OWN INTERVIEW CONTENTS Vol.7 ZERO MAGAZINE
※We have been given special permission to publish photos that will be published in the next issue of "ZERO MAGAZINE Vol. 2." Reproduction of photos is strictly prohibited.
OWN (hereinafter O): Congratulations on the release of " ZERO MAGAZINE Vol.1 "! First, please introduce yourself, ZERO MAGAZINE !
ZERO MAGAZINE (hereafter, Z) I do a lot of things under the name ZERO MAGAZINE . I've had events like " CHOICE " and I've made figures with Kinoshita-kun ( HIDDY ), the blonde devil. I've just started making a book. I also make clothes, mainly related to music, but that kind of thing is something anyone can do. Personally, I feel like I'm working on the theme of " doing things that no one else can do. "
This time, I would like to interview you about the just-published " ZERO MAGAZINE Vol.1 ." If you were to introduce this book yourself, what would it be about?
This is a photo book of hardcore punk and skinheads from Kansai from 1981 to around 1989. I think they were great people who created something from nothing . Their sound and fashion were unique, and they weren't just copycats. I think they were people who created a culture that was unique to Kansai. I think that only a few people actually experienced live performances by the people of the generation featured in this book. That's why I wanted to put together a book of photos from that era so that many people could see it.
O Only a limited number of people have seen it, and it does have a certain fantasy-like quality to it.
Z : Right. So, I met Naoto at a club in the early ' 90s , right before he left SOB and formed RISE FROM THE DEAD . I was DJing at the time, and Naoto often came to the club and we became good friends, so we started talking about doing an event together. That's how I ended up becoming friends with all kinds of people.
O So you became friends with people involved in hardcore punk bands in the early 90s ?
Z : That's true. I was introduced to people around Naoto and we became friends, and we're still friends to this day. So, the story takes us to the present, but then COVID hit. I couldn't hold events, and many of my friends are artists, so they couldn't do anything either. So, at first, I thought I'd upload an archive of old live videos. I have a lot of videos. But I thought that editing and producing videos takes so much time. So, after thinking about it, I came up with the idea that since I'm spending more time at home now and I have some rare photos and materials, why not make a book?
O I see, so that's how it went! When SOB and RISE FROM THE DEAD did a two- man show a long time ago, they held an archive exhibition of flyers from that time.
Since it's Z , I knew that someone would have old flyers and photos and that they would definitely remain (laughs). Originally, ZERO MAGAZINE made interviews with various people available for free on the web , and even back then I had the opportunity to interview a number of prominent people. Back then it was web , but I guess what I want to create now has shifted to books.
I was also looking forward to ZERO MAGAZINE web at the time. By the way, why did you change your mind?
Z Simply put, I got tired of collecting music. I still buy and listen to a lot of music, but you can buy and listen to it instantly online. Even if I buy a CD , I end up downloading it onto my computer as data. But when it comes to books, e-books aren't enough if they're interesting, so I think books are something you should hold in your hands and read. Also, I've made a lot of different things up until now, but actually, I've never made a book.
O Now that you mention it, that's true! Is this your first book in your career?
Z : That's right. I love manga and photo books, so I started to feel like I wanted to make a book! Plus, there aren't any books that combine skinheads and hardcore punk. I'm friends with people from both genres. Initially, I wanted to put together photos of bands around my age. Nakatani from CRACKER JACKS is the same age as me, so I wanted to make a book that compiles photos of people from SOB and OUTO in their younger days. I told my seniors that I wanted to do something like that, and it seems they had heard about it, because when we met, they said, "You're going to publish a book about Kansai hardcore and skinheads soon, right? I'll help you!"
For that reason, the era was broadened from the original concept and it ended up being grouped under the 80s .
Z : Right. At first, I was thinking of narrowing it down to '88 -'89 . But when I interviewed SOB , guitarist Seki was a former guitarist for BONES , so I asked him if he had any photos of BONES , and Funnyara and Yoshida from BONES sent me some photos.
ODo you have any favorite parts of this photobook?
Z : It's everything. Every photo has a meaning, and that's what makes this book work. I even redid the page layout seven times. It starts with this photo, and then the story unfolds like this ...
OIt must be extremely difficult to rearrange the composition seven times with that amount of photos ...
ZIt 's a blessing, but sometimes just when I've finished something to a certain extent, I receive some crazy additional photos (laughs).
O (laughs) So, was there anything you paid particular attention to when making this?
Z: It goes without saying, but I got permission for all photos. I also tried to meet people in person and talk to them whenever possible. Nowadays, you can do it over email or LINE , but I wanted to meet them in person and get their permission. That's why I met a lot of people. I've known people of my generation for about 30 years, so I can get permission in a frank manner, but it's not like that with older bands. So it was a while since I'd last met such scary older people, and it was quite nerve-wracking (laughs). Of course, they're very kind to me when I meet them, though.
Especially if they're bands you watched as a kid.
ZEveryone generously provided us with photos. I was really grateful. It seemed like they'd already been in the loop, and before I even asked to borrow a photo, they'd say, "You need it, don't you?" There was no one who was like, "I'll let you do it!" or anything like that. I was really happy. I think I need to learn from them. Also, speaking of the struggles, scanning the photos was really hard. About 600 photos. The scanner I was using at the time was old, so I had to buy a new one (laughs).
Of course, the photos I borrowed from you are prints from that time. Nowadays, they can be easily sent as digital data.
ZThat 's right. I wanted to present the photos from that time without changing their texture at all, and I didn't think a weirdly stylish layout was necessary. After all, each and every photo has a lot of power. The flyers are still dirty and bent in places. Since they're old, I deliberately avoided any modern flair.
ONow that it's finished, what do you think?
I'm overwhelmed with Z emotion. That's all I can say. The band members who lent me their photos were also happy and sent me messages of congratulations on the release. Kaoru and Takatsu from Bull The Dougs said, "I'm glad we were able to make something great!" It really makes me happy.
Perhaps because of its untouchable atmosphere, this scene hadn't been widely known until now, and it has become an important document that gives us a glimpse into the history of hardcore punk and skinheads in the Kansai region.
Z: I wanted to preserve that. I discovered punk in the '80s , so when I thought of punk, I thought of hardcore punk. I have no interest in the melodic hardcore that became popular in the ' 90s , and I don't find it appealing. I don't want to call that punk. I think pop rock or melodic rock would be better. I think punk isn't about love or youth, it's about expressing the mysterious energy and irritation of teenagers .
It is said that the film is a package of the shock that O himself experienced during his impressionable years.
Z : That's right. It was the first street music that had an impact on me in my life. I thought it was delinquent! Up until then, I was a kid listening to "Oyoge ! Taiyaki-kun" and Pink Lady, so I never sensed anything delinquent about music. Then, in my first year of junior high, I heard Anarchy and got hooked. It suited me even more because I went to a school where there was a lot of violence going on (laughs). From there, I started looking for something more extreme and that's when I discovered hardcore punk.
This is just my personal opinion, but the hardcore punk from Kansai at the time had something unique, including the melody.
Z : That's right. They wore makeup and some of their songs were dark and murky, so they had a scary vibe. Studded jackets are now a common thing in punk, but back then it was something I'd never seen before and it was quite shocking. SOB 's fashion, which came along later, with their shorts and T- shirts, Air Jordans and Suicidal Tendencies mesh caps, was also really shocking. People who got into casual punk in recent years don't know about the hardcore punk of that time. But I think that was the coolest punk, and I really wanted to preserve it.
There's very little documentation available on Kansai hardcore punk and skinheads in particular.
Z : Not at all! I'm 53 now, and my predecessors are 57. It may sound rude, but if I were to die like this, all of this cool culture, full of originality, might end up being nothing.
That 's why I wanted to make a book that would remain as a reference. I was really surprised to see so many photos I'd never seen before.
I'm also happy that everyone who bought Z has said they've read it over and over again. But I published this book because I wanted to write a book about Kansai hardcore punk and skinheads, the things that first shocked me. From now on, I plan to write a book with a different topic.
Oh ! It was Vol.1 , so I was actually curious about it. There's a sequel.
Z : Of course. It's not a life story, but I'd like to do things that I like in order. It's still just a plan, but I think up to Vol. 3 , punk, hardcore, and skinheads will appear. Maybe Vol. 4 will be about hip-hop and club culture.
Please tell me as much as you can about the sequel ( lol ) !
I'd like to include interviews with Z SOB and OUTO . I'd also like to include a flyer for TOM . I'm thinking about doing an interview with TOM as well. In that vein, I'd like to include TOKYO No.1 SOUL SET and GAS BOYS , and HELLBENT looks interesting too. I have a lot of friends, so I'm thinking of doing something non-genre-specific. I might even include a photo book like this one in between.
OIt sounds really awesome ... I'm looking forward to it!
I'm working towards the goal of publishing three books in Z years, so please look forward to it. I intend to make book production a lifestyle from now on. I've done a lot of events and apparel brands up until now, but I've never been satisfied with anything. I always feel like I could have done more. But this time, for the first time, I feel like I've created something that I'm satisfied with. I think it's the first time I've felt a sense of accomplishment. I think I've created something that I can be completely satisfied with, in response to the impact that hardcore punk had on me as a teenager . I'd love to have this on my bookshelf!
While you continue to produce books, events will also gradually resume, right?
I've been running Z Events since I was 20, so that's 33 years. I plan to keep going. Advertising used to be a pain, but now it can be done entirely through social media . Next year's event content is pretty much set, so please look forward to it. But events get copied pretty quickly ... My current event, " CHOICE ," originally started with tofubeats , SEIHO , and OTOGIBANASHI'S , and we were hoping to fill a venue called Compass in Osaka with about 200 people. But then, each of us quickly became popular, and two years later, Universe was attracting 1,000 people. Once you start attracting that many people, other venues start copying you. It's been that way for a long time. I don't want to be copied, but I don't think people who copy others are creators. I don't have a ton of money, but I'm confident I'm doing things no one else can. That's why we try not to expand the scale of our events and only attract around 1,000 people.
Could you please explain the reason in detail?
I've always thought that only a few people can respond to Z -edge music. I think that's the number of people who want to hear the latest, cool music. I think the best situation is when those 1,000 people are truly enthusiastic. With the people who currently perform at my events, I could probably do something for 5,000 people if I wanted to. But I don't. I think that if it spreads to the masses, the 1,000 enthusiastic fans I currently have will lose interest. That's not the best thing, and we've done it ourselves. Even if you discover a band you think is cool, if they start doing lame things, people won't go see them. I think people who come because it's popular should go elsewhere. I want people who are looking for the latest, great music to come. An event like that will have a crowd full of cool, stylish people. I'm from the first generation of clubbers, and back then, both older and my peers dressed up to go to clubs, and I think that's the kind of place it should be. It may sound bad, but when weird people get in there, it cools things down.
Thank you for your valuable insights! Finally, if you have any information to share, please share it!
I'm working to release " ZERO MAGAZINE Vol.2 " around the end of February next year, so please look forward to it. I use Twitter for announcements, and you can see my daily life on Instagram, so please check it out. You might be wondering when this guy has a job (laughs).
【 INFO 】
