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Rating: One of the most intriguing groups in contemporary Japanese psychedelic music (and beyond) is certainly the Sundays & Cybele, a musical project formed in 2004 by Kazuo Tsubouchi, currently including Yoshinao Uchida, Shota Mizuno, and Shotaro Aoki.
Inspired by the film "Sundays & Cybele" aka "Les dimanches de Ville d'Avray" by Serge Bourguignon (1962), Kazuo describes the band's sound and himself as romantic. The band’s music can be considered, especially in their latest album, as a meeting point between Japanese tradition and the more acid rock of the seventies, continuing the narrative seen in Julian Cope's "Japrocksampler."
Following the success of "Heaven" (2015) and their first overseas tour, last February Sundays & Cybele released their latest album: "Chaos & Systems" (Beyond Beyond Is Beyond Records). I contacted Kazuo to talk about the album and his project and more broadly about the contemporary Japanese rock music scene. The result was an interview, let's say, different from usual, where I tried to explore beyond the usual topics.
Enjoy the read.
1. Hi, thank you for granting us this interview. If you don't mind, I would start by talking about your latest album: "Chaos & Systems." Can you tell us something about the making process of the album? Why did you decide to name it exactly "Chaos & Systems"? Did you work on a specific concept? Are you satisfied with the final result?
K. After our first overseas tour, we immediately started working on "Chaos & Systems." Our idea was to develop the album in a way that would introduce our sound to the West, which is why we worked on sounds and concepts typical of Asian culture.
The title is an anagram of "Sundays & Cybele." But the real reason I chose it is because I wanted to express my view of the world around us. I think that the current economic system and today's society are corrupt. People need to find a new way to rediscover happiness. I tried to express these concepts drawing heavily from Eastern thought.
In any case, I can't say I'm completely satisfied with the final result, because the concept doesn't seem to have been grasped by listeners, particularly in the West. There we are mostly seen as a strange psychedelic group. There doesn't seem to be much interest in what we are trying to express through our music.
2. "Sundays & Cybele" aka "Les dimanches de Ville d'Avray" is the title of a French film from 1962 written and directed by Serge Bourguignon. We are discussing a very particular film with certainly tragic content. It's a film I would describe as very poignant. Why did you decide to give this name to the group? Do you feel a particular connection between the film and your music? Which ones? Do you think your music can in some way be defined as dramatic?
K. The first time I saw the film, I was immediately struck by the beauty of the images. It was something completely different from any other film I had ever seen. I can very well say it was a kind of mystical and psychedelic experience.
I chose this name for the group for the story of the film: I wanted this project to be closely connected to the film, as if it were a kind of secret society for all the people who love it. I consider it a kind of secret treasure that can only be discovered by those who truly feel represented by the contents of that film.
But I don't think there's a direct link between my music and the contents of the film, in the strict sense. Even though I could certainly define my music as Japanese romantic music. But this depends more on my approach to life, which I would define as both dramatic and romantic.
3. What are your main influences? I mean regarding music and in general your art. I think, for example, of the discussion related to the previous question. I think I could describe your music, even on a conceptual level, as a psychedelic music album that combines elements of traditional Japanese music with the acid rock of the seventies. Is my perspective correct? How did you combine the two things? Tell us something about it.
K. My main influences are practically my friends. I mean, when I talk to them about something important, whether personal or not, their point of view, even if different, is always very important to me. Whether I agree or not.
What you say is true. During the period I worked on "Chaos & Systems," I talked a lot with other musicians and contemporary artists about how to express my ideas so they could reach every type of listener, even those who are not Japanese.
Afterward, I made my considerations about the international music scene and decided that I would make an album primarily based on traditional Japanese music. Because this was the best way to express what I wanted to convey to the whole world.
Moreover, this is not new for Japanese musicians. If you think about it, Japanese rock bands from the seventies essentially did nothing but combine rock music with our culture. Listen, for example, to the Flower Travellin' Band.
In any case, I believe it is inevitable that even when playing rock music, there will be some influence derived from our culture. It's something that happens naturally.
4. What kind of feedback do you get regarding your music in Japan and the rest of the world? Do you think there is a certain interest and following for your music?
K. The Japanese audience is generally very silent. Consequently, we are very focused on our music when we play. In the rest of the world, it's quite the opposite. The audience enjoys listening to our music and starts to shout and dance... It's something we really like; we love sharing this magical atmosphere with our listeners. What they have in common, however, is that in both cases, the audience wants to charge up with positive energy, and so it happens that there's this exchange of energy and adrenaline between us and the audience.
5. I would dedicate this last question mainly to your country and contemporary Japanese music. Have you read "Japrocksampler" by Julian Cope? Do you think there's continuity between the music scene Cope described and your music? Are you in contact with bands like Acid Mothers Temple and Kikagaku Moyo? Are there other groups and artists with whom you feel you share something and would like to recommend to us?
K. Of course, I've read the book, and there's definitely a connection with my music because I started playing music after listening to those groups and wanting to play music like them. At the same time, you have to consider there's a huge gap to fill between me and them. In the sense that these groups were playing about thirty years ago, and a lot of time has passed. It's hard for me to understand their point of view and what they wanted to express with their music; I might not be able to do it even by talking directly with them. In this sense, we can then say there isn't a true continuity. When I read the book, I was still living in a small town, and when I came to Tokyo, I thought I would find a large psychedelic music scene, but it was a total disappointment: there was nothing like it.
I know the guitarist of Acid Mothers Temple, but we haven't talked much. With Kikagaku Moyo, we are great friends. After all, they are the ones who run Guruguru Brain, which is also my label. We practically always stay in touch and not only for music.
My recommendation is, first of all, to follow all the musicians who are part of the Guruguru Brain roster. Especially Dhidalah, Minami Deutsch, and Scattered Purgatory. They are all great friends, and their music is fantastic.
But I also suggest you listen to this Tokyo band, Elephant Noiz Kashimashi. They are really good. They are a young noise band, and their live performances are what I would consider a typical expression of the Tokyo underground music scene. Even though obviously, as understood, it is difficult to speak exactly of an underground music scene here in Tokyo.
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