—Since the story has turned into flattery, I will go on to the next (laugh). About Chuyu, what are the circumstances of how you met?

I met Chiyu about 3 years ago. When I was having a meal with Aoi of The GazettE, it was Chiyu who came over and said “Can I call you junior?”  In fact, prior to that, we (Nightmare) had been an opening band with SuG. But since we didn’t have an opportunity to talk at that time, no backstage greetings and such, it actually felt like this was our first meeting with each other. After that, we got along perfectly while in Hokkaido.

—Both of you were on tour in Hokkaido at the same time?

Yeah, yeah. Since I knew Takeru from before, I had originally contacted him saying “Hey, if you are over this way, let’s drink together!”  Takeru replied with “But Chiyu is saying he wants to go too.”  I said “Well in THAT case, let’s all three of us go drinking!”  Somehow, we were getting along right away at that place! But that… it was mysterious; I wonder what you call that feeling, to drink with people you know out in a small town (not Tokyo metro)? You know what I mean?

—I guess changing the situation(location) makes the mood a little different from the usual.

What would it be…? It felt like we were hanging around on a trip, something natural and binding just happened by itself. I feel we had instantly “clicked,” despite the fact Chiyu and I still hadn’t known each other for long. Formerly, he was the delinquent of Amagasaki because he’s rambunctious (laugh); but even so, Chiyu is diligent.  He was recently doing solo bass vocals while SuG was on break.  When I went to that recent live, it was cool with awesome rock. SuG is essentially pop, is it not.  But Chiyu himself is also gifted as a rock musician, you know!

—You made the first recording of GREMLINS as you wished – with Kenzo, Mizuki, and Chiyu; what kind of feedback were you able to acquire?

July and August of this year have already been hell (bitter laugh).  August in particular, because there were various Nightmare things to do and I definitely had to write lyrics for this solo project; I thought it was impossible. But it couldn’t be helped; so I wrote lyrics while travelling, taking full advantage of the iPhone’s memo function.  I’m always hopping from place to place; but the day before yesterday (interview was early Sept), I finished recording the vocals for all 4 songs! Three originals and 1 cover song; the cover was hide’s [Dice].

—Continuing with the tributes, this is the second, right?

Fortunately, when I did [D.O.D] I received good reviews from people who are hide fans; but back when I was a junior high student, [DICE] was the first song I could copy perfectly on guitar.  Thinking along those lines, this would be my first time to sing, wouldn’t it? Since it was, I thought that for my first time as a vocalist, I’d choose the song that was my “first.”  I love this song!! I don’t even know how many times I’ve listened it (over the years). Fortunately, singing [DICE] was easy compared to my original songs.

—But this, isn’t its tempo a little faster than the original song?

It is 30 BPM (beats per minute) faster, so this time the guitar was wicked cool, you know. The song was surprisingly easy to sing really, but even so the guitar solo was fast! Especially places in the first half. Even while I was thinking “There’s absolutely no way I can play it like this!” I gave it my all (bitter smile).

—Surely hide-san would be pleased with the finished product.

Truly hide-san is a god to me, even now. If I hadn’t had hide-san, I surely wouldn’t be who I am now.  I have a real name as a person that my parents gave me at birth, but the one who gave birth to me as Hits and Hitsugi is hide-san. I say these kinds of things, and do things like have red hair; there are some people who might think I’m copying, but that’s not necessarily copying, is it. Even make-up, mine is thicker than hide-san’s (laugh).

—When I listen to this, I understand!!  Although it stays as faithful as possible to the original song, it is undeniably a cover rather than a copy.  It’s the end result when love is properly sublimed.

If I could feel that, I’d be happy. hide-san would probably not be pleased if I was just imitating. But even if I was told “You resemble him” I would be happy. What do they say? Isn’t it natural for a child to resemble the parent?

—That is what people say.

I was born and raised in hide-san. Though it’s completely subconscious, a part has been imprinted and I can’t help that. I’m not (intentionally) squeezing it out, but I can’t stop it from leaking out on its own. For me, hide-san is a life-long inspiration, not an end goal.

—A cover such as this is captivating, but in the first CD The Carnival, there’s a feeling which emanates from the original songs and it’s also very powerful. As long as you hear this sound, is it fine to think of GREMLINS music as rock ‘n’ roll at its core?

Exactly! This time, I was supposed to begin with KNZ, when we talked about “Well, I wonder what kind of songs we should do?”  we decided “Let’s play difficult songs which young people can’t play well. Maybe even ones that are a little weird.” In other words, it was “cool rock” but simple I guess. After that, I also wanted to do a ‘party rock” song.

—Anyway, RUKA’s band The LEGENDARY SIX NINE, finished recording without any of the members getting together at the same time; but for GREMLINS, it seems that particular aspect was different, right?

I wonder if it was the middle of August. The label asked us to come individually to Tokyo, even Mizuki, and then did a 2 day practice before recording. Each of us, without our respective managers, using an effect board, carrying our instrument in a soft case, going to the studio with everyone, even doing the settings themselves. Everybody was saying “It feels nostalgic! Like student-times.”

—For reference, I want you to tell me what kinds of things you thought the first time all 4 of you played together.

First of all, it was noisy (laughs). KNZ was loud, Mizuki was rough, and Chiyu was also quite heavy. But at first, Mizuki and Chiyu had been saying things like, “We suck!!  We’re not playing!”  even before the rehearsal; I was saying stuff like, “That’s fine. So I just won’t play at all.”  But KNZ said, “What the hell, you guys! Do it right!” acting angry, but with a smile. The scene was also a little interesting in previous rehearsals.

—KNZ… he is the band boss??

He’s like the band boss, being too serious (laughs).  It means that quite often when I say something, he thoughtfully considers it like “Then what should we do about that.”

—That’s downright reliable.

But, it’s not just KNZ, you know. Before doing GREMLINS together, my relationship with Mizuki and Chiyu was a “seniors and juniors” type of course; but since going out doing this together, for me specifically it has already gone.

—Because you are standing on the same playing field, right?

Essentially, we are members of the same band.  Even though officially they were “support.”

—Such a sense of intimacy and unity, have they even sprouted in the support team; and if so to what degree?

It seems so. During a conversation they said to me, “It’s okay if we don’t get paid, just let us do it!” (laughs).

—Good story!

Well as for the PV’s story, the production was rushed and there were also a variety of unforeseen circumstances; consequently, the PV did not turn out the way we had wanted.  But I was happy that Mizuki and Chiyu said the things they said. In the evening after the first rehearsal, the 4 of us went to eat for the first time as a group, it was fun, and it made me super excited.  Even though we had a rehearsal the next day, we drank until 6 am (laughs).

—Fun above all else, but after that was it okay?

There KNZ said to me “Tomorrow, you sing again so you drink too much because I have to sing again tomorrow.”   But you know, that’s probably the reason why it’s interesting and fresh. In NIGHTMARE, proposing to go eat with everyone after the rehearsal, we don’t do that do we? Gathering just the band, putting out the sound, and then after that eating a meal with everyone and getting excited; it just doesn’t get any better than that! “No, I’ll drink today because I’m so nervous. It’s not non-alcoholic, I go in “on alcohol!” I said.

—That stance itself is the epitome of rock and roll.

It’s not like I can’t have fun apart from NIGHTMARE, but I don’t want you to misunderstand. Buying a new instrument, putting on new strings, activities like these are exciting, aren’t they? As a feeling, I’d say it’s something close to that. I think it’s good, letting everyone listen to this recording early.

—By the time this magazine comes out, it’s likely the first CD of GREMLINS will have already arrived in everyone’s hands. We who have listened will be more than just a little surprised I think. After all, your singing is impressive and wonderful, like a natural rock vocalist. Also because people from those offices had sung and recommended it, I am convinced!

Really? Have I properly become a song vocalist? If I was, then all the effort I put into doing my best was worth it (laughs).

—During the recording period, isn’t it true that you were praised by the engineer?

He could have said the singing was tasty, and it evolved in a short period of time. But me, I don’t know that kind of thing too well.

—Your self-confidence as a vocalist is still not high up there?

Essentially I want to be a guitarist. However, compared to the first time, it might have improved somewhat. Since the starting point was “If you’re going to karaoke anyway, how unreasonable is it that the song be my own;” thinking about it, it might be that now I can sing to without resistance… to some extent.

—So far I’ve heard many Instrumental artists and their performances from when they became singers for their own solo project; your case seems to be that very rare successful story.

It’s something, but I feel a responsibility. Even during the making of previous NIGHTMARE CDs, every time I was recording I was keenly aware that I was making something that would last a lifetime. But up to now (the responsibility) was 1/5, if you divide by the number of band members. In GREMLINS there isn’t a dramatic increase in that ratio; however, the band “type” being a solo project, seems to increase my own responsibility. After all, what is most important; in music it is probably the melody and singing more than anything else. The responsibility to face this feels renewed and really big.

—There is the basic premise/ theory, of being on the go doing music according to Hits, right.

So it seems, not only for Hits, but for Hitsugi of NIGHTMARE too. Instrumental artists are another, they seem like us because they are doing the music on which the singing is based, of course; but Zozzy’s (YOMI’s) singing is the most important, right. If you had to do what Zozzy has been doing, no matter how you do it, it is going to be a burden. From the start of recording it was a state of trial and error; I worried about if it was really coming together.

—To be honest, we are hearing only the “finished” sound and I didn’t know that there had been such a great background. The feeling that singing is fun,  wasn’t it born inside you?

Fun…….?? Well I can’t say so yet. I will still stand up to fear; and I’m starting to care more about the finer details, such as pitch when singing. When playing guitar, I can go intuitively rather than thinking in my head; but with singing, that is not the case. I want to improve in that area somehow, even if just little, before the upcoming live. (The Gremlins live finished on October 19^th, before the release of this magazine.)

—Well come to think of it, I forgot to ask that one important thing. This solo unit, why was it named Gremlins?

You know, originally it wasn’t a band or even a unit (a wry smile).  From the outset, I was told “You’re doing a solo.”  So, “It’s the artist’s name” and it probably will not change from Hitsugi(kanji).

—For example, changing the way of writing hitsugi and HITSUGI would be the limit I guess.

It was unpleasant for me. I mean, I just couldn’t bear to be on all the billboards alone like that. So, consequently when it was said “What should we name this kind of style,” the first thing KNZ said was ALIEN. “Hey, isn’t JIRO (GLAY) doing THE PREDATORS? So if we were ALIEN, then someday it would be possible to do an ALIEN VS THE PREDATORS live”… wouldn’t that be cool?”

—It’s a movie joke, right?

Because KNZ and I both love movies, well… but that was a half joke chat while drinking. When you consider it as a musical thing, the name ALIEN might have given people the impression that our image was something cyber, or a little digital. So, that was a no go. The next thought that came to mind was “Gremlins.” I have liked Gizmo since way back when. I thought…. “He’s cute, isn’t he. And a monster-ish thing would probably even be good.”  And you know, I just noticed when I looked up the meaning of Gremlins, they say it also means being a mischievous fairy, in addition to self-enlightenment type of thinking and such.

—I didn’t know that.

This self-enlightening thinking is probably good. I feel that the name GREMLINS fits really well, I consider it a place for my own Gremlins. And, if this name, it’s not anything that can be restricted/ bound were this name. We can do rock, we can do digital, we can even do Gothic.

—Now of the remarks, it looks good even when caught in the sense that “this earlier” there. Regarding this year, although you’ve completed the first stage, did lives and the release, do you already have a vision for the next?

Far from being a vision, there are still two songs which we could not include this time. As far as the schedule for next time, nothing has been decided; but I will do it again someday. And I don’t know for sure, but ΚNZ also seems motivated; he does only the chorus, and yet for some reason he has recently gone to vocal training (laugh).  I’m not stopping after just once because I’m having fun with this.