I Wanna Want Freedom - CONFUSE and the “Stupid Life” Era

The following history and interview was originally published in 1989 by Beatmaks Magazine. Beatmaks was a local Hakata, Fukuoka (where Confuse, Gai, Sieg Heil, Lydia Cats, and others were from) music magazine specializing in rock, beat, heavy metal, new wave, and occasionally punk bands, that ran from 1984 to 1990.

The history they have written of the band, while containing some inaccuracies (I’ll put up a more comprehensive history on this site eventually), provides a fascinating glimpse into the band by someone who was perhaps a more casual punk listener than the average readers of General Speech fanzine, but also, was there at the time trying to describe to the best of their ability, a band which truly had no sonic equal.

The interview, while very short, provides an unseen glimpse into the later, and most mysterious and unknown era of the band’s history, as well as a look into the specific ideologies, and vision held by the band which many of us had likely pondered, over our years of interest.

Mad (Nakakura) 1989.08.20 at 徒楽夢

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 CONFUSE - A History by Beatmaks

Confuse formed in December of 1983. In the beginning, they had many songs with themes such as anti-war and anti-nuclear. Their music has an overwhelming energy and noise that the audience experience at their gigs, and they exposed the existence of the Fukuoka punk scene. They can be called “noisecore”. The guitar has intense distortion; the songs have an anarchic structure that totally defies the listener’s expectations, and a high quality strange tension which gives off forcibly persuasive power. In the whirlpool of noise, even the human voice cuts through, but eventually all the sounds melt together, and become a wave of aggressive energy. You might even be able to say that it is like a power cable that is shorting and sparking, or a small explosion from a cathode ray tube that has shattered, it is total proof that their music is punk.

They played with Gai (The Swankys), Gess (Lydia Cats), and No Cut, etc. at live shows such as Control Gig etc. In the spring of ‘84 they released their first cassette tape “Indignation”. In the summer of that year, they released a flexi, and towards the end of the year, joined the omnibus album of Jisatsu Label. Next, in ‘85, they released their first single from their own label, Confuse Records, but in November after the gig in Kyoto, they went on hiatus.

At the end of ‘87, they released a single from Kings World Records with 4 songs taken from a cassette tape, and in July ‘88 they had one song on the omnibus album “NEO” from Portrait Record, but they played almost no shows during this time. In April ‘89, they started playing live again with the original members Isoda (vocal) and Nakakura (guitar), and Keiichiro (Drum), Matsumoto (Bass). They plan to release a CD titled “Old Master” in October from JAP Record, which will include the single, cassette tracks, as well as unpublished tracks (9 songs total). For those who remember when the Japanese rock scene was becoming unsatisfactory and starting to lose focus during the unprecedented band boom, Confuse’s extreme sound approach and political attitude could be a once in a lifetime stimulation. At a live show on August 20th, they played not only original songs, but also covers of Jimi Hendrix and Motorhead. After a 2 and a half year period of inactivity, we interviewed them about what are they doing from now on.

Confuse (L to R Matsumoto - Bass, Dis (Isoda) - Vocals, Mad (Nakakura) - Guitar Live 1989.08.20 at 徒楽夢

Beatmaks: What’s the origin of the name Confuse?

Nakakura: I looked for a word with an image close to words like “chaos” and “disorder”.

Beatmaks: You like that chaotic feeling?

Nakakura: Yes, that’s the image we wanted. You could say it’s like “energy in chaos”.

Beatmaks: But while it’s stimulating and interesting if you destroy the song that much, it seems like Confuse don’t overdo it and lose the arrangement of the song. Where do you draw this line?

Nakakura: Certainly if we overdo it, perhaps it’ll all sound the same to someone listening for the first time, but even though it’s risky, it’s my favorite part (of the music) so if it comes out like this, then that’s fine.

Beatmaks: Do you think that’s “Confuse”?

Nakakura: That’s how we’ve played up until now, but from now on, I’ve been thinking about adding some variety. So we’re starting to play some new songs this year that are different from before.

Beatmaks: Is it becoming pop?

Nakakura: No, not at all, but I think it’s becoming more “music” than before.

Beatmaks: When I saw you on the 20th though, I got the image of a noisy and heavy band.

Nakakura: That’s because I think the noise is absolutely necessary in regards to stimulating one’s ears. When we started the band, that’s what my favorite British bands that I was listening to a lot were like.

Beatmaks: By the way, what was the motive to release a CD now with your old material on it?

Nakakura: We went and recorded some new songs this year at Fuchigami and the producer Mr. K asked us if we wanted to make a CD of our single from 1985. But as I said earlier I think our new songs are different from the songs we made before, so since I didn’t want to put them together, I proposed to release a CD with old songs, including our first tape.

Beatmaks: You’ve restarted the band this year; do you feel any difference to the band or scene from before?

Nakakura: Yes, everything’s changed. Back then there used to be gigs every week, and lots of bands. I don’t really listen to it so I’m not sure, but I feel like “beat punk” which is popular now is played by people who don’t have anything to do with punk.

Beatmaks: Almost all the bands you played with back then either have broken up or changed their musical style. Why do you think Confuse still remains?

Nakakura: It’s fine to keep the same lyrics and sound, for punk or beat. In our case, I think what we want to do matches our sound now, if you listen to our new songs I think you’ll understand we’re not the same as before. Lately, I’m not listening to, nor do I want to play simple hardcore or punk music, but I get stimulation from listening to cool music.

Beatmaks: What are you listening to lately?

Nakakura: Punk like Bad Brains and HR, non-punk like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, and Japanese bands like Sun House and Jacks. (Editor: If you haven’t heard Jacks, they are fantastic - Jacks - Marianne - 1968)

Beatmaks: Those bands are all over 10 years old though, what good points do they have for you?

Nakakura: Jacks, to start, you could say their lyrics aren’t normal but more like a poet’s. Their music is so cool, especially for an early Japanese (rock) band as they’ve been called. They brought the blues to the world of Japanese language but it fits beautifully. Their sound is also great. When I first heard them I thought the vocalist sounded shitty, but it’s sometimes like sobbing, sometimes like very cool, a very intense swell of emotions. Sun House, almost everyone from our area loves them. Led Zeppelin, when I listen to them I admire their composition and recording. Even on their old records, how they separated the reverb is so cool. Jimi Hendrix, doesn’t everybody who plays guitar like him?

Beatmaks: Jimi Hendrix is basically like a blues man.

Nakakura: I like the blues too. During the period where we weren’t active, I was listening to records like Lightnin' Hopkins and Fred McDowell.

Beatmaks: It seems like you’re listening to a lot aside from punk.

Nakakura: Maybe only a small range, but I just want to listen to what I like.

Isoda: I’m listening to 50’s stuff like Jive now. The way the sax is gives it a good feeling.

Beatmaks: By the way, since the CD you’re releasing now is being distributed by a major label, do you think people with no interest in punk might listen to it?

Isoda: Actually people like that come see us live now. It was just punk guys at gigs back then.

Beatmaks: Do you think the band will also change?

Nakakura: Maybe you can see some change in our new songs. I think Japanese rock is just copied from overseas bands. So back then I tried to make cool riffs without copying from anyone as far as I knew, but on the other hand it was also all I was able to do. The new songs are hardcore punk of course, but now with much more self-confidence. So I think it’s a problem if someone listens to this CD and thinks it’s our current sound.

Isoda: I think the sound is getting harder, definitely not weak.

Nakakura: More maniac.

Isoda: It was back then too, but I don’t think our music should be listened to by normal people. I want people who are really angry to listen to it. Someone who’s a little crazy.

Nakakura: Playing a hard sound is already a big premise. From now on I’d like to make something with a strange feeling to it if I’m able to.

Beatmaks: Do you have a specific feeling in mind?

Nakakura: If I had to compare, like a dizzy feeling in your head. It might be easy to create the feeling I have in mind if I use a synthesizer, but not doing it in such a simple way, and figuring it out using guitar, I’d like to make the dizzy feeling in parts of our songs with that kind of guitar. That’s where we’re at now.

Isoda: Anyway, I think if you listen to it you’ll understand.

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