Interview: Encroached
by Rafael Karasu (rafael@karasukiller.com)
01.05.07

ENCROACHED
Straight out of Tokyo, Encroached really represents all the force of the city’s hardcore scene! Music with personality, shouting that goes directly inside your head, their sound is fast, with howling vocals, very intense, and typical of Japanese hardcore. Let’s find out more about the band on this interview with vocalist Shingo Maeda.

1 - Why Encroached?
No particular reasons. If there must be a reason, we had to have a name to perform our music. The word, encroached, means "infringed," "invaded," or "lost" etc…
For some reason, I came up with a name that could be said in one word in the passive or in the past form.

2- Tell us who is the band now, previous bands, and how was Encroached formed.
It was back in June of 2003. Kanehara, our 1st bassist and the owner of SKINNY DIP RECORDS, brought it up to me, Maeda. Then, we started looking for members. After several changes in the members, we are what we are now. I, personally, used to be a guitarist of a band named FOODCHAIN, which had released original material in the 90s.

3 - Explain us how the scene is in Tokyo. Does the band always play there?
It's a bit hard to explain since the city is too huge. However, roughly, there are city bands that play mainly in the 23 wards of Tokyo, which is more urban area, and there are suburb bands. We, I guess, belong to the latter.

4 – The band released a demo cd-r before the Shoot the Icons 7”. Tell us how the distribution for this demo was.
We sold the CD-Rs only at the concert venues. Then we quit it since the 7-inch record was released.

5 - Why is it called “Shoot the icons”?
In society as a whole, or in smaller groups such as any scene, people have a tendency to set someone up as a leader and they obey the way s/he thinks. I named it with a message, "I don't want it that way!". It's like "NO GOD," or "NO MASTER," or something like that.

6 – Tell us about the artwork. Who made it?
That is a work done by K5, who owns EARTH BEAT PROJECT.

7 – Shoot The Icons was released in the USA by Shock To The System. How is the distribution there?
The label owner, DAN BAKER, knows me through trading records with TOOCIRCLE RECORDS and distributing our records in the USA. One day, I sent CD-Rs of ENCROACHED with other records for trading. Then, he liked it and offered me a release from his label. That's how we got to cooperate on that project.

8 – Encroached’s sound reminds me of Swedish bands. What are the band’s influences?
A lot of them have had influence on our music, and I think each of us had different taste. However, I would say, mainly, BORN AGAINST, NO SECURITY, ANTI CIMEX, INTENSITY, SLEEPER CELL, POISON IDEA, BLACK FLAG, BROTHER INFERIOR, SEEIN' RED, and so on. I think we are influenced by hard hardcore of the 80-90s in general.

9 – Does everybody in the band have a job, or can you make a living out of your music? How’s life in Japan, for the band to adjust to working and playing?
We have a member who is between jobs, but almost everyone in the band has a decent Monday thru Friday job. It costs a lot to play underground music in Japan, and we have to make a living. It is reasonable for me to make money from work and spare time for the band.

10 – What’s the difference between Encroached now and then?
Nothing has changed basically. I think, after all these live performances, we are getting better at playing it with more enthusiasm.

11 – I think the two new songs are very good, when are they going to be released?
One of the songs will be included in a compilation CD from EARTH BEAT PROJECT and will be released next year.

12 - Now, what are the future plans of ENCROACHED?
We are scheduled to perform live almost every weekend till the end of December '06, but I want to do it less next year to write new songs. We are planning a tour to the Kansai area of Japan with IT'S YOU and KOLA in April. By then, we will have a record of those 3 bands released from TOO CIRCLE RECORDS.

13 – Shingo, you organize events in Tokyo. How is that? Which are the main difficulties and what are the most satisfactory events you have promoted?
I have organized many events, but none of them was recognized by me as a "failure." I am happy with what I did every time! You get more satisfaction as you do it more.

14 - Which bands from Tokyo do you think deserves some attention?
That is a hard question to answer. That would be well-known bands like GAUZE or FORWARD, but I would like to say GROANING GROOVE, RINTO, and KOLA.
They are doing pretty good, planning events actively. I hope young people, like in their early 20s, will come up more. Among them, THE SCRIBLLER is doing good, also.

15 – The band will play in a festival in December, organized by Brazilians. What do you expect playing for an audience which will be mostly Brazilian?
We are not familiar with the bands that will perform with us, except for NOMARES, and this is the first time for us to play in HAMAMATSU. However, it sets us on fire, playing an "away game."

16 – What do you think of Brazil and Brazilian bands?
I do know that Brazil has had good bands since the early period of the history of punk rock. My pick from recent bands would be NO VIOLENCE and I SHOT CYRUS. Oh, I can't leave out D.F.C.!

17 – Is there any possibility of the band ever coming to Brazil?
Of course, I would love to have an opportunity to play in Brazil.

18 - What do you have to say to the bands in Brazil, a country where a lot of people like Japanese Hardcore?
I hope they have chances to come and play in Japan. There should be something that I can do to support them!

Ok, now tell me about the songs in Shoot The Icons.

SIDE A

1) SHOOT THE ICONS - That's about shooting an idol that's been set up.

2) ENCROACHED - That was inspired by the word, ENCROACHED. I wrote that song, wondering
whether all we can do against the unfortunate incidents like tsunamis is resign ourselves to our fate.

3) CHANGELESS CYCLE – In Everyday life you want just out of stability which is in fact a road to self-destruction. That's what the song says.
SIDE B

1) WHO'S NEXT LEADER? - Although leaders of society switch every time, it has never gotten any better.

2) SURFACE RELATION – This one sends a message that I don't want friends only bonded by
superficial relationship, no matter how many they may be!

3) MOVE IN THE CAGE - In this song, I wonder if we only have freedom in restrictions.

4) CHANGE YOUR SIGHT - This one is about the fact that your own point of view and values
are not necessarily right.

Shingo Maeda is Encroached’s vocalist, and owns Too Circle Records, through which he has already released D.F.C. in Japan, on a split 7” with Fido’s Brunch.

Videos:
Encroached - Greed Rules - www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsc4tQjBLZM

Encroached - Changeless Cycle - www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Oxd_rNLeWs

Encroached - Look at Tomorrow - www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSMnBiAnzo4

Encroached - Move in the Cage - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAsEfUuCnfI

Contacts:
www.myspace.com/encroachedtokyo
sound.jp/encroached/

Shingo Maeda
c/o Hi-home Kodaira 510
221-3 Nakamachi Kodaira-city
Tokyo #187-0042
JAPAN
www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/toocircle/
Email: toocir@xd5.so-net.ne.jp
TEL: 090-3519-4982

Junpei Nobusaka
E-mail: jmpinbsk@yahoo.co.jp
TEL:090-8042-7025