Translated from Pakila Music, 2007.12.26
Original Text: Tomonori Nakazawa.
Janne Da Arc's bassist, ka-yu, is now doing solo work under his real name, Kazuyuki Matsumoto. His first album, "Solid Beat", is already on sale. Continuing with his very intense compositions, his second album, "Solid Beat II", went on sale December 26. Currently, Kazuyuki Matsumoto is in the midst of his nationwide tour, "Tour Solid Beat ~Greed or Purity~". Furthermore, his original brand, "Solid Beat", now has its own online shop.
In the midst of intriguing, multifaceted activity, he gave us time to talk and focus on the musical aspects.
Are you enjoying your solo work?
Solo work in and of itself allows you to take things at your own pace, and I feel that it allows me to bring out my own strength (in terms of relaxing), so I do feel as if I enjoy appearing and things like that on my own.
As Kazuyuki Matsumoto, you've expanded your horizons into becoming a vocalist, too.
Hahaha. A vocalist, huh...to speak honestly, as far as singing is concerned, I haven't captured the depth behind it. Even so, I am having fun doing it all the same. In terms of my attitude when I sing, as well, more than just saying, "This feeling is strong, I have to make this stand out," the voice is just one instrument that can bring out a feeling, and just in that, no matter what I have fun while I'm singing.
I think you can see this by watching you on stage, but along with your guitarist, Kenta Harada, and your drummer, Ryu, you've been pursuing rock numbers. Just that in itself makes you look, visually, like you're having a lot of fun.
The sound that the three of us produce gives me a really good feeling, too. More than anything else, it's fun. It's just because the songs I've been writing seem to fit with the personalities of those two, but somehow, I'm not worried about the first time I bring a song out. Those two just play it the way they want to, as well. Of course, nominally, it's my solo project in the end. All of us, at least in feeling, are a band, surely. I think it's natural that it would become apparent how we feel, when we're doing our work being very aware of that.
Were you acquainted with Kenta-san and Ryu-san before now?
This is the first time I've met with Kenta-san, through this work. Though, I had a chance to be introduced to him through one of our staff members. For some reason, I was really happy, because we're able to have fun drinking together (Laughs). I guess that was the top reason that I decided, "Hey, let's go on stage together" (Laughs). And then, since our houses are close to one another, if we have something that we have to do, we can just drop by and get work done any time. Since everything progresses so quickly, we can really be happy working together.
Ryu-san, well, he's a fellow motorcycle guy. We knew that we were both musicians, and we had gone to see shows together sometimes. As for actually making music together, this was a first for both of us. Since I had always thought that I wanted to perform with Ryu-san sometime if I had the chance, this became a wonderful opportunity.
You've worked with them to create your two mini-albums, "Solid Beat" and "Solid Beat II". As one would expect, the two albums are the perfect partnership, aren't they?
When we were working on the first album, we had a much more positive response than we expected. At first, I was only planning on doing one album. I remember the feeling that if the response for the first one was huge, then the response for the second one would be even better, if I decided to do it. When we had mostly completed work on the first album, I thought, "I want to do live shows with my current members." If I were to do that, though, then the songs contained on one mini-album weren't going to be enough...so, because of that, I broke into creating a second album. As far as the result is concerned, they were released one after the other. It's not that I was originally planning two albums when I was writing "Solid Beat", by any means. It was just the result of that natural desire that arose in me in the midst of working on the album to the very last.
During your live shows, you present impulses similar to that which arises out of bodily sensation. But, in your sound, while it holds that same sort of physicality, there's a sort of stability in it that allows the listener to really enjoy its reliability.
I think the second album really holds that sort of consistency as well. However, it's not because I wrote it with a concept in mind. To put it strongly, I can call them "albums crammed full of the kind of music I want to listen to, that I also wrote". Even if they don't make people as enthusiastic, I'm happy just to have been able to have done albums that are good in this way.
From the songs you have recorded, Matsumoto-san, it also becomes quite clear in live performance that you're approaching things with your own musicianship and style as well.
For example, when I'm working with Janne Da Arc, the songs are already predetermined in many ways by both the members and the staff working on that particular work. We have a lot of meetings, and decide "Let's retire this song" or "Let's go with this song", but with a solo album, there's nothing like that at all. All you have is yourself saying, "Let's put the songs on there that I want to put on there." It may be because I initially composed all my songs on guitar, but I also get the impression that during live shows as well, all the songs I play are just there, really.
On your tour this past fall, despite there being many stages as well as several new songs, there was still a considerable presence in the pits.
At first, about half of my shows were new songs, so I was really worried as to what everyone's reaction to those would be. But, no matter where I went, looking at the reactions from the stage, everyone really got into it. Though getting thrown into the mosh pits and things like that, getting absorbed by them, that's just fun in itself, right?
Once again coming back to "Solid Beat II", what kind of album is it to you, Matsumoto-san??
It's the same as the previous work...no, I do get the impression that the songs on this album will be received by the fans much better. In a short time, the band's sound has really matured. It's an album where the sound has become really intense, right?
On the Limited Edition Release, you included a PV for "I don't care". What is it about??
At this point, it's not quite complete yet, but now we're just talking about shooting it. I think it's become something considerably dark, with somewhat of a sickening feeling. Even on the jacket, I messed myself up a bit, but with a look of "Oh, I'm not dirtied up at all". (Laugh) Somehow, that sort of dirty, underhanded, dark image isn't something that I'm really aware of as a part of myself, but in terms of embossing my performance, it's fairly easy to do. The sort of character that came out in production, a guy who's always getting into fights, if for whatever reason that part of my character is easier understood through this, then that's okay. Among those images, there's also the rocker type as well, and for me that's still the sort of relaxed, natural approach that I'm taking.
At the time of this writing, you're currently in the middle of your performances for Kazuyuki Matsumoto Tour "Solid Beat ~Greed or Purity~".
On the last tour, even though it was really short, I really felt that we grew as a band, and at the same time I was increasing my own skills, and that's what made me decide I wanted to do a nationwide tour. I was, of course, drinking a lot of warm sake with the members at the time (Laughs). Naturally, since we intend to do an intense show no matter where we perform, please come and check us out.
Regarding the fact that you're appearing under your given name, is there any conscious significance to that?
It's not that much to fuss about, now is it? It isn't that I really had a motive in the beginning to do so, and I wasn't saying "I want to do things under my real name", rather, it was that someone else suggested to me "What about doing something under your given name?" Of course, since it's a name I've been burdened with my whole life anyway, I didn't resist that, I just said "Okay." (Laughs.)
After the conclusion of this tour, are you planning on expanding your solo work further?
If I'm still having fun, I might still do shows. I haven't really thought about it that much at present, though. Just like me, though, if it's not fun for me anymore, I already decided a long time ago that I'd quit doing solo work. This way, I can keep doing whatever I find enjoyable for me.
Also included in your solo work is the founding of your original brand, Solid Beat.
Actually, when we were thinking about doing solo projects, the first thing I wanted to do was establish my own brand. I've always had an interest in design, and with an actual brand in Solid Beat, I can use the knowledge I have in creating silver accessories and western-style clothing and market it to others. As far as the brand is concerned, since Janne Da Arc is still going strong, if they'll allow me the time to do it I'd like to continue doing the fashion line. As far as that goes, I think I want to keep up with that forever.
The solo music that you've been doing, and the experiences therein, have become great fodder for that, haven't they?
It was an extremely new source of motivation for me. Until now, I hadn't appeared with anyone other than the other members of Janne Da Arc, after all. To be able to do work with a bunch of other artists allowed me to discover just how much that the work I had done with Janne Da Arc had become a little lukewarm on a personal level. (Laughs.) Since I mean that in the best way. (Laughs.) By being able to take on the influence of some different artists, the sort of mental fatigue that I was feeling, that I hadn't even been aware of, became clear in a very big way. In a sense, solo work has been an amazing source of motivation for me, as a bassist, to grow even stronger.
So...the work "Solid Beat III" may still be in the works somewhere? It has yet to be decided on?!
Currently, since the songs I wanted to hear have all been compiled on these two albums, if I find some other music I want to listen to, I'll have to make another one, won't I? (Laughs.) But, because "Solid Beat" and "Solid Beat II" are a set of works that present the song that my present self wants to hear in a natural, relaxed way, it's really just up to however I feel about it.