INDEX
Goto: Cultivating a Rich Cultural Landscape: A Leader’s Duty for the Future
tami: Why do you go to such lengths for young people?
Goto: I don’t really know why I do what I do (laughs). (laughs) But perhaps it is because I have not been blessed with much in the way of environment to begin with. I was born and raised in a rural area with little cultural capital, and I played in a band while working as an office worker. I have managed to carve things out on my own, so I wanted to do something that would reduce the amount of time wasted by people who are struggling for the same reasons as I am.
If the cultural soil is solid, people can access songwriting and recording more quickly. I want to create a society where young people don’t have to struggle and where I don’t have to struggle as much as I used to. I think it is the duty of those who are ahead of the curve to make those areas better. Otherwise, it is obvious that we will be tapered off.
tami： Even now, the recording field is more closed than I thought. Even if you want to find an engineer, you have to go through the fog and ask someone you happen to meet, and you only know that person’s way for a long time. I think it would be great if we could also have more options in this area.
Goto: Indeed, everything is too much of a mystery. It would be better if there was some way to match people. In that sense, I think the important thing is to create a community. It would be great if the studio became a central place for such a community. It would be nice if the studio could become the center of such a community, where people could go and learn about the various options available to them. I felt that “Hidden Place” would become such a place, and I was very envious when I went to see it.
tami： This ties in with what you said about community, but you said before that “TAMIW doesn’t seem to have many friends.
Goto: I thought it would be difficult to hang out with someone because of the nature of our music.
tami: Yes, we don’t know that ourselves, and we are struggling with it. Goto: I have the impression that you have a lot of friends.
Goto: I played a three-man show with Takehisa (Gomi) and Kato (SADFRANK / NOT WONK) the other night. I felt very comfortable at that time. It’s not that we usually keep in touch with each other, but for some reason I felt at ease when we met. It is interesting that the people I feel comfortable working with can be from completely different genres of music.
When I play live with Takehisa or Kato and sip beer on the stairwells of a live music club, I feel that being present at that moment is one proof that my music is not wrong. That’s how I feel about my friends, or rather, the people with whom I am in contact.
