Aleks Evdokimov presents the second interview for Doommantia with Yukito Okazaki from Japan’s masters of Stoner Doom, Eternal Elysium. Hope you enjoy this one as much as you liked the first. No introduction is needed with this band, just read on…..
Q: Salute Yukito! Eternal Elysium returned from the European tour a few weeks ago so I suppose that you still keep the most memorable moments of your journey so can you share some of your fresh impressions from the tour. Can you sum up all of this experience and impressions?
-Our first European tour was great, totally. I was so glad and surprised many people knew us everywhere, and they gave us warm reactions. Touring with legendary doom master Victor Griffin’s Place Of Skulls was amazing. Vibra Agency’s organization was pretty good, I mean, we could sleep in hotels every day, I didn’t think we could do that. And we got the opportunity to play at a couple festivals, I don’t think we could have booked those ourselves.
There were some unfortunate things. One of those was that the EU release of our new album wasn’t ready in time for this tour, so we couldn’t sell that at the gigs. But we tried to change our feeling, and the quality of our playing was getting better day by day. I was actually tired only a little bit at first on this tour. Some communication breakdowns made me nervous, maybe. Different system for some things, different customs, and different languages. And, I had to care about my body condition because of my disease. It was actually a kind of trial for me, but I have done. This is one important point for myself. I appreciate everybody that checked and supported us very much.
Q: I believe that it was first appearance of Eternal Elysium in Europe but you were in the USA 3 or 4 times, but I am not sure that it’s necessary to ask about differences between American and the European public… though as you wish. Well, what about gigs and venues? What about distinctions between clubs in Japan, USA and Europe?
-I felt Europe has the excellent culture of heavy music. Population of doom rock heads is totally higher than Japan and US, I guess. I was so surprised when I saw a bunch of people at Hammer of Doom festival. A lot of metal shops were selling stuff there, that’s so cool. I felt there is big heavy rock culture in Europe, obviously. US has also a great scene, but it seems different a little bit. Quality of PA system in EU is pretty much better than US, I mean, Japanese venue usually has great equipments, I think that’s same as EU, or much better. Money system of Japanese venues sucks. Many underground bands have to pay to play, and the price of ticket is pretty expensive. People usually pay about 20 euro to check underground bands like us. That’s not from music, that’s from a different society.
Q: Do you buy souvenirs in other countries during tours? How many did you get in Europe? And in which country is the grass greener? 🙂
-I recognized there is amazing green culture in Holland. That’s awesome.
Q: Which tour was harder for you – American or European? You meet a lot of bands during tours, so it’s probably difficult to remember all of them, so can you name bands you played with which was an honour for you? I know that you travelled Europe with Place of Skulls and Griffin is a really honored doom-metal veteran, how was it to travel with them? And I know that Pentagram is one of your favorite bands.
-Long driving is kind of patience, so it’s up to the situation. In my experiences, American tour is harder than Euro just a little bit. US is huge, you know. But both are pretty interesting for me. Hard and exciting, that’s tour.
I had such a good time on tour with Place Of Skulls, absolutely. I felt honored to be the support act for them every night. And I want to say every band that we shared the stage with are so great. Especially Acid King and Black Cobra, we have toured with them in US and Japan. We have special feeling for them. Playing with Unida was one amazing memory. That was on my first US tour.
Q: Okazaki, you’ve were hospitalized not long ago – are you ok now? Didn’t your health’s state reflect on the last tour?
-Yeah, I had to stay in hospital about 5 weeks in May and June. I have Crohn’s disease since about 13 years ago. I could keep playing until I had a big problem in my intestine at the end of April. I thought EU tour might be canceled, but I tried to get back on the stage as soon as possible, and I did. Crohn’s disease is difficult to cure perfectly, but my case is not super bad. We
restarted rehearsals just after I left the hospital. And I tried to control my condition for EU tour, so I didn’t have any problems with my body on tour. Thanks for your kindness.
Q: You have prepared the special edition of your last album “Within The Triad” for the European tour, but you didn’t do it in time with it’s release, right? What is the difference between this edition and the original one?
-The tune “Space Inn” was replaced by “Shadowed Flower”, and a new psychedelic tune “Setsuri” is added on EU edition. The LP version includes all of those songs plus some studio live takes and the artwork was tweaked. We didn’t have these in time for the tour, as I explained.
Q: What is the first song of “Within Triad” (“Agent of Doom”) about? I guess that it’s self-dedication because who can we call the “agents of doom” if not yourself who knows it thoroughly!
-Yeah, “Agent of Doom” is about me. I just wrote what I was thinking to myself at the time. I asked my mind, and just put it out, originally. Tana modified these lyrics, and this song name was entitled by her. And I like it.
Q: “Sunset Puff” is a weapon of mass destruction! I just wonder how you compose songs like that! It’s hard but yet melodic and relaxing track with divine tunes and riffs. And do you really prefer to do a puff or two before you go to sleep?
-Thanks a lot. We came up with this tune just before recording in US. We usually spend so much time for arrangement of every song, so we couldn’t do that much. I was thinking about it in the plane and the hotel we stayed at in Arcadia, near LA. I thought I added some ideas on the original version when we started recording this song. There weren’t lyrics at the time. “Sunset Puff” is about an exciting and funny thing that happened in LA one day before recording rhythm tracks for this tune. We got something kind of magical from the things we did that day, I guess.
Q: There’s also a good song “Space Inn” and after listening to it I have a thought: don’t you ever think to play music which is closer to psychedelic space rock? Something more refined and fragile than stoner doom rock?
-I think we have kind of a psychedelic taste, so we’re already doing that. That’s not only typical type of psychedelic rock that you feel, I don’t know. I know we can’t play like Earthless, The Heads, Hawkwind, Grateful Dead, and any other awesome psychedelic bands… Our jamming is still more simple, and we like fat bottom too. Riff rock, that’s one important point of the current line up.
Q: What do you prefer to write about in your lyrics? Do you have any message behind the texts?
-I’m singing about anything around me. My opinion about everything I notice, care about, feel. Some songs are kind of a documentary of myself. “Agent of Doom”, “Sunset Puff”, an old tune “Splendid, Selfish Woman”, those are songs of my experiences.
Q: Man, can you say which events were most significant for Eternal Elysium? Do you remember how the band’s popularity grew?
-That’s a difficult question. If I choose one from recent activities, that’s the solo show we did for our release party in my hometown last year. We played every song from “Within the Triad” and a bunch of old tunes, it lasted more than 2 hours.
Q: There were few line-up changes in Eternal Elysium, was there any common problem with other musicians? And can you name some of them who put the most important contribution in the band?
-I recognize a part of me is maybe a dictator, but I didn’t have any big problems with the guys. Some guy left because of difference of vision, one guy left due to private reasons. Ume, the bassist before Tana joined, he is still our best friend. He brought pretty hot grooves to all the tunes from the 3rd album, “Share”. He was originally the main man in his own band, and he was singer/guitarist, but he helped me make “Share” by playing bass. We toured with Ume in US on our first foreign tour. Tana, the current bassist, also she brought good fortune from the United States. She moved to my hometown to join Eternal Elysium. It’s amazing, don’t you think so? I thought our point of view about music and art is very close when I met her the first time, and that still keeps goin’ on. She always pushes my back, and that makes good results.
Q: Nowadays it’s pretty simple to promote a band if you have internet but you started 19 years ago, how did you promote your music? How did you become popular outside of Japan?
-Made demo tape, sent it and letter to zines and bands. Same method that other bands did overseas. Some great people noticed our existence little by little. Our first opportunity for foreign release was joining the compilation “At the Mountain of Madness”, organized by Rich Walker from Solstice/Miskatonic Foundation. He helped us to take first step. Sometime in 1998, a movie director got in touch with me to tell what he wanted. I decided to join the soundtrack for his movie, and MeteorCity gave us the opportunity to release the full-length. MeteorCity put out the soundtrack for his movie, too.
Q: Yukito, you’re the owner of the label Cornucopia Records and you released a compilation of Japanese doom rock called “DOOMSDAY RECITATION” in 1998, it had wide resonance in USA and Europe. Did you do other compilations after it?
-No, I didn’t. I don’t have much talent to work on my own label. I put out a Split CD w/Of The Spacistor via Cornucopia, but I couldn’t anything do for it. I found the mint disks of “Doomsday Recitaion” just recently, so I’m thinking about re-issuing this compilation with a new sleeve.
Q: Which bands besides Eternal Elysium, Church of Misery and long gone Green Machine drive the doom-scene in Japan? And which doom-trends are more famous there?
-Corrupted is pretty famous in the underground scene. Lots of people like to wear their T-shirts, and drown in their big wave. Boris is popular too, if you think they’re influenced by doom scene. There’s still no doom-trend in Japan. Doom/Stoner scene in my country is small.
Q: What is the current situation with Cornucopia Records? Do you have new releases for your label and what is a situation with distribution in EU and USA?
-Reissue of “Doomsday Recitation” that I said. And I’m just thinking about doing a “Doomsday Recitation vol.2”. Some new doom bands appeared from my hometown, so I want to introduce those guys. I don’t know if I can do it, but I hope.
Q; Don’t you get disturbed with world-wide globalization? Is it good or bad or just normal when bands from Japan play “Western” music or when bands from South sing about Nordic mythology? Is it a natural way of integration or just a vogue?
-It’s up to the bands what they think. About me, I’m so influenced by heavy rock, and I didn’t care where my favorite bands are from. Black Sabbath, Ground Funk Railroad, Flower Travellin’ band, three of my favorite bands are all from different countries. I’m also inspired from domestic culture so much. Our music is mixed what we’re influenced from.
Q: How does your native culture influence upon you?
-Except influence from Western culture. I’m not sure. I often play guitar solo on Japanese scale. That’s from Japanese traditional music.
Q: By the way, next year you’ll celebrate twentieth anniversary of Eternal Elysium. And you have no another way but release some deluxe album because it’s a best present for band’s fans. Reveal your plans!
-We’re planning solo shows in Tokyo and Nagoya. I didn’t think about any special releases. One thing is confirmed, that is the vinyl release of the 4th album “Searching Low & High”. It will be released by Hydro-Phonic records in US. That will be a double album, some bonus tracks will be included. We already started to make it. That will be awesome. Keep checking what’s goin’ on.
Q: What is the best gift for you for such celebration? What kinds of hobbies do you have? Do you like “plant growing”? In that situation sprouts and seedlings would be good, no?
-I want the picture which Tadanori Yokoo drew. Can you buy for me? ha ha. Yeah, legalize green in Japan. But, I know it’s impossible.
Q: I’m sorry friend but such a gift is too expensive for me! Well, that’s enough for today! Thank you very much for answers, patience and for pleasure of reaching Eternal Elysium here in this mortal world. Best wishes comrades! Do you have few words to add?
-I always appreciate everybody who supports us. I kept Eternal Elysium going for almost 20 years now, and I still have no reason to quit. My journey with Eternal Elysium will be goin’ on more and more. I hope you guys keep checking us out. See you guys somewhere in the world. We’ll try to get to everywhere we can play.
Thanks you so much.
Interview By Aleks Evdokimov
Eternal Elysium @ Myspace
Eternal Elysium Official
Man this is one of the coolest interviews i have done.Eternal Elysium are one of my all time favorite bands so getting this interview together was a real buzz.Most readers would know how good most of the Stoner/Doom bands are that come out of Japan and Eternal Elysium are one of the best.With their Sabbathian tones and almighty talent at constructing powerhouse tunes,the band has always been under-appreciated outside of the underground.All there releases so far have been excellent and there is a new one on the way.I must thank Yukito Okazaki in getting this interview happening for me.Please excuse some of the English on display here but i thought i would keep it un-edited for the most part.Enjoy and bow down to the riff !!!
1.Hello,thanks for doing this interview.I have been listening to the band since 2001.I don’t think people realize you have been around that long.Can you tell us about the history of the band ?
All right. This is long story. So I think you guys check here when you have much time..
EE launched in 1991, the original lineup sounded like Sabbath + Trouble + NWOBHM (Angel Witch, Maiden). We put out the first demo in ’92 and recorded the first full-length, “FAITHFUL” in early ’93. “FAITHFUL” was released in ’96 and after that I got a good rhythm section. We wrote a lot of new songs and played shows in our hometown, Nagoya, as well as Osaka and Tokyo. Our sound started to change and became more influenced by 60’s-70’s heavy-psych, 80’s doom and early stoner stuff.
In 1998, my own label, Cornucopia Records, released a compilation of Japanese doom rock called “DOOMSDAY RECITATION”. EE, Church of Misery and two other bands joined this album and we tried to spread the word outside of Japan. We got good reactions from the underground scenes in Europe and US. Rich from Solstice and John from Solitude Aeturnus gave us a lot of support, and Meteor City contacted us about joining a compilation and releasing the next album.
The second album, “SPIRITUALIZED D” was released in 2000. This was kind of a “self-compilation” including some new songs, self-covered tunes and re-recorded stuff. We also joined many compilation and tribute albums, like tributes to Maiden, Black Widow, Vitus (still unreleased!) horror movie soundtracks, etc.
More lineup changes. Ume, one of my old friends, a great musician, joined the band on bass. He and I wrote new tunes for the next album and recorded it in spring 2001 with new drummer, Rio. We played some shows with the next drummer, Tom, who also recorded one song on the “SHARE” album. “SHARE” was released in February 2002 by Meteor City and People Like You in Germany. We got the opportunity to do our first US tour in autumn 2002 with Portland’s Witch Mountain. This was an amazing tour. We got to play with Unida, Dixie Witch, Earthless, Suplecs, Iota, Lost Goat, Weedeater, Slow Horse, Smoke… I met a bunch of great guys on this tour.
Tom left after the tour and Antonio got the position on drums in 2003. We did a split CD with Of The Spacistor, a spacey rock band from our hometown. Just after that, Ume decided to leave the band. At almost the same time, Tana got in contact with me. I think Tana should explain about it by herself. It’s interesting.
TANA –
Greetings.
I was living in Minneapolis, working part-time at various record stores, playing in bands over the years and was really into the whole stoner rock scene from the late 90’s. Around that time I became totally captivated by the sounds of some old Japanese bands, Flower Travellin’ Band, The Jacks, Speed, Glue and Shinki. I had known of EE from the Meteor City releases and always dug the sound, thinking of it as “Japanese dudes with awesome record collections that love Sabbath and smoke a lot” . One day I was sifting through used LPs and discovered a band from Tokyo called Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, dude’s voice put a spell on me! I was seriously hooked. So when I found that this band was actually still playing and not a beloved relic, I cashed in some frequent flyer miles and headed to Japan to check out four shows during their lengthy tour, May 2003. I had hopes of catching Boris, Garadama, Church of Misery or EE, and while none of them had any gigs at the time, I did make contact with Okazaki and we hung out when I was in Nagoya for the Michelle Gun shows. I had such a great time and made an awesome connection and found out that, hey, EE had no bass player! The trip to Japan was so magical and special, difficult on many levels because I didn’t speak or read Japanese, but still, I found rockers and wonderful people wherever I went, I fell in love with the place. About six weeks later, I went back to Japan to jam with Okazaki and Antonio and just check out the feasibility of moving there. The old drummer Tom, a New Zealander, was really helpful because he had the “foreigner in Japan” perspective and was able to answer a lot questions. The vibe with the EE crew was right, things fell into place quickly, I sold my house in Minneapolis, said goodbye and officially moved to Japan and joined EE in November 2003.
ZAKI
In February/March 2005 we recorded the new album in California at Donner & Blitzen, played some shows both in California and in Minneapolis/St Paul. “SEARCHING LOW & HIGH” , the fourth album, was released that summer. That year we played with Greenmachine and Church of Misery a lot, they were our label-mates on Diwphalanx Records, Boris too. I felt the history of the Japanese heavy-doom-stoner scene began at that time. People in Japan started checking us and other doom bands. We also started touring Japan with great bands from overseas, like Acid King, Black Cobra, Nebula, Electric Wizard, Om, Orange Sunshine, Ogre… Japanese fans had never seen these underground doom heros, with the exception of some major acts (Cathedral, Fu Manchu, Orange Goblin).
We have a great relationship with Acid King and Black Cobra, so we toured with those guys in the US, from west to east, in 2006. Great experience, totally. In 2007 we did a split with Black Cobra, released in Japan only, by Diwphalanx, and BC toured with us in Japan to promote the CD. We got such good reactions everywhere! BC will come back to Japan this September.
In spring 2008, Belgian label Electric Earth released a limited press 10″ of our EP, “MYSTERIOUS VIEWS IN STONE GARDEN”. “SEARCHING LOW & HIGH” had almost no distribution in EU so we’re glad. I guess some people thought EE no longer existed. Anyway, this is a great piece of vinyl, thanks a lot to Jelle from Electric Earth.
Earlier this year, we were back in Arcadia, California, near LA, to record basic tracks and some awesome psychedelic sounds for the next album. We did a few shows on the West Coast too, with Black Cobra, Earthless, Damnweevil and other new friends. It was fun, totally.
Thanks for reading.
2.The band to me has always sounded like a Psychedelic version of Sabbath while still being original.Are you very much into the Psychedelic sounds ?
Well, I don’t think I’m a maniac for Psychedelic music. I’m actually a big fan of Psychedelic bands, but I should say I’m into most music from the 60’s and 70’s. I got the vibration from those so much. After the appearance of psychedelia, I think a lot of music and scenes were influenced by the taste of psychedelia, so my music has that color. And other arts always inspire me. Surrealism gives me ideas and hints.
3.Bands coming out of Japan are always very high quality.How do you rate Japanese bands compared with the rest of the world ?
Japanese bands have been making good stuff since the 60’s. Rock/Pop community in Japan began to follow the sounds from US and Europe since the 50’s and they still do. And there are bands who care about something special from our country that have a real original taste, like early Flower Travellin’ Band. Japan is already one of the great rock countries.
4.Apart from Tony Iommi,who is your biggest influences ?
Lots of early hard rock musicians influenced me much. Tommy Bolin, Paul Kosoff, Richie Blackmore, Jimmy Page, Mark Farner, Carlos Santana… I can’t say who’s best. Ozzy and Ronnie James Dio influenced my vocal. 1st Vitus singer Scott Reagars is one of my favorites, too. Wino is also important for me. If I have to choose only one person, best to me, that’s Chris Goss . All of his performances and studio works keep moving my mind. Because, I’m also sound engineer, and keep making a bunch of products at my studio for 10 years.
5.Out of your recordings so far is there one CD that stands out as being your favorite ?
Best quality of the sound is “Searching Low & High” album.
But, my favorite is the Split CD with Black Cobra. I think we found our original sound on it.
6.Its been a while since your last full length album,when will we get to hear some new Eternal Elysium tracks ?
Very soon. We’re just finishing the new one. Basic tracks were recorded in Arcadia in March, we brought those back to Japan and have just started doing overdubs and vocals now. The new album will be released by Diwphalanx in Japan, in late August. We’re still looking for labels in the US and EU.
7.Who came up with the name “Eternal Elysium” ?
I and original bass player Atsutoshi named it.
There is a great Japanese Zen word “Goku-Raku-jodo”. This meaning is almost same as “Eternal Elysium”. Paradise is the most closest word, I think.
8.You have always had great production on your albums,do you spend much time getting the sound just right in the studio ?
Yes, I do, especially for mixing. My parts in EE are vocal, guitar and soundboard. I’ve engineered most of the EE recordings since “SPIRITUALIZED D”. The rhythm tracks on the last album and this new one were recorded at Donner & Blitzen, by Mathias Schneeberger who used to work with The Obsessed , Saint Vitus and many more great doom/stoner guys. He knows how to get the great tone that we we want, perfectly. Guitar overdubs, vocals, percussion, effects and other sounds we do at my studio, Studio Zen. We like this process. We get the massive bottom end on the West Coast and then cook and add spices in Japan. The split CDs and many other compilation tracks have been done entirely at Studio Zen.
9.How do you guys come up with such killer tunes,do you jam a lot ?
We usually pick the ideas up from jamming at our studio. I’m always trying to record good jam stuff by old casette recorder. And, we spend so much time for arrangement. This is the point.
10.What has album sales been like in Japan compared with the rest of the world ?
Sales of the last album were better than previous releases, but it didn’t have much distribution outside of Japan. I often hear that people can’t find it. I think “SPIRITUALIZED D” was still the best score internationally, that and “SHARE” were released in the US and EU, but not in Japan. Sales of all music related things in Japan are getting worse, that’s the same everywhere. This is a problem for underground artists.
11.Is there any one country where you have more success than others ?
We got pretty good reactions touring in the US every time. That’s not bigger than Japan, but we feel that’s growing. We have a lot of friends in the US and Minneapolis is a very special place for us.
Tana :
Minneapolis is a great city and I think the guys feel so comfortable there because it’s a bit like Nagoya! A big city, but not too big and overwhelming. I still have a lot of friends there and people have always been so warm and welcoming to the band. There are good record stores, friends at guitar shops, rockin’ bands, it just seems so easy to set up a good thing there. And I’d say that San Francisco and Portland, OR are also very special cities for us. Location, yes, but really it’s about the people.
12.Whats your musical pedigree,what bands did you all play in before this band ?
I was singing high tone vocal on metal band. Can you believe it? And, I used to play the guitar on punk rock band, too. Oh, I just remember I was playing organ in a cover band of Deep Purple. That’s my first experiece to join the band. I have the experiences to join with blues/folk bands, too.
Tana:
I played bass and did some vocals on and off in various bands in Minneapolis, usually kinda spacy/noisy sounds, gradually getting heavier. The last band I was in before EE was called The Pollen.
ANTONIO:
I was on the seat of emo/core band was called MUGA after some experiences to join local bands. I was playing drums on this band until that was broken up last year, so I was in 2 bands since I’ve join EE.
13.What has been your favorite live shows so far and have you played many big festival type shows ?
One of my favorite shows was Stoner Hands of Doom Fest in Arizona, 2002. That night was amazing. That’s the moment that I felt US people accepted us. Big festival? We’ve joined outdoor events in Japan a few times. I hope to play on a great festival in the near future, and I think we can.
14.How much is Doom Metal supported in Japan ?
That’s not enough, honestly. Doom/Stoner scene is still small in Japan. I mean, there are not many doom bands here. Usual heavy rock heads usually don’t care about Doom, but, I feel the situation is improving. Our promotion clip is sometimes shown on music stations and I recently had the opportunity to talk on a radio program.
15.What are you guys listening to at the moment ?
Zaki : I’m just listening 1st one from May Blitz. Killer album. Live album of Earthless is recent heavy rotation in my car. Muddy Waters “After the Rain” is also one of recent my fav.
Tana : The Who “My Generation”, Judas Priest “Sad Wings of Destiny”, Gay Witch Abortion “Maverick” and Municipal Waste-thrash mania!
Antonio : PENTAGRAM “First Daze Here”, AC/DC “Let There Be Rock, Thin Lizzy “Johnny the Fox”. Must items.
16.What other merchandise is available,i know i would love to get a T-Shirt or something but i don’t think i have seen many available…
We have a few different T-shirt designs, we sell those at gigs. We’re planning to make new shirts and possibly some other items in time for the next release. Keep checking our web site or myspace, we’ll let you know there.
17.Finally what is the bands plans for the next year or two ?
We hope to tour in EU next spring, and we think we can. Hope to tour in US again, too
And I hope to have less time between album releases. If we can start making our future album in a couple years, that would be great.
18.Any last words ?
I want to say thanks to the people who keep checking us. I think the next album will be easy to get by EU and US stoner heads. See you guys someday, somewhere.
doommantia 