A lifelong journey with music

From his 1992 major debut as guitarist for LUNA SEA, voracious pursuits as a solo artist, joining X JAPAN in 2009, and forming superband THE LAST ROCKSTARS in 2022, SUGIZO has built a prolific career in music. Standing tall as both a genius composer and a charismatic performer, he emanates an aura like no other.

We called on SUGIZO just as LUNA SEA embarked on its DUAL ARENA TOUR 2023 to celebrate the re-release of albums MOTHER [which was originally released on October, 1994] and STYLE [originally released on April, 1996]. Read over his thoughts on both LUNA SEA and THE LAST ROCKSTARS in this extensive interview.

“Personally, I’m not trying to stay young forever. Now that I’m as old as I am, let’s just say I set realistic expectations about my appearance.” —SUGIZO

To start, can you tell us the story behind how you all decided to revive the “arena tour” for your albums MOTHER and STYLE?

The idea started with a “redo” of the shows from back then… Well, rather than saying “redo”, “rebuild” seems more appropriate. Along with the tour, we planned to rerecord the iconic 1990s LUNA SEA albums MOTHER and STYLE. There were songs that morphed quite a bit from how they used to sound. There were also fan favorites like ROSIER, DESIRE, TRUE BLUE, and IN SILENCE that we played countless times live. We laid down everything as if we were performing on stage today. And so, the current tour features upgraded versions of these songs. In my mind, we’re not “reviving” as much as we are “rebuilding” things.

So, you’re not exactly looking to replicate the original setlist or the visuals for the current tour, correct?

Well, there are parts where we try to stay true to the past. For the setlist, we’re sticking to the original as much as possible.

Does this mean we’ll get to see some songs that haven’t been played in a long time?

Oh, yes. Definitely. Like songs that we haven’t played in about 25 years.

This is a huge treat for fans who’ve been following the band from the beginning. I’m sure you had a chance to listen through both albums as you planned the rerecording. How did you feel about your guitar playing, looking back?

It’s half and half. There’s a part of me that thinks, “These are some pretty good chops for someone in his mid 20s. Nicely done”. And at the same time, “This is too embarrassing. I need to turn away now” says another part of me.

What? I don’t remember anything embarrassing about your playing…

No, no. At the end of the day, we just didn’t have much experience back then. I was 25, 26. My sound was paper thin. I wasn’t at a level where I could put on a decent tone. But on the other hand, there were good things about that too… parts that seemed kind of edgy. But more than the playing or the tone or all the tracks that were laid down, what I value is that the songs themselves were good enough that we could still enjoy them today. And this goes for every song we wrote. I’m not embarrassed to say that we, as kids in our early and mid 20s, worked on music that we’d feel proud to listen to right now. I’d give my past self a hug if he were standing in front of me.

That’s probably because LUNA SEA created music that was unique yet still carried these qualities that could be universally appreciated.

It might sound pretentious, but I think this is true. We bore pieces that were timeless. The era around MOTHER and STYLE was pivotal in that we were able to solidify our own style. I feel like before then, we had wandered a bit, with respect to music, life in general, and what we stood for. We floundered through our first three albums and arrived at our fourth album, which was MOTHER. From then on, we proceeded without any doubt that we found our sound, what we could call our own work, and moreover, our way of life.

There’s an old saying that the third album for a band is usually a culmination of all the work leading up to it, and the fourth album is where things begin to differentiate.

To your point, our third album EDEN was the product of LUNA SEA’s explosive ascent, from our founding, through our indies career, and to our major label debut. Seems like you’ve been keeping a close eye on us?

Absolutely.

We kind of raced impulsively during that time. We frantically tried to bear work that we could call our own. But we hadn’t found it in ourselves. We felt rushed. But we discovered something irreplaceable in our fourth album MOTHER, and from there, we were able to build and define LUNA SEA. We became something that wasn’t like what other people were doing anywhere else in the world.

You rebuilt MOTHER and STYLE, which both hold so much significance. The tour is a must-see. Who came up with the idea of a revival tour in the first place?

I don’t remember who first suggested it, but in 2018 we revived our major debut albums IMAGE [which was originally released in May 1992] and EDEN [originally released in April 1993] with a two-day gig at the Saitama Super Arena. Those shows just felt so good to put on–much more than any of us had imagined–that we told ourselves to turn the revivals into a series. The next two albums were MOTHER and STYLE. It would’ve been fine to do another one-off event, but we naturally thought it would be even better to make it into a tour. So then it became a matter of when we were actually going to do it.
A little later, we completed our 10th album CROSS [which was released December, 2019]. We started touring off that but were stopped in our tracks from the pandemic. It took us all of two years to finish touring for our 10th album. For better or worse, the album and the touring experience became so burned into our brains that we decided to take a moment to step back to our roots. “Let’s remember how things were in the beginning. What we are at our core.” We told ourselves.

That led to talking about performing MOTHER and STYLE on stage again. And as we alluded earlier, we decided to make it into a tour. Since we were going on the road, we thought, “Why not celebrate with a release?” which put us back in the studio to re-record both albums over this summer.

I’m always so humbled by just how much you cram into your work. We touched on this briefly earlier, but you will also recreate all the visuals for the revival tour, correct?

I’m trying to stay quite true to my past self. Each member of the band might feel a little differently, though. I’m the type to think that recreating all the nuances of the past tour is part of the entertainment.

With that in mind, it’s amazing that your body’s been able to keep up after all these years.

To be honest, my figure hasn’t changed at all. Here’s what I wore on stage.

[SUGIZO shows a clip of LUNA SEA performing on October 7 and 8 at the Kanagawa K Arena]

Wow! That’s the same outfit from the original tour! Fans must have lost it when you walked on stage in that!

SUGIZO: You think so?

SUGIZO’s manager: Trust me, they went wild [laughs].

Right?

It was a near 1-1 reproduction of the costume from our 1995 tour.

At a glance, I can’t tell if that’s footage from back then or now. It’s hard work to stay in shape, but you make it look so easy.

I’m not sure if I see it as a struggle, but I do make an effort.

I see. When did you start putting serious effort into taking care of your body?

I’ve been training and taking martial arts since my 20s. I’ve always tried to be on top of my physical game, and before I knew it I entered my 50s. The biggest difference between my youth and now is that until about my 40s, I could start training with my usual routine for a week or two, and my body would pop right back into shape. But after I turned 50, it hasn’t been as easy to regain control. I can’t build muscle. I don’t put on weight easily, and my body quickly turns to skin and bones, so I want to get bigger. It’s been so hard to take control over my body that these days I need a trainer.

When it comes down to it, we produce less growth hormones as we age, so I’m mindful of food that helps build muscle and stick to a healthy lifestyle. Especially now, as we’re mid-tour, my body won’t last if I don’t prioritize these things. In my head, I live as an athlete. It’s unacceptable for an athlete to skip practice or training sessions before a game or competition. So this is what I’ve been telling myself for over 25 years.

There are a lot of long-time musicians who take more care of their health as they age, but it’s wise that you started back in your 20s.

Well, I didn’t put that much thought into it in my 20s. I went to the gym or took up boxing just because they were fun, but I never did these things with a sense of obligation as a professional who needs to work in front of people. It’s different now. I want to give everything I have and be the best version of myself on stage. There has to be time to prepare for that. I was irresponsible in my 20s, showing up hung over or sleep deprived. We could put on a show even if our bodies were beat up. Our bodies were quick to recover back then too, you know.

Unfortunately, we all age. I need all these things to be part of my calculus and work out a schedule and stick to a routine. No one in their 40s or 50s lasts if they act like they’re still in their 20s. Worst case scenario, it could end your life. Artists who work well into their 70s and 80s take great care of themselves. I’m sure they have their health under control as much as they dedicate themselves to music. It was just natural for me to think more like this over time.

I’m sure that all your listeners feel happy and encouraged knowing that you’re doing everything you can to remain energetic.

I feel honored hearing that. Personally, I’m not trying to stay young forever. Now that I’m as old as I am, let’s just say I set realistic expectations about my appearance. I don’t care if I get wrinkles. That’s just what happens at this age. Perhaps, I envision a goal of living about 10 years younger. That’s about it. That seems pretty attainable.

“After having played with LUNA SEA for so much of my life, I can say with certainty that LUNA SEA is my roots.” —SUGIZO

You kicked off the LUNA SEA DUAL ARENA TOUR 2023 at the K Arena Yokohama in Kanagawa. Tell us your feelings after performing this show.

First of all, I thought the K Arena Yokohama was spectacular. They really built a wonderful venue. I’m overjoyed to see such a great place go up in my hometown of Kanagawa. K Arena Yokohama sailed its maiden voyage with [the folk rock duo] Yuzu, and we were second. We were honored to be the second act to ever perform there. Regarding the show, we focused on playing our older songs, but it actually seemed very fresh, even more so than when we resurrected IMAGE and EDEN. We put our experience, age, and skill to work, and we fit into a groove with far more conviction than ever before.

With all that in mind, it filled us with pride to now rebuild these songs from 30 years ago. I don’t mean to force this on you, but if you listen to the rerecordings of MOTHER and STYLE, you’d feel like they were rock songs that were written today. They didn’t really age. During the rerecording process, we shed off every extraneous musical element and distilled only the best essence of our current selves.

In addition, we are fortunate to continue to have renowned producer Steve Lilywhite, whom we’ve been working with since 2019, mix everything down again. The songs we wrote back then are being performed with the skills we have now and are further elevated by an industry goliath, which all add up to world-class music. There’s this magic that sparks when you combine the past and the present, and that’s what leads us to our future. I can guarantee that these albums and concerts are of such high quality.

Both tour and the rerecorded albums are definitely worth checking out.

I hope they reach as many listeners as possible. More and more people of various age groups come to watch LUNA SEA perform. Fans who started following us back in the day are mainly in their 30s and 40s, but there are many others who are in their 20s and even teens. It’s truly an honor to transcend generations and to gather a diverse range of fans. The other day, a 17 year old boy stood at the front of the audience when we were recording our radio program.

Maybe that’s not so surprising for big-name artists with a storied career. There can be a time when you lose supporters as they age and drift away from your music, but you can also draw a new generation of listeners with a consistent stream of activity.

I’ve really felt this in the past 10 years. People who just found out about LUNA SEA aren’t that uncommon, and at the same time, there are longtime fans who become parents, take their kids to our shows, and the kids turn into fans as they grow older. I’ve seen a lot of this. It fills me with love. I think we’re doing the right things as a rock band that stays active for a very long time.

Completely agreed. I’m also blown away by the scale. It’s an entire tour of back-to-back arena shows.

Oh… really?

Oh? You don’t seem to make much of this?

No, I am extremely grateful to be able to pull it off. We haven’t held an entire tour of arena-scale shows since 2000. We’ve played at the Tokyo Dome and held one-off shows at arenas, but when it came to a tour, we rounded places like indoor concert halls. We’ve played in venues of all sizes, but our last tour of exclusively arenas was back in 2000. You’re right, that is a lot to take in.

It’s amazing you’re all going back to touring arenas after 23 years.

Well, we’re putting all our hearts into it. I trust it will be meaningful for those who get it. If you know, you know.

There’s no doubt that everyone is touched by this. I’ve been meaning to ask: Between all the groups that you’re actively involved with, is LUNA SEA still the one that’s most special to you? Or is LUNA SEA just one of several projects among which you equally distribute your passion?

After having played with LUNA SEA for so much of my life, I can say with certainty that LUNA SEA is my roots. It’s my home. There’s no changing that. It’s where I grew up, where I rose as a musician, and where I cumulated all my experiences. We once stopped, headed down our separate ways, and worked on our own thing. But in the end, we reunited.

A “family” might be the most obvious counterpart. Just because we’re a “family”, it doesn’t mean that, at our core, we’ll always agree on everything. There are family members who will never see eye to eye. However, there’s no denying that the bond itself is so powerful. In times when we get along or don’t, our ties as a “family” keep us in a priceless relationship.

Truth be told, I can’t say whether the members of LUNA SEA always get along or enjoy talking about the same things or even believe in similar values. We each have families outside of the band and live our lives there too, and that’s totally OK. But from the perspective of a band that comes together to make some noise, that joins as a harmonious unit to create music, there’s no one else that I’d call my “family”. They’re my roots, my home.

And so, I’m just thankful that we’re all doing well even to this day. A few of us had fallen ill, at times with life-threatening conditions, but we overcame that. I can only express feelings of gratitude that we’re still here after all these years and are able to go on stage together.

When I first saw LUNA SEA about 30 years ago, I was struck by how each band member stood tall with his own presence. I actually remember thinking how cool it was that you all didn’t seem like this group of five buddies out to have fun.

Right, I don’t think we sent off those kinds of vibes back then. These days, each of us works on our own solo projects, and those actually become what our lives revolve around. Even though we’re like an amalgam of five solo artists now, we all lock in when making music as LUNA SEA. In the band, we own up to our respective roles. That shift in mindset whenever we mobilize as a unit feels quite pleasant.

It goes to show how the five of you forged an act like no other. LUNA SEA is truly a one-and-only band.

I think so too. We’re very proud to call it our creation. We want everyone to see us play live and listen to the re-recordings of the two albums. It’s an expression of our current selves.

And in 2024, we want to write new songs. We want to create new music that represents us now. It’s definitely important to dust off our history after all these years, but I want the LUNA SEA today to deliver a fresh sound. As an artist, it’s our most primal desire.

I eagerly look forward to witnessing where LUNA SEA goes from here. Let’s talk about THE LAST ROCKSTARS next. What thoughts came to mind when YOSHIKI, HYDE, and MIYAVI approached you to start a new band?

Actually, the four of us had been talking about this since 2020. I was entertained by the idea, but I didn’t want to repeat what had already happened with S.K.I.N. We actually wanted even more band members–I specifically wanted a bassist and even toyed with the idea of a second vocalist–but settled on us four in the end. Our unit has no bassist, but I guess that’s OK [laughs]. There’s no official rule saying you can’t form a band without a bassist.

There are opinions on both sides regarding the absence of a bassist. When I saw your concert, I personally thought it was awesome how it was just you four on stage.

We don’t have a bassist, and that’s how we arrived at our sound. We had to support ourselves with synth bass and structure many of our songs with pre-programmed tracks. As a result, we found our music leaning more toward electronica and EDM. Unexpectedly, the tastes aligned with music from my solo projects. So for me, I feel confident now saying that this all steered our decisions in the right direction.

“This is just me, being myself; it doesn’t feel like I’m desperately gasping for air. The only thing I really want to ‘work hard’ on is training in the gym [laughs].” —SUGIZO

It’s fascinating how THE LAST ROCKSTARS makes music that you could easily dance to but also decadently clad in this sense of elegance.

“Decadence” is the key. I built my teens around “decadent”, “gothic”, and “dark” feelings, and they transformed into an aesthetic that’s just now a part of me. I love soul, jazz, and funk, and on top of that you have classical tastes, the psychedelic trance tastes. These are all important components of my musical elements, but at the core of my aesthetic lies what I draw from [the 19th century French artistic movement] Decadent.

I love the Decadent movement too, but it seems difficult to express musically.

It probably depends. For me, the idea comes naturally. There are surprisingly many psychedelic trance artists and those bordering on EDM who incorporate the Decadent movement. They got their start with some inspiration from the late 70s and 80s scenes in the UK. Those were the days of punk, post-punk, and new wave, and I myself grew up around positive hardcore and goth rock, which became the most important pieces of my own roots. I mean this in reference to both musical tastes and beyond. Like I said, it’s my aesthetic.

I can tell just how much the Decadent movement means to you. You’ve paid close attention to so many artists and have so many tools from the Decadent movement at your disposal.

I really do. They seep out naturally. Another person who you could call got his start with the Decadent movement and was heavily influenced by it is HYDE. Put two of us with similar tastes in THE LAST ROCK STARS, and you’re naturally going to get something that just reeks of Decadent.

For you, which were the bands that first pulled you into this genre?

They were bands like Japan, Bauhaus, and Gene Loves Jezebel. I loved that era of post-punk and also hardcore. YOSHIKI is of a slightly earlier generation and Decadent happened after he had already started, not when he first got into rock music. I got into the band Japan around the time it broke up. I was in the sixth grade then.

Kudos to you for digging Japan as a sixth grader [laughs]. I myself started with Japan and then fell in love with Duran Duran and Culture Club. From there, The Cure…

The Cure is the best, yeah?

Also, Depeche Mode…

Absolutely amazing [laughs]. I started with Japan. Well, to be more precise, it was more like [the Japanese electronic unit] Yellow Magic Orchestra and [the Japanese glam rock band] RC Succession. From Yellow Magic Orchestra and RC Succession, I moved onto [the Japanese synthpop group] Ippu-Do and Japan. Japan was the first western band I really got into. After that, I discovered my “Godfather”.

Godfather?

I’m talking about David Bowie. I was a sixth grader when Bowie released his 1983 hit Let’s Dance. That song was my foray into Bowie, and from there I dug into things like glam rock and the band Berlin. I reached peak Bowie fandom as a seventh grader, and although I also loved newwave acts like Duran Duran, Culture Club, and Kajagoogoo, they all seemed like successors to Bowie in a way. They felt like children looking up to big daddy.

This all happened when you were a seventh grader?

Yes. A year after I heard Let’s Dance as a sixth grader, I purchased my first Bowie record Changestwobowie. It was a compilation of hits, and the opening track immediately pulls you in with the 1973 song Aladdin Sane. I fell in love. I fell in love with the beauty. These expressions of Decadent from Bowie… I think that era became the foundation of musical opulence. As a fan of funk, soul, and jazz, I also love stuff off his 1975 album Young Americans.

You seemed to have a pretty early musical awakening. You’re legitimately all about decadence and indulgence. This reflects quite well in THE LAST ROCKSTARS.

I’m probably the one who opened up that part of us. In THE LAST ROCKSTARS, I play a six string bass called Fender Bass VI. I really love that instrument, ever since I saw it used by The Cure and The Beatles. Vocalist Robert Smith of The Cure had a great approach using the Bass VI, and I hadn’t really seen any Japanese musician employ it to similar effect.

Since THE LAST ROCKSTARS doesn’t have a full-time bassist, it was a perfect opportunity to fill the role with this instrument. There are songs that are supported by synth bass, others with MIYAVI modulating his guitar to sound an octave lower, and yet others where I play these lines that weave between guitar and bass sounds on the Bass VI. We had a good balance of these songs on our very first tour.

We all went wild when you picked up the Bass VI. Speaking of MIYAVI, he really plays the guitar with a distinctly unique style. What was it like performing with him as an ensemble?

In my 20s and 30s, I experimented a lot on the guitar, hoping to deliver novel soundscapes and approaches to the instrument. MIYAVI is of a younger generation, and when I play with him, he makes me feel old school, in a good way. We try to stay mindful of this contrast in our music. And just because my style feels relatively traditional, it doesn’t mean I’m falling back on these typical metal riffs of yesteryear. It’s just that until now, I saw my phrases as accents that add flair to the music. But with MIYAVI in the mix, he becomes the flair and I find myself laying down the backbone more often. MIYAVI doesn’t play “normal” guitar solos, so it becomes my job to take on parts like that. He’ll then throw down something even freakier. I think there’s a good balance between the two of us.

We don’t often encounter dual guitarists like the two of you. That’s one of the great appeals of THE LAST ROCK STARS.

I feel so honored to hear that. MIYAVI is exactly 12 years younger than me. Not only is it a breath of fresh air to play in a band with the newer generation, MIYAVI naturally wields musical and physical prowess that’s extraordinary by any measure. His artistry is so inspirational. And as someone who originally trained to play professional soccer, he moves with agility that shines far beyond many musicians I know. To be honest, MIYAVI has a huge advantage over me. He’s a born athlete, and he’s a dozen years younger. There’s no way my body can keep up with someone like MIYAVI. But because I have him by my side, he’s able to pull me up. He’s a great influence.

Sounds like there’s healthy interplay between you two. THE LAST ROCKSTARS began activities in November of 2022 and released its first single THE LAST ROCKSTARS (Paris Mix) on December 23 of that year. Then, the band embarked on its US tour in January and February of 2023. Can you share some impressions from your shows?

We’re all just getting started. After this first run, there were parts we felt good about and other areas that could see improvement. Overall, I’d call it a success, but I don’t want us to end up as the byproduct of beginner’s luck. I need to keep working on things moving forward.

With a superband like this, I’m sure listeners are expecting spectacular results from the start. But it always takes time for things to fit into place as a band.

That’s right. On August 3, we released our second song PSYCHO LOVE. We’re working toward the release of the music video now as well as our third song. We’re chipping away behind the scenes, but we all have to work on “YOSHIKI time” [laughs]. His sense of time is so different from the rest of ours, for better or worse. Maybe more bad than good [laughs]. We’d notify YOSHIKI, “We don’t have any time left. Are you aware how much time we’ve spent on this?” and he’d be like, “Really? Doesn’t feel that way to me at all”. Something that usually happens once every three months for most of us feels completely normal to do once a year or every two years to him.

Our activities may seem slow paced to everyone watching us, but we’re certainly moving forward. At the same time, I had two LUNA SEA albums to finish and an arena tour to put on. YOSHIKI had his solo classical world tour. Each of us has our own projects to pour over, so it may seem like THE LAST ROCKSTARS got placed on the back burner for a while.

Each of you has to put a pause on THE LAST ROCKSTARS to pursue your respective solo activities. But at the same time, this means that when it’s time for THE LAST ROCKSTARS to go on the move, you all give 100%

Yes. It’s just that for me, LUNA SEA and THE LAST ROCKSTARS are racing side by side right now. We haven’t made big announcements to the public yet, but the creative processes like writing new music never stopped. On top of this, I have songs to write for my own solo projects. The situation is pretty crazy right now. In the middle of LUNA SEA’s tour in November, THE LAST ROCKSTARS will play in Tokyo and LA. Also in November, I’ll perform as a solo act in the PEACE STOCK 78 music fest in Hiroshima. I’m actually one of the producers working on ecological efforts to make the festival greener and more carbon neutral.

What? How are you holding up?

Not well [laughs]. I can’t keep up with things. I’m behind on my writing. I need to go back into the studio after this interview. It’s a constant sprint. But it’s not like I see any of this as “working hard”. I let go of that mindset and am now just trying to finish what I can. This is just me, being myself; it doesn’t feel like I’m desperately gasping for air. The only thing I really want to “work hard” on is training in the gym [laughs].

Powered by: club Zy. and Vijuttoke.

Interviewer: Murakami Takayuki (club Zy.)

Original article: https://www.club-zy.com/contents/687545