An extraterrestrial zap from South Austinite and Peelander-Z pilot Kengo Hioki (Yellow) always proves interstellar. Alongside Peelanders Pink (Yumi Hioki) and Purple (Akihito Ito) – Green (Ryo Tanaka) moved back to Japan, where Purple currently visits – the Kobe native, painter/muralist, and punk conceptualist pulses quasar positivity.
Austin Chronicle: Where are you sheltering and under what circumstances? Who else is there and how’s that going?
Michael Dickinson: He’s asking how is your home life with you and Yumi during lockdown?
“We are lived by fan’s smiles. No tour is no good for us. It make problem for our mental and economical.”
Kengo Hioki: I (Yellow) did make a lot new designs by computer, and did Zoom talking, radio shows at home. Pink made tasty breads, cakes, and make new item (crochets) for our online shop. It was hard time, but we spent nice time at home!!!
AC: At what point did C-19 shut down operations for you, and what went down with the ship, so to speak, both personally & professionally?
MD: He’s asking when did you decide to cancel the tours? And what tours/big shows were affected by COVID?
KH: We decided to cancel our spring tour (3/31-5/30) middle of March. We were so excited to meet all of our fan in U.S. and Canada. We are lived by fan’s smiles. No tour is no good for us. It make problem for our mental and economical.
AC: As a global culture, people employ music for every purpose imaginable, obviously spanning religion to entertainment and everything in between. What happens to communities like ours when people can no longer access it in person?
MD: What do you think happens when music and entertainment goes away for a city like Austin and others?
KH: Peelander-Z started U.S. tour from 2002. We did over 1,600 shows here. I was not able to imagine this situation, without shows, tour, art shows. Austin made a lot energy from music and entertainment. It is nothing in city now, but we have “Austin Spirit.” It’ll make open a new door with this situation.
AC: Everyone’s had to shift or drastically alter their work situation. What does that look like for you?
MD: What have you been doing to make up for lack of music revenue?
KH: It is very hard to make money by music. I’m a painter, too. I paint every day now, even super hard, but I try to do “paint with my sweet music.”
“It is very hard to make money by music. I’m a painter, too. I paint every day now, even super hard.”
AC: What’s your soundtrack for the apocalypse and what role does music play for you as a fan and scholar of it in times of hardship?
MD: What is your “doomsday” soundtrack?
KH:
Queen “We Are the Champions”!!!!
Let’s sing with me!!!!!!!!!!
“Yes, we’ll keep on fighting, ’til the end”!!!
We know this crazy situation, but stay safe, wash your hands, beat it, watch our awesome sky!!!!!!!!
Thankssss
Peelander-Yellow
Gracias to Chicken Ranch Records El Presidente Michael Dickinson for translation. (“The art piece is this.”) Check out the entire Checking In series.
This article appears in August 28 • 2020.
