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April 15, 2015
INTERVIEW | Tsuyoshi Ujiki and Wataru Komachi Discuss "Isn't There Still Something Rock Can Do?"
INTERVIEW｜Kodomo Band: "Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?" Album Release Commemoration
Tsuyoshi Ujiki x Wataru Komachi: An Artist Dialogue (Part 1)
Kodomo Band, led by Tsuyoshi Ujiki, dominated the 1980s rock scene with their overwhelming live performances and exceptional musicianship, influencing countless artists. They resumed activities in 2011 and will release their second album since their return, "Rock Still Has More to Offer," on May 5th (Tuesday, holiday). This time, Wataru Komachi, an artist known for his powerful collage works and global activities in Paris and London, has contributed to the album's artwork. We spoke with both about their encounter and the making of this album.
Photographs by ASAKURA KeisukeText by TOMIYAMA Eizaburo
First Contact in Childhood, in Soshigaya, Setagaya Ward
――Could you start by telling us how you two first met?
Tsuyoshi Ujiki (hereinafter, Ujiki)I’ve always liked art and design, but I didn’t quite understand what people were doing these days, so I asked everyone around me. They recommended Komacchi (Wataru Komachi), so I went to see his solo exhibition. Later, when we were talking in Kyoto, where he lives, we discovered we both spent our childhoods in Soshigaya, Setagaya Ward.
Wataru Komachi (hereinafter, Komachi)We were probably living about a minute’s walk apart.
UjikiMy childhood friend had a dry cleaning shop, and it was about the distance from my house to that shop.
KomachiI actually worked part-time there when the dry cleaner became a video rental store (laughs).
UjikiWe weren’t in the same school because of the age difference, but we’re the two biggest artists to come out of that area!
KomachiInfluenced by my older brother (a member of the band Abura-da-ko), I liked bands from a young age, so I knew of Kodomo Band. I always wondered about the equipment van with "Kodomo Band" written on it that was parked on the way to the housing complex.
Also, when I was about junior high school age, I went to an event featuring the winners of the band contest "EastWest," organized by Yamaha.
UjikiWe became close about a year and a half ago, but there was actually this kind of story behind it, and I had been thinking about doing something together someday. So, I went to see an installation he had in Osaka last December. One of the pieces there had "NO WAR, MAKE ART" written on it. I was thinking about the next album at the time, and the power of those words left an impression on me, making me think, 'There's a way to do this.' That's when it clicked: I could just ask Komacchi to do the artwork.
Page 2: "If you have something to say, say it. That's rock, and that's art."
INTERVIEW｜Kodomo Band "Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?" Album Release Commemoration
Tsuyoshi Ujiki x Wataru Komachi: An Artist Dialogue (Part 2)
"If You Have Something to Say, Say It. That's Rock, and That's Art."
KomachiBefore I heard the songs this time, Ujiki-san contacted me to say, "The title is decided." When I heard the title, images just flooded my mind.
UjikiWith the title "Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?", some of the band members said it might be too intense. I know it sounds a bit cheesy to some extent, but it's also genuine to a certain extent. However, I wanted to take a stance like 1970s folk music, to stand tall and roar. That's because not many people are saying things like this now.
So, if you ask, "Don't you have anything to say?" it's not that. Everyone is struggling with how to express themselves, or troubled, or at a loss. In 2015, things are pretty dire, aren't they?
At times like this, even if it's not as beautiful as a canary in a coal mine, we should at least be like a crow in a garbage heap, crying out. I wanted to express that in words that anyone could understand.
I think if you replace "rock" in this title with something personal like "you," it might give you strength.
――What do you think is the reason for this atmosphere where people can't say what they want to say?
UjikiPerhaps it's a sense of guilt, like we're complicit in a millionth of what the government says. Or, when you try to say, "That's wrong," you worry about inconveniencing others. Unable to break through that, people take a step forward and then back. I believe in people, and I think everyone wants to change. I just want to provide a small spark for that. That's why I chose a title that stands tall.
KomachiWhen I saw your live performance before, you said, "There's no time for pretense in this era."
This title is directly connected to that: if you have something to say, say it. That's rock, and that's art. When I heard this title, I thought, "This is it!" so I might have overdone it a bit.
UjikiRight. All the old photos used in the collage this time are from the past.
KomachiWe received several boxes of precious photos, from fan snapshots to professional shots. Ujiki-san said I could cut them directly, but I hesitated. Actually, when I first started, I was being careful and made one or two pieces without taking risks, but they didn't fit the title.
UjikiOh, really?
KomachiI didn't want it to look like a greatest hits album, so that was difficult. When I listened to the music, it felt very "now," so I wanted to express the present not through nostalgia, but by collecting old photos and reinterpreting them. That's why I stopped hesitating. Hearing the title moved me, and I felt it would be disrespectful to hesitate.
UjikiThe photos I sent were stored in a warehouse room where I kept my instruments. When I saw them, I thought, what will happen to them when I die? The current members are the original members from our debut, but there's been a gap since then. Most of them are from the late 1980s, and it felt wrong to just throw them away as trash after I'm gone. The title is about an old man roaring "Rock!", so if it doesn't mean anything now, what's the point?
So, I decided to embrace the recklessness of youth. To connect these accumulated things to the present, not as nostalgia, but because they are clearly the foundation of who we are now. I thought Komacchi would express that coolly.
Page 3: "There's No Time for Pretense"
INTERVIEW｜Kodomo Band "Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?" Album Release Commemoration
Tsuyoshi Ujiki x Wataru Komachi: An Artist Dialogue (Part 3)
"There's No Time for Pretense"
――The idea of cutting up original photos feels similar to how this album was recorded in a single take.
UjikiNowadays, you can redo recordings as many times as you want, and do anything. Wonderful music is born from that, but is there a need for us to do it now? We have the selfish desire to make it even a little bit better, but if we did that, there would be no end. So, just like Komachi's work, we decided to do it in one take. Even if there are clumsy parts, that's us now.
KomachiIndeed, scanning photos makes it easier to avoid mistakes and keep them clean. Plus, the original prints are all small, making it difficult to create impactful compositions. Once digitized, you can resize them in Photoshop. Actually, I made some like that while I was hesitating.
UjikiReally?
KomachiBut when I heard the title and saw your live performance, I felt that digital just wouldn't work. It's the same feeling I got when I first saw Kodomo Band: dry, energetic, and full of momentum. That comes from sweating it out. To express that, analog, with its traces of mistakes, is more interesting than digital.
It connects to what Ujiki-san said, "There's no time for pretense." To express emotions powerfully, there's no time for scanning. It's about hitting hard and fast. So, the three proposals I ultimately showed you were all analog.
UjikiOur drummer is featured in the center holding a sake bottle, and he's never been this prominent before (laughs). He stared at it for a long time. My band members always complain about everything, but this time they just stared. That means they liked it. They all chose the same one out of the three options.
KomachiLooking through thousands of photos, I was surprised that their expressions haven't changed at all from the live performance I saw at the end of last year. That's amazing. Most people mellow out, using the excuse of being "mature," but they've stayed like children. It just shows how much they love rock.
UjikiI never thought I'd still be doing this at my age, but to hear that I haven't changed... it's a bit like, "What?!" (laughs).
KomachiMany bands become nostalgic when they restart, but Kodomo Band is pushing forward. That's what rock is all about.
UjikiThis album has become very dense. Perhaps because we have a bit more wisdom and skill than before, there's a momentum to it, including the speed of completion. We can't help but roar, so it might not be sophisticated. But we've created something great with the sound that the four of us can produce now. I just hope there are people who will listen to it with us.
――Finally, could you tell us about the "Kodomo Band ONE DAY TOUR" on May 5th?
UjikiThis time, we'll be collaborating with Komacchi in the form of an exhibition. On the day, we'll start with an in-store live performance at Tower Records Shibuya in the early afternoon. Afterwards, customers can experience Komacchi's artwork at Hysteric Glamour Shibuya, and in the evening, we'll have a live show in Shimokitazawa. We want everyone to enjoy it all as one continuous tour. We're also looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts and what kind of energy will lead into the live performance.
KomachiWe have quite a few collage pieces that didn't make it into the album, so we'll be exhibiting those at the exhibition.
UjikiWe're thinking of bringing old amplifiers, or setting up scrapbooks from magazines for people to look through.
KomachiWe want it to be an exhibition that even people who aren't Kodomo Band fans will find interesting.
"Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?"
Kodomo Band
Scheduled to include 13 tracks
Price: ¥3400 (LNZM-1094)
Contents: CD + DVD
Release Date: May 5th
Mastard Records
http://kodomoband.jp/
May 5th Kodomo Band ONE DAY TOUR
"Doesn't Rock Still Have More to Offer?"
"May 5th: Isn't There Something We Can Do for a Whole Day?"
<Live Performance>
Date: May 5th (Tuesday)
Time: Doors open 17:30, Start 18:00
Venue: Shimokitazawa GARDEN
2-4-5 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3410-3431
http://gar-den.in/?p=3477
Price: ¥5500 (plus drink charge)
<In-store Live Performance>
Date: May 5th (Tuesday)
Time: From 13:00
Location: Tower Records Shibuya Store
1-22-14 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3496-3661
http://towershibuya.jp/2015/05/05/35101
Invitation for the first visitors who reserve or purchase the album at the store. Handshake event included.
<Exhibition>
Date: May 4th (Monday) - May 6th (Wednesday)
Time: 11:00 - 20:00
Location: Hysteric Glamour Shibuya Store Gallery Space
6-23-2 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3409-7227
Admission: Free
KODOMO BAND
Formed in 1973 by Tsuyoshi Ujiki during his high school years. The current members are Tsuyoshi Ujiki (Vo, Gt), Koichi Tanihira (Vo, Gt), Torben Yukawa (Vo, Ba), and Yu Yamato (Vo, Dr). In 1979, they won the Grand Prix at Yamaha's "EastWest" competition. In 1980, they debuted with their first album "WE LOVE Kodomo Band" on Canyon Records. In 1983, they moved to EPIC Sony and released the album "HEART BREAK KIDS" produced by Rick Derringer. They then expanded their activities to New York, USA. In 1988, they produced the album "KODOMO BAND ROCK" in Vancouver, Canada, released by Victor Entertainment. On October 10, 1988, after reaching 2000 live performances, they went on hiatus. In 2011, they declared their return under the banner "Thawing Permafrost."
Wataru Komachi
Artist. His collage works became part of the collection of American actor/film director Dennis Hopper, marking the beginning of his full-time artistic career. Since then, he has participated in collaborations with the fashion brand "Christophe Lemaire" and exhibitions at the select shop "Colette" and the department store "Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche," primarily in Paris. He has received high acclaim in Europe and America, including designing official T-shirts for American musician "Beck's" European tour. Domestically, he held a large-scale collaboration throughout Matsuya Ginza in 2008. In 2009, he received the 6th "Best Debutant Award" from the Japan Fashion Week Organization (MFU). In 2010, he was selected as a Japanese artist for "Dunhill Local Artist Collaboration" by "Alfred Dunhill." In 2012, he participated in a charity project organized by "Coach." http://www.watarukomachi.com