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Yoshiki Translation

lakeisle · 1928

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Offline lakeisle

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on: February 13, 2019, 11:16:44 AM
(This is a thread for petty and unimportant translations related to Yoshiki. I’ll post it here little by little.)


I discovered an artist named Yumi a few days ago, and it is incredibly interesting to investigate her. The other day, I read a post on blueverse(longtime X fan)’s blog. She was watching this show in real time in 1993. According to her, Yumi was already a great figure in Japanese music scene. Yoshiki, on the other hand, seemed to be obscure to the general public back then. The blogger watched the show and thought “Who is that naughty brat with a weird makeup?” Anyway, it is interesting to hear about the differences in the composing styles of the two composers.

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av14213250/



Tamori’s Music Station, January 4th, 1993 
Guest : YOSHIKI, Yumi Matsutoya(Yuming)



Tamori  : You’re going to introduce another guest today?

YOSHIKI : Yes, my close friend Yuming.

Tamori : Ah, is that so?

YOSHIKI : Yup.
 
(Yuming shows up)

Yuming : Hello! Happy new year!

Tamori : Happy new year! Have a seat please. 

YOSHIKI : It’s been a while.

Yuming : Right? What’s it been, like, half a year?

YOSHIKI : I don’t think so. It will be about 3 to 4 months. 

Tamori : Is it long to know each other?

Yuming : But I’m surprised! I’ve seen only his no makeup face. It’s the first time.

Tamori : I’ve seen only his makeup face. 

(Yoshiki pours champagne to Yuming’s glass)

Yuming : In LA, I made him sweet red-been porridge with rice dumplings.

(Yoshiki pours champagne to Tamori’s glass)

Yuming : He came over to my place.

Tamori : Did you cook sweet red-been porridge for him? 

Yuming : Yes.

YOSHIKI : (keep pouring champagne) Feels like I became a bar hostess.

Yuming : That’s why they’re partners.

Tamori : I heard that you play drums with such a really fast phrase?

YOSHIKI : Yes. 

Tamori : Is it true that you write the musical notes at first?

YOSHIKI : Ah, I write it all. I write drums on the score and then play it. I suffer under it later. “What shall I do?”, “Well, let’s do this”... like that. (Swinging  arms)

Tamori : Oh, do you?

YOSHIKI : At first, only on the score...

Yuming : Do you make choreography as well?

YOSHIKI : So when I write the music score and play the drums at the same time, choreography goes in it like this. Since my body was broken once, I went to see multiple doctors and heard that a circular motion is good for humans, if I bounce like this completely. 

Yuming : Wow, that’s so interesting!

YOSHIKI : But the best thing is the mark of infinity(∞). Energy doesn’t stop there, as it comes back.

Tamori : Before you play the drums, do you listen to the song first and then write the music score?

YOSHIKI : No, I mean, I make drum scores. When I record, I put a music stand here, and there is someone who turns over pages. I play the drums while reading the music sheets that are being turned.

Yuming : In the meantime, does your body remember the beat?

YOSHIKI : Right. I remember it before concerts, but when I record it, I read the score.

Tamori : Is there a drummer like that? In the world?

YOSHIKI : Everyone is surprised. Even overseas people.

Tamori : Well, is there a page turner?

OSHIKI : Yes, there is.

Tamori : It must be hard to turn over pages while playing ta-ra-ra-ra-ra. You are the first person in the world.

YOSHIKI : I guess so. But I’m pissed off if they turn the page wrongly. Because I do it at the risk of my life.

Yuming : You are likely to be scary when you get angry.

Tamori : You seem to be incredibly strict about music. 

YOSHIKI : When I face music, my personality changes. Yes.

Tamori : (To Yumi) Do you have such a side? Inside of you?

Yuming : I’m easygoing.

YOSHIKI : Yumi is a genius though. I think of myself as a hard worker.

Tamori : There is no showy hard worker like him. Hard workers are more plain. I don’t think there are any male hard workers who put on makeup. You are amazing though. I have to do my job properly. Should I practice biting remarks a hundred times a day? “No, no, no, no, you swine!” something like that? (To Yumi) Is there something you abide by musically? “I have to this” such a thing.

Yumi : I have a habit of daydreaming. I enjoy drifting about a daydream. Weird thing is when I take a bath, I hold a Barbie doll and think “I want to be like this”. It’s like image training.

Tamori : Musicians are weird. Do you necessarily carry the doll when you take a bath?

Yuming : Not necessarily. About once in 3 times. 

YOSHIKI : Holding a Yoshiki doll.

Yuming : Yes, a Yoshiki doll.

Tamori : There’s something like this.

Yuming : Ah, cute! Awesome! I wanted to make these things in the past. I like this.

YOSHIKI : Well, let them make Yoshiki’s friend Yumin.

Yuming : Wow, that’s nice! make it, make it.

Tamori : Tamori dolls are probably sold at pharmacies now.

Yuming : Is the doll wearing a hat?

Tamori : No, no, it is merely a simple guy. Here it is. (Hand the Yoshiki doll to Yumin)

Yuming : Thank you. I’m happy. When I go home, I can hook it up with Barbies at home.

Tamori : So in LA, are you still making songs there? The topic went back to music.

YOSHIKI : Yes. 

Tamori : How do you make it? Using the piano? 

YOSHIKI : I make it using the music score. 

Tamori : Just as it is, on the score?

YOSHIKI : Yes. Rather than catching the sound heard while playing the piano, writing from the scratch has less limitation. There is expansion in sound.

Yuming : Nothing surpasses imagination.

YOSHIKI : Agreed. There are limitations in expressing it with the piano, and my fingers have some habits. I think melody is more immortal because there is no limitation.

Tamori : I think I know what you mean. So do you write it on the score abruptly? 

YOSHIKI : I do. Afterwards, I distress myself “How to play this?”.

Yuming : If you play it ahead?

Tamori : If you make a sound ahead, there will be the world to that extent. It becomes narrow.

Yuming : Yoshiki plays the instruments but I’m a vocalist. Rather than my voice is heard, it get into my brain through the inner ear. At that time, there is a place where I can feel of temperature somehow before you are restricted by touching the piano. There is a place where I feel comfortable when I sing.

YOSHIKI : I love Yuming's voice so much. You know what, I feel the air is trembling. It feels like you are vibrating the air more when you sing than when you speak.

Tamori : It is unique. I don’t think I can hear your song though.

Yuming : I don’t think I’m motivated to sing. I’m extremely emotional.

Tamori : Oh, really? (To Yoshiki) By the way, do you remember the song of Yumi you first heard?

Yuming : I’m shy. 

YOSHIKI : I heard a lot of songs of Yumi. But last year, oh was it the year before? When I collapsed while playing the drums...

Tamori : You collapsed.

YOSHIKI : Yes. My friend made a tape and there was Yumi's song in it. Was the title “Airship”?

Yuming : Oh my, come on. There is a song called “Airplane Cloud”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HInQDjCCRc

YOSHIKI : Ah, airplane, airplane... I’m sorry. I’m going to be blamed by your fans. 

Yuming : That’s OK. Even if you know the song, the title is hard to remember.

Tamori : True. The title is... 

YOSHIKI : It is the first album of Yuming. Well... the song was about the time falling. No, isn’t it the rain of time? 

Yuming : I don’t know what song you’re referring to.

YOSHIKI : Uh, the song about hugging your shoulders. The street of time...

Yuming : The street of rain(雨の街を).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inf_B9mcT4Q

YOSHIKI : Sorry.

Tamori : (To Yumi) Even you don’t know well, I think. 

YOSHIKI : Oh yeah! I love the song. I heard that song by chance at that time and thought what kind of song it was. I’ve been listening to it all along. 

Yuming : Let me try it here. (Stand up and head towards the piano)

Tamori : Ah, awesome! This is luxury. 

(Yumi starts playing the piano)

Yuming : This song?

YOSHIKI : Yes. it is good. Yumi is in the background.

Tamori : Very good.
 
♪ The rain of dawn is milk color, into a quiet street~
♪ Comes down whispering, O fairies~
♪ If someone gently hugs my shoulders~
♪ I can walk anywhere far away~~
♪ I can walk anywhere~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inf_B9mcT4Q

(applause)

Tamori : This is luxury!

Yuming : Is that so? I like it. In this cozy place, voila! I’m a high class Geisha! 

Tamori : This is a high class. This is good! 

Yuming : I mean, I don’t feel like singing on TV at all. Now, I forgot that it was TV. I like things like salon musicians. 

Tamori : This is luxury. Drinking champagne and listening to Yumi as a background music. It was good to be an entertainer.

Yuming : Really? Don‘t tell a lie. 

Tamori : Really.


-------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI8Y6WxTwZ4

BTW, I watched this video and really love her. She has energy of craziness.





Offline pt_93

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Reply #1 on: February 14, 2019, 03:25:50 AM
I never saw this interview before! Thank you so much for the translation, you are the real MVP <3 <3



Offline lakeisle

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Reply #2 on: February 23, 2019, 02:36:12 AM
I watched this video and it contains a very interesting analysis on X Japan. I really relate to this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXWGpQqMEP8
(6:30~10:10)


"I like heavy metal, in particular European melodic speed metal. When I used to listen to X Japan, I merely thought that they
were a band with speed and oriental flavor. After listening to a lot of various music and then I listened to X Japan again. Finally I was able to feel that the music level of them was very high. Helloween is considered to be the origin of European melodic speed metal.  This genre has explosively grown since Helloween made its debut. And I dare to say that X Japan has established Asian Melodic Speed metal on the other side of the globe. It is a band with tremendous musicality.

X Japan's melodies of oriental scale are very impressive. The songs are beautiful, lyrical, and at the same time, very speedy. These are very rare. Most heavy metal or speed metal dash with dry and sharp elements. Whereas X Japan adds other instruments and a beautiful orchestration in it so that the melody line becomes distinct. I believe that X Japan succeeded in establishing a unique musical territory of itself.

The Blue Blood album has a lot of melodic, powerful and speedy songs in it. Their unique musicality reached the peak in the song called Silent Jealousy. I've listened to a lot of awesome speed metal. In my opinion, Silent Jealousy is one of the top.
 
As far as I know, a great bassist, the late Taiji's arrangement and the ability of metal approach significantly influenced to create the masterpiece. I value Taiji as a great musician. Taiji mixed the symphonic attempts made by Yoshiki with the metal to enhance the perfection of the music. This cannot be done without a great musical technique. Without musical skills, it can be tacky or awkward.

It is awesome that they have been doing this since early on. The quality of symphonic speed metal has risen dramatically since the Rhapsody of Fire, and the metalic elements have crossed over the the classical melodies. Symphonic speed metal songs have come out since then. X Japan, however, has already been making such attempts in the late 80s. And in the early 90s, they established a symphonic speed metal musically. This is a great achievement.

It is thanks to the unique oriental culture. Because the East places importance on melody. And the oriental melody is the musical characteristic of X Japan. They could go one step further because of it. The combination of Western speed metal and oriental melody produced the progressive music.