Today, the Grammy Award-winning band released "Help Us Stranger," their first new album in 11 years,The LakantersHave you already checked out the new song "Help Me Stranger" by this band led by Jack White, whose concert in Japan in April is still fresh in your mind?
The music video, which was released prior to the album release, has already received more than 5 million views in only one month since it was uploaded. Apparently, Jack White himself is very pleased with this music video.
The production was handled by,this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)led by Mr. Shun Takahashi, as described in the article "TheUNDERCOVER PRODUCTIONThe music video is a charming "nightmare" of The Lakanters against a decadent backdrop. The 16 portraits of the band members that are inserted in the middle of the music video are also a highlight of the video.
But how did they end up working on The Raconteurs' music video? What was happening on the set? To hear the behind-the-scenes story, we asked Mr. Jun Takahashi and the rest of the production team, as well as , who was the key person in this music video.HYSTERIC GLAMOURNobuhiko Kitamura of the "The World's Most Beautiful People" also joined us to talk at length about the project.
Nobuhiko Kitamura / HYSTERIC GLAMOUR
Jun Takahashi / UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION
Taro Mizutani / UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION
Yasuhiko Shimizu / Movie Director
Toshiya Arai / Director of Photography
In terms of schedule, we're talking about 90% refusal (laughs). (Takahashi)
Mizutani: Originally, Jack White and Nobu (Kitamura) had a connection, so we came to UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION with the idea of making a music video, and the production went well. The members were very pleased, and I think we did a great job. May I ask you about the relationship between Jack White and Nobu, or how you came to be asked about this project?
Kitamura: I had been in contact with Niagara, a Detroit band called Destroy All Monsters, through collaborating with them in Hysteric, and when (The) Stooges came to Fuji Rock in 2007, she told me to go backstage to say hello because the Stooges were going. I met Iggy and Ron there and told them that I was interested in Detroit and wanted to go, and Ron said, "Come on, I'll show you our archives. And they said, "Why would we say no?" (laughs). (laughs).
All: Laughter
Kitamura: I went there and found it to be a really nice town. It's very photogenic, and as I went back more and more times, I gradually made connections. The local people are very friendly. They would ask me, "Why did you come here? or "You're going to use our store for a photo shoot? They were very cooperative. I ended up publishing several photo books with the photos I took in Detroit.
All: Wow!
Kitamura: In addition to that, we became friends with a band called The Kills when they came to Japan. The vocalist of the band, Alison, was in a band called The Dead Weather with Jack (White).
Kitamura: When Dead Weather came to Japan, they wanted to do an interview for "Huge," so I went to their dressing room to negotiate with them. I showed him a collection of photos I had taken in Detroit, saying, "Actually, this is the kind of photo I wanted to take. Then Jack said, "Oh, this is the hot dog place I always go to! And he said, "This is near the junior high school I went to," and we became friends.
Mizutani: So that's how it was at first.
Kitamura: That's right. We had a successful interview, and we hit it off so well that after the concert, we stayed up until 5:00 in the morning having a lot of fun together. That was the first memory I had. After that, I would visit Jack's office in Nashville and we would shoot together. At night, he would tell me, "There is a concert here that you should definitely go to. He took care of me in so many ways.
So this year, maybe two weeks before Golden Week, I got an offer.
Mizutani: It came out of nowhere.
Photo_Olivia Jean
Kitamura: Jack sent me a message saying, "I'm going to Tokyo for a week, and I want to shoot a music video for the new single there. I replied, "I'll do what I can." He said, "I have one day off during the week, and I'd like to shoot it on that day.
Shimizu: Just one day... (chuckles). We are not an indie band (laughs).
Kitamura: And that contact was two weeks before your visit to Japan.
Mizutani: In addition, we only had about 10 days between shooting and delivery. It was a devilish schedule.
Kitamura: I was thinking that I would never be able to schedule this, and while I was pondering what to do, it hit me, "Oh, yes. I thought, "Oh, there's Jonio.
All: Laughter
Kitamura: So I asked Jonio about it, and he said, "Everyone wants to do it," and that's how it all started.
Mizutani: However, I was really busy at the time. How could I do it? It was like, "How can we do it? I, Morley*, and Mr. Nagato* were all stuck in the situation. But when we were talking about what we should definitely do as a production company, the two names of Arai and Shimizu came up.
*Katsuhide Morimoto / Photographer and member of UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION.
*Tetsuya Nagato / Art Director. Member of UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION as well as Mr. Morimoto.
Takahashi: You two are quasi-constituents.
All: Laughter
Mizutani: There are many good creators in Japan, but there are only a few who can create a good work for Jack White. We thought it would be interesting to have Arai-chan and Shimizu-kun work with Jack's personality.
Takahashi: But in terms of schedule, we are talking about 90% refusal, here (laughs).
Shimizu: I moved one myself (laughs).
All: Laughter
Kitamura: If it were a photograph, I would probably be able to handle it on my own, but that is not the case with a movie. However, Jack asked me to do it, and I couldn't refuse even if I wanted to. At such a time, I received an e-mail from Alison saying, "My boys are going to Tokyo, so please take care of them! (Laughs.) So I called Jonio, and I'm glad he accepted.
Arai: The atmosphere at the first meeting was already deadly.
Kitamura: You don't have to be bleak.
Arai: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no (laughs).
I was thinking of something like Detroit in Kanto. (Kitamura)
Mizutani: The previous LaCanters music video was previously shot by Jim Jarmusch. For example, Michel Gondry shot the music videos of the White Stripes. The people we admired when we started out in film and photography are now doing the work.
Kitamura: Jack himself doesn't really like New York or Los Angeles. So, shooting in Tokyo or Roppongi was out of the question. Detroit is the city where the riots took place. There are many nice old buildings, but there are no people and no advertisements. It's like a ghost town. But the view of the city is really nice.
When Jack approached me, I was thinking of a place like Detroit in the Kanto region. I happened to visit Chiba when I used to surf and recently when I go golfing, and I found a deserted downtown area that I thought was quite nice. That's when Chiba came to me. When I mentioned this at the meeting, everyone agreed that it was a good idea.
Shimizu: Where is it? I think, "Where is it?
Kitamura: I like that feeling. It is just right that people think, "Where is it? It's just right that people think, "Where is it?
Mizutani: We got location suggestions right away, and we went on location scouting. That went smoothly.
Kitamura: When you show the finished video to people who don't know anything about it, there is an air of exoticism about it that even Japanese people can imagine. It doesn't look like Tokyo, and it doesn't have a strong sense of Japaneseness. But it's not Chinese or Korean, either. It also has the blandness of an American suburb.
I had no choice but to give it everything I could. (Arai)
Mizutani: Shimizu, what did you think when you heard about this?
Shimizu: Since we didn't have much time to deliver the work, I thought it would be better to make the work in an appropriate messy way. But at first, I was like, "Oh my God, what should I do?
Mizutani: Is that against the LaCanters? Or in terms of schedule?
Shimizu: In terms of the motif of the shoot, since the senior photographers were all there, I knew that they would be aiming for a zone of ennui rather than a sense of power and vigor. I felt as if I was borrowing from my seniors. But if I had had more time on my schedule, I would never have been given the job.
Mizutani: It's such a big name project.
Shimizu:For our generation, he is a guitar hero.
Kitamura: I talked with the members while waiting on set, and everyone seemed relaxed. I talked to the members while waiting on set, and they all seemed relaxed. They followed Shimizu's and Arai's orders to do this and that.
Shimizu: I had only shot Japanese music videos, so I was quite nervous. As a musician, I wondered what if there were "overseas rules," such as "I will not play unless the instrument is properly energized. When I discussed this with them on the day, they said, "Do you want to do it like a live performance, with the sound on? Even though we were shooting a music video? I was like, "I'll totally leave it to you! I was like, "I'll leave it to you!" So I was like, "What was all that nervousness of mine?
But instead, you were like, "I want to drink!" That's what it was like, wasn't it? We were in a fun mood while drinking! I thought, "Oh, he's going for an American feel here. I was surprised that they would go for an American feel here.
Mizutani: I see. Maybe it's a difference from Japanese culture, or maybe they want to have fun while doing it. How about you, Arai?
Arai：What was decisive was that Jonio and Nobu said to me at the meeting, "You can do it. At that moment, I felt as if all my restraints were lifted and I was told, "If anything happens, we will wipe your asses, so you guys go ahead and do it. I felt like I had no choice but to give it everything I could. When Director Shimizu and I talked on the way home from the meeting, we said something like, "It doesn't matter if we are careful. I felt like I had a sense that things had been cleared up a little bit.
When I actually met them at the site and looked into their eyes, I knew that they were people who were capable of doing things fairly and honestly. I told them everything. I told them to do this and do that.
Mizutani: When you ask two people to do something, you have no choice but to show them what they have to offer. If they are drawn out there, it is not worth asking them to do it.
Kitamura: To be honest, when I saw Shimizu's work, I wondered how it would turn out, since he had a few quirks (laughs). (laughs) But then I turned off the sound and concentrated only on the images.
Shimizu: Oh, I see.
Kitamura: That way, you can see what they are doing and their ingenuity. So when I show them, I tell them to turn off the sound.
Shimizu: I am sorry (laughs).
I prefer art, music, movies, and things like that. (Takahashi)
Mizutani: Well, it turned out to be a very good work, and I searched for it on Twitter and other places, and saw some pretty interesting reactions. I saw some interesting reactions, such as "Is this Kanto? Kisarazu? Some people said, "Is this Kanto or Kisarazu? And some people said, "There's a Yuru-chara in the picture" (laughs). Why? (laughs).
Kitamura: Ah, Kimipyon. That made me happy, too. I like him the best among all the local characters (laughs).
Mizutani: So this time, we made a music video with an interesting team. The director, Shimizu, is a video director in the video field, while Jonio and Nobu are fashion designers. On the other hand, Jonio and Nobu are fashion designers, and I and Arai-chan are photographers. I think there is a common denominator of "music" in the middle of all of them.
However, everyone is doing their own thing, and although they are all thinking about the same thing, I feel that we are living in an age where it is somewhat difficult for them to mix with each other. I think that we should be mixing with each other more, transcending genres. I would like to create a culture that is unique to Tokyo while doing so.
I would like to talk about fashion, visuals, and music videos from different perspectives, as well as our own influences. I would like to share these things with more people, especially young people.
First of all, I would like to ask you, Jonio, about the world of music and music videos, which is adjacent to "Undercover", isn't it? Of course, so is "Hysteric Glamour". As I mentioned earlier, nowadays I feel that the world of visual artists, fashion designers, and photographers is somewhat disjointed, but in Jonio's generation, it was more common to mix and match, wasn't it?
Takahashi: Yes, that's right. But fashion is like a part of culture. I prefer art, music, and movies. My main influences come from there. Of course, I also like clothes.
Mizutani: Is it like that, Nobu-san?
Kitamura: I started out with a love of music and wondered how I could get involved with artists. I thought that if I became a designer, I could meet such people. I didn't become a designer out of a desire to be a designer or to own a store.
Takahashi: I listen to music, and from there, I enter the fashion world. In the late 80s and 90s, watching music videos was the same as listening to music, as was MTV. In the past, music was something to listen to, but since MTV came out, music has gradually become linked to visual images. I had grown up watching MTV, so I was thinking that it would be nice to be able to give form to that kind of thing, including fashion, when Taro (Mizutani) and his colleagues approached me and said, "We'd like to do something like this. That's how we started the production. I thought it was an interesting experiment.
Shimizu: But we don't limit ourselves to just music. I mean, anything that interests me.
Takahashi: Of course. There are no barriers.
Mizutani: Interior design and architecture are the same, and perhaps even food packaging is included, but everything is still expression. The same is true of photography and video.
Takahashi: That's right. We set up our company with this intention, and if we wanted to, we would even do packages for confectioneries. I believe that when professionals from different fields get together, they can break down stereotypes and create something new.
The ability to do it in an analog manner and in a short period of time is necessary in this day and age. (Kitamura)
Kitamura: Let me back up a bit. Instead of rushing toward the future, he rushes toward the past. There are many good things in the past. Whether it is guitars or musicians, there is a lot of great culture. Nowadays, nobody has any new guitar techniques. Instead, digital technology has developed, and there are people who are making good use of it. For example, there are fewer people who make good film footage, take good photographs, or draw good pictures. In the past, there were many more.
That's why Jack is going that way. Who the hell is making this kind of sound in this day and age with all this equipment? Who the hell is this guy who has all this equipment and is making this kind of sound in this day and age? I respect that kind of thing, and Third Man Records is the result of my going for it.
Jack was originally born and raised in Detroit, and when he became a successful musician and now a supporter, he couldn't imagine doing business in Detroit. The culture was there, but it was not a situation where business could be done. And the royalties were very low in Nashville, where Jack is doing his thing now. So he started Third Man Records there and started working steadily, and recently he built a record pressing plant in Detroit. I have my own store there as well. I went there the other day before they came to Japan. They painted the inside of the factory yellow, the color of the label, and put their logo on all the old machines. He is into that kind of thing now.
Mizutani: While the world is moving toward digital technology, this method of information transmission is very valuable and important. There is a lot of information out there that people can find out on their own, but I think it is important to convey what Jack is doing and what Nobu-san has experienced there.
Kitamura: In that sense, digital technology has evolved and become very convenient, like writing an article about what happened today and running it in tomorrow's morning paper, or talking with people in Japan via Skype even though you are in the U.S. But it is amazing. But it's amazing, isn't it, that the production of this music video was analog: two weeks of preparation, one day of shooting, and then sending it out to the whole world. Isn't that amazing? Being able to do it in such a short period of time and in an analog way is something that is extremely necessary in this day and age. It's all about the team, isn't it?
Mizutani: I felt that everyone had a lot of experience in their respective fields.
Takahashi: In the first place, there was a connection between Nobu-san and Jack, and he consulted with me about a story that arose there, and I decided to talk with everyone about it. I feel that there is a connection between people.
Kitamura: You can't do that without a relationship of trust and friendship. It would be impossible to have that meeting on line.
Takahashi: The feeling that something is born from a proper meeting and conversation is the same now as it was once upon a time. No matter how much civilization has developed, in the end, that feeling is the most powerful. The relationship between Jack and Nobu, for example, is something that everyone understands and creates with that kind of understanding, and that feeling is present in the work as well. The reason I entrusted Shimizu and Arai-chan with this project was because I was hoping for an interesting flow.
It made me feel like, "We're shooting a music video here." (Kitamura)
Kitamura: You know, there was a lot of analog in that video. Like the pay phone.
Mizutani: I like the idea of putting 16 shots of the artist in the music video the best. It's very analog, isn't it? It's very analog, isn't it?
Kitamura: Like batting centers.
Mizutani: When the director strongly told me that this was where the odds were stacked against us, I thought for a moment, "Why not? I thought for a moment, "Why?" But when I looked at it, I realized that it is indeed interesting to show 16 shots of artwork on 16 beats, and in a sense, it is a universal language. I felt that everyone was looking at the same place.
Kitamura: If you look at various articles, they are all pretty much covering that part. They say, "It's a strange portrait" (laughs).
All: Laughter
Mizutani: After the show, Arai-chan said, "That was the hardest part. I would have had a hard time too if I had to do that. But there was also something strange about Shimizu-kun making Arai-chan do it. In that sense, the two of us were a perfect match.
Shimizu: I thought that was the one thing that we could enjoy with this group of people in a time crunch.
Kitamura: We shot the cheek time scene before the members first came to the site, and then we shot the live scene after that.
Shimizu: I agree with you. That was perfect.
Kitamura: If the video had been messy there, the members would have had to change their minds. We thought, "Why do we have to come all the way to Tokyo and do this?
Mizutani: In that sense, you are playing a great game.
Kitamura: The members who are the main actors are having a good time, you know. There's even a photographer they brought with them to the site, and he takes pictures of the smashed-up snack bar outside in his spare time. The sign there imitated the Lakers logo. I'd show the pictures I took to the members and say, "Where the hell is this? Tell me where it is.
Shimizu: That building was full of stories.
Kitamura: The first and second cuts gave us the feeling that "we are shooting a music video here. The first cut is just an old man and an old woman dancing.
Shimizu: You liked that one, didn't you?
Kitamura: You should have added a little more there (laughs).
In the end, the members expressed their wishes in the editing process. However, the production side also had their own opinions about what they wanted to do, and as a result of this catch-up, I think a good balance was achieved.
Shimizu:I think so too. We had very little time to edit the film, so we had to work on it while grumbling (laughs). But when I threw the ball to the filmmakers to make the main characters longer and accentuate the parts I wanted to accentuate, I inevitably ended up not being able to fill in all the details. So when I heard what the members wanted, I understood, "Oh, they want more detail here.
I'm waiting for the two of them to scatter. (Takahashi)
Shimizu: Also, when I had finished shooting three of the 16 shots, I thought, "Don't draw a gentle slope from here.
Mizutani: You mean it's going to be a butt-whooping?
Shimizu: Yes, that's right. I thought I had to throw in some new fuel here. I thought it was time to make a mess (laughs). I caught it and said to Nobu, "Arai-chan, look at you, you are putting a board on the jack. Can you leave it alone? (laughs).
Arai: I was beginning to think that ruins and raconteurs go well together, so I decided to dye it in ruins.
Kitamura: But was that board necessary?
Mizutani: You keep saying that (laughs).
Kitamura: I'm glad Jack made good use of that one.
Shimizu: "Is it OK if I leave this out? Nobu-san said on the spot (laughs).
Mizutani: Both Arai-chan and Shimizu-kun are people who don't care who they are. Even if it is Jack White. That's what I like about them. Even though they both know what kind of person Jack White is (laughs).
Takahashi: I wouldn't choose someone who would pull out there.
Photo_David James Swanson
Kitamura: You know that scene with the cupboard and TV behind the sofa? It was like a family game. The members were lined up side by side on the sofa. When they said, "We'll film here," I thought for a moment, "What? I thought, "What? But later, I was amazed to see that scene used as a thumbnail on YouTube.
Takahashi: You mean like maybe you're going to go straight to laughter?
Kitamura: Yes, yes. That was the door there.
Takahashi: In our first meeting, we talked about not going in that direction. But I thought it would be better to go in that direction. I thought it would bring out Arai-chan's unique flavor.
Mizutani: At first, there was talk of putting in a big fishing flag (laughs). When the script came in, there was an old lady sewing a big fishing flag in a dark room.
All: Laughter
Mizutani: Shall we reshoot it as a director's cut (laughs)?
Takahashi: I thought you should put that in there, in my opinion. Nobu-san would have liked it.
Kitamura: Like at the Paris Collection in a pitch-dark venue with an old lady in the middle (laughs)?
Shimizu: We are that image! I'm rather shocked that they didn't get that!
Kitamura: But in the final offer from the band, we got rid of the scattered parts in a good way. The clingy parts are gone. I thought we didn't need so many scenes of Jack walking around town.
Shimizu: Since Nobu-san said that he wanders alone, I thought I had to persist with this.
Kitamura: But Jack was in a groove during the scene where the smoke comes out of the baby. He even let the smoke come out of his nose.
Shimizu: After the meeting, Mr. Arai and I went to Ohsho restaurant together. While eating gyoza (Chinese dumplings), we talked about making a mess (laughs).
Takahashi: We're waiting for it.
All: Laughter
Shimizu: So I thought about how to make Jack happy, and came up with the idea of a baby.
ARAI: I got a twist on that answer at Osho (laughs).
Kitamura: It's not a baby, it's a baby.
All: Laughter
Takahashi: But the other side's opinion that they wanted more of that dance scene is amazing, too. It would have been better to add that scene. It's a strange story, but everyone shared the same sense of overall balance.
Kitamura: You used to film the feet in that dance scene, too. That wasn't in the first edit, was it?
Shimizu: David Lynch came up at the first meeting, and Jim Jarmusch also came up as a reference. Anyway, there was a lot of pressure from our seniors...
Kitamura: I'm not pressuring you, I'm agitating you.
Mizutani: But it's a trump card for us as a substitute (laughs).
All: Laughter
Mizutani: This was the first time that UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION had a stand-in. We only had two people to play our trump card.
The music reminds me of the music videos, the jackets, and the outfits the artists wore. (Shimizu)
Mizutani: But if you think about it calmly, I don't think there will be many cases in the future where a Japanese person shoots a music video for a Grammy award-winning artist. Continuing from our earlier discussion, I would like to ask you, Shimizu, how do you think music videos are influencing the fashion industry from a visual director's point of view? What role do you think music videos play in fashion and Tokyo?
Shimizu: I think that music videos are a source of transmission that I have. I want people to feel the mood of the song when they see the work, and I understand that there is a Japanese way of thinking that questions social networking sites, but I don't think it matters to English-speaking musicians, including the members of the Raconteurs.
Mizutani: From my own feeling, I think it is something that will stay with the music for a long time. For example, when you hear a certain song on the street and think "Oh, that song! I remember the music video together. That kind of feeling is hard to experience with fashion. Even if the clothes themselves remain, I don't think anyone remembers the fashion story we shot. In that sense, I am very envious of the images.
Shimizu: In that sense, the strongest visual image is film. That is why I think music has a special position. The images are also pulled out, the jacket shots appear, and I remember the costumes worn by the artists.
Mizutani: We have been influenced by music videos at some point, and we would like to leave a few more good music videos. We want to make something that will make people think back to that time.
Shimizu: I think it is a culture that should be involved in fashion, photography, and all other aspects of the culture.
Kitamura: You know, Sonic Youth. They recognized bootlegs. Even in the days when there were many boot shops in various cities, like Shinjuku, they were looking for and collecting their own bootlegs. They would find bootlegs that had been recorded live and hidden, or that had leaked out of the PA. So, I think they recognized that kind of thing. I think Jack is the type of musician who looks for bootlegs.
Shimizu: I think Jack is the type of person who would rather make his own boot than have someone else make it for him. It's frustrating to have someone else do it for you (laughs).
Kitamura: I know that Jack White's live shows prohibit the use of cell phones. So, of course, you can't upload to social networking sites. However, those who managed to get through the net and record or take video will be allowed to do so (laughs). (Laughs) That's the point. If it were true, it would have its own flavor.
Mizutani: The boot seems more affectionate.
Arai: Not now?
Kitamura: Because the market has disappeared. There are no stores that sell boot CDs and DVDs anymore, right? There is no way to sell them on the Internet.
My own daughter is watching the thriller properly, too. (Takahashi)
Mizutani: What role does music videos play for you, Arai-chan?
Arai: I had never seen it until high school. I am from Tochigi, so MTV was not on, and the movie came first, not the music video. I was a complete laggard. That's why I didn't really benefit from music videos in the first place.
Shimizu: You like Jim Jarmusch, don't you?
Arai: Derek Jarman's influence was greater. There were film festivals and such in Tochigi, but MTV wasn't playing in Utsunomiya.
Takahashi: MTV was something I started when I first moved to Tokyo. But in the early to mid 90's, when MTV was at its peak, music = music videos.
Shimizu: What artists were cool, including the video?
Takahashi: Nirvana's "In Utero" and "Heart Shaped Box" were great. It was about the beginning of the alternative music scene.
Mizutani: U2, for example, Anton Corbin shot the video. I was surprised that a photographer could take pictures. I was surprised to see photographers shooting images.
Takahashi: When I was in junior high school, "Best Hit USA" was on, and I saw the first Thriller music video in Japan in real time. I wasn't interested in Michael Jackson or anything like that, but it was shocking. It was a movie. It was amazing to see that in a music video. I know we are of that generation, but my daughter has also seen Thriller. Of course, she watches the new ones now, too. I think it is always influential.
Shimizu: When we were in the age of MD players, Jamiroquai was very popular, and when we saw a music video on CDTV with a moving floor, we thought, "The floor! (laughs).
Mizutani: Our generation was totally Spike Jones, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, etc., and we were like, "How can you film this?" I thought, "How can they do that? I thought, "You don't have to spend a lot of money to make good films. I was like, "I can't say I don't have a budget anymore! (laughs).
Shimizu: That Spike Jonze has a great groove, doesn't he? I was shocked to find out later that he was rich (laughs).
Kitamura: Spike Jones' father was like the first person in America to do mail order.
Mizutani: I once went to a house for a photo shoot. It is really amazing, isn't it?
Kitamura: Before he divorced Sofia Coppola? I went to her house, and there was a big swimming pool. They were making a project for "Lost in Translation" there. I went to the wedding.
All: What?
Arai: You're lying!
Kitamura: It's true. Among Coppola's wineries in Napa Valley, there is a famous champagne called "Sofia". They are famous for a champagne called "Sophia.
Shimizu: You must be very rich. I can't believe the bloodline that makes wine.
Arai: What kind of wedding was it?
Kitamura: To be honest, it's not on the level of "The Godfather" or anything like that. We started at 5:00 p.m. in the evening and went on until 5:00 a.m. the next morning. The only alcohol we have is red and white wine and champagne. We drink that all the time, but there is no one throwing up anywhere.
Mizutani: That's how good the sake is.
Kitamura: We usually have Jonathan Richmond's solo show at around 1:00 am. Tom Waits also performs.
Arai: Seriously? That's not good.
Kitamura: The long, narrow tables go on for about 200 meters, and everyone has a specific seat number. There is also an area for children, where there are magicians and so on.
Kitamura: The site is huge, anyway. There is an old warehouse, and when you go inside, there are all kinds of things. There are cars from "Tucker," costumes from "The Godfather," huge champagne glasses, and so on. There was a DJ in the courtyard, and we were all having a great time there when suddenly my husband came out and said, "Turn it down! Everyone come to the backyard! He said something like that. Then there was a candlelight path in the backyard, and we all walked along the path until we came to the edge of a cliff, and we couldn't go any further. Then, I waited for them and they told me to look at the other side of the valley. Then, my brother Roman Coppola gave me a present for Sophia, and he wrote "SPIKE LOVES SOPHIA" on a firework and it went off like a bee-bee-bee-bee.
All: Wow!
Arai: Why did you get divorced? Even though you made it that far.
Shimizu: They say the more flamboyant the marriage, the more flamboyant the separation....
Spike Jones and Michel Gondry are amazing!
Mizutani: I would like to tell our readers about music videos that you would like to recommend or works that you would like them to see. I think that many of Huinum's readers are younger than us, and we would like to connect them.
Takahashi: If so, isn't it still the White Stripes?
Takahashi: I think my favorite is the Lego one.
Mizutani: It's an unusual behavior to assemble Legos and frame them. This is directed by Michel Gondry, isn't it?
Takahashi: Then there is Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box". I thought it was amazing at the time. My favorite song is different, but in terms of music videos, I would say this one.
Mizutani: This is Anton Corbin.
Shimizu:In that sense, I would say "Star Guitar" by the Chemical Brothers.
Mizutani: This is also bad. Huh? Was this Michel Gondry too?
Shimizu: Yes, that's right.
Takahashi: I knew it, Michel Gondry is amazing.
Mizutani: It's out of the ordinary. I thought it was just scenery taken from a car window, but it was all linked to the sound.
Shimizu: You have given form to what people who were listening to music while looking out the train window imagined.
Takahashi: Also, I like Spike's Daft Punk stuff. The dog one.
Mizutani: In the end, it will be in this area (laughs).
Kitamura: Also, Bjork is good.
Shimizu:Michel Gondry does Bjork's music videos, too.
Mizutani: That would be a gondola festival (laughs).
Mizutani: I like Weezer's music video that Spike shot. The one where they are playing with animals.
Takahashi: "Island in the Sun," right? It's good, isn't it?
Mizutani: Spike and Michel Gondry are very influential.
Shimizu:I also like Chris Cunningham.
Mizutani: Chris Cunningham is also good on the Bjork stuff.
Takahashi: In terms of time period, I would say mid to late 90s.
Mizutani: What about Arai-chan?
Arai: I would say "The Forest of the Delinquents". It's by Blankie (Jet City).
Mizutani: It's the one that Banba (Shuichi) is filming.
Arai: This is already cool.
Takahashi: I'm already full just from the combination of Banba-kun and "The Forest of the Delinquents" (laughs). (laughs). I love Banba-kun.
Shimizu: It was Baba-san who taught me how to edit.
Takahashi: I enjoy just looking at that man.Maeken's music videoI was shooting backstage the whole time I was shooting *. I mean, "Bad Forest" is a really good title. I love this song so much.
*Music video for Kenta Maeno's "Again When Summer Washes Away," created by .
Arai: Jonio-san is a delinquent, isn't he?
Takahashi: I'm not a delinquent.
All: Laughter
Takahashi：But I think I have seen Blankey live the most so far. Then there is Yurayura (Teikoku). In terms of numbers.
Shimizu: Are you of the ikaten generation?
Takahashi: Yes, that's right. But I didn't really like Ikaten. But I liked Blankey. But I liked Blankey. I thought, "Don't be like that.
Takahashi: I also like Yurayura's "Cold Gift" PV. There are all kinds of effectors in it. It's all so cool.
Shimizu: I edited this. I am very happy. I am very happy to hear you say so, Jonio.
Arai: What is Taro?
Mizutani: I am Weezer. The one with the dog I mentioned earlier.
Arai: Oh, I see. I wonder how old Spike Jones is.
Takahashi: I think he was born in 1969.
Shimizu: Spike is a genius.
Kitamura: You are someone who has been accepted by the times.
Mizutani: In the music video by a band called Uncle, when the skaters do tricks at the skate park, everything explodes. That was amazing, too.
Takahashi: Is that a spike too? Spike is great, too.
Shimizu: There is also a good music video of Uncle shot by Jonathan Glaser.
Shimizu: A man wearing a hood mumbles something and walks around in the middle of the night, and gets hit by cars all the time.
Takahashi: "Rabbit in Your Headlights". This one is good too.
Arai: Nobu-san, do you have anything?
Takahashi: I learned a lot from Nobu-san. He told me, "You should see this, Jonio, you'll love it. I saw Jan Švankmajer, and I really liked him (laughs). I liked him so much that I went to see him.
Arai: What? Where did you go?
Takahashi: I went to Prague twice. When I had a solo exhibition in Japan, I guided him around Ueno. I think it was around 2004.
Shimizu: I'm more of a Jan person than a Spike person. Actually (laughs). (Laughs.) I was doing cartoons at first.
Takahashi: Of course the images are amazing.
Shimizu: The Sheena & Rockets video is very much influenced by Jan Švankmajer. I really admire him.
Takahashi: When Nobu-san showed me the film, I watched it from short films. There were quite a lot of short films, and they were amazing. After that, I found out there was a feature film, and when I watched that, it was also amazing. I also did a collection dedicated to him. Jan Švankmajer is art.
Kitamura: It expresses the inside of the brain, doesn't it?
Kitamura: In the case of animation, Zappa's crane animation is also amazing. Zappa was too much of a genius to sell. As an artist, he was amazing. However, he was able to do so many different things that he ended up losing his own unique flavor.
Shimizu: Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart were high school classmates. That is also amazing.
It is true that MTV has created a new culture.... (Kitamura)
Kitamura: I think it's a generational difference, but I was always anti-MTV. Patti Smith was the same way, but I agreed with her opinion that MTV ruined the music industry.
Mizutani: That is an unthinkable opinion for our generation. That's amazing.
Arai: You said that at Fuji Rock. There were several cameras and they would ask, "Where did you come from?" And everyone answered which station they were from. Everyone answered which station they were from, but they were already saying terrible things about MTV. Everyone was like, "What? (wry laugh).
Kitamura: The moment you say, "I'm anti-MTV," boom! I'm anti-MTV.
All: Oh!
Kitamura: It is true that some artists were ruined by that. It is true that a new culture was born from that.
Shimizu: But I think MTV has done what the musicians wanted to do.
Takahashi: I think so too. I think that if Patti had used film to make her films in the 70's, it would be the same thing.
Kitamura: But well, Queen and Kiss have been shooting music videos since about 1975.
Shimizu: The Beatles did it, too.
Kitamura: Pink Floyd, too. But it was MTV that put them all together and turned it into a business by showing them to the audience and saying, "Here you go.
Mizutani: Perhaps the same thing applies to YouTube and iTunes.
Shimizu: But on the other hand, you can also look at it as sifting.
Kitamura: At that time, we were in parallel with the era of the change from vinyl records to CDs. To be honest, I couldn't even keep up with CDs. I was impressed by record jacket designs with an A-side and a B-side. I opened it and found the booklet and thought, "I want to design something like this someday," but the CD was already here. I thought I wanted to design something like that someday, but the time had come for CDs, and then there were regulations and things like having to put a mark on it. Another organization came into the picture. While things were becoming more convenient, I also felt that my freedom was shrinking.
Shimizu: Those who wanted to make music videos went to video, those who wanted to make jackets went to design, and those who wanted to make T-shirts went to fashion.
Mizutani: At the time, you meant to focus on music, right?
Shimizu: Yes, that's right. I think it is great that MTV was able to convey the message "Music is here! I think MTV is amazing for conveying the message that "music is here!
Takahashi: Maybe it's because you did it commercially in a big market like the U.S.?
Kitamura: Video games and karaoke were like that at first. There are still antagonists. But in the end, karaoke has taken root in Japanese culture, and foreigners want to go to karaoke, too.
I was hearing it in sound, and then the moment when I said, "This is real!" I was listening to the sound, and then I thought, "This is real! (Shimizu)
Mizutani: Well, I think it's time to start summarizing (laughs). What does music video mean to you as a visual director, Shimizu?
Shimizu:Is it something that visually shows the possibilities of music? I think music can be the goal of various cultures, and it is something that makes it even more apparent to the eye. I think that being close to music means being close to all the arts.
All: Oh!
Mizutani: You summed it up (laughs). How about you, Jonio?
Takahashi: It's a very innovative thing, music videos. Music is visualized. Since junior high school, I have been in a constant state of shock. And I was able to see various works on time.
Shimizu: After Shield's generation, it is the music itself.
Takahashi: "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy, for example. Hip-hop is especially being visualized at the same time as its birth. You can see the sound and the image together.
Takahashi：I liked the Clash by ear, but when I saw the punk guys performing in the music video for "Rock the Casbah," I thought, "I don't like it. But at the same time, I saw a music video of them playing "I Fought the Law" live....
Mizutani: He said it was cool.
Takahashi: It's so cool.
All: Laughter
Takahashi: It was a shock to me to see music in images, whether it be punk or anything else.
Kitamura: In that sense, I was "Ginza NOW! I watched it on TV when I was in junior high school, and they would show footage of Jimi Hendrix and stuff. When I saw that, I thought, "I could never play guitar. There was an interview with Kiss, and he came into the room and sat on the back of the sofa, smiling and laughing. Seeing that, I thought, "That's what Kiss is like.
Shimizu: It's that moment when what you were hearing in the sound becomes "This is real! I was listening to the sound, and then I was like, "This is real!
Mizutani: In that sense, I was influenced by fashion. I was influenced by fashion in that sense! I was influenced by fashion in that sense. The music video was my original experience of fashion. Even the way I wear T-shirts, I was shocked by the way they fit together, the size of the T-shirt, and the hairstyle and style itself.
Nobu-san is the one who connected music and fashion. (Takahashi)
Arai: I don't usually shoot music videos, but when I was allowed to work on this project, I realized that it is all about the human connection. This time, it was all about the relationship between Jack and Nobu. Everything is built on that sense of trust. Of course, we have to do our best in production, but I think the musicians can gain confidence from the human connection. It's people to people. I felt the same way when I saw Nobu-san and the members hugging each other after the phone booth scene.
Shimizu: I felt the same way. It is natural, but this relationship goes beyond time, money, and so on. I was happy to see Nobu-san enjoying himself at the site.
Kitamura: Isn't it good that it's spreading out there? If it had been just Jack and I, that video wouldn't have been made, because Jonio was there and then this team was formed. And I knew Arai-chan from way back.
Takahashi: I look forward to seeing Nobu-san and Arai-chan intertwine every year at Fuji Rock (laughs).
Kitamura: That's why I was happy this time. I was wondering if Maury would come. I was wondering if Maury would come, and he said, "I'm sorry, Nobu-san, I have another matter to attend to this time. He said, "There is a good guy called Shimizu-kun. And Arai-chan, too" (laughs). (Laughs.) I thought, "Finally, he's here.
All: Laughter
Takahashi: I want to pass on what I learned from Nobu-san, the generation before me, to Taro and his friends.
Mizutani: You've been saying that for a long time now. He says things like, "I'm learning from you, Nobu-san" (laughs).
Takahashi: Nobu-san is the person who connected music and fashion. There is no one else like him. Considering that, the flow of this music video was inevitable.
Shimizu: If I had heard what you just said earlier, I probably would have turned it down. It was too heavy... (laughs).
All: Laughter
Mizutani: But really, Jonio-san communicated this to me at every opportunity.
Shimizu: I also read an interview between Jonio and Nobu when I was in junior high school. I am from that generation. But all joking aside, I had a lot of fun at the site.
Mizutani: But if it weren't for their relationship, we wouldn't be connected with the Raconteurs.
Kitamura: It's kind of like the end of the Edo period (laughs).
Takahashi: Even people in their 20s understand. This is the cycle of the times. They definitely find analog interesting. That's why the 20-somethings are stimulating.
Mizutani: However, I am very happy that we were able to produce something good this time. I hope that we will continue to receive such global offers in the future, and I would like to fulfill my responsibility for the kind of connections that I was just talking about.
Kitamura: As it turned out, we first met when Jonio was in high school. I was surprised.
All: Yeah, yeah!
Kitamura: Our first store was in Ashikaga.
Takahashi: Yes, yes. It was built in Ashikaga, which is next to Kiryu City.
Mizutani: What? The first Hysteric Glamour store? Why Ashikaga?
Kitamura: The company I was working part-time for told me that they were starting a new brand and they wanted me to be in charge of it. So I started when I was 21 years old. I submitted a concept of what I wanted to do with the brand, and the president of the company I worked for liked it a lot even though I hadn't even made a sample yet. He said, "We got a street property in Ashikaga, and we want to do it there. So we had already decided to do it even before we had made the samples.
Mizutani: What is the origin of the name "Hysteric Glamour" to begin with?
Kitamura: I thought it would be good to mix the hysterical feel of the party stage and the glamorous feel of Deborah Harry together, so I came up with "Hysteric Glamour. When I was deciding on a name for the brand, I looked it up in the dictionary, but I couldn't come up with a good one. I wanted something untranslatable. I was thinking of something like "abnormal" or "roller coaster," but I just couldn't come up with anything.
Mizutani: I have a groupie feeling. So you met with Jonio a while after that.
Takahashi: When I was in high school, "Hysteric Glamour" was established and there was a mixture of music and culture. So I took the train every week to go there. Then I heard about a party in Takasaki, and Nobuhiko Kitamura was going to DJ. So I went with the Red Beard Gang and went on a rampage next to Nobu-san DJing.
All: Oh!
Kitamura: Jonio showed me a picture of that time (above), and he is wearing the Spiderman T-shirt I made back then.
Takahashi: I liked that a lot.
Takahashi: Here is a picture of Nobu-san who was DJing at that time.
Mizutani: Well, they are connected. I am deeply moved when I think that it was because of this that the music video by the Racanters was created.
Photo_Shunya Arai
Text_Yuichiro Tsuji
Edit_Masaki Hirano
UNDERCOVER PRODUCTION
www.undercoverproduction.com
The Raconteurs
www.theraconteurs.com/
The Lakanters complete their first new album in 11 years. Their third album, "Help As Stranger," was released.
Artist：THE RACONTEURS
Title: HELP US STRANGER
Item number: OTCD-6764
List price: ¥2,400+tax
Released by: Big Nothing / Ultra Vibe
Included Song Listings
1. Bored and Razed
2. Help Me Stranger
3.Only Child
Donʼt Bother Me
Shine The Light On Me
6. Somedays (I Donʼt Feel Like Trying)
Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)
8. Sunday Driver
Now That Youʼre Gone
10. Live A Lie
11. whatʼs Yours Is Mine
Thoughts and Prayers
