ItalianoWhen I make the next band, maybe I’ll add the feel of club music taste
――Was there any point when GACKT-san felt the urge to try out being a DJ yourself?
GACKT： Honestly, I wouldn’t want to do that solo. However, when I make the next band, maybe I’ll add the feel of club music taste. Because in the first place I planned for something like that. Therefore it became a really good point of consideration.
――I see. Incidentally, right now dance music is in vogue but, to GACKT-san, when thinking about the relationship between “music” and “dancing”, what is each of their positions relative to the other’s like?
GACKT： Hm…… The relationship between “music” and “dancing” is, for music, it attracts consumers for a business, I believe it has an important economic benefit. At present you can’t sell CDs. If you do that you can’t be a musician. As to why, it’s because the system where by you make sales profits from the people who buy CDs you released has completely collapsed. From a musician’s point of view, it might be something that they would call ridiculous, but if you’re asking me, I would say 「the era of the CD bubble was weirder」. During the CD bubble that lasted for around 10 years from the year 1990 to the early half of the year 2000, everyone was too focused with the method of “growing the market and the musician with a sales strategy centered around CDs”. Regardless that it was originally the center of the majority of a musician’s profits, deviating from that, they’ll become specialised with making a CD and how to sell it. In the end, this will create an environment in which the next generation of musicians cannot thrive.
――So you’re saying that it’s a structural problem.
GACKT： Even amongst musicians, about DJs and remixers, there are people who say 「aren’t they just people who combine people’s songs together?」. But I doubt that and wonder 「is that really so?」. Indeed, they may not be considered as original, and it’s probably difficult to answer 「what part of it makes it their own song?」 but, these people don’t really sell CDs. Because when these DJs make appearances, they are able to gather people at clubs,and with just that, I believe that this justifies them being defined as artistes. Music has simply become a tool to sell CDs, and in recent years this rotten trend has been around, in other words, it has facilitated the appearance of people who go by remixing and use music to gather more people.
When you think from that view, the position of DJs who can draw customers is revisiting the fundamental ideal of music, and in that sense it is an untarnished flow.
――Meaning that it creates a place where patrons can experience and feel the music live right.
GACKT： That’s right, actually, its because at these places the patrons are really “using the music”. Buying multiple copies of a CD for the sake of getting certain privileges, then discarding the CDs…… I want to ask, is that really the right thing to do as a musician? The more you do something like that, without a doubt your music will go wrong, and the losses you sustain will be even greater. In the first place it is not something that we should be doing.
――That is true…… After this work’s release, I’m sure you have many activities planned as well. The single release, birthday party event, and the 【LAST VISUALIVE TOUR】 is ahead as well.
GACKT： Yeah. I have to, work hard……（laughs）.
For now I’ll finish this run, then I’ll probably think about what comes after when it ends?
――At present how do you spend your days? Is it all work going on concurrently?
GACKT： While progressing with work, right now, the main thing for me is to heal my injured body. For the sake of pulling off 【LAST VISUALIVE TOUR】 properly to the end. All the while during these 16 years, because I’ve been doing reckless activities, I’ve put quite a bit of burden on my body. Well, I guess it comes back to haunt you? or something…… Because I’ve been pushing myself to the limits until now, you can pretty much say it’s of course that this would happen though.
――Which part, specifically, hurts or has gone bad?
GACKT： Now my back is really bad. Because it really hurts when it gets cold, more often than not I’ll always be in an area that has a higher temperature and is warm. While looking for various environments where I can live comfortably, the place where I unexpectedly felt that was suitable for me was Dubai. Everyone said 「It’s hot! 」 but for me, that humidity and temperature is perfectly bearable. It’s the same as Japan in the sense that it has no natural resources but, I was surprised that Dubai is really progressing, including for their tax system and their acceptance of foreigners. Right now, isn’t it the fastest progressing country in Asia? Well, when you ask 「right now, what is something that Japan is proud of? 」, to me, it’s not trade, only culture is left. History, services that are uniquely Japanese, our music, etcetera, until we export them quickly, to the foreign countries, it will become an era where we’re can’t show them 「this is what Japan is all about 」.
――So you’re saying that we have to build Japan’s identity based on our culture.
GACKT： Unless people start to see that it’s useless. At one point in time, something called J-POP was built up, and to a certain extent it penetrated the Asian market. But, right now, there’s no more Japanese-produced music going around. To me, I believe that the current mission we have to pursue is to figure out how, as a Japanese, I can delivery music out of Japan.
――So GACKT-san, as someone whose name is well recognised overseas, has to take the lead right.
GACKT： Well, it’s because thus far I’ve been having activities overseas as well. Also, most of Japan’s musicians can’t speak foreign languages. Isn’t that part of the problem as well （laughs）? Although they’ve studied for 7 or 8 years, it’s amazing, the percentage of people who can’t speak a word of English despite that. It’s a special trait, of this country. Really!
――When you said that your physical condition is bad, you’ll want to rest but, when you think of the fans waiting for you, you’ll want to continue your activities more so…… you have mixed emotions.
GACKT： Right now, I’m not exactly resting. While healing my body, I’m doing training, I’m also carrying out production activities, that’s the situation now. In any case, I’ll run with all my might until the end of the 【LAST VISUALIVE TOUR】. I’ll finish this run, then I’ll think about what comes after when it ends. If I have my body, I can still do it anyway, unless I don’t have it I can’t do it. So unless I try doing it, I won’t know.
――At what stage has the 【LAST VISUALIVE TOUR】 progressed to?
GACKT：Ah~ I can’t talk about that yet.
――Understood （laughs）. I’ll look forward to it.
GACKT： Thank you.
≪My season≫
GACKT introduces what he’s most interested or into recently!
Dubai
Recently, I’ve been looking for a place to live in that is suitable for me. At the start of this year, I thought 「shall I live in Europe?」 and went around various countries but, the climate was not suitable for me, and I found that my body ached. Although the scenery is nice…… What was unexpectedly suitable was Dubai. The food was delicious, and it was comfortable for my body for which I was looking for a warm place to be in. I think for spring, autumn, and winter the average temperature is around 30℃? And then, when it gets to summer it exceeds 50℃! I heard that there was a law that “prohibits working outside for more than a certain number of hours”. So yeah, it’s impossible to work in that environment. Isn’t it scary （laughs）. Before I went I didn’t know a single thing about Dubai but, I gave it a go and went, I was really moved by the country’s many interesting and amazing points. Then I researched about various things, starting with their taxation, acceptance of foreigners, I understood that the country’s policies are good. The country’s system came out really well. They are equipped with infrastructure that will surprise you, but even those that were incomplete or still in development were amazing too. Really, the country is simply amazing.
Source: excite.co.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
© GACKT ITALIA