OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.6 LIL MERCY / J.COLUMBUS (WDSOUNDS)
OWN (hereinafter O): First, please introduce yourself, Mercy.
LIL MERCY (hereafter, L): Sometimes I use the name LIL MERCY or MERCY , sometimes my real name, and I run a label called WDsounds . In terms of my musical activities, I'm the vocalist for a hardcore band called PAYBACK BOYS , and I rap under the name J.COLUMBUS . When I go by the name COTTON DOPE , I write and select music. I was an early member of RIVERSIDE READING CLUB, and I also write articles and run events. When you look at it like this, it seems like I do a lot of different things. Making music is my main job, and I consider being involved in music production to be my main job. And writing, too.
O You've always been involved in a wide range of activities. Is your label business still your main focus?
L : I guess that's true. The work I do every day is WDsounds , and it takes up the most time. There's hardly a day that goes by when I'm not working on label-related matters.
O What year did WDsounds start?
LI think it was 2004 .
Please tell us what prompted you to start this company.
I used to work at OUT TA BOMB , a hardcore label, distributor, and mail-order company. I was in the label operations department, but there were times when I couldn't release what I wanted, and there were various downsizing efforts, so I decided to do it myself. When I joined OUT TA BOMB , I was just interested in writing reviews. The releases I was involved in as part of the label's work included my own band, WIZ OWN BLISS , as well as DSL , ENDEZWECK , DISTRICT 9 , AGENTS OF MAN , ELEMENTS 4 UPWARD , and a NEW FOUND HOPE compilation. Looking back, I've been involved in quite a lot. When I was with DSL , I called up Keisuke Itagaki and asked him to draw me a picture, and I toured Japan with AGNETS OF MAN in 2004. I'll never forget the phone call I got from MITCH when BIOHAZARD's Japan tour was canceled. After that, we all went to Osaka for a meal at Bikkuri Donkey (laughs). I now think that the 50th anniversary poster that Itagaki Keisuke showed me might have been what made me want to do it on my own.
OThis is purely a general opinion, but I think people tend to think of work as belonging to a company. So you chose to break away from that and run a label on your own.
L Generally speaking, I think you can accomplish great things if you work in an organization or as a team with a large number of people. But I think I'm probably not very good at working with others. I'm not good at working with people in the same organization. I really like the idea of linking up with others to create something after being able to do it on my own. To put it simply, I like the image of freelancers getting together to do something. Also, when you're in an organization like a company, you end up saying things you shouldn't (laughs). When I don't want to do something, I lose all motivation (laughs).
O I think it may be because I was young when I met Marcy, but even back then I always had the impression that she was an independent and established presence.
L: I'm still as unsteady as ever (laughs). But I still love hardcore, and I had the image that " hardcore = independent. " My first form of expression wasn't a band, but a zine , and I wanted to be involved in the hardcore scene after establishing my own existence. It was like " getting involved in the scene in my own way. " I think that going to a live show and moshing and going wild is also an individual movement. People who swing their arms, people who go wild like they're kickboxing, people who tackle, people who suddenly grab the mic and scream - I think those are individual movements too (laughs).
O (laughs) WDsounds started as an indie label and is now in its 18th year.
L: At first, I was doing things at my own pace. I released music for hardcore bands and overseas releases for INTEGRITY . After two tours, I quickly lost about 2 million yen, so I had to go back to working part-time. That's how it was.
When you first started O Label, did you have any confidence that it would work?
LHmm , I don't know. But I always had this unfounded confidence that what we were doing was the coolest! It's still the same now, but I often start something with people I become friends with while hanging out at venues that interest me. When we first started, WDsounds was practically unknown. I always thought, damn it, when I took my recordings to record stores and they just ignored me.
At what point did you think awareness of WDsounds began to spread?
I think it was around the time we released L DREADEYE 's 7- inch, followed by PAYBACK BOYS and LOW VISON releases. DOD and ELMO were also released. There was also the DMB compilation, so I feel like we suddenly became known around that time. I was surprised when I saw people wearing clothes with the WD logo while walking around town (laughs). But when I think about it, we hadn't made any WDsounds clothes until around that time. I was living in Ikejiri around that time, and when I went to a print shop in Nakame to ask about it, there was someone working there wearing a 25 TA LIFE T -shirt, so I decided to make some there.
So , how do you view the existence of " mainstream " from WDsounds ' perspective?
If you think of mainstream as something you're exposed to because it's often on TV or in the media, then I think each person has their own mainstream. For someone who goes to a record store every day looking for used records, I think that's where they're most exposed to music. Lately, my life has revolved around my dog, and that's what mainstream is to me. I get in touch with all sorts of things around that. Everyone is different, and we're always here, so we don't really think about what's called mainstream. But I don't mean it in a negative way, and we do try to incorporate mainstream methods well when it comes to distribution and streaming and that sort of thing.
O WDsounds is run by you alone, Mercy, but you release a lot of stuff.
L: I value my intuition that something should be released to the world. I also try to use my power to move things in a positive direction.
By the way, what do you think your " own power " is?
L : Thinking about how to reach the people who need to hear about it and providing support. Not only do I produce music as an artist, but I've also been working for a label, so there are things that only I can do. Of course, it's more of a work-related topic, like distribution and promotion. Also, my connections are not just musical, so I'd like to be able to make use of them.
O I see. So, WDsounds has released a lot of merchandise, and you personally like clothes and fashion, right?
L : Yes, I do. It's fun to change your fashion depending on where you're going for a meeting or who you're meeting. For example, if you're going to a live music venue, you might wear that T -shirt. Or if you're going on a date, you might dress up a little more than usual. It's also fun to wear something new. It's like it's something that's inseparable from your life. I think it's the same with glasses.
O Mercy, you also own multiple pairs of glasses, right?
L : That's right. I used to think of glasses as a tool to use when my eyesight got weaker, but when I was about 30 , I started to think that having glasses that I thought looked good on me was really stylish. They make a huge difference in the impression of your face. 2PAC was also wearing glasses when he got out of jail. Inspired by that, I went to Okachimachi to buy a pair of frameless Ralph Lauren glasses.
Now , regarding OWN , how did you feel about the start of OWN ?
Before L , Ochiai told me, "Your eyes will burn, so you'd better wear sunglasses," and that really made an impression on me. I realized that he loves glasses and sunglasses, not just fashion. That's why I was genuinely looking forward to the launch of OWN . There are many people around me who run clothing brands, but no one who runs a brand in the single category of glasses, and I thought their artisanal approach was interesting.
O Marcy, you are currently using the OWN #03 frame with prescription lenses. What do you think of it?
L: I'm happy that more people have been asking me if I've lost weight since I switched to these glasses (laughs). I use them as my regular glasses and I really love them. They're bulky, but they fit well.
By the way, why did you choose #03 ?
LI don't think it's a standard shape. But personally, my image of OWN was #03 . Also, I like how something is unique when viewed alone, but feels comfortable when worn. Glasses are interesting because they have that kind of aspect to them. The glasses my father and grandfather used were quite bulky because they were old, but I remember them feeling comfortable when I wore them.
So , please tell us what you're up to next!
L MASS-HOLE 's DIRTRAIN project is planned to be a series with WDsounds . I'm also working on my own solo album, with all MASS-HOLE beats. Also, I forgot to mention this in my initial self-introduction, but I'm also working on an album with MEJIRO ST. BOYZ , which uses beats from a variety of artists, and I think the finished product will be interesting. Islea 's second album is coming out, her first in about five years, so I'm writing the text for it. I'm involved in major label releases and creating things that are only available at certain locations. I'm also helping out with MULBE 's release, which is inspiring me. Things are going as usual, but I hope to expand my horizons even further. I'm also working on some projects anonymously.
Are there any moves underway as O PAYBACK BOYS ?
L is available! We are also working on releasing a 7- inch with 3 tracks from BLACK HOLE . PAYBACK BOYS is awesome.
[Items worn]
#03 BLACK/CLEAR
Price: ¥18,700 (tax included)
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