02 First Meeting

Before I knew about X and met hide for the first time, I was what is commonly known as a professional studio musician. Every day I'd drive around studios in the Tokyo metropolitan area, bringing my complete kit of recording essentials in my minivan: Synths, sequencers, drum machines, effect pedals, a computer, and more. Today I would record music for an advert, tomorrow I'd do background music for TV, theatrical productions, play for big band ensembles, enka, kayoukyoku... I spent my days working on many different projects that quite literally broke the barriers between genres.

What does a studio musician even do, anyway? You've probably heard of that job title but you're also likely not aware of what the work entails. Imagine some lone-wolf musicians who do not belong to any band or particular group. They're often requested by solo singers, artists and bands to use their performance skills in recording sessions, or to support them in concerts. Depending on the project, songwriting skills and skills in musical arrangement are also necessary. So a studio musician not only has to be musically proficient, but also able to handle playing a wide range of genres.

In my case, I was a studio musician specializing in "synthesizer sound creation" and programming musical notation data on the computer in order to make music, commonly known as 'step entry recording'. Back then, this was also called being a "synthesizer programmer", and this job field mainly involved creating sounds and step entry in a recording studio.

And then, unexpectedly, I was asked to work for X as their sound manipulator. That was in the summer of 1991. A sound manipulator is a role that branches from synthesizer programming. In a nutshell, a sound manipulator is the person who produces sounds other than those being played by the band members during a live performance. What the sound manipulator does differs from the band or artist's style and time period, but common tasks include starting and stopping the sequencer(automated computer sounds), using a metronome to sync the computer's and band's sounds, and handling sound effects. For example, when a band that has no keyboard player needs piano sounds, or when an artist whose focus is on dancing needs background music, these are all situations where the sound manipulator provides assistance.

When X completed their album Jealousy, they sought more stage crew for their upcoming nationwide tour, Violence in Jealousy. They decided to get a sound manipulator, and in a twist of fate, I was offered the spot. Everyone probably knows that, back then, X was an unrivalled band, taking the world of major labels by storm and defying the norms of Japanese rock music.

However, I was such a hardcore fan of Black music such as R&B, soul and funk that I didn't have the slightest idea of what happened in the world of rock music and had no idea this X band even existed.

In retrospect, I can only thank the band, their management at the time, and the people at CBS Sony who took me in. I had to learn about X before the rehearsals started, so I watched their live videos over and over.

I was speechless. I had no idea any of that even existed... It was visual shock, indeed. And... scary. That was my first impression (laughs).

As a synth player who was often locked in the studio, making bleep bleep noises on the computer, what exactly was I supposed to do here? I was at a loss. But for some reason, I felt like it was going to be alright when I saw, filmed from the backstage and caught just for a few seconds, the smiles of the band. My thought process was: "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do, but I'm jumping right in."

The first rehearsal was on July 12, at an immense recording studio in Setagaya called Tad Pole Studio. I was terrified, my head spinning, wondering what horrors awaited after the endless stories I had heard about the band's legendary drinking antics, destructive tendencies and countless izakaya they had been banned from. But everyone who showed up to that rehearsal was surprisingly far removed from the image I had of them in my mind. All of them were friendly and kind. And among them, the one who left a deep impression on me was hide.

That day, we were working on formulating the SE (sound effects) that were going to be used for a solo section in the band's concerts, called hide no heya. We had to record some screaming from hide in order to sample his voice. In order to avoid as much noise as possible, only hide and I worked on this recording. It was a surreal setting, suddenly being alone in this 1000sqft studio with a man I had just met.

"All right, as soon as I press this button, it'll start recording, and then you can begin. (... Go on.)"

"Ugyaaa"

We continued, in silence.

"(... Go on.)"

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"

"(... Go on.)"

"Hyahhahahahahahaha"

"(... Go on.)"

"........... Hm, I feel a little awkward, so I'm done."

I still remember the way he said that and how he left the studio looking embarrassed, with a bashful expression on his face.