Arena37°CSpecial 11 2008 - Reita Interview [Translation Part 2/3]
So it will end up three parts anyway...
My last week was so completely fucked up, that I did not get any further.
In case I am not too shot after work this week, I'll commit myself to rest of this until...uhm...Wednesday.
Cross you fingers!!!! ^^
The usual rules apply!
Please enjoy!
- This resembles the finishing touches of an armor to a combat uniform when going into battles.
[Yeah, that is the switch, I think.]
- That is pretty common, and in this case of a live it is no physical obstacles now, is it?
[…well, it’s good that there isn’t! (laughs) Maybe, in my case, I have to breath more efficiently than other people. When training the human body one is building up muscles, and maybe that is the way (by body) deals with it. (laughs)]
- That is an astonishing theory of evolution. (laughs)
[However, as expected, this did not apply, when I covered my eye. With the left eye covered, and even more than expected, when not winding (the fabric around) my neck, I totally couldn’t see the neck (of the bass). (laughs) That was pretty tiring.]
- By overcoming these hardships, this has come to be a firm trademark of yours, hasn’t it?
[Yes, it became just what I wanted it to.]
- With that you have come to be rushing along as Reita of Gazette, however, from your point of view, where did the band change?
[It seem we are able to do things more freely. As we faught battles for every new song we made, our possibilities have increased, I think. The things we can do have increased and we are able to do them freely, I think.]
- Before, we have talked about the conflict in producing a commercial good, when it comes to songs or lives and you have said something about that there is no one who would hinder you doing things, meaning that this freedom is your motivation, isn’t it?
[That is probably because we are in a pretty good environment, I think. By some chance, as for a song which was the title track of a single, I ballade is probably a good thing, however, no one is telling us that the things we want to do are “forbidden.” That’s something we can be grateful for I think.]
- For some rock bands, it is ok to put songs like that on an album, but as for a single it should be a catchy song, and like that turns out a little ordinary. However, concerning Gazette there does not seem to be any kind of connection (in this context).
[Yes. Rather, we are told that it is even ok, if we don’t release a single at all.]
- That kind of situation?! That is fairly some comprehension on the maker’s side.
[That is also something which helps a lot. Anyway, if there are things we want to do, we are in the situation of our surroundings helping us to do these things. ]
- Well, understanding this until now, conversely, there is no pressure.
[Hmm, well there is some pressure, eventually. However, we don’t want to do the things expected of us, we don’t want to say the words expected of us. However, we would like to get bigger like that still. Every time we have passed this hurdle…it never realize it’s true. For example, the mobilizations for our tours are getting bigger, or hearing about it, as the CD sales are exceeding…we really don’t realize it. (bitter laugh)]
- Concerning that, it seems this is someone else’s business…why would that be?
[However, I think this is only the case when climbing up, we would probably immediately notice if we dropped. (laughs)]
- haha…that’s probably true, though.
[Well, even if it sounds strange, even dropping would be fine. As long as we are still cool.]
- Artists and representatives usually sit back to back in this kind of issue, but one’s own true nature is an important thing, I think.
[Yes. I don’t really think about whether our CD sales are successful. I think it is a bigger success if we created good sound, if we made a good song or if we played a great live, even if we couldn’t really sell it. However, of course connecting both would be the best. However, if there is anything sold ight now, of what the lines of sales are, I really don’t know. I really don’t worry about things like that. As longs as we can do the things we think are cool, I think we take everyone along.]
- If that wasn’t the case, I am sure a hybrid song like [Filth in the Beauty] wouldn’t have become a single, would it? (laughs) However, there was certainly a result to that, too!
[Certainly, yes.]
- Thinking about it, the things that have been a matter of fact for this scene, have certainly been destroyed by Gazette, I’d say.
[Hmm, how would it be…well, personally, I already thought that this scene had collapsed. Therefore, from here on, it is more of rebuilding it.]
- How come you think that it had already collapsed?
[Well, it felt as if the thing people had build back in the days had all been brought down. It seems like what had been visual Kei has no longer this dangerous smell, and it’s more like it is written on one sheet of paper with the pop idols. I think that is why those honor-student-like speeches attitudes are asked of us. Originally, this has not been the case, I think. And the more there is of this nonsense, the more fanatic get the fans. As for us, we would like to rebuild (the old way) once more. Of course we would certainly like to do this without breaking the law and without hurting people physically. I mean that we would like to do things that people aren’t expecting.]
- Certainly Gazette is a band possessing this kind of dangerous potential and among that Reita-san is certainly the most dangerous. (laughs)
[Ain’t I? (laughs) I think it wouldn’t be good if I wasn’t. Even though we are pretty close to our fans, there are things I would not want to be close. These days, you can see basically anything on the net, don’t you. You can easily watch your favorite artist’s movies. However, especially for this reason, it does not mean, that people show more charisma and eventually you would have to go to a live, I think.]
- Well, in this time, displaying a lot of charisma has become pretty hard, hasn’t it?
[It certainly is. Therefore I really would like people, to not just use the internet, but actually feel it at a live. Also, these days you can’t sell CDs not like you used to back in the days, because it is so easy to just listen to them on the internet. I don’t necessarily think that this is a good positive development. I don’t quite know what to think about this diffusion of the net.]
- This has become a heavy conversation again. (laughs)
[Well, I do use the internet myself quite practically. (laughs) Well, how would it be? With anonymity abused, as the net is widening, the malice of people is also rapidly spreading, it seems. Of course, when it is used for the well being, it is pretty convenient, however, going out and looking for things on one’s own, has become pretty rare. Therefore, I think, the appreciation for things has also become pretty rare. For a CD, too, going to a CD store and buying the actual thing is way more joyful.]
- Surely, holding the actual thing in one’s hands, realizing it and feeling moved by it (is something that only happens then.)
[Yes yes! On the net you download it for 300Yen and can easily buy it, but there is no actual feeling to it. Therefore, as for our music, when it is downloaded just like that, we are feeling a little sad.]
- Because a CD is not just the sound, but also the matching artwork and the whole item.
[I would really like to say this aloud: Putting the CD into the deck, shutting the tray and listening to it while reading the lyrics card…that’s really great.]
- It’s is really not very serious to just get your hands on it easily and then ignore it. Well, in the case of Gazette it is pretty hard to ignore it. By all means, you rather stick to it. (laughs)
[ Fufufu…that’s great. (laughs)]
- Speaking of this, at Gazette’s lives, among others, there are things one can only feel directly.
[That’s thanks to the fans, I think. They are really some idiots, anyway, that’s helping there.]
- At the last life, at Fuji Q Highland Conifer Forest, there has been quite some trouble and among bad weather condition and those negative things, there really has been this feeling of unity and radiating passion been shown from their side.
[It’s always like that. There have been quite a few interruptions; however, after that interruption the fans are even cooler than before. When I watch our fans then, I can just think, how cool they are.]
Tbc…