Once upon a time a boys school in Oxfordshire, England discovered that their name had become famous overseas, not only for the quality of their education, but also for the Japanese rock band that took their name as their own. Abingdon boys school (a.b.s.) is fronted by the great Takanori Nishikawa of TM Revolution fame. Begun in 2005, the group achieved success with a series of popular singles released through Sony Music and their first self-titled album in 2007.
Their latest single, "Kimi no Uta," was released on August 26 and provides the theme song to the anime show "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0." They are releasing a 13 track album in Europe entitled "Teaching Materials" to coincide with a European tour beginning November 3, which will fittingly include a show in England.
On October 22, 2009 Takanori Nishikawa and the members of a.b.s. were kind enough to give an interview to J-Pop World.
Let's start with your single, "Kimi no Uta." The CD features the intro theme to the anime series "Tokyo Magnitude 8.0." Tell us a little about the song.
Nishikawa: Among all the songs released by a.b.s. so far, this single is very straight in melody and we created it in pure feeling.
Its been two years since a.b.s. released their debut album. Can you tell something about what your next album will contain?
Nishikawa: Since we've released our first album almost two years ago, we released 5 singles. In that sense, a second album containing those 5 songs might have an aspect of the "best album" from the last two years. Also, after experiencing live stages both in Japan and overseas, the album will be rich in live feeling and variety.
Nishikawa, last year you received a very interesting new title: Cultural Ambassador of Shiga Prefecture. How big of a surprise was that?
Nishikawa: I'm very much honored to receive the title. I was born there and my family still lives in this prefecture. In that sense, I would like to contribute to this prefecture by doing live stages and so on. Also, it would be good if I could fly and perform in sister cities of Shiga prefecture.
How was Inazuma Rock Festival?
Nishikawa: This was the largest event a.b.s. joined so far in audience gathering. Also it was an outdoor event, so some troubles happened, but we really enjoyed and learned a lot. Hope this will lead to a success for upcoming stages.
Can you talk a little about your philosophy of music making? What is the most important thing to you in creating music?
Toshiyuki Kishi: The most important thing is a message. Of course, lyrics are important, but music including instruments, special effects, and beats are also important essences in expressing messages. We don't need to express it in any words, but we're trying to express our messages in music making.
Probably the most common way for Japanese artists to become better known in North America and Europe is to be associated with an anime series. What about Japanese anime do you think has such international appeal?
Nishikawa: Currently, animation is playing a great role in exporting Japanese pop culture outside Japan. J-Pop has long been facing a great barrier of language in exporting to overseas markets. In that sense, Japanese animation is playing as a vehicle to export Japanese music toward foreign markets. In the future, hope we would send our messages to people outside Japan with our music. We'll try it.
Does the band have any personal favorite anime or manga series? (Other than Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 of course!)
Toshiyuki Kishi: Uchuu Senkan Yamato (Spaceship YAMATO).
Hiroshi Shibasaki: Ashita no Joe (Joe).
SUNAO: Evangelion.
Nishikawa: Gundum series.
What type of things do you enjoy doing for fun and relaxation?
Toshiyuki Kishi: Watching movies.
Hiroshi Shibasaki: Playing guitar.
SUNAO: Watching DVDs.
Nishikawa: Play with dog.
Do you have a final message to all your fans?
Nishikawa: a.b.s. will visit European countries for tour and release album there for the first time. Taking this opportunity, we would like to communicate with fans in each country with our music. If you happen to be close to the venue, please come, visit, and enjoy our show.
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