Tuesday, March 02, 2004
. Where does the idea of having a biblical name come from? Does it have any particular intention? What is your connection with this mythical character?
>Maher. had been born as a sign before Assyria destroyed Samaria. Maher. would be born as a sign before political power destroys religious power. I would not like to be a part of both powers. I would rather be a ship of neutral, carrying treasure from modern Samaria to modern Assyria.
. Are you interested in religion or spiritual matters? Are you a religious person?
>If I were more aware of my needs of spirituality, I would have been a more happy person.
. As far as I know, this is your last album since the legendary 83-song Return Visit To Rock Mass. What have you been doing during this period of time? Could you draw different stylistic periods throughout the band history?
> While recording Return Visit to Rock Mass in early 90's, I was trying to run away from the world. Rock was too sinful for me or sin was too rock for me. I was not in clubs at nights and was not playing music until 1999.
. Why have you decided to record your new album at the East Kilbride Arts Centre in only 2 days in a country like Scotland? Does it have anything to do with the style of your music?
> I think it was not only 2days, though, anyway, it was short enough to avoid modern experimental childish adventures.
East Kilbride, where David Scott was working, was not a country town. It had two pubs and one musical instruments shop.
. How was the collaboration with David Scott?
>He paid attention to details like Phil Spector. To know him was to love him.
We felt like we were the Beach Boys.
. How is your relationship with The Pastels? How did you know them?
>I had already got their ilumination cd at virgin megastore before they suddenly phoned me.
Once Goddard made a movie about "life, trust, affair, music", and it was an affair of my life,
. Is it true that you see yourself as the ‘kings of errors’? What does it mean?
>Describing me as the king of error was the best excuse for having no time to rehearse.
. What do you mean when you described Maher's music as "gothic country"?
> It is not strange to hear that Johnny Cash covers Joy Division.
. Do you feel part of the psych folk scene?
>No, I don't. I am a punk.
. In what kind of music are you interested at the moment? What do you think of the Acid Mother Temple?
> I like Ethiopian ballads and blues. I have not had a chance to try Kawabata's acid yet.
. Are you interested in magic or the paranormal?
>I know they have been acting in a theatre called white and black.
. Why are all the tracks on this album so short? Are you particularly interested in fragmented narratives?
>They are just not worth repeating. You could loop it in your head as long as you like.
. Do you like to play with ideas such as ingenuity, amateurism, no-music?
>People tend to look that way. I myself has been trying to play music just perfectly always, and just would like to play music with someone who I like.
. Many reviews talk about the relation between your work and “the fall-out of political events that took place in Japan 20 years ago”. What does this exactly mean? Are there any specific political contexts or ideas connected to your work?
> It is said that an agent from North Korea gave financial support and spreaded the idea of "anti-japan". Many punks that time were involved in this "anti-jap"movement. The leftovers of these jargons still sometimes appear in songs.
. Why did you say in a recent interview that “the only current members of Maher are Masami Shinoda and Koichiro Watanabe”, being them two great players who are sadly now dead?
How do you communicate with them?
>I could play with them when they are resurrected.
. Are you interested in literature?
I am really into Murakami’s work at the moment, have you read it?
＞There are two Murakamis in Japan, who have been writing best seller novels constantly. One is Ryu Murakami and another is Haruki Murakami. I have recently read Haruki Murakami's "Kafka by seaside" and made a song of that.
. What do you feel about drugs? Have you got any interesting experiences/trips? Do you see any interesting links between drugs and music?
>I had tried any ups and downs when living in New York. If I were being there longer, I would have died. It was sure that my tempo became slower or faster than real time when playing the guitar after window pain or ganja. But all that I learnt was that a poor brain made a poor trip. I stopped taking any stuff including smoking since 1989.
. Is it true that you had a Suicide tribute band called Tokyo Suicide?
> Yes, I had been doing it with Koichiro Watanabe, who really committed suicide later though.
. Were you a member of the A-Musik collective. What kind of music did they play?
>A-music played political songs such as Brecht-Weill's, Frederic Rzewski's, L'internationale noir, varshavianka, etc.
. What are you next plans? Are you thinking of touring or recording a new record? Will you come to Spain?
>I have been invited to Europe tour for one month by silver mount zion recently. Touring around continental is like a dream come true for me, but It is still difficult because other members can not stop their work for their living.
>Maher. had been born as a sign before Assyria destroyed Samaria. Maher. would be born as a sign before political power destroys religious power. I would not like to be a part of both powers. I would rather be a ship of neutral, carrying treasure from modern Samaria to modern Assyria.
. Are you interested in religion or spiritual matters? Are you a religious person?
>If I were more aware of my needs of spirituality, I would have been a more happy person.
. As far as I know, this is your last album since the legendary 83-song Return Visit To Rock Mass. What have you been doing during this period of time? Could you draw different stylistic periods throughout the band history?
> While recording Return Visit to Rock Mass in early 90's, I was trying to run away from the world. Rock was too sinful for me or sin was too rock for me. I was not in clubs at nights and was not playing music until 1999.
. Why have you decided to record your new album at the East Kilbride Arts Centre in only 2 days in a country like Scotland? Does it have anything to do with the style of your music?
> I think it was not only 2days, though, anyway, it was short enough to avoid modern experimental childish adventures.
East Kilbride, where David Scott was working, was not a country town. It had two pubs and one musical instruments shop.
. How was the collaboration with David Scott?
>He paid attention to details like Phil Spector. To know him was to love him.
We felt like we were the Beach Boys.
. How is your relationship with The Pastels? How did you know them?
>I had already got their ilumination cd at virgin megastore before they suddenly phoned me.
Once Goddard made a movie about "life, trust, affair, music", and it was an affair of my life,
. Is it true that you see yourself as the ‘kings of errors’? What does it mean?
>Describing me as the king of error was the best excuse for having no time to rehearse.
. What do you mean when you described Maher's music as "gothic country"?
> It is not strange to hear that Johnny Cash covers Joy Division.
. Do you feel part of the psych folk scene?
>No, I don't. I am a punk.
. In what kind of music are you interested at the moment? What do you think of the Acid Mother Temple?
> I like Ethiopian ballads and blues. I have not had a chance to try Kawabata's acid yet.
. Are you interested in magic or the paranormal?
>I know they have been acting in a theatre called white and black.
. Why are all the tracks on this album so short? Are you particularly interested in fragmented narratives?
>They are just not worth repeating. You could loop it in your head as long as you like.
. Do you like to play with ideas such as ingenuity, amateurism, no-music?
>People tend to look that way. I myself has been trying to play music just perfectly always, and just would like to play music with someone who I like.
. Many reviews talk about the relation between your work and “the fall-out of political events that took place in Japan 20 years ago”. What does this exactly mean? Are there any specific political contexts or ideas connected to your work?
> It is said that an agent from North Korea gave financial support and spreaded the idea of "anti-japan". Many punks that time were involved in this "anti-jap"movement. The leftovers of these jargons still sometimes appear in songs.
. Why did you say in a recent interview that “the only current members of Maher are Masami Shinoda and Koichiro Watanabe”, being them two great players who are sadly now dead?
How do you communicate with them?
>I could play with them when they are resurrected.
. Are you interested in literature?
I am really into Murakami’s work at the moment, have you read it?
＞There are two Murakamis in Japan, who have been writing best seller novels constantly. One is Ryu Murakami and another is Haruki Murakami. I have recently read Haruki Murakami's "Kafka by seaside" and made a song of that.
. What do you feel about drugs? Have you got any interesting experiences/trips? Do you see any interesting links between drugs and music?
>I had tried any ups and downs when living in New York. If I were being there longer, I would have died. It was sure that my tempo became slower or faster than real time when playing the guitar after window pain or ganja. But all that I learnt was that a poor brain made a poor trip. I stopped taking any stuff including smoking since 1989.
. Is it true that you had a Suicide tribute band called Tokyo Suicide?
> Yes, I had been doing it with Koichiro Watanabe, who really committed suicide later though.
. Were you a member of the A-Musik collective. What kind of music did they play?
>A-music played political songs such as Brecht-Weill's, Frederic Rzewski's, L'internationale noir, varshavianka, etc.
. What are you next plans? Are you thinking of touring or recording a new record? Will you come to Spain?
>I have been invited to Europe tour for one month by silver mount zion recently. Touring around continental is like a dream come true for me, but It is still difficult because other members can not stop their work for their living.
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