yoshiki interview (rough)
S: So talking to my friends and other people who play drums, they say, “wow, you could die playing drums like that”. Also when I myself watch you play, I just thing “wow, this is amazing”. And I’m wondering, do you ever, like get tired, or do your arms and chest start to hurt or things like that?
Y: Well… When I play, I don’t really think about things like that. I sort of forget my body, and my mind becomes blank. When I make eye contact with someone in the audience or on the stage, then I realize, “oh, I’m on the stage” but…
S: Ah. But, man, do you move fast…
Y: Yeah, I guess so…and the concerts are long too…
S: I was surprised! Do you do any excercises for this?
Y: Well I used to in the past. I liked doing those sort of things. But really, just playing the drums is the best. For example, you play the drums and build the muscle that way. Doing other excercises is actually not that good.
S: You mean the muscle necessary for playing drums?
Y: Yeah. While playing drums it’s good to develop those muscles. But If you life weights, you build a lot of other muscle, and it actually slows down your movement.
S: Oh wow, stuff like that happens?
Here yoshiki says something about fainting often, and when that happens having to play songs where he doesn’t exert himself too much. I didn’t catch all of it. Will ask a friend for help
S: You really move in a way that’s unbelievable.
Y: Well sometimes on the third day of touring, I feel like I’m at my limit and like I just can’t do it. But then I get this feeling like I’m being made to do it, and somehow I’m doing it again.
S: Yeah, it could be because everyone in X has a really powerful stage presence. Even during the slow songs there is still this feeling, and you are pulled into it. And I love the songs and the melodies. Also, it’s really tense. For me, and the other people who I talked to who went, when you’re standing near the stage, and there is the intense drumming, and what not, there is this feeling like a dragon is right there. Like, I really felt that intense feeling. It was really great.
K. I miss an big chunk here, but i think they are talking about an interview that yoshiki and hide read about shizuka and it says that she is learning painting and she talks about it. yoshiki thinks that she is kind of like a guy in her way of thinking… will get this part checked.
Y: I don’t really know, but I like to got to museums and the like. It’s not just that I like the pictures there, but I really like the atmosphere of the museums.
S: You can really relax there, can’t you?
Y: Yeah, and I like to go there a lot. And also I like oil paintings.
S: Do you do things like paint or draw or anything?
Y: No, I don’t. i think he says something here about not being good at stuff like that.
S: So this is kind of a question I’ve been wanting to ask for awhile, but I was wondering… at home, do you practice drums?
Y: Well piano is the only thing that I can practice anywhere, like at home or hotels or wherever. And since I was a kid, the piano was the only thing that I had near.
S: Why piano and drums?
Y: It’s a weird combination, isn’t it? I also think it’s a little weird. I played piano since I was really young. And I thought that I wanted to go to a music school for college. I thought at the end of high school, my thoughts changed a little bit- I was thinking about rock bands. And before I had thought, maybe in the future, I’ll be a piano teacher or play in an orchestra, but then I thought, maybe I should do something different. I also knew how to play drums, I had learned some years before. And so I got on stage and played, and everyone was wondering, “why haven’t I heard this before?”, and I started to love both. And now I still love both.
S: And that’s how you became the person that plays piano and drums. But really, at first I was very surprised. I thought, why is this person a drummer, but playing the piano?
Y: Yeah, it is a little weird…
S: Weird, but also really amazing.
Y: I think maybe I like piano a little better. Because when I play drums for a long time, I want to stop, or if I play it every day I get kind of tired of it. But it’s great if I get to play the piano every day. But you know, I’m still learning piano. Like, I grew up playing classical piano, but I’m thinking maybe I should stop classical and learn something different with it. But I heard that you are taking painting lessons. How’s your teacher?
S: Well, he’s a person that helps me to understand things that I don’t know really fast. I get to choose my own colors and things of that nature but, he helps with things and explains them in ways that make me go “oh, if it’s like that, I can do it! It’s not that bad!”
Y: Also, In the interview, you were talking about all the things you had to use in painting, how you can use anything to paint…
S: Yes, we use often use knives and things like that.
Y: Music is the really similar in that nature. It doesn’t have to just be drums and guitar or whatever, you can use anything to color a song. And everything is a sound, so really you can use anything. Now in this album, I’m thinking about that, and thinking about what types of different things I can use to make a different sound. So when I read what you said, I though, that’s cool.
S: Sorry, but I’ve got another question. Are you guys thinking about going abroad?
Y: Well, I want to take the band abroad, and I was thinking, I wonder if we could go in the summer sometime…But in March we are touring Japan.
S: Well, I look forward to seeing you guys. Please take care of yourselves!
Y: Well… When I play, I don’t really think about things like that. I sort of forget my body, and my mind becomes blank. When I make eye contact with someone in the audience or on the stage, then I realize, “oh, I’m on the stage” but…
S: Ah. But, man, do you move fast…
Y: Yeah, I guess so…and the concerts are long too…
S: I was surprised! Do you do any excercises for this?
Y: Well I used to in the past. I liked doing those sort of things. But really, just playing the drums is the best. For example, you play the drums and build the muscle that way. Doing other excercises is actually not that good.
S: You mean the muscle necessary for playing drums?
Y: Yeah. While playing drums it’s good to develop those muscles. But If you life weights, you build a lot of other muscle, and it actually slows down your movement.
S: Oh wow, stuff like that happens?
Here yoshiki says something about fainting often, and when that happens having to play songs where he doesn’t exert himself too much. I didn’t catch all of it. Will ask a friend for help
S: You really move in a way that’s unbelievable.
Y: Well sometimes on the third day of touring, I feel like I’m at my limit and like I just can’t do it. But then I get this feeling like I’m being made to do it, and somehow I’m doing it again.
S: Yeah, it could be because everyone in X has a really powerful stage presence. Even during the slow songs there is still this feeling, and you are pulled into it. And I love the songs and the melodies. Also, it’s really tense. For me, and the other people who I talked to who went, when you’re standing near the stage, and there is the intense drumming, and what not, there is this feeling like a dragon is right there. Like, I really felt that intense feeling. It was really great.
K. I miss an big chunk here, but i think they are talking about an interview that yoshiki and hide read about shizuka and it says that she is learning painting and she talks about it. yoshiki thinks that she is kind of like a guy in her way of thinking… will get this part checked.
Y: I don’t really know, but I like to got to museums and the like. It’s not just that I like the pictures there, but I really like the atmosphere of the museums.
S: You can really relax there, can’t you?
Y: Yeah, and I like to go there a lot. And also I like oil paintings.
S: Do you do things like paint or draw or anything?
Y: No, I don’t. i think he says something here about not being good at stuff like that.
S: So this is kind of a question I’ve been wanting to ask for awhile, but I was wondering… at home, do you practice drums?
Y: Well piano is the only thing that I can practice anywhere, like at home or hotels or wherever. And since I was a kid, the piano was the only thing that I had near.
S: Why piano and drums?
Y: It’s a weird combination, isn’t it? I also think it’s a little weird. I played piano since I was really young. And I thought that I wanted to go to a music school for college. I thought at the end of high school, my thoughts changed a little bit- I was thinking about rock bands. And before I had thought, maybe in the future, I’ll be a piano teacher or play in an orchestra, but then I thought, maybe I should do something different. I also knew how to play drums, I had learned some years before. And so I got on stage and played, and everyone was wondering, “why haven’t I heard this before?”, and I started to love both. And now I still love both.
S: And that’s how you became the person that plays piano and drums. But really, at first I was very surprised. I thought, why is this person a drummer, but playing the piano?
Y: Yeah, it is a little weird…
S: Weird, but also really amazing.
Y: I think maybe I like piano a little better. Because when I play drums for a long time, I want to stop, or if I play it every day I get kind of tired of it. But it’s great if I get to play the piano every day. But you know, I’m still learning piano. Like, I grew up playing classical piano, but I’m thinking maybe I should stop classical and learn something different with it. But I heard that you are taking painting lessons. How’s your teacher?
S: Well, he’s a person that helps me to understand things that I don’t know really fast. I get to choose my own colors and things of that nature but, he helps with things and explains them in ways that make me go “oh, if it’s like that, I can do it! It’s not that bad!”
Y: Also, In the interview, you were talking about all the things you had to use in painting, how you can use anything to paint…
S: Yes, we use often use knives and things like that.
Y: Music is the really similar in that nature. It doesn’t have to just be drums and guitar or whatever, you can use anything to color a song. And everything is a sound, so really you can use anything. Now in this album, I’m thinking about that, and thinking about what types of different things I can use to make a different sound. So when I read what you said, I though, that’s cool.
S: Sorry, but I’ve got another question. Are you guys thinking about going abroad?
Y: Well, I want to take the band abroad, and I was thinking, I wonder if we could go in the summer sometime…But in March we are touring Japan.
S: Well, I look forward to seeing you guys. Please take care of yourselves!