Rintaro Tanaka | Excuse My Trash! "My Freedamn!" Finally Concludes (Part 2)

Series | Rintaro Tanaka

Excuse My Trash !

“My Freedamn!” Finally Concludes (Part 2)

PreviousThis is the second installment of our interview with Rintaro Tanaka, following up on our previous feature. The conversation, which delved into the significance of the 1980s as a decade featured in “My Freedamn! Vol. 10” and the very meaning of “Freedamn” itself, now extends to the post-“My Freedamn!” era. Tanaka explains that through the creation of the entire “My Freedamn!” series, he has gained a clear vision of his future direction. Through a series of candid words, interwoven with keywords such as “vintage,” “rock and roll,” and “our generation,” we explore the core of Tanaka’s creativity.

Photographs by Rintaro TanakaText by Toranosuke Takeuchi (City Writes)

“Vintage” is the Common Language of Our Generation

──“My Freedamn!” has reached a temporary conclusion with this Vol. 10, but your stance of continuing your creative activities with a rock and roll mindset remains unchanged, doesn't it?

TanakaThat’s precisely what hasn’t changed. I simply do what I genuinely love, in my own way.

──Will the book format remain the same?

TanakaOf course, I plan to continue the event “Inspiration,” but that’s essentially an evolution of “My Freedamn!”. New challenges will still begin with books, I believe.

──Have you already decided on future themes?

TanakaWhile I don’t have concrete ideas solidified yet, my love for “vintage” will never change. Therefore, I intend to express the world of vintage, which I adore, in a different form than before.

──Vintage has become a genre in itself, hasn't it?

TanakaI believe it’s something very important, not just for me, but for our generation. So, I can’t just cast it aside. Whether it’s vintage clothing, guitars, furniture, or miscellaneous goods, I’m drawn to vintage. Come to think of it, the rock and roll I love is already vintage. It’s all the same. Vintage equals us, equals rock and roll. Now that “My Freedamn!” is complete, I clearly understand that they are all synonyms. Our generation has a sense of speed where just saying “Ramones” or “One Star” conveys the meaning. It’s understood.

Life Isn’t Always Good, But Every Day is Rock and Roll!

──For those in their 40s who spent their youth in the 1980s, vintage and rock and roll are synonymous and a common language for the generation, aren't they?

TanakaEven if it seems absurd, if you love something, you pour 100% of your energy into it. That rock and roll spirit, which also resonates with how we love vintage, has become the foundation of my own way of life. And the reason I’ve always been in America is because it’s a country where you can constantly hear rock and roll.

──I vividly remember you saying before that the difference between Japanese “yankii” (delinquents) and rock-and-roll rebels is whether they bully the weak or not. The essence of rock and roll and the allure of America, which gave birth to it, must lie in such aspects, right?

TanakaExactly. What I learned from some respected seniors slightly older than me was, “Life isn’t always good, but it’s rock and roll, isn’t it?” In other words, no matter how much you brood alone over societal dissatisfaction or the era’s sense of stagnation, it won’t change anything. So, let’s just have a drink! Say what we want to say, and then go home with a handshake. I think that’s rock and roll. Of course, it doesn’t solve everything immediately. But the idea of “Since we’re all alone anyway, let’s have fun” is surprisingly important, I think. I love traveling alone in America, and when I do, someone always strikes up a conversation.

Because everyone knows we’re all lonely, they reach out. That’s America, and that’s rock and roll.

──“Life isn’t always good, but it’s rock and roll!” That’s a great quote.

TanakaIn the actual music world, it’s rare for someone who has fallen to make a comeback. There are hardly any chances to recover. Still, everyone continues because they love it. As for myself, regardless of the outcome, I want to be sincere about what I love. As you get older, you learn many unnecessary things, making it difficult to be true to yourself. But ultimately, things that aren’t sincere don’t last, I believe. That’s why I don’t want to create books that don’t sound like music.

──Even though “My Freedamn! Vol. 10” has just been released, anticipation for future developments is already building. We eagerly await your next challenge with vintage, created with the spirit of rock and roll. Thank you very much for your time today. And congratulations on the completion of “My Freedamn!” for now!

TanakaThank you as well!

(End)