Bilingual Culture Magazine

Next coming artist by CRJA vol.2

Text/Photo:Chiaki Yanagitani
Translation:Karolina Höglindi


現役学生による音楽メディア”CRJA”がいま注目するアーティストをいち早く紹介。
今回は、2月21日に2年ぶりとなるフルアルバム『「The all」=「Poem」』をリリースし、レコ発ツアー中のGateballersをキャッチ!ライブハウスUTEROにて、濱野夏椰さん、本村拓磨さん、久富奈良さん、そしてサポートメンバーの内村イタルさん、4名にインタビューを行いました!『「The all」=「Poem」』に収録されている『Beautiful Girl』は、3/18のカレッジチャートでなんと第一位に。鋭いのに柔らかく、宙に浮いているような異色のメロディが、どこかあたたかくクセになる一曲です。

Music media CRJA curated by students pick up upcoming artists one step ahead than others and bringing them to you.
This time we introduce Gateballers, who released 「The all」=「Poem」, their first full-length album for the first time in two years this year on February 21, and who are currently on their first record-based tour! We interviewed the members Kaya Hamano, Takuma Motomura, Nara Kudomi, and supporting member Itaru Uchimura at the livehouse UTERO. Their song Beautiful Girl from their new album 「The all」=「Poem」 was chosen as number one on the March 18 College Chart. With a sharp, yet soft sound, the unique melody gives you the feeling of floating around in space, and with its warmth it is a song you will want to listen to over and over again.

 

 

 


 

  • JP
  • EN

・音楽を始めたきっかけは?

濱野夏椰(以下、濱野/Gt,Vo):初めてギターを弾いた時に、世界で一番良い音がなって、俺はギターを弾くんだ!って確信しました。12歳くらいの時ですね。元々、家に楽器がたくさんあったから、いつか自分もやるんだろうなぁとは思ってたんですけど、一番きっかけになったのはブランキージェットシティのファーストアルバム『Red Guitar And The Truth』です。

本村拓磨(以下、本村/Ba):僕は、昔から練習っていうものが好きで、小学生の時は少年野球チームに居たから毎日素振りを1000回やってたんです。でも、要領が悪いのかなぜか上達しなくて。他にもそういうことが何回かあったんですけど、ベースだけは違って。練習したらその分、身について返ってきて「好き!楽しい!」って思いました。

久富奈良(以下、久富/Dr):ドラムを叩いてみて、楽しかったからです。

内村イタル(以下、内村/Gt,Sm):吹奏楽部に入ったのが一番最初だけど、同時期になんとなくギターも始めてて。あ、僕も家に楽器があったからかな。

・楽器が身近にあったと。

濱野:楽器が弾けるって、違う外国語が喋れるみたいな感じですね。ちゃんと喋らなくてもいいって言うか、音楽だったらいきなり好きな子の名前を叫んでもいい!そういうところが好きです。

・学生時代の思い出エピソードを教えてください!

濱野:一番印象的だったのは、すっごい太ってたバンドマンの先輩が、サナダムシダイエットで急にガリガリに痩せてたこと!あれって、カラダはすごく怠いけど、ご飯を食べても食べても、どんどん痩せるみたいです(笑)

久富:僕は、太鼓の達人。

・皆さんは、どうやって楽器を練習していたんですか?

濱野:ステージに立った時の姿が全てだ!って知り合いに言われたから、鏡の前に立ってまず上裸になって、次に全裸になって、っていう自分メニューで、いかにかっこいい顔と格好でギターを弾けるかっていうことを必死にやっていました。

本村:今思うと、なんでかわからない変なシチュエーションを想像しながら練習してましたね。
ライブ中にいきなり左手が人差し指しかなくなったらどうしよう…とか(笑)同じ曲を何回も、一本指だけで弾く練習してたけど、今のところそんなシチュエーションには遭遇してません!


・音楽をする上で大切にしていることは?

濱野:全部
本村:瞬間
内村:全部の瞬間
久富:いま

・いま一番聴いてる1曲、お気に入りのアーティストを教えてください。

濱野:メトロノリさん!あと、唯一無二な自分のアルバムをたくさん聴いてます。
本村:BECKが、昔の名盤を丸々1枚カバーする「Record Club」っていうのをやってて、それがかっこよくて最近好きです。
久富:People in the BOXの『Kodomo Rengou』です。
内村:ガットギターを弾きながら歌う、折坂悠太くんの曲はめちゃくちゃ良くてよく聴いてます。

・最後に、リスナーにメッセージをお願いします!

濱野:「The all」=「Poem」を聴いて良いなって思ってくれた人は、あなた自身が映画です。
本村:俺のマネなんかするな。
久富:裏ワザとか使ってもいいから、楽をして生きよう。
内村:俺のマネしかするな。

■Profile

2013年5月に東京にて結成。
2014年11月に濱野夏椰が小山田壮平(AL ,ex.andymori)らと共にレーベル”Sparkling Records”を設立。
2015年7月に久富奈良が加入し、現メンバーとなる。
 
2016年3月にリリースした1stアルバム「Lemon songs」は、
タワーレコードのプッシュアイテム「タワレコメン」3月度選出作品となった。
そのアルバムをきっかけに、「FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL’16(ROOKIE A GO GOステージ)」や、「ボロフェスタ」など各フェスに出演。
秋には「踊ってばかりの国 秋のワンマンライブ」東京・鶯谷キネマ倶楽部、大阪・梅田シャングリラの2公演にてオープニングアクトを務める。この年より、「BUGDAD CAFE」と銘打った数度の自主企画を開催。
 
2017年2月、初のワンマンライブ「BUGDAD CAFE」を下北沢SHELTERにて開催。
5月には神戸にて開催された大規模チャリティーフェス「COMIN’ KOBE ’17」に出演。
7月には濱野夏椰がポカリスウェットとフジロックフェスティバルのコラボCMにてギターを演奏するなど、活動の幅を広げている。
同年、9月からメンバー各々が対バンを選定する連続自主企画「ウォー・アイ・ニー」の開催を発表。
内村イタルをサポートメンバーに招き、4人編成として活動。

■公式ホームページ:https://www.gateballers.com
■Twitter:@gateballers

■リリース情報

Gateballers 2nd Full Album
「The all」=「Poem」
 
2018.2.21 Release予定  TKMH-1009
CD (全13曲収録)
¥2,500(税抜)
 
1.イメージ
2.Beautiful girl
3.「The all」=「poem」
4.やくそく
5.タネとしかけ 
6.自由
7.縁
8.砂場の世界
9.我爱你
10.ねごと
11.エンディングテーマ
12.「Poem」=「the all」
13.予言


<CRJA~College Radio Japan Ashia/Art~>

現役学生による音楽メディア。2017年春に東京・福岡にて再始動。
学生が自らチャートを作り、いまリアルにかっこいいと思う音楽をランキング形式で発信している。
早くも音楽メディアやレーベルから注目を集め、不定期でライブイベントも開催する。

ラジオLOVE FM76.1 『TOP40』にて毎月第3日曜日 16:30~出演中!

■Twitter:https://twitter.com/_CRJA_
■Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/crja_fukuoka


 ・What made you start playing music?

Kaya Hamano (from here on Hamano/Gt,Vo): When I first played the guitar, it made the best sound in the world, and I just thought ‘Wow I can play the guitar”! That was around when I was 12 years old. I had always had instruments around the house, so I had been thinking that at some point I’ll probably start playing something, but what really became the biggest reason for starting to play was BLANKEY JET CITY’s first album Red Guitar And The Truth.
 
Takuma Motomura (From here on Motomura/Ba): For me I have liked to practice since a was young. For example, when I was in a baseball team during elementary school I would practice swinging the bat a thousand times every day. But I didn’t have an eye for it so I didn’t really get any good at baseball. It was the same for many other things, but when it came to playing the bass it was different. As I spent time practicing, that effort would come back to me by gradually getting better at it, so I thought it was fun and I liked it!
 
Nara Kudomi (From here on Hisatomi/Dr): I just tried to play the drums and I really enjoyed it.
 
Itaru Uchimura (From here on Uchimura/Gt,Sm):In the beginning I was part of a wind ensemble and during that time I kinda started to play the guitar as well. Oh, and I guess because I’d have a lot of instruments around the house as well.

・What does it mean to have an instrument close to you?

Hamano: To be able to play an instrument is like being able to speak a foreign language. You don’t really have to speak it perfectly, and also if it is music you can just suddenly yell the name of the person you like! That’s something I like about it. 
 

・Tell us a nostalgic story from your days as students!
 
Hamano: What I remember the most is one of my seniors who also was playing in a band. He was really on the heavy side, but then he suddenly got really skinny through the tapeworm diet! That is something that really takes a toll on your body, but it doesn’t matter how much food you eat, you will still loose weight! Haha
 
Kudomi: I used to be an expert on playing the Taiko.

・How did all of you practice to get where you are now?
 
Hamano:I was told by someone I know that your appearance on stage is all that matters, so I would stand in front of the mirror and first I’d stand there topless and then completely naked, to just serve myself. I really wanted to put all my effort into be able to look as cool as possible with my face and pose while playing the guitar.

Motomura: When I think about it now, I’d imagine some kind of strange situation would occur while I were practicing.  Like, what if suddenly during a live I’d have nothing left but my index finger on my left hand… and so on haha. So I’d practice playing the same song over and over, but only using one finger, but so far I have never encountered such a situation!


・What do you put most importance on while working with music?
 
Hamano:Everything
Motomura:The moment
Uchimura:All of the moments 
Kudomi:The now
 
 
・Please tell us one song from an artist you are into right now!
  
Hamano:Meteronori! And many of my albums that are unlike anything else in the world. 
Motomura:BECK has an album which covers all the old masterpiece’s called Record Club, which Is really cool and I’ve been liking a lot recently.
Hisatomi:People in the BOX’s Kodomo Rengou.
Uchimura:Yuta Orisaka is singing while playing on a classic guitar, and his music is really good, and I listen to it a lot.

・Finally, give a message to the listeners!

Hamano:To all the people who listened to 「The all」=「Poem」 and liked it, you yourself are a movie. 
Motomura:BECK has an album which covers all the old masterpiece’s called Record Club, which Is really cool and I’ve been liking a lot recently.
Kudomi:People in the BOX’s Kodomo Rengou.
Uchimura:Yuta Orisaka is singing while playing on a classic guitar, and his music is really good, and I listen to it a lot.

■Profile
Formed in Tokyo in May 2013.
Established the record label Sparkling Records in November 2014, by Kaya Hamano together with Kohei Oyamada(AL, es.andymori).
Nara Hisatomi joined in July 2015, creating the current members.
  
Releasing their first album Lemon Songs in March 2016, which was chosen as Tower Records pushed item, ‘Tower recommend’, for March. Through the album they were able to perform at various music festivals such as FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL’16 (on the stage ROOKIE A GO GO), and Borofesta. In the autumn they where the opening act for the one-man live of ‘Odotte bakari no kuni’ at Tokyo Kinema Club and Osaka Umeda Shangrila. From this year they also started to hold their own organized project called Bugdad Cafe.

In February 2017, they had their own first one-man live called Bugdad Cafe at SHELTER in Shimokitazawa. 
In May they participated in the large-scale charity festival COMIN’ KOBE ’17.
In July Kaya Hamano took part in the collaboration commercial between Pocari Sweat and FUJI ROCK playing the guitar, and thereby increasing the various activities of the band. In September the same year they announced that they will hold a series of events where each band member will choose a band to compete against each other called ‘Wo ai ni’. Itaru Uchimura was invited as a supporting bandmember, and they started their activities with 4 members.

February 21st of 2018 they released their second album「The all」=「Poem」 through Tsukumogami.

■公式ホームページ:https://www.gateballers.com
■Twitter:@gateballers

■release information

Gateballers 2nd Full Album 
「The all」=「Poem」 
  
2018.2.21 Schedule Release  TKMH-1009 
CD (All 13 recorded songs) 
¥2,500(without tax) 
  
1.イメージ 
2.Beautiful girl 
3.「The all」=「poem」 
4.やくそく 
5.タネとしかけ  
6.自由 
7.縁 
8.砂場の世界 
9.我爱你 
10.ねごと 
11.エンディングテーマ 
12.「Poem」=「the all」 
13.予言 

■Twitter:https://twitter.com/betcover_tokyo
■instagram:https://www.instagram.com/betcover_18


<CRJA~College Radio Japan Ashia/Art~>
CRJA is a music media run by students, restarted in the spring, 2017, in Tokyo and Fukuoka. The college students themselves make a music chart and present the music they really think cool. Getting attention from the other music media and labels, they hold a live event irregularly.

Broadcasted on LOVE FM76.1 “TOP40” every third Sunday, from 4:30pm.
Getting attention from other music media and labels,

■Twitter:https://twitter.com/_CRJA_
■Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/user/crja_fukuoka