Interview with GARI During Japan Expo

The quartet GARI has been making a name for themselves abroad, especially in the past few years, performing in France a number of times. We asked the band about their integration of electro and rock music, their thoughts on Japanese groups performing in Europe and the messages they would like to pass on to their listeners.


The French public have been getting to know you pretty well. But for those who don’t know you yet, can you please introduce the person next to you?

Kei Kusakabe: This is Yôichirô, he is the singer but also the leader of the group.
YOW-ROW: This is Naoki, the bassist and the clown of the group.
Naoki Fujimoto: Dokko is the guitarist, he is also the mad one of the group.
Yutaka Dokko: And this is Kei, the drummer.

What gave you the desire to take up music?

YOW-ROW: When we were studying in college and in senior high school, there was a big boom in Japan in the formation of groups. It was really because of this reason that wanted to form one. We succeeded so much as a group!

What message would you like to send through your music?

YOW-ROW: Since we made our debut abroad, we haven’t wanted to be described as a Japanese group. We want to make music different from the clichés that one picks up from previous experiences, and that's what we want to show while becoming a more international group. In Japan there are also people who make music for the whole world.

Before you played in the group GARI, you had most of your experiences of the world of music with other bands. Do you find that the scene has changed at all? In what way?

YOW-ROW: I think that in comparison to when we started GARI, we have more opportunities to export abroad, to the USA, England, France, without being thought of as J-pop as much, and this is good.

This year, you have decided to release a new mini-album, TOKYO SOLDIER, in France before releasing it elsewhere. Why this favour towards the French?

YOW-ROW: In the end, the turning point for us was our trip to the Japan Expo two years ago, that enabled us to play outside Japan, in particular in France. If there is really a place to assert this desire to make a career abroad, it will be here.

There was a three year gap between MASKED and TOKYO SOLDIER. This is a huge space of time for a musician, what did you do during all this free time?

YOW-ROW: By contrast, the period between the releases of e.go.is.tick and MASKED was very short so we weren’t able to do a lot of concerts, but we were finally able to during these three years.

Can you tell us more about this album?

YOW-ROW: Our idea was to make an album that would be more dance than our previous works, all while keeping GARI’s touch, a bit more dynamic than a dance album and a bit more varied than a Rip dance album. So this is why it is at the same time rock and electro all while keeping the idea that TOKYO SOLDIER is for dancing to and enjoying.

Why did you choose the title for this album?

YOW-ROW: We chose this title when we found out that this album would be released first in France, to show our audience that in Japan there are really several styles of very diverse music, that there are a lot of things to discover. It is really meant to give the impression that we will search for people with our music' Rather than waiting to be discovered, it's a little like us making an attack. We chose perhaps a slightly aggressive name, but it is to show what we want!

How do you compose your music? Does integrating the electro samples in your music change the way that you write?

YOW-ROW: The first stage is to program a musical frequency on a computer, and on this base we add the acoustic sounds of the drums, bass and guitars. The final process consists of finding a good balance between the two (sample and acoustic) that will give the best sound, the sound of GARI.

We were able to listen to your album. It appears more electro than what you have done up until now. You have also changed the colour of the album’s case. Is it because TOKYO SOLDIER marks a turning point in the career of GARI?

YOW-ROW: At the base of GARI is an electro rock music group, but it is true that this album feels a little more pop-like, perhaps a little lighter, and this is what we wanted to do. We also wanted to show that we can have this more glamorous, fashionable sound, a bit more pop- not only electro rock- and that we can expand our horizons.

How did you come to mix rock and electro music? Did you already have this idea in your head when you created the group?

YOW-ROW: When we started GARI, there wasn't much of other styles of music, like electro. Then when I joined the group as the singer we had the idea to include my ability of making samples. I programmed dance music sequences and we had the idea to add the sounds of three other instruments. This was in addition to making the electro rock alliance.

Your lyrics are always very engaging and have a substantial spiritual side, but also speak of the standardizing of the masses and of excelling individually. What is your view of present society? Were you born in a country where one is considered to work for one’s country rather than for oneself- were you pushed by this to write these lyrics and this critique?

YOW-ROW: Actually we have quite a critical view. It is true that the music does not have as much impact as politics, but for us it is important to express this critique, like U2 and Rage Against the Machine, who have quite strong political involvements. If they can, why can’t we? So, we also have our own opinions to give.

What are the themes you would like to tackle in your music? Do you yourself place limits, themes that you will not approach?

YOW-ROW: As soon as we start to compose a song, we have quite a clear idea of what we want to pass on. We don’t write on our own but we compose equally, so it is an ensemble. If the subject doesn’t involve politics we see to it that the tone of the composition is adapted. If instead we sing a love song, we use some tones that suit this mood. Therefore we have images that we try to turn into sounds.

What are your principal influences? What are you listening to at the moment?

YOW-ROW: At the moment I am listening to Justice, but also bands from my beginnings, like punk bands, so that I can absorb myself in their music. I also listen to blues for my own personal pleasure, but now equally everything that is dance-sounding and nice.

I have always been interested and had admiration for artists of different genres. Why not mix Iron Maiden with Underworld? It’s this that helps me to be curious and discover different artists.

The beginning of the song Hey Now! reminds us of a very well known group in France, Daft Punk. Did you get some inspiration for this song?

YOW-ROW: Actually, we like Daft Punk, so that makes us happy. We like to mix different sounds, so this comparison flatters us.

In this album, one of the titles is "I NEED YOUR LOVE." Do you have a need for love?

YOW-ROW: Yes, I have some of that need. (laughs)

This is not your first time in France. Since your appearance at the Japan Expo in 2007, what place does the foreign audience have in your music?

YOW-ROW: Each concert abroad was a very important experience for us, whether it’s in a big room like the Japan Expo or in a very small room in a small town. Each time was very important for us, and we will remember all those moments.

Do you have a small ritual before going on stage?

YOW-ROW: Maybe not so much of a ritual. I like to be alone a little and go out of my dressing room.
Naoki Fujimoto: I like to set the mood by making jokes.

I have the impression that all bassists are like that!

Naoki Fujimoto: Apparently. (laughs)

More and more Japanese groups are coming to perform in France. What opinion do you have of this? What do you think of doing this in France, as still a lot of people make the assumption that Japanese music equals visual kei, very often to the detriment of the quality?

YOW-ROW: In the end, it’s a good opportunity to become known abroad, to come to France. Actually it is a shame that there is this systematic parallel. Our aim is therefore to show that in Japan there are typically other types of music. It is not necessary to put everything in the same boat.

Do you have any plans for the future?

YOW-ROW: For the moment, we don’t have any, aside from a new album we are thinking about. Our interests reside really in the hope that people remember us in France and the audience realizes that there are not only visual kei or J-pop groups, but that there are different styles. We help people hear different sounds but we think that there is still some work to do.

Did you have time to visit around Paris? Did you go to many places?

YOW-ROW: We arrived on Thursday morning, so we saw only the Japan Expo and the surroundings.

Before finishing, if you had to define GARI in one sentence, what would it be?

YOW-ROW: We have an aggressive view of our group. GARI is “on the attack!" Our manager has a saying: “GARI is like a gun."


JaME would like to thank the group GARI, and also the translator and Soundlicious for this interview.