CA4LA MUSIC CONNECTION vol.11
9mm Parabellum Bullet
The turning point until I grasped the essence of explosive live performance
For artists, there is always some kind of turning point in the process of creating works and the source of their activities from time to time.
"CA4LA MUSIC CONNECTION" is a serial project in which we interview artists about what was a turning point in their activities and ask them to respond.
The 11th artist to appear is 9mm Parabellum Bullet.
Since their indie debut in 2005, 9mm Parabellum Bullet's fusion of explosive live performances in which the members go wild and pop melodies with popular song nuances has attracted attention, and they made their major debut in 2007. In 2009, he had a successful one-man show at Nippon Budokan, and in 2013, he opened his own agency and further expanded the range of his activities. In 2016, guitarist Yoshimitsu Taki had an accident that forced him to temporarily suspend live performances due to an arm injury, but he continued to perform live with support members, and in 2017 released his masterpiece "BABEL". announcement. Since Mr. Taki's return, he has established a new live performance as 9mm with support members, and his career has continued without wavering from the essential aspects. As they prepare to release their memorable 9th album this summer, we asked frontman Takuro Sugawara about the changes in his attitude towards live performances and about collaboration items with CA4LA.
Text by Atsutake Kaneko
Photo by Kana Tarumi
Interview: Takuro Sugawara
“Let’s just go wild, whether or not we can play it is secondary.”
Speaking of 9mm, their explosive live performances in which the members go wild have been a hot topic since their debut, but how was that style originally created?
Sugawara: Half of it was a prank, or at first I was like, ``It's more fun this way.'' When we were assembling the band, we'd have a review meeting at Kamijo-kun's house after a show, and we'd watch videos of that day's show, eat cup ramen, and drink beer, and one day we'd say, ``The waterfall was really wild today. There was a day when I was like, ``It's good for everyone to go wild.'' Around that time, I used to go to see bands like ENDZWECK at live houses in Yokohama, and all the bands from that scene were really wild. Even though there were moments when they were going wild and not being able to play at all, they still looked cool, so we wanted to do a live show like that too. That was the beginning of the 9mm identity, and it was like, ``Let's just go wild, and whether or not we can play it is secondary.''
Were you conscious of your customers?
Sugawara: At first, there were no customers (lol). I think it gave us a sense of accomplishment when people from the opposing band saw us, and when our friends saw us and said things like, ``You were so wild. Wasn't today a good day?''
In an interview at the time, it was said that the excitement of the audience changed drastically after their first one-man show at Shibuya O-NEST in February 2007.
Sugawara: At the end of 2006, we performed on the RADWIMPS tour, and I think a lot of people got to know us then. Even before that, their albums from their indie days were lined up in a lot of CD stores for an indie band at the time, and their name recognition was gradually increasing, and then there was the RADWIMPS tour and their appearance on COUNTDOWN JAPAN. Partly because of that.
He said he was starting to feel a sense of anticipation, like, ``It seems like there's going to be something amazing called 9mm.''
Sugawara: Maybe that's what he thought. Up until then, we had only been playing against bands and at events, and I had never felt the excitement of performing in front of an audience that was just us, but when we played with nest, we thought, ``This is a one-man show,'' and played the highly pure 9mm. It felt like I was experiencing it live for the first time. However, of course we were happy that there were so many people, but that doesn't mean we're not a call-and-response band, and it doesn't change what we do; we just try to put on an intense and exciting live show. I'm sure the audience came to the concert because they wanted to see that kind of live performance, and I think that's why we matched. It's like, "What's this?" and it makes me laugh a little.
From there, the situation seemed to accelerate all at once, leading to their one-man performance at Nippon Budokan on September 9, 2009. What meaning did that one-man day have for the band?
Sugawara: ``Budokan is a goal for Japanese rock bands,'' but I didn't really think about 9mm that much. So, I thought it would be amazing if we could combine the intense staging and the fun of the songs in this size, just like we had done at live houses. So, on that day, there was actually a lot of energy, and we played "Black Market Blues" towards the end of the show, and the red lighting was added to the heat, and it felt like it was on fire, like the bottom of a hellish pot ( (lol), I really remember looking like that from the stage.
Did your attitude towards customers change around that time?
Sugawara had released two major albums and sold out various venues on tour, so I think he was thinking about a lot of things... But looking back now, our songs aren't call-and-response, and it's not like we're all singing together, so we thought about how to communicate with the fans, and we had to stage things even more intensely, which made it even more exciting. There were times when it was quite difficult to feel a complete sense of accomplishment. ``The performance didn't go well, but it was good as a live performance,'' or conversely, ``The performance was great, but the live performance wasn't very exciting.'' We dealt with these gaps one by one as we made our way to the Budokan. I guess it was like that.
“Black Market Blues” at Budokan was the result of all that work, and it must have been the moment when the band's performance and the excitement of the audience matched perfectly.
Sugawara: Regarding the lyrics, that song was one of the first songs where I started thinking about how I could have an effect on the listener, not just with prose lyrics, but with words as well as sounds. I guess that's where the peak of energy gathered.
“Let’s keep it in place so it can be sold at any time.”
In 2013, he opened his own agency and established his own label the following year. What was this period like for the band?
Sugawara: I thought it was time for us to take responsibility for ourselves. I originally grew up watching scenes like Hi-STANDARD and BRAHMAN, and I thought it would be best if we could control ourselves. Then, it was decided that we would play Budokan again in 2014 to mark the band's 10th anniversary, so we thought it would be exciting to go independent and play Budokan at that time. Also, we made an album called ``Dawning'' in 2013, and I feel that it was an album that showed everything the band could do at that time. I think we felt a sense of satisfaction and thought, ``If we can create something of this level of perfection by self-producing, then why not do it ourselves?''
Has your attitude toward live music changed in any way since becoming independent?
Sugawara: On the surface, I don't think much has changed. 9mm is basically the type that doesn't get influenced by the surroundings that much, and even back then I thought, ``9mm is 9mm after all.'' As a band, they were very accomplished and confident in their live performance, and I think they were able to perform at a high level without hesitation, thinking, ``I can show you this,'' rather than just being blind to it.
Talking about the music scene, in the late 2000s, bands with intense staging appeared all at the same time, but in the 2010s, music festivals have become commonplace and have become easy to understand. , that's why the call-and-response type of bands became popular. Under such circumstances, 9mm was able to become independent quickly and stand on its own two feet, which is why we were able to maintain our identity without being conscious of the scene, right?
Sugawara: When a new style comes out, you get interested, don't you? So, we often think about trying out some arrangements like that, but as soon as we do that, we become a band that doesn't seem like us (laughs). When 4/4 dance rock was popular, if we tried playing a song like that, we'd think, ``It's different,'' and in the end, when we all chose the lead song, it had nothing to do with what was popular. The songs that really stood out were naturally chosen. In that sense, I've always thought that we were a good band in the Galapagos state, so now that we're independent, we're like a complete island (laughs).
The Japanese music scene as a whole has become a Galapagos in a sense, so 9mm's approach of first building up their own fan base and then expanding it little by little, rather than just throwing the ball somewhere else, is very much in keeping with the times. I think it also matched.
Sugawara: I think we were very lucky, but sometimes, half-jokingly, we said, ``Let's do it right so we can sell it at any time.'' When we get a chance, if we're confused, we'll miss it, so first of all, we have to make the work properly. I was thinking about that a lot.
``More than the members, what's important is the song itself and how to express it.
I think it was definitely a turning point for Taki-san in 2016 when he had to temporarily suspend live activities due to an arm injury. I think there was an option to stop and wait for Taki-san to come back, but what were your thoughts behind the decision to continue the live show with support members?
Sugawara Minoru was thinking of taking a break. During the tour, Taki's condition was unstable, so we decided to stop our activities once this tour was over. But the next week's live show wasn't good at all, so I said, "I'm retracting my previous statement!" We don't understand why we're going to take a break because we can't stop in this situation, so we decided to just do what we can. Therefore, Taki decided to temporarily suspend live performances and continue performing live with support guitar. It was difficult at first, but I was able to do it because I had the mindset of ``I'll do as much as I can.'' Another big thing was that Taki wasn't just taking a break from live performances; He made an album called ``BABEL''.
Live activities were temporarily suspended, but it seems like you made a lot of music while you were there.
Sugawara: That's right. That album was about 99.8% composed by Taki, and then transferred to the band's performance. It's very unusual, but Taki provided me with the concept and hints for the lyrics, and I think that was the reason why I wanted to create something so condensed. So, the first half of the tour was a reenactment of "BABEL" with two support guitars and five members, and the second half was a normal live performance with one support guitar and four members, but depending on the part, there was a waterfall. We put out the sound source that he had played during the recording, and we played along with it, and even though Taki wasn't on stage, there were moments when I felt like, ``It's really 9mm right now.'' There's definitely a feeling when 9mm is playing a really good live show, and normally you'd think, ``It's got to be these four members,'' but beyond that, there's something called ``band-likeness.'' I thought it might be possible.
Even if we didn't have all the members together, we could still create a ``band-like'' feel.
Sugawara: ``Mr. 9mm'' is there. There are bands that have been around for a long time and no longer have any of the original members, but the band name remains the same. So, rather than the members, I think what's important is the song itself and how to express it.
Last year, a reenactment of "BABEL" was held with Taki-san back in action. What was your impression of it?
Sugawara: ``BABEL'' is an album full of passion (lol), so I realized once again that they had created something amazing. It requires a kind of athlete-like performance, but I don't think I would have been able to move forward without that kind of work, and after making that album, the way I write lyrics and compose music has changed since then. In that sense, it was a big work.
The first half of last year's tour was a reenactment of "BABEL" and the second half was a reenactment of two indie records. How was the second half?
I felt like the song was asking for something similar to Fushigi Sugawara and back then. When I was playing ``BABEL,'' I couldn't go wild at all. Because you have to play it properly. But indie songs have a lot of space, so wow! I can run around the stage like that, but my playing has gotten so much better. Although we say it ourselves (lol).
In the early days, whether or not I could play it was a secondary concern, but now I can play it perfectly even though it's wild. That is the result of 18 years of experience.
Sugawara: In the past, I would focus on staging rather than performing, and I would say things like, ``I'm sorry for all the rough play today,'' but now I've achieved a high level of enjoyment with that kind of roughness and live performance. That's what I think.
"It feels like we're performing a 9mm program. I feel more and more like, 'We just need to show this.'"
Naturally, I think the coronavirus pandemic has become a turning point for live performances. After the cancellation of tours and the implementation of live streaming, live shows are slowly returning to normal life, but based on your experience over the past two years, how do you feel about live shows now?
Sugawara Live is the same as all of my other activities. I always think, ``I want to perform live,'' and I want to perform on stage, and I think that's why I compose songs. However, I did some live streaming in 2020, and at first I was worried that it would be boring, but when I tried it, it surprisingly didn't turn out that way. When we were assembling the band, there were no customers at all, and we were looking for a sense of accomplishment in our own staging, so it's similar to how we felt back then. In fact, since we have salesperson, we even joke that there are a lot of people. That said, of course it's completely different than usual without an audience, so I thought it would be nice to perform for salesperson and then reach the other side who are watching it on stream, but first of all, we have to play for ourselves. The important thing is how far you can go and how much you can achieve.
Over the course of his 18-year career, he has naturally developed a strong awareness of the customer, but what is at the core of his work is what he achieves within himself, and the coronavirus pandemic has become a time for him to reconsider that.
Sugawara: That's right. When you do a live reenactment of "BABEL" and get off stage, is it like this when the people on stage stand on stage and get off stage? That's what I think. It's like performing a 9mm performance, and it doesn't depend on whether there's an audience or not. Of course, if there's an audience, I can't help but go out and cheer them up, but emotionally, I feel more and more like, ``We just need to show them this.''
In May, the pre-release song “One More Time” from their 9th album, scheduled for summer, was released.
Sugawara 's ``Byakuya no Hibi'' released in 2020, ``Awakasa'' released in 2021, and ``One More Time'' are all songs that Taki made in 2020. When I first made ``Byakuya no Hibi,'' I thought, ``I really need something more energetic,'' so I tried to make a song like that, but it wasn't finished at that time, so I decided to do a live performance. What should I do if I can't do it?'' I tried to give form to that feeling and created a ``bubble.'' Then, in 2022, I finally got into a mode where I thought, ``I want to listen to songs that are just for fun,'' and that's when ``One More Time'' was completed.
Did you have an image of it being a live anthem?
Sugawara: No, I wasn't thinking that much when I wrote it, and I think the word is open to a little more interpretation. I always try to write a little bit like it's someone else's problem, and I write the lyrics with something like, ``This song seems to be sung by Sugawara from 9mm.'' I said, ``If I were to release such a lively 9mm song under the current circumstances, these would be the lyrics. Then, Mr. Sugawara, please sing it.'' I said, and sang it myself (lol).
Just like the story about the ``9mm program'' that I mentioned earlier, perhaps that sense of distance is what gives it its strength.
Sugawara: Yeah, I think it's necessary. If you do that, the song will pull you in. There are songs on the album that are more like "summer festival anthems" than "One More Time," and it looks like it's going to be an album full of songs that say, "This is 9mm, this is 9mm, too." I would be happy if people would listen to it and come on tour.
"I've come to believe that it's okay to wear any outfit as long as it suits you."
Lastly, please tell me about hats. Mr. Sugawara has an image of hats, but have you always liked hats?
I started wearing them after I started the Sugawara Band. I used to think, ``What kind of hat should I wear?'' With my hairstyle like this, I end up looking like Cheburashka (lol). But one summer, when I tried wearing a straw hat, the brim was so wide that my hair became part of the hat. I thought it would be nice to put something fuzzy on my head, because it looks a bit like Yusaku Matsuda (lol).
NEWS / 9mm Parabellum Bullet × CA4LA Pre-order sales start from Thursday, June 9th!
*Period from June 11th (Sat) to June 19th (Sun),CA4LA Omotesando store It will be exhibited at.
9mm Parabellum Bullet
Formed in March 2004 in Yokohama.
The members are Takuro Sugawara (Vo/G), Yoshimitsu Taki (G), Kazuhiko Nakamura (B), and Chihiro Kamijo (Dr). After releasing two mini-albums on independent labels, they made their major debut in 2007 with their debut disc "Discommunication ep." On September 9, 2009, their first performance at Nippon Budokan was held. In 2014, which marked their 10th anniversary, they held a 2-day performance at Nippon Budokan and released their first best album "Greatest Hits". In 2016, he launched his own label "Sazanga Records", and released "Inferno" that year as the opening theme for the first season of the TV anime "Berserk", and "Sacrifice" released the following year as the opening theme for the first season of the anime. This was the opening of the second season. In May 2017, marking the 10th anniversary of their major debut, they released their 7th album “BABEL”. In 2018, the band's first attempt at free downloading for a limited time was ``Carry On'' (the theme song for the 2018 nationwide movie ``NEET NEET NEET''), and the venue for ``Chaos 100 Years TOUR'' held in September. They released "21g/Karma no Hanan" as a limited single. In 2019, the band's 15th anniversary year, they held free live concerts in Tokyo and Osaka in April, released their single "Nameless Hero" video work "actVII", and released their 8th original album "DEEP BLUE". ” and held “FEEL THE DEEP BLUE TOUR 2019” with a total of 10 performances. In 2020, they released their first tribute “CHAOSMOLOGY” with the participation of all 18 artists and the single “Byakuya no Hibi”. In 2021, the "Hundred Years of Chaos TOUR 2020~CHAOSMOLOGY~", which was scheduled to be held the previous year, will be held in two parts with new content. The first act was a reenactment of "BABEL," and the second act was a reenactment of two songs, "Gjallarhorn" and "Phantomime," performed by the four members. In July, the new song "Awamashi" will be released. In the summer of 2022, it has been decided that their 9th original album “TIGHTROPE” will be released, the first in about 3 years since 2019. A national tour will be held in conjunction with the album release.
HP | Twitter|Instagram|Youtube| TikTok
“One More Time” will be released on May 9, 2022 (Monday) as the first advance distribution from the 9th album “TIGHTROPE”.
In addition, "Spirit Explosion" was also released as the second advance distribution on Thursday, June 9, 2022.
Friday, September 9th Zepp Osaka Bayside OPEN17:30/START18:30
Sunday, September 11th Zepp Nagoya OPEN16:30/START17:30
September 19th (Monday/Holiday) Zepp Fukuoka OPEN17:00/START18:00
September 23rd (Friday/Holiday) Sendai GIGS OPEN16:30/START17:30
October 2nd (Sun) Zepp Haneda OPEN17:00/START18:00
October 9th (Sun) Zepp Sapporo OPEN16:30/START17:30
<Second ticket pre-order>
Reception period: until June 13th (Monday) 23:59
Reception URL: https://eplus.jp/9mm22tour/
This COLLABORATION includes three types: hats, berets, and flight cap.
I definitely wanted to make the Sugawara hat, of course because I wanted it myself, but the beret and flight cap... because salesperson wanted it (lol).
That's important (laughs).
Even at Sugawara, it seemed nice to be allowed to wear a beret and a flight cap. When I learned how to wear a beret, I thought, ``Is this the right way to wear it?'' I've accidentally gone to a live house wearing a hat, and since I'm already tall, I sometimes find myself thinking, ``Excuse me,'' but that means the audience is wearing hats too. I don't think many people will come here, so it would be nice to have a variety of options. I also wanted them to be able to fit into my everyday life, not just when I come to 9mm live shows, so I had them create a really nice logo that didn't have the band name clearly recognizable.
It means the "9" in 9mm and the "4" in CA4LA.
Sugawara: That's great. So, when you flip the Velcro label, the band's logo appears. Also, regarding the flight cap, I had never made one before, so I was a bit surprised at first, but it looked like it would be okay for me to wear, so I thought it would be okay. At first, I was a little hesitant to wear a hat, but as I started wearing it, I started to feel less and less like, ``I have to pair it with this kind of clothes,'' and I realized that no matter what outfit I wear, it's fine as long as it fits me. I started to think. If you like this item and wear it, I think it will become natural like your hairstyle.
Just like the story about berets, just deciding how to wear it can open up the world to you.
Since it's Sugawara, I think it would be a good idea to pick it up at the store and try it on. If you're having trouble trying it on for yourself, it's definitely better to ask, "How should I put it on?" If only I had done that in the past... I wonder why I was so embarrassed.
The hat and beret also have the band's logo on the lining.
Sugawara: That's right. I don't think it's just band goods that come first, but I want people to be able to wear them on a daily basis while walking around town. Anyway, we liked it this time, so we want to make a second edition as soon as possible, and for that reason, we'd be happy if people buy as many as possible (lol).
NEWS / 9mm Parabellum Bullet × CA4LA Pre-order sales start from Thursday, June 9th!
*Period from June 11th (Sat) to June 19th (Sun),CA4LA Omotesando store It will be exhibited at.
9mm Parabellum Bullet
Formed in March 2004 in Yokohama.
The members are Takuro Sugawara (Vo/G), Yoshimitsu Taki (G), Kazuhiko Nakamura (B), and Chihiro Kamijo (Dr). After releasing two mini-albums on independent labels, they made their major debut in 2007 with their debut disc "Discommunication ep." On September 9, 2009, their first performance at Nippon Budokan was held. In 2014, which marked their 10th anniversary, they held a 2-day performance at Nippon Budokan and released their first best album "Greatest Hits". In 2016, he launched his own label "Sazanga Records", and released "Inferno" that year as the opening theme for the first season of the TV anime "Berserk", and "Sacrifice" released the following year as the opening theme for the first season of the anime. This was the opening of the second season. In May 2017, marking the 10th anniversary of their major debut, they released their 7th album “BABEL”. In 2018, the band's first attempt at free downloading for a limited time was ``Carry On'' (the theme song for the 2018 nationwide movie ``NEET NEET NEET''), and the venue for ``Chaos 100 Years TOUR'' held in September. They released "21g/Karma no Hanan" as a limited single. In 2019, the band's 15th anniversary year, they held free live concerts in Tokyo and Osaka in April, released their single "Nameless Hero" video work "actVII", and released their 8th original album "DEEP BLUE". ” and held “FEEL THE DEEP BLUE TOUR 2019” with a total of 10 performances. In 2020, they released their first tribute “CHAOSMOLOGY” with the participation of all 18 artists and the single “Byakuya no Hibi”. In 2021, the "Hundred Years of Chaos TOUR 2020~CHAOSMOLOGY~", which was scheduled to be held the previous year, will be held in two parts with new content. The first act was a reenactment of "BABEL," and the second act was a reenactment of two songs, "Gjallarhorn" and "Phantomime," performed by the four members. In July, the new song "Awamashi" will be released. In the summer of 2022, it has been decided that their 9th original album “TIGHTROPE” will be released, the first in about 3 years since 2019. A national tour will be held in conjunction with the album release.
HP | Twitter|Instagram|Youtube| TikTok
RELEASE INFO
It has been decided that their 9th original album “TIGHTROPE” will be released in the summer of 2022, the first in about 3 years since 2019.“One More Time” will be released on May 9, 2022 (Monday) as the first advance distribution from the 9th album “TIGHTROPE”.
In addition, "Spirit Explosion" was also released as the second advance distribution on Thursday, June 9, 2022.
LIVE INFORMATION
9mm Parabellum Bullet presents “Walk a Tightrope Tour 2022”Friday, September 9th Zepp Osaka Bayside OPEN17:30/START18:30
Sunday, September 11th Zepp Nagoya OPEN16:30/START17:30
September 19th (Monday/Holiday) Zepp Fukuoka OPEN17:00/START18:00
September 23rd (Friday/Holiday) Sendai GIGS OPEN16:30/START17:30
October 2nd (Sun) Zepp Haneda OPEN17:00/START18:00
October 9th (Sun) Zepp Sapporo OPEN16:30/START17:30
<Second ticket pre-order>
Reception period: until June 13th (Monday) 23:59
Reception URL: https://eplus.jp/9mm22tour/
