HITT is a multi-instrumentalist solo artist who basically forms a one-man-band because of this. Starting his musical career as a bassist in a full band made HITT realize that while fun, this style wasn’t for him. HITT is nothing short of a performer, and his attempt to be a one-man-band isn’t just entertaining in it’s own way, it also works for him. He has a very cheerful, high energy personality which he has created his stage performance around. This high energy makes his show entertaining to watch even if you’re not really interested in his music.
But, we’re here for an interview today aren’t we? Before his show at P60 I managed to sit down with HITT and ask him some questions about the European tour, but also about himself as a musician…
So, without further ado…
Let’s start!
To start off the interview, can you please introduce yourself so the readers know who you are?
HITT: You can call me HITT, I’m a multi-instrumentalist solo singer. I play the piano, bass and the castanet. I don’t play the guitar however…
Those are quite some instruments! Was it hard to master so many of them at once? And do you prefer one instrument over the other?
HITT: To be honest, I’m bad at everything. So I have no clue what I’m really doing. I just do something. I’m primarily a vocalist, so I see all of the instruments I use as a way to support my voice, since my voice is a musical instrument as well. I want to be very good at this instrument, so I put a lot of effort in my voice. As for my favorite one… The most fun one is “living”.
Isn’t it very difficult to perform on your own though? Since you’re not only singing, you’re also playing the instruments by yourself?
HITT: Today is actually the second time I’m here in the P60 venue. I came here two years ago as a bassist for another band. When I arrived today I recognized this venue and it made me really happy. When I came here as a member of the band I was merely one member, so I had the room to ask for help from the other members. But today I’m here all by myself, so everything I do is my own responsibility. It’s still great fun though!
Also, I’m very proud of myself that I have never had to cancel a single one of my performances. But speaking of responsibility and the ability to ask for help from another musician… I actually fell down the stairs earlier today and landed on my foot. So it really hurts… This won’t stop me though, don’t worry!
You’ve said that you really want everyone in the audience to look at you when you’re on stage. Have you always been this way, or has that desire evolved over time?
HITT: It’s something genetic, the whole “drawing attention to myself”-thing. I have been this way since I was born. I love getting attention, and when I was little I grew into adulthood pretty fast by using hair gel and makeup at a young age because I thought it was fun. The many instruments I play are the support for my voice to be able to create new things, which in turn means that I get attention for these new things again. The more fun I have, the more attention I get.
Besides a creative concept with the one-man-band thing, you also have some creative outfits. What is an important factor for you during the design phase of these?
HITT: There are two very important things when I design my outfits: one is “being yourself”. Like, when I make something I consider “would I feel comfortable in this if I have to wear it daily?”, and if I feel good about myself as I’m wearing it. The second one is “being sexy in a costume”. If I am sexy, I will draw attention to myself again and that gives me the motivation to continue. For instance, I made a costume for “Kakkotsuke Man” (which means “self-loving person” in Japanese) by combining something really cool with something really uncool and made myself prettier with it. During the creation process I decided that if I wave the scarf that comes with the outfit in an exaggerated way to get myself to think like the character. My first idea was to make something that was silver, but it ended up as something that was pretty much naked!
Fun fact: the outfit for “Kakkotsuke Man” was actually created from trash! This is the “uncool” part HITT referred to in his answer.
Moving away from the stage for a moment, since you’re not in there 24/7, what do you like to do in your free time?
HITT: It’s actually a secret, but… I like to do nothing when I am alone. Sometimes I go to the beach to just stare into the distance while I’m there. I get a lot of stress from my daily life, so this is a good way for me to relax.
If your career as a musician ever starts to bore you, or worse, fails entirely, what would you do for a living instead?
HITT: Be a god. I’m good at reading people’s feelings. When I’m on stage doing my show I look at the audience to see if they’re having fun or not. If they are, this in turn motivates me as well and I can continue to put down a good show.
And as a final question… Do you have a parting message for everyone who’s reading the interview today?
HITT: Yes! I do! Please come to my shows, because the only way you can experience a HITT-concert is to see one as it happens, live!
Extra information
Like HITT already said, the concept of his one-man-band is very difficult to put into words, if you really want to have the full experience I would recommend you to visit one of his shows and see the result for yourself. Because even if you’re not a fan of his style of music, his stage performance -despite just being one man- is very entertaining and engaging!
We also took photos of his performance at P60 (Amstelveen, The Netherlands). You can find these photos on our photography portfolio, Arlequin Photography, by clicking the image below!
雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years she is still the main person who does interviews the interviews and live photos that you see on Arlequin, but also a large chunk of the reviews and behind-the-scenes work and communication goes through her.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.