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"My understanding of music crashed, suddenly there were no limits or categories."
LSD March get dark(er.) |
 Since the band's inception in Himeji, Japan in 1996, Shinsuke Michishita's LSD March has blazed a bright trail across the Japanese underground. His psych drenched visions have included such luminaries as Ikuro Takahashi (Fushitsusha, Nagisa Ni Te, etc.) and Acid Mothers Temple guru Kawabata Makoto. He managed to squeeze in lunch with Jrawk after completing a Japanese tour... JR: You're about to go on a European Tour. Where are you going? SM: Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Amsterdam and Germany: we'll be touring with (Belgian band) Ignatz. I'll be releasing four new titles in October: two new LSD March things, and two with (Acid Mothers Temple's) Makoto Kawabata. Important Records, Blossoming Noise and Beta-Lactam Ring are putting them out. JR: Four titles?! SM: Yeah, four. Maybe five! (laughs) JR: So, will you take a break next year? SM: Yeah, next year's not so busy. Just recording. JR: A lot of your albums are difficult to find, and some have a few different editions. "Empty Rubious Red" has three covers! SM: (laughs) Well, first, I put it out myself, only 200 copies. Then Scott from Archive wanted to put it out, and THAT sold out quickly. Then his friend wanted to do it too! So...three covers. JR: There's a lot of interaction among the various members of the Japanese Psych underground. You've worked with a lot of them (Masami Kawaguchi, Ikuro Takahashi, etc.) How do you connect with these people? SM: Well, I like Keiji Haino's work, and maybe ten years ago I went to see Fushitsusha. I just started talking to them! We started working together after that. Not so difficult! (laughs) We're all friends, so we work together quite a bit. Outside Japan, I'd like to work with Thurston Moore. JR: Speaking of outside Japan, you recently recorded with Bardo Pond (which resulted in the LSD Pond double CD.) How did that come about? SM: Well, I went to Philly alone, and they backed me up for three or four shows. They're really friendly, and their bassist is Japanese, so we communicated very well. We just hit it off and recorded in their house. It was a bit scary: there were junkies all over the neighborhood! (laughs) But they (Bardo Pond) all lived in the same building, and they have their own studio, so we just did it there. JR: You took your name from the first Guru Guru album, and your music has a strong Krautrock influence. What are the big influences for you? SM: Difficult question...I can't pick one! (laughs) Maybe the first time I heard The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, Television. When I was maybe 15, I'd listen to music every day...then I heard the Velvet Underground for the first time. Then when I was 18, bands like Tomorrow (an early psych band featuring a young Steve Howe,) the 13th Floor Elevators, etc. When I turned 19, I heard Les Rallizes Dénudés, and it had a HUGE impact, like a revolution! My understanding of music crashed, suddenly there were no limits or categories. JR: It's interesting you should say that. There's a strong influence in your work from people like Tom Verlaine, Les Rallizes Dénudés, and Jutok Kaneko: all of these artists have very distinct aesthetics. Do you consciously aim for an experience? SM: We don't really rehearse, it's all improv, created live on the stage. We take it case by case. JR: Of all your past albums, do you have a favorite? SM: The next one! (laughs) It's called "Under Milkwood." Important is putting it out. It's darker than past things like "Empty Rubious Red," a different sound. We recorded in Sapporo, at Black Snowflake Sound. Everything was recorded there, both LSD March and the duo CDs with Kawabata. JR: What kind of new music do you like? Do you have a favorite recent band? SM: Yeah, too many! I like some stuff on (techno label) Ninja Tune. I like a lot of techno music. Espers, too. Also things like enka, folk music. Enka's very important to Japanese music. From the 70s, there's Murahachibu, Kan Mikami, Kazuki Tomokawa, Shuji Terayama. (Pulls out his iPod.) Actually, I've been listening to a lot of English study tracks! (laughs) |