SAND interview

Sand was formed in 1999, originally without any specific goals, just for hanging out with friends and jamming songs.
In 2003, the band released their 1st album “24-7”. Since then the band has passed through a couple of lineup changes and solidified its lineup.

SAND 2014

In May 2010, they were offered to play New York’s hardcore festival Black N Blue Bowl (formerly known as Superbowl Of Hardcore), went on US mini-tour including dates in PA and MD, that resulted in selling out all the merchandise they brought.
In August 2010, they presented Skarhead Japan Tour as well as presenting the tour’s last date “Freestyle Outro’7” with over 3,300 attendees.

Our boy Skam Dust hooked up a quick interview with them:

Skam Dust (THE WILD STYLES): What’s up Makoto, thanks for doing this interview with us here at The WildStyles, we love your band, it’s an intelligent & yet very aggressive band you have behind you. I seen U play Webster Hall in NYC & everyone was taken back by the power of your band it was just incredible.
First question I have for you is are you guys planning to come back to NYC?
Makoto (SAND): Doing great, thanks. We got east coast tour coming up in this August. For New York State, we’re going to play in Syracuse, it looks far away from NYC though.

Sand & Skam Dust in NYC

That’s great news! It’s amazing that your band has broken through to the United States, that tells me great music travels anywhere despite the language barriers. I’m real happy for You guys . Can You tell us what other bands will be on this tour?
Thanks! Next Step Up and Lifeless will be on most of the dates as follows:
8/7 Thu Baltimore, MD w/ Next Step Up, Lifeless
8/8 Fri Phoenixville, PA @ Polish Club w/ Next Step Up, Lifeless
8/9 Sat Syracuse, NY w/ Next Step Up, Lifeless and many more
8/10 Sun Boston, MA w/ Next Step Up, Lifeless
8/11-13 Days Off
8/14 Thu TBA, MI w/ Ante Up
8/15 Fri Columbus, OH or West Virginia w/ Heavyweight(ex.One Life Crew)
8/16 Sat Cleveland, OH w/ Heavyweight
8/17 Sun Altoona, PA w/ Next Step Up

We also have a Japan tour coming up with: NASTY(from EU), CLOSER, FACECARZ & SLAPDOWN.
These are the dates:
9/20 Suzuka @ Answer
9/21 Kawasaki @ Club Citta (BloodAxe Festival w/ Morning Again, Backtrack, Heaven Shall Burn & more.)
9/22 Numazu @ Tuters
9/24 Fukuoka @ Graf
9/25 Kochi @ Caravan Sary
9/27 Osaka @ Club Joule

Sand Live @ BNB Bowl

That’s a good tour with some prime spots, I will be at 2 or 3 of these shows with many of my friends, we are all excited. Your band is made up of all-stars with a good understanding of both hardcore & metal influences, but has Rap / HipHop been an influence to you or your band?
Glad to hear that, thanks for the support! I don’t understand metal that much, but I used to listen to Pantera a lot so the music may have influenced us for sure. In the city I’m hanging out, there’s various cultures and people who play music around me and rap/hip hop scene here too. There are some rappers that grown up in ghetto area here and doing their best and getting signed with major labels without selling out since where they were in poor neighborhood. There’s so much things in their attitude and lifestyle I agree with. For example, I love an attitude that no matter how much they had hard times and they have struggled in the past, they don’t show that to others, and are acting as if those past weren’t big deal and keeping climbing. Rappers I like have that attitude. Also they tend to choose words more specific rather than abstract. In terms of that, I guess Sand was influenced by rap music. Also your raw Skam Dust videos on Youtube have influenced me!

I remember asking a Japanese man at a bar about the difference between Tokyo & Osaka, he said Osaka people are more joyous & funny.
How is living in Osaka?
Tokyo is the most populated city in Japan. Osaka is next one. People often compare those 2 cities, but Tokyo has way more people and school and jobs, so it’s flooded with people in public transportation like trains and on the streets too.

Some scientist said on somewhere that once human gets too close to another, the human would feel irritated. Maybe people in Tokyo are cold-hearted to other people because of that… it’s just stereotype thing though.

Osaka is city of comedy. There’s biggest comedy company running school and venues based in Osaka, so local people are familiar with comedy since years ago. So popular comedians appearing on tv are mostly from Osaka. People have that comedy impression to Osaka and also have that cold-hearted image to Tokyo because of the over population, so maybe that’s why the Japanese man at a bar told you so.

Generally speaking, that’s the way those cities are, but after all there’s assholes in both cities and also good friends I can trust in both cities too.

Any last word?
Thanks Skam for providing me this opportunity. Unlike images of Japan which people in other countries have such as “anime, motor vehicle, temple, humble good people, comfortable country Japan”, there are poor neighborhood that it’s hard to live in, also there sure is a bunch of harsh world of gangster, yakuza, drugs and violence in Japan like any other countries. I describe that there are Japanese people living in such a world as well as my experience and make lyrics, so SAND is a band from very much special environment. We may be different than images of Japanese people which people in other countries have, but I sing only facts, if you’re interested in what I sing about, I would like you to get our recordings. In the end, it’s just music, so of course I would like you all to listen to music itself, come hang out at shows and enjoy yourself though haha!

More info on SAND here: http://sandjapan.com/
Purchase their music here: iTunes.

SAND w/ SKIDONEDMS & CUZ JOE BNB