words & Interview. megalauman & s. Asmaraman
photo. myspace.com/tokyomusic & megalauman
Goose is an animal that is always associated with the smell of innovation, Rebirth, and re-creation. Starting from the legend that the ugly duckling transformed into a beautiful swan beautiful lake, even animals swan is a symbol of the royal castle Ludwig II of Bavaria (known as the Swan King), Goose is a synonym of beauty and aesthetic. All this gives reason to all the mysterious creatures contained in the latest TOKYO E.P cover. This is the latest innovation and ideas from the indie-pop band America with their latest EP.Robert Smith (one of the personnel MAE) began writing songs with his brother Felix and Josiah Schlater around the year 2004. They invited their old friend Aaron Lachman and TOKYO band was born. For the past three years running, TOKYO gingerly built, destroyed, and rebuilt with every song that has made since their initial atmospheric creating a unique atmosphere and rhythmic pop sound that was so rhytmic. They also gained a reputation as a band with an energetic live performances, other than that they have successfully produced a demo. TOKYO start enter the recording studio with their best five songs, in the year 2008 March 14 TOKYO began issuing five-song EP is in the form titled "Swan King" produced and recorded independently in their home in Virginia to them. "Swan King" is now available at iTunes (U.S., Australia / NZ, Canada, UK / EUROPE, Japan) and at other stores like Rhapsody, Napster, Amazon MP3 and Lala. Recently, Tokyo has signed an agreement with Heaven Records from Bandung, Indonesia.James Robert Smith, or more familiarly known by Robert Smith is the frontman of the band origin TOKYO Virginia, United States. He deliberately came to Indonesia by using his own pocket money for some promo TOKYO from album entitled "Swan King". While in the city of Bandung, Robert (friendly greeting him) to do some performances in places like Oh La La café in his show OZ pub on the Water, Paramuda Radio (live interview), a gig at the high school ninth anniversary of Bandung, and his last show in Twank café. When Robert did his show at the High School Nine, Me with my friend (s.asmaraman) get the opportunity to conduct exclusive interviews with James Robert Smith from TOKYO Band, we refer to the following excerpt of our interview. (Thanks to Dado and Panji (Heaven Records) for the opportunity this interview)
What do you think about the show?
I was kind of nervous, but it was fun.
You got nervous, really?
Yeah, I must admit it
Tell me one word about Bandung!
Motorcycle. It's everywhere!
It happened that you just finished touring with MAE, right?
Yeah, I played keys for them.
So, the question is, are you really able to write songs on road, I mean on tour? Are you that kind of musician?
Oh, yea, I see. The fact is that it's very hard when it comes to times, it's very busy on tour, but yeah whenever I had a free time then I'd have my guitar or piano, I'm always writing. I have a recorder like that (sambil menunjuk recorder yang dijadikan alat perekam interview) and I have songs, billion songs in it that are ready to go, ready to be worked in, you know.
By using the full-stickered acoustic guitar you used just now? Do you bring it everywhere you go?
Yea, that guitar. I actually play piano, you know. But I also like to play acoustic, so I use guitar, it's easier. The fact is that you can't really carry a piano around (laugh)
The songs that you just played, were those Tokyo's?
Yea, there were two songs that I played today that are Tokyo's. The other songs were just like solo.
Maybe that's why some of them songs you had played sounded really folky, I really liked it.
Haha, yea. They're kind a folk.
But Tokyo?
No, Tokyo is not folk, at all. Which is cool, because when I perform solo, I like to take the original Tokyo's songs and turn them, make them sound different, give it an acoustic-vibe or folk-vibe.
So, why don't you just try it out?
What?
Playing solo?
Oh. (laugh). Yea, yea.
Like Matt Costa or some else.
(laugh). I could, I could do it. I mean, I could do a tour like that, doing solo. It's my first time here I'm doing solo, I wish I had the whole band, it had been a real fun, though.
So, where are they at now?
They're in America (states), they're home. The reason why I’m here is that, you know, I was on a tour with Mae, it had been about two months, really long tour.
Where had you been before Indonesia?
We were all over the America, and then we came to Philippines, Manila. We played show with Katie Perry. Until I found out, maybe two weeks before the show in Philippines, until when I found another thought, "hey, I should just go to Indonesia and play some shows and hangout." and I was like, "let's do it!"
So, I'm here because we (Mae) went to the Philippines. (laughs)
The distance is so close. And I had an opportunity, err, Panji.
So, Panji (Heaven Records) is the reason?
(laughs). Yeah.
Do the other guys notice that you are here now?
Yea, they do. They're jealous.
We caught your show last night and there you played “Island in the Sun”, Weezer’s song. Are they one of your essential influence in playing and making music?
I, umm, I like Weezer, I think Weezer, they're an old band. I listened a lot to bands like Weezer, MXPX, lots of pop-punk.
Weezer, I still like Weezer. I never do not like Weezer. It's so easy to play, anyone can sing along.
Okay, back to Tokyo again, can you tell about the history of Tokyo? About how you guys ended up with the name Tokyo?
Well, when we first started the band we weren't sure what to call the band, so we kind a picked the map of the world, picked a dart, threw it and it landed on Tokyo.
Was that it?
That's it! (laugh) pretty crazy.
But of course there's a time I mean when we, umm, the name Tokyo is kind of a name that, uh... I don't really, I don't regret, but there's a lot of Tokyo bands. Like, you know, Tokyo police club, then we've got Tokyo hotel, Tokyo road. They're kind a hard to differentiate the Tokyo bands. I think, let's just the music speak for itself. songs that we have will define the name and make it who we are.
So, when you get back to the states, what will you tell about the country? Something that will make them look forward to be here.
Oh, yea, umm, I don't know, maybe, umm. It's a hard question, I'll tell them about the people here, Sundanese food.
Rain, do you love rain?
Ah, well it also rains a lot in Virginia. I mean, it used to rain. (laugh)
Yea, maybe because Virginia is for lovers and Bandung is too. (laughs). Last words?
Umm, can I just say, uh, "KUMAHA, DAMANG?" (Apakah Baik-baik saja?)
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