Art

What comes to mind when you think of art?

Sometimes I visit art galleries, but rather than the kind of things you’d find there that everyone recognizes as art, I’m more attracted to, and feel more things from, things that stick out in my daily life. Natural things like flowers blooming in a weird place, or clouds with strange shapes, etc.

Battle

What have you been battling with recently?

Hmm I wonder…

When you’re making a new album do you guys battle with each other? Or do you work more indifferently?

It depends. When we have different opinions we’ll talk thoroughly with each other to make the songs. We try our best to understand what the other members are saying.

You don’t fight?

Not recently. In the past, we’d get into fights over small things… so we’ve definitely fought before (laughs). But we’ve all become calmer now; we don’t really fight anymore.

Computer

I think that these days, computers are necessary for making music. Do you think that’s good or bad?

Everything runs via computers. Sure, I could think of songs without a computer, but we’d have to spend a long time in the studio, and record all together like “3, 2, 1, GO”. We’d have to make music all together from stage one. I think we could make good music like that, and I’m interested in it, but in our current situation I can’t imagine not have computers.

Dream

Do you think the dream you had when you began playing in bands has come true?

Hmm. At the time when I longed to be in a band, I just wanted to stand on stage and play my guitar. I was like “I wanna gather some people, play our own songs, and go hard!” My dream was just to play in a band. So now, having been able to play in a band for so long, I think my dream has come true.

Europe

What is Europe’s charm?

The fact that old buildings and streets there are treasured and preserved. They don’t just casually make tall buildings like in Japan; they preserve old buildings, even in cities. I think it’s really great how they’ve preserved their old traditions into the present day.

Fan

What do you think about the feeling of distance between the present band and the fans?

I don’t really show to the fans a feeling like “I really treasure the fans!” But I hope I can express to the fans the things I want to do, through concerts and our music. So, for the music and also the art work of albums, I want to make things about which we can confidently say to everyone “I want you to experience this”. So in that way, I think I’m putting my faith into the fans.

Guitar

What do you look for when choosing a guitar?

At the moment I’m not really interested in vintage things; I choose guitars which produce sounds close to the image of the sounds I want to produce.

Hamburg

I hear you like Hamburg steaks.

That was in the past (laughs). Though it’s not like I hate them now; for example, if we’re able to choice from a variety of bento (lunch) boxes in the studio, I don’t normally choose Hamburg steak. Recently I like pork and chicken more than beef. What the hell are we talking about? (laughs).

Instrumental

I have the impression that Dir en grey plays a lot of instrumentals.

We don’t play instrumentals, but we often play sounds to help create the atmosphere of the concert, and to connect one song to the other. Anything is okay though, really. However, as long as the sounds are jarring, I think it will feel like a Dir en grey sound (laughs).

Joy

What have you enjoyed recently?

The Hanshin Tigers beating the Yomiuri Giants in the climax series (laughs).

Karaoke

I hear you like karaoke.

No, I hate it! I haven’t been to karaoke in 20 years… maybe longer.

What don’t you like about it?

The sound at karaoke is low; there are no high sounds. And I have a weak throat; it dries up after singing only one chorus. So karaoke is painful for me (laughs).

Luxury

What’s been a recent luxury of yours?

Using my time in a meaningful way; I’m always busy making music, or touring, so I’m happy when I can freely spend my time without thinking about anything. At such times I wonder what I should do, then I make plans, and it feels luxurious.

Magazine

Do you read any magazines?

Recently I haven’t read magazines much. But I’ve started looking stuff up online.

What was the last magazine you read?

Hmm (thinks for a while) I can’t remember… I don’t buy them often. I don’t like having magazines, etc., spread out everywhere when I come home, so I try not to buy them.

New Album or Number

Your new album is titled ARCHE. Did you name it after you’d completed all the songs?

No, the name ARCHE came up while we were still in the middle of creating the album. At that time we still couldn’t see the whole picture of the album, so when Kyo suggested we call the album ARCHE, I wasn’t so sure about it. But since the album began to lean in the direction of us expressing our realness and a band feeling that can only be created at this present moment, I began to wonder if the title ARCHE (roots) would be suitable for the album after all.

Is this album completely different from your previous work? Or, is it an extension of your previous work?

I think it’s different. Parts of our previous works were not made for first time listeners. But this time, we wanted to make something that would reach many different people in a wider scope.

What parts should people listen out for in the album?

The image of the album is very easy to pick up. Also, even in simple sounding songs, there are many different parts, and I think the songs become more interesting each time you listen to them. So I want people to listen closely to them.

Orange

What kind of tour do you want to make DIR EN GREY TOUR14-15 BY THE GRACE OF GOD into?

Recently, we’ve been using a lot of videos in our concerts, but for this tour we haven’t made any concrete decisions about what videos we will use. Instead, we want to gradually change them as we play shows. We don’t yet have a specific image of how the shows will turn out, so I don’t know yet.

Paradox

What do you think you would have done if you hadn’t become a guitarist?

Before Dir en grey, I had various part time jobs. I stayed at them for a relatively long time, and ended up in kind of managerial positions (laughs). So I think I could have done anything to a certain extent. But I couldn’t imagine myself in a line of work that required me to ride a packed train every day (laughs).

Quake

Did your thinking towards Dir en grey change after the disaster?

In a disaster things you consider normal suddenly lose their normalcy, right? I don’t know when Dir en grey will end, or when I’ll no longer be able to play the guitar. So it really drove me to live each moment to the fullest, and leave no regrets. Furthermore, it made me realize that you shouldn’t assume that things are okay just because of what is said on TV; you need to investigate things, and make judgements for yourself.

Record

I’ve been told you like record stores.

Recently I’ve been using the internet a lot, so I don’t really visit stores anymore. In the past, I tried to absorb many different things, so I’d wonder around record stores on the hunt for new records. But recently, I don’t really find any sounds that I can get into instantly, so I often listen to music I’ve liked for a long time.

Since you’ve mentioned that, what artists do you listen to repetitively?

This and that, I often listen to The Beatles.

School

Did you know about tattoos when you were a student?

Yes, some of the seniors who had graduated had them, and some scary people had them (laughs). But at the time I didn’t think about getting any tattoos myself.

What advice would you give your student fans on how to lead a good school life?

I can’t say I lead a very organized school life… (Laughs) I went to school every day just to meet my friends. So sometimes I was late, but I always went to school. School is a place where you can talk, and exchange ideas with your friends, isn’t it? I think it’s okay to live in a world by yourself, but since there’s a place where you can share things in common with others, I think people should have fun and make good use of it

Tattoo

I’ve asked if your tattoos have increased recently, but are your tattoos complete now?

No, some of them are still only lines, so they’re not yet complete. But recently I haven’t been able to go to the tattoo parlour.

So you haven’t met your tattooist recently?

No, I’ve seen him.

So rather than just being his customer, you’re more like friends.

Yes. One out of three times we meet he’ll suggest we continue with my tattoo, but I just tell him I’ll come over soon (laughs).

Have you collaborated together for work before?

We’ve talked about how we’d like to collaborate if we ever had the chance, but at the moment we don’t have any such plans.

Recently, with the banning of visible tattoos at seaside clubhouses etc., I think the situation surrounding tattoos is changing. Have your thoughts towards your tattoos changed since I last interviewed you four years ago?

My thoughts towards them haven’t changed. My tattoos all have meaning to me, so they’re not something I’ll ever get sick off. It doesn’t matter how much time passes; they became a part of me the moment I got them.

Upgrade

Are there any parts of the band you think you have upgraded by making this album?

I talked with the other members about wanting to not just follow what we’ve been doing recently, but instead, treasure the power that comes naturally from our band. We’ve reconsidered how we’ve always just progressed naturally with songs without confirming with the other members. I think we have improved in that area.

Voice

When Kyo’s vocals are added to your music, are the songs as you imagined they would be -from the point of view of being the person who wrote the music?

Normally they aren’t. That’s not just because of Kyo’s vocals, it’s due to each members different parts. But that’s what’s interesting about being in a band. It’s like “ahh this is how it’s turned out?” then I’ll make suggestions, and we’ll talk back and forth to complete the work.

World

Where do you want to visit again?

Europe. There are so many countries in Europe, and each country’s alcohol tastes completely different from the others. For example, no matter where you go in the USA, the beer is all kinda the same, but in Europe, there are lots of different beers and it’s fun to try them. Even though European countries are all so close to each other, they all have their own distinct alcohol, so I don’t get bored of them while we’re touring.

So your memories of the countries you’ve visited are synchronized with your memories of alcohol?

Yes. That is definitely true (laughs). I remember those kinds of things. I normally only remember the venues and a few other places. Even if I remember the atmosphere of a concert, I can’t recall which country it was in (laughs).

Which country that you haven’t already been to would you like to visit?

I’d like to visit South East Asia: Malaysia, Thailand, etc. We’ve never played in that region before, so I’d like to visit.

Xmas

How do you normally spend Christmas?

Just normally (laughs). I don’t do anything in particular.

You don’t, for example, have a party with your friends?

I don’t really like parties. I won’t go so far as to question what’s interesting about them, just that it’s good enough for me to just go out drinking normally with people I know. I’ve never really liked the word “party” (laughs).

So rather than parties, you just like to go out and have some drinks with your friends?

Yeah, I prefer that (laughs).

Year

What kind of year do you think 2015 will be for you?

I think it’ll be a year focused on concerts. Seeing how much our new songs will evolve through our concerts… Searching for those kinds of things while playing shows wholeheartedly… I feel like it’ll be that kind of year. But I also wanna do something irregular. Although I can’t think of anything specific right now… I hope I can attempt something interesting.

Zombie heroez

In connection with your first tattoo, that reads “Zombie heroez”, do you have any information or advice for people considering getting a tattoo?

Firstly, I don’t want people to lose their self-confidence when they get one. People will look at you differently just because you have a tattoo. In that sense, I think your life changes when you get a tattoo. I don’t want you to be shaken in yourself just because you have a tattoo. I don’t want you to regret your tattoo. I hope that you can be positive about the things you have done.

Thank you to diru915 for the scans.