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A J ! - E N T S P E C I A L F E AT U R E A R T I C L E A N D I N T E R V I E W

SUGIZO

J!-ENT Celebrating our 15th Year Anniversary

J!-ENT’S WYNNE IP GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH MUSICIAN/COMPOSER, SUGIZO

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Copyright © 2008 by J!-ENT. www.j-entonline.com. All Rights Reserved.

AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGFans gather in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City for a chance to meet rock star SUGIZO and Juno Reactor.Article by J!-ENT’s Wynne Ip and photography by J!-ENT’s Angelo Delos Reyes (SF), Nergene Arquelada (LA) and Mimi Ko (NYC)

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previous interviewsVisit www.j-entonline.com for the following interviews and articles currentlyavailable on J!-ENT. Click on a cover to access a previous article/interview.

J!-ENT

SUGIZO performing live with JUNO REACTOR in San Francisco. Photo by Angelo Delos Reyes,

J!-ENT INTERVIEWS SUGIZO

J!-ENT’s Wynne Ip interviews SUGIZO

19COSMOSCAPE REVIEW

J!-ENT’s Wynne Ip reviews SUGIZO’s latest album “COSMOSCAPE”.

SUGIZO IN SAN FRANCISCO

TOP PHOTOS: Fans in San Francisco had the opportunity to get an autograph and meet SUGIZO and Juno Reactor’s Ghetto Priest.PHOTOS: Many fans line up in front of SF Japan Town’s Kinokuniya to get an autograph. Photography by Angelo Delos Reyes

n the afternoon of Juno Reactor’s San Francisco live on September 23, 2008, Japanese rock guitarist SUGIZO, who recently joined Juno

Reactor as their lead guitarist, and vocal-ist Ghetto Priest met with fans outside Ki-nokuniya Bookstore. About 50-60 people gathered for the small Q&A session and had a chance to get their merchandise autographed. Also, a few fans that were selected from the crowd had their opportunity to ask both SUGIZO and Ghetto Priest a question. The following day, Juno Reactor travelled to Los Angeles for their next show, and the duo of SUGIZO and Juno Reactor creator Ben Watkins were greeted by about a hun-

O dred fans outside Jungle, the J-Rock themed store in Little Tokyo. Some fans came lining up as early as 11:30am in order to secure a spot for the autograph session on the night prior to the band’s LA show. SUGIZO and Watkins arrived around 9pm, and after the 2-hour event ended, many fans went home happy with autographed posters and other merchandise, such as CDs, tote bags, postcards etc. Some lucky fans also got their guitars, vio-lins, artbooks, and old CDs by LUNA SEA signed. Then, just four days later, Juno Reactor arrived in New York for their third and last meet-and-greet session, which took place at

Kinokuniya Bookstore, featuring a radio in-terview with SUGIZO and Watkins held by Samurai Beat. The fans were given the opportunity to submit a question to SUGIZO & Betn Wat-kins and those selected were able ask a him a question. The autograph session which followed was attended by approximately a hundred fans, who again brought different items to be signed, among which, guitars, violins, and even a leather jacket. During all the signing sessions, SUGIZO asked for each fan’s name in English and personalized each autograph with their names.

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Japanese rock star SUGIZO and Juno Reactor signed autographs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York

SUGIZO IN SAN FRANCISCO

PHOTO: SUGIZO with Juno Reactor’s Ghetto Priest during their interview portion. Photography by Angelo Delos Reyes.

PHOTO: SUGIZO signs a fan’s electric guitar at the San Francisco autograph session. Photography by Angelo Delos Reyes.

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PHOTO: Fans gather in line outside the Jungle store in Little Tokyo (Los Angeles). Photography by Nergene Arquelada.

PHOTO: SUGIZO signs a fan’s electric guitar at the Los Angeles autograph session. Photography by Nergene Arquelada

SUGIZO IN LOS ANGELES

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SUGIZO IN LOS ANGELES

PHOTO: SUGIZO with Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins during their autograph session. Photography by Nergene Arquelada.

PHOTO: SUGIZO signing a fan’s violin in Los Angeles. Photography by Nergene Arquelada.

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PHOTO: Fans watch SUGIZO and Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins during an interview at NYC’s Kinokuniya Bookstore. Photography by Mimi Ko.

PHOTO: Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins and SUGIZO pose for the camera. Photography by Mimi Ko.

SUGIZO IN NEW YORK CITY

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SUGIZO IN NEW YORK CITY

PHOTO: SUGIZO and Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins during their autograph session in NYC. Photography by Mimi Ko.

PHOTO: SUGIZO shows off the winning entry of the Jrock Revolution fan art competition. Photography by Mimi Ko.

PHOTO: Fans watch SUGIZO and Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins during an interview at NYC’s Kinokuniya Bookstore. Photography by Mimi Ko.

SUGIZO: THE INTERVIEW

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in San Francisco. Photography by Angelo Delos Reyes.

idely known as the charismatic lead guitarist of the legend-ary Japanese rock band LUNA SEA from the ‘90s, SUGIZO

was also their violinist, backup vocalist, and composer. With the disbanding of LUNA SEA in 2000, SUGIZO’s funky image from his young wild days have since changed dra-matically into a matured rock star look. At the same time, SUGIZO has also realized the need to change this world in order to preserve the beauty of its nature and peace, and he hopes to do so through his music. He had formed the short-lived THE FLARE in 2004-2006, and was involved in other projects such as the spiritual im-provising jam band SHAG, and the envi-ronmentally-focused S.T.K. SUGIZO has also produced various solo albums and singles since his LUNA

W SEA days, with his latest album “COS-MOSCAPE” being released in July 2008, collectively advertised as SUGIZO’s live work of 10 years. Often quite calming, his solo work com-bines elements of classical, electronica, and rock, and is something very different from the style of music that he was best known for in LUNA SEA. His recent collaboration with Juno Re-actor, further advanced him in his musical knowledge that allowed him to be part of the global music that truly transcends bor-ders. As for his rock ‘n’ roll side, SUGIZO performed as the guest guitarist for MI-YAVI’s set in J-Rock Revolution in Los Angeles, CA, in May of 2007. Same year in June, SUGIZO, YOSHI-KI (X JAPAN), Gackt, and MIYAVI had joined forces to debut as S.K.I.N. at An-ime Expo in Long Beach, CA.

At the end of 2007, LUNA SEA re-united after seven years on Christmas Eve to play one show in Tokyo Dome, and in March 2008, SUGIZO joined X JAPAN’s own reunion tour to play as a guest guitar-ist, in place of another legendary guitarist, hide, who had passed away in 1997. During Juno Reactor’s recent tour in the United States, SUGIZO sat down and had a quick chat with J!-ENT just a few hours prior to the show in Los Angeles.

J!-ENT: First of all, thank you very much for having an interview with us.SUGIZO: I appreciate it.

J!-ENT: Your fans in America know you best as the guitarist from the great rock band LUNA SEA. SUGIZO: Thank you.

J!-ENT: After the band broke up for 7 years, last year you had a reunion

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“Singing is very important for me, but I think I’m not a singer. My

most important work is to compose, and of course, I’m a

guitarist. If I need my voice for my work, of course, I’m gonna sing it.”

- SUGIZO

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in New York. Photography by Mimi Ko.

concert “God Bless You ~One Night Dejavu~” in Tokyo Dome. Take us back to the moment when you once again stepped on stage as a mem-ber of LUNA SEA again. How did it feel?SUGIZO: It was so fantastic. I came back here, and all my feelings also came back to me. I felt at home. LUNA SEA is not over yet. We are alive! That feeling was my first im-pression.

J!-ENT: How long have you planned for this reunion live?SUGIZO: We’ve planned for it for a long time. We had so many meetings. It was not easy.

J!-ENT: What made you want to do a show like that, after so many years, after not being together for such a long time?SUGIZO: I think it’s very natural. It’s the natural way. LUNA SEA has of course made so many fans. We need-ed to play a show for just us, but our

audience is like members of LUNA SEA. We needed to play for all our members. It’s very natural.

J!-ENT: What was the moment you remembered most from last year’s show in Tokyo Dome?SUGIZO: Every moment was very important for me. I’d say, the first moment, with “Loveless”. That first scream from the audience was a very big moment, and then, I’m gone... to space... into the cosmos. There was a natural vibe on stage...

J!-ENT: Let’s talk about Juno Reac-tor. How did you get this opportu-nity to work with Ben Watkins and the band? How did it all start? Did you contact him first, or did he con-tact you?SUGIZO: At first, it was my approach. I really wanted to do remix work for Ben. To write songs and to do remix work, maybe to tour. Almost three years ago, I asked Juno Reactor’s Japanese agent if that was possible

and Ben said okay. It was very sim-ple. Next, Ben and I met in Japan for a magazine and we had a very nice meeting. Ben needed a guitarist for Juno Reactor. The original guitarist was Steve Stevens, who left the band but came back just for tonight’s show (in Los Angeles). So basically, they needed a new guitarist. It was very simple. That was almost two years ago.

J!-ENT: So after you started work-ing with Juno Reactor, how does it feel to be working with all these musicians from all over the world?SUGIZO: It was fantastic. I think Juno Reactor is just proof that music has no border. You can almost say music is beyond all race, color of skin and reli-gion. There are so many problems in the world, but music is truly beyond... It is fantastic. I’m Japanese and we have four great African musicians, a great Jamaican performer, two great Britons—Ben and singer Taz and our drummer is British-American. But we’re just a big family. Our music is

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in Los Angeles. Photography by Nergene Arquelada

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SUGIZO: THE INTERVIEW

PHOTO: SUGIZO and Juno Reactor’s Ben Watkins being interviewed in NYC. Photography by Mimi Ko.

just so fantastic because our relation-ship is great.

J!-ENT: That’s great! I want to ask you about your latest album “COS-MOSCAPE”. To be honest, I have not heard any of your solo work until “COSMOSCAPE” and was quite sur-prised by the style of music. I can listen to it all day. I can work and listen to it, and I would feel very re-laxed. Definitely not rock ‘n’ roll. So, how would you describe your music now?SUGIZO: Oh, I don’t know... It’s very simple and natural for me. “COSMOS-CAPE” is maybe the most natural side of SUGIZO. Of course, I’m a rock ‘n’ roll guitarist and composer, but may-be, just maybe, my roots is in classical music. The first time music has made an impact on me was music by Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). They’re the most famous Japanese techno band. Ryuichi Sakamoto is a member of the group. I think my D.N.A. has so many musical elements. What I mean by that is “COSMOSCAPE” is just very simple

for me. One more important thing... The cosmos is like the next dimension, like somewhere I can free my mind... like I can connect to some bigger en-tity. For me, that’s something very im-portant.

J!-ENT: Actually, that’s exactly how I feel when I listen to your music. I find it very spiritual, like there’s some higher dimension connected to it...SUGIZO: Yes, it is very important. Mu-sic is so spiritual.

J!-ENT: Yes, but at the same time I can clearly hear your guitar and vio-lin. You even sang in some of the songs, like “SWEET” and “VOICE”. So how do you decide whether you need to sing in a song or not?SUGIZO: Singing is very important for me but I think I’m not a singer. My most important work is to compose, and of course, I’m a guitarist. If I need my voice for my work, of course I’m gonna sing it. I think it’s quite simple. But basically I’m not a pure singer. I have so many sides. SUGIZO the pro-

ducer, SUGIZO the composer, SUGIZO the guitarist. Sometimes SUGIZO the singer wants to perform more but SUGIZO the producer says, “You’re not good. It’s not your turn to work.” And my producer side takes my singer side down.

J!-ENT: Last year, you played in America...SUGIZO: Last year? With S.K.I.N...

J!-ENT: With S.K.I.N., and before that, at J-Rock Revolution as a guest with MIYAVI. Was that the first time you played in America?SUGIZO: Yes, maybe... (surprised) Yes, that was the first time. I didn’t even know.

J!-ENT: (laugh) Yeah? Did you re-member how the American fans were like? Was it what you expected?SUGIZO: The American audience was so lovely for me. I love them. I mean, of course, I like the vibration from audi-ence from all countries. But Americans act very instinctly. When I performed

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SUGIZO: THE INTERVIEW

“You can almost say music is beyond all race,

color of skin and religion. There are so many

problems in the world, but music is truly

beyond... It is fantastic.”

- SUGIZO

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in San Francisco. Photography by Angelo Delos Reyes.

J!-ENT 17

SUGIZO: THE INTERVIEWa great solo on the guitar, so many members of the audience screamed. It’s a beautiful thing for me, as a musi-cian. In Japan, most of the audience are not that way. Yes, when I finish a song, they would clap and cheer but not so much reaction for the actual playing. The American audience was just fantastic. I love them very much.

J!-ENT: Will we ever see LUNA SEA in America?SUGIZO: Maybe. Maybe... some-day... Of course I want to. I mean, LUNA SEA is just alive.

J!-ENT: We’re looking forward to it.SUGIZO: Last December, did you come to Tokyo Dome? No? Our tick-ets sold out in five minutes. Maybe, we should play more.

J!-ENT: Recently there are so many bands from Japan who have come here to play. It would be really nice if LUNA SEA can play here.SUGIZO: I know... I hope so. J!-ENT: I hope so too. Okay, last few questions. In your free time, what do you like to do to relax?SUGIZO: Hot spring (laugh) is my best approach for relaxing. And mas-sage... Swimming... And my favorite thing to do is martial arts. I also go to the movies. But the hot spring is what I do to relax.. And alcohol. (laugh)

J!-ENT: (laugh) Do you cook?SUGIZO: No... I can’t. I can’t do that. Of course, I want to cook so much, but it’s terrible. (laugh)

J!-ENT: (laugh) Do you eat breakfast at home then?SUGIZO: No, no breakfast.

J!-ENT: No breakfast? Breakfast is good for you.SUGIZO: I know about that.. But ev-ery morning... My condition is not good. I don’t like mornings. (laugh)J!-ENT: Do you sleep in?SUGiZO: Usually, I go to bed at 5 or 6 o’clock. Not good, I know...

J!-ENT: Any last words you want to say to your fans in America?

SUGIZO: In music, we are one. We have no border. It’s a very beautiful thing. And I think America should change. America is a leader of this planet. For example, I like Obama. Maybe he can change something. We don’t need anymore war. We don’t need heroes of war. I mean, just America itself needs to change. Young people need to act more for

peace, for ecology, to solve the en-ergy problem. I think America is the most important country to change the world.

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in Los Angeles. Photography by Nergene Arquelada.

For more information on SUGIZO, please visit:Official site: http://www.sugizo.com/Official MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sugizo

grooveworldJ!-ENT

SUGIZOCOSMOSCAPEUNIVERSAL MUSICRELEASE DATE: July 23, 2008

Format: Single (CD)Catalog No: POCS-21108

TRACKLIST:

1. COSMOSCAPE2. TELL ME WHY?3. THE CAGE4. KANON5. EUROPA6. Le Fou7. DELIVER...8. Elan Vital9. Rest in Peace & Fly Away10. RISE11. INITIATION12. SWEET13. Akai umi to kuroi sora no soryuushi (Par-ticles of the Red Sea and Black Sky)14. VOICE15. Synchronicity

A J!-ENT MUSIC REVIEW

SUGIZO’s latest album, COSMOSCAPE, is a collection of ten years of his best songs, but as SUGIZO himself had put it, “this album isn’t your ordinary ‘greatest hits album’”, nor is it “an album based on bringing together catchy, sales-worthy songs”, or “typical rock songs that are popular, versatile, and easy to understand.” Advertised as a “universal sound with the sublime, unique aura that only SUGIZO can create”, and as SUGIZO wrote, “for those who are searching for an ecstatic trip, for universal pleasure that is gorgeous and deep,” I was intrigued by what this album could possibly bring to the table. Not having previously listened to SUGIZO’s solo work and having only been exposed to his rock composition when he was with LUNA SEA in the ‘90s, I was utterly surprised by the type of sound, or rather, the world of SUGIZO that I was enveloped in. “COSMOSCAPE” started out with the acoustic guitar but gradually the electric guitar riffs entered and I immediately felt that I was lifted over the vast ocean, like birds flying under a limitless sky into space. On the “rock” and “power” side, some tracks, such as “TELL ME WHY” and “THE CAGE”, maintained a techno and dance beat beneath the strong rhythmic guitar blast of chords or the repeating short guitar theme that kept the energy and the intensity at a high level. The use of brass instruments, which intersected with the electrifying guitar solos in “Elan Vital”, and the various layers of guitars that were used in numbers such as

< UNIVERSAL SOUND!SUGIZO returns with a universal sound with the sublime, unique aura that only SUGIZO can create!

“VOICE”, “RISE”, and “Akai umi to kuroi sora no soryuushi”, took me into a mind-blowing journey that rocked my inner soul to another dimension. On the softer side, SUGIZO incorporated vocals into the melody, such as “KANON”, which sounded like an old record with the addition of static as if it came from a turntable, and “DELIVER…”, which was light and relaxing, as if I was taken to a small cottage by the summer beach, watching the waves, with occasional surfers battling the waves, musically portrayed by small blasts of the electric guitar. SUGIZO provided his voice in a few pieces, with the most memorable one for me being “SWEET”, because the vocal melody was actually rather catchy on top of a danceable beat. The violin also plays an integral part in the album as it paints a completely different type of landscape in SUGIZO’s music. In “THE CAGE”, a familiar violin melody was heard in this song, which was from the LUNA SEA classic “Providence”. In “Rest in Peace & Fly Away”, the blissful and expressive violin melody, while accompanied by simple acoustic guitar chords, sent a longing and sorrowful message into the distance, as if to wish a

dear friend who had passed on a bon voyage on a final journey. “Synchronicity” kept the same melody of “Rest in Peace & Fly Away” on the violin, but the slightly lowered key, the rearranged acoustic guitar, and the occasional synthesized background effects delivered a completely different mood that felt more calm and less emotional. SUGIZO combines electronic, classical, and rock into his composition, and by listening to COSMOSCAPE, it allowed me to peek into a picturesque universe that SUGIZO has created, a place that somehow, if I reached out my hand, would connect me to a higher dimension through those soaring guitar solos and echoing violin phrases. The transformation of SUGIZO the solo artist from SUGIZO the guitarist of LUNA SEA was dramatic, and it was because of this transformation that SUGIZO was able to deliver music that came from his true self. I really admire this album because I have never felt so stimulated from just listening to a CD before; the whole album was full of inspiration, and made me see SUGIZO in an entirely different way. I would recommend this gem to any music lover in a heartbeat.

— WYNNE IP

Written by the staff of J!-ENT, an entertainment and pop culture website celebrating its 15th Year Anniversary in 2008.

www.j-entonline.com

J!-ENT

WYNNE IP joined the J!-ENT family in the summer of 2004 and has contributed as an interviewer and a writer with a focus in Japa-nese rock music. Born in Hong Kong, Wynne has had classical piano training for 10 years until she was 16 years old. Having been exposed to J-rock for the first time in the late 90s while

studying in the US, Wynne has since developed a love for this genre of music. Wynne graduated from Univer-sity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Computer Sci-ence degree and is currently based in Los Angeles, CA.

PHOTO: SUGIZO performing in NYC. Photography by Mimi Ko.

NERGENE ARQUELADA joined J!-ENT as a photographer in 2004. He is known to many as the anime convention and cos-play photographer “Super No. 1”. Nergene has photographed bands, talents and industry professionals for J!-ENT. He is an avid fan of Japanese and Korean music and dramas. Nergene graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Aerospace

Engineering. In his spare time, he enjoys exercising at the gym and attending local cultural festivals. He currently lives in the Los Angeles area.

ANGELO DELOS REYES joined the J!-ENT family in 2004 and in the Philippines, was a professional concert photographer and also a personal photographer for the country’s top celebrities. Angelo now resides in San Francisco working in the tech industry and is a freelance photographer.

MIMI KO first joined J!-ENT in 2006, where she found the per-fect opportunity to combine her photography with her passion for J-rock. An editorial and portrait photographer, Mimi’s work was recently selected for Group Show 23 of the Humble Arts Foundation, and the 14th Juried Exhibition at the Griffin Museum

of Photography. Originally from Hong Kong, she currently lives and works in New York City.