“Dialogue between youngsters” Interview Series №1
MONJOE (DATS/yahyel) Making music to connect with the world
This may sound out of the blue, but I am going to start an article series on youth who are creators. Why youth? The reason may simply be because MILLENIALS TIMES is a media all about the younger generation, but it is also because I find a sense of disconnect toward the word, “Youth.”
When people say “Youth,” who are they referring to? Is it a generation? A mere age group? Sometimes I wonder if the word is used by the older generations to separate themselves from the younger folks so that they can justify their own values.
“It’s great to be young!” …Really?
Young people… Youth… Youngsters… These words are sometimes used by individuals to a draw a line from society, but sometimes a word used by society to draw a line with individuals. “After all, you’re still young…” Don’t take these words as compliment as there is a lot of unspoken context behind this statement.
As a young member of a society, I want to push back and instead drive society which is trying to draw a line between us and them. This is what this series is all about — the youth, driving society through their creativity.
Just on a side note, I am in my second year in the working force (24 years of age) and many come saying to me, “It must be great being young.” However, I disagree as I spend most days thinking, “It’s so restricting being a younger member of an organization…” I spend my days sometimes angry with society and sometimes laughing with it.
Anyhow, my colleague Wakita and I visited Wataru Sugimoto, otherwise known as MONJOE, a member of DATS and yahyel, the two bands heralded as the new front of the Japanese music scene.
MONJOE — The key to the sounds of DATS and yahyel
DATS and yahyel — These are the two up-and-rising bands popular amongst music fanatics and a keep-an-eye-on for all others. MONJOE, Wataru Sugimoto is the key person to the style and sound of the two bands.
For DATS, MONJOE is the vocal — the front man and literally the face of the band. They made it through the audition to SUMMER SONIC Festival and signed a contract with a major label straight after. Since their debut, they had made an appearance at SUMMER SONIC 2 years in a row and their amazing journey still continues. In 2017, DATS changed labels and transformed their music direction which accelerated their evolution. Their new song “Mobile” launched in March stormed the music scene with its electro sound and their new album, “Application” was released shortly after while the momentum continued. They made their first FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL that very year.
At the same time, MONJOE is the composer and synthesizer in yahyel. yahyel have also attracted attention from the music scene since 2016 performing the opening act for METAFIVE, and have made an appearance at the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL for 2 years in a row. Recently they were awarded the 2017 WIRED Audi INNOVATION AWARD. There is no other word than amazing to express their progress thus far.
We interviewed MONJOE and there we found an average but special individual who is willing to take on the world. This is a must-read for all those who are lost in self-searching.
Ko: I heard that you attended McCann’s Planning School once. Were you interested in business at the time?
※McCann Planning School is a series of lectures conducted by McCann Worldgroup every summer.
MONJOE: Well, I was studying at Keio University back then, so many people around me never questioned becoming a white-collar worker. I was lingering in that thought at the time as well.
Ko: What about now?
MONJOE: I’m completely over it.
Ko: What triggered the change?
MONJOE: When I started job searching, I found it impossible to commute by train and walk through a packed city every day. However, I also found through the process that some companies were actually formed by people who like each other, doing the things they like, in the way they like. Although it was only a small number of organizations, I thought that was awesome.
When you’re in music, you have to work with people of different backgrounds and professions. You become friends in the development process, and you sometimes find people who you know you want to work together with again. I enjoy that. But I guess the greatest and simplest reason is, I love music and I wanted to continue it.
Music replaced words.
Ko: What is it about music that attracts you so much?
MONJOE: I guess it’s because I struggle speaking in Japanese. I was born in L.A. and then grew up in Washington until year 2. I frequently travelled between Japan and the US in my early childhood, so I think my linguistic capabilities didn’t mature enough. My friends still make fun of me saying things like, “Hey, did you know that’s not proper Japanese?” or “You don’t know this word?” So I think music played a role in self-expression in replace of words for me. At least, that’s how I evaluate myself.
Ko: Why did you start music?
MONJOE: My parents made me learn piano, but I started proactively playing music in year 10. I saw Nirvana’s music video, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and it completely blew me off my feet. Including the introduction, the sounds produced were just mesmerizing. It was the hottest thing I’d heard and I wanted to be like them. That as the beginning.
Ko: And that’s when you formed your first band?
MONJOE: That’s right. I formed a cover band of Nirvana in high school. I didn’t compose anything at the time — I thought I’d do that once I learn how to play guitar. My first work was composed when I was in high school.
Ko: Was your first work a combination of guitar riffs?
MONJOE: Pretty much. I now use my computer and sometimes instruments.
Feeling a little embarrassment lets me know I am being a good front man.
Ko: So in DATS you’re the front man and in yahyel you’re the composer and synthesizer. You play different roles. Does that change the way you feel or act?
MONJOE: It’s totally different. The impression of the band changes completely with the performance of the front man. So you need a sense of responsibility, or rather, the understanding that you’re the guy who has to create the air.
Ko: That sounds rather… tough.
MONJOE: I’m actually quite shy and not very good at presenting myself. At first I found it quite tough, but I now find it interesting planning on how to project myself.
Ko: Is that because you learnt to separate you as an individual and you as a music artist?
MONJOE: I’ve just come of accept things. Who cares if I make a little fool of myself? I now understand that I should be feeling a bit of embarrassment to make a good front man.
The reason why I was able to get to that mindset is because we’re performing at bigger events now. For example, although it was the second time for yahyel, DATS performed at FUJI ROCK for the first time this year. We also participated in many other summer music festival events too. Through all those performances, I could feel that the audience’s response completely changed depending on the way I acted on stage. People at these summer festivals go there to have a blast, so their response is extremely honest — it’s easy to tell whether you’re doing a good job or not. It’s an interesting process and it all ended up being a good opportunity for me to dig deeper into myself.
Whether it be music, work of babies, creation is a desire that lies in all
Ko: Where do you think your music comes from?
MONJOE: For me, music is one way to communicate with society. I think that’s the source of motivation for my music creation. Also, I once heard that the desire to create something new is actually an innate function of the brain.
Ko: There’s a brain function for creation?
MONJOE: So I heard. Apparently that function is shared with the brain’s linguistic functions. So in other words, just like how we use language to communicate with the world, making music or creating things is a part of our instincts to connect with society. When I heard that the first time, it made music-making sound like a natural part of human life.
That’s why it doesn’t matter whether what we do — whether it be music or something else, we’re all just trying to connect with society by expressing ourselves. “Expressing ourselves” may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think self-expression is a natural function and a need which anyone has. Music is especially necessary for me, since it supplements my compromised language function (Laughs).
Ko: So I guess music just made sense to you.
MONJOE: It’s just something I heard before. Why do people have the urge to create something new… Well, what do you think?
Ko: You’re asking me? Hmm… When I am frustrated with work, I feel like something has dried out within me. So my mind takes me somewhere else to make up for it. I start drawing pictures or visit workshops. When I reflect back on why I do that, I guess it’s because I want to leave something behind — something to prove my existence. Am I being too dramatic?
MONJOE: That makes sense to me.
Ko: My life may only be a tiny moment considering the entire history of the human race, but I feel the need to leave a mark, a proof that I was here. I guess that’s one way we feel acknowledgement from the world. We all want to be accepted one way or another.
MONJOE: That’s true. Your existence feels more tangible if you have something to leave behind.
Ko: Wakita, what do you think? Sorry to put you on the spot.
Wakita: I don’t feel a pressing need to be acknowledged, but I have the urge for creation. When I am at work, I see that many things at work is fine without me. I know that society will roll on regardless of whether I am there or not. But if I make something, that’s going to be an existence that wouldn’t have been there if I didn’t exist. I have the desire to make something that only I could create. Not all can do this though.
MONJOE: We all try to create something. Even making babies is fundamentally a form of creation.
If I were thrown into an empty world and told to do anything, I think I will suffer. I totally loathe boredom and loneliness. I’m sure most people feel that way. So whether it’s music or work or babies, our desire for creation may be a grand way of killing time in life. For me, that was music.”
Music-making is like talking with your crush.
Ko: I have to say it’s special to have people appreciating your creation. Do you compose so that your music will be accepted by the masses?
MONJOE: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s suffocating to think all the time about how people will think of what you’ve made. That’s why I am in 2 bands.
Ko: DATS and yahyel are quite different in taste.
MONJOE: Yeah. If I am to categorize the 2 bands, I guess DATS is a channel for me to communicate with the masses and yahyel is the channel for my artistic expression.
Ko: yahyel’s music feels like a slap in the face to the industry, but it also feels like it’s trying to reach out into a borderless audience. But when you try to reach out to everyone and anyone, you’re not only battling against other musicians, but all other super creators in all areas. Isn’t that tough? You’re being compared to many more than just other bands.
MONJOE: That’s true. And it’s really tough. In Japan, we get comments like our music sounds global, soothing, stylish or gives them the chill, and so on, but overseas, there are many sounds that also do that. It’s tough to stand out from the clutter. Our first release made us rethink carefully about yahyel and its direction. We know that there are sounds that only we can make, and we felt strongly that we have to pursue that. We’re preparing for our second release now, but this one is definitely a sound unique to yahyel. However, people who loved our first release may be disappointed.
Music making is like a conversation, so there’s always going to be a response to what we’ve made, and we have to make a choice on how we respond from there. It’s like dating. You have a crush; the first date didn’t go too well but you want to make sure the second date works out so you think about how to present yourself. Not that different.
What matters is not “Likes” from the masses, but “a Like” from someone that matters.
MONJOE: In this day and age, there’s Instagram and YouTube where you can see almost any creator’s portfolio and information instantaneously. There are many means to connect now. However, sometimes you can get carried away by the number of Likes or followers on twitter or Instagram and lose your anchor.
Ko: What do you think about those “Like” worshippers?
MONJOE: It’s a trap we all have to be cautious of. Once you start battling against others with the number of likes or followers, it kind of becomes attrition warfare. That’s almost militarism to me.
Ko: I agree. Different matrices should be allowed and everyone should have their own yardstick, but I sometimes wonder why are we trying to value ourselves with just one measurable index. It’s frustrating.
MONJOE: It can drive people to hate or love people just because they have 10,000 more followers than themselves — but it’s so pointless. I have a lot of doubts about how the current world works.
DATS’ latest album, “Application” is all about the lives of the SNS generation, so it also talks about the obsession for “Likes” from the general public. However, when I was travelling around Japan to various music festivals, I saw with my eyes how much the event visitors were enjoying themselves, which was inspiring. I really saw the importance of micro-communication. What’s important in the end isn’t the number of “Likes” from a mass of people you’ve never met, but just an appreciation from someone that matters — that’s what we want to convey in our next album.
Ko: If you could get a “Like” from a specific person, who would that be?
MONJOE: “Er, I don’t know… (Thinking hard)… May be Ko Shibasaki*?”
*Famous Japanese actress and singer
Ko: Noted.
※And publicized.
Lastly.
Ko: This is my last question. Sorry it’s a cliché, but what would you do if you didn’t go into music?
MONJOE: “Err, I can’t imagine that… Yeah… Let me think… Nah, truthfully, NO MUSIC, NO LIFE. — You can put that in the article.”
Afterthoughts — Monologue of the writer
“The current world decides on something’s value with the number of ‘Likes’ from the masses, but isn’t an appreciation from someone that matters more satisfying?”
How true is that? However, taking that thought further, once that person appreciates what you do, then you don’t have a choice but to move onto the next battle of pursuing your life work.
I want to win that battle, so I ask myself about the things I can do now.
That’s the thought that swirls through my mind when I reflect back on my time with MONJOE.
Our battle against life, has just begun.
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▼DATS
- Official Site http://www.datstheband.com/
▼yahyel
- Official Site http://yahyelmusic.com/
▼MONJOE
- Twitter @MONJOE
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Translated by Chiaki Kobayashi
