PIT (U.S.A.)
1. What has been the most challenging aspect of being an extreme band from Japan?
First, being a band from Japan is not a handicap or something but just an advantage,
I think. As Japanese we have our own life, culture, thought, philosophy and so on, which
I'm very proud of, and we can reflect these things much on our lyrics or music.
For instance a song from "ERUPTED WRATH" album is actually based on a Japanese old ghost
story and no bands from other country can do this, I suppose.
2. Defiled has worked harder than a lot of most bands across the globe, by playing in
America, and recording here in America by yourselves, will you explain on your driving
force?
Basically I must say that we really love and enjoy doing this band, and that's the answer
for this question. We're doing what we really wanna do in this band, and we would do
anything to realize what we wanna achieve. We're doing this band at any price! We wanna
have our songs listened to by many fans, play all over the world, meet brothers of metal,
and we would do anything to make these things come true. Again, we love doing this band,
and that's our driving force.
3. Defiled recently played some shows with some electronic/noise musicians, how did this
odd collaboration come about?
Yes, the shows we did with them were killer and I really liked the nights. We have some
great noise artists here in Japan, they are known as the innovators of "sound" called
"noise". They create "noise" in various ways and astonish/heal people's mind. Imagine
the place some people are dancing, the others meditating, and moreover you can find some
moshing, struggling, crying, laughing etc etc... interesting, isn't it? The nights we
had with them are just like that. Well, MERZBOW (Masami Akita), one of the well known
noisicians, is erudite and actually his insight into "cultures", not only music but also
other arts, is very well known as remarkable. And he knows DEFILED too as one of crazy
bands or something and was interested in. It was the clue. He called us and said he wanted
to play with us. So we played together with him twice. At one show, we had our full stage
with Masami. He added crazy big sound to our songs and it became one of the most
noisy/brutal sounds that man could ever make! We*ve played with MASONNA (Maso Yamasaki)
too. Anyway we really enjoyed these collaboration things and still are interested in
doing something exciting like that anytime again.
4. How does Defiled go about writing songs?
Yusuke, our guitarist brings the bases into our studio first, then the guys add things
and arrange the songs... it's quite a normal way, I think. When all instrumental parts
are composed, I put my words on the songs. Nothing's special.
5. What's your general theme behind your lyrics?
The songs in our former three albums, "DEFEAT OF SANITY", "ERUPTED WRATH" and
"UGLINESS REVEALED" just have respective contents on each songs though almost all
of them were on the subject of the dark side of human being, insanity, chaos and so on.
But the general theme throughout the uppcoming album that is tentatively titled
"DIVINATION" is "the transition of a killer's mind". The lyrics in the album were
inspired much from a murder case that really happened in Japan a few years ago,
though not everything's fact here, I dramatized and added some of my consideration
and doctrine. Anyway, this time I'm very much satisfied with my lyrics and want
everyone to read. Hope the album will be out soon.
6. Do you think that being from Japan, whose not known for their extreme music scene
gives Defiled an upperhand in being different from the Euro and scene in USA?
Sure. As I told before, living in Japan and knowing Japanese culture/philosophies is
definitely an upper hand of us. Well, I*m personally into some Far East/Buddhistic
philosophy books and that helped me much when I wrote the lyrics practically. Buddhism
is far different from Christianity... an antonym, I even think. Christianity is no more
than a fuckin' stupid fantasy. I don't like stupid "Believe this and you'll be saved"
things. It's just an intimidation. Buddhism teaches cruel realities only, conversely.
No fantasies, no delusions, but only the facts. The facts are facts, if you believe
or not. Death is real, it's a fact, for example. Buddhism seems like to deny
the existence of God 'couse it says that there's no beginning or the end concerning
the birth of this world. Why must we establish the Creator? Everyone must has his father
and God too. Every cause has it's effect. And every effect has it's cause. Anyway,
I'm proud of being a Japanese and hope this answer is suitable for the question.
7. What's the hardest part about being in an extreme band?
I've not taken it hard to be in this band though it's quite hard to keep it extreme.
For us "extreme" is not a musical genre but to master what we are doing. And
I think being "original" is essential to be "extreme". We DEFILED love Metal
music, but we don't wanna follow any metal bands musically. Well I listen to any
kind of music as far as it's "extreme". For example I really love the masterpieces
of ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO, an old free jazz band, 'couse they are quite extreme.
We wanna be the most brutal, unique, bizarre Death Metal band and it's hard to have
everything original in the band. Anyway, listen to our upcoming album when it's out.
I think we could display the possibility of this band in the album. All works have
been already done for the album and now we're talking with some labels...
8. DEFILED's song structure reminds me alot of ATHIEST, will you explain more?
We've been conscious of no other bands, no ATHEIST nor SADUS as you and some others have
indicated, when we compose the songs so I don't know why you think that way...
Ummm, I think it's not so much the matter of structure resemblance as the impressions
from the musical performances... especially the bass playing that is moving around.
As you found, Norihisa, our bassist weves strange bizarre phrases into here and there,
and it might look the same direction as the one that the bassist of ATHEIST had taken
aim on their albums. Norihisa always listens to and be influenced much from the bassists
from jazz/fusion field, for example Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten, and I guess
the guy from ATHEIST too. Anyway, I must say that we don't wanna follow any other
bands and always intend to be "original". The comparison with ATHEIST is cool for me
personally 'couse I was a fan of them in my high school era but we must be more
"original". Please look forward to the next "DIVINATION" album... it's far evolved
than our previous albums and I promise you will be able to compare it with almost
no bands!
9. What happened with Necropolis and Defiled? You guys released 1 CD. Do you think
that they gave you guys the proper exposure you guys deserve?
Well it was just "one shot license promise" and they, Killjoy from Baphomet records
and of course the guys from Necropolis, did their best for us, I think. We DEFILED
thank them all. Anyway now we're talking with a couple of labels and I hope very soon
we can let you know a good news! The album will be the most Brutal, Fastforward,
twisted Death Metal shit we've ever made! Look forward to the release!!
10. Describe George Corpsegrinder in 2 words or less.
Very hard to answer this question! We really appreciate him and all the guys of
CANNIBAL CORPSE 'couse they've helped DEFILED a lot for a long time... 2 words are
too few. Ummm, for me, he is "the king of heir spinning" but 3 words over here.
Is that Okay?
11. Japanese fans are different than American. Are Defiled shows as rowdy as
American shows?
Japanese fans were a little bit too shy as you know but recently, these 2-3 years
in detail, They have come as boisterous as American, actually. You should come here
to check it out! We DEFILED have our own series gig in Tokyo and play regularly...
Interviewee : Hideki Fujimoto / DEFILED Vocalist
2002 October 17