An Interview with Abort Mastication

Some time before the release of the band’s first album, their drummer, Kyosuke, accepted a small interview with JaME. He talks of the band’s upcoming album, the state of Japan’s metal/grindcore scene and the significance of the name Abort Mastication.


Hello! Thank you for accepting this interview. It is an honour for us.
Kyosuke: Hello, I am Kyosuke, the drummer. It is I who is very happy to be interviewed.

Can you please introduce the group and it’s members to our readers?
Kyosuke: Of course, we are Abort Mastication, a death/grind group. I am Kyosuke, the drummer; the other members are Kazuho on vocals, Tatsurou on guitar and Takanori on bass. We form a band that is particularly unique and personal.

What is the significance of the band’s name, Abort Mastication?
Kyosuke: As the word ‘abortion’ reveals, the band’s name suggests something like someone coming into the world after being broken by surgical instruments. If the fetus appears in an unnatural way, it will be thrown out like commonplace rubbish. Our name symbolizes this horrible reality.

Tell us more about your first solo project.
Kyosuke: One cannot really go as far as saying that it was a solo project. At that time, I was in a band similar to hardcore chaotic, and I looked for people wanting to form a death metal band at the same time. Only when I didn’t find anyone, I was faced with a certain dilemma. Then I thought that I could start one by myself, and I started to compose for what would be the beginning of Abort Mastication.

When was your first grindcore experience?
Kyosuke: As all the members of the band have their own individuality, each has his own history. But as far as I’m concerned, my first grindcore experience was listening to Napalm Death and Brutal Truth, or the first groups of Relapse’s.

How did you decide to create such “direct” music?
Kyosuke: I think it is difficult to say, but I formed this band because I wished to do so. So, instead of wondering whether I was going to be successful or not, the question was rather of knowing if I would make it at all.

When you compose, where do you get your inspirations from?
Kyosuke: In fact, when I am excited or experiencing really unpleasant things, I can get inspiration for a sentence or a riff.

You participated in the Ludwigshafen Death Fest 2007 in Germany, can you please tell us more about this? What was taking part in it like?
Kyosuke: The sponsor for the Ludwigshafen Death Fest 2007 was Revenge Production, but there was a Japanese person on their staff whom I had had contact with for a long time. Eventually, in 2006, this person saw me at a concert in Japan and we had a discussion. After some small talk, he quickly asked if I would like to come to the festival. I was warmly encouraged by the whole Revenge Pro team, and we spent some very happy times together. Of course, I was also strongly impressed by all the present bands’ shows. I have a lot of respect particularly for Abysmal Torment, whom I have known for a long time, and for Human Rejection, with whom I had a nice discussion with at a hotel.

Are you going to participate at any other festivals in Europe?
Kyosuke: I think that for a Japanese band, the chances of being invited to a concert or a festival is very slim. It’s for this reason that I think my experience at the Ludwigshafen Death Fest is really precious. So, if I have another opportunity, I will happily come to Europe again.

You participated in the Tokyo Deathfest 2008. Can you please tell us some more on this subject? Was taking part it in special for you?
Kyosuke: The opportunity that I was given to participate in the Tokyo Deathfest is similar to what I have already mentioned . The sponsors were a small number of brutal death and Japanese grind labels, such as Amputated Vein Rec and Macabre Mementos, who had helped us start work on our demos; we were contacted by them and offered the possibility to play in the 2008 edition of the festival.
As TDF is a festival that consists enormously of important, international brutal death bands, it's very popular with the fans and small Japanese bands. To take part is something that holds a lot of value for us. Moreover, the public that attends is not solely Japanese, but also American and European. I think that this festival is really important.

Tell us about your first album.
Kyosuke: The first album will be published in Japan by the label Bloodbath Record on the 16th of August. It is called Orgs, a name that has several meanings intertwined in complex ways and which is difficult to explain in a few words. Its ties with the music and the general concept are numerous. I don’t want to elaborate too much on the subject, but I don’t restrict myself to an ordinary expression of individual brutality: it allows the soul to appear, the emotions, and it is sometimes abstract and more real. As this explanation might get very long, I will cut it short (sorry!).

You have recovered the title Scid that was previously used by a Mexican band, Disgorge. What does this music represent to you?
Kyosuke: I just had the intention of showing my purest respect in doing a recovery of Disgorge. We have great esteem for these artists, and they influenced us considerably.

You recorded a split album with the popular Japanese band, Patisserie. How did you meet each other? Who came up with the idea of the split?
Kyosuke: For a long time I have had a friendly relationship with Patisserie; besides, we had already played together. I learned that Patisserie had made splits before with bands such as Disco Al Pacino and Zillion, so I suggested to them that they should do the same with us. They kindly took our suggestion, and we recorded together.
On the subject of a split album, I think that the directions to follow in the large universe that is underground metal are numerous, and this time I wanted to release a simple mini-album. But it is in discussion with Patisserie that we finally had an idea of making a split. I think that it is a good way to attract more fans while pleasing both our audiences.

What is the situation of metal/grindcore in Japan?
Kyosuke: I think that there are very good artists in Japan. Our activities are mainly situated in Tokyo, but I know that there are a lot of good bands all over the country. In fact, there are still many small groups, but I think that the scene is really going to develop soon. These bands have little scope in terms of world impact, but I think that they have something typically Japanese, an originality that they must develop more widely in the world.

There are a lot of talented bands in Japan, but only a small minority become popular in the West. According to you, what is the reason for this?
Kyosuke: Like I have said before, Japanese bands are not exporting completely abroad. I have the impression that it is difficult for these musicians to get past the current state of things, that is to say - to go to work to meet the need of their families, then rehearse and give concerts on the weekend. Japan is an island, so one can’t do anything without taking a plane. The Internet finally solved the problem of how to attract foreign fans, and it saves time and money. So, I think that it is easier to keep a certain distance from the West rather than going there. I think that in the same way, foreigners can have this perception towards Japan.

Why have you chosen the genre grindcore? Is it a means of expressing your feelings? Of asserting yourself?
Kyosuke: Our sound consists of a grindcore base, but one cannot say that it absolutely stops there. First, we started by doing death metal. Then, as we tried to express the emptying of feelings in several ways, one can say that we merged grindcore and death metal.

Do you have any anecdotes about your previous bands or former lives?
Kyosuke: I personally have dealt with bands of different genres and played with different people. So I have been able to experiment with extremely different kinds of music.

I will now ask you some more personal questions. What bands have influenced you in a big way?
Kyosuke: Honestly, I cannot give you names. For a long time, I tried to express honestly what I felt, I tried to avoid things like “do what the other bands are doing,” so much so that I can not list anyone.

Today, what is your favourite band?
Kyosuke: I don’t have a number one band. Everyone that I respect is part of my favourites.

What was the last CD that you bought?
Kyosuke: I haven’t bought a lot of CDs lately, but I got the new album by Hate Eternal.

What do you do for leisure and what is your favourite dish?
Kyosuke: As I really like the drums, I would say playing ethnic instruments. Otherwise, I also like to listen to avant-garde music and free jazz. Concerning food, I am typically Japanese, I like Japanese food.

What is your biggest flaw?
Kyosuke: My flaw…the same mediocrity as everyone else.

What Japanese bands do you suggest for someone who has just become interested in this genre?
Kyosuke: I would be satisfied if someone becomes interested in Japanese music after reading this interview. As the bands that I can recommend are as numerous as the number of stars in the sky, I will just suggest taking a look at our Myspace page, and from there get ideas by using the different links.

What bands do you want to play with, live or in the studio?
Kyosuke: If possible, I would like to play live with numerous good bands without distinction. I would like to bring back the importance of collaborations.

What are you most proud of today?
Kyosuke: Of doing something that people all over the world support us for.

To finish, do you have a message for your fans?
Kyosuke: Thank you for reading this interview all the way through. I don’t know if I have fans everywhere in the world, but if you show us your support, we will do all we can to continue. We will meet one day at one of our concerts. Thank you!

Thank you again for this interview.