VOL.155 “世界はまわると言うけれど”Yuri Nakamurainterview

●○○From music freak magazine Vol.155

●First, looking back briefly on your activities this summer: around the release of your previous single, “Namida no Yesterday,” you had opportunities to celebrate your seventh anniversary with fans, including a fan-club event. Was there anything that left a particular impression on you, or anything you felt through the event?

Yuri Nakamura (hereafter Nakamura): The quiz tournament was a lot of fun because we were able to take part along with everyone. I got most of the questions wrong, but when I looked at the expressions of those who got them right and those who missed them, everyone looked like they were truly enjoying themselves. It made me happy to feel that the distance between our hearts and those of our fans had grown a little smaller. I want to continue cherishing this kind of “connection” with everyone.

●On October 20, you held a special live show at Ninna-ji, a World Heritage site. Please give us your candid impressions.

Nakamura: It was the best! The glow-stick performance during “Holy ground” was especially wonderful—so wonderful that it sent shivers down my spine from the stage. The open, expansive sound unique to an outdoor venue and the clear resonance felt incredibly good. It was a live show in which our songs seemed to gain even more power by being performed in that place. It gave off such an enormous aura that I thought, “We may never be able to do a live show like this again…”

●When we interviewed you about “Namida no Yesterday,” you said that “some really good songs have been coming together lately.” Was the new single “Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo” one of those songs? When was it written?

Nakamura: We wrote this song around the same time as “Namida no Yesterday.”

●“Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo” is a song whose relaxed rhythm and nostalgic sound feel very pleasant to the ear. What kind of scene did you imagine when creating it?

Nakamura: This was the first time I created a song by listening to a drum loop, laying chords over it, and then adding a comfortable melody to those chords. I usually start with the melody, but this song started with the rhythm. That is why I think the rhythm feels pleasant consistently from beginning to end. I feel that this leads to the song’s sense of floating and to the “just-right temperature” of comfort, as if you were being gently wrapped in warmth.

●Was there any particular trigger that made you want to write this kind of song?

Nakamura: I was writing a lot of ballads around that time, so I must have been in that kind of mood (laughs).

●What did you think when you first read AZUKI’s lyrics? Were there any parts that linked with the image of the song?

Nakamura: I felt that the song’s great sense of groove and the world of the lyrics came together beautifully. It was like two large gears meshing perfectly.

●Is there a particular lyric passage that you especially like? Please tell us why you chose it.

Nakamura: “The long night, morning, and afternoon / all drift lazily along.” I felt that the rhythm of the song fit the phrase “drift lazily along” perfectly. I thought the tempo and groove of the song moved at the same speed as the world of the lyrics.

●The lyrics include the passage, “Let’s quietly gaze outside the window / and watch the seasons change.” Do you like looking out at the scenery, Nakamura?

Nakamura: I do. I especially like looking at the scenery outside when I want a change of pace, when the stars are especially beautiful, or on days when the moon is visible. It may be more often at night, though.

●Furui said that he “kept in mind a natural arrangement like those of the early works.” Is there an arrangement detail you particularly like? Please tell us why.

Nakamura: The intro. I like it because it lets you feel warmth, naturalness, and comfort at the same time. It is an intro that makes me feel as if I am rocking in a cradle.

●“Kanata made hikari wo” is a bright number with a strong rhythmic foundation. What kind of image did you have in mind when creating it?

Nakamura: I wanted to make a refreshing yet bittersweet song that would suit the autumn sky, with the satisfying, choppy acoustic-guitar texture of “Natsu no Maboroshi.”

●Were there any points you were particular about during production, or anything you paid attention to while singing?

Nakamura: I tried to sing in a way that would break through into the sky, matching a dry, clear sky like the autumn sky. I also use falsetto in the chorus, and I hope people will feel through it the bittersweetness beneath the freshness.

●Why did you decide to include this song?

Nakamura: I chose it because I thought it was perfect for the season in which the single was being released.

●I feel that the lyrics of this song contain parts linked to the “passage of time” in “Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo.” In what situations do you strongly feel the flow of time in daily life?

Nakamura: At this time of year, I feel it when I see that the street trees, which were lush and full of life just recently, have changed color and dropped their leaves along the roadside.

●“Argentina” is a dramatic number full of forward momentum. What kind of image did you have in mind when creating it?

Nakamura: In the past I wrote songs with a Latin flavor, such as “Yume Hanabi” and “Kakurenbo,” and this time I wanted to make another Spanish-Latin song. It was influenced by European folk music such as chanson and canzone. It is a song about a dancer named “Argentina.”

●AZUKI’s lyrics, with their playful use of words, are striking. What did you think when you first read them?

Nakamura: I thought they were very interesting. They rhyme in places, and they were enjoyable even just to hear as sounds, so recording went smoothly too.

●I felt that this was also a song where you can enjoy how the sounds and words fit together. What was it like actually singing it? Are there any parts you especially like?

Nakamura: The sound has a strong sense of momentum and the rhythm is firm, so it was easy to sing. The lyrics are packed with words that strongly evoke passion and soul, which allowed me to raise my energy and sing.

●Some GARNET CROW songs seem to change considerably as they are produced. Did the three songs on this release have any stories like that?

Nakamura: We were unsure until the last moment whether to include the third song, “Argentina.” Recently, though, we have come to enjoy making playful curveballs ourselves, so we decided to include it.

●Now that the single is complete, is there anything you think about anew?

Nakamura: It turned out great! I think it came together well as a collection. There is a song in our strong suit, a bittersweet song that hints at our early period, and a playful up-tempo song, so I think you can see three different sides of our world. Like lightly salted flavor, consommé flavor, and curry flavor… (laughs)

●It may be a little early, but could you tell us your impressions of this year so far, and anything that has particularly stayed with you?

Nakamura: It was a very fulfilling and eventful year: we reached our 100th song, held a fan event, and performed a live show at Ninna-ji. With our 100th song, “Namida no Yesterday,” we tried a Beatles-style jacket and a music video in the style of The Ed Sullivan Show; at the fan event, we planned a talk show and quiz tournament with all the members present; and we held an outdoor live show at a World Heritage site. It was also a year full of firsts.

【GARNET CROW Special live 2007 at Ninna-ji】

On October 20, 2007, “GARNET CROW Special live 2007” was held at Ninna-ji, a World Heritage site in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto. The performance took place at an ancient temple founded in 888 (Ninna 4), creating a special live space where you could experience the expansive sound unique to an outdoor venue and the distinctive atmosphere of the historic temple. In the fantastical setting, they performed 20 songs in total, including special arrangements prepared for the day. During the encore, they performed the new single “Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo” for the first time! The 3,000 people gathered there were thrilled.

New Single “Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo”
11.14 Release
GIZA studio　GZCA-4100　¥1,260 (tax in)

1. Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo
2. Kanata made hikari wo
3. Argentina
4. Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo (Instrumental)

★Special “Detective Conan” anime-art card included

※“Sekai wa mawaru to iu keredo”
★Ending theme for the “Detective Conan” anime, broadcast nationwide on the Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV network Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
★November ending theme for “MU-GEN,” broadcast on a nationwide network of 30 stations

■OFFICIAL WEBSITE garnetcrow.com