Uruha (1/3) - Groan of Diplosomia 01 Pamphlet

GOD PAMPHLET
URUHA another myself
Interview

Interviewer: This time, what was the concept of your photoshooting?

Uruha: As first thing, the meeting regarding the photoshoot for this Pamphlet took place during the FC only tour. The designer, Yoda-san, said "think about what do you think 'division' is", he told that like he was giving us homeworks. *laugh* I thought "Ah I got it, interesting.." but it was really hard too. From the point of view of the meaning of the work, isn't it something like "scission" or something similar? Even if I was looking for an answer based on that, I couldn't find anything. Moreover, I couldn't come up with an other word to replace 'DIVISION' with. In the end I realized that, since inside of me only one realty was left -which was: "we made an album"-, I thought it was better to express this concept. The album we made this time, since it something we created 'carving out' our actual selves, it can be seen as something that basically express ourselves. So I thought at a 'mirror'. Division, for me it's a mirror, that was my conclusion. Despite that, there wasn't a way to take photos placing a mirror. Moreover, I had no idea how to represent this concept.

Interviewer: So, how did you come up with such an imposing photoshooting?

Uruha: Well, the designer developed my idea. In the first place we rented the terrace of a building, we spread out silver aluminum and then we took photos as if that was the mirror.

Interviewer: I'm feeling hot just imagining the scene.

Uruha: It was awfully hot. *laugh* When I actually tried to stand there, it was like I was in a oven. *laugh* Speaking of the outfit, I was wearing a kind of suit. I thought "let's get over with these photos!". I was incandescent like I was generating electricity. *laugh* Luckly, we managed to take awesome photos. After that I came back to the studio and they told me that this time I had to take photos surrounded by squared mirrors that will become like a whole magic mirror.

Interviewer: It was like being inside a kaleidoscope?

Uruha: Exactly. Moreover, the cameraman, Hirano-san, was trying to bring us slowly to an unpleasant direction. *laugh* To get things worst, being surrounded by mirrors is really tiring. I don't know quite know the reason, I was the feeling like everything was spinning.

Interviewer: I see, however Yoda-san took out a really complex theme!

Uruha: I really was complicated. *laugh* Since the same homework was given to all members, could we ponder even in moments when we couldn't keep from laughing? At the same time, I thought "could it happen that we come up with the same idea?" I think that if something like this happens, it could just be when a theme on such an obvious argument is given and you end up taking it slightly. However, if we can really find a concept about "DIVISION" according to ourselves, it's impossible for the ideas to correspond.

Interviewer: A job in which you reflects like in a mirror. I think that in each album there's something like that, however speaking of DIVISION you can feel in particular and very pronounced this nature, can't you?

Uruha: Without any doubts, since each time we think we want to do a certain thing. However as time goes by this experience mirrors itself on different things. This mirror is like a mirror inside the imagination. I could even say that it reflects my real self.. for example, speaking of this album, if ideals and things I'd like to do are embodied in DISC 2, speaking of DISC 1 you could say that it mirrors the reality. Moreover, the mirror symbolizes the image that we harbor etc… it's like to say "the things we'd like to do are in a certain way, however the image that fans see is different". You can perceive that reading opinions that arrives through fan mails. For example, when we want to go ahead towards a new direction, we work having crystal clear in mind the new image. However, inside fans' mind there's still the image till that point. This kind of deviation is interesting but sometimes is sad too. Because, no matter what we'll do, I think without any doubts that this deviation will keep on existing. Of course in the proportion of some people there's a difference between the ones who are coherent and the size of this deviation.

Interviewer: I think it's unluckily that fans and band could evolve at the same peace and speed.

Uruha: Yes. It's probably impossible. Moreover, this difference can't be calculated.

Interviewer: Perhaps this can be said inside the band itself.

Uruha: Exactly, it's not possible to be all the same. I don't know if it's momentary but basically we should be similar however there are times when we are completely different. So, of course, there's this kind of gap. Moreover, I think there are times when you can't cancel this gap.

Interviewer: For sure. However it's really interesting. Thinking about the shade of significance of a piece made by your band, you had the possibility to deeply reflect on other sides beside the musical aspect.

Uruha: It's rather a spiritual side. However I can say that even I had fun doing all of this.

Interviewer: You have the feeling that the chasing of ideal and reality is something without an ending. However, in the past, there had to be a time when -even imagining it- you couldn't even get near that. Compared to the past, now can't you say that the reality and the ideal arrived near to each other?

Uruha: If we try and interpret it in a positive way, it can probably be as you say. However, reaching such a point of reality consciousness.. I think it's a consequence of this age. Since we know we can obtain -in a second- a plethora of various information, if we try and search for something we know nothing about, couldn't we comprehend it? For example, if we'd like to know what people, who went see us when we took part to a festival, really think, we could easily find out about it. I think it's really practical, however there are things that it would be better not to know at all from the start too. There's a part of people who ended up loving festival when they know strange things happened.

Interviewer: If you understand that the reaction was awesome, everything becomes more natural.

Uruha: When you find people you don't know saying something like "I had fun!" or "I didn't expect that but it was great!" etc. You realize that there are lots of people without prejudices towards this type of music or Visual Kei, that's why it makes me happy taking part to festivals and it became amusing for me too. However, in the end it made me realize that probably I was the one being influenced. *laugh* It happens this too.

Interviewer: Speaking of the reality in this way, I think it's good thinking that it's something favorable. It's the same for forecasts?

Uruha: Yes, but sometimes it's unpleasant. Being able to comfortably obtain information changes you. Basically I've a negative nature. *laugh* That's why if I generally know nothing I have a propensity for thinking negatively and probably my works too would become darker.

Interviewer: In other words it means that, in this way, you find yourself in a "original" situation. You are able to create something that should be born in a completely natural way from yourself? Does it means it's more difficult to create in a direct way?

Uruha: When you hear positive opinions, aren't you more confident? So the result is that your work too will be full of that confidence. I think that this is really positive of course. However, it can also be that this is not your 'real' self.

Interviewer: Does it mean that in the end you can feel a bit of regret?

Uruha: It happens that I feel like I'm not completely satisfied. I think "I'm not being able to fully pull out the real turbid side that should be inside of me". It's like a feeling where the fog is dissolving mysteriously. This, I think, it's not bad… but..

Interviewer: It probably means that when it's reflecting in that mirror is something different from Division, even if you are trying to reflect the actual Uruha in that mirror that doesn't have any shadows nor distortions.

Uruha: How can I say it..? If I hadn't been influenced at all, in a situation in which I can't at all hear information, other opinions, etc.. maybe the band wouldn't be what it is now since before Division. If we hadn't hear anything, voices around us, who knows what we would have become? If it wasn't for those voices, maybe we wouldn't even had the desire to be what we are now. It's a strange subject but I've the feeling that if we had been people who weren't influenced at all, we wouldn't mature at all in this way and the way of being of the band itself tells the different influences experienced. I've the feeling that I've just said something extraordinary. *laugh* Interviewer: I think I know what you mean. What kind of people and what they think of you? And even if you wouldn't like to now, in the end you find out about that. This is for sure a current worry in contemporary society.

Uruha: It's exactly because we are in the middle of this kind of society. And since time moves on we can't do anything about it. Ultimately, there's the freedom of not joining the system of the so called social networks. Maybe it's because when I wanted to join visual kei this kind of things didn't exist? However, precisely because I was a fan, I dreamed about various things and I think this made the charisma of the artist much stronger. Everything was in the world of imagination. In particular, I think that probably this tendency was very strong in the visual kei world. People thought things like "That guy sure as hell don't go to the toilet." *laugh* I couldn't even image (the artist) eating or something similar. But this was the fun. Probably the imagination ability is much stimulated through printed interviews and such than showing vivid images through videos ecc. In these days things like these aren't disappearing? Now you can see everything. This is why I don't use SNS [1], I've a vibe that opposes against this. Since I'm an artist I can't think it makes sense to show a reality that should be better not to show, or the production process in a precise way etc. Even if from that you could take joy, I think that this is just an extremely superficial joy.

Interviewer: It happens too that the distance between you and the listeners shortens considerably.

Uruha: That too, it comes out a part that will get damaged because you are showing your naked self. I think this is just a spoiler [2]. Moreover, I think that because of that the listener stops using their imagination. For example, if I wrote regularly daily routines of my live, fans could think "ah it's a completely normal guy". In reality I'm a normal human being and there are pros of being a common person too. *laugh* However, I think that not showing this side is something good in today's visual key. But at the same time, since there's not a more comfortable way of gathering information, even I use it daily. Of course I feel the contradiction. This is without any doubts this is the world described in IBITSU lyrics. That world is certainly that song. For now, I think that probably is expected that that song exists. In reality, even when I didn't think about all of that, it happened that I wanted to make a single out of that song. But that didn't happen. I thought "Pulling this song out during the meeting for this album's songs isn't maybe the right time for this song?"

[1] Social Networking Service
[2] He means something that shouldn't be shown.





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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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Uruha - HETERODOXY PAMPHLET Q&A

Uruha - the GazettE HETERODOXY PAMPHLET Q&A translation

• Q: Which is the scene that got stuck in your heart until now?
  A: Tokyo Dome live.
• Q: If you wouldn't be a part of a band, which job do you think you would do now?
  A: I don't know why but I think it will be something in which I have to handle machineries.
• Q: During your day off, how much time do you play instruments more or less?
  A: There are moments during which you play and other during which you don't play at all.
• Q: Apart from the band, what is the happiest moment during which you do something?
  A: When I drink wine?
• Q: During your free time in tours, you do tourism or something?
  A: Sometimes we do.
• Q: Is there a moment that touched you the most until now?
  A: This is something that always happens.. Playing songs created while doing our best and then reaching the final, I'm always moved by finals.. it's like there's something that piles up inside of me. As long as this circle exists, I think I won't be able to hold my emotion.
• Q: You all seem really busy, but do you do something to keep your body strength?
  A: I go jogging.
• Q: If the Gazette's members had to run the 100 meters, how would the ranking be?
  A: I don't know, but I'm sure I'll be first.
• Q: Which is the chord you like the most? Mine is CSUS4.
  A: I don't have the conception I can like a chord itself.
• Q: Did you see the solar eclipse?
  A: I saw it wearing 5 pairs of sunglasses.
• Q: Is there a song that rise your tension when you listen to it or that you listen when your tension is high? (*´∀` *)
  A: Why Try from LimpBizkit.
• Q: How many earrings do you have?
  A: 9.
• Q: If you could change just for once, beside your part (guitar) which position would you like to have?
  A: Drum.. be able to drum.
• Q: Uruha-san, in an interview at the question "which alcoholic drink do you like?" , you answered "sherry"". Which is the alcoholic drink you like the most recently? Can you tell us one suitable for girls too?
  A: Lately I like red wine.
• Q: Can you tell us something bad that happens to you when you drink alcohol?
  A: If I drink too much, then I can't remember anything.

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