Activity
pix by Misao Soma
Activity
What drives me into music is my anger toward current
music, art, and life in general. I play music to make these things better. Frankly
speaking, I think the music industry is corrupted. Same thing with dancing and movie
industries. They only support what they think will sell. They can't care less about
the others. Especially in Japan. People get information only from the media. So people
are not informed of what's left out by the media. The end result is that people are
stuck with some cheapy commercial music provided by the media, and don't get exposed
to anything beyond that.
Is it people or the media, who are to blame?
Both. Some of my fans come to my concert only because I look good or because it's
funny, not because they like my music. Or, they like my music only to the extent
they can appreciate. Anything beyond their understanding, anything unfamiliar, they
can' t take it. That frustrates me a lot, and that's the engine for my music.
Punk!
Yeah, exactly.
As to my future plan, I'm not sure yet. One of the things I'm doing is some performing
arts with dance, motion pictures and arts. In music, what is commonly called jazz
is one, like the Shin-Okubo Gentlemen live we just did today, and ethnic music, especially
Arabian and Indian music which is what I am known for, and pop music. Besides I want
to work in the mass-media, working with major artists and things like that. I personally
think that Japanese music should be categorized as an ethnic music.
Apart from that, I've been wanting to make my own band with my own original music.
So far, I mostly worked with my friends, and some other people. It's high time that
I make my own music. It'll be like British rock or punk, maybe not punk, but something
like Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Kate Bush. I love them. That's what my music will
look like.
Is it ok if I mention it in the home page?
Yes, please. That's what I should be starting with, actually. I was hoping that people
will expand their horizon if I play lots of different kinds of music. But I realized
that they are getting really narrow-minded, like "I only like ethnic music".
That's not what I want. I want people who say "I like heart-warming music"
or "I like simple music" to listen to radical part of rock music. I want
them to feel my anger through that.
Actually, I express my anger the best in my performing arts. My sense of struggle.
But my music fans don't come to see my performing arts much. I don't advertise much
either.
Why don't we?
It'd be great if you could do that in this home page. The reason why I don't advertise
my activities is that I believe people should find what they want by themselves.
If I give them the information, it doesn't help change the situation. People still
don't do anything other than accepting whatever is provided, this time by me, instead
of by the media. I want them to find out about my activities by themselves. That's
why I don't advertise. I know I am being contradictory. So...I want to fight against
narrow-minded media or people, by entertainment.
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