INTERVIEW ~ Kiwamu [BLOOD] & GPK [GPKISM]: February 4, 2009
La Fin de la Journée ~ Philadelphia, PA
Project: JRock Events (USA)'s first interview was with BLOOD, so we felt that it was only fitting that we interview them one last time when they announced their final US tour before their disbandment. Unfortunately, Ryo and Kaede were not on the tour, and Fu-ki was ill at the time of the interview. So we were only able to interview Kiwamu, but Gothic Prince Ken chimed in to answer a few questions as well.
What is it like for GPKISM to be touring with BLOOD on their final tour?
GPK: It's a great experience to tour with such a prominent JRrock band and there's so many experiences I gained from this tour, and I'm very happy with it. So hopefully GPKISM will tour again in America soon. I'm very thankful for all the attention directed upon us.
Kiwamu: I need to show BLOOD's fans my new project because fans will always looking for the band after BLOOD. So, I need to show them my next project. If I just bring GPKISM as a normal project, anyone could turn to it. But BLOOD fans want to know what I'm doing next, so it was a very good chance to introduce BLOOD fans to GPKISM.
What defines gothic to you?
GPK: Gothic? Gothic is like...
Roger: Your penis.
GPK: Gothic is kind of like the reflections of darkness from your deepest desires. We tend to sort of embrace what we fear and most people out there tend to run away from it and we tend to embrace it. That's what gothic is about.
Kiwamu: In Japan, "gothic" means fashion for many people. They just wear black costumes, and they think they are cool, but it is misunderstood. Everyone thinks "gothic" means just "dark" but in gothic music there are many styles. So I like pop style gothic and dark and hard style. Everything is interesting for me, so I think gothic is not black wear; I think gothic is a lifestyle.
What is it like for you two (GPK and Kiwamu) to live in the same apartment?
Kiwamu: When he came to Japan, I arranged for a three-room apartment. So he lives in one room.
GPK: It was pretty good....like...
Kiwamu: (interrupts) I can watch him and see if he is working or sleeping!
GPK: Yes, I'm under control! (everyone laughs)
Kiwamu: Prisoner!
GPK: Yes, house arrest!
Are you a happy prisoner?
GPK: Yes! I'm happy!
Kiwamu: Don't sleep! Work more!
GPK: Yeah, that's kind of like what he does.
Kiwamu: Don't need to sleep.
GPK: Yeah, I don't.
Kiwamu: Need to work, or you die. (everyone laughs)
GPK: Yeah, or I'll die.
Slavedriver!
Which of you is better at Rock Band: Ken or Fu-ki?
GPK: I just played Rock Band for the first time last night.
You were surprisingly good for just playing the first time.
GPK: Well I love Rock Band. I hope one day they'll put some of my songs onto Rock Band. That'd be a great way to give our fans something to play around with. Fu-ki is pretty good at bass and guitar. And I'm not very good, not very coordinated....Fu-ki's definitely better.
What GPKISM songs would you want to put on Rock Band?
Kiwamu: I think GPKISM is not Rock Band. I put Rock Band style to this instead.
GPK: Abaddon. I think Abaddon would be good Rock Band music for GPKISM.
How would each of you end the world, if you could end the world?
GPK: How would I end it...I was actually planning something big, but I don't know whether I should share that with you! Maybe cloning, maybe bio-weaponry, something like that. I still want to have everything else in tact, like the plants and animals. How would you end the world, Kiwamu?
Kiwamu: Mmm...
GPK: You gas everyone? (laughs)
Kiwamu: Maybe...after I am dead, the world is ended for me, so I don't have interest in the world after my life. So it's ok, so it's ended. I won't mind.
You won't come back as a ghost and haunt people?
GPK: I think he's haunting enough already.
Kiwamu, you recently signed 2Bullet to the Darkest Labyrinth label, and will be releasing their new album, Assassi-nation, in March. How did you discover 2Bullet and decide to sign them to your label?
Kiwamu: I had interest in 2Bullet's leader, DeeLee's, other project. So I talked to him about the other band's release on the label. But he had 2Bullet's album and was looking for a label, so I gave it to that band. I will release 2Bullet's CD, and after that, I will release DeeLee's other project, too.
Is there a possibility of 2Bullet coming to the US anytime soon?
Kiwamu: There are arrangements for a European tour now. So after that, if they have interest in US... they have much interest, but the members, they are busy people, so I need to talk with them about schedules.
If you could sum up BLOOD in just one word, what word would you use?
Kiwamu: BLOOD? I think...BLOOD is almost a solo project. I think one word is "solo". Especially for the fifth album, I did almost everything by myself. So it was one of the reasons we ended. Because in First Period, I did almost everything by myself. But some members joined and started to give ideas. Fu-ki gave many ideas during Vengeance for BLOOD album. After that, I changed the band's style. Fu-ki can't suggest ideas to industrial music. There are four members to BLOOD... Kaede just plays bass line from me, he can't just think of ideas himself. Ryo just plays, he puts some ideas but it is not big. Fu-ki sings, but he just sings from lyrics. So...some members become like live members. Industrial music is very difficult for a band with several members. Many industrial artists make fewer members. You need to. I learned many things from this project.
How would you sum up BLOOD, GPK?
GPK: Love. It is the most profound force in this universe. And I'm still searching for the essence of it in this project [GPKISM]. And basically there is a higher meaning behind this feeling and I want to express that as much as possible in this project.
Kiwamu: For me, GPKISM reminds me of... "kill," because we are all on pace.
GPK: Cure?
Kiwamu: Kill, kill. For me, one word. Kill.
GPK: Kill? Ok...
Kiwamu: I am a warrior, but he's making thirty synthesizer....
GPK: Yeah, I've got thirty layers of different synthesizers going at the same time.
Kiwamu: No more synthesizer work! (everyone laughs)
Kiwamu, after BLOOD finishes this tour, do you plan on focusing more on GPKISM, or producing other bands on your Darkest Labyrinth label?
Kiwamu: For eight years, I worked for just BLOOD, and I put all my skill into this project, all into making BLOOD better. Before BLOOD ended, all that skill was just for me, but from now on, my skill is to help other bands if they want.
What is one impression or memory you want your fans to have of BLOOD? How do you want your fans to remember you?
Kiwamu: I made many works in both CD and DVD. So 20,000 people have those works. For them....my works is the memory. It was things I wanted...I wanted to put my works into the music scene. After BLOOD....BLOOD's name will be there in the music scene.
What are your best and worst memories from your time with BLOOD?
Kiwamu: When I changed members, every time it was very troublesome and a lot of stress. Some member misunderstand... his skill is very cool for BLOOD... so they left, but after they left, they disappeared. They are deleted from music scene, because they don't have any skill to survive the music scene. After five members left...but they can't make any result after that. So after BLOOD, members will retire from music scene, but Fu-ki will release his solo album, his last work. So I will help with that.
Would you ever consider doing a reunion for BLOOD?
Kiwamu: I learned very much from this project, so if I do a reunion, I will make it a solo project. BLOOD will just be a solo project. If I don't keep members for the band, it will not be a problem if they can't work on the project.
What do the song and specifically the French phrase, "La Fin de la Journée" mean to you?
Kiwamu: The end of the day... Roger recommended this song title for our tour title. It was from our fourth album, Les Fleurs du Mal. In this album, Roger liked that song very much, so he wanted to use that song name for the title, and he worked very hard for this US tour. So I used his idea for this tour.
What is your favorite remix of Lost Sky?
Kiwamu: I got many mixes from fans, too, because I had a mix competition. Everything was good, so I put them on the CDs...
GPK: We had about 300 submissions from our fans, so that was quite hard for us to decide which ones to put into the album.
Kiwamu: Noir du'Soleil made a remix for BLOOD. Owing to this remix, I was able to find Noir du'Soleil to release a CD from my label. So I could put the name Noir du'Soleil on my label because of the good remix.
What do you want fans to hear while listening to Lost Sky?
Kiwamu: As the last album, I can put such feelings from the end on Lost Sky. That song became very good in the album, so I chose the main title of the album. So they must feel "the end of BLOOD" in those songs.
Do you feel that Lost Sky is a good ending for BLOOD?
Kiwamu: Hmm...if the songs are very bad, it was a bad ending. But I'm always making songs, and they are good this time, so I think it was a good ending.
What is one thing you will take with you from your time with BLOOD?
Kiwamu: I learned very much because I worked for many things. So....I think I made many friends all over the world because of BLOOD. It is my treasure, in eight years. Before BLOOD, I didn't have many friends because I had many ideas in my mind, but I needed many friends to help me to spread our songs to the world. I appreciate my friends during BLOOD's activities; they helped me very much.
Which BLOOD song represents you personally?
Kiwamu: In the six albums, I think I wrote about seventy songs, so I can't choose one song out of seventy. I didn't make the same songs during the project. Every song... some bands write all the songs in the same style, but I had many ideas and many styles. So variation is BLOOD's strong point. If I made similar songs for six albums, fans would be bored quickly. Every time, I tried new things for the songs.
Is there anything you wanted to do with BLOOD that you never got the chance to do?
Kiwamu: I couldn't do many things I wanted to do. I went to Birmingham, in the UK. I wanted to go to London, but I wasn't able to go there. I love Italy, and I tried going two times, but I wasn't able to go there. So I hope GPKISM can go to London and Italy.
What are your plans immediately after the tour is over?
Kiwamu: In April, we've already made plans for an Australian tour with GPKISM and DJ SiSeN. Before this US tour, I arranged the Australian tour with an organizer in Australia. That person is Ken's friend, so thanks to that person, we can go there. The Australian tour will be very good. And after that, his friend is working for a Europe tour.
GPK: Another of my friends is planning for a European tour.
Kiwamu: I gave my suggestions about the tour from my experience. So he is working hard. It's the first tour for GPKISM in Europe.
How many shows are you planning for the Europe tour?
Kiwamu: I don't know, but I would like five or six.
Do either of you have advice for new gothic bands?
Kiwamu: I always give advice to bands in the label. Some bands accept my ideas, but some bands deny my ideas. It's ok! Artists' attitude is most important. If they want to go that way, they should go. If they have trouble from that way, they can learn.
GPK: Know thyself. Express yourself. The individuality of the band is very important. You don't want to have a band that always sounds the same, that would be boring, to the band members and the fans. I recommend experimentation and just to trying their best. That would be my advice to any new gothic bands out there.
Kiwamu: But you are new!
GPK: A suggestion--
Kiwamu: But you're new!
GPK: For another new band!
Kiwamu: From a new band?
GPK: If there's new bands coming out!
Kiwamu: Hey hey! You are new artist! Fresh artist!!
GPK: That's why I'm experimenting! I'm using my experience.
(laughter)
Kiwamu: But--
GPK: It's a suggestion!
Kiwamu: A two-year old child to another...
GPK: To a baby. Two years old to a baby, teaching.
Kiwamu: You are two years teaching a baby. Hmm. Ok.
Ken, could you tell us a little about your newest album?
GPK: The latest album is called Atheos, which is Greek. It means "godless". The album suggests that we should actually believe in ourselves rather than believe in a supreme being that controls us. The idea is just... a sense of freedom, a sense of self-liberation, and basically to open your eyes and accept what's given to you rather than hope for a better future. Live in the moment, live from your past, and try to do your best in the future, that's what the album is about.
Do you have a final message for our readers?
Kiwamu: Some of BLOOD's works will sell out soon, so before that, please get your own copies from the online shop.
GPK: I am very grateful and honored to have this interview with you guys. I hope through this opportunity I will be able to speak to our fans more appropriately with the ideas have. I hope you guys could support us in the future. I will work hard and do my best for our upcoming releases.
interview by Kara; transcription and photos by Melony
Thank you to Tainted Reality for making this possible; thank you to Kiwamu and GPK for taking the time to answer our questions
links
GPKISM Official Website
GPKISM Official MySpace
BLOOD Official Website
BLOOD Official MySpace
Tainted Reality
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