Introduction Since 1995 DRUMKAN has been creating a heavy rock sound while still having a strong sense of melody. DRUMKAN's members are Satoshi [vocals/guitar], Junpei [drums], Hide [bass], and Yasu [guitar]. Keikaku talked with DRUMKAN about their name, how they met, and what their new album sounds like. back to features		DRUMKAN Q: Please introduce yourselves. We are DRUMKAN from Japan. We play in Japan and sometimes in the USA. We are Satoshi [Vocals], Junpei [Drums], Hide [Bass], and Yasu [Guitar]. Nice to meet you! Q: How did the members of DRUMKAN meet? Yasu: I met Satoshi on the Internet on a site for recruiting band members. DRUMKAN looked for a new guitar player. Junpei and Hide: We got acquainted when we were in a different band. Q: Where did the name "DRUMKAN" come from and does it have any special meaning? And how come the name is interchangable with a colon? For example, why are both DRUMKAN and DRUM:KAN used? Satoshi: The name DRUMKAN comes from "Oil Drum." The reason for the colon is that when we reformed from the previous "drumkan," it was our old drummer's idea to add it. However, we changed it back to DRUMKAN. Q: What are some of your favorite musicians or bands? Hide: Electronic music. Yasu: Joe Hisaishi. Satoshi: My influences are folk music and 90s grunge and alternative. For instance, soft/loud dynamics, noise and ambience. Contrasting things. Q: You've got a new album coming out on October 4th called "As Life." How would you describe this album's sound? I think it's poppy and melodic, the kind of album anyone can hum along to. Still, there's a lot of variation in the songs and we tried to make it natural without paying much attention to genre. I think it's got a sound that will appeal to an overseas audience as well. Q: Kevin Ratterman of Elliott and Your Black Star helped produce the last three DRUMKAN albums. How did you get involved with him? In 2003 we did a Japanese tour with his band Elliott. We became really good friends during that time. On the last day of the tour, we heard from Kevin that Elliott was going to disband and were shocked. Then I asked Kevin if we could do a farewell tour with them in America. He gladly said OK, and since we were just about to start making an album, he offered to produce it. We were extremely satisfied with his sound and production. From there, we've worked with him on our last album and the one before last. Q: What is waver waver and why did you create it? waver waver is a label that we manage, and in addition to DRUMKAN we put out foreign bands' recordings. Among our releases are Your Black Star, Garrison, On Fire, the Elliott/DRUMKAN DVD and Jeff Caudill (ex-Gameface). We started the label because we've come to understand a lot of things through many years of activity. We wanted to try releasing CDs and doing promotion on our own. Q: What new and upcoming musical artists from Japan have you been listening to lately and been paying attention to? Yasu: ENVY. Hide: Endzweck. Junpei: Spitz. Q: Who would be your dream band to perform with, either from Japan or from overseas? Yasu: Alice in Chains. Hide: Pantera. Junpei: Metallica. Satoshi: Puffy. Q: Can you name some of your favorite movies or books? Yasu: Books by Haruki Murakami. Junpei: Japanese cartoons like Ping Pong Club and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. Hide: Movies by Tim Burton. Satoshi: Movies by Takeshi Kitano. Q: DRUMKAN has already visited overseas in the past. When's the next time you plan on playing outside of Japan? Next year we're planning on an American and Australian tour. Don't miss it! Interview from 2006.09.15. Translated by James Route. Keikaku.net staff would like to thank the members of DRUMKAN for their participation in this interview. - Shawn Grover
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