Thanks so much to Tomohiro for the interview! For you who don’t know him, he was part of a fantastic Japanese indiepop unit called All Twin’s Birthday that released a superb 7″ on the Behavior Saviour label that our friend Masahiro (from Love Mushrooms and Tricycle Popstar – both interviewed in the blog) used to ran in the early 90s. Aside from that 7″ they appeared on some classic Japanese compilations but we always wondered what happened to them! Luckily now we’ll get to learn more about them! Join me!
++ Hi Tomohiro! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? Still making music?
Hi, Roque! I’m good. I’m still making music.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
First music memories? That’s a tough question.
When I was an elementary school student, I listened to 60s / 70s US & UK rock, junior high school student, I began to listen to the standard of jazz, and high school student, finally I began to listen to guitar pop and neo-acoustic.
I became crazy about 50s / 60s modern jazz before listening to new wave and twee pop. It may be a slightly strange music career.
My first instrument is guitar. How did I learn? My own way.
I played and played my guitar. I slept every night with holding my guitar.
At home while growing up, I mostly listened to the good old music, not hit song of the time.
++ Had you been in other bands before All Twin’s Birthday? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
Before All Twin’s Birthday, there are not any recording.
I played only cover songs. When I joined All Twin’s Birthday, I wrote original song for the first time.
++ Where were you from originally, Tokyo?
From Chiba-city (famous for novels of the cyberpunk).
++ How was your Tokyo at the time of All Twin’s Birthday? Were there any bands that you liked? What were the good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
I was able to check out gigs of many 90s bands.There were good record stores in Nishi Shinjuku: Vinyl Japan, ROUGH TRADE SHOP etc.
As for legendary venue, Shinjuku JAM was very good (closed December 31, 2017). We played many times there.
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
We were students of the same university. We talked about music.
The taste of our favorite music was similar very much, so we formed a band.
Yuka Banno (great bassist) and Bo Suzuki (great drummer), they have a great talent. I was fascinated by them. And I can sing and play the guitar. So it did not need the recruitment of members.
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
I played guitar in my room to write songs. I usually practiced in my room as private studio.
++ Something I find very interesting is the amount of great Japanese indiepop bands that started appearing in the 90s! I was wondering if you have like a top 5 Japanese indiepop bands? And also if you would recommend some that are not very well known?
Probably you have a detailed knowlodge of Japanese band than me. So I am not suitable for choosing top 5 Japanese indiepop bands. But I try. All 5 bands were splendid, so this list in random order.
・SPEED WAY STAR was splendid anorak band. Their performance was always great. But they released neither album nor single. They contributed only one song to compilation CD “What Do You Want A Japanese To Do? -The first Vinyl Japan Sampler.
・HARMONY IN YOUR BATHROOM was based in Osaka. OEAMOM was released by CONPACT FAST RECORD in 1998. It is difficult to easily categorize their music. Keigo Matsumura (leader of this band) has a great talent of composition. He is active now in a band called BLINDDATE.
・Love Mushrooms, well you know Masahiro Kodama’s another unit.
・Bridge, well you know most important Japanese indiepop bands!
・Chicago Bass. After Bridge stop making music, Mami Otomo joined this band. Chicago Bass is great Japanese alternative band.
This band’s bassist Kayoko Yamauchi has a great talent.
She, Yuka Banno and I joined band named Milk Film afterwards.
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
Josef K, The pastels, Television Personalities, Haircut 100, Brilliant Corners and Primal Scream… the list of examples is endless…
++Your first release was a 7″ on the label Behavior Saviour. I was wondering how did you end up working with Masahiro and his label? How was your relationship with them? How did you meet?
There were three key persons and our demo tape.
First key person is Sin Makino. He was organizer of live show named LOST PIECES. We played some gigs at his live show, he offered to play gig in Osaka. We went to Osaka (by Shinkansen?) and performed.
Second key person is Takako Kasa. She was organizer of live show in Osaka. The night we performed in Osaka, we met her. I presented our demo tape. she was a friend of Masahiro. She gave Masahiro our demo tape to listen. This demo tape (titled “live in a B/W movie) was not live recording, that was studio recording, include “Everytime We Say Good-Bye” plus 4 songs. Not for sale, for promotional use only. I like to watch the old b/w movies, so I would expect to add meaning to our demo tape “Lifetime in a B/W Movie” just like daydream.
Third key person is Kazushige Kanazawa. He was a shop assistant of the record shop (ROUGH TRADE SHOP), organizer of live show named “LOVE SO FINE”, too. And he offered to play All Twin’s Birthday & Masahiro (Tricycle Popstar). We met at the gig, and we liked each other’s performance. A few days later, Masahiro sent a letter to me, “Do you release 7inch from my label?”.
++ And you did work with Masahiro at least on one song, “Everytime We Say Good-Bye”. Was there ever an intention of forming a band together?
There was not ever an intention of forming a band together.
Masahiro was producer of All Twin’s Birthday in a sense.
++ This 7″ had two songs, “I Second That Love” and “Rudy Van Gelder’s Secret Note”. Where these your first proper studio recordings? Had there been demo tapes before it?
Not proper studio recordings. We brought small 4 track cassette MTR into rehearsal studio to recorded basic track (bass, drums and rhythm guitar) of two songs. This material transferred my 8 track cassette MTR and overdubbed vocal & chorus part etc…
8 track MTR is very big and heavy, so hard to carry. However Masahiro & I had same type 8 track cassette MTR. I went to Masahiro’s room with mastertape only, and was able to do a continuance of the recording work. For example, “I Second That Love”s organ part was recorded Masahiro’s room. I am a lucky man.
++ And I have to ask, are you big fans of Rudy Van Gelder?
Very nice question! The answer is yes! He is a great recording engineer. I respect him so much.
++ Why were there no more releases by the band after this record?
I hoped to work with Masahiro, but he emigrated abroad after “I Second That Love” was released. We exchanged air mail about All Twin’s Birthday’s full album. In all honesty I wanted to record same way of “I Second That Love”. But we could not meet, there was not yet email. And there was American label’s offer of the release, too. But did not come true. If now time, it might come true.
++ Aside from the 7″ you did appear on two compilations. Both times you contributed the song “Everytime We Say Good-Bye”. Was there a reason to choose that song twice?
If I remember correctly, label side chose the song, not me.
But arrangement of the tracks for each compilations were different, so I agreed to their plan.
++ One of this compilations was called “Let’s Muc Out on Sound” that was releasde by Loose Sound in Japan on tape. I don’t know nothing about this tape, so I was wondering if you remember who was behind it? if it came with a fanzine? or any details at all!
Loose Sound was a cassette tape label organaized by Takako Kasa. “Let’s Muc Out on Sound” included “Everytime We Say Good-bye” (“Live in a B/W Movie” version). She released our 1st official 5 songs cassette tape titled “live in a B/W movie Vol. 2”
(limited 100 copies) And she published a great fanzine entitled “RED RUBBER BALL”. And she was organizer of a party named “red LOVER ball”, too. She’s still so cool! I’m grateful to her.
++ The second compilation was on Behavior Saviour and was the great “Behave Yourself!”, and so I wonder if there are more compilation appearances?
“Everytime We Say Good-Bye” of “Behave Yourself!” version was added new arrangement by Masahiro. He added organ part to basic track of “Live in a B/W Movie” version. I thank for what he did. There are anecdote about “Behave Yourself!”. Masahiro wrote a song. He intended to record the song in “Behave Yourself!”. Thereafter he noticed the song’s climax resembles “Everytime We Say Good-Bye” ‘s climax. So he entitled the song “Last Time I Say Good-Bye”. It’s a joke for him. On the other hand, “Everytime We Say Good-Bye” I quoted from a title of the standard of Jazz. Lou Reed quoted from a title of the standard of Jazz, too. “Beginning To See The Light”, “After Hours”, etc… I was influenced by him. SOMEONE INFLUENCES SOMEONE LIKE THAT. We contributed songs to some compilation.
++ What about unreleased tracks?
There were not a few tracks.
And there were many unrecorded songs, played only gigs. I hope to record those songs someday.
++ It is hard to pick one, but I think my favorite All Twin’s Birthday track is “Everytime We Say Good-bye”, was wondering if you could tell me the story behind this song?
In a sense it was the song I wrote for the first time in my room.
Before I wrote the song, I made the music from parts of jam session at rehearsal studio. And the song I wrote lyrics in English for the first time in my life.
++ If you were to choose your favorite All Twin’s Birthday song, which one would that be and why?
“Nothing Like Our Way”. I wrote this song immediately after writing “Everytime We Say Good-bye”, And we recorded for
“live in a B/W movie Vol. 2”. However I think I could not record it well. We played the song at live show many times. The song often played ending of gigs. And we recorded the song again. However I am not satisfied that recording. I hope to challenge recording satisfactory version someday.
++ What about gigs? Did you play many? All over Japan?
We played many gigs, usually performed in Tokyo, played once in Osaka.
++ And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
“LOVE SO FINE” organized by Kazushige Kanazawa. Cause, I was able to meet Masahiro. There was a large audience. Many people danced to our music, and seemed happy.
++ And were there any bad ones?
That’s a tough question.
“LOVE SO FINE”. Cause we was not able to rehearse that night.
The gig held in the middle of the night. Before “LOVE SO FINE” began, different live show was carried out, but it was not over on time. So we did not have time to prepare enough. It was bad to my heart to go on the stage without sound check. A good thing and a bad thing often happen at the same time.
++ When and why did All Twin’s Birthday stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
Probably it was about 1997. I think that we wanted to try something new. I joined some units. After that, I joined 3 piece band again. The name of this band is Milk Film. Yuka Banno (all twin’s birthday’s bassist) and Kayoko Yamauchi (Chicago Bass’s bassist) sang and played the guitars. And we recorded and released CDs.
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Bo Suzuki is active as a instrumental band’s leader of Noahlewis’ Mahlon Taits.
++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?
Reunion? God only knows…
++ Did you get much attention from the radio?
I think probably our song did not play on the radio.
On the other hand, many DJs played our 7inch at club, and still play.
++ What about the press? Did they give you any attention?
Fanzines gave us some attention than the press.
++ What about from fanzines?
For example, our long interview (14 pages) was published on STEREO CASTANETS CHANNEL (just 7inch size fanzines) with an article on (or interview of) Kahimi Karie.
++ Looking back in retrospective, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
We played as opening act before Television Personalities of their Japan tour! I brought their 1st album on that day, and I was going to say to Dan Treacy, “Can I have your autograph?”. But I was not able to do. I have been impressed just to watch him. Their performance on that night was great and moved me so much.
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
I like reading novels, essays and poetry by American writers and poets. The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, The dogs bark by Truman Capote
and great poetry of William Carlos Williams.
++ Never been to Tokyo or Japan. So I will ask for some recommendations. If a popkid was to visit your city what shouldn’t they miss? What are your favourite sights? And any particular food or drinks that you think one shouldn’t miss?
I think Shimokitazawa is splendid place for popkids. Personally, Ochanomizu and Kandajinbouchou are my favorite towns. There are so many musical instrument stores, new and old bookshops,
record shops and coffee shops (I especially like Sabouru, very nice coffee shop!).
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks Roque! Your questions inspired me! I thank all friends who cooperated to answer this question. And I thank popkids of the world.
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