Me: Leeeeee, man, welcome back to the Phile. How are you?
Lee: Jaaaaaason, man, great to be 'back' (great to be anywhere), especially on this special occasion of your 10th anniversary of your blog. Congratulations, and thank you for inviting me and all of your kind support over the years!
Me: Okay, so you're living in Japan now, am I right? What part?
Lee: I live in Tokyo. Previously, I lived in Fukushima (North of Tokyo) for about 15 years.
Me: Are you teaching there, Lee?
Lee: Part-time. I do contract work, so pick up jobs when I can. Recently, I've been teaching at major corporations with some university gigs.
Me: What made you move to Japan? I take it you know how to speak Japanese. Do you?
Lee: I left Japan 11 years ago, vowing to never return. Ah, yes... 'never say never.' After I left Japan I moved to Poland (Warsaw), the idea being that if I could stick it out, I'd get an EU visa, allowing me to live in a country I'd want to live in (Germany, Switzerland, or northern-European countries like Norway). The year in Poland was somewhat hellish, and I found myself, after so many years of living in Asia, to be a bit 'out of it.' While living in Japan, I spent a lot of time hanging out in Europe (lots of holiday time as a university professor), and I did my post-graduate work in the U.K. (University of Surrey). However, I felt somewhat 'homesick' for my 'Asian lifestyle' so I thought it best to return (plus the EU visa thing turned out to be a nightmare, especially with Polish bureaucracy, which is still very "Russian" (need cash to 'grease the wheels'). It took me 8 months just to get my work visa, even though I had the job lined up before I got there. I didn't want to return to Japan, for several reasons, a major one being earthquakes (remember, I lived in Fukushima) so I thought Korea would be a good choice... the best of both worlds. They still maintain their culture, but there are Starbucks on every corner (if you take my meaning). I was offered a good job by the Korean government to be a teacher trainer... teach Korean English teachers teaching methodology... blah blah blah... sorry... story getting too long. After 10 years in Seoul, I recently (2015) moved back to Japan. Why? Long story, but naturally, it involves a woman. No fool like an old fool, eh!
Me: Is it an expensive place to live?
Lee: Yes. Tokyo and Osaka are the 2 most expensive cities in the world. And, it's not like you 'get what you pay for.' Examples: The public transportation is very expensive (double the prices in Seoul) and the trains are often late or cancelled for mechanical reasons or 'personal injury' (read: some depressed person decided to jump in front of a train. Happens all of the time). The housing quality is pitiful for a 'rich' country. No central heat, and household appliances are laughable compared to wealthy western countries. Some people pay $700.00 a month (plus) just to park a car in Tokyo. You get the drift. Plus, the Japanese yen is very weak now, so changing to dollars is quite painful (I purchase a lot of my gear from the States)!
Me: Every Japanese person I met in my life has been cool. They don't have assholes there, do they?
Lee: 1. You've probably met them outside of Japan. 2. Either you've been very lucky, or they were putting on the Japanese act (called 'tatamae' in Japanese). They have a 'social face' and a 'true face,' and foreigners seldom get to see the true face. Have to live here for a while. Of course they have hordes of assholes, like every country. People are people! Westerners glamorise Japan and the Japanese to a nonsensical degree. Just like many Japanese think British men are all British gentlemen, who drink tea at 'tea time,' speak like Prince Charles, look like David Beckham and went to Oxford. I have been in 45 countries. People are people. Every country has cool people and assholes. Don't glamorize Japan... this romantic image propagated by JTB (the Japanese government's tourist division), horny western males dreaming of docile geisha and movies. Many people come here and are very disappointed. The Japanese culture westerners dream of is all but over, if it ever really existed at all. It's a fantasy, usually concocted by western men who have an image of docile, subservient Japanese women who will dote on them, fulfil their every sexual whim and follow them--submissive. LOL. On a positive note, it is much safer here (not including natural dangers like earthquakes, typhoons, tsunami). No guns. They don't share in Amerika's paranoid barbaric psychosis. Again, I am far too chatty today.
Me: No, you're good. Do you watch those Japanese game shows?
Lee: No. They are rubbish... another 'seamy' side of this infantile so-called culture. I don't have a TV.
Me: Lee, I totally forgot, where in the states are you originally from?
Lee: I left the U.S.A. 26 years ago. At the time, I was living in the SF Bay Area (Marin County to be exact. My neighbour was George Lucas... literally). I was brought up in a suburb of Cleveland called Shaker Heights, but left there while still in my teens.
Me: Do you think you'll ever move back to America?
Lee: "Never say never." However, I don't want to. To be honest, the place scares me shitless. The perception of Amerika internationally is pretty grim and embarrassing. Obese, uncouth, uneducated rednecks toting automatic weapons... so much anger, polarisation, violence, xenophobia, racial tension, crumbling infrastructure, gun proliferation, horrendous incarceration rates, horrible education system, illiteracy rates, infant-mortality rates, broken political system, personal freedoms trampled in the name of 'war on terror,' gang violence, homelessness, the wealth gap (income disparity), obesity, belligerence, bad manners, failing health system, people armed to the teeth, paranoia and delusions of 'exceptionalism.' "Let's all bellow "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A." Donald 'duck' Trump??!! Rap artists"!!?? Reality TV "stars"? It's a freak show! The decline of the Roman Empire.
Me: Okay, since you were here last a few months ago you have released two new singles... "Frack Art, Let's Dance" and "Dervish Dharma Dancing." Do you consider these songs being dance songs, Lee?
Lee: No, I don't look at music like that. I write what I write. If it is "danceable" so be it. It's not that contrived. "Frack Art" was inspired by a British artist friend of mine... a painting he made for me. He made a collage, with me in it that reminded me of the cover of the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper." The original words on his painting/collage were "Fuck Art, Let's Dance" but my puritanical American record distribution company would never go for that, so we had to make some alterations. It was not intended to be a 'dance' track (it's not, is it?). More an 80s influenced pop ditty. Just a quick single so he and I could work together (an old friend).
Me: I have to show that painting. It's very cool...
Lee: "Dervish Dharma Dancin" is perhaps more danceable, inspired by a prominent Japanese video artist I now collaborate with. He already had a video for a different DJ that I quite liked (the video, that is) so I proposed I make a new 'soundtrack' my style, but I was confined by the rhythm, which was about 144 BPM = modern EDM (electronic dance music). He made some changes, both at my request and from his inspiration from my music, and the video and song "Dervish Dharma Dancing" was born.
Me: How do you think of this music? Do you dream it?
Lee: Waking dreams. Not like Paul McCartney with "Yesterday." I get musical ideas during the day, going about me business. Concepts, or phrases, or rhythmic ideas. As David Crosby said (recent interview), 'The muse is there, but you have to open the door to let him in," meaning when I am in writing mode, I sit in my studio and start working and see what comes. Sometimes it turns out to be rubbish, other times bits are usable and get recycled, and sometimes it comes out full-born. I wrote "Dervish Dharma Dancing" and mixed it in less than one day. It was a quick one.
Me: Okay, so, I have to ask, what does frack mean?
Lee: Again, to be PC, had to change "fuck" and fracking is a method of injecting water at high pressure to extract oil (?) which totally fucks up the environment, so a little word play on my part (old English major vestiges).
Me: And then again, what does dervish mean?
Lee: A dervish or dervish is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah," known for their extreme poverty and austerity. His focus is on the universal values of love and service, deserting the illusions of ego to reach God. In most Sufi orders, a dervish is known to practice dhikr through physical exertions or religious practices to attain the ecstatic trance to reach Allah. Their most common practice is Sema which is associated with Rumi.
Me: That's deep. You had a Japanese video artist make the video for "Dervish Dharma Dancing." Who is it and how did you meet him?
Lee: His working name is "Aurora Wizard" a.k.a., Sinarisama. He is a well-known (in Japan) VJ (video jockey... they accompany DJs, doing the visuals). I met him through a Japanese VJ group on Facebook. We chatted and found we had some similar ideas about artistic intent (I basically loath most EDM and the whole scene, which is just glorified disco made by talentless, unoriginal hacks for people to jump around to. Very simplistic 'button pushers'... in all meanings of that phrase). It's like the 80s disco scene... Studio 54 but instead of cocaine, they use Ecstasy, MDM, etc. and call it 'spiritual' and psychedelic. Same as it ever was. But, Sinarisama and I started chatting about Buddhist/Taoist intentions and music/visuals used for (lack of a better word.. .I'm tired) 'higher' purposes than bumping and grinding and getting inebriated and laid. More inspirational for "mind expansion"... blah blah blah.. .I'll spare you a rap about Buddhist/Taoist concepts. Check out our video at youtu.be/MsEHYq1WlUM and check out Sinarisama at youtube.com/user/sinarisama, facebook.com/FestaSinarisama/.
Me: Did he just create what he wanted to or did you tell him what you wanted?
Lee: Both. The basic framework for the video was already done, including the length so those were my confines... length and BPM (beats per minute). He made some changes (some at my request) to make it more suitable for my 'themes' (the whole Buddhist/Taoist trip) and would send me cuts to check and approve or not, and or make suggestions, and give more ideas.
Me: You're always making music, aren't you?
Lee: After returning to Japan in February, I went a long time without making music... for several reasons. But, recently I'm on fire again. A new album is planned for this spring, and I'm working hard on it daily.
Me: Last time you were here you mentioned doing live shows. Are you still thinking of doing that?
Lee: Indeed! I am getting that together (gear purchases, strategics, etc.). The original idea was to tour Europe, but after a lot of research, I found it's just not feasible for now. Working papers, visa requirements, sponsors... a 'red tape' nightmare. So, I will start playing shows in Japan, both solo shows and shows with Sinarisama. He and I are discussing logistics now (preliminary discussions). The "Dervish Dharma Dancing" video was somewhat of a test to see if we can work together. We are taking it slowly. I am VERY protective of my work and artistic intent, so I am very careful about who I will work with (which is why I usually do everything... composing, playing all instruments, producing, mixing and mastering... by myself, including making my own videos). I have a very clear 'intent' and don't want to compromise... despite the financial 'deprivations' it has caused me.
Me: What will your shows be like, Lee? Lots of dancing I am guessing.
Lee: It will be an audio-visual psychedelic mind-melting, 3rd eye opening, out-of-body experience. If people want to dance... whatever moves them (no pun intended). It will be the audio-visual equivalent of a 'psychedelic trip' and hopefully inspire people to experience a different channel in their consciousness TV.
Me: So, you play many instruments I know, but in the new single what instruments are you playing?
Lee: Everything. I usually like to make 'electro-acoustic' music ('real' instruments mixed with samples and electronica) but for "Dervish Dharma Dancing" it's all electronic. No loops were used. I created all of the rhythms (tabla and middle-eastern drums), etc. I'm having fun with my new 'sequencer' (don't want to say company and model, as they turned down my request for a sponsorship deal).
Me: Are you planning a new album this year? Knowing you it'll be three albums. Haha.
Lee: One for the spring, and then focus on live shows. Am looking into releasing the new album as a 12" vinyl (time is a problem... my albums are over 1 hour and vinyl can only handle about 45 minutes) and/or as a DVD with videos by me and Sinarisama for each track (or CD-ROM). All quite expensive, and I cannot afford it myself.
Me: That's cool. You have many musical influences, don't you, Lee?
Lee: Many, of course, but as we talked about before, I don't listen to music anymore... haven't for years! For many reasons.
Me: Do you ever get tired of making music?
Lee: No. I get tired of life's intrusions and the hideous music business, especially now. And of course, I can always take a break.
Me: Okay, so, on the Phile I am asking my guests where they were ten years ago as this is the Phile's 10th anniversary... so, where were you ten years ago? What were you doing?
Lee: Ten years ago I was in Korea, in Seoul. A professor, teaching teaching methodology. I wasn't making music at all. I didn't start making music again until 2010 (German label contacted me about re-issuing an old single... got the ball rolling again after a several year hiatus from music making. I've related that story in past interviews).
Me: Yeah, you did. Thanks so much for being back on the Phile. Come back when your next CD comes out. Take care, sir. Oh, mention your website.
Lee: Thank you so much, as always Jason, and once again, congratulations on 10 years! Quite a milestone! New album in the spring. Would love to 'come back' if invited. Passingphasemusic.com (main artist page), facebook.com/LeeNegin1 (please join me here. Like the page!). twitter.com/umeboshiroshi (please follow me on Twitter. I will follow back), youtu.be/MsEHYq1WlUM(latest video--please watch all of it... YouTube tracks minutes watched, "like" it (thumbs up) and leave a comment). Lastly, my music is available... both as CD's and MP3 downloads... at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby cdbaby.com/Artist/LeeNegin etc. PLEASE download an album, or a single or two. You are more than willing to pay $5.00 for a cup of coloured hot water (coffee) that costs them .25 cents to make, lasts 10 minutes, and is soon pissed out and forgotten. For $1.00 you can buy a song that might inspire you, cheer you up or console you, or maybe make you dance that you can keep forever and play again and again (that cost me several thousands of dollars to make... no exaggeration). Happy 2016 to all!
Me: Well said, Lee. Talk to you soon!
http://thepeverettphile.blogspot.jp/2016/01/pheaturing-phile-alum-lee-negin.html
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