Interview with LONG SHOT PARTY

Not long after LONG SHOT PARTY's performance at Japan Expo, we found the six members for an interview with a liberal tone. We asked about the history of the group, their music, their impressions of this first tour in Europe and their going major.


Could you each please introduce yourselves and tell us your role in the group?

Shuichi: I’m the guitarist, Shuichi.
PxOxN: I’m PxOxN, I play the drums.
SAITARO: I’m SAITARO, on bass.
Sasaji: I'm the singer, Sasaji.
Kj: Kj, on saxophone.
Ken Iikawa: My name’s Ken Iikawa, I play the trumpet.

How did you all meet?

Sasaji: Kei and I met in university, where the band was formed. Originally it was just the two of us. The other members at the time had quit their band when they started looking for work.

What made you want to make music?

Sasaji: I think it’s different for each of us. Some people were learning music elsewhere when they joined the band, whereas others were in university or still in high school… How should we do it? Let’s take turns talking. (laughs)

Shuichi: I thought I’d direct myself towards a sporty activity more, because I’d done a lot of sports, especially soccer, all through my childhood. In junior high, the club I entered into wasn’t too good. I was really disappointed and I stopped it completely. Then I went over to the house of a friend who had a guitar and I started trying to play there. I found that to be more fun and I kept doing it.

PxOxN: For myself, I started making music so I could get more popular with the girls. (all laugh) I don’t know why I chose the drums, but now I’m sorry I’m not a singer. That role has more success.

SAITARO: One of my friends played the guitar and it made me want to practice an instrument too. I told myself, bass couldn’t be bad — it’s like a guitar but simpler, with only four strings. Until recently, I did music just for fun, without thinking it’d be my main professional activity. I just kept playing, until without realizing it, I was part of a group that sells their music. Now I say to myself, outside of playing the bass, I don’t know how to do anything anymore. (laughs)

Sasaji: When I was in junior high I was crazy for punk. I listened to stuff like The Clash and Sex Pistols. I really wanted to do that kind of thing but I didn’t really know how to get there. I wasn’t especially good in school, but I continued university so that I could play music and join a band. Then, sort of like for SAITARO, things evolved even without my realizing it.

Kj: In my case, I never really thought about the future or what profession I wanted to be in. I’m more the type who easily abandons what I set out to do. However, I keep making music, so I must really like it. It’s become my main activity and I’m not complaining. (laughs)

You’ve had some changes in the line-up. For example, you no longer have a trombone player. Have you rearranged your old compositions to play them live without that instrument? Have you ever thought about getting a new trombonist?

Sasaji: For the moment, we aren't planning to recruit a new trombone player. Our actual compositions don’t require that instrument anymore.

Ken Iikawa: What was difficult for us was adjusting the parts played on trombone to fit the saxophone and trumpet now.

SAITARO, you were one of the last to join the line-up. Tell us a little about your integration.

SAITARO: It wasn’t really a musical integration but more of a human integration into a group that was already existing. The others were really welcoming and that’s what was most important for me.

Sasaji: When SAITARO came to the studio for the first time, he brought a bass with five strings and he played something really heavy and hardcore. Before he became part of the group, our music was more pop and it was lighter. SAITARO brought us something more violent.

Your music is very festive, infused with a spirit of “party rock.” Could you tell us about the writing process?

Sasaji: We try to encourage people through our words and by doing that, we feel encouraged ourselves. We try to do things that make everyone feel good and have the strength to do their activities.

And how about composing?

Sasaji: Each of us brings a contribution to the piece, our ideas. We do the arrangements altogether and keep what we think is good. We throw out the rest, or let it sleep a little on the side. (laughs)

The group has a really unified front, despite the different musical milieus that each of you bring. Do you always understand each other right away?

Sasaji: It’s not that simple. (laughs) But being part of a group also means making concessions. That’s also what allows us to bring a certain richness to our music.

You’re often introduced as a group with a lot of stage experience. What have been your best and worst experiences?

Sasaji: We’ve been playing for ten years so it’s difficult to answer. But the concert we just had was definitely the best.(laughs) As for the less awesome experiences, there was one time when we were the opening act for Sum 41. We weren't used to such a huge stage and we found ourselves playing in the middle, side by side. We got wrapped up in the cables and tripped every time we moved a little. Everything was tangled up. (laughs) It was crazy to have results like that on such a big stage.

You’ve been indie for a long time. What brought about your going major?

Sasaji: (thinks) What brought about our going major, is being recognized by a larger audience. And without that we might not have been invited here to Japan Expo.

You’re a group with a lot of freedom, but are there also certain constraints?

Sasaji: (thoughtful) Constraints, yes of course... (laughs) To give you a concrete example, usually after concerts we’d go drinking with the personnel and fans. But after going major, these little parties haven’t been viewed well by our new staff. (laughs)

Kj: There was also Distance, our first major piece, which had a really rapid rhythm at the base. And they asked us to adjust it to a larger audience, to do something a little softer.

Two years ago, you were chosen to record the closing for the “Naruto Shippuden” anime. How was that experience?

Sasaji: Actually, we are sort of fans of “Naruto.” We composed a piece imagining a theme for Naruto and Sasuke just for fun. The anime team came to see us and they said they’d heard the song and it’d be perfect for the ending theme. That’s how we got ourselves involved in the project. The opportunity opened new doors for us and got us some recognition from a larger audience.

And an international one too. Concerning that, you’ve been invited to perform today at Japan Expo, one of the biggest European conventions for Japanese culture. How do you feel about that?

Sasaji: It’s an outcome I’m really pleased about, both as a musician and as a visitor. (laughs) There are similar events in Japan, like Jump Festival, which mainly showcases anime and manga. I feel the same kind of energy here in France.
(Sasaji wanted to add something when the translator interrupted, but having forgotten what he was going to say, he held his mouth open, drawing a laugh from the room.)

You’ve been in the music industry for over ten years now. What are your thoughts on the evolution of world music today, especially its diffusion on the Internet, for example?

Sasaji: I’ll take an example from our experience and what we’ve been able to observe around us in Japan. When we formed the group ten years ago, ska bands were very much in fashion. There was a real infatuation for that kind of music. Then that all disappeared suddenly. For us, the challenge was to continue the band. We had to, even if it looked difficult. (laughs)

Kj: In terms of the evolution of the music scene, ten years ago it operated according to trends. There was music that was "in" and everybody listened to it. Today there’s more variety, and everyone can find what they like on the Internet. People have access to whatever they want very easily.

You’re all users of the Internet. Each of you has a blog and you have a video journal on YouTube. Do you think the Internet is indispensable even if it means an inevitable drop in CD sales?

Sasaji: I think it’s a completely normal change, like going from vinyl to CD. It’s the same thing. The times evolve, the technology changes.

Kj: As musicians, we’re able to share our compositions, create a link with the listener and get feedback really quickly. Right now we’re not able to do it as much since we’re signed to a major label, but I feel like that link of proximity is important.

Sasaji: On the other hand, I’m always attached to the physical equipment itself, like the booklet and jacket of a CD. That doesn’t have to disappear completely.

To return to the present, can you tell us about your next album which will come out at the end of the month?

Sasaji: This album is a story of the past two years since we’ve gone major. It contains what we composed for the singles and for the concerts. We wrote a lot of songs and selected the best.

You said on stage that you want to return and play in France. Do you have any concrete international projects?

Sasaji: We don’t have anything specific…

Kj: But we’ll try to organize that when we get back to Japan. (laughs)

Sasaji: Right now I have a passport that’s good for ten years. I need to make use of it. (laughs)

What do you think of France?

Sasaji: The architecture and the scenery are incredible. We went to the Champs-Élysées for the showcase at Fnac. It was really impressive.

Any last message for our readers?

Sasaji: We really enjoyed the concert today. Please continue to support us so that we can come back!

Thank you!

All: (in French) Thank you!


JaME would like to thank Japan Expo, LONG SHOT PARTY and their management, as well as the translator for making this interview possible.