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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Shoxx 236 - Uruha & Aoi interview

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 2
URUHA // AOI

Interviewer: In occasion of DIVISION creations, the guitar team introduced new methodologies in the phase of creating sound.

Uruha: Until TOXIC we created the sound which was added by guitar technicians who thought about coordinating everything about instrumentation. However, this time we worked together with a tuning specialist. More than creating sound focusing on the equipment, as first thing we gave particular importance to sonority and the tension of guitar strings.

Interviewer: Which was in first place the reason of this choice of proceeding?

Uruha: Because the musical pieces in which we used an abundance of A tuning increased. In order to do it, there were various points we had to review.

Interviewer: I see. For this reason, now more than ever, you opted for a lower tuning rather than a regular one. Speaking of which, the effects, which can be perceived working with a specialist, what kind of effects are, concretely speaking?

Uruha: As I thought, the tension feeling actually stabilized. We used thicker gauges [1] and changed a little the way of changing strings, I thought "who knows if it will be different?". Naturally, even from the point of view of changing sound, it became a bit better with more tension. However, during the exhibition it's harder than before to play pulling strings [2].

Aoi: To say it simpler, generally speaking it became easier to play than before.

Interviewer: In other words, during recordings you can focus only on the execution.

Uruha: Exactly. Speaking of the instrumentations, both Aoi and I buy what we like and we use them constantly. Even more important, during recordings thanks to the improvement of guitar condition, we managed to create a situation in which we can pull out a sound without any stress.

Interviewer: For this album, the contents of DISC 1 and DISC 2 are different, about that, were there points that you as guitarists found hard in particular?

Aoi: I think there weren't. Unexpectedly, everything went on as usual.

Uruha: Exactly. The atmosphere changes from song to song but that doesn't mean that the guitar approach in both DISCs is different till that point.

Aoi: Speaking of the sound nature of both parts, since no matter which the song was, Uruha elaborated a certain path and I followed an other. Since Uruha is a person who's seriously studying the sound, I've nothing to say about what he proposes. *laugh* Only for very particular parts we consulted and work went smoothly from the beginning until the end.

Uruha: And then, in the mixing part, an original point is the big sound transformation.

Aoi: Maybe it's a rough way to say it but we recorded with "a sound that we can do as we want in the future".

Uruha: If we record a refined sound really original and typical of guitars, we can later add it combining it with the songs. For this reason, it was necessary to do a more hi-fi sound.

Interviewer: I see. In the last month interview Aoi said "a refined sound", was it about that?

Aoi: Exactly! Depending on the songs, the sound is distorted but the original sound is refined because it's high quality. We played all picking one by one with attention, during aggressive songs we played in an impetuous way.

Uruha: In the creation of this album the fundamental point was how to let the sound reach the listener even adding every kind of effect without any deterioration.

Interviewer: Actually, while listening to it I had the feeling that the clearness of the sound increased but behind that there was the fussiness of each member.

Uruha: To say something not important, we shortened as much as possible the gap of cave rewind.

Interviewer: This to shorten the so called electrical resistance.. doing like that aren't we going in a physics related topic?

Uruha: For sure. *laugh* Recently the staff say that "who can do and give importance to this kind of things is the GazettE".

Interviewer: I think that while you managed to produce a better sound, isn't there the fact that there are musical pieces that created an age [3] ? I would be happy if you could explain them concretely speaking one by one.

Uruha: It's a song I composed myself but the intro of GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS was really difficult. Since the tempo is terribly fast, when we started pre-production, the right hand couldn't follow the tempo. *bitter laugh* I managed to learn how to play it right before the recording. It's not at all a speech of a new age or something like that *laugh* But for me it was the first time I played a song that fast.

Aoi: Speaking of the executing phase I didn't do anything in particular. I committed myself to do a constant execution that could match the song.

Interviewer: So you had a craftsman attitude?

Aoi: No, at least not yet. Because I think that what I'm doing right now as the GazettE is the best worked, doing the minimum work. Mah, probably if I'll refine more I'll change again, I'm playing some high quality guitars but what I've to do now it's a perfect execution more than going on.

Interviewer: So you're giving more importance to the execution with the team instead of the exhibition itself.

Aoi: If I wouldn't do it, I would have the feeling that I'll be left behind. Little by little hard songs are increasing. Even GABRIEL gives a hard time. I reaaaaally didn't want to play it. *laugh*

Uruha: I don't want to play it. I think that the feeling when he play it, like "what the hell is this song!!", was similar to mine. Even if it's one of my songs. *laugh*

Aoi: AHAHAH *laugh* Since we can't do anything about it, we just have to play it.

Interviewer: In a certain way, the most important thing is facing it with an extremely positive attitude. *laugh*

Uruha: Even for HEADACHE MAN, previously composed, was like this but thanks to the fact of doing lives you learn to play them while moving. This change is really interesting and I think it will be good if even the songs of this album will evolve in the future.

Interviewer: At the same time, as listeners, I think that the fact that this is absolutely not an hermetic album is important. It's an elaborated work but the impact and the feeling of attack are really strong and you can see that it's a quite explicit piece of work.

Uruha: In us it's strong even the feeling of doing a work that appeals to the listener sensitivity.

Aoi: We have the certainty of letting a much clearer sound reach you too, something more real according to us.

Uruha: Let's suppose there are fruits from this works, which will they be?

Uruha: Creating a single product following a precise concept was the first experience but it was funny the process that lead all of us until all of this. Despite the fact we looked at the same direction, the way of thinking of each one of us were different, we talked about it and gathered our opinions… this whole process was interesting and it was really worth it. I've the feeling that us ourselves, in a certain way, met a new face of the GazettE.

Interviewer: Even more, I think that the GazettE is became a band with a incomparable existence feeling. Musically speaking, while you kept doing what you like and having such a strength of persuasion is something really rare.

Aoi: This is because it's a visual kei privilege. Since oddly in the walls of music genres, visual kei doesn't have a specific genre, if you want to do something you can do it.

Uruha: What we, as band, can say is that we absolutely won't change in the visual kei field but then.. sometimes it's just about doing things we found interesting.

Interviewer: This greed seems to encourage even more this work!

Aoi: However we said it already: "it's a band that's earning the best things." *laugh*

Interviewer: Does it mean that the feeling is perfect, doesn't it?

Aoi: I think that the antenna receptivity is quite good. Previously, even BORN's Ryoga said that the GazettE are unfair, that things they want to do.. we end up doing them first! *laugh*

Interviewer: So, following the topic. After DIVISION, you'll start the tour -DIVISION- GROAN OF DIPLOSOMIA 01 in the fall. Did you think of which kind of scene to do in this tour?

Uruha: I'd like to exhibit the sound of the new GazettE in a solidly structured world. I'm really impatient myself.

Aoi: It's just it seems you need physical strength to play that A tuning. It's terribly rigid.

Uruha: Probably if we'll play it, our wrists will break. *bitter laugh*

Aoi: Maybe it's better if we strengthen our wrists before the tour. Moreover, since I heard awesome things from Uruha during the trouble of ear monitor during the previous FC tour, I would like to put into practice that things too. At first I thought that if someone tell me "You can't understand even things like that?", what should I do? But unexpectedly I finally found the answer, thanks gosh. *laugh*

Uruha: eh? You really thought that? You can ask me anything, let's share informations! *laugh*

Aoi: No no, I say it again, asking you something in your face embarrasses me. However, it was a long time since I did that. Wasn't it when went on tour sharing the same room?

Uruha: When we entered in this office it seems it happens quite a lot.

Aoi: We talked about guitars after going to bed until we feel asleep. *laugh*

Interviewer: It's a cuter than funnier episode.

Aoi: No, thinking about it now maybe it was something that gives a strange feeling. *laugh*


[1] Strings Gauge
[2] A way of playing they often use during solos, Uruha uses this technique quite a lote. For example: this video at minute 1:12 or 1:21
[3] He meant 'age' like.. they created something such extremely new that could create a new musical generation.






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Shoxx 236 - Song interview (2/2)

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 2
#2 sublimation

DRIPPING INSANITY

Interviewer: It seems that this song is correlated to Bath Room (from NIL album), doesn't it?

Ruki: To be brief, this song includes the truth of Bath Room.

Aoi: Eh? So it's like that?

Interviewer: You didn't know it until know?

Aoi: I've just discovered it. *laugh*

Uruha: If it was added the sound of the water drop falling, wouldn't it be obvious?

Kai: I see. *laugh*

Interviewer: Shouldn't it be relied to the part of the title DRIPPING?

Ruki: At first, it wasn't a song I composed thinking about Bath Room. But when I was creating it, in my head a brick wall uncannily appeared, from that point I started to tend toward that world in one go.

Uruha: In particular, if you listen to it with Bath Room, it could be interesting.

Reita: How would it be… compared to now, I think there's a big tonality difference. *bitter laugh*

Ruki: You're the man! It's because is a song of even 6 years ago. However, if you listen to both and compare them, I think that certainly there's a kind of resemblance.

Interviewer: As melody, it has a middle tempo. In DISC 2 it's a song from which you can perceive even more the tranquillity.

Reita: The arrangement was easier than I thought. However, speaking of bass recording, this is the song that requested the most time and energy.

Interviewer: Why is that?

Reita: Because Ruki, speaking of the phrase before the refrain, gave me awfully detailed indications. In retrospect, even if we payed particular attention to the smallest details, when we listened to the song.. you couldn't understand almost at all the difference. *bitter laugh*

Ruki: Don't say that! *laugh*

Reita: However, if we wouldn't experiment, there could have been things that we can't understand. Even if by just trying to do it, it had a value as experience.

Kai: Even for this song, detailed indications were given to me by Ruki all the time about the Hat [1] sound. I think Ruki has a clear vision of this song inside of him.

Interviewer: Speaking of guitar tracks, how they were built?

Uruha: In this song, the use of the distorted sound is extremely complicated. At this point, we did our best but even now there are points in which we can't establish if it was the best thing or not. As guitarists, this song has lots of points which represented a great experience.

Aoi: Uruha and I thought about two complete opposite things. Since the structure of this song was completed synchronizing the sound, I took care of the part in which this was supported. Since I did a good job in my own way, I'm satisfied.

Interviewer: Then, I'm extremely curious about this song. When you'll do a live, what kind of image will it be placed?

Ruki: I'm really curious too. *laugh* This time too speaking of images, I don't know about this song, since I've in mind to apply them entirely, I should create something effective in order to convey the world described by the songs.

ATTITUDE

Interviewer: This is a really stimulating song.

Ruki: I wanted to do a quite fast and profusely animated song. Like "'Til where I can go, I'll go." *laugh* From the point of view of the drums, melody A was incredibly difficult. Speaking of which, I wanted to do it intentionally difficult.

Kai: It was really difficult. So difficult that at first I said "Ruki, I'm sorry but it's impossible." *bitter laugh*

Interviewer: However, you managed to do it in some way and it became how it is now.

Kai: No, actually I was forced by the fact that I had to do it perforce. *laugh*

Reita: The bass too, because lots of pauses were added, it was difficult. Since we managed to add at the best difficult sounds one after the other, it was a fortune that such a particular explosive power came to life.

Aoi: During recording I played in a detached way I don't remember very well if -when I recorded it- I did it too much. *laugh*

Uruha: In my case, i kept a hikitaoshi [2] situation. Thinking about the live it was already quite tempered, when I started having fun while playing this song.

Interviewer: The passion overflowing in the sound reflects the title ATTITUDE. In this lyrics, if we can say it, it's the title itself that becomes content, isn't it?

Ruki: The attitude and the ardor. This all is gathered here.

GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS

Interviewer: This song was composed by Uruha, with which kind of construction was it created?

Uruha: At first, I started composing it from a guitar phrase as usual. Back then, it was completely different from the finished form this song has now, because I thought of doing it with a middle tempo. However, since a song with a middle tempo was already there, I thought "Good, then why don't I try raising up the tempo!". When I dabble with datas till the point of thinking "Good, like this should work!", I already raised the tempo until this point.

Aoi: Thanks to this, it became difficult. *laugh*

Uruha: It became a song that I wouldn't be able to play if I couldn't reach a perfect condition. *bitter laugh*

Reita: You screwed it up eh? *laugh*

Uruha: Probably, it was bad raising the tempo while drinking beer at home, wasn't it? I was slightly tipsy and thought "Since I can, it would be better a bit faster!" and in the end I did it like this. I'll search my soul.

Interviewer: On the contrary, I think it was a fortune. If it wasn't for alcohol influence I don't know if this song would have such a speed-up, as listener this song is welcomed.

Uruha: Speaking of music production, I'm aware that there are not so good passages. However, unexpectedly the songs I created while drinking are quite a lot. And it's true that if I didn't this song faster, it wouldn't be original.

Reita: I like this song. It's fast but the way how the refrain ends is not ordinary and moreover, the melody is perfect. When I listen to this album after we finished it, I end up singing this song too.

Uruha: Really?? Where?!

Reita: In the car. *laugh* This is a song that gives an extremely pleasurable feeling while listening to it.

Kai: I perfectly understand that feeling too. This is a song that if I had to execute, I'll have to keep up the controtempo. Since among the GazettE's song there aren't lot of similar songs, this is was really interesting.

Aoi: The songs composed by Uruha are the ones with a 'particular taste' to it.

Interviewer: I agree. It's frequent the impression that one or two plots were added. When you express a song like this, do you need an approach different than usual?

Aoi: Mmmh.. let's see. Speaking of this song, there are lots of points that were explained and indicated to me by Uruha, I adapted myself to these.

Interviewer: What kind of indications?

Aoi: Like how to use the arm or how to play rapidly the chords near the headstock [3], etc.. I had to do them both but this time I satisfied the requests to the limits of my possibilities. *laugh*

Interviewer: Uruha-kun, looking at the completed form in this way, which kind of feeling do you have?

Uruha: If I have to say the truth, I think we did our best until now. Even if the tempo of this song would have been different -since it's a song I started composing without imaging it would be in DISC 2-, even after doing it with this tempo, it couldn't have a complete form. Since it was added in DISC 2, the song itself is normally rock despite the necessity of adding electro elects or buds. At first, the sound was mixed as if it was filled by force and in the end it acquired this form. Probably it's the first song composed by me which gave me so many difficulties.

Interviewer: In a few words, since it's a song that gives a hard time, GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS was probably finished with plots in a good way. Speaking of this song, Ruki, from where did you chose the words for the lyrics?

Ruki: While I was writing the lyrics, what I focused on was the image of gallows from far. But it's not what I represented in the lyrics. Will it be good to explain it? I can’t use such a direct expression in a magazine but what it comes out from here is "a sick person XX who wishes to die". The words I didn't say here.. probably if you read the lyrics, you'll understand them.

Interviewer: Then let's let the listeners discover it.

Ruki: Our fans frequently carefully read lyrics in their own way. I think that this is one of the fun things you can do, I want that towards GABRIEL ON THE GALLOWS too everyone try to grow their own imagination inside of them. It looks like a trap. *laugh*

[MELT]

Interviewer: The other 3 SE were created by Ruki, this is the only SE composed by Uruha.

Uruha: This SE was born from something abstract. When I talked to Ruki, he wanted to end this album with a feeling like "an ascension to the sky", when I asked him what "an ascension to the sky" meant he answered "like a cosmic feeling".

Interviewer: It's really abstract.

Uruha: I thought that too, I thought "what the hell is he saying so suddenly?" However, while I was creating it, invisible things and things without a form ..when I arranged them into sound, the interest to see how this SE would become born inside of me and so this SE came to life.

Ruki: In MELT, the world turns into dust. In the end we just say "Perceive this cosmo!" *laugh*


[1] Hi-hat
[2] A way of playing guitar, you can see an example in this video.
[3] Headstock





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Shoxx 236 - Song interview (1/2)

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 1
#2 sublimation

[XI]

Interviewer: This is the SE at the beginning of DISC 2 and with form that follows the course of DIPLOSOMIA at the end of DISC 1. Is it correct to think of a correlation between these songs?

Ruki: Yes, they are connected. There's a flow in this four SEs added in this album, it's an abstract representation but in DEPTH there's something that precipitates. Then, in DIPLOSOMIA, this thing conjoin and in XI the fact, that in MELT dissolves, happens. This is the feeling described with words.

Interviewer: Compared to the Limited Editions which is divided in 2 CDs, in the Regular one the album is unified and this song XI is set as first song. This sound was maybe created considering this aspect too?

Ruki: Roughly. After the process of the transformation ends, since it is a representation of the moment during which a new world begins from that point, the digital element becomes stronger even in the sound.

DERANGEMENT

Interviewer: It seems that Ruki composed this song, but did you decide to place it in such an important position from the beginning, I mean as first substantial song after the SE?

Ruki: No, I didn't concretely think about it. It's just that there's the feeling that it was composed as main song. From the moment I took it out during the meeting, it was that kind of atmosphere.

Kai: When I heard it for the first time I thought it was a song easy to comprehend.

Interviewer: When you play this type of songs, Kai, what do you keep in mind?

Kai: For this song, there wasn't a moment when I thought to play it in a particular way. Basically for the recording of this album, since some things began like a continuation from TOXIC -as first thing we did well the tuning for this song- , when I played it I did it with a quite normal and peaceful feeling. *laugh*

Interviewer: Speaking of which, you do the the tuning with the tuner [1]?

Kai: Exactly. We, the Tuner and I, examined deeply with every composer of the songs.

Interviewer: Among this three type of people, what kind of conversation took place?

Ruki: It's different from a chord instrument or guitar, drums tuning has inaccurate points. A regular tuning or a flat tuning, there's not a precise criterion, is there? Since the important thing is to hear the sound on-the-spot and decide only if a low sound is better than a high one, basically I assisted it and decided when it was good.

Interviewer: Drums is an acoustic musical instrument and the sound is easily influenced by humidity and temperature, is it a form from which you search a pleasant feeling?

Ruki: Yes, exactly.

Uruha: However, it's really hard to decide. From a condition in which there's nothing yet, thinking what the best sound that could be heard at best is and forecasting a situation in which the whole sound is added till the end. Essentially, deciding from the beginning something that no one is able to know.. I think it's awesome.

Kai: Now that you tell me, it's exactly like this. *bitter laugh*

Uruha: Even if we say that the tuner follows our indications, it doesn't mean that he isn't a song expert.

Kai: The tuner, from the point of view of musical knowledge, supports us. When I say "If I want to do in this way.. how can I do it?" he answers.

Ruki: If I have to say that in this way the sound decided from these three people is absolutely right, well there are times when it's not like this. However, I think this time is perfect.

Interviewer: Speaking of the dynamic movement feeling, I've the feeling that there are lots of points where it's created from the bass sound.

Reita: Ah, maybe it's like this in particular in that intro. To say the truth, speaking of this song, who composed it told me really absurd things, it was really hard. *bitter laugh*

Ruki: Eh? I said such absurd things?

Reita: Didn't you tell me various things at first? Things that were told to me in that moment were things I couldn't see, because concretely speaking I didn't know how to do.

Ruki: I see. I said "Generally, it has this atmosphere." and I made him listen a certain CD, in the end I told him he could refer to it. *bitter laugh*

Reita: Mah, speaking of DISC 2, since I gave more importance to the combination as rhythm group than in DISC 1, I played that song with this tendency.

Interviewer: Then, speaking of the guitar part of this song, I had the feeling that in particular the emotional extent of the solo is original. Uruha-kun, you play the solo?

Uruha: Until now, there isn't inside of me the conception of adding that type of solo in a digital song yet. However, it's long and when we did various things with some exclusions, I added that inevitably ambiguous form.

Interviewer: It's interesting how the sound with humanity contrasts with a mechanic sound.

Uruha: When we thought about the coexistence of the band sound with electro, regarding digital sounds -that bring a remarkable quantity of informations- we thought not about a sound familiar to digital but "isn't it better to clarify the contrast crashing it with the analogical sound?". Moreover, for this reason it was necessary to record in a clean way even the sound of the band, such as the digital sound. As guitarist, including this song too was a great subject.

Interviewer: Regarding Aoi-kun, with what kind of attitude did you face this song?

Aoi: I thought "good, I'll do an excellent thing!" at first I was full of this feeling. Eh? It's not like this?! *laugh*

Interviewer: Could you be more concrete, please?

Aoi: If I have to say it from my point of view, I thought that the recent music is hard. Programming and the type of sounds too are really a lot.

Interviewer: Even sounds that you can't produce with human techniques, you can do them easily through programming?

Aoi: Exactly, exactly. When we tried how to act in that contest, both Uruha and I arrived at the same conclusion. We thought that no matter what the circumstances are, as long as works are made as the GazettE what we have to do as guitarists is to produce a great sound and this is probably the challenge.

Interviewer: This courage, without any doubts, led you to this great work.

Aoi: In a certain way, the thing is that we just adopted a universal and orthodox approach. As Uruha said, it's not a topic limited to this song only, but it's a constant thing throughout the entire album.

Interviewer: I see. Good, now I'd like you to explain the lyrics of DERANGEMENT too. At first, when you started to write it, Ruki-kun, what appeared as first thing in your head?

Ruki: mhhhh… maybe speaking of my ideal state? Speaking of this is simple, the content in this lyrics is when something happens to you and that day is irreparable by then.

Interviewer: From the point of view of a third person, I can't think of Ruki-kun as someone who can be in such an extreme situation. Until now what you had in mind didn't go smoothly?

Ruki: It's just a thing that I write through personal subjectivity. Even in lyrics written until now there were some similar to this, but this time in DISC 2 there aren't only that type of lyrics. Anyway, I don't know how fans will interpret this lyrics but I think it would be perfect if they do it like I felt it myself. Since it describes the inner aspect of human being. It is as it's written but at a second interpretation the issue can change, for this reason I entrust you.

REQUIRED MALFUNCTION

Interviewer: This song starts with a really energetic drum sound, even in the interlude the double bass drum [2] explodes. It's a song where Kai-kun runs quite wild.

Kai: That intro and the double bass drum speed are all things that were already added to the original melody composed by Ruki.

Interviewer: Ruki-kun, with what concept did you start creating this song?

Ruki: As first thing, I started creating it while craving for something energetic that could light things up. I wanted a good feeling that could pierce with power while listening to it.

Interviewer: Is it for this reason that the attack feeling of the refrain is particularly strong?

Ruki: Of course. This is a song based on the refrain. It was in that moment that the flowing of the song was completely established.

Interviewer: From the point of view of the coloring [3], even the feminine chorus -added in the middle- takes out a great appeal and I had the feeling that this whole was perfect.

Ruki: About that part, the persons of the chorus did it deciding even the age limit. At first they asked me "You want to do an atmosphere with people of about what age?" and when I answered "Let's see… around 19 years old." *laugh* the feeling was so juvenile.

Interviewer: Together with the vivid melody, when you listen to this song there are moments where the image of an amusing scenery like in lives flows in a natural way, as creator, were you aware of that?

Ruki: Yes, it's like this. I wanted a feeling of elation, like you could have a feeling of pleasure while listening.

Interviewer: What becomes the main source -from which this feeling of elation originates- isn't it the bass sound?

Reita: In this song, since lots of pauses were added, I think this is the main point from the point of view of the execution. Comparing it to DERANGEMENT, it's not entirely full of sounds, in fact it's easy to hear the bass even in really precise points. If I didn't play it in a balanced way, there could have been the possibility that some passages could turn out strange, so I paid a lot of attention.

Interviewer: Listening to it, it's the kind of song that definitely livens up but what support this background is the delicate play interweaved by the members.

Aoi: For this song, we gave lot of importance to uniform the line that joins every instrument. Naturally, it doesn't change the fact that this line has lot of importance in every single song, but in this case in the passage of the refrain in particular. From now on the concern will be the live *laugh* during the recording, I played it severely.

Interviewer: Uruha-kun, in this song, to which type of things did you give particular importance?

Uruha: More than giving particular importance, let's say that, personally, I gave more attention to the packing that resonates in the background of the refrain. Even if we didn't shoot the PV, it was strong the will to show in the refrain an aggressive attitude while I played it 'down' [4], so I played in the studio like I was ripping with all my force the guitar.

Interviewer: You mean like a camera was recoding you?

Uruha: Yes… I played alone with that type of tension. When I was done, my arms hurt a bit. *laugh*

Interviewer: It was really worth it. Even only listening the CD, the image of Uruha-kun playing passionately emerges in the mind.

Uruha: If I managed to convey that passion I'm really happy. Creating phrases while thinking to convey the passion through the execution, unexpectedly maybe it was the first time.

Interviewer: An energetic song that pitches forward, Kai-kun too, while playing it, didn't your tension grow up?

Kai: During recording, I played in an extremely calm way. But when it will be live, it will probably be different. It will be hard since how fast it is. *laugh* I've the feeling that it's a song that can elate myself too while playing it.

Interviewer: Even if it's a song with a vivid sound, on the contrary, from the title REQUIRED MALFUNCTION a severe impression transpires. Ruki-kun, at which kind of things did you think while writing the lyrics?

Ruki: As the title says, the theme is an essential malfunctioning. The human being, during his life.. there are really lots of times when they lay down in various human relationships. Both if it's a band, school or workplace. When people gather together, clashes or disagreements happen but isn't it necessary? The lyrics talk about that. I wrote it here replacing it with relationships between man and woman.

Interviewer: Because, no matter how many problems can rise, if you can overcome them, the relationship between humans becomes deeper.

Ruki: I think that the cases when the bond becomes deeper are lots.

Interviewer: However, in Japan, there are aspects in which conformism predominates.

Ruki: I've the feeling that it's more about people of a certain age than the new generation. *laugh*

Interviewer: No no, the new generation wants to avoid a direct collision too.

Ruki: Of course. Probably there's the question of the national mentality. I think that basically people who want to avoid that are the majority. Speaking of me, I'd like to avoid it if possible. *laugh* It's just that there cases that it's impossible to avoid crashes, in those moments, great results can come to life from an essential malfunctioning.


[1] Tuner may refer to someone or something which adjusts or configures a mechanical, electronic, or musical device.
[2] Double bass drum
[3] He means: how would it be better to play it and what kind of instruments and chorus to add.
[4] Downpicking




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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




Please credit us if you post it somewhere or else or translate it in an other language (^-^)
Comments are appreciated~

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Shoxx 235 - Song interview (2/2)

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 2
#1 disorganization

ヘドロ (Hedoro) - (Sludge)

Interviewer: Listening to this song I had the strong feeling that is a perfect song for lives, Uruha-kun, basing on which image did you write this song?

Uruha: In the moment I started composing it, I did it as a song near electro music, but in the end it wasn't added to Disc 2. What I cared about was the rhythm. It's different from the 4 beats even if it's a standard rhythm and since the sound itself of the band was retrospective I think it became a characteristic song. We've discovered till which point this song could change before twisting.

Interviewer: You can actually perceive the Rock and Roll taste through the sound of guitar riffs.

Aoi: Maybe because there's a gently consumed feeling? But the rhythm is contemporary. Even the way the situation was developed, since it's frequent we thought it would let this song be interesting.

Interviewer: Talking about the guitar timbre, it's distorted but at the same time clear. Did you point at this excellent balance, didn't you?

Aoi: Speaking about our band, the sound recorded is really refined. Isn't it for this reason that even a song with a similar nature is easy to hear? It doesn't matter how distorted can be, it never becomes rude as in metal.

Interviewer: Regarding the drums, this sensual and hard rhythm, how did you create it?

Kai: When I heard it for the first time -as Uruha said- I didn't have a strong perception of rhythm presence in the reproduction of the sound. I took the song and went back home, I opened the datas and only kicks[1] and snare drum[2] were integrated, I had to add the remain.

Interviewer: It's a hard situation for a drummer.

Kai: I thought "what are you doing? …only two points?[3]" *laugh* As first thing, I tried to create the third point adding the hi-hat [4] and while going on with the work I added various things to fill in the blanks. Talking to Uruha, we managed to bring it to an end distributing what until that moment was playing with cymbals with the hi-hat. The phrases itself are not hard, but the composition was irregular. It gives a sensation of a drum applied to every single part.

Interviewer: In this case, Reita-kun, which kind of position did you try to assume?

Reita: This is a song with lot of pauses. The melody is rock, however as the GazettE, it's a song with pop sides. However, since it's a song with a good rhythm, in the recording we added serenely those pauses. The problem would be live. We'll do our best live in order to exploit the pauses at the best without letting the rhythm to elapse.

Interviewer: In this song -full of a sensation of dynamism- here it comes the dirty title Hedoro. Probably in this lyrics the social satirical element is strong.

Ruki: Mass media and stealth marketing form the theme of the song.

Interviewer: That word had a great diffusion over the past year.

Ruki: I think a thing like that is a necessary evil. It exists because there's demand and in a capitalistic society is it something appropriate to exist maybe? About gossip, it's full of people who doesn't care about it but it doesn't mean that there are many people who like it. The meaning of this lyrics is that we don't know how things really are.

Interviewer: The problem is if listeners will realize or not the stealth marketing that mass media spreads or if they can't take seriously hidden falsehoods and gossip. I think it's awfully important in this period to have clear what is media literacy without begin confused by information manipulation.

Ruki: After the calamity of the earthquake I perfectly understand what you mean. Even twitter spread is like this, the falsehoods in the world are easy to discover by now. Both stealth marketing and occult informations, or if someone is doing something, honestly didn't it become easy to understand? Taking advance of the confusion, you can try and determine certain things or keep going on things according to a pre-established harmony.

Interviewer: I agree with you.

Ruki: The Japan after the disaster of the earthquake -from some points of view- is ridiculous.

Interviewer: I strongly agree with you again.

Ruki: Despite no-one believes in media anymore, they remained the same and it's full of people who watch them mockingly.

影踏み (Kagefumi) - (Trod shadow)

Interviewer: It's a beautiful delicate ballad. When you listen to it, it penetrates slowly.

Uruha: I composed it because I wanted to insert a ballad in DIVISION. Beautiful, painful and vaguely sad, this is what I perceived.

Kai: It's a song with a slow tempo, from a drummer point of view, it has a high level of difficulty. Since from the phase of original song, it was a really complete song, I played paying attention in particular to rhythm changes, intense parts and entrance drum rolls [5].

Reita: As rhythmic team, I think it became a song in which we could create a perfect combination. Speaking of the bass, at first I had in program to play with the pick, but it couldn't be well harmonized if I used it, for this reason I quickly shifted to fingers. *laugh* This should have been the most suitable choice. I managed to give life to a pleasant sound which matches with the song both if you play it or hear it.

Interviewer: In this song there a realistic sound and you can perceive a kind of warmth.

Aoi: Lately -speaking of trend- it seems that lot of music is adjusted with donkama (kurikku)[6]. I think it's a good thing even if there would be a song with points moderated in which you can stir up. As a professional, the priority is to create a precise sound but I like a sound a bit wild. Among human beings, I can affirm that I'm the only one that can produce this sound with the guitar, a touch of sweet sound and a tempo perception so accurate.

Interviewer: From the title Kagefumi, I can feel a kind of nostalgia. Even speaking of the lyrics, it seems something that describe refinement.

Ruki: Speaking about the flow, it's a lyrics in which complications and collisions are evoked. However I don't write it concretely with words, in the end what it's represented is the death.

Interviewer: There are no words..

Ruki: Little by little, you go towards it. In death, finally, two people became once. However, even if they are dead, it's not the end.

Interviewer: What could it mean?

Ruki: Well, it was just a metaphor. It doesn't mean I wanted to write something about double suicide for love. The thing is that when two people can head on one thing together, in that moment can't they become one thing as human beings for the first time?

Interviewer: Ruki-kun, the love tragedy you describe, don't you think it could be seen as a failure?

Ruki: But the two of them are positive, since they can achieve what they craved for. Besides, probably if they won't fail, the bond between them wouldn't get stronger. Whatever happens, if they love each other, that's the best.

余韻 (Yoin) - (Afterglow / Reverberation)

Interviewer: This is a dark song, with a disturbing atmosphere that oppress the listener with a imposing sound, was composed by Aoi-kun, right?

Aoi: It's a song I wrote while I wanted to represent a viscous [8] japanese horror movie. It's different from a flashy spatter western movie, doesn't japanese horror make you feel terror for details, characters climate or the scenery? Since I always wanted to represent this all, I composed without the intention of explaining the scenery of the story for example in the refrain. However, the lyrics doesn't have that contents.

Interviewer: Despite the theme being so explicits, you entrusted the lyrics to Ruki-kun, didn't you?

Ruki: Because if you explain too in details, it ends up as you conducted the theme. What I talked about was the adding of the lyrics to sing in relation to the notes.

Interviewer: Speaking of the modelling in the main part, Kai-kun, how did you think you wanted this song to be heard?

Kai: Since flam was added too, I followed a ternary tempo and I tried not to ruin it. Since melody A suddenly follows modulation too, I thought that point could become a passage to hear as one thing in the next live. Then, during recordings, since Aoi told me he wanted to recreate an ambient [7] feeling, I gave lot of importance to this too.

Interviewer: Reita-kun, when you received this song, do you remember what you felt?

Reita: From the beginning this song was dark and heavy. Moreover, I think it's a deep song that gives the feeling of an existence that perfectly adapts to the ending part of DISC 1, so as the sound. I just faithfully represented in this way the melody. Of course among the GazettE's songs there are other dark songs but since this one is not only dark but there's the feeling that the refrain spread itself, I think it's different from the others. Maybe it's because it's an excellent song with a limpid and firm sound that it's becoming a song with an original taste.

Uruha: Speaking of the guitar, it was a song that we recorded using a lot our head since arpeggios were added, they fill completely but according to the situation, patterns and single tonalities change. Moreover the ambient feeling of the drums is synchronized to the sound. Playing a single song with various arpeggios was very interesting.

Interviewer: It seems that Aoi composed this song thinking about an horror. Ruki, what did you want to represent with this song?

Ruki: I felt too that horror feeling. The sadness and beauty of japanese horror.

Interviewer: However, from this lyrics I perceived lot of feelings other then these. I think there was a kind of message.

Ruki: I represented in this lyrics the reality, the situation during the tsunami and the nuclear power plant -which is slowly breaking up-, I call this situation Yoin. During TOXIC, I represented the situation of the nuclear power plant was current, since then for lots of people this is something from the past. It's becoming some kind of resonance/reverberation.

Interviewer: These are words I want to take with care.

Ruki: I'm wandering if the speed of break-up isn't faster than I expected. Even if there are lot of people committed into this… I wrote this toward myself too.

[Diplosomia]

Interviewer: About this song, in the Limited Edition there's a video, isn't there?

Ruki: The content of this video is a the bridge with Disc 2. I wanted to represent in the video the image of a complementary group, Siamese twins. I want you to feel DIVISION thinking about this too.


[1] When you play the bass drum with your foot. Bass drum.
[2] Snare drum.
[3] bass drum and snare drum.
[4] Hi-hat.
[5] Drum Roll.
[6] A sort of Rhythm-box, during lives the sound of the drum is sent through earphones in order to keep time.
[7] He literally use the word 'runny' or 'thickening', he meant that japanese movies in order to describe japanese horror which is not really neat and clear as western ones and it's mainly based on psychological horror.
[8] Ambient Music.



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Shoxx 235 - Song interview (1/2)

N.B.: This interview will be divided in 3 parts, in the first two parts the GazettE talks about the single songs and in the last one they talk about the album in general. We will post firstly the parts about the single songs since they are the most interesting ones but in the original interview the part about the general album came first.

The Gazette
from DIVISION to DIPLOSOMIA part 1
#1 disorganization

[DEPTH]

Interviewer: Depth, which decorates the first part of DIVISION album, is a SE that makes you feel like floating in the air. Was this be made after others songs were made?

Ruki: Exactly. Besides being a summary of both Disc 1 and 2, it's a curtain that opens on DIVISION world and since I thought about connecting it to the next song Ibitsu (during the production period) it became the last song I created.

Interviewer: In that moment, what type of image did you have in mind?

Ruki: DEPTH in Japanese means 深層 (shinsou). What I had in mind was an image of the depths of the sea, like something that deforms in the depths of the sea.

Interviewer: If we think about the concept of the album, the existence of this introduction is fundamental, isn't it?

Ruki: It should be. Even if -when listeners will listen to it- they'll skip it and say "what's a SE?" *bitter smile* but I like adding this kind of things, so I ended up doing it.

歪 (Ibitsu) - (Twisted, Distorted)

Interviewer: This is a piece that has the strength to push right in front of the band sensation in which the GazettE excels. It has such a power attack that it wouldn't be strange if it was a single.

Ruki: Actually, this song existed already in the period I made REMEMBER THE URGE (single announced on August 2011). At that time, I was insure if release REMEMBER THE URGE or this song, in the end the result born from a deep exam was that the audio source shouldn't change so this song was left in the "storage". However, since I thought that I would probable never use it, in that moment I ended up deleting all the datas.

Interviewer: That song came back to life. And a MV was made too, it really went to a prestigious position.

Ruki: Mah, we could say that it was a hard salvage. *laugh* Personally, it was a song I cared a lot. This time Uruha, thanks to his new arrangements, saved me.

Interviewer: Do you mean that Uruha still had the datas of that song?

Aoi: We all store what we receive from Ruki.

Uruha: It's true. Was it because even if didn't do the single, we would use it in the pre-production?

Aoi: Right right. However, thinking about it now, already during the tour last year, that kind of atmosphere was already flowing. See? It was the period during which Ruki naturally started to put that song. *laugh*

Reita: Was he pointing at a subliminal effect?

Kai: aaah so it was like that!! *laugh*

Ruki: It's not true, it's not true!! Since it was a song I really like, I just wanted to listen to it. *laugh* In fact, I did it when I was alone too.

Interviewer: Despite that, I think it's fantastic that a song is so beloved by his creator.

Ruki: I absolutely didn't want to release it as a single. I think it has old sides. Like of the 90s.

Interviewer: I get what you mean. A high pitched melody with virtues of other times was developed.

Ruki: For this reason it didn't seem convenient inside of me to release it as a single. However I liked it, I had this strange feeling. *laugh*

Interviewer: It has nothing to do with present-day coolness but for sure it has a power that can't be doubted. Under that meaning you can perceive a side close to SHIVER.

Ruki: Ah, for sure! It has some points like I made SHIVER darker.

Aoi: If we have to watch it from the viewpoint of the place, this song doesn't have a Tokyo sound, does it?

Kai: Do you think it's closer to Nagoya sound? (note: during the 90s there was a school called Nagoyakei. Rouage etc represented that style.)

Reita: Ah yap. *laugh* Isn't Aoi for sure the closest to Nagoya speaking of distance?

Aoi: Since I'm from Mie? I don't absolutely hate that neither. In my opinion, Ruki prefers to listen to that song rather than sing it. In fact, despite he loved it that much, he didn't want to do it.

Interviewer: In a few words, you didn't want to make a single out of it. However, it's the same feeling that was in the background of your statement "I like it", isn't it?

Aoi: Right right! When we have to choose the songs, who has the expression of not doing that kind of songs is always Ruki. Despite creating it and often listening to it. *bitter smile*

Kai: Even if it's just a song, I think it's already enough that it can make you feel good listening to it and not thinking about difficult things. We gave great importance to the fact that listeners should be able to listen to it in a pleasant way more than refining it.

Reita: As musician, this song as a tempo easy to play. It gives the impression that is a bit out of fashion but on the contrary, if we have to be in today's youngsters shoes, there's the possibility that they will perceive it as something original. I think it's logic to make a song like that just now.

Uruha: It's generally a cool song, moreover I think this is the final edition of a song that everybody can affirm both from the tonality and the sound as a typical visual kei song.

Interviewer: You created something stylistically beautiful, didn't you?

Uruha: From that point of view, aren't there moments in which you can feel that nowadays visual kei is becoming a repetitive fashion? In the end what is visual kei as music? This is a doubt I feel often. If there would be an answer to that doubt from us, I think it would be this kind of song.

Interviewer: Then let me ask you about the lyrics of Ibitsu. It gives the impression that this title is a symbol, like something that describes a contradiction.

Ruki: What I described in this lyrics is about my inner conflict.

Interviewer: Why did you turn your sight in that direction?

Ruki: I thought about releasing a CD in this period. CD's value is changing since we live in a world in which download has the central point, I thought "what's there for real in the future?"

Interviewer: It's scary, isn't it? Isn't it a problem every artist deal with in this period?

Ruki: We all think it's a hard problem. Actually, as an artist I'd like to give lot of importance to the CD as a package but at the same time, I'm a user that easily download music. This is for sure a contradiction inside of me. I'm fighting.

Interviewer: Ruki-kun, what do you think would be the ideal situation?

Ruki: I don't think there is one. Because I don't think that the style of the package would be in the main place again. What I feel is a faint uneasiness. The life of all that people involved in the package production or jacket design, they seem things in decline by now and we can't do anything about it. Naturally, we are a part in this world.

Interviewer: If we base on this, the answer that the GazettE gave this time is an extremely constructive answer. Through the fact of improving the different valuable addition, isn't it that the Limited Edition of DIVISION is becoming a clear message towards users too, increasing its value?

Ruki: I wanted to convey again the feeling of buying something like a CD. Of course I think that getting excited while listening to the songs is a good thing. However, how to say it, I think it's sad that there would be only the emotion of songs. Overseas, even now, luxurious packages with unique covers and big boxed circulate unexpectedly and I thought it was something good. It's painful that this became a taboo in Japan.

Interviewer: This year, from October, it was decided to enforce an amendment proposal for a part of law about authors' rights. The debate is interesting every branch but artists themselves feel a meaning of accepting it as topic of their own works.

Ruki: For sure it's natural that everybody is perceiving conflicts in some way.

籠の蛹 (Kago no Sanagi) - (the caged chrysalis)

Interviewer: This is the piece that after long time took life from Kai-kun's hands, isn't it?

Kai: No no, even if they say it's mine, I received lot of help from all members.

Interviewer: First of all, which kind of tone did you try to in this song?

Kai: First of all, I didn't have in mind anything in particular. *bitter laugh* I started composing it with the thought "since it's an album, it's better if there are various songs" but then halfway I felt like it wasn't good, however doing it from the beginning would have been burdensome, so I kept only the best parts. Basically it was a situation in which I wasn't prepared.

Interviewer: The first one who set his eyes on this song was Ruki-kun, right?

Ruki: When I listened to the song, my first impression was awfully good. *laugh*

Aoi: As far as I'm concerned, I felt a sort of feeling of nostalgia.

Uruha: I felt serene, strangely relieved. This kind of songs are needed sometimes. *laugh*

Ruki: However, when we basically included the melody, since there were various points in which we had to intervene, the quiet part in the middle wast cut and we added some color in points we thought it would improve it.

Kai: After I gave the song to Ruki, it was like I assigned it completely to him. *laugh*

Reita: At first before adding melody A, you told me that the bass was pitiful, you remember?

Kai: How was it? I don't remember.

Ruki: Actually, it was pitiful.

Reita: I received from Ruki the mission to absolutely change it. *laugh*

Interviewer: It was a big responsibility, eh?

Reita: It was worth it just only for this. During records, I was in perfect synch with that guy (Kai). It was really harsh in judging the play (when they play).

Kai: Eh? It's not like that!

Reita: Sure, however arriving to the final outcome of this song was really hard. In order to add shades neatly, I had to play using both pick and fingers, I use this ploys too.

Interviewer: About Uruha-kun, while creating the sound for this song, of which things did you become aware?

Uruha: Since this song is based on simplicity I thought "who knows if I can fix it in short time". However, after I put myself into it for a while, since he couldn't get an extend of sounds and that unexpectedly choices were limited, it was hard. Morever, since that the particularities of this song were that that variations were few and tension constant, the main point became "if I could get out a certain variety and till which point without letting the particularity of the song collapse?"

Interviewer: In the middle of the song, there's a passage in which the sound of acoustic guitar is interweaved. Was it there in the original too?

Aoi: That was Ruki's idea.

Ruki: As far for DISC 1 as first part, since it wasn't possible to add the digital sound, what we could add were chordophones and acoustic guitar. And then the guitar solo.. at first that part wasn't included either.

Interviewer: Such an emotional solo could shine only in such melodic melody.

Uruha: I've just played like always. I played without thinking at anything with a serene mind, without killing the tension of the song I talked about.

Interviewer: Aoi-kun, to which kind of things did you give value to?

Aoi: Since it was a song in which the world conception wasn't completely settled, I worked asking accurately every passage to Kai who composed it "is it good if I do like that here?" or "how would you like to have this passage?" etc. It was truly a work that requested lot of time and effort. I felt a lot the feeling of letting out a sensation that wasn't either cold or warm.

Interviewer: In this work, about other pieces recorded, there aren't many of them in which shades were included distinctly. This song which belongs to these, with that particular sensation neither cold or warm and which wears a melodic and mellow atmosphere that isn't in any other songs, I think it's very interesting.

Aoi: To say the truth, in the middle of the work I couldn't clearly see how this song would become too, but you can feel the harmony right in the points in which we had to harmonize with the efforts of all members.

Interviewer: Moreover, how it can be comprehend by the title, a lyrics that had a somewhat peaceful atmosphere was matched to it. As composer of this song, Kai-kun didn't thought about that at all but Ruki-kun in this song, which kind of world, story did you grasp?

Ruki: From the beginning inside of me, I thought that this song awakened a feeling of tranquillity. Who knows if the progress of chords will give this feeling?

Interviewer: However, Ruki-kun inside of you maybe unconsciously? or consciously? it seems that there is a feeling of when you wrote Chijou lyrics which has been inherited a lot.

Ruki: From the point of view of the lyrics it's like that. Somewhere there was some kind of remaining. However, it will be different when we'll do it live. This, in a few words, is a story of pleasure districts.

Interviewer: Ah, Kago no Sanagi means beging imprisoned. It seems that once prostitutes of pleasure houses, if they erased the high rank, they were called 'caged birds'. Here however, it's not a bird, the meaning of your word game is represented substituting it with a pupa (chrysalis) with no wings, it's awesome.

Ruki: Even if it's caged and can't go out in the outside world, maybe it could go away from there if it will become a butterfly. However, if it will remain a chrysalis, it will forced to remain there for ever. For this reason it's Kago no Kusanagi (the caged chrysalis).

Interviewer: What a painful story!

Ruki: There will be for sure various situations. However, inside them I think there were people who took alone that path and moved on. If I think about that I've the feeling that it could be said the same for visual kei. One you enter this world, it doesn't matter how many times you claim to be a rock band, no one remove you definitively the crown called visual kei. However, we are going off topic so it's better leave it like that. In the case of the protagonist of this lyrics, in the end she will remain without knowing what happens in the outside world. It's a story in which if the protagonist meets someone and they love each other, she doesn't know at all if he's dead or what he has become in the outside world.

Interviewer: It's really a cruel karma.

Ruki: It's been a long that I awfully like this kind of lyrics. Thinking about it know Kawareta Haru, Kawarenu Haru (from Madara) is similar to this one.

Interviewer: Thinking about it, isn't it awesome the change when sensuality and harmony melt together? A sensuality that should be explicit, when it has a shade of harmony it suddenly change in something erotic that brings melancholy with it.

Ruki: It could be. I'm not an expert in sensuality or things like that. *laugh* When there are erotics words in a row I end up thinking "I'm a middle school student!"

Interviewer: So what you wanted to seek was not sensuality but eros?

Ruki: Yes, exactly. Mah, I think it's better to end this part. *laugh*



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