Dans le Noir

Sakura 2 / 6

He used to think that a band was nothing more than a group of losers playing together, filling up one another's weaknesses. It is the encounter with hyde, tetsu and ken that turned his world upside down.
In this chapter, we are going to go through Sakura's thoughts and feelings in his days with L'Arc~en~Ciel.

------------------------------------------

Being active in the Tokyo Indies scene starting from the late 80s, the name, Sakura had indeed spread out widely. Nevertheless, he had no urge to join any band at that time. Instead, he wanted to develop his career as a pro drummer. But then, something happened. He changed his mind and joined L'Arc~en~Ciel, which was at that time going to record their 1st indies album, DUNE.

If I join these guys, we could learn from one another in various aspects and proceed much further.

As mentioned in the talk between Sakura and tetsu that was published in the October Issue, everything started when tetsu made a phone call to Sakura's parents' home one day.

S: As I've said last time, I didn't have the slightest idea of what this L'Arc~en~Ciel was. It's after that phone call that I found a music magazine and got the first impression of the members. Anyway as they'd sent me their music, I thought I would give it a try. There's a song called 'Voice' which was included in some kind of compilation album. Just by listening to that one song alone, my heart started racing. Not long after that, the band I was supporting just happened to be going to hold a live in Osaka and I was going as well, so we agreed to meet.

In December 1992, Sakura met the three members of L'Arc~en~Ciel - hyde, tetsu and ken in Osaka. Next day, they went to the studio. The strong impression that struck him that day still stays vividly in his mind.

S: Until that moment I was still having a prejudice on band people, thinking that most of them knew nothing about communicating musically and jamming. But when I looked at those guys, they had it in them you know. That's the first time I found that it could be that fun to be in a band after all. Also, it just happened that we are all about the same age, which implies that the music we have been listening to is very similar. In other words, musically we spoke just the same language. What's more, they showed very high standard of techniques in their songs. It made me think that, if I join these guys, we could be able to learn from one another in various aspects and proceed much further. The meaning of a band is to play music as one, but it bears a spiritual meaning as well. As I've come all the way here, I could tell you that, to me, a band is all about the chemical reactions between people, through music as a tool. Everything's about people. I guess that's what my feeling was towards L'Arc~en~Ciel.

I would hate it if I couldn't let the essentialness of Sakura's being the drummer be heard.

In January of the next year, Sakura joined L'Arc~en~Ciel officially. It was just 1 week before the recording of Dune started. Being a professional drummer already, 1 week was more than enough for Sakura to merely play the drums. However, as it was the first band he joined, the first official music he participated in, it somehow stirred a high motivation in him.

S: It's about the essentialness of Sakura's being the drummer. I would hate it if I couldn't convey this through the music. I didn't want to play according to what I was told, but I wanted to insert my own idea, my own visions, and my own phrases that make it unique. Otherwise, it won't make any difference for whoever doing the drums. Therefore, I used that 1 week time to digest as much as I can before the recording. It's like pulling out the stuff I'd been accumulating inside my drawer - techniques, knowledge, creativity... I'd tossed out 80-90% of what I had at that time. My efforts and experience in the past did pay off I guess. The engineer at that time was Jack Danger you know. (a.k.a Oishi, the representative of the management company, DANGER CRUE INC, to which L'Arc~en~Ciel and Sakura belong) Although I'd got experience in recording before, it's the first time I worked with an engineer with such high level of musical knowledge and techniques. I learnt so much really. The sound he recorded was so cool that gave me an illusion like, "Oh, I can actually be that good!" It's like when a girl first got a pro makeup artist to make up for her, she would probably be surprised. "Oh, so I could be that pretty!?" My feeling's not much different you know.

DUNE, released in April 1993, ranked number one in the Indies chart. In addition, the tour, "Close by DUNE" (10 shows in 10 spots) had been a success. Without doubt, the band was having a perfect start. The first band Sakura joined officially was gaining recognition day by day. He took this situation calmly.

S: How the chart goes, or how much we sold... Well, it didn't really get into me much. Even till now I'm like that. I was already extremely happy that I could be able to make wonderful music with wonderful guys, in a wonderful environment. Therefore, knowing that DUNE ranked number one, all I thought was, "It's just a coincidence, isn't it?" and that's all. Indeed, I'm glad that the music I'm proud of could be heard by many, and I'm glad that many people came to see our lives. These are what I would never disregard. But like what I've said just now, the thing made me feel happiest was that, we could make excellent music. As our band was expanding, I can't say that I got confused, but I only got an 'outsider' feeling. "Oh, that's good," and nothing more.

It only mattered if I could express myself through musical instruments.

Being able to make music with brilliant musicians like hyde, tetsu and ken, this alone could make Sakura feel happy. This alone was the reason of living. Apart from that, he could find nothing that could arouse his interest. Interviews, photo-shooting, promotions... when it came to this kind of "non-musical" jobs, he even felt stressed.

S: For example, when doing interviews, I didn't wanna talk about my private life much, 'cause at that time I wasn't as open and talkative as I'm now. And I wasn't good at photo-shooting either. It's better for them to take the photos during lives. Those are the moments I look best I think. But for the photo-shooting that I was required to get dressed up and put all the makeup on, I really sucked. If you ask me whether there's any meaning in those photos, I would tell you it's all faked. We accepted interviews and shot PV so as to be known by more people. I did understand it, but still, it troubled me a lot. In this aspect, I was still a kid as compared to the other members. Whether it can sell or not, or we must make it sell or not... it's really a hassle to me. To elaborate more, it all mattered only if I could express myself through musical instruments. This thought is still unchanged now. What musicians must be capable to do, is not having a chat or making a speech, but is to convey their thoughts through musical instruments. If you want to speak out your thoughts to the whole world, you can go to be a commentator or newscaster, right? I always think that, music is to express thoughts and images that can't be put into words through musical instruments. Well, I do have changed my way of thinking a little bit throughout these years though. Now I think that as long as I'm standing before the public, I should provide them with something interesting. Of course my views on music haven't changed. But on top of that, I think that if I could explain things clearly and express my point of view, and also tell jokes to make people laugh when needed, it would be even better. Anyway, I just wasn't able to think this way back in the DUNE period.

As I look back, I think it's important for me to stay firm to my principle.

Nowadays, there are more and more bands that are willing to sacrifice their personality and music for fame and money. Sakura's strong will on staying firm on his grounds is something remarkable. Take for example his fashion...

S: I won't wear anything that is not black. In that area I won't ever give in you know. When you are in a band, there are situations like, "this time, all members are to go for the white theme." Even when it came to that kind of situation, I'm not willing to compromise. At that time, hyde asked me, "Sakura, say... would it be fine for you if wearing something white on top of your black clothes?" What a positive suggestion, isn't it? But well, since it's something unshakeable in me... You know, as I look back now, I really believe that, it's what that keeps me alive. It's important for me to stay firm to my own principle as I've come all the way to here now. Perhaps, it's because I haven't given up what I believe that I can say I'm doing well now.

Let's get back to the story. L'Arc~en~Ciel then started expanding in a tremendous speed. In October 1993, the video "TOUCH OF DUNE" was released. Tour, "FEEL OF DUNE" was held starting from November to December(14 shows in 13 spots). And there was another tour, "Nostalgy no Yokan" (3 shows in 3 spots) in April of the next year. They were pouring out their efforts in the consecutive lives. Finally, in July 1994, with the release of the video single, "Nemuri ni Yosete", they started their major debut.

S: It's already a wonderful environment at the time we released DUNE through Danger Crue. But it went up several folds once we got major you know. We got more and more staff, who were assisting us to make L'Arc~en~Ciel known by more people. But as a result, it's inevitable that the non-music jobs increased greatly. Thus, the drumming proportion was restrained. That made me a bit depressed I guess.

I felt that the picture-portraying sounds were taken away from me

After 2 weeks, the 2nd album, "Tierra" was released. This production made Sakura experience being obliged to the trial-and-error process for the first time.

S: As it's a major release, it involved a number of producers, manufacturers and so on... Lots of people from outside were involved. We were requested by many of them to make the music "easier to understand". Songs that could be popular among the majority are obviously those that are easy to understand, right? I don't object in that aspect. But to me, easy-to-understand songs also means, lack of sophistication. Say for example in drumming, there were parts that I initially wanted to play in pianissimo, but then I was told to make it sound more clearly. It made me feel that, the picture-portraying sounds, the sounds that I had been going for since I was a kid, were taken away from me. I was kind of reluctant at that time, but I knew I just had to go that way.

The album, "Tierra" includes a song, "Inner Core" composed by Sakura. As this is the song that Sakura first demonstrated his senses as a composer/producer, it is something worth-mentioning.

S: I did enjoy doing that song, not as a drummer, but as a composer. I had been interested in writing songs, but as I'm a drummer... well, if it's some kind of tribe dance piece, I could perhaps handle it with drums... However, since I'm to write something sing-able, I must have, say a guitar in hand, right? But when ken-chan saw the way I did it, he said, "You've put in a lot of miraculous touches that would only happen to someone who knows nothing about composing." Indeed, if I'd got all the knowledge, maybe I would not have been able to write out something like "Inner Core". In fact, I've tried copying those guitar lines recently, but it's just too difficult. (laugh)

After their major debut, with the first major tour, "Sense of time '94"(8 shows in 7 spots), first single "Blurry Eyes" and video/LD "Siesta ~ Film of Dreams", L'Arc~en~Ciel's schedule in the 2nd half of the year 1994 was fully packed. Inside the tide of this rapid growth of the band's popularity, still, Sakura could hardly find any interest in the sales.

S: If you ask the other 3 if they want to sell well, they certainly would give you a positive answer. Of course that's the extremely normal way of thinking. But at that time, I just didn't care much on that issue.... well, same for the case of maintaining customer relationship. Maybe it's because I got a different interpretation on "inter-personal relationship" back then. Perhaps at that time, I just didn't like people much.

Chronicle:
1993:
- Jan: Joined L'Arc~en~Ciel
- Apr: Release of 1st Album, DUNE
- Jun-Aug: Tour "Close by DUNE" (10 shows in 10 spots), "Close by DUNE FINAL" (Nisshin Power Station)
- Nov-Dec: Tour "FEEL OF DUNE" (14 shows in 13 spots)

1994:
- Apr: Tour "Nostalgy no Yokan" (3 shows in 3 spots)
- Jul: Major debut with release of Video Single "Nemuri ni Yosete" / release of 2nd AL "Tierra"
- Jul-Aug: Tour "Sense of time '94" (8 shows in 7 spots)
- Oct: Release of 1st Single "Blurry Eyes"
¡¡