Kazumasa Tanaka × Isao Takano: The Aesthetics of GRAPEVINE’s Enduring Alternativity

Daringly Unfinished: The Birth of the Band’s Dynamic Energy

-The title of the album, “Almost There,” is taken from the first song, “Ub (You bet on it)” which says “If you think the world is wonderful, you’re almost there.

Tanaka: “Ub (You bet on it)” is partly a way of blasting myself, but I also feel that the band’s activity, or way of life, is over once you reach it. For example, the recording was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to playing it live, but I don’t feel like I’ve put all I have into it. I like how the album turned out, but there is no sense of accomplishment or anything like that.

After making a song, I always think, “I wish I could have played more songs,” and I want it to stay that way. In that sense, I always hope to keep the band rolling, saying, “Almost there, Almost there.” Some people, once they have reached a certain extreme or have perfected their own method (laughs).

– But that tends to happen. As one’s career progresses, one’s own style becomes solidified.

Tanaka: I don’t want to be like that.

Takano: This may go along with what you said, but I don’t really listen to an album after it is completed. That’s why I have trouble with live performances (laugh), but when I start with that unfinished feeling, it changes again. That’s what makes it fun.

Reproducibility is important, but when you try it again, you may find yourself thinking, “I like this better,” or your mood may have changed since you were making it. This is true not only for new songs, but also for reworking old songs. I think that kind of feeling comes out in the performance and the quality of the live show. Even if the people performing are the same, the sense of the moment can bring out a different sense of dynamism. I like people who do that kind of thing, and even if they are very good at it, it doesn’t really matter.

-It is better to have something that is unfinished but keeps changing rather than something that is already completed. I think what you just said represents exactly GRAPEVINE’s shows. and the main attraction of the band itself. Some might prefer a completed, packaged thing that delivers the same way every time.

Tanaka: I think many fans are like that. I think there are people who want me to do exactly what I do on record, and I think that is a difficult thing to do. But when I see other people’s live performances, that’s not what I expect from them. Even if the arrangement is the same, I always think it would be better if there were more dynamics.

-The songs from the new album will have different dynamics when you hear them live, and if you go to GRAPEVINE’s shows, you may gain new perspectives to enjoy music.

Tanaka: That’s right. I will do my best.

Takano: It may sound strange to say this in a GRAPEVINE interview, but I think you should see a lot more than just GRAPEVINE’s live performances. We live in an age where we can easily do input and output, not only at live performances, so if everyone did more, I think the way we enjoy ourselves would change even more.

Tanaka: I really agree. It is better to see and listen to various things.

-By the way, are there any Japanese bands of the younger generation that you are interested in recently?

Takano: Not a band, but Haruko Oishi, who came to GRAPEVINE’s concert. I told her she is the best Japanese artist I listen to.

Tanaka: I think singer-songwriters have more presence now. And many of them have good bands. We want to do live shows not to lose to them. When we are performing like a Japanese rock band, we are also a Japanese rock band, but when we are performing like a band that is considered cool in Japan, if arists like Haruko Oishi, Kaneko Ayano, Strange Reitaro, or Yuta Orisaka comes out, they will take everything away from us. Even if you try your best to be cool and play something rock-like or Western-like, you will never win. There may be a lot of cool bands out there that I just don’t know about, but at least I haven’t seen many of them recently.

-Orisaka might be a good example. He changes band members on a regular basis, to maintain a sense of incompleteness. This is a strength of a singer-songwriter.

Tanaka: Like Kaho Nakamura, such singer-songwriters have strong personalities, and I think they bring good bands with them. So, if we have to play against them, we have to do our best not to lose, and that is the kind of band we want to be.

GRAPEVINE『Almost there』

2023.09.27 Release

Initial Limited Edition (CD DVD) VIZL-2228 / ¥5,720 (tax included)
https://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Linkall/VIZL-2228.html
Normal Edition (CD) VICL-65875 / ¥3,520 (tax included)
https://www.jvcmusic.co.jp/-/Linkall/VICL-65875.html
VICTOR ONLINE STORE Limited Set (Limited First Edition T-Shirt with Original Serial No.) / ¥9,900 (tax included)
https://victor-store.jp/item/37991

CD Tracks
01 Ub(You bet on it)
02 Sparrow Boy
03 It’s Eternity
04 Ready to get started?
05 The Fruits are Already Ripe
06 Amaterasu
07 Blackout Night
08 Goodbye, Annie
09 The Long Bright Dark
10 Ophelia
11 SEX

Included in the DVD “STUDIO LIVE 2023” *Only included in the limited first pressing.
Includes 5 live studio session videos
01 SPF
02 Ready to get Started?
03 Goodbye, Annie
04 Ub(You bet on it)
05 It’s Eternity