"You use Rapping when you want people to think"
--The message you put into "Utena" isn't just to encourage people to think positive, and take a chance even when they're uncertain. While moving forward, you're also posing questions about progress. What kind of feelings do you want the listener to receive?
Not just in this song, I often use Rap when I want the listener to think. It's like you're shouting your thoughts and feelings through a loudspeaker. Of course, I'd like it to be enjoyed as music, so I want to make the Sabi very melodious. However, when I come up with allot of things I want to say quickly, then I'll use rap. It's the same with "Utena". I really want you to listen and understand the rap parts. Now that I think about it, in a previous Interview with Natalie, I said it's intentional for rapping to not be understood (laughs).
(*A link is posted to this Interview)
--If anything doesn't come across, you'd like them to read the lyrics, right?
Yes. It's not just about understanding the work, it's about actively absorbing it if you choose to. Not just how the music touches you, but if you think about what the writer is saying, then that's the best scenario. That's the message I put in "Utena". Not to accept the work in front of you as a good thing, but to question "is it really good?". Evolution and development are said to be "good", but is that really true? It would be nice if you could think about it from that point of view.
--In a sense, the song wants to challenge the listener, right?
That's right. On top of that, "Utena" is a very challenging song for me as well. I didn't really try to make it catchy at first. I ended up creating something that's different from what you'd expect from Reol. From the perspective of someone's who's followed me since the beginning, this melody isn't familiar.
--The composition of "Utena" is unique, isn't it. There's no element of Sabi (*Low vocal tone). Instead, the EDM drop takes it's place.
If I'm collaborating with dancers, then I want the drop to come in when the music is rising, so it was a bit more challenging for me. For someone who says "I like Reol's music", I think it will sound fresh. For those who aren't familiar with EDM, I'd like to them to listen to "Utena".
--Not just for this song, but how much do you take into account the listeners when you're writing a song?
I try not to think about that too much. Everyone has a favorite song. They'll often say "I like songs like 'X'", but if you write something similar to that, then they'll say it's an inferior version of the original song. Because my new drawer can only be opened by me, I have no choice but to express myself in my own way.
(*Reol really does say drawer)
"Whether you get angry or not..."
--The theme for this song is "Challenge", so what would you like to challenge yourself to do in the future?
I want to do a guerrilla live. I've thought about doing a live while riding on a Decoration Truck. For example, if you start in the center of town, the customers will follow you, so I don't think the police will get angry (laughs). If they label wouldn't let me go through with it at the last minute, I'd probably get a little angry. I'd spontaneously shout to everyone that I want to make music that's entertaining and surprising.
(*Decoration Trucks or "Dekotora" are elaborately decorated semi-trucks. They were popularized in the 1970's by the movie "Torakku YarÅ" which followed a pair of truck drivers running from the law)
--You want to do something that no one else has done.
That's right. I often talk to the live team about using Projection Mapping, so it looks like I'm doing a live at a castle tower (laughs). I want to excite myself and challenge what other Artists are doing. While I'm excited, I want to continue doing things that will also excite the listeners.
(*Projection Mapping, similar to video mapping and spatial augmented reality, is a projection technology used to turn objects, often irregularly shaped, into a display surface for video projection)
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