NEWS

At the special performance "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025" held in April, GACKT performed with an orchestra for the first time in 10 years. Returning to classical music, which could be said to be the "parent" that nurtured his musical outlook, he pursued an ensemble in which rock and classical music truly resonated with each other. In order to realize the fusion of band and orchestra, he carried out rehearsals that were described as "hellish work" for over a month. His attitude of thoroughly tinkering with all sounds, including the vocals, is condensed in his new album "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025 - Demon King Symphony," which contains the performance.

■Most of the rehearsals were "experiments"

--I'd like to talk about your new album "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025 - Maou Symphony", but first, please tell us what classical music means to you, GACKT.

I like this kind of question that I don't get asked in other media. Classical music is like a "parent" that cultivated my musical perspective. I was originally a classical musician. It was because of classical music that I was able to create my rock songs. This also ties into this "Maou Symphony", but in the end, whether or not there is an affinity with classical music determines whether the orchestral arrangement will harmonize well and work as an ensemble.

--How exactly do you distinguish whether or not there is an affinity?

My songs basically use a lot of tracks in one song. The idea of ​​layering sounds is very classical. There is a limit to the amount of information that the human ear can process, so some people may feel that there are too many sounds and it's "noisy". But for people who like music, as they listen, they start to hear sounds they hadn't heard before. They suddenly realize, "Oh, there's a melody in this." That's the kind of work I want to create. Also, my songs have a lot of odd time signatures, and in that respect, many of my songs have an affinity with classical music.

--Please tell us why you decided to hold a live concert with an orchestra for the first time in 10 years.

10 years ago, I did a concert with an orchestra, but at that time, we were doing a live concert with an orchestra in the background, and I felt that "someone other than me can do this." When I did it, it didn't exceed my imagination. But this time, I wanted to thoroughly explore how rock and orchestra can work as an ensemble, sonically. I wanted to create something that would impress both classical music fans and rock fans. Musically, I think it was something that could be given a very high score. However, there were many restrictions in the visual aspect, and some things didn't go as planned.

--What didn't go as planned?

Classical music halls have a lot of restrictions. There are so many things that say, "This is not allowed, that is not allowed." Of course, I understand the reason, but for example, if the venue has a pipe organ at the back, the production is quite restricted. On top of that, the audience cannot stand and watch. There are a lot of detailed restrictions like that. Of course, there are good points. Classical music halls are designed only to deliver sound, so the sound has excellent directivity. When you play in a multi-purpose hall, the sound returns to the stage with a few seconds delay after you make a sound. This is the so-called "rotating" phenomenon, but classical music halls are really well designed, the sound does not rotate, and the speed at which it reaches the very back is very direct and beautiful.

--GACKT's band YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz participated in this performance, and I imagine the band members felt the same beauty of the sound.

I was the only one who got off the stage and stood in the audience, and I was constantly checking what kind of ensemble it was, so I think the band members were busy with their own performance.

--It certainly seems like a tough performance.

We rehearsed for almost a month, which was completely different from a normal band rehearsal. Usually we focus on matching the timing of the performance, but this time we rehearsed to see how the orchestra and instruments could "ensemble".

--I see...

The most difficult part was the drums. When we listened from the audience seats, we couldn't hear the drums, so we turned up the volume, but then we couldn't hear the guitar. So we turned up the guitar, and then the bass got buried... and we kept doing that, and the sound became messy. And then we added an orchestra of 70 people to it. It's not acceptable for someone to not be able to hear the sound of the other person, so the minimum starting point for this live performance was whether or not it would work as an ensemble. In fact, even artists who have done ensembles with orchestras and bands have not been able to continue. Even when listening to them live, you end up thinking, "The original is better after all." One reason is that they forcefully arrange songs that don't have any affinity into an orchestra. Another reason is that the sound balance on stage is not achieved.

--How did you solve the latter problem?

First of all, we used electric drums. I was against electric drums, but this time I tried using them for the first time. This is because with live drums, there is a limit to how much you can change the sound quality on the spot. Even if you change the cymbals or snare themselves, there are only a limited number of types, and even if you mute them, the range of adjustment is narrow. But with electric drums, you can adjust each note one by one. We had a professional tech come in and we created the sound from scratch. For example, with the bass drum, we didn't want a "loud sound," but rather a "clear (easy to hear) sound." We worked out what frequency band would allow this. In this ensemble, if the snare gets buried, we can tune the sound to the frequency band where the snare can be heard. With electric drums, you can do that.

--That's a scientific approach.

So most of the rehearsals were "experiments." First we created the drum sound, and then the bass. For the bass, we looked for a sound that would support the low notes without interfering with the sound of the double bass. After that, we decided what the guitar sound should be.

■I actually hate doing all this detailed work

--It makes me realize how much detailed work is required to achieve both an orchestral and band sound.

It takes a really huge amount of time. It's a terrifying task. And with an orchestra, the output is completely different for each section: intro, A-melody, B-melody, solo, and outro. The output balance changes dramatically each time. But a band basically plays at the same output all the time. That doesn't work as an ensemble. So the band also adjusted the output for each section. For example, the guitar A-melody is lowered by 3 decibels, the B-melody is raised by 1 decibel, and so on. They worked on the balance in that way, very finely.

--So you worked on that thoroughly during rehearsals?

Right. I was just concentrating on "how to make it work as an ensemble." So I couldn't practice my own singing, and I would practice in my studio after rehearsals.

--The PA team, band members, and techs all had to do different things than usual.

For a normal band PA, if the guitar is too loud and the vocals are too quiet, you just raise the vocal fader and lower the guitar, right? But this time, there were about 80 instruments playing in total. It's impossible to instantly decide which sounds to raise and which to lower. So the purpose of the rehearsal was to "create a situation where the PA doesn't have to touch anything during the actual performance." All output adjustments were completed at the rehearsal stage. The guitar and bass techs also had to switch to different output settings for each section, even if the effects were the same. It was my first time doing something like that.

--That's a lot of work.

It was incredibly difficult. It was the first time for the PA and monitor engineers to make such detailed adjustments. So it was pointless unless everyone was facing the same direction. But at first, no one could understand what I was saying. It was difficult to explain.

--I feel like I'm finally starting to understand...

I'm glad you understood (laughs). I wonder if the readers will understand too...

-- I hope so.

But as we continued, everyone started to understand, and when I gave instructions they responded immediately. As a result, we were able to decide the output balance for each song and each section.

--You said at the beginning that musically it went exactly as you had hoped, but the actual performance was perfect, too.

The instruments were perfect. The balance was just as it had been in rehearsals. But the vocals were different. With vocals, you don't know how much of the live orchestra sound will be covered by the microphone (the vocal microphone will pick it up) until you're on stage. The vocal microphone picks up all the live sounds, so if you raise the fader on the vocal monitor, the orchestra sound will also go up. So I had to stand in front of the monitor desk and fiddle with the EQ to find the frequency band where only my voice would be clearly audible.

--So the actual performance required different adjustments.

The live orchestra sound was louder than expected. So I adjusted the sound to a frequency band where my voice would come through, and remade it.

--It's clear that this concert reflects a lot of careful work.

That's right. A rock and orchestra ensemble can't work unless it's of very high quality. But people who don't know music might think, "Huh? Is it that hard for a band and an orchestra to work together?" But it's actually really hard. That's why no one can continue. They don't have the knowledge, and they don't even want to do it. They just leave everything to the PA and monitors. But if you're prepared to go that far, then give it a try. It's really "hellish work." It's so much work that you can't do it.

--GACKT, do you like that kind of detailed work itself?

I don't like it at all (laughs). I'd rather not do it if possible. During rehearsals, I just sit at the front and listen to the ensemble, and I can't practice singing. I always think, "Someone else should do it for me." But there's no one who can do it, so I have to do it myself. I just think it's faster if I do it myself. In fact, I hate that kind of work.

GACKT, who is unrivaled on "Celebrity Rating Check," reveals his superhuman "ear powers" [Part 2 of the interview]

In the second half of the interview about GACKT's live album "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025 - Maou Symphony" to be released in July, we will get closer to the secret of the sound production that supports his superhuman "ear power". From the selection of orchestra members, to his unique method of using "clicks", to his attention to pitch in 1 hertz units, GACKT's secret of "increasing the resolution of the ear" is the very backing of the superhuman hearing ability shown on "Celebrity Rating Check". We hope you will listen and pay attention to GACKT's musical philosophy.

■Some musicians collapsed during rehearsals

--How did you select the members of this orchestra?

When deciding on the members, we kept changing them. We had to perform for more than three hours in total, in two performances, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, while standing. It was impossible unless the musicians could do that. In addition, we had to perform while wearing masks as part of the production, and we started by checking and adjusting each member to see from what angle the music sheet would be visible. In the end, we went to the performance with the members who we thought would be able to do it. Some musicians collapsed during rehearsals.

--Collapsed!?

Right. My rehearsals are long, and the people in the group have never been so packed. Some of them got sick and collapsed in the middle of the performance, and some of them asked us to let them sit down, so it was really difficult...

--So the members of this orchestra were the ones who could flexibly respond to those kinds of productions and conditions.

This stage was made possible because we gathered people who could respond flexibly and who wanted to create something new together. If we had chosen them simply because they were "good players," it wouldn't have worked.

--You all worked together to create a style that you'd never done before. After overcoming such hardships, the after-party must have been really exciting.

At the after-party, we looked back on this performance and talked about "what we gained." We talked about how we can use what we learned from this when we return to the band. In other words, if we pursue the sound as much as we did this time, we can play with a higher quality. Each member of the band was aware of that. So we said things like, "We need to create this kind of sound at this timing," or "We need to be conscious of making the sound stand out (be more audible)." It was a really "deep after-party" (laughs).

--That's a maniac after-party... The sixth song on the set list, "UNTIL THE LAST DAY," was particularly impressive. How was this song arranged?

This song is originally intense and "dangerous," so when the orchestra is added to it, we focused on how far we could expand this dangerous worldview when arranging it. In fact, we spent a lot of time arranging it. Also, it's a fast-paced song, so even the slightest delay would reduce the momentum. That's why we asked the orchestra to be conscious of playing it with a lot of "forward leaning." As a result, this song has a stronger sense of the madness and danger in the speed.

--A "forward leaning" performance?

The timing of an orchestra's performance is fundamentally different from that of a band. Basically, even if they start playing at a "point" of sound, they have a habit of starting a little "behind" that point.

--The band is exactly in sync with the click (a guide sound used to align the tempo), but the orchestra is "behind" it.

Right. When the orchestra actually plays to the click, it sounds a little "delayed" overall. But the band is on-rhythm. So, to make the transition between the two feel good, the vocalist has to be "in between."

--I see.

So the click I hear with my in-ear monitors is different from the click the band members hear. The click I hear is between the orchestra and the band. The band members' click is even earlier. We make these fine adjustments for each song during rehearsals. We do detailed work like "how far behind" we should put it.

--Was this your first attempt at that?

No, I always do this at my live shows. Even when I play in a band, I always adjust the click. Because sometimes the drum cymbals drown out my own voice. By shifting the click, my voice sounds clearer.

--Even among professionals, aren't there many who go that far?

No one does, normally.

--So you like doing detailed work after all... (laughs).

I don't like it (laughs)! I do it because it makes the listener feel good!

--You're incredibly particular.

I wonder if it's okay to reveal such a secret (laughs). This is a more detailed story, but even with regards to pitch (frequency), I sing at a standard pitch of A = 442 Hz. A difference of just a few Hz makes a huge difference in how the sound resonates. It's all about whether you're aware of that or not. Ordinary vocalists can't sense the difference.

■To have an A-rank ear...!?

--The sharpness of GACKT's ability to distinguish between different sounds that he shows in "Celebrity Rating Check" is only possible because he has this kind of ear.

I wonder if people find such nerdy stories enjoyable to read...

--Everyone must be enjoying it! For people who want to have "A-rank ears" like GACKT, are there any points they should keep in mind when listening to this work?

I said this earlier (part 1), but the amount of information that the human ear can process varies from person to person. Many people say they don't like classical music, but one of the reasons for this is that classical music contains too much information. There are many instruments, the melodies are complex, and the number of tracks is an incredible number. Being able to distinguish between all that is a bit like training. It's training. I like that kind of thing, so I sometimes use about 160 tracks in my own songs to create them. But on the other hand, for people who don't like that kind of complex sound, it sounds like "noisy music."

--There are "ways to train your ears" that suit each person's preferences and goals.

Music is similar to mathematics. Some people find complex formulas fun, while others can only use simple formulas. For people who don't find enjoyment in music, any formula is just "annoying". But once you realize how interesting it is, more complex music is often more enjoyable. When you're listening to music, you suddenly realize one day, "Oh, there's a melody like this!" That's proof that your ears are growing. If you can notice new sounds even though you've been listening to the same song for years, it means that the "resolution" of your ears has improved.

--If the resolution of your ears improves, you'll be able to notice the details of this work more.

This work also contains many small sounds that will make people with high-resolution ears say "Oh!". For those who like that kind of thing, this work will definitely be a hit.

--I'm sure there are people who think, "I don't have ears like GACKT, but I'd like to have them." Where should such people start?

I'm not saying you should listen to classical music. First, when you listen to your favorite music, if you have the environment to adjust the EQ (equalizer), try doing so. You can do it on your iPhone, too. Try different EQ settings and check "what sounds you can hear and what sounds disappear." Then you'll realize, "There's a sound like this at this frequency."

--It seems easy to get into.

For example, if you turn off all the low and mid ranges and listen to only the highs, the same song will sound completely different. You'll notice sounds that you don't normally hear. Once you experience that, even if you go back to the original EQ settings, you'll be able to "see" those sounds. That must be fun.

--That's great training.

I'm always tweaking the EQ, to the point that I sometimes wonder if I'm mentally unstable (laughs).

--I guess you like detailed work after all...

So...it's not (lol)!

Source: Oricon.co.jp, Oricon.co.jp

Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team

Translation © GACKT ITALIA