Shoxx 235 - Album interview

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 1
#1 disorganization

Interviewer: First of all, DIVISION is an album you are going to release after a short time -10 months- from TOXIC. This should be something quite unusual for the GazettE. How did you feel it?

Aoi: Mah, after the phase when the tour ended, we decided to do the next album and we all unexpectedly flow in that mood.

Interviewer: In such a short-time development, didn't you felt hard-pressed?

Aoi: How was it? I think it depends on people.

Kai: Ahh, maybe it was like that. *laugh*

Aoi: As for me, maybe I actually felt hard-pressed between one thing and another. *bitter laugh* But on the contrary, I think that it went well more or less.

Interviewer: Aoi-san, in your case, during the phase just before entering the production of DIVISION, did you get a sense of something?

Aoi: In the end, since doing even an album when we were preparing for our 10th anniversary, maybe thanks to this I realized that. In particular, speaking of me, since I'm not the type of person who can't really flow fast from one thing to an other, from the point of view of music creation, I thought "It would be better if I do think 'normally'?" in the same way I did in these 10 years?

Interviewer: Speaking of songs with a renewed system, did you entrust them to the other members?

Aoi: See? I don't have the basics for that type of music. *laugh*. Even if I do songs like the GazettE are doing right now, with digital elements, they will become fake. It's something I don't like. *laugh* For this reason, I thought about creating songs appropriate to the nub of these years according my way of being. Moreover, from the beginning we talked about making an album split in two, so wouldn't it be possible to introduce the two extremities in their fullness?

Interviewer: I see. Speaking of that, Uruha-kun, at first what kind of position did you take for moving towards the direction of the new work?

Uruha: Actually, when we finished TOXIC, there was a part of me that felt something was missing. It's just that when I first realized what we were doing recordings were over. So, this time, when we had to do the next work I thought "isn't it the case that we do something refined, examining things deeper than the last time?"

Interviewer: However, after you finished TOXIC, even during the tour VENOMOUS CELL, it seems that you showed sides that you wanted to investigate again, didn't it?

Uruha: Yes, that too. Naturally, both for TOXIC and tour production, it's true that we did things when they had to be done, but despite that we thought about various things like "aah it would have been better like this" or "if we did more like in this way it would have been better". *bitter smile* This time we wanted to take a direction we could say "we completed it!"

Interviewer: Moreover, to Uruha too, the fact of following the essence of these 10 years with this work made you realize something?

Uruha: For this album on one side, we improved and refined sides that the GazettE did until one, on the other side -since we are examining new sides deeper- there's that feeling that maybe what we are going to take out is that essence. On the contrary, if this album was constituted by only the new things, probably a part of us would have made a stand.

Interviewer: So, were there hesitations regarding 'til what point was it better to be detached?

Uruha: Exactly. Even for listeners, if we had released suddenly a work only made by unilateral things, they would have probably felt confused. From this point of view, since DIVISION shakes in both cases, in creating it there wasn't at all a feeling of confusion.

Interviewer: It's awesome that you managed to flow to both the extremes feeling at ease.

Uruha: It's becoming an album with an unique form and I think this is the perfect solution for this album.

Ruki: There's the Regular Edition too in which the song order is different (from the Limited), the songs of the two CDs are assembled. On us part, we'd like you to listen the order of the Limited Edition since in this way the meaning of DIVISION would be completely conveyed. Of course the price is a bit high. However, from the point of view of the content, videos had been added and then the cover, basically only for this it's worth it.

Interviewer: I see. Good, I'd like to ask you questions about the phase before the recording, I mean I would like to talk about the meeting for choosing the songs. I think that for such a high number of songs it didn't ended in only one time, did it?

Ruki: Ah, in the end we had two meetings. To say the truth, I wanted to decide everything just in one time. However, since the first time we had a meeting to gather all songs, we had to finish everything during the second meeting.

Uruha: Rather, thinking about it, we're always taking that turn. *laugh*

Ruki: So by now, it's like saying from the beginning that we'll do it in two meetings. *laugh*

Interviewer: This time, how many songs did each of you prepared?

Aoi: They were 3?

Uruha: How many? Since I deleted lot of songs, I don't quite remember how many I prepared. Mm, I think they were around 5.

Ruki Weren't they 7 or something like that?

Interviewer: Speaking of songs composed by Uruha, in which side of the album are they the most?

Uruha: As first thing, until now the sang-like songs [1], in which there's a stance enlargement, are only one. However, after I managed to finish it, I had some kind feeling of division. Thinking that the electro elements were a lot and they made friction, I composed it like I was doing a new song. Moreover, during the presentation phase I realized that it became a more maniac song than I thought. *laugh*

Ruki: However, the thing that a song is maniac is usual. [2] *laugh*

Aoi: Exactly, since a long time. *laugh*

Ruki: Generally, during meetings for songs, when we first listen to a (Uruha's) demo, on our head a "?" appears. It's like that as soon as the rhythm begins we can't follow it anymore. *laugh*

Kai: Exactly, just like that *laugh*. The first thing I worry about is "how should I play this song?".

Reita: I know how you feel. *laugh*

Interviewer: Probably, Uruha-kun, you basically like songs that are structurally hard.

Uruha: Of course I like adding hooks in the accompaniment of the melody. I think "Doing it like this.. doesn't it become more interesting?", "Probably in this way there's a feeling of a development like never before", but when I try and do it, it becomes like that (maniac). *laugh* Moreover, an other reason is that I'm composing songs with my PC.

Interviewer: Through human faculties, if you can try one's hand at datas [3], immediately even difficult things come to life.

Uruha: From that point of view, I think there are moments in which I really overdo.

Interviewer: Reita, when you get in touch with the songs written by other members, what kind of feeling did you have?

Reita: About Aoi's songs, I just thought that it was for sure typical of Aoi. Uruha's songs left an impression like "in which side can we put this?", he said it too. Moreover, at first we talked about divide in two CDs the sang-like songs and impetuous songs. Even if we decided that, we were wandering where this song should have been added.

Interviewer: I didn't know there was this suggestion.

Ruki: However, thinking about it.. if -sharing the songs in two CDs- we did one with only sang-like songs, wouldn't it have an odd feeling? *bitter laugh* From the point of view of role balance, I think that the distribution of this work is perfect. Because even if you listen to the edition with only one CD in which songs are gathered together, it gives the feeling of an excellent flow.

Interviewer: Moreover, in this work a song composed by Kai -who didn't compose since Ganges ni aka bara- is recorded. I'd like to hear once again what the one concerned has to say.

Kai: No, if we have to say who was surprised by that, well the first one to be surprised is me. *laugh* When I introduced it at the meeting, I didn't feel anything except anxiety. I'd like to thank the others for listening in silence 'til the end of my song. They didn't laugh softly and it wasn't decided its inserting in half listening.

Interviewer: You're really modest.

Kai: No, really. I, unlike the others, am not yet at the level to be able to present a song consolidating its view perfectly. I was really happy when the others got catched by something despite hearing it in a condition in which even I -who composed it- couldn't see the complete form.

Interviewer: Kai-kun, in your demo, didi you personally play the guitar?

Kai: Generally, the melody, guitar, drums and bass, I all create them myself with the keyboard. If I have to be earnest, beside drums, I can't really play if not extremely simple things. For this reason, speaking of my songs, even if they are accepted in the meeting, from that moment on it's really difficult. This time too, during pre-production [4], other members helped me a lot. *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: You took maximum vantage from the credits of a band which commit itself in one song with everyone's abilities improving it.

Kai: Nonetheless, it's not good to always disturb other members. For this reason, from now on, I want to try and study way of composing and arrangements.

Interviewer: Who took care of the producing speaking of the songs of this album is Ruki. As composer, with which attitude you managed to face the meeting at first?

Ruki: During the first meeting, I couldn't show all the songs, frankly speaking I was scared. The impatience became really big for not being able to finish all songs despite I had time for it.

Aoi: See? Even if you are in the period when you compose songs, you think you have time and you end up resting. *laugh*

Ruki: Exactly! Exactly! If there's the intention of composing, when I can't take it anymore I think "What's the heck!" and since I sleep and rest, in the end I don't keep going on at all. *bitter laugh* For this reason, at first, even if we gathered the songs everyone made, we didn't reach at all the necessary number to make two CDs.

Interviewer: On the contrary, you can say that from that moment, the final phase were excellent.

Ruki: From the point of view of the flow, we did the first part which is DISC 1 and we gather the typical songs of the GazettE from the beginning until today, in the second meeting finally songs for DISC 2 were there. Even if we first chose the concept and then the parallelism of two CDs, it took time to create the content.

Interviewer: Then, arrangements and pre-productions took place without difficulties?

Aoi: Comparing them to the past, I got the impression that these phases were quite simple. Even the atmosphere was more or less a really friendly one. *laugh*

Reita: It's just that, since the passages -during which the sound of the bass was low- were really a lot, there were moments when it was a bit hard doing it.

Interviewer: Basically, bass is an instrument with a low sound but probably from the point of view of sound make, there were lots of phrasings in which low-pass were more accentuated than in the past.

Reita: Lately, there are lots of points in which the sound of the bass has to stay lower than the one of the drums' kick. If the sound is low, it seems that the bass sound is buried from the others. In a situation like that, speaking of sound pressure, it supports the base of the song but this time we used so many times the low sound that it was hard to understand the detailed parts. Speaking of which, it was recordings who made me think again, while doing it, "what's the meaning in adding such a low sound?"

Interviewer: Basically you wandered the meaning in taking out such a low sound now, right?

Reita: For example, even if the sound frequency will be lowered, it doesn't mean that this is easily conbeyed to the listener. This time, I bought a Cabinet amp with a more powerful calibration than usual and I tried to take out a sound even if, speaking of frequency, it wasn't so low.

Interviewer: I think yours was a right choice. Especially, there's the feeling that the sound resonates with a perfect timing.

Reita: Really? Well, there were some unexpected things. At first, since I heard that some alterations to the drums sound would be made afterwards, I created the sound in view of that alterations. However, in the end, since the sound of the drums wasn't over modified, the result is that we recorded without doing the simulations for the sound fulfillment. Personally, this was a really hard moment for me.

Interviewer: I understand.

Kai: As for me, in the end I had to record in a condition in which I didn't know -for a good amount of time- how the sound of the drums would go. Anyway, even if we had modified the sound consequently, it ended up recording a sound not good with the song. So, since there would have been the division in two CDs, before thinking how the sonority could have been, I first thought to do a play giving my best in the sound I thought it better adapted to this song.

Reita: Form me it's a bit different. Since I focus in order to take out a particular sound of the bass as melodic instrument as in DISC 1, in DISC 2 it's like a rhythmic instrument. I try in this way to perceive my own efficacy.

Aoi: Mah, anyway the sound creation wasn't a difficult thing. Even if you have a direction to which you want to go to, you can't say for sure 'til what point it's better to break in. Even if you do terrific things, it ends up out of control or, if you give more attention to details, you can't take out a clear variation. Seeing it in this way, didn't we manag as a band to land our feed on a good landing?

Interviewer: Through DIVISION, the things you managed to obtain seem a lot.

Uruha: When we did TOXIC, the phase, during which we finally started to comprehend it, was the moment we finished it. In the case of this album, it was 'til the mix and that was when we finally comprehended everything. Until that point, even if we thought about doing the same thing, that is harmonizing the band with digital sounds, we had the impression that in some points we didn't manage to do it. The important thing is not the fact that it's totally wrong thinking that 'the band becomes digital' or that 'digital sounds and the band blend'.

Interviewer: Does it mean that for DIVISION the choice fell on the second one, doesn't it?

Uruha: If it wasn't like this, the meaning of doing it as the GazettE will lose. Even if the sound of the band would have been changed in something digital, if it was something good it would have been ok. However, without going till that point, we wanted to create a sound of the new the GazettE through the fusion of digital sounds with the band.

Interviewer: In a few words, you wanted to try the methodology of the first one too?

Uruha: We tried just to be sure. During guitar recording we tried to use a mechanic sound. However, since it was too flat it wasn't good. The tendency of what we wanted to do could have been conveyed anyway, but in the end if this should could have been good or not, it's an other thing. Speaking of this type of experience, we realized that there could have been the possibility that the digital sound has been misunderstood.

Interviewer: This are words with a deep meaning.

Uruha: In the end, the fusion with digital sound was realer than usual and the recording of the digital sound through a Lossless was the quickest way. So, even if the nature of the direction of the final outcome is different, from the point of view of the way of guitar recording, both in DISC 1 and DISC 2, is the same.

Interviewer: Music has a really deep meaning.

Uruha: Speaking of this work, when I understood the solution, I didn't work approaching it but I tried to reach the correct answer. I went from one corner to the other following hypothesis and in the end I luckily found the correct interpretation. Discussing various times allowed me to know once again what others think and this gave lots of results, more than I expected.

Interviewer: Since the ingenuity of each member gave results, the perfection of the sound of DIVISION is extremely vivid. The deep sound created from the instrumental team and the clear vocal line. As band sound, didn't it bring to an ideal sound?

Ruki: However, during vocal recording I think I maybe did something wrong. I didn't use the usual vocal microphone but the one for base recording.

Interviewer: Is there a reason for this?

Ruki: It's because I wanted a low effect. When I record with the usual microphone, when the compressor is applied, the sound is then smoothed and it seems like the sound of my voice is that my nose is always clogged. This time I wanted to solve this problem so I tried to use a different microphone since i wanted the low as they were and raising the high. However, on the contrary there's a feeling like my voice has a deaf sound. This thing, said by me honestly in an interview is a defectiveness. *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: No, no, it's not like that. On the contrary, I have the feeling that vocal tracks in this album have been recorded marvelously.

Ruki: Of course. I think that for shouts this microphone is the best. But for the rest.. naturally, during the mix process I completed all the things that mattered to me and what I could raise I did, but for sure it would have been better if I did it as usual during recording. And then, there's the thing that I was stuck into something: that inside of me is emerging too much the vocal. I don't like it at all.. the fact that the lyrics come first.

Interviewer: I know that you basically adopt this type of attitude. But, do you think it's a good thing that with this there's a feeling of attack?

Ruki: Are you serious? Mah, in the end I convinced myself too. From now on, I'll chose with more attention the microphone. *laugh*

Interviewer: However, now the readers haven't been brushed yet by the sound of DIVISION. In the end, if you want to say something to raise everybody expectations not much before the release?

Kai: At first recordings started with lots of concern *laugh*, but in the end, with faith in ourselves we managed to finish the album. From now on, the topic will be how do them live.

Uruha: This time we created for the first time a concept album and I think it's an excellent creative work. It was an important experience managing to create this rich and captivating work and that we managed to reach really deep points.

Reita Since DIVISION in the end is a complete work that doesn't include only sound but videos too, we can't wait too for you to listen to it.

Ruki: Even if I know that songs are excellent, exactly because it's a period in which you wander "can you realize as package something with a really high perfection?" ..we give lot of importance to this. I want to give you a CD with a worth. However, I'm sorry, but it's not on clearance sale.

Aoi We kept going on doing new things, the band is consolidating and since we make music for 10 years you can listen to us peacefully. We managed to create an imposing sound. *laugh*


[1] He meant songs in which the sing part has the main role and the instruments have to follow the voice and not otherwise.
[2] Typical of Uruha.
[3] He meant composing music with the computer.
[4] Pre-production




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