Italiano
On July 4th, GACKT's birthday event "Maou Seitan Kyoen 2025" was held at the Westin Tokyo.
On this day, GACKT celebrated his 52nd birthday and wrote in his X, "I never imagined I would survive this long... 20 years ago, I never imagined it." It was a rare opportunity to hear his thoughts directly from him. The event was divided into two parts, a day and an evening. Shukan Josei PRIME sneaked into the Lunch Banquet, which opened at noon! We will deliver an exclusive report.
Explaining GACKT's "I'm not a pig" quote
The lobby of the venue was decorated with congratulatory flowers sent by fans and celebrities, as well as multiple full-body panels of GACKT, and people were enjoying taking photos. Approximately 500 fans gathered for the day session. The audience was filled with excitement, and fans dressed up in their own way were enjoying food and drinks while waiting for the show to begin.
When the banquet started at 2pm, GACKT appeared from the door at the back of the audience wearing a black jacket embroidered with flowers! He walked through the audience to provide fan service amidst loud applause and cheers. Some fans were moved to tears by his graceful appearance as he made his way to the stage.
"How are you all? Have fun and go home. Because everyone is celebrating my 52nd birthday, I will stay young forever."
With this greeting, the first corner, "Gakugen - Recollections of Words", began. GACKT has left behind many proverbs known as "Gakugen", and he personally explains them. Several sayings were brought up, but the one that got the most attention was, "I'm not a pig. Why do I need to eat three times a day?"
A very GACKT-like phrase.
"What would you do? What if this event turned into a pig farm in the future?" he said, teasing the audience, and showing his stoic side by saying, "I want to eat, but I don't eat, which is what makes me GACKT."
Surprise guests such as HYDE also made an appearance
After the talk corner, a digest video of the live concert "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025" held with an orchestra on April 13 was shown. The album "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025 - Maou Symphony" recorded at this concert was released on his birthday, so he shared the inside story of the concert, which combined classical and rock music. Furthermore, GACKT, who has a strong attachment to classical music, made a surprise announcement that he will hold a classical music concert in 2026, delighting fans.
Next was a quiz corner where fans could participate. Multiple-choice questions were asked during congratulatory video messages from celebrities close to GACKT, and the fan who answered correctly was the winner. The last person standing was given the privilege of taking a photo with GACKT.
A number of impressive guests appeared in the video as questioners, including DJ KOO, Nanase Aikawa, and HYDE. Maeda Nobuteru of TUBE also sent a congratulatory message, and presented GACKT with 5 kilograms of rice with Maeda's face printed on the packaging. However, he said, "I don't eat rice..." and gave it to the fan who came second in the quiz as a prize.
After the quiz corner ended, a surprise guest appeared! Golden Bomber's Kiryuin Sho appeared holding a bouquet of flowers and sang a birthday song to celebrate GACKT's birthday. To GACKT, who he has known for over 20 years, he sent a message saying, "No matter how old we get, I'll always love you! Congratulations!"
The event ended with a live performance, of course. He performed four songs in an acoustic arrangement: "Tsuki no Uta," "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume," "PAPA LAPPED A POP LOPPED," and "MEMORIES."
"I want to continue to be someone that you can all be proud of. From now on, whenever you're in doubt, come back to me."
As GACKT spoke passionately, the event drew to a close with loud cheers. Having spent his birthday with his fans, GACKT had made the best start to his 52nd year.
Source: jprime.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
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
The live album "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025 - Demon King Symphony", which includes the live concert "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025" with an orchestra held at Sumida Triphony Hall on April 13th, will be released on July 4th. A total of 13 songs, including a medley of GACKT's songs selected as suitable for orchestral arrangement, will be performed on stage with the band sound of YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz, which he has led since last fall, and the orchestra sound of Grand Philharmonic Tokyo. The complete "fusion" of rock and orchestra has been performed many times in the past, both in the East and the West, but GACKT wants to continue doing this. He talked about his thorough commitment to the sound necessary to achieve this and his heart's desire to put his fans first.
--First of all, please tell us the concept you came up with when you launched "GACKT PHILHARMONIC 2025".
"We held an orchestra concert once 12 years ago, but to be honest, it wasn't as moving as I had imagined. There are many conflicts when it comes to performing live on stage. Rock music is loud to begin with, and if the orchestra sounds over that, they can't be heard, and if they could be heard, the impact of rock music would be lost. Even the fans who came to watch ended up thinking, "The original is better," or "This is fine, but..." and even for the performers, "It didn't turn out as expected," which is the reality of rock x orchestra. We decided to get rid of those preconceived notions and build from the vision of "a rock orchestra stage like no one has ever seen before."
--What is that vision? "The first thing I imagined was a ritual like a 'Black Mass.' If I was going to do this, I thought it would be moving if it wasn't for a worldview that makes you feel like you've entered a religious ceremony, or that you've seen something you shouldn't see. We all wore masks, and started by creating an image that started with a ritual-like situation. As I was discussing with the orchestra's representative, they were reluctant to play standing up (unlike the style of a typical orchestra, this performance will be played standing up). However, I told them at that time, 'I'm not just saying I want to play with an orchestra.' Even if the conductor is famous, I don't want to force him to do something he doesn't want to do. Instead, I told them, 'I'm looking for friends who will help me create this worldview.' That was the starting point."
--Why did you choose Sumida Trinity Hall as the venue? "That was decided by the Grand Philharmonic Tokyo (conductor: Yoneda Satoshi), who performed with us this time. However, it was a pleasure to perform in a classical hall for the first time in a while to be able to perform with such good sound. In a normal hall, when singing on stage, you always think about the echo, adjust the monitor, and consider how much echo there is on the microphone. However, a classical hall is specialized in sound, so the speed at which the sound travels is very fast. The sound flies straight and is designed with great consideration so that it reaches the people in the back seats in the same way. And yet it is by no means dead (with little reverberation). The sound travels in one direction from the stage to the audience, so it feels really good. On the other hand, classical halls do not allow smoke and have various other production restrictions. I think this live is not just about the sound, but also the visuals, so I feel that the balance needs to be considered when choosing a venue in the future."
--So you had to maintain this worldview while also creating something that was musically satisfying at the same time.
"Yes. Musically speaking, I'm originally a drummer, so I didn't want to use electronic drums. But if we put in live drums, the sound would clash with the other instruments in the orchestra, and if we put in soundproofing, the ritualistic worldview would be lost. So I thought, why not use electronic drums? I also started to think about how to overcome these issues and put together the stage structure."
--How long did you rehearse for?
"It took about a month. We had to adjust the sound to match the orchestral arrangement that came in the form of a program, but because an orchestra plays live instruments, there is a big difference in intonation and sound output. On the other hand, a rock band may change the tone with effects, but once the output is decided, it basically doesn't change. In other words, it's impossible for a single PA to adjust a band with a small output range and an orchestra with a large output range to both be on the same stage. Therefore, unless we could perfectly create that balance in rehearsals, this live performance would never go well."
--What kind of measures did you take?
"We had to think more like an orchestra. If you think 'I can't hear a sound, so let's turn up the volume,' then some sound will inevitably be lost. That way the ensemble won't work as music. So we started by experimenting in rehearsals to see 'what sounds get through'. The key is the drums and bass; if you can't hear them the band won't work. But if they're too loud it ruins everything. Cymbals can be heard not because they're loud, but because they have good 'sound penetration.' As long as the sound penetrates, you can create a sound that has an impact with the attack but doesn't interfere with the other instruments. I told everyone this and, checking all the frequency ranges of the electric drums, we kept selecting 'this sound will penetrate and that won't penetrate' during rehearsals. In one song, we started by adjusting the output of all the instruments to balance the orchestra in all sections - intro, A melody, B melody, chorus, second verse, solo, and outro."
--That's an incredible amount of effort put into sound creation.
"That's not possible. On a professional stage, the techs (sound technicians) switch between effects, but if they do that for all sections, there will be a tremendous amount of stepping on even the same tone. The techs don't imagine that, so it's no wonder they don't know what to do."
--So you're thorough with your way of thinking about sound creation to suit this live show.
"It's not as simple as just putting an orchestra on top of the band. If the guitar, bass, and drums don't have the volume balance to be part of the orchestra, they can't exist in the first place, and they won't become an ensemble. For example, if the orchestral sound seems to disappear when you turn up the volume of the band, it's simply because that frequency band is clashing with the orchestra's instruments, so you have to find out which frequency band you can hear. Once you've done that and put it all together, it finally comes together as one song. Doing this for 12 songs is pretty much the end of the rehearsal... That's a geeky story (laughs)."
--So despite the large and intense band sound on stage, it was very easy to listen to, thanks to all those fine adjustments.
"But even though the drums, guitar, and bass are all playing hard on stage, in fact the sound doesn't exist onstage. The band's instruments are not amp-equipped, but instead have line outputs (instead of sound coming from the stage, each instrument outputs to the PA and then plays it as sound). This is a way to avoid sound conflicts between the players onstage, and as a result the orchestra can play as usual."
--I see.
"However, there was an issue with my microphone being completely affected by the roar of the live orchestra playing nearby. Anticipating this, I carefully adjusted the monitor balance to see how my vocals would sound. I stood in front of the monitor desk and fiddled with all the EQ to find the frequency band where my vocals were coming through while keeping the orchestral sound at a certain level. I did this kind of nerdy work over about five days of rehearsals."
--I saw the archive footage, and the microphone was very close to your mouth.
"Yes. If you don't put it like that, the sounds will overlap, and if you don't get that close, you won't be able to hear the vocals in the first place. If you move it away from the microphone, you'll only hear the orchestra in the monitors. So it had to be that close. We could have used a microphone with an extremely narrow directivity, but I thought, "This method will definitely come back to the band's staging as an experience someday," so I pursued it to the point. I looked for a frequency band where the vocals would come through, and when I actually put my voice over it, my voice on the monitor sounded like a robot (laughs). It was weird to me, but unless I put it that way, my voice wouldn't come through in the in-ear monitors."
--So that's how you vocalize when you only hear your own voice on the monitor.
"Even when I record my own sound, by cutting out everything outside of this range, I can hear the orchestra and I can clearly hear the pitch of what I'm singing. However, it's not my real voice. I prioritized making it sound like the whole ensemble."
--So you were willing to follow that overall picture.
--I'm someone who can respond flexibly to things like that, and it's not like, 'I hate singing while listening to something that's not my own voice!' It wasn't because I wanted to sing comfortably, but it was a rehearsal to figure out what I had to do to make the people listening feel comfortable. It was almost like a repetition of an experiment, but by repeating it, I found that I could put the sound together more clearly on stage, and I'm sure that this will definitely come back to future band performances and deliver higher quality music."
--You can sense your professional attitude towards the audience.
"When I go on stage, it actually feels better to play at full volume using only foot monitors, without in-ear monitors. But being on stage isn't just for my own enjoyment, it's to make the people who come to watch feel good too. I believe that a live performance only works when those people are moved by the sound, performance and energy, which is why I've been performing live for the past 26 years. I took this idea even further with this orchestra, and the answer came. It also completely changed my perception, which had made me think that what I had done up until then was enough. Even during the experiment, I thought, 'If I'd been able to do this kind of thing from a younger age, the way I've grown in music would have been very different.' Doing these kinds of nerdy things Pursuing each step one by one, how can I put it... it's a bit cliched to dismiss it as "interesting," but it really makes me think "music is amazing" and "sound is interesting." Isn't it nice to be able to think like that at my age? (laughs) And that gets through to the other members of the band. We decide the sound output thoroughly in band rehearsals, and play together while changing everything. That makes you more conscious of the finer details of your performance. When everyone starts playing while paying attention to the extremely fine details of the groove, like how long to hold the sound and when to cut it, even we, the musicians, notice the difference in the quality of the performance. I was really happy that the other members of the band could feel that too."
--Your band YELLOW FRIED CHICKENz first performed on stage at Kishidan Expo in November, then you did two Christmas shows, and now this one. You've had the experience of performing a lot of shows in a short period of time. "Even though Kishidan Expo only had four songs to play, we had been rehearsing just the band for nearly a month. And before the Christmas live performance we had been rehearsing for about a month, and they rehearsed like crazy. The reason for this was that I wanted them to meet the level of performance I demanded. I think that's why they were able to play at such a high level. That alone was pretty tough, but on top of that, this time each stage was about an hour and 40 minutes long, non-stop with no MCs, so we also had to build up the stamina to do that. In the morning they would come to my gym to train with me, then go to rehearsal, and then we would start working on putting the sound together, and then I would join in and check it in more detail, making any corrections before the next day. We did that every day, so of course it was tough."
--Just before that, GACKT-san, you also had the acoustic live tour "LAST SONGS" with K-san in March, but how did you feel and concentrate when switching from that? "Rather than switching between the two, I practiced them all at the same time. Because "LAST SONGS" is acoustic and has few instruments, I can lower my vocal output to the point where there is no sound at all. You can still hear me whispering. But if I were to sing like that with an orchestra behind me, it would be drowned out in an instant. I practiced a singing style that narrowed the range of my volume output very much, without increasing the range, and kept a certain level, during the "LAST SONGS" rehearsals, and tried to switch within myself. During the rehearsal period for "Maou Symphony", there was a film festival in Okinawa, and I set up a studio in the hotel and practiced until 4am. When you practice that much and push yourself to the limit, something goes wrong (laughs). My tension just rose, and I thought, "This is kind of interesting," and I felt, "I'm so happy that I can be so passionate about creating sound at this age."
-- I really felt GACKT's love and commitment to sound. What did you think about the set list? "Some of the songs have an affinity with classical music, and some don't, and I picked out the ones that had the most affinity and put together the album. Of course, I myself used to be a fan of classical music, so it's true that there are a relatively large number of songs that have an affinity with classical music, but if the arrangements were forced, it would be counterproductive, and if the people who come to see the show aren't moved to tears, with their hearts trembling and goosebumps constantly rising, and saying 'music is so amazing,' then there's no point in me going on stage."
--Did you discover anything new by singing your own songs in this arrangement?
If anything, I felt that there is a way of singing that is easy to convey in rock. When I sing "LAST SONGS," I sing in a whisper-like way, and when I increase the output, I increase it to about 80% of my limit, but on a stage with a lot of sound like "Maou Symphony," there is no need to make such a big difference in output. I always kept the output at about 50% to 75%. I am the type of person who likes to sing with intonation, so this live performance allowed me to confirm once again that "this sound comes out better" or "this sound reaches more."
--And you conducted the first three songs of "Four Seasons" ("Hakuro," "Day Breakers," and "Sakura, Chiru..."). Have you had experience of conducting before?
"I have never conducted before, and I did not practice at all when I stood on stage this time."
--Really?
"This is just my own opinion, but when we rehearse, I usually move my hands to get everyone in sync with the groove, and I thought it would be more meaningful to show the fans how I usually use my body to get everyone in sync with the groove in rehearsals, rather than how well I can conduct as a conductor. This time, I just did what I usually do in rehearsals. So, as a conductor, I don't really know if it's good or not. However, on the podium, I simply told each instrument, 'If you do it like this, it will get through to the performers. I want you to show more emotion here, to express yourself.' If you ask how it's different from a rehearsal, it's whether I have a baton or not, that's the only difference."
--Have you listened to the mastered version of this live CD, GACKT?
"I haven't heard it yet, but when I listened to the sound after we finished playing, I was moved and thought, 'this is amazing.' It was a finished product that would not have been possible without mixing. After so many rehearsals, thinking about all the outputs, and making sure that the PA didn't have to operate it, the sound is so cohesive. And since we're going to remix it once more, it will be of extremely high quality."
--You've said that you want to take this
"Even if we only consider developed countries, such as Japan, most prefectures have orchestras of various types, including public ones, but unfortunately, since the COVID-19 pandemic, some places have found it difficult for orchestras to continue. One reason why I want to create this with orchestras from various places is that, although the performance must exceed a certain level, which is of course the minimum requirement, I want to work with people who want to 'create a world view together.' You can't create something good just by jumping on the bandwagon and saying, 'Yes, we did it,' so there is a lot of meaning in creating something together, as we did this time. Rock and classical music are the same type of music, but the gap between the genres is very strong. Rock People who like classical music don't listen to it, and vice versa. But when rock and classical music truly fuse and become an ensemble, classical music fans will say, "I've never heard anything like this," and it will act as a bridge for people who have only listened to rock to see, "Classical music is so amazing." It will be very meaningful for both genres, and the more people who think that performing is a wonderful thing, the wider the music market will become, so I think that older musicians like us need to be the ones to provide that opportunity. I think I've reached an age where I need to do this as one of the things I need to do."
Source: Oricon.co.jp
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Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
Singer GACKT (51) held his first orchestra concert in 10 years in Tokyo on the 13th.
A total of more than 70 orchestra and band members wore masks and capes and performed standing up on a powerful stage. A total of 3,600 people were invited into a world that combined rock and classical music with two performances in the afternoon and evening.
As this was his first attempt, he expressed his dream of "doing this in various places in Japan and around the world from now on."
The concert was the conclusion of his 25th anniversary of solo debut. Looking ahead, he said, "I want to continue as long as I can continue standing on stage. First of all, 10 years. I don't know what I can leave behind, but I want to run."
Source: sponichi.co.jp/
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PhotoCredits: ntv.co.jp, hochi.news, cinema-factory.jp, tv-asahi.co.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
GACKT: "At the center of cultural dissemination" Red carpet on Kokusai Street, final day of Okinawa International Cultural Festival
On the final day, the 6th, the red carpet was rolled out on Kokusai-dori in Naha City for the "Island-wide Festival: Okinawa International Cultural Festival 2025" (organized by the festival's executive committee), the successor to the Okinawa International Movie Festival that closed in 2024. Despite the unfortunate rain, actors, directors, musicians, and comedians who participated in the festival appeared one after another, exciting the audience.
GACKT, who appears in the invited film "Blue Fight: A Breaking Down of the Blue Youth," expressed his hopes for future development, saying, "I hope more people will participate and make it more exciting, and that Okinawa will become a center for cultural dissemination. I hope it will also be an opportunity for new talent to emerge from Okinawa."
Source: ryukyushimpo.jp
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PhotoCredits: okinawatimes.co.jp, hochi.news, cinema-factory.jp, entertainmentpress.net
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA