Fish Tank 48
Interview with Imai Hisashi
Translation: Lola
Imai-san, your hair is so insanely long now, are you never going to cut it? You know, you look like a woman from behind.
Ha-ha-ha...I just suddenly felt like growing it. I wanted it around my shoulders for awhile but then it grew so fast.
You don't want to cut it?
It does take a long time...to wash it recently. But, still, even if people say 'cut your hair'...I still don't want it to be short you know.
I'd like to talk a little about what you've been doing recently. So what have you been doing since March?
Composing.
Are you worried about how things are progressing?
The form is coming together...like what sort of sound for recording...for almost two songs and then I have some guitar riffs ...well, for about eight songs...in my head......
Ah.......in your head *smiles*.
*smiles & giggles* ....
So what you're saying in a really complicated way is that you have a form in mind right? But I haven't even heard one song yet for a demo so when do you plan on having one ready?
Well, soon enough. It'll be bold *smiles*.
Bold? So what, you'll suddenly call a meeting out of nowhere and have ten songs *smiles*?
That's what I want to try to do yeah...
I got Hide-san's demo song some time ago but, now that you have it, do you feel like you have to hurry up to do yours?
It's always like that.
*snickers*
Whenever we do an album Hide always has the first one or two songs done...just like that *smiles*. Then I have to finish up...
So it's up to you to do the rest?
Yeah. It's just automatic *smiles*. But...well, when it's time to work on an album I usually say right away...'I can do it!!'.
Right away?! *bursts out laughing* I look forward to it. Since you've had more free time this year, what have you done other than song writing?
What did I do? Ah, I went to see the cherry blossoms.
Oh yes, with Hide-san.
Not like that! ....Muahahahaha! With other people too, like Nishikawa-kun, Miyoken and Boo-chan....
It was all organized by Hide-san wasn't it.
It was insanely cold. ...I know it's always like that... but I usually just put up with it because a lot of people go. But that time it was raining right up until it was time to go and I wasn't sure what to do...I was annoyed thinking 'ma~n, this sucks!' *smiles* Hide brought beer and booked an izakaya for after though. But I had to pay 1,000 yen.
Because it was a pay-your-own-way party *smiles*.
But it was so cold......
*bursts out laughing*
After that...uh, when was Hotei-san's live again?
At Budoukan...during the snowstorm...
I had some time to kill before the show was over, about an hour, so I was wondering what to do with myself you know, but with the snow it ended up taking me close to an hour to get there anyway...hya hya hya! So I arrived exactly on time. After that...umm, what'd I do? Oh, yes. Blue Man!
Oh!
I went to see Blue Man. Then...what was it again? Not Saltimbanco, but it was a Cirque du Soleil show...what was it again? It wasn't Alegria either...you know, that Cirque du Soleil show...Drali-something...?
Dralion.
That was really inspiring. I enjoyed it.
Which did you like better?
Ah, between Blue Man and the Cirque show? Umm...the Cirque du Soleil show...really moved me.
It's on a whole different scale isn't it?
Yes. It felt like...there was an actual story to it and usually shows like that...don't have that. Because of that, I had goose bumps...that's how moved I was, I kept getting the shivers over and over...it was so amazing. I was...surprised how good it was.
You went to quite a few things, entertainment-wise. Ah, after that, did you go to Kiyoshi-san's live too...?
Fufufufu....*smiles*.
Why are you laughing like that?
Because I completely forgot about him. Hya hya hya! After that there was that AGE of PUNK and hurdy gurdy event. When I was in the DJ corner...I was on my way to becoming quite drunk *smiles*.
Wha? You DJed?!
No, I didn't. I didn't DJ but, Kacchan, Asaki-chan and Kimura Seizi-kun did all in a row for about 30mins to an hour. They were doing a pretty fast rotation and then they did 'Alice in Wonder Underground' and 'GAGA DISCO' *smiles*. One right after the other.
You were able to do a lot of stuff you weren't able to during the tour...so what did you do for Golden Week?
Absolutely nothing......oh, I composed. Yeah.
Why is it that when you say you 'composed' your eyes shine with laughter like that hmm~? *smiles*
What? I composed.
As usual Mr. Imai's eyes shine with mischief like a young boy's.
I'm al~ways composing you know. It's so automatic for me because I'm al~ways thinking about it.
What's your daily routine like these days?
I compose. *chuckles* ...daily! I have a perfect daily routine right now. Well, I wake up in the afternoon...eat...then take a little nap...then work on songs for the rest of the enti~re day.
So you spend all day locked up in your work room?
Recently, yes.
But since you've gone to see other people's lives and things like that, have those things influenced you in your song writing?
If something inspires me...then I'll want to use it. And there have been some inspirational things...
Does it make you want to do lives?
It does. I really really want to do lives.
About lives...it's extremely early but we've announced the fan club only lives...
They're...at the end of the year right? You've already announced it???
Yes. At the end of June. Since it's been a long time since Buck-Tick has done lives, how do you think the fan club only ones will go?
I wonder. ...well...I wish they were a little sooner, I want to do them...
We talked about the plan for the fan club only lives, joking around and seriously about how to make it interesting...I'm looking forward to it!
There's no event going on right now but, would you say something for everyone awaiting the lives and the next album?
Steadily, an amazing image...is coming together...so, please look forward to it as usual.
As usual...?! *smiles*
Yes. As usual.