[Interbyu] BARKS Interview: Alice Nine - Shooting Star

[INTERVIEW] Alice Nine “Just like a [shooting star], we released something that is nice to hear and feel, but is not soft inside”

Alice Nine released 3 consecutive singles in 3 months. Comparing them to their debut 9 years ago, struggling through many twists and turns, they finally managed to freely pour what “today’s Alice Nine” is into all these singles. The first single was called [Daybreak], the second [SHADOWPLAY], and the recent one was [shooting star], as a conclusion of the wave of releases, in which they splendidly showed something fresh. We would like to deliver this interview, in which they talked about [shooting star] that is released in May 29th, and about [We wanted to avoid, more than anything, settling down on “This is the kind of rock ballad that Alice Nine does”]. Furthermore, celebrating their 9th anniversary, BARKS continued with the 9 keywords, implementing them in the 3 month consecutive serial project. This month we asked the members these 3 themes: [CRISIS], [HEAVEN & HELL], and [WORLD]. Do check out this interview.

What is important for us is the place where we are able to create something with a fresh feeling while being excited about it ourselves. [Hiroto]

— I was surprised about [shooting star]. It’s a stylish ballad with a rather R&B feel.

Shou (Vo): Before [Daybreak] we had a ballad single called [Niji no Yuki] (released December 21st 2011). [Niji no Yuki] was written under the principles of a ballad that a rock band would make, so for us as a band to release another ballad, this time before the process, we faced the greatest difficulty of how we could create a different kind of ballad.

Saga (B): That’s why this time we couldn't proceed unless we have the awareness of creating a song as a rock band. [Niji no Yuki] was a rock ballad led by the twin guitars, so that’s exactly why we created something different while being aware of the “freshness”.

— So that’s why you went in the completely different direction toward an arrangement that no rock band would have done.

Hiroto (G): No, I’m not thinking that this is totally “not rock”. If you listen to the sound that came right out of production, you might categorize it as a UK rock. Not in the “guitar not quite distorted = rock” way. During the production stage, we weren’t thinking of excluding our ventures in rock. What is important for us is the place where we are able to create something with a fresh feeling while being excited about it ourselves.

Shou: At the beginning, this was also a ballad that felt a lot more like a ballad. But then we thought of rearranging it, thinking, “it’d be awesome if we destroyed the whole thing.”

Saga: When I first wrote the demo, the song leaned more toward J-POP. And then the producer that we worked with for [Daybreak], Hiraide-san, asked what kind of changes we wanted to make. Generally, wouldn’t songs be more easy-listening once a producer lent a hand? From there, we compiled various ideas and the song gradually became avant-garde.

— Weren’t you nervous during the production?

Saga: We always end up entering the nervous defense.

Hiroto: That is the scariest part. It’s because we wanted to avoid, more than anything, being stuck in the notion “This is the rock ballad that Alice Nine would make”.

Saga: When we got into the defense of, ‘mentally it’s not rock, is it?’ In that sense, this song is rock.

Shou: I think, in terms of ‘mind’, this is the most rock song from all 3 singles.

Hiroto: In terms of production process, I suppose so.

Shou: The concept we had when we worked on [SHADOWPLAY] was how to create a song that would make the fans glad, so in terms of ‘mind’, it was the most poppish song. Despite how heavy it sounded. [shooting star] has an easy-listening intro, but its mind is really rock. This isn’t a theory, but we’re glad that we could proceed step by step, thinking, “isn’t this good?”.

Tora (G): Rather than setting up theories, the producer said, “This is good, isn’t it?”, and when we thought the same, it would simply be sufficient. Things like, “You can’t use any other chord here but this,” happened quite often. Despite so, he said whatever would be okay as long as it sounded good. That’s the way the producer got us to continue working.

— I wonder if that’s because Hiraide-san is that type of producer. Working with him, you created [Daybreak] and [shooting star] that sounded greatly stylish unlike anything Alice Nine had ever released before.

Tora: I’m sorry, we’ve finally released that kind of songs (lol).

I remember having a conversation about wanting to become a band that can make our fans feel proud when they say, “I’m listening to Alice Nine”. (Shou)

— Uuh… … (large bitter smile). However, personally, I think that it’s fine if you wish to create stylish songs that would counterbalance the good looks that you’ve supported since long ago.

Saga: Our juniors told us the same thing. They said our songs were unrefined. (bitter smile)

Shou: In the beginning we had like a completely idol-like image, and then we moved on toward a more formal or classic beauty.

Saga: But we weren’t just a band that made only unrefined songs… by the way, lately aren’t we finally getting closer to our current mood?

Hiroto: In the mean time, there were also times when we reached the place where each of us seriously dug into our personal favorite kind of music. And then there was also one time when we became the antithesis of the idol-type that Shou-kun just mentioned.

— Did you not think that, despite your idol-like looks, it was fine if you could prove yourselves as a rock band during the lives?

All: We’re not that skilled… …

Shou: When we released [RAINBOW] (released August 6th 2008), we talked in studio about how embarrassing it was to go on as we were. Only among the members, that is. Weren’t there moments when your friend asked you, “What are you listening to right now?” and you felt embarrassed answering that you were listening to idols? I remember having a conversation back then about wanting to become a band that could make our fans feel proud when they said, “I’m listening to Alice Nine”; a band that could make them say, “I’m listening to a really cool music.”

Nao (Dr): … … We’re so serious, huh (smile). So pure.

Tora: Since we’re a rock band, all we thought about was how to make great music. We weren’t thinking about using our physical appearances, we never worried whether we looked horrible. We thought we would still be able to sell records doing the music that we liked the most without considering any kind of strategy. We had that sort of confidence.

Shou: The seriousness and clumsiness that we showed toward that kind of music, it’s very much us. That’s why, now that we’ve gone through all that and have become flat, we released [shooting star] that is nice to hear and feel, but is not soft inside.

Nao: We’re like cabbage roll boys. The outside is herbivorous, but once you take a bite we’re carnivorous on the inside.

Saga: Alice Nine is cabbage roll boys?

Nao: There’s also this new stuff called “Asparagus Bacon Boys”. Boys that seem herbivorous when carnivorous people see them.

Hiroto: Why do these food-related punch lines keep popping up in these 3 month consecutive releases interviews (lol).

— Alice Nine has this gap between their outer appearances and inner sides, huh.

Shou: When we first formed the band, we didn’t like the atmosphere that we felt when we secluded ourselves in a visual kei circle. That’s why, as much as we could, Alice Nine had kept up the visual image that we showed on the surface. It’s because I thought our mission was to spread visual kei to the world outside. But even though our outer appearance was like that, when you look within the band you’ll see that we’re seriously stoic about music.

— So then Alice Nine have completely turned into cabbage rolls!

Shou: We’re sorry about that (bowing).

Tora: You’re not seriously ending this with an apology (everyone laughs).

Saga: It’s all because that inner part is the human nature part that is oozing out of us.

Shou: Well then, from now on, shall we continue in a pushy manner with Hiroto-san frowning his brows all the time?

— No, no, that’s not what I was talking about (lol).

Saga: I’m getting the feeling that we’re the kind of band that makes a breakthrough the late 30’s to 40’s while oozing our human nature (lol).

Hiroto: But that’s because we wouldn’t be the way we are now if we didn’t create [shooting star]. Recently band is a pleasant state of affairs.

Tora: I fully understand that we’re reaching our 9th year, but we can’t say that we’ve created a good piece just by ourselves. If the people around us weren’t complete, we wouldn’t make it. So we’re really thankful to the people around us. That was a good thing I said just now (lol).

Shou: We didn’t need a closing word (lol).

— Continuing, we have our 3 months consecutive serial project in the celebration of Alice Nine’s 9th Anniversary, in which we investigate Alice Nine using 9 keywords. We have 3 words for this edition as well.

◆ No. 7 [CRISIS]

— Moments that you’ve experienced so far in which you felt you were having a crisis?

Shou: It was when I was checking the video of our performance in Kokusei Forum that we did for our 5th anniversary, I felt it was a crisis. I thought, “This song is awful.” It was so awful I couldn’t even sense what was so awful about it. But I felt bad because we were still growing back then. From that point on, we were driven to keep practicing our songs.

Hiroto: CRISIS, is it… …

Tora: Hiroto being so popular, isn’t that a CRISIS? (lol)

Nao: As expected, his sense of danger is different from us~ (lol).

Saga: He’s like a rockstar from the past.

Hiroto: No, but I’d like to be popular to that extent (lol). For me, it’s the moment before our performance in Nippon Budoukan (January 6th 2011). I thought I was finished. I couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t write any song. I thought I didn’t have what it takes to perform in Budoukan, and that I was truly done with. I don’t think I was popular either back then (lol). But once we performed in Budoukan, I was revived.

Tora: I’ve had injuries, on my leg, my neck, but more than that, the moment in which I felt was a CRISIS was when I told my father, “Alice Nine will be my last band.”

Saga: Around a month ago, my bangs had grown rather long. During those times I really felt self-conscious. I felt it was a crisis.

Nao: Last year was awful for me. My liver had become bad (lol). My result was B. However I couldn’t be in a rock band without drinking, so I thought, “No way, I can’t continue with the band like this.” While keeping that in mind, this year I went again for a physical examination and got an A result. It calmed me down.

— Everyone had to do physical examination?

Tora: Because we’re a healthy rock band.

Nao: We can’t rock if we’re not healthy.

◆ No. 8 [HEAVEN & HELL]

— Please tell us the moment that you felt most like HEAVEN and most like HELL in your lives up until today.

Shou: A live is a joyful thing for me, so basically it’s HEAVEN. Even now I remember the live we did when we were first formed, it was in Takadanobaba Area. The moment when the curtains were raised and I saw the glittering eyes of the audience, it was etched deeply in my memory. With the same energy our activities increased, and then we had our 1st one-man in Ebisu Liquid Room. Riding that energy and getting up on the stage of our very first one-man, the vocal’s pants got ripped on the crotch and left an opening on the front… Now that was HELL (everyone present laughs out loud). SID’s Mao-san watched that live and commented, “That was one heck of a violent live.” (everyone laughs out loud).

Hiroto: A hell-ish moment during a live… that’s difficult.

Tora: “Why am I still so popular even during a live?” Isn’t that hell? (everyone laughs)

Hiroto: It isn’t! (lol), I think it’s when I was supposed to do my guitar solo but the sound wouldn’t come out. Without thinking twice I threw away my guitar, but before I did, the effector’s knob flew off. I suppose moments when I feel like I’m sunk to my boots in HELL do exist, huh.

Saga: I did some research and saw a video on YouTube about the super-cool way to react when your sound doesn’t come out. When you’re experiencing troubles with your instrument, you just have to pretend like there’s nothing wrong and turn toward the rhythm section, or the other members who play instruments. People who do that look cool. So when I experience any trouble, I’ll leave it to Nao-san.

Nao: I also did some research on YouTube about how to deal with situations where one experiences troubles with the drums. For a beginner, when you’re having troubles, all you have to do is grin (everyone laughs). And then, using your stick, you point the blame toward other member! (everyone laughs out loud) There are plenty of other ways, y’know.

Hiroto: We have a song called [Akai Kazaguruma], right. When we did a performance of that song with a different arrangement, the entire audience sang along. It was HEAVEN, when I wish for the happiness of everybody who sang along with us.

Tora: I don’t have any experience that I consider as HELL. There was one time when I couldn’t perform in a live because of my hernia. I think that it’s HELL when I couldn’t perform, and it’s HEAVEN when I could perform.

Saga: Compared to narrow places, to be able perform in vast places is simply HEAVEN. But there are moments of HELL when my sound suddenly died during bass solo.

Nao: Lives are generally HEAVEN. In addition, I feel even happier during MC. HELL is that one time—the live just started, I made my entrance, sat down on my chair, and found out that I hadn’t prepared my sticks. I was so flustered, mumbling, “This is bad.” And then I barely made it on time to catch up with the end of the SE. That was one HELL-ish moment.

◆ No. 9 [WORLD]

— I thought I’d like to ask you about your experience doing lives abroad.

Shou: From the start, I didn’t like Japanese people who are totally, unconditionally attracted to Western. I thought, “I’m not going abroad.” I didn’t expect we would be receiving so many requests from foreign fans who have been supporting us. So far we’ve went to around 5 countries to perform, but in all those countries we’ve been deeply impressed by everyone. I think that we have only given minimum response toward the people who have requested for us, so from now on I’d like to do more lives, and to meet more of our foreign fans.

Hiroto: I also think that I have to work hard to be able to go abroad. When we were first formed, we said we’d do anything to go to Osaka! It’s the same vigour too this time. The culture in every country is different so the excitement is also different. I wonder whether or not I can experience the differences along the way if I go.

Tora: Nevertheless, I have a limit of a maximum 12 hours long flight. I can’t get a wink of sleep in a plane. Honestly, do you know the feeling when you’re stuck watching the same movie during the flight away and back? (lol) Although I really do want to go.

Saga: I like foreign bands, so when I put myself in that position, there are many bands that I like that haven’t come to Japan. With that in mind, I think I’d like to go abroad whenever it is possible.

— When you performed abroad, were the fans excited?

Saga: Jakarta was the number 1 most hyped up reaction in my entire life in this band. It was really awesome. Although it was only the technician doing instrument sound check, the fans started calling out for Alice Nine.

Hiroto: Everyone really sang along with such an enthusiasm. It was the first time ever that I saw the scene of an entire audience singing [FANTASY] together from the beginning to the very end. These are the things that I can enjoy from going abroad.

Nao: The language was different so I thought it was really difficult to make contacts. I myself was quite troubled, but if I just tried very hard to get my point across to the person I was talking to, I would get the answers. Turns out that there are friends and siblings all around the world. I think nothing will change even though our languages are different.


Creditos: akinojou, Barks