Shoxx 236 - Reita & Kai interview

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 2
REITA // KAI

Interviewer: When you want to try talking about the GazettE's sound the presence of the low tune composed by the bass and the drums is extremely important. Speaking of DIVISION, in which way was this low tune sound created? Weren't there a lot more difficult aspects than in TOXIC?

Reita: Mah, the bass itself -as instrument- is originally an instrument that produces low sound but for sure starting with TOXIC its role became more and more important. Depending on the progress of each song, there's the necessity to play deeper and lower sounds than before.

Interviewer: Since different types of tunes were added in the low tune, the solemn feeling of the whole stereo image increased.

Reita: Since the low sound is not only originated from the bass, I think that the synergic feeling is important too. The low sound is produced from the kick part of the drums [1] and from guitars. For sure the low sound is unexpectedly a really strong additional element.

Interviewer: Saying even additional.

Reita: Well you see, for example in halls, when we are doing lives, the low secondary sound produced mixes with the sound inevitably resonating on the walls and things like that. The presence of the so called low sound -which can be called both supplement and basic sound, thanks to the creation of this album, made me ponder on the meaning of the presence of the bass.

Interviewer: In the end, did you manage to get a clear answer?

Reita: No, the solution didn't come out. *bitter laugh* At this point, the things I can try, I mean to do them all in this album. But is this in the end the answer? If it's like that, than the topic would be different.

Kai: I think it's really a difficult topic. The low sound is not something that comes out itself, because it's something that all members of a band have to possess. Examining deeper the topic, it's not only mine's and Reita's problem.

Reita: I just didn't want to make an excuse out of that. Since I'm in charge of the bass, the feeling of responsibility in taking-charge of the low sound became, day after day, stronger and I think I poured the fruits of this in DIVISION in dribs and drabs.

Interviewer: Far from 'in dribs and drabs'! I perceive a huge change as listener. With the sound too which became completely clear, the contrast of the low pass [2] became clear too.

Reita: Ah, It probably became clearer if you compare it to TOXIC. Saying it easy, before the flow of low sounds was rough, let's say that now it should be much easier to listen to it.

Interviewer: The deep sound of TOXIC creates an atmosphere of chaos, that was commendable.

Reita: That's true. Personally, I like that not-so-refined sound a lot too. *laugh* It's extremely and definitely pleasant the sound of the bass and it's pleasant to play it. This doesn't mean that I didn't want to use that kind of sound.

Interviewer: In a few words there was a conflict?

Reita: Exactly, to be hones it certainly was! Putting aside this personal interest, when I thought which sound would fit the best this album, in the end the answer came naturally and it was that probably a clear sound was the best without any doubts.

Interviewer: I see. So, Kai-kun, in your case: to which things did you pay attention while creating this album?

Kai: Speaking of which! At first, there weren't things that made me say "to what is better to pay attention?" per se. *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: Does this mean you fumbled?

Kai: To say the truth it was like this. Especially for DISC 2, since there was the theme "I'd like to do some new quality things in the GazettE". I started in a condition in which no-one, no even me, new the right answer.

Interviewer: In that chase, did you manage to exploit the know-how you acquired until now?

Kai: Sometimes we did. However, the way of thinking until now started from "anyway as first thing: recording drums with a good sound", this time I gave great importance to the ideal situation in order to record the sound of the drums as base (for the whole song) in the best way. At the same time, since that this time lots of sounds were added -more than in TOXIC-, it was necessary to think about a way of balance with them. Moreover, since these inputs were temporary even during the drum recording, I couldn't grasp the complete form in the phase while I was playing.

Interviewer: Does this mean that in your head you didn't do a kind of simulation?

Kai: However there was a limit. After I finished playing, since other members still didn't understand the exact passages and which kind of sound will be added, as first thing we focused only in recording a perfect sound and creationing a form that could fit in the sound of the drums to it. Later, we changed frequencies and etc. Without any doubts this were the recordings in which we faced unknown things.

Interviewer: It seems that opening a new way was harder than we -as third persons- could ever imagine.

Kai: No.. we proceeded at trial and errors more than we thought. *laugh* However, doing an album together.. I think that in the future there will be for sure a bond. Making of this a basis, we could go on with our next work. Moreover, that doesn't mean that we roamed around without reasons, because in the meantime the fruits we obtained are really a lot.

Interviewer: I would be happy if you could explain us which kind of fruits in a practical way.

Reita: Without any doubts, the most important was for sure realizing once again that if we make a solid sound -not influenced by any other factors- we play safe. Processing the so called "perfect sound" as soon as you do a not so refined atmosphere, even if you can dye it with different colors.. this is on the contrary something really hard to do. This time I understood that there's nothing superior than a simple sound.

Kai: In addition, the thing that there's a leg to stand on in the value of things, that was a discover to us. The studio that engineers advised us was really expensive. *laugh* However, since it was expensive, the feeling of release when we made the sound and the room feeling was completely different from any others.

Interviewer: Was it a studio in which it was easy feeling a sensation of being in the place of the real sound?

Kai: It was a studio in which it was possible to take out the resonances of the sounds in the finest details. In conduction with this kind of natural ambient feeling, this time it was Aoi who said he wanted to feel this feeling even more, since even the passage of cymbal sound was excellent, that satisfied even me. If you don't think about the price.. *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: If you managed to take out a perfect sound, let's think about it as 'priceless'.

Kai: You are right. Since that -through feeling the personal experience of a recording of a prodigious drums- I understood that you can do lots of things even in a normal studio, this was an experience of huge value.

Interviewer: I think that naturally every song is like a cute baby raised with the finest and tenderest care but I'd like each of you to tell the piece that you especially appreciate and that makes you say "I managed to do something I never did before".

Reita: For me it was Kago no Sanagi from DISC 1. It's a Kai's song but since he let me do freely what I wanted, I could play it using both pick and fingers. Even in the middle of the song, the part in which the bass is introduced and than it continues with the acustic guitar sound, at first it shouldn't be there. However, I suddenly had this idea and I ended up adding it. *laugh*

Kai: I like that part a lot!!

Reita: Even if the phrase seems a bit old-fashioned.

Kai: No, on the contrary it's excellent. *laugh*

Interviewer: According to you, Kai-kun, which is the song in which you feel like you did something you never did before?

Kai: Something I never did before? Mmmhh which should it be?

Interviewer: Listening to it, REQUIRED MALFUNCTION from DISC 2, I think that the drumming is extremely interesting?

Kai: Ahh, those two basses?

Interviewer: Exactly. It attacks in a sharp way and I think it's cool!!

Kai: It's ok it's cool but during lives how could I play it? That's the matter. *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: You created a music of huge quality so you'll have to fight against the pressure.

Kai:: Speaking of songs in DISC 2, in our next tour I wasn't sure if I should play them using a drum pad [3] or with the normal drum.

Interviewer: If you used the past it means you already took a decision?

Kai: Yes. At first I thought I didn't have any other choice than using the drum pad. However, since I thought that the raw sound not only is close to the digital sound from the equipment but that playing drums in the parts -in which dovetails perfectly in the middle of the raw sound- you can better express DIVISION's world, I decided that this time I'd played live [4].

Interviewer: What a great resolution!

Kai: It was really important the fact that other members spurred me in a steady way. Who broke the ice first was Uruha. Then Reita told me "if in lives we can't take out a raw sound, we can't call us a band, can we?" too. And since in the end everyone agreed with me, I was determined to do it too.

Interviewer: That's really an amazing episode!

Reita: I think "thank godness" too. If it was only about reproducing faithfully the original music, for sure it would be better to use the drum pad during lives or delivering the sounds added as they are, but we are a rock band! Moreover, for the fact that we are celebrating our 10th anniversary, we have to stay faithful to the "sound of the 5 of us".

Interviewer: And with that I'm really impatient for the fall DIPLOSOMIA 01 tour.

Kai: From now on the big topic will be if we could manage to fuse our sound with the digital elements.

Reita: In a good way, I've the feeling that in this tour the condition of 'constant restlessness' will go on. Probably, it will be a tour that we'll face with a feeling of distress and we'll probably create a much more artistic atmosphere from an optical point of view too.


[1] Bass drum
[2] Passes bass
[3] Practice pad
[4] With 'live' he meant with a normal drums, not the drum pad.







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