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Members: Those Who Make You Feel Like You’re on a Variety Show Together
How did Karakoram no Yamayama get started? You also recently performed with Hidetoshi Mukai from ZAZEN BOYS at your self-produced event, and in the YouTube comments, people mentioned that they were reminded of ZAZEN.
Ishida: I was deeply impressed by ZAZEN BOYS’ live performance at “Natsu no Mamono” in 2017, and that’s when I decided to form the band. Initially, I started out doing ZAZEN BOYS cover songs with Ryohta Ogawa (Key) and Gura (Dr), and then after I entered university, Yuta Kimura (Ba) joined, and that’s when things really began.
Cinemapop band based in Tokyo since the summer of 2021, consisting of Sota Ishida (Vo / Gt), Gura (Dr), Ryohta Ogawa (Key), and Yuta Kimura (Ba). On top of alternative beats, Sota Ishida’s poetry unfolds dramatically. The members, each with diverse musical backgrounds such as student big bands and jazz clubs, create beats that shift across various styles including funk, techno, and classical in each song. The catchy and original choruses stand out, adding to the band’s unique sound. Their high-energy live performances are also a must-see, with intense, musician-driven stage presence. The live shows feature complex time signatures and loop-based music, presented in a danceable form. Though each member has different musical roots, the variety of arrangements they suggest broadens the band’s creative range.
How did you come to join the band, Kimura?
Kimura: We were rehearsing in the club room for the university festival when, by chance, Sota Ishida came in to drop off his instrument. He struck up a conversation with me, and during our chat, he asked, “We’re in a band called Karakorumo no Yamayama, can you play electric bass?”
Ishida: And then you said, “I can play,” even though you had never played before!
Kimura: I did say that. At the time, I had only played the upright bass. But I wanted to try being a support player.
Did something stand out to you about Kimura when you first spoke to him, Ishida?
Ishida: When I talked to him, Kimura was watching a video of jazz drummers recovering from dropping their sticks. He said he liked the part where they smoothly return to playing after a mistake. When I heard that from him during our first meeting, I thought, “This person is different” [laughs]. I was intrigued by that side of him, so I invited him to join.
So, having something unusual about them is important for feeling like you want to make music with someone?
Ishida: I’m interested in people who make you feel like you’re on a variety show with them. When a strange person on TV says something weird, the MC never says, “This person might be different…” They start a segment to dig deeper into who that person is. I like people who make me want to delve into them like that. I want to be with people who are willing to engage in those kinds of projects or conversations. It’s not that we need a reason to talk to each other; we can just have a conversation toward a common goal outside of ourselves.
It’s like streaming a live performance without an audience. There’s no crowd, but it feels like it’s being broadcasted, and it’s not like we’re just doing it for a small group or for a big audience either.
What kind of show would you say Karakorumo no Yamayama is?
Ishida: It’s like ‘The Best Ten.’ Even though there’s no audience, there’s a sense of a glamorous space being created. The presence of cameras makes it work, but that itself is kind of strange. I think I’m drawn to the absurdity, the wastefulness, and the luxury of it all.
