2007.2.15
I think i was working on the arrangement of Seventh Heaven. We
did a lot of work on the chorus, asking a lot of people's opinions.
To get the chorus right, it requires both time and luck. For example,
when I was writing "New World", we had to confirm the chorus
within 4 hrs or so...but we were brainstorming, thinking and thinking...and
then at the end of 4th hour, it was like "Oh! I got it!" Thats
what I mean by lucky. But of course, its not always easy to get this
kind of luck. When it comes it comes, but sometimes it just doesn't.
During this time, I was working with this state of mind...
2007. 2.22
<-- Okonomiyaki
At the recording studio, they had this vending machine selling frozen
food...like the type at highway rest areas. The ones where they
microwave inside the machine. Anyway, at night, when there's no more
take out delivery, and i was getting a little hungry...but i've had
so much of the food at the Convenient store. Then, there's this vending
machine....of course you'll eat it right? (laughs) A few other guys
have tried the food from this machine already and after gathering their
feedback, it seems like the Okonimiyaki (Japanese style pizza) is the
most delicious. And, yes, it did taste very good after I tried it! You
know how they have Taipanyaki (the drum looking sweet bean cakes), This
okonomiyaki is like a taipanyaki with sauce and food inside. Thats why
although it doesn't really look like an okonomiyaki, it tastes like
one. And regardless, very delicious!!!
2007.2.23
Here at a studio in Aoyama area. I've been here a few times before,
but its kinda dark here and I don't really like it. But after you come
here day after day you'll stop thinking about it. Surprisingly good
actaully..(laughs). There's a waiting room in here which is very hard
to access. Its this small small room upstairs from a flight of spiral
stairs. So I took this area as my own territory and did some of my thinking
and lyrics in here :)
2007.2.25
We had people doing the arranging of Seventh Heaven, but somehow
i didn't like any of them and we had changed a few times. Afterall the
point is poison! (?) From the beginning its Dead or Alive (the band
not the game). Its so Pete Burns isn't it? So if we can't get that poisonous
feeling from all the areas other thant he vocals then we cannot win
over Pete Burns. So to get that out, and to still make it catchy...it
was really difficult. At the end, I had to go to Yukkie for a heavier
version, more violent version...trying a few different things. At the
end we got something close to what we wanted and during this period
we were working to finalize everything.
2007.3.4
At this moment I was writing lyrics for Shine. As this is a tie up with
anime, I had meetings with the producers. Surprisingly I really enjoy
writing lyrics after hearing what the producers of the anime want for
tie up songs. Of course, if they come up with something that is out
of my expectations then I have to start thinking how I will translate
their ideas into my song. But for this time we didn't have that problem.
I get very excited and want to see how much I can translate their visions
into lyrics. I have confidence in being able to do this, and I want
to express what they want in an even higher level. They are not song
writers after all right? So I want to be able to dig deep into the understanding
and express it. Therefore I get really excited.
2007.3.5
Recording last show of Pop Jam "As
One" and "Link". I think this was the first music show
Laruku ever went on..Pop Jam... I think we did Blurry Eyes at that time.
I remember being very very anxious and scared, and I coudln't even see
any of the audience don there (laughs). I remembered that feeling of
being stiff and still till now.
2007.3.8
These days I feel that i'm about to get sick. These days, I haven't
been feeling very good.. last year I had a cold every month almost.
Maybe I'm gonna die soon....(laughs)
2007.3.14
In the past, I always did my lyrics at home. But if you work at home..nobody
really knows that you're working right? "hyde's not here again..."
"he's playing at home...?" " is he really working on
it...?" people will still think so even though I might have worked
all night at home right? (laughs) I usually write lyrics when I have
time between recordings...but I feel that I have more progress in the
studio. And when I go into recordings,
its best if i start singing after my body wakes up. Because of that,
I have to wake up at this set time. If i shift my wake up time, and
right before the recording, then I have to wait for my body to wake
up and slowly it ends up shifting into the night. To prevent this from
happening, I force myself to wake up and be at the Studio by 1 o clock
no matter what time we finish the night before. But of course, I do
end up falling asleep...
2007.3.15
I always thought I don't know the ear monitors at the TV shows, but
this time for 15th anniversary Live I had ear monitors on and it was
surprisingly good. So we decided to make some really good ones, one
that will fit my ears perfectly. The ones that we made previously was
from over 10 yrs ago, but nowadays its become very compact and cool.
However this time (2007 Are you ready Live) I will not use the monitor.
Although, it is more stable if I wear them but I would also become more
calm and lose the emotions. Say my singing will improve, but somewhere
in my heart I don't feel used to it. It ends up feeling like i
have ear plugs on, and I would not be able to hear the audience's voices
as well. I don't want to get use to ear monitors, so I have to work
harder to compensate for the disadvantages from not using it.
2007.3.21
When we must do the recordings for the P'UNK~EN~CIEL tracks, Ken chan
was like "I don't know what to do..." and we were all having
trouble coming up with something good. Anyhow, today it seems like we
just had it and started making the demo tape right after the recording.
They were like "Hyde, go sing!" so they sent me in the vocal
booth, but you know when the intro plays and before i sing there's a
little break...and it got so funny that I couldn't stop laughing! So
I thought OK OK I'll stop laughing and calm down and sing. But i just
couldn't help it and kept laughing. That little "break" just
got to me somewhere and I couldn't get over laughing about it. So I
was like "Sorry guys I can't do this!!" ..so ended up, the
Laruku members were all listening closely to our
Manager sing in my place.
2007.4.2.
I have been coughing
a lot for a while and not feeling very well, so we wanted to push the
vocal recordings to the back..but then the recording was just going
so smoothly (laughs) So
I went to the hospital, but the doctor was really sloppy..He was like
"Oh...you must be very tired isn't it?" ....like telling me
stuff I already know. I know there's no medicine that cures a cold,
of course. Its only to ease the coughing and other symptoms. I also
know what the hell a cold is...so I didn't go to the doctor to have
him tell me stuff I already know....So I wanted to go and ask him what's
going on with me, but he just tells me that I must be tired.... what
the hell! Are you really a doctor!?? Makes me think that compared to
a doctor I can probably find out more info from the freaking internet...I
can check by my symptoms how it relates to my health. But anyhow, I
still like going to the hospital coz I can people watch (laughs).
2007.4.10
Pati Pati & CD Data photoshoot.
I was just soooooo sleepy today! Maybe for the first time in 15 years
of my career... I actually started dosing off in front of the camera,
and for 2 times! (laughs) I was really really sleepy seriously, so helpless.
But it was great that the location was at a very beautiful church.
2007.4.13
The editor Sasano san was discussing with us..how come when your eye
lashes are long its pretty but if your nose hair is sticking out its
not sexy? This reminds me of an event in the past...
I had a date with this girl. We were going for a ride to the beach,
a very beautiful place, she's cute, but...she had 1 nose hair sticking
out her nose.. (laughs) Its not like I will not like her just because
of this...but..at that age really I still had some fantasies about girls
.....so still.........it was pretty bad for me...(laughs). I mean...after
so many years now.. I still remember it. So you can imagine the impact
it had on me. I can't ever forget.
2007.5.15
Rehearsal day 1
2007.5.16
Rehearsal day 2
Since we just recorded these new songs, they're still fresh in my mind
and it was easy for me. Anyway it just all went smooth and didn't feel
particularly shitty at any part. This time we actaully got pretty picky
with the LIVE. Like we were deciding how the floor of the stage would
be like, starting from choosing the material. From the shape of the
stage to every other little detail we put a lot of thought in it. Up
until now most of the time we do give our opinions on stage set up and
stuff, but there actaully are times that we have never seen the stage
until we actaully got up there. That kinda sucked so this time I want
to make sure this time we get involved from stage Zero.
2007.5.30
These days I'm watching the TV show "LOST". I got the DVD
from someone, but I didn't have time to watch it during the recordings..so
I finally get to watch a bit of it now. Its very interesting! I'm very
weak to keywords like "deserted island". (laughs) I'm interested
in how they obtain items to help them survive, and how they use human
intelligence to survive in these environments. No food, so what do we
do? So we do this and do that to get food... I like that kind of topic.
And how they would get fire.. every little thing they need to do to
survive. And within these, which was the most perfect deserted island...?
I guess its "minami no shima Furoone" (animation) They have
plastic tree, and I just love stuff like this. But anyway back to "LOST",
this show is actaully more than just a deserted island story. There's
some more suspense to it. Its just very interesting. (Manager: So which
3 items will you bring with you to a deserted island?) Well you must
definately have a knife...and something to make fire, coz it will really
take me days if i had no help. Hmm what do we need to make fire? Lighter?
And then I need to bring another person with me to talk to. Or else
I'll be all alone and I'll go crazy and weird...I don't care who I bring,
even a dog.. as long as I can talk to...or else I will go insane, because
first of all I cannot live alone. Hmm haha I think I answered this question
pretty seriously? as if I am really gonna go now...(laughs)
|
