Mr. Sakurai on Gender, Cayce on Translation

Happy Friday! We really shouldn't be doing this, because we're almost certainly too busy with other commitments, but we just couldn't resist. Over on Not Greatest Site, we're pleased to present our first addition to the Translated Articles section in quite a while: Ongaku to Hito's interview with Sakurai Atsushi on Buck-Tick's forthcoming album, No. 0! 

The honest truth: since becoming a professional translator, we haven't often had the time to translate long interviews like this for fun (time is money!), but we made an exception for this one because it's such a good one, delving into such meaty topics as gender fluidity, the creative process, and the role of the artist. If you're the kind of person who just looooooves to talk about your gender on the internet, this one's for you! Russian fangirl fans of Macho Man Acchan, take careful notes, please! In fact, if one of our Russian readers wants to take a stab at translating this one into Russian, please do so, by all means. If we can help to bust a few delusional fangirl misconceptions in favor of a nuanced talk about artistic expression and the challenge of being yourself, we'll consider it a three hours well wasted.

As for well wasted, just for reference, if we'd done this one for a client at our usual rates instead of for free for y'all because we love you, we'd have sent that client a bill for something in the neighborhood of 37,000 yen (Yikes! Does that surprise you?) Perhaps it's unsavory to talk about money, but we thought we'd mention it this time, for several reasons. 

First, there seems to be a pervasive twin notion that 1) translation doesn't cost much and 2) translation is not a viable career path. In fact, since translation requires highly specialized skills that take years of practice to hone, there's often more work out there than there are translators, and this is especially true for a language pair like Japanese and English, where there are comparatively few people who are bilingual in both and each is hard for native speakers of the other to learn. When there's more work than people who can do that work, rates go up, and believe me, this is a good thing. Nowhere in the world does the axiom "garbage in, garbage out" apply so well as it does to translation! Companies that try to save money on translation invariably end up saddled with poorly proofread ungrammatical gobbledygook, which definitely does not reflect well on the company's business. If you, as a business person, want a good translation, it is in your best interest to hire a qualified translator and pay them what they are worth. If you, as a reader of this blog, are considering pursuing a career in translation, we're here to tell you that it can be quite lucrative if you develop yourself to a sufficient skill level, especially if you work in an unusual language pair. If you're a translator of Japanese and you think the rate quoted above looks high, you're working for chump change and you should raise your rates. Don't work for chump change. By doing so, you devalue the work of everyone in our industry.

Second, since translation is our livelihood and time is money, we have to prioritize the time we spend working for paying clients, but recently some readers have suggested that we set up a Patreon, whereby readers can donate to get more content. NGS/Blog-Tick will always be a project for love, not money, but if y'all actually want to donate to us to keep us going, who are we to refuse? So please, let us know in the comments if you think it's a good idea or if you definitely won't donate to us because we're a gang of snarky, elitist bitches, in which case we will continue to work for your ungrateful little asses for free in our spare time as we have been for the past 12 years :)

Third, we've received a number of questions over the years about how to pursue a career as a translator, and we're well aware that there is little reliable information out there about translation as a career, having beaten the translator's career path in the dark for ourselves for many a year now. Therefore, we've been toying with the idea of writing a "So You Want to be a Translator" overview article for aspiring translators - who's interested? Let us know in the comments! The translation industry is highly international and very much internet-based, so most advice regarding Japanese-English translation applies to other language pairs, as well. We know that Blog-Tick counts a number of professional translators among its readers, and we invite you to contribute your opinions.

The Ticket Fairy, Part II

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Hey folks, we have another Buck-Ticket looking for a good home!

Anyone who wants a ticket to the show next Friday, December 23rd at Nagoya Forest Hall, shoot us an email! A Blog-Ticker friend was planning on going but found out she has to celebrate the birthday of her soon-to-be-101-year-old grandmother. Mazel tov!

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In other news, this yaoi story translated by Cayce is now web-published for public consumption. For those of you turned off by bunny ears: it's not what you think. It's actually pretty snarky. We recommend (and they didn't pay us to say that).

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In still other news, Yagami Toll has donated a full Gretsch drum set to Tago Studio, a professional recording studio in Takasaki. The mayor of Takasaki, who was present at the donation ceremony, said, "We welcome this opportunity for the children of the city to realize their dreams." After receiving a certificate of gratitude from the mayor, Toll proceeded to de-virgnize the new drum set by playing a drum solo, which reportedly caused the onlookers to become very excited. "I'm sure there's buried talent," said Toll. "I'd like to be of at least a little help to the musicians of Gunma. If you don't give up, you can become a musician."

For the full story in the local Takasaki newspaper, click here.

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Mr Sakurai on the Dave Fromm Show, 2016 edition

Because Dave Fromm is a good interviewer who asks good questions, we bring you a (mostly complete) translation of Mr. Sakurai's second appearance on the Dave Fromm Show. This one goes out to all your brand whores and haters of green peppers in particular. As last year, feel free to share this by linking to Blog-Tick, but please DO NOT re-post it elsewhere. Read an English translation of Mr. Sakurai's previous appearance on the Dave Fromm show here.

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Dave: How fast time passes! It's already been nearly a year since he's been on the show. This is Mr. Sakurai Atsushi!

Sakurai: Hello.

Dave: Good evening.

Sakurai: Thanks for having me.

Dave: No, thank you. It's been a year.

Sakurai: It has. Though it feels like hardly any time has passed.

Dave: Really? Last time you were on here for The Mortal.

Sakurai: That's right.

Dave: But this time you're going to talk about Buck-Tick and give us lots of color.

Sakurai: Yes.

Joe: How have you been?

Sakurai: We safely finished recording, and I made it here through the typhoon.

Dave: I'm amazed you made it here in one piece. What bad timing! Surely you were the one who summoned the typhoon.

Joe: Mr. Sakurai definitely summoned the typhoon.

Sakurai: I'm accepting of many different events.

Joe: Your eyes are practically swimming, Mr. Sakurai. "I'm accepting"...honestly...

Dave: So, did you start recording right after you came on the show last year? Or even before then?

Sakurai: No...

Dave: After that?

Sakurai: We started from spring of this year, and worked through the summer till fall.

Dave: I see.

Joe: Does that mean the recording took unusually long?

Sakurai: No, it was the same as usual. A little under three months.

Joe: Last time, we had a good listen to the album you released with The Mortal...that album was extremely focused on death. We could even describe it as your primal scream. It seems like managed to spit out all your trauma on that album. So, to make another album after that...how did that feel?

Sakurai: Well, with The Mortal, I was able to do exactly what I wanted, so I felt completely empty.

Joe: Completely empty?

Sakurai: I didn't know what to do with myself. Like I didn't have anything left.

Dave: If you lost everything, how did you continue with Buck-Tick?

Sakurai: Well, once I heard the new sound, you could say I got into a new mode.

Joe: So hearing the music set off your inspiration, and you were able to write new lyrics?

Sakurai: Yes, that's about right.

Joe: And tomorrow is Buck-Tick's 29th anniversary since your debut!

Sakurai: That's right.

Joe: It's your anniversary! Do you and the other band members have an awareness of that?

Sakurai: No, well, I don't, personally, but the Higuchis seem to enjoy "historical events," so to speak, and they know all that stuff.

Dave: They know what you did, when.

Sakurai: Yes, yes.

Dave: So they keep the archive.

Sakurai: That's right. Personally, I have absolutely no idea.

Dave: (laughs) So if today's your 29th anniversary, does that mean you released an album on the same day? How did you debut? Do you remember?

Joe: He probably has no idea.

Dave: But the Higuchis know.

Joe: Then let's ask them.

Sakurai: I think it was a VHS debut.

Joe: A VHS?

Sakurai: That's right. Our video tape debut was September 21st, I think. I think the album came out after that.

Dave: I see. So if this is the 29th anniversary, that means next year is your 30th, right?

Joe: It must be.

Sakurai: Well, yes.

Dave: Do you have any sort of awareness of that fact that you've been going for 30 years?

Sakurai: Personally, I just pass right over it...

Joe: But the people around you won't let you forget...

Sakurai: That's right.

Joe: But when you think about it, 29 years with the same members, without ever going on hiatus...that's, well...and in addition to that, you've got this originality, this one-of-a-kind status, and you've kept that...

Sakurai: When it's your own life, it just feels like yesterday, today, regular days passing. But of course, other people tend to be surprised.

Joe: I am surprised!

Sakurai: They tell us it's disgusting.

Joe: (laughs) Disgusting? It's none of their business, is it?

Sakurai: No.

Dave: So over the course of these 29 years, I'm sure you've had some ups and downs in your life...have there been ups and downs with the band, too?

Sakurai: All kinds of things have happened.

Dave: Have you ever felt like, "I don't want to ever see these guys again"?

Sakurai: That kind of thing...

Dave: There were times when you felt it?

Sakurai: Sometimes, a bit, probably. After all, if there aren't times like that, when things are going well and we're feeling good, where do we get that rush and feeling of power from? We're all just human.

Dave: But it's a bit different from a typical work situation in that you get to take breaks, right? As a band, you're not together every single day for 40 hours a week.

Joe: Of course not.

Dave: To do that for 30 years...if I had to look at Joe's face for the next 30 years, I'm sure I'd punch him.

Joe: Don't use that analogy!

Sakurai: Yeah, if you had to be together every day...

Joe: But as a band, you get to take breaks.

Dave: So you did The Mortal, and you get to refresh a bit between tours, etc. I'm sure that's very important.

Sakurai: Yes, it's very important. After all, now we're coworkers...that's what our relationship has become. At first, we were just kidding around, having fun, that kind of thing, but now that we're all grown up, we have a more serious focus on work as work. So it ends up like "sorry, I want time to myself this weekend."

Joe: Is that how it is? (laughs)

Sakurai: It's something we need.

Joe: That's what they call balance.

Dave: I guess so. But when Buck-Tick were a young band, you got into a lot of trouble, eh?

Sakurai: Not really. I suppose we had that image, but...

Dave: You never got drunk and smashed things...

Sakurai: We never did that "American rock" style thing.

Dave: Not at all?

Sakurai: Not at all. I suppose we broke a few small items here and there, but that's about it.

Joe: So you just messed up a little and passed it off as a joke?

Sakurai: We were pretty serious. I mean, maybe you couldn't have called us "serious," exactly, but we were never violent.

Dave: I feel like he's boring into me with his eyes right now.

Sakurai: No, it's fine.

Dave: I've gotten a number of emails...over the course of the past 29 years, I'm sure your fans have changed...

Sakurai: Yes.

Dave: But for you to continue your activities, you have to make a marketable product, because it's business. So what that means is that Buck-Tick as a band have continued to sell...that's extremely difficult to pull off, especially these days...

Joe: The cycle is fast.

Dave: Even as a DJ, following these bands as they're continually popping up...it's very hard to keep up. So for you to maintain your popularity, in your opinion, in your personal opinion, do you ever think about it? Is there anything you wished you hadn't paid attention to?

Sakurai: Me, myself...it's bad for business that I should say this, but though I wanted the band to sell when we were still indie, but I never went so far as to think about what we should do in order to sell. Really, we just did what we wanted to do, and we were lucky enough that we picked up a lot of great fans, and the record companies and staff liked us and wanted to support us.

Joe: No, but really. I just interviewed you and Imai for the latest issue of Rolling Stone, but the Japanese music scene these days is full of a lot of bands who are very similar, and in the midst of that, Buck-Tick have a very unique position. But when I hear you talk about it, it seems like you weren't really thinking about that - it's just a question of your specific aesthetics. I think that's something that probably no one can imitate, and on the flip side, the fact that you've been honing that sensibility for the past 29 years is really amazing.

Sakurai: (laughs) Thank you. Definitely, Imai's songwriting sensibility...he's definitely got his antenna up. But on the other hand, you've got me, and I'm just all natural...when I like something, it's "like!" and when I hate something it's "hate!"...that's me. So for balance...he's methodical, but I just burst out with what I like, and I guess...what can I say. Twenty-nine years passed.

Dave: So, over the course of the past 29 years, do you think something has changed within you?

Sakurai: Well, with regard to music, and the things I can do, I've gotten more serious about it, and put my mind and body into it. When I was young, I just thought "okay, whatever" and let it go. But as an adult, I've become more aggressive. Like, "can't I do better than this?"

Joe: I see. Like, more, more!

Dave: So now, an email from a fan. "Congratulations on your album release. This is a question for Mr. Sakurai. Currently, the Buck-Tick Tower Records Cafe is open on Omotesando. Mr. Sakurai, do you like to go shopping at places like Omotesando, or other fashionable areas? Personally, I love Yohji Yamamoto and other such brands. Lately, do you have a favorite brand? If so, what is it?

Sakurai: Oh, it's a question about brands? I wondered if it was a question about Omotesando.

Joe: That was just the lead-in to the question.

Sakurai: I really have trouble with styles and trends, and I really can't stand shopping.

Dave: Really?

Sakurai: Really. I just wear the same things...I'm wearing all black again today...

Dave: You are. A black t-shirt, and a black jacket...I'm pretty sure you wore something similar last time, too.

Sakurai: Yes, I'm sure I did.

Joe: I feel like you were wearing that same t-shirt for the Rolling Stone interview, too.

Sakurai: It's possible that I was. I'm always wearing the same outfit.

Joe: So you basically don't care about fashion, is that it?

Sakurai: That's right. I hate that thing where people try to get people to like them by showing off how trendy they are.

Joe: I see what you're saying.

Sakurai: Like, "I just bought the latest hot item!" I... quite heartily cannot stand it. [Note from Cayce: He deliberately put on fancy keigo to say this, probably as a nod to not offending any fashionistas who happen to be listening in.] But, I love Yves St-Laurent.

Joe: So does that mean you go shopping to Yves St-Laurent?

Sakurai: I do.

Dave: I've been wearing the Yves St-Laurent cologne for about 20 years.

Sakurai: Oh really?

Joe: He's just trying to claim something in common with you.

Dave: No, I'm embarrassed about it! Because to buy it, you have to go to the ladies' makeup counter area in one of those department stores...

Joe: You do?

Dave: And to go to a place like that...I mean, look at me. The women who work there always give me strange looks.

Joe: They don't believe you're actually there to buy.

Sakurai: But they have men's cologne.

Dave: But it's in the back. Why do they hide it?

Joe: Right? I wonder that too.

Sakurai: So you have to go into a busy spot with lots of people...

Dave: Under all those bright lights and sparkles...it's hard to bring myself to go there, but I do.

Sakurai: I want to see you in a place like that, Dave Fromm.

[Dave takes a break to play Buck-Tick's new single, "New World."]

Dave: So, I've gotten a lot of emails. Can I read you some of them?

Sakurai: Sure.

Dave: Everyone's calling you Acchan.

Joe: Can we call you Acchan, too?

Sakurai: Of course.

Joe: Really?

Dave: (laughs)

Sakurai: Go right ahead.

Dave: From Rumi-san. "I went to your show on September 11th. It was the first show you've played since last year, and I had a great time. You were awesome."

Sakurai: Thank you.

Dave: "This is a question for Acchan. Do you drink sweet potato shochu as a highball? [Note: a highball is a cocktail, usually involving soda water, lemon juice, and whiskey, but in this case the whiskey would be replaced with shochu.]

Sakurai: A highball?

Dave: That's right.

Sakurai: I don't really drink highballs. I like sweet potato shochu mixed with soda water these days.

Dave: Is that your recommended drink for this fall?

Sakurai: I guess so?

Joe: "I guess so," he says! (laughs)

Dave: How much do you drink?

Joe: I want to ask that, too.

Dave: Aren't you drinking less these days?

Sakurai: Not really. When I'm alone in my house, I drink, it's inevitable.

Joe: Don't tell me you drink a whole bottle by yourself.

Sakurai: Not a whole big bottle, not. [Note from Cayce: Sakurai is talking about an isshobin, a 1.8 liter bottle in which shochu and sake are commonly sold. For reference: shochu is generally about 20% alcohol by volume.]

Dave: I see, I see.

Sakurai: I'm an idiot. I drink too much.

Joe: So you basically drink every day, is that right?

Sakurai: That's right.

Joe: Clearly you love booze.

Dave: Let's go drinking sometimes!

Joe: Let's go!

Sakurai: You're right. It's healthier to drink with others.

Joe: But drinking at home is nice too, sometimes.

Sakurai: Sure, seriously, invite me out.

Joe: We'll invite you out as "Acchan"!

Dave: So do you eat snacks when you drink? What do you like?

Sakurai: Snacks...I eat them.

Dave: What do you like?

Sakurai: I like anything. Hors d'oeuvres...there's a shop in my neighborhood...

Joe: You go to a shop in your neighborhood to buy hors d'oeuvres?

Sakurai: Sometimes I go.

Dave: Really?

Sakurai: I do.

Dave: Wow. So, I hear you have a new cat these days...what's its name?

Sakurai: That was fast.

Dave: Don't you have a cat?

Sakurai: I do. Last month...the month after last...her name is Kurumi-chan.

Joe: Kurumi-chan?

Dave: What kind of cat is she?

Sakurai: She's a Bengal.

Joe: A Bengal? What kind of cat is that?

Sakurai: She's spotted like a leopard.

Joe: So in your house...do you, you know, talk in "cat-speak"? Like, "Kurumi-chan!!"

Sakurai: I do!

Dave: So she's tiny? Was she just born?

Sakurai: Actually, the day after tomorrow, she's one year old.

Dave: So will she continue to grow bigger?

Sakurai: Yes, when I've seen pictures of them, they get quite big.

Dave: I see!

Sakurai: They're ferocious.

Dave: Ferocious, are they? Moving on, from Harubou, we have, "To Acchan: I went to see Climax Together 3rd at Yokohama Arena. I was very impressed with all the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and the set list was the best. I can't stop listening to 'Muchi no Namida' on repeat. Please tell us what your favorite song is on Atom Miraiha No. 9. I will be going to the tour and am looking forward to it!"

Joe: And that's the title of the album that's coming out next week, Atom Miraiha No. 9.

Sakurai: Yes, that's right. Well, you know me...I like very dark things...there's a song called "Ai no Souretsu," which I really love. And as an arranger and guest musician, we got Fujii Maki from minus (-) to participate in the making of the song.

Dave: Another email question. "What are your favorite ingredients for spaghetti Napolitan? My favorite is green pepper. I'll be going to the Buck-Tick Cafe, so I look forward to trying the Kyokutou Yori Ai wo Komete Napolitan." So they have Napolitan at the cafe, then?

Joe: They do. I have a Napolitan fetish.

Dave: You do?

Joe: It's my favorite.

Sakurai: I'll treat you, so feel free to eat five or six of them.

Dave: You can eat that much?

Sakurai: It's true that the green pepper has a nice texture. And in Sendai, there's a place with really great Napolitan...we often do our after parties there...well, I won't say the name. [Note from Cayce: The Japanese fanbase practically exploded over this comment. FYI, Buck-Tick's parties are invite-only. You can't just waltz in. The security staff will literally murder you.]

Sakurai: Anyway, there's a place like that. And they bring it out on those old-fashioned aluminum plates...it has ham, and those red octopus-cut hot dogs, so it's very old-fashioned. I like it because it's old fashioned, I guess.

Dave: I know what you mean.

Joe: And you sprinkle as much Parmesan on it as you can!

Sakurai: That's right.

Joe: And if you're wearing white clothing it's sure to get stained.

[Dave talks about the tour dates for the Atom Miraiha Hall Tour, and remarks on the name of the Nagoya venue.]

Dave: So when you look at your tour schedule, do you think, "this looks fun" or "I want to try this out" or anything like that?

Sakurai: It's really hard on my throat, which makes me very nervous, and I get a bit neurotic about it.

Dave: What about now?

Sakurai: Not yet, but when the tour starts, I can't really get loud and roudy at the after parties with everyone else.

Joe: As a vocalist, I guess you can't.

Sakurai: I can't. Though I intend to enjoy things in my own way.

Dave: When I look at this kind of schedule, I just think about the delicious local cuisine in each city...

Joe: That's what I think about when I think Niigata. That's the first thing in my head. [Note from Cayce: All Japanese men are exactly the same in this regard.]

Sakurai: Food is important.

Joe: Yes, it is! It's an important motivation!

Dave: And you're going to Hokkaido...now I'm thinking about Susukino! [Note from Cayce: Susukino is Sapporo's happening bar district. We've been there. It's cool.]

Joe: That's all Dave and I have by way of motivation.

Sakurai: I think it's very important.

[Dave and Joe thank Sakurai and say their goodbyes. Dave plays "Devil's Wings."]

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END OF INTERVIEW

Goth Talk

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In honor of the Wave Gotik Treffen and Gothic Pogo festivals which are happening in Germany more or less right now, we bring you an English subtitled version of the in-depth interview with Toll and Genet of Auto-Mod that was published in the Galaktika DVD magazine back in June 2006. In the interview, Genet discusses how he formed a friendship with Toll, and his first impressions of Buck-Tick's music, when he first went to see the band play during the 13th Floor with Moonshine tour. If you dispute what I wrote in my article So You Want to Be a Goth, here's a new angle - the opinion of Genet, Japan's Gothic Godfather. Translating and subbing this video took us quite a while, so be sure to share it with your friends!

Fun fact: Tokyo Dark Castle is still going strong. If you like goth clubs, be sure to check it out when you come to Tokyo - great bands, great DJs, strong drinks, lovely people and beautiful costumes!

Another fun fact: this interview took place at a small live house which Cayce has had the good fortune to visit many times. The tiles on the floor of this live house are patterned exactly like the tiles on Buck-Tick's stage during the 13th Floor tour. The bones are real, and still embedded in the wall.

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Schaft live report coming soon!

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Mr. Sakurai on the Dave Fromm Show

The entire interview, by popular request.

Normally, I never have time to do translations this long anymore, so please feel free to share this, but do not, do not, do not repost this translation elsewhere. Instead, share by posting a link back to Blog-Tick! Thank you.

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Dave: Now it's time for Joe's Corner, where we welcome a special guest!

Joe: That's right!

Dave: I'm sorry, Mr. Sakurai.

Joe: What for?

Dave: For relegating you to this weird section of our program...

Joe: What are you saying, just the other day, Mr. Sakurai was...you remember?

Dave: But this corner is the least important part of the show!

Joe: Which is exactly why we had Mr. Sakurai show up, to make it cooler!

Dave: But this is the corner where we play tracks just because the record label promoter thinks they're cute, or something!

Joe: But that kind of corner is important, too, isn't it? I mean, it led to my second marriage!

Dave: What are you saying? It's been a while!

Sakurai: Nice to see you.

Dave: It's been...over a year, hasn't it?

Joe: Yeah, it's been that long since we had Mr. Sakurai on this program...though we have given Mr. Sakurai a few prank phonecalls from time to time...

Sakurai: Yes, yes, I'm sorry I couldn't give a better answer...

Dave: We'll be waiting for your answer from now!

Joe: No no, I don't think you should answer calls like that.

Sakurai: No, I believe that if you call me, I really ought to call you back...

Dave: So, how have you been?

Sakurai: I've been fine, though I have been busy. I'm working.

Dave: Yes, I hear you've been working on a new project?

Sakurai: That's right. 

Dave: And you're on our program now to promote it.

Joe: Of course!

Sakurai: Thank you for having me.

Joe: You haven't just come on here to talk about booze.

Sakurai: No.

Dave: 'The Mortal'! Is this a band, or is this your solo project?

Sakurai: Well, basically, it's a band.

Dave: And the members are decided.

Sakurai: Yes.

Dave: Vocals, Sakurai Atsushi. Guitar, Jake Cloudchair! Guitar, Murata Yukio. And on bass, Miyo Ken. And on drums, Akiyama Takahiko. These are the members, am I right? How did you find these band members in the first place?

Sakurai: Well, eleven years ago, I did a solo project, so some of the members were people who wrote songs for me that time, or members who played in my live band that time, but the drummer, Mr. Akiyama, is someone I'm working with for the first time, this time. Anyway, we had those connections, so that's why we're working together this time.

Dave: So you were the one who brought these members together, then?

Sakurai: Yes, that's right.

Joe: If he said 'no' that would be weird!

Sakurai: Well, there is a producer working on this, too.

Dave: When did you start thinking about doing this project? Were you already planning it the last time you came on the show?

Sakurai: No, not at all. 

Dave: You weren't thinking about it at all?

Sakurai: No, it really started in April or May of this year, and I met the members in June, and then we put the whole thing together with very little time to spare.

Joe: But last time you did a solo project, and this time you're doing a band...do you have a specific reason for that?

Sakurai: Hm, well...

Dave: Because you're lonely by yourself?

Sakurai: Yes, I am.

Dave: (laughs) You are, are you?

Sakurai: Yes, I'm lonely! But really, when I did the project by myself, there was too much variation in the types of songs, so this time I thought it would be better to have a more solidified format.

Joe: Oh, I see...and then the central theme of those songs is gothic and rock, right? This mini-album that you just released includes three covers out of a total of five songs, and this week for Joe's Selection I focused on gothic rock and played the original versions of the songs you covered, including Siouxsie and the Banshees and Bauhaus.

Sakurai: You can play those songs on this program?

Joe: Yes, I played them.

Dave: And actually there was a surprisingly good response on Twitter. There are actually a lot of core fans out there. And for you, Mr. Sakurai, these are favorites of yours, right?

Sakurai: Yes, that's right. But Dave doesn't really know about this genre, right?

Dave: Well, I've heard it a bit...but that's about it. So I guess it was good that I listened to this program!

Joe: Normally you'd never play songs like this!

Dave: So first, let's play a song. This song is called 'Spirit.' Why did you choose to cover this song, Mr. Sakurai?

Sakurai: Well, Bauhaus is a band that I've liked since I was in my twenties, no, in my teens, and of their songs, I'd say that this one is the most...outward-looking, you could say, so I think it's the easiest to understand.

Dave: Please listen to 'Spirit' by The Mortal.

[song plays]

Dave: That was The Mortal's 'Spirit.' And we've gotten a lot of mails from our listeners. From Tomo: 'I listened to Spirit. It's a very intense song and the first time I heard it I just felt like I was being overwhelmed, but after that I got hooked on it and listened to it on repeat again and again.' Also, 'the whole image seems to be full of black and darkness, but even when the song is about death, I feel that there is also a ray of light somewhere in there, especially in "Yume." When Mr. Sakurai writes lyrics, he seems to always include some hope or wish, something positive...am I right in thinking this?'

Sakurai: Well, as this listener just pointed out, I wanted to delve into the darkness or whatever you want to call it, make everything pitch black, and I suggest that you keep going to a place where you have no choice but to find your own light.

Joe: What a sadist!

Sakurai: What I want is for you to search for your own light.

Dave: I see...so, from some more listeners, 'Goth-Goth Deca-Deca-san' and Akiyama-san, 'I don't think there is a dress code for the live tour, but probably most fans will come wearing black clothing, because Mr. Sakurai said that "black is charisma!"' Apparently you said that, Mr. Sakurai? 'Most people also wore black to Buck-Tick shows back in the day. I want some motivating words on Mr. Sakurai about what I should wear to the concerts this time.' I got some emails like that.

Sakurai: It's fine if you dress casually. Wear whatever you want to wear. It's fine if you don't want to wear black.

Dave: It is?

Joe: Mr. Sakurai, is there ever a time when you don't wear black?

Sakurai: Of course, I'm a normal person!

Joe: I always wear black myself.

Sakurai: Yes...yes, well, I always wear black when I'm at home.

Joe: So, do you wear pajamas?

Sakurai: Oh, yes. They're black, of course.

Joe: Black pajamas! But black pajamas are really...I mean, I usually wear black sweats.

Sakurai: Honestly, the idea of going outside wearing a color other than black is scarier to me.

Dave: Mr. Sakurai, do you believe in reincarnation? In past lives?

Sakurai: I believe...I mean, I want to believe...but, who knows.

Dave: But have you ever, you know, I mean, I have, gotten someone to look into it for you, see what you were in a past life and such, have you done that?

Sakurai: I have, a long time ago.

Dave: So what were you, in your past life?

Sakurai: I was an executioner, apparently.

Dave: What, really?

Sakurai: I was a person who administers torture...

Dave: Where was it? Like what country?

Sakurai: As you might guess, it was in Europe, apparently.

Dave: Yes, that's what I would have thought, for you.

Sakurai: But apparently that spirit is still alive in me today.

Dave: And even on the radio, Haru-san says that he saw Buck-Tick's performance at The Solar Budoukan and he was completely floored and became a fan. 'Makka na Yoru is the best' he said. Then last year, when Buck-Tick debuted Arui wa Anarchy, he went to see the show you played with Mucc, and then to the Lunatic Fest. So now he asks, about The Mortal's tour next month, there are going to be standing shows and seated shows, but will you change the staging or costumes for each type of show? Of course, he will be going to both and is looking forward to it.

Sakurai: Thank you very much.

Dave: So from the Solar Budoukan...I saw some kind of hand print, I think it was from that...is that right?

Joe: Yeah, I saw it. In the backyard they that this place where they were getting hand prints from the artists. Probably it was published somewhere, that would be my guess. 

Dave: Anyway, about the difference between the hall and the standing shows?

Sakurai: Well, it won't be that different from the perspective of the performers, but depending on whether there are seats or not, the mood of the crowd is very different.

Joe: That makes sense, of course.

Sakurai: There are many more rules in halls. If you don't follow the rules they get mad at you...

Dave: So for The Mortal, what kind of live shows would you like to put on?

Sakurai: Hmm....mmm...well, the sound is very hard, the songs are very hard rock, but on the flipside there are also quiet songs, there's a kind of quiet darkness, too, so I'd like to draw a contrast.

Joe: And your tour is already starting from next month.

Sakurai: Yes, that's right.

Joe:  You're still in rehearsal then, right?

Sakurai: We just finished the wrap party for the recording, so we haven't started rehearsing yet.

Joe: And of course you drank a lot, as usual.

Sakurai: If all I do is drink, I'll come to nothing.

Dave: Is there a contrast in your life routine, between when you're on tour and not?

Joe:  Is there a secret light and happy Mr. Sakurai?

Dave: Well I've met you many times, and basically, this is your natural pace, am I right? 

Sakurai: Yes, I'm often told that I'm slow and calm, but there are times when I get impatient, too. Today I got stuck in a traffic jam and I was just sitting there feeling totally pissed off and irritated...

Joe: I don't want to meet Mr. Sakurai when he's angry!

Dave: Do you ever watch sports and get all worked up and shout, go for it, go for it! Or anything like that?

Sakurai: Congratulations.

Dave: You never go see a game at Jinguu Stadium and sing and dance?

Sakurai: No, I don't. Basically, getting together in a big group and making a lot of noise is probably something I don't like very much.

Dave: Let's go together! I'll bring a black umbrella. [Note from Cayce: people often bring miniature umbrellas in team colors to baseball games, to wave and cheer with when their team scores a point.]

Joe: You'll stand out too much that way! People are going to wonder who the hell you're cheering for if you've got a black umbrella!

Dave: From listener 'Mohawk Samurai': Congratulations to The Mortal on the release of their first mini-album. Of course, I bought it immediately and have been listening to it all the time. It's a very intense album. The Japanese lyrics for the cover songs sound totally natural and flow along with the original melodies. So I'd like to ask Mr. Sakurai, is there any difference between writing lyrics for Buck-Tick songs and writing lyrics for The Mortal?

Sakurai: Well, this time, I wanted to really channel all my feelings, channel those dark feelings and crash into them...with Buck-Tick, there are all kinds of different songs, up-tempo songs, so it's much more colorful, in a way.

Dave: So how was it, to just crash into nothing but blackness, as a policy for your writing?

Sakurai: It became a bit trying for me, psychologically.

Joe: I can imagine it would!

Dave: Now, from listener 'Nikuban-san,' when the members of The Mortal drink together, what kinds of things do you talk about? What do you get excited about besides music?

Sakurai: Honestly, we haven't had that many chances to go drinking together yet. That's all yet to happen. So the members are still a little shy I think, and mostly they're speaking to me in keigo...

Dave: Really?

Sakurai: They're still using '-san' on me.

Joe: So they call you Sakurai-san, then?

Sakurai: I told them to feel free to call me Atsushi or Acchan, but as yet I can't get them to actually do it...

Dave: You just have this aura, it's hard to do that without knowing you for a long time! I mean when we first met you, and even at the Solar Budoukan...

Joe: Yeah, it was like you had beams of light shooting from your eyes that would make Dave grow hair again!

Dave: You really had such an aura...

Joe: But of course, Dave still failed to grow hair.

Sakurai: Really, I had beams coming from my eyes?

Dave: Now, from Kuroneko Rumi, in Tokyo. 'I have a question for Acchan.'

Joe: Acchan! Haha!

Dave: 'Lately, what kind of alcohol do you like drinking? Is it still sweet potato shochu, 25%, as always?'

Sakurai: That's Acchan.

Dave: You like sweet potato shochu?

Sakurai: Yes.

Joe: Really, sweet potato shochu? I thought you must prefer champagne or something like that...surprising!

Sakurai: That's me, normally I just mix sweet potato shochu with soda water and drink loads of it.

Dave: Wow, I wouldn't have expected that.

Sakurai: Well, I like wine and I like champagne, but that kind of bubbly stuff...if I don't drink a whole lot of it, I don't feel it! I'm a bad habit.

Dave: So, your live information - November 16th, Osaka Namba Hatch, November 17th, Osaka Orix Theater, 19th, Shinkiba Studio Coast...and this is an extra performance, by the way...then November 25th, Tokyo NHK Hall, November 26th, Tokyo NHK Hall.

Joe: If you don't play a show on the weekend, Dave and I can't go see you...

Dave: I'm going to leave partway through.

Joe: You are?

Dave: I'm going to get someone to do the show for me...Mr. Sakurai, do you know anyone?

Sakurai: It's fine, I'll do it!

Joe: But then what will The Mortal do? Dave can't sing for The Mortal!

Dave: Now I'd like to play another song. 'Cities in the Dust,' by The Mortal.

[song plays]

Dave: That was The Mortal's 'Cities in Dust.'  So I imagine you've been listening to these songs a lot...what do you think about when you listen to your own songs?

Sakurai: I think...god, it's so dark!

[everyone laughs]

Joe: Because it's beyond dark.

Dave: So now we'd like to take ten minutes and do another corner on the show...but Mr. Sakurai is going to stick around to answer some more of our questions, so those of you who still want to send in questions and messages, you still have time. Now, a short break.

[break]

Dave: The Dave Fromm Show, we bring you Mr. Sakurai Atsushi, and he's been waiting for us to come back!

Joe: So we just played a song by Taiji-san...on your first album, for your solo first album, Taiji-san wrote you a song, right?

Sakurai: Yes, that's right.

Joe: A song called "Taiji".

Sakurai: Yes, that's right. That was the first time I met Taiji, eleven years ago, and I thought he was a very lovely gentleman.

Joe: With the two of them it's like light and dark lined up side by side...they have completely different auras...

Dave: Yes, completely different.

Sakurai: Yes, we talked about that when we met.

Dave: So what brought you together in the first place?

Sakurai: Eleven years ago when I was doing my first solo project, Mr. Tanaka, the producer, who is also producing The Mortal now, suggested that it might be an interesting partnership, and Taiji said, 'I'm Utopia, but Sakurai-kun, you're Deathtopia, aren't you?'

[everyone laughs]

Dave: So since when did you come to represent Deathtopia? From the time you were a child?

Sakurai: Yes, that's right. My way of thinking was always Deathtopia. Like, 'what's with this world?' you know.

Dave: What's with this world? But seriously, if you looked at earth from outer space, you'd surely say that the world today is a terrible place. Don't you think so?

Sakurai: I do.

Dave: In all sorts of ways...nuclear accidents, wars, we're covered in darkness...so I'm sure you were in a better place in one of your past lives. Don't you wonder, how the hell did I get to a place like this?

Sakurai: It's hard to live.

Dave: Hard to live!

[everyone mutters agreement]

Dave: From Kazu-san: I listened to your mini-album, all the songs, including the cover songs, and I listened to the original versions of the cover songs, too. I really enjoyed The Mortal's arrangements of the cover songs. And 'Yume' gave me a very poignant, sad feeling, of the brevity of life...I love this feeling that it's corroding into your body. [Note form Cayce: What you did there. This corrosion. I see it!] You release your full album on November 11th, but I would like to ask, is there a specific song on the album you are particularly fond of? If so, what is it?

Sakurai: Well, this is sales talk, but...they're all good!

Joe: I listened to all of them.

Dave: You did?

Joe: Yes, I interviewed Mr. Sakurai for Rolling Stone Japan, so I listened to all the songs, and this isn't sales talk. They're all good! But I think that incorporating three covers into the mix was a good way of showing your own originality and style.

Sakurai: That's right. I just thought, if we really tried to do some serious covers of goth songs, what would it be like? I thought it would be fun. So in part we did it to have fun.

Dave: From Yuki-san. Last year, I was in an accident, and now I'm listening to The Mortal while I'm in the hospital for my fifth surgery since then. I also bought a ticket for the last show on The Mortal's tour. I bought the new album, 'Spirit,' but the hospital is far away, so I haven't received the actual CD yet. If you have any words of encouragement for my recovery, I would be happy to hear anything you had to say.

Sakurai: Well, I feel that even if I were to encourage you, what would it do...but please, get well soon, really, they say you have to focus 100% on your treatment, so hang in there...or rather, get well soon.

Dave: Have you ever been hospitalized?

Sakurai: Yes.

Dave: It's quite lonely, isn't it? I've been hospitalized twice.

Sakurai:  Yes, that's true, it's like being isolated from society.

Dave: And the food is terrible.

Joe: God yes, the food!

Dave: What kinds of food do you like, Mr. Sakurai?

Sakurai: I like sushi, yakiniku...all stuff like that...stuff with lots of calories.

Dave: But you'll never get fat eating like that!

Sakurai: No, well...how do I say it...it's so unhealthy that I don't get fat!

Joe: Isn't that bad for you?

Sakurai: Maybe so.

Dave: Do you do any special sort of exercise, for your vocals, for your voice...I get asked that a lot, but I don't do anything in particular.

Sakurai: I don't do anything, either.

Dave: I just drink booze and smoke cigarettes, but somehow I get by.

Sakurai: Before a tour, there are times when I get moving and go to the gym, but drinking alcohol probably negates the benefit...

Dave: So you do go to the gym, then?

Sakurai: I was going, but this year I've only gone a few times. I've constantly been in recording, so I haven't had time for anything. My legs were shaking while I was in recording.

Dave: Because you haven't been moving?

Sakurai: Because I keep standing up and sitting down.

Dave: Are there times when you realize you need to rest your voice?

Sakurai: Of course. During the tours and recording, I try to stop eating spicy food, and I should stop drinking but if I did, I'd just get stressed out, so it might be worse if I didn't drink.

Dave: Oh really?

Sakurai: Yes.

Dave: I feel the same way.

Joe: Dave is exactly the same! But this time, you've got two shows two days in a row...isn't that tough?

Sakurai: Well, I do take care. At the after parties, I don't talk much. I shouldn't be laughing in a loud voice or anything like that. It's boring, but I don't talk.

Dave: So you should wait till after the tour to come drinking with us, then.

Joe: Yeah, come out with us!

Sakurai: Even if you invited me, it's the Dave Show, so...[everyone mumbles about inviting Sakurai out drinking]

Dave: Now I'd like to play one more song by The Mortal. 'Shadow of Love.'

[song plays]

Dave: That was The Mortal's 'Shadow of Love.' Mr. Sakurai, do you spend a lot of time on recording? Do you do a lot of takes?

Sakurai: I wonder. I don't really know how it is for other people, but I don't usually do more than ten takes. Usually it's about ten, and then we pick the best take.

Dave: So basically, the producer chooses which take to use? Or do you choose it yourself?

Sakurai: The producer chooses. As a third party, he can look at it more objectively.

Dave: I see. How much time did you spend recording this new album?

Sakurai: I wonder. Everyone's professional, so in one day we can get the drum rhythms and basic bass and guitar for three songs, so really, we did it in about two weeks or so.

Joe: So the mini-album came out on Wednesday this week, but on November 11th, you've got a full album coming out. Did you record these two back-to-back?

Sakurai: Yes, we did. We just had our wrap party the other day. The whole thing took three, four, five months in total.

Dave: From Miho-san: if you do anything to improve your English on a daily basis, please tell me what it is! Also, are there any other languages you want to learn besides English?

Sakurai: I'm not studying English at all...I just listen to the Dave Fromm Show!

Joe: Thank you! That's the best possible advertising you could give us!

Dave: From Rain-san: Looking carefully at the album jacket for Spirit, the mini-album you just released, I noticed there's a cat on there. Is it a real cat? If you have any interesting stories about the photo sessions, I want to hear them.

Sakurai: The kitty was photographed separately.

Dave: Separately? So you didn't just turn around and find that there was a cat there?

Sakurai: Well, maybe there was.

Joe: Mr. Sakurai, you're really a cat maniac, aren't you?

Sakurai: A cat maniac? Is that what you call me.

Joe: Don't you just love cats?

Dave: And you have cats, too, don't you?

Sakurai: This year, I'm dealing with pet loss, so...I had cats for almost twenty years, but right now there nothing but a hole left.

Dave: But...do you plan on getting a new cat at some point?

Sakurai: Mmm...yes, I do, but when you deal with that sad parting, you can't see to the next one right away.

Joe: I see.

Sakurai: But they are so cute.

Dave: How long did you have them? Did you just have one?

Sakurai: I had three, so I had them for a total of more than twenty years, and I was living with cats that whole time, so now my house feels eerily quiet.

Dave: Cats...cats...it takes courage, doesn't it?

Joe: I got chased by a dog when I was a kid...so since then it's been it for me and animals, but Dave, you had a rabbit for a while, didn't you?

Sakurai: Oh that must have been cute.

Joe: But it followed Dave out of the house, and Dave tried to catch it but it jumped into the road and died.

Sakurai: Because it wanted to be with Dave.

Joe: Then Dave's daughter burst into tears and wouldn't stop crying. But Dave is the kind of guy who has an attitude like, caring for this rabbit was getting to be a pain in the ass, so maybe it's for the best that it died...but your daughter didn't take care of it at all, anyway!

Dave: Cats are better. They take care of themselves, go to the toilet on their own and such.

Sakurai: Yes, that's right.

Dave: I won't have a rabbit again. They poop and pee all over the place. It was a pain.

Sakurai: They say that rabbits die when they're lonely.

Joe: They do say that about rabbits.

Dave: Is that really true? But you know...how do you say it...it didn't come and show me affection at all! It never cared about me, but I had it out on my veranda, and what was weird was that in the middle of the night, when I would get a cigar and go out on the veranda to smoke the cigar, it would come over to me. It was very strange.

Sakurai: I guess it likes cigars?

Dave: It seemed it liked cigars. It would come over me and look very excited. At any other time it would run away from me. Isn't that weird? A rabbit that likes cigars?

Sakurai: Maybe it liked Dave when he had a cigar.

Joe: Very strange.

Dave: So Mr. Sakurai, the program is almost over, but there will be another special program featuring you...

Joe: That's right, there will be another special program!

Dave: Another special program, he says, just doing it for the money...

Joe: Hey, I don't get paid very much, so there has to be another special program!

Dave: It will be at 8PM, on November 11th, the full album will be released on that date, so Joe and Mr. Sakurai will be bringing you another special program. I was also supposed to appear, but I have to go to Kobe right after that.

Joe: Oh, that's right...

Sakurai: There's someone waiting for you in Kobe.

Dave: Yes, they're waiting for me. [repeats The Mortal's tour schedule] I'll try to skip work and go to at least one. They start at 7PM, right?

Joe: Usually, right? About 7?

Dave: I think that's right.

Joe: So at the live shows, in addition to the songs from the mini-album and the album, will you be playing anything else? Any other covers or anything?

Sakurai: We'll try to get it together and practice something.

Joe: The shows start at 6:30. That's too early! It's like you're telling us not to come!

Sakurai: No no no, that's not it.

Dave: Now, one more song before we say goodbye. This is the last one.

Joe: Yume?

Dave: Yes. The special program is on at 8PM on November 11th! The full album will be out on that day so, give it a listen! And here we go, before we listen to The Mortal's 'Yume," thank you again, Mr. Sakurai. When the live shows are over.

Sakurai: Yes yes, send me an email.

Dave: I'll go to your neighborhood.

Joe: Please invite us!

Sakurai: See you then.

Dave: Thank you very much!

Sakurai: No, thank you!

.

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