The “maverick lefty” active as the guitarist for BUCK-TICK.
Hisashi Imai Appears as a Retro-Taste Figure

“Amplifier,” a rock apparel brand, was launched with the concept of embodying the portraits of artists who have shaped eras with their overwhelming presence in the Japanese music scene, passing them down to posterity as universal icons. Founded in 2016 by Medicom Toy and designer Rentaro Hirakawa, the brand has released a lineup of photo t-shirts featuring the heroic figures of numerous Japanese rock legends, starting with the “Kiyoshiro Imawano” series.

With “Amplifier,” a new “VCD Amplifier Artist Series” has begun. The first installment features Hisashi Imai, the guitarist and “maverick lefty” of BUCK-TICK, as a figure set for release in January 2020. For the three-dimensional representation, “Amplifier” producer Hirakawa-san chose a model that, while retro-themed, faithfully reproduces features down to the finest details, exemplified by the “VCD ANDY WARHOL.” The head part is recreated in the image of Imai-san from the 90s, and an over-mask representing his current appearance is also included.

Following the highly successful Series 1 last year, Series 2, “Amplifier 'Hisashi Imai' TEE design F,” featuring photos of the same outfit as the figure, is also now on sale. To commemorate the launch of the “VCD Amplifier Artist Series,” we present a special interview with Hisashi Imai, where we delve into his thoughts on the figure, the artists who influenced him, and what inspired him to start a band.

— Today, we'd like to talk about the “VCD Amplifier 'Hisashi Imai'” and the “Amplifier 'Hisashi Imai' TEE.” Are you interested in figures, Imai-san?

ImaiI wouldn't call myself a collector, but I do like them quite a bit. Of course, I've known about Medicom Toy for a long time. I own several of their products, including the Angels from 'Evangelion,' the Real Action Heroes Kanegon, the Nightmare Before Christmas BE@RBRICK, and the BE@RBRICK speaker for iPod that plays sound from its ears. They're displayed in my workroom in the basement, but I'm running out of space lately...

— You have that many?

ImaiOur drummer, Anii (Tohru Yamazaki), collects various things. His tastes are a bit different from mine, though; he collects things like KISS and Bruce Lee. He'll tell me, 'Imai, I bought this!'

— When you were first approached about the Amplifier 'Hisashi Imai' TEE, what were your thoughts?

ImaiHirakawa-kun and I have known each other for a long time. He showed me t-shirts for Kiyoshiro-san and Professor (Ryuichi Sakamoto) and said, 'We have this project called Amplifier.' It sounded interesting, so I definitely wanted to do it. Regarding the photo selection, Hirakawa-kun initially chose what he thought would work best for a t-shirt, and then we refined it together.

— The black and white photo tees are very versatile items.

ImaiI wear Kiyoshiro-san's and Michiro Endo's t-shirts all the time. They look great just by wearing them under a rider's jacket.

— The first figure in the Amplifier series, “VCD Amplifier 'Hisashi Imai,'” is being released. How did the development process unfold?

First, we discussed how faithfully we could reproduce the clothing, hairstyle, and makeup. Since it's soft vinyl, we couldn't go into too much detail, so we decided to make the outfit easily recognizable: the shirt I wore on last year's tour ('TOUR No.0 - Guernican Moon -'), patent leather pants, and boots.

— This shirt design is an homage to the one worn by Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) during their 1980 world tour, isn't it?

ImaiIt's the kind of thing that only people in the know will get (laughs). If you recognize the YMO shirt, you're probably my generation or a true YMO fan. I've loved that shirt for a long time, and I even wore the reproduction that came with the YMO best album ('UC YMO') released in 2003 at festivals like Summer Sonic. Since it was for the 'NO.0' album tour, I told the stylist to use the 'NO.0' logo and design it in the style of the YMO shirt.

— YMO was the catalyst for you entering the music world, wasn't it?

ImaiUp until then, I had absolutely no interest in music. But the moment I heard 'Technopolis' on TV or somewhere, I thought, 'This is it!' I immediately bought the single and just kept listening to it on the stereo at home. Even when I was rushing in the morning before school, I'd leave it playing. There's something strange about that addictive quality.

— Was it from there that you decided to form a band?

ImaiNo, I had no such idea as a middle schooler. I wasn't interested in guitar, and I couldn't afford an expensive synthesizer. The desire to form a band came later, when a friend lent me a cassette by RC Succession. Seeing how much fun it looked like for everyone to play music together, I thought, 'Bands are cool.' It was like discovering another thing I loved. Even in high school, I kept thinking it would be great to be in a band, and then I got really excited, thinking, 'I could do this, right? Yeah, nothing will start unless I make a move!' So, I started a cover band of THE STALIN with some friends from the same high school.

— That was the band that preceded BUCK-TICK, wasn't it?

ImaiI was so happy. I thought, 'Finally, I can be in a band, my dream!' I was determined to make a career out of it. But deep down, I was thinking, 'This band will probably end eventually, and then I'll have to go to Tokyo and find new band members, right?' But everyone else got really serious about it.

— It's remarkable that you've been active for over 30 years with no member changes.

ImaiOur place became a hangout spot back then, and we'd listen to new records together whenever they came out. The early 80s new wave sound, that feeling of new things constantly emerging, was incredibly stimulating.

— BUCK-TICK's musical style is also very diverse: post-punk, techno, new wave, shoegaze, ambient, industrial... How have you managed to fuse these elements and remain a unique presence?

ImaiFrom the beginning, we didn't set boundaries like, 'We are this genre of band.' We just focused on creating songs, whatever they might be. As a result, we became a bit of a 'gourmand' band, doing anything and everything (laughs). Personally, I find it interesting how each album has a different feel. David Bowie, for instance, changed completely depending on the era, right? He'd collaborate with Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) when doing industrial music. I think it's cool that he could do things like that so easily, and we aspire to be that kind of band.

— Do you discuss the concept for each album with the members?

ImaiWe do have meetings, but ultimately, we end up saying, 'We won't know until we hear the music, right?' (laughs). If we try to explain it only with words, we might get too fixated on that.

— Along with your sound, BUCK-TICK's fashion has been distinctive since your debut. Were there any artists who influenced your style, Imai-san?

ImaiDefinitely, Hideto Matsumoto from BOØWY, a senior artist from our hometown of Gunma. The way he played guitar while wearing a suit with patent leather wingtip shoes looked so cool. I was influenced by everything, including his hairstyle and demeanor. Overseas, I liked bands with interesting looks, like The Cure, both to watch and listen to. Back then, you couldn't just watch music videos whenever you wanted like you can now, so I was very eager for information.

— The face paint with 'B-T' on your cheeks was quite impactful.

ImaiThat was during our indie days. We tried it out just for fun before a live show. At the time, we actually performed without it more often, but eventually, it became this unspoken rule that we had to wear it (laughs).

To be continued in Part 2