If ever positivity was needed, it’s now. The world is seemingly on the verge of imploding, while a never-ending series of cataclysmic events nudge us closer and closer to pandemonium. Fortunately, there are people out there working on putting out good vibes – including Tokyo-based foursome One OK Rock and their formidable frontman Taka Moriuchi.
A naturally positive person, ‘Stand Out Fit In’ – the first single from their new album ‘Eye Of The Storm’ – sees him lead a barrelling anthem for the disenfranchised. He’s understandably excited about unleashing the group’s ninth full-length, which saw them push themselves to try new things.
“You know Bohemian Rhapsody, the movie? It’s huge, right?” he begins, explaining over the phone. “When I started making this album, I had a theme, and it was Queen and musical, and Disney. It’s not only rock’n’roll. Rock’n’roll is a lifestyle for me, not hard music, but universal – that’s why this album is super different. I was just making music, not only rock music.”
Not for the first time, Taka breaks away, hurriedly speaking to his manager in Japanese for clarification: “When he creates music, he wants it to feel positive. He can make better music, and also the lyrics of the songs – everything is positive.”
After moving to the US four years ago, Taka made it his mission to become a positive force for Asian-Americans in particular, encouraging the sharing of cultures and promoting the benefits of a multicultural society.
“It’s still harder to make a breakthrough in the United States for a Japanese person, and Asians,” he explains. “It’s hard because the United States is the United States, so we jump into a different culture, different country, different languages. We have to understand each other, and then after that shake hands, eye to eye, and talk about our countries and cultures.”
“When I first toured in the United States, it was for Warped Tour in about 2014,” he continues. “When I go back to Japan, there are a lot of fans waiting for us, but in the United States, it’s almost nothing. It felt scary, but it was a really good experience for us. We’re still hungry, and we never give up.
“If you’re going out to tour in the United States, it’s like thirty-one places; it’s going to be two months,” he adds. “In Japan, it’s not like that.”
