Interview with BAAL

The 'Native Cybernetic Heavy Industrial Rock' band BAAL performed on November 4th in the Netherlands. In the afternoon, the band held an autograph session in a shop in a nearby town. Unfortunately, not many people attended the autograph session because it wasn't promoted very well, but the fans that did attend were very glad to meet the band! The band members seemed to enjoy themselves during the autograph session as well and the atmosphere was very relaxed.

Just a few hours before the concert, JaME got the chance to interview the band in order to get to know them better and ask them about their European tour.

Can you tell us about the origin of the band? When did you start as CHRONOTRIGGER and how did you get to know each other?
MIKITO: We started five years ago as CHRONOTRIGGER. Now that I think about it, CHRONOTRIGGER was BAAL’s prototype. I already wanted to start my project then, but…
U-tarou: But he couldn’t find any band members. I already knew MIKITO from ten years ago. When my band broke up, he was looking for a female vocalist, and I went for it.
MIKITO: We played a session, and the feeling was good.

BAAL is not a visual kei band, but the band does have a lot of focus on the visual aspect. What do you think about the fact that some people do see you as a visual kei band?
U-tarou: I don’t mind.
MIKITO: It’s not important whether you are visual kei or not. I also wear make-up now.
U-tarou: It’s only a form of art; just another way to express ourselves. But in the near future, we might change. I don’t know yet.
MIKITO: These looks are only for the performance; it’s a way to express ourselves. This make-up (points at his make-up and the paint on his body) is not ‘cute’ (everybody laughs because MIKITO’s make-up looks quite scary and impressive with his tattoos). Our songs are about the fight of life, the fight against sadness, despair, and so on. We don’t need to be beautiful or cute, but with visual kei, most bands seem to.

With visual kei, the looks are the most important, but for you it’s the music? The looks are just another way to express yourself?
MIKITO: Yes, that’s right.

How do you usually compose your songs?
MIKITO: I am the main composer.
U-tarou: And he is also the producer. At first the music is written, and then I write the lyrics. But the music and the lyrics are composed almost at the same time.

Where does your inspiration for the songs come from?
U-tarou: When he makes music, his feelings are important.
MIKITO: When I am angry or sad, I hear a sound in my head; I play on the keyboard and try to make that sound.
U-tarou: My lyrics… I think they’re me, they’re my feelings. They are my feelings, the feelings I have for myself, my family, or friends. If my body is full of anger and full of sadness, I have to vomit all of my anger out. When my feelings aren’t strong enough, I can’t write.

Is there a message behind your music?
MIKITO: There is not directly a message for the government or the people, but if people listen to our music, I hope that they feel something; positive or negative, it doesn’t matter.
U-tarou: At first it’s about my feelings, my friends, my work, all people, and I write about it. They’re my own thoughts and feelings. But maybe my lyrics also appeal to other people, because maybe others feel the same about these things.

BAAL has been influenced by many Western bands, but are there also Japanese artists that have influenced you?
MIKITO: Our sound hasn’t really been influenced by Japanese artists, but of course I listened a lot to Japanese bands when I was young. There is only one artist that influenced me: hide. Oh, no, there are more artists, THE MAD CAPSULE MARKETS too.

What is the Japanese industrial scene like? Is it very different from the European?
MIKITO: I don’t really know the European industrial scene very well. But in Europe there are many good industrial bands, such as Punish Yourself from France. And also other, non industrial bands like Rammstein, Atari Teenage Riot, KMFDM and such bands; I’m influenced by them. But there are also some things the Japanese and European industrial scenes have in common and there are bands with a “mixed touch”. Schwarz Stein for example; that’s a cool band. A big different between the European and Japanese scene, is that the Japanese industrial scene is very, very small, and very close.
U-tarou: And very unknown.
MIKITO: Industrial music is not popular in Japan. But there are a few bands.
U-tarou: The bands know each other; my friends play in other industrial bands. The band members of Despair are very good friends of ours for example. We often play together with Despair in festivals in Japan and we organize events. Tonight there will be a flag on the stage of BSL, Brain Scan Laboratory.
MIKITO: It’s my private label, with BAAL and Despair.

Last night, you performed in Cologne, Germany. How was it?
MIKITO & U-tarou: Oooh, great!
U-tarou: It was great. The European fans are a bit shy but passionate. If I yelled "Hey", they yelled back. Japanese people are a little bit close-minded, but Europeans, even though they’re shy, they’re cute.
At first I didn’t think a lot of people would come to our show, but many people came and I was very glad. But even if only ten people come, I don’t mind. I just want to play music. The number of people doesn’t matter.

How do you feel about this chance to tour through Europe?
MIKITO: At first my friend contacted Astan (the German organization that organized the concert).
U-tarou: He recommended our band to Astan. And then they emailed us about an interview and then he asked if we wanted to come to Germany and do a European tour. It took a long time and it was a hard road. And we had to trust each other.

What other countries would you like to visit and perform in?
MIKITO: I would like to go to Germany again. France…
U-tarou: New York and London.
MIKITO: In London there’s a good industrial scene, but it’s hard…

You are doing a one-man tour now. Would you be interested in performing at European festivals next to other European bands?
MIKITO: I would like to play on a festival like Amphi, on which Calmando Qual also performed.
U-tarou: We like Combi Christ. We hope that we can play with them together. (MIKITO turns to the organizer and says, laughing, that he wants to play with Combi Christ in Europe the next time).

Next to BAAL, do any of you play in other projects?
MIKITO: No, BAAL only. Nothing else is allowed (laughs).
U-tarou: It’s impossible. If I don’t give my full energy to BAAL, he (points to MIKITO and laughs) becomes aggressive. When I make a mistake on stage too.
MIKITO: If she makes a mistake, I become very angry! (everybody laughs)

During this tour you will sell the album TERRITORY OF “B.A.A.L”, which will only be sold in Europe. Why did you decide to sell it in Europe only, and not in Japan?
MIKITO: This Europe tour is the first...
U-tarou: It’s very important to us. We wanted it as a memory, as a ‘souvenir’ to release here.
MIKITO: So far we’ve only played in Japan, it was always only Japan, and for people in Europe, it’s very difficult to buy Japanese CDs. BAAL is not very famous, that’s why our CDs are not sold in shops, only online.

Will there also be another version of this album released in Japan?
MIKITO: When we go back in Japan, we will release another version.

U-tarou, in an interview you said that you do ballet. Did this influence the way you perform on stage in any way?
U-tarou: (laughs) No. I like performing and I like classic ballet. But when I’m on stage singing a song, it’s very different. But I do really like the costumes of classic ballet.

A lot of industrial bands use a drum computer, but you chose for a ‘real’ drummer. Why did you decide to do so?
Chihiro: (the drummer, who speaks very little English, has been silent until now and he tries to explain) My drum is spicy, very energetic.
MIKITO: BAAL’s sound is industrial, but normally industrial music has programmed drums only. But BAAL is an industrial rock band; the live drum sound is very aggressive and our band needs this aggressive drum sound.
U-tarou: Rock needs a drummer.
MIKITO: And Chihiro can work with headphones on. Normally drummers dislike headphones.

What future plans do you have for the band? Will you continue to focus on Europe from now on or just Japan?
MIKITO: We will not only focus on Japan; we want to spread our sound to the world. Maybe our sound is the same as European bands and not inferior.

Do you already have any lives planned for when you’re back in Japan?
MIKITO: Yes, this year we will have two shows in events.
U-tarou: This month we will be playing in an event. And in December, we will play at Tokyo Dark Castle.

Thank you very much for the interview!


JaME thanks Steff of Astan Magazine, and of course BAAL.
Photos by Tessa.