Name: Kawabata Makoto
Occupation: Guitarist, composer, improviser, producer
Nationality: Japanese
Current release: Kawabata Makoto is joined by Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, The Stooges), Scotty Irving (Clang Quartet) and Benjy Johnson (Grammy-nominated producer) for the Spirit of Hamlet album Northwest Of Hamuretto. It is out now via Broken Sound Tapes.

[Read our Scotty Irving interview]
[Read our Mike Watt interview]
[Read our Benjy Johnson interview]

If you enjoyed these thoughts by Kawabata Makoto and would like to know more about his work and music, visit the website of his band Acid Mothers Temple. Or head over to his personal Instagram account. We also recommend our earlier Kawabata Makoto interview for a deeper look into his thoughts.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?
 
I have always heard music / sounds from my cosmos. I want to be a good radio receiver for people who need this music / these sounds.

That’s why music is totally not self-expression. Any trace of my personality in the music would hinder me to play this music / these sounds.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

When I play / record my music, the music always teaches me what I should do.

It’s really simple. so I don’t need to think anything. All I do is just “listen to the music / sounds from my cosmos.”

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?
 
Nothing. Because the music always teaches me what I should do.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?
 
Nothing. I don’t need any preparation for playing becaus I’m ready to play anytime.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?
 
It was really easy. As I mentioned, the music always teaches me what I should do.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?
 
Just always music teaches me what I should do.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?
 
I just “listen to music / sounds from my cosmos. Always, the music teaches me what I should do …

Anyway, this is not “strict control“ for me.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?
 
No, because I just try to listen music / sounds from my cosmos. And always, music teaches me what I should do.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?
 
No, music is just music. Music is totally not self-expression. The music that I play doesn’t require me to add any of my personality.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Music teaches me everything. If I listen “music/sounds from my cosmos”, I can understand the finish point naturally, too.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practice?
 
If I can play and reproduce “music / sounds from my cosmos” 100%, it’s perfect. If it's not enough, I have to do better next time.
 
What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

It depends case by case. This time, I just played my parts. That was my role for this project.

If I need to do everything, I can do that, too.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?
 
I believe music must be shared with the people who need it. So, the music is mine until the moment I play it. After I've played or released it, the music becomes everyone’s property. It is no longer mine anymore.

Playing music is just a part of process of my life. It is not the goal in itself. So I don’t need to feel any emptiness or anything like that.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?
 
I believe playing music is one of task for my life. That’s why I can hear music/sounds from my cosmos always. If this music / these sounds from my cosmos will stop one day, I will stop to play music.

By the way I have never had a single great cup of coffee in the USA! Ha!