Bugy Craxone
Interviewer, writer: PebblelitaTranslated by: Vanessa and Mayra Valle, Maria Castellanos, and Roxana Aracely Portillo
Questions Answered by: Suzuki Yukiko (Vocals/Guitar), Oikawa Tsukasa (Guitar), Asahi Tsukasa (Bass), and Monchi (Drums)
Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this interview with JMusic Ignited! Please introduce yourselves and your positions in the band for those who do not know BUGY CRAXONE yet.Suzuki: I’m the Vo.G, Yukiko Suzuki.
The other members are:
G. Oikawa
B. Asahi
Dr. Monchi
How did you come up with the name BUGY CRAXONE and what does it mean
Suzuki: "BUGY" in Japanese has the pronunciation of English [Buujii], but this means pessimistic = blue, optimistic = easy, and these pronunciations have been stuck on. Plus, the word CRAXON that comes from English has been added to the name.
At what age's did everyone gain an interest in music and what brought on those interests?
Suzuki: I liked to sing since I was a child. But the first time I thought of being in a band was when I was 12 years old, when I loved the bad called "Unicorn". Since then I tried to be part of a rock band in Japan, especially being a vocalist and guitarist.
Oikawa: I liked music since I was very young and when my relatives gathered, I climbed to a window and charged 10 yen for every song I sang. The awakening of rock in me, beginning of playing the guitar was thanks to my brother who is 3 years older than me. When I was 12 I started to listen to PUNK and to play the guitar. My brother, who liked SEX PISTOLS, listened to THE CLASH, and he always talked to me about them and he bought their albums. That was my encounter with ROCK.
Asahi: My interest started when I was 4 years old. At that age it started with Electoon and it went on until I was 15. But my interest in bass came after when I saw on TV a fat black man beeshisuto and I thought "how well elaborated!". Since then I tried my best to imitate the bass of four strings.
Monchi: When I was little I played in my friends’ house. We had many tape recorders and instruments and it was then when I started to like music.
Besides your own what other types of music does everyone listen to? And who are your favorite bands?
Suzuki: From western music I like the Pixies, Rolling Stones, Shellac, Frank Sinatra. From Japanese music I like Bloodthirsty Butchers and COWPERS.
Oikawa: From foreign music I like THE CLASH and from the Japanese music THE MODS. These are my favorite bands. Others are: THE ESPECIALS, THE POGUES, THE POLICE, STRAY CATS, PRETENDERS, CARTER U.S.M., Q AND NOT U, THE DEAD 60’s, etc. Wherever the bands smell like punk, I like them.
Asahi: I like Rabuchaa and Jamirokuwai. I also like Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Monchi: If something picks my interest I listen to it but I don’t like a band in especial. Although I like many songs.
I've read reviews by some of yours fans who compared BUGY CRAXONE's style and sound to bands such as New York City's rock/punk trio YEAH YEAH YEAHS and the English post-punk revival band Bloc Party, who would you say has influenced your sound?
Suzuki: Originally we have received a strong influence of PUNK. Of course THE CLASH has been the band that has influenced us the most and unconsciously we have got to like much from it. Each member of our band is influenced by different music and that’s how we build a peculiar style or way for our band.
Are any of your own songs your favorites and why?
Suzuki: It is hard to choose one. If I have to say one, well, then, it is the new song that we are composing.
When composing new music which is most important, the lyrics, the sound or both?
Suzuki: It’s both of them. If one of them wouldn’t be here, it wouldn’t be a music composition.
Do you all collectively get together to write new music? Or is that done by one or more particular members only?
Suzuki: In one week we go to the studio twice, each one of us takes the music that we have composed and there we all make a session. When something is missing we do it during the session.
When it comes to writing the lyrics themselves where do you look for inspirtation?
Suzuki: Inspiration not always has one only way of expression. Sometimes a little thought comes and if I think that it could be a good composition then it turns into that.
In 2003 you parted ways with your old label Victor Entertainment and created your own label ZubRockA Records. Does having your own label give you more creative control musically?
Suzuki: The environment doesn’t matter if you want to be a band. That’s why if there is a contract of a level of another extent, or even if there’s nothing, the style and the creativity won’t change, and I think they must not change. Besides, when we started with ZubRockA Records, the band became stronger and I think that brought a better situation for us as effect.
From watching your lives i see that you convey a great energy that your audience reacts to. How does performing live make everyone feel?
Suzuki: Due to that we are focusing only in that, we don’t think in other ways in particular. When we can make an exciting performance, we feel very good.
Have any unforgettable moments ever occur during a live?
Suzuki: Next, the other members’ episodes:
Oikawa: As BUGY CRAXONE, when I started in a place of Asahikawa during a live I got so excited that I dropped the guitar and it reached the seats of the audience and in the moment that it was handed to me again I stepped on it and the neck of the guitar got broken. At that time, I took it to my knees. Another occasion was just before a live in Nagasaki. After that a SE sounded and when the fire extinguisher was empty I got out to the stage all covered in dust. Since I performed the live desperately, I was anxious and I fell down from the stage, I turned around once and I went back to the stage but the neck of my guitar broke again so I took it to my knees again that time.
Asahi: Still, I participated as a support bass at the time of the first tour with BUGY. I cut my index finger at the time and it became known as the bloodshed tour...
The manager of the livehouse threw a towel from the stage sleeve, for the bloodshed for the remainder of the performance.
Monchi: The foot of the drumstand slipped to the border of the stage and the back began to tumble.
If BUGY CRAXONE could hold a live anywhere in the world where would that place be?
Suzuki: I wish it was in London or New York.
Oikawa: I want to do it in London
Asahi: It would be good in London
Monchi: London would be fine.
You are currently in your tenth year as a band, how does it feel to have been together for so long?
Suzuki: It has been 10 years since we started but we’ve had a change of members and the four of us just have 3 or 4 years. We always felt that we together tried to become in a good band.
Did you do anything special in celebration of your tenth anniversary?
Suzuki: We were excited with the new album and we couldn’t do anything special.
If BUGY CRAXONE never came to be what does every think they would be doing instead?
Suzuki: I would be doing nothing.
Oikawa: Family father
Asahi: I would own a casino or a bar
Monchi: Maybe I would live happily in Hokkaido with my wife and children
During your time off what is everyones hobbies?
Suzuki: I like to sleep very much. I also like to make cakes.
Oikawa: I like carpentry on Sundays but Tokyo houses are not very spacious and big things can’t be built, this causes me stress.
Asahi: I like to drink beer, to play and to drink beer while I’m playing.
Monchi: I like to see and walk around the buildings, those that appear to have a history. I also like to research about spirit events on the Internet.
Do you all ever get together to do anything that doesnt involve music?
Suzuki: Usually we are many friends and we go to eat, we go to lives together. We use to spend much time together in the studio and in meetings. If there is tsua sometimes we are together 24 hours and we’re almost a family.
What can fans expect from BUGY CRAXONE in the future?
Suzuki: I would like you to enjoy the album I am making now.
Again thank you and is there anything you would like to say to your fans when they read this?
Suzuki: The fact that our music gets to people from different countries is something amazing and that makes us very glad. We think we’ll not be able to do lives overseas soon but we hope you all enjoy our new album. That would make us very happy.
Additional Information
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