USGKZ Interview Chapter5. Join the SK8NIKS

▶ Did SK8NIKS also form during your time at the music school?

USGKZ: After LARGE400 had already started, there was an event at the music school where we formed bands just for that day. For some reason, I ended up on drums.

▶ That was quite sudden.

USGKZ: Yeah, I was asked to play drums even though I had never done it before. So, I practiced really hard for about a month and managed to get the hang of it. Then I thought, "I don't want to waste all this practice time," so I started a band where I played drums. Instead of starting from scratch to find new members, I looked at the band recruitment corner in Doll magazine and saw that SK8NIKS was looking for a drummer. I called them up and joined as a drummer.

▶ So, you joined an existing band, SK8NIKS.

USGKZ: Yes, but before I joined, they had only done one or two shows. They were just getting started.

▶ So, LARGE400 and SK8NIKS started around the same time?

USGKZ: Yeah, I think there was only a 2 to 3-month difference.

▶ While Floppy ass was influenced by OAC, IdolPunch, and Hashdum, and LARGE400 aimed for something between Fruity and IdolPunch, what was the sound that SK8NIKS aimed for?

USGKZ: It was US hardcore, like Bad Brains and Minor Threat. The vocalist of Floppy ass was knowledgeable about US hardcore, and he introduced us to that kind of music. I was blown away the first time I heard Bad Brains. I couldn't believe such music existed.

▶ I remember reading an interview with SK8NIKS in Doll magazine back in the day. It said that three of the members liked US hardcore, but the bassist was the only one who liked UK hardcore.

USGKZ: Yeah, that was our playful idea. It's not like the bassist's style was strictly UK, but it had a vibe more like UK punk. So, we thought, "Let's say he only listens to UK hardcore" (laughs).

▶ Sounds like a wrestling gimmick (laughs). Was the bassist actually not into UK hardcore?

USGKZ: Not at all. I think he only knew about Discharge.

▶ Wow, I was completely fooled by that setup. Initially, SK8NIKS had you on drums, then you switched to guitar, then the lineup changed again…

USGKZ: We became a 4-piece band, then I wanted to quit playing drums.

▶ Did you just not want to play anymore (laughs)?

USGKZ: Yeah, it was exhausting (laughs). Stringed instruments are what I'm best at. You know, the thing you're best at will always make you look cooler.

▶ So, you're the bassist in SK8NIKS now?

USGKZ: That's right.

▶ For a while, there was a period when you played guitar after a guitarist left.

USGKZ: Yeah, when the guitarist left and a drummer joined the band, I played guitar for a bit.

▶ I remember seeing SK8NIKS at a live house in Namba at that time. The bassist was a woman from Hard Core Dude.

USGKZ: Oh yeah, that's right. She is 703. We had 703 as a support bassist. We found a new bass player after that, and I think I was on guitar for the split release with Scottish Fold. Then the bassist left, I switched back to bass, and later James from the band Terrible Joke joined as a guitarist.

▶ James is from abroad, right?

USGKZ: Yeah, he's from Ecuador, grew up there, and he's an American. He lives in Japan.

▶ And recently, another guitarist joined?

USGKZ: Yeah, around July 2018, we became a 5-member band, but recently, for some inexplicable reason, he said, "I'm quitting," and we were like, "What's going on with that guy?" (laughs). So now we're back to being a 4-piece.

▶ So, is the idea for SK8NIKS to have two guitars most of the time?

USGKZ: That would be nice if we could. But if we can't find one, it's fine with four members as well.

▶ Are all the members into skateboarding?

USGKZ: Well, I used to skateboard, but not anymore. The members who liked skateboarding have all quit (laughs).

▶ (laughs) Originally, it was a group of skateboard enthusiasts, right?

USGKZ: But you know, the person who named the band was Hissan, the vocalist, who didn't skate at all.

▶ Really? Isn't the person on this album cover (yellow jacket) the vocalist? (Referring to the "Compact Disk" album)

USGKZ: No, no, no, not at all. Hissan liked skate-rock and had a fascination with skateboarding.

▶ So, does the vocalist not skateboard?

USGKZ: No, he doesn't. When I was skateboarding, I jokingly suggested, "You should try skateboarding too." He immediately rejected the idea, saying, "Nah, I'll pass" (laughs).

▶ This is quite a revelation; I was thoroughly deceived by that story (laughs). So, it's not a guiding principle for the band to be able to skateboard, is it?

USGKZ: Not at all. Our songs aren't fast, they're not short, and they have a hard rock vibe.

▶ The cassette you released this year (2018) is really great.

USGKZ: Yeah, I think the best decision I made was to quit playing drums. Having Katayama playing drums is crucial. I really like his drumming.

▶ The vocal style of the vocalist has changed quite a bit over time, hasn't it?

USGKZ: In the past, the lyrics and style were a bit vague. I was listening to GAUZE, and the vocalist had the loudest voice, and that really resonated with me. So, I asked SK8NIKS to switch to all Japanese lyrics, and that's how we got the current style.

▶ You released a new cassette recently. The fourth track, "Step on bad dream," is really good. Has this song been released before?

USGKZ: Thank you! The tracks that had been previously released were the second one, "解き放たれたリズム" (Unleashed Rhythm), which was included in a compilation. "Step on bad dream" was created with the idea of something like Dead Kennedys or No Means No with Biafra. I said, let's make it in that kind of vibe, and I uploaded it to Bandcamp just to try it out. Not too long ago, when we played a show with a band from Canada, they told me, "Your bass sounds like No Means No, it's cool!" I was really happy to hear that! (laughs)