Isshi's Road Through History: the way of Kagura
Part 10: "Kihou"
Part 10: "Kihou"
Colours are fragrant but they will eventually scatter... who in our world is unchanging? *(1)
Two months after Kagrra, announced their "demise". For part 10 of our irregular series, "Isshi's road through history: the way of Kagrra," the song "Kihou" from their last album "Hyakki Kenran" which is being released in February, has been chosen as the theme. What does Isshi want to talk to us about before the last tour "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~" starting soon, and the final performance "Shuuen~Sakura maichiru ano oka de~"?
Two months after Kagrra, announced their "demise". For part 10 of our irregular series, "Isshi's road through history: the way of Kagrra," the song "Kihou" from their last album "Hyakki Kenran" which is being released in February, has been chosen as the theme. What does Isshi want to talk to us about before the last tour "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~" starting soon, and the final performance "Shuuen~Sakura maichiru ano oka de~"?
The theme of this "Isshi's Road Through History: The way of Kagrra," was chosen to be the song "Kihou" from the album"Hyakki Kenran" which is being released on February 2nd. This is the first time we have an explanation of the song before the release, isn't it?
Isshi: Surely. This is the first time we're talking about something that everyone hasn't listened to yet. But, as for why I chose this song with this timing, I think it's obvious if you look at the lyrics. My current self, my past self, and the self that might be in the future. I'm depicting all three of those selves here. I put "Ki"*(2) in the beginning of the title, and I have an extraordinary attachment to these lyrics.
When was it that you wrote these lyrics?
Isshi: It was during the summer tour (Angya Hyakki Yakou～In～). At that time when we were swaying between the points of 'what will we do as a band after this?' or 'Will we finish or not?'
...Is that so? Coming to that, we have to start here by talking about Kagrra's "Demise" right? To start with, what was your mindset like at the beginning of that tour, Isshi-kun?
Isshi: Well, I was thinking that no matter which live, I'd use full strength in each place. Even though we still didn't come to the conclusion that it would be the end, maybe it was always crossing my mind that this could already be the end, so my mindset was that with I had no choice now but to go for the maximum limit with all my heart.
Well then, I think I'll ask a blunt question here. When it comes down to it, when did the first talk of this "Demise" start to come up?
Isshi: It was just before the tour that the conversation came up. The truth is, we were all talking about it before that tour and reached a conclusion. However, when it came to saying "we'll end", we worried could we do the tour with motivation like that? So we completed the tour as normal and said we'd continue with the conversation after that.
When we were going to "Angya Hyakki Yakou～In～" we were completely ignorant about that. We'd never guess the background circumstance of those performances... Certainly, you must have had mixed feelings about it, Isshi-kun.
Isshi: Mixed feelings, or should I say that whenever we played a live I'd genuinely think that Kagrra, is truly a good band. So, when I recognized that, I gradually turned toward my own inner feelings. That is, what I noticed when I lost my voice in Nagano. "Ah, I was tending to a dreadful husk..."
As a result, that performance at Nagano Junk Box was postponed to the day after, but what did you feel about your condition at that time??
Isshi： The truth is, before Nagano, my throat felt a little bit uncomfortable in Tokyo. Therefore, two days later in Nagano I was thinking "I have to take care" and diligently ate and slept, and didn't drink... I was doing all of that. If I went by my usual intuition, I should have been showing signs of recovery.
But even so...
Isshi: Yeah. For a while I thought I was cured, but when I woke up on the morning of that day, I really felt that even breathing was difficult.
Your airway being closed up is fitting for an inflamed throat right?
Isshi: As you'd expect, that's bad news for me. Even my ordinary talking voice was off, so in Nagano I immediately searched out 3 ENT doctors.
Were all of the diagnoses the same?
Isshi: Before a diagnosis, all of them told me "Because of your condition, we'll have to do emergency treatments." I even had to get steroid injections as a remedy. I've had difficult times before that too, so one way or another I'd get through it. Anyway, I said I'd sing for just one day, but they said "That'll be a problem with this perspective." When they took a picture of my vocal chords, the tendons on the left and right were completely swollen up and I understood that they wouldn't function at all.
Therefore the doctors ordered a break?
Isshi: They did, but in the end it was the staff who stopped me. I was getting an IV drip, and in my own way I seemed to be struggling until my breaking point. Just before the venue open time, I thought that I wanted to do it somehow or other, but then the production crew said "You should rest" so that day I had to give up.
I think it was surely wise for you not to do that.
Isshi: I think that's really true. The next day, when I went to see the doctor I usually go to, the veins between my vocal chords had ruptured and I was told to not move them at all. Moreover, I was told that if I were to sing in this condition, they'd go numb so I absolutely couldn't use my vocal chords.
That sounds like it was dangerous.
Isshi: Because if my vocal chords went numb it'd be the end. So it seemed like I'd have to get them back to how they were. Therefore, I had to rest for 1 week and practically not talk, and not laugh... that was my life. My friends and everyone were worried about me and called me a lot, but because I couldn't talk I didn't pick up. (laughs)
This might be a stretch, but... isn't it a possibility that your psychogenic background at that time influenced the poor condition of your throat?
Isshi: Yeah, that's... a possibility. Because I was singing at recording, rehearsals, and lives every day consecutively for around 3 months, for one thing I was fatigued, but more than that I was worked up, or should I say the part of me that says "This might be the end" could have been a strain on me emotionally. There are various things within the band, but when it comes to this, I think my head was surely full of this and I'd sing as best as I could but I couldn't make everyone who was coming understand.
Isshi: Surely. This is the first time we're talking about something that everyone hasn't listened to yet. But, as for why I chose this song with this timing, I think it's obvious if you look at the lyrics. My current self, my past self, and the self that might be in the future. I'm depicting all three of those selves here. I put "Ki"*(2) in the beginning of the title, and I have an extraordinary attachment to these lyrics.
When was it that you wrote these lyrics?
Isshi: It was during the summer tour (Angya Hyakki Yakou～In～). At that time when we were swaying between the points of 'what will we do as a band after this?' or 'Will we finish or not?'
...Is that so? Coming to that, we have to start here by talking about Kagrra's "Demise" right? To start with, what was your mindset like at the beginning of that tour, Isshi-kun?
Isshi: Well, I was thinking that no matter which live, I'd use full strength in each place. Even though we still didn't come to the conclusion that it would be the end, maybe it was always crossing my mind that this could already be the end, so my mindset was that with I had no choice now but to go for the maximum limit with all my heart.
Well then, I think I'll ask a blunt question here. When it comes down to it, when did the first talk of this "Demise" start to come up?
Isshi: It was just before the tour that the conversation came up. The truth is, we were all talking about it before that tour and reached a conclusion. However, when it came to saying "we'll end", we worried could we do the tour with motivation like that? So we completed the tour as normal and said we'd continue with the conversation after that.
When we were going to "Angya Hyakki Yakou～In～" we were completely ignorant about that. We'd never guess the background circumstance of those performances... Certainly, you must have had mixed feelings about it, Isshi-kun.
Isshi: Mixed feelings, or should I say that whenever we played a live I'd genuinely think that Kagrra, is truly a good band. So, when I recognized that, I gradually turned toward my own inner feelings. That is, what I noticed when I lost my voice in Nagano. "Ah, I was tending to a dreadful husk..."
As a result, that performance at Nagano Junk Box was postponed to the day after, but what did you feel about your condition at that time??
Isshi： The truth is, before Nagano, my throat felt a little bit uncomfortable in Tokyo. Therefore, two days later in Nagano I was thinking "I have to take care" and diligently ate and slept, and didn't drink... I was doing all of that. If I went by my usual intuition, I should have been showing signs of recovery.
But even so...
Isshi: Yeah. For a while I thought I was cured, but when I woke up on the morning of that day, I really felt that even breathing was difficult.
Your airway being closed up is fitting for an inflamed throat right?
Isshi: As you'd expect, that's bad news for me. Even my ordinary talking voice was off, so in Nagano I immediately searched out 3 ENT doctors.
Were all of the diagnoses the same?
Isshi: Before a diagnosis, all of them told me "Because of your condition, we'll have to do emergency treatments." I even had to get steroid injections as a remedy. I've had difficult times before that too, so one way or another I'd get through it. Anyway, I said I'd sing for just one day, but they said "That'll be a problem with this perspective." When they took a picture of my vocal chords, the tendons on the left and right were completely swollen up and I understood that they wouldn't function at all.
Therefore the doctors ordered a break?
Isshi: They did, but in the end it was the staff who stopped me. I was getting an IV drip, and in my own way I seemed to be struggling until my breaking point. Just before the venue open time, I thought that I wanted to do it somehow or other, but then the production crew said "You should rest" so that day I had to give up.
I think it was surely wise for you not to do that.
Isshi: I think that's really true. The next day, when I went to see the doctor I usually go to, the veins between my vocal chords had ruptured and I was told to not move them at all. Moreover, I was told that if I were to sing in this condition, they'd go numb so I absolutely couldn't use my vocal chords.
That sounds like it was dangerous.
Isshi: Because if my vocal chords went numb it'd be the end. So it seemed like I'd have to get them back to how they were. Therefore, I had to rest for 1 week and practically not talk, and not laugh... that was my life. My friends and everyone were worried about me and called me a lot, but because I couldn't talk I didn't pick up. (laughs)
This might be a stretch, but... isn't it a possibility that your psychogenic background at that time influenced the poor condition of your throat?
Isshi: Yeah, that's... a possibility. Because I was singing at recording, rehearsals, and lives every day consecutively for around 3 months, for one thing I was fatigued, but more than that I was worked up, or should I say the part of me that says "This might be the end" could have been a strain on me emotionally. There are various things within the band, but when it comes to this, I think my head was surely full of this and I'd sing as best as I could but I couldn't make everyone who was coming understand.
After that, in November last year, Kagrra announced via the official site that in March of this year would be the "Demise". I'd like you to tell us us about your reasons for choosing this word, "Demise," Isshi-kun.
Isshi: Well, there are various things about it that I heard from everyone. But, basically it's as it was in the content of that official announcement. As you'd expect, from this point we'll stand on the stage one more time, so we were thinking that we mustn't let go of this great thing we hold onto now.
Ah, so it was like that?
Isshi: Naturally, we're fixated on the thing called "Wa", and up until now we've been doing it as such, but when you get down to it, the 5 of us each have our own perceptions and sets of values with regards to "Wa", and they're pretty different, you know? It's exactly because the 5 of us have made such a thing, that there are a lot of worlds of 'Wa' that we've constructed. But from here on, I wanted to search for another world of 'Wa' with a different form.
Although you say that, Kagrra will have its "Demise" after continuing for more than 10 years. Don't you have any natural hesitation?
Isshi: Of course there's that. Considering it, I was thoroughly worried. But, I think Kagrra now is a band being supported by various forms all around us. When I think about that, I think that I must become a man who stands with my own strength from here, so that's one of the reasons.
Isshi-kun, you thought about it until you reached such a thing?
Isshi: When I think about everything up to this point, I think that if it's not conceited to go forward as one man based on my own merit, then I'm no good. Surely, my companions in the band up to this point are very important to me, and I've felt many blessings from the staff members who have supported us. However, can I rely on them forever? I don't want to be such a man.
However, it still feels like there's a touch of loneliness in the word "Demise". Because it's a word that carries the meaning of the end of life, at any rate.
Isshi: That is exactly why it's "Demise." Because Kagrra, has fulfilled its lifespan as Kagrra,.
In our society, there are a lot of convenient words such as 'indefinite hiatus' and 'suspension of activity', but Kagrra, is quite honest.
Isshi: After all, we didn't want to do something strangely incomplete. Because all of the members have the same feeling about this. Especially because we're a band that has made a great number of songs with the motif of sakura, we have to be aware of the moment they fall. Sakura are beautiful precisely because they fall with grace.
So you're sticking to the aesthetic? I can sense that intention from the words you've put together in this song "Kihou" too.
Isshi: This has a lot of loud encouragement for myself. At a glance, it might look a little like ordinary negative words, but I think it's good to be able to laugh off these words in the future.
Incidentally, when it comes to expressing the world of "Kihou" in photographs, why did you go for this kind of appearance, Isshi? Up until now, you've had overwhelmingly Japanese-style clothes for this project, but this time you surprised us with Western-style clothes.
Isshi: That's because it carries the meaning of starting to fight alone from this point on.
My point is that it's not a samurai figure, right?
Isshi: I have this kind of typically Japanese sense of having my roots in a blend of Japanese and Western styles. Besides, I'm simply attractive like this, right? Very Visual. (laughs)
A German-style military uniform and a Japanese sword, this combination has a lot of aesthetic value.
Isshi: Furthermore, this Japanese sword is my own effort. It's something that represented the world of "Kihou", but it's even closer to the world of my hobbies. (laughs)
On one hand Kagrra, has a lot of elegant, beautiful songs, but on the other hand you've also composed various songs such as "Guilty" and "Hi no Moto" where your tough chivalry shows itself, Isshi. These pictures are full of that kind of strong will.
Isshi: That's because I want to protect the things which are most important to me. I want to decide everything for myself, and not do the things I don't want to do. When I say such a thing, there are people who say "That's something a child would say" but it's different from that. It's exactly because I'm an adult that I choose my own will.
Well, there's one more thing I want to ask about here. Have you been thinking specifically about what kind of activity you want to do after the "Demise", Isshi? I think that's surely on the minds of all of our readers.
Isshi: I don't think anything in particular will change. Even when Kagrra, ends, I'll keep being Isshi, I intend to keep singing, because without a doubt there's nothing more than "Wa" for me. Therefore, when I stand on stage again someday, the people who see me might be thinking "Hasn't anything changed?!" (laughs)
But surely if you go independently, you'll want to anticipate the changes that emerge.
Isshi: What this means is that surely the things I'll express from now on will be even deeper. There are points I still don't know with regards to how that will come alive, but when I delve into the world I want to pursue for myself, by myself, won't it seem to be brand new? As for Kagrra, I always keep saying "Where Kagrra is, is where everyone is," but I'll be watching over that place from now on so I don't want anyone to worry.
However, there are still several big tasks you have to do before that, as Kagrra. In February, the album "Hyakki Kenran" is being released, and then you'll be going on the tour "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~". Furthermore, on March 3rd at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, there's "Shuuen~Sakura Maichiru Ano Oka De~" right?
Isshi: First of all, with regards to the album, I can confirm that this is a work we've composed entirely without compromise. If there are beautiful songs and sad songs and even eerie songs, the world that is truly characteristic of Kagrra will expand.
I want it to be a work that depicts things even deeper than human emotions.
I think there might be a chance to do an interview in detail in this magazine on a later day, but it's truly a work with a wonderful level of completion. As often as I listen to it, the "Demise" seems all the more tragic.
Isshi: That's right. I strongly feel that it's not a disgrace for the band called Kagrra, that this would be our best work.
As for "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~" which will be the last tour, what kind of stance do you intend to have?
Isshi: As we first planned, we intend for this to be a tour to promote our album with the focus on our album. And it will culminate in "Shuuen～Sakura Maichiru Ano Oka De～" which I think will be a live to surely unify our 11 years as Kagrra,.
...This year, I think the coming of spring will seem lonely, and not like spring.
Isshi: But I want to make it a fun live as much as possible. Up until now, lives for me have always been about expressing things precisely and singing perfectly, I was paying attention to things like that more than anything, but just for this last live on March 3rd, I want to share that room genuinely and naturally with everyone.
In other words, you want to end with a smiling face.
Isshi: That's exactly it! Ahh, but I don't have confidence that I can smile until the end of the end. (wry smile) But because this is a new departure for us, let's make it a lovely night with everyone.
Isshi: Well, there are various things about it that I heard from everyone. But, basically it's as it was in the content of that official announcement. As you'd expect, from this point we'll stand on the stage one more time, so we were thinking that we mustn't let go of this great thing we hold onto now.
Ah, so it was like that?
Isshi: Naturally, we're fixated on the thing called "Wa", and up until now we've been doing it as such, but when you get down to it, the 5 of us each have our own perceptions and sets of values with regards to "Wa", and they're pretty different, you know? It's exactly because the 5 of us have made such a thing, that there are a lot of worlds of 'Wa' that we've constructed. But from here on, I wanted to search for another world of 'Wa' with a different form.
Although you say that, Kagrra will have its "Demise" after continuing for more than 10 years. Don't you have any natural hesitation?
Isshi: Of course there's that. Considering it, I was thoroughly worried. But, I think Kagrra now is a band being supported by various forms all around us. When I think about that, I think that I must become a man who stands with my own strength from here, so that's one of the reasons.
Isshi-kun, you thought about it until you reached such a thing?
Isshi: When I think about everything up to this point, I think that if it's not conceited to go forward as one man based on my own merit, then I'm no good. Surely, my companions in the band up to this point are very important to me, and I've felt many blessings from the staff members who have supported us. However, can I rely on them forever? I don't want to be such a man.
However, it still feels like there's a touch of loneliness in the word "Demise". Because it's a word that carries the meaning of the end of life, at any rate.
Isshi: That is exactly why it's "Demise." Because Kagrra, has fulfilled its lifespan as Kagrra,.
In our society, there are a lot of convenient words such as 'indefinite hiatus' and 'suspension of activity', but Kagrra, is quite honest.
Isshi: After all, we didn't want to do something strangely incomplete. Because all of the members have the same feeling about this. Especially because we're a band that has made a great number of songs with the motif of sakura, we have to be aware of the moment they fall. Sakura are beautiful precisely because they fall with grace.
So you're sticking to the aesthetic? I can sense that intention from the words you've put together in this song "Kihou" too.
Isshi: This has a lot of loud encouragement for myself. At a glance, it might look a little like ordinary negative words, but I think it's good to be able to laugh off these words in the future.
Incidentally, when it comes to expressing the world of "Kihou" in photographs, why did you go for this kind of appearance, Isshi? Up until now, you've had overwhelmingly Japanese-style clothes for this project, but this time you surprised us with Western-style clothes.
Isshi: That's because it carries the meaning of starting to fight alone from this point on.
My point is that it's not a samurai figure, right?
Isshi: I have this kind of typically Japanese sense of having my roots in a blend of Japanese and Western styles. Besides, I'm simply attractive like this, right? Very Visual. (laughs)
A German-style military uniform and a Japanese sword, this combination has a lot of aesthetic value.
Isshi: Furthermore, this Japanese sword is my own effort. It's something that represented the world of "Kihou", but it's even closer to the world of my hobbies. (laughs)
On one hand Kagrra, has a lot of elegant, beautiful songs, but on the other hand you've also composed various songs such as "Guilty" and "Hi no Moto" where your tough chivalry shows itself, Isshi. These pictures are full of that kind of strong will.
Isshi: That's because I want to protect the things which are most important to me. I want to decide everything for myself, and not do the things I don't want to do. When I say such a thing, there are people who say "That's something a child would say" but it's different from that. It's exactly because I'm an adult that I choose my own will.
Well, there's one more thing I want to ask about here. Have you been thinking specifically about what kind of activity you want to do after the "Demise", Isshi? I think that's surely on the minds of all of our readers.
Isshi: I don't think anything in particular will change. Even when Kagrra, ends, I'll keep being Isshi, I intend to keep singing, because without a doubt there's nothing more than "Wa" for me. Therefore, when I stand on stage again someday, the people who see me might be thinking "Hasn't anything changed?!" (laughs)
But surely if you go independently, you'll want to anticipate the changes that emerge.
Isshi: What this means is that surely the things I'll express from now on will be even deeper. There are points I still don't know with regards to how that will come alive, but when I delve into the world I want to pursue for myself, by myself, won't it seem to be brand new? As for Kagrra, I always keep saying "Where Kagrra is, is where everyone is," but I'll be watching over that place from now on so I don't want anyone to worry.
However, there are still several big tasks you have to do before that, as Kagrra. In February, the album "Hyakki Kenran" is being released, and then you'll be going on the tour "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~". Furthermore, on March 3rd at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall, there's "Shuuen~Sakura Maichiru Ano Oka De~" right?
Isshi: First of all, with regards to the album, I can confirm that this is a work we've composed entirely without compromise. If there are beautiful songs and sad songs and even eerie songs, the world that is truly characteristic of Kagrra will expand.
I want it to be a work that depicts things even deeper than human emotions.
I think there might be a chance to do an interview in detail in this magazine on a later day, but it's truly a work with a wonderful level of completion. As often as I listen to it, the "Demise" seems all the more tragic.
Isshi: That's right. I strongly feel that it's not a disgrace for the band called Kagrra, that this would be our best work.
As for "Angya ~Hyakki Yakou ~You~" which will be the last tour, what kind of stance do you intend to have?
Isshi: As we first planned, we intend for this to be a tour to promote our album with the focus on our album. And it will culminate in "Shuuen～Sakura Maichiru Ano Oka De～" which I think will be a live to surely unify our 11 years as Kagrra,.
...This year, I think the coming of spring will seem lonely, and not like spring.
Isshi: But I want to make it a fun live as much as possible. Up until now, lives for me have always been about expressing things precisely and singing perfectly, I was paying attention to things like that more than anything, but just for this last live on March 3rd, I want to share that room genuinely and naturally with everyone.
In other words, you want to end with a smiling face.
Isshi: That's exactly it! Ahh, but I don't have confidence that I can smile until the end of the end. (wry smile) But because this is a new departure for us, let's make it a lovely night with everyone.
Notes:
*1 - This is the first two lines in the Iroha poem.
*2 - The song title kihou is written as 鬼咆 which are the kanji for 'Oni' and 'Roar'
The lyrics to Kihou can be found here.
*1 - This is the first two lines in the Iroha poem.
*2 - The song title kihou is written as 鬼咆 which are the kanji for 'Oni' and 'Roar'
The lyrics to Kihou can be found here.