Tetsugaku 06 : Memory

- tetsu-san, you give the impression of having a good memory. Like a walking chronology. [In the past, my memory was awesome, wasn't it? I memorized the exact year, month, day, and place of every single live we did since the debut. But lately, my memory sucks. Probably because I have too many things to remember. It's gotten to the point where I don't remember playing my own bass yesterday. Then, at practice, I'll be all "What's this?!"] - Eh?! You forget things so cleanly. Then, I guess you must subconsciously remember how to play? [It's not subconscious at all. I have to think hard and practice playing. My memory... it might really be fading.] - Conversely, you could wonder how you were able to remember so much in the past. [It could be a question of capacity, maybe. It's completely stuffed now, I bet. I'm going to have to delete a few things. But it's pretty bad, I keep forgetting my office postbox PIN number. So there are days when I can't get into it at all. "Can't help it..." (laughs). Well, I usually remember it by the next day. I've totally given up on those other days.] - I guess this goes back to that "Tomorrow is another day" thing from the "Favourite Sayings" talk. [You know, I never know what's on my schedule until the day before, so I guess it fits. There are times when I go to bed wondering "What time do I need to get up tomorrow?" and I'll answer "But I can't ask anyone this late."] - So what do you do!? And what if you needed to get up early....... [Yeah, I get in trouble. That happens a lot.] - It feels like days go by so fast, one after the next. A year, or a month, or a week. [They do fly by, so fast. Sometimes I think "This is bad!" to myself, and "I haven't done anything yet, this year!" Well, I actually do get things done. I somehow get sound out every year. But, I often think "I don't have any more in me." I can't tell my work, fun, and hobbies apart anymore. I get to make a living having fun and playing.] - I'm a little jealous (laughs). [Isn't it nice? (laughs) After all, beyond becoming a pro, there are lots of things that just gotta be done. But I really do it all for my own sake. Above all, I won't have anything to do with halfway measures. Not for releases and not for lives. So, it all might get to be a bit of a pain, but I never really mind.] -That's a very good lifestyle. [A good life. Back in elementary school, I didn't have a dream for when people asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" so I vaguely answered "I don't want to be a salaryman." Back then, I didn't play music or anything, but that dream did come true since what I'm doing now is nothing like a salaryman's life.] - Going back to the topic, do you ever think "I gotta improve my memory" or "I need to do something, this is getting bad" or anything....... [No, not really. Sometimes, it's convenient to forget things (laughs). That way I can be impressed. I can listen to my own bass the next day and go "The hell?! This is awesome!"] - I guess that could be seen as a good thing. [Yeah, but I, well, can't remember words. In lives. I kinda... can't remember(laughs).] -Interviewer : Honma Yuuko Translated by Natalie Arnold.