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hyde
solo interview ( Switch )
(After
I read this interview I do feel much better, Thanks hyde..for clarifying
things...ease my anxiety..coz I realy dunno what he's been up to..about
the SOLO thing and the BAND u know..its good that he explained and told
us what he thought.. ^_^ I'm sure he is very devoted to the band and would
not choose to go solo forever!!! )
PART 1
--This year is
actually 10th year of Laruku right?
h: Yes
--Are you conscious about it?
h: Oh, not really. Its like, now that you say it..then i'll think "
oh yeah "
--Is there anything that was particularly nostalgic for you?
h: it seemed like a longgg time ago ...at that time we were young. I mean
its like 10 years, its was a very very long time.
--There were so many different things, you probably can't remember the
details right?
h: when we first started the band, i just feel that we were like kids.
--Now that you've become adults, do you feel more "concrete"?
h: Well not really, but just that 10 years ago we were kids, still chasing
some unrealistic dream.
--Its like there's no choice, the feeling is...just got the urge and desire
to make some music right?
h: Yeap.
--Is there anything that changed your view during these 10 years about
the band?
h: em....have you ever lived with a woman?
--eh.yes..
h: So its like that, everyday you have to cope with little things about
life and get to learn it, like you argue about small stupid things right?
So you just have to learn to think for each other, understand each other,
and just have to control yourself when you can, and try not to get pissed,
or else you can't live your life well everyday. That kind of thing, its
same for being in a band, so the band is kinda like..a woman.
(excuse me hyde..whats with the..living with woman thing? so u're just
saying " I've lived with a woman before that's why i know "
thing now ^^?
yeah altho we KNOW...u are..but..hey...do you have to be so..explicit..
anyways..)
--Band is like a living thing isn't it? Like a cohabitat of people with
different personalities..
and it cannot be sustained by only incoporating each individual's thoughts,
because unpredictable
things keep coming up. So in what way do you think about the band now,
hyde san?
h: I always feel that i'm 1/4 of the band. Now that I'm doing my solo
work,
its just feeling I've turned the 1/4 into 1. Take a metaphor like this,
like sometimes i just wanna have my own room and stuff.
Because of the band, there are different reasons that made it impossible
for me to build my own room the way i like it, but if i'm solo,
I can decorate my room with all of my favorite antique furnitures.
Of course its cool to have a band room furnished with modern like furniture,
coz its just out of curiosity, but I'd really like to have a room that's
based on what i truely like someday.
--So its like a villa?
h: something like that. And when your family gets bigger, you would want
one more house right? coz your kids will
grow up and stuff. (haido!! are you saying u have kids now!? )
--But in all these 10 years you never wanted to do any solo work?
hyde: from few years ago this idea was already there, but just that its
now that we actually put it to action
--so 2 or 3 years ago when the band was growing without limit, you guys
thought about solo?
hyde: yeap.
--what triggered it thought?
hyde: instead of saying that there's a factor that triggered it, its more
like an accumulated effect and you just
wanna release it. In the band there's a way that we like it to be, the
four of us, but if i'm alone then i will be like
this...i thought.
--the desire to be independent?
h: thats like, there's only one thing you want in the world, and you wanna
make something that belonged to only you
by yourself, I always felt that way.
--ever since you were a child?
h: yeap, like I would wanna draw more I would want my own painting, so
its like one of my instincts.
--When did you start drawing?
h: When i was really young I already liked it a lot. Ever since I am conscious
about things I thought " I would
do nothing else other than this " . So i really had this Otaku like
obsession going on. Maybe you will see it this time
when im doing solo?
--When you were writing songs for solo, do you have different ways and
different thinking?
h: Yeah, its a somewhat natural process, but to think about it, I already
get to do what I want with each song
when i was with the band.
--There should be some things that you couldn't do with the band right?
h: well its not really true...because the things i wanted to do I would
already have in mind.. like drawing,
if i want this kind of drawing, i'll start drawing based on that. So this
solo thing, its already shaped,
I just need to get there step by step.
--so its like you have all this 'final product' picture planned ahead.
h: In the band we had times where we just did things out of this sudden
urge, we were quite spontaneous.
Because the 4 of us we have different opinions, we'd have to choose between
things and find out whats the best.
However this time being solo, I'm the only person,
so I already have an idea in my mind how long its gonna take, how its
gonna be presented..etc.
--I heard your solo demo this year's April, at that time you were already
done with it?
h: Well its just like..i'll make something close to that, for all these
years, ever since i wanted to do it,
my visions haven't changed. Just that as time passes by i had spiced it
up a bit.
--About the band, you guys had started resting since last year's year
end eh?
h: Yeah, we're taking time to re-charge.
--Its like " lets take a break and look back on ourselves" ?
h: I just think we need to leave some time and do things as we see fit,
following our own footsteps.
--Slowly and deliberately?
h: yeah, Its become like a kind of ..confidence..rather than being 4 together,
i thought it would be better
if we could take it step by step and have some space to think about and
clarify things.
--What's the main thing that caused this decision of solo ?
h: Among us in the band we had already put solo in schedule a long time
ago, just like i said before, we wanna
think about it througouly and do it at the right timing.
--When did you start writing this time's solo song?
h: Quite a while ago. 2 years ago i already have the basic demo thing
there...but since i have the rough idea
of it then i didn't think further about it. Although I did have a feeling
that it will become a great song.
--At that time, did you think this song was for the band?
h: Its true that at that time all the songs that i make will be for the
band, but for example, if we say
" lets release a single in fall", and i'll try to write a song
that is what the band wants.
--What if its different from what the band wanted?
h: that's why i didn't intend to finish the song at that time.
--But is that the only song that you thougt you would use when you thought
of solo? Or is there any other songs
that could've been for the band ?
h: Well looking at the final product now, its not really for the band.
But well, if i was to use it for the band
the song will still be a good song in a different way .
--What's the biggest factor in choosing a song for solo and band?
h: It depends on some abstract vision that's inside me, weather i buy
or not buy the song.
--besides evergreen, are there other songs that you wrote for solo?
h: There are around 2 other old songs ..and some songs that we didn't
use for the band.
--You guys have meetings in choosing songs?
h: Yes we gather together. At that time although the song wasn't chosen,
I really liked it personally (laughs)
--Haha, at that time you must be like " che! " right?
h: Yeah haha, i did feel somewhat like that.
PART 2
--When you're
at home, at what time will you write songs?
h: Often when I was in the shower..some people they just click on the
way they are walking home or something and they get a song like that,
for me i have to be like " Ok lets write some songs now!", like
i have to change into " write-song-mode" or else i can't write.
--So its somewhat similar to drawing a picture?
h: Oh..yeah..hmm...seems like everything for me is based on some same
root of philosophy..same for drawing..even furniture.
--How about your innovations for art?
h: I the behaviour of a person making a thing, its basically the same,
just that the output is different ( ? er..what do you mean haido..?!)
--What instrument do you use when you write songs?
h: I use a guitar. Gibson Type 0 acoustic guitar.
--Its from before?
h: oh no, I just bought it last year, I saw it on some magazine and bought
it.
--So this song was born from a guitar.
h: Yes.
--What effect does the instrument have on the song itself?
h: Me..I don't really get affected by it, but i guess since its an acoustic
guitar the song itself would be naturally
more soothing
--Did you use the computer?
h: I did use it in the intro.....by setting it aside. (laughs)
--So you dub the song you compose from the acoustic guitar?
h: For me, whatever I do, i'm the analog type. its not because i'm bias..i
just like analog better. Although I would like to be more
digital when it comes to music...
--You do have a goal now so..
h: Yeah...I should take advantage of it since its more confinient, since
humans have already invented it anyway ( laughs)
But since i'm not familiar with using the computer so I don't wanna start
halfway ..so I guess i'm far from being digital
--When you wrote the song, did the lyrics come along together?
h: Lyrics..i couldn't think of any for long.
--so you got the lyrics later?
h: yeah, I start to feel like I wanna sing it that way..then I listen
to the finished song and think of what kind of lyrics
I want..starting from there. And then from there I just generalize my
imageries and produced it myself.
--Aiming at your own visions?
h: Yeah, for example for Spirit Dreams Inside, I'll think..if its me I'd
want the ending song of a movie to be like this..then I write
based on that. For this solo, I have pieces of image in my mind and base
it on those.
--Listening to the song..it is actually very sensitive, its quite different
from the band works. Did you purposely wanted to
make it different from the band songs?
h: I didn't really have that conscious of making a different song from
the band songs, just that I want to write a song like that at that time.
--Did you produce the song yourself then?
h: Well for most of the parts, but I did have a few co-producers. We have
Ian Kanal (CanaL?) and Dave Ford (?)'s team from England.
(hmmm.. is it becoz of the 911 thing that hyde ended up producing in england
instead of NYC like always?)
--How did you meet them?
h: This time, from the single to releasing an album ( wow are you really
gonna release a solo album!?) we got different ppl to do the demo and
I just chose the team that i liked.
--Did you wanted to go to England to produce though?
h: Oh, not really, just that the team is in England..so...America could
have been good or else ( ok that answers my question then ^^;)
-- But..the song's melody is quite european, just can't think of a place
other than England isn't it?
h: Well yeah... I begin to like british music more and more, so I did
thought " maybe we should do it in Europe "
-- Generally what kind of british music do you like ?
h: Basically, British new wave had been popular in many generations, and
the music will never leave your life, but for me the most
influencial ones where the 80s, although I did listen to many different
ones afterwards too.
--Which band do you listen to the most ?
h: Kajagoogoo (laughs)
--Duran Duran etc?
h: yeap, I also like Depeche mode. I can't describe how great the music
was from that time.
--I thought the title " evergreen" was quite ..England-influenced
h: A...That's pretty deep interpretation, but it was just like..its cool,
so lets use it ^^;; (laughs)
--So your first solo, how is it in the studios compared to the band.
h: well....I dont' need to pay attention to things...
--pay attention to what things?
h: like ..a lot.. for example the time needed to arrange, I can redo this
part if i like, at the end its my own decision anyways.
because if anyone disagrees its not band members, its much easier..but
then yes or no is all based on my decision, its quite..big
responsibility.
--yeah..coz you're all by yourself ne..
h: yeah, it was quite demanding ...
--Aren't you stressed then?
h: Oh yeah, Coz sometimes I'm uncertain about things, whether this should
be yes or no...its not fun at all. In the band, it would be much
better for sure. But in the band, when we are deciding between this or
that, we'll just go with the one that got more votes. In that aspect its
much more simple than solo.
--So instead you were more comfortable with it?
h: yeah, at the end i'll end up feeling restless and insecure ( with solo)
--coz you are responsible for the whole thing ...
h: i know i know!! Liek you dont' have anyone to depend on. When we are
fine with both ways of a thing in the band,
we'll just go with instincts of someone trustworthy. And now i have none
of that to depend on, so now I notice how much
I've depended on others decisions before.
--So for this single release you set up your own label Haunted Records
.. is it like making your own.. " box " ?
h: I didn't think that deep about it thought...just that I thought it
would be better that I make my own label first..
--Why did you use that name then?
h: I really like those horror things..so this is what i got out of that..at
first we had something like Dracula Records..(laughs)
Then i continued to think of scary things..and I ended up with this name.
--In the future do you plan to release for other artists?
h: Um.......well......If someone would like to go under this scary label...but
I haven't thought that far yet.
--but now that you have your own label its much eaier to get around things
right?
h: I hope so, we'll try to keep it simple.
--Don't you wanna produce for someone else?
h: I am not really interested actaully...but I do want to let a girl sing
my songs (WWWWAAAAAAAA)
-- a girl?
h: yeap, a lot of the times I think rather than singing it myself if a
woman could sing it ..it would even be better..
--even for the band?
h: yeah, even for the band. I always wanted to hear a girl sing the song
instead of myself
--You're that insterested...?
h: Of course, other than the songs that i didn't sing, i also would like
to listen to 2 or 3 songs from the album ( being sang by a girl)\
--Will you sort of place yourself in the prespective of a female time
to time when u sing those songs?
h: Oh yeah, I do. Although I'd like to listen to it sang by a girl, but
I'm a guy and there are parts of the song where only a guy
can sing that way.
--Do you like to interpret how yourself is like?
h: I don't really like it..because the purpose being is to understand
what being is.
--What do you mean?
h: hmm...i'm the type who's scared that people will dislike me. ( NO ONE
WOULD HAIDO~ ^_^ DON"T WORRY!)
--ever since you were a child?
h: Although I do want people to like me.....I just really don't want pepole
to hate me. So, I rather not get acquainted to people
coz then they won't like me, but they won't hate me either right.
--But from the side view its sorta you do have a desire to win....
h: Yeah.... partially its like that.
--So you have 2 sides?
h: Hmm.......maybe I do wanna be like that. For myself, I like people
who are bad mouth..(cocky?) , but if i hate then i hate..u know
--but there really are some ppl who talks mean but u just can't hate them
right? ( yes i totallly agree on this one...)
h: Yeah, I admire those people...and also, cannot be the nuisance type,
because I don't want people around to hate me.
--When you were small, didn't you wanna become some type of adult? Did
you turn out now to be somewhat like your ideal?
h: Soudesune......maybe..I've been doing things so that I can be what
I wanted myself to be like? but that kind of behaviour may just bring
yourself stress. I just wanna be happy at this age i guess.
--that's because u've grown up now?
h: no, actually I hate myself thinking that...like a coward...not only
if i could become the type of person who doesn't think about things
and just laugh away will i truely feel happy (laughs)
--but you just can't become like that right?
h: I'd just have to slowly get there (laughs) (sorry i realy don't get
what he's trying to say here -_-?)
-- How is the preparation of the album anyways?
h: i'm still workign on it, the writing of the songs are almost done..i
hope i can soon start the recording.
-- How many songs have you made?
h: not more than 10 songs yet.
--So you'll spend the rest of the year working on the solo?
h: I hope to finish it sooner.
--You wanna release it earlier?
h: Although I wanna play with it a little more ( laughs ) ...Because it
is time consuming so I can't play with it too long.
--Album will be released within this year?
h: I haven't decided yet...
--About going solo, how's the other member's reactions towards it?
h: All four of us have different thoughts about it..but we just decided
that we'll do what we like.
--Talkign about solo, TETSU started first...what do you think ?
h: Oh..I saw it on TV
--Don't you think its something to gain from outside of the band?
h: Well I personally thikn isn't that great..
--lets hope that the others think that way about your solo too.
h: but ...in the band I have not write many songs so soft..
--Maybe some people are surprised by it eh?
h: Un..
- I thought the most " hyde" song in laruku was HONEY persoanlly...
And this time's solo was quite extreme compared to that
but it still feels veyr "hyde"
h: I hope that everyone thinks that way too.
--Will your album have both extremes in there then?
h: Oh..not really...I don't think I'll have such a big range
-- So it will be in sort of a same tone?
h: It will be quite similar to the image in the single...
--isn't that kind of difficult though? How would you describe this time's
project?
h: The band songs are the ones you listen to with full volume ..but this
time I want the song to be listened to in a low volume..
so its basically 2 different things..
--So you rather listen to songs soft than really loud?
h: yeah, that's why the album is based on that imagery.
--The type that you listen to alone in the room?
h: Yeah.
-- How do you want it to be listened to ?
h: But actaully most part i just wanna satisfy myself..Like i just wanna
make this album...how people listen to it is
the later part of the story....
--the artwork used in the jacket, did you have that imagery in your head
previously too?
h: yeah, i do have a vague idea there..Sometimes I really do things according
to how i like it. In this part I will not
give in.
--You don't like to compromise?
h: well actaully its more like, in solo there are places where I don't
compromise..but I know if it adds up we'll end up
not being able to proceed with the project, no matter how hard you try
these things will still happen.
--Its always like that when you're an adult..
h: That's why I'm very happy that I can do this solo project. It would
lose the whole point if I give in to things right?
It would be good if later I can really try to not always give in to things
and express myself more instead.
--By the way did the London recording thing get in the way of your busy
schedule ? Won't you wanna enjoy it more?
h: Hmm...there are 2 sides, on one hand I wanna get it going sooner, and
another side even though I wanna get it going soon
I still wanna do it properly.
--Did you get to work on it at your own pace ?
h: Yeah, without much trouble, it went very smoothly.
--That's probably because you have a career with the band too ?
h: Oh yes of course. If I haven't been with the band before, it would
be impossible to achieve something like this
under my own label. Because now I'm have experience before with the band,
then it became possible.
--Excluding the band, its the first time you've recorded overseas?
h: Yeah. Before for Anemone, we only did some corrections overseas....and
then we had orchestra done overseas too..
--How long did you spend in Japan for this song before u went to London?
h: I just finished up to the demo in Japan and I already went to England.
--While you were choosing musicians and discussing with the team over
there?
h: Yeap. It was some trouble choosing musician though, because its the
first time I've ever done that.
--And things that suddenly came up ?
h: We..froze the site. ( laughs ) ( wait hyde..i really don't get your
joke here..er..) But it was really quite troublesome ne..
--What did you do then?
h: I just stood there silently, laughing, and listening. ( kawaii ^^)
--hahaha
h: I say what I can though. But some ppl are there too so i couldn't really
say some things...so i thought its better that
i just disappear silently behind...(laughs) although deep inside i was
concerned..but I thought.."well, whatever".
--How about the strings arrangement?
h:At the end we had a guy called Phillip Williams do it.
--Did you go watch it?
h: Yeap. He was a big guy (or either he meant it was a huge event? i dunno
if he's refering to the guy or the event himself..hmm)
..kind of mismatch with me ( laughs ). It was extravagant, but funny thing
is a lot of times we end up using very little of the
recorded stuff for some reasons....
--But the recording itself didn't take that long right?
h: We wanna do it efficiently and keep it simple...I sort of have a little
plan inside myself somewhere and just put it to action.
--Must be because you've been recording with the band for 10 years, somehow
you will be quite picky on the progress and the quality of
the recording ne?
h: Yeah I must have this ideal standard inside me somewhere...well it
turned out to be quite close to my ideal.
--So during the solo, what happened to the band?
h: Ever since we finished the promotion for the new single ( Spirit Dreams
Inside ) we haven't planned anything yet.
--So its like what you said before..just watching your step in front of
you and following that slowly to see what's up?
h: yeap
--Will the solo thing persist with the band in the future too?
h: Ah.....we don't plan to do that unfortunately.... although we'd like
some music-rebel but my feelings are more
neutral..in the end our true wish is to be with the band again. There
are many things that i came to notice from this
solo project, I hope I can apply it onto the band afterwards. We don't
plan to go any further than that.
--Have the other members heard your solo song yet?
h: E..I don't think so (WHAT!!!??)
--What do you think they'll think about it?
h: Ehm....what would they think....
--are you kind of embarrassed about it ?
h: hehe a little bit ( laughs ). I'm confident..but..but before I've always
asked opinions from the members on things before...
like I knowwhat i'm not good at.....but its very scary that they know
what you're weak at! (laughs)
--So you're not the very over-confident egoiste type?
h: Yeah...I guess...ever since I was young i wasn't really the confident
type. Although I'm quite confident this time i guess..
but its different when I let the members listen to it..(laughs), coz those
guys got good ears..they can pick up things from just listening
it once..
--even details?
h: Yeah! ..So......ay...-_-"
--Looks like this time U spent quite some time on the solo...what about
in the future..
h: Idealy..and to my own interest...I would like it...but i just feel
that its not work.
--its like private?
h: Yeap..Its like a hobby..interest..not work. Just getting to do something
you like!
--So it was just a coincidence that you have the innovations, feel like
doing it, and good timing..so that u did solo?
h: Yeah..but u know, for the band..if i take it as work purely too..it
wouldn't be good
--Like you said before....the difference between home and villa? Once
in a while people want to be alone..
h: yeap (laughs)
--So were you able to reflect it through this solo project?
h: Yes.
--Did you feel very stress because of too much responsibilities though?
h: ...a little bit..but my main responsibilities still belong to the band.
ironically its the solo work that i have less
responsibilities! In the band there are things that I can't force it to
be done my way right. For solo I can be more
"spoiled" about things..
--that's kind of interesting ..
h: Em going back to what i said before, I don't want anyone to hate me..and
solo its like my own thing, so i won't
make anyone mad right? So I get more say in it..and i have more responsibilities
with the band.
--You're the type who likes something and will get indulged in it?
h: erh..i'm " easy hot easy cold" ( easily interested in sometihng
and also lose interest very soon ..haah doesn't sound like u very
much though..u seem to be pretty interestd in SOMEBODY for a long time
already!)
--But..you've been making music for over 10 years! Or is it like... just
that its most suitable for you?
h: Yeah..ONLY in music was i able to maintain the interest ... ( no...what
about the SOMEBODY...haido...?)
I can't think of any other examples!
--How about drawing?
h: I'm color blind...well if not because of that I'd probably not be working
in the music industry to begin with! Although I'm color
blind..I can see color inside myself (T_T WHY~~ why does haido have to
be color blind and not be able to do something that he really loves..
this is so unfair...>_<~~~~ so ironic too..coz he's in L'Arc~en~Ciel..and
he can't see many colours!!!! poor hy-chan >_<) But anyhow it
is still different from everybody else...that's why things that i can
"see" alive is only music.
--Oh.......i see......
h: In the world of music, Like green is green, I just need to imagine
how green is like for someone..there is a lot of freedom for
imagination.
--Last but not least...Do you have anything you wanna approach ?
h: Maybe..the listeners..will not only be someone who's into Rock...of
course how people interpret the song is still up to them,
but emotionally I don't really expect anything different from what I expect
for the band.
--So for both solo and band you aim for the same thing?
h: Un..I do aim more toward the rock side..but i mean loud sounds and
distortion is not all about rock. I'm aiming for a more
emotional side of the rock thing.
--What visions do you have about future?
h: From now...I do see a lot of directions to go ahead of me...but u know..basically
i'm a stubborn person. I don't really wanna
change anything..I have a lot of patience and persistence with things....but
I don't want major changes.
--Isn't that somewhat like "evergreen" ?
h: O...yeah..... being...forever...hhaha I don't even notice myself! (
laughs )
---end---
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