Fish Tank #44
Interview with Higuchi Yutaka
Translation: Lola

When did you finish recording your parts Yuuta-san?
I finished just before, so now I have nothing to do *smiles*.

You began recording last year right?
Yes we did. I keep thinking what a long time it's taken. But since about October we've been doing rhythm rehearsals.

I see.
Then, we began recording in November.

Yes. Then you had lives in December and so recording only resumed again in January.
Recording took us about half a year I think. But it's not the first time we've taken that long.

What made you decide on the previous single?
Mm, well, we decided on that one because no one had a problem with it. Earlier in the year when we were recording it we thought hey, this one's good for a single and everyone immediately agreed.

I was surprised by the song it was paired with...
I know!!

How was it? Recording a song again that you had done during your debut days?
It was fun. Of course I always thought it had a good melody.

A few days ago you filmed the PV for the single very early in the morning.
Recently I've actually been getting up pretty early. So it really wasn't a problem for me. Even today I woke up around 8 am.

Huh? But it's 9pm now, what have you been doing until now?
Usually when I wake up I play my bass, well that's what I've been doing recently anyway. Since I bought a new big bass.

Oh yes you told me about that before. That you had wanted to play a big classical bass.
It makes me feel like a student again. Getting up early just to practice *smiles*.

But that bass wasn't used during recording was it?
No, it wasn't. Well it was used, but not kept because I wanted to try it out just to see.

That must have been amazing.
Not at all *laughs*.

Going back to what we were saying earlier, other that recording the old song, how was recording everything?
Well, it was long.... But we did have lives. Like 'The Day in Question'. We were trying to find a new sound source that would be good. So once again we had a different approach to things.

In April Hide-san's dropz CD finally came out.
Ah! I listened to it! It's interesting isn't it?

Did you tell Hide-san that?
No, because we were both busy during Buck-Tick's recording period.

Since you're celebrating B-T's 20th anniversary this year, you're having the B-T fest and I understand that various artists will be participating but of these, who have you met?
kyo-kun from Runaway Boys. We met when I went to go see a D'erlanger live. Ah, and I met J too. J I met at a wedding.

It's rare to have all these people gathered together isn't it.
Yeah, it'll be interesting. I'm looking forward to that event. I mean we do other events like Summer Sonic where there are other artists too but they're not really our friends or anything *smiles*. So it'll be fun to do something like this with our friends. We did LSB back in the day but it's not quite the same as what we're doing now. Even though we were only three bands for LSB a lot of people came, I think I might have met kyo-kun around that time actually. But I've known J since before that. *looks at the list of performers who will be at the fest* Ah, I'm also good friends with Asaki-chan (Age of Punk) but this is the first time we'll be doing a live together. It's the first time with Kacchan too.

You met Okazaki-san during recording didn't you?
Yup. In the studio.

On top of that your great sempais Endo Michirou and Tsuchiya Masami will be performing.
They are so great. It's amazing they'll be there.

Have you spoken with the two of them directly?
I have. I've known Tsuchiya-san for awhile actually. And I met Michirou-san went I went to some event where there were a lot of people and we spoke.

There was a lot to be decided on for the live wasn't there?
Yes because we have to wait for recording to be finished. But it's looking to be pretty interesting I think.

In addition to the tour and the B-T fest you've also decided to take part in the Rising Sun Fest in Hokkaido.
We did, we did. How many years has it been since we did an event in Hokkaido?

Quite awhile that's for sure.
I think it was since around the time of our debut...there was an event at Makomanai or something and RC Section and Izumiya Shigeru-san were there. I think that was the first Hokkaido even we did.

That's amazing you got to do something with such great sempai.
But we were just starting out so everyone at the time was our sempai. After that there was Ann Lewis-san and um...Bakufu Slump, Red Warriors and then there was Buck-Tick.

Ooooooh!
Even after that I think there was something in Hokkaido.... With Unicorn and Jun Sky.

Huh? Together?
No, it was a two day thing. One day Unicorn and Jun Sky and the next Ziggy with Buck-Tick.

Ah you're talking about the time of the band boom. So I have the list of who will be performing at the Rising Sun Fest.
*takes a peek* I didn't know it came out!

Yes. So who have you met before?
I've met Kemuri's vocalist. After that I've met the best guy in Ska Parade, Yanaka-san.... The Cro-Magnons...I've met the bassist of Dragon Ash. ...I think that's it. Are we all on the same day?

I think that's how it always is. Everyone comes and performs on the 17th.
Really? I can't wait.

So starting from June of this year Buck-Tick's going to be busy with lives and events.
Yeah it's true. I still don't know how we'll manage everything...but we've done LSB so...how many years ago was that again?

That was...about 13 years ago I think, at least.
Huh? It wasn't that long ago was it? I thought it was just a bit after 'darker than darkness' came out.

It's already been 14 years since 'darker~'.
Wha? ...but...how did so much time pass...

So, finally would you say something for all those waiting for the lives this summer?
It feels like it's been a long time since we've had lives until the end of the year, please wait for them with anticipation. Well, we'll be different than a one man live, doing something different again will be really fun so I really hope you look forward to it.