By Wendy Wang
Japan's mystic rock hero, Takanori Nishikawa of T.M. Revolution, crosses the threshold and brings back the elixir to our troubled world through the power of music and lots and lots of glam.
Takanori Nishikawa, solo artist of the J-rock band sensation, T.M. Revolution, finds acclaimed fame in Japan with his stylistic acoustic beats. Debuting in 1996 with his single, "Dokusai-monopolize," Takanori's popularity and success have escalated tremendously since then. In 1998, a record-braking sales of two million copies of his third album, "Triple Joker," rocked Japan's music industry. His hit single "Invoke" was chosen as the theme song for "Gundam," one of Japan's most popular anime series. Aside from his music, Takanori is regularly in the fan's presence with his own radio show that he has hosted for eight years. Additionally, he hopes to spread his name to the U.S. with his live debut performance in the U.S. in 2003, his new album "Coordinate," and his DVD "T.M.R. Live Revolution '02 B*E*S*T Summer Crush 2002." In terms of his long term goal, Takanori wishes to use his music to promote both courage and hope to an international audience.
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Interview with Takanori Nishikawa, "T.M. Revolution"
August 11, 2003
Interviewed by Wendy Wang
Translated by Yaz Noya and Ed Goto
Transcribed by Angela Kang
Wendy: Can you please introduce yourself?
Takanori: Hi, my name is Takanori Nishikawa of T.M. Revolution. I'm happy to see you in America.
Wendy: Great, let's start with the first question. Who or what inspired you to start making music?
Takanori: I started when I was ten or eleven years old. I watched MTV and music from the US and UK, and started listening to that kind of music. When I was fourteen years old, I joined a band.
Wendy: What are some of your music influences, for example, what inspires your lyrics or your genre of music being J-pop?
Takanori: I was influenced by Japan, the US, and internationally, especially hard rock and UK electronica sounds. Probably, the combination of hard rock and the "drum rum" songs was my main influence. Basically, when I started to make music, I got inspired by everyday life and not any particular artists.
Wendy: You mentioned some digital music from the UK. Can you give us some examples of that?
Takanori: I like Jesus Jones or DJ Sputnik, and many more.
Wendy: What do you hope to achieve with your music? What do you want your audience to take away from your live concerts or from listening to your CD?
Takanori: I think that the goal is communication between the audience and me through the music. For instance, to make the CD is more like making one art. During the performance is more like communication with the art and both are important to communicate to the fans through the music.
Wendy: I hear that you are the DJ of your own radio show. Do you take advantage of your DJ position and play a lot of T.M. Revolution's music?
Takanori: Most definitely, I take advantage of it. But I have a two hour show and the most important thing is that those who cannot come to the concerts and who I cannot communicate directly to, I can communicate to them through the radio as well. So that's the most important thing to me as a DJ. Of course, I play my favorite music too, so listeners know what kind of music I like now.
Wendy: So what kind of music do you like now?
Takanori: Before I came to the US, there was an "Evanescence" concert in Japan that I went to see. And there is a Linkin Park concert after I come back to Japan, which I am eager to see. I really like rock music, but I like general music too.
Wendy: You recently performed at Otakon. Can you explain what you did there and how that experience was for you?
Takanori: This was my first US performance at Otakon. I was very surprised that there were all American people, Asian or Japanese. I heard that I'm one of the first Japanese artists to perform in front of all Americans, so I'm really proud of that.
Wendy: Well, since this is your first time performing in America, what did you think of it? Any memorable experiences?
Takanori: Actually, this is my second time in America, but it's my first US performance. I was very nervous about it because it was my first time, but at the same time, it was very fun. In the future, I would like to make another album and bring it to the US again for another performance.
Wendy: What were your expectations of the US? Was your reception as great in the US as it was in Asia?
Takanori: This time, I did the indy theme for the anime song, so everyone knows about me already. I feel welcomed by the US. In Asia, it's the same feeling. Breaking the wall of the language and communicating through the music is the same in Asia as it is in the US.
Wendy: What are your fans in Asia like?
Takanori: I just went to Taiwan and Hong Kong, and the fans were so crazy and I was very happy about it. The Asian fans are so crazy about my music. But beforehand, I came to the US and did my performance before I went to Asia, and so I felt a little insecure by the mild reception.
Wendy: Do you feel more connected with the Asian fans or is it about the same?
Takanori: Actually I think it's the same because Asians, and especially Japanese, are a small minority. Asian people and American people have different languages. But everyone still loves T.M. Revolution the same, so I think the connection is about the same.
Wendy: There have been so many international music stars in the US. Why is this? Does the US offer something that other countries do not?
Takanori: I think that maybe those artists lost their originality and forgot where they came from. They're just trying to match the American market, but that's not original and independent. I know a couple of artists from Asia, specifically Hong Kong, who came to the US and changed their music. Their originality was lost. I'd rather listen to their original sounds and material.
Wendy: What drives your music-making process, art and entertainment?
Takanori: I take into consideration both the artistic and entertainment values of the fans and audience. I'm not really crazy about the sound of artists because if artists just make what they like, then they don't cater to the entertainment of the audience. If you think about the people that like your music, then that's entertainment. I just try to create what personally appeals to the audience and me.
Wendy: So what can we expect from T.M. Revolution in the future?
Takanori: I think the most important thing is originality and who I am and what I can bring, as a Japanese. Before I came here, I was thinking, "Okay I'm Japanese and maybe I can't do that much." But right now, I'm thinking originality is the most important thing; it's not just me. I hope all Asian artists can achieve this goal together because that is real communication.
Wendy: Do you have any last words for your fans?
Takanori: Well, this is my first experience in the US and it was really fun. What I like to do is bring out my music to Asia and the US. It's not only the US and Asia, but everywhere. Because the time is very difficult and it gets worse everyday, I think music makes changes in the world and makes people happy. Let's have everyone get together, hand in hand, and have fun. Taiwan had a big earthquake and so I couldn't go there. That was a big shame and I really wanted to go there and cheer people up. But I sent a message and we got a response from the people. They said my words cheered people up. So, that's the message that was communicated.
Wendy: Thank you very much.
Takanori: Thank you.
Published: Friday, August 29, 2003
