DJ OZMA: 20,000 Character Interview (Part 3/3), Rockin' On Japan, November 2006, Vol. 305

[aibanokokuhaku]

 Is that the real reason you decided to start DJ OZMA? To promote yourself?

 

Yes. I mean, that's what I had in mind when I started, and I knew I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb in Tokyo to get people's attention. I mean, when I first started in Tokyo, I thought there wasn't much interesting going on in the scene compared to elsewhere in Japan. I mean, like in Ebisu, I could real feel a lack of love for rock music. So, I really had to believe in what I was doing to put myself out there. That's why DJ OZMA had to musically combine many styles and couldn't be as heavy on rock as I grew up with in Chiba. I had some extra help from my senpai friends too, though our music styles didn't match well at first, we had to find common ground to blend ideas together and make a project that was digestible. We decided the best way to do that was to go all-out with my character, and so we decided a late 90's Roppongi clubbing type feel might work. We also thought about doing a drag queen character at one point, but we weren't able to flesh out the idea well enough at that time to go with it. So we decided to risk it all in a big Tokyo event and really promote this character, and use songs with kind of a bouncy, happy, party atmosphere. The rule was never to break from “party mode” with this image. And so that is DJ OZMA.

 

Just this spring you debuted under EMI so is there a good story about the event itself?

 

Well, ah, yeah. At first I was going to have a full-live band. But I was worried that the band image would become the main focus, and that the character of DJ OZMA would get put on the back burner. Some of the members of the band didn't have the right personality either. Like they didn't have that “fun” energy. So the unit got changed around a lot, to the point where we changed the idea from “live band” to “club event” because it just made more sense. My family and friends from high school did come to the first event, and they all approved of the character, saying a band wouldn't fit well with the message I wanted to convey. I want to do so many things with this character, maybe too many, but I want to take it on myself as much as I can. If I had a live band to manage with this project, I am the type of person who would be worrying about them all of the time. DJ OZMA would suffer with too many members. From a long time ago I wanted to do this project, but the label wanted to outfit me with a band, so I had to make my case for why this project would be best without one. If I debuted with a band, DJ OZMA would be more like an idol group than anything else (laugh). It would be like Cirque du Solei, having to manage a tribe of people!

 

So you really had to stand up for yourself to get this off the ground.

 

I feel like all in all, this was a project that was 10 years in the making, so I didn't want it to be anything other than what I wanted it to be. I mean, I didn't want it to be like an airplane-- take off incorrectly, and you'll soon hit the ground. DJ OZMA needed a strong debut, and using a live band was going to ensure a failed launch.

 

Other than the live band, were there any other big decisions made? Like things that you decided to do instead of not to?

 

There were some things that I wanted to do that are too big and out of budget, so I am hoping DJ OZMA gains some popularity, so that I can as an artist reach my full potential with this, of course. We also almost had a fourth member at one point, but decided these three were best. Pancho and King just fit best. I also thought about changing members every album at one point, but decided not to either. I guess I can only think of ideas that didn't make the final cut! I don't want to give away too much about what I might still do.

 

Could you imagine? Bringing out different members suddenly without announcement, how the color would drain from everyone's faces in shock?! (laugh)

 

Ahahahaha, that's true. But I think I want DJ OZMA to be more welcoming and straightforward in that sense. I only want happy surprises, and I like the idea of OZMA having reliable party friends. I also want the audience to do a lot of callbacks, like in older lives. Lots of interaction. I want to entertain, not just hop on stage. So I want everyone to feel comfortable with DJ OZMA. Switching members suddenly would be funny, but might take away from the warm atmosphere. I want the kind of act that middle school me would enjoy, that music nerds around the world would find some value in, whether the music is quite to their liking or not. Deep belly laughs are welcome. I want to put on fun events, and have everyone in the audience making noise.

 

Is there anyone that you've had trouble working with on this?

 

Yes, there was producer. This guy didn't understand my thinking at all. He usually produced bands, and not anything like this, so that was probably where the disconnect was. So I had to step in and do as much as I could myself, which he wasn't sure how to feel about but I told him I'd take the blame if I messed anything up. I believed that much in what I was doing. He still got paid the same, so he let me get involved with producing, but he seemed unsure of me. From start to finish, there are lots of situations where I was angry, or blissful, every emotion in the book. Even times where I thought about quitting this project before debut. But I'm glad that I saw it through, because I think DJ OZMA is successfully conveying what I wanted it to. My friends were the most understanding of my goal, and without their help, DJ OZMA wouldn't have had a future. So really we can credit them to my success. I want to follow my own character's lifestyle and party. It was definitely a “work, don't run” kind of process. But I guess that generally, life is like that, isn't it?

Comments

[intersquid]

This interview is so cute...!! It's weird to hear what DJ OZMA almost was. I guess the vague drag character idea ended up as Naomi, and they got some of the rotating member thing in with the huge backup groups and the short-lived host club? Thank you for translating, it's fun to finally be able to read this kind of stuff!!

[inwardfangirl]

Sooooooo talkative Show ~ <3

I loved the reveal re KING! So he's Show-yan's senior??? How much of these anecdotes are true? All too GOOD!!!!

[aibanokokuhaku]

The interview was done in-character, but there seems to be some truths sprinkled in, so I have absolutely no idea how much of this he made up.