PROFILE
After working with Toshiyuki Terui and Tatsuya Nakamura as BLANKEY JET CITY, he launched his own label, SEXY STONES RECORDS, in 2000 and has been actively releasing music under the names SHERBETS, AJICO, JUDE, PONTIACS and solo. He is currently active as Kenichi Asai & THE INTERCHANGE KILLS, and also shows his talent in writing and painting.
. when the music industry is facing headwinds, it is the time to immerse oneself in creation.
. Actually, I met Tatsuya Nakamura for an interview a few months ago.
Ah , yes.
I heard that the members of BLANKEY JET CITY (* hereafter referred to as BJC) are still friends with each other.
We rarely see each other on a daily basis, and we occasionally keep in touch and go out to eat together once a year or so. Teru-chan (*Teru Toshiyuki Terui) and I used to go surfing frequently for a while, but recently we don't go anymore. I think Teru-chan's surfing fever has cooled off. But I asked him for the first time in a while and we went together the other week.
I've heard that you go camping and mountain climbing, but you also surf.
We go to Shonan together in Teru-chan's car, and we have a lot of conversations along the way. When we haven't seen each other in a while, we both have things we want to talk about. Teru-chan works hard at what she does, and I work hard at what I do, so we have a lot to talk about.
Do you talk about the past? Or do you give a recent update?
I'll do both. All of them. I'll say, "You were like that at that time, weren't you? I'm sure we've talked about most of the things we've talked about, but I find things I've forgotten to talk about at some point. Surfing itself is fun, but I like the conversations we have along the way. If we see each other often, the fun fades away, but the longer we don't see each other, the more we get excited. Maybe I haven't seen Tatsuya as much as I have.
I heard that the three of you went into the studio together.
Yes . That was in the book (*"God Always Makes Both"), but word got out that Tatsuya wasn't feeling well, and I said, "Are you okay?" . That's when I asked him if he was okay. So, when the three of us decided to meet for dinner, Tatsuya said, "I'd like to play one more time with the three of us," and of course I said yes. Well, he seems fine now, but I was really worried at the time. So we all started rehearsing together.
How did your performance turn out?
It was great. He was really into it, for about 3 hours. It was fun. Tatsuya, Teru and I have been together for 20 years, so we have all grown up. We recorded everything. But the environment in which we recorded was not good. The performance itself was good, but the balance of the recording was not good... I think I prefer the sound I recorded with my cell phone.
BJC's live performances often started with improvisation.
Yes, we did. Sometimes we would do that, and sometimes we would try out songs I was working on at the time.
I think this was your first session in more than 10 years, and I wonder if there were any awkwardness.
It's been 17 years, I think. But Teru and Tatsuya are in a band together, or they are in their own bands, right? It was not awkward, but of course there was a sense that it had been a long time, and it was fun. It was fresh and nostalgic.
I think it was the music industry that was most damaged by Corona, but I think it must have changed the way Asai-san lives his life as well.
Since there are no more live tours, we usually have regular trips, but since there are no more trips at all, I feel sad about the lack of live shows......I don't like it. I mean, I don't like it..., what do you guys say?
Many musicians seem to think that they need to create new ways to distribute and express themselves.
There are people who distribute. I don't want to do it. I think it would lose the excitement. I think it would make me and the other person cool down. Both for me and for the other person.
. I was surprised to see you uploading your own cooking on Instagram during the StayHome period.
That, along with the illustrations, is interesting because I do that from time to time. . I didn't think I would distribute something like that to everyone. . judging by the number of heart marks and comments, I think the response has been very positive.
. Yes, that's right. . I think it must have been refreshing for everyone, in a way, to see the gap between your impression of Mr. Asai on stage and his impression of you on the stage.
In my mind, there is no gap. I am who I am. People who have known me for a long time understand that. People who don't know me well may have a different image of me.
In a sense, the Corona disaster allowed you to have more time to create, didn't it?
Yeah . All I do is create. . Since I can't perform live, I have no choice but to express myself by creating such things. I have no choice but to use this period of time to create. I think we have to be positive. It's dangerous to look backward.
