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Scheduled for a release March 3rd 2001 [Sakura] will include four songs which are all associated with the flower "Sakura" (cherry blossoms). [ code : {IS} ISSHI, {AK} AKIYA, {SH} SHIN, {NA} NAO, {IZ} IZUMI ] Yet again we have a collaboration of traditional themes into Kagrra's songs. Can you tell us what was the feeling throughout the making of this mini album. IS : Well as you already know the title of our album is [Sakura] and the first track on this album itself is named [Sakura]. There are four tracks altogether and all four songs are very much related to the flower. Why Sakura, you may ask. That's simply because it's spring again. (laugh) The release date and the seasonal change in Japan all has to do with the Sakura flower, so it does have a sense of ethnicity to it. IS : The first song [Sakura] was written and composed by me. It is has a rather old in a conventional way touch to it but surprisingly very masculine! That is peculiar. Your lyrics are usually regarding olden day tales and reeks of femininity. IS : Exactly. But you see the plotline this time deals with a long lost lover who happens to be a male. The story behind the lyrics deal about the longing of wanting to meet that lover again. (laugh) I see. What about the second song [Aoi no Souretsu]? The intro to that song had a low sound and it didn't sound like any Kagrra song I have heard before. I was wondering if I was actually listening to Kagrra then. NA : Yes, it is a new Kagrra sound. That particular song was made as a collaboration by me and Izumi. That was a first attempt, wasn't it? NA : Yup. I was playing around with my bass at home and then some song chords popped into my head. That was when I met up with Izumi and we started to create the song enjoyably in a nasty and ugly mood with 'that' chord. Enjoyably in a nasty mood? SH : Ahahahah...Hey Nao, when you said 'that' you meant Doraemon didn't you? Huh? Doraemon? AK : Yah yah. You see, in the beginning, despite the fact that they desperately made the song wholeheartedly, when they first played it for the rest of us to listen we all thought that it sounded like Doraemon's theme song. You know, the part when Doraemon would run pass the screen. (laugh) When I first heard that song I can tell you a lot of question mark signs must have appeared over my head. (laugh) SH : Yeah. I was thinking, what was going to become of this song but most of all I was shocked that they actually made that into a song in the first place. (laugh) NA : (laugh) But, to think that Izumi had said earlier, ' Let's make a deep dark song!!'. See, that was why I said we made the song enjoyably in a nasty mood. IZ : (laugh) From the drumming view, it is always bass first before drums but this time we tried drums before bass. So it's a new technique that we've never used in our song making before. It was very experimental and we got ourselves lost of what to do next too many times too. But then we would find new things and go, ' Darn it, we never knew this and this and that...'. So it was good because I myself was able to discover new things within me. AK : Incorporating the guitar sounds was tough too. Because this time we had to add melody to the rhythm. Usually a song is made the other way round, where we figure the melody out first and then insert the right and fitting sounds. Looking from the point of the keynotes, it is precise to say that we could simply use any key at all and a song can be made. Because of these too many options here we got pretty lost. IS : From the lyricist point of view, this has got to be the most difficult I have ever written. It was all written in archaic words from long ago so the expressions are extremely difficult. Because of that, let me explain the lyrics. (laugh) Once upon a time, there was a young girl who went out of her house on a snowy night. As she was ascending towards the heavens she saw many flickering lights. The young girl was mesmerized and drawn into the beauty of the lights and unintentionally touched it. However unbeknownst to her, the light was not just any light, it was a spirit. The [Hitodama]. Thus, she too became one with the Hitodama. Aah, I see. So, what about [Yousai]. From the title it feels like a festival kind of song. SH : Chonko chonko pi--! Ahahahah...what's that? SH : Just that feeling. (laugh) I made this song and it has some feeling to it but I can't really describe it. I guess it kind of makes you feel better, it has that bright effect. From the rhythm it does give out that bright and awake feel. It really sounds cool too. But I also get the impression that it is a difficult song to play live. AK : Yeah, it is quite hard to play it live. Even during the recording session my guitar sound and Nao's bass sound felt really wrong. SH : It was tough, wasn't it? (laugh) The concept of the song is actually weird. I made this song with the feeling of playing with something I'm not supposed to. Like dropping out of school. I see. It does feel that way. SH : It was meant to be that way at first but towards the end of my composition it became rather "festive" like. (laugh) AK : Hey, that can't be good. (laugh) IS : But that's that. It was worst when we had to give a title to the song. The song was just done and we needed a name on that day itself. But, on that day's recording session I was at my worst condition so I decided to sleep for a bit. It was then when Izumi came to me and he was going 'Isshi, Isshi what should we name the song?' I was still half asleep and I absent mindedly said 'Just name it [Yousai]' (laugh) IZ : I was in doubt. Isshi told me the name while he was definitely not awake. I didn't know what to do, whether that name was ok or not. But I thought it does fit Shin's song so I just faxed it to the producers. (laugh) IS : So with that title I wrote the lyrics. But it makes me think sometimes, how on Earth did I come up with that title while I was still half asleep. (laugh) This has to be the hardest song for you, wasn't it Isshi? The chords are extremely high, but who was it that sang in the chorus? IS : It was my voice in the chorus. But I can say we are now practicing on the vocals for the chorus for our future Live performances. I figure we need to make all of them sing and do our best. SH : I wonder who will sing for A-melody and who will sing for B-melody. It would be interesting to figure that out. Well, we'll work hard on that for the fans sake. [Sarasouju no Komori Uta] sounds like a ballad. IS : Yup it is a ballad. Everybody will eventually die, regardless of when, where or why you were born. No matter how you protect what you possess here on Earth we will all die in the end. I also believe that everyone wants to die in peace and serenity, right? I figured I too want to die peacefully while listening to a song like this. So, you want to express that image... AK : Yes. This time unlike our past songs we tried to enliven every aspect of the song and not just emphasize on the vocals but to the tiniest parts in the music. We tried to put life into the guitar sounds. NA : I was also able to put in more spirit into my bass playing. You mentioned just now that when Akiya's guitar and Nao's bass meet, you get a bad feeling. SH : This time we didn't have enough time and we weren't able to do a pre-production. I can say it was the fault of that. (laugh) IZ : For me, this song was captured straight from the beginning. It was a smooth recording. IS : Yeah, all four song were made full of confidence. They also reek of each and every of their composer's personalities. Yeah, now that you say it that way. This Mini Album does have a variety. So, will you tell us about what you guys did after the recording ended? AK : We went to Lake Yamanaka for a training camp. When we were there, out of the blue Izumi just said 'Strip!' Huh, whatever for? IZ : It was snowing so me, Akiya and Nao went out into the snow and threw ourselves into the snow. Just for remembrance... NA : And we did that naked! (laugh) What else did you all do? "Batsu" game? *[batsu game : a game or penalty that tests a persons capability and competence in about any bizarre thing imaginable, often resulting in a person undergoing weird and absurd tasks] AK : Well, there was a place that we could billiard. Izumi+Isshi team versus Akiya+Nao team. Obviously we lost, and badly too. Erm, why did the three of you jump into the snow? IZ : It was just a spur of the moment thing. (laugh) AK : I've never seen so much snow in my life before so I got too happy. (laugh) NA : For me and Izumi, we were pretty used to snow, being that we were raised in Hokkaido. But somehow, looking at the snow, we just got too excited, got out of our clothes and jumped into the snow. (laugh) AK : We didn't do it just once we did it over and over again. When we got too cold, we would jump into the hot bath and then go 'Ahh, this is so refreshing,' and soon we would be heading off to jump into the snow again! (laugh) That's definitely not a "Batsu" game now was it. (laugh) What about Isshi and Shin, didn't you two join them? IS : I was there but I was down with a very bad cold then so I couldn't. Plus if I did, I probably won't be here today. (laugh) SH : I wasn't with them. I was at the studio doing the final arrangements for the album. Kagrra 2001 One Man will begin this March 3rd, any messages to the fans? AK : We will show you everything Kagrra possesses now. I think we will shock you with our sound and visually too! IZ : In any case we want to do this with lots of fun. We want to express our music all out this time. NA : Yeah, we will do our best this time, with all our strength. If you don't come, you'll get it from me! Look forward to it... (laugh) SH : At our past events there were a lot of cuts and draw backs in our music performance but this time we hope to be able to present you with the very core of our music. But that won't be all, we will also present you with a Live with all our hearts. Have fun!! IS : We will be presenting you with the best show ever from Kagrra this March. Those who feel enlightened by that fact please by all means come and join us. For me, your happiness has so many meanings so please have fun!! |