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New Yoshiki LA Times Article

Beauty/Broken · 6808

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Offline Beauty/Broken

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on: July 24, 2010, 01:26:16 PM
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-yoshiki-20100725,0,3828773.story

Two paragraphs which particularly caught my eye and alarmed me are as follows:

But even while functioning as X Japan's co-founder and chief creative force, Yoshiki is prepared to go it alone. Asked if his band mates are as fired up as he is to win over the West, the drummer-pianist said, "Some of them are, some of them are not."

"I say, 'I'll do it with or without you guys,'" Yoshiki said at his North Hollywood recording studio recently. Attired in bondage trousers and a frilly pirate shirt, with winklepickers on his feet, he recalled leveling a hard question at his X Japan confreres: "'Are you following me or not?'"



Offline denx

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Reply #1 on: July 24, 2010, 02:12:37 PM
at that moment, i dont think toshi thinking about conquering america, because of his personal problem, thats why maybe some of them not fired up like yoshiki, but now? who knows? lolapollaza in  2 weeks?

Ex denxdenx


shane140

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Reply #2 on: July 24, 2010, 02:24:06 PM
Those quotes indeed caught my eye too, what would he do without the band? A concert full of piano and drum solos? XD I knew some of the members wouldn't want to do it. He sounds so selfish in from the looks of it.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2010, 02:33:10 PM by shane140 »



Offline Ann1958

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Reply #3 on: July 24, 2010, 02:29:21 PM
From when is this interview? Is it very recent or some months old?
I can't imagine him saying that, X Japan is his dreamband so far I thought.
Otherwise, thinking logicly, mayby Heath is not so fired up??? As long as I know, Heath is the only member who never performed in solo career outside of Japan. All the others did.
But I suppose problems are solved now, I have the impression the band is very close now.



Offline Ann1958

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Reply #4 on: July 24, 2010, 02:39:47 PM
I was very surprised reading this interview. It is so a totally other style than the Japanese and Europe recent interviews.
I have my doubts about the interpretings of this intervieuw. It seems to me being so 'un'Yoshiki-speeking style. But maybe I am wrong, I don't know.



Offline anna_lepard

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Reply #5 on: July 24, 2010, 02:44:38 PM
i heard story's about heath  told yoshiki that he saw x japan as a japanese band and did not like the direction x is leading now.
and there is a rumor is japan that i heard from my niece that yoshiki and toshi possible also pata have had  meeting with taiji behind heaths back and that there are problems inside the band.  but i don't know if this is just  rumor or true so please don't take this as words of mine (is that correctly spelled?) 


Offline Ann1958

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Reply #6 on: July 24, 2010, 02:53:10 PM
Anna, I think it is correctly spelled yes. And if not, who cares...we understand you perfectly  ;)



Offline anna_lepard

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Reply #7 on: July 24, 2010, 02:56:39 PM
thank you.  i'm always embarresed for my english...   


Offline Beauty/Broken

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Reply #8 on: July 24, 2010, 03:03:42 PM
Heath's problems in the band were very well documented last year, and Yoshiki went through an agonising couple of weeks attempting to resolve them. It was labelled by the band as being a "management issue", but after reading stuff like this it makes you believe that there may be more than meets the eye.

From recent interviews Sugizo seems to be very fired up for X Japan's activities, and Toshi has said on numerous occassions that he's fully committed to X Japan - but I can see how the idea of dominating the western market may not be a particular ambition of his. So if there is any dis-harmony in the band, the most logical assumption would be to assume it's coming from either Heath or Pata.

As for the idea of Taiji re-joining X... I don't think that's ever going to happen. No matter how much bad-blood Yoshiki and Taiji can put under the bridge, I don't think Yoshiki would ever ask him to return, nor would Taiji accept.



Offline anna_lepard

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Reply #9 on: July 24, 2010, 03:16:43 PM
I don't know the rumors very well since i have not been in japan for so long (i study in paris last year and now i'm located in amsterdam) i only go to japan when x play :-)  .   But i don't think it was about taiji joining the band it was about a meeting and it was behind heath knowing.   

I most admit, i agree with my japanese friends i do not like the new sound much. But i understand it most be very hard for yoshiki to find the right sound without hide-sama. x most move on and if some member feel the need to break in the western market then good luck to them.. if other members don't feel the need to break western markets then i respect them.. 

But i hope and cross my fingers that x japan won't end up as a strange mixture between violet uk and x japan.


Offline Ulquiorra

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Reply #10 on: July 24, 2010, 03:38:29 PM
I don't think "he's prepared to go it alone" should be taken as "the other members leave Yoshiki and Yoshiki goes to the US on his own" it could possibly mean he's prepared to go it alone mentally, even without the other members supporting him mentally in this, backing up his opinion.

Then again I wouldn't be too suprised if he actually meant he'd leave some of his members behind, he's always been selfish in some proportion, and despite how many times he's said recently in interviews all members are important to the song recording process, they all bring something to the table ect. imo he might not think that way about his mates at all. I don't see how any of the X members influenced the sound of the new songs, maybe Sugizo. But really it sounds like Yoshiki forcefully did all the composition himself again.
« Last Edit: July 24, 2010, 03:52:21 PM by Ulquiorra »



Offline Ann1958

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Reply #11 on: July 25, 2010, 08:40:58 AM
Rethinking at this Americain article: I really think American Journalist don't do their job good!!! It is too 'un-Yoshiki-speeking'. I don't believe this is correct reproduction of his own words! Look at the real interviews who were litereally reproducted all the years back. This is just an interpretation by a journalist! I am quite sure of it. So, don't believe those things.



Offline Snapback

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Reply #12 on: July 25, 2010, 10:06:02 AM
If it was an interpretation of Chris Lee it would have been more opinionated on the writer's own personal level. Please dont judge off of one American journalist's upon the whole country. Stop being such a fangirl.


Offline Ann1958

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Reply #13 on: July 25, 2010, 10:17:13 AM
Quote
Please dont judge off of one American journalist's upon the whole country. Stop being such a fangirl.

I will not judge off of one American journalist upon the whole country!!! That was not the intention  ;)
Thanks for calling me a fangirl  ;D That made my day!!!  ;D ;D



Offline Snapback

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Reply #14 on: July 25, 2010, 10:28:46 AM
Uh..whatever floats your boat.


Offline drivedrivebaby

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Reply #15 on: July 25, 2010, 04:56:19 PM
I'd say that if any genuine issues pertaining to band members exist (that's if) then this includes both Heath and Pata.

There seems to be general reluctance on Pata's part to really feature; he shows up, he does his bit, he's by far and large extremely reticent whether with his bandmates or the fans. I didn't follow Ra:In so I have no idea how he's like when he's with them, but where X is concerned he seems very "meh" about it all.

Whilst Heath wasn't there from the start, IMO he's as valid a band member as any of them. He's a skilled musician who has enough longevity and rapport with them to count as their bassist. Bonafide. I'm not saying this to discredit to Taiji - hell no, the guy is an awesome bassist and his tenacity in the scene is to be admired - but I doubt there would be much chance that he would ever replace Heath. Call me cynical but I believe that Heath's whole wanting to leave the band could have simply been a cleverly executed PR exercise to get fans on board. I'm guessing that for whatever reason he had to change management anyway and suddenly it occurred to someone that this could be the springboard for a fantastic PR stunt. And it was, because it worked.

And with the aforementioned worrying phrase from Yoshiki, could this be a case of 'twisting of words', possibly? It's not like the media isn't renowned for doing this XDDD whether deliberate or accidental. And especially as English is not Yoshiki's first language, things easily get lost in translation, misinterpreted and then blown out of proportion.




Offline andi3

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Reply #16 on: July 25, 2010, 05:12:16 PM
There seems to be general reluctance on Pata's part to really feature; he shows up, he does his bit, he's by far and large extremely reticent whether with his bandmates or the fans. I didn't follow Ra:In so I have no idea how he's like when he's with them, but where X is concerned he seems very "meh" about it all.

Has Pata ever been any different with X...? :)


Offline drivedrivebaby

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Reply #17 on: July 25, 2010, 07:47:56 PM
There seems to be general reluctance on Pata's part to really feature; he shows up, he does his bit, he's by far and large extremely reticent whether with his bandmates or the fans. I didn't follow Ra:In so I have no idea how he's like when he's with them, but where X is concerned he seems very "meh" about it all.

Has Pata ever been any different with X...? :)
There seems to be general reluctance on Pata's part to really feature; he shows up, he does his bit, he's by far and large extremely reticent whether with his bandmates or the fans. I didn't follow Ra:In so I have no idea how he's like when he's with them, but where X is concerned he seems very "meh" about it all.

Has Pata ever been any different with X...? :)

Not that I'm aware. That's precisely why I said it XDDD If there's any reluctance it seems most likely to come from him (not removing Heath from the equation at all though).



Offline andi3

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Reply #18 on: July 25, 2010, 08:53:33 PM
Ah ok. Well I don't think he's reluctant. I've always had the impression that Pata's just less "egoistic" or whatever... Just a guy who wants to play guitar in a band but not be the center of attention. From what I've seen him with other projects (not that much though) I think he's about the same. I might be wrong :) I can't see any reason why he wouldn't want to conquer the west.


Offline anna_lepard

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Reply #19 on: July 26, 2010, 09:35:12 AM
yoshiki does everything to get his fame overseas.. no matter how,  as long as he gets it..  and heath leaving x who truly knows. the future will tell.




Offline Beauty/Broken

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Reply #20 on: July 26, 2010, 01:37:03 PM
In regard to people saying that this interview doesn't sound like Yoshiki, I'd argue that it sounds exactly like Yoshiki.

In Japan it is expected of someone like Yoshiki to come across as being modest, shy and polite because etiquette is everything, therefore in interviews he speaks and acts as such. In America the culture is hugely different and as a result can conduct himself differently when speaking in English. Go watch the videos of Yoshiki's recent Q&A at Anime Central, in some places he comes across as being very crass and arrogant - that's because he is, it's merely a side to him that he would never show in public in Japan.



Offline Maverick

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Reply #21 on: July 26, 2010, 08:12:06 PM
Despite the slight impression of a talking merchandise machine, who's acting like (Pinky's) Brain, I'd also say that's definitely Yoshiki who's speaking ;D

Adding to Beauty/Broken, I'd say the difference between the Barks interview and that of LA Times is, that Barks and its readers know who they're talking to.
As for LA Times, Yoshiki's position is not that clear as he's seen as kinda newcomer. So come to think of it, if I wouldn't know Yoshiki, and had to describe him, my first question very likely might be 'Who's that guy that Hello Kitty made a special merch of him?' So I think this somehow alien impression is quite natural.
« Last Edit: July 26, 2010, 08:35:17 PM by Maverick »

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