Interview with THE SOUND BEE HD

THE SOUND BEE HD, which is the musical project of DAISUKE of Media Youth’s fame, agreed to talk with us and revealed information about the band’s activity, including its history and new album titled A-De due in December, their influences, experiences and various personal thoughts.


Please introduce yourself and tell us what you like the most in THE SOUND BEE HD.

DAISUKE: I am DAISUKE, the vocalist of THE SOUND BEE HD. I can express myself in any way I want in THE SOUND BEE HD, that's so fantastic!

How did you begin your activities and where does your band name come from?

DAISUKE: After leaving Media Youth, I wanted to express my own sound. "Bee" is my favorite thing. "Sound" is necessary for my life and "HD" means "hard disk." We use hard disks to make our music.

Who or what inspired you to become a musician?

DAISUKE: My seniors and friends from Extasy Records, like X JAPAN.

What would you be doing if you hadn't become a musician?

DAISUKE: I’d become an actor!!

DAISUKE, you said in an interview that you’re not only a vocalist, but also a vocal coach. Can you tell us more about this profession? What are your achievements in this domain?

DAISUKE: I teach all the pleasures that we can feel on stage, performing and expressing ourselves through singing, all of those that I had experienced. But I don't want to make any business achievements in teaching. I teach only those that I want to teach.

Your image is based on traditional Japanese themes, but with modern innovations. Can you tell us more about your band’s style?

DAISUKE: The music that I make is not particular to the Japanese style. There is one movie scene that became an opportunity for me. I was very much influenced by a scene from the movie "Blade Runner." In addition, the music I like is the music of the 80's, for example heavy metal and techno. I also like heavy sounds and the synthesizer. I am affected by all of them.

Your current image is based on purple and black colors. Does this color scheme have any special meaning?

DAISUKE: I intuitively decided that purple and black colors would be the concept of this album.

What is your attitude towards visual kei? Do you fit well in this genre?

DAISUKE: My roots lie in visual kei because I began performing in the visual kei scene. I don't know if we fit well in this genre or not. Maybe everyone who watches our performance will be able to judge that, but I began there and still follow that scene. This is the truth. The feelings I want to express can spring out in this field.

What do you do to separate your band from other visual kei bands? What are your strong and weak points?

THE SOUND BEE HD: As for our strength, the things in our roots do not change. If hip-hop is popular now, we don't convert to that. It might also be our weakness.

Your band has a female bassist, which clearly distinguishes you from other bands in the visual kei scene. Does this influence you in any way?

DAISUKE: When I started to create my new band, I was influenced by The Smashing Pumpkins which has a female bassist!

YOU, how does it feel to be the only woman in a band?

YOU: I've been asked this question many times. I am often envied by female fans of visual kei because I am the only female in this band. But I am not bothered by that because it is just the course I took in this field. It is so wonderful for me; THE SOUND BEE HD is above all like a family and I feel comfortable with them.

Your albums are always based on a particular concept. Does this method help you create songs?

DAISUKE: Yes, of course. It is useful for me because it makes it easy for me to create music and images immediately.

The concept for your latest release is "captivation." Can you tell us more about this theme and how it corresponds to the songs from this CD?

DAISUKE: I wanted to express glamour and the gorgeous on this album. As for the words and sound, I think that I cannot convey fascination if I do not know pain and sorrow. So that awareness is in both the sound and the words.

Which song would you recommend to people unfamiliar with your band as the most characteristic song of THE SOUND BEE HD?

THE SOUND BEE HD: We’re so sorry. We cannot choose only one.

Five years passed between the release of your second and third album. Do you think that there have been any significant changes in your music during this time?

DAISUKE: Yes, I think so. During those five years I had issues and experienced hesitation not only in music but also in many other things, so I could not make a new CD.

During production of the mini-album Doku, you collaborated with JIN from auncia. Why did you decide to work with him? Do you plan to collaborate with other musicians?

DAISUKE: He was a fan of Media Youth and liked our sound very much, so he said that he wanted to play our songs. If an opportunity arises again, we want to collaborate with other artists.

In November last year you played your first concert in the United States at the Nekocon13 convention. How did you prepare yourselves for that concert? Did you have any expectations before the concert and did they come true?

THE SOUND BEE HD: The event was like one of our dreams come true. Both the local crew and the environment and all the fans were very good to us. Each of us always says "I want to return to Virginia!!!" (laugh)

On 1 July 2011 it was announced that one of your guitarists, YUICHI, left THE SOUND BEE HD. Did his departure influence you and your music in any way? Do you plan to find a new guitarist or are you going to continue as a four-piece band?

THE SOUND BEE HD: It did not affect us in a particular way. We are not looking for a new guitarist. If we meet someone good, we might be a five-member band again, but right now with the four of us there is no inconvenience at all.

Tak, overseas fans know you very well thanks to Calmando Qual. Can you tell us how different is it working with THE SOUND BEE HD compared to Calmando Qual? How do you combine responsibilities as a member of two bands?

Tak: I change my sound and make-up and stage performances in every band, but I don't change my personality and guitar-style. I want to always approach things with more than just what THE SOUND BEE HD's members demand from me as a guitarist and to always keep a performance and sound that can impress the audience, and not betray them.

In the beginning of 2010 you joined Starwave Records. How did that happen and what kind of boss is Kiwamu?

DAISUKE: I was introduced to Kiwamu by Tak. It was a destined encounter. Kiwamu has a strong network of overseas liaisons and he always thinks of us as a good band, we really rely on him and we think he is a great boss in Starwave Records!!

After switching labels to Starwave Records, you changed your music style and your image. What inspired you to make these changes?

DAISUKE: As for that, we just came back to our origins.

YOU, you wrote on MySpace that Polish vodka zubrowka is one of your favourite alcohols. What makes you like it so much?

YOU: Ok, I will tell you why I like zubrowka. Zubrowka is not so expensive but it is really tasty! And the alcohol level is so high! 40% Vol!! So I always have them in my freezer.

DAISUKE, you have been present in the visual kei scene for a very long time. In your opinion, how has the visual kei scene changed during the years and what kind of future does it have?

DAISUKE: I think each artist could have been great and unique in the old days, but now I think a united feeling and sense of unity are very important for every visual kei band to create their music or image. I don't know if everything will turn out well for visual kei in the future. But I think that bands that make many good works will be able to survive.

DAISUKE, THE SOUND BEE HD has existed for almost ten years now. Do you think you've achieved everything you planned to achieve when you first created the band?

DAISUKE: No, I don't think so. I think I'll probably leave the band if I feel that everything has been accomplished.

What goals do you set for yourselves for the next ten years?

THE SOUND BEE HD: To keep on performing, and keep creating many good works.

Do you want to give any message to JaME readers?

THE SOUND BEE HD: Come watch THE SOUND BEE HD's LIVE while we live! Thank you!!


We would like to thank THE SOUND BE HD and Kiwamu for help with conducting this interview.