Saturday May 29th 2010 @ The Toronto Congress Center:: J-rock North Promotions & Anime North!
★ Eikostate
★ Takuya Angel
★ Selia
November 13th & 14th 2010 @ The Yorkland Hotel
★ DotCon
[ click to enlarge ]
We had the chance to sit down with Ken Lloyd, lead singer and
mastermind behind the Japanese rock and alternative band FAKE?, for a quick interview before their
Friday night concert at AnimeNEXT 2009. They may not be as well known to the overseas jrock fan community as
some other bands, but every album they’ve released is a powerful cocktail of unique sounds and themes that
draws on a plethora of influences – from punk to hip hop, 90’s alternative to 50’s crooning. On top of that,
their exhilarating stage shows always draw fans in, old and new alike.
We were the last interview of the day before the band left to prep for the
show, and we were excited for the chance to talk to him about where the band is going, how he felt about
doing FAKE?'s first US concert, and what's in store for the new album and potential future lives. Jrock fans
in Canada and all over the world definitely have a lot to look forward to from this electrifying act!
So, first question: who are the members of the band?
K: Ok, guitar player, Mine, he was in Tsuchiya Anna's band. Bass player is
FIRE, he's been with Sugizo, he also did I think Anna. Drummer, Masuo, he does
Oblivion Dust, who I originally found for FAKE?, and I decided now, because Oblivion
Dust started moving, I just put him in Oblivion Dust first. DJ BASS, who's always
been with FAKE?, does Inoran. And, programmer D-Kiku, which, I think he's been doing,
he's done everything - he's done Luna Sea, Inoran, Sugizo, everyone, so...
And then you, of course.
K: Yeah.
Alright, so where did the name FAKE? come from?
K: Nowhere... we had to decide, and we were thinking of doing a band but we didn't wanna put a band name on it. But then the record company was like, 'Well how are we gonna promote it if you don't have a name?'. So, [we said] 'Ah man, alright, uh... give us two minutes' and that was the vibe, no really big meaning. Everyone asks, 'Why are you guys called FAKE?'
Yeah, 'Is there some concept behind it?'
K: Yeah, and what’s with the question mark, and that just speaks to 'we're unsure of ourselves'. And, you know, hey, we're probably gonna be called 'fake' anyways, so.
It's easy to remember though.
K: Yeah.
So at least it stands out. So, how's this new redefinition? Like, you got a new logo, a new independent label, everything like that. Where are you going with the band now that everything's new?
K: Well, it's just more freedom to do whatever we want. So, we're not really going in any direction, because it's like, 'no direction' is our direction, you know? It's like, we don't want a kind of fixed way. But we have so much freedom to do whatever we want that it's like, it's fun. Lots of ideas, lots of things that we can do for the fans that we couldn't do before, just without having to deal with the business side, you know, and having to ok it with the big people.
So with your creativity, and the music and things.
K: Yeah, and I can just pretty much do whatever I want, basically.
So that leads into the new album, can you give us any hints as to what it's going to be like?
K: Well I don't know yet because we haven't started, but it's gonna be produced by Youth, who just did Paul McCartney, he did The Verve - Urban Hymns, do you know it? 'Bittersweet Symphony'? He did that, he's done Primal Scream, and he's really good with dance music. And that was one of the reasons why we wanted to get him in because I really wanna bring in the big beats, and we started doing a little bit of that with the last few albums just on a few tracks, but really pushing it. And so for this album, I think what I wanted to do was get Youth in so we could get the real deal. So we're hoping that it's gonna have this dance feel to it.
Sounds good. So that's going to translate better for lives then, right? To get the energy up?
K: Yeah, it's not just that, but it's gonna be like... Before it was just a rock show, and now we can kinda get a groove, so there can be diving and moshing or whatever, but also I want people to be able to kinda dance to it, which I like, so.
So is that a hint of what the show is gonna be like tonight?
K: Tonight? No, well tonight it's gonna be a rock show I think.
*laughs* No moshing?
K: *laughs* Well I don't know, it's up to you guys.
Are we even allowed to mosh at the show tonight?
K: Of course, of course! You guys do it, you're allowed to do anything.
Yeah it would be sad if everyone's all hyped up but people are sitting down for the whole show.
K: Yeah, well I mean that's, that I have no control over it, you know? But, yeah whatever, we'll do a good show.
Well we'll start a movement, just us even if nobody else does. *laughs*
K: Yeah yeah yeah! *laughs*
So any other expectations for the show tonight at all? It's your first time as FAKE? performing in the US.
K: Yeah, well we're just here and we're happy to be invited so we're just gonna do our best, and hopefully it'll be the first in, you know, a whole bunch to come.
Yeah I was just going to ask, do you have any hopes or plans of maybe doing other cities around North America, Toronto maybe?
K: Yeah well... Toronto? Canada?
*laughs* We're from Toronto so I have to ask.
K: Um, yeah, yeah! I mean like... the whole thing with Oblivion Dust and FAKE?, I've always wanted to take it outside, and that's one of the things with this new label that I can do. Before it was kinda like, we had to get an OK, and we didn't understand why we couldn't leave, you know. But now it's kinda like, ever since we got this new label, it's been like, 'Hey, do you wanna go over?' It's more free, you know, like I said. So, yeah, I mean, I hope, not just North America or this side of the world; Europe, Asia, everywhere we wanna go.
Yeah, because there are a lot of FAKE? fans all over the world who are just like, 'Oh no, I can't get to New Jersey for the show!'
K: Yeah, so I mean hopefully... But first things first, we're gonna do the album, and then we're gonna see what happens.
And you're getting a lot more international exposure now because of, let's say, online promotions, like your Myspace. A lot of people have joined up, are keeping track of your blogs, etc.
K: Right.
How important is it to you to get that promotion out there, online?
K: Well I didn't even realize... This was the whole thing: I didn't realize that there was anyone outside of Japan that really knew us. And then we did the Oblivion Dust Myspace, and then I did the FAKE? Myspace, and that's when I realized, 'Hey... a lot of people have been listening to us and like our stuff... We should be out there then', you know. And so that was a real kind of eye-opener, doing the Myspace thing. But to begin with, we didn't know that, so it was just kinda like, 'Well, you know, why don't we do a Myspace site, and see what happens'. Now it's kinda like, well, someone's not been telling us everything. *laughs*
Oh yeah, you find out a lot through Myspace, because so many people are on there connected through Myspace, or Twitter, or Facebook, all those online sites. So it's a great way to get promotion for you, and to find out that you already have a whole lot of fans.
K: Yeah, that was a shock.
Next, a couple random questions, if that's ok with you: what's your favourite drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic?
K: You know what, right now? Root beer.
Really?
K: Yeah.
Any particular brand of root beer?
K: No, they all, well... is there any difference really? *laughs*
*laughs* I don't know, I don't drink root beer enough to be able to tell.
K: I don't drink alcohol too much these days.
Oh really?
K: I did all my drinking in my 20's.
Fair enough.
K: Yeah, and my insides are just, a mess.
Aww, you gotta clean out.
K: *nods and grins* I gotta clean out.
You should try those herbal kind of, you know- *laughs*
K: -Things? I don't know, I don't know if they'll do any good. *laughs* But I leave the rest of the band to drink for me. But yeah, right now, these past couple of days, yeah, root beer.
Well, I guess whatever works.
K: But I think water is the most boringest thing there is. *laughs*
It is! *laughs*
K: I know it's good for you, and I try and drink as much of it as possible, but it is the most boring drink, yeah.
So you don't drink any of those sports drinks, like Pocari Sweat - which, I'm sorry, I find it disgusting.
K: No, no.
Ok, so quick question for the end: do you have a message to any of your fans in Toronto, or across Canada?
K: Well hopefully we'll be able to make it, if not this year then next year, hopefully. I mean, definitely wanna go, so it's all just a matter of timing and if we can go or if people are inviting us over. But if we do, first chance we get we'll be back.
Sounds good, thank you!
Concert Photos
Thank you so much to Ken Lloyd and the rest of FAKE?, J-Houserock
Entertainment, and AnimeNEXT.
Official promotional photos are courtesy of J-Houserock Entertainment.
All other photos are property of J-rock North Promotions Inc.
