You may know Matt Bennett as Robbie from “Victorious,” a Nickelodeon show he starred in that aired from 2010-2013.  What you may not know is that Matt Bennett is a huge fan of Japan and is in possession of an encyclopaedic knowledge on Japanese music that would easily surpass one of a J-music aficionado brought up in Japan. I meet him for the first time at our office, where he quickly stands up and bows at us, introducing himself in Japanese. While this may be familiar in Japan, you don’t quite expect it from a foreigner, which leaves you at awe of how much he’s absorbed the culture (as well as how eager he is to take up on it) despite the short period he has stayed here for.

Right off the bat, you can tell he’s sweet and friendly with his welcoming smile, and his eyes gleam with curiosity as we walk into the building next door where we’re about to hold the interview, where he excitedly examines the posters and the interior. With his first album “Terminal Cases” coming out on June 10th (purchase here!) (he’s also got a track where he sings just in Japanese, read on to learn more), he’s come to speak with us on his musical influences, how Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s “PONPONPON” opened doors for him to a whole new world of Japanese artists, and his uncontainable love and hopes for living in Japan!

Getting to know Matt Bennett…

Tell us a little bit about yourself to people who are new to you on MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON!

Hi MOSHI MOSHI NIPPON, this is Matt Bennett. I’m an actor based off of Los Angeles California, and I also play music. One of the things I’m here in Japan to do right now is promote this album that I’ve recorded called “Terminal Cases.” It’s a new album that’s coming out, and on one track I sing all in Japanese and I’m very excited to have people in Japan hear it. In my spare time, I play guitar and I study Japanese, those are the two things I’m really passionate about.

If you were to describe yourself in three adjectives what would it be?

If I had to come up with three adjectives to describe myself, I’m pretty adventurous, I’m funny for the most part, some people find me funny, and uh, I like to explore. I’m an explorer.

You’re a huge fan of Japan. How many times have you been in Japan?

This is my third time in Japan. I’ve been here twice before. First time I was here for a week and a half, second time for three weeks. I wanted to stay for three months, but I had to go back because I was working on a movie back in America. So I’m making up for loss time! (laughs) I’m back and having a great time.

When was the first time you came here?

I came here in February of 2012 so it was freezing cold. I stayed in Roppongi which was frightening. Slightly frightening. Everywhere else in Japan is wonderful, but Roppongi is a little bit dangerous.

It is a bit dodgy.

It is! But in Los Angeles, every street’s kind of dodgy, so I felt right at home. (laughs)

Were you mainly in Tokyo for all three times?

For the most part. I spent time briefly in Osaka, Kyoto, I went there for a little bit, but there’s something about Tokyo that just appeals to me. The action’s here. Everybody’s here. It’s wonderful. Every little city or suburbs is just so different, so you can get lost in Harajuku for a day, you can get lost in Ginza for a day. I find that my trip ends quickly every single time! Although I’ve been everywhere, I’m always left with a feeling that I definitely haven’t seen everything in Shimokitazawa, or I haven’t had time to see a specific place yet.

Rewinding back — what got you into Japan?

I always loved Japanese culture, ever since I was a kid. I guess it started with Pokemon. I’m not a huge anime fan, but I started reading books by Japanese authors, like Haruki Murakami, Kobo Abe and Shusaku Endo, and I really started getting into the culture of it. And then I got into the music. The music just blew my mind. Older bands like RC SUCCESSION or BLUE HEARTS or Sadistic Mika Band…

I’m a historian at heart. I’m conscious of what’s going on right now and the times but I like to dig back and find old stuff. Some of the stuff that happened in Japan are more relevant now than when it happened. Some of the noise acts like MERZBOW and Boris, they’re so much more important than anything else going on in the world. I think the music scene here in Japan is vital. And then there’s Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Yasutaka Nakata — whatever he touches, I just think that guy is a genius. So every time I find a new song that’s Japanese, I have to dig in more. I have to find out more about it.

The Kiyoshiro Imawano-fronted RC SUCCESSION

Sadistic Mika Band, that came out in the 70s was the first band that Yukihiro Takahashi, widely known as the drummer for techno-pop-trio YMO, played drums for.

Collaboration of two definitive J-noise acts, “Huge” by Boris x Merzbow

You obviously listen to a variety of different music. How did you feel when you first heard Kyary Pamyu Pamyu?

Finding out about Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was eye-opening. My friend sent me a link to a video. He said “I’m going to this concert tonight” and it was a video to “PONPONPON.”

She was doing a show in a tiny back room, in a maid cafe in Culver City which is far away from anywhere in Los Angeles, and I watched it and I realized that there were things going on outside of America that were interesting and important. And I thought it was the most now thing I had ever seen. It could only exist in 2011. With the internet and everything. It wasn’t necessarily a video that would get played on TV because it’s so out there and so confusing. We don’t have an MTV anymore. So seeing “PONPONPON” and “Tsukema Tsukeru” it made me realize that the world had turned, things were different. In America, we get stuck in the same ideas. We’re recycling the 80s in America. It’s very boring. Or rap songs, they all sound the same. The idea that Yasutaka Nakata does Perfume, Capsule and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. You could always tell that it’s Yasutaka Nakata, but every act sounds so different. It’s fascinating because the more I listen to it, the more I understand this Japanese rhythm. And then I start researching the roots, like how he was influenced by this and that…it’s a whole world to unravel, it’s fascinating.

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Here are his thoughts on traveling…

What sort of traveler are you, do you dig deep to find a specific place of comfort to return to, or would you rather find new things every time?

I travel to different places a lot. I’ve been to Europe, I’ve been to Australia, but as for Japan, I want to live here, I want to work here. I just love coming here. If I have vacation time, I’m more likely to try to fit a vacation to Japan because that way I get to see my friends (at this point he kindly points out at us, *aw*) and I’m starting to get the feeling that I’m learning more. Studying Japanese twice a week helps me. Genki wo morau (it gives me energy) I feel inspired by Japan.

So you’re learning Japanese right now. What is an interesting phrase you’ve learned recently?

So many. Do you want bad ones? I have a lot of slang.

Hakai shimasu (I will destroy this), bakudan (an explosive), yoimasu (I’ll get drunk), kenka uttennoka? (wanna fight?!), onna tarashi (flirt) I want to learn how to flirt in Japanese. Soudesune (hmm)…more recently I learned “yare yare” (give me a break) We say “mengo, mengo” a lot in class. It means gomennasai, but I’ve heard it’s only for old people, it’s like an oyaji gyagu (an old man’s joke).

Yeah, it is.

Oh, also, Onchi, a person who can’t sing. “Horerunayo.”

You could probably use that!

Oh and this one ― “Manabu koto ga sukina dake desu” (I just love to learn.)

Were you ever drawn to any different languages? Or was it specifically Japanese?

My plan is finish learning Japanese, which is not a feat that can be done, you can’t finish learning a language, and then I took French all through high school, and I’ve forgotten every word of it. You have to keep practicing. And there’s no place in Los Angeles where you can practice speaking French. My school in downtown Los Angeles, there’s a little neighbourhood called Little Tokyo, and I’m able to go and there’s ramen and yakitori places, kaiten-zushi, it’s not very good but it’s there. And I get to go and get to practice that way.

You’ve been here three times already, what’s a store you recommend? Perhaps somewhere underground?

Yes. It’s not underground, but I love Disk Union. I’m a big record collector. That’s another thing I love about Japan. You guys are big on importing things. In America, we get stuck in one idea, like America’s the best, America’s so great…we have a lot of records being pressed in America, but very little import. So I come here and find the rarest records for very, very cheap and I buy so many of them. So I just picked up a Cornelius record, I picked up FISHMANS, interesting 90s act. I love digging.

In the states you won’t be able to find any Japanese records?

Very rarely. It’s very unfortunate.

When you’re in LA, how do you get a Japan fix?

The internet. It’s a beautiful thing. If it weren’t for the internet, I wouldn’t be able to find any of this. It was kind of “PONPONPON” that burst open that door. What’s going on over there? What’s happening in Japan? I don’t know, this is so fascinating! The pop scene right now mixes, childish, youthful quality with a hard-pop edge. It blends so seamlessly. It’s very, very good. Nobody else is doing it. South Korea tries, but it’s a little bit too raunchy. American music is a little too raunchy. It’s not fun.

The playfulness.

Right. The old days when it was about female empowerment, Spice Girls and stuff, the good old days of Spice Girls.

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More on Matt’s outlook on Japanese music…

Would you recommend any other artists aside from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu?

Cornelius is a big influence on me. The song I sing in Japanese on “Terminal Cases” called “Bicentennials.” This one is really inspired by Cornelius. I really like RC SUCCESSION. There was a movie I saw, “Bella Donna of Sadness” and that soundtrack for that was an Italian band with a Japanese singer and that was fascinating. Love Midori. Mariko Goto! Wonderful. Jazz meets punk, fronted by a girl. She can really scream and really play the hell out of the guitar. It’s so, so good. I like that, I like MAXIMUM THE HORMONE.

It’s an interesting mix you have!

I can’t stay in one. I pull from all over the place. There’s more! There’s always somebody else I’m discovering.

When did you get into Japanese music?

2011. Yeah, I’d say 2011, 2012. I started really digging through and finding.

What sort of music did you listen to before that?

Mostly older stuff. The pop music scene in America at that point was really about emo or hip-hop. So I would dig back through the old acts. Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Lou Reed from Velvet Underground. I would always just go back to those guys. Do you know a band called Wavves?

Mmhmm.

I listen to him and I thought maybe good stuff is happening. And then I found “PONPONPON.” Good stuff was happening, but just not in America. Things are happening elsewhere. The power of the internet!

In LA, you wouldn’t go look outside for new music, would it just be the internet? Is there a society or a community with similar interests?

I have friends now that go whenever there’s a Japanese rock show, we’ll go to that. There’s a band called Peelander-Z, they’re actually New York-based but they’re from Japan. I saw Guitar Wolf live and you run into the same people in that show. I’m seeing Cornelius in two months, which I’m very excited about. There’s a chiptune community as well. They are also bands that are influenced by Japanese artists like Anamanaguchi who have done shows here in Japan. Meishi Smile is also a chiptune artist.

How many shows do you go to a year?

A lot. If there’s something interesting, I try to go. It’s like a once in a lifetime thing so average three shows a month.

Are you going to anything while you’re here?

I want to so bad. The last time I was here, I was hanging out in Shimokitazawa. There are a lot of venues over there, and I wanted to see Kinoko Teikoku. I don’t know if they’re popular or not here but in America, online, people love them. They’re kind of shoegaze-y and I love that. So I want to see them really band. I wanted to see Yura Yura Teikoku. They’re really good. Every time I go to the record store, I see a new band, from the album cover, I see it. Like Base Ball Bear. This is great! Their album art is phenomenal. Same goes with MAXIMUM THE HORMONE. Their album art is bizarre.

I can tell how you’re attracted to how Japan is so out there.

I think a lot of other places are afraid to put themselves out there. You see the same album covers, someone’s face and it’s all silhouette-y, black and white, or something kind of dramatic. But here, you can be funny, you can be dramatic, you can be sweet, you can be dark and creepy. It always just comes across. It’s so honest. That’s something most places lack. When I come to Japan, everyone seems so honest. And so clean.

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Then I asked him more on his life here in Japan…

What is your typical day in Japan like right now?

Just trying to find all my favorite places, finding new records stores, take meetings, hoping I can meet more and more people. The other thing that’s fun is that Japan doesn’t go to sleep. Everything closes at 2AM in Los Angeles. You can’t go out after that. Some of my best times here were staying out until 6 in the morning, staying out in the streets of Shibuya. You buy a pint of vodka and you share it with strangers. There’s trust. You can leave your door unlocked here, you cannot do that in America. It’s a great escape from Donald Trump, I’m trying to get far, far away from that whole scene.

It’s very frightening.

It’s very, very frightening. The big joke in America is that “If Donald Trump gets elected president I’m moving to Canada.” But for me, “If Donald Trump gets elected, I’m moving here.” Please. Save me.

So what would your life be like if you did live here?

I would love to live in either Shimokitazawa or Harajuku. I think once you get off Takeshita street, it’s very quiet and very peaceful. Great restaurants, great coffee, which is good. I like Omotesando. I would like to find a nice, quiet place in a big city. That’s the coolest thing. You’re not out of the action. That’s my situation in Los Angeles. I have this very tiny place, not too far from Hollywood, but I have a nice little view.

Some peace and quiet.

Right, exactly. I have a view of the highway, so I’m able to say “highway’s backed up right now, I’m not going there right now. I’m staying in the apartment right now.”

Do you like Japanese food?

I love Japanese food.

What would your favorite Japanese food be?

Every time I come here, I have to get kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi). I just love to see it. I can tell it all, like I haven’t tried this yet, I have to try that! Last night I got yakitori, I had nabe, shish kebabs, lettuce covered in meat which we don’t have much in America.

Maybe sanchu?

Yeah, sounds about right. I had yakiniku, ramen obviously is classic.

Is there a restaurant you always come to or a coffee shop you always come to?

Yeah, that’s what’s interesting. I try different things every time. There’s one kaiten-zushi in Shinjuku, I don’t know what the name is, but I know how to get there. So I try to always go there. Ichiran ramen is pretty great, I had “Mr. Farmer” down Omotesando which was great.

Thanks! Can we have a message to your fans in Japan?

I just want to say thank you to everybody I’ve met and everybody I continue to meet, for every single time I come out, for making it the best trip. I just really love it here. I’m having a lot of fun and I hope to see you guys again soon.

And finally, his future prospects…

When you come back to Japan again, what is something you would like to do, something you haven’t done yet, and would like to do?

I want to play a show. Get my guitar and play live. I just love the energy. I’ve been to a couple of shows here. I feel like it would be great to play some music and have some Japanese songs I could sing.

Do you have a specific venue you would like to play in?

I went to go see TEMPURA KIDZ at Loop, I think that was the perfect size. It was respectable, but I don’t have any illusions that I can fill the Budokan just yet, but having Loop would be really cool. Nice, small venue but great respectable crowd.

Can’t wait till we see you at Loop next time!

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