ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION at 30: Members Talk New Releases ‘Fujieda EP’ & ‘Skins,’ Making Music for a Fractured World, More
Categoria: Musica
Billboard Japan spoke with the band about the making of Fujieda EP, the perspective behind "Skins" & their 30th-anniversary overseas shows.
Por Billboard | 23/05/2026
Japan’s ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION dropped Fujieda EP and new single “Skins” in back-to-back months. Recorded entirely at MUSIC inn Fujieda, a residential recording studio built inside a 130-year-old renovated storehouse, the four-track EP shifts texture from song to song while serving as a showcase for the quality of the Shizuoka facility. “Skins” is the opening theme for the TV anime Dr. STONE: SCIENCE FUTURE Season 3. The song reworks the feeling of an age of wavering values into a common sensibility that can be shared across conflict and division. Billboard Japan spoke with all four members about the making of Fujieda EP , the perspective behind “Skins,” and their enthusiasm heading into their 30th anniversary overseas shows and Ariake Arena concert. Fujieda EP was recorded entirely at MUSIC inn Fujieda. How did this studio come to exist in the first place? Masafumi Gotoh (frontman, guitar): When young musicians are based in Tokyo, especially in the urban center, studio costs can be prohibitively high. Some places are expensive and cramped at the same time, which is a tough situation. I wanted to create a more accessible space where people could really take their time making music, and that’s how MUSIC inn Fujieda came about. We used crowdfunding and a lot of people’s support to get it finished, but once you’re ready to actually run a studio, you need to do some test recordings. So I asked the other members of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION to take on that role this time. What was it like to actually use the studio? Kensuke Kita (guitar, vocals): I’d seen photos of it before, but when I saw the real thing, the first thing that struck me was how thoroughly it had come together as a proper studio, beyond anything I’d imagined. It’s not enormous, but the high ceilings make it feel bigger than it is. Since we did our pre-production at our own studio beforehand, we were able to record the same songs under the same conditions and compare, which was great. The drum sound in particular was fantastic. I was impressed because it was clear they built the space with that sound in mind. The care that went into it really does come through in the audio. Kiyoshi Ijichi (drums): It’s also impressive that a storehouse like this still exists in Fujieda. Renovation must cost more than clearing the land and building from scratch. We once went to RAK Studios in London to record. It’s a place that’s been around for decades, and Europe has that culture of looking after old buildings. In some places, renovation rather than demolition is actually required by law. That’s a wonderful thing, and it gives neighborhoods a cohesive beauty. I’d always envied that. Japan has its share of earthquakes, which sometimes makes rebuilding unavoidable. So something like this is all the more remarkable and it moved me. Takahiro Yamada (bass, vocals): The materials used were wonderful as well — rec