OTAKU USA (June 2010): Interview with GirugameshKeeping the Heat with Girugamesh
Monsters of Japanese nu-metal speak!by
Zac BentzWhen it comes to dark and heavy rock music from Japan, typically simplified as “J-rock”, many people in the US think first of the visual-kei genre. Bands dressed in brightly colored Victorian lace and tiny hats playing a saccharine version of gothic rock. This might have something to do with popularity of the bands at anime cons across the countries, which are usually the only place where you’re likely to see such acts play live.
Yet there is a more serious breed of nu-metal bands out there. One doesn’t have to look very hard to find them. Take, for instance, the nu-metal, electro rock band Girugamesh. They’ve been making appearances in America for the past few years and have just released their new album NOW
in stores across the country. I had a chance to talk with the band and find out what sets them apart from the lace-wrapped masses.- Your newest album NOW was just released in America. How do you feel about having three CD releases in America?
Shuu: It’s great to see the American fan reactions on websites like our band’s MySpace. But I really want to see the fan reaction with my own eyes. I’m still hoping we can go on a US tour soon and so we can share that energy in our live shows.
- Since you are getting more and more American fans, have you ever thought about writing a song entirely in English?
Satoshi: I would like to try that one day. It’s not impossible. But to be honest with you, I want to communicate our feelings to the world with the language of our own country, because I was born and raised in Japan.
- What’s the main idea of NOW? How is it different from your previous albums?
Ryo: The main difference between
NOW and our previous albums is the fact that our instrumental style and our digital style are equally emphasized. This album came out with a better balance.
- It’s not often that the drummer of a band is the main song writer. Do you think you approach song writing differently because you’re a drummer?
Ryo: I don’t think there’s any particular difference. I really just shape things as they come to mind at the time.
- Do you ever write the drum lines first, before any of the music? How do the songs come together?
Ryo: There are many patterns, so it’s not always the same for every song. Since I can play other instruments besides the drums, I start with the instrument that’s closest to the image of the song in my head.
- You do have many electronic elements in your music. Are any of you into any electro/dance/industrial bands?
Ryo: We’re currently influenced by Linkin Park and The Prodigy.
- How is your life different when you are on a long tour?
Ryo: The laundry! You don’t normally think about it, but that’s a big hassle when we’re on the road. Our schedule is really very strict during a tour. That’s different from usual. We wake up in the morning, we do the live show, we sweat, then we go to sleep at night.
- What is the strangest experience you’ve had during a live show?
Nii: At the Paris show during CRAZY Tour, someone from the audience came up to the stage, handed a CD of his own band to us, and dove back into the audience. I was very surprised. That never happened to us before.
- What other bands (Japanese or worldwide) would you like to play a live show with?
Ryo: I’d like to play with the bands that have influenced us, like Slipknot, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, and Marilyn Manson.
- What would be the best Girugamesh live show you can imagine?
Shuu: I would want to go on a world tour and travel around the world over and over to the point where we wouldn’t even know which country we’re from. The best Girugamesh live show I can imagine would be an outdoor live, with an audience of 100,000. I’d want to sing Girugamesh songs with everyone.
- Do you feel that Japanese nu-metal is different than in the rest of the world?
Shuu: It’s the same. Even though there are cultural barriers, music has no barrier and rock ‘n’ roll has no definition.
- What quality makes Girugamesh different from other Japanese rock bands?
Shuu: I think the difference is that we don’t have any certain fixed category for our music, like pop, metal, or punk. There aren’t many similar bands, because we absorb different genres and music while maintaining Girugamesh’s unique essence.
- Do you think that the Japanese music scene is very different from the UK or America? Do you seen any differences in music style or artist style?
Shuu: We’ve talked with bands from overseas. I think that the relationship between management and artists is different and that the Japanese environment for musicians is honestly too blessed. I’m not saying that Japanese bands are bad, but I think Japanese music will lose the heat unless they face music more aggressively. Talking about style, there are definitely many good elements, like melodies for example, that only Japanese can create – so I’d like to stay hungry while going after the special things like that.
- You guys have been in the band since your school days. How do you feel the band’s style has changed since then? How has your personality changed?
Nii: We’ve kept our fundamental heavy sound, that hasn’t changed. But we’ve experimented and we’ve added different elements like our digital sound. We’ll keep trying new things, always. But I don’t think our personalities have changed at all.
- If you were stranded on an empty island with only one CD, what CD you would want to listen to? Why?
Shuu: It would be a Michael Jackson album, because that music relaxes me and I never get bored with it.
- Are any members into anime or manga? What is your favourite?
Satoshi: Me and Nii, we really like
One Piece. The main reason is that it’s about passionate adventures of men!!! I got emotional many times when reading
One Piece.
- Do any members of Girugamesh play video games?
Nii: All of the members play video games. I play role-playing and action games.
- If a video game was made about Girugamesh, what would it be like? RPG, action, dating sim?
Satoshi: It would be a fighting game where the members beat up each other!
- If you were characters in an anime, what kind of character would you be? If you had super powers, what would they be?
Satoshi: I’d like to be someone that lives freely according to his desire, like a dog. My super power would be making whatever food I want to appear as soon as I imagine it!
Nii: I’d be Doraemon. I’d want to make the most of it, because I can get all those handy tools from my pocket.
Shuu: I’d be Ninja. But I don’t want any super power, because I think I’d stop playing music if I had other powers.
Ryo: I’d like to be Sasuke Uchiha from
Naruto. I would totally abuse Mangekyÿ Sharingan.
Note:First of all, who the fuck give their own CD to another band, during their concert?! That’s just crazy (laughs)! And, I wonder if they listened to that CD...
Lol at Ryo for wanting to be Sasuke. Someone should ask him if he wants world domination, and what he’d do if he gained world domination!
Satoshi as a dog, I can totally imagine it. So cu~te ♥
“The main reason is that it’s about passionate adventures of men!!!”And it’s probably just me, but that sounds gay if you just read it right XDD Also reminds me of that one blog entry where Satoshi is talking about how he cried when watching the movie
300.I know some of these sentences or even some words doesn’t really make sense (at least it doesn’t to me), but I just wrote it straight from the magazine, so it’s they who fail (laughs).
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=1)
maocchi, ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=1)
jrock_scans (and many other who I can't remember...)
