Did they even have electricity back then?
Yeah, yeah, I live. Here, read this article. XD
A very kind person on Pieces asked me to translate this article, and I was happy to oblige. ^_^ Just to explain why I'm straying briefly from the parade of recent HYDE interviews. If Pieces ever returns I'll post it there for the rest of the fan-world to see.
Brief intro: this is from, like, the Stone Age--Sakura hadn't even joined the group yet, so this interview is with the original threesome and Pero, their first drummer. I don't have the link for the creepy pictures that accompany this article right now, but you're probably better off for that anyway.
EDIT: Whoops, yes I do! Here we go: http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b255/matsuchan3/SHOXX%20Shock%20Age%20Jan%201993/ (Many thanks to matsu-chan for the fabulous scans)
I love the parts where Hyde talks about the way he writes his lyrics and his stage presence. Oh, and the part where he thinks he's not talented. XD
Enjoy! ^_^ (plz no reposting without my permission. thx.)
SHOXX Shock Age - January 1993
So, Tetsu, let’s start with you-you’re the one who actually brought the members together to form the band, right?
Tetsu: Yup, that’s right. I had really wanted to start my own band, so I found these guys and took them into the studio with me for a jam session, and the band came together from there. Although back then it was just Pero and Hyde.
Pero: And I had no idea we were ever really going to form a band.
Hyde: Me either. I mean, I knew Tetsu was a great bassist, but I’d never even spoken with him before then.
Tetsu: When I called Hyde, he definitely didn’t sound like he was interested in joining another band. And Pero, well, he flat-out ignored me.
Pero: Well, the thing is, Hyde and I had just recently started a band ourselves, so when Tetsu invited us to join his…
Tetsu: I had seen their group perform, and when I did, my jaw dropped, and I knew I absolutely had to have those two guys in my band. So that’s why I invited them. But, well…
Pero and Hyde, what were your first impressions of Tetsu at that session?
Pero: “Hey, this guy’s pretty damn good.” He was like, mesmerizing. (laughs)
Tetsu: Actually, that was right after Hiro, our original guitarist, and I had decided to team up. Hyde and Pero were so brilliant onstage, I just knew that if I could somehow get the four of us together, we could make a really amazing band. It took some convincing, but I was able to lure them away.
So why did the two of you choose to abandon the band you had just started in favor of joining this one?
Hyde: Well, to be honest, I was getting tired of my old band. I’m really not all that talented, and the whole idea of being the band leader and trying to keep everyone focused and motivated wasn’t suited to me at all. So I thought, why not let someone else have all the responsibility for a change.
Pero: Plus, Tetsu’s enthusiasm was unbelievable.
Hyde: Whenever he called, he would always sound like he’d been up all night, working himself to death. (laughs)
What were your goals for L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Tetsu: I wanted a band that had both a hard-rock side and a softer side. But the thing is, since we’re all good-looking guys, I’m sure there were some people who saw us as just another pretty-boy band that only sold records based on our looks. So I wanted to make sure people knew we were a real rock band underneath all that. I wanted to show there were two sides to our image, as different as black and white.
What was the initial response to the band?
Tetsu: To be honest, in the beginning I had my doubts we were going to make it, but after our first live show, things started to take off.
Why do you think that was?
Tetsu: I guess you could say it had something to do with our strategy. But I don’t want to say too much more than that.
So you’re saying that while L’Arc~en~Ciel’s style may be easy to understand, your strategy is anything but.
Tetsu: What can I say-I’m a very analytical person. I love to plan things out.
So you could tell things were starting to pick up after that first live show?
Tetsu: Well, the thing is, with your first gig, you have to make a great first impression. If you get nervous and make mistakes, and don’t put on a good show, there’s always the possibility that there won’t be a second gig. So there was a huge amount of pressure on us for that first show, much more than you’d think.
But as you played more and more shows, the positive response must have been a confidence booster.
Pero: It is now. But back then we were really too caught up in everything to notice.
Earlier you mentioned that the goal of the band was to create a sound with both hard-rock and softer elements; I’d imagine that just going out there and performing helped a lot with that.
Pero: The songs we write are much more melodic now, and I think our live shows had a great deal to do with that.
Tetsu: Yeah. If there was one thing we learned from all those gigs, it was that the difference between hard and soft rock is like night and day. But we just kept trying to write good songs.
It seems like Ken-chan joining the band was a big help in that regard.
Hyde: It definitely was.
So, Ken-chan, when did you start following L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Ken: In August of ’91, I went to see two of their shows. I’ve known Tetsu for a very long time, so when I heard he had started a band of his own, of course I had to go out and support them. That was back when they’d just gotten together, so they were still finding their way a little, but even then I was left with the impression that they had created a very unique sound for themselves.
So even in their early days, they had a style all their own?
Ken: Yeah, but it was something more than that. They were very different from other bands-the moment they stepped onstage, the entire atmosphere changed.
Pero: That was when we started doing less shows and really focused on improving the quality of our music.
Ah, so that was your strategy-to perform less and focus more on your songwriting?
Tetsu: Exactly. The more exposure you get as a group, the more quickly your songs become old and tired.
Since Ken-chan joined the band in June of this year [1992], there’s been a noticeable change in your music.
Hyde: It was a change for our style, and for our way of life, too. [translator’s note: i.e., the band was getting more publicity after Ken joined, so they couldn’t hide from the spotlight anymore.]
Tetsu: We had all been leading pretty private lives up until that point.
Pero: We were very reclusive, as a group. We rarely, if ever, showed our faces outside of the recording studio.
Ken-chan, what were your first impressions upon joining the group?
Ken: I remember thinking that there would be no limit to the places I could go if I joined up with them. At the same time, I wondered how my style would mesh with their existing music. And naturally, I was worried that the other band members wouldn’t like or accept the songs I wrote.
But as you kept performing with the group, you saw their sound continue to change?
Ken: Definitely. But it was more than just the lyrics or the notes-it was the feel of the music and the group as a whole. And as we performed together, even though the style had changed somewhat from what the band had been doing before, that same distinct essence was still there. And gradually, our styles blended into one another.
And conversely, for the other members, how do you feel the atmosphere of the band changed after Ken joined?
Hyde: Personally, I was just so amazed that someone this talented was joining us, I resolved to try that much harder from then on. That’s what struck me the most. I figured I’d better shape up, and fast, or else I’d embarrass myself in front of Ken-chan.
Pero: Same here. When he joined, I really started to worry about the quality of my rhythmic lines. But since then, I’ve been able to take a much closer look at my parts, and I feel like they’re better for it.
Hyde: But Ken was just so much cooler than we were, I could never get up the guts to tell him anything like that.
Hyde, what sort of message are you trying to convey through your lyrics?
Hyde: Lately I find myself wanting to sing about more familiar themes, things that everyone can relate to. I still feel like I haven’t really been able to bring that goal to fruition, but it’s always in the back of my mind.
So far, your lyrics have been, on the whole, very abstract.
Hyde: And that’s something I don’t think is going to change. I want my lyrics to be very expressive; I’d hate it if they were just like all the other pop music lyrics out there. Rather than spell out my feelings verbatim, I like to choose my words carefully and convey things through more indirect means of expression. But, that being said, I try not to let my own feelings and experiences play too much into it.
Do you feel more and more like a band with each recording session you attend?
Ken: We do tend to hone in on the sound we want more and more with each session. It also becomes easier and easier to perform onstage together as we go along. And the more comfortable we feel with each other, the easier it becomes for each of us to express our opinions within the group. And so the band continues to evolve.
Hyde: For me, a band is an ideal learning environment, and a great opportunity for me to improve my skills as a musician, so I think it’s essential that everyone be able to share their thoughts openly with the group.
But Hyde, I must say, the moment you step onstage, the entire atmosphere changes around you.
Hyde: Yeah. It becomes a very personal experience for me. When I get into that “high” onstage, I slip into my own little world. Although there are certain areas I know I still need to work on-things that can’t be conveyed with just my voice and my body language. Even more so than the music, the crowd reaction is what I feed on, and I need to try and show that more clearly to my audiences. But I set very high standards for myself, so I know I still have a long way to go before I’ll be satisfied with my performance.
Pero, what are your thoughts on that subject?
Pero: Of course, I still feel like I have a lot to learn about performing live. But with L’Arc~en~Ciel, I just get a tremendous sense of the breadth and range of this group. Maybe the “pop” side of our sound has something to do with that.
And you, Tetsu?
Tetsu: All I know is that when the four of us take the stage, we show everyone what L’Arc~en~Ciel is all about.
I see, I see. Next question: if someone were to ask you what sets L’Arc~en~Ciel apart from the crowd, how would you answer them?
Tetsu: I’d have to say it’s our songs.
It really seems as if your popularity is growing in leaps and bounds these days; as a band, how do you feel about your development thus far?
Ken: I think as of yet, we’ve only begun to show people the tip of the iceberg as far as what we can do; from here on out I really want us to try and get to the heart of our sound. At the same time, I know that each one of us has incredibly high expectations for this group. Until now, all we’ve been able to do is scratch the surface of what we can do; but if scratching the surface has taken us this far, imagine what will happen when we do get to the real heart of our sound.
Tetsu, since this band is your “baby,” I bet seeing them grow this much this fast is very gratifying for you.
Tetsu: It is. But at the same time, I feel like the closer we get to our ideal, the higher the bar keeps getting raised. And I think I’ll always feel that way.
Hyde: Really? I always hoped someday we could reach that ideal.
Pero: But if we did, there’d be no reason for us to continue performing, would there?
Hyde: But since that ideal is so ridiculously out of reach, I just thought it was a nice, romantic dream that we might get there someday. But anyway, right now the most important thing is to make this the best band we possibly can. Once we’ve done that, then we can take time to think about those things.
So what are the prospects for L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Hyde: For the time being we’re just going try and learn everything we can about how to succeed in this business. We want people to know who we are. And we want to shower every person that comes to see our shows in the colors of our rainbow.
I see. Well, finally, I’d like to ask each of you what your dream is.
Pero: To be the best band in Japan.
Hyde: I want to be able to project my emotions back to the farthest corners of the concert hall every time I’m onstage. And I want every last person in the room to feel what I’m feeling.
Tetsu: Actually, I don’t like to think about things far in advance like that. First I want to focus on the year ahead, and think about how we’re going to get the word out about the band. Before we do anything, we have to figure out how to become the best indie band in Japan.
Hokay, back to the kanji dictionary.
A very kind person on Pieces asked me to translate this article, and I was happy to oblige. ^_^ Just to explain why I'm straying briefly from the parade of recent HYDE interviews. If Pieces ever returns I'll post it there for the rest of the fan-world to see.
Brief intro: this is from, like, the Stone Age--Sakura hadn't even joined the group yet, so this interview is with the original threesome and Pero, their first drummer. I don't have the link for the creepy pictures that accompany this article right now, but you're probably better off for that anyway.
EDIT: Whoops, yes I do! Here we go: http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b255/matsuchan3/SHOXX%20Shock%20Age%20Jan%201993/ (Many thanks to matsu-chan for the fabulous scans)
I love the parts where Hyde talks about the way he writes his lyrics and his stage presence. Oh, and the part where he thinks he's not talented. XD
Enjoy! ^_^ (plz no reposting without my permission. thx.)
SHOXX Shock Age - January 1993
So, Tetsu, let’s start with you-you’re the one who actually brought the members together to form the band, right?
Tetsu: Yup, that’s right. I had really wanted to start my own band, so I found these guys and took them into the studio with me for a jam session, and the band came together from there. Although back then it was just Pero and Hyde.
Pero: And I had no idea we were ever really going to form a band.
Hyde: Me either. I mean, I knew Tetsu was a great bassist, but I’d never even spoken with him before then.
Tetsu: When I called Hyde, he definitely didn’t sound like he was interested in joining another band. And Pero, well, he flat-out ignored me.
Pero: Well, the thing is, Hyde and I had just recently started a band ourselves, so when Tetsu invited us to join his…
Tetsu: I had seen their group perform, and when I did, my jaw dropped, and I knew I absolutely had to have those two guys in my band. So that’s why I invited them. But, well…
Pero and Hyde, what were your first impressions of Tetsu at that session?
Pero: “Hey, this guy’s pretty damn good.” He was like, mesmerizing. (laughs)
Tetsu: Actually, that was right after Hiro, our original guitarist, and I had decided to team up. Hyde and Pero were so brilliant onstage, I just knew that if I could somehow get the four of us together, we could make a really amazing band. It took some convincing, but I was able to lure them away.
So why did the two of you choose to abandon the band you had just started in favor of joining this one?
Hyde: Well, to be honest, I was getting tired of my old band. I’m really not all that talented, and the whole idea of being the band leader and trying to keep everyone focused and motivated wasn’t suited to me at all. So I thought, why not let someone else have all the responsibility for a change.
Pero: Plus, Tetsu’s enthusiasm was unbelievable.
Hyde: Whenever he called, he would always sound like he’d been up all night, working himself to death. (laughs)
What were your goals for L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Tetsu: I wanted a band that had both a hard-rock side and a softer side. But the thing is, since we’re all good-looking guys, I’m sure there were some people who saw us as just another pretty-boy band that only sold records based on our looks. So I wanted to make sure people knew we were a real rock band underneath all that. I wanted to show there were two sides to our image, as different as black and white.
What was the initial response to the band?
Tetsu: To be honest, in the beginning I had my doubts we were going to make it, but after our first live show, things started to take off.
Why do you think that was?
Tetsu: I guess you could say it had something to do with our strategy. But I don’t want to say too much more than that.
So you’re saying that while L’Arc~en~Ciel’s style may be easy to understand, your strategy is anything but.
Tetsu: What can I say-I’m a very analytical person. I love to plan things out.
So you could tell things were starting to pick up after that first live show?
Tetsu: Well, the thing is, with your first gig, you have to make a great first impression. If you get nervous and make mistakes, and don’t put on a good show, there’s always the possibility that there won’t be a second gig. So there was a huge amount of pressure on us for that first show, much more than you’d think.
But as you played more and more shows, the positive response must have been a confidence booster.
Pero: It is now. But back then we were really too caught up in everything to notice.
Earlier you mentioned that the goal of the band was to create a sound with both hard-rock and softer elements; I’d imagine that just going out there and performing helped a lot with that.
Pero: The songs we write are much more melodic now, and I think our live shows had a great deal to do with that.
Tetsu: Yeah. If there was one thing we learned from all those gigs, it was that the difference between hard and soft rock is like night and day. But we just kept trying to write good songs.
It seems like Ken-chan joining the band was a big help in that regard.
Hyde: It definitely was.
So, Ken-chan, when did you start following L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Ken: In August of ’91, I went to see two of their shows. I’ve known Tetsu for a very long time, so when I heard he had started a band of his own, of course I had to go out and support them. That was back when they’d just gotten together, so they were still finding their way a little, but even then I was left with the impression that they had created a very unique sound for themselves.
So even in their early days, they had a style all their own?
Ken: Yeah, but it was something more than that. They were very different from other bands-the moment they stepped onstage, the entire atmosphere changed.
Pero: That was when we started doing less shows and really focused on improving the quality of our music.
Ah, so that was your strategy-to perform less and focus more on your songwriting?
Tetsu: Exactly. The more exposure you get as a group, the more quickly your songs become old and tired.
Since Ken-chan joined the band in June of this year [1992], there’s been a noticeable change in your music.
Hyde: It was a change for our style, and for our way of life, too. [translator’s note: i.e., the band was getting more publicity after Ken joined, so they couldn’t hide from the spotlight anymore.]
Tetsu: We had all been leading pretty private lives up until that point.
Pero: We were very reclusive, as a group. We rarely, if ever, showed our faces outside of the recording studio.
Ken-chan, what were your first impressions upon joining the group?
Ken: I remember thinking that there would be no limit to the places I could go if I joined up with them. At the same time, I wondered how my style would mesh with their existing music. And naturally, I was worried that the other band members wouldn’t like or accept the songs I wrote.
But as you kept performing with the group, you saw their sound continue to change?
Ken: Definitely. But it was more than just the lyrics or the notes-it was the feel of the music and the group as a whole. And as we performed together, even though the style had changed somewhat from what the band had been doing before, that same distinct essence was still there. And gradually, our styles blended into one another.
And conversely, for the other members, how do you feel the atmosphere of the band changed after Ken joined?
Hyde: Personally, I was just so amazed that someone this talented was joining us, I resolved to try that much harder from then on. That’s what struck me the most. I figured I’d better shape up, and fast, or else I’d embarrass myself in front of Ken-chan.
Pero: Same here. When he joined, I really started to worry about the quality of my rhythmic lines. But since then, I’ve been able to take a much closer look at my parts, and I feel like they’re better for it.
Hyde: But Ken was just so much cooler than we were, I could never get up the guts to tell him anything like that.
Hyde, what sort of message are you trying to convey through your lyrics?
Hyde: Lately I find myself wanting to sing about more familiar themes, things that everyone can relate to. I still feel like I haven’t really been able to bring that goal to fruition, but it’s always in the back of my mind.
So far, your lyrics have been, on the whole, very abstract.
Hyde: And that’s something I don’t think is going to change. I want my lyrics to be very expressive; I’d hate it if they were just like all the other pop music lyrics out there. Rather than spell out my feelings verbatim, I like to choose my words carefully and convey things through more indirect means of expression. But, that being said, I try not to let my own feelings and experiences play too much into it.
Do you feel more and more like a band with each recording session you attend?
Ken: We do tend to hone in on the sound we want more and more with each session. It also becomes easier and easier to perform onstage together as we go along. And the more comfortable we feel with each other, the easier it becomes for each of us to express our opinions within the group. And so the band continues to evolve.
Hyde: For me, a band is an ideal learning environment, and a great opportunity for me to improve my skills as a musician, so I think it’s essential that everyone be able to share their thoughts openly with the group.
But Hyde, I must say, the moment you step onstage, the entire atmosphere changes around you.
Hyde: Yeah. It becomes a very personal experience for me. When I get into that “high” onstage, I slip into my own little world. Although there are certain areas I know I still need to work on-things that can’t be conveyed with just my voice and my body language. Even more so than the music, the crowd reaction is what I feed on, and I need to try and show that more clearly to my audiences. But I set very high standards for myself, so I know I still have a long way to go before I’ll be satisfied with my performance.
Pero, what are your thoughts on that subject?
Pero: Of course, I still feel like I have a lot to learn about performing live. But with L’Arc~en~Ciel, I just get a tremendous sense of the breadth and range of this group. Maybe the “pop” side of our sound has something to do with that.
And you, Tetsu?
Tetsu: All I know is that when the four of us take the stage, we show everyone what L’Arc~en~Ciel is all about.
I see, I see. Next question: if someone were to ask you what sets L’Arc~en~Ciel apart from the crowd, how would you answer them?
Tetsu: I’d have to say it’s our songs.
It really seems as if your popularity is growing in leaps and bounds these days; as a band, how do you feel about your development thus far?
Ken: I think as of yet, we’ve only begun to show people the tip of the iceberg as far as what we can do; from here on out I really want us to try and get to the heart of our sound. At the same time, I know that each one of us has incredibly high expectations for this group. Until now, all we’ve been able to do is scratch the surface of what we can do; but if scratching the surface has taken us this far, imagine what will happen when we do get to the real heart of our sound.
Tetsu, since this band is your “baby,” I bet seeing them grow this much this fast is very gratifying for you.
Tetsu: It is. But at the same time, I feel like the closer we get to our ideal, the higher the bar keeps getting raised. And I think I’ll always feel that way.
Hyde: Really? I always hoped someday we could reach that ideal.
Pero: But if we did, there’d be no reason for us to continue performing, would there?
Hyde: But since that ideal is so ridiculously out of reach, I just thought it was a nice, romantic dream that we might get there someday. But anyway, right now the most important thing is to make this the best band we possibly can. Once we’ve done that, then we can take time to think about those things.
So what are the prospects for L’Arc~en~Ciel?
Hyde: For the time being we’re just going try and learn everything we can about how to succeed in this business. We want people to know who we are. And we want to shower every person that comes to see our shows in the colors of our rainbow.
I see. Well, finally, I’d like to ask each of you what your dream is.
Pero: To be the best band in Japan.
Hyde: I want to be able to project my emotions back to the farthest corners of the concert hall every time I’m onstage. And I want every last person in the room to feel what I’m feeling.
Tetsu: Actually, I don’t like to think about things far in advance like that. First I want to focus on the year ahead, and think about how we’re going to get the word out about the band. Before we do anything, we have to figure out how to become the best indie band in Japan.
Hokay, back to the kanji dictionary.