VOL.143 5th album“THE TWILIGHT VALLEY”interview(first half)

●○○ From music freak magazine Vol.143

GARNET CROW

New Album 『THE TWILIGHT VALLEY』 10.4 On Sale!!

GARNET CROW has been energetically releasing new work this year, putting out four singles, including “Yume・Hanabi,” “Kon'ya Eden no Katatsumi de,” and “Maboroshi” in a three-month run of consecutive single releases beginning in July. On October 4, they released the new album 『THE TWILIGHT VALLEY』. Their first original album in roughly two years, it condenses the sonic world of a group that celebrated its fifth anniversary last year and is moving into a new field. Its mysterious lyrics and varied sounds should stimulate listeners’ imaginations more than ever and project distinctive scenes in their minds. This time, we interviewed all four members to explore the appeal of the new album. (INTERVIEWED BY EMI MORI)

● This is your first original album in two years. When did you begin preparing to make it?
Yuri Nakamura (hereafter Nakamura): Last year was our fifth anniversary, so we were editing commemorative releases such as a best album, a DVD, and a photo book. At the same time, we were recording new material, so that may count as the preparation period. In that sense, this album had a long production period. We selected the songs from a large number we had written, from songs made last year through the most recent ones, so I think the result is a work distilled from the best material.
● There are many singles on this album. Did you think about the balance between them and the album tracks when putting it together?
Nakamura: We did not pay special attention to that; we simply gathered songs that clicked with us. Around the period from “Rai・Rai・Ya” to “Yume・Hanabi,” we began talking about releasing an album in the fall of this year, but before then we had been making each song individually, so we did not have a concrete vision for an album. I feel that the album’s image took shape when we made “Anywhere” around June this year. The running order was decided from the start: “Anywhere” would be the first track and “WEEKEND” the last. We then selected the songs in between.
● What about “Anywhere” made you feel it would become the album’s central axis?
Nakamura: I felt it strongly expressed aspects of our world, depth, and subtle nuances that cannot be conveyed in a single. The A melody is quiet, the B melody becomes sharper, and the chorus expands; I feel the elements of GARNET CROW are concentrated in this one song. It pulls the other songs along and makes the album work as a whole. That is why we put “Anywhere” first, inviting listeners into our world, and then have them return to reality after finishing “WEEKEND.”
● How did you decide on the album title 『THE TWILIGHT VALLEY』?
Nakamura: “TWILIGHT” is the moment when the sun sets and night begins, and it is the time when shadows are darkest and longest. It is neither day nor night, neither shadow nor light, and I felt that this gray area connected with the depth of the musical world we create. The twilight period lasts only a moment, but it is very beautiful. We make rock, ballads, and pop songs, but we have always created our work with the wish that the melodies, music videos, and jackets should be beautiful, so I felt that the twilight hours matched our musical worldview. The period when night turns into morning also has a unique atmosphere. The city has not completely fallen silent, yet it is just beginning to move, and it feels packed with energy. We put that kind of energy into every song on this album, so I think that also connects with the image of “TWILIGHT.”
● I also felt that GARNET CROW’s identity became clearer through this album.