#wowow interview

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►The bond of DIR EN GREY (DIR EN GREYの絆)

【Kaoru】 Of course sometimes we talk about stupid things, that's nothing special. We must always maintain equal relationships so that all can communicate with each other. But everyone has that personality, so it'll be a little bit… it's gonna be hard (laugh). Well, we all had different periods. Even so, we're still five people, spending time together in each other's lives. I still think we have to be aware of each other and move forward. Well, all I can say is that it's a pleasure to be in a band with them. *(一緒にやってくれてよかったなと思って)

【Shinya】 A balance of not being too deep and not being too shallow relationships with the members would be great, wouldn't it? Maybe during the periods when we were together for a long time, it was a little bit awkward, like a decade or so ago. Now it's just right.

【Toshiya】 I think it is necessary to consciously maintain a certain distance.  Considering this, it should be the most natural feeling now. Although we have been together all along, we have not had unnecessary conversations.  Of course, human beings communicate with each other through conversations, but at the same time, they get unnecessary information. Personally, if my work and private life are mixed together, I gradually feel like I'm misunderstanding something, and I don't like that. As for the connection between us, when (everyone said)  "Okay, let's go!"  (before the live show), there’s a very strong cohesion.  I feel that way.

【Die】 I am often asked, "Do the members have a good relationship?" "After all this time, you've become like family members, right?" It’s *troublesome to answer. *(めんどくさい / mendokusai) The time we spend together may be longer than that of family members, so do we have a good relationship? Or a bad relationship? It has nothing to do with that. We're beyond that. There are many things that only the five of us have been through together, and that is the connection between us. We've been through all kinds of things in the band, happy things, going overseas for the first time, getting frustrated.  We've been through a lot together. We all hit the wall together, rushed forward together, and then hit the wall again. Precisely because the five of us have experienced many things together, this kind of relationship can only be understood by the five of us.  It has nothing to do with whether we have a good relationship with each other, nor are we family or friends. In DIR EN GREY, there are some things about our relationship that only the five of us can understand.

【Kyo】 I guess I like these guys. *(人間が好きなんじゃないですかね) There's something to honor in everyone, and I often think that they're amazing. Maybe even if we didn't form a band, but just meeting and getting to know each other on ordinary occasions, we'd still be friends.  At least I'd do that. It's just that we're connected through music now, even though we don't talk a lot... Yeah. I guess it's because they all deserve respect.

【Narration】 (cv: Morikawa Toshiyuki) Although always a *solitary existence, DIR EN GREY has been going on for a quarter of a century.  The trajectory of the past 25 years has never stopped and continues to move on to a new path. The five people connected by the bond of music will bring us deeper pain and hope of being alive. *(孤高 / ここう / kokō)

(END)

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01. Band Formation ~ Debut

►The Formation of DIR EN GREY

Shinya: All four of us were in the same band except for Toshiya on bass. Then the band broke up and we had to find a new member again. Kyo: Each of us all wanted to be in a band. So after discussion, we decided to get rid of one person and get the four of us together. (*Note: After La:Sadie's disbanded, the four of them decided to form a new band in addition to KISAKI.) Die: We were friends with Toshiya at that time, so we thought about finding all the members and forming a band with him. Toshiya: At that time, their band was gaining momentum. I would like to play with the four of them if it's possible and I happened to be invited. That's what happened.

►Origin of the Band Name

Kaoru: At that time, there was a band that communicated with us very closely. The band had a song called DIR EN GREY*, and that's where our band got its name. I always thought it was a good name, so I suggested it as the name of our band. (*Note: It refers to a song called "Dir en Gray" by the band "LAREINE" (with Kamijo as vocalist), which was formed in 1994.) Kyo: There were two alternative names at that time, the other one was proposed by me, but the final vote was 3:2 so I lost. (laughs)  After I lost, the band name became DIR EN GREY. (*Note: Another name is "如月" (きさらぎ, kisaragi ) → Dir en grey turns 25 today! )

►Looking Back at the time of Debut

Shinya: The three debut singles were produced by YOSHIKI-san. He also played the piano for our song after debut, I had no regrets at that time even if I died, that's how I felt. Kaoru: At that time, we had only recorded once or twice in a decent studio, and we had also recorded in places like homes.  YOSHIKI-san took us straight to a professional recording studio and said, "Let's make the debut single!" without giving us time to think.

. . .

02. Expression

►Awareness in the Creative Process

Die: After all, the band has been around for more than 20 years, therefore, we have to create something more exciting. It's not that I have to do anything, but I try to experiment with all kinds of things. So there are times when we can't be categorized as anything but DIR EN GREY. Shinya: While it is changing over time, now I just want to make songs that I feel good about. Toshiya: Every recording has to add the sound that you think is good, and you must like the songs you create, or you must love them. Kaoru: The overall sense of balance and the feeling that the listener will have, and of course there are many other things.  I would listen to the song several times to feel it, and repeat it over and over again. I can remember it by listening to it over and over again. After listening to it a few times, I will pay attention to interesting pieces, new discoveries, and so on, while I'm composing. Kyo: Most people have a fixed style after 20 years, like "This is the way this person is," but I'm not like that. Of course it's cool to stick to your own unique style, although I can do that and feel like I can keep myself. Kyo: I don't like to make people think that "This is how I am in the end" or something like that, it's not my style. I want to show the changes in each moment directly. When I can't express the music naturally, I may stop, and when I can't create freely, I will stop.

►Things want to Convey through Music

Toshiya: What I/we want to convey is simply "pain (痛み)". Living is a hard thing, and being able to create that power of anger, I think that's our music. Kyo: I am very bad at expressing beautiful things, or is that not for me?  It's... it's irritating.  Maybe it's because I often feel that there is nothing good in the world, and I don't like things that look like fabrications. Shinya: Those are supposed to be in the lyrics, and I don't particularly want to express the pain with the drums. 🤣🤣 Kaoru: I think that varies from person to person, and there is no right answer. For me, I also have a part of myself that I want to convey, so maybe I'm thinking about that while I'm creating.  If I were to say that we all share the same idea, it would be that we can express what we think without hiding it. Die: Being able to feel pain means you are alive, and hope is born from that. The first thing I/we want to convey is "to be alive". (*Screen caption: Feeling pain = Being alive)

►The Motivation for Expression

Kyo: If there is something that I want to convey which will be the motivation, I am not.  I'm just living. Toshiya: It should be the anger and sadness in life, just the two.  If I can express both, I feel I can be saved. Shinya: There will be people who come to see the LIVE, and those fans are my motivation. Kaoru: I think it's because I don't want to admit defeat. I don't want to admit defeat, it should be more like I don't like to admit defeat. I am a weak person, I will want to run away when things happen, and will want to give up when I can't do it. But on this point I still do not want to give in to defeat, I want to do it well. Kaoru: Of course, I have to face the other four members. I'm carrying their lives and my life is being carried by them as well. I did it with that determination. (*Oh, leader sama😳) Die: I think it's LIVE. LIVE is the most direct place to convey ideas and resonate with people. I am moving forward with LIVE as my goal.

(To be continued...)

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part 2. & part 3. & part4.

topics & time marks

05. Member Feature

[ 薫 Kaoru ]

►Memories of the Band Formation

Kaoru: Even ONE MAN LIVE, we still didn't have the budget to decorate the stage. But we still wanted it, so we went to TOKYU HANDS* and bought Styrofoam, flower decorations, and wire or something like that. It's fun that we all made  stage decorations in the house together. (*Note: "TOKYU HANDS" is a Japanese chain of home-based department stores specializing in selling DIY products.)

►Something of Recent Interest

Kaoru: I am often asked, but I can't think of anything. I don't want to do anything when I get home.  This month, in June, "Neon Genesis Evangelion" (the movie) will be released, and I really like it. Kaoru: It's almost over, of course I also want to see it earlier, but after watching it is really over. I'm a little happy that it's going to be postponed, that it won't be released this year (2020), and that I won't be able to watch it. (Staff: Emotionally, you still can't accept it.) Kaoru: Yeah, yeah, it will feel like it's not the end yet.

►Opportunity for Solo Exhibition

(*Screen caption: Kaoru held a solo exhibition”ノウテイカラノ”in 2019.) Kaoru: The reason for the exhibition is that a few years ago my hands started to become a bit uncomfortable and I couldn't hold the pick properly to play the guitar, so I had to put the pick on my fingers with tape*.  As a kind of rehabilitation, I started to draw and try to show some random things, but the story is not yet that rich. (*Note: Around 2014, Kaoru's hands began to show signs of abnormalities, which were diagnosed to be the occupational disease, caused by relaxation of the ligaments of the muscles or joints.)

►The Origin of「ノウテイカラノ」("nouteikarano”)

Kaoru: When I was a child, I often had a dream. I don't know if it was the sky or the ground, but there was a pure white place, and from far away, I could see a lot of dots, as if there was a large group of things coming closer and closer, and in an instant, they all swarmed towards me. Kaoru: Every night I would dream about it, and then I woke up with a start.  I wake up every time I dream about it, and what happens after that? I imagine what happens after that, try to draw a picture like this, go back to my mind at that time and imagine it. (*Note: According to Kaoru’s scend book “Dokugen ni” (published in 2018) P.85, "ノウテイカラノ" means "脳底からの" (born from inside the head), just written in katakana.

►Influence on the Band

Kaoru: At first, I wanted to draw with a different feeling, and I felt that my creative power was stimulated, so I thought I could compose with a different feeling. But, rather, it seems to be more difficult to make a song. (laughs)

...

[ Shinya ]

►The Person You Admire

Shinya: I've been in a band since my first year of middle school. X was very popular in the class, and YOSHIKI-san's presence was very strong.  At that time I decided to become a drummer like him, and I've always looked up to YOSHIKI-san since then.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Shinya: We used to compose in a studio in Osaka. There was a container-like studio, and I remember we stayed there for 3 or 4 days, composing the song together.  The studio was rented, and we slept there under the blankets. Shinya: I never understood why we had to share a room*. The studio was in Osaka and we could just go home, so why did we have to spend the night there?  I guess other members might have felt the same way. (*Shinya used the word "gashuku, 合宿")

►Reason for Not Changing the Style

Shinya: There are people who have liked me for a long time. Also, I can feel the beauty by keeping my old look, and that's why (I don't change my look).

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Shinya established the music group "SERAPH" in 2017.) Shinya: The concept was already there many years ago, but I felt that it was a bit taboo to have other band activities, so I didn't do anything.  But around 2012 or 2013, I started to think that it was okay, so I went into it with the intention of trying it out.

►The Concept of "SERAPH"

Shinya: The theme is the various things that I see from heaven, about human beings, and that's what I'm expressing.

►Influence on the Band

Shinya: The drum part is the same as DIR EN GREY. After all, it's an expression of my own creation.  In this respect, when I think of the drums of DIR EN GREY, there may still be some influence.

►Things learned from "SERAPH"

Shinya: I have to do a lot of things by myself in SERAPH, booking all kinds of things and so on.  I'm quite happy to do it myself, or maybe I'm doing it because I like it. But looking at these, seeing Diru's behind-the-scenes production process, I still feel it's not easy, DIR EN GREY is really amazing.

...

[ Die ]

►Opportunity to Go into the Band

Die: I wasn't that interested in music itself before. I like listening to music, but I don't know anything about the bands. After entering high school, I saw the performance of senpais' copy band at the cultural festival. I was dragged there by my friends, and it was a shock to me. The first time I saw a live performance, I realized that it's the band. Die: Although I had no interest in it, I wanted to do something while watching it, and I formed a band with my friend immediately after the show was over. There was no one else (in the band). I was a drummer at first. (laughs)  But it's boring to play rhythm all the time at home.  After all, guitar is a melodic instrument, and there is an amplifier. I guess the guitar is more attractive to me.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Die: When we first debuted, we spent the whole day in the conference room of the record company, signing posters, changing signatures, and so on. Filming also started at 6 a.m., and it took about 3 hours for a person to put on makeup, it's usually over time at the end. I remember these things very well.

►Something of Recent Interest

Die: In my daily life, I naturally see and hear things like the Japanese music industry, and it feels really peaceful.

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Die founded the rock band "DECAYS" in 2015.) Die: As far as music is concerned, it's something I can't do at DIR EN GREY. I wanted to try and see how far I could go without the DIR EN GREY label. There is a part of me that wants to do it myself, or to challenge it.

►Things learned from "DECAYS"

Die: At first I felt like I had to make some changes, but instead, I felt like I was losing myself. In the end, I found that it is best to be myself, in the next process.

...

[ Toshiya ]

►Opportunity to Start Playing Bass

Toshiya: Originally, I just wanted to be a guitarist, but I didn't think I could play very well. At that time, I was thinking about what to do, and then I was attracted to the bass. I felt like I could see my future. Toshiya: There are many people who are called "Guitar Heroes", but few people remember "Bass Heroes". That means there is still room for me to develop, so I thought I would play bass.

►Memories of the Band Formation

Toshiya: When our band first formed, four members came to my hometown. It was winter and there was still snow on the ground. They all came from Kansai and rarely saw snow*. I was very impressed by how excited they were to see snow. (*Toshiya's hometown is Nagano. It is said that Toshiya's mother took the picture at the time and still keeps it at home in Nagano :D → TOSHIYA AT JOE YOKOMIZO CHANNEL 4th FEB TRANSLATION/NOTES 2/4)

►Favorite Artists

Toshiya: I like painting. Vincent van Gogh and Francis Bacon, I like both of them very much.  The world of painting is usually a mixture of truth and fiction.

►Opportunity to Start the Apparel Brand

(*Screen caption: Fashion brand with Toshiya as creative director - DIRT) Toshiya: I think music and fashion are inseparable and both are very attractive. Music should be free to express itself, and in the same way, fashion should be free, too. Toshiya: When it comes to expressing oneself, everyone chooses what is acceptable to most people*. I don't like that, I think we should listen to our own thoughts more. (*Toshiya used the word "migimuke migi, 右向け右")

►Influence on the Band

Toshiya: Even if I'm designing clothes, I end up having something to do with music. Although this is a completely different field, it will eventually return to music and bands.

...

[ 京 Kyo ]

►The Person You Admire

Kyo: There are a lot of them.  Now I'm not just targeting one person. When I was young, there were a lot of senpais that I wanted to become like them.  But it's been more than 20 years, so now I don't take them as a target, just be myself.

►Interested Artists

Kyo: Haven't there "Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃)" recently?  I haven't read it yet, it's super popular, isn't it?  Generally speaking, if the sales are so good, it is difficult to end the series, right? There will be a variety of entanglements, such as the life afterwards, there are many to consider. Kyo: I think it's great to end the series like this, to end it at this time, with a sense of strength and determination. So if there is a follow-up manga in the future, I would like to read it.

►Opportunity to Start Solo Project

(*Screen caption: Kyo founded the rock band "sukekiyo" in 2013.) Kyo: The things I want to do often keep popping up. I think it's a shame not to do it, and I don't want to regret it.

►Influence on the Band

Kyo: I don't think so, but I feel less stressed (after the solo project).  People who like DIR EN GREY say to me, "Don't bring sukekiyo to DIR EN GREY!" Sometimes people say that, and I'm not going to do that. Kyo: I was asked why (I want to form a sukekiyo), "Diru can do it, right?" It's because I can't do it (in Diru) that I want to do it!  I don't know what criteria they used to say that Diru can do it, but I didn't do what I could do (in Diru).  If you finish what you want to do one by one, you will be less stressed out.

(To be continued…)

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part 1. & part 2. & part4.

topics & time marks

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06. Overseas

►Opportunity to Go Overseas

Die: I think the biggest reason is that the Internet has become so popular that people overseas can learn about Japanese culture. Kaoru: Someone in Germany told us that there are many people waiting for DIR EN GREY to come. Toshiya: To be honest, I was skeptical about it. Of course, I appreciate what they say, but I still think to myself, "Eh, do you really know us?” Kaoru: I refused several times. That person came to tell us that they were ready for a venue of about 3,000 people.  No, wait a minute. "We can't go to that kind of place," "Wouldn't it be too exaggerated?" "You value us too much," even though I said so. Die: I heard that all the tickets were sold out in a few minutes and there were so many people gathered in places we had never been. I wonder what the hell was going on? Toshiya: We went to Germany in such a half-believing state and were greeted by a very, very large number of people. Kaoru: Not only from Europe, there are people from  all over the world as well. It was the first time we held LIVE overseas, in Asia, and the audience came from different places, so I felt a bit numb. Shinya: Isn't it easy to go abroad now?  This was not possible at that time.  Maybe that's what people overseas think. If you miss this time, you don't know when you'll see it next. (*Yes Shinya, you’re right! 🥺) Kyo: It's just like "If there are people who support us like this, let’s go there."

►About Overseas Fans

Toshiya: Whenever I saw the audience singing in Japanese, I felt that they are really conveying frankly. Kyo: I don't know how to convey what I'm singing, and I can't sing in the local language, I can only sing in Japanese.  But when I think of the people who try as hard as one can, studying and looking up information to find out what I'm singing, I think it would be nice if they could pass some time. I guess that's how it is. Kaoru: Although we don't intentionally aim for overseas, people who will like us will like us.

►Life on the Overseas Tour

Die: In the case of the U.S., the tour bus can accommodate up to 12 people including members and staff. We had to go all over the U.S. with one bus, but of course the Japanese managers and staff were hardly there. Shinya: Basically, it's "Bus→Venue→LIVE", and then "Bus→Venue→LIVE" keeps going on. It's much better than in Japan that I'm already in the venue after getting up. Kaoru: We don't talk much in Japan. It has been like that for more than 20 years.  But when we were on the overseas tour, I could talk to the members quite often because I stayed with them all the time. After all, there were only members.  It's nice to be able to talk to the members, so I think it's good to have overseas tours regularly. 🤣🤣 Kyo: I don’t get out of the tour bus. I was in my own bed, about a tatami space, the height is probably only this way (Kyo gestures with his hand), like a box, but separated by a curtain. I stay in it almost all the time, even when I’m resting. Kyo: I'm still interested in some history, and although it's nice to see all kinds of scenery and live a healed life, I don't really care... If I'm in the mood for a short trip to enjoy myself, it's not DIR EN GREY. (*Screen caption: Unlike European double-decker tour buses, American tour buses are single-decker.)

►Future Approach to Overseas

Shinya: Even if we tour overseas now, we can't reach the scale that we have in Japan. That's why I want to try a Hall Tour like the one in Japan, but it's really hard to do that. Die: Now we're mostly touring on our own. I'd like to do a tour like Fes, a tour with several bands, and so on. Personally, I'd like to do that again.  It's not impossible, right? Kaoru: But compared to the old days when we went overseas, when we performed in larger venues and had a large audience on stage, there is almost nothing like that now. Of course, it's the same in Japan. It's very rare. Basically, as long as there are fans, we'll go there. (*I think Kaoru is trying to say that they rarely go to big music festivals these days.) Kyo: I hope not to go (overseas) as much as I can. In this day and age, I can sing even at home, like when my younger sister asks, "Can you sing for me?" I will sing seriously at home, really. Kyo: It doesn't mean I hate fans, Daisuki desu. ❤ 🤣🤣 Toshiya: There was an interview during our underground period, and I still remember very clearly what I said then. "Anyway, I want to keep stumbling forward". No matter what happens, I/we will not stay there forever.  Even if I/we really can't move forward, at least I/we will fall forward and feel like I/we can move forward again. Toshiya: I won't do it if I don't have to. Hahahaha, I'll quit.  But there are people still waiting (for us), so I will continue to do it.

...

07. Transition

►The way to convey music in the future

Shinya: There was no change in the way the music was produced. However, even if Corona has subsided afterwards, I think there are a lot of issues that need to be considered when it comes to the way that LIVE is organized. Toshiya: In any case, the rules will probably become stricter and stricter in the future, both for music and film. That way, there is a clear distinction between what we can and cannot do.  On the contrary, what we really want to show and what we own will be shown on the internet.  Negotiating with each other, and then continuing to create. We can only move forward in that direction. Kaoru: If you say that the production itself has changed, I think it has not changed.  But what's the point of making a song if you can't do LIVE? There are a lot of voices like that, but basically I still think that in the end. Kaoru: In this case, what we create is definitely different from what we did before. Isn't the value of "wanting to convey something" a bit tiring?  I sometimes think so.  Well, but we have to adjust step by step and move in this direction, and that's all we can say now.  We have to create a place where we can express ourselves. Kyo: After the Corona is over, you probably won't be able to go back to your old world, whether it's in terms of feelings or anything else. So you have to be flexible to deal with all kinds of things.  If you think about it positively, it might be a good time, a good opportunity. After all, we never know when something is going to happen, and there is no such thing as an absolute, everlasting thing.  Because of this, I often think that I must do everything 100%. Die: We've done this before, with members picking their own lists and then playing on video sites*. Of course, the members are listening at the same time, with fans and members, this is also a form of LIVE, very LIVE-feeling. "I want to see LIVE" and "members also want to do LIVE". I listened to the songs chosen by members with the same feeling as the fans. However, I really want to be on stage because I can only feel the atmosphere like that when I am there. (*Die is talking about the "Audio Live Stream 5 Days" broadcasted on YouTube from 2020.05.02 to 05.06.)

...

08. What does DIR EN GREY mean to you?

Kaoru: Maybe it's the property or the value that I've been holding on to. Among everyone who listens to our music, I think this is the time to confirm our existence.  In the case of Corona this time, we did make some rules using the internet. But the response I got at that time made me realize that DIR EN GREY is a part of our lives, and I felt that there are many people who consider DIR EN GREY as an important presence. At that time, I also understood our value and existence. Kaoru: I can't quite tell you what DIR EN GREY is when I’m asked. But seeing that everyone is watching us, I think it's great that I can keep going. Toshiya: I really started out alone, but I have since met many people.   So, to me, DIR EN GREY is, in a word, a medium that connects me to the world in a big way. Shinya: More than half of my life is spent in DIR EN GREY, it is my life. Die: It's like the meaning of living.  It is...  It's what I've bet everything I have. Kyo: It's already part of my life, and now it is. (*Edit: Although both Shinya and Kyo said that DIR EN GREY is his "life", Shinya actually used the word "人生" (jinsei), which means the process from birth to death, more like "lifetime"; while Kyo used the word "生活" (seikatsu), which is closer to the meaning of "daily life".)

(END)

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part 1. & part 2. & part 3.

topics & time marks

🧩 中文翻譯 (My Blogger)

🔗 (上) part 1. → topic 1~4 🔗 (中) part 2. → topic 5 🔗 (下) part 3. → topic 6~8

🧩 Topic:

01. Band Formation ~ Debut (01:18)

► The Formation of DIR EN GREY (01:53) ► Origin of the Band Name (02:53) ► Looking Back at the time of Debut (04:04)

02. Expression (05:10)

► Awareness in the Creative Process (05:43) ► Things want to Convey through Music (08:32) ► The Motivation for Expression (10:45)

03. Performance (13:23)

► About Stage Performance (13:43) ► The Unforgettable Stage (16:28) ► Moment of State Switching (19:11) ► Stand on the Stage (22:13)

04. Music Clip (25:10)

► The process of producing Music Clip (25:32) ► Differences between "Video" and "Music" Expressions (28:02) ► Things want to Convey through Video (29:59)

05. Member Feature (31:25)

[ Kaoru ] (31:32) [ Shinya ] (34:12) [ Die ] (36:59) [ Toshiya ] (39:23) [ Kyo ] (41:39)

06. Overseas (43:40)

► Opportunity to Go Overseas (44:30) ► About Overseas Fans (46:46) ► Life on the Overseas Tour (48:11) ► Future Approach to Overseas (50:03)

07. Transition (52:50)

► The way to convey music in the future (52:53)

08. What does DIR EN GREY mean to you? (57:00)