienda a la Tierra.Y yo también rezó para que mis sentimientos hayan llegado a cada uno de los miembros de la audiencia.
Ha pasado 20 años desde que me reuni por primera vez con hide, pero tocar con él estos tres días y sentirse como si él estuviera abrazando el escenario, sentí verdaderamente que nos entendimos mutuamente más que nunca.Fue definitivamente allí en el escenario de Tokyo Dome. Y él era definitivamente feliz… creo que probablemente fue un gran momento para él.
También me ha recordado de nuevo el sorprendente poder como-dios de X JAPAN y la insondable grandeza de hide mismo.Qué increíble grupo de personas! Realmente necesito seguir trabajando duro yo mismo.
Estoy tan honrado de que yo pude ofrecer mi apoyo al histórico renacimiento de mis hermanos X JAPAN, y mi muy querido y respetado hermano mayor hide.
Gracias a todos por venir. sois maravillosos, y espero verlos pronto de nuevo.
SUGIZO
Última edición:
ENTREVISTA A YOSHIKI en el tokyo dome despues de uno de los conciertos
Which bands were you mainly influenced by?
YOSHIKI: I don't know but I have a lot. I like punk music. Let me see...I liked The Sex Pistols before the reunion and I like classical music, such as Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninov, so...I don’t know.
How has that changed? What influences your music now?
YOSHIKI: I don’t know. I guess everything. We’ll get back to the first question. There are a lot of great British bands these days, like I love Radiohead, you know...I like a lot of British rock. You know, usually I could think of a lot more names, but right now...
Your name is often mentioned in the same genre as visual kei. How does it feel for you today? How suitable is it for you?
YOSHIKI: I think I’m very lucky because we started a long time ago and you know, we didn’t want to be bored and we wanted to be very different. We just wanted to be original. We were like the blackest sheep of the family, right? Of course, we had thick make up and everything. We had real hard time because we started twenty years ago, but now there are a lot of visual kei bands, all over the world. It’s very unexpected and there are lots of great bands. Because of these bands some people heard about X JAPAN, so I’m appreciative of it.
Are you still conscious of belonging to visual kei?
YOSHIKI: Well, I guess I’m still in visual kei. I don’t know...when we say "visual kei," it’s not only about make up. I think it’s more about spirit. Being original is very hard these days. When you’re growing up, it’s very easy to just stay inside one area, but breaking the wall and getting out of the box is so hard. So I think that is the real meaning of visual kei...
YOSHIKI, you entirely changed my life. So many people in Hong Kong are expecting you to come here. Are you going to do any big concerts in Hong Kong?
YOSHIKI: I had never thought about doing X JAPAN again. As I said, I feel very lucky because we didn’t just have a reunion, nor were we reunited without requests from passionate fans, so thank you for changing my life as well (laughs). So, yes, I’d love to go there, to Hong Kong. Right at this moment though, I have to finish the next two days and I’m not sure if I’ll still be alive four days from now...I don’t know. But I just want to do everything I have to do right now and use all my energy for the next two days. I may think about it on Friday if I am alive enough to recover.
How was today’s concert? What impressed you the most?
YOSHIKI: Well, when I heard the audience cheering, I was so moved. I’ve played at Tokyo Dome quite a lot of times, so it felt like I had came back to my home. Like, "home sweet home" (laughs). I was moved somehow when I entered here.
Do you have any plans for a world tour?
YOSHIKI: As I said before, yes, for sure. But I don’t know how many days I will be able to continue doing a show like today, so I want to concentrate on doing my best for two more lives right now. But we definitely want to do a tour.
Today you used a lot of videos in which hide was playing guitar. Did you think about hide tonight?
YOSHIKI: Of course, yes. Before we got to this point, I had to edit the footage and I was editing hide’s guitar and video to try and synchronize with him. I like playing with the five of us. I still have a hard time, as you know. I felt like crying.
Unfortunately, you didn’t make it big in foreign countries last time. Do you think that will change this time? Will you take over the world?
YOSHIKI: Well, we had that dream more than ten years ago. I don’t know if we are doing this whole X JAPAN thing for that purpose, or for something...how do you say...I don’t know. We have been lucky to have this audience. If this, our reunion, can make an impact or become an influence around the world, that would be great. But I just wanted this reunion for us and for our fans.
I like to think you have more fans than ten years ago.
YOSHIKI: As I said, I’m lucky.
You showed an image of hide on stage. Was it the real hide? The computer-generated image was really detailed. How did you do it?
YOSHIKI: When I thought about this concert, I thought of doing a hologram and I researched various techniques all over the world. Then I chose the best technique which can be done right now. It’s the same technique which Al Gore used, but he did it in front of a green screen. hide doesn’t exist now and we had to create his image, so it was large scale work. But I really wanted to do that. Of course it wasn’t the real hide (laughs).
Now that you have played Without you on stage, how do you feel about it?
YOSHIKI: Yeah, I wrote that song right after hide’s death. But I thought that TOSHI was only person to sing it. Yes, it was the first time we’ve performed this song in front of an audience. And TOSHI’s voice worked perfectly.
Are you pleased that it made its appearance on stage?
YOSHIKI: Ah, we do have a different version. But we wanted to do this one today.
Which bands were you mainly influenced by?
YOSHIKI: I don't know but I have a lot. I like punk music. Let me see...I liked The Sex Pistols before the reunion and I like classical music, such as Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninov, so...I don’t know.
How has that changed? What influences your music now?
YOSHIKI: I don’t know. I guess everything. We’ll get back to the first question. There are a lot of great British bands these days, like I love Radiohead, you know...I like a lot of British rock. You know, usually I could think of a lot more names, but right now...
Your name is often mentioned in the same genre as visual kei. How does it feel for you today? How suitable is it for you?
YOSHIKI: I think I’m very lucky because we started a long time ago and you know, we didn’t want to be bored and we wanted to be very different. We just wanted to be original. We were like the blackest sheep of the family, right? Of course, we had thick make up and everything. We had real hard time because we started twenty years ago, but now there are a lot of visual kei bands, all over the world. It’s very unexpected and there are lots of great bands. Because of these bands some people heard about X JAPAN, so I’m appreciative of it.
Are you still conscious of belonging to visual kei?
YOSHIKI: Well, I guess I’m still in visual kei. I don’t know...when we say "visual kei," it’s not only about make up. I think it’s more about spirit. Being original is very hard these days. When you’re growing up, it’s very easy to just stay inside one area, but breaking the wall and getting out of the box is so hard. So I think that is the real meaning of visual kei...
YOSHIKI, you entirely changed my life. So many people in Hong Kong are expecting you to come here. Are you going to do any big concerts in Hong Kong?
YOSHIKI: I had never thought about doing X JAPAN again. As I said, I feel very lucky because we didn’t just have a reunion, nor were we reunited without requests from passionate fans, so thank you for changing my life as well (laughs). So, yes, I’d love to go there, to Hong Kong. Right at this moment though, I have to finish the next two days and I’m not sure if I’ll still be alive four days from now...I don’t know. But I just want to do everything I have to do right now and use all my energy for the next two days. I may think about it on Friday if I am alive enough to recover.
How was today’s concert? What impressed you the most?
YOSHIKI: Well, when I heard the audience cheering, I was so moved. I’ve played at Tokyo Dome quite a lot of times, so it felt like I had came back to my home. Like, "home sweet home" (laughs). I was moved somehow when I entered here.
Do you have any plans for a world tour?
YOSHIKI: As I said before, yes, for sure. But I don’t know how many days I will be able to continue doing a show like today, so I want to concentrate on doing my best for two more lives right now. But we definitely want to do a tour.
Today you used a lot of videos in which hide was playing guitar. Did you think about hide tonight?
YOSHIKI: Of course, yes. Before we got to this point, I had to edit the footage and I was editing hide’s guitar and video to try and synchronize with him. I like playing with the five of us. I still have a hard time, as you know. I felt like crying.
Unfortunately, you didn’t make it big in foreign countries last time. Do you think that will change this time? Will you take over the world?
YOSHIKI: Well, we had that dream more than ten years ago. I don’t know if we are doing this whole X JAPAN thing for that purpose, or for something...how do you say...I don’t know. We have been lucky to have this audience. If this, our reunion, can make an impact or become an influence around the world, that would be great. But I just wanted this reunion for us and for our fans.
I like to think you have more fans than ten years ago.
YOSHIKI: As I said, I’m lucky.
You showed an image of hide on stage. Was it the real hide? The computer-generated image was really detailed. How did you do it?
YOSHIKI: When I thought about this concert, I thought of doing a hologram and I researched various techniques all over the world. Then I chose the best technique which can be done right now. It’s the same technique which Al Gore used, but he did it in front of a green screen. hide doesn’t exist now and we had to create his image, so it was large scale work. But I really wanted to do that. Of course it wasn’t the real hide (laughs).
Now that you have played Without you on stage, how do you feel about it?
YOSHIKI: Yeah, I wrote that song right after hide’s death. But I thought that TOSHI was only person to sing it. Yes, it was the first time we’ve performed this song in front of an audience. And TOSHI’s voice worked perfectly.
Are you pleased that it made its appearance on stage?
YOSHIKI: Ah, we do have a different version. But we wanted to do this one today.
fotos de la entrevista :cor:
traductor-sama....
-que bandas te han influenciado?
YOSHIKI: No sé, pero tengo un monton. Me gusta la música punk. Déjeme ver ... me gustó The Sex Pistols antes de la reunión y me gusta la música clásica, como Bach, Beethoven y Rachmaninov, así que ... no sé.
- ¿Cómo ha cambiado eso? ¿Qué influye en tu música?
YOSHIKI: No sé. Supongo que todo. podemos volver a la primera cuestión. Hay un montón de grandes bandas británicas estos días, al igual que me encanta Radiohead, ya sabes ... me gusta mucho el rock británico. Usted sabe, por lo general puedo pensar mucho más nombres, pero ahora mismo ...
- Su nombre es mencionado con frecuencia en el mismo género como visual kei. ¿como lo siente usted hoy? ¿Cómo es adecuado para usted?
YOSHIKI: Creo que soy muy afortunado, porque comenzamos hace mucho tiempo y usted sabe, nosotros no queremos ser aburridos y queríamos ser muy diferentes.simplemente buscabamos ser originales.eramos como las ovejas negras de la familia,verdad?Por supuesto, tuvimos grueso maquillaje y todo. Tuvimos tiempo real duro porque empezamos hace veinte años, pero ahora hay un montón de bandas de visual kei, en todo el mundo.
Es muy inesperado y hay un montón de grandes bandas. Debido a estas bandas algunas personas han oido hablar de X JAPAN, por lo que estoy muy agradecido.
- ¿Sigue siendo conscientes de pertenecer al visual kei?
YOSHIKI: Bueno, supongo que todavía estoy en el visual kei. No sé ... cuando decimos "visual kei", no es solo sobre el maquillaje.Creo que es más sobre el espíritu. Ser original es muy difícil en estos días.
Cuando estás creciendo, es muy fácil permanecer dentro de una zona,Pero romper el muro y salir de la caja es tan duro. Así que creo que es el verdadero significado de visual kei ...
- yoshiki,tu cambiaste totalmente mi vida.asi que muchas personas en hong kong esperan que vayas alli.habran grandes conciertos en hong kong?
YOSHIKI: Nunca había pensado en hacer X JAPAN de nuevo. Como ya he dicho, me siento muy afortunado porque no nos hubieramos reunido sin las peticiones de fans apasionados,de manera que gracias por cambiar mi vida (risas). Así que, sí, me encantaría ir allí, a Hong Kong.
aunque en este momento, tengo que terminar los dos días siguientes y no estoy seguro de si yo seguire todavia vivo por 4 dias apartir de ahora....
No lo sé. Pero sólo quiero hacer todo lo que tengo que hacer.ahora mismo uso toda mi energía para los próximos dos días.Me permite pensar si el viernes estoy con vida lo suficiente como para recuperarme.
- ¿Cómo fue el concierto de hoy? ¿Qué le impresionó más?
YOSHIKI: Bueno, cuando escuché el público animando, me emocione tanto. He tocado en Tokio Dome bastantes veces, por lo que sentía como si me hubiera venido de nuevo a mi casa. Como, "hogar dulce hogar" (risas). Me conmovio entrar aqui.
- ¿Tienen planes para una gira mundial?
YOSHIKI: Como he dicho antes, sí, con seguridad. Pero no sé cuántos días voy a poder seguir haciendo un show como el de hoy, por lo que quiero centrarme en hacer mi mejor para dos lives más en este momento. Pero nosotros tratamos de hacer una gira.
- Hoy, que utilizaste una gran cantidad de videos en los que hide sale tocando la guitarra. pensaste en hide esta noche?
YOSHIKI: Por supuesto, sí. Antes llegamos a este punto,Había que editar el metraje y la edición de la guitarra de hide y el vídeo para tratar de sincronizar con él.me gusta tocar con nosotros 5.Todavía es es muy difícil, como usted sabe.senti ganas de llorar.
- Lamentablemente, no hicieron grandes lconciertos en países extranjeros la última vez. ¿Cree que va a cambiar esta vez? ¿Van a tomar el mundo?
YOSHIKI: Pues bien, ese sueño que tuvimos hace más de diez años. No sé si estamos haciendo todo este X JAPAN para ese fin, o por algo ... ¿cómo decirlo?...No sé. Hemos sido afortunados de tener esta audiencia. Si esta, nuestra reunión, puede hacer un impacto o convertirse en una influencia en todo el mundo,sería algo grandioso.Pero yo sólo quería esta reunión para nosotros y para nuestros fans.
- Me gusta pensar que tiene más fans que hace diez años
YOSHIKI: como he dicho,soy afortunado
- Usted mostró una imagen de hide sobre el escenario. ¿Es el verdadero hide? La imagen generada por computadora es realmente detallada. ¿Cómo lo hiciste?
YOSHIKI: Cuando pensé acerca de este concierto, he pensado en hacer un holograma, y busque diversas técnicas de investigación en todo el mundo.Entonces opte por la mejor técnica que se puede hacer en este momento.Es la misma técnica que utiliza Al Gore, pero lo hizo delante de una pantalla verde.
hide no existe ahora y hemos tenido que crear su imagen, por lo que fue un trabajo de gran escala.Pero yo realmente quería hacer eso. Por supuesto no es el hide real (risas).
- Ahora que ha tocado without you en el escenario, ¿cómo se siente al respecto?
YOSHIKI: Sí, esa canción que escribí justo después de la muerte de hide.Pero yo pensaba que era sólo TOSHI quien debia cantarla.Sí, es la primera vez que hemos realizado esta canción frente al público. la voz de toshi funcionó perfectamente.
- ¿Está usted satisfecho de su aparición en escena?
YOSHIKI: Ah, sí tenemos una versión diferente. Pero hemos querido hacer este en el día de hoy.
-que bandas te han influenciado?
YOSHIKI: No sé, pero tengo un monton. Me gusta la música punk. Déjeme ver ... me gustó The Sex Pistols antes de la reunión y me gusta la música clásica, como Bach, Beethoven y Rachmaninov, así que ... no sé.
- ¿Cómo ha cambiado eso? ¿Qué influye en tu música?
YOSHIKI: No sé. Supongo que todo. podemos volver a la primera cuestión. Hay un montón de grandes bandas británicas estos días, al igual que me encanta Radiohead, ya sabes ... me gusta mucho el rock británico. Usted sabe, por lo general puedo pensar mucho más nombres, pero ahora mismo ...
- Su nombre es mencionado con frecuencia en el mismo género como visual kei. ¿como lo siente usted hoy? ¿Cómo es adecuado para usted?
YOSHIKI: Creo que soy muy afortunado, porque comenzamos hace mucho tiempo y usted sabe, nosotros no queremos ser aburridos y queríamos ser muy diferentes.simplemente buscabamos ser originales.eramos como las ovejas negras de la familia,verdad?Por supuesto, tuvimos grueso maquillaje y todo. Tuvimos tiempo real duro porque empezamos hace veinte años, pero ahora hay un montón de bandas de visual kei, en todo el mundo.
Es muy inesperado y hay un montón de grandes bandas. Debido a estas bandas algunas personas han oido hablar de X JAPAN, por lo que estoy muy agradecido.
- ¿Sigue siendo conscientes de pertenecer al visual kei?
YOSHIKI: Bueno, supongo que todavía estoy en el visual kei. No sé ... cuando decimos "visual kei", no es solo sobre el maquillaje.Creo que es más sobre el espíritu. Ser original es muy difícil en estos días.
Cuando estás creciendo, es muy fácil permanecer dentro de una zona,Pero romper el muro y salir de la caja es tan duro. Así que creo que es el verdadero significado de visual kei ...
- yoshiki,tu cambiaste totalmente mi vida.asi que muchas personas en hong kong esperan que vayas alli.habran grandes conciertos en hong kong?
YOSHIKI: Nunca había pensado en hacer X JAPAN de nuevo. Como ya he dicho, me siento muy afortunado porque no nos hubieramos reunido sin las peticiones de fans apasionados,de manera que gracias por cambiar mi vida (risas). Así que, sí, me encantaría ir allí, a Hong Kong.
aunque en este momento, tengo que terminar los dos días siguientes y no estoy seguro de si yo seguire todavia vivo por 4 dias apartir de ahora....
No lo sé. Pero sólo quiero hacer todo lo que tengo que hacer.ahora mismo uso toda mi energía para los próximos dos días.Me permite pensar si el viernes estoy con vida lo suficiente como para recuperarme.
- ¿Cómo fue el concierto de hoy? ¿Qué le impresionó más?
YOSHIKI: Bueno, cuando escuché el público animando, me emocione tanto. He tocado en Tokio Dome bastantes veces, por lo que sentía como si me hubiera venido de nuevo a mi casa. Como, "hogar dulce hogar" (risas). Me conmovio entrar aqui.
- ¿Tienen planes para una gira mundial?
YOSHIKI: Como he dicho antes, sí, con seguridad. Pero no sé cuántos días voy a poder seguir haciendo un show como el de hoy, por lo que quiero centrarme en hacer mi mejor para dos lives más en este momento. Pero nosotros tratamos de hacer una gira.
- Hoy, que utilizaste una gran cantidad de videos en los que hide sale tocando la guitarra. pensaste en hide esta noche?
YOSHIKI: Por supuesto, sí. Antes llegamos a este punto,Había que editar el metraje y la edición de la guitarra de hide y el vídeo para tratar de sincronizar con él.me gusta tocar con nosotros 5.Todavía es es muy difícil, como usted sabe.senti ganas de llorar.
- Lamentablemente, no hicieron grandes lconciertos en países extranjeros la última vez. ¿Cree que va a cambiar esta vez? ¿Van a tomar el mundo?
YOSHIKI: Pues bien, ese sueño que tuvimos hace más de diez años. No sé si estamos haciendo todo este X JAPAN para ese fin, o por algo ... ¿cómo decirlo?...No sé. Hemos sido afortunados de tener esta audiencia. Si esta, nuestra reunión, puede hacer un impacto o convertirse en una influencia en todo el mundo,sería algo grandioso.Pero yo sólo quería esta reunión para nosotros y para nuestros fans.
- Me gusta pensar que tiene más fans que hace diez años
YOSHIKI: como he dicho,soy afortunado
- Usted mostró una imagen de hide sobre el escenario. ¿Es el verdadero hide? La imagen generada por computadora es realmente detallada. ¿Cómo lo hiciste?
YOSHIKI: Cuando pensé acerca de este concierto, he pensado en hacer un holograma, y busque diversas técnicas de investigación en todo el mundo.Entonces opte por la mejor técnica que se puede hacer en este momento.Es la misma técnica que utiliza Al Gore, pero lo hizo delante de una pantalla verde.
hide no existe ahora y hemos tenido que crear su imagen, por lo que fue un trabajo de gran escala.Pero yo realmente quería hacer eso. Por supuesto no es el hide real (risas).
- Ahora que ha tocado without you en el escenario, ¿cómo se siente al respecto?
YOSHIKI: Sí, esa canción que escribí justo después de la muerte de hide.Pero yo pensaba que era sólo TOSHI quien debia cantarla.Sí, es la primera vez que hemos realizado esta canción frente al público. la voz de toshi funcionó perfectamente.
- ¿Está usted satisfecho de su aparición en escena?
YOSHIKI: Ah, sí tenemos una versión diferente. Pero hemos querido hacer este en el día de hoy.
nami lo siento mucho pero me gusto mas la definicion que hizo yoshiki del visual kei, pues como el dijo es mas que maquillaje tiene q ver tambien con el espiritu...
referente a lo de romper o tirar instrumentos musicales nunca me ha gustado porque como le comentaba a mafi. primero sueñan con tener el dinero para comprar una guitarra o una bateria y despues las despedazan en el escenario entonces no le encuentro sentido para mi seria mejor que las donaran para esas futuras estrellas, chicos que no tienen la capcidad economica, pero bueno todo es parte de un show y de un gusto particular de las personas, a mi como lo dije no me agrada mucho, aunque recuerdo aquel video scream donde mike rompe una guitarra.
···AAAAAaaaaaaaaHHHHH···
pues a mi si me gustaria verlo en la banda, me gusta su estilo y su personalidad tan fuerte para tocar la guitarra es un muy buen prototipo aunque tambien preferiria ver la banda con la ausencia de hide y nadie nuevo que entre aunque creo q es necesario, prefiero que entre este chico japones a los otros dos invitados que no me agradaron:ains:
Muy interesante ese significado del famoso visual kei, es mas que maquillaje... muy interesante.
mi amiga nami gracias pop toda la traduccion de las entrevistas y comunicados, parece ser que x japan esta de vuelta para quedarse y para comerc el mundo esta vez en su totalidad y no solo en asia, es increible ver como de aquel post inicial de cumpleaños a hide este tema se ha convertido en toda una historia viva y homenaje a xjapan.
espero mas info mas noticas mas videos y audios de buena calidad
:*)PD: gracias por las fotos
hola guifo!!^^ a mi tb me ha gustado mucho la definicion de yoshiki del visual kei.el visual kei comenzo,como el ha dicho,para romper barreras,para ser lo mas originales posible,y realmente,aun que hoy dia hay muchas bandas visual kei,siguen sorprendiendo por su imagen extravagante.pero claro,todo esto tiene un trasfondo,una razon de ser,que no es otra cosa que la rebeldia,el romper moldes,el ir contra lo socialmente correcto.... el espiritu del que yoshiki habla.me ha gustado mucho que sigan considerandose visual kei,por que yo amo el visual kei,y ellos siempre seran el mayor estandarte del visual,por que son los pioneros y los maestros de este estilo,el modelo a seguir por los grupos que le han venido detras.me gusta mucho que sea mucho mas que maquillaje,xq asi el visual nunca morira
lo de romper los instrumentos,en parte yo tb pienso que es una pena que los rompan con lo caros que son hide dejo de romper sus guitarras,que tb era bastante aficionado a la destruccion... y creo que las baterias de yoshiki son recuperables,ahora que ya no las tira al publico desde hace tiempo.... se han comedido bastante creeme.lo que se,es que no seria yoshiki si no destrozara la bateria y no se tirara x el suelo,y eso pues se echaria mucho de menos.... T.T
me alegra q te guste sugizo yo lo dije xq supongo que si continuan y hacen canciones nuevas y lives,necesitaran un guitarra..no se si me gustaria mas que continuaran sin añadir a nadie,pienso que eso podria ser posible...pero pienso que no me desagradaria que entrara sugizo.xq creo que ademas de ser un gran guitarrista,con mucho carisma y personalidad,pienso que se compenetra maravillosamente con ellos,gracias a su amistad con x japan de muchos años y a que le gusta mucho su estilo.ademas es uno de los mejores amigos de hide y tb un gran fan suyo y de X japan,asi que siempre lo haria con mucho respeto y humildad.pienso que es el unico que me gustaria que estuviera en X japan,ademas de taiji claro,pero visto lo visto,creo que ver a taiji de nuevo en X japan es mas que improbable...
cuando empece este tema dedicado a mi admirado hide,ni en sueños pense que terminaria siendo el testimonio de los nuevos conciertos de X japan!!O.O yo no pensaba que x japan fuera a volver,fue algo inseperado pero muy anhelado...algo que los fans soñabamos pero que veiamos muy lejano.y de pronto yoshiki cuenta que se reunio con toshi tras varios años de estar alejados,y que habian grabado without you,y estaban considerando volver.. en fin,los sueños tb se convierten en realidad y me alegra mucho haber podido compartirlo aqui con vosotros y espero seguir compartiendo muchos mas sueños,como el de ir a un live de ellos.....ya me podre morir trankila xDDD
bueno voy a ver si hay mas noticias o algo
:*)
lo de romper los instrumentos,en parte yo tb pienso que es una pena que los rompan con lo caros que son
hide dejo de romper sus guitarras,que tb era bastante aficionado a la destruccion... y creo que las baterias de yoshiki son recuperables,ahora que ya no las tira al publico desde hace tiempo.... se han comedido bastante creeme.lo que se,es que no seria yoshiki si no destrozara la bateria y no se tirara x el suelo,y eso pues se echaria mucho de menos.... T.T me alegra q te guste sugizo
yo lo dije xq supongo que si continuan y hacen canciones nuevas y lives,necesitaran un guitarra..no se si me gustaria mas que continuaran sin añadir a nadie,pienso que eso podria ser posible...pero pienso que no me desagradaria que entrara sugizo.xq creo que ademas de ser un gran guitarrista,con mucho carisma y personalidad,pienso que se compenetra maravillosamente con ellos,gracias a su amistad con x japan de muchos años y a que le gusta mucho su estilo.ademas es uno de los mejores amigos de hide y tb un gran fan suyo y de X japan,asi que siempre lo haria con mucho respeto y humildad.pienso que es el unico que me gustaria que estuviera en X japan,ademas de taiji claro,pero visto lo visto,creo que ver a taiji de nuevo en X japan es mas que improbable...cuando empece este tema dedicado a mi admirado hide,ni en sueños pense que terminaria siendo el testimonio de los nuevos conciertos de X japan!!O.O yo no pensaba que x japan fuera a volver,fue algo inseperado pero muy anhelado...algo que los fans soñabamos pero que veiamos muy lejano.y de pronto yoshiki cuenta que se reunio con toshi tras varios años de estar alejados,y que habian grabado without you,y estaban considerando volver.. en fin,los sueños tb se convierten en realidad
y me alegra mucho haber podido compartirlo aqui con vosotros y espero seguir compartiendo muchos mas sueños,como el de ir a un live de ellos.....ya me podre morir trankila xDDDbueno voy a ver si hay mas noticias o algo
:*)
Última edición:
"Without you" Lyrics 2008.03.28
Aruki tsukareta
yoru ni tatazumu
Nagarerunamida wo
kioku ni kasanete
deaino kazudake
wakare wa arukedo
kagirinai tokiga
tsuzuku to shinji teta
kizutsuke atta kotoba sae
imaha dakishime
Furikaerudake
I feel alone
How should I love you
How could I feel you
Without You
Kazoe kire nai
omoide ga jikan o
Ume tsukusu
Anata wo aishite
Anata ni kizu tsui te
Ai toiu kotoba no
Fukasa ni kizuita
I still remember
kotae no nai ashita ni
yume o motomete ita
hibi o
Kagirinaku hirogaru
sorani
mou ichido
umareta imi
ima o ikiru imi o
Toi kakete
How should I love you
How could I feel you
Without You
Owari no nai
ai no uta wo
Ima anata ni
que bonita es.... voy a tratar de traducir.......
Aruki tsukareta
yoru ni tatazumu
Nagarerunamida wo
kioku ni kasanete
deaino kazudake
wakare wa arukedo
kagirinai tokiga
tsuzuku to shinji teta
kizutsuke atta kotoba sae
imaha dakishime
Furikaerudake
I feel alone
How should I love you
How could I feel you
Without You
Kazoe kire nai
omoide ga jikan o
Ume tsukusu
Anata wo aishite
Anata ni kizu tsui te
Ai toiu kotoba no
Fukasa ni kizuita
I still remember
kotae no nai ashita ni
yume o motomete ita
hibi o
Kagirinaku hirogaru
sorani
mou ichido
umareta imi
ima o ikiru imi o
Toi kakete
How should I love you
How could I feel you
Without You
Owari no nai
ai no uta wo
Ima anata ni
que bonita es.... voy a tratar de traducir.......
**without you** (de yoshiki para hide)
estoy todavia en esta noche
demasiado cansado para caminar
atraves de estas lagrimas
que fluyen con los recuerdos
hay tantas despedidas como encuentros
pero el paso del tiempo continua por siempre,asi que creo
incluso las palabras que duelen,me abrazan ahora
me vuelvo a sentir solo
como debo amarte?
como debo sentirte?
sin ti
inumerables recuerdos llenan mi tiempo
Una vez más pido
La razón de la vida
La razón de vivir
Para el gran cielo sin fin
aveces la vida esta lena de dolor
no puedo ser honesto,yo estuve engañando en un acto
te ame,te herí
Me di cuenta de la profundidad de la palabra amor
recuerdas el dia en que nos reunimos por primera vez?
cuando soñamos el mismo sueño
Una vez más pido
La razón de la vida
La razón de vivir
Para el gran cielo sin fin
como debo amarte?
como debo sentirte?
sin ti
un eterno poema de amor para ti
aunque no puedo verte nunca mas
tu memoria vivira en mi corazon
por siempre
asi que no voy a decir adios
no es del todo exacto,pero mas o menos... eso dice
-
estoy todavia en esta noche
demasiado cansado para caminar
atraves de estas lagrimas
que fluyen con los recuerdos
hay tantas despedidas como encuentros
pero el paso del tiempo continua por siempre,asi que creo
incluso las palabras que duelen,me abrazan ahora
me vuelvo a sentir solo
como debo amarte?
como debo sentirte?
sin ti
inumerables recuerdos llenan mi tiempo
Una vez más pido
La razón de la vida
La razón de vivir
Para el gran cielo sin fin
aveces la vida esta lena de dolor
no puedo ser honesto,yo estuve engañando en un acto
te ame,te herí
Me di cuenta de la profundidad de la palabra amor
recuerdas el dia en que nos reunimos por primera vez?
cuando soñamos el mismo sueño
Una vez más pido
La razón de la vida
La razón de vivir
Para el gran cielo sin fin
como debo amarte?
como debo sentirte?
sin ti
un eterno poema de amor para ti
aunque no puedo verte nunca mas
tu memoria vivira en mi corazon
por siempre
asi que no voy a decir adios
no es del todo exacto,pero mas o menos... eso dice
-
Última edición:
X JAPAN ha confirmado que daran un concierto en PARIS!!!y otro en NY,en el madison scuare garden!! O.O
wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!me voy a paris!!!!!:tamuymal:
aqui esta el video de la entrevista,la dieron el 3 de abril.esta en Japones,no les entiendo gran cosa... T.T solo de los conciertos xDDD espero la traduzcan.......
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=1001161271&blogid=373934441&page=0
wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!me voy a paris!!!!!:tamuymal:
aqui esta el video de la entrevista,la dieron el 3 de abril.esta en Japones,no les entiendo gran cosa... T.T solo de los conciertos xDDD espero la traduzcan.......
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=1001161271&blogid=373934441&page=0
Última edición:
los podras ver nami????
q envidia y tambien iran a nueva york? de veras esta confirmado?....
pues yo quiero verte a ti y mafi en ese concierto de paris q emocion, espera que mafi se entere a ver si se anima a ir y me graban otro videito desde el concierto, y si pueden hacen q yoshiki me mande un saludo:jajaja:, leere la entrevista a ver que mas dicen...
pues ya vi la entrevista y no entendere ni papa pues es en japones Xd ... pense q era en ingles...
q envidia y tambien iran a nueva york? de veras esta confirmado?....pues yo quiero verte a ti y mafi en ese concierto de paris q emocion, espera que mafi se entere a ver si se anima a ir y me graban otro videito desde el concierto, y si pueden hacen q yoshiki me mande un saludo:jajaja:, leere la entrevista a ver que mas dicen...
pues ya vi la entrevista y no entendere ni papa pues es en japones Xd ... pense q era en ingles...
Última edición:
hola guifo ^^ ya lo dije,q es en japones la entrevista,ya la hubieran podido traducir...
siii los pienso ir a ver,lo tengo mas claro q el agua,una oportunidad asi no se puede desaprovechar,quiza sea la unica q tenga de verlos en mi vida.... total de aqui a paris,en avion,no esta tan lejos!
si,lo han cofirmado,paris y NY.ojala se añadan mas conciertos en mas lugares
ojala pudiera venirse mafi conmigo,me gustaria mucho.asi ella haria de niñera de hidito y de hidín xDDDD en serio,si me gustaria mucho
voy a ver si veo mas cositas.....
siii los pienso ir a ver,lo tengo mas claro q el agua,una oportunidad asi no se puede desaprovechar,quiza sea la unica q tenga de verlos en mi vida.... total de aqui a paris,en avion,no esta tan lejos!
si,lo han cofirmado,paris y NY.ojala se añadan mas conciertos en mas lugares
ojala pudiera venirse mafi conmigo,me gustaria mucho.asi ella haria de niñera de hidito y de hidín
xDDDD en serio,si me gustaria mucho voy a ver si veo mas cositas.....
Mafi
2
Y para cuando sería? porque tengo que ir preparando el terreno
ya nos irás informando los podras ver nami????
pues yo quiero verte a ti y mafi en ese concierto de paris q emocion, espera que mafi se entere a ver si se anima a ir y me graban otro videito desde el concierto, y si pueden hacen q yoshiki me mande un saludo:jajaja:, leere la entrevista a ver que mas dicen...
Pues yo también me quiero ver en ese concierto jeje, sería una experiéncia única, ojalá pueda...:reza:
:banda:
Última edición:
voy a contar unas curiosidades de YOSHIKI y de HIDE que he visto mientras buscaba info me ha echo mucha gracia xDDDD
- Yoshiki se vestía como mujer desde niño. Cuando creció, andaba en motocicleta con Toshi, vestido como mujer. La gente le ponía apodos, y provocaban peleas en donde intervenía la policía. Cuando la policia lo aprendio, les hizo caras "pretenciosas" a los otros (hahaha). También lo arrestaron unas cuantas veces en Los Angeles. Estaba tomado, y cuando lo arrestaron gritaba "¿Saben quién soy? ¿cómo se atreven a castigarme? (toda una princesa, hahaha).
- Yoshiki una vez se vistió como mujer y salió a comer con hide. Con su picardía, hide le envió una carta de amor a los de la mesa de al lado. Por coincidencia, resulta que una celebridad estaba alli en una cita con su pareja. Más tarde se dio la noticia de que la pareja se había separado (tal vez por la belleza de la princesa Yoshiki, hahaha).
- Cuando Yoshiki viajó a Francia a grabar el video de Rose of Pain, un sujeto alto y fuerte tomó el brazo de Yoshiki mientras caminaba por la calle, y le preguntó: "¿Te gustan los hombres?", hahaha. Yoshiki dice que probablemente es más popular con los hombres que con las mujeres.
- El solo de guitarra de hide en los conciertos de X japan, "hide no Heya" ,tiene su origen en el simple hecho de que durante los conciertos Yoshiki necesitaba un descanso después de su solo de batería. Entonces la banda decidió que hide debería hacer un solo de guitarra. Tan creativo como es, hide pensó en una loca sesión de guitarra llamada "hide no Heya" (la habitación de hide). Un acto en el que no sólo tocaba la guitarra, sino que hacía muchas cosas inesperadas...
- La máscara del álbum de hide "Hide your face" fue hecha por H.R. Giger, el pintor suizo que hizo "Alien".
me ha echo mucha gracia xDDDD- Yoshiki se vestía como mujer desde niño. Cuando creció, andaba en motocicleta con Toshi, vestido como mujer. La gente le ponía apodos, y provocaban peleas en donde intervenía la policía. Cuando la policia lo aprendio, les hizo caras "pretenciosas" a los otros (hahaha). También lo arrestaron unas cuantas veces en Los Angeles. Estaba tomado, y cuando lo arrestaron gritaba "¿Saben quién soy? ¿cómo se atreven a castigarme? (toda una princesa, hahaha).
- Yoshiki una vez se vistió como mujer y salió a comer con hide. Con su picardía, hide le envió una carta de amor a los de la mesa de al lado. Por coincidencia, resulta que una celebridad estaba alli en una cita con su pareja. Más tarde se dio la noticia de que la pareja se había separado (tal vez por la belleza de la princesa Yoshiki, hahaha).
- Cuando Yoshiki viajó a Francia a grabar el video de Rose of Pain, un sujeto alto y fuerte tomó el brazo de Yoshiki mientras caminaba por la calle, y le preguntó: "¿Te gustan los hombres?", hahaha. Yoshiki dice que probablemente es más popular con los hombres que con las mujeres.
- El solo de guitarra de hide en los conciertos de X japan, "hide no Heya" ,tiene su origen en el simple hecho de que durante los conciertos Yoshiki necesitaba un descanso después de su solo de batería. Entonces la banda decidió que hide debería hacer un solo de guitarra. Tan creativo como es, hide pensó en una loca sesión de guitarra llamada "hide no Heya" (la habitación de hide). Un acto en el que no sólo tocaba la guitarra, sino que hacía muchas cosas inesperadas...
- La máscara del álbum de hide "Hide your face" fue hecha por H.R. Giger, el pintor suizo que hizo "Alien".
****por fin se las fechas de los conciertos!!!!****
X JAPAN has confirmed upcoming performances in 2008:
Paris, July 5 :tamuymal:
New York City, September 13, Madison Square Garden
fuente: www.jrockrevolution.com
X JAPAN has confirmed upcoming performances in 2008:
Paris, July 5 :tamuymal:
New York City, September 13, Madison Square Garden
fuente: www.jrockrevolution.com
entrevista a pata (en ingles)
JRR: Thank you for accepting our interview request. Congratulations on the X JAPAN reunion.
PATA: Thank you.
JRR: Before we start the interview, please let me explain that a lot of JRR's readers are more recent foreign Jrock fans, and they are not all familiar with the bands who have been around from the start. So please pardon us if we ask questions that everybody in Japan would know the answers to.
PATA: That's fine.
JRR: Now, your “ijou” (“that's all”) at the end of your initial greeting at the [Shibuya Tower Records on January 20th] Talk Live has become rather famous, but why did you say it that way? (Laughs.)
PATA: That's on old habit of mine. (Laughs.) I've always done doing that; I haven't changed at all.
JRR: Then everybody else started doing it, too... (Laughs.) To talk about old times, where did your "PATA" nickname originally come from?
PATA: There is a manga called “Patariro”—this one (shows his Zippo lighter with the Patariro character on it)—with a character who's always teasing others and playing tricks on them. Back in high school, one time at an instruments store we used to hang out at all of the time, someone said, “You really resemble that character.” Then everybody started to call me “Patariro, Patariro.” Over time, that was shortened to PATA. When I joined X, it was “What name are you going to use on stage?” Well, my name is Tomoaki; Tomo is kind of boring, so I ended up going by PATA. That stuck, and so for the last twenty-five, twenty-six years, I've been PATA. It’s really a strange name, if you think about it. (Laughs.) Can't be helped, I guess.
JRR: Maybe it's strange, but at least it has impact and that makes it easy to remember.
PATA: That'd be good, if that's the case...
JRR: I think so. Now, you mentioned joining X—but before that, you also had your own band?
PATA: Yes...
JRR: Can you tell us about that?
PATA: That wasn't really anything special. Just one of those bands around.
JRR: When and how did you first encounter X?
PATA: The first time was actually in high school, too. I saw them in some contest.
JRR: In Tokyo? In Chiba [prefecture]?
PATA: In Chiba. I saw them there—then some time later [in Tokyo], my own band was without a drummer at one point, so a friend who knew YOSHIKI introduced us, saying that he should have time [since X wasn't performing at that time] because they had no members [aside from YOSHIKI and TOSHI]. I asked YOSHIKI to play support for us, and I think that he did that maybe three times. Then sometime after that, I ended up joining X somehow.
JRR: Is it true that, before that, you asked YOSHIKI to join JUDY?
PATA: Oh, yes; yes, I did. I asked him, and instead I ended up joining X a few years later.
JRR: Why did you join X?
PATA: By then, my own band had disbanded... One day, [YOSHIKI] called me. There wasn't any particular reason why I shouldn't join, so I did.
JRR: Then, after ten years of X, the break up. After another ten years, the reunion. How does that make you feel right now?
PATA: To be honest, I didn't think of it as a reunion—more like, we're doing something [together again]. I guess I don't know how I really feel until we're actually doing the lives.
JRR: So shooting the “I.V.” music video in Odaiba didn't leave any particular impact then?
PATA: We did that, but—even then—I just thought that nothing much had changed. Well, except that someone was missing. Really, I think I won't know how I feel until we do the lives.
JRR: You've still kept in contact with HEATH after the break up, correct?
PATA: Not really all that much, no. Wait, we did DopeHEADz; I completely forgot about that. (Laughs.) Okay. We did that, that's true.
JRR: What about Dope HEADz? The last news was of a “temporary break in activities.” Does that mean “break up” in kinder words or is there a chance you'll be doing something with it some time in the future?
PATA: Did that stop with taking a break? (Laughs.) [Doing something more with Dope HEADz, I have] no idea about that. For now, there aren't any plans at the moment.
JRR: But there might be some possibility?
PATA: Maybe sometime, I don't know. Really, I've no idea at the moment.
JRR: To go back into the past once more: on your first solo release, all the other musicians are non-Japanese. Did you do that for a special reason or was it something that was accidental?
PATA: Is there any special reason I shouldn't have done it with foreigners?
JRR: I just thought it was interesting—that, as a Japanese artist, you'd choose all foreigners to work with for your solo debut.
PATA: Not that I was doing it just on a whim, but because it was my solo work, I did it with other guys who wanted to work with me. At that time, I was in LA—so that turned out to be musicians there. That's all, really, and that my recording engineer also was living there.
JRR: You also participate a lot in other musicians’ work, starting with TOSHI and HIDE's solo tours.
PATA: Ah, yes.
JRR: Then there was the Tokyo Yankees album.
PATA: Yes, that's something else I played in.
JRR: Recently, you were in Nanase Aikawa's band—how did you decide to play with them? I mean, with HIDE and TOSHI, it is easy to see why, but what about the other artists?
PATA: The Yankees were friends, so I played with them. With Aikawa… Someone asked, “Can you play this?” and so I played. No big deal.
JRR: I have to admit that it felt a bit strange to see you in a Jpop band.
PATA: I had friends among those band members, too.
JRR: Like [SPREAD BEAVER keyboardist] DIE?
PATA: Yes, DIE-chan is a friend, as is the bass player, and it's not as if I didn't know SHINYA [of LUNA SEA].
JRR: You've also played with MIYAVI, who's in YOSHIKI's S.K.I.N.
PATA: MIYAVI, too, yes.
JRR: What's your impression of him?
PATA: MIYAVI? My impression of him? Like a mischievous boy. (Laughs.) But he's a good kid, really.
JRR: Is there any band or artist you've worked with that has particularly impressed you?
PATA: Not from the top of my head. Well, because I've worked with so many people, it's hard to say.
JRR: You haven't played with them, but you did a “three guitarists” talk for a magazine recently with HIZAKI and TERU from VERSAILLES. After that, HIZAKI wrote in his blog that it was because of you that he started playing guitar. Did he tell you that in person, too?
PATA: Not in those exact words, but something similar to that, yes.
JRR: How did you feel about that?
PATA: I was happy to hear it, naturally. (Laughs.) Sorry... (Ed. note: “Sorry" is something a Japanese person might say to apologize for something that might sound boastful or self-inflating.)
JRR: Personally and with Ra:IN and X JAPAN, how would you like to influence your fans?
PATA: Influence… I'm not sure I'd say that I want to influence anyone. If people just listen and like it, I think that's enough.
JRR: If you look at the currently active young bands, do you think there is one that will leave a lasting impact?
PATA: I don't know.
JRR: Your own bands, after X JAPAN's break up, were P.A.F., Dope HEADz, and now Ra:IN. If you'll forgive me for saying so, those are strange names...
PATA: (Laughs.)
JRR: What is your inspiration for your band names?
PATA: It wasn't me who named Dope HEADz. Ra:IN also was named by someone else, not me. Though, with Ra:IN, that really came from the English word “line.” Then it became, “Let's do something different with it.” and that turned out to be “Ra:IN.”
JRR: Where does the “inspiration” part of “Rock and Inspiration” come from?
PATA: A friend of mine came up with that—and also the way of writing it like that, with Ra:IN.
JRR: So who in Ra:IN was that?
PATA: That was a designer by the name of Sakaguchi. (Laughs.) We asked him to make us some kind of design. That's how the small “a” [and the colon] got in. That wasn't any one of us.
(Laughter.)
JRR: I see. With Ra:IN, you've done lives in Paris and Beijing. What were your impressions with that?
PATA: Impressions… On the stage itself, it's not really all that different. But I was surprised how warmly we were welcomed. It was a first for me, too, after all. Paris. I hadn't been in Europe before that. It was amazing. I was really surprised.
JRR: Why were you surprised?
PATA: I hadn't expected anything [as enthusiastic a welcome] as that.
JRR: The day before the Beijing live, there was that sudden X JAPAN recording session. Were you okay at the live despite that?
PATA: Yes, no worries. Everything went great.
JRR: Regardless of whether it’s with Ra:IN or X JAPAN, if you could perform in any place of your choice overseas, where would you want to play?
PATA: In a number of places. However, it's not as if there'd be decisions on anything [right now].
JRR: I wasn't asking about any concrete plans, just what place you'd like to play if you could choose one.
PATA: Any place... Antarctica would be a little cold, maybe. (Laughs.) London, I think.
JRR: That's interesting. Why London?
PATA: I admire British rock; that's how I started [as a musician]. I like Britain, and I like the bands there.
JRR: What bands are those?
PATA: Led Zeppelin. Other groups from that time, lots of them. So I'd like to play there once.
JRR: Are there any foreign artists that have influenced you?
PATA: I'm not sure. Maybe Led Zeppelin and Cheap Trick.
JRR: Now that it's the other way around and Japanese music is becoming popular overseas, how do you feel about that?
PATA: I'm amazed. But I'm happy about it. I wonder what the overseas fans like about it, though.
JRR: That’s what I wanted to ask you next—what you think they like about it. (Laughs.)
PATA: No, that's my question. I really have no idea. (Laughs.)
JRR: It seems to have started with anime.
PATA: It looks that way, yes.
JRR: In the beginning, people came across Jrock as anime theme songs, and then began to look at the bands; by now, even though groups go to anime conventions, a lot of people are interested in the music for its own merit, not because of anime anymore.
PATA: I'm glad they [are giving it a chance] and listen to it overseas.
JRR: Overseas reminds me: did you have a look at the Jrock Revolution site?
PATA: No, I'm sorry. I don't even have Internet connection at home. (Laughs.)
JRR: You could look here at the office? But it’s no problem.
PATA: No, really, I'm a dinosaur. Sorry.
JRR: Really, it's okay. (Laughs.) It's not geared towards Japan, after all, and it’s all in English; there’s no reason why you should look. If I can change the topic to something different, you're rather famous as a Tokyo Giants [baseball team] fan. Is there any player you particularly like at the moment?
PATA: A favorite player… I like them all. I don't have any particular favorite at the moment; I like the whole team. I love all of the players.
JRR: Then I guess that we have to hope that the Giants don't play while X JAPAN does. (Laughs.)
PATA: But they do play at the same time. I thought that I could go and watch on the second day [the 29th], at the very least, but we know what happened to that.
(Laughter.)
JRR: In that case, please do show up at Tokyo Dome!
PATA: I will.
(Laughter.)
JRR: Please don't run off [to watch the Giants at Jinguumae baseball stadium].
PATA: I'll be there. I'll pretend I came because I thought there'd be a Giants games those nights.
(Laughter.)
JRR: You could have the staff put a TV into your dressing room?
PATA: But they'll be playing their games the same time we'll be playing our lives...
JRR: You and Tokyo Dome. It’s a place that's significant to you both for X and the Giants. What would you say about Tokyo Dome to someone who doesn't know anything about it?
PATA: It's a baseball stadium? (Laughs.) Okay, I suppose that's not what you meant.
JRR: What's Tokyo Dome for yourself?
PATA: If it’s put like that, it’s my home ground.
JRR: For both X JAPAN and the Giants.
PATA: Yes. Yes, let's put it like that.
(Laughter.)
JRR: In regards to more old things, you used to like cats and Jack Daniels. Do you still have a cat?
PATA: I don't have one now, no. But my mother does, at my parent's place.
JRR: But you still like them?
PATA: Oh, I do. Cats and dogs both. I'd really like to have one again.
JRR: What about Jack Daniels?
PATA: I still drink that, too. Though, lately, it's become shouchu more. (Laughs.) (Ed. note: PATA is implying that he's gotten old since shouchu, the Japanese version of vodka, is considered more for middle aged guys than rockers.)
JRR: Incidentally, do you know that there is a livehouse with a huge Jack Daniels advertisement right in this neighborhood? We came across it on our way here.
PATA: Actually, I've been to that place when a friend of mine played there.
JRR: Really? And once again with old things: I remember a questionnaire in which you were asked what your favorite sport is, and your answer was “as if.”
PATA: A favorite sport? That is, playing one?
JRR: Yes, playing one. Not just watching.
PATA: As if.
(Laughter.)
JRR: To go back to music, when I saw you at [a Ra:IN live at] Ueno Sensation (Ed. note: Ueno Sensation is a livehouse), I noticed that your guitars are still Gibsons. Have you ever played any others?
PATA: Sure. Fender, some others. But mostly it's Gibsons.
JRR: To switch from playing to listening, are there any artists you like right now?
PATA: Right now, I haven't been buying CDs lately. I'm not really listening to music all of the time, so what I've been listening to is just what happened to play at bars and other places that I went to. Mostly only that. Also, we just finished up with something, so while we were recording, what I usually listened to was our work in progress. I didn't feel like listening to someone else during that.
JRR: If you've been recording, I assume that means there will be a new release?
PATA: When will this be published?
JRR: The planning is for the middle of March.
PATA: The middle of March, that's okay then. The release date for our new work is April 9th. That's the day it'll go on sale. We were told not to say anything about it until the tenth [of March]. But there are already preorders. It's like, what's going on here?
(Laughter.)
JRR: Can you tell me the title?
PATA: The title is “METAL BOX.” It's an album.
JRR: You've said that you haven't been listening to music much lately, but is there any band, foreign or Japanese, that you'd recommend to fans to listen to?
PATA: Recommend... I've been mostly listening to Led Zeppelin lately, so I guess that... Also, I like the Kings. Actually, [I’d recommend for people to try] Ra:IN.
JRR: Why do you like Led Zeppelin so much?
PATA: Good question. Because they are cool? It’s hard to put into words why I like them. I can't really explain it.
JRR: With or without Led Zeppelin, what are your five favorite albums?
PATA: Anything from Led Zeppelin, Cheap Trick at Nippon Budokan, BBA Live, AC/DC's “Back in Black,” well, that's all I can come up with just now...
JRR: In your own performances, what do you think about just before you go on stage?
PATA: Think about... maybe the songs we're going to play. Or nothing in particular, really. Just relax. What I don't like is to chitchat.
JRR: And who chooses your stage outfits? Do you do that yourself?
PATA: I choose that. Whatever suits me at any given time. Well, in the old [X JAPAN] days, I used to consult with a stylist, but not anymore. With Ra:IN, I really don't give it much thought. I think of how to combine things already in my closet.
JRR: Of all the lives that you've played, which has left the deepest impression?
PATA: I enjoy every performance, so there isn't any one that I'd say has impressed me more than others. No two lives are identical, so I like them all.
JRR: You are in a movie, as well. (Ed. note: “Attitude,” http://www.attitude-movie.com) Can you tell us what that is about?
PATA: Actually, I've no idea myself. (Laughs.)
JRR: Oh?
PATA: I really have no idea. I think I'm in it having a drink somewhere. I'm not familiar with the details of the movie.
JRR: I see. And the next upcoming thing is the Tokyo Dome Three Days lives. Fans have been delighted about the additional concert, but also worried a bit about the change from two to three days. How do you think it will go?
PATA: I wonder about that myself. (Laughs.) I'll think about the details from now on. I'm sure it will be great fun. I'm really curious how it's going to be for myself. I guess that's what I'm thinking with: “Kyou kono goro.” (Ed. note: “Today as of this moment.” It’s a phrase PATA favors and is used a number of times at the Shibuya Tower Records Talk Live on January 20th.)
JRR: Aside X JAPAN, you will continue Ra:IN activity, as well?
PATA: Oh, yes. I'll continue that.
JRR: What are your plans with Ra:IN for this year?
PATA: We're releasing a new album [in April], and we'll go on a tour. Sometime, if we can find a good time for it, I'd like to play overseas once more.
JRR: Would that be in Asia again? Or in America or Europe? Where would you like to play first?
PATA: If we could, in all those places.
JRR: Come to all of them?
PATA: I'm not sure whether our new CD might be released in France at the same time [as in Japan], but I'd like to go to France again. And if we go there, then I'd like to go to other European locations, as well. I also want to go to Taiwan at least once.
JRR: How about Los Angeles?
PATA: I want to go to Los Angeles, too. So far, we haven't been to America [with Ra:IN].
JRR: As our last question, is there something—some type of dream—that you have and haven't realized yet, but want to?
PATA: A dream I haven't realized yet? I'd be satisfied if I could just go on playing guitar. Well, the future isn't reality yet, so I suppose that could be called a dream not yet realized. Though if you're asking for some specific dream, I don't think that's been realized yet.
JRR: What kind of dream?
PATA: I am not sure myself. It’s just that not everything has become reality yet. Everything is still in flux, so I'm not sure. I can't really explain it any better.
JRR: Is there a dream that has become true?
PATA: Something that has become true... That I'm performing as I do at the moment, and that I am on stage with my bands now.
JRR: All your fans are grateful for that. And could you give us a message for them, please?
PATA: This is PATA today, as of this moment. I'm planning on visiting all your places sometime, so please support me then. This is Ishitsuka today, as of this moment. That's all.
JRR: Thank you.
JRR: Thank you for accepting our interview request. Congratulations on the X JAPAN reunion.
PATA: Thank you.
JRR: Before we start the interview, please let me explain that a lot of JRR's readers are more recent foreign Jrock fans, and they are not all familiar with the bands who have been around from the start. So please pardon us if we ask questions that everybody in Japan would know the answers to.
PATA: That's fine.
JRR: Now, your “ijou” (“that's all”) at the end of your initial greeting at the [Shibuya Tower Records on January 20th] Talk Live has become rather famous, but why did you say it that way? (Laughs.)
PATA: That's on old habit of mine. (Laughs.) I've always done doing that; I haven't changed at all.
JRR: Then everybody else started doing it, too... (Laughs.) To talk about old times, where did your "PATA" nickname originally come from?
PATA: There is a manga called “Patariro”—this one (shows his Zippo lighter with the Patariro character on it)—with a character who's always teasing others and playing tricks on them. Back in high school, one time at an instruments store we used to hang out at all of the time, someone said, “You really resemble that character.” Then everybody started to call me “Patariro, Patariro.” Over time, that was shortened to PATA. When I joined X, it was “What name are you going to use on stage?” Well, my name is Tomoaki; Tomo is kind of boring, so I ended up going by PATA. That stuck, and so for the last twenty-five, twenty-six years, I've been PATA. It’s really a strange name, if you think about it. (Laughs.) Can't be helped, I guess.
JRR: Maybe it's strange, but at least it has impact and that makes it easy to remember.
PATA: That'd be good, if that's the case...
JRR: I think so. Now, you mentioned joining X—but before that, you also had your own band?
PATA: Yes...
JRR: Can you tell us about that?
PATA: That wasn't really anything special. Just one of those bands around.
JRR: When and how did you first encounter X?
PATA: The first time was actually in high school, too. I saw them in some contest.
JRR: In Tokyo? In Chiba [prefecture]?
PATA: In Chiba. I saw them there—then some time later [in Tokyo], my own band was without a drummer at one point, so a friend who knew YOSHIKI introduced us, saying that he should have time [since X wasn't performing at that time] because they had no members [aside from YOSHIKI and TOSHI]. I asked YOSHIKI to play support for us, and I think that he did that maybe three times. Then sometime after that, I ended up joining X somehow.
JRR: Is it true that, before that, you asked YOSHIKI to join JUDY?
PATA: Oh, yes; yes, I did. I asked him, and instead I ended up joining X a few years later.
JRR: Why did you join X?
PATA: By then, my own band had disbanded... One day, [YOSHIKI] called me. There wasn't any particular reason why I shouldn't join, so I did.
JRR: Then, after ten years of X, the break up. After another ten years, the reunion. How does that make you feel right now?
PATA: To be honest, I didn't think of it as a reunion—more like, we're doing something [together again]. I guess I don't know how I really feel until we're actually doing the lives.
JRR: So shooting the “I.V.” music video in Odaiba didn't leave any particular impact then?
PATA: We did that, but—even then—I just thought that nothing much had changed. Well, except that someone was missing. Really, I think I won't know how I feel until we do the lives.
JRR: You've still kept in contact with HEATH after the break up, correct?
PATA: Not really all that much, no. Wait, we did DopeHEADz; I completely forgot about that. (Laughs.) Okay. We did that, that's true.
JRR: What about Dope HEADz? The last news was of a “temporary break in activities.” Does that mean “break up” in kinder words or is there a chance you'll be doing something with it some time in the future?
PATA: Did that stop with taking a break? (Laughs.) [Doing something more with Dope HEADz, I have] no idea about that. For now, there aren't any plans at the moment.
JRR: But there might be some possibility?
PATA: Maybe sometime, I don't know. Really, I've no idea at the moment.
JRR: To go back into the past once more: on your first solo release, all the other musicians are non-Japanese. Did you do that for a special reason or was it something that was accidental?
PATA: Is there any special reason I shouldn't have done it with foreigners?
JRR: I just thought it was interesting—that, as a Japanese artist, you'd choose all foreigners to work with for your solo debut.
PATA: Not that I was doing it just on a whim, but because it was my solo work, I did it with other guys who wanted to work with me. At that time, I was in LA—so that turned out to be musicians there. That's all, really, and that my recording engineer also was living there.
JRR: You also participate a lot in other musicians’ work, starting with TOSHI and HIDE's solo tours.
PATA: Ah, yes.
JRR: Then there was the Tokyo Yankees album.
PATA: Yes, that's something else I played in.
JRR: Recently, you were in Nanase Aikawa's band—how did you decide to play with them? I mean, with HIDE and TOSHI, it is easy to see why, but what about the other artists?
PATA: The Yankees were friends, so I played with them. With Aikawa… Someone asked, “Can you play this?” and so I played. No big deal.
JRR: I have to admit that it felt a bit strange to see you in a Jpop band.
PATA: I had friends among those band members, too.
JRR: Like [SPREAD BEAVER keyboardist] DIE?
PATA: Yes, DIE-chan is a friend, as is the bass player, and it's not as if I didn't know SHINYA [of LUNA SEA].
JRR: You've also played with MIYAVI, who's in YOSHIKI's S.K.I.N.
PATA: MIYAVI, too, yes.
JRR: What's your impression of him?
PATA: MIYAVI? My impression of him? Like a mischievous boy. (Laughs.) But he's a good kid, really.
JRR: Is there any band or artist you've worked with that has particularly impressed you?
PATA: Not from the top of my head. Well, because I've worked with so many people, it's hard to say.
JRR: You haven't played with them, but you did a “three guitarists” talk for a magazine recently with HIZAKI and TERU from VERSAILLES. After that, HIZAKI wrote in his blog that it was because of you that he started playing guitar. Did he tell you that in person, too?
PATA: Not in those exact words, but something similar to that, yes.
JRR: How did you feel about that?
PATA: I was happy to hear it, naturally. (Laughs.) Sorry... (Ed. note: “Sorry" is something a Japanese person might say to apologize for something that might sound boastful or self-inflating.)
JRR: Personally and with Ra:IN and X JAPAN, how would you like to influence your fans?
PATA: Influence… I'm not sure I'd say that I want to influence anyone. If people just listen and like it, I think that's enough.
JRR: If you look at the currently active young bands, do you think there is one that will leave a lasting impact?
PATA: I don't know.
JRR: Your own bands, after X JAPAN's break up, were P.A.F., Dope HEADz, and now Ra:IN. If you'll forgive me for saying so, those are strange names...
PATA: (Laughs.)
JRR: What is your inspiration for your band names?
PATA: It wasn't me who named Dope HEADz. Ra:IN also was named by someone else, not me. Though, with Ra:IN, that really came from the English word “line.” Then it became, “Let's do something different with it.” and that turned out to be “Ra:IN.”
JRR: Where does the “inspiration” part of “Rock and Inspiration” come from?
PATA: A friend of mine came up with that—and also the way of writing it like that, with Ra:IN.
JRR: So who in Ra:IN was that?
PATA: That was a designer by the name of Sakaguchi. (Laughs.) We asked him to make us some kind of design. That's how the small “a” [and the colon] got in. That wasn't any one of us.
(Laughter.)
JRR: I see. With Ra:IN, you've done lives in Paris and Beijing. What were your impressions with that?
PATA: Impressions… On the stage itself, it's not really all that different. But I was surprised how warmly we were welcomed. It was a first for me, too, after all. Paris. I hadn't been in Europe before that. It was amazing. I was really surprised.
JRR: Why were you surprised?
PATA: I hadn't expected anything [as enthusiastic a welcome] as that.
JRR: The day before the Beijing live, there was that sudden X JAPAN recording session. Were you okay at the live despite that?
PATA: Yes, no worries. Everything went great.
JRR: Regardless of whether it’s with Ra:IN or X JAPAN, if you could perform in any place of your choice overseas, where would you want to play?
PATA: In a number of places. However, it's not as if there'd be decisions on anything [right now].
JRR: I wasn't asking about any concrete plans, just what place you'd like to play if you could choose one.
PATA: Any place... Antarctica would be a little cold, maybe. (Laughs.) London, I think.
JRR: That's interesting. Why London?
PATA: I admire British rock; that's how I started [as a musician]. I like Britain, and I like the bands there.
JRR: What bands are those?
PATA: Led Zeppelin. Other groups from that time, lots of them. So I'd like to play there once.
JRR: Are there any foreign artists that have influenced you?
PATA: I'm not sure. Maybe Led Zeppelin and Cheap Trick.
JRR: Now that it's the other way around and Japanese music is becoming popular overseas, how do you feel about that?
PATA: I'm amazed. But I'm happy about it. I wonder what the overseas fans like about it, though.
JRR: That’s what I wanted to ask you next—what you think they like about it. (Laughs.)
PATA: No, that's my question. I really have no idea. (Laughs.)
JRR: It seems to have started with anime.
PATA: It looks that way, yes.
JRR: In the beginning, people came across Jrock as anime theme songs, and then began to look at the bands; by now, even though groups go to anime conventions, a lot of people are interested in the music for its own merit, not because of anime anymore.
PATA: I'm glad they [are giving it a chance] and listen to it overseas.
JRR: Overseas reminds me: did you have a look at the Jrock Revolution site?
PATA: No, I'm sorry. I don't even have Internet connection at home. (Laughs.)
JRR: You could look here at the office? But it’s no problem.
PATA: No, really, I'm a dinosaur. Sorry.
JRR: Really, it's okay. (Laughs.) It's not geared towards Japan, after all, and it’s all in English; there’s no reason why you should look. If I can change the topic to something different, you're rather famous as a Tokyo Giants [baseball team] fan. Is there any player you particularly like at the moment?
PATA: A favorite player… I like them all. I don't have any particular favorite at the moment; I like the whole team. I love all of the players.
JRR: Then I guess that we have to hope that the Giants don't play while X JAPAN does. (Laughs.)
PATA: But they do play at the same time. I thought that I could go and watch on the second day [the 29th], at the very least, but we know what happened to that.
(Laughter.)
JRR: In that case, please do show up at Tokyo Dome!
PATA: I will.
(Laughter.)
JRR: Please don't run off [to watch the Giants at Jinguumae baseball stadium].
PATA: I'll be there. I'll pretend I came because I thought there'd be a Giants games those nights.
(Laughter.)
JRR: You could have the staff put a TV into your dressing room?
PATA: But they'll be playing their games the same time we'll be playing our lives...
JRR: You and Tokyo Dome. It’s a place that's significant to you both for X and the Giants. What would you say about Tokyo Dome to someone who doesn't know anything about it?
PATA: It's a baseball stadium? (Laughs.) Okay, I suppose that's not what you meant.
JRR: What's Tokyo Dome for yourself?
PATA: If it’s put like that, it’s my home ground.
JRR: For both X JAPAN and the Giants.
PATA: Yes. Yes, let's put it like that.
(Laughter.)
JRR: In regards to more old things, you used to like cats and Jack Daniels. Do you still have a cat?
PATA: I don't have one now, no. But my mother does, at my parent's place.
JRR: But you still like them?
PATA: Oh, I do. Cats and dogs both. I'd really like to have one again.
JRR: What about Jack Daniels?
PATA: I still drink that, too. Though, lately, it's become shouchu more. (Laughs.) (Ed. note: PATA is implying that he's gotten old since shouchu, the Japanese version of vodka, is considered more for middle aged guys than rockers.)
JRR: Incidentally, do you know that there is a livehouse with a huge Jack Daniels advertisement right in this neighborhood? We came across it on our way here.
PATA: Actually, I've been to that place when a friend of mine played there.
JRR: Really? And once again with old things: I remember a questionnaire in which you were asked what your favorite sport is, and your answer was “as if.”
PATA: A favorite sport? That is, playing one?
JRR: Yes, playing one. Not just watching.
PATA: As if.
(Laughter.)
JRR: To go back to music, when I saw you at [a Ra:IN live at] Ueno Sensation (Ed. note: Ueno Sensation is a livehouse), I noticed that your guitars are still Gibsons. Have you ever played any others?
PATA: Sure. Fender, some others. But mostly it's Gibsons.
JRR: To switch from playing to listening, are there any artists you like right now?
PATA: Right now, I haven't been buying CDs lately. I'm not really listening to music all of the time, so what I've been listening to is just what happened to play at bars and other places that I went to. Mostly only that. Also, we just finished up with something, so while we were recording, what I usually listened to was our work in progress. I didn't feel like listening to someone else during that.
JRR: If you've been recording, I assume that means there will be a new release?
PATA: When will this be published?
JRR: The planning is for the middle of March.
PATA: The middle of March, that's okay then. The release date for our new work is April 9th. That's the day it'll go on sale. We were told not to say anything about it until the tenth [of March]. But there are already preorders. It's like, what's going on here?
(Laughter.)
JRR: Can you tell me the title?
PATA: The title is “METAL BOX.” It's an album.
JRR: You've said that you haven't been listening to music much lately, but is there any band, foreign or Japanese, that you'd recommend to fans to listen to?
PATA: Recommend... I've been mostly listening to Led Zeppelin lately, so I guess that... Also, I like the Kings. Actually, [I’d recommend for people to try] Ra:IN.
JRR: Why do you like Led Zeppelin so much?
PATA: Good question. Because they are cool? It’s hard to put into words why I like them. I can't really explain it.
JRR: With or without Led Zeppelin, what are your five favorite albums?
PATA: Anything from Led Zeppelin, Cheap Trick at Nippon Budokan, BBA Live, AC/DC's “Back in Black,” well, that's all I can come up with just now...
JRR: In your own performances, what do you think about just before you go on stage?
PATA: Think about... maybe the songs we're going to play. Or nothing in particular, really. Just relax. What I don't like is to chitchat.
JRR: And who chooses your stage outfits? Do you do that yourself?
PATA: I choose that. Whatever suits me at any given time. Well, in the old [X JAPAN] days, I used to consult with a stylist, but not anymore. With Ra:IN, I really don't give it much thought. I think of how to combine things already in my closet.
JRR: Of all the lives that you've played, which has left the deepest impression?
PATA: I enjoy every performance, so there isn't any one that I'd say has impressed me more than others. No two lives are identical, so I like them all.
JRR: You are in a movie, as well. (Ed. note: “Attitude,” http://www.attitude-movie.com) Can you tell us what that is about?
PATA: Actually, I've no idea myself. (Laughs.)
JRR: Oh?
PATA: I really have no idea. I think I'm in it having a drink somewhere. I'm not familiar with the details of the movie.
JRR: I see. And the next upcoming thing is the Tokyo Dome Three Days lives. Fans have been delighted about the additional concert, but also worried a bit about the change from two to three days. How do you think it will go?
PATA: I wonder about that myself. (Laughs.) I'll think about the details from now on. I'm sure it will be great fun. I'm really curious how it's going to be for myself. I guess that's what I'm thinking with: “Kyou kono goro.” (Ed. note: “Today as of this moment.” It’s a phrase PATA favors and is used a number of times at the Shibuya Tower Records Talk Live on January 20th.)
JRR: Aside X JAPAN, you will continue Ra:IN activity, as well?
PATA: Oh, yes. I'll continue that.
JRR: What are your plans with Ra:IN for this year?
PATA: We're releasing a new album [in April], and we'll go on a tour. Sometime, if we can find a good time for it, I'd like to play overseas once more.
JRR: Would that be in Asia again? Or in America or Europe? Where would you like to play first?
PATA: If we could, in all those places.
JRR: Come to all of them?
PATA: I'm not sure whether our new CD might be released in France at the same time [as in Japan], but I'd like to go to France again. And if we go there, then I'd like to go to other European locations, as well. I also want to go to Taiwan at least once.
JRR: How about Los Angeles?
PATA: I want to go to Los Angeles, too. So far, we haven't been to America [with Ra:IN].
JRR: As our last question, is there something—some type of dream—that you have and haven't realized yet, but want to?
PATA: A dream I haven't realized yet? I'd be satisfied if I could just go on playing guitar. Well, the future isn't reality yet, so I suppose that could be called a dream not yet realized. Though if you're asking for some specific dream, I don't think that's been realized yet.
JRR: What kind of dream?
PATA: I am not sure myself. It’s just that not everything has become reality yet. Everything is still in flux, so I'm not sure. I can't really explain it any better.
JRR: Is there a dream that has become true?
PATA: Something that has become true... That I'm performing as I do at the moment, and that I am on stage with my bands now.
JRR: All your fans are grateful for that. And could you give us a message for them, please?
PATA: This is PATA today, as of this moment. I'm planning on visiting all your places sometime, so please support me then. This is Ishitsuka today, as of this moment. That's all.
JRR: Thank you.
entrevista a heath (en ingles)
JRR: Thank you for accepting Jrock Revolution’s interview request.
HEATH: Entirely my pleasure.
JRR: Congratulations also on the X JAPAN reunion.
HEATH: Thank you very much.
JRR: Before we start the interview, please let me explain that a lot of JRR's readers are more recent foreign Jrock fans and not all familiar with the people who've been around from the start. Most of them know X JAPAN as a band, and these fans don’t know so much about the individual members; this interview is to introduce you to everybody who reads our site. So please pardon us if we ask questions that most other fans and everybody in Japan know the answers to.
HEATH: Yes, that's fine.
JRR: Unlike the other X JAPAN members, you're from Kansai (Ed. Note: Western Japan, the region around Osaka) and not Kantou (Ed. Note: Eastern Japan, Greater Tokyo area). Is that right?
HEATH: Yes, I'm from Amagasaki, in Hyougo prefecture.
JRR: You originally started playing in the Kansai area, too?
HEATH: Yes. My first indies band was there, then moved to Tokyo later on.
JRR: That was PARANOIA?
HEATH: Yes.
JRR: You left that in 1988, then you were in Tokyo in 1990. What did you do in between?
HEATH: I played in another band with some friends, but that didn't last for very long—only until 1990. After that, I decided to go to Tokyo and did that in 1990.
JRR: What made you move from Osaka to Tokyo?
HEATH: At that time, Japan's rock scene basically was Kantou, and anyone who was anybody was in the Kansai region—those who were talented and popular and really wanted to make it big went to Tokyo. I wasn't in a band at that time, just on my own as bassist, but I thought that maybe in Tokyo I could find a chance to make it big for myself.
JRR: Also in 1990, you met X after the final concert of their ROSE & BLOOD tour at Nippon Budokan. How did that happen? Did someone introduce you?
HEATH: Yes. A friend of mine happened to be a friend of HIDE’s, as well; my friend said, “Since they have a live, want to go watch?” The live that he took me to was that one.
JRR: What was your first impression of them?
HEATH: When I first saw them, it was at that live—what really impressed me was that the whole concert was like a story. It was very dramatic. During those three hours [of the concert], there was one story after another. Naturally there were points that were especially emphasized; however, because it was one long and ongoing story, it was very interesting. I remember that I felt that X would stay in my heart.
JRR: What were your impressions of the individual members?
HEATH: I was invited to the after-live party and met HIDE there, but there was an incredible number of people, so I don't really remember much [about the others].
JRR: How was HIDE at that time?
HEATH: He really was like a big brother then; he told me “Since you made it here, let me introduce you to everybody. Make sure they remember you.” and then he dragged me all over the place and introduced me to dozens of people as “HEATH from Osaka, yoroshiku.”
JRR: Incidentally, where does “HEATH” originally come from?
HEATH: That's from the band I was in before PARANOIA. The members of that band decided that we should get stage nicknames, so everybody did that. My usual nickname was “Hichan” and “HEATH” came from changes to that.
JRR: So it's a take off of your real first name?
HEATH: Yes, that's right. My first name is Hiroshi, and over time that changed [to HEATH].
JRR: Then “HEATH” stuck?
HEATH: It did.
JRR: To get back to the previous topic, did you join EXTASY [RECORDING] by HIDE's introduction then?
HEATH: I was never an official EXTASY artist...
JRR: But you've been in a number of EXTASY bands?
HEATH: That's true. What were those again... well, there was a number. But we never released anything through EXTASY. It was more along the lines of how they helped us with our tours and, in general, were very supportive.
JRR: But you were at the 1991 EXTASY SUMMIT—even if your band didn't perform?
HEATH: Yes, I remember carrying some flag around that. (Laughs.)
JRR: Rumor has it that when HIDE later invited you to play for X, you thought that was a joke.
HEATH: That really started with him asking, “You know what our current situation is, don't you?” When I said, “Yes, I do,” he then asked, “[We] want to record a bit, so could you help us out since we don't have a bass at the moment?” I replied with, “Sure, I can play for you.” Then he gave me a tape and told me to copy it. It had about five songs, if I remember correctly. So I copied that, then I went to the studio and played with [the band]. Almost immediately, after I got home, HIDE called me to say, “Seems that everybody likes you, so think about [joining X].” Something like that.
JRR: You went to New York after that. Was that related to X? Or was that something you did personally?
HEATH: That was for X—the press conference at the Rockefeller Center. It was my first press conference with X, as well.
JRR: If that's the reason why you went to New York, several rumors have the whole story very wrong.
HEATH: What rumors?
JRR: That you were approached about becoming X's bassist while you were in New York.
HEATH: No, that's wrong.
JRR: Thank you for clearing that up. Next is something that I've been curious about from your personal work is “DAYDREAM,” which appeared first on your debut mini album HEATH. It seems to have six different versions by now.
HEATH: Yes, I think it's six already...
JRR: It's numbered "006" on [your second solo album] GANG AGE CUBIST.
HEATH: Ah, yes.
JRR: I can't find version 004 anywhere, though.
HEATH: You can't, no. Four is a bit strange... (Laughs.) When I was producing four—in fact, I was almost done with it—the data disappeared. Somehow, it got lost. The equipment that had the data was stolen. After that, I didn't work on it anymore.
JRR: Maybe again in the future?
HEATH: To do that, I'd have to redo everything. I'd have to record the sample again, then do the manufacturing and everything once more to see how well I could recreate four. If I wanted to release it.
JRR: Back to the released versions, I've only been able to listen to 001, 003 and 006. 002 and 005 are also a bit hard to find. To be honest, those don't sound like the same song to me at all.
HEATH: At the time of the change from 002 to 003, there were a lot of DJs in Japan, and new technology that made producing songs easier had become available in Japan, too. A friend of mine was one of those DJs. I did 003 with him following up on it, and it became a completely different work. Or, rather, I felt that the song had to become something different. The theme of “DAYDREAM” had to remain, which was something that I absolutely wanted to retain.
JRR: If it's so different, why did you keep the same name? That's a bit of a mystery to me.
HEATH: Well, “DAYDREAM”—creating it, singing it—it’s about looking at a light from a dark place. That kind of darkness is different for everybody; it's also different with age—the way a small child or an adult might feel darkness. The light itself that you look at from that place might change, as well. I think that all of those changes appear in “DAYDREAM.” That's what I want to express in that one [ever changing] song.
JRR: That's interesting. In an aside since you mentioned DJs: you're DJing yourself, as well?
HEATH: Yes, I've done that numerous times. For club events and such.
JRR: Unfortunately, you aren't performing much at clubs these days.
HEATH: Unfortunately not, no.
JRR: I saw you in LYNX at the Omotesando FAB (Ed. Note: A Tokyo livehouse) last summer. I think that was the last time you performed? (Ed. Note: Actually, the Omotesando FAB LYNX live gig wasn't the last; there was one more shortly after that, at Harajuku ASTRO HALL, but as I couldn't go to that, I guess that it slipped my mind. Obviously, it slipped HEATH's, as well.)
HEATH: That was the last time. I want to, though. (Laughs.)
JRR: Why don't you?
HEATH: In LYNX, everybody is doing other things, too. ISSAY has three other projects: DER ZIBET, [ISSAY meets] DOLLY and... one more, with a very odd name. I forgot what. But with all that, scheduling is a bit difficult. I'm doing things, too. But if we can manage, we're planning to do something [as LYNX] again. Please come to that, too, when we do.
JRR: Certainly; it would be our pleasure. However, if I can come back to “DAYDREAM” once more—that was a solo song in your BLUE NIGHT, WHITE NIGHT in ‘94, but what version of the song was that?
HEATH: That was the second, I think. Maybe the third. But around either of those two.
JRR: Normally, everybody thinks of you as “HEATH on bass,” but you’re actually also singing, aren't you? In your solo project and when you were vocals for BEET SWEET.
HEATH: It's not as if I hate to sing. In my solo work, where I write all the music and lyrics, I think I can best express what I want to say if I do the singing myself.
JRR: In DESERT RAIN, you also play all the instruments, correct? Bass, guitar, keyboard...
HEATH: Yes, everything but drums. For those, I used a recording.
JRR: How long did that take to produce?
HEATH: It was very quick. About a month and a half.
JRR: Are you planning to do another DESERT RAIN gig or different solo work?
HEATH: Well, I did DESERT RAIN—with that title—once before. I'd have liked to do it some more times in at least Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, but there wasn't time for that.
JRR: Do it from now on?
HEATH: I'd really like to. Not only in Japan.
JRR: If you would go overseas, where would you like to perform first?
HEATH: First, Germany.
JRR: Germany? Why is that?
HEATH: I have a friend in Germany. Someone I met once in Japan.
JRR: Come to think of it, a lot of the younger bands have been going to Germany lately.
HEATH: Oh, really?
JRR: Yes, a number of them. I think GAZETTE and several others, too. Jrock groups are relatively popular in Germany and France these days.
HEATH: Well, I want to go there, too.
JRR: Japanese rock, particularly visual kei, is getting more and more popular overseas. Given that that's something X JAPAN started, how does it make you feel to see that now?
HEATH: It's as if Japan[ese artists] have finally pushed open the door from their side to let their light shine outside, as well. Everyone has always said that “There are no borders to music,” but few [Japanese artists] have moved beyond the borders—and, of those who did, most didn't leave any impression. It seems that only now the time has come that Japanese rock moves beyond Japan's borders. Since we are in those times at this moment, I think that there are things we need to do, things that I really want to do from now on.
JRR: For example?
HEATH: First of all, a[n overseas] live. I want to do a live concert there.
JRR: A solo live or...?
HEATH: Anything, all, whatever. (Laughs.)
JRR: Everything then? Solo and X JAPAN and LYNX?
HEATH: It's gotten so that there are a lot of offers, and I'd really like to go those places where people are waiting. I want them to listen to our music, to watch us.
JRR: There are people waiting for you overseas for sure. In Europe, there is a fan generated “let's all write and collect letters to send to X to bring them to Europe” action going on.
HEATH: That's amazing to hear.
JRR: Back to yourself: are there any Japanese or foreign artists that you like, ones that you would say have influenced you? Led Zeppelin comes to mind since you did a cover of their “Rock and Roll.”
HEATH: Of foreign bands, I think the first I liked was Motley Crue. Then, maybe a bit different from most guys my age, I like Deep Purple. Also, groups like Rainbow and KISS. After that came Japanese bands in what was a bit of a Japan bands boom then, a boom of “Japan Metal.” That really excited me. X, naturally, is among the bands of that period. During the indies “Japan Metal” time. Much later, there were bands like Nine Inch Nails among the foreign groups that I like.
JRR: Is there any band in Japan right now that you'd like foreign fans to listen to?
HEATH: Yes, there is. (Points to a poster on the wall.)
JRR: THE UNDERNEATH. They are already performing in the USA.
HEATH: I think they are making really great music.
JRR: Have you been to their lives?
HEATH: Not yet, but I had a chance to listen to their master CD. I really think that it's great music.
JRR: THE UNDERNEATH is a very new group?
HEATH: They are new as THE UNDERNEATH, but all of those guys have already had long careers.
JRR: Back to your own music: something else you did was Dope HEADz, with PATA and INA [from SPREAD BEAVER]. Nothing is happening with that, but there hasn't been any break up announcement, either.
HEATH: No, we didn't disband. We’ve suspended activities with that, so maybe one day, if we have the chance again, we might do something again with that.
JRR: We asked PATA about that, when talking to him, and he said something like that, too. So how about you really do it?
HEATH: (Laughs.) Okay; we'll see.
JRR: What you will be doing next is Tokyo Dome. Tokyo Dome is actually where you played your first live as member of X JAPAN, isn't it?
HEATH: It is.
JRR: What did that feel like, your first music major league live at Tokyo Dome? Instead of the usual way, moving from livehouses to increasingly larger venues, moving up immediately to Tokyo Dome.
HEATH: Actually, what I thought then while on the stage was that it wasn't really different. Whether it's playing in a livehouse or Tokyo Dome, what you do doesn't change. Whether it's fifty people or fifty thousand people, you've got to do your best in any place. Regardless of the numbers, you should always try for 120% perfection. So there isn't any feeling of tremendous pressure in my memory for that. On the other hand, what impressed me that night was the fans’ reaction—how they welcomed us, the intensity of that. But that wasn't pressure; that was a pleasure, to realize that people wanted X so much, had waited so long. The overwhelming screaming and cheering when we came out.
JRR: How do you think the upcoming lives will be?
HEATH: I'd like to know that, too. At this moment, it's not something I can imagine yet. Also, I think that even if I would try to imagine it, the actual nights will probably go beyond anything that I could imagine. Ten years is ten years, after all, and while I think that many of our old fans will be there, there'll also be a lot of new ones. Sometimes in my [fan] mail—the youngest fan I've ever gotten mail from was an elementary school student—I get messages that say things like, “I've only known X after the break up. The only way I've seen you perform is on screen and never in reality. I'm looking forward so much to seeing you now.”
JRR: I look forward to seeing that again, too.
JRR: During those ten years, you've still been in contact with PATA.
HEATH: Yes, we meet occasionally.
JRR: How was it to meet YOSHIKI and TOSHI again after ten years?
HEATH: It didn't feel like ten years. Well, first YOSHIKI, PATA, and I met, but [with YOSHIKI] that really didn't feel like meeting again after ten years; it was more like “long time, no see.” Then I met TOSHI in the recording studio, and that was like, “You doing okay?” Almost like there hadn't been that ten year gap at all—the old connections were right there again, without any awkwardness.
JRR: Talking about old times, are there any of the old songs that you really want to play during the lives?
HEATH: If I had to choose only one… “WEEK END.”
JRR: Why that one?
HEATH: There are some memories connected to that. That is… While playing bass, I never really sang chorus. For “WEEK END,” they said, “Come on, do it.” Then TOSHI gave me some special coaching for that, and then—without instruments—TOSHI, HIDE, and I practiced the chorus together. I really loved how it came together into harmony during our practices.
JRR: That would be fun to see again. Incidentally, something different that was fun to see was your Myspace profile until that suddenly disappeared. What happened to that?
HEATH: That actually wasn't me.
JRR: That wasn't you? It did say “HEATH PROJECT”...
HEATH: No, someone else did that without asking me. I even told people it wasn’t me when they said, “Oh, you made a Myspace profile, didn't you?” But they kept telling me that it was there, so I checked. And yes, it was there. But someone actually did that without asking.
JRR: Have you thought about making one? Even PATA has one now, TOSHI made one last year, and YOSHIKI has had his for forever. So only you are missing.
HEATH: (Laughs.) Let me think about it? Everybody keeps telling me that I should, but...
JRR: Your foreign fans want you to for sure. And it's a very fast way to communicate.
HEATH: At the moment, I don't have any idea yet what Myspace is all about. Even though it's been explained to me, I haven't really yet figured out how it works. When and if I do, and if I come to think that it might be fun, I might do it. But for the moment, I still have too many unanswered questions.
JRR: Such as?
HEATH: They’re not technical questions. They’re more basic—like, what is Myspace? What's it good for, what can you do with it? I haven't figured that out yet.
JRR: For artists, it's something of a promotional tool, to announce events or music releases. Also, it’s a way to directly communicate with fans.
HEATH: Do you know [Japanese social networking site] MIXI? It took me some time to figure that one out, too.
JRR: Do you use MIXI?
HEATH: I did for a bit, but I stopped.
JRR: Since you are checking things online, did you look at the Jrock Revolution site?
HEATH: I did, yes.
JRR: What is your impression of it?
HEATH: I thought that it was well done. (Laughs.) Well, I didn't look at all of the pages, but things like the interviews, information about bands, you can get all that very easily in Japan. But, even now, it's almost always only on paper. So seeing all that online on Jrock Revolution made me think that it's a very exciting site.
JRR: Thank you very much. That's a wonderful compliment. And when you do something overseas, may we feature that, too?
HEATH: Naturally.
JRR: So what are your next plans then?
HEATH: At this point, first of all, X. Someway, somehow.
JRR: Someway, somehow? In what form?
HEATH: I want to do something that goes beyond all expectations with X. And I still want to do things solo and with LYNX.
JRR: That's a problem of time [scheduling]?
HEATH: No, time [not having any]'s the problem. (Laughs.)
JRR: Is that so? (Laughs.) Even with that, may we look forward to more things from you?
HEATH: Please do.
JRR: We'll take you up on that. And to come to an end for today, may we ask you for a message to your overseas fans and to the readers of Jrock Revolution?
HEATH: Hello everybody on Jrock Revolution, this is HEATH. How are you? This was my first interview [with Jrock Revolution], but I think maybe you'll learn a little more about me from it. From now on, I'd like to deliver some great music—not only to Japan, but to everywhere—so please keep an eye out for it. This was a hello from HEATH.
JRR: Thank you very much.
JRR: Thank you for accepting Jrock Revolution’s interview request.
HEATH: Entirely my pleasure.
JRR: Congratulations also on the X JAPAN reunion.
HEATH: Thank you very much.
JRR: Before we start the interview, please let me explain that a lot of JRR's readers are more recent foreign Jrock fans and not all familiar with the people who've been around from the start. Most of them know X JAPAN as a band, and these fans don’t know so much about the individual members; this interview is to introduce you to everybody who reads our site. So please pardon us if we ask questions that most other fans and everybody in Japan know the answers to.
HEATH: Yes, that's fine.
JRR: Unlike the other X JAPAN members, you're from Kansai (Ed. Note: Western Japan, the region around Osaka) and not Kantou (Ed. Note: Eastern Japan, Greater Tokyo area). Is that right?
HEATH: Yes, I'm from Amagasaki, in Hyougo prefecture.
JRR: You originally started playing in the Kansai area, too?
HEATH: Yes. My first indies band was there, then moved to Tokyo later on.
JRR: That was PARANOIA?
HEATH: Yes.
JRR: You left that in 1988, then you were in Tokyo in 1990. What did you do in between?
HEATH: I played in another band with some friends, but that didn't last for very long—only until 1990. After that, I decided to go to Tokyo and did that in 1990.
JRR: What made you move from Osaka to Tokyo?
HEATH: At that time, Japan's rock scene basically was Kantou, and anyone who was anybody was in the Kansai region—those who were talented and popular and really wanted to make it big went to Tokyo. I wasn't in a band at that time, just on my own as bassist, but I thought that maybe in Tokyo I could find a chance to make it big for myself.
JRR: Also in 1990, you met X after the final concert of their ROSE & BLOOD tour at Nippon Budokan. How did that happen? Did someone introduce you?
HEATH: Yes. A friend of mine happened to be a friend of HIDE’s, as well; my friend said, “Since they have a live, want to go watch?” The live that he took me to was that one.
JRR: What was your first impression of them?
HEATH: When I first saw them, it was at that live—what really impressed me was that the whole concert was like a story. It was very dramatic. During those three hours [of the concert], there was one story after another. Naturally there were points that were especially emphasized; however, because it was one long and ongoing story, it was very interesting. I remember that I felt that X would stay in my heart.
JRR: What were your impressions of the individual members?
HEATH: I was invited to the after-live party and met HIDE there, but there was an incredible number of people, so I don't really remember much [about the others].
JRR: How was HIDE at that time?
HEATH: He really was like a big brother then; he told me “Since you made it here, let me introduce you to everybody. Make sure they remember you.” and then he dragged me all over the place and introduced me to dozens of people as “HEATH from Osaka, yoroshiku.”
JRR: Incidentally, where does “HEATH” originally come from?
HEATH: That's from the band I was in before PARANOIA. The members of that band decided that we should get stage nicknames, so everybody did that. My usual nickname was “Hichan” and “HEATH” came from changes to that.
JRR: So it's a take off of your real first name?
HEATH: Yes, that's right. My first name is Hiroshi, and over time that changed [to HEATH].
JRR: Then “HEATH” stuck?
HEATH: It did.
JRR: To get back to the previous topic, did you join EXTASY [RECORDING] by HIDE's introduction then?
HEATH: I was never an official EXTASY artist...
JRR: But you've been in a number of EXTASY bands?
HEATH: That's true. What were those again... well, there was a number. But we never released anything through EXTASY. It was more along the lines of how they helped us with our tours and, in general, were very supportive.
JRR: But you were at the 1991 EXTASY SUMMIT—even if your band didn't perform?
HEATH: Yes, I remember carrying some flag around that. (Laughs.)
JRR: Rumor has it that when HIDE later invited you to play for X, you thought that was a joke.
HEATH: That really started with him asking, “You know what our current situation is, don't you?” When I said, “Yes, I do,” he then asked, “[We] want to record a bit, so could you help us out since we don't have a bass at the moment?” I replied with, “Sure, I can play for you.” Then he gave me a tape and told me to copy it. It had about five songs, if I remember correctly. So I copied that, then I went to the studio and played with [the band]. Almost immediately, after I got home, HIDE called me to say, “Seems that everybody likes you, so think about [joining X].” Something like that.
JRR: You went to New York after that. Was that related to X? Or was that something you did personally?
HEATH: That was for X—the press conference at the Rockefeller Center. It was my first press conference with X, as well.
JRR: If that's the reason why you went to New York, several rumors have the whole story very wrong.
HEATH: What rumors?
JRR: That you were approached about becoming X's bassist while you were in New York.
HEATH: No, that's wrong.
JRR: Thank you for clearing that up. Next is something that I've been curious about from your personal work is “DAYDREAM,” which appeared first on your debut mini album HEATH. It seems to have six different versions by now.
HEATH: Yes, I think it's six already...
JRR: It's numbered "006" on [your second solo album] GANG AGE CUBIST.
HEATH: Ah, yes.
JRR: I can't find version 004 anywhere, though.
HEATH: You can't, no. Four is a bit strange... (Laughs.) When I was producing four—in fact, I was almost done with it—the data disappeared. Somehow, it got lost. The equipment that had the data was stolen. After that, I didn't work on it anymore.
JRR: Maybe again in the future?
HEATH: To do that, I'd have to redo everything. I'd have to record the sample again, then do the manufacturing and everything once more to see how well I could recreate four. If I wanted to release it.
JRR: Back to the released versions, I've only been able to listen to 001, 003 and 006. 002 and 005 are also a bit hard to find. To be honest, those don't sound like the same song to me at all.
HEATH: At the time of the change from 002 to 003, there were a lot of DJs in Japan, and new technology that made producing songs easier had become available in Japan, too. A friend of mine was one of those DJs. I did 003 with him following up on it, and it became a completely different work. Or, rather, I felt that the song had to become something different. The theme of “DAYDREAM” had to remain, which was something that I absolutely wanted to retain.
JRR: If it's so different, why did you keep the same name? That's a bit of a mystery to me.
HEATH: Well, “DAYDREAM”—creating it, singing it—it’s about looking at a light from a dark place. That kind of darkness is different for everybody; it's also different with age—the way a small child or an adult might feel darkness. The light itself that you look at from that place might change, as well. I think that all of those changes appear in “DAYDREAM.” That's what I want to express in that one [ever changing] song.
JRR: That's interesting. In an aside since you mentioned DJs: you're DJing yourself, as well?
HEATH: Yes, I've done that numerous times. For club events and such.
JRR: Unfortunately, you aren't performing much at clubs these days.
HEATH: Unfortunately not, no.
JRR: I saw you in LYNX at the Omotesando FAB (Ed. Note: A Tokyo livehouse) last summer. I think that was the last time you performed? (Ed. Note: Actually, the Omotesando FAB LYNX live gig wasn't the last; there was one more shortly after that, at Harajuku ASTRO HALL, but as I couldn't go to that, I guess that it slipped my mind. Obviously, it slipped HEATH's, as well.)
HEATH: That was the last time. I want to, though. (Laughs.)
JRR: Why don't you?
HEATH: In LYNX, everybody is doing other things, too. ISSAY has three other projects: DER ZIBET, [ISSAY meets] DOLLY and... one more, with a very odd name. I forgot what. But with all that, scheduling is a bit difficult. I'm doing things, too. But if we can manage, we're planning to do something [as LYNX] again. Please come to that, too, when we do.
JRR: Certainly; it would be our pleasure. However, if I can come back to “DAYDREAM” once more—that was a solo song in your BLUE NIGHT, WHITE NIGHT in ‘94, but what version of the song was that?
HEATH: That was the second, I think. Maybe the third. But around either of those two.
JRR: Normally, everybody thinks of you as “HEATH on bass,” but you’re actually also singing, aren't you? In your solo project and when you were vocals for BEET SWEET.
HEATH: It's not as if I hate to sing. In my solo work, where I write all the music and lyrics, I think I can best express what I want to say if I do the singing myself.
JRR: In DESERT RAIN, you also play all the instruments, correct? Bass, guitar, keyboard...
HEATH: Yes, everything but drums. For those, I used a recording.
JRR: How long did that take to produce?
HEATH: It was very quick. About a month and a half.
JRR: Are you planning to do another DESERT RAIN gig or different solo work?
HEATH: Well, I did DESERT RAIN—with that title—once before. I'd have liked to do it some more times in at least Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, but there wasn't time for that.
JRR: Do it from now on?
HEATH: I'd really like to. Not only in Japan.
JRR: If you would go overseas, where would you like to perform first?
HEATH: First, Germany.
JRR: Germany? Why is that?
HEATH: I have a friend in Germany. Someone I met once in Japan.
JRR: Come to think of it, a lot of the younger bands have been going to Germany lately.
HEATH: Oh, really?
JRR: Yes, a number of them. I think GAZETTE and several others, too. Jrock groups are relatively popular in Germany and France these days.
HEATH: Well, I want to go there, too.
JRR: Japanese rock, particularly visual kei, is getting more and more popular overseas. Given that that's something X JAPAN started, how does it make you feel to see that now?
HEATH: It's as if Japan[ese artists] have finally pushed open the door from their side to let their light shine outside, as well. Everyone has always said that “There are no borders to music,” but few [Japanese artists] have moved beyond the borders—and, of those who did, most didn't leave any impression. It seems that only now the time has come that Japanese rock moves beyond Japan's borders. Since we are in those times at this moment, I think that there are things we need to do, things that I really want to do from now on.
JRR: For example?
HEATH: First of all, a[n overseas] live. I want to do a live concert there.
JRR: A solo live or...?
HEATH: Anything, all, whatever. (Laughs.)
JRR: Everything then? Solo and X JAPAN and LYNX?
HEATH: It's gotten so that there are a lot of offers, and I'd really like to go those places where people are waiting. I want them to listen to our music, to watch us.
JRR: There are people waiting for you overseas for sure. In Europe, there is a fan generated “let's all write and collect letters to send to X to bring them to Europe” action going on.
HEATH: That's amazing to hear.
JRR: Back to yourself: are there any Japanese or foreign artists that you like, ones that you would say have influenced you? Led Zeppelin comes to mind since you did a cover of their “Rock and Roll.”
HEATH: Of foreign bands, I think the first I liked was Motley Crue. Then, maybe a bit different from most guys my age, I like Deep Purple. Also, groups like Rainbow and KISS. After that came Japanese bands in what was a bit of a Japan bands boom then, a boom of “Japan Metal.” That really excited me. X, naturally, is among the bands of that period. During the indies “Japan Metal” time. Much later, there were bands like Nine Inch Nails among the foreign groups that I like.
JRR: Is there any band in Japan right now that you'd like foreign fans to listen to?
HEATH: Yes, there is. (Points to a poster on the wall.)
JRR: THE UNDERNEATH. They are already performing in the USA.
HEATH: I think they are making really great music.
JRR: Have you been to their lives?
HEATH: Not yet, but I had a chance to listen to their master CD. I really think that it's great music.
JRR: THE UNDERNEATH is a very new group?
HEATH: They are new as THE UNDERNEATH, but all of those guys have already had long careers.
JRR: Back to your own music: something else you did was Dope HEADz, with PATA and INA [from SPREAD BEAVER]. Nothing is happening with that, but there hasn't been any break up announcement, either.
HEATH: No, we didn't disband. We’ve suspended activities with that, so maybe one day, if we have the chance again, we might do something again with that.
JRR: We asked PATA about that, when talking to him, and he said something like that, too. So how about you really do it?
HEATH: (Laughs.) Okay; we'll see.
JRR: What you will be doing next is Tokyo Dome. Tokyo Dome is actually where you played your first live as member of X JAPAN, isn't it?
HEATH: It is.
JRR: What did that feel like, your first music major league live at Tokyo Dome? Instead of the usual way, moving from livehouses to increasingly larger venues, moving up immediately to Tokyo Dome.
HEATH: Actually, what I thought then while on the stage was that it wasn't really different. Whether it's playing in a livehouse or Tokyo Dome, what you do doesn't change. Whether it's fifty people or fifty thousand people, you've got to do your best in any place. Regardless of the numbers, you should always try for 120% perfection. So there isn't any feeling of tremendous pressure in my memory for that. On the other hand, what impressed me that night was the fans’ reaction—how they welcomed us, the intensity of that. But that wasn't pressure; that was a pleasure, to realize that people wanted X so much, had waited so long. The overwhelming screaming and cheering when we came out.
JRR: How do you think the upcoming lives will be?
HEATH: I'd like to know that, too. At this moment, it's not something I can imagine yet. Also, I think that even if I would try to imagine it, the actual nights will probably go beyond anything that I could imagine. Ten years is ten years, after all, and while I think that many of our old fans will be there, there'll also be a lot of new ones. Sometimes in my [fan] mail—the youngest fan I've ever gotten mail from was an elementary school student—I get messages that say things like, “I've only known X after the break up. The only way I've seen you perform is on screen and never in reality. I'm looking forward so much to seeing you now.”
JRR: I look forward to seeing that again, too.
JRR: During those ten years, you've still been in contact with PATA.
HEATH: Yes, we meet occasionally.
JRR: How was it to meet YOSHIKI and TOSHI again after ten years?
HEATH: It didn't feel like ten years. Well, first YOSHIKI, PATA, and I met, but [with YOSHIKI] that really didn't feel like meeting again after ten years; it was more like “long time, no see.” Then I met TOSHI in the recording studio, and that was like, “You doing okay?” Almost like there hadn't been that ten year gap at all—the old connections were right there again, without any awkwardness.
JRR: Talking about old times, are there any of the old songs that you really want to play during the lives?
HEATH: If I had to choose only one… “WEEK END.”
JRR: Why that one?
HEATH: There are some memories connected to that. That is… While playing bass, I never really sang chorus. For “WEEK END,” they said, “Come on, do it.” Then TOSHI gave me some special coaching for that, and then—without instruments—TOSHI, HIDE, and I practiced the chorus together. I really loved how it came together into harmony during our practices.
JRR: That would be fun to see again. Incidentally, something different that was fun to see was your Myspace profile until that suddenly disappeared. What happened to that?
HEATH: That actually wasn't me.
JRR: That wasn't you? It did say “HEATH PROJECT”...
HEATH: No, someone else did that without asking me. I even told people it wasn’t me when they said, “Oh, you made a Myspace profile, didn't you?” But they kept telling me that it was there, so I checked. And yes, it was there. But someone actually did that without asking.
JRR: Have you thought about making one? Even PATA has one now, TOSHI made one last year, and YOSHIKI has had his for forever. So only you are missing.
HEATH: (Laughs.) Let me think about it? Everybody keeps telling me that I should, but...
JRR: Your foreign fans want you to for sure. And it's a very fast way to communicate.
HEATH: At the moment, I don't have any idea yet what Myspace is all about. Even though it's been explained to me, I haven't really yet figured out how it works. When and if I do, and if I come to think that it might be fun, I might do it. But for the moment, I still have too many unanswered questions.
JRR: Such as?
HEATH: They’re not technical questions. They’re more basic—like, what is Myspace? What's it good for, what can you do with it? I haven't figured that out yet.
JRR: For artists, it's something of a promotional tool, to announce events or music releases. Also, it’s a way to directly communicate with fans.
HEATH: Do you know [Japanese social networking site] MIXI? It took me some time to figure that one out, too.
JRR: Do you use MIXI?
HEATH: I did for a bit, but I stopped.
JRR: Since you are checking things online, did you look at the Jrock Revolution site?
HEATH: I did, yes.
JRR: What is your impression of it?
HEATH: I thought that it was well done. (Laughs.) Well, I didn't look at all of the pages, but things like the interviews, information about bands, you can get all that very easily in Japan. But, even now, it's almost always only on paper. So seeing all that online on Jrock Revolution made me think that it's a very exciting site.
JRR: Thank you very much. That's a wonderful compliment. And when you do something overseas, may we feature that, too?
HEATH: Naturally.
JRR: So what are your next plans then?
HEATH: At this point, first of all, X. Someway, somehow.
JRR: Someway, somehow? In what form?
HEATH: I want to do something that goes beyond all expectations with X. And I still want to do things solo and with LYNX.
JRR: That's a problem of time [scheduling]?
HEATH: No, time [not having any]'s the problem. (Laughs.)
JRR: Is that so? (Laughs.) Even with that, may we look forward to more things from you?
HEATH: Please do.
JRR: We'll take you up on that. And to come to an end for today, may we ask you for a message to your overseas fans and to the readers of Jrock Revolution?
HEATH: Hello everybody on Jrock Revolution, this is HEATH. How are you? This was my first interview [with Jrock Revolution], but I think maybe you'll learn a little more about me from it. From now on, I'd like to deliver some great music—not only to Japan, but to everywhere—so please keep an eye out for it. This was a hello from HEATH.
JRR: Thank you very much.