Go Back   Electric Mole Forums > Shiina Ringo & Tokyo Jihen > Main Forum
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Main Forum The place for general discussion. Old news and speculation, polls, trivia, memorabilia, favorite songs, and so on.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 2009.06.30, 11:13 PM   #1
Scribble R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,392
Scribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they areScribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they are
Question Translated Interviews?

For all the speculation and analysis of SR's music (Which is warranted), I'm surprised that there aren't more translations available (Well, apart from the fact that it's time consuming). Especially in the recent splurge of Sanmon Gossip promotion, I would have thought Ringo would have talked about her music with Phase 2, as well as where she plans to go from here on.

Also, it's a thing of mine to learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of ANY piece of entertainment I really enjoy. Plus, Ringo (And Phase 2, deluded or not) seem to have substantial things to say.

There must be more floating around the net somewhere? I'll post the one that D.K Liu translated, and if there are any more, it'd be cool =)

VARIETY interview

New album interview: "Entertainment"

Shiina, Izawa, Ukigumo, Hata

V1.00 - 16/06/2008 translated from Chinese (D.K.Liu)
V1.01 - 17/06/2008 spelling/grammar correction (D.K.Liu)
(source: http://blog.pixnet.net/emijpop/post/9274393)

Int
In your solo career and the past Tokyo Jihen, there was always notes and explanations for the listeners, but the section appears to be scrapped this time round, it seems to invite people purely into the music.

Shiina
Regarding this album, I was just like a special guest attending the band's activities, but the band members didn't really serve me carefully as they might for a real guest (laugh). I didn't want them be that way anyway. This kind of setup is quite nice, and at one time I seriously considered continuing with this model. In this album, everyone provided music and lyrics, and I went through a project not focusing entirely on creating the written space, perhaps I would be able to do this more comfortably in the future.

Inteviewer
As you said, this time it was as if your were guest, and unlike in the past the members began rehearsing when you were promoting your solo work, right?


Shiina
New work can be made, regardless of who's rehearsing. But rather than listening to others explaining the contents, if you don't personally go to the rehearsals, you'll still be concerned. And after I actually went, I found the rhythm/progress to a bit slow, thinking "what is this"? But I was involved in the song selection stage. Each song was written by others, so it felt good, and there was an expectant mood.

Inteviewer
Let's talk about the song selection phase.

Shiina
Just those that were already recorded, a lot of them did not have lyrics. As I listened, I thought that it would be good if the contents could be made to invoked a wave-like feeling, so I made the suggestion a few times.

Inteviewer
What you mean by "wave-like" is?

Shiina
Because there's a marked contrast in the styles, even if we only placed the tone/sound of the same 5 people, we thought the whole work would create a sense of large variation, and each songs themselves are stacked with smaller variations that will make for a richer content, I personally also wanted to hear this kind of album.

Inteviewer
During the recording stage, which song did you begin with?

Shiina
Metro was the first we produced. Don't know why but it had a all-members-acting-as-one kind of vibe, and a feeling that represented character of this albums.

Inteviewer
By character, do you mean the title of album "Entertainment(Variety)"?

Shiina
Although the title wasn't decided at the time, when we entered the recording studio, there was a sense that we were heading in a new direction.

Hata
Also, the form of the rehearsals was much like the rhythm of Metro, it felt natural.

Inteviewer
Although the album didn't have a unifying concept at the time, you were focusing on producing one song at a time right?

Ukigumo
In the previous album, we used some non-band member sound, but this time it's a pure band sound, so all the way we followed a nature progression. Even though we focused on one at a time, it had a unifying color. This is the
impression I had from the recording process.

Inteviewer
When the singles were being released, you said (Ukigumo) that you wanted to hear a Shiina Ringo that you have never heard before. Did you have the same ideas for the album?

Ukigumo
Yes. That was the single thought that filled my head all the way.

Shiina
In the demos Uki made, he imitated one person for the harmonies in part 1, and he imitated yet an other for the chorus, truly capricious (laugh). And the sound quality couldn't be worse.

Inteviewer
Izawa didn't write many songs, and decided to provide the main works, right?

Izawa
Right.

Shiina
The demos Izawa made, most of them didn't have vocals.

Izawa
Yeah, because they were created on the keyboard.

Just like those simple jukeboxes in the supermarket (laugh).

Shiina
They were quite interesting as demos, with the main melody played out on the keyboard. Some also used guitar synth for the guitar part.

Izawa
Yeah. It was really enjoyable (laugh). Ringo imagined the vocals and added her own preferences, and we made modifications during the rehearsals.

Inteviewer
Also, it was heard that Izawa and Hata began rehearsing very early on.

Izawa
Because nobody has started, I just had personal practices with Hata.

Hata
We didn't have anything else to do anyway (laugh).

Izawa
Yeah, we were really free. If Hata is going to the studio alone, I might as well practice with him. So from January, we two comrades living in West Tokyo were carrying out the West Tokyo Incident.

Inteviewer
For some time, Hata could not play drums because of injury. Did the recording process go smoothly this time?

Hata
Hmm ... I don't have any specific feeling about this (laugh). Regarding the drum parts, Ukigumo and Izawa both gave me clear directions, so it was quite easy to handle.

Ukigumo
Also, last time Izawa who had to work alone at end because of hand injury, this time he participated right from the start. So he was able to make swift responses to every situation. This is reflected in the work.

Izawa
Compared to our last work, the tone in this album is closer to my breath. The amount of time spent on recording was shorter too.


Ukigumo
Maybe you were still unfamiliar with the other members last time.

Shiina
It really was a big factor.

Ukigumo
Yeah. Now, not only do we understand each other's roles, we could also proceed with hearts open wide.

Inteviewer
So summarizing your comments, the current album is built upon relations established last time, and completed in a short timeframe while maintaining freshness of the songs.

Shiina
Yeah. Afterall the recording work of professionals are not so simple, whether it's because of constraints or lyrics etc.

Inteviewer
Reviewing the recording process, did you ever unknowningly fall into an undefined method of operation.

Shiina
When I was releasing my first two albums, I wanted to proceed according to the common method. You're right, maybe I really did fall into a certain mood. At one time, I thought perhaps I could never again make music in the same way, maybe it's due to psychological effects, I had the same feeling this time as well.

Ukigumo
In "Adult", the method for arranging the music was decided from the beginning, but this time the music contents were developed together by everyone, rather than saying that we had no concrete method, we should say that we proceeded with the recording with a desire to created something different from our past work.

Inteviewer
The richly varied percussion employed in the last album was also decided from the beginning, what about this time?

Hata
This time Izawa's song had more prescribed structure; in this regard, it was quite easy to pick it up. But compared to last time, the recording process was a lot more relaxed. When I heard the completed album, I found that I really wasn't thinking of anything. (laugh).

Inteviewer
Is this it? Just doing it without thinking of anything; that is to say - playing freely without being confined to any particular form/style?

Hata
I really like to rehearse, I'm one of those people who likes to impose rules on themselves, but among these guys, I have no need for rehearsals (laugh). Even right until the completion of the recording, the content of Ukigumo's songs were still unclear; guitars were not generally used either during rehearsals, so there was no use even if I did practice (laugh).

Ukigumo
Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this way, but the previous album felt as if it was recorded in a state of combat, pervaded by a sense of restlessness. But this time it was quite relaxed. Not sure why, but the atmosphere this time was really great.

Inteviewer
Perhaps compared to the recording of the previous album, where the musical exchanges created a sense of tension because of unfamiliarity between each band members, this time a peace of mind is maintained because the members have come to understand each other.

Ukigumo
Yes, the feeling was one of everyone moving forward together with a common understanding.

Inteviewer
But don't you feel a bit of unease with the work proceeding so smoothly.

Shiina
It really did feel that way too. But everyone agreed to go with the theme of 'entertainment' so we didn't make any significant modifications.

Inteviewer
Could I put it this way? Everyone believed firmly that in order to pursue something that's comfortable, it had to be joined by quality work.

Shiina
Hmm ... I should say, the feeling is one of -- deciding on a split moment, whether you can accept it, whether you can laugh out loud at it. So -- I'm not saying this to avoid responsibility -- the recording was completed before developing any feelings for it. But since everyone is experienced, when we later heard the completed work, we thought "Yeah, no problem, it's done".

Inteviewer
Any comments about writing lyrics for Izawa and Ukigumo 's songs?

Shiina
In Izawa and Ukigumo 's music, including the music of their own bands, there are much terms used by boys. Even after rewriting them to suit my (vocal range?), the lyrics and music are naturally completed at the same time like when I'm writing songs, so the work this time on the lyrics was really tough.

Inteviewer
Would you say that you enjoyed writing the lyrics under these circumstances?

Shiina
Because it was so difficult, and I wanted to write contents that I've never had before, I was so terrified that I had not an ounce of spare energy left to enjoy it.

Inteviewer
What did you think of Ringo's vocals?

Izawa
It was truly amazing. We don't know how to express it, it's just second to none.

Ukigumo
She really successfully mixed in her own color/style. Those unsuspecting may even think that the songs were her own compositions. No matter whose song it is, there would be no problem when you hear her sing.

Inteviewer
However, this album didn't follow the model of "Shiina Ringo in collaboration with the band", rather she took the part of the main vocal as a component of the whole; this is kind of balanced band sound that we haven't seen before.

Shiina
Since "Adult" I had been thinking about presenting lyrics and sound texture as a whole band, not as performances or reactions of individuals. This time the goal was finally achieved. So just like we were called Phase 1 and Phase 2 Tokyo Jihen, I thought why don't we just change the band name; it was with this kind of determination that we worked.

Inteviewer
I can understand this feeling.

Shiina
I worked under situations that I think is suitable, like when I formally stopped my solo career after releasing 'Ringo no Uta', it's nice to make these abrupt mode switches. After all, in a gradual evolution, doesn't it feel trivial and redundant if every details are explained so intimately. It this album there's finally a sense of standing on the starting point.

Inteviewer
This time, the blueprint for the band is finally realized, but it's a pretty drastic change isn't it. And as works are continually released, muscians can also become formularized by the music, with a tendency to turn music into commercial products. And in recent years, the flood of overly commercialized music have gradually alienatied the audience. I think the step taken by Ringo in this album is just the right action in resisting the tide and returning to a music that speaks to the heart.

Shiina
And the current members have all been personally invited by me, so on this point it's matches pretty well.

Ukigumo
We're still the same---haven't changed one bit (laugh). Although I should apologize to Ringo for saying so, it is only in this light that our irresponsible nature is seen favourably.

Izawa
And it feels alright being able to straddle the edge of J-pop.

Shiina
Since when I was small, I only liked music that would never appear on TV, it's a stubborn-rebellious spirit that I've always had, there's no helping it. Even so, I hope people can listen to our work with joy.

Ukigumo
Yeah, you can never tire of listening to this album.

Izawa
The album is a bit like dried squid (Note: a kind of snack). I hope people will give it a good chew.


The End

Scribble R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 01:42 AM   #2
kuro_neko
Senior Member
 
kuro_neko's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: World's End
Posts: 2,991
kuro_neko puts considerable thought into their posts
Default

translating interviews are a bit tricky since they tend to be quite lengthy and most people reading will tend to take it as more or less fact, so if there are inaccuracies or other errors it can be an issue if people use them to speculate. personally, I think having the japanese proficient members reading interviews and reporting back with bits of information is much more effective than translating entire interviews.
kuro_neko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 06:28 AM   #3
HEDOfloe
Senior Member
 
HEDOfloe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,671
HEDOfloe puts considerable thought into their posts
Default

^ yea, but don't you think there is just as much vagueness from a summary? people want to ask more and probably speculate in a more extreme way with less info. i think this particular interview was pretty well done. i didn't see any points that were too vague or can easily mislead.

thanks for putting this up, scribble, and thanks to dk for translating. i don't know if it was posted before but i'm grateful that you posted it. i really enjoyed reading this kind of talk about the album. it makes me really interested to see what will happen in the next album. ringo said she likes this way of working and i think there were reports that the band already had some songs, so i wonder how they will split the work. i'm sure she saw that she can't always work like that.
HEDOfloe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 07:03 AM   #4
Scribble R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,392
Scribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they areScribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they are
Default

NP. All thanks should go to D.K Liu, though. He posted it in the VARIETY thread and offered to translate more, but no-one replied =(

It really is a great read, and it'd be neat to have one for Sanmon Gossip =X

Inteviewer
When the singles were being released, you said (Ukigumo) that you wanted to hear a Shiina Ringo that you have never heard before. Did you have the same ideas for the album?

Ukigumo
Yes. That was the single thought that filled my head all the way.

Ukigumo
She really successfully mixed in her own color/style. Those unsuspecting may even think that the songs were her own compositions. No matter whose song it is, there would be no problem when you hear her sing.
Wow, heh.
Scribble R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 07:08 AM   #5
Scribble R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,392
Scribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they areScribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they are
Default

(Untranslated) This several part interview is for Sanmon Gossip. Clakaz already posted a rough translation. Apparently she talks more about her solo work vs tokyo jihen, but that wasn't in the SG translation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9r4b...eature=related
Scribble R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 07:22 AM   #6
HEDOfloe
Senior Member
 
HEDOfloe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,671
HEDOfloe puts considerable thought into their posts
Default

you know, there's some truth to what Uki says. though we say it's obvious that the work is not as good as her own, i doubt that you'd guess she didn't write it if it weren't for the credits. we'd probably just think her talents swam down the drain. she really did make it seem like the songs were written by her in the way that she delivers the vocals and the lyrics. it's interesting to read how they had the vocal-less demos for her, though the melody was there.

hata's situation is so funny =).
HEDOfloe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 07:33 AM   #7
Scribble R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,392
Scribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they areScribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they are
Default

I think the VARIETY songs don't sound like her at all. Maybe except OSCA (I first listened to it not knowing that she didn't write it, but then again, I wasn't as familiar with her work as I am now). I don't know, before I was even skeptical of TJ Phase 2 (Before I even knew that there was a Phase 1 and 2), there was something about Variety that just didn't click with me. And it didn't ever grow on me. And I tried, sooo many times.

(Roudousha *nearly* sounds like a Variety song, though)

At least we know that she isn't totally blameless for that album, though =P

I also think that SG sounds like it has a 'wave' sound. But I probably don't even understand what she means.
Scribble R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 10:55 AM   #8
D.K.Liu
Senior Member
 
D.K.Liu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 143
D.K.Liu is an asset to this community
Default

I did those translations in the first month of my SR/TJ addiction; I also started translating an OSCA interview, the first part is here, but I didn't finish...

Kuro Neko's point is really important though. The full translation can seem to be more accurate than a summary, but if you don't know the original language there's no way to tell. Furthermore, I'm doing a 2nd hand translation from Chinese to English, so the chance of misinterpretation is even greater.

As I reread my translation there appears to be a lot of awkward phrasings, mistakes... I'll revise them when I have time.
D.K.Liu is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 11:21 AM   #9
Scribble R
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,392
Scribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they areScribble R can barely hear you above the sound of how awesome they are
Default

I'm not bothered if they're not 100 per cent accurate. Those two pieces that have been translated are very insightful. That last one, for instance, has a lot about Ukigumo. I feel like I'm missing out.

You probably know better, D.K Liu, but I don't find the 'awkward phrasings' jarring at all. It's clear for the most part. I'll post the OSCA one here. Many thanks.

Tokyo Jihen OSCA interview (Part 1)

Shiina, Ukigumo, Izawa

V1.00 - 19/06/2008 translated from Chinese by D.K.Liu
(source: http://blog.pixnet.net/emijpop/post/8307208)


Shiina, Ukigumo, Izawa gives an in-depth analysis of OSCA and their approach to the creation of music.

Interviewer
Your previous work, "Adult" is a highly polished album, it's more a year after its release, I wonder what the three of you think of it.

Shiina
Ukigumo once said "If we were to record it now, the effects would definitely be better."

Interviewer
It seems all 5 members were briming with ideas, and cramed it all into a single song. Although it feels a bit complicated, they were all works with a bit of pop-feel to them.

Ukigumo
It felt like (a whirlwind) (Note: no idea what 邂澱飜虜 means).

Shiina
Right. Moreover, after recruiting him into the band, it seemed like we had to start recording straight on the next day. Although he hadn't clearly decided whether to join or not, we needed personnels, and they both said that they wanted to work, so it was based our mutual needs that we said "starting from tomorrow, please don't withold advice" (Note: "please give many advice" is a typical thing to say when people are first introduced to each other in a work/study context like "nice to meet you" etc.), it all felt a bit rushed when we started. So it's understandable/inevitable if things turned out that way.

Ukigumo
Yeah, afterall, joining an existing and established band is not an easy task ...

Shiina
Plus, we had already decided on the songs, even the rhythmic progression had been decided. It felt like we were just asking you to be session helpers in the studio, right?

Ukigumo
Not really. I used an "I'll just be me ..." approach, perhaps I was still a bit unaccustomed.

Interviewer
So the recording was made with a tense kind of feel right?

Izawa
That wasn't the case for me, rather I was constantly apologizing as I worked. Because my hand wasn't in a good condition, I was a month late to the recording process.

Shiina
Right ... but in the two months before the recording, it was Ichiyou (Note: Izawa) who helped us prepare the arrangements.

Izawa
The night before all members were finally supposed to gather at one place, the condition of my tenosynovitis (Note: inflammation of sheaths that surrounds tendons) worsened, so we couldn't make the recordings together.

Shiina
But perhaps we could not have completed an album like that if things didn't happen this way.

Izawa
Because when I was recording, the other members have already recorded really great materials, so for a while I was quite troubled/vexed about how I could highlight myself. But maybe it's because all the songs were already complete, I finished the recording phase pretty quickly.

Shiina
Yeah, it was very professional.

Interviewer
After that you organized the Budokan Halls and the tours, not only did you continue to work on the structure of the songs, it also increased the depth of each member's communication with each other musically.

Ukigumo
I think so too.

Shiina
It really was hard work. But perhaps it's necessary that we put in the effort like that. Even if we were just doing a casual performance, everyone would bring up constructive suggestions. I often receive this kind of letters too; perhaps it's because I worry whether my music have detoriated since my debut, I just had to display the flair/grace of a top professional, which I suppose put a great deal of pressure on everyone. Maintaining the "flair/grace of an artist" or "although I'm not holding an instrument I'll still keep the aura of a general", striving forward with this kind of feeling really gave everyone a lot of trouble.

Interviewer
The use of dancing and singing through a megaphone are not typical for a band, what do you two think? (Note: not sure who he's referring to)

Izawa
It turned out alright.

Shiina
Yeah (laugh). Didn't feel put off by them.

Izawa
But I think it's important to try new things.

Ukigumo
I don't dislike it to the point of saying it out loud. While it did feel detached from the music itself, when I think of the use of the megaphone as a kind of "service", to entertain the audience, it feels good, fun -- everyone's happy.

Interviewer
Ukigumo, you also took on the challenge of doing rap, right? (Note: I'm mystified. Don't recall Ukigumo doing rap.)

Ukigumo
Yeah, that's also a way to entertain the audience.

Interviewer
The live concerts themselves are also high quality musically, but looking back more carefully, in trying to create a pop feel with an entertaining approach, the whole thing felt really fresh. Even when you are buried/fully focused on the music, it doesn't create a gulf between you and the audience.

Shiina
I think there must be girls who -- through those added factors -- makes a connection with the act of "listening" (attentively, with care). (Note: not sure what the Chinese translation is saying)

Interviewer
It's the same for the inside workings of the band too, although the group felt like a gathering of 5 musicians at the beginning, after going through the tour induced chemical reaction, Tokyo Jihen really became a group.

Izawa
When the tour ended, I had the same feeling too. When I began practising with Hata for the recording this time, I really wasn't inhibited by any concerns, I just happily immersed myself in the music, I deeply felt that "it's so good having performed in a public tour".

Interviewer
Hata had rested for a while due to injury, right?

Izawa
Yes. Not only did his sound increased in weight, it also became softer. And it's gentler.

Shiina
It became really musical. (Note: could be translated better, maybe "musical" just means -- "sounds good")

Interviewer
But Ringo had just released "Heisei Fuuzoku" this February, it's a real suprise that you immediated began activity with Tokyo Jihen.


Shiina
I began working little by little during the free time I had while I was promoting "Heisei Fuuzoku".

Interviewer
This time Ukigumo and Izawa took on the role of writing the music. In the single released in July (containing 3 songs), there's only 1 song where Ringo took part in writing the lyrics. Looking back at last year's tours, I suppose you were preparing for this new arrangement by presenting Ukigumo's "Mirror Ball".

Shiina
Yes. The reason that I wanted them to join the band was because I really liked their creativity/ability to write music. And I really wanted their talent as songwriters to be fully unleashed in the album. Also, the first time during the public tours, my throat wasn't feeling well, so I requested that we lower the key for "Mirror Ball". It was one of those J-pop style songs that wouldn't sell well if it didn't have climaxes and ups and downs. But resisting against the trend, not only did we find "Mirror Ball" with the lowered key to be quite musical, we thought -- "it's pretty good this way too", so we kept the same form for the recording.

Interviewer
In the past, the songwriting role is almost entirely handled by Ringo. What was the reason for transferring the role to (Ukigumo and Izawa)?

Shiina
Quite a few fans said in their letters that they liked songs that were not written by me. At one time I was quite angry, thinking "so it's songs that were not written by me! huh?" But thinking about it from different view, the nice thing is that they listened because the "vocals" were good. Although it was a big blow to me as a songwriter, perhaps I could only shed off the shyness and express my voice when performing other people's songs, so I started thinking about focusing on the vocals as a trial.

Interviewer
When did Ringo mention that she wanted you to take the songswriting role?

Ukigumo
She brought up her wish for us to compose as soon as the tour ended. But when I was first invited to join the band, I did kind of suspect it. Afterall, if you just wanted to find someone to play guitar, there are plenty of other good players. Although there are others who can also compose, perhaps having provided songs for her during her solo career was a factor. But it wasn't as if I was really proactive about wanting to compose, rather I decided write because of her request. So when I was formally entrusted with the role, I said "Okay, understood" and I started writing.

Shiina
I checked on Ukigumo's compositions regularly, other than asking which songs would be collected in his own band, I would also make reservations -- "I would like have this song".

Ukigumo
Yeah. And originally she also said "hope you can write the lyrics too". But I've never writen lyrics before, and I only wrote songs occasionally, so hearing such an esteemed (songwriter) saying this to me, I was really happy. So I started to think, maybe I also have the ability to compose.

Interviewer
Oh, so you haven't always been working as a lyricist/songwriter.

Ukigumo
Yes. There are times when I can't write anything, I've never wanted to carry the role single handedly. On that part, Izawa can take the role (Note: ?).

Interviewer
The background is related to the latest setup of Tokyo Jihen (Note: ? ). When were these 3 songs written?

Ukigumo
I think "OSCA" was written last summer or autumn.

Izawa
"Kaban no Nakami (Wallet contents)" was written during or as soon as the tours ended. "Pinocchio" was written the later half of last year. But I never thought Ringo would really not write.

Interviewer
What did you use as reference during the writing process?

Ukigumo
Perhaps this sounds a bit arrogant, but I didn't really look at any, I just wrote for a Shiina Ringo that I wanted to see.

Interviewer
It is heard that Ukigumo has a very broad musical background (Note: 垓郎澳甼紳蕊味的樂團 no idea what this means), you've played the slightly mocking/satirical genre of rap, and you've also played soul and jazz right? So based on your broad musical background I suppose there are many different kinds of songs that you can pick to write.

Ukigumo
I think Ringo's range is even broader. The works she release are always things that only she could create, that is, they have "Shiina Ringo's style". Because I don't have her style, whether it's country or some other style, if the ingredients I'm presenting matches her, wouldn't it generate a different kind of radiance? So even without doing anything extreme, songs with different styles can be created. Plus I'm doing this with Izawa this time, he is the kind of person who would plan things by putting himself in her position, considering what the public would expect of her. And like Ringo, he's literate in classical music, so I chose to take a different role/character ...

Interviewer
Maybe you are in some ways the "rock" factor that subverts the band.

Ukigumo
Yes. I wanted to subvert the whole feel using simple directional change.

Interviewer
Did you conceive of this role for yourself before starting to write?

Ukigumo
Yeah. It was fun/delightful. Don't know if I should call it a gamble, but I thought "Ringo can handle any kind of song so there won't be any problem", if you don't like it just say so.

Interviewer
As a songwriter, you really had faith in Ringo's ability to interpret any musical genre as your vocalist.

Ukigumo
Yes, it's an interesting point. When driving on a ringroad/beltway, you could do laps at high speed if you are driving a car you've grown accustomed to, but even though I'm driving this car for the first time it flies and it's not at all inferior. So you'll only know if you've test drived different cars. Maybe the analogy is a bit over the top (laugh)? The fans know that she can handle any song, but it does feels different seeing it becoming real right?

Shiina
Because the sound/tone is directed by its suitability to the song's content and language. In the songs where both of them (Note: Izawa, Ukigumo) had written the lyrics, it would shape the personality of the vocal part, so there are no room for me to take command of the audience. So even though the recording process in the studio was quite painful, when I brought it home to listen to it alone, I found it interesting that I couldn't dislay my own intentions.

To be continued ...

Last edited by Scribble R : 2009.07.01 at 11:28 AM.
Scribble R is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 2009.07.01, 07:54 PM   #10
Entry№1
Senior Member
 
Entry№1's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 353
Entry№1 puts considerable thought into their posts
Default

While I largely agree with you, kuro, people pick out different things from the interview than others do. For example, a lot of people find what Ukigumo said to be noteworthy, but the most important thing from this article to me was the discussion of the production process of the tracks. Esp. about how Izawa's demo compositions were MIDI-based like Ringo's demotapes appear to have been. Ukigumo's process still seems kind of mysterious to me, though. Does he not compose a melody on paper or computer beforehand or does he just sort of sing a melody he likes and then messes with it in his head? I look forward to more of these articles being translated.

Originally Posted by Scribble R View Post
It really is a great read, and it'd be neat to have one for Sanmon Gossip =X
I agree. Thank you and D.K Liu for translating/bringing this to our attention.
Entry№1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
coolest/best Shiina lyrics -- translated Tokyo Jihad Main Forum 25 2007.07.06 06:05 AM


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:10 AM.