Psydoll

Interviewer, writer: 1-5
Band Members: NekoiPSYDOLL (Vocals/Keyboard), Ucchi PSYDOLL (Guitar/Arrangement), Uenoyama PSYDOLL (Digital Percussion)
Questions Answered by: NekoiPSYDOLL, Ucchi PSYDOLL, Uenoyama PSYDOLL



Firstly, thank you for doing this interview. Could you introduce yourselves please?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Pleased to meet you. PSYDOLL is a 3-member band. I’m NekoiPSYDOLL and I’m in charge of keyboards and vocals.

Ucchi PSYDOLL is in charge of guitar, arrangement and mixing. The sound of the bass guitar is always warped because of him.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL is digital percussion. He’s the most riotus in the band.

What’s the origin of the name "Psydoll"?

NekoiPSYDOLL: When I first started PSYDOLL with Ucchi, he said that he wanted to use the word cyber. I also agreed to it. Ucchi said "let’s make it ’cydoll’". The meaning of that is cyber doll = robot. I said "let’s make "cy" into "psy" because we’re psycho!". So then we became PSYDOLL.

When did you start making music together?

NekoiPSYDOLL: We began in 1997, we started playing lives in 1998, Uenoyama joined in 1999 and the first year we performed in foreign countries in was 2001.

Has Psydoll’s music changed since then? If so, how has it changed?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Maybe if you have a chance to listen to early PSYDOLL you’ll say "is this an ordinary rock band?". Early PSYDOLL compositions were very simple vocal, guitar, drums, bass, keyboard [parts]. All the parts except for the vocals and guitar were down to Mr. Computer.

That [sound] changed gradually from our second mini-album that was produced/put on the market in Japan.

Mysterious sounds, unusual sounds, a sound like being irritated and PSYDOLL-like sounds came to be in the tunes. Maybe Computer started asserting himself "you must let me do more because I can make a superior sound to humans". So we decided to accept his insistance and to leave a very important part of PSYDOLL to him. As a result, we were able to do the 3rd mini-album. In this way, I think that the present sound of PSYDOLL was made.

What sets your band apart from other cyberpunk/industrial goth bands?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Though it might not be a good thing, we’re inexperienced and don’t know much about other cyberpunks or industrial goths. We’re like children that are shut up in a laboratory and play games and make strange sounds. Everyone says "PSYDOLL have changed" when we occasionally do a performance on the outside. We don’t really know what’s different about us.

However, you could say that although most people always seek out new things, we’re not really interested in new things. As for that, I like 80s science fiction films and old rock. For a long time, this has kept making a comeback.

I think that the reason we keep sticking to the melody is that we like classical music from Eastern Europe.

Which bands/artists have you been influenced by?

NekoiPSYDOLL: I love John Lydon, but if I say his name to people from the UK, they laugh. It’s sad... But I still love Public Image Limited’s "Metal Box, Compact Disc". I love Toyah Ann Wilcox’s "Sheep Farming in Barnet". The lyrics are really good. I think that Toyah, Siouxsie and Kate Bush influence PSYDOLL’s lyrics a lot. Because it’s in Japanese, the meaning isn’t conveyed to everyone in English-speaking countries and it is very regrettable. I want to make an effort to expand the English lyrics more.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: My heros are, as musicians and as guitarists, Frank Zappa and Robert Fripp.

As for Japanese musicians, the bassist Yohkai Takahashi. His bass playing in his glory days (the 80’s) has a strong influence on the PSYDOLL sounds that I arrange.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: For the sound, This Heat, Einstuerzende Neubauten and Jim Foetus.

For the way of life, Lou Reed and Nick Cave.

For the spirit (=soul), Joy Division

Are there any artists you’d like to collaborate with?

NekoiPSYDOLL: There’s really a lot but, I’d like to play lives with Little match girl, Lesbian Bed Death, 616abortions, Zombina �•�@the skeletones,and NekroDrako, sometime.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: Personally, I think that if I was able to collaborate with Jim Foetus and Gary Newman it would be really exciting.

What are you inspirations when writing music and lyrics?

NekoiPSYDOLL: First we make create the music and then suitable lyrics are added to it.The tune is a single melody, to which a suitable melody of the respective parts are added. We can end up doing 3-4 parts and it’s difficult to choose which one [to use] but, in that case we keep the one that gives a suitable impression of PSYDOLL and [the others] are abandoned. After that, the lyrics are added. Although 2 or 3 sets [of lyrics] might be written for one song, in that case the one that’s best is kept and [the others] are discarded. The discarded lyrics and melodies might be re-used when we create a new song. The inspiration for the lyrics comes from images. Often they’re written based upon [images] that are like scenes from a science fiction movie or the scenery and story from a game screen.

Why did you choose to release "I Psydoll" overseas?

NekoiPSYDOLL: After we played at an anime convention in Canada and a festival in Britain, we were immediately convinced. In order for more people to hear our and own our music, [we thought] maybe we should look for an overseas (UK or US) label. Although we thought our sound was very Japanese, whilst performing in Japan there was a shout of "Yes!" but after the performance ended there was no screams from the person who was impressed. Anyway, the reaction from foreign people was the coolest. And the bands we played with were also wonderful bands who had had this great response.

After the festival in April ended and I returned home, I began my year long search for a label. It was hard work because I was hardly able to read English. At a certain time I thought I should approach a label from NYC and sent a message like this: "Hello, Mr,CEO, do you accept Japanese band?". I replaced the name with CEO. For spoilt me, every day without a reaction, even when I sent a press kit, was painful. I continued this work because I was encouraged by a very kind [person from] the US, DJ Solomon Grundy (http://www.myspace.com/djsolomon_grundy).

The people from nice labels sent me the message "please keep trying because although it’s not a sound that suitable for our company, PSYDOLL sounded really unique."

After about half a year passed, my first English friend, Kerry (he’s in a very unique Leeds-based goth band, Zeitgeist Zero: http://www.zeitgeistzero.co.uk) sent me a mail saying "Hi, are you still looking for a label?" and he introduced PSYDOLL to the UK’s Planet Ghost Music.

Does the album have any specific themes or messages?

NekoiPSYDOLL: I think the PSYDOLL theme and message is in all the songs, but there isn’t a specific theme or message to the album. The PSYDOLL theme is, all the songs are the worlds of people who keep running along a road that’s different from [other] people in general. People in general have similar clothes bought from a supermarket, are happy when they buy a watch they’ve seen in a commercial, they live happily watching sports programs, and when there’s a sheep with even a little different colour wool, their friends point out their differences and stare.

We are the sheep with different colour wool. Goth people, freaks, and us = psycho dolls. We are all brothers and sisters who gather together from another place. the message is to say that we have to try hard anyway. If you’re born strange, keep being strange. It’s saying that you’ll find someone if you keep searching.

What’s your favourite Psydoll song?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Although I like them all, "Rose,Rose,Rose" was the song that we first had a chance to have the PSYDOLL theme in. It’s a song in which someone goes to another world, in which they feel dizzy with excitement, in a rocket in order to escape from the boring normal world. My beloved Shakespeare’s "The Tempest" is included in it.

I think that "#7" is very suited to the PSYDOLL theme. It’s a story about attacking with the strongest weapon, sound. A message with extraordinary destructive power and creativity is included in the sound. A bagpipe samples are used. I think I chose the sound of bagpipes to be the image of the final weapon beecause I thought bagpipes were a type of weapon when I saw them as a child.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: [#7] the battle song. It should be called the theme of PSYDOLL, sung. The dramatic development is good. I feel very uplifted when we perform it.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: I like all the songs, and it depends on my physical condition and the weather on the day, but at the moment "Psydoll Theme 3" is my favourite. I think that the melody, rhythm and noise show the origin of Psydoll.

No matter how many times we play "A Ka I Tsu Ki" I don’t get tired of it because the sound of the theremin changes depending on humidity, temperature and the condition of my hands.

Do you prefer recording in a studio or playing live shows?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Mmm...difficult question. It’s like asking if I like the moisture of the earth or the air [more]. I like both. And in the case of not having them, I end up dying. It’s that kind of feeling.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: I like both.

At lives there’s always a comfortable tension and actually playing the instruments makes me happier than anything else.

With recording, the process of specially creating a sound and mixing down makes me happier than anything else.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: Of course lives, especially lives in foreign countries, are the best!

However, because Psydoll also have a lot of cool new songs, it’s likely that we’ll have to record them slowly.

How would you describe a Psydoll live?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Lives are something like a 25-40 minute festival. There is prayer, and the ceremony is like a lively fight. PSYDOLL lives are a religious festival dedicated to "unusual people" all over the world. The people of usual religions stare and make comments a lot. Because they have a limited god. There is surely a god of music too, because we Japanese have a million gods. The god of music that I believe in is an electric, capricious, destructive, wonderful god. We want to go and perform everywhere as long as the god requests our performance.

Are UK audience different to Japanese audiences?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Yes, they’re different. They’re very good at English! Also, even if they don’t bleach their hair, it’s a bright colour and this is a beautiful colour, but they dye their hair dark colours on purpose.

Japanese audience are good at Japanese but they don’t understand English! Also, they bleach their dark hair to make it fair hair but it’s a problem because it doesn’t become a beautiful colour.

Sometimes doors of venues are opened grandly, and connected with Japanese venues, if everyone comes in and has fun together, I think that they’re probably happy.

I think so, and I sometimes secretly tried to open various doors in venues, but it was a warehouse and there was only canned food or cleaning tools and yet they’re not closed everywhere in Japan. But I think there’s about one place that has a closed venue.

Are there any other countries you’d like to play live in?

NekoiPSYDOLL: We want to. We want to try to go to Europe and the US and to Canada again. I think there’s gothic people in the Philippines too. It seems interesting.

The PVs for "A Ka I Tsu Ki" (Red Moon), "Machinery Lemmings" and "Spell" are very interesting. Would you like to make another PV in the future?

NekoiPSYDOLL: From photos we had taken in a photo session and a video taken by a friend at the lives last year a video artist called Fukushima (http://www.eni-shi.com/) put the PVs together. We liked his work a lot because he had wonderful ideas. Though Japanese PVs imitate cheap materials and ideas a lot, he has particularly good taste.

If there’s a chance, I want to make a more realistic one.

Are you currently working on any new songs?

NekoiPSYDOLL: There are 5-6 new songs after "I PSYDOLL". They’re being divided into ones we love and ones we’re still not satisfied with. There are 5 that we made for a computer game too, but I don’t think those will be on the next album. Because they have an atmosphere that’s not really PSYDOLL-like.

There’s a new song, "My birthday", that has lyrics that are half in English, but I really like it. Our target at the moment is to make a song that we like more than that one, but we haven’t made one yet.

Your clothing is really cool. Who designs it?

NekoiPSYDOLL: Because my fetish is PVC, all my clothes are made of PVC. Although goths like materials like velvet and hide, I like the cheaper and glossy PVC. Because my skin originally consisted of vinyl too, I think that it suits me! The the clothes designs of the UK are very easy to move in and I like them a lot, my friend also makes cyber kimono style [clothes for me].

Also, because she = Suma-Q (http://www.myspace.com/1000333852) is also a DJ and her musical knowledge is detailed, she’s a cool person who I can talk about anything with.

Because ucchi is a combat psydoll, he has a bulletproof metal grille stuck to his face, but for this it seems to be important that he drinks water when performing.

Uenoyama is also a combat one, but his core was espionage (spy) and he always wears a lot of black clothes. I don’t know why he paints his face white. Maybe because he likes David Bowie, he’s influenced? But if it’s dark I think that the white face would stand out though...

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: Really? Does it stand out? I didn’t think about that! But the white make-up isn’t influenced by Bowie, it’s influenced by the Seven-Five-Three Festival held for the children of 7, 5 and 3 years of age in Japan. In the place where I was born, all the children are painted white and participate in the ceremony. I painted my face white for the first time when I was 5 and after that I had the white paint and the darkness.

NekoiPSYDOLL: Huh!!!? Really? You carried out the Japanese tradition? I didn’t know that at all.

What do you do in your free time?

NekoiPSYDOLL: I don’t have free time at all. Someone give me free time as a present please.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: At home I read manga, watch anime DVDs and play video games.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: I pet my aged cat lol Occasionally, I also pet my wife.

Are there any bands, books or films you’d recommend?

NekoiPSYDOLL: For bands/the band, PSYDOLL. I want people who haven’t seen [us on] stage to try and see [us].

Books / I really like Alice in Wonderland. I especially love the part where they drink tea and are silly.

Before starting PSYDOLL, I wrote a story that was a rock version of Alice in Wonderland. It’s a story in which strange creatures in a band are met whilst going to a gig to experience the best live. I want English-speaking people to read it, though in reality, the translation is very difficult.

Movies / I watch various movies but I like "Prosero’s Book", "Aliens", "Blade Runner", "The Matrix", "Twin Peaks" and all of Terry Gilliam’s work.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: Movies / Everything Mamoru Oshii has directed. Especially "Ghost in the Shell", "Avalon" and "Innocence".

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: Band: "DER EISENROT", Psydoll and also, in another meaning, cool J-industrial bands.

Book: "What the Maid Saw - Eight Psychic Tales (Nanase)" by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It’s a Japanese Psycho novel masterpiece.

Movie: "Vengeance Is Mine" Criterion Collection. It’s a crime movie that represents Japan.

What are your dreams and plans?

NekoiPSYDOLL: PSYDOLL don’t have any clear plans. We make it unclear on purpose because this world is very capricious. If you have a clear target in this capricious world, it might be completely turned around and thrown into a completely unpredicted project.

Our dream is, that the people who think PSYDOLL are unusual and interesting because we are a Japanese band, will think "PSYDOLL really are interesting! Amazing!" when they see us.

Japanese bands change their styles, the make-up is cool, they stand out because they do this but PSYDOLL isn’t just that.

Because all the members are robots anyway.

Could you give a message to your fans?

NekoiPSYDOLL: PSYDOLL is a band that would have disappeared in 3 years if it wasn’t for you. It’s the fans that have supported strange bands until now. We want to thank you, but it’s hard to express just how much we want to thank you. Anyway, I’m we’re trying hard to to give you an even more wonderful stage to see.

Ucchi PSYDOLL: That’s right, Ucchi PSYDOLL bought a new guitar the other day. It’s a guitar with a very handsome voice. Therefore, the next performance will be done with it. I’m looking forward to it.

Uenoyama PSYDOLL: There is a saying in Japanese Buddhism "treasure every meeting, for it will not reocur (ichigo ichie)" and it’s always what I write when we do signings, but for example, people who see Psydoll think that it’s by chance that a lot of people come to the same place, but it’s the thought that meeting by chance also is not merely that in reality and even if you meet by chance, there is something of a connection and relationship. It was organised, like fate. I especially want to have such a connection and relationship with our fans.

Additional Information

Official Site
Check out Psydoll’s Official Site for more information on their history, lyrics, discography, and more!


Psydoll @ J-Music Ignited
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