DAITA × BINECKS

Five years have passed since SIAM SHADE broke up. It is finally the right time for the lonely warrior DAITA to form a new band... Its name: BINECKS. After SIAM SHADE's break-up, DAITA succeeded in starting a solid solo career and he has grown in both spirit, technique and fitness through releasing remarkably artistic and high-quality solo albums. He is now recognized as one of the top class guitarists that represent Japan. And now another side of DAITA is revealed, as the total producer, composer and arranger of a band. He must bring out the best in the melodies and compositions. DAITA composes all of the songs and writes lyrics for most of the songs himself. He compares the musicality that is brought forth by combining these two great aspects, namely instrumentals and songs, with the necks of guitars, hence: BINECKS.

For the vocalist he has appointed KEITA. DAITA heard of KEITA's music through a third party and was certain that he was a talented vocalist with great hidden potential. Contrary to his stylish and emotional singing voice, in his warm-hearted, charming expressiveness you can catch glimpses of naivety and rough edges. Especially the quality of his voice is wonderful. During the show, it got more color as the songs went on. He sent the audience deep vibrations and firmly grasped their hearts.

Distorted Minds --- The sudden quintuple time gives you an unusual premonition and makes you realize the wide range of the band itself. KEITA's groove made the venue go crazy. It merged with DAITA's drop D tuned Dean HardTail's sound, and in an instant an inimitable space overflowing with originality was created.

Shout of our soul --- DAITA used a Dean V for this song. The down-picking of the backing embodies what supremely cool hard rock is all about. DAITA sang backing vocals during the song, and the way they entwined with KEITA's singing made you feel the depth and wholeness of the composition itself.

Original Beat --- Here we have the perfect solo. Its relation with the lyrics and melody, the timing and phrases when the solo begins, and the tone of the guitar are in a completely different league. It is so great that, thinking of the structure of the whole song, the solo is indispensable. The quality of KEITA's voice also felt absolutely charming, and the whole audience was swept up in the mood of exaltation.

La.Venus --- A song not on the album. It is fantastic — makes you look forward to their second album... A flawless song.

Flash Love --- Here the venue completely became one. At this moment KEITA completely caught the hearts of the audience. It was also the moment when the vocalist, who was still an unknown quantity, became an artist. During the intro, the silhouette of the two standing back to back surely gave all the fans confidence to place their dreams on this band. It was the most emblematic scene of this concert.

Belief --- An awesome song. That is the only word that can describe it. There's nothing bad to say about anything — lyrics, melody or arrangement. Here is DAITA's way of life, the things he wants to show the world with BINECKS. During the chorus, the duet between KEITA's vocals and DAITA's guitar was truly a thing to see. It's exceptional. First, you have got to check out Sacred Vision!!

Q: I heard that before your debut you sang and played guitar in a band for about three years. What kind of a band was it?
【KEITA】 It consisted of me (guitar & vocals) and another guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. It was a four-piece band with twin guitars. As a matter of fact, all the members lived in the same area and had known each other before kindergarten. During the first year of junior high school, when I started playing the guitar, one of my classmates said: “I'll get a guitar too”, and one said: “Then I'll buy I bass”, the members appeared with impeccable timing. (laughs) There also happened to be someone who bought a drum-set, so we automatically got together and decided to start a band. We started as a cover band, as is usual, but when we started we didn't have a vocalist. So we were copying bands that had twin guitars and having sessions playing just the backing. (laughs) After a while I started singing of my own accord. That was also when we started making original songs. I think that the band that we copied had a big influence, but I naturally made songs with a twin guitar ensemble in mind. Basically it was me playing the lead guitar and I played the solos also. At that time we were already thinking: “Let's become pros and get big!” (wry smile) Back then I liked pop and catchy songs, so I tried to write songs that had catchy melodies that would stick in your head. After coming to Tōkyō and performing at live houses, I also started to focus on how they would sound and feel when played live. I feel that I was going in the direction of twin guitar hard rock, instead of pop.

Q: How did you feel, coming to Tōkyō together with those childhood friends?
【KEITA】 I thought that surely after we came to Tōkyō we would become famous and debut right away! (laughs) I think that back then I really only thought positive things. I felt that I would definitely become a pro after a few hardships. Of course it didn't take long for me to realize the harsh reality. (wry smile)

Q: What did you gain from devoting the passion of youth to those three years?
【KEITA】 I did gain a lot of things, but I think that I gained more as a human rather than musical things. It includes the joys and troubles I experienced with the members, but what was my biggest fortune was meeting with many different people.

Q: And then there was the fateful meeting. Were you excited to become the vocalist of the new band of a guitar hero that represents Japan? How did you feel?
【KEITA】 To tell you the truth, I didn't have any excess excitement at all. Maybe I'm an optimist at bottom. (wry smile) From way back I have had the faith that if you do your best with something, you will surely succeed. I have always felt that I must believe in my own potential. I also felt that if you try as hard as possible and still won't succeed, well you'll just deal with it when it happens! (laughs) "Tomorrow is another day”, like they say. I feel that if I said that, DAITA would scold me by calling me naive! (wry smile) But as this tour was a stage that would greatly affect my life as a musician, I did feel really nervous.

Q: And that nervousness would be at max at beginning of the show on the first day of the tour at Nagoya?
【KEITA】 No, I was surprisingly calm at that time. The peak of my nervousness came the day before. Because of that tension, I couldn't sleep much, and I might have been relaxed because of that; because my head felt so muzzy. (wry smile)

Q: I would expect that the audience was focusing on one point at the beginning of the first shows at Nagoya, Ōsaka and Tōkyō, to see what kind of a person was chosen as the vocalist?...
【KEITA】 I don't know... It's not like I had the time to carefully check the expressions of the audience when I came on stage. (laughs) But there was a moment when they were reacting to my actions and I thought: “I'm being watched!”

Q: Now, looking back at the live shows, were there any moments that left an impression on your mind?
【KEITA】 The moment when everyone in the audience raised their arms remains burned into my mind as clear as a photograph. I remember it at each three different venues.

Q: Any assignments for the next concerts? Is there anything we should look forward to?
【KEITA】 At any rate, I'm full of points to improve. (wry smile) My current homework is to level up all points of my performnce: singing and actions. Look forward to a more grown up me in the next show. (laughs) By the way, there is a chance that I will play guitar in some songs! So that is another assignment. (wry smile) Look forward to it!!