HIZAKI x Rame (BFN) for club Zy.
- When did you meet?!
Rame: Wasn’t our meeting considerably long time ago??
HIZAKI: About 15 years ago??
Rame: Eh, really so long time ago??
HIZAKI: It was in 10’s, when we just started bands…
Rame: Ah, is it so?
- You’ve been in several bands before.
Rame: How long it will be till now??
HIZAKI: Because it was just after we started bands. Rame-san was creepy back then. And because at the same time he was wearing impossibly high hairstyle(laughs)
Rame: I couldn’t help it, such times it were. Those were times, when not only me, but everyone was staking their hair really high. In those times I had big head. But since it were such times, everyone looked like that.
HIZAKI: That’s why Rame-san’s head was huge.
Rame: But there were members, who had bigger heads than mine.
HIZAKI: Everyone had big head(laughs)
Rame: Well, for sure(laughs)
HIZAKI: But when you changed your outfit, you looked scary and created an atmosphere that I didn’t want to get close to you.
Rame: Now, when I play taibans with such people (looking like I did before), I admit, I’m scared and don’t want to get near them (laughs).
- But even after going through such times, you’re still in nowadays Visual Kei.
Rame: That’s right. But if I look back at myself from the past, there are many things impossible to do for me now. Those were times, when you did things spontaneously.
- Couple years ago you wore ruffled hair, because it was the symbol of Visual Kei.
Rame: There was such trend. HIZAKI didn’t change his visuals even in such times. Of course, he slightly changed his style now. Already from then he was creating his HIZAKI-style, and I have a feeling that over the years he made a level up. I mean, since then he was going over his times more than anyone else. It’s the amazingness of HIZAKI’s person.
HIZAKI: But if someone have shown you my photo at those times, you’d say “What is… he??”, Rame-san(laughs)
Rame: Absolutely(laughs). I mean, if anyone was shown it without any description, no one would understand, why he reflected himself like that(laughs).
- When your onnagata style was established, Rame-san?
Rame: My style was established probably from Vidoll.
HIZAKI: Weren’t you, Rame-san, more girly around beginning of Vidoll??
Rame: Nope, at the very beginning I wasn’t even onnagata. I started performing as onnagata from the midway of Vidoll’s activities. Of course if you compare the times, when I started performing as onnagata with beginning, I was more onnagata later.
- HIZAKI-san, you have been onnagata with curly hair from the beginning.
HIZAKI: Yes. I am like that since high school.
- Wasn’t onnagata unusual back then??
HIZAKI: No, I wasn’t. When I started being interested in Visual Kei, it was just the time of IZAM-san’s from SHAZHA debut. It was also time, when in Visual Kei there was only one onnagata. At this time I was playing in band of my senpai. I started performing as onnagata, when he told me “You, do onnagata”.
- Is there anything in your musical surface, what in your case, HIZAKI-san, doesn’t change at all?
HIZAKI: When I listen to my demo tapes from junior high school and high school, I haven’t changed till now. On the other hand, when I started playing with senpai in Visual Kei band (regardless of my own will) I started making music more close to the fashion of those times…
- In other words, you followed the road you believed in, HIZAKI-san.
HIZAKI: That’s right. Now it’s closer to me than it was originally.
Rame: Also it’s amazing that you followed Visual Kei in your music style.
- But even among many changes, aren’t you continuing to stand in forefront of the scene, Rame-san? That talent is amazing.
Rame: But in my case, because of the fashion of those times, I incorporated flexibility for things, which I find “cool”. So for things unchanged even for now, my self-established style may be nothing particular.
- Was your contact big through the years?
Rame: We’ve been contacting in many points, but…
HIZAKI: When I was playing in Versailles, Versailles were focused on one-man appearances, so we almost didn’t take part in any events and we haven’t been seeing each other then. But the truth is that since we started Jupiter, we came to see each other really often.
Rame: That’s right. Also in Vidoll’s major activities we didn’t take part in such events and for me it was the time, when I haven’t been concerned about other bands almost at all.
HIZAKI: When Rame-san is in dressing room, I feel calm.
Rame: But you were scared in the past(laughs)
HIZAKI: We’re from the same generation, so when we’re together, I feel calm.
Rame: Surely.
- Are there many bands from your generation now?
HIZAKI: If you ask me if there are, of course there are, but I’m not sure if numerous…
Rame: But aren’t some appearing during taibans??
HIZAKI: During taibans I rarely have met some.
Rame: Taiban partners are very often younger generation musicians. I feel that we’re covered by younger generation.
- Both Jupiter and BFN often appear on “stylish wave” events. On those events you’re also seniors?
Rame: Obviously, aren’t we the oldest ones?! (there are PENICILLIN of course) But, it differs a lot if you have someone from the same generation next to you on the stage or not.
- From 12th of June starts coupling tour of Lin×Jupiter×Black Gene For the Next Scene called “Battle For Clans Tour【V3】”. You’re close generation bands, aren’t you?
Rame: We’re even too close with Kii-sama (KISAKI)(laughs).
HIZAKI: I have a feeling that lately there are really few occasion for bands of the same generation to gather. It’s the way how this generation shows itself. That’s why because we wanted to show it by ourselves, we’ve arranged this event.
Rame: I think that young people will taste this intimate colour.
- But aren’t those times having really strong feelings for Visual Kei in your opinion, Rame-san, HIZAKI-san?
HIZAKI: Particularly Rame-san and KIZAKI-san from Lin love Visual Kei for real.
Rame: It’s the same for HIZAKI-san(laughs). Even in meaning of following your own visual style since long time ago. Both HIZAKI-san and KISAKI-sama since long time ago perform being proud of their own style.
- But aren’t people from the side generation proud of the Visual Kei they do?!
Rame: Maybe. I’d rather say it’s pride of Visual Kei, they don’t refuse Visual Kei band policy and that’s why we can all be active together now.
HIZAKI: It’s also about policy, but I think that everyone simply like Visual Kei.
- And Jupiter is exactly a band, which has its Visual Kei-ism. Also BFN, even though you contain elements of trance in your music, your basics are still in Visual Kei-ism.
Hizaki: Jupiter is exactly like that.
Rame: My members also love music of old good Visual Kei bands.
- When it comes to you, would your Visual Kei influence be extremely strong?
HIZAKI: Strong? I think I can’t think only of this. When we speak about our own place in Visual Kei, it’s a fortress, which I should protect by myself.
Rame: I think that it’s nice, if people who think like that are close to us.
HIZAKI: That’s right. The thing that could be felt during numerous “stylish wave” tours was not only the difference of generations, but also that young bands are active having different opinion about them (times, Visual Kei, activities, etc.) than we do. And I think that among it all to some extent we have to adapt ourselves to this. But on the other hand, there are lots of things that only we can do, so I think we must show that.
- But aren’t Jupiter and BFN taking part in “stylish wave” from the very beginning??
HIZAKI: Yes we are.
Rame: We are also under the care of “stylish wave” from the beginning of the band.
- So I want to ask you about your impressions about “stylish wave”.
Rame: I think that we’ve appeared on many events. But fans visiting “stylish wave” take part into it thinking “Let’s have fun from the beginning till the end” and their attitude is extremely impressing. Of course there were many people, who have met us for the first time. But those people also got excited and had fun with us. I mean, it’s characteristic for this event…
Isn’t Visual Kei looking like mixed martial arts match in context of Visual Kei between us – the older generation – and the young generation? On event where BFN/Jupiter/Lin perform together to some degree we’re solidified by the same generation and the same awareness, so fans sharing this awareness to some extent are having fun with us. When it comes to “stylish wave”, where perform bands from young to old generation, on the same event gather bands of wide range of generations, so also their fans create wide range of generations.
I’m sure that if it wasn’t “stylish wave” and fans wouldn’t like to see other bands than their favorite one, when they were mixed together it would become really cold event. That’s why because it’s “stylish wave”, everyone although intermixed is having fun. This is how I always feel about it. That’s why I think this event is one, for which I want to continue.
- As you said, it’s because the range of generations of performers is wide.
Rame: Yes, the range of generations of the performers is wide. Moreover, performing on “stylish wave”, we can also appeal to the fans of other bands, which they usually watch, so it’s really great event for us.
HIZAKI: Jupiter got the chance to perform on “stylish wave” after talking with Hoshiko-san by a chance. Isn’t Hoshiko-san’s “love to Visual Kei” amazing? He’s the one, who has raised so many bands until now, who had helped them grow, we thought “let’s try to entangle Jupiter into this enthusiasm”, “let’s get enthusiastic together”, so from now on we also ask for his friendship.
When it comes to Jupiter, vocalist ZIN was new to the band, so in order to raise him, we’ve been invited to perform on all of spring’s “stylish wave” events. In reality, with such experience he amazingly grew, so the environment of such bands (which will stimulate) is also needed. We also hope that if a little bit later there will be a chance (to take part in next event), ZIN will also respond that we’ll do it in funny way. Also from now on, I’d like to ask “stylish wave” for looking after us.
- Haven’t BFN and Jupiter take part in huge number of “stylish wave” events?!
Rame: We, since formation, didn’t join (the whole) spring’s and summer’s “stylish wave” even once. We don’t have such experience as Jupiter, who performed on all events, but each time we’re invited to perform somewhere. During summer’s「stylish wave CIRCUIT'14 natsu no jin "Koyoi Kyouran"」 we’ll also perform couple of times.
- For both BFN and Jupiter, band career is really short, but your members’ career is really long. Wouldn’t you soon take the attitude of leading young bands??
Rame: It would be good, but how can we do that??
HIZAKI: I’d like to lead.
Rame: So HIZAKI-san, do so(laughs)
- Would you like to set an example to current generation?!
HIZAKI: I’d like to. But we also get good motivation from young bands.
Rame: It’s a weird story, but 10 years ago I think I thought “Let’s lead the scene”. Now I probably feel stronger sense that I’m being taught by younger bands. Particularly when I watch performances of bands during “stylish wave” I think “oh, so now this kind of bands lead this kind of audience?”, “Maybe if we could add those elements to our band we could also make fans to enjoy our shows more?”. Somehow, I got this kind of point of view.
[part 2/3]