2011-2012 Jihen Releases & Tour Discussion

[Nimh]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

I think a lot of us here like artists that evolve over time, but the good ones rarely say "oh I used to act like a moron and sing songs I didn't agree with." even for artists that have changed for the better over time.

It could just be modesty. I know if I were she, I'd spend a few nights out of the year, when the kid's asleep, looking at old videos and listening to old tunes and being proud of it. Then again, like a lot of artists, she may honestly think her best work is ahead of her. I like the attitude of an artist who says "The next one," when somebody asks what his or her best movie/book/album/whatever is.

Here's another "drip" of the interview (love you, Scribble R) where she talks about her moods and plans at present. It wasn't easy to translate smoothly into English so I did an edit job on the raw translation so it reads smoothly, but I won't argue if someone points out I've missed an important bit or got something totally wrong.

"私たちのこの社会のおける娯楽、J-POPっていうものの役割が今、この２０１１年の日本において震災がなかったとしたらこういう存在、震災があったとしたらこういう存在になるっていう概念があると思うんですけど、私はずーっとポップスをなんでやらしていただくのかっていうことを考える時に、いつもこの世の終わりだと思って書くべきだと思っていて。この世の終わりにみんながその終わりを見ながらすることって歌うことぐらいだろうと思って。そこで私がうたってるのを聴いてもらう装置なんてきっとないから、それを歌ってもらう記憶っていうものを作らなきゃいけないって思ってきたんだけど。もちろん一生懸命その部度書いているから、『スポーツ』の時だって苦しかったし、いつも苦しかったけど、実際に起きるとは思ってなかったのかもしれないということを恥じますよね、まず。実際に起こると思ってなかったのかもしれない私ぬるかったっていうところがありますよね。いま、それがリアルになってしまったら本当にできるかなあと思ったら怖くなりますよね、やっぱりこれまで作ったものがそういう時に使っていただけるものになっているかどうか考えますよね。"

"The duty of something like JPOP now, is to have a concept of the earthquake as something that either happened or didn't happen, and for some time I've been thinking about why we do pops, and I've been feeling obligated to think and write about the end of the world. If we're seeing the end of the world, we should be singing about it. I certainly do not have the equipment for that so I've been wondering what I should write, maybe songs of remembrance. Every time I work hard writing, I feel ashamed that I didn't think of what was really happening at the time of SPORTS, which was always very difficult. I didn't think of what was really happening, and I was tepid (lenient). Now, when I wonder if I'm able to be realistic, I get scared. I wonder if the things we've made up to now are good things or not."

[teattum]

Would an earhquake make a great artist in angst?

That's understandable, and I mean it.

[clakaz]

Originally Posted by Scribble R

I personally think it's impossible to do a psychoanalysis of SR using a few drips of translated interview.

Yep.

Originally Posted by Nimh

"私たちのこの社会のおける娯楽、J-POPっていうものの役割が今、この２０１１年の日本において震災がなかったとしたらこういう存在、震災があったとしたらこういう存在になるっていう概念があると思うんですけど、私はずーっとポップスをなんでやらしていただくのかっていうことを考える時に、いつもこの世の終わりだと思って書くべきだと思っていて。この世の終わりにみんながその終わりを見ながらすることって歌うことぐらいだろうと思って。そこで私がうたってるのを聴いてもらう装置なんてきっとないから、それを歌ってもらう記憶っていうものを作らなきゃいけないって思ってきたんだけど。もちろん一生懸命その部度書いているから、『スポーツ』の時だって苦しかったし、いつも苦しかったけど、実際に起きるとは思ってなかったのかもしれないということを恥じますよね、まず。実際に起こると思ってなかったのかもしれない私ぬるかったっていうところがありますよね。いま、それがリアルになってしまったら本当にできるかなあと思ったら怖くなりますよね、やっぱりこれまで作ったものがそういう時に使っていただけるものになっているかどうか考えますよね。"

Thank you, Nimh, and hope you don't mind me doing an alternative translation. Her speach is really difficult and complex.
Some of my interpretations are speculative in some degree, be warned.

I think there is this notion that, inside this entertainment field in society, the role of the so called J-pop, could be like "this" or like "that" if the earthquake hadn't ocurred or not. What I always think when I ask myself why we de pop music is that I should write always like if this was the end of the world. While we watch the world ending, singing is something that we could do at least. It wouldn't have around any gadget to hear my singing, so I should construct the memory of this song to make people able to sing (my interpetation: like making songs good enough that can be remembered and sung). Off course, since I've been written with this in mind, putting all efforts, I t was hard at the time of "Sports", it's always been hard, but when you think that maybe you haven't really thought that it would really occur (the disaster, the end of the world), you feel ashamed. Like I was too naive to think that it actually could happen. Now that it became real, thinking if I can do this or not (making songs for this times) I get scared and, for once, I get myself wondering if the music that I've been making until now can be of use or not.

[TurtleFu]

Another thing to add: Hasn't your tastes changed? I used to listen to idol pop music. I hate myself in the past for that. Maybe that's how Shiina feels. Because her tastes have changed, she doesn't like the music she used to make.

[Tokyo Jihad]

I bet you'll still like that music, Turtle. You'll grow out of the "I'm too cool for that" stage.

For instance, I was a huge Spice Girl fan back when they were popular and I was in 5th/6th grade. Had all their albums and singles, excepting that last one because "Holler" didn't do anything for me. Or maybe I had just moved on. By the time that last album came out, I had already progressed down that modern musical road which would eventually lead me to now, listening to pretentious beyond pretentious stuff like The Dirty Projectors. (Mother of God.)
I never "hated myself" for liking the Spice Girls, I guess I always held a special place for them, but I tended to leave them off my musical tastes resume. True, I probably haven't listened to their albums since 7th grade (Mother of God.) But when they come up on the hits of the 90's satellite radio station, I turn it up; or if I'm trying to annoy, embarrass my girlfriend I can recall all the words to most of their songs.

Basically, "hating" (in any form) your self in the past is generally a bad idea. Unless you got mixed up in crime or drugs, things are easy to move on, but it's still good to pack that stuff with you and keep it. It made you who you are. Hence why it's just as upsetting to hear Shiina Ringo say that kind of crap.

[kuro_neko]

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

I bet you'll still like that music, Turtle. You'll grow out of the "I'm too cool for that" stage.

For instance, I was a huge Spice Girl fan back when they were popular and I was in 5th/6th grade. Had all their albums and singles, excepting that last one because "Holler" didn't do anything for me. Or maybe I had just moved on. By the time that last album came out, I had already progressed down that modern musical road which would eventually lead me to now, listening to pretentious beyond pretentious stuff like The Dirty Projectors. (Mother of God.)
I never "hated myself" for liking the Spice Girls, I guess I always held a special place for them, but I tended to leave them off my musical tastes resume. True, I probably haven't listened to their albums since 7th grade (Mother of God.) But when they come up on the hits of the 90's satellite radio station, I turn it up; or if I'm trying to annoy, embarrass my girlfriend I can recall all the words to most of their songs.

Basically, "hating" (in any form) your self in the past is generally a bad idea. Unless you got mixed up in crime or drugs, things are easy to move on, but it's still good to pack that stuff with you and keep it. It made you who you are. Hence why it's just as upsetting to hear Shiina Ringo say that kind of crap.

I think I'm in love with you.

Leave it to the Spice Girls...

I pretty much am the same with most music. My iPod on shuffle is a real sight to behold, sometimes my friends are just like WTF is wrong with you.

Liking a song doesn't necessarily mean you need to concede it was the best song ever written. I can go out to a club and drink and have a grand old time singing along to all that shit music. I can also sit at home and brood to Akira Yamaoka OSTs. Or I can pump up MM or KZK and remember high school.

Ringo lived it so it is a bit different, but it makes me sad she has such regret for a time in her life that really created her as an icon. There would be no Ringo or Jihen today if she hadn't done all that, and that in itself shows its merit.

all artists reach a stage where they start to fight against irrelevancy. ringo is there, and rather than break out the greatest hits, she continues to try and break the mold, which I respect...but she doesn't need to create the opposite of what she created previously in order to do that.

[Nimh]

Originally Posted by clakaz

I think there is this notion that, inside this entertainment field in society, the role of the so called J-pop, could be like "this" or like "that" if the earthquake hadn't ocurred or not. What I always think when I ask myself why we de pop music is that I should write always like if this was the end of the world. While we watch the world ending, singing is something that we could do at least. It wouldn't have around any gadget to hear my singing, so I should construct the memory of this song to make people able to sing (my interpetation: like making songs good enough that can be remembered and sung). Off course, since I've been written with this in mind, putting all efforts, I t was hard at the time of "Sports", it's always been hard, but when you think that maybe you haven't really thought that it would really occur (the disaster, the end of the world), you feel ashamed. Like I was too naive to think that it actually could happen. Now that it became real, thinking if I can do this or not (making songs for this times) I get scared and, for once, I get myself wondering if the music that I've been making until now can be of use or not.

Thanks clakaz, that's awesome. The bolded part was the hardest.

[W3iHong]

Yes, Jihad, I agree. I never regret what I have done because it was wanted I wanted to do once and it also made what I have become today. I still have my old love for roadrunner united and slipknot =D

[s3r3nity]

I think hearing her say that kind of stuff is just sort of a kick in the face, because it makes it seem like she doesn't take her past work very seriously, while I know I sure as hell still do.
I guess it's a selfish reason for me to want to accept her past...I don't mind if she doesn't make music like that anymore, but it's hard to hear that music that I love and find very deep and identifiable...isn't really cherished by the artist. It's one thing when someone on the forum doesn't like a song I like, but if the artist seems to think it's regrettable...oy vey. I shouldn't let this affect me so much.
I might be taking this too far though. I think as long as she still uses the same creativity that we all know that she's capable of, where her energy and motivation comes from doesn't matter.
Also her thoughts on the earthquakes, etc makes me wonder if she'll be working with darker subject matter, or if she'll focus on being more uplifting. I'd be curious to hear some dark, depressing music from her now...

[BlueApple]

Wait. Did she ever say "I don't like the music I made"? or was it more so "I don't like the person I was"? because I'm not getting this "I hate my old music" vibe that everyone else seems to be getting....