INTERVIEW FROM JROCK REVOLUTION

the GazettE. They're one of the most popular bands in the scene today, and they're ready to answer the calls of their overseas fans by descending upon Europe this weekend. The multi-stage tour Pulse Wriggling to Black launches abroad, and will first take them across Germany, France, the U.K., and Finland, before they return to tour Japan and lead up to their Grand Finale lives in April. the GazettE saw a rapid rise to Jrock stardom, and they show no signs of slowing down.

Jrock Revolution had the opportunity to spend some time with band leader KAI (drums). In this first part of a two-part interview, read about the GazettE's creative process and style, and KAI's reflection on their first experiences overseas.

PART ONE


For someone who has never heard about the GazettE, how would you describe your music, image, and message?

KAI: Hmm… We have a mixture of everything. *laugh* That’s how I see it. I think we are a band that is able to do all genres of music. Sometimes when making new songs, there are times when we think, "This is quite new for us," but once we actually do it, somehow it always end up sounding like our music, that when the five of us do it together, it will turn to the GazettE’s music. That’s why I think we are able to cover all types of music.


How did you become the leader of the GazettE?

KAI: *Laughs* About that… to tell you the truth, we asked for a volunteer. We asked each other, “Who wants to be the leader?” so I said, "Ok I’ll do it."


Were you the only one that raised your hand?

KAI: Yes. I think the others thought it’ll probably just be troublesome work. *laugh* But naturally, a drummer’s position is the only position that can oversee the whole audience and the whole band at the same time. So in that sense, I feel that I would like to support the members from behind; that is why I volunteered to become the leader. When I said "I’ll do it!" nobody else raised their hand so…


Maybe they wanted to, but were just shy?

KAI: I thought so too, I thought at least two or three of them would want to be the leader *laugh* but nobody raised their hands, so I said I’d do it.


So you want to support the others from behind, that’s like YOSHIKI.

KAI: Eh? No, no, I’m not that good *laugh*.


When making music, do you start with the music first or the lyrics? How does each band member contribute?

KAI: RUKI covers all the lyrics; music-wise, the five of us would compose tunes, select one together, and then arrange it together. We start with the music… well, RUKI would add the lyrics and the melody later on, so I guess we start with composing the music first.


So you compose the songs together?

KAI: Yes.


The musical direction of STACKED RUBBISH is very different from that of NIL. Some fans even say that parts of it sounded more hip-hop. Was this a conscious decision on the band’s part or did it just happen?

KAI: For us, when we make an album, we don’t decide on a set concept. When making a single, since there are only a few tracks on a single, we have to use the leading track to present our view, and the image of the CD. But in an album, the first thing we think of is that we need to have variations in music, so we try to cover a range of types of music. So in NIL, that presented the challenges we had at that time, and the new album… well to say hip-hop, there was only one track that was like that. But it was new to us, so for us we feel like it has opened up a new door for us. We did not exactly aim for the hip-hop sound, though.


Speaking of releases, you will be releasing a new single next year. Could you tell us about it?

KAI: Yeah well… the release date has not yet been decided. But right now the music is coming together bit by bit, we are discussing let’s do this, let’s do that, so… we can’t really tell you anything because well, it’s not complete yet. It’s a secret *laugh*.

*Everyone laughs*

Top secret!!


In DISORDER, the song “Saraba” had a very strong anti-war message. Are there any songs such as ones from STACKED RUBBISH that raise strong political or moral questions?

KAI: I don’t think so… anything politically. According to RUKI, all the lyrics he writes are from things he’s actually experienced. He’s the only one that writes lyrics.

Have you ever attempted to write lyrics?

KAI: There was once, a while back, RUKI asked us to contribute some lyrics to a song. It was three lines, and he asked us to write whatever we felt like. I did and he laughed at what I wrote. *laugh*

Where those lines used at all?

KAI: No… actually, yes, REITA’s lines got used, in “ITO.”

Now that you mention him, why does REITA wear the handkerchief on his nose?

KAI: Oh… that’s like his trademark now, it’s like a part of his body. That is REITA.


Does he wear that normally?

KAI: *Laugh* No, but as the bassist of the GazettE, that is the way REITA is.

Isn’t it hard to breathe like that?

KAI: Well… I guess since he’s still alive it mustn’t be too bad.

*Everyone laughs*

If we think about it, we do start wondering, but since he hasn’t complained about it I guess it’s alright.


Do you design your own costumes, or do you let the stylist design for you?

KAI: We work with the stylist to come up with the design. We would draw up a design of what we imagine ourselves wearing, and then the stylist would suggest “Wouldn’t it be better like this?” afterwards, so we design together.


That’s really interesting to hear about the creative process that goes into your image. So, to digress a little, you have just completed a live at the Budokan this year. Last September, you also did a live concert there. What was the biggest difference, experience-wise?

KAI: Definitely… This time around, we know what we are doing and how we are presenting ourselves. We are able to look at ourselves objectively, since it’s our second time performing there, and I think that’s the biggest difference. It really applies to all the concerts we did in this tour.


At the Yokohama and the Budokan concerts, all of your parents were there amongst the audience. How did that make you feel?

KAI: You mean how it felt to perform in front of our parents? It was a happy experience… it wasn’t really like repaying them, but when we first started the band, we had to go through a lot of difficulties and they helped us a lot. Finally now we are at a place where we can, not just substantially repay them, but emotionally as well, and I am really happy about that.


Was there anything that presented itself as a challenge during your tour this time?

KAI: Hmm.. challenge… It’s not as much of a challenge, being that I think we have discovered new things that we can work on. When doing a live, we come to know what we are lacking, and what we need to do to change that. So, at the next live, or even at a recording session, we can find ways to overcome the problems. We basically found new things that we need to work on, and didn’t really have much opportunity to face new challenges.

Last summer, you played your first show in Europe. What was that like?

KAI: The biggest difference to Japan was that… it was unrestricted and had an open feeling, the fans were too, and they show how much they are enjoying the music with their whole body. To non-Japanese fans, it might be just something natural that they do, but since we’d only done concerts in Japan, it was a quite fresh experience for us. Surprisingly we felt that it was close to what we expect from our fans, in regards to the relationship and their response. In that sense, the Japanese fans are a bit more restricted, so I think it’s a good thing that the overseas fans don’t have that restricted feeling. Music is not something that you have to think about or consider while listening, right? I think it’s meant to be experienced subconsciously.

Was there anything unpleasant, or something that surprised you?

KAI: Nothing in particular but… probably food. We are so accustomed to Japanese food, so food there was very different and some didn’t cater to our taste *laugh* But the beer was good. And sausages. The rice was very different from Japanese rice. We were surprised. *laugh* We ordered rice and were surprised by what they brought out. *laugh*

You will soon be departing to go to Europe to do your PULSE WRIGGLING TO BLACK tour. Are you excited about that?

KAI: Yes, I am really looking forward to that.


It will be your second time to Germany, and first time to London, Paris, and Helsinki. How do you feel about going to perform in those new places?

KAI: Yeah well… this is totally unrelated, but I love soccer, and so does my manager. *laugh*


Did you play soccer?

KAI: Yes, in elementary school, junior high, and high school. So to me, France is like the holy ground for soccer, so I am really excited about going there. Although that’s totally unrelated to what you asked *laugh*

*Everyone laughs*


In regards to this European tour, how did that come about?

KAI: Last year we attended ANIMAGIC there, an anime convention, and at the same time we were asked if we would like to perform in Europe. A bit prior to that, we had already contemplated with the idea of doing concerts overseas, so we took that offer. And we have gotten hooked on doing concerts overseas *laugh* It was really fun. So after the first time, we already thought that we would like to do more, even though we didn’t get the new offers yet. We talked amongst ourselves that we would like to do lives in more countries. We thought we would like to take any chance possible.


Do you plan on doing tours in other countries, or release CDs there?

KAI: In Germany… well, in Europe, our CDs are already being sold there, I saw it myself at the stores there. NIL was being sold *laugh*


What about other countries?

KAI: If we have the opportunity, we would definitely like to go.


What about Asia?

KAI: Asia… nothing so far. We haven’t been to Korea… or America, for that matter, so if we decide to do concerts there, I think naturally the CDs will be sold there, too.


You will be spending your birthday (October 28th) this year in Europe. Are you planning to do anything to celebrate your birthday?

KAI: Yeah *laugh* I think we will end up doing nothing *laugh* I think we will be too busy. We will probably be moving to a different location that day. But I think it will be quite an experience, since we don’t normally get to spend our birthdays overseas. We might be crossing national borders at that time.

*Everyone laughs*

I don’t really have the need that I have to spend my birthday in Japan.


What is the most fun song to perform at a live, and what is the most difficult song to perform at a live?

KAI: The most fun song would be… “LINDA,” and the most difficult one would be the song in our new album, “GENTLE LIE,” I think, because we put in a lot of phrases that I am not so good at. Well it’s not so much as, “Oh let’s just put those in,” but I wanted to make it more challenging for myself. So it’s the most difficult.


What direction will the GazettE take on from here, and how would you like to grow as a band?

KAI: Hmm… we would really like to have more people listen to our music. Of course, there are a lot of people in the world that don’t know about us. We would like to have them know us, listen to our music, and if they don’t like it, then that’s fine. We don’t want to be judged because of our appearance when they haven’t even listened to our music. So the first thing would be to have more people listen to our music. We would also like to expand our activities to overseas.

In Part Two of our interview, KAI shares his thoughts on Jrock overseas, fanmail, LUNA SEA's reunion, who he's bowled with, the future of the GazettE, and more!

Part Two



Since you joined the GazettE in 2003, is there something that changed for you individually?


KAI: There are countless changes. For example, I probably shouldn’t say it myself, but I think I have become more considerate of others. *laugh* Because the staff, and a lot of people that we come in contact with while working, all work as a team to make things happen. It’s like a happy thing to see happening. So naturally, I’ve gotten better at human relationships, and although it’s not a substantial thing, it is definitely a treasure to me.


That’s great to hear. the GazettE is very well known amongst fans for reading fanmail. Is that true?


KAI: Yes, we do read fanmail. Fanmail from overseas fans have also increased recently. The ones that go on and on in English are of course, very hard to read, but now there are translation websites that can convert a whole text of English to Japanese, so we input the text and the site would translate it for us. In that way, we can read it. Some of the English mail, since my mother can read and speak English, she translates them for me *laugh*


Have you ever replied to fanmail?


KAI: We cannot reply to emails. A lot of people write, “I will wait for your reply!” But we cannot reply to them. It’s set up so we cannot reply mails. Even if we want to we cannot. As for hand written letters, we used to do those a long time ago. To everyone.


Around 2003 or 2004, I would reply to all the fanmail. Then my mom said, since I kept on writing the same thing to everyone, and I would continue on in the same position, I would get tendonitis, and it would be stupid to get that through writing replies to fanmail. She said she can understand if I get tendonitis through playing drums, but to get tendonitis from writing mail would just be silly. So I decided to stop replying to mail. Also since I can’t just reply to one person and not the other, I stopped writing altogether. But I still do read the mail.


Were there any letters that really moved you?


KAI: Hmm… letters that moved me… Yeah, there were a lot… there were a lot of sad letters, or letters that left a strong impression. For example, there was one fan who wrote that their friend really liked us, but got into an accident the day before our concert, and passed away. When we got that mail, since it was the day before the concert, although we weren’t really dedicating it to that fan in particular, we felt that we wanted to perform as if they were there with us. Of course there were also a lot of happy letters, such as one fan who wrote that, since she has five kids, she named her kids after our names. The ones she named KAI and REITA were twins. The other three were just RUKI, URUHA, and AOI. *laugh*


How do you feel about the growth of popularity of Japanese rock music in foreign countries?


KAI: I think it’s great. It’s great that without having to change the visual scene, Japanese music is gaining recognition and popularity overseas.


What do you think of Jrock Revolution, the idea of gathering different bands and presenting them to a foreign audience? And would you like to be a part of that in the future?


KAI: I think it’s great since as a band, we have been doing one-man lives for a while, and haven’t been doing concerts or appear in festivals with the other bands, so it would be nice to see what the other bands are like, and we can learn from them, too. I think it’s a good idea.


the GazettE has performed with other bands from PS Company. Are you friends with the other bands as well?


KAI: Well… we don’t usually go beyond exchanging “Happy birthday” messages. Even though we are from the same company, we are all quite different so… Hmm… what was it again? *laugh* Interacting with the other bands? Well, I guess there is something; as a company we have an annual bowling contest.


Bowling contest? Not soccer?


KAI: Yeah, I don’t know why it’s not soccer *laugh*. We have a bowling contest every year, and we get to talk to each other about things besides music as well. So we do interact with the other bands.


You are a LUNA SEA fan, right?


KAI: Yes.


Are you planning on going to their live on December 24th?


KAI: Yes… I would absolutely like to go.


How did you feel about their resurrection?


KAI: I am sincerely happy, since they inspired me to become a musician, to start in a band. I am very happy about the fact that I can see them on stage together again.


Have you met any LUNA SEA members?


KAI: Yes, we’ve met them at radio shows and such.


Who did you meet?


KAI: Their bassist, J, and support guitarist, INORAN, and also RYUICHI sends us flowers often when we have concerts. We have also met SHINYA because he worked with Miyavi once. I haven’t met SUGIZO yet. Next time if there’s a chance I would definitely like to meet him.


Are there any questions that you would like to be asked, but have never been asked in an interview?


KAI: A question I would like to be asked? What a question… *laugh*


Isn’t that a good question? *laugh*


KAI: Like, a question I would like to answer? Hmm… well generally I don’t reject any questions, so you can ask anything *laugh*


Is there something you would like to share with us?


KAI: Things I would like people to know I’ve probably already expressed somewhere. So I guess there’s really nothing left. *laugh*


No secrets?


KAI: Nothing in particular… For example, any information regarding the band would be announced officially, and when we are being interviewed, everyone including myself, we would say however we really feel. There are several places for us to speak our minds, such as on our diaries (on the official website), so we do say whatever we want to say.


You seem to be quite good at cooking.


KAI: I like cooking. Whether or not it tastes good, I like working in the kitchen… I used to work at a restaurant, and I enjoyed cooking there, so I like cooking a lot. I like to do creative cooking, adding different things thinking that they’ll probably go together.


Do you still have time to cook, with your busy schedule?


KAI: At home, sure… I do have some time to cook.


In your profile it says that you don’t drink. Is there a reason why?


KAI: Oh that… I don’t dislike drinking. In fact I sort of started liking it again, and sometimes I drink at home too. But when we drink together, we have so much fun that I tend to over-drink, I would feel the need to release... hmm how should I put it…


MANAGER: Just say you behave badly when you drink!


*Everyone laughs*


KAI: That’s not true! I don’t behave badly when I am drunk. But when I get drunk, it’s more like, *he gestures, his hand traveling upwards before suddenly “crashing” downwards*


Do you start crying?


KAI: No, but tension-wise, I start to feel low. So there was a period that I really didn’t like that about myself, so I decided to stop drinking. It’s been about two years. Recently I started drinking again, though.


Then you probably need to update your profile.


KAI: *Laugh* Yes.


What alcohol do you like?


KAI: Hmm… I like beer, and there’s one from Okinawa called Awamori, I like how it tastes.


What world or Japanese issues are very important to you or the band? Do you use your music to convey a message in regards to those issues?


KAI: Well, I think most of our messages are in the music. Since RUKI is the only one that writes the lyrics, all the messages are directly from him and indirectly from us, since most of the time the five of us think alike. If there is anything we think is troubling, RUKI would put it in the lyrics.


What are your wishes for the future, both personally and as a band?


KAI: Personally… I would like to live happily. *laugh* It sounds easy, but happiness, it’s hard to attain.


How do you plan on attaining that happiness?


KAI: There are many ways. For me, I would like to one day own a big house. *laugh* It’s quite a humble wish. For the band, as I’ve mentioned earlier, we would like to see how far we can go, and would like to reach as many people as possible with our music. We would like to go to all sorts of places.