Grindcore is often seen as a genre that values intensity over precision, yet your playing is highly technical and exact. What drove you to develop such proficiency in a style that is often considered raw and chaotic?
When I first started playing grindcore, I focused on creating unique and distinctive songs. I didn’t feel the need to do Napalm Death’s or Carcass’s style, and I also wanted to take a different approach than Terrorizer. I used my guitar to express destruction and anger, blending traditional metal style with blast beats.
To make it work, I needed accurate picking technique, so I kept up daily repetition and practice. I still do. That’s what led to my level of mastery.
Your songs are very short, yet they weave in influences from traditional heavy metal, post-hardcore, black metal, and beyond. How do you bring these styles together in your playing , is it a deliberate effort, or something that comes naturally?
I’m always aware that I’m a grindcore guitarist. I put my own style onto the grindcore tradition I loved—that’s why the songs are short. Traditional metal is undeniably my roots, so I don’t hide it; I put it directly into the songs to give them expression.
I don’t take direct influence from black metal, but since I often add single-note tremolo-picking phrases to boost the intensity of the main riff, I understand why people describe it as black metal.
Across your projects, your songwriting is known for short, tightly composed tracks with almost no repetition, yet they always feel complete. How do you approach writing in this way, and what does your process look like?
Each band has something different it wants to express, so naturally the variety comes out. For me, the most important thing is the members I create with. I always keep their individuality and talent in mind when I share songs. Since my writing method is the same across projects, I feel I can maintain my own identity.
Both Longhena and Coronet Juniper are concise albums, but they take listeners on vivid emotional journeys. What was your vision when writing those records?
Gridlink always started with Jon’s images, and I wrote songs that fit that vision. Balancing artistry and ferocity was my theme within Gridlink. Even if I wrote riffs that might not sound like grindcore on their own, I trusted that once Bryan played drums, it would inevitably become grindcore.
You recently released Perfect Amber, which feels like a reimagining of Amber Gray and Orphan with the clarity and power they always hinted at. What inspired you to revisit those works, and do you feel this closes the chapter on Gridlink?
It started from curiosity—what would happen if I played those songs now, as the guitarist I am today? I also wanted to enjoy playing with Mauro and Rory again.
And yes, Gridlink is finished. It was a good journey.
Many listeners see Coronet Juniper as a kind of “final frontier” for grindcore, a point where the genre’s possibilities felt fully explored. Do you agree, or do you think there are still new directions grindcore can take?
I agree, and I’m proud of that. From here, I want to search for new forms of grindcore with bands made up of Japanese members. Grindcore has become more recognized compared to the past, and I know there are many bands out there. I hope more bands appear that work seriously to create unique, high-quality music.
With Barren Path, you’ve reunited the final Gridlink lineup (minus Jon Chang). How did the project come together, and do you see it as a continuation of Gridlink or something entirely new? Your new single, “The Insufferable Weight,” hints at a more death/grind approach, should we expect this to define the album, or is it an outlier?
Barren Path is a new band.
I wanted to create something that felt like a return to origins, similar to what Gridlink did, but since that band was finished , I asked Bryan if he wanted to make an album. He agreed, and then Mauro and Rorik also joined in. Mitch had contributed to my solo album, and since I loved his lyrics and vocal style, I asked him to join, and he agreed.
I wanted to make grindcore with anger as the theme, and the death metal style fit that perfectly. Unlike Gridlink, this album intentionally has less variation between songs. I just wanted to express pure anger. If you liked “The Insufferable Weight”, I think you’ll enjoy the album too.
You’ve been creating intense, uncompromising music for over 20 years, despite health challenges along the way. What keeps your passion alive, and what do you see for your musical future?
I don’t even know why I can’t quit music. But my way of making music is very stressful. I’m older now, and I don’t think I can continue forever. I think about retirement every day. But before I know it, I always find myself holding a guitar, trying to write songs.
Your riffs are often described as both violent and beautiful. Do you consciously think about melody when writing, or does it emerge naturally from the speed and aggression?
I don’t think about it at all. This is just who I am.
Japan has produced some truly unique grindcore and extreme music. How do you feel the Japanese scene shaped your approach compared to what’s happening globally?
I was a huge fan of pioneers like S.O.B., Gibbed, Multiplex, Satanic Hell Slaughter, and Swarrrm.
I was also heavily influenced by bands from my own generation like Brob, 324, Absurd God, Rise Above, GBN, Motiveless, Black Ganion, and Completed Exposition.
Beyond that, I don’t know much, I’ve focused more on pursuing my own music.
If you could collaborate outside of grindcore, with an artist from another genre entirely, who would it be and why?
DJ Krush.
I’m a fan.
What are your biggest influences outside of music?
Cats.
Karate.
Kickboxing
Any final words you’d like to share with listeners?
Stay Serious.
