PHY Vol.9 [NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST] - Hiro

Preface: For my first entry here, I think this interview is appropriate. I bought this magazine a little under a year ago, and was taken by how beautiful the accompanying photoshoot was, and the amusing and interesting contents of the interview itself. I hope you will also enjoy it.

- Frontman of the ultra-fast, explosive band whose steady advance continues, concerning his career and obsessive style -

Ahead of their oneman concert at Shinkiba Studio Coast on April 1^st, we present NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST (who are planning a new release). This time we have a personal interview with the vocalist, Hiro. He stands out among Japanese people with his muscular physique and shouting, and with experiences like his band in the United States during his time as an exchange student. Even more prominent than that is his overwhelming positivity. Borne from that kind of personality, he is an earnest person. As you might expect from their highly complicated sound that's difficult to express with just style and gestures, all the members including him are very serious and dedicated when it comes to music, but it's clear that there are many other aspects to him. Carrying the band's potential as the frontman, he fusses about his personal style.

Hiro: ... why is it only me, today?

Q: It is the fate of being the frontman.

Hiro: Suddenly being designated like that surprises me.

Q: From the first time I saw your live, I thought you'd be covered in the news, so there are many of things I'd like to know. When did you start being in bands?

Hiro: Since I was in second grade of middle school. That time was the heyday of mixing sounds, so I was in a cover band and we played songs from LIMP BIZKIT, KORN, MARILYN MANSON, GREEN DAY, and SLIPKNOT.

Q: For a second grader in middle school, western bands and even that genre is nevertheless rare, isn’t it?

Hiro: I was brainwashed by my brother. I would study next to him, and his mixture would spill over. At first, I thought “this is annoying,” but then one day it suddenly became “this is cool!” So it started like that, but I originally I liked TM Revolution.

Q: That’s too unexpected (laugh).

Hiro: At any rate, I loved Nishikawa Takanori. I remembered all of Nishikawa’s TV appearances, and memorised his choreographies. He was the inspiration for me to say, “I want to sing, too!’ At that time, I couldn’t even guess that I’d be in a band.

Q: Then, you started as vocals from the beginning?

Hiro: Vocals, right? There wasn’t anyone in particular who said I was good at it. Among the group who liked Western music, it was more like “Well, you’ll play guitar, you’ll play bass, etc.”

Q: Then, when did you seriously start in bands?

Hiro: Once I was in the United States. I went there as an exchange student in University but my aspiration was, “If I can succeed in a band in the USA, I can walk on the red carpet!” (laugh)

Q: Ahahahahahah!

Hiro: Because I thought, “I’m gonna go make an American Dream!” for quite a while before.

Q: So you went to study abroad so that you could make a band? Or was your goal to study?

Hiro: I didn’t really have interest in studying, but I wanted to be able to talk in English. I wanted to seriously master English, so I made a band with Americans. I wanted to have the “red carpet” experience.

Q: So how did you put together a band in the USA?

Hiro: I used “Myspace” (note: Social Network System prior to Facebook)¹. There, there were boards like “band recruiting” and I posted to the boards for “vocalist recruiting.” On that board, I was contacted by a band and joined like that.

Q: What did you get out of that band?

Hiro: The biggest thing was an event called, “Battle of the Bands” in Seattle. 16 bands performed, and ours won the victory.

Q: Isn’t that amazing!

Hiro: But at the time one of the band members had set out his lifestyle, and in the end the guitarist was arrested for cocaine, so my dream was destroyed.

Q: How very American (laugh).

Hiro: I started with NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST after that, but the guitarist from the American band had disappeared. He stole everything like my rent and borrowed money, and left behind a note saying, “I’m joining the army.”

Q: Hahahaha. For a story, it’s interesting to hear, but after such a success, for the person himself to be like that is a huge setback.

Hiro: Yeah. So, after that I fell into a slump thinking “It’s no use,” “Since my visa will expire, I may as well return to Japan.” But it didn’t snuff out my desire to be in a band. So that I could work immediately after returning to Japan, I recorded and uploaded videos of me singing. I captioned them with “I’m looking for a band, this is the style of music I like,” and they got a great reaction.

Q: So, will those videos someday be released on a bonus DVD?

Hiro: Absolutely not (laugh). I’m too embarrassed! Anyway, there were various offers, and in particular there were a few that contacted me, but the one who played the same style as the music I wanted to make is the band I’m in now.

Q: And that band was named NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST.

Hiro: The members one-by-one suggested names, and discussed “Which one is the strongest?” That turned out to be NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST.

Q: Incidentally, at that time your red carpet objective changed to what?

Hiro: For the time being I gave up on the red carpet (laugh). It was most important for me to be able to sustain myself through band work. But I don’t think it’s impossible even now to make it to the red carpet.

Q: By starting NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST, you were able to make the most of your American experiences?

Hiro: I always earnestly aimed for that. I didn’t let it disrupt my practice. It’s like that. I wasn’t going to lose to anyone. I often asked myself, “How am I going to shout like that?” and I'd answer in my mind that I should make such an effort to make my blood run, needless to say.

Q: Ahahahahaha!

Hiro: I couldn’t do it for 2 or 3 days. On the first day, for more than eight hours I shouted until I finally got it.

Q: When you were in the USA?

Hiro: Yes. There, car travel takes a long time, so I spent the whole time in the car screaming. The studio was 24-hour free access, so any time I wanted to go, I went by myself to practice as much as I desired. Then, I got strong enough that I was able to obtain my singing voice. That’s why even when I started with this band I had confidence. Because of that, everyone but me is serious. Serious at practice, and very serious when it comes to making music.

Q: Moreover, if not for being very serious you couldn’t put on such a good performance.

Hiro: But even me, at first I was like that too. That’s because I didn’t think there were people to play this kind of music in Japan. Certainly, the American scene is the cutting edge of musicians, but they also exist here.

Q: As for serious bands, you can understand it by watching the lives. That is, the contrast with the sound and image, it appears extremely serious with regards to the band’s positive vibe.

Hiro: I’m extremely positive. I’m so positive that I pass it on to everyone else (laugh).

Q: Ahahahahaha.

Hiro: Even though I think this kind of coverage is good, at things like lives the seriousness is nothing more than a story. That’s because no one really likes going into a serious mood.

Q: Why is that?

Hiro: Why… Maybe because it’s too much like preaching? Being cool, saying what I want, talking naturally is fine, but doing it for too long can freeze the mood and result in slips.

Q: But that’s lacking sympathy (laugh).

Hiro: Is that so? But carrying through in a serious mood will take down the fun of the live, won’t it? That’s why, in the end I aim to make people laugh.

Q: But there must also be people that would be touched by Hiro’s earnest words and get spellbound, because for the people on stage it’s an important factor.

Hiro: I admire Nishikawa’s particular style. At any rate, I want the audience members to be able to have a good time.

Q: Is that why you bring up T.M. Revolution?

Hiro: Of course, I say what I want. I don’t hate it in itself, but even though it’s a sweltering style, to call it in the end “serious” is… Well, it’s as I thought, with all my might to make others smile is my motto.

Q: Is it not a way to hide your embarrassment?

Hiro: I don’t hide my embarrassment. This kind of positivity is possible only for Kansai-born people. So it’s like wanting to be a person that says funny things.

Q: So, in relation to becoming too serious, it’s like you’re resisting it?

Hiro: I don’t really like it, because it makes the mood fall flat and in that case saying, “I knew it, you guys are really stupid!” is better. I want my words to be properly caught.

Q: Then… from that thinking, you’re something like a troublesome frontman (laugh)!

Hiro: Ahahahaha! Only with that point, I’m a positive person.

Q: In that case it’s good. From now on in the viewpoint of the band getting more famous, the situations you desire will otherwise increase.

Hiro: What desire do you mean?

Q: Your desired life.

Hiro: It’d be nice to achieve that, but…

Q: But, in the end there will also be disillusioned people?

Hiro: No, I don’t think that’s true. Don’t ask me such a leading question. I won’t change my mind! I’m confident in thinking that I’m cool. It’s not like saying “do it,” but because of that I also think that there are people who are admirable.

Q: As I thought, it’s bothersome (laughs).

Hiro: Ahahahahaha!

Q: It’s particularly good that you don’t have to hide your embarrassment by smiling.

Hiro: Well… is it any good to do a live like a dragging sermon?

Q: I didn’t say it was good (laugh).

Hiro: I do it as much as I can. It’s not impossible. That’s why I don’t want people to say that I don’t talk about serious stories during MCs. I do it properly when I do.

Q: I understand that that’s become the current Hiro’s style. But, what I think when watching your lives is that your style a vocalist will become established from now, or is it still in flux?

Hiro: No, it’s not in flux. I don’t take into consideration outsiders’ opinions. Up ‘til now, my style is polished up and like that, I’m a little conceited. Of course, even now I’m influenced and make improvements, but if I listened to the opinions of strangers and did things the way they wanted, the result would be a live meant for those people, and that’s now why I do this.

Q: I must admit…

Hiro: That’s why I’m not indecisive. I do, however, listen to the other members’ opinions.

Q: Wavering isn’t such a negative thing, doesn’t it mean that you can update your style and expressions every day?

Hiro: Oh, I’m improving every day. It’s just like that. Phrases like “wavering” have a negative connotation to me.

Q: Ah, let me say it another way (laugh). Not that you are in the middle of updating everyday as the frontman of NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST, but because of your experience in the United States you could build a good foundation with things like your full effort, and discipline.

Hiro: That’s right. Now it’s Version 1.05 or something like that (laugh).

Q: In any case, what I’m trying to say is that that sort of frontman isn’t so unique from others.

Hiro: Thank you.

Q: Then, what I understand from today’s conversation is that you’re a super positive person, but also a little troublesome (laugh).

Hiro: It’s not like that……. Oh, but for me, I care about my style a lot.

Q: In what way?

Hiro: Basically, I want to make an easy-to-understand live. My greatest weapon is stirring everyone up by saying “Next, like this!” And then isn’t it easy to understand that from my movement, everyone in the audience then joins accordingly?

Q: That’s the best way to get the audience into the mood.

Hiro: Right. But in my heart I think “isn’t this a little insistent?” Like, “From the beginning, lives are freedom, and since this isn’t school, even if I say nothing, is it okay to selfishly ask them to get amped up?” Didn’t that come out in COMMUNE Vol. 2 the other day?

Q: It was a sponsored event by MUCC, right?

Hiro: There, I heard Tatsurou (MUCC’s vocalist) and Ryuutarou’s (Plastic Tree’s vocalist and guitarist) opinions about this.

Q: It seems like I heard wrong (laugh).

Hiro: Aren’t they dai-sempai²? At the wrap party I was guaranteed a good seat. It was like Ryuutarou-san³, Tatsurou-san, and me. I thought, “Alright, pay attention today! These two dai-sempai are here today too, so listen well!”

Q: What kind of opinions did they have to share?

Hiro: Even though they (Tatsurou-san and Ryuutarou-san) didn’t move around very much, the audience moved freely. Secretly, I thought ‘this is awesome!’ I asked them “Is this style something you’ve had for a long time?” And then, “Actually, doesn’t it feel like when you first started you had to force the audience to get fired up, and that led to this kind of style?” And then they said, “No, it’s been like this for a long time,” and while I thought, “Is that true...?” I asked, “We don’t get so riled up like that, do we?” But Tatsurou-san and Ryuutarou-san said “No, it’s impossible for us to have a style like that.” Besides that, Tatsurou-san said “It’s good because it’s your distinctive style. Because even for me, there are things that I want to do but can’t.” Even Ryuutarou-san said “I can’t get that passionate. It’s so cool.” So, from that...I felt really at peace.

Q: Ahahahahahaha!

Hiro: I said, “I see, that’s good then!” I got a little hope (laugh).

Q: What a good story. So, whether you’re extremely passionate or not, do you have something to leave with the readers?

Hiro: Eh...That’s my style!




***
Translator's notes:

¹ The magazine included this in the printed interview, so I included it as-is.

² さん (-san) is an honorific from Japanese that can be difficult to translate, but is often written as "Mr," Ms," or "Mrs." However, because of its varied usage, and that "Mr" comes off as too strong to me, I decided that keeping it as -san was the best.

³ The word used in the printed interview was 大先輩 (dai-sempai) which doesn't translate very well, but means "someone who is greatly one's senior; veteran."

I would like to thank Chris and Kristina for their suggestions. I'd also like to thank N and B (redacted for privacy) for checking over my translation for egregious errors.