Asobi Seksu. From l-rL Yuki Chikudate, James Hanna.
Asobi Seksu are back with the recent release of their fourth studio album, Fluorescence. They have spent the past decade perfecting their wanderlust sound, and this latest effort is proof that practice and persistence does in fact make perfect. In this interview, vocalist Yuki gives us a candid and honest glimpse into the band’s creative process, thoughts on the industry, and what they are looking forward to on tour.
S: You guys are about to embark on a three-month tour to promote Fluorescence. What sets this record apart form your previous studio releases?
Y: It sounds like Asobi Seksu more than ever. I think we are continually growing into our sound and with this record especially, it doesn’t sound like any other band could have written it, or recorded it. I think it’s distinctive in that sense.
S: Did anything in particular provoke that distinction?
Y: Our intention was to go in and be unabashed about how colorful, dense, and sort of psychedelic we could be. Just to go for it. Not hold back. We were hoping that people would listen to it as—I kind of hate this term—but, a journey. To kind of get lost and have the songs take you somewhere.
S: I think the album does a great job of doing just that. It has a wonderful dreamlike quality, which I think is created by the seasoned marriage between the instrumental work and your vocals.
Y: We had a great time making the record. We were coming out of some really difficult times, personal pain, losing people, and we put everything we had at that time into those songs, into that album, into everyrecording session. For me, I felt like the process saved me. I felt like I was drowning in a lot of ways, in the pain of losing people, and working on this album gave me hope, and some sort of purpose.
S: I think that definitely comes through in the music. Thesongs are very evocative and the album as a whole definitely feels cathartic, which is incredible because, although it was inspired by trying times for you, the product is something that can help others deal with similar pain.
Y: That’s the best part of anything creative. Through your own experiences you get to help somebody else, and you get to connect. Sometimes I feel like musicians and artists are put on this pedestal because they are the ones creating, but the truth is it’s really an equal give and take with everyone. There is no, “I’m the creator and you’re the taker.” I don’t think being a listener is something that’s passive. I think that it’s important to acknowledge that the communication is back and forth, and I just feel really lucky that this is how I get to communicate and express all the emotions that sometimes words alone can’t express. To be able to do that every night on tour, to give everything I have, even if just one person takes it, that’s priceless.
S: That’s an amazing way of looking at it. In terms of the tour itself, is there a specific city or venue that you are particularly looking forward to performing at, or a place that holds special meaning to you as a group?
Y: We are definitely looking forward to and thrilled about the tour in general but I’m particularly excited to play the Pygmalion Festival, because it’s in Champaign where our label, Polyvinyl, is celebrating15 years in the industry. And I’m excited to see a lot of the bands playing as well, like Deerhoof, and Explosions in the Sky. So I’m really excited about that show, and also stoked to be going on tour with Boris, they’re a force to be reckoned with live. There is a lot to look forward to.
S: In terms of genre, there seems to be a continuous move of more and more musicians identifying themselves—or perhaps being identified as—“alternative” artists. Is this a label you align with, or do you prefer not to pigeonhole yourselves in that respect?
Y: To be honest, we don’t care what the label is or genre we are, other people might. It’s so strange that many musicians don’t get to choose where they fit in. Sometimes it’s constructed while it’s happening and sometimes afterwards.
S: I feel like that indifference towards “fitting in,” or winning over the industry is honest and apparent in your music…
Y: Well thank you, I mean I think if we were worried about it we wouldn’t be called Asobi Seksu. Ever since we’ve been a band people have struggled with what to call us, or what to do with us, but in any case we are still here. You don’t get to write your own story necessarily, we’ve learned to go with wherever this takes us, which is a very valid skill. We get to do what we love, and that’s enough.
S: Could you give us a peek into the creative process that takes place in developing a track for you guys? Is there a general method or does it vary?
Y: Anything, really, can be part of the process. Lyrics come from anywhere and everywhere. But a lot of the best songs come out of, “hey lets try this…” and ten minutes later we may have a song. And other times it’s a painstaking process of building on an idea that you just cannot let go.
S: My personal love affair with music is rooted in the lyrical aspect of songs. What are some of your favorite lyrics from the new album?
Y: I really love the lyrics from the song Pink Light. That was a collaboration between James and I, and if I got stuck he would give me a phrase and just open up a new possibility and visa versa. We work in tandem like that a lot. I think it all worked out. All this stuff, this pain that was inside, and the process helped get it out.
S: A lyrical detox so to speak?
Y: Exactly. That’s what those lyrics were about. It says, “shedding layers,” it’s really just about shedding that stuff from your life. Trails is another song I love singing because the words are really about just not wanting to lose someone. Screaming that it’s not fair. But it is a part of life. People come and are a part of your life for a finite amount of time and that’s really sad, but ultimately every single one of us is going to experience pain… if we all acknowledged that, maybe we could find a way to be a little nicer to each other.
S: That’s so true, and I think your understanding of that truth is what breathes a universal nature into your work, like your talking to everyone…
Y: That means a lot. The best feedback I’ve ever received was from a boy in England who sent us a letter thanking us for the album, Hush, because he said that it got him through the death of his dad. And I know it can sound corny saying this but honestly that is more real than anything else—more than any reviews, accolade, award—because what’s cool now will always change, so sometimes you need to unplug from that because a letter like that, just one single fan, that’s really what’s important.
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Asobi Seksu Fall Tour Dates
9/21 – Pop Montreal – Montreal, QC
9/23 – Midpoint Music Fest- Cincinnati, OH&
9/24 – Pygmailon – Champaign, IL &
9/25 – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL &
9/26 -Pyramid Scheme- Grand Rapids, MI &
9/27 – The Basement – Columbus, OH &
9/28 – Cedar’s Lounge – Youngstown, OH &
10/1 – Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY &
10/15 – Club Downunder – Tallahasse, FL
10/16 – De Luna Festival – Pensacola, FL
10/17 – CAC – Mobile, AL
10/18 – Hi-Tone Café – Memphis, TN
10/19 – The Basement – Nashville, TN &
10/20 – Zanzabar – Louisville, KY &
10/21 – The Bishop Bar – Bloomington,IN&
10/ 22 – Magic Stick – Detroit, MI *
10/ 23 – Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON *
10/ 25 – Royale Nightclub – Boston, MA *
10/ 27 – Irving Plaza – New York, NY *
10/ 28 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia,PA*
10/ 29 – Black Cat – Washington DC *
10/ 30 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC *
11/1 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA *
11/2 – Firestone Live – Orlando, FL *
11/4 – One Eyed Jacks – New Orleans,LA*
11/6 – Fun Fun Fun Fest – Austin, TX
11/9 – Visualite Theatre – Charlotte, NC
* with BORIS
