Yuma's Villa

Picture the nervousness

The power of nervousness can actually make one become better. 
This is probably when one gets used to the nervousness. 
In the past, when I got nervous, I used to think, "Why did I get into music?" and 
I regretted it then. (laugh)
Now when I am nervous about playing in a big concert, 
I will think what would happen if I ran away. (laugh) 
For example, I would imagine that the manager is worrying, and 
the staff is looking for me, something like that.



The night before a concert 

I usually have no problem sleeping the night before a concert, 
but I often have a problem sleeping after a concert, 
particularly when I did my best. 
If the next day after a concert I said, "I had a good sleep," 
it means that I didn't do my best. (laugh) 
Recently, I usually can't sleep after a concert.
During the early stages, we only needed to play 5 to 6 songs and 
we took it very causally. However, as we now play as many as 20 songs, 
it becomes a totally different world. 
We also took it differently then. Even though I can't sleep well, I'll do my best.




The foreseeable future after "Sora no tobikata" （空の飛び方）

After we finish the recording of this album, 
it will take ten years to make the next one. (laugh)
 I think about various things. 
For example, what should I do for the next album after finishing this one?
We believe we are making an album which is more "pop" than "Crispy!" and
more in depth than "Hoshi no kakera". 
Still, there are parts that we can't tell what will end up before we finish them.
 However, we strongly believe that, 
after finishing this album, Spitz will face a big change, or 
Spitz will take a big step to another stage. 
I think we are making an album which is this important to us.




Questions based on "Aoi kuruma"1 (excerpt from B-Pass)

Interviewer: Based on "My cold hand...." (the lyrics from "Aoi kuruma"), 
which part of a woman's body do you like?
Tetsuya: Here! (very excited) Yeah, it's bulging breasts!
Interviewer: You can sometimes see them when everyone wears less during summer.....
Tetsuya: Oh yeah! (answered quickly)
Sakiyama: I like this area. (pointing the area below the noise)
Tamura: I like the earlobe, cus' it's smooth. (laugh) 
If you touch it, it's very soft. I am a man who has a pair of ears with good earlobes. 
I can give anyone happiness.
Masamune: I donnn knoooww......(He has been bothered since he was asked the question.)
Tetsuya: How about a female dentist's nose hair which comes out a little bit from her nose? (All laugh.)
Masamune: Probably something like the collarbone. 
I like areas such as bones that are attention getting.



Questions based on "Aoi kuruma"2 (excerpt from B-Pass)

Interviewer: Based on "With your blue car.....I left it and let's go somewhere,
" this summer where do you want to go?
Tetsuya: ............(He doesn't have a driving license.)
Interviewer: Who's going to give you a ride?
Tetsuya: Tamura.......to the studio!
Tamura: I would like to go to Hokaido.
Tetsuya: With a woman?
Masamune: No, I think it's with a horse.
Tetsuya: With his love. (All laughed.)
Masamune: I want to go somewhere like Akida's springs where there have fewer people.
Sakiyama: Me? Mountain.


About Masamune 94'

Tamura: The good thing about Masamune is that he can say "I love you".
Masamune: No, I can't say it.
Tetsuya: I never heard an idle complaint from him. 
He never shows his discontent. 
He is like that all the time. No matter whether he meets other people or members, 
he is just like that. I think this is incredible.
Masamune: I see. I do think I am a type of person who has both sides though.
Tamura: No, not when you are compared to me.
Tetsuya: Among us.....is there anyone like that? (laugh)
Tamura: About his good sides, he knows a lot. I also like him when he worries. 
He often worries about things that he actually doesn't need to worry about.
Sakiyama: Yeah...He thinks about many things.
Tetsuya: He thinks deeply, but he won't be dragged down by it later. 
He is always like that.
Tamura: But when he decides to forget about the problem, 
he keeps mentioning it for a whole day, 
such as "I have to pay for my gas." (laugh) He just keeps repeating.
Sakiyama: He is completely affected by that.
Masamune: The problem keeps staying in my head, and 
I'll forget the lyrics and think about gas payments instead.
Sakiyama: Among the Spitz's members, he is late most of the time.
Masamune: I am not punctual, but 
when it comes to important things I come right on time though. (laugh)
Tamura: Yeah, you do. When we were ten minutes late for an important meeting and 
we were worrying about it, Masamune came right on time. 
Compared to yesterday's two hours late, I think today's ten minutes late is more serious.


Extra (from Mr. Children)

Suzuki - Mr. Children's drum:
I like the atmosphere of Spitz's songs. 
We often meet at places such as a street stall. We will wait for you guys in Odenya (a type of Japanese restaurant). See you.

Nakagawa - Mr. Children's bass:

I have been paying attention to this band since our debut. 
We often listened to their songs. Their music is good and their lyrics are very interesting. 
Somehow we often listen to them in Sakurai's car. 
When we receive a tape of their new works, we all usually listen to them in the car after rehersal. 
Although they try something new every time, 
I like the memory when we, after listening to their songs, thought, "That's Spitz."

Sakurai - Mr. Children's vocal:

I am a Spitz freak. I often sing their songs during rehersals. 
I like songs such as "Majotabi ni deru" and "Oppai". 
Our tour saxophone man Obata san was moved when he listened to "Oppai". 
I like the general feeling of Spitz's music and lyrics. 
I sometimes drink with Masamune and Tetsuya. 
Masamune is an innocent person that is just like his songs. 
Tetsuya looks kinda scary, but he is very sociable.

Tahara - Mr. Children's guitar:

I like "Koi wa yugure" in "Sora no tobikata" very much.
 I am also fond of songs such as "Pool", "Shurafu" and "Knife". 
I think Spitz's songs are like "Kori no Knife". How should I put it.....
I recalled that Sakiyama has once said, "Masamune's melody is the best." 
(To fans)Please continue to enjoy their music.



Masamune's talk live in Osaka

You said that when you were a child, 
you cried when you saw Hamen Rider (a hero in some animation).
Masamune: I cried as soon as I saw Hamen Rider came out! (Audience laughed.) 
I thought those villains were probably nearby....

That's particularly scary when you thought about it at night.

Masamune: Oh yeah.... when I thought about it at night, 
I thought Kobura man was inside the fridge and 
then I couldn't go to the bathroom. (Audience laughed.)

What's that called? They came with the Hamen Rider's snack.....

Masamune: Yeah....the Hamen Rider's snack...
It often came with a bunch of cards. 
Something like Kobura man and Kamakiri man.....that kind of monsters'. 
I bought them even though they were scary. 
Since I was really scared, I was planning to throw them away. 
Yet I thought I might be cursed if I threw them away. (laugh) 
I ended up dumping them behind the fridge so that they couldn't come out. (Audience laughed.)

Oh, I see. (laugh) This is kinda off of the topic, but 
you guys released a new album after a year!

Masamune: Yes. We did our best to make it.

The title is "Sora no tobikata" (A way of flying to the sky).

Masamune: Actually, I was planning to name it "Tobikata" (A way of flying).

Were you?

Masamune: Yes. But somehow it doesn't sound good. At the same time, 
the words "Sora no" kept running though my head. 
Well, Spitz has released 5 albums, and it was not weird 
even I named the album "Sora no tobikata". 
In fact, this new album has a lot of lyrics which consists of images of flying to the sky. 
Hence the name fits it perfectly. Actually, I have a very strong desire to fly.

Do you? You seriously hope that you could fly to the sky like a bird?

Masamune: Humn....I often dream that I am flying.

Dream of flying?

Masamune: Yeah! I took it for granted when I could fly in my dream. (Audience laughed.) 
There is a problem recently.....other members also started being able to fly in my dream.

For example, Bass' Tamura was flying?

Masamune: Yeah yeah. "What? I was supposed to be the only one who could fly!" 
I was almost crying while thinking this in my dream. (laugh)

Fortunetelling

I don't believe the fortunetelling. 
I had in the game center the other day. 
It said, "Neither living in love nor living in a dream fits you. 
You belong to a stable and normal life.
" Wait a minute! What about the life I am having now? (laugh)


Coincidence

To me, "coincidence" means "being found". 
"Seeing each other by accident" is meanless, if I am not aware of it. 
Hence, even though I may take jinx and fortunetelling seriously, 
it just helps me, who has been looking forward to having a stable and normal life, 
vary the pace of my life.


Love

When anything comes to love, it often doesn't go very well. (laugh)
 It was often too late when I came to be aware of a girl who liked me. 
Thus, I never paid attention to the girls who had been interested in me from the beginning.
On the other hand, I often had a crush on girls who, 
I thought, would never pay attention to me. 
After all, I like girls who would make me worry, or who are very selfish, 
or who often cheat on their boyfriends.




Masamune and his family


How will my family end up after Kusano Masamune dies? 
I am probably the most important person in my family. (laugh)
In my family, we are very close to each other. 
This was particularly true when I was living with them. 
No matter what happened outside home, I felt safe as soon as I was home. 
Despite the fact that I like being alone, 
I hate shutting myself up in the house. 
Really, it is scary.
Hence, at the beginning when I started living by myself, 
even though it was kind of embarrassing, 
I said to myself "I am home" when I came home. (laugh)



I am still a contrary person....


When I was told, "it doesn't suit you" after I bought some clothes that I really like, 
I would have a very strong desire to change those people's minds. 
On the other hand, when I was told, "it suits you very well," or 
"this color looks good on you," I would then not want to put it on. (laugh)
I have been saying that I like red very much. 
Recently, I was told, "you now look good in red," 
and my passion for red has cooled down. (laugh) 


感想：
マサムネはＭだと思います。（笑）

What the members think about Masamune?


What's your first impression?
Tetsuya: A gloomy guy. (laugh)
Tamura: I didn't think so, but some mania about something..... 
I think we now call this "eccentric", but somehow it's different.
Masamune: Yes, it's eccentric.
Tamura: Masamune had the look of an art student. 
Although I didn't know anyone who was an art student when I went to university, 
I though so the first time I met him. "Oh, I see. 
This' what an art student looks like." I thought. (laugh)

I see.

Tamura: But he is sloppy. 
Let's say he had an 8:00 a.m. class, and no matter what happened he had to go to this class. 
Although the alarm was on and yelling, "Wake up! Kusano!" he was still sleeping. 
He often ended up skipping the lessons due to this reason. (laugh)
Tetsuya: You talked a lot!
Tamura: To him, sleeping is always prior to anything.
Masamune: If I am sleepy, I go to sleep first even though I am hungry.

When did Tetsuya and Masamune start playing in the same band?

Masamune: At first there were only 3 people - a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. 
Later Tetsuya joined the band.
Tamura: At that time I knew that Tetsuya was also playing in other bands, 
but I didn't introduce him to Masamune as I thought they wouldn't get along with each other.

Is this a personality problem?

Tamura: How should I put that? Both of them are the leadership-type.
Masamune: But the first day I met Tetsuya, 
he welcomed us at the entrence of the cultural fashion college. 
He was waving his hand and saying, "I am here!" I thought, "What a nice guy!" (laugh)

Do you guys have any songs which you have played since the early stages?

Tamura: No. We would laugh hard if we thought about it. 
The first copied song we played was "Jumping Jack Flash". (laugh)

What kind of a person do yo think Masamune is?

Sakiyama: An awkward person.
Tamura: A person who surprises you and is well-educated.
Tetsuya: But he is arrogant.
Tamura: He's like a general of a monkey hill. (laugh)
Sakiyama: He becomes a bad guy when he drives.
Tamura: He gets mad at cars surrounding his and at traffic lights. 
The person sitting next to him often has a hard time.
Tetsuya: He sucks on making sudden judgements. (laugh)

Questions to Masamune: 

Q: How was the band formed?
M: When the band was formed, it was a kind of punk band. 
There is also a meaning like "It is very noisy, but we are being fed by it".
Q: Where did your name come from?
M: In our family, the boys have been named "MasaXXXX" for generations.
Q: What was your nickname when you were a child?
M: Makun.
Q: What do the members usually call you?
M: Masamune.
Q: What are your hobbies?
M: Wandering around and reading maps.
Q: Do you have any special skills?
M: No.
Q: Do you have anything that you really want now?
M: A CD shelf.
Q: What do you think about your blood type and personality?
M: My blood type is O type, but I don't think that there is anything to do with my personality.
Q: Do you have any habbits?
M: Humming.
Q: What and when was the first record you bought?
M: It was Abba's "Dancing Queen". I was in grade 5.
Q: What and when was the first concert your saw?
M: It was Loudness's concert when I was in grade 8.
Q: What kind of a girl do you like?
M: A tough one who is good to chat with.
Q: What is your favorite book?
M: The one I am reading now which is called "Yo no kanashimi".
Q: What is your favorite movie?
M: "Chance".
Q: What magazines do you usually buy?
M: "Big Comic Spirit" and "Rockin' On".
Q: What is your favorite phrase?
M: Live and learn.
Q: What are your favorite sports?
M: I like watching boxing and tennis games.
Q: Where do you want to visit?
M: The northern part.
Q: Do you have pets? If you don't, what would you like to have?
M: No, I don't have one. I would like to have a dog (such as Akida's).
Q: What is your favorite album?
M: "Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonics" from Spirit.
Q: Have you ever asked a celebrity for an autograph?
M: Yes. I asked Minamino Yoko for an autograph when I was in high school.
Q: Do you have a musican with whom you would like to perform?
M: No.
Q: Do you have any rivals?
M: No.
Q: In your opinion, what kind of a person cannot be forgiven?
M: A person who says bad things about me while I am here.
Q: Have you ever cried because of love?
M: Yes.
Q: Do you have any happy things recently that you want to share?
M: A friend of mine gave birth to a baby girl.
Q: Do you have any sad things recently that you want to share?
M: I can't tell you.
Q: What do you do in holidays?
M: Do nothing.
Q: If you hadn't become a musican, what do you think you would be doing now?
M: Probably working in Fukuoka.
Q: How do you feel about music?
M: It's an "entertainment" that I can't live without.
Q: What do you think music in the 90s will become?
M: It just keeps repeating itself.
Q: What is the most important news for you this year?
M: The Spitz debut.
Q: Last message.
M: See you again.


Majo tabi ni deru （魔女旅に出る）

Spitz's new single "Majo tabi ni deru" will be released on October 25. 
Besides, (same as the background of the song)now it's fall. 
The food of this season is good and the wind is refreshing. 
So let's listen to "Majotabi ni deru" and go travel!
Any response about this song is fine to me. 
I am just keen on the name "Majo" (a witch). 
Also, somehow I think it is cuter to name the song "Majo" rather than "Majo no ko". (laugh) 
I really like words with "Mo (or Ma)". Mo.....what a powerful word! (laugh)



First album


It has been 1 year since our first album "Hibari no kokoro" was released. 
I've also turned 23. When we formed the band we were teenagers, (laugh) 
but now we are adults of 23. 
Although we are not turning into "adult-teens".... (laugh) 
After all, we worked really hard. 
Since this is our debut, we have a strong desire not to lose, and we don't allow any mistakes. 
I think we did our best. Even though including back-ups we made 12 songs in total, 
we ended up putting all the songs into the album instead. (laugh)
We have thought of many names but we believed "Spitz" was the best. 
This is our first album, and we made it without having developed any concept. 
Humn...this is what the first time is like. (laugh) 
Since we want to introduce "Spitz" to everyone, it is ok to simply use the name "Spitz". 
Although half of the songs were new when we were recording, 
we ran out of the new songs as we kept playing them in the concerts. (laugh) 
The old songs are still good songs, but I get tired of playing the same songs in the concerts. (laugh)




Masamune's lyrics
I am often asked, "What's the world of Masamune's lyric like?"
I never think about it deeply. It is just the way I wrote the songs. Thus, there is no such thing such as "Since I think of it this way, others probably also think it of this way" and "this is a hot message to somone". There may be some meaning in my lyrics, or there may not be. If you look into the details, there is probably some meaning. I think that's just it.
One more thing is that I never put English in the lyrics. I want to avoid using familiar phrases such as "I love you".(laugh) I want my band to be the band that pursues an objective that - lyrics, rythum and melody - these three elements should be considered as one. I think I won't be able to write good songs if I put a message that I want to deliver into a song in which the melody doesn't match the lyrics.

Tokyo:
I don't want to live in Tokyo forever. 
Someday I will go back to Kyushu. 
It would also be nice if we could move to Europe or North America, 
and we came back to Japan only when we wanted to work on our music. 
I really can't stand living in an area where there is no sea nearby.  

Unfortunately, some members like Tokyo very much. 
I think that is not going to happen. (laugh)



Money:
I am the kind of person who only spends the cash I have on hand. 
I can't borrow money from someone and then spend it. Am I stingy? Maybe. 
When I see someone who borrowed a long-term loan and bought an apartment, 
I will worry about him and think, "Why did you do something like that?" (laugh)

Desire:
Instead of having a strong desire to own something, 
I think I have a stronger desire to satisfy my curiosity.


Dreaming of Africa:
I was planning to go to Africa this year. 
However, I ended up not going, since the plan didn't fit into my work schedule.
Even though I travel, 
I never care which tourist areas are good to go to or 
what kinds of things I should buy. 
On the other hand, 
I am interested in the details such as the kinds of food people live on and 
the kind of communication they use.

Africa is a country where I can't imagine what it is like. 
Thus, I would like to visit that place.



Something that bugs me: 
The following is a conversation between Masamune and a Peruvian:
Peruvian: How many days are you planning to stay here (Peru)?
Masamune: About ten days.
Peruvian: Then you are going to Turkey and Egypt, right?
Masamune: No, I am going back to Japan.
Peruvian: What? Do Japanese really have to work that hard?

In fact, the Peruvian had already travelled for almost two years at that time.



Living things:
I liked observing living things very much when I was a child.
When I went to the sea, I often observed living things in the sea. 
You can tell from the songs I wrote.



Curosity:
I liked going to dark places, such as a house that no one has lived and a cave. 
I often wanted to go to places where no one dare go.
I've known very well where a baby comes from since my early age. (laugh) 
Since I liked observing living things, 
I always believed human beings came in a same way as others.