Rock and Read 015 - Kenzo's personal interview part 2
Rock and Read 015
Kenzo (Ayabie)
-So, what was the first live you saw?
It was Stratovarius. It was at O-EAST, and I was thinking, “A band that can rouse an audience of this size in a place this big is great! And on top of that a band I like is playing right in front of me!” The sound was also very impactful, and that was the first time I found out about the double bass. It goes doko-doko-doko-doko, doesn’t it? “Amazing!” I thought, “This, you can’t be a drummer and not play it!” and before I’d been playing the drums for a year I’d installed twin pedals, and from then on I’ve always been playing double bass.
-So that’s how it was.
And on top of that it was like “It’s not a three-point set!” [a set with only a high tom and no low toms] (laughs). Thinking, “There are 6 toms, and there are lots of cymbals!” I played on my own, by trial and error.
-After getting a double bass, your noise became extra loud, didn’t it?
Yes (laughs). Though at first I couldn’t play it at all. But at that time I thought, if I could understand it by sensation, I’d be able to do anything.
-Since you’d become engrossed with music, how did school go?
It was a gone case. In first year of high school I was discovered smoking and was suspended, and when I returned to school I was found out again, and when I was being forced into a decision about whether I would quit school or continue with it, I got annoyed and made the decision “I’ll quit”. In the next half year I didn’t do anything but part-time jobs.
-Your parents, who wanted you to walk the path of the elite, weren’t they sad?
My father was very angry……
-What kinds of jobs did you do?
At first I was with Mister Donut, but I quit after two days.
-Ehhh (laughs).
I couldn’t come to an understanding with the store owner (laughs). So, after that I was taken care of by a tavern in Shimokita for about a year. In that time, I discovered a high school where you could do music studies and thought, “Okay, let’s go!” and went back to high school. But you know, when I went there I was shocked!
-Why?
The place was full of yankees [delinquent youths], gangs and music otaku.
-Kenzo, you adapted to it, didn’t you?
At first I was thinking, what is with this place? But before I’d noticed I’d made friends. At that time, around me, there were excessively many people with pink hair.
-hide-san’s influence?
Yeah. Everyone had the same sunglasses, and they all had pink hair. I was wondering who it was, and that was my first knowledge of X Japan and hide’s existence. “Ah, there are cool bands in Japan who play something like metal”, I thought, and began to like them and listen to their music. Then, around that time, I found out about all the famous rock bands in Japan. Grey, Laruku, Luna Sea, La’cryma Christi, Shazna and so on.
-Visual Kei, so to speak.
Yes, that’s right. After that was Boøwy, and such. I started going to that high school, and in the first year there were a lot of bothersome things like fights, but after that I met friends who liked music, as well as friends who changed my life.
-What kind of meetings would those be?
Kazu, a friend I’m close to even now, with him it’s not just about music; he also thickened the wick of my humanity. That might have been the first time I’d known about passionate friendships, I think? Naturally, my bond with my middle school friend from my neighbourhood was strong, but with this guy, it was the first time I’d thought that I could actually make other friends that I could trust. I was betrayed a lot, so before then I didn’t really trust others. But when I met this guy, I understood the concept of depending on others. So then, I started a band with him. We played together for about four years.
-A metal band?
As to that, the genre changed. There’s also a genre called heavy rock, isn’t there? KOᴙN and so on; it had just begun to appear. So we played this kind of music, originals, and at the end we were quite popular at livehouses. But we didn’t know anything about how to make CDs or about marketing. We just played recklessly.
-Didn’t the school teach you this kind of thing?
Somehow, in a strange act of rebelliousness, we didn’t want to rely on the school for such things (bitter smile). During the period where, having such a school life, the two of us were playing in a band together, my grandfather passed away.
-Is that so……
Actually, at that time, I was thinking of quitting school. I wanted to become a professional musician. But earlier I’d made a verbal promise with my grandfather that “I’ll graduate properly from school”. Then, before I’d quit, he passed away, so all I could do was to graduate. Which is why I graduated properly from high school.
-You decided to do it, because of the promise you made with your grandfather.
Yes, that’s right. And then, though it wasn’t his dying words, it seems that he said to my grandmother, “For his coming-of-age ceremony when he’s twenty, prepare the drum set that he wants”.
-Your grandfather is so cool……
I thought that my grandfather was really cool. Saying “He’ll be alright”, he was always supporting me from the background. That was really…… (emotional)
-I would have liked to meet him.
His way of living, it’s not something you can imitate.
-So, you received it at your coming-of-age ceremony.
That’s the drum set I’m using now.
-So that’s how it is. It’s a touching story.
At that time, my music was changing, and by my father’s influence I started listening to progressive rock, and at that time I found out about Dream Theatre. Until then there weren’t any drummers I particularly liked; I liked a bassist. But after seeing Dream Theatre’s drummer (Mike Portnoy) I decided, “It’s him! I’ll become him!”
-(laughs).
So, there was a monstrous drum set that Mike Portnoy used at that time, and I got a set exactly the same. I can’t talk about the passing of my grandfather and grandmother.
-With this, you had to succeed as a drummer, didn’t you?
Which is to say, on the contrary I might have been tied down to it, by my grandfather (laughs). Something like “If you don’t do this well you won’t be forgiven”.
-He probably understood, that Kenzo had this kind of personality.
Yes, that’s so. After that I practiced endlessly. That was the first time I’d practiced the drums on my own. Up to then I’d been saying “I’ll become a pro in a band”, but I didn’t really have such a strong sense of it.
-Your grandfather’s spirit made you serious about it.
But that band disbanded in 2002. The bassist who was playing with us when we were 18 passed away, and we kept playing, feeling that we wanted to continue for his sake. We played at livehouses where visual kei bands made appearances, such as Takadanobaba Area, Meguro Rokumeikan and Ikebukuro Cyber. But we had some things wrong, and our popularity didn’t rise; we returned home, and after a final performance at Kichijouji we disbanded.
-After disbanding, did you feel uneasy?
No, around my neighbourhood, at the time, I was the only one who could use the double bass. I had quite a few invitations, but in the end I formed a metal band with my juniors. After that, I was thinking that it was about time I tried visual kei.
-What do you mean, “about time”? (laughs)
Well, everything I wanted to do had been shattered one by one. Up to then I’d tried punk, metal and heavy rock. So then I started visual kei. The first band disbanded because we couldn’t get along together, but after that I formed another band on my own. But the vocalist didn’t have any drive. So it didn’t work out. Around then, I was living with a member.
-Eh, which is to say, you moved out of your house sometime before that?
Ah, it was when I formed that band. I was thinking that I couldn’t depend on my parents forever, so I moved out and lived while doing part-time jobs on the side. That was probably the lowest point of my life.
-It’s because up to then you were brought up in a wealthy family that could give you anything you wanted.
I didn’t want that. Thinking that having already found the core of my life [meaning what his life’s built around, i.e. music], I wanted to do everything by my own strength, so I jumped right to the bottom on my own.
-Was it bad?
I hadn’t won at slots yet……
-It was that kind of life? (laughs)
When I won I was alright, but when I lost I ate beansprouts.
-It was because you invested your pay from part-time work in slots?
Yeah. I didn’t like doing part-time work. I only earned 100,000 yen a month. Also, since we didn’t have any activities, that band also couldn’t make it and disbanded. The people I met around that time were Hittsu (Hitsugi) and ZOZZY-san (YOMI = in Nightmare together) and Tenten (ex-KuRt) and so on.
-You found kindred spirits.
I thought, “Amazing!” I didn’t think that there would be such passionate people in visual kei. Actually, the impetus for me to want to try visual kei again was Hittsu.
-Which is to say?
It was before I met Hittsu. I wanted to study some things about visual kei, so I went to Like an Edison to find CDs and what was playing at that time was Nightmare’s DVD. So, there was someone with red hair and as I was thinking, “This guy, he probably likes hide~” and watched him, he spit into the crowd while playing the guitar!
-(laughs)!
It was like “Eeh?” (laughs). Hittsu has make-up like KISS, doesn’t he? I thought, “Currently visual kei has some cool guys, doesn’t it!”
-Have you said these things, to Hittsu?
I did, the first time we met. Hearing it, he was happy, and from then on we’ve been friends. Among all the bandsmen, I’m the closest to Hittsu.
-Well, you’ve been drinking together, haven’t you?
We have (laughs). Speaking of which, we were together up till just now.
-You were drinking ‘till morning? (laughs)
When we’re not on tour, I’m with him about 3~4 times a week (laughs). Meeting Hittsu made me revise my feelings, to realize that the way I’m living is not wrong. Since way back, I’m glad to say that I have a tendency to be able to find interest in older people. Within that, I’ve lived with the belief that the relationships with both older people and people my age are the most important things in life. So recently I’ve been thinking that this isn’t wrong.
-So, what did you do when your band was disbanded?
At that time, Tenten told me, “There’s a band called Ayabie, and since they don’t have a drummer shall I ask if you can play for them once as a support drummer?” I’d known about Ayabie from before. Ryohei (current Megamasso)’s songs were unique, and I thought they were cool. And so we met for the first time behind Area.
-What was your impression of the members, from that time?
At that time they’d already had lives at O-EAST and so on, so I thought they were really amazing people. Then Tenten introduced me to Aoi-kun, and it was kind of a “Nice to meet you~” feeling.
-Aoi-kun had a humble feel.
He’s always that way (laughs). So, I also went “Ah, nice to meet you!” And with that, I became the support.
-Did meeting Ayabie change your life?
It did. Naturally that was the biggest thing, wasn’t it? Up to then I’d had meetings that strengthened the core of my life, but Ayabie was different. Of course it did strengthen my core, but…… what is it? Well, it’s definitely the turning point of my life.
-Well, the members all have a different aura from other bands, don’t they?
That’s true. Seeing them in magazines, there’s a kind of mysterious feeling. I thought that people with the same aura are people who I can make friends with, as a human. Then, Ayabie had a completely different atmosphere, and instead of saying it’s cosy…… it’s all inexplicable (laughs)
-So with that, did you think “Can I do this?”
I did, very much. Intetsu has that kind of speech pattern, and Takehito didn’t speak at all at first. Ryohei was never in the studio, and Aoi was always fussing over me; I was wondering, “What should I do?”
-(laughs)!
But when I was told “We’ll leave the support to you”, I worked harder than I’d ever worked in my life. I put a lot of emphasis on the mood up till then, so I wasn’t used to drumming with a click. At that time, there were more than 40 songs, so I memorized them in 2~3 weeks.
-It’s amazing that you could remember Ayabie’s complicated songs in such a short time. Around when was it that, as a support drummer, you decided “I’ll play with Ayabie”?
When I was the support, I was already having a lot of fun. It was a completely different world, but it was a world that I could be in, and I also had the confidence that I could do it, so I wanted to do it right from the start. And, I was playing for other bands while playing for Ayabie, and I felt that I didn’t want to play behind anyone other than Aoi-kun.
-Why was that?
Somehow, I’m able to calm down behind him. Of course, there’s that he can sing well, and he gives me a sense of security. I dislike people who just ride the lyrics on the melody when they’re singing. Aoi-kun’s a person who can sing using his feelings even for other people’s lyrics, so when I’m playing it puts me in a really good mood. That’s why I thought that I wanted to play in this band. Just at that time, it was at the period where Ryohei wanted to become more hardcore, so I formally joined the band. It was the biggest change of my life. In an RPG, instead of travelling to the next town, it would be when the world disappears, and then you go on to a new world?
-(laughs).
It was really fresh and fun. I felt for the first time that this might be a space where I can live with music as my axis. From way before, while I didn’t have a foundation I had the confidence that “I’ll definitely be alright.” Since I found my core, whatever it was that I wanted to do, if I was determined to do it I would be able to do it, and I was sure that until I died I would never have problems with money. I thought, “I will definitely succeed”.
-I think that, while a lot of it is backed up by your own experiences, the root of your being able to live with such peace of mind had a lot to do with the existence of your grandfather and grandmother and your parents. This is to say that they created an environment where you could live carefree.
Yeah. Well, that’s true.
-Kenzo, you always had this kind of chivalrous personality, didn’t you?
Aah~……
-As a kid when you thought “I’ll go through with what I’ve decided to do”, I think it must have been because you had the confidence that you would be able to do what you had decided to.
My parents have been telling me “You resemble your grandfather” since I was young, but I didn’t know what exactly about me resembled him. My grandfather was tall, but I wasn’t very tall, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t speak much.
-It wasn’t that.
(laughs) is how I thought as a kid, but now that I think about it, what you said was what my parents probably meant.
-That you’re similar in terms of spirit.
It seems like my grandfather thought, “In terms of living, I won’t lose”.
-Perhaps it’s hereditary.
I wonder?
-Kenzo today is somewhat different from before. During interviews of Ayabie as a band, Kenzo’s always the one getting bullied (laughs).
That, that’s fine as it is. I’ve accepted that in Ayabie, that’s my role (laughs).
-That’s fine as it is.
Well, maybe I wouldn’t say it’s fine exactly…… (laughs). From the outside, they’re manly and have an image of being hot, but from pictures, instead of Takehito, you can see it more from the Aoi-kun and Intetsu and Yumehito side. But Takehito is actually really cool, isn’t he.
-Hahahah.
It seems like I have both sides.
-Kenzo’s really frank.
I’m told that a lot.
-The way your honesty shows in everything you do, it’s a mix of natural and spontaneous.
I’m like that in everything, but I really don’t like it when I’m not the main character. But in a band, the main character’s the vocalist, isn’t it? In that case, I’ll be a person in the shadows.
-……you really don’t give the impression of a shadow.
Hahahaha (laughs)! Well, in games, it’s the coolest person within the sub characters. Something of a shadowy, mysterious feeling? I want to hold that position in Ayabie.
-Now, are you happy?
Looking at it overall, I…… am happy. I’m doing what I want to do……
-How do you feel about this tour?
It was fun. All over Japan, I’ve been able to go to places I haven’t been to before, and I’ve also been able to go overseas; I think that being able to go to places where there are people waiting for you is a really happy thing. Also, being able to share music with these people in the same space, it makes me very happy. This action, in itself, is what I think of as music.
-Music is communication?
Yeah. What’s important is for the artist and the audience to share the sound, and to enjoy it together. To me, that’s what a livehouse is, and the intrinsic meaning of a livehouse. To be able to do that all over the country, all over the world, it’s an amazing blessing to me. This is why I would like to increase the number of people I can share music with. It’s not just us pursuing something; it’s something that the other party’s pursuing too, that we can share, and because of that I want to work harder so that they’ll want it even more.
-It’s going to be Yaon soon, right? (6th October. This interview was conducted in early September).
That’s right. It’ll be October, so the air will be a bit cool and it’ll definitely feel great~. We’ve been able to hold an event there before once, and as expected it was great.
-The view was good?
Everything was good, but mostly it was because I could see our customers who were having fun with us. In livehouses, because I play the drums, the position doesn’t really allow me to see much. But in halls and at Yaon, I can see everything.
-And this time it’s an independent live.
At Yaon, you can see the sky, can’t you? Music, to me, I really like it, so I’m doing it for myself, but up till now, playing music, I have a friend who’s passed away. I want to be able to communicate it to him with the sky as a medium. From inside a box, it might be difficult to do that.
-Your grandfather is also watching you, isn’t he?
He’d definitely be following behind me. With my grandmother. That’s why, no matter how little time I have, I always visit their graves. My grandfather and grandmother are definitely right beside me, and my friend who passed away as well. ……I’m not really saying that I’m playing for the sake of these people. I just think that if they’re watching me, I’m happy about it. I want them to watch me climb the stairs of success, without ever giving up on music.
-The sight of you working hard.
Well, I’m not exactly working hard (laughs). Naturally I’m doing as best I can, since I think when you’re trying to communicate something to someone, you have to do it with all your might. But to say that I’m putting in effort to communicate it, or working hard to communicate it, to me that’s an image of trying too hard, and I don’t like that.
-But, well, while watching Kenzo there isn’t a feeling that you’re trying too hard. Your personality doesn’t let you do that. I think you’re a person who does what he’s decided to intently and earnestly.
Ah. But you know, communicating my thoughts from the stage, it’s difficult. It’s been two years since I’ve entered Ayabie, and even after two years that hasn’t changed. But difficulty in communication, it’s not just from the stage (bitter smile)
-It’s also hard during interviews?
Mm, interviews are……
-(laughs).
I’ve always been someone who doesn’t say everything he’s thinking about (bitter laugh). The drums are like that, too. At recordings, I play the drums with my feelings at the time. That’s why at lives it’s also different each time. It might cause trouble for everyone, though (laughs). As for interviews, if it’s about me like today’s I can talk quite a bit. But sometimes I’m asked about the band as a whole, aren’t I? At those times~. I become something like “What about it?”
-(laughs).
Well, because you’ve interviewed us many times, Misawa-san, you probably understand what kind of person I am so you just keep the flow, saying “Ah, is that so. Next~” (laughs)
-Ahahah!
But I think within Ayabie, it’s fine if I’m like that. If I have anything to say, I’ll say it without prompting. So if I’m asked, “Please give us your thoughts about XXX!” I’d say “There’s absolutely nothing!”
-(laughs) I’m glad; today we’ve heard a lot of things we don’t usually get to hear, and were able to see Kenzo as an individual.
I’m happy to hear that.
-Perhaps the biggest thing is the manliness you have at your core.
Iyaa~, I wouldn’t know about that (embarrassed)
Kenzo (Ayabie)
-So, what was the first live you saw?
It was Stratovarius. It was at O-EAST, and I was thinking, “A band that can rouse an audience of this size in a place this big is great! And on top of that a band I like is playing right in front of me!” The sound was also very impactful, and that was the first time I found out about the double bass. It goes doko-doko-doko-doko, doesn’t it? “Amazing!” I thought, “This, you can’t be a drummer and not play it!” and before I’d been playing the drums for a year I’d installed twin pedals, and from then on I’ve always been playing double bass.
-So that’s how it was.
And on top of that it was like “It’s not a three-point set!” [a set with only a high tom and no low toms] (laughs). Thinking, “There are 6 toms, and there are lots of cymbals!” I played on my own, by trial and error.
-After getting a double bass, your noise became extra loud, didn’t it?
Yes (laughs). Though at first I couldn’t play it at all. But at that time I thought, if I could understand it by sensation, I’d be able to do anything.
-Since you’d become engrossed with music, how did school go?
It was a gone case. In first year of high school I was discovered smoking and was suspended, and when I returned to school I was found out again, and when I was being forced into a decision about whether I would quit school or continue with it, I got annoyed and made the decision “I’ll quit”. In the next half year I didn’t do anything but part-time jobs.
-Your parents, who wanted you to walk the path of the elite, weren’t they sad?
My father was very angry……
-What kinds of jobs did you do?
At first I was with Mister Donut, but I quit after two days.
-Ehhh (laughs).
I couldn’t come to an understanding with the store owner (laughs). So, after that I was taken care of by a tavern in Shimokita for about a year. In that time, I discovered a high school where you could do music studies and thought, “Okay, let’s go!” and went back to high school. But you know, when I went there I was shocked!
-Why?
The place was full of yankees [delinquent youths], gangs and music otaku.
-Kenzo, you adapted to it, didn’t you?
At first I was thinking, what is with this place? But before I’d noticed I’d made friends. At that time, around me, there were excessively many people with pink hair.
-hide-san’s influence?
Yeah. Everyone had the same sunglasses, and they all had pink hair. I was wondering who it was, and that was my first knowledge of X Japan and hide’s existence. “Ah, there are cool bands in Japan who play something like metal”, I thought, and began to like them and listen to their music. Then, around that time, I found out about all the famous rock bands in Japan. Grey, Laruku, Luna Sea, La’cryma Christi, Shazna and so on.
-Visual Kei, so to speak.
Yes, that’s right. After that was Boøwy, and such. I started going to that high school, and in the first year there were a lot of bothersome things like fights, but after that I met friends who liked music, as well as friends who changed my life.
-What kind of meetings would those be?
Kazu, a friend I’m close to even now, with him it’s not just about music; he also thickened the wick of my humanity. That might have been the first time I’d known about passionate friendships, I think? Naturally, my bond with my middle school friend from my neighbourhood was strong, but with this guy, it was the first time I’d thought that I could actually make other friends that I could trust. I was betrayed a lot, so before then I didn’t really trust others. But when I met this guy, I understood the concept of depending on others. So then, I started a band with him. We played together for about four years.
-A metal band?
As to that, the genre changed. There’s also a genre called heavy rock, isn’t there? KOᴙN and so on; it had just begun to appear. So we played this kind of music, originals, and at the end we were quite popular at livehouses. But we didn’t know anything about how to make CDs or about marketing. We just played recklessly.
-Didn’t the school teach you this kind of thing?
Somehow, in a strange act of rebelliousness, we didn’t want to rely on the school for such things (bitter smile). During the period where, having such a school life, the two of us were playing in a band together, my grandfather passed away.
-Is that so……
Actually, at that time, I was thinking of quitting school. I wanted to become a professional musician. But earlier I’d made a verbal promise with my grandfather that “I’ll graduate properly from school”. Then, before I’d quit, he passed away, so all I could do was to graduate. Which is why I graduated properly from high school.
-You decided to do it, because of the promise you made with your grandfather.
Yes, that’s right. And then, though it wasn’t his dying words, it seems that he said to my grandmother, “For his coming-of-age ceremony when he’s twenty, prepare the drum set that he wants”.
-Your grandfather is so cool……
I thought that my grandfather was really cool. Saying “He’ll be alright”, he was always supporting me from the background. That was really…… (emotional)
-I would have liked to meet him.
His way of living, it’s not something you can imitate.
-So, you received it at your coming-of-age ceremony.
That’s the drum set I’m using now.
-So that’s how it is. It’s a touching story.
At that time, my music was changing, and by my father’s influence I started listening to progressive rock, and at that time I found out about Dream Theatre. Until then there weren’t any drummers I particularly liked; I liked a bassist. But after seeing Dream Theatre’s drummer (Mike Portnoy) I decided, “It’s him! I’ll become him!”
-(laughs).
So, there was a monstrous drum set that Mike Portnoy used at that time, and I got a set exactly the same. I can’t talk about the passing of my grandfather and grandmother.
-With this, you had to succeed as a drummer, didn’t you?
Which is to say, on the contrary I might have been tied down to it, by my grandfather (laughs). Something like “If you don’t do this well you won’t be forgiven”.
-He probably understood, that Kenzo had this kind of personality.
Yes, that’s so. After that I practiced endlessly. That was the first time I’d practiced the drums on my own. Up to then I’d been saying “I’ll become a pro in a band”, but I didn’t really have such a strong sense of it.
-Your grandfather’s spirit made you serious about it.
But that band disbanded in 2002. The bassist who was playing with us when we were 18 passed away, and we kept playing, feeling that we wanted to continue for his sake. We played at livehouses where visual kei bands made appearances, such as Takadanobaba Area, Meguro Rokumeikan and Ikebukuro Cyber. But we had some things wrong, and our popularity didn’t rise; we returned home, and after a final performance at Kichijouji we disbanded.
-After disbanding, did you feel uneasy?
No, around my neighbourhood, at the time, I was the only one who could use the double bass. I had quite a few invitations, but in the end I formed a metal band with my juniors. After that, I was thinking that it was about time I tried visual kei.
-What do you mean, “about time”? (laughs)
Well, everything I wanted to do had been shattered one by one. Up to then I’d tried punk, metal and heavy rock. So then I started visual kei. The first band disbanded because we couldn’t get along together, but after that I formed another band on my own. But the vocalist didn’t have any drive. So it didn’t work out. Around then, I was living with a member.
-Eh, which is to say, you moved out of your house sometime before that?
Ah, it was when I formed that band. I was thinking that I couldn’t depend on my parents forever, so I moved out and lived while doing part-time jobs on the side. That was probably the lowest point of my life.
-It’s because up to then you were brought up in a wealthy family that could give you anything you wanted.
I didn’t want that. Thinking that having already found the core of my life [meaning what his life’s built around, i.e. music], I wanted to do everything by my own strength, so I jumped right to the bottom on my own.
-Was it bad?
I hadn’t won at slots yet……
-It was that kind of life? (laughs)
When I won I was alright, but when I lost I ate beansprouts.
-It was because you invested your pay from part-time work in slots?
Yeah. I didn’t like doing part-time work. I only earned 100,000 yen a month. Also, since we didn’t have any activities, that band also couldn’t make it and disbanded. The people I met around that time were Hittsu (Hitsugi) and ZOZZY-san (YOMI = in Nightmare together) and Tenten (ex-KuRt) and so on.
-You found kindred spirits.
I thought, “Amazing!” I didn’t think that there would be such passionate people in visual kei. Actually, the impetus for me to want to try visual kei again was Hittsu.
-Which is to say?
It was before I met Hittsu. I wanted to study some things about visual kei, so I went to Like an Edison to find CDs and what was playing at that time was Nightmare’s DVD. So, there was someone with red hair and as I was thinking, “This guy, he probably likes hide~” and watched him, he spit into the crowd while playing the guitar!
-(laughs)!
It was like “Eeh?” (laughs). Hittsu has make-up like KISS, doesn’t he? I thought, “Currently visual kei has some cool guys, doesn’t it!”
-Have you said these things, to Hittsu?
I did, the first time we met. Hearing it, he was happy, and from then on we’ve been friends. Among all the bandsmen, I’m the closest to Hittsu.
-Well, you’ve been drinking together, haven’t you?
We have (laughs). Speaking of which, we were together up till just now.
-You were drinking ‘till morning? (laughs)
When we’re not on tour, I’m with him about 3~4 times a week (laughs). Meeting Hittsu made me revise my feelings, to realize that the way I’m living is not wrong. Since way back, I’m glad to say that I have a tendency to be able to find interest in older people. Within that, I’ve lived with the belief that the relationships with both older people and people my age are the most important things in life. So recently I’ve been thinking that this isn’t wrong.
-So, what did you do when your band was disbanded?
At that time, Tenten told me, “There’s a band called Ayabie, and since they don’t have a drummer shall I ask if you can play for them once as a support drummer?” I’d known about Ayabie from before. Ryohei (current Megamasso)’s songs were unique, and I thought they were cool. And so we met for the first time behind Area.
-What was your impression of the members, from that time?
At that time they’d already had lives at O-EAST and so on, so I thought they were really amazing people. Then Tenten introduced me to Aoi-kun, and it was kind of a “Nice to meet you~” feeling.
-Aoi-kun had a humble feel.
He’s always that way (laughs). So, I also went “Ah, nice to meet you!” And with that, I became the support.
-Did meeting Ayabie change your life?
It did. Naturally that was the biggest thing, wasn’t it? Up to then I’d had meetings that strengthened the core of my life, but Ayabie was different. Of course it did strengthen my core, but…… what is it? Well, it’s definitely the turning point of my life.
-Well, the members all have a different aura from other bands, don’t they?
That’s true. Seeing them in magazines, there’s a kind of mysterious feeling. I thought that people with the same aura are people who I can make friends with, as a human. Then, Ayabie had a completely different atmosphere, and instead of saying it’s cosy…… it’s all inexplicable (laughs)
-So with that, did you think “Can I do this?”
I did, very much. Intetsu has that kind of speech pattern, and Takehito didn’t speak at all at first. Ryohei was never in the studio, and Aoi was always fussing over me; I was wondering, “What should I do?”
-(laughs)!
But when I was told “We’ll leave the support to you”, I worked harder than I’d ever worked in my life. I put a lot of emphasis on the mood up till then, so I wasn’t used to drumming with a click. At that time, there were more than 40 songs, so I memorized them in 2~3 weeks.
-It’s amazing that you could remember Ayabie’s complicated songs in such a short time. Around when was it that, as a support drummer, you decided “I’ll play with Ayabie”?
When I was the support, I was already having a lot of fun. It was a completely different world, but it was a world that I could be in, and I also had the confidence that I could do it, so I wanted to do it right from the start. And, I was playing for other bands while playing for Ayabie, and I felt that I didn’t want to play behind anyone other than Aoi-kun.
-Why was that?
Somehow, I’m able to calm down behind him. Of course, there’s that he can sing well, and he gives me a sense of security. I dislike people who just ride the lyrics on the melody when they’re singing. Aoi-kun’s a person who can sing using his feelings even for other people’s lyrics, so when I’m playing it puts me in a really good mood. That’s why I thought that I wanted to play in this band. Just at that time, it was at the period where Ryohei wanted to become more hardcore, so I formally joined the band. It was the biggest change of my life. In an RPG, instead of travelling to the next town, it would be when the world disappears, and then you go on to a new world?
-(laughs).
It was really fresh and fun. I felt for the first time that this might be a space where I can live with music as my axis. From way before, while I didn’t have a foundation I had the confidence that “I’ll definitely be alright.” Since I found my core, whatever it was that I wanted to do, if I was determined to do it I would be able to do it, and I was sure that until I died I would never have problems with money. I thought, “I will definitely succeed”.
-I think that, while a lot of it is backed up by your own experiences, the root of your being able to live with such peace of mind had a lot to do with the existence of your grandfather and grandmother and your parents. This is to say that they created an environment where you could live carefree.
Yeah. Well, that’s true.
-Kenzo, you always had this kind of chivalrous personality, didn’t you?
Aah~……
-As a kid when you thought “I’ll go through with what I’ve decided to do”, I think it must have been because you had the confidence that you would be able to do what you had decided to.
My parents have been telling me “You resemble your grandfather” since I was young, but I didn’t know what exactly about me resembled him. My grandfather was tall, but I wasn’t very tall, and it wasn’t as if I didn’t speak much.
-It wasn’t that.
(laughs) is how I thought as a kid, but now that I think about it, what you said was what my parents probably meant.
-That you’re similar in terms of spirit.
It seems like my grandfather thought, “In terms of living, I won’t lose”.
-Perhaps it’s hereditary.
I wonder?
-Kenzo today is somewhat different from before. During interviews of Ayabie as a band, Kenzo’s always the one getting bullied (laughs).
That, that’s fine as it is. I’ve accepted that in Ayabie, that’s my role (laughs).
-That’s fine as it is.
Well, maybe I wouldn’t say it’s fine exactly…… (laughs). From the outside, they’re manly and have an image of being hot, but from pictures, instead of Takehito, you can see it more from the Aoi-kun and Intetsu and Yumehito side. But Takehito is actually really cool, isn’t he.
-Hahahah.
It seems like I have both sides.
-Kenzo’s really frank.
I’m told that a lot.
-The way your honesty shows in everything you do, it’s a mix of natural and spontaneous.
I’m like that in everything, but I really don’t like it when I’m not the main character. But in a band, the main character’s the vocalist, isn’t it? In that case, I’ll be a person in the shadows.
-……you really don’t give the impression of a shadow.
Hahahaha (laughs)! Well, in games, it’s the coolest person within the sub characters. Something of a shadowy, mysterious feeling? I want to hold that position in Ayabie.
-Now, are you happy?
Looking at it overall, I…… am happy. I’m doing what I want to do……
-How do you feel about this tour?
It was fun. All over Japan, I’ve been able to go to places I haven’t been to before, and I’ve also been able to go overseas; I think that being able to go to places where there are people waiting for you is a really happy thing. Also, being able to share music with these people in the same space, it makes me very happy. This action, in itself, is what I think of as music.
-Music is communication?
Yeah. What’s important is for the artist and the audience to share the sound, and to enjoy it together. To me, that’s what a livehouse is, and the intrinsic meaning of a livehouse. To be able to do that all over the country, all over the world, it’s an amazing blessing to me. This is why I would like to increase the number of people I can share music with. It’s not just us pursuing something; it’s something that the other party’s pursuing too, that we can share, and because of that I want to work harder so that they’ll want it even more.
-It’s going to be Yaon soon, right? (6th October. This interview was conducted in early September).
That’s right. It’ll be October, so the air will be a bit cool and it’ll definitely feel great~. We’ve been able to hold an event there before once, and as expected it was great.
-The view was good?
Everything was good, but mostly it was because I could see our customers who were having fun with us. In livehouses, because I play the drums, the position doesn’t really allow me to see much. But in halls and at Yaon, I can see everything.
-And this time it’s an independent live.
At Yaon, you can see the sky, can’t you? Music, to me, I really like it, so I’m doing it for myself, but up till now, playing music, I have a friend who’s passed away. I want to be able to communicate it to him with the sky as a medium. From inside a box, it might be difficult to do that.
-Your grandfather is also watching you, isn’t he?
He’d definitely be following behind me. With my grandmother. That’s why, no matter how little time I have, I always visit their graves. My grandfather and grandmother are definitely right beside me, and my friend who passed away as well. ……I’m not really saying that I’m playing for the sake of these people. I just think that if they’re watching me, I’m happy about it. I want them to watch me climb the stairs of success, without ever giving up on music.
-The sight of you working hard.
Well, I’m not exactly working hard (laughs). Naturally I’m doing as best I can, since I think when you’re trying to communicate something to someone, you have to do it with all your might. But to say that I’m putting in effort to communicate it, or working hard to communicate it, to me that’s an image of trying too hard, and I don’t like that.
-But, well, while watching Kenzo there isn’t a feeling that you’re trying too hard. Your personality doesn’t let you do that. I think you’re a person who does what he’s decided to intently and earnestly.
Ah. But you know, communicating my thoughts from the stage, it’s difficult. It’s been two years since I’ve entered Ayabie, and even after two years that hasn’t changed. But difficulty in communication, it’s not just from the stage (bitter smile)
-It’s also hard during interviews?
Mm, interviews are……
-(laughs).
I’ve always been someone who doesn’t say everything he’s thinking about (bitter laugh). The drums are like that, too. At recordings, I play the drums with my feelings at the time. That’s why at lives it’s also different each time. It might cause trouble for everyone, though (laughs). As for interviews, if it’s about me like today’s I can talk quite a bit. But sometimes I’m asked about the band as a whole, aren’t I? At those times~. I become something like “What about it?”
-(laughs).
Well, because you’ve interviewed us many times, Misawa-san, you probably understand what kind of person I am so you just keep the flow, saying “Ah, is that so. Next~” (laughs)
-Ahahah!
But I think within Ayabie, it’s fine if I’m like that. If I have anything to say, I’ll say it without prompting. So if I’m asked, “Please give us your thoughts about XXX!” I’d say “There’s absolutely nothing!”
-(laughs) I’m glad; today we’ve heard a lot of things we don’t usually get to hear, and were able to see Kenzo as an individual.
I’m happy to hear that.
-Perhaps the biggest thing is the manliness you have at your core.
Iyaa~, I wouldn’t know about that (embarrassed)