#ystk:interview

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Kyary Interview | Candy Racer | Real Sound

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's 10th Anniversary Musical Update: New Charm Brought Out by 80's and 90's Sound

Page 1

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's debut, and her first album in three years, "Candy Racer," is an ambitious work full of danceable techno from the very beginning. It was produced by Yasutaka Nakata, a well-known producer. As the album progresses, Kyary's mature lyrics show her growth, and the emotional appeal of the words unfolds. She is sentimental, cute, and cute, and while she avoids her "origin," she refines her "originality" on a spiral staircase, creating a "Kyary Pamyu Pamyu" full of originality. The "Kyary Pamyu Pamyu" world has been updated with a lot of originality. Yes, this is a piece that will give you a unique experience as if you went to a theme park. (Fukuryu)

At the time, I wondered if it would be okay to do something so bizarre.

The sound of "Candy Racer" has a 90's techno feel to it, and a sense of genre. It's been called "hyper-pop" a couple of times now overseas, but it has an upper-crust sound sense that's interesting globally.

Kyary: Yes, that's right. When Mr. Nakata and I were talking about "What do you want to do for your first album in a while? I told him that I wanted to change the atmosphere completely. That's what I did with the dance tunes in the second and third songs. Also, I think the opinions of music creators and the thoughts of listeners have changed since the Corona disaster. Mr. Nakata himself feels this. In the past, I used to feel that I had to get the audience excited at the start of a live performance, and I used to get worried if they weren't excited. But now, fans can't shout at live concerts, and they can't get as excited as before, can they?　That's why there are songs like "Natsuiro Flower" (the tenth song) that make you listen carefully.

I heard that the sessions for the jacket photos, artist photos, artwork, etc. were done by the staff from your debut.　

Kyary: I think the foundation of the creative side of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was created thanks to the staff from my debut. When I graduated from high school at the age of 18, I entered the studio for the first time and had my makeup done as Kyarypamyupamyu, the artist. At that time, the hair and makeup artist, Shinji Konishi, gave me a makeup that made my mouth look like it had been ripped open (laughs).

 (laughs)

Kyary: At the time, I wondered if I would be able to do something so bizarre, but when my appearance became a billboard in Harajuku, it became a big hit. I did other things like putting a shark on my head and wearing an octopus hairstyle, but Konishi-san was a big part of my life. I also really like the ideas of cameraman Ken Hanzawa, STEVE NAKAMURA, and stylist Tomoko Iijima. The last time we got together was for the album "Japamyu" three years ago.

And the first limited edition is floating in the air, isn't it?

Kyary: Yes, I'm floating. When we were talking about what we wanted to do this time, we decided that we wanted to make it look like a flip book. Actually, there are about 8 different outfits, and the trick is to switch between them. The first limited edition comes with a 64-page booklet, and it's like a parapara manga with not only the costumes but also the makeup and nails changing little by little.

That sounds like a lot of fun.

Kyary: The jacket photo is one of them. What I thought about the cover of the standard edition is that in the past, I've always used a very defined face in my artwork. But this time, the atmosphere is a bit more ennui. The way her eyes are open is very calm, which is unexpected. It's just a random shot, but I didn't expect that this photo would be used (laughs).  But it's just like me now, and I like the fact that I'm relaxed, because it's a link to my true self.

Page 2

Why does Nakata-san understand the feelings of a teenage girl?

Your recent changes in lifestyle are well expressed in this album, aren't they? Now I'd like to talk about the album, and the first song is "DE.BA.YA.SHI. 2021.

Kyary: Yes, i feel that's how it came out. I usually record the opening song last. My voice is layered in a number of patterns, and it's the kind of song that people get excited about when they arrive at festivals.

It feels like they are heading for a tour or a live performance, doesn't it? And keeping the momentum going, the second song, "Candy Racer", is a powerful number with a cool techno sound and cute voice effects that goes about two laps.

Kyary: I thought it was a challenging song to come up with. It looks like it's easy to sing, but it was quite difficult to respond to the detailed nuances that Mr. Nakata wanted. For example, he asked me to add a small "tsu" and to extend the words.

The lyrics also have a multinational feel.

Kyary: I thought it was a challenging song to come up with. It looks like it's easy to sing, but it was quite difficult to respond to the detailed nuances that Mr. Nakata wanted. For example, he asked me to add a small "tsu" and to extend the words.

Then came the shocking song "DODONPA". It has a tribal beat, a 90's club sound, and an upper lyric..

Kyary: I usually get a lyric card to memorize the lyrics when we record, but for "Dodonpa" finally I didn't get it (laughs). Normally, there is a cover song that Mr. Nakata sings with a voice change, and I would listen to it and think, "He's probably singing 'Tsukuchi', isn't he? I wrote it down on my phone and sang it in a groove.

"Lyrics: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu" is fine (laughs)..

Kyary: That's right (laughs). I'm sure people overseas will especially like it, so I can't wait to perform it live!

The song "Kamaitachi" is a middle-aged pop tune with a sad crying melody from the intro. The Chinese style melody and the pop sense that accelerates in the chorus are very pleasant.

Kyary: The lyrics are pretty, but I was surprised at how packed the words are. Like "Gentenkaihi" I've never heard lyrics that tell a story like this before, and the piano, guitar, and bass sounds in this song make it sound like a musician. What they all have in common is a sense of the 80s, like the TK sound, parapara, and techno-pop.

I guess 90's techno also comes into it, doesn't it?

Kyary: Mr. Nakata told me, "When I listen to the songs that were played at Juliana Tokyo, it's really cool to listen now. We were talking about how we like the balance between "dorky" and "cool"

Eurobeat also has some cool sounding sounds, isn't it. It's a genre that branched off from "Alpha Records," which gave birth to the YMO culture in Japan. The next song is "Kimi ga iine kure tara".

Kyary: I think "Kimi ga Iinaegukete" expresses the feelings of today's teenagers, especially girls in love who are troubled. As digitalization progresses and everyone is using Instagram, TikTok, etc., the desire to know the other person becomes too strong, and you wonder what kind of people the person you like is following.　I thought that I would be curious about that. The song is a tie-in to a TV drama, so I guess it reflects the story, but I wonder why Mr. Nakata understands the feelings of a teenage girl.

It shows the sense of the times, doesn't it? How do you feel about "Gum Gum Girl," the song with the shocking fight scene in the music video??

Kyary: I feel that this song represents the image of Japan as seen by people overseas. It was next to "Kamai-tachi", so I think the oriental continued.

I was impressed by how Kyary got beaten up in the fight scene of the music video.

Kyary: (laughs). That's probably because I like movies. The director and I had a lot of fun talking about common topics. The action was a lot of work, but the cameramen and other people had amazing skills, so I knew that once I got the hang of it, I could make it work.

That seems to be an important part of the experience. And "Perfect Oneisan" has a strong title!　It's a light but slightly sad number with a singer-songwriter style, 80's city pop feel.

Kyary:  Actually, this song was the first song we recorded for the album. The first album also had a song called "Pinponganannai," and I think that's what I like about Mr. Nakata, the way he comes up with mysterious songs like that. It's been a while since Mr. Nakata recorded anything, so I guess he was just trying to get used to the idea.  Mr. Nakata said that "Perfect Oneisan" is a perfect image that everyone admires & longs for, but the truth is that she is the hardest one to deal with (laughs). Also, the interlude in the latter half of the song is surprisingly long. So I was wondering what to do for the live performance. I imagined that if Corona were still alive, I'd like to parade around the audience (laughs).

It gives me an image of the live performance. And "Jampin Nappu" is also a great song. The nostalgic candy pop synth sound is refreshing. The lyrics are very unique, and Kyary handles it very well.

Kyary: It was important to have a sense of freedom without being too cool. There were lyrics like "Dancing in your room" and "Concert in the bath" that are unique to Corona disaster. It could be perceived as a way to enhance one's lifestyle under such circumstances.

True. The "Living Concert" is also good.

Kyary:  "Living Concert" makes me cry a little. But when I hear the phrase, "The scenery where you have returned until you forget the time" I feel like the scenery before Corona is coming back. I can predict the future images. It's one of the most intense songs on the album, but it's actually the one that hit me the hardest. The state of emergency continued and I ended up only being able to attend one festival. ...... This song was the closest to my state of mind.

It's emo to think about being able to sing this in front of an audience on a live tour. And "Natsuiro Flower" is a number that changes the scenery at once. The song is reminiscent of the mature sound of the 80's, and is a new level of pop music.

Kyary:  When this song suddenly came out, I was mystified. I didn't know that Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was someone who sings such sweet and sour songs (laughs). (laughs) Mr. Nakata said that he had an image of the ending of trendy dramas in the 80s and 90s. He said it was the image of the ending of a trendy TV drama in the 80s or 90s.　If you're from that generation, I'm sure you'll feel nostalgic. It was also very difficult to sing. There are high-pitched parts, and it was difficult to keep the pitch right. Also, Mr. Nakata sometimes makes a joke out of the title of the song, but I was surprised by the refreshing title and beautiful lyrics. Mr. Nakata, I wonder if he's in love (laughs). If you are a child of this generation, the image of a love reality show may be close.

If you're in your 40s or older, Seiko Matsuda comes to mind.

Kyary:  Oh, I also thought of Seiko-chan's cut when I first heard it.

The last song was a cover of CAPSULE's "world fabrication" from their album "NEXUS-2060" in 2005. The jazzy big band arrangement is impressive, and the lyrics are very sad but also sparkling.

Kyary:  It's a sad song, but Mr. Nakata said, "It's more convincing because Kyary is singing it now. It's been 10 years since my debut, so I know both the happy and sad parts of the lyrics. I wondered if Mr. Nakata had those two thoughts in mind when he wrote this song.

Originally, Kyary was a CAPSULE fan, wasn't she?

Kyary:  That's right. When I heard this song, I wondered how I should sing it against the beautiful and gentle feminine atmosphere of Koshijima (Toshiko), but I decided to sing it cheerfully and brightly as usual.

It's a great song by Kyary, and it's a great number to end the album. It's a great song to end the album.

Kyary:  Thank you very much. Next year I'm going to be touring "Kyarypamyupamyu 10th ANNIVERSARY JAPAN TOUR 2022" and I'm currently preparing for that. I've got about three themes in mind that I'd like to do, and I hope you'll wait and see what happens!

src : https://realsound.jp/2021/11/post-897937.html

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"Polygon Wave EP" created by the change in the production system and the relationship with Yasutaka Nakata who came closer to Perfume (Natalie Interview Sep 2021)

Page 1 - about live show

Page 2

Which was the most memorable performance of this concert for you?

Kashiyuka: The first performance of "Polygon Wave (Original Mix)". Originally, we were going to perform the version that was released earlier, but when we were deciding which song to include on the EP, Yasutaka Nakata said, "This is the one!" About two weeks before the concert, I asked MIKIKO-sensei, "I'd like to change the song to this one, can you do the choreography in time? "I'll do my best at ......! (laughs).

I'll do my best." (laughs) That's pretty sudden.

 "Polygon Wave" is also the title of the show, and this song was the concept that ran through the entire show.

Nocchi: But I didn't just say, "Let's record a song that will be important for the live performance. When I had a chance to talk with Mr. Nakata last December, he said, "Let's just record a song without thinking about what it's for. If it's good enough, you can use it for something else." He suggested that we go to the studio and record the song after it was written, and the first song we wrote was "Polygon Wave. The first song that came out of that process was "Polygon Wave." I think that kind of rough, uncomplicated feeling is easier for you now. All the songs we recorded this time have a different and new atmosphere. Among them, it seems that "Polygon Wave" was the first song that Nakata felt was appropriate for everyone to hear, and from that point on, we started talking about various things.

Kashiyuka: The songs "∞ Loop" and "Android &" that will be included in the EP were also recorded at that time. When we were recording, we hadn't talked about an EP yet, but since "Polygon Wave" was chosen as the theme song for "The Masked Singer," we decided to release a single. He said, "I want to put a lot of 'Polygon Wave'! I thought, "That's new" (laughs).

Nakata-san also likes this song a lot, doesn't he ?

Nocchi: I think Nakata-san had a clear idea of the world he wanted to show us. We also thought it was a great song, so we thought, "If that's the case, why don't we just release this one song first?" Then Mr. Nakata said, "If we make an EP, we'll make another version. We said, "If you're going to make another version, we'll do it live."

Kashiyuka: We've never had so many different mixes of the same song before, so we'd talk about things like, "Which 'Polygon Wave' should be the first song? We talked about it. I thought it was unusual for you to have such an opinion on the song order. It's always easy to decide, but we had many discussions.

"A closer relationship than that between "producers" and "singers.

Kashiyuka: In the past, we'd record songs after we'd decided on a release or a tie-up, but this time we were free to write and record without thinking about whether we'd use them or not, so the pace was faster than usual. When we were recording, people would say things like, "We might not use this song," but since we've already sung it, we've grown to love it (laughs). (laughs) So I sang it, thinking, "I hope it doesn't disappear. (laughs) So I sang the songs while thinking "I hope they don't disappear". In fact, I recorded songs that were not on the EP.

A~chan: Mr. Nakata's mode was different. He's always been a fast songwriter, but what happened to him?  It was so fast. I think he had a clear idea of what he wanted.

Nocchi: You and Nakata-san talked a lot before and after the recording, didn't you? We talked about our old music, our stance when being interviewed, what we hope Perfume will be like in the future, and what we want to do.

In the last interview, you said that there were only two songs that you made demos for and rejected (see Perfume "Perfume The Best "Cubed"" interview). That's a big difference.

What was the recording process like?

A~chan: we talked for hours.

Your relationship with Nakata-san is completely different from what I've heard from everyone.

Nocchi: Yes. Before, we used to talk about such things only in the occasional discussions. Nakata-san used to only reveal a little bit of what he was thinking, but this time, he was overflowing with it on .......

Kashiyuka: This time, I was happy to feel that we were working together at a closer distance than the previous relationship of "producer" and "singers". "I thought, "Oh, it was easier for Mr. Nakata to work this way. I'm not sure why I didn't realize that until now (laughs).

I'm curious to know what songs you recorded but didn't include in the EP.

Kashiyuka: The song we played at the end of the live the other night is also not on the EP, but we recorded it at that time. We don't even know if that song is finished (laughs). (laughs) But I liked that song so much from the moment we recorded it that I told MIKIKO that I wanted it to be included in the live set list.

 It's rare to play a song in its current state in a live performance. In rock bands, they sometimes show off songs that they are still working on.

Kashiyuka: That's true (laughs).

Nocchi: But we wanted to sing that song at this live, because it expresses the message that Perfume wants to convey to the fans now. It might not be released for a long time, or it might not be released at all, but we were aware that this live performance would remain as a video for a long time.

Page 3

`A desert world where all organic matter is made up of digital bits.`

So, I felt that both "∞ Loop" and "Android &" selected for this song are similar to the world view of "Polygon Wave".

Nocchi: I like both of them very much. The music is stylish and light without being mechanical, but "∞ Loop" is about the scary feeling of living in a world where time loops, and "Android &" is about falling in love with an android.

A-chan: Nakata-san told me the meaning of the lyrics. The main character of "Android &" is actually an android who thinks he's completely human. That's why the title of the song ends with "&", but it's supposed to be like "Android & Human". It's interesting, isn't it?

Kashiyuka: But we didn't know the titles of either "∞ Loop" or "Android &" until the songs were announced (laughs). (laughs) When we were recording, we said "loop" and "android", so we thought that was the name of the song, but when the information was released and we read the news article, it said something different. "But when I read the news article after the information was released, it said something different. "Is this "&" a typo? I thought, "Is this okay? I contacted them just to make sure. I asked him if it was okay, and he said, "Nakata-san told me it's "Android &". The other song is called "Mugen Loop" (laughs).

Nocchi: The lyrics of "Android &" are kind of harsh, looking at the world from a bird's eye view (laughs).  It's a song with a clear story, so I hope you'll write a story based on it.

A~chan: It looks like it's going to be hard to draw the CG (laughs).

Kashiyuka: But we can probably cover the motion with the data we've collected so far (laughs). I feel that Nakata-san had envisioned a total world in this EP.  He wanted to express the whole thing like a movie.

That's right. I thought it was a very conceptual composition that "∞ Loop" depicts a world that keeps rebooting at the end of the day, and the song "System Reboot", which means "reboot", is included at the end of the same work.

Kashiyuka: Nakata-san's image for this EP is "a beautiful & broad desert, but all the trees and organic matter growing there are made of digital bits. It's a world with a sense of discomfort," he said.

Director Yusuke Tanaka's signature "Wow, I'm so scared"

You made a dance practice video for "Polygon Wave", didn't you? It was the first time for Perfume to make a video focusing on the choreography, but it seems that there was a demand for a video where you can see every detail of the body movements, and the response was great.

Nocchi: I'm so happy (laughs). It's not often that I get to dance in sneakers, so it was fun to film.

A~chan: Whenever I appear on a music program, I always take a short video of myself dancing and submit it to the TV station. I can't show that kind of footage to the public, but the atmosphere of the dance practice video is similar to that. It's hard to dance in heels, so just wearing sneakers made it really easy.

I heard that you're working on a music video for this song, will there be a lot of dance scenes in the music video?

Nocchi: Basically, it's like a dance video.

Kashiyuka: But we just shot it, so I haven't watched it yet (laughs).

A~chan: It's a video with a clear world view, so I'm sure you'll understand how to listen to this song by watching it. Is this real? Is this real or is this virtual? In the music video, the three of us are driving together, and in the middle of the road, we're like, "What? It ends with Yusuke Tanaka's signature "Wow, this is so scary! (laughs). During the shooting, I was dancing so hard that my legs became sticks.

The choreography is quite complicated, isn't it?  It's a collage of past songs, updated with the skills of the three of us, and it's the culmination of Perfume's dancing to date.

A~chan: What! Is that so? I thought you were doing it consciously, but it's not like that?

Nocchi: I wasn't conscious of it at all. To be honest, I just thought, "I've never done all these moves before" (laughs).(laughs)

Kashiyuka: When I was being choreographed, I took it as "new movements for a new song", so I didn't feel anything special. But we didn't talk about such messages.

A~chan: I thought that the arrangement of the song had various old tastes. I thought, "That sound in the background is the one they used in 'Polyrhythm'! It brings back memories! I'm nostalgic!

─ Speaking of which, the newly recorded "Polygon Wave (Remix)" is a very interesting remix, with a series of tones and phrases that remind me of various Perfume songs.

A~chan: I think Nakata-san has that planned out! I mean, he said something like that, didn't he?

Oh, so that's what he said. I was listening to the song thinking that it was like a concept live "Reframe" that reconstructed Perfume with the most advanced production, and that it was like your own "Reframe" that reconstructed Perfume's history in one song.

A~chan: Yes, yes. When you've been doing this for a long time, you get to make this kind of music.In many cases, remixes are done in a way that is different from the artist's usual style, as if to say, "This could be interpreted in this way," but this remix has more of a Perfume feel to it.

Nocchi: Yeah, I was expecting it to be weirder, but when I listened to it, it sounded so much like Perfume (laughs).

Page 4 - upcoming Reframe etc.

src : https://natalie.mu/music/pp/perfume17

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“Yasutaka Tanaka” - Kakukaku Shikajika (Blank Canvas manga) & Subtractive Art-form

Came across a ‘Yasutaka Tanaka’ reference while reading through Akiko Higashimura’s autobiographical manga “Kakukaku Shikajika” (Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey) (2012)

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P.S. - daydreaming below

Akiko-sensei earlier in the manga reflects upon the contrast between art-forms - oil painting & manga, viewing the latter as a “subtractive“ art-form. (2nd panel below)

This reminded me of Nakata’s interview with Perfume discussing about the style of music he was making during 2017, where he emphasized using a subtractive methodology in the final version of his tracks, for eg. “Tokyo Girl”

Interesting thing was that the song “Tokyo Girl” was used as the theme song for the drama “Tokyo Tarareba Girls” - which is the adaptation of the manga drawn by the same mangaka Akiko-sensei.

Found it interesting, that a subtractive track met up with Akiko-sensei’s subtractive art-form work.