Genuine Band Sound Born from the Individuality of Five Musicians

It's a truly comfortable sound. The drums and bass sync tightly, while the melodic instruments play lively riffs. For the first time in a while, I feel a sense of the music gently seeping into my body.

'I don't think many people make straightforward rock albums like this these days. Everyone's busy with their hit projects, so scheduling was tough, but still, all five of us recorded the basic tracks together, in unison. Gondo-kun usually records in a separate room for his brass, but he really wanted to participate, so he came into the same studio and played tambourine and things. He went that far? (laughs). Basically, everyone sings backing vocals, and Takakuwa Kei from Curly Giraffe took the lead on harmonies for the main melody. We released 'All That We Know' as a pre-release. We debated between that and 'Looking For Words' until the very end.'

The harmonies, with contributions from all members, are beautiful and convey a strong sense of unity. Furthermore, six of the songs were composed by members other than Takahashi. The album is full of highlights, showcasing individual talents.

'It was more like, 'I'll sing it, but write whatever you like.' Singing melodies that I would never create myself was a fresh experience. The only track with an alternative feel, 'Shadow,' is James's song, and thanks to that, Gondo-kun's 'Ghost Behind My Back' doesn't feel out of place (laughs). James also has another song, the album's closing number 'Follow You Down,' which is simple and pleasant, like a hummed tune. But then you think, 'These two songs have completely different touches!' (laughs). That was good, too.

If the essence of a band is how individual personalities create a chemical reaction and generate synergistic appeal, then 'LIFE ANEW' can be called a true band album.

'James's guitar playing was also good in its mismatch. For 'World In A Maze,' I personally envisioned it as a commercial song for an airline, with 5th Dimension-like choruses, but James suddenly cranked up the distortion on his guitar and started playing it loud and heavy. I thought, 'Maybe this is good too' (laughs).

Beyond 60, Approaching His Own Untrodden Roots

We asked him about the inspiration behind his focus on band sound for this album.

'In my roots, around the time I was 19 or 20,—Before joining Sadistic Mika Band, right?—I remembered being quite influenced by American music from before the glam rock era. And I realized I had never actually played that kind of music while properly drumming. Simple, melody-focused rock. For that, a band sound is better. Yukihiro Takahashi was always associated with 'London' and 'Europe,' but actually, I listened to a lot of American music too. What I envisioned was an album filled with hit songs created by American one-hit wonders. Like a band that was trying to play like Burt Bacharach but somehow ended up sounding like rock (laughs). For example, if you bring in a grunge-like feel, like Neil Young, it goes in a different direction. It's not like The Band, but rather 'that kind of' American rock.

Listening to it, I'm delighted to hear a nuance that reminds me of the soft rock sound of the 1970s group Association. And above all, from beginning to end, I can immerse myself in the joy of listening to Yukihiro Takahashi's drumming.

'In that sense, several drummers who influenced me appear. Depending on the song, I changed the snare drum and altered the tone. Drummers who influenced me... For instance, I thought about how Ringo Starr would play, and played accordingly. There are songs where I think, 'People don't play this kind of powerful, 'takata-kadoko' drumming these days' (laughs). My biggest influence is Al Jackson Jr. from Booker T. & the M.G.'s, but I'm glad I didn't try to emulate him this time. Many of my favorite drummers are Black musicians, like Bernard Purdie. However, this time, the drumming is fundamentally simple. It might be close to the style of bands like The Rascals, who have Italian roots.

Having surpassed 60, Takahashi returned to his roots and challenged himself with sounds he hadn't explored before. Perhaps this was also a demand of the times.

'Many veteran artists are releasing albums after a long time, aren't they? And it's interesting because you can discover new things, like 'So this was their root.' In my case, I casually thought, 'Let's try doing it as a band,' but I never expected Boz Scaggs to release an album like 'Memphis,' and David Bowie's 'THE NEXT DAY' featured that photo by Masayoshi Sukita.

In English, 'ANEW' isn't a commonly used word, but I chose this phrasing because it carries a nuance of 'rebirth' rather than just 'new.' This year, the word 'NEW' appears in albums by many artists in Japan. I believe there's a global synchronicity at play, but especially in Japan, two years after 2011, there's a collective desire to put that period behind us. The feeling at 'WORLD HAPPINESS' this year is different from 2011. In 2011, I felt a strong need to help people regain their daily lives, which is why we held that festival. Oh, and for this year's 'WORLD HAPPINESS,' please look forward to all six members gathering, like 'Osomatsu-kun.' The lineup is shaping up to be anything but 'osomatsu' (sloppy) (laughs).

Tour Announced: 'Playing Drums and Singing'

Takahashi continues his energetic activities. A tour with the current lineup has already been decided.

'If I stop, I feel like I might die (laughs). I think as long as I keep going, things will work out somehow. The In Phase tour currently has four dates scheduled for September. The Tokyo show will be at Bunkamura Orchard Hall. I plan to sing while playing the drums, without using a separate drummer. This is something I haven't done much outside of YMO. I'll probably need some support for guitar and such, but fundamentally, I want to perform with this lineup. My current vision is focused on that tour. That's all I can really think about right now (laughs). After that, I might return to electronica, or I might want to try something completely different, like performing with only strings.



Yukihiro Takahashi
Born June 6, 1952. After the dissolution of Sadistic Mika Band, he was part of Sadistics before forming Yellow Magic Orchestra (Y.M.O.) with Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto in 1978 at Hosono's invitation. While leaving an immense international impact, Y.M.O. 'disbanded' in December 1983. As a solo artist, he released a total of 21 original albums from his debut album 'Saravah!' in 1978 to 'BLUE MOON BLUE' in 2006. In May 2007, he performed as the unit Human Audio Sponge (HAS), a collaboration between SKETCH SHOW and Ryuichi Sakamoto, at a concert to support children battling various illnesses, primarily childhood cancer. In July, he performed as Y.M.O. at the global concert 'Live Earth' to advocate for global warming prevention. In August, he released the single 'RESCUE RYDEEN 79/07' under the name 'HASYMO.' In June 2008, he was invited to the UK's MELTDOWN FESTIVAL by curator Massive Attack as an 'artist who has had a profound influence,' performing his first London concert in 28 years with Y.M.O. Furthermore, he formed pupa with Tomoyo Harada, Hiroshi Takano, Ren Takada, Hiromasa Horie, and Tomohiko Gondo, releasing the album 'floating pupa' in July, which garnered significant attention. In addition to his career as a musician, he also has an extensive career as a fashion designer.
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'Yukihiro Takahashi with In Phase Live Tour 2013'
September 16 (Mon, Holiday) Osaka Namba Hatch
Doors Open 17:30 / Start 18:00 Advance Tickets: 7500 yen (tax included, all seats reserved)
Shimizu Onsen Tel. 06-6357-3666

September 18 (Wed) Fukuoka IMS Hall
Doors Open 18:30 / Start 19:00 Advance Tickets: 7500 yen (tax included, all seats reserved)
Tsukusu Tel. 092-771-9009

September 20 (Fri) Aichi NAGOYA CLUB QUATTRO
Doors Open 18:00 / Start 19:00 Advance Tickets: 6000 yen (tax included / 1 drink charge separate, standing)
Sunday Folk Promotion Tel. 052-320-9100

September 21 (Sat) Tokyo SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO
Doors Open 17:00 / Start 18:00 Advance Tickets: 6000 yen (tax included / 1 drink charge separate, standing)
Hot Stuff Promotion Tel. 03-5720-9999


September 23 (Mon, Holiday) Tokyo Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Doors Open 17:00 / Start 17:30 Advance Tickets: 7500 yen (tax included, all seats reserved)
Hot Stuff Promotion Tel. 03-5720-9999