Excerpts From F.T. 74

Yutaka, on Serious Bear:

Yutaka: It makes me so happy that so many people sent in ideas for Serious Bear goods. I don't think I would have come up with any of these ideas myself. Since you've sent me so many ideas, I really want to make something now.

FT: That's a great idea! We've also received many letters from fans saying that they would like to see the process for how the goods are developed from concepts into actual items.

Yutaka: Oh really? Then let's introduce the process for creating the goods here in my column in the Fish Tank newsletter.

FT: That would be a lot of fun! We would love to give a detailed account of the process by which the goods are produced.

Yutaka: Let's see...what shall I make? If we're going to expend time and effort making this thing, I want it to be something people can use all year round.

FT: What about this idea for Serious Bear nail art stickers?

Yutaka: But, I can't use them myself! (laughs)

FT: Oh, I suppose that's true. Are there any designs here that particularly caught your attention?

Yutaka: Hm...what about this Serious Bear poncho?

FT: This is a hoodie-style poncho that doubles as a bath towel!

Yutaka: Yes yes, but with this design I'd like to change the material and make it into a rain poncho instead. Though it couldn't be disposable because people would have a hard time throwing it away... [note from Cayce: cheap plastic disposable rain ponchos are very popular in Japan.]

Yutaka: I'd really like to hear what everyone comes up with, so I think I'll request another round of submissions. Ideally I'd like something like a hoodie or a raincoat...something wearable. Also, since we'd like to detail the production process here in the newsletter, it would be more interesting if it were a complicated design.

FT: Wearable and complicated! Have you got that, folks?

Yutaka: I hope it's something that none of us would have come up with on our own!

FANS: Yutaka is calling for submissions of designs for Serious Bear goods. If any of you Blog-Tickers want to try your hand at this but can't read the info, just send me an email and I'll send you the details.

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Imai Hisashi, on old songs:

Imai: I always have a private practice session in my house before attending the full band rehearsals. Sometimes I forget songs if I don't play them for a long time.

FT: Which songs have you forgotten?

Imai: I forgot how to play "Hyper Love." Also, we played the original version on the tour.

FT: You're right, there are a number of version to choose from.

Imai: I thought I would never play it again in my life.

FT: What, really?

Imai: Yeah. Like "whatever, forget it."

FT: By the way, who was it who said he wanted to play this song?

Imai: Yuta. Then Tanaka, the director, said, "why don't you just play it, then?"

FT: I see. "Hyper Love" is a really old song, isn't it?

Imai: Yeah it is. I mean, we played it on the Koroshi no Shirabe tour but it was a different arrangement, and we haven't played it at all since.

FT: I assume you bring out these old songs particularly for fanclub-only lives?

Imai: That's right. But actually, Buck-Tick's fans aren't necessarily happy to hear a song just because it's old.

FT: Yes, you're right about that.

Imai: But when we play old songs, there's this "what?!" moment. I like that a lot, I'm counting on that.

FT: Buck-Tick fans, and I mean this in a good way - they're very particular.

Imai: Yes.

FT: So for you, personally, which song was the one you most wanted to play?

Imai: I absolutely wanted to play "Melancholia -Electria-."

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Imai Hisashi and Yokoyama Kazutoshi, being interviewed while drunk:

FT: Imai, do you have songs stockpiled away that you've never released to the outside world?

Yokoyama: Lullaby One!

Imai: If by "one" you mean, just plain old "Lullaby." Yes, it exists, and I do have a stockpile of songs, and a bunch that I use like memos to myself.

Yokoyama: There are a bunch of songs that you recorded but then locked away in the drawer.

Imai: Oh yeah, yeah there are. Like, "dropped after all!" Then everyone's like "whaaaat you're kidding!"

Yokoyama: This time around, up until right before recording, there was a song that Yuta and Anii were working on together as a team...

Imai: But of course I cut it at the last minute! Hahahahaha!

FT: Even though you rehearsed it.

Yokoyama: Do you make your judgments based on the album as a whole?

Imai: Sometimes, and then other times I just realize that I came up with something better. I mean, the number of songs on the album is basically limited. We can't really push that number too high, and I'd rather be very picky in choosing only the songs I really like.

Yokoyama: And then as time passes and the song titles come out, and I see most of them are credited to Imai Hisashi...even the lyrics, on a lot of them!

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Sakurai Atsushi, on Aku no Hana:

FT: The Aku no Hana special box is coming out in February. It seems that they've made a completely new mix from the old sound. but there's no way to alter how your voice sounded back then. How do you feel when you listen to your much younger self singing?

Sakurai: Well, in my case, in part I'm simply embarrassed, but if there are people who are looking forward to the new release, I suppose there's nothing else for it but to keep a positive mindset. I mean, it's not like I can deny the past. Hiruma, our recording engineer, told me "you should be happy that you still have that record."

FT: Yes, he's right.

Sakurai: After all, retooling old records to have a modern sound isn't something we get to do every day.

FT: Did you listen to it while it was in production?

Sakurai: I listened to about half of it, but I definitely couldn't have done it while sober.

FT: Hahahaha.

Sakurai: Especially because on our first four records, including Aku no Hana, my voice sounds nothing so much as young. I just sound young, that's it. I...I can't help it, it embarrasses me.

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Sakurai Atsushi, on perfume:

FT: By the way, the Buck-Tick perfume has been released. It's a really lovely scent and has been very well-received among Buck-Tick's female staff members.

Sakurai: Oh, I'm glad to hear that.

FT: It's not at all cloying, it's very light and fresh.

Sakurai: Yes, that's right. It's not the type of perfume that has a sharp scent right away, and I also like that it slowly fades as time passes. I received several days' worth as a sample, and when I tried it, I really enjoyed the progression of the scent.

FT: If each band member were to produce an individual fragrance, what would the fragrances smell like?

Sakurai: Hmm...well, I would definitely want Y.H. to do something that stinks of hyper-manliness, like something Charles Bronson would wear.

FT: Ahahaha. Something that a bear definitely wouldn't be allowed to wear! [Note from Cayce: A "bear," eh? Fish Tank, what you did there, I don't think you saw it but I saw it.]

Sakurai: Definitely not. I mean really, the scent of sweat would be just fine.

FT: Ahahahaha. But that sort of perfume would make all his fans run away.

Sakurai: It would be fine. He'd make new fans. People like Charles Bronson (laughs). If you don't know who Charles Bronson is, look him up. He's a man among men.

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Cayce to Fish Tank: If you've been reading Blog-Tick and have been stealing my ideas for individual band member fragrances, please do me the courtesy of posting a comment!