Riuichy Sakamoto of Yellow Magic Orchestra and David Sylvian of Japan set for a chat at the invitation of Rock Show magazine the day after Japan's Budokan concert this February. As far as circumstances permitted (Sakamoto's voice is barely audible at the best of times) here is most or what was said:

R: How did you feel about yesterday's concert?

D: In comparison with the last three it was good, but I don't like playing halls that size. I think they're too big to create a really strong atmosphere... were you pleased with the way the album turned out (YMO had just finished recording their new LP)? R: mmm. the title is "BGM" (background music), and it's quite different from all the things we've done sî far. We've tried for a more jagged sort of sound this time.

D: That sounds like a contradiction.

R: Yeah, the only thing is, whatever sound you achieve, in Tokyo the net result is going to be background music. Not that upsets me or anything...

D: You didn't actually work towards it then, it was Just like a working title, but the whole Idea wasn't to make..

R: If we had gone out to make an album of background music it would have been a much more controlled sort of thing. which we avoided, and did the absolute opposite.... by the way, all three of us in YMO really like 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids', and think it's the best Japan LP so far. How do you feel about it yourself?

D: I don't think it's the best thing we've done. For me now it's very tense to listen to. It was a very hard album to make, because there was e lot of strain in the studio making it. Feeling between members of the band wasn't too good, because I was putting limitations on then, because I was after a certain sound. I've never done that before. I've never really been that strict about what they should and shouldn't play. It caused a lot of problems in the studio, not Just with the band but with the producer John Punter. I was getting involved in the production side of it as well, so it was a very difficult album to make in all, and looking back on it I find it very hard to listen to, I'm pleased with the end result, what's there, but I find it a bit too tense to sit and listen to.

R: It's the tension in the music that I really like.

D: I must admit I like It in other people's work as well, it's Just very difficult to listen to it when it's your own.

R: I know what you mean. I was asking 'B-2 Unit" at about the same time, and I have the same reaction to that now.

D: I find that too. It's a very tense album to listen to.

R: After that album we did the tour, and especially after that was finished I found myself increasingly unable to listen to it any more. My own ideas about music had changed somewhat too, and the next album I make I want to make a bit more accessible, something that people can communicate with more.