Translated Interviews?

[D.K.Liu]

I half promised to translate an Sakuran interview a year ago... which answers some questions people had about what really happened with Sakuran and Heisei Fuuzoku, whether SR made any 'electronic' music etc.

Originally Posted by D.K.Liu

As for a translation of the full article, later ... if people are interested.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

you betta believe I'm interested DK Liu!

articles > nothing > picture shoots

Well I've finally got around to it, thanks to the opening this thread by Scribble R.

I'll just note that the interview doesn't say that the initial soundtrack she made was 'electronic', only that she used various different instruments.

Sakuran Interview

v0.10 - 02/07/2009
v1.00 - 03/07/2009 Translated from Chinese by D.K.Liu
(source: http://emijpop.pixnet.net/blog/post/8307256)


The article is originally from
Bounce special issue, NO MUSIC,NO LIFE. MAGAZINE 2007
dated Aug 03 Fri 2007 12:50
translated from Japanese to Chinese

Disclaimer: Don't jump to conclusions about Shiina Ringo or any people mentioned in the interview, it's an English translation of a Chinese translation of a Japanese interview.

椎名林檎VS惡女花魁
Shiina Ringo vs Sakuran

看看林檎如何創作《惡女花魁》的音樂…
A look at how Ringo made the soundtrack for "Sakuran"

在電影「惡女花魁」裡，從開頭到尾都十分符合情境，並且左右劇情的情緒，同時瞬間深深牽動影像美感的背景音樂，的確非常值得一書。這位作者／歌手也就是擔任音樂監督一職的椎名林檎。這是她首次參與電影音樂的製作。目前以5人組樂團．東京事變為活動中心的緣故，自從2003年的單曲“蘋果之歌”以來，已睽違3年之久不曾以椎名林檎的名義來發表作品。曾想過若有機會也想嘗試製作電影音樂的她，也因為這個突如其來的邀請，讓停擺一陣子的個人活動又再度復甦。
In the film "Sakuran", the background music -- that matched the scenes from the beginning until the end, steered the mood in the plot, and tugged at the aesthetics quality of the images -- is truly worth writing about. The composer/singer, and the music director was Shiina Ringer. It was the first time she participated in the production of film music. Currently, due to her focus on the 5-man band -- Tokyo Jihen, it had already been 3 years since she last released any work under the name of Shiina Ringo, the last being the 2003 single -- "Ringo no Uta". She had thought about giving film music a try if given a chance, and thus the unexpected invitation have revived her solo activity that had been in a hiatus for some time.

「導演在1年多以前就來找我談過了。（安野モヨコ的）原著是在偶然的機遇下朋友送給我的，所以多少就有點印象，但因為我還沒看過實際的影像，所以7月份與蜷川導演見面時，也一併拜見了拍攝完畢的素材」
"The director and I discussed about it an year or so before. Through a chance encounter, Moyoko Yasuno(安野モヨコ)'s original work was given to me by a friend, so I had some impression of it. But because I hadn't yet seen any actual images, when I met with director Ninagawa (蜷川) in July, I got to see the completed footages."

她從整個企畫的源頭開始説起。
She recounted the project from the beginning.
畢竟我是看過原著後再根據想像來完成音樂，因此基本上已有某種程度的主題，於是變換各種樂器，用各種版本來演奏那個主題，完成了純音樂版的原聲帶，結果導演整個推翻掉，表示內容最好全都是唱歌。與我原先的設想完全相反。因此在了解這一點後，也清楚毎個場景都有〈這裡想要這種音樂〉〈那裡不需要這個〉這些要求，然後再帶回家構思」。
"Afterall, I completed the music according to my imagination after reading the original work, the basic themes are there already, so I changed/varied different instruments, performed different versions of that theme, and completed an instrumental soundtrack. But it was rejected by the director, who expressed that it's best all to be singing. It was completely opposite to what I initially conceived. So, after the point was understood, and the requirements
for each scene such as "this type of music here", "don't need that here" was clarified, I took them home to think."

雖然接下了與當初設想的音樂有所不同的這份工作，但她切換頭腦的速度快得驚人，真不愧是能保有娯樂與藝術絶妙平衡的專業級音樂家．椎名林檎。
Although her accepted job involved music that were different from her initial ideas, the swiftness at which her brain switched gear was amazing, living up to her name as a professional muscian who could maintain the fine balance between entertainment and art.

「關於樂曲方面，如果導演有許多具體的要求，或許可以在看完拍攝完畢的影像後按照（我想要寫這樣的新曲）這種感覺來使用過去的曲子。但要回應這種要求卻是最困難的。況且若按照那種方向來表現，就僅只於此，如果只是重新灌録，也只會讓品質更加低落。因此，我想使用自己認為最適合劇情的舊作以外，再根據不同場景，詢問導演和工作人員的感覺來創作新曲」
"Regarding the music, if the director has many concrete/specific requirements, perhaps past songs could be chosen with the feeling of -- I'd like to write a new song like that -- after seeing the finished footage. But it's also the hardest requirement to fulfill. Beside, if things were presented that way, it would just be like this, if I just re-recorded things, it would only further degrade the quality. So, other than using my old work that most suited the plot, I wanted to create new songs for various scenes, based on what the director and other members of the production team felt."

包括劇中片尾曲“世界的盡頭”單曲在內，總共有5首新曲，再加上主要選自第三張專輯『加爾基 精液栗子花』（2003年）的樂曲等，重新灌録在個人時代的已發表作品而完成。並與從出道以來就一直合作至今的小提琴家／鍵盤演奏者、指揮家／編曲家的齋藤 NEKO，在70人編制的交響樂團下演繹出燦爛的音符。
Including the single -- "Kono yo no kagiri" that played
over the credits, there were a total of 5 new songs. Those plus songs selected mainly from her 3rd album "Karuki, Zamen, Kuri no hana" (2003), the soundtrack was completed by re-recording works she released during her solo career. The notes were vividly rendered by a 70 person orchestra together with Saito(齋藤) NEKO, the violinist/keyboardist, conductor/arranger(composer?) that she has collaborated with ever since her debut.


「在構思〈惡女花魁〉的世界觀時，就技巧方面，的確是使用最新的技術，但全都是使用在古典音樂裡演奏的樂器。至於編曲方面，則花了一整個8月，與NEKO 先生在録音室裡進行討論。兩人一首一首將曲子解體，探討什麼是曲目核心部份並仔細品味再三，NEKO先生如果説〈那我來譜曲〉時，我就會去進行其它作業。實際上在録音時，看到曲子逐漸成形的那瞬間，是最令我興奮的呢」。
"While structuring the world view in 'Sakuran', in terms of the technical aspect, the latest techniques(technology?) were used, but that was all employed on the instruments used in classical music. As for the arrangement, that took the whole of August, with me discussing it with Mr Neko in the studio. The two of us dissected each song one by one, discussing what was the core part of the song and carefully re-evaluating each song, when Mr Neko says 'than I'll start arranging', I would go and work on something else. When it came to the actual recording session, and seeing the songs gradually take shape, that was what excited me the most."

經過如此縝密的作業所完成的作品，不僅有著超過電影範疇的内容，同時不以原聲帶的模式，而是以椎名林檎╳齋藤NEKO的名義發表原創專輯『平成風俗』。不過，除了片尾曲“世界的盡頭”以外，專輯裡的曲目幾乎都充斥在電影的毎段情節，關於以電影為發想的這張專輯，她説了下列這番話。
A work that was completed after such a careful process, not only does it have contents that surpasses the scope of the film, at the same time it's not in the format of an original soundtrack, but an original album "Heisei Fuuzoku" released under 'Shiina Ringo x Saito Neko'.

「大家都清楚何謂女性，也無法否定女性即使工作，這世界也還是由男性在掌控吧。即便像我這樣從事自由的工作，也還是有很多部份必須請男性幫忙，因此基於男性思考模式的音樂家提出作品的材料，而我則是接受他們完成的作品來演唱，像這樣各自不侵犯男女的領域就是順利完成的秘訣。還有，我認為女性同志相互切磋，並且學習如何在這個男性主導的社會上共存是一件很重要的事，我從電影裡學習、並且演唱一事，也就是這個道理」。
"Everyone knows what it means to be female(unsure?), and it can't be denied that even if women work, the world is still under the control of men. Even for someone like me who works in freedom, there are many parts that requires the help of men. So -- for the materials to be produced by musicians with a male way of thinking, and for me to accept the work they completed and perform -- this way of non-violation between the male and female territory was the secret to the smooth completion. Also, I think for us women to exchange with each other, and learn to coexist in a male dominated society is a very important thing. It's the reason why I'm learning from the film, and why I perform (note: really unsure about this sentence)."

在江戸花魁世界裡充斥著給現代女性訊息的電影「惡女花魁」，以及將女人味、柔性的堅強凝聚成之樂與言語的椎名林檎。不妨讓我們一邊探索其共通處來欣賞這部電影吧。
In a film replete with messages for present-day women through the world of Edo oiran, and Shiina Ringo who combines the feminine, the gentle and the tough into music and language, why not let us enjoy this film together as we explore the commonality between them.

Interviewer, author/Onoda Takeshi
採訪．撰文／小野田雄

[clakaz]

Thank you, D.K. Liu. Major props.

Very curious about the instrumental soundtrack that got rejected. Maybe Minagawa have killed the new Danny Elfman?

[Orenji]

Originally Posted by clakaz

Thank you, D.K. Liu. Major props.

Very curious about the instrumental soundtrack that got rejected. Maybe Minagawa have killed the new Danny Elfman?

Same here. Thanks, D.K. Liu. I wonder if she also used old songs for the instrumental OST.

[papilionidae]

Wow! Thank you thought it's easier for me to read the original text...haha! XD


recent interviews:
yahoo! music
TOWER (I feel weird to post this one... @@ anyway, I translated a small part of it but I don't own the credit. It's better if someone else translate it again.)
and an attachment. I forgot where I got it


brief notes of radio interviews from a fan blog:
MUSIC LINE 1
MUSIC LINE 2
ASAHI SUPER DRY MUSIC FLAG



bonus: Mummy-D's webdiary...XD

[Scribble R]

Wow, awesome.

Thanks for the translation, D.K. Liu. So HF could have been so much more (It's funny that the instrumental version of what HF became sounds better anyway). Really, it's such a pity. =(

And thx for interviews, papi. Now we know exactly what needs to be translated.

[HEDOfloe]

many thanks for these interviews. i find them to be very revealing and almost explanations for just about every question people brought up about the albums, why some liked them, some didn't, etc.

"Interviewer [to uki]
Maybe you are in some ways the "rock" factor that subverts the band."

that's funny.

i like that ringo was actually overseeing the song writing to some extent. though it doesn't seemed she helped them, it gives me a better image of how it worked. i had originally thought she just showed up and they told her what to sing. even though ringo liked the end product, i think she should have spoken up about how she felt. her initial thoughts about her vocals not feeling right seems to have been the right, gut instinct. i guess she could not have expected more, though, if she didn't make them change the songs more to fit her.

it was an interesting experiment. i'm really excited for their next album. i want to see if uki and izawa have become better songwriters, especially knowing that she really does trust them with that responsibility. i guess it shows that uki didn't have much experience as a song-writer, but i give him props, those were some pretty good songs for someone who barely writes.

[Scribble R]

Shiina is surrounded by people limiting her creativity. Don't care how fanboyish that sounds.

"Afterall, I completed the music according to my imagination after reading the original work, the basic themes are there already, so I changed/varied different instruments, performed different versions of that theme, and completed an instrumental soundtrack. But it was rejected by the director, who expressed that it's best all to be singing. It was completely opposite to what I initially conceived. So, after the point was understood, and the requirements
for each scene such as "this type of music here", "don't need that here" was clarified, I took them home to think."

[HEDOfloe]

^ well, that's not too surprising considering it was a job request. it wasn't supposed to be her own exhibition as an artist but rather her lending her talents to an already thought out cause. i think SG is where her creativity would have taken the music she was into around that time.

[Scribble R]

I suppose. And the director's the director, after all.

But bah. This could have been something different.

[clakaz]

bit, bit
this:
imagem.JPG

"ドラッグもやらないし、自分のアドレナリンだけで絶対生き抜いてやる。”
"Drug mo yaranaishi, jibun no adrenalin dakede ikinuiteyaru."
"I won't do drugs and I will live through my life with just my own adrenalin."