2008 Nov Pati Pati Chap. 1 Part 1
I bought the Pati Pati magazine last Saturday and was so excited to read the first real article about Gackt in a year that I decided to translate it right away. Between class and work, that is. XD
The article is separated into two chapters. The first one is about Jesus and the second one is about the tour. I wanted to finish the whole chapter before putting it up, but I thought I should post it first while I'm still all geared up over it. I'm hoping to finish the rest of Chp 1 by this weekend and Chp 2 by next week. :D
This translation is not the full edited version because it will take me much longer to finish it otherwise. I've only gone through the translation once (I usually do it about 2-3 times before posting any of my translations up!), so some parts might not be very smooth. I won't post the edited version here, but over at EnY so go check it out in a few weeks if you want to read the nice, fully-complete fully-edited version.
In the meantime, if you are as desperate as I was for Gackt articles, here you go~ XD
New Single “Jesus” Interview
An extraordinary song that flew by like the speed of sound. Putting that into words, the sound is unmistakably “the simple sound of a band”, but within the song contains an intensity brought by simultaneous destruction and creation; a sound (lit. 騒々しさnoise, din) that stimulates one’s nerves directly; and a fervent excitement akin to madness.
Gackt has returned to the music scene with this somewhat unreal [1] song “Jesus” as a present. As you know, in this past one and a half year Gackt has appeared in the NHK Taiga drama “Fuurin Kazan” as Uesugi Kenshin, and has filmed a Hollywood movie “Bunraku”, which is scheduled for release next year. (Back) with a force more than enough to fill in this blank in his music career for the past one year, Gackt will (first) take on [2] his nationwide tour “Requiem et Reminiscence II ~saisei to kaikou~ . He also has plans to release a succession of songs. From what I’ve heard, the development of this project is going to be rather intense.
[1]やばい can be both negative and positive. Taken positively, it can mean cool, awesome, or just really good basically. I used “unreal” here because it’s a negative word that has a positive meaning. (Does that make sense to anyone?) But if I were to translate just the meaning alone, I guess I will go with awesome or unbelievable.
[2] なだれ込むnadarekomu: rush into, surge towards, burst into, storm one’s way into
That means, the “nine*nine” [nine point nine] live album collection released a few days ago was merely a warm-up. The live album collection is a fancy CD box that contains in 7 different packages [13 CDs!] the live audio of his nationwide concerts held over the past nine years. Included as special DVD is the “kuwareta youkan to kajirareta mikan nine*nine” [1] that is guaranteed to make you weak with laughter! [2]
[1] This is the name of his radio program in 1999.
[2] 脱力datsuryoku It’s hard to explain this one! A reaction that will make you go “WHAT??” in incredulity, especially towards a joke that is funny because it’s silly or unexpected, and not because it’s intelligent.
It’s like danger at its max (laughs)
I: You’ve barely resumed your music activities and already you are off for 52 concerts in 43 cities. You do things in the extreme, as usual.
G: Yeap, in everything I do. Otherwise I won’t feel like I’m really alive. (Laughs) I had originally planned to resume my music career as soon as I’ve completed the Taiga drama, but the offer (lit.reaction) from Hollywood came earlier than expected. The offer came because they recognized my personal character and also, it has always been one of my dreams to appear in a Hollywood movie, so after thinking about it I decided to grasp this chance. And it all worked out very well eventually. I was in Romania filming from April and while I was shooting the movie, the concept for the next phase and a lot of other things became clear to me.
I: And you’ve been working on this project ever since you finished shooting in summer?
G: That’s right. But I didn’t doodle around in the studio (after coming back); I led a very well-regulated life every day. I wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning and start training. At noon I attend dance lessons and band rehearsals and after that I do recording work till night. When it grows late, I’ll go out for a breath of fresh air or go out and play.
I: I don’t know if that’s a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. (laughs)
G: It’s not that I want to live a healthy life, but training my body so that it can withstand any amount of unhealthy things I attempt to do is the concept of my life. (laughs) Because I want to do a lot of things that are reckless or bad for my health. To begin with, I’m a brash daredevil [1], so I’m pretty sure I’ll get involved in a lot of trouble in the future.
[1] The original is横着(Ouchaku)+無鉄砲 (muteppou). Ouchaku could mean dishonest, cunning, lazy, brazen, or impudent. Muteppou means rash, reckless and here I’ve translated it to daredevil.
I: Stop predicting that kind of future. (laughs)
G: The day I stop fighting [1] is the day I die. (laughs)
[1]闘えなくなった Literally, it means unable to fight or could no longer fight. The “stop fighting” here comes from inability to fight, not from unwillingness to fight.
I: Can we assume that the story which will be revealed to us first through this single Jesus and also the (coming) tour is the sequel to the 2001 album Rebirth and “Requiem et Reminiscence ~Chinkon to Saisei~” tour”?
G: That’s right. That’s why I thought long and hard about how to present (the story). Be it movie or album, the first work is surprisingly easy to make, isn’t it? But for the sequel, the content has to be more satisfying than the first to please those who have seen/heard the first work, plus it also has to be something that can entertain those who are seeing it for the first time. In short, we have to fulfill two extreme opposite factors at the same time. You can say that the main key of this project lies in our ability to reach a balance (between the two). But well, no matter what I say here, in the end it all comes down to (how good) the end product is.
I: Right, like whether it has “it” [1] or not.
[1] Literally, “whether it has value or not”.
G: Exactly. A song or a live concert has no meaning if the completed work is not something that’s truly fun, or interesting, or touching, or something that can make you cry or tremble (震えるfurueru: to shake, shiver, shudder, tremble, quiver, etc). On top of that, it has to reflect my own growth [1] as well, or the fans won’t be satisfied (納得nattoku: accept). Of course, I’m not saying here that constancy is a negative thing. [2]
[1] Could be growth as an artist or as a person
[2] Literally, “I’m not denying (or trying to negate) the value/strength/good points of constancy”. 変わらないよさ = the good in something that doesn’t change
I: Well, you’ve always been a destroyer.
G: Precisely. That’s what “making something” is to me. Breaking all the things you’ve made and then reassembling them again is always difficult.
I: But you will still reconstruct it. While vomiting blood [1]. (laughs)
[1] This phrase is used to express the difficulty of a task or the hardships one endured in completing the task. There’s a similar phrase in Singapore (vomit blood), which is a slang or part of Singlish and I believe it’s derived from Chinese (吐血).
G: You feel beauty [1] in that. (laughs)
A word that Gackt LOVES to use, but which I can never translate properly. XD美学bigaku: aesthetics. Original sentence isそこに美学を感じるね
I: The speed of “Jesus” is like the speed of sound that zoomed past in no time at all. It’s like destruction and creation taking place at the same time.
G: This song is intense, isn’t it? Actually, it wasn’t meant to be released as a single. It’s one of the songs from the album that we were making, but I thought that this song is most suitable for a comeback single. The message and structure of the song are both simple, but it’s like danger at its max. (laughs) And even though the song is titled Jesus, it’s not a sacred portrayal (of Jesus). If anything, it’s like (the main character) is challenging even God - if you [1] are up there, (come and) offer your help! (I dare you) to try! [2] I’m happy that I can express the “voices” (叫び sakebi: cries) of the characters from the next story in the first work I release after coming back. Actually, I have finished both the next single and the single after that, and I already know (lit. could see) which approach I need to take to proceed from here on.
[1] He used お前 omae, which let’s just say isn’t a very polite way to address God. XD
[2] もしお前がそこにいるなら、手を差し伸べてみろ I broke it into two sentences here and also used a stronger word because Gackt said that he’s not begging God to help, but challenging, kind of like daring him to help. He’s also “ordering” God to help him in a sense.
I: Yeah, you won’t be able to plan the tour if you don’t make the new songs that make up the story first.
G: Yeap. I do think that way too, but the recording really takes up a lot of time.
I: Even a song like Jesus where the intensity (lit. tension) is already at its peak from the beginning cannot be completed with just plain drive [1], right?
[1]勢い ikioi: energy, vigor, enthusiasm, drive
G: Yes, exactly. This song was also hard (to make). I know I’m asking for too much, but even if I’m satisfied with a song when it’s first completed, I’ll want to edit it after a few days have passed. So, okay, redo, redo!
I: That unbelievable guitar and the life-like rhythm sounds like it can cause the band members to contract tenosynovitis (definition: inflammation of a tendon sheath) (laughs)
G: Ahahahaha, you are probably right. (laughs) Well, I think the members have really hung in there for me. If I’m not satisfied with the first phrase, I will make them redo without even listening to the rest. But the members understand that and they will never cut corners.
Own comments:
So, he has finished the next single and the one after that, hmm. I think the album might come out after the tour. ^^; I'm not even sure if the next few singles will be released for the concert! XD So myterious~ I guess we'll all know it all after Dec 14. ^^
Oh, by the way, some of you might recall that he said in one of the interviews for Diabolos that he has finished (or is doing) the next Moon Project-related album. He mentioned it again in this interview and also explained about why he suddenly decided to redo Rebirth theme instead of Moon Project. That definitely answered some of my questions~ :D I'll try to finish the rest of the translation as soon as I can.
Speaking of which, what do you guys think of a Rebirth sequel album? :D To be honest, I was quite disappointed that it wasn't related to Moon Project. XD I mean, I've been waiting for it for close to 2 years, and suddenly instead of Moon, he gives me Rebirth! Which, incidentally, is my least favourite album. XD; So I was a bit disappointed. ^^; But I'm sure he will completely change my mind after the tour or the album is released, and I'll be forced to take back my words. XD I really like Jesus though, from what I've heard so far, so I guess I'm already "half-converted".
"I know I’m asking for too much, but even if I’m satisfied with a song when it’s first completed, I’ll want to edit it after a few days have passed."
I totally agree with this!! XD It's just like when I'm translating. I am never satisfied with my work, and I doubt I'll ever be. That's why my translations always take so long. I usually leave it for a few days after I've finished it and then look at it again and make corrections. Then I leave it for a few more days before editing again. ^^; I usually repeat it this for a few more times until I'm more or less satisfied. I think it really helps to put the translation out of your mind and then tackle it again after a few days. I find that I can come up with better sentences/phrases this way. :D
I love reading other people's comments, so remember to write your thoughts on the article if you've read it! Thanks and I hope you liked this translation. ^^; It's been so long since I did a full magazine translation~~!
And of course, as usual, please don't take this translation without my permission or repost it elsewhere! Thanks~
A quick peek at the next part!
I’ll make (the audiences) swoon right from the first song (laughs)
Hmmm.
To be continued~~ XD
The article is separated into two chapters. The first one is about Jesus and the second one is about the tour. I wanted to finish the whole chapter before putting it up, but I thought I should post it first while I'm still all geared up over it. I'm hoping to finish the rest of Chp 1 by this weekend and Chp 2 by next week. :D
This translation is not the full edited version because it will take me much longer to finish it otherwise. I've only gone through the translation once (I usually do it about 2-3 times before posting any of my translations up!), so some parts might not be very smooth. I won't post the edited version here, but over at EnY so go check it out in a few weeks if you want to read the nice, fully-complete fully-edited version.
In the meantime, if you are as desperate as I was for Gackt articles, here you go~ XD
New Single “Jesus” Interview
An extraordinary song that flew by like the speed of sound. Putting that into words, the sound is unmistakably “the simple sound of a band”, but within the song contains an intensity brought by simultaneous destruction and creation; a sound (lit. 騒々しさnoise, din) that stimulates one’s nerves directly; and a fervent excitement akin to madness.
Gackt has returned to the music scene with this somewhat unreal [1] song “Jesus” as a present. As you know, in this past one and a half year Gackt has appeared in the NHK Taiga drama “Fuurin Kazan” as Uesugi Kenshin, and has filmed a Hollywood movie “Bunraku”, which is scheduled for release next year. (Back) with a force more than enough to fill in this blank in his music career for the past one year, Gackt will (first) take on [2] his nationwide tour “Requiem et Reminiscence II ~saisei to kaikou~ . He also has plans to release a succession of songs. From what I’ve heard, the development of this project is going to be rather intense.
[1]やばい can be both negative and positive. Taken positively, it can mean cool, awesome, or just really good basically. I used “unreal” here because it’s a negative word that has a positive meaning. (Does that make sense to anyone?) But if I were to translate just the meaning alone, I guess I will go with awesome or unbelievable.
[2] なだれ込むnadarekomu: rush into, surge towards, burst into, storm one’s way into
That means, the “nine*nine” [nine point nine] live album collection released a few days ago was merely a warm-up. The live album collection is a fancy CD box that contains in 7 different packages [13 CDs!] the live audio of his nationwide concerts held over the past nine years. Included as special DVD is the “kuwareta youkan to kajirareta mikan nine*nine” [1] that is guaranteed to make you weak with laughter! [2]
[1] This is the name of his radio program in 1999.
[2] 脱力datsuryoku It’s hard to explain this one! A reaction that will make you go “WHAT??” in incredulity, especially towards a joke that is funny because it’s silly or unexpected, and not because it’s intelligent.
It’s like danger at its max (laughs)
I: You’ve barely resumed your music activities and already you are off for 52 concerts in 43 cities. You do things in the extreme, as usual.
G: Yeap, in everything I do. Otherwise I won’t feel like I’m really alive. (Laughs) I had originally planned to resume my music career as soon as I’ve completed the Taiga drama, but the offer (lit.reaction) from Hollywood came earlier than expected. The offer came because they recognized my personal character and also, it has always been one of my dreams to appear in a Hollywood movie, so after thinking about it I decided to grasp this chance. And it all worked out very well eventually. I was in Romania filming from April and while I was shooting the movie, the concept for the next phase and a lot of other things became clear to me.
I: And you’ve been working on this project ever since you finished shooting in summer?
G: That’s right. But I didn’t doodle around in the studio (after coming back); I led a very well-regulated life every day. I wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning and start training. At noon I attend dance lessons and band rehearsals and after that I do recording work till night. When it grows late, I’ll go out for a breath of fresh air or go out and play.
I: I don’t know if that’s a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle. (laughs)
G: It’s not that I want to live a healthy life, but training my body so that it can withstand any amount of unhealthy things I attempt to do is the concept of my life. (laughs) Because I want to do a lot of things that are reckless or bad for my health. To begin with, I’m a brash daredevil [1], so I’m pretty sure I’ll get involved in a lot of trouble in the future.
[1] The original is横着(Ouchaku)+無鉄砲 (muteppou). Ouchaku could mean dishonest, cunning, lazy, brazen, or impudent. Muteppou means rash, reckless and here I’ve translated it to daredevil.
I: Stop predicting that kind of future. (laughs)
G: The day I stop fighting [1] is the day I die. (laughs)
[1]闘えなくなった Literally, it means unable to fight or could no longer fight. The “stop fighting” here comes from inability to fight, not from unwillingness to fight.
I: Can we assume that the story which will be revealed to us first through this single Jesus and also the (coming) tour is the sequel to the 2001 album Rebirth and “Requiem et Reminiscence ~Chinkon to Saisei~” tour”?
G: That’s right. That’s why I thought long and hard about how to present (the story). Be it movie or album, the first work is surprisingly easy to make, isn’t it? But for the sequel, the content has to be more satisfying than the first to please those who have seen/heard the first work, plus it also has to be something that can entertain those who are seeing it for the first time. In short, we have to fulfill two extreme opposite factors at the same time. You can say that the main key of this project lies in our ability to reach a balance (between the two). But well, no matter what I say here, in the end it all comes down to (how good) the end product is.
I: Right, like whether it has “it” [1] or not.
[1] Literally, “whether it has value or not”.
G: Exactly. A song or a live concert has no meaning if the completed work is not something that’s truly fun, or interesting, or touching, or something that can make you cry or tremble (震えるfurueru: to shake, shiver, shudder, tremble, quiver, etc). On top of that, it has to reflect my own growth [1] as well, or the fans won’t be satisfied (納得nattoku: accept). Of course, I’m not saying here that constancy is a negative thing. [2]
[1] Could be growth as an artist or as a person
[2] Literally, “I’m not denying (or trying to negate) the value/strength/good points of constancy”. 変わらないよさ = the good in something that doesn’t change
I: Well, you’ve always been a destroyer.
G: Precisely. That’s what “making something” is to me. Breaking all the things you’ve made and then reassembling them again is always difficult.
I: But you will still reconstruct it. While vomiting blood [1]. (laughs)
[1] This phrase is used to express the difficulty of a task or the hardships one endured in completing the task. There’s a similar phrase in Singapore (vomit blood), which is a slang or part of Singlish and I believe it’s derived from Chinese (吐血).
G: You feel beauty [1] in that. (laughs)
A word that Gackt LOVES to use, but which I can never translate properly. XD美学bigaku: aesthetics. Original sentence isそこに美学を感じるね
I: The speed of “Jesus” is like the speed of sound that zoomed past in no time at all. It’s like destruction and creation taking place at the same time.
G: This song is intense, isn’t it? Actually, it wasn’t meant to be released as a single. It’s one of the songs from the album that we were making, but I thought that this song is most suitable for a comeback single. The message and structure of the song are both simple, but it’s like danger at its max. (laughs) And even though the song is titled Jesus, it’s not a sacred portrayal (of Jesus). If anything, it’s like (the main character) is challenging even God - if you [1] are up there, (come and) offer your help! (I dare you) to try! [2] I’m happy that I can express the “voices” (叫び sakebi: cries) of the characters from the next story in the first work I release after coming back. Actually, I have finished both the next single and the single after that, and I already know (lit. could see) which approach I need to take to proceed from here on.
[1] He used お前 omae, which let’s just say isn’t a very polite way to address God. XD
[2] もしお前がそこにいるなら、手を差し伸べてみろ I broke it into two sentences here and also used a stronger word because Gackt said that he’s not begging God to help, but challenging, kind of like daring him to help. He’s also “ordering” God to help him in a sense.
I: Yeah, you won’t be able to plan the tour if you don’t make the new songs that make up the story first.
G: Yeap. I do think that way too, but the recording really takes up a lot of time.
I: Even a song like Jesus where the intensity (lit. tension) is already at its peak from the beginning cannot be completed with just plain drive [1], right?
[1]勢い ikioi: energy, vigor, enthusiasm, drive
G: Yes, exactly. This song was also hard (to make). I know I’m asking for too much, but even if I’m satisfied with a song when it’s first completed, I’ll want to edit it after a few days have passed. So, okay, redo, redo!
I: That unbelievable guitar and the life-like rhythm sounds like it can cause the band members to contract tenosynovitis (definition: inflammation of a tendon sheath) (laughs)
G: Ahahahaha, you are probably right. (laughs) Well, I think the members have really hung in there for me. If I’m not satisfied with the first phrase, I will make them redo without even listening to the rest. But the members understand that and they will never cut corners.
Own comments:
So, he has finished the next single and the one after that, hmm. I think the album might come out after the tour. ^^; I'm not even sure if the next few singles will be released for the concert! XD So myterious~ I guess we'll all know it all after Dec 14. ^^
Oh, by the way, some of you might recall that he said in one of the interviews for Diabolos that he has finished (or is doing) the next Moon Project-related album. He mentioned it again in this interview and also explained about why he suddenly decided to redo Rebirth theme instead of Moon Project. That definitely answered some of my questions~ :D I'll try to finish the rest of the translation as soon as I can.
Speaking of which, what do you guys think of a Rebirth sequel album? :D To be honest, I was quite disappointed that it wasn't related to Moon Project. XD I mean, I've been waiting for it for close to 2 years, and suddenly instead of Moon, he gives me Rebirth! Which, incidentally, is my least favourite album. XD; So I was a bit disappointed. ^^; But I'm sure he will completely change my mind after the tour or the album is released, and I'll be forced to take back my words. XD I really like Jesus though, from what I've heard so far, so I guess I'm already "half-converted".
"I know I’m asking for too much, but even if I’m satisfied with a song when it’s first completed, I’ll want to edit it after a few days have passed."
I totally agree with this!! XD It's just like when I'm translating. I am never satisfied with my work, and I doubt I'll ever be. That's why my translations always take so long. I usually leave it for a few days after I've finished it and then look at it again and make corrections. Then I leave it for a few more days before editing again. ^^; I usually repeat it this for a few more times until I'm more or less satisfied. I think it really helps to put the translation out of your mind and then tackle it again after a few days. I find that I can come up with better sentences/phrases this way. :D
I love reading other people's comments, so remember to write your thoughts on the article if you've read it! Thanks and I hope you liked this translation. ^^; It's been so long since I did a full magazine translation~~!
And of course, as usual, please don't take this translation without my permission or repost it elsewhere! Thanks~
A quick peek at the next part!
I’ll make (the audiences) swoon right from the first song (laughs)
Hmmm.
To be continued~~ XD