// Interview
Defektro
All ideas come from the same place inside of me, and just the way of expression is different
Defektro
Achell
Defektro Noise Army has become such a big part of your work. How did it start, and what does DNA mean to you today?
Hiro
I was born in the countryside of Japan. When I was a child, I didn't like music because music I could hear were classical music from school and pop music from television and those are not my cup of tea. But I really loved sound like cicada chirping and sound of a waterfall. When I was in high school I got a cassette tape of hardcore punk that was multiple dubbed and the sound was like cicada! So I started digging the genre as well as a hardcore band. Then I bumped into noise music. I never thought of it exists, and I started making noise. Defektro has been one of my main activities and so ongoing.
Achell
When you build a noise setup, what usually comes first for you—the sound you want, the machine, or the physical interaction with the setup?
Hiro
Quite many times the sound first. Sometimes equipment brings me ideas. When I got the LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) I figured out the setup based on it. And some times visual first. For example I wanted use fire on stage so made a flame thrower. In this case the most important thing was that it works well and safely. Then I tried to find the sound with it.
Achell
Your use of metal as a noise source has become quite iconic. What attracts you to metal, and what can you get from it that you can’t get from more conventional instruments or electronics?
Hiro
I am trying to get the sound that the essence of both acoustic and electronic are mixed. Then I chose metal as it is suitable for the industrial aspect. Also I just love it as a material. The tough and rugged feel. And simply I love the sound of it as well.
Achell
How much do you actually plan your live sets? Do you have a fixed structure, or do you prefer to discover the sound while performing?
Hiro
It is pretty structured and I usually do rehearsals beforehand.
Achell
You’ve made some seriously strange and interesting installations. Where do these ideas usually come from, and how do you decide when an idea should become an installation rather than a pedal or instrument?
Hiro
I think basically all ideas come from the same place inside of me, and just the way of expression is different... I choose the format of showing that is suitable for an idea.
Achell
For the upcoming ASEAN tour, what kind of setup are you bringing with you? Will you be adapting the rig to travel, or are you somehow bringing the whole monster along?
Hiro
It is going to be my smallest set ever which I have wanted for a long time, especially for a tour. Although I am struggling to build it.
Achell
I’ve been following Lastgasp Art Laboratories for quite a while, but there still seems to be a lot of mystery around it. Is there something about Lastgasp Art Laboratories’s history or working process that you rarely get asked about?
Hiro
Haha, that might simply be because of low exposure. Ah actually Lastgasp Art Laboratories was formed at the shed in an industrial area in Kanagawa, Japan. We were located in Shinagawa, Tokyo when our first pedal was released.
Achell
How did the idea for the MNP2 first appear? What were you trying to achieve with it before it became an actual Lastgasp Art Laboratories product?
Hiro
Hiro: The MNP2 is a mass-produced version of the MNP https://lalweb.com/gallery/galleryA02/pages/mnp1-e.htm
This is a one-of-a-kind piece made for me. The concept is to generate multiple sounds with a single unit, requiring various physical actions rather than simply operating knobs and switches.
Achell
Lastgasp Art Laboratories pedals often feel like they’re somewhere between a musical instrument, an art object, and a piece of experimental hardware. How do you approach building them—do you think about functionality first, or let the concept and aesthetics lead the way?
Hiro
Priorities vary depending on the model. Sometimes the concept takes precedence, and sometimes functionality takes precedence. In either case, aesthetics is involved, and the key is to strike the right balance between all of them.
Achell
You’ve got Defektro Noise Army, Lastgasp Art Laboratories pedals, installations, and various art projects all happening around you. How do these different sides of your work influence each other, and what keeps you wanting to make the next weird thing?
Hiro
I think usually a wide variety of activities stimulate one another and lead to even greater levels. It can bring people interest, surprise and persuasiveness. Then it becomes a story, people enjoy it and it stays in their memory... maybe.
I am always interested in creating something that hasn't existed before. I am not trying to make weird things intentionally but I wanted to be a mad scientist so it makes me do that.
// Gallery
