Motto High Grade - Vol. 002 - January 2020 - Yu~ki Personal Interview

 In this volume, Yu~ki had a duo interview with Mako (deadman), but also a long personal interview discussing his artistic expression, past works and love for chocolate, as well as his following small fan event to be held in Shinjuku the following month. So, let's meet the Count. 

Motto High Grade - Vol. 002

Yu~ki, who has been appearing on stage about once every year or two since MALICE MIZER went on hiatus, is a bassist and a true artist with a passion for the arts. He is currently working on accessories under his own brand "Mother of Life"(*1) and is currently creating art objects. Like a source spring of pure water, his ideas never run dry, and his desire to express himself grows stronger and stronger everyday. Here, we will talk about the behind-the-scenes of this magazine’s photo shoot, art, and more from the perspective of an artist.

(*1: he used to sell his accessories through Midi-Nette’s online shop but no items are sold anymore. Yu~ki has now started a new brand, Abstract~A - The World of Silence, which he runs an online shop for. His instagram for it is @ the_world_of_silence , and his online shop is here (please see his overseas sale page for instructions on how you can purchase his items from abroad.)

 

----Thank you for joining us this time. Actually, for a moment I wasn't sure whether I should call on you or not, because I didn’t know about your current endeavors.

So, you contacted me through MALICE MIZER's office.(*2) At the time I received the offer, I didn't know there was going to be a detailed interview for the magazine. I said yes through the office for old time's sake, but then I was asked to "submit a candidate for the duo interview," and honestly, I wasn’t too sure what to say? I hardly know any musicians. So even once I had given my OK, I thought I’d have to turn the offer down… Then, I received a sample magazine with Sakura and Közi in it. When I looked at it, I was surprised to see so many photo pages!

(*2: Since this dates from 2020, I believe he means Midi-Nette as “Malice Mizer” and what is left of sales and stuff has been under Mana’s label/office since they left Columbia, but I can’t confirm)

----It’s true that we do publish a lot of pictures.

So I was tickled that although this was a little difficult in terms of dialogue interview, I could do something interesting with the filming maybe (laughs). At that time, Mako's face popped into my head.

----Moreover, Mako happens to be in the midst of a limited time revival of deadman right now.

Coincidentally, he was, yes. As I said in our conversation, I have some things in common with Mako, and I have been interested in him for a long time. I was hoping that we could do something interesting together in a photo session like this, even if it wasn't music. When I stood in front of the camera with Mako, I immediately had an image of the kind of pictures I wanted to take. So I submitted a lot of images that were close to the ones I had in my mind to the staff members involved in this photo session and to Mako as reference materials.

—-We had to do an unusual production process this time.

Did you really ?

----We usually don’t take artist’s ideas so far and bring them to life.

…Well, I guess that's fair. (laughs). Also, I was glad that I was able to discuss the project with Mako beforehand via LINE. I asked him how he liked the images and such. He was very receptive from the start, saying it was great. He understood my concept immediately after looking at the reference materials I sent him. After a series of meetings, he said, "I think we can make something good”. When he said, "I want to have fun," I was glad that I had invited him. However, I was afraid that we might have given the staff trouble because we gave too many directions…

----To be honest, yeah it was a bit of a hassle (laughs)

Right ? I was wondering how you all did to deal with me… (laughs)

— (Laughs) Well, it was actually fun, because it was a new process, so it’s all good.

If so, that's fine (laughs). I am aware that artists tend to operate based on emotions, not logic. What we say, such as "the atmosphere is good” at a quick glance, is often vague or abstract. I know it must be difficult to give form to such things, but I just ended up saying them anyways (laughs). I think back to the time before MALICE MIZER went on hiatus, I would rather suppress my own opinions, take one, two, or three steps back, and listen to what the members had to say and nod. Looking back on those days, I wonder if I should have voiced my opinion more. I had some regrets.

----Oh, did you.

Because of this experience, I have come to think that if there are opportunities for me to express myself in the future, I would like to convey my ideas as much as possible, because I do not want to have the same regrets I had in the past. If I give my opinion and the other party is bothered by it, there will probably be no next time, and I will just let that be the way it is.

----So this time you did ask for what you wanted.

Well, yes, I did. (laughs). When I talk with the production side, not only for this shoot, but also for live performances and sound source production, we usually have a hard time coming to an agreement. There is a deep gulf between the two sides that cannot be filled…. Between people who work with theory and those who work with their senses. We have been fighting each other's opinions to build our own world, and we have been fighting to keep our ideas from being defeated. I think that was what MALICE MIZER was as a group..

—-Dear hard working staff, thank you !

Really, though (laughs). But in 2018, when MALICE MIZER was revived and I met our old staff again, they told me that there had never been a band like MALICE MIZER before us, or until now.

----There was no band as selfish as MALICE MIZER, that made them suffer as much, you say? (Laughs)

Alright, I will conveniently take that as a compliment (laughs). Because, as I said, it was a lot of work, but it was fun. And it was worth it. When I hear stuff like that, I am glad that we did what we set out to do… I try to think of it that way (laughs).

----That’s how you want to think of it (laughs).

At the time, I am sure they thought we were a bunch of annoying people (laughs). Because we kept insisting on doing things at our shows that they said we couldn't do.

----By the way, Yu~ki, you flew in the air at some venue, didn't you?

Yes, yes, I flew at the Nippon Seinenkan before it was rebuilt. That's what you mean, right. But thankfully, that video is fun, even when I watch it today.

----I think maybe it was a little greedy, as far as wanting to express something.

I mean I can’t deny that.

----And you still haven’t changed, either.

it’s getting trickier, though (laughs)

----The original obsession with artistic expression, combined with a stubbornness that has grown over the years? (Laughs)

Yeah yeah (laughs)

----But from our magazine's point of view, we would still like to work with you again if the opportunity arises, so don’t worry.

Oh, is that so (happy). I was very happy to be asked to participate in this project and to be given the opportunity to express myself even though I have not been involved in any public activities lately. I mean, I am a challenger, right? (Laughs) Because there are so many unknowns with me, aren't there?

----I had heard about the lottery for the "A Midsummer daylights Dream"(*3) signing event that took place last summer for an unknown number of Blu-Ray purchasers. That is why we thought it would be a good opportunity for us to have a chance to meet your fans.

(*3 : Some fans were lucky to win a handshake and sign session with the three Malice Mizer members by purchasing the Deep Santuary Malice Mizer show DVD)

I appreciate it. Last year's book signing was a truly precious occasion. There were even some who told me in tears, shaking and trembling, "I thought I would never see you again in this life.” There were also fans who broke down as soon as they entered the room where the three of us were standing by the partition.

----I can understand why they would be shaken to the core. You three in full gear can be intimidating.

We signed posters, shook hands, and exchanged a word or two. I was the first in line to pick up a poster and sign it, Mana was in the middle, and Közi was last. After the autograph session was over, Közi said, a little irritated: “Everyone is freaking out at Mana-chan's place, and then they don't care about me… I mean it’s not like I care…" (laughs).

----Well he always had somewhat of a teasing personality (laughs)

(laughs) Well, despite all that, that handshake session was a wonderful time. It was really great to meet everyone. It was such a great experience that when I was asked if I would be interested in doing a talk event for the magazine, I simply had to say yes..

----Thank you very much.

I'm looking forward to it...I've heard there's been a tremendous response with the announcement of the ticket sales. I'd like to meet everyone who wants to attend, so I'll do as many times as the venue allows. I want to meet as many people as possible, because it's not often that I get a chance like this, and since I've been doing MALICE MIZER, I've never done a stand-alone event, so this will really be a rare event.

----And since it is a talk event, it seems that the expectations of those attending are high. After all, Yu~ki is a man of mystery.


Indeed. I am looking forward to the event, but I am also grateful for the opportunity to use the "other takes" of the newly taken photographs and to be able to sell my work in the form of oversized postcards (*4), because I am happy that people will be able to hold something I created and enjoy it in their hands.

(*4 : We attended a small venue talk event where about 35 (?) people could come and see Yu~ki for the event, listen to a short interview and receive those postcards he designed himself, as well as receive a handshake. I was lucky to participate so here are some shots from the event : 

Yu~ki had some chocolate on hand, as he does (haha).
The venue was a small bar in Shinjuku that held a couple dozen people.

Yu~ki did the graphic design on shots that were not used for the magazine,
and offered A4 copies to attendees of the event.
We also got one extra photo in the set, as you can see here.

----The photographer and staff are fully cooperating with you on that one, right ?

Thanks. I just want to add something, I know that there are some people who can't make it to the event this time due to inconvenience, so I hope you will wait for another opportunity or another way to get a copy of the book.

---Understood.

To tell you a little bit about the oversized postcards, I use Photoshop to process the photos and create the collages. Közi is the reason I started playing with photos on the computer.

----It is interesting that the members stimulate each other not with music but with art.

(laughs)

----In that sense, I don't think a collective like MALICE MIZER will ever exist again. Now that computers have become widespread, there are usually one or two people in a band who can do such things, but I have never met a band where all the members are so interested in art. And nowadays, everyone leaves the makeup to the makeup artists, too…

I think it's fine if the makeup artist can express a view of the world that you are satisfied with. In my case, I would never be satisfied with that. That's why I want to do my own makeup, and I don't want anyone else to do it for me. Even now, Mana-chan puts Közi's hair up when we perform (laughs). Közi says, "Mana-chan, can you put up my hair?” And he goes and does it skillfully. Not only that, but Mana-chan is a professional in all aspects of design work too. The other day he was even editing live footage, and such. He creates videos just for the purpose of conveying the nuances of the song, “do the fade-out” or “here, a cross-fading”, and so on. Közi and I say that Mana is a dark magician (laughs).

----The members seem to be getting along as well as ever, which makes me feel relaxed (laughs). Now let's talk about Yu~ki himself. Yu~ki, since you have been away from the stage of music for a while, you must have felt happier than ever to be on stage with the members like this.

That feeling has become stronger, yes, even more so because I don't have many opportunities. It has also strengthened my desire to cherish such opportunities.

----I feel that this is also the reason why you were so passionate about the filming. I heard that you even gave up chocolate until the day of the shoot to prepare for it.

With a live show or something like that, it is decided months in advance, so there is a certain amount of time to prepare, but this time, I was in a hurry because it was decided only three weeks prior (laughs). I knew that there would be photos of the two of us together, and since this magazine is so beautifully photographed, I had to be careful not to misrepresent the details that would be seen here and there (laughs).

----In addition, we are an evil magazine that people say doesn’t do extreme retouching (laughs).

I knew this, so I started by building up my body to be in the best shape I could be in before presenting myself with all kinds of ideas for the shoot. As a result, I lost 5 kg by the time of the shoot. I am still heavier than I was when I was still working, but the 5 kg change has changed my jawline, and my body is in better shape than before. So in many ways, I am glad I did this photo shoot. Without a chance to do something, you tend to spoil yourself and become selfish (laughs). It is bliss to eat delicious food. Eating chocolate is also a stress reliever. It has become a habit.

----Do you eat chocolate everyday ?

I do. I always have a bag of 1 or 1.5 kilograms of professional grade chocolate next to the sofa where I always sit (laughs).

---So, like the tablet you uploaded on Twitter after the shoot was over, the other day ?

Right. Essentially, chocolate that you would use to make candy. You stick your hand into that chocolate bag, gingerly grab a handful, and gulp it in your mouth (laughs).

----Those eating manners (laughs)

So, I eat 70% cacao or higher, with as little sugar or additives as possible. Otherwise, the amount of food I eat is just too much, and it's bad for my health (laughs).

---Oh so you are taking good care of your health.

I do try, yes. But, you know, people remember me saying that I used to like Caprico, and I still get a lot of Caprico when I go out on the stage, from all kinds of people. It's been more than 15 years since I said that, and they still remember me, or rather, their image of me is still Caprico (laughs). (*Caprico is a Japanese snack resembling an ice cream cone, but that is kept at room temperature and has bubbly kind of wafer-y non melting chocolate instead of icecream.)

----We’re very thankful for the efforts of Yu~ki the chocolate lover to give up his favorite food to take on the challenge of the photoshoot. Is the chocolate ban lifted now ?

I only indulged for two days after the shoot. After that, I've kept going with the diet; I haven't gained any weight after eating chocolate for two days. Maybe eating chocolate doesn't change my weight…Maybe.

---Wait, what ? So what weren’t you supposed to eat then ?

I mean, basically, chocolate is not the only sweet thing I eat. I am a person who goes for both Japanese and Western sweets, including sweet azuki beans and cream/custard (laughs). If I let myself go unchecked, I could eat a huge whole cake like the ones sold at Costco with a spoon (laughs).

----There’s no way you wouldn’t gain weight doing that, though (laughs) What if you pass by a cake shop in town ?

I get sucked into the store with a wobble (laughs). If I see Daifuku in front of the cash register at the supermarket, it’s over for it (laughs). Such was the challenge I took on for this photo shoot, refusing to eat anything sweet.

----That's a great effort! This time you not only did that, but you also collected the costumes and accessories for the shoot yourself.

In my case, I consider the collection of accessories to be a form of expression, so while developing the image for this shoot, I also thought about the colors that would be required of me by the people around me. As for the costume, I first wanted a main item, and when I was looking for one, I came across a cape at an antique store. According to the shopkeeper, it was from around 1910, somewhere in the northern part of the French West or Germany, and I fell in love with it at first sight. I then decided to focus on this cape. From there, I developed an image, decided on other items, and came up with this coordination.

----So it all started with an encounter with a cape. What makes you interested in antiques ?

Antique clothes have a sense of heaviness that today's clothes do not have. When you actually put them on, they are not really breathable, they are hard to move around in, and in terms of functionality, they are inferior to today's clothes in some respects, but they have an aura, an atmosphere, a sense of heaviness, and the texture of the fabric that you can never get unless they are from that time period. That's what attracted me to the cape, and that's why I got it. Originally, I was going to look at items for the photo shoot, but from the middle of the trip, it just ended up being me looking for things I like as a hobby. (laughs)

---Excuse my straightforwardness but, how much was it ?

A few thousand dollars (laughs). (* He said “double digit man-en”, which means tens of thousands of yen, which would be a few thousands in dollars.)

----Oof ! (dumbfounded)

Surprising, eh (laughs). Still, the store owner said, "We don't make any money on it.” He said, "Even if I don't make any profit, I would be happy if it goes to someone who really wants it.” With that in mind, it seems they sold it to me for no profit.

I am sure that the cape must be happy to be handed over to Yu~ki. If you wear it at the photo shoot, now many people will be able to see it.

Right. I have already told the store owner about myself, and when I told him I was going to use the cape for the photo shoot, he was very pleased. I will bring him the magazine when it is published.

----By all means, please do. Also, the fabric is very distinctive. It looks like dark green lace on a dark blue outer fabric, and the lining is lavender wool.

It's kind of complex, isn't it? The texture of the fabric, for example, is something that can only be achieved with antiques. They are all hand-sewn, so they are distorted, but that's what makes them quaint. It makes you wonder “What kind of person made it? Who made it?”

----That’s true.

I also knew that there would be a lot of shots taken this time, so I thought it would be more interesting to have props and other items, so while looking for costumes, I was also looking for accessories. I came across a silver plate that I used as a mirror.

----Oh so that mirror used to be a plate then ?

It was originally a plate, yes. I put the mirror on by myself. I looked for a mirror to fit on the plate at 100 yen stores, mail order sites...but I couldn't find the right size, so I tried a sheet-type mirror, but it was distorted and a big failure (laughs). When I was at my wits' end, I happened to see a round mirror that I use all the time. I wondered if I could somehow replace this mirror. But as I was removing the mirror from the base, it cracked (laughs). It was a nice crack though, so I put it on the silver plate as is.

----Oh so those cracks were not intentional ! You’re so dexterous.

I do enjoy thinking about those things and working with my hands.

----Come to think of it, you have been making props since MALICE MIZER.

I did make a coffin, in a park near my house (laughs). As I was working, an ld man passing by stopped and asked me what I was making. I told him it was a coffin, and he looked at me with disgust (laughs).

— (laughs) It seems you also got the candelabra for this photoshoot.

This is just a coincidence, though. I'm always on the lookout for candlesticks, silk hats, and walking sticks. I always keep them in mind as I walk around town. Then I happened to come across this candle holder while I was collecting costumes for this shoot. I was like, "What is this? What is this?! This is the best one I have ever seen!”

----Around what time period is it from ?

It seems to be from the 1800s in England. Like this candlestick, there are many silver ornaments that come from England, but when were they made? You can usually tell when they were made and by which company by looking at the hallmark. Anyway, those candlesticks are deeply carved, massive, and wonderful. And it is rare to find a pair of them together, because they are so old. That's why the price is also terrible (laughs). But after using them for the shoot, I told myself that it's okay, because they can be used as interior decorations. It's like I got what I wanted on the pretext of filming (laughs).

----You've been spending a lot of money haven’t you (laughs)

I have a bit of a funny sense of money, don't I (laughs). But when I look at the finished photos, I think the candelabra adds to the atmosphere, so I'm happy with the result. It was fun to shoot with my own personal touches scattered throughout the photos, and I was even allowed to tinker with the photos I took, so it was a perfect match for me. I think that people who pick up the magazine will be able to enjoy not only me as a subject, but also the world view I have created through my photographs.

----Yes, I am sure. Now, I would like to ask you about your recent activities. Are you doing any creative work behind the scenes?

A little bit. Most recently、 I made a ring with a prosthetic eye I got at a flea market. This ring here (He showed it as he was wearing it on the day of the interview.)

—-An item just recently acquired, already DIY’d !

Quite beautiful, isn't it? This is one of three glass prosthetic eyes I bought, one English and one German. This one is not quite an antique, but it is old. I don't think the price was that much.

----I didn't know that artificial eyes could be found in antique stores. I had no idea.

They seem to be very popular. I've seen them online and they are sold out as soon as they are put on display. Who is buying them? I don't know (laughs).

----Are there people in the world who are making something with prosthetic eyes?

I wonder too. I'm getting it because I want to use it for my artwork. There are many eyeball rings in the world, but it is hard to find one with a beautiful gradation of the iris part. So I decided to make one myself. I spent many a night connecting black resin clay to make the ring for the prosthetic eye (smiles). Resin clay is resistant to water if it dries properly, and it is durable and will not break. It also expands and contracts a little after it dries. So it is a good material for this kind of work.

---I’m learning a lot.

The same goes for antique prosthetic eyes, but I'm always on the lookout for things I want, so I can't stop the urge to get them when I come across them (laughs). I don't want to miss out on something I like, like clothes. I don't want to miss out on something I want, and I don't want to regret not buying it.

----Do you ever have buyer’s regret ?

There are times when I regret buying something (laughs), because it is not uncommon to find clothes that I have never worn (laughs). But I am satisfied with the clothes I buy, and even if I don't wear them, I get excited just by displaying them in my room. Thanks to that, my house is overflowing with clothes, and it's a big problem (laughs).

----Um, the world is in a decluttering boom right now. We are going against the times (laughs).

No, no, actually, at the end of the year before last, I decluttered several boxes of things. When I moved, I asked Közi, who shares my taste, to take back some of the things I couldn't put down.

----Really doing your best, currently.

Of course, I would like to live surrounded by only the things I like and find exciting (laughs). However, after decluttering, I often find myself thinking, "Oh, I wish I had kept that....” I think, "Oh, this might be in the junk," and I look for it, but I can't find it. That's when I realize, "Oh, I've gotten rid of it...".

----It's a tough process, isn't it, the sorting? What are the deciding factors in getting things?

I don't know...there isn’t a real system, it's a feeling. When I think back, I have been attracted to Europe, not Japan, since I was a child. When it comes to movies, I find "Dracula" and foreign movies more interesting than Japanese ones. I was also interested in European antiques when it came to furniture. That is why I could enjoy expressing the concept of MALICE MIZER, a medieval European worldview, without feeling any sense of discomfort.

----Oh, I see.

To trace my roots further back, when I was little, I loved to look at famous Western paintings that were listed in color in some places in the encyclopedia at home. I was the kind of child who was always looking at those pages and drawing pictures. I preferred drawing at home to playing outside. Of course, I did play outside with my friends, but I preferred to draw pictures after school. I heard that my mother also liked to draw when she was a child, so I wonder if it was in my blood.

----Does your mother work in something related to art ?

She didn't do it for work, but she did do traditional embroidery using threads of various colors, and would finish her work with flowers and tigers and put them in frames and display them.

----And I have heard that your father was a carpenter… ?

Yes, that's right. When I was little, my father used to make kites at New Year's and many other things from stuff around us. That means I might have inherited some blood from my father as well, I suppose.

----If you were born to such parents, I am not surprised to see that you are what Yu~ki is now.

But my father wanted me to be a baseball player and forced me to play baseball (laughs). Apparently, he wanted to pass on to his children the dream that he himself could not achieve.

----So your father made you play baseball, uh.

Yeah, he was also a little league coach.

----Oh, right...Guess you couldn’t escape baseball then. (laughs)

Also, I was 170 centimeters tall from the time I was in elementary school already, so my father must have thought, "This kid can go pro.”

----He might have thought, —-“Will he be Godzilla (= Hideki Matsui) or Shohei (= Shohei Otani) in the end?”

Yeah, I’m not sure. Baseball was boring to no end so I quit.

----Is it then that you started music ?

Well, what I was listening to around the time I quit baseball was Checkers and Koji Kikkawa, the kind of music that people of my generation listen to, so I don't think that was the direct impetus for me to quit baseball. ..... What I was overwhelmingly more interested in was art.

----Did you want to express yourself more in painting and such ?

I think I did, yes. So, in the past and even now, I do my own makeup as one way to express myself. In order to collect reference materials for such makeup, I bought many foreign books back then.

----Like in Roppongi’s Aoyama Book Center, or..?

It has since then closed, but I did use to visit the Aoyama Book Center in Roppongi. This is a bit of a step back, but since I was a child, I was interested not only in drawing pictures, but also in fashion. Even in kindergarten, I was very particular about the kind of clothes I wanted to wear.

----Even as a kindergarten boy! You could only end up developing an interest in fashion during your colorful adolescence then.

I'm sure I was an unusual child. That is why I still love clothes. Not only that, but I am often influenced by the world of fashion in my artistic expression, and in my case, I also check out the Paris Collection and fashion shows. Even now, I always record and watch "Fashion Tsushin" every week on TV. It is interesting to see the collections of each season. Also, I still buy a lot of foreign fashion magazines. I can't read French or English at all, so I just enjoy looking at the pictures (laughs). I think the fashion world is amazing. They release a new collection every season, right? Where do they come up with the ideas? The music used in the shows is also very interesting. It stimulates my senses both visually and mentally. The makeup I do is often influenced by such things. So, as I said in the interview, I am not influenced by musicians that much.

—-I see. Speaking of which, how about your own accessory brand, "Mother of Life"?

Right now, though, production is not progressing very well (chuckles). I am free to make what I want to make and deliver it to people who like it. Right now I'm not in the mood to make accessories, so I'm taking a break (laughs).

----How selfish (laughs)

”When is the new one coming?” I get requests like, "I'm waiting," but I'm a little sorry, not now.... I want to do it in such a way that it's not too much for me. But so far, I've made practically 100 items. At the handshake event last summer, there were people who came wearing accessories I made. I was happy to see them wear them beautifully..

----Can you tell us again about the meaning behind the brand?

I gave it a meaning that is "a product of Mother Earth or Sacred Earth”. When I first started the brand, there was a natural stone called labradoride that I liked to use. If I may say so, natural stones are also born from the earth, aren't they? That's why I put it on my jewelry. So, what is in store for "Mother of life" in the future? It depends on my own mood. Of course, I am still working on various things, but I don't know if the sculptures I am working on now will become products. I don't know. There are so many things I want to do that I don't have enough time to do them all, and it takes me a long time to finish each one. For example, when processing a photo for this oversized postcard, I tried many different things before I finished it. If I had 100 materials to layer on top of the original photo, I would want to layer all 100. I want to try them all out and choose the best of them. Even if I like what I see on the 10th layer, there may be times when the 30th layer is even better. Then, I would be glad that I tried 30 patterns.

----Oh, well that’s normal. 　

If so, the 50th image layer might be better, the 60th might be better, and so on. Also, it takes a lot of time to adjust the tone and color of each image. That's why I never seem to reach completion (laughs). If I don't have a deadline, I'll keep playing around with it forever (laughs).

----By the way, what’s the theme of the items you are working on currently ?

That’s a really difficult question to answer (laughs)

----There is a theme, but hard to explain.

Basically, I make my works without a theme. I think that what comes out of me is the base of the work, and I wonder if I need to go to the trouble of creating a theme for a reason. I have the idea that "it's a work of art that comes from within me”. It may be a form of something that has been influenced by my life, or it may be an expression of something that I had before I was born, or from my previous life. Besides, if I present a theme, the work is manipulated by those words. I think that the work is limited to only be seen through that theme.

----Oh, yeah that happens.

For example, if I say that a work is about “tragedy”, people will look at it with the preconceived notion that it is a work of tragedy. That would be fine if that was the author's intention, but it is not for me. I create my works as my senses lead me. Therefore, it is difficult even for me to see the finished product. What is the end point here? It is up to me at the time. That's why I never seem to be able to put it all together, and I end up feeling dizzy (laughs).

----(laughs) How about announcing a solo exhibition ahead of time to put pressure on yourself or to set a material deadline?

That would be possible. As long as you are making the work, it is a pleasure to have someone look at it and evaluate it. In fact, I wonder if the work reaches a kind of completion when it is seen by someone. Maybe it does. It is only when each person who sees it interprets it in his or her own way, saying, "Oh, so this is what it is all about," that the work stands on its own and is complete.

----If that’s the case, I would like to see more and more of it. Do you have any opportunities in mind for the future?

I would like to have a solo exhibition at some point. Whether or not I sell my works, I would like to give people a chance to see them. I’d be thankful if there are people who are willing to offer me a place to exhibit my work.

----I look forward to that day. It is wonderful that you have such a place to express yourself, even if it is not mainly music at the moment.

Sometimes I wonder what I am doing. (laughs). But I know that what people want to see me doing is playing the bass. Because people know who I am through MALICE MIZER. I am fully aware of that, but from my point of view, playing the bass in MALICE MIZER, doing makeup, and making objects are not so different in terms of expressing myself. If I had been more concerned about being a bassist before that, maybe I would have been more active in the music field (laugh). But if you ask me as a bassist, I will show up on stage carefully prepared and ready to play.

----The closest we can come to see you is "Deep Sanctuary" at MyNavi BLITZ Akasaka on June 7 (2020).

Yes, that's right. As soon as I decide on a song, I have to practice hard to get it ready (laughs). Whenever I get a chance to play the bass on stage, which is about once every two years, the staff says, "Yu~ki, you haven't changed," and Mana-chan and Kozi say, "Why do you seem to be so active?” But I am working hard to make it to that point so that they will say that (laughs).

----Like holding back on chocolate (laughs)

Abstinence from sweets (laughs)

----Because at the end of your patience, you will be reunited with the smiling faces of your fans who are looking forward to Count Yu~ki's descent. Fightin!

Yes, I'm looking forward to that day too. Cutting out chocolate, practicing bass guitar... I'm going to get everything ready. (laughs).