Squeeze Spirits
translator commentary is in [] brackets
Towa's Personal Interview
Squeeze Spirits [SS]: SS: First off, what was your childhood like?
Towa: I had a pretty bad case of asthma when I was little. From when I was born, till about three years old, I was hospitalized because of my asthma --- basically, I lived in a hospital. The only thing that was fun about it was eating yogurt for breakfast. I almost died once, and had to be put in a sterilized room. Even now, I have to carry my nepuchii* when I'm walking around (Towa takes out the inhaler from his pocket, and shows it to the interviewer)
* inhaler
SS: Oh, wow...
Towa: I'm not really supposed to smoke (laughs) Anyways, my childhood was spent in very poor health, and it's sort of depressing to talk about.
Interviewer: Well then, how was it when you were in elementary school?
Towa: I learned a lot while in elementary school. I was left-handed, but used my right-hand to write. I tried to make my asthma better by learning how to swim. My older brother played the violin during that time.
SS: The violin!
Towa : My family has always been involved with music. My father sang in a chorus group when he was in college. My mother played the koto*. My parents and their "we think you should be involved with music" influenced both my brother's and my hobbies. My brother, being older, was first to choose an instrument; he chose to start learning the violin. When it was my turn to decide [what I wanted to play], I wasn't sure whether the cello or piano was better. I remember that I felt I should learn the cello, but for some reason I decided on learning the piano (laughs).
* a japanese harp-like instrument
SS: Did your asthma improve at all?
Towa: During elementary school, I went outside a lot, and the winter seemed to be the worst time of year as I had most of my asthma attacks then. Even when I swam, I needed assistance, but things gradually got better. When I did become healthy, my brother influenced me to start playing baseball. Because of that, I neglected playing the piano....
SS: What of junior high?
Towa: I took the junior high entrance exams. My parents were quite strict, and surprisingly both were the educated type. My older brother also took the junior high entrance exams. Naturally, I felt the same way, and so followed in his footsteps. It was because of this strong feeling to do what he [my older brother] did, that I played the piano and entered junior high. I didn't have any problems getting into junior high, no matter the test. It was at that time that my brother started to play basketball. Again, I was influenced by this. I stopped playing baseball, and began playing basketball.
SS: Your older brother had a huge influence on you.
Towa: He does. He's an influential person. My brother was also an awesome basketball player. He was like a new player to the game, at least for our prefecture. He was ranked second in our prefecture as well.
SS: That's awesome!
Towa: Yeah. We had a lot of impressive schools in our prefecture, and when you rank number two it's simply unbelievable. I think [our schools] had high expectations. But it doesn't explain why my brother quit basketball, and ran off to skiing (Laughs).
SS: What a waste (Bitter smile).
Towa: It was somewhat discouraging (Bitter smile). But I continued playing basketball for another 3 years. At that time, I felt like the sports boy who had asthma. Things like going out to karaoke with friends was not my thing. I hated singing songs.
SS: So you didn't really listen to music?
Towa: I didn't listen to anything important. I barely listened to what was trendy [at the time], and there wasn't any artist I was especially interested in. I played the piano, but it was something I did unwillingly, and so I never really progressed (Bitter smile).
SS: But, what was it that got you listening to music again?
Towa: After junior high school, I borrowed a CD from my older brother. It was an X-JAPAN CD. That was when it happened. I started seriously listening to music. I listened to what X-JAPAN built out of drums and piano. I thought, "wow, what is this?" So I decided to trysome more of their music. ... That was when I listened to their ballads. I really loved the melody of the song. I thought it was so cool. And the 'gap'[or disparity] between the drums and the piano is great. The drums are soharsh, and the piano is so delicate. And when looking at their photos, their looks are extremely pretty. I felt then it had to be because this is what visual kei is (Laughs)! That was when I first experienced visual kei, and it was something that both shocked and impressed me. The piano was well done. The drums were awesome. It was almost too good to be true. And at that time, I thought they were great people. At that time, I watched X-JAPAN on TV mainly.The vocals were high quality, the guitar was fast and [the instruments as awhole] harmonized. It was a turning point in my life (Laughs).
SS: Was that when you thought your purpose would be something along the lines of playing an instrument?
Towa: Yes, but I wanted to become like X-JAPAN, but I wasn't sure how to get there (Laughs). And so, I began learning the drums. I wanted to know and feel what the drums were. At the very start, I didn't know what to do at all. But I continued on interestingly enough. At that time, I had just started high schooland as a result, I didn't go any further with basketball. All I could think about was drumming. By quitting the basketball team, I was able to focus ondrumming. I say this, but I could only go so far. I thought, "how could Iget better?" And so, I thought about how I could be a part of a band.
SS: When did you begin playing in a band?
Towa: Well, it was a little bit after I had stopped playing basketball, and my sempai by a year had somehow heard about my drumming (Laughs). And so he invited me to drum for his band; that was my first band. And during my first year of high school in June, I got on stage and had my first live.
SS: And what covers did you play at that time?
Towa: We did various songs, but mainly visual kei (Laughs). Generally Japanesebands, like LUNA SEA and PENICILLIN ... My first cover to play was PENICILLIN's"DEAD OR ALIVE." But I played horribly (Laughs). I've kept the live recordings all this time, and I was absolutely horrible! (Laughs)
SS: Such emphasis (Laughs)
Towa: Well, I really was! Already, I was convinced this was a one time-thing(Laughs). Now when I see [what I did], it's too disheartening. I don't know how I dreamt I could do something like this. I was that bad (Laughs).
SS: But you wanted to try playing in a serious band?
Towa: Yes!! For my first year in high school, I started a lot of bands. One of those bands was an X-JAPAN copy band.
SS: Finally! (Laughs)
Towa: Yes, I finally made it. (Laughs). Some of my same classmates played the guitar, two of them, and we had a vocalist, and we were able to catch a suitable bassist (Laughs). While playing in my sempai's band, and my X copyband, I also played in, for some reason, a SIAM SHADE copy band.
SS: That's quite a variety.
Towa: But I couldn't play sufficiently! (Laughs) SIAM SHADE was way difficult!!! But at that time, all I thought was: "I'm going to do this!" But I was completely over my head (Laughs).
SS: Completely? (Laughs)
Towa: Of course when I was playing in these bands, I didn't think that. Inside of me, I was thinking things like: "playing in bands~" and"playing instruments is awesome~!" I was completely over my head.
SS: Were all of your bands completely cover-orientated?
Towa: No ... while I was playing in the X copy band, in my sempai's band, there was talk of why we didn't try to make an original song. That band, until that point, was a LUNA SEA copy band, but my sempai started to create original songs for the band. And it was with that, that our band became more 'indies,' and sowe took to the stage. We had our first live at Urawa Narciss. That was the first time I put on make up on!
SS: Until then, you hadn't used make up?
Towa: No...... I didn't like it at all. Seriously!!! (Laughs) For old school visual kei, shadowy makeup was used on the sides of the nose, towards the middle. Kind of like Seikima II's, that sort of feeling.
Everyone: Ahahahahahahahah!! (Loud laughter)
Mizuha: I know what you mean! I think everyone feels that way from the beginning (Laughs)!
Towa: Yeah, even now when I look at myself, I try to think "how can you look cool?" (Small smile)
Mizuha: And when you have a photoshoot, it's the worst. (Laughs).
Towa: Exactly! (Laughs) But that's how I did my first live at Urawa Narciss. It was around my second year in high school. Incidentally, we were only able toget around 5 to 6 of our friends to show up. It pretty much fell apart.
SS: But that's pretty impressive to already hold a live at a livehouse while still a high school student.
Towa: But that was the only time we ever played and then we broke up....
SS: ........
Towa: And so (Laughs), I had only the X copy band left. During my third year of high school, a friend invited me out to play at some event. But in order to appear at the event, a demo tape was necessary. So we gave it a shot. While it was really horrible, we recorded X's "BLUE BLOOD."
Sanaka: And, you were the vocalist?
Towa: Yes, I sang.
Sanaka: In a high tone?
Towa: Yes. It's heavy metal! Metal! (Laughs)
Sanaka: That's awesome you were able to hit that key.
Towa: It was awesome! .... and we sent in that demo tape, and it ended up we were to appear at WEST (now known as Shibuya O-west).
SS: So suddenly you're performing on a big stage!
Towa: It was a hide-san memorial event, organized by X-JAPAN fans. So you could call us, my band, a hyped up X copy band. ... And I stressed out. Even now, I remember how we played BLUE BLOOD. There weren't many people there. And because we were only high school students, we tore it to shreds....
Sanaka: Did you say things like "Bring it on~!!!" ?
Towa: I was screaming! (Laughs) We tore that performance to shreds, but the audience watched us excitedly....
Sanaka: Of course, as a vocalist, you had to say something like: "C'mon let yourself go!" (Laughs)
Towa: Yeah, I said that! (Laughs)
Sanaka: Ahahahahahahah (Loud laugh)!
Towa: I also introduced the members during the interlude! (Laughs)
Everyone: Ahahhahahahah (Uncontrollable laughter)!
Towa: We were so cliche (laughs). Just little punks. (Laughs)
Mizuha: That's too bad... (Laughs)
Towa: Yeah, (Laughs). But after performing at WEST, everyone started to prepare for the university entrance exams. But I was done with school. I wanted to pursue being a part of a band. So I gave my undivided attention the drums, and sought out a band. And it just so happened that my sempai that I had done the band stint at Urawa Narciss with asked me if I wanted to try playing in a band with him one more time. And so with my sempai, we began looking for members. We had a vocalist apply, but at that time he was playing in another band and couldn't perform, so we were left with only a guitarist and a drummer. So we just helped out at events at places like Yurakucho DIMENSION and TakadanobabaAREA.
SS: Those are quite powerful memories.
Towa: Yeah (Laughs). But the vocalist didn't really match up well, so he left the band. And again, we were looking for members. We didn't know when we'd be able to actually start activity ... it was 'the tragedy of youthful passion,'and so I was kicked out of the band. (Laughs).
SS: What!?
Towa: Well I wasn't feeling the band, really, and so I never practiced. So they told me, "you don't put anything into this band!" and kicked me out.
SS: That's a difficult situation ...
Mizuha: Difficult huh (Bitter smile).
Towa: Yeah. And I was really pissed off, and thought: "I'll show you!" I didn't know how the band could feel I wasn't putting anything into the band. Everyone wasn't very dedicated either. It's regrettable, but the band's outcome was 2 lives after they kicked me out, and then a break up.(Laughs).
SS: That again ... (Bitter smile).
Towa: And that was when I was already all: I'm going to show you what I can do! Me! (Angry) It was around that time, an acquaintance was looking for a drummerfor their band, and that's when I joined Lure + Selene. I stayed with that band until it broke up, which was roughly 7 months. After their break up, I entered RusH, and then I entered Fatima.
SS: You've played in quite a few bands.
Towa: Yeah, but a lot of them were copy bands, and that adds up, I guess. I did mostly this and that, whatever came up, and the results were somewhat half-assed and ended kind of badly. (Laughs)
SS: Yeah, kinda (Laughs).
Towa: But I was very typical at that time.
SS: Let's turn to what's happening now. What do you feel your position is in Fatima?
Towa: ............. (Pondering). I'm the 'ascetic monk.'
Sanaka: Ahahahaha (Laughs).
SS: So you are the monk, and Sanaka and Lay are the hermits?
Towa: Yes (Laughs).
SS: ... Fatima is definitely an interesting band. (Small smile).
Towa: I'm still in pursuit of knowledge, as I've just entered the monkhood.(Laughs).
SS: And what of the music side of things?
Towa: Oh yes, that. Well, apart from me, when I listen to the other four, the music has so many pieces to it, and it is far-reaching. I'm truly a lover of visual and rock music and have only listened to that kind of music. It was after that I really started with music, and it wasn't until Fatima that I opened up and listened to things outside of these genres.
SS: Did the members influence you?
Towa: Yes. I was suddenly adding things to my MD player. I don't know how many times I've rented CDs. I don't know how many CDs I've bought, but I've been listening to so many new things. I want to understand where the members are coming from; and because I've never listened to stuff like this before, I just want to learn more and more.
SS: So you've been pretty absorbed in all of this new stuff, huh.
Towa: Yes. As I said, I'm still in pursuit of knowledge. (Laughs).
SS: Is there something you're aiming for as an artist?
Towa: I want to become a really good drummer, so I want to be able to play anything by ear. It was a sudden thing that .... yeah, what was I talking about?
SS: Is there anything you'd like to do after such?
Towa: If I'm able to be a drummer until I die, that would satisfy me ... but I don't know yet what I want to become. I'm still looking for that. But of course, from the very start and still today, I'm inspired by YOSHIKI-san's playing.
SS: What is it that you find inspiring?
Towa: It's the gap [between piano and drums]. That gap is so important to me. Because I think it's great if there's vicious drumming, and then the piano is so delicate. And with both, I think performances would be great. Therefore, I'd like to go forward with both.
SS: And do you think this band, Fatima, holds both sides?
Towa: Yes. That's why it's my fate. It's the band I was meant to be in.
SS: Apart from the band, who are you as a person? Is there a difference between what you are in the band and who are you apart from it?
Towa: I don't really feel there's much a difference. Normally, I'm pretty quiet and don't say much, but I do smile a lot.
SS: I see.
Towa: When I'm on stage, I just want to convey that 'gap.' As far as myself, I don't really find it important.
SS: So you consciously try to convey this 'gap'?
Towa: Yes. The sound of the drums and myself, I want convey to people who are watching that image. As well as the other parts of the song. It's at that time that the spirit and aura come out, and when the 'gap' reveals itself. Generally, there's no real difference between Towa in the band and Towa outsideof the band (Smile).
SS: And so Towa, what is important to you as you go forward?
Towa: Well ... (Thinking) .... Well, the 'gap'!
SS: So you don't like things that don't have some sort of 'gap'?
Towa: Yeah. That's the kind of person I am. I think it's cool when people have such a 'gap'!
SS: Yes, it is certainly cool.
Towa: Yeah. And I want to be someone who is cool like that.
