Yuki Personal Interview - Ura Hevn ban November 2007--When you were little, what prompted you toward music?
There was no one in my family who liked music, and, quite opposite, when I was little I didn’t really like music.
--Did you hate music class?
I really hated it (laugh).
--So then you really never thought that you would be singing…
But if I ask my parents about my childhood, they say that I’ve been singing since way back when. They recorded my voice singing on tape, and it seems there isn’t a time they can remember me, not humming, but arbitrarily making up my own lyrics, adding lyrics I didn’t know well (laugh). My parents recorded numerous tapes of that. “What is this song?” “You were singing.” Like that (laugh). They had me listen to the tapes when I was in high school. I didn’t remember any of it, rather, I hated singing in elementary school. But maybe, rather than hating it, a big part was probably that I was embarrassed. I started listening to music on my own around middle school, and the first time I bought a CD was in high school. That’s really late, huh.
--What prompted you to do that?
From middle school, second or third grade, I was recommended a variety of music by my friends. From around then I started listening to the radio a lot. The songs my friends recommended would play, not visual kei, but from J-POPS and utamono pops, I started gaining interest in music. And later, I really remember this, but when I went to the bowling alley to hang out, they were running a promo that I saw, it was playing kuroyume and THE YELLOW MONKEY, and I thought “I don’t really know why, but this is really good,” and I definitely planned to buy that CD. But I didn’t know the name, so I listened to the radio earnestly and waited until that song played, and when I heard the song introduction I first thought “Ah, so that’s the name,” and, well, anyway I was listening to the radio (laugh).
--So what prompted you to try doing music yourself?
It was about my first year in high school, but before I entered high school, I figured I’d get a normal job. I have an older brother who worked like normal, sort of like a salary-man, so I thought that was okay for me too. I like games, and I thought that it’d be cool to go to work, come home, and play games, but in my first year of high school I was already not in the advancing class, but I had entered the class to get employed. Despite that, when I saw a feature on TV about the recently revived L’Arc~en~Ciel, and I learned that their revival live had sold out in 5 minutes, I thought, “So they have that much of an audience attracted to them.” At that time, I didn’t think that I wanted to become a vocalist or anything, but I just thought that I just want to be a part of that world. Not that I wanted to have a band or go on TV or anything. I just thought I want to become a person who has people attracted to something I make. From there I quickly looked for a music school. Studying on my own, I read vocal and guitar books. I even bought a guitar, but it was quite hard and I thought it took so much time. I did actually like singing, and I first went to karaoke my third year of high school, but you don’t really know your own voice, right? Even when you’re really trying (laugh). Even still, I decided on my own that it was fine (laugh). My house is really rural, so I would sing whatever songs I liked in a big voice. From that time I always thought I wanted a band. I went to a music school and really learned music, and around then I joined a band.
--What prompted you to join a band?
It wasn’t that I really really wanted it. Instead it was just that I was simply invited. What’s more, it was people from the same music school, and at that time I liked a different genre, so I was doing something completely different, but my school friends said, “We have a band, so would you be our vocalist? It’s a copy band, but.” They said they were doing LUNA SEA, and I also liked Visual Kei, so I answered “Sure.” That was what started it, and eventually we came out with originals, and that was how I started in a band.
--Did you go on stage first with that band? What was it like singing in front of people?
The first time I stood on stage was with that band. Uh, I was really incredibly nervous. Honestly, I don’t remember it. I remember the audience’s faces, but I don’t remember the atmosphere of the stage at all (laugh).
--What is the appeal of being a vocalist?
When I first thought I wanted to do guitar in the beginning, it was because I thought it looked cool. It has more glamour than singing. But in singing, isn’t every individual different? No matter how hard you try, even if you can imitate, there is a voice that only that person can use. If you can gain that, isn’t that amazing? I thought. And there are lyrics, and melody, and the only instrument to convey the words is the vocalist, so that is the biggest appeal. Also, that it doesn’t matter which genre different people like, if you show something good, I thought that it’s the vocalist only that people see. Since I started it’s been 3 or 4 years, but I thought there were hard parts, but doing the vocals is the most fun. So that’s a part as well.
--So, for you, what kind of existence does Mix Speaker’s,Inc. have?
They’re a special band, and with each set of lyrics we’re making a world view, and there if it crumbles… When we try to convey that world through song, MIKI thinks the same, but I think that there are only MIKI and me. As the ones who say the words, we want the story’s deeper and thicker places to be seen, and I think isn’t that the only place we can convey?
--Are twin vocals uncommon?
They were very hard. Before I did Visual Kei, I was in a mixture style band, and even in my previous band the guitarist did vocals and wrote songs for two people to sing. So there wasn’t much of a struggle. It’s just that we sing every song with two people (laugh).
--So, from now, what do you want to convey through music?
Of course, how interesting this band is is the first thing I want to convey, but more so than wanting to convey, I want people who listen to accept our story. If they interpret it however they like and it grows, I think it’ll become even more interesting. There are people who think to imagine the story in their own way, and if, for example, we wrote a love song, someone out there might think it’s a breakup song, and some kids might think it’s a good story.
--How you capture varies by individual. The people listening all have different circumstances.
Not just lyrics, instruments sound by sound also, why do they make this sound? I think it would be good if people really have fun as they like. I have a ton that I want to convey, but before that I want them to purely enjoy our world and songs, and think to themselves, Mix Speaker’s,Inc. makes songs through this kind of world, and if they do that I think won’t it grow? Even if everyone doesn’t think “It’s this kind of story,” I think that’s okay.
--So, now that you’re doing music, are there any ways which music has changed you as a person?
I’ve purely gained self confidence. I was incredibly withdrawn. When I stood on the first stage I thought this, but I used to think I’m not meant to be a vocalist. It isn’t that I’m good or bad at singing – I was embarrassed to appear in front of people. People’s eyes were scary.
--But when I saw you at your first one-man at Shibuya BOXX, you looked cute.
Well, that was then…(laugh). When I joined this band, it was the first time I was able to perform in front of hundreds to over a thousand people. Isn’t starting the music and singing the same as talking in front of a crowd? Through that, the shyness of going up in front of people has gone away. It was very difficult for me to get out in front of people. I’m not good with people, and in the past I thought I didn’t want to deal with them, but even though I thought that I was planning on doing music (laugh). When I went to do music, I wasn’t thinking of lives. I thought if I could just release songs that would be good. But I’ve slowly gotten used to it, and even though I only had 10 fans, when I got my first fan letter I was so happy.
--It’s like you were finally acknowledged yourself, right?
That’s right. I thought I had changed as a person. Even now, when I see my old friends, I’m told “You’ve changed.” I wasn’t the type to talk, much less the type of person to be in a band. I’m told like “Weren’t you the type to sit at your desk absorbed in reading manga?” (laugh). When I went to my class reunion, my hair was like this, and I had had piercings done, so “What are you doing?” and when I said “I’m in a band now,” they would be surprised. “Really!?” Music has changed me. I think it’s even changed my personality.
--And haven’t you changed since meeting your current band mates?
Really, meeting these band members was also coincidence. When I think that I have become a member, I understand how important it is. It’s influence enough to change my world. Everything I see is different now, and that I’m here, isn’t it that all of the fans who come receive me? So there is no debt there, and I’ve become so that I think I have to go on and have more confidence. And being embarrassed to go on stage has gone away.
--After this, what is your personal aim?
Certainly I don’t want it to be thought that I am all about appearances, and if I say what I can do, it’s to sing, and there I want fans and people who do music to confirm that “That band, their performance and singning is really great.” I want to become the person who can convey songs with conviction.
--Now then, please give a final message to the fans.
We’re waiting for our Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka one-man tour soon, so I think it would be great if you listen to our music. These are our first one-man shows in Nagoya and Osaka, but we think that at a one man show it’s the easiest to deliver our music. We’ll work hard and do our best to not betray your expectations, so please come.
[Special Addition] Please tell us about your recent obsession.
Recently it’s cooking! The first thing I made was Medamayaki! (laugh) When I went to make it, I messed up when I broke the eggs. Firstly, I put too much strength into it and the shell shattered, and I thought I’ve gotta get this in, but if I drop it, if I drop it I’m too high up and the yolk will split and it won’t be Medamayaki anymore (laugh). I’m glad I made it into scrambled eggs, but I hadn’t planned on that. Halfway through it became a weird Medamayaki, Tamagoyaki, and something I really don’t know. Recently I’ve made Omuraisu. I thought that it’s an egg dish, so I’ll attack (laugh).
