[Cover Feature] KISAKI Special Interview

Challenging the Changing Times with “Rin,” and the Dissolution of the Label

──After your probation period ended, you formed the band “Rin,” but did your passion for bands reignite while waiting for the probation to end?

It wasn’t so much a rekindling of band enthusiasm, but rather a realization that no bands were really emerging after Phantasmagoria. Bands that should have been able to reach greater heights weren’t getting the expected response, and the scene was changing. The so-called “Kote-kei” ( with their hair dyed in flashy colors and styled to stand on end, adorned with bold or heavy makeup, and dressed in enameled or Gothic punk attire, their music and lyrics are aggressive and decadent) bands were becoming seen as old-fashioned, and the more “Osare-kei” ( a Visual-Kei with colorful, casual attire and makeup that enhances cuteness, often playing pop-oriented songs ) bands were becoming popular. I felt that I couldn’t guide bands unless I immersed myself back in the scene. That’s why I formed “Rin” with a part of me wanting to do it myself, and a part of me thinking “I can take UNDER CODE PRODUCTION further!” When I was on the producing side, I would get angry only seeking results, which wasn’t good for the bands.

──You wanted to experience and convey it yourself?

Yes. So, after becoming “Rin” there were quite tough days for me and UNDER CODE PRODUCTION. Naturally, when the label organized events, people came. But when we went solo, it was a struggle. At that time, “UNDER CODE PRODUCTION = Kansai label” was a common perception, and various bands wanted to join our live events, making them possible. Phantasmagoria was a band that considered the audience’s enthusiasm and energy in its performances.
While “Rin” also valued this, I was determined to pursue the sound I wanted. Even though I was told that our audience was smaller than Phantasmagoria’s, I didn’t feel regret. However, I did want more people to listen and appreciate our music, so in that sense, it felt like a battle.

──Was “Rin” the last band before THE LOCUS, and then did UNDER CODE PRODUCTION dissolve?

The first chapter of “Rin” ended in 2013, leading to the dissolution. The members changed, except for me, and we started the second chapter of “Rin” without an office, operating independently. I moved to Tokyo, feeling no need to stay in Osaka anymore. I struggled and experienced various things.
I participated in Kuroyume’s tribute album and played in a festival in Taiwan with an audience of 8,000 people. I think I achieved some results and made some popular at the time, but it was far from my ideal. The band wasn’t bad, but I disbanded it when I turned 40 in 2016, for the sake of my future life.

──Was turning 40 a turning point?

I guess so. People of my generation were either active in major bands or had quit and were living normal lives, so I thought it was time for me to consider my path. In a way, I think I ran away a bit, feeling my limits.
So, when I turned 40, I held the disbandment live at “Namba Hatch,” the live music club where “Rin” first performed.

──Going back a bit, you mentioned that UNDER CODE PRODUCTION was dissolved during the first chapter of “Rin.” What triggered this decision and change in mindset?

As the number of bands in UNDER CODE PRODUCTION increased, so did the frequency of members leaving or bands disbanding. This meant that bands were back to square one. Three years of building something, and then with two members leaving, it’s back to the start. Watching these bands, I began to feel a conflict “perhaps I was just rehashing the same approach”. Continuing like those things would not be good for me or the bands, so I decided to end UNDER CODE PRODUCTION. It was its 10th year, and I wanted to end on a high note rather than let it decline.
Although it wasn’t like Phantasmagoria, we did the “Japan Conquest” tour with label mates as the last activity. The final concert was at BIGCAT in Osaka, and UNDER CODE PRODUCTION was dissolved in 2013.

──It seems like a fitting end for the fans, doesn’t it?

Yes, it was. The last tour was exciting, and there was a good camaraderie among the bands within the same label.