Wish You Were Here... Yuki Tsuji
Originally from Osaka, Yuki Tsuji is best known as the guitarist in London-based Japanese rock band Bo Ningen. When not watching movies at home in Hackney, Yuki can be found travelling the world with a guitar in one hand and a film camera in the other. Here, he takes us with him to Istanbul, Iceland, Berlin and beyond…
Where were you on this trip and what were you doing there?
LA, Paris, Malta, Tokyo, Berlin, Istanbul. I was there playing shows, recording music and hanging out.
How would you sum up what you do in a sentence?
I play, sometimes nibble, and swing a guitar in a music group.
Where are you originally from and where do you live now?
I’m from near Osaka, Japan and I live in Hackney, London.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A manga author and filmmaker. I used to draw a lot when I was small. I can’t draw a thing now for some reason.
What do you do when you’re not making music?
I usually watch films, read books, take photographs and get drunk with friends.
Describe your style to us.
I’m not sure if I even have a style to be fair, but I like to wear what I like to wear. It’s similar to making music; don’t listen to anyone. Oh, I wear red a lot, it’s simply because the colour fits me well and is something I’m most comfortable in.
Who do you most admire?
My parents.
Do you have any pet peeves?
Not really, I’m usually very mellow.
What's the last dream that you can remember having?
I’m in Paris and everyone I know there starts telling me they’re getting married.
If you could do anything without fear of repercussion, what would you do?
Cut my hair.
If you could ask anyone a question, who would you ask, and what?
I would ask the first person who ate octopus what made them want to eat octopus.
What’s the best place you’ve ever visited for a show?
Castelbuono in Sicily. Istanbul was amazing too.
What’s something you can’t live without?
Sunlight.
Favourite thing to eat?
Ramen, but it has to be authentic. Elixir of life.
“I’m not sure if I even have a style to be fair, but I like to wear what I like to wear. It’s similar to making music; don’t listen to anyone.”
Least favourite thing to eat?
Green peas. I don’t even understand why they exist.
What was your first job?
Dishwasher at my local restaurant when I was 15 or 16.
Who is the funniest person you know?
Mon Chan, the drummer from my band. He’s the weirdest human being I’ve ever met.
Do you have a favourite musician?
Many, but if I stick to guitarists, I respect people who keep challenging the instrument and asking what a guitar can do. Derek Bailey, Fred Frith, Marc Ribot, Loren Connors, Higuchi Hisato etc. Also I’ve been listening to The Caretaker a lot these days. Haunting.
Who would play you in the movie of your life?
Myself.
Favourite quote?
“The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche.
Yuki's holiday playlist:
Raw Silk Uncut Wood by Laurel Halo
Being It by Arthur Russell
Impromptu in G flat Op. 90 No.3 by Franz Schubert
Pusher by Joanne Robertson & Dean Blunt
Boring Angel by Oneohtrix Point Never