Check this out! Translation of the Musica: September 2012 Ryota Interview! ^_^ Now this is why we all love Ryota! >He’s the type that does everything until the end when he decides “I’ll do it” from the beginning. The kind of person who, if he has something he wants to do, will definitely do it. When he doesn’t properly accomplish the things he decides to do once, he gets irritated for a long time. He also hates losing…… That’s why I’ve always been practicing bass from the time Toru handed me one. Even now I also think I wouldn’t be able to stay in the band if I didn’t practice. I thought I would be kicked out right away. Why? >>When I stepped into the studio for the very first time, I was the only one who couldn’t do anything. The other members had played instruments for a long time, I was the youngest, and I thought, “At this rate, there’s the possibility that we’ll be forced to change members.” From then on, I practiced frantically. What kinds of feelings were you living with up until you started playing in the band? >>Until I was invited to the band by Toru, I hadn’t listened to rock before, and I was listening to a lot of hip hop. I liked moving my body, and I’d always danced. I did it as a job as well, and I thought I would always be a dancer. Did you think that ever since you were a kid? >>I did. From kindergarten, really, I didn’t do anything but dance every day (laughs). When school ended, I went and practiced at [dance?] school…… I continued this from kindergarten all the way until middle school. However, in middle school, when I thought, “What will I do after this?”, I had doubts like, “I’ll be a dancer…… And then what?” Furthermore, there were times when I thought about how the (dance) group I’d been active in around then was disbanding. And I was worried about what to do with Toru…… Toru had had an interest in guitar for a long time, so at the time he’d already bought and was playing an electric guitar. Seeing that, I thought, “He’s doing his best, playing, huh” (laughs). You weren’t interested in it yourself? >>Not at all (laughs). So, when the (dance) group disbanded, Toru suddenly said, “I want to play in a band.” ……I remember it quite well even now, but while we were sleeping in our dorm, I was suddenly awoken by Toru, and he said, “Ryota, let’s form a band.” I was sleepy, so I didn’t understand at all and said something like, “What’re you talking about?” Hahahahahaha. I didn’t know anything about bands to begin with. Then Toru said, “This is what bands are,” and even though I was sleepy, I was made to listen to Good Charlotte and Busted. Good Charlotte’s tough when you’re sleepy, isn’t it. (Laughs) Because of that, it felt like, “So this is rock, huh,” but I thought it was cool. Anyway, I ended up getting into Busted. Then I also suddenly got motivated. I went up to the rooftop with Toru, and we talked: “What do we do? Are we really going to form a band?” And we talked about, “If we’re really forming a band, I’ll prepare myself.” The two of us went to buy an MTR [magnetic tape recorder] right away (laughs). ……Even now I really remember it. Did you have inside of you the glittering feeling like “a new me” was beginning? >>It was extremely glittery! But on the one hand, I also felt like, is it okay to throw away dance, which I’d always worked hard at up until then, and play in a band? Having danced for work, wasn’t there also the possibility that you would try again and form another group? There was, but…… I really like “to do things with friends.” I’ve been with Toru ever since elementary school, so I can’t imagine doing anything without him. So if Toru wants to play in a band, I’ll definitely do it too. What was so good about Toru? >>He’s like an older brother to me. And Toru’s also the type to absolutely do something if he said he would. When he said, “Let’s become the number one band,” his eyes really sparkled. So I also took up an interest in this thing called rock and thought I’d try it. For you, he’s a “man of capability.” [?] >>A man of capability (laughs). He really is! His ability to take action is amazing, and he quickly turns things positive with even older people and scary people. [?] When I saw that, I thought, “Incredible,” and followed him (laughs). After you decided that you would play in the band, what kind of process did you go through? >>After I said I would join the band, we went right into the studio. And when I was told to memorize two Good Charlotte songs, I did my best to remember them, but when it came to the band, if I matched the rhythm, there was something or another I didn’t understand. [?] Like, “You can’t hear my sounds!” (laughs). With my position in the band too, I didn’t understand the role of the bass at all. So after my first time in the studio ended, I went straight to a bass classroom near my home. By around the fifth time, I understood to a certain degree, so from there I kept copying at home…… But honestly, it wasn’t very fun. Toru told me to play bass, but it wasn’t fun, I couldn’t follow everybody at all, and I started thinking, “This really doesn’t suit me.” Like, “This is what I threw away dance for?” >>Right, I thought about those kinds of things too. And I told Toru, “Bass isn’t very interesting to me.” Then he said, “Ryota, try listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers? If you copy this, it’ll be really fun,” and handed me Red Hot Chili Peppers’s CD. Hahahahaha, throwing in Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers’s bassist) with excellent timing! From then on, I really liked bass (laughs). Well, Toru’s good. >>That’s why he’s a “man of capability” (laughs). I think if I hadn’t met Flea at that point, I probably wouldn’t be playing now. Listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers, I thought, “This kind of instrument can transform too! Bass is amazing.” And I told Toru something like, “I’m fine with bass. Thanks, Toru!” and my motivation gradually increased. Ryota, you are too simple, in a good way. >>(Laughs) In high school too, coming home and practicing was fun! And during high school, all the guys who did battle of the bands were copying Red Hot Chili Peppers, everyone was rocking out. I thought it was amazing that they could play like that even though we were the same age…… I remember very well, that’s when the feelings of “not wanting to lose to my own generation” were born and I started practicing excessively. Regarding the band, how did you experience it when you guys came together? >>When we formed the band, I couldn’t talk to anyone but Toru. I didn’t talk to Taka for about a year. You disliked him, huh? >>No, it wasn’t dislike…… I was afraid. I often got into quarrels with the other two members who aren’t with us now. I was on the edge and saw that like, “Here we go again…” ……At first, everyone around me was my senior, it was uncomfortable, and the bond among us hadn’t grown yet. I always complained to Toru, “I don’t like this kind of atmosphere. Let’s make it more fun.” But Toru replied with things like, “You should talk more!” and I would say, “No, no way! I can’t talk!” ……That kind of conversation kept continuing on our way home from the studio. And after about half a year, my second limit came, and I was just like, “I can’t do this after all!” Only when you’re free will you not be deceived. [?] >>Right (laughs). My limit had really come, and at the end of a live performance, everything I’d accumulated up until then came out. I cried for about an hour……… I bawled about how I liked everyone, but how I didn’t fit in this band, how this was too hard. And everyone was shocked. The guy who hadn’t spoken until then spit out words with a sudden flood of tears (laughs). >>That kind of thing was a one-time occurrence, but really I felt like the things that accumulated came out all at once. Then everyone said to me, “We’d be troubled without you. Don’t you dare say such things.” And I thought, “Well, I do have my position (in the band).” Because everyone had said that, I thought I would try harder. Your mindset of “Someone has to play bass, so I’m doing it” changed to “It has to be me.” >>That’s right. And after that, I was able to talk to Taka, able to communicate with everyone, and being in the band became incredibly enjoyable…… Then, one day in the studio Taka said, “I want to seriously aim for the top, so only those of you who have serious determination, stay,” as a kind of final confirmation. That’s when I thought, “Let’s seriously make it to the top.” You ignited instantly there. >>I got fired up in that moment. Whatever happens after this, I’m definitely playing in this band! It was that kind of feeling. ……My confidence back then was amazing. Even though I didn’t have any experience, I had a great deal of confidence, like, “If it’s with these members, it’ll definitely go well.” And above all, it was fun. Because really, we got close, and even inside of me I had the conviction that as long as Taka and Toru were there, it would definitely be okay. That really, their words are correct. ……Even now, Taka scolds me, saying, “Wouldn’t it be better if you did it like this?” and I’m also truly grateful for those kinds of things. Of course, Taka is always thinking about how to make ONE OK ROCK better. That’s why I, as the bassist, want to get closer to the place Taka is aiming for. I think you’re probably a lonely person, the type of person who is fine with only one definite place where he belongs. That place is ONE OK ROCK, isn’t it? >>That’s really true. If Toru hadn’t handed me the bass, I wonder what I would be doing now. (laughs) So you continued in the band like that, but Alex had an incident along the way, and there was a period of time when you couldn’t continue in the band, right? How did you feel at that time? I was terribly angry…… [?] >>I think I was probably the most angry out of all the members and was freaking out. The tour was called off, and I thought for a moment, “Is this the end for the this band?”…… But on the other hand, I was thinking, “No, it won’t end just like that.” When I thought that we couldn’t do our activities just for the time being, I immediately met with the other members. We were together for days, and there we talked about various things and calmed down…… Instead [?], I thought, “If it were us four, we might be able to reach even greater heights.” What was the basis for thinking like that? Mmm…… I fundamentally hate fighting. I think if you play in a band, there’s no point if it’s not fun. So when the four of us came together and discussed various things, I thought, “If it were us four, we’d get used to the relationship of being able to seriously quarrel before the situation gets unpleasant, and we might be able to aim higher. [?]” Also at the time, we talked about how “No matter what happens, ONE OK ROCK will definitely continue,” and there for the first time a great sense of responsibility was born in me. I thought, “This isn’t a trivial matter. I have to do my best too.” There, I think the feeling of the band also greatly changed….. I love this band. I will always continue to play in this band, and if I die because of it, I will have no regrets. I’m saying this lightly, but you’re saying profound things. >>(Laughs) But truly, I’m fine with just this band. Conversely, if this band were gone, I would lose something enjoyable…… That’s why—this is something I’m always saying to the other members—“For now, let’s continue until we’re about 60 years old.” (laughs) What do the other members say to that? >>They laugh, saying something along the lines of, “Can we?” (laughs). Taka especially goes on and on, because you never know when he’ll start talking or what he’ll say (laughs). We asked Taka before, “What kind of person is Ryota?” He said, “When everyone was disconnected, the one who tied us together mentally was Ryota. Furthermore, Ryota never says NO. He’s the kind of person who brings everyone together by saying YES.” Hearing what you’ve said today, I understand very well. (Laughs). ……I really respect everyone. They have a lot of things that I don’t; that’s why I feel like I have to grow up more quickly. So when they say, “Do it like this here,” I say YES to it all for the time being. Even if it’s something I can’t do, I won’t know if I don’t try to take the challenge first. But I think you’re probably not someone who can do everything in that way. Though like you said before, the things you do once and decide on, you do till the end. You definitely won’t be blocking your own road. [?] So in order to not block the way, you’re not saying NO or “I can’t”…… I feel like that’s how you’re proceeding rationally. [?] >>Certainly. Because when it looks like we’ll start fighting, I’ll forcibly stop us (laughs). [?] Well, since we became a four-person band, we haven’t fought at all. When we were still five people, Taka once said, “I’m going to quit,” and at that time I was really troubled…… But even so, I tried to hold on somehow. ……I will try not to destroy this band. No matter what happens. If this band were destroyed, I would probably fall to pieces (laughs). I think it is because of this band that I can live calmly. Right now, how has your position as “this band’s bassist” let you be calm? >>……Frankly, when there were five people, I didn’t feel like the bass was very important. I thought first of all, the bassist just tightly played the rhythm, then when the two guitarists went duuuhn!, it became ONE OK ROCK’s sound. But when we became four people with one guitar, I thought, “Unless the bass persists, it won’t be the same sound pressure as before.” ……Because of that, I started really thinking about how to show the intensity of the bass. I thought about various things like, should I play more phrases, or make thicker sounds and show the sound pressure? ……No matter what, I didn’t want a new member to join. Taka said he would let someone in, but I said, “Sorry, that’s the only thing I’m truly against.” You said the rare NO? >>Yes (laughs). Considering someone being added to the four of us members was unimaginable. If we let a member join, I said Toru would be the lead, easy to play, and I would play the backup guitar. Then what about the bass? (laughs) >>The bass would be put in with support. [?] I see. You didn’t want a [new] member, but putting in support was pretty okay. >>Yes! (laughs). That’s why I went all the way to the guitarist Korenaga (Kouichi)’s house and said to him, “Please teach me guitar.” Well you must have been troubled. I said, “Thinking about the members, I think maybe I should play guitar, so please teach me,” borrowed a guitar, and he taught me a little bit. That’s amazing…… How was actually trying to play it? Well, I thought, guitar is seriously difficult (laughs). Hahahahahahahaha, I can only laugh at that. >>Originally, Taka said, “If you’re so against letting another member in, what if you played guitar?” So I said, “Alright, I’ll play guitar!” ……But then I thought, “Even though I said that, this is pretty hard. What do I do?” (laughs). I thought, but well, Toru has to do his best playing as the lead, and if Toru is doing his best, then I’ll persevere with him. ……Toru also thought it wouldn’t be good to have a new guitarist come in. If a skilled member joined, the lead player would be that person, and Toru would stay as the backup. He didn’t want that. So I said I would play the backup. That way it would be good if Toru coolly stepped up to the front as the lead guitarist. >>Yes Ryota, that spirit really moves me to tears. >>(Laughs). In the end, Toru called me and said, “It’s OK if you just stick with bass. It would be a waste since you went to all the trouble to play it up until now, and bass suits you, so play bass. I’ll do my best to play guitar by myself.” Then Toru holed up in his house for about half a year, practicing the whole time, and even the four of us got into good shape…… I think for Toru, it was a good opportunity. I see. From the very beginning, I’ve thought Tomoya is great drummer. Ever since the first time I watched your live performance and heard the sound of the drums, I’ve thought, “This band is going to be huge.” That’s why I think forming a rhythm section with him is very difficult. How was it around there? >>But Tomoya is also like an older brother to me. He tells me points about bass too: “Play it like this at this part.” So I improved on bass…… He brought me with him. [?] The first time we played together, it was a feeling I hadn’t experienced before, and I thought it was incredible. He really matched everything, and I thought, “Wow, there’s someone like this!” So I thought I’d do as Tomoya said. Taka and Toru did too……… I’m able to play in a band in a very good environment. Yeah, but you being able to think that is amazing. For a rock band to be cool, not just the frontman, but all the members have to assert it. And I think you’re doing that too, but it’s just that the idea of everything being “Everyone’s there, I’m there” is becoming the axis. That kind of person playing in the band, furthermore the band prevailing with such a person, are difficult things. However, clearly this band continues because of you, and that is amazing. >>I’m kind of glad to hear you say it like that (laughs). If it’s for ONE OK ROCK, I can work hard at anything. Even in making songs, Toru and Taka take the lead, and I’m very grateful for that. They do such a difficult thing (creating songs) without complaining. That way with the parts they’ve made easy, I do the best of my ability. Since I’m the bassist, I always think I should take bass more to the extreme and give back to the band. For you, are your goals and dreams for this band more about the fact that it continues than about things like advancing into the overseas markets? >>That’s right. My biggest dream is for me to “play in this band until I die.” I want to stand at the top, but before that I think it would be great if I could play music with this band the whole time. Lately I’ve been really thinking that continuing the band is the hardest thing. A band is something that you don’t know what’s going to cause it to break, and thinking that, I get scared…… But if it’s the four of us, I think no matter what happens, we can get through it. Lastly, I want to ask about the other members. First, what is Tomoya to you? >>Tomoya is…… an older brother. But aren’t all 3 of them older brothers? >>That’s true (laughs). Hm…… Ah, Tomoya is a friend to hang out with. Even in private, we’re always together. The two of us go shopping, go to exercise, and even outside of music we’re always together (laughs). ……But he’s always saying, “Let’s become the strongest rhythm section.” He’s always talking about how there are various cool rhythm sections, but how he wants us to be the top one. So I have to work hard. Definitely give it your all. What about Taka? >>Taka is like a “kind director.” And of course his charisma is incredible. He always thinks of everyone, and it feels like he presses the band in the direction where everyone enjoys it. The fact that the person who you were afraid to speak to in the past is now a kind director, I wonder if that means Taka has also grown up. >>Yeah, he’s truly kind now. I’m not scared of him at all. It’s just that his selfishness is still there occasionally (laughs), but I think for the vocalist to do whatever he pleases is very cool and rock-ish. Conversely, if he became obedient, it wouldn’t be interesting. So I think it would be good if Taka grew old the way he is now. And lastly, what about Toru? >>Toru is……. the “atmosphere.” We’re even more than old friends, or brothers, or family. We understand each other even without expressing ourselves. I feel like if it’s about Toru, I understand everything. ……But I think after we became four people and he experienced the role and responsibilities of the guitarist, Toru has become very cool. When he was only playing the backup, he was like someone who made songs, and not the guitarist. But now he can make songs and play the guitar, and I think he’s becoming a really cool guitarist. When I see Toru like that, I seem to also try to do my best. Now once again, the same question from the beginning. What kind of person do you think you are? >>……I still like this band too much. While doing this and talking, that’s really what I thought. Even at my own expense, I think would do anything if it’s for this band. Moreover, as the days and months pass, I will like it more and more and more and more. I think for sure after this the four of us will fulfill our dream, and I’ll like it even more.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 05:51:33 +0000
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