- How did you start composing music?
I started recording music as my own work in earnest when I was about 15 years old, and when I was about 17, I got the chance to have others listen to it. - What is your default DAW/music making software and your most favorite VSTs to use?
Logic Pro on Mac, with iZotope Ozone. - How did you start composing music for DJMAX? What was the process like to work with their sound team?
At Muzie (which is soundcloud-like Japanese SNS in ’00s), Electronic Boutique found me.
He was a high school student yet, but had many connections with Japanese game music composers and indies music society.
I’m grateful to him for giving me an opportunity. - What is your relationship with composer Electronic Boutique?
I don’t know his recent activities, but I know he isn’t an ordinary person. - Hirotaka Izumi seems to be an inspiration for “For Seasons”. Do you like jazz fusion music, and which acts do you like the most?
When the fluent piano melody and simple chord progression, simple rhythm pattern meets up in one (inst) song, it associates me with H.Izumi. The other style of combination associates me of an other performer.
So, the more I learned about my ignorance of music, the more adventurous I became. I found jazz and fusion to be mysterious and fascinating.
Chick Corea, in particular, smashed my preconceptions in terms of dissonance and rhythmic structure. - You say on your website that “A Lie” was your first vocal song. Was that a challenge for you?
At that time, it was so hard to find a good vocalist and a good recording studio in a local area (where I live).
Good vocalists leave their hometowns for the capital, so the hometowns are always short of vocalists. - Who is the artist “Maniac Garage” you mention in the notes of “Right Now” ?
The first time I saw their name was when I saw a web comment claiming that I had ripped off one of their songs.
This was a problem on samples. not on music. I only used samples in accordance with the EULA.
As I just wrote, it was difficult for local people to find good vocalists at the time, and relying on commercially available vocal samples was the only way to go, but I felt I had no choice but to change my musical circumstances if my career was going to be compromised by the false accusation. - What is the song that sounds similar to “Dream of You” ?
I don’t remember the title, but i thought if someone tried to make a jazz song, it would be like this.
And I must say, the same is true for “Dream of You”. - You have a post about “Dream of You” on your website, talking about how the middle portion is difficult and strange-sounding, but you kept it in despite its difficulty. Do you try to challenge yourself like this when composing each new song?
No. There is no current demand for a place to show magic. - You said that “Sunny Side” and “Your Own Miracle” were hard to remix. Could you explain this?
Mainly because of the transition period of my production environment.
You may know, there may be a large gap between the time of delivery and the time of release of the song.
If you go for a new or quirky style, you could miss the mark significantly depending on the timing of the release. Especially since this is a field where genres evolve rapidly. - Which Flash games’ music inspired the sound of “Smokey Quartz” ?
I saw it maybe on Kongregate, but I only remember that game had a detective-like element to it. - How do you prepare when you make world music tracks such as Yo Creo Que Si, Emblem or Craic? I think Emblem and Craic are great Irish sounding tracks.
No preparation is necessary, as I appreciate regularly. - Do you prefer to make music with natural instrument sounds or electronic sounds?
I love to merge them.
But I don’t want to have more electronic sounds when I’m in a band style because it would add to my baggage. - Why didn’t you like making the song “Beat U Down” ?
Hip Hop, Eurobeat, Heavy Metal, Dubstep, and other sweaty music seems to be my weakness. - You said in the notes for Tromp L’oeil that you sometimes have to “change your personality” when making songs in unusual genres. Please tell me more about that.
When I took a break from studying chords and rhythms, one of the biggest obstacles for me was the issue of scales. The scales of Gypsy-feel music like “Trompe L’oeil” required me to create a new persona to deal with them, even if it wasn’t enough to redo my life, as I had based my musical experience on the Blue Note scale.
It seems familiar to the younger generation under the influence of Electro Swing. - Your “broken beat” songs (such as A Life With You and Voyage) are fascinating. How do you create such tracks?
Strictly speaking, it’s a Pop song based on Broken Beat. people will complain whether I call it Boken Beat or Pop.
After Acid Jazz with a strong Afro-musical flavor was represented as Broken Beat, there was a period in the U.S. when a similar style was being tested within the category of house music. I think “Voyage” is referring to the musical style of that period.
NOTE: I find it funny that you say “Say It From Your Heart” sounds like “gay music”. I am gay and I enjoy this song very much, especially the long version.
I’m a hetero, but I would like to express my respect for the sensibility and life experience of gay people who created the club music we know today.
By the way, I experienced being bullied as a returnee when I was a child. I was lucky to be able to turn my humiliation into nourishment for myself, but the experience of being discriminated against is not inherently necessary. - What was it like to work with NieN on the guitar portion of “Gone Astray” ? His solo songs are very intense.
I received something so great that I was rather worried that I had done something to offend him. - Tell us about your collaboration with Emilio Buonanni for “Lift You Up”.
The song was inspired by Gospel Chops, which I was into at the time. And sung by a friend of mine before she goes to study in South Korea.
Emillio lives in Sapporo for several years, as a percussionist, English teacher, etc. “Lift You Up” is his first lyric work. - Was it hard to make the track “Hyperboloid” ? You said it was not a fun song to make.
When I’m rushed I tend to be messy in my expression. - You said that “Heavenly” was made as a “safe” genre song for DJMAX RESPECT, compared to the “rugged” songs you expected for the soundtrack. Was it a challenge to return to DJMAX?
As I wrote, the problem nowadays is the timing of the release.
I made this track after reading the news overseas that Tropical House rises, but there was a possibility that tropical house would die out before my track was released. I meant “in time”.
However, the definition of the genre at the time of production has changed from the definition of the genre at the time of release. I think it’s a bit out of sync with the public perception. - You said that you would have made “Jellyfish” in the Vaporwave genre if you could make it again. What attracted you to Vaporwave in particular?
If I can say “Heavenly” is in time, “Jellyfish” is out of time.
However, I didn’t like Vaporwave that much myself, so even if I had made “Jellyfish” in the style of Vaporwave, I don’t think it would have turned out interesting. - You also made music for Beatcraft Cyclon/Superbeat Xonic. Was the process any different than with DJMAX or other companies?
Mr. planetboom did not constrain the direction of the music I was producing. Now I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
I also communicated with him directly in English.
I just want to express my utmost gratitude for the respect with which they treated me. - Please explain your work with VOCALOID.
It was a place of experimentation after DJMAX. - Please tell me about your work with HUDSON SOFT, especially the game “Afrika”.
- Please tell me about your work on “The Evil Within 2” as a sound designer.
Sorry, I don’t know both of them. Maybe the title have been changed due to the trademark. - Please tell me about your work as a music instructor. I see you have many, many tutorials on your website for electronic music production.
I started composing and playing instruments little late in life, and I wasn’t learning from others, so I needed to approach music from a slightly different angle. I’m just keeping a living record of my life in the form of a blog. If someone finds this useful, that’s OK.
If you value diversity, HOWTO is only a hindrance. I believe that leaving the knowledge unorganized on web pages is the way I can repay my debt to music. I’m not sure, though, because I’m sure it’s easier to read if it’s organized. - What music do you listen to in your free time?
Most of the time I listen to the following production materials. Recently, dark minimal techno.
When I go to bed, I play my own ambient music on my iPhone under my pillow at minimum volume. It’s perfect because I always fall asleep in the middle of making my own music. - Do you prefer Western or Eastern music, or each equally?
Western : Eastern = 7 : 3.
Listening to standardized music is not fun. Neither in the Western nor in the Eastern. - What are your non-music hobbies?
I’m looking for it now. - What is your favorite food?
1 – Sushi
2 – Chinese cuisine
3 – Yakiniku
As my digestive capacity has declined with age, Yakiniku dropped down the rankings. - Tell me about your role in the Quadrifoglio project.
Mainly putting a tune to their humming.
All three vocalists are well known in Japan, and although we have existing fans, we agree that we want to keep our activities separate from commercial music. - What would you like to say to your overseas fans?
Do I have any fans!?