[Interview]
After 4 years, the new album "PICORINPIN" was released by Takahashi Hitomi. After the release of her previous work "Bamboo Collage", the girl who had gone astray with “I thought, am I done with songs”, within the meetings of artists Hidaka Tooru, ROLLY, Koji Nakamura (iLL) and Chara, tells us that she found her direction little by little. Yes, Takahashi Hitomi, through this work, perhaps liberated her own music character for this first time.
What Canned Food!
--I think your album “PICORINPIN” after an interval of 4 years, is really wonderful.
“Th-thank you. By no means did I think you’d give me a remark like that.”
--(Laughs) Ms. Takahashi, it perfectly reflects what you want to do, I think that it’s the point of this album.
“Yes, that’s right, isn’t it? After I released the world “Wo Ai Ni” (2009) with the BEAT CRUSADERS, making this album became my target. After that, I took quite a lot of time, but—whenever I’d meet Mr Hidaka, he would say to me 'When are you gonna release [an album]?' (Laughs)—It became a work that I was able to realize properly one song at a time.”
--After you released “Bamboo Collage” (2007), were you thinking about future things right away?
“No, After that...hehe (laughs). What, why did I laugh?”
--(Laughs) You released the single “Atashi no Machi, Ashita no Machi” in 2008.
“Ah, that’s right, isn’t it? At that time, production formations changed, and I thought that I’d vaguely become new. But, it was a point of thought. At that time I was 19-years-old, but I was about to be 20, and I talked variously with my friends. We’re the meat of the conveyor belt”
--Yes? What’s that?
“(Laughs) Er. On a rail we can’t operate in reverse, we said we become the canned goods known as adults. I thought that 20-years-old is canned food. 'It's confined' 'It's boring'. I had so many frustrations like that, and with music it got like 'Have I done enough with music?'.When I was a high school student, I was allowed to [make music] with the sense of extra circular activities. Without something to protect, I didn’t know fear, so being touchy to that I extent, I think I was strong. But, right after I graduated, various things became realistic. I really thought about the meaning of singing. 'What do I want to do?'. Cause thinking time is necessary, would it be better for me to quit completely?”
--I see.
“But, at that timing, I was allowed to get together with the BEAT CRUSADERS. They let me be a part of the movie 'PRETTY IN PINK FLAMINGO', but at that time there was a chance for the members to eat a meal with just me only once. Mr. Hidaka said something like 'You're thinking about such things', and everyone else spoke a lot. When listening to them, quite a lot of negatives came out, like 'In reality, we're troubled too'. I thought at that time, 'Even certain guys with a career like this are troubled, so what am I doing?'. 'What canned food!' (Laughs)”
--You got the chance to face forward.
“Yeah, My frame of mind changed little by little from there. After that, though we made “Wo Ai Ni”, I came to think, “Isn’t there a way so that my voice can be used more for its best use?”.”
[Interview (2) – I’ll Try to Ask the Person Himself]
--You released the collaboration with ROLLY “Koisuru Pierotti” in August 2010, is this Ms. Takahashi’s offer too?
“That’s right. I think.”
--It’s certainly an unexpected partnership.
“After I came here (Tokyo), I got where I was often looking at a certain anime site (laughs), I got an impact from SCANCH’s “Ultra Rocketman” music video. At first, I had an interest in it like 'The amount of gunpowder is strange! Just now did the keyboardist just blow up!?', but after that I immediately thought 'ROLLY is so cool!'. Cause I don’t understand the guitar well, I don’t have many favorite guitarists, but I really like ROLLY’s guitar solo. Being ROLLY-like, he has in him the essence of Roots and other of my favorite artists. I think that balance is really cool.”
*Note: SCANCH is ROLLY’s band.
--Did you have a conviction to balance with your own voice?
“No, not at all. I didn’t know if it suited or not, but even if I sing or even if it’s created, I was allowed to learn all the music, I really think I had that kind of feeling. ROLLY is really polite, and I think he has meaning in every note, every single word and phrase, even the smallest nuance. Really because of that, I’m glad we were able to [make a song] together.”
--I see. By the way, during your previous album, didn’t you say something like 'I want to request a favor from this person'?
“I did say that, didn't I? As for firm relations with this work, it’s the first time this time, probably. During “Bamboo Collage”, I did say to my director, 'By the way, I like SUPERCAR. Doesn't that kind of feeling suit my voice?' After all, at that time I couldn’t self-challenge, but with this timing I thought 'I'll ask a favor from the person himself'. I think he said, 'What a impudent girl.'”
--But, in any case, offering is important, right?
“That’s right, isn’t it? Why, up till now, didn’t I think to try it.....I undertook it, and I was really happy. When we were in pre-production, though there were so many songs brought to the demo, and, within those, there was a sound source of before [iLL] debuted with SUPERCAR. Mr. Nakako said, 'I thought, 'Let's [make a song] with SUPERCAR'', so I said, 'Please let me do that by all means!' (laughs). That said song is “ROLLING” that is the coupling of “MUSIC”.”
--“MUSIC” and “neon sign” on “PICORINPIN” are really SUPERCAR-ish. Isn’t it iLL?
“Yes! At first Mr. Nakako was embarrassed. he said 'Can't I make a bright song anymore......'. So I think he mustered a great strength and wrote [the songs] for me. “neon sign” became twin vocal-ish, but that’s completely Mr. Nakako and (Furukawa) Miki’s image. I really did my best, and want to sing it specially.”
[Interview (3) – Which Sound Is Lovely?]
--You made “Fire Ball” and “walkin’” with Chara. Do you like Chara too?
“Well, all girls like her! For example, being intimate with someone you like, it becomes girl’s feelings, and Chara’s music really becomes a supporter. But, there’s probably those thinking 'Does Takahashi Hitomi usually listen to Chara?' (laughs). Actually, I really like Mean Machine, YEN TOWN BAND, Chara, Yuki, etc. I also listened to ATAMI (a solo project by Watanabe Zentarou) which Chara participated in. After, I thought in order for me to advance forward, to work together with Chara, I’d do by best. There’s no girlie element at all, for me. But, I think it needs to be such an element, since I’m singing as a woman.”
--There’s never a completely no girlish part, right?
“That’s right. But, in my teens, there were times when I really hated my girl self. As for girls, aren’t we controlled by our emotions? That gets depressing. 'Why don't I work work by thinking with my head!?'. Cause I hated the fact of being influenced by emotions being seen by people.”
--You say you couldn’t accept your feminine points.
“Yes, but that’s not to say I want to become a boy. But, if I can be intimate with someone I like, it’s not terrible, right? For example, when I send a message, I get irritated just by not getting a reply. A me like that gets sick of it, 'Why?'. It’s wasting my time waiting for mail. But, recently, little by little, I don’t accept a me like that.....Finally I’ve become a woman!”
--(Laughs) Was communication with Chara also helpful?
“She’s already naturally a woman. Her presents are cute too. When I’m singing, I rapidly get tired and get old (laughs), but she said to me 'Hitomi, you don't have eyebrows. Let's put no make-up'. And I said, 'What? Is it okay to fix my make-up during recording?'. I understood that things like that are connected to motivation.”
--Lovely. What are your lyrics about?
“They really became a stimulus! At first, I sang properly with a something-something-word-like feeling. But because of the language like 'Can't you hear the two harmonies?' and 'You hear it, right?' the phrase 'bye wind' came out of it. Of course, there are the facts of 'I want to convey it here properly, so I'll go with these lyrics', for example, with 'Which sound is lovely?' Chara judges [the music]. I want to make the best use of the way to write lyrics from now on. Are there musical and literary points too?”
--And yet, it’s very girl-like. Tabuchi Hisako participated in the arrangement of “Fire Ball”, right?
“Yes! I want to do it all with live sound, she let me order such a thing, but in our various talkings, Tabuchi Hisako influenced me. Cause I’m a (Shiina) Ringo freak. When you talk about Ms. Hisako, it’s growth (status)! Moreover, this song had the drummer Komatsu (Masahiro) of bloodthirsty butchers) and Nakao Kentarou as the bass. The bloodthirsty butchers and Number Girl, it’s like an extravagant band!”
--It would’ve been great if Mukai (Hidenori) had come too.
“No no no. That’s, that’s out of the question.....”
[Interview (4) -- If I have even my voice, there aren’t scary things]
--(Laughs) Ms. Takahashi, you love the 90’s, don’t you?
“That’s right, isn’t it? But, it’s all from Ms. Ringo. I don’t want to say much (laughs). I look online for the radio program 'Etsuraku Patrol' that Ms. Ringo did with CROSS FM, and check all the songs on the air. There’s a feeling it’s getting wide-spread like that.”
--H ZETT M who participated in your current album, did you come to listen to Ms. Ringo because of that connection?
“Recently, yes. It started from 'Tokyo Jihen's 'Gunjou Biyori' is such a famous song!', I listened to H ZETT M’s solo album, and he went from there to PE’Z. Of course he’s someone cool who plays the piano, but when I listen to his solo album, he’s an earth-shattering melody maker. He’s a person who makes music that I want to sing.”
--When you work together, there’s also a stimulus.
“I didn’t really tell the conversation of music (laughs). In H ZETT M’s case, at first I thought I should make a rule. The rule, how should I put it, I told him 'I want to do it within the width of this'. It means 'From Yamase Mami to Primal Scream'.....”
--(Laughs) What is that?
“I love Yamase Mami’s song “Go!”. (Okuda) Minsei composed the music, and it’s a “great deal of trouble”-like song. But the message I got from H ZETT M was 'I generally understand' (laughs). I thought, 'What? Really!?', but the first song that arrived to put in the album was “Otenkiame”. This......”
--It’s a wonderful song. Beautiful, painful, set in an H ZETT M-like free key.
“Yeah, I really love it too. I thought, this will be the album’s end song.”
--The phrase is really impressive, but what kind of theme did you write for the lyrics?
“I really like the feeling when the rain stops, and that image was strong. In the beginning, it was really just that, but when I reread the lyrics again when I sang at the instore live recently, I realized '[The lyrics] are really close to my sentiments now'. So that I can meet the next me, it’s not but, all the things I’ve gotten up to now, I just need to advance forward, right? But, I really like this song. Even when I sing it live, I think of what I should do if I cried.”
--By making up “PICORINPIN”, did you have reaction of “I’ll advance forward with this”?
“Yes. I had many first times, and I had many reflection points too, but I already had the feeling of 'For my next album, I want to do it in this way'.”
--It’s wonderful. You said 'I should do something' and you got through the times of losing your way.....
“It was that kind of feeling the whole time. How to say it, I thought I had to search for my own color. But, I’m different from other people, and what’s remaining in me is just my voice. It’s not something like when I sing, I hold a flower, and do it acoustic (laughs), but if I have even my voice, it comes where I can think there aren’t scary things. After, sometimes, I just have to make timely things.”
--You honestly express the things you want to do at that moment.
“That’s the healthiest. This time, even if I see everyone who let me do it with them, it’s like that. Music consists of life. Sleeping, eating delicious things, seeing good things, listening to my favorite music, music is born from points like those. Perhaps it might not be directly related to music, but it’s big to be able to think 'It's good to be me' .”
Thank you very much for translation!
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