N. Hello. I'm Nicole
and I'm Yoshikis assistant. It's August, 18th and this is Extasy
Recording Studio North which is in Los Angeles and Yoshiki owns it.
Plus he owns Extasy Recording Studio South on the other side of the
town. Right now he is doing a project called Violet UK. Now come
along, I think he is recording a song right now... Yoshiki?... Hello.
Y. Hello.
N. What are you recording?
N. Ok, so... What do you recording now?
Y. Hm... I'm recording three new songs for Violet UK. Actually the
song you just heard it belongs to ...I used it for a 7-11 comercial in
Japan.
N. So you are recording 3 songs at the same time?
Y. Yes. I'm running 3 studios, Studio A, B and C. Um, in each studio I'm
recording different songs because I get a lot of different ideas at
the same time.
N. I don't know how you do it... Can we take a look at studio A?
Y. Sure!
N. So what exactly are you doing to this song?
Y. Well, I'm adding effects and vocals.
N. Are you singing?
Y. You wish!
N. (Laughs)
Y. Well, there's a vocalist for this song.
N. Can I hear more?
Y. It's during the demo stage... hm... but ok...
N. Now we are in Studio B. Yoshiki, which song are you recording in
here now?
Y. A song called Blind Dance.
N. It looks like you have a lot of equipment in here. Do you use it
all?
Y. Well it depends... it depends on the song you know. This thing is the master
keyboard. This keyboeard is asigned to control from Data performer,
that computer. So I can control all the mixing stuff in this room, including
samplers I have like twenty... four, five, six... something, including
sound mojos... also these are effects, equ, reverb, delay,
compressor and gain and you know...
N. Can I hear the song?
Y. No way.
N. (Laughs) Come on.
Y. Well, it's during the work... but... ok....
N. No we're in studio C. This room looks like a space ship. What are
you doing here?
Y. I do a lot of editing in addition to programming and recording.
N. Look at this silver equipment.
Y. This is the sythesizer I can create a lot of interesting sounds
with it.
N. So, you're recording a lot of songs at the same time, you're
producing a lot of artists. I mean is this normal for you, so you
get any sleep?
Y. I don't know if it is normal. But you know, I'm really exited
about my new project Violet UK, also my new record companies and I
just wanna keep writing and recording. I don't need to sleep.
N. Which song do you record in studio C?
Y. A song called Sane. I wrote this song for a movie called 'In
God's hands' which was produced by Zalmond King. Now we are
enginieering it.
N. Can we hear a bit of it?
Y. Sure.
Y. I'm ready.
guy. What do you want me to play from?
Y. By... tune 25...
guy. Ok, sure.
N. Hi, this is Nicole and I'm reporting from the north Hollywood
studio. It's August, 28th at 1 am in the morning and I have just
received words that Yoshiki is still in his office. Lets go and see
if everything is ok. I can't tell if he's sleeping or listening to
the song. Yoshiki?... Yoshiki?...
Y. Alright...
N. I'm sorry for waking you... ahm, what song is this?
Y. Violet.
N. ahm, a Violet UK song?
Y. I'm just writing lyrics for this song... I'm not sleeping.
N. We're in Yoshiki's office at his studio. And Yoshiki, I know you
have another location at Beverly Boulevard, do you use that office
as much as you use this office?
Y. Well, during the day I go to the record company, when I'm leaving
there I come here and work all night.
N. Wow. I hope you don't mind me asking, but what do you do with
these briefcases?
Y. I have a back for every single project.
N. Also, I mean I'm looking around the room, and you have so many
computers, do you use them all?
Y. Yes, I use the Internet a lot, you know, to get Information on a
variety of things.
N. Violet... Come down over there baby! (Talking to one of that
Computer toy dogs, it's sitting on Yoshikis desk) Is that your pet?
N. So let's talk about yoshiki.net. Yoshiki.net got 2.8 million hits
in one day. Well that's a lot of hits Yoshiki.
Y: Well, that's a day that we started offering membership.
W: I ... I also checked the massage board, and in one week you had
over 6000...
Interruption: Yoshiki!...
Y. Take a message.
N. In one week you had over 6000 messages on your message board from
all over the world.
Y. I feel blessed.
Inerruption: Yoshiki... is on the the line...
Y. I call her back.
N. I mean these messages were from all over the world that I was
reading.
Interruption: Yoshiki!
Y. Shut up! (laughs).
N. Oh my god, you always get this many interruptions? One more
interruption and I'm walking out. Oh my god...
N. So let's talk about Violet UK. What sort of music is it, what are
the members?
Y. It's like data noise meets (?)... I don't know, it's hard
to explain. Violet Uk is not only music. Of course music is the main
part, but there is also fashion and photography involved. I do a lot
of interesting things with visuals. It's like a visual shock you
know.
N. Are you singing too?
Y. I don't think so. I play the piano and the drums and the guitar
and I do a lot of computer programing, but there are vocalists for
the band. Of course when I tour, I'm gonna have drummers and
instruments.
N. You're gonna tour?
Y. I think so.
N. When and where?
Y. I'm gonna start touring either in Japan or Europe after the album
is released.
N. When you're gonna release the album?
Y. Hopefully by early next year.
N. That's great.
N. So Yoshiki, do you have a message for your fans?
Y. Yes. Thank you so much for being supportive. Without your support
I would't have come to this scene. Well, I went through a lot of
hard times, after X Japan's break up, after my friend's death. I was
confused and lost for almost two years. But I realised that all I can do
is music, and music has always been my life and still is. So here I
am, thank you again. Let me play the song for my fans, for my friend
in heaven, the song is called "Without You".
Yoshiki plays a fragment "Without you" and other X
Japan songs on the piano. |