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| Left to right: YUKI (ba.), NAO (gt.), 紺 (vo.), and SIN (gt.) |
It's time for our third "Throwback Thursday" segment today, this time featuring CELL!
At Anime Expo 2013, Vivienne and Sakura had the chance to sit down and talk with CELL. Just the night before (July 5th), they performed for the first time alongside KAYA and Moon Stream at the Visual Kei Night event, and their positive energy was infectious! In a cool meeting room the Anime Expo staff kindly set up for us, the band talks about their experience in the US, including talks of food, musical experiences of the past and more!
紺
(Kon): (Leans into the recording device) Hello, this is 紺, 紺, 紺, 紺, 紺! Oh
wait, isn’t this a sound check?
YUKI: No, we’re
already recording!
Everyone: We’re
doing the introductions! (Laughs)
紺:
Oh! Oops, sorry. It’s already the introductions? Oops! Okay, I’m the vocalist, 紺.
SIN: I’m the
guitarist, SIN.
NAO: I’m the
guitarist, NAO.
YUKI: I’m the
bassist, YUKI.
VKH: Thank you. This is your first time in the US as CELL, so how has your experience been so far?
紺:
Ahhh about America. It’s really big. Everything in America is really big, like
the food. Sizes that are small here are large in Japan. Everything is big,
including the people! I think this is a really big country and just...
everything here is big and spacious (laughs).
YUKI: Well, of
course that it’s very spacious and that really makes me interested but also,
it’s been really hot. Maybe it’s just LA, but it’s been pretty warm lately,
right? But the wind is really cool and it feels really good. The people who
live here are really friendly too and it’s just really fun.
SIN: Mhmm.
Everyone here is really friendly right?
YUKI: Yeah
they’re definitely really friendly! There’s no mistake.
SIN: Anyway as
for me, the first thing for me was when we were having our live and what I
felt. Everybody has a very warm feeling about them. Everything is really large,
including everybody’s hearts (laughs).
NAO: There’s kind
of a difference between Japan and America, like the scale. Basically, what I am
trying to say is that Americans don’t have this thing called “Japanese heart.”
Americans are more open and lively, but Japanese people are more shy and quiet.
紺:
Do you know what he means by “Japanese heart?”
VKH: Kind of…
would you care to expand?
YUKI: What he
means by “Japanese heart” is that it’s a term that reflects the feelings of
Japanese people.
VKH: We talked a lot about America as a whole, but was there anything you wanted to see or experience here while in Los Angeles?
YUKI: Didn’t you
say you wanted to do that?!
NAO: Huh?
Ohhhhh!! Guns! (Everyone laughs) I really wanted to try out a
shooting range because Japan doesn’t have one.
VKH: Oh, I know
you can do it around here but I’m not sure where.
NAO: Ah, that’s
so cool!
VKH: You had a live performance here last night. How would you describe the atmosphere of the show here compared to in Japan?
紺:
The difference between here and Japan is definitely that Americans’ reactions
are very different.
YUKI: The audience’s reactions are definitely different. Of course in Japan, people react, but in America they definitely react much more largely and obviously. In Japan everyone times their reactions, like, “at this time, we should headbang,” so everyone headbangs. But in America, everyone’s just freely enjoying themselves however they want, and I really like how free everyone is.
SIN: I think when
I’m playing guitar, everyone gets really into it. They get really excited,
whereas in Japan they’re pretty calm. So I feel like, “hey you get it
America!!” and it feels really good.
Everyone: Yeah,
definitely!!
SIN: Yeah it
really makes me happy (laughs).
NAO: Last night
was our first time doing a live in America. I really felt the audience’s power
and it’s definitely a different aura than in Japan. Everyone’s power is really
overwhelming and you can really feel their excitement.
VKH: We’re glad
you think so! I was lucky to be able to see your show last night, and I think
the audience really felt your energy, too (everyone cheers).
VKH: There were many old fans of CELL at the performance last night, but the audience also had many who were new to CELL’s music and world. They were very curious after seeing the PV for "危険な私 (Kiken na Watashi)" so how would you explain the concept behind CELL and how would you connect it to the look or appearance?
紺:
Well what CELL means is basically, like cells in the body. We want to be a
perfect part of the body, therefore, the red color represents the color of the
blood that connects all people. That’s why the red is such a main factor in our
image (gestures towards hair and clothing).
VKH: Although the members of CELL have been in the Visual Kei scene for a long time, CELL is a fairly young band. What do you think has changed about you musically since your debut and what do you think has stayed the same?
紺:
Well, I don’t think we really changed much. We’ve evolved, but not really
change. Like with our CD, we play a certain way but during lives we change it
up a bit and the approach is a little different. In that way, I think we’ve
evolved. We want to keep how we are now as similar as possible but we also want
to keep surprising our audiences by adding a little bit in that maybe they
didn’t expect.
YUKI: I think
maybe our personalities might change, but definitely not this red. And ok,
maybe our hairstyles (everyone laughs) but we want to keep our red image,
definitely.
VKH: Let’s go back in time a bit! What was your first experience as a musician like and when or how did you decide to pursue music?
紺:
Ummm well, it was when I was a student. I thought it was just for fun and I was
like “let’s just make a band!” and all of a sudden it was like a flip switched
and I thought I really want to do this for real. I think that’s where it
started for me. (Motions to YUKI
after a long pause)
YUKI: Oh, me?
Oops, I thought there was going to be more to that (紺 and YUKI laugh). I was
really into metal bands but basically, I just wanted to be in a band. Then, I
went looking for a band and it just happened to be kind of Visual Kei. So my
first live performance experience was in a Visual Kei band. It was kind of like
a one way road of Visual Kei for me. Also, I always studied from elementary all
the way until high school. Then when I became a college student, I realized
there wasn’t anything in particular that I really wanted to do. I was in a
music club, and then I thought, well I really like being in a band so I just
decided to go with that.
SIN: Well… for
me… I think about when I was 15-16 was when I first started playing guitar. I
got into bands, and then I started actually playing in bands, and then I ended
up actually doing it for real, basically.
NAO: I think it
was when I was in… elementary school when I first appeared on a stage?
YUKI: What did
you do?
NAO: Play piano
(makes imitations).
YUKI: Everyone
plays the piano at that age! (Everyone laughs) But at that age you already
decided you wanted to be an artist?!
VKH: That was very early!
NAO: Well… it’s a
stage right? When I first started guitar, I got really into it, and then I got
into being in a band.
YUKI: Did you get
into guitar when you were in elementary school?!
NAO: No, no it
was when I was like 16 or 17
VKH: Before we wrap it up, can you tell us what you hope to accomplish as a band in the future?
紺:
Well, this is the first time we came to America, and in the future we want to
become a band known all over the world! Right now we don’t have any plans for
future overseas tours or lives, but we definitely want to do it at some point.
We want to slowly build up to it.
YUKI: Worldwide!
Worldwide!!
VKH: Thank you very much for sitting with us through this interview. Will you leave a message for the fans?
紺:
To America, our time was very short, but this has been an amazing experience
and i can’t even find a word for better than “amazing” for our live with you.
it was so fun and i definitely want to come back.
YUKI: To America,
it was very fun and i want to come back. American fans’ energy is so great and
i will do my best in japan and definitely do lives overseas again. New York, Vegas,
Vegas, Vegas!!
VKH: Vegas is
fun! Everyone wants to go there!
YUKI: Yeah! Let's
work together again in Vegas! (Everyone cheers)
SIN: I haven’t
been able to experience very much yet, but the live had a very “rock” feeling.
I keep wondering what will happen if the fans in Japan become as free as Americans.
(Imitates the crowd) Whoooooo! Whooooooooo! (Everyone laughs) Anyway, this time
it was very fun and I will do my best to evolve into an even better musician
for you!
NAO: I think every
day, everyone is living very freely and enjoyably here. I want to keep living
playing guitar and I think in Japan due to the “Japanese heart,” people don’t
enjoy music as much but here they do and it was a great feeling.
CELL: Thank you
everyone!
We would like to thank CELL and the staff of Cure Magazine for allowing us to make this interview possible! For photos of CELL's live performance at Anime Expo, please visit our album.
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