01 Prologue

June 13, 1993.

On the day that hide announced his solo career in Harajuku, he, I, and many of the staff members went to the after-party hosted at a bar we knew well, Paranoia Café, in Roppongi, to pour some drinks for each other. Paranoia Café was owned by SFX makeup artist Screaming Mad George, who was also in charge of the artwork on X's album, Jealousy. The unconventional decor matched perfectly with the bootleg Nine Inch Nails music video playing in the background, I had never been to a place this cool before.

George's bizarre sense of decor he picked up while in Hollywood was on a whole other dimension level-wise. If I had to describe it in a few words, it was like a sci-fi horror and gore theme park. The walls were covered in something that resembled pink and red mucous membranes and depicted vivid faces in agony, while hundreds of large and small eyeballs hung from the ceiling, glaring at us. Adding to that, the VIP seating was behind iron bars, there was a life-sized figurine of a man who kept staring at you while you did your business, and a floating eyeball decorated the bright-red cocktails. The place encapsulated that playful spirit hide also loved. It's a real shame hide's solo debut event was suspended halfway through. The first two singles, "Eyes Love You" and "50% & 50%", were just about finished. We had been stuck in the studio for the longest time, so this after-party was a refreshing change of pace.

When hide and I drank together, I have no idea if we had heated discussions about rock music, shared the joys of playing music. If sometimes our differences in opinion would turn into fist fights, but would, in the end, strengthen the bond in our friendship. Whenever I try to remember what kind of conversations we had, I find most of my memories have evaporated along with the alcohol. There's no way I can remember any of it (laughs). But that specific day was a little different. The memory is still clear in my mind.

Up until then, I had been doubtful of my work as a studio musician. That I had to support bands and artists making music for them, but not for myself. Granted, that's a studio musician's job, but I always struggled with the dilemma of not having the freedom to do what I truly wanted to do.

I wanted to make my own music, true to myself. I wanted to create sounds that only I could. I wanted to make music, freely. Did hide see into my mind? He offered me just the spot where that could be possible.

"Ina-chan, won't you join me (my band)?"

"Huh?"

I blurted out.

"I'm already part of your band."

"No, I don't mean that. I mean for you to be exclusively in my band. I don't want you to sell your talent by the piece. If you have enough energy to spend here and there, I would rather have you spend it all on me."

I was perplexed by his direct, macho pick-up line. He continued.

"But let me say something. Don’t think I am merely employing you. What's good is good. What's bad is bad. Don't hesitate to tell me anything. If not, there's no point in working together, we won't even be able to. From now on, I want to find the best people to make part of the strongest team."

This sudden turn of events left me a bit uneasy. But hide's words blew all my doubt away.

"I want you to use your talent just for me."

A few weeks later, I found myself under the blue skies of LA, in a 140sqft preproduction room, and that was the beginning of my days making music with hide.