VOL.89 2nd album“SPARKLE 〜筋書き通りのスカイブルー〜”

From music freak magazine Vol.89

GARNET CROW

Second album *SPARKLE 〜筋書き通りのスカイブルー〜* arrives April 24!

Yuri Nakamura / AZUKI Nana / Hitoshi Okamoto / Hirohito Furui

One year and three months after the release of their first album, *first soundscope 〜水のない晴れた海へ〜*, which reached No. 6 on the album chart in January 2001, GARNET CROW’s second album, *SPARKLE 〜筋書き通りのスカイブルー〜*, is finally arriving. The high-quality music made by these four creators—Yuri Nakamura (composition and vocals), AZUKI Nana (lyrics and keyboards), Hirohito Furui (arrangement and keyboards), and Hitoshi Okamoto (guitar)—has reached a wide audience even though their activities center mainly on studio work, and their successive singles have consistently ranked near the top of the charts.

Simple but ingenious, relaxed and comfortable music; AZUKI Nana’s lyrics with their distinctive worldview; and Yuri Nakamura’s vivid, expressive voice together create the world of GARNET CROW. Once you have heard it, it is difficult not to fall in love. Recently they have also begun appearing on television, becoming even more active, and are well worth watching. In this interview, alongside a discussion of the album, we tried to learn more about the individual personalities and lives of the four members.

● First, when did you begin making the second album?

Yuri Nakamura: There was no clearly defined starting point. We wrote songs and decided that one would go on the album and another would become a single. We wrote first, accumulated a certain number, and then organized them into a work. That is roughly how it felt.

AZUKI Nana: We were always thinking about the album, though, so when making a single we would also think, “Let’s put this on the album.” The album and singles were always progressing at the same time.

● In the previous interview, you said that “夢みたあとで” was completed by continually removing sounds. This album also sounds simpler than the first, as if it continues the direction of that single...

Nakamura: With “夢みたあとで,” we did not express ourselves by continually adding production details; we removed everything unnecessary until almost nothing more could be removed. Compared with the first album, our way of expressing ourselves has certainly changed.

Hirohito Furui: When making the first album, we had a feeling that we wanted to challenge ourselves.

● Around when did this change begin?

Nakamura: With “Last love song.” It was the first single after the first album, and from there the musical direction gradually became simpler. When making the first album, we exhausted ourselves simply by adding and polishing things. This time we gradually learned the rhythm of production, so rather than expressing ourselves by piling on many elements, we wanted to try leaving out unnecessary treatment and making the work natural, simple, and less tense. In practice, that is actually more difficult.

Furui: It sounds simple, but the rhythm parts are carefully crafted. Although it is a mid-tempo song, we still wanted it to have a sense of speed...

Hitoshi Okamoto: We overdubbed several layers of arpeggios on the acoustic guitar and also used a twelve-string guitar, making the sound clearer.

● It feels as though you put a lot of thought into the arrangements, such as the strings in “call my name.”

Nakamura: Furui’s passion was completely unleashed (laughs). There are many melodies I like in this song, and after hearing the arrangement of the strings and other parts, I felt it had become a very expansive song.

Okamoto: Furui had his own image of it, so we worked through many details, such as how to layer the repeating phrases from the beginning of the intro.

Furui: This was also a song I personally very much wanted to make into a single. When I heard Nakamura’s demo, it felt vast; images of the bridge and other sections appeared in my mind, so I made them immediately before I forgot them.

● GARNET CROW’s songs begin with Nakamura’s demos, right?

Nakamura: Yes, I wrote it with an image of that all-embracing maternal feeling. AZUKI writes lyrics that allow my tone and melodies to show their strengths. Without my saying anything, she understands the essential point exactly, so even when I sing naturally I can bring out their appeal fully. I feel that she has expanded my world.

Furui: I also enjoy part of the process when arranging. This time I did not put too much pressure on myself.

Okamoto: For the guitar, I would talk with Furui and say, “If it is like this here, then the next part should probably be like this...”

Nakamura: When everyone participates, the strengths of the song emerge. If one person does everything, it is easy to choose the methods that come naturally and to see only from one’s own angle. But everyone can look at one another’s work objectively. As a song gradually takes shape, we sometimes discover that everyone was thinking the same thing, and sometimes realize there was another possibility.

● At first people described you as Neo Acoustic, but your songs actually include rock, dance music, ballads, and many other styles. Have the members’ ideas changed since your debut?

Nakamura: Rather than saying our ideas changed, I think they naturally changed as we continued making music. We do not decide in advance what to do next; the scope naturally expands while we make songs.

Okamoto: Although people call us Neo Acoustic, we ourselves have never paid much attention to it. Recently the proportion of electric guitar in my playing has increased. But compared with the first album, I actually play fewer notes. Furui’s accompaniment changes richly and often surprises me, making me wonder how to respond to something that is not part of my original style (laughs). I have learned a lot in that respect.

● Which song surprised you most?

Okamoto: “wish★.”

From music freak magazine Vol.89

Release information

GARNET CROW second album *SPARKLE 〜筋書き通りのスカイブルー〜*
Released April 24 / GIZA studio
GZCA-5013 / ¥3,059 (tax included)

1. 夢みたあとで (10th single)
2. call my name (8th single)
3. Timeless Sleep (9th single)
4. pray
5. ネイキッド ストーリー
6. Last love song (7th single)
7. スカイ・ブルー
8. wish ★
9. Please,forgive me
10. Holy ground

Bonus tracks

1. Mysterious Eyes 〜 dry flavor of “G” mix 〜
2. Timeless Sleep 〜 Flow-ing surround mix 〜

● This is a danceable song unlike anything you have done before.

Nakamura: I wrote it playfully. At the time I thought, “Why not have a little fun?”

● Which song was the most difficult to sing?

Nakamura: “Please, forgive me.” It is a super-high-difficulty, Grade-C song, the hardest in GARNET CROW’s history (laughs). I wanted to make it cool and powerful, but the pitch is high and simply producing the notes is difficult. There is nowhere to relax in the entire song, so it took the longest to record vocals so far.

● “pray” and “Please, forgive me” feel like a vivid contrast, like stillness and motion.

Nakamura: Both the tone of the sound and the melody have a Japanese, traditional feeling.

Furui: To me, it has the feeling of GARNET CROW’s first phase. We put a lot of work into the rhythmic structure, using a three-beat feel within 6/8 time. We cared about atmosphere and texture, and remembered the feeling of making independent records, cherishing that feeling...

● “Naked Story” is a song that lifts your spirits.

Nakamura: We recorded the vocals late at night, and my mood was high too. I wanted to convey the song’s feeling of making the heart leap and the pulse quicken.

Okamoto: It has a high proportion of electric guitar. Since it is a very energetic song, I paid particular attention to speed when playing.

● What meaning is contained in the album title *SPARKLE 〜筋書き通りのスカイブルー〜*?

Nakamura: “スカイ・ブルー” is probably the most representative. This is an album with a transparent quality, and that song may express it best. Many songs have a moist, vivid feeling, so we wanted a title like that too.

● Changing the subject, what kind of person is AZUKI to Nakamura?

Nakamura: AZUKI is free-spirited. She can walk alone through the streets of Tokyo.

Nakamura: I would be scared. I could not do it (laughs).

Nakamura: Unlike me, she loves being active. When she thinks of something, she acts immediately. I am lazy about going out and will stay at home, taking a long time to leave while thinking, “I will go next time.”

● What kind of person is Furui?

Nakamura: He is the person I trust most. Even when something in my hands has not reached the required standard, I feel Furui will certainly help it reach the passing line. In the best sense, he is someone I can depend on without worry.

● And Okamoto?

Nakamura: Okamoto seems to float.

Furui: He is hard to read (laughs).

● Please tell us about your upcoming schedule and future plans, individually or as a band.

Nakamura: She has tremendous drive. I would never think of something like that.

● Do you want to relax a little?

● Furui?

Furui: I recently worked with musicians from abroad, and now I especially want to create work with more people and absorb more different things. I hope to take what I absorb, turn it into confidence of my own, and create something new on that foundation.

● Okamoto?

Okamoto: It is still only a vague idea, but I want to give the music more depth.

● Nakamura?

Nakamura: The rhythm of recording and production is good right now, so I want to keep it moving without slowing down or rushing. If we can continue completing work this way, that will be good.

Yuri’s track commentary

1. “夢みたあとで”
After adopting the current arrangement, we polished it carefully for about a year. We have always treasured this song, so I hope everyone will listen with a calm mind... It suits spring very well.

2. “call my name”
I wanted to make an expansive ballad, so I wrote this song. It is one that Furui, the arranger, especially, especially likes.

3. “Timeless Sleep”
I like this song very much. When singing it, I wanted to make it more lyrical. I also think the contrast between black and white in the music video is stylish and beautiful.

4. “pray”
This song is influenced by traditional music, including Japanese music, folk music, and foreign ethnic music. When singing, I paid attention to the distinctive vocal production and changes in dynamics.

5. “Naked Story”
A very positive, bright song that lifts you up. The music is full of speed and may be especially good to hear while driving.

6. “Last love song”
I accidentally hurt myself before recording the vocals, and it hurt terribly while I sang. So it is also a song with very vivid memories for me.

7. “スカイ・ブルー”
I think this song has a transparent quality and sounds very alive. I like it very much and find myself humming the line about climbing over the horizontal bar.

8. “wish ★”
A rare dance-oriented song (!?), one you can dance along to. We tried playing around. Recording it was very enjoyable, and we had fun completing it. Does it not make your mood suddenly rise when you hear it? Everyone, dance!

9. “Please,forgive me”
This is the most difficult of GARNET CROW’s songs, Grade C difficulty. It has a rock flavor and features the guitar.

10. “Holy ground”
Does it not move you more each time you hear it? I think the finished feeling is really good. It was the last song on the album for which we recorded vocals. It suits the ending, but I think it can also become a force that sends you toward your next departure.

Bonus track 1. “Mysterious Eyes 〜 dry flavor of “G” mix 〜”
The arrangement has a completely different character from the single version, which is interesting. Please listen to both versions side by side and compare them.

Bonus track 2. “Timeless Sleep 〜 Flow-ing surround mix 〜”
It also differs subtly from the remix “Timeless Sleep 〜 groove more ‘call sky’ mix 〜” on the single. The vocal sounds slightly different too. Can you hear the difference?