Aoi (3/3) - Groan of Diplosomia 01 Pamphlet

GOD PAMPHLET
AOI abrasion
Interview

Interviewer: So did you get your head together?

Aoi: Who knows… however, I deeply hate going to conbinis. The day I'll meet someone while doing shopping in a conbini, I'll be really depressed. *laugh*

Interviewer: Someone.. are you talking about fans?

Aoi: Exactly. It's easy that just when I'm doing shopping there, I meet them. *laugh* I wonder why is that. *laugh*

Interviewer: Since they are fans who came to the live, I think the time you do this kind of things in the end it coincide for the both of you.

Aoi: Probably. Since I don't want to get out of the hotel, I stock up. For example, when we stay in the same hotel for two nights, I stock up for two days. So if people saw me, they could think "does he eat so much?" *laugh*

Interviewer: Moreover, people who drinks alcohol buy it in big quantities, don't they?

Aoi: Exactly, I buy a lot. Even buying alcohol is a pain so I buy packs of them. *laugh* They'll think "how much does he drink?" *laugh* It's something I hate. It's a good chance to tell you, since during tours I don't go every evening shopping at conbinis, I'd like you to understand something: even if you see me there, please pretend you didn't. *laugh*

Interviewer: I want you to understand that, eh. *laugh* The fact that you go around for taverns, bars doesn't mean you are the kind of person who enjoys the taste of different places?

Aoi: Not so much. Since I usually go to Izakayas. If -going into the right place- there are different things is the best… I don't do things like.. going around and looking for a place so I can drink different things. Above all I want to drink. *laugh* And then, while you're looking for a drink, couldn't you already drink a shot? *laugh*

Interviewer: You're seasoned… which is the alcohol you like the most?

Aoi: Recently as first thing is beer, then I really like Shochu [1]. In the past I said Whisky but I grew tired of that. *laugh* Now I say "Shochu is the best!" *laugh*

Interviewer: Shouchu, it'd be a good thing if it's not left over.

Aoi: Really? I leave it over.

Interviewer: … isn't it maybe because you drink a lot of it?

Aoi: Ahh you think? *laugh* Since whisky's flavor is strong, it happens that you grew tired of it and you can reduce it. While for Shochu ..you can drink your fill. *laugh* I can even say that each part of my body perspire alcohol by now. *laugh*

Interviewer: Wanting to drink your fill with alcohol easy to drink is something of heavy drinkers, isn't it?

Aoi: I want to drink a lot of it by now. *laugh* Then, when I wake up the next morning, my throat is super dry. *laugh*

Interviewer: It's better if you put near your pillow some water when you sleep.

Aoi: Of course, I always do that. *laugh* When I come back from bars, I absolutely buy water. However, sometimes it happened I forgot and the next morning I felt like shit. *laugh*

Interviewer: I feel you. *laugh* In the end you drink tap water.

Aoi: I do, I do. *laugh* I normally drink it by now. *laugh* Having such a dry throat is so terrible it can't be described. *laugh*

Interviewer: Please, don't forget to buy water, ok? So you get drunk… how can I sau… not speaking of Izakayas, is there a food you absolutely eat when you go into a place?

Aoi: Hokkaido's Ebi [2] ramen. It's not that I want to eat it but I really like it and other members too. That's why we usually go and eat it. It's in those moments that we go all together eating or when we party the end of something.

Interviewer: For bands who holds together for such a long time, such a thing seems natural.

Aoi: Probably. It doesn't mean we don't get along well but if you always stay together you end up feeling suffocated. Of course everyone's taste is different. Fans usually say "isn't it better to go with the other members?", I answer "No, It's not." It's worst to force ourselves and go out eating together. I want to say this too taking advantage from this interview.

Interviewer: Respecting each one of your individuality is the pillar that allows a band to hold together for such a long time, isn't it? Aoi-san, aren't there food you would like to eat?

Aoi: When we go to Osaka, I absolutely eat Takoyaki. To say the truth I only eat Takoyaki. *laugh* After drinking, there's a Takoyaki restaurant open till morning. It's good too. *laugh* They don't pour sauce, instead it's mixed with the broth. It seems it's really famous. But I forgot the name of the place. *laugh*

Interviewer: Eeeh?? You can't remember it?

Aoi: I can't. When I go to Osaka, I always go there having fun with members of bands of the place. So, after I drank like a fish I asked "isn't there a Takoyaki restaurant?" and they said there's only that place opened. In a few words, since there's just that place open, I eat Takoyaki only there. *laugh* But it's good!

Interviewer: If you'll remember the name, please let me know. So, during tours, do you do something? Like paying attention to your physical?

Aoi: I don't.

Interviewer: I thought "would it be rude if I ask"? It seems there are a lot of people that during tours go running or do muscle training.

Aoi: Eh….

Interviewer: What does "eh…" mean? *laugh* Then, you can have plenty of sleep.

Aoi: Not at all. Everybody says to me "since you don't care of your body, wouldn't it break dawn sooner or later?" *laugh* Not thinking too much is the most important thing. *laugh* Even if I don't care, my body will be ok. On the contrary, when I go back to Tokyo, its conditions get worst. *laugh* Moreover, during tour even if I drink till morning, I still have to work and couldn't it happened that they could forbid drinking to me? That's what worries me a lot. *laugh* That's why during tours no matter how terrible the hangover Is, I try and avoid to be late at the live's hall or I do my best not to show how tired I am. And when manager says to me "Aoi-san, please control yourself." I get a hold on myself. *laugh* Sometimes it happens I wake up late but not as in the past.

Interviewer: During tours, isn't it normal since the flowing of the day is set up? Maybe that's why your body doesn't break down.

Aoi: It could be. However, I really feel like shit in the morning. *laugh* I've nausea and my body feels heavy. Moreover, I think I stink of alcohol quite a lot. However during the live, the alcohol goes away too with the sweat. When the lives end, I feel again my strength back and I want to drink again. *laugh* I say like "Ah, I've to fuel!" *laugh*

Interviewer: You're the sample of a rock musician. *laugh* Did it happen at least once during the tour that you felt extremely bad and did a live in really bad conditions?

Aoi: Maybe never. However, I'm thinking about how to sleep properly in bed. *laugh* Covering myself up really well with the futon. *laugh* If I'm at home, I just throw myself on the bed and I fell asleep like that. *laugh* That's why I catch a cold. Since I know it, I try and pay attention during tours. I try to do at least this well. *laugh*

Interviewer: The hotel is dry and since the air-conditioning works perfectly, I think this is great.

Aoi: True, when it's cold but even in plain summer I feel cold. Moreover, when I feel I'm getting a cold, I take the medicines they give me in the morning. It's better to take them as soon as possible, so they have an effect. I took Loxonins [3] but when I do it my head hurts because of the hangover. *laugh* Loxonis is the best. *laugh* Even if I'd go to the doctor, they'll prescribe me only Loxonis in big quantities. *laugh*

Interviewer: You reached the end of the line, eh? *laugh* Is there something you absolutely have to do before lives?

Aoi: Recently it happens that I play guitar. And then I do some light bending and stretching exercises. Uruha does some accurate stretching, he prepares the mat and do it there.

Interviewer: Is it ok if you suddenly head-bang without doing stretching or similar before?

Aoi: It's just one of those things. *laugh* You get whiplash. *laugh* But it never happened to me. Speaking of which, at least two times I exercised listening to a radio for gymnastic exercises. I think that's great. It makes you think good of it. The first lessons of gymnastic exercises at the radio is awesome… I know just the first one. *laugh* During summer holidays if you do it seriously, you sweat a lot, I don't know if doing it listlessly too. It's hard, at the beginning you're out of breath.

Interviewer: Ah.. even if you know that radio's gymnastic exercises are effective, how come you don't keep doing them?

Aoi: Well.. during the previous tour, there were lots of things to do before the live. When a lot of your time is taken away form these things, in the end the checking of the guitar comes first. But in the next tour I want to persevere with exercises at the radio. *laugh*

Interviewer: Absolutely do that. It seems you can dived artists among who -accumulating experience- consider lives as an extensions to their normal life and who consider the stage as a special place. What do you think about that?

Aoi: To say the truth, there were times I thought it was a real pain. But that was simply an egoistic behavior. Even now it happens it's a pain but I consider it something particular inside of me. Going on a stage is a fun but I'm afraid of it too. It's not fear like being nervous but how to convey everything to people watching me. Since I'm the kind of person who pays particular attention to that, I remember well fans' reaction. During previous lives this opinion come out too and now I'm wondering if everything will be alright. Fans who speak about music are really nit-picking. Sometimes they are out of place but generally they're right. Critics from those fans are really painful. *laugh* However, I'm happy because it means there are some people who listen to us with passion. Lately, these kind of fans are increasing and I want to respond well to their expectations. When I think about that, I can't go on stage as if it was an extension of my normal life.

Interviewer: Impressing. I think isn't the fun of a live going on stage with motivation and managing to take out the sound you wanted?

Aoi: In the past -during tours- I had the feeling like I was there by chance. Since then for sure there's a part of my way of thinking that hasn't changed. It doesn't mean I took it lightly but now the feeling is deeper. Moreover, each time I face the live with a precise pourpose. I pay more attention to how I could appear too. I'm sure if you come and see me live, I'll manage to convey the fact that I'm on stage with that awareness.



[1] Shōchū
[2] Ebi means prawn.
[3] Loxoprofen






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Aoi (2/3) - Groan of Diplosomia 01 Pamphlet

GOD PAMPHLET
AOI abrasion
Interview

Interviewer: Basically, even if you can play your solo without difficulties when you are home, when you play it live you are anxious, aren't you? *laugh*

Aoi: Exactly. At home, I actually think "I'm so good!!" *laugh* Maybe at lives I'm dragged in that kind of atmosphere.. ? Inside, I think the most challenging part is the guitar solo in YOIN. Besides the fact that it's not a simple solo, this time I want to bring it to the point of playing it with passion.

Interviewer: You're conveying us the fun of trying and do all of this. In order to face this tour, it seems you renewed the equipment you are going do you use, right?

Aoi: I completely replaced it!! It's without any doubts different from the one used for LIVE TOUR 11 VENOMOUS CELL. First of all, the amp, since for VENOMOUS CELL I used a CORNFORD amp, I think the sound too gave a modern feeling. Even if it was a bit high gain. Now I use a Divided by 13, which doesn't distort. Actually I used it 2 o 3 years ago, I stopped using it but now I'm doing it again. Moreover, I bought a Marshall that has the same age as me. It's a two input JCM-600 with master volume. That makes me really happy!! I like it a lot!

Interviewer: It's an original 2203, isn't it? People say that since it has a particular sound it's difficult to play.

Aoi: No, I think it's a great sound! It's the same model Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme used and I wanted one from the same period. When I found it, I immediately bought it. Even when I go to the studio and play I think "Marshall has a really great sound!" and then "Aahh, this is the sound!!". Even recently, a certain guitarist, who uses a modified Marshall, wrote a tweet "Guys, you don't know the real Marshall!!". It seems there's a place like a Marshall museum in Yamaguchi prefecture. Apparently the owner said that it's a big loss that no-one knows the real Marshall. For sure there's a Marshall in every rehearsal studio but aren't they overused amps and so not in good conditions? The ones used in live houses are like this too. It's the same for me. Since it happened to me to only play that kind of Marshalls, I didn't know the real sound. I thought the Marshall had a frail and not strong sound and that the way out of the sound was slow. But for the JCM-800 I bought, they did a complete maintenance and I've the feeling it's totally different from the Marshalls I played until now.

Interviewer: That was a really good investment!

Aoi: For sure! Moreover, in the past I thought that the sound when you directly plugged the guitar in an amp, which could distort, was the best. However, recently I learned to use both the distortion by the amp and the Effect units at the same time. [1]

Interviewer: Eh? Are you serious?

Aoi: Yes. *laugh* I didn't use comps at first. So now I'm a so called "normal guitarist" *laugh*. Like, I line up all comps with the distortion unit and the effect unit.. now, speaking of Multi Effector I just use the Delay audio effect. In the past I thought that arranging a lot of amp racks was the coolest thing to do but now I don't have that feeling anymore. Since now I can use the effect unit with the distortion unit, even with the JMC-800 the sound is easy to create.

Interviewer: Divided by 13 doesn't distort very much and the timber is vintage-kei but it's extremely Hi-Fi.

Aoi: Exactly. It's an extremely Hi-Fi sound. That's why I'm still not sure if using the Marshall or Divided by 13. I think I'll find the solution during the rehearsals for the tour. However, I didn't go for the fancy. In the past I used 3 or even 4 amps but now I usually end up with just one. *laugh* and it doesn't matter which amp you use, the distorted sound you create using the bucking and the crunch tone are the same. I thought of regulating the distortion with the guitar volume without changing the amp settings.

Interviewer: Really? Isn't it how guitarist from the 70s played?

Aoi: Exactly *laugh*. Uruha said "doing this kind of adjustment.. wouldn't it be hard during lives?" but I've the feeling that if I won't do in this way, there will be a sound that won't come out… that's why I even substituted the volume pot of the guitar. In the past, during lives a used a pot A turner in order not to change sound, even if the volume decreased when I hit it with my hand. Now, I decided to use a B turner, it changes the gain and the sound volume. In the past I used the multi-effects, the distortion using the baking, the crunch tone, the clean tone and I selected in details the sound for the solo but now I'm going towards an old style, let's say analogical. I hope that in this way it will be easier to apply the change to the songs. To say the truth, during the fanclub tour and the festival I did it shiftily. *laugh* In this way I've the feeling like not to touch it as usual. Even during rehearsals I realized that I was calibrating the sound with the volume in a natural way!! Since the extremely tricky sound and the clean tone are extremely different, I regulate the sound with the multi Fractal Audio system. The "wah-wah" and "whammy" effects, I play them directly with the amp. Let's say I resolved this way.

Interviewer: Don't you have the feeling the guitar is somewhat alive when you can regulate the sound with the guitar volume?

Aoi: I do! *laugh* I'd like you to experience this during a live.

Interviewer: In the next tour is important to pay attention to Aoi-san's right hand, isn't it? Moving on, let's speak about guitars!

Aoi: Recently I changed the pick up. How to say… it belongs to single coil [2] and humbucker [3] groups. I found the pick up that has a distortion like the Humbucker but it remains the typical sound of the single coil. I bought the Bill Lawrence pick up privately and I had it shipped to my house. The guitar I use is the same one, however since I changed the pick up it has a different attitude. The sound is more real and catchy. I looked for so long for a good Humbucker with the dimensions of the single coil but I couldn't find it. One like that was made by ESP but I wasn't convinced. So I tried the Bill Lawrence and when I did, a melodious sound came out! It hit me so much that I use it for all guitars.

Interviewer: It was a great sound 5 or 6 years ago, perfectly mixed with other musical instrument and it gave a deep feeling, now it changed for sure.

Aoi: Now that I finally perfectly understood the touch of the picking, the sound is real. I think that if I'll make kohai guitarists play with the set up I'm using now, they'll say it's extremely hard. Because it's a sound in which the impetuosity of the play is direct, moreover it's not fluid and it doesn't distort as it seems. I'm using a picking set like this. There's no doubt that the sound is extremely crystal clear. Moreover, the shade is different with Uruha's sound.

Interviewer: It seems like you are satisfied with your new equipment.

Aoi: Let's say yes. Speaking about Bill Lawrence PU, it's not much compatible with the multi Fractal Audio system multi-effects. When I play it directly with the amp the sound is really rich but if I use the multi effects, the timber changes. It doesn't matter if it's a good sound or not, the multi-effects create a multi sound anyway. Since the different timbers are more emphasized I can say it gives a security feeling but I think sometimes this is a disadvantage. That's why I find interesting that with a PU, a guitar and an amp the result doesn't change. However, I was a person that thought these things were too much trouble. But recently, since the sound I want to create is clear, now creating that sound is extremely funny.

Interviewer: You move on with something new. During lives, you alternate among different guitars, what what's their utility?

Aoi: Actually I'd like to use just one guitar. However, since the GazettE uses different tuning, I've to do it this way. Who knows if there's a main guitar..

Interviewer: You have a lot recently, but is there one with which you can create a standard sound?

Aoi: There is! Actually two, the A-III in which the Synchro arm is installed [4] and the snakeskin A-III[5]. They create a sound that suits me, how to say.. now the sound is much more mild. Then there's the completely black A-III I recently created, with that one too I'm managing to create a sound which conveys a great feeling.

Interviewer: Among the original models you created with ESP, you care more for the A-III than the 艶~en~[6], don't you?

Aoi: Yes. But I use the 艶~en~ too. It's just that for the 艶~en~ the body material is different. For the others is alder, but fort the 艶~en~ if we used alder, the sound would be light, I had the feeling that high would be too hight. That's why its body is in mahogany. So for these 4 guitars we make tunings different for each one of them and then I play them for songs. However, when people usually ask me "which is your main guitar?" I usually answer "The ESP Forest[7] I use at home." *laugh*

Interviewer: Is it the guitar you are using since a long time?

Aoi: Exactly. It's a model for sale, it's the Forest in which a Hambucker is generally installed *laugh*. No, at home I don't use models created by me. I use the Forest to practice, let's say that it's probably the guitar I use the most *laugh*. However, since my models became interesting, right now I'm making guitars to play at home.

Interviewer: When you're done, please show them. Going on, I'd like to ask you things about the tour and such. During the tour, you go around a lot in the cities?

Aoi: I'm the kind of person who goes around in taverns, bars. Or I lock myself inside the hotel. However, I generally go out drinking. When I don't go out drinking, it's because I can't catch the manager. *laugh*

Interviewer: I.. I see. *laugh* During our off days don't you go out sightseeing?

Aoi: I don't. When we move from one place to an other, once we arrive, I don't say anything if not "Is there a tavern/bar?" *laugh*

Interviewer: There aren't cities without taverns or bars. *laugh*

Aoi: No no. Sometimes I found them. Near the hotel there's nothing… just darkness. *laugh*

Interviewer: When it's like this there's no choice...

Aoi: I stay mad in bed. *laugh* Or I buy sake in the hotel but then I want to go to a Izakaya [8]. However, there are moments I'm tired of this. *laugh* Thinking about the past, I'm less attached to the fact of going out drinking.



[1] Effects pedal
[2] Single coil - for a strong sound.
[3] Humbucker - for a full-bodied sound.
[4] The third one.
[5] This one.
[6] The first one from the right.
[7] This one.
[8] Izakaya






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