Es VOL.2 best album“THE BEST History of GARNET CROW at the crest...”Yuri Nakamura、Hitoshi Okamotointerview(second half)

●○○From music freak Es Vol.2

...They also contain chorus lines that I could not come up with now. Of course, I think I can create songs today that I could not have written back then. A strongly progressive song like "Hyaku-nen no Kodoku" would have been absolutely impossible for me to write at the time of our debut; it was born because we had cultivated our music over those ten years. From the beginning, I have always aimed to give 100 percent of who I was at that moment, so it is not a matter of whether the old songs or the new songs are better or worse. You can feel how hard we worked in each of them, and they are embarrassing in so many ways (laughs).

●Are there any especially memorable songs on Disc 1?

Nakamura: In terms of how difficult the recording was, I would say "Spiral." We did a 24-hour endurance recording session. We entered the studio in the evening, and when we were still there the following evening, the other staff members asked, "You're still here?" (laughs).

Okamoto: We played "Spiral" at the Kobe University festival, and because it was being featured on *Spo!rt* at the time, I remember the audience reacting very strongly.

●It seems that you also began performing more around the time "Spiral" was released. Was there a connection between your live work and your songs back then?

Nakamura: Not at that point. I think we kept production and live performances firmly separate: production was production, and live performances were live performances.

●When did they begin influencing each other?

Nakamura: Around the time of "Koyoi Eden no Katasumi de," we began actively engaging everyone in call-and-response during live shows and became conscious of creating enjoyable performances that involved the people who came to see us. That may be when songs of that type began to emerge. Until then, our main focus was studio work, and our approach was to perform the songs made there live. I think this was when we gradually shifted toward a unified stage that involved everyone.

●When recording a guitar solo, do you ever shape the phrase with the live performance in mind, Okamoto?

Okamoto: No. When I record, I play 100 percent for the sake of the work. Afterward, though, I sometimes think, "It might be difficult to perform this live."

●Disc 2 contains songs from the latter half of 2004 through the present. Were there periods when you felt something changed in the production process?

Nakamura: Our production stance has never changed. I think we have been able to continue all this time precisely because it has not changed.

●How do you feel the range of songs born from that process has expanded?

Nakamura: Looking at our recent songs, the range has widened since our debut: "Rai・Rai・Ya" is modeled on kayokyoku, while "Yume・Hanabi" and "Kaze to RAINBOW" incorporate Latin sounds. At the same time, I was reminded that we have consistently made GARNET CROW-style ballads at key points along the way. I think having that foundation makes it possible for us to try different kinds of songs. Looking over the track list, I realized again that ballads are GARNET CROW's home base, or that they occupy a large proportion of the songs people expect from GARNET CROW. I want to continue valuing that.

●Are there any especially memorable songs on Disc 2?

Okamoto: In terms of impact, "Rai・Rai・Ya." The power of its melody, the sound that makes images rise before your eyes, and the presence of its lyrics are all extraordinary.

Nakamura: The staging when we performed it on *Music Station* was incredible too.

Okamoto: The song must have had that much impact.

●Which songs are memorable for you, Nakamura?

Nakamura: "Sekai wa Mawaru to Iu Keredo." The scene when we performed it as an encore at the Ninna-ji live was incredibly moving. The sun had set and the moon was out, pampas grass swayed in the wind, and it was bitterly cold. The audience listened intently, and we were able to concentrate on the performance and sing with everything we had. I had never experienced that atmosphere before, and it matched the song perfectly, so it felt wonderful.

●A new song, "As the Dew," is included on Disc 2, and you performed a little of it at the Akasaka BLITZ show. What made you decide to include it?

Nakamura: We first decided to include a new song as something fun in addition to the singles. It is a minor-key, up-tempo song with a very strong groove. The live-house tour was aimed at creating very friendly performances where we could enjoy ourselves at a closer distance from everyone, so we chose a cool, stylish song to show another side of GARNET CROW. After seeing us smiling onstage during the live shows, people might picture us standing composed and poised from the intro of this song. We wanted to show them a cool GARNET CROW too, and let them enjoy the contrast. It had been a while since we released something this groovy and easy to move to, so it felt fresh and seemed like a good choice.

Okamoto: When we played it briefly live, we used a slower tempo, but the vocal feel is very passionate. The sound is cool, but it has heat to it.

●It certainly changes completely and becomes heated from the chorus onward.

Nakamura: It feels like Spain, the country of passion.

Okamoto: And it is urban at the same time...

Nakamura: I think it suits a shaker better than a tambourine.

●The first-press limited edition includes a "Premium Disc," and it is quite substantial. How did you choose the songs?

Nakamura: We first picked songs that are extremely popular with our fans. Then we surveyed the members and selected popular songs from their choices, and also asked the staff who have watched us since our debut for their opinions. That is how this collection came together. "Nora" was the first song on the live-house tour, and the audience was so moved by it that we made it the first track because we hoped people who came to the shows would hear it and remember the live performances. The Premium Disc feels like a condensation of the music and sensibilities we like and seek out ourselves. I would be happy if people could feel that these songs form the backbone of our music, and that the singles grew out of them. I think it is an album that lets people understand what lies behind our music.

Singles are made within a certain set of constraints, but the songs on the Premium Disc were created by pursuing what we wanted to do, so they carry an even clearer scent of who we are. For example, I think "Meguri Kuru Haru ni" leads into "Sekai wa Mawaru to Iu Keredo," while the musicality of "Rainy Soul" connects to "Maboroshi." You can sense the relationships between the individual songs.

●The release of this best album will be followed by a hall tour. What kind of live show would you like to make?

Nakamura: I think many people will listen to the best album, so in addition to a lineup they can enjoy, I would like to include surprises that make them think, "They are performing this song too!!" We are also considering stage direction unique to a hall, so I want the shows to be enjoyable both to watch and to hear.

Okamoto: I hope we can bring out the strength we have built by walking this path together in a good way.

Best Album
『THE BEST History of GARNET CROW at the crest...』 Now On Sale !!
GIZA studio

［Disc 1］
01. Mysterious Eyes　02. Kimi no Ie ni Tsuku made Zutto Hashitte Yuku (indies ver.)　03. Futari no Rocket　04. Sen Ijo no Kotoba wo Narabete mo...
05. Natsu no Maboroshi (secret arrange ver.)　06. flying　07. Last love song
08. call my name　09. Timeless Sleep　10. Yume Mita Ato de　11. Spiral　12. Crystal Gauge　13. Nake nai Yoru mo Nakanai Asa mo
14. Kimi to Iu Hikari　15. Bokura dake no Mirai　16. Kimi wo Kazaru Hana wo Sakaso

［Disc 2］
01. Wasurezaki　02. Kimi no Omoiegaita Yume Atsumeru HEAVEN　03. Hare-dokei
04. Rai・Rai・Ya　05. Yume・Hanabi　06. Koyoi Eden no Katasumi de　07. Maboroshi
08. Kaze to RAINBOW　09. Kono Te wo Nobaseba　10. Namida no Yesterday
11. Sekai wa Mawaru to Iu Keredo　12. Yume no Hitotsu　13. Hyaku-nen no Kodoku
14. Doing all right　15. Hana wa Saite Tada Yurete
16. As the Dew (new song: opening theme for *Detective Conan*, broadcast nationwide on Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.)

［Disc 3 (Premium Disc)］【First-press limited-edition bonus】
01. Nora　02. pray　03. Yuudachi no Niwa　04. Jewel Fish　05. Marionette Fantasia　06. A crown　07. Float World　08. Koi no Aima ni
09. Love is a Bird　10. Himawari no Iro　11. Crier Girl & Crier Boy 〜ice cold sky〜　12. Meguri Kuru Haru ni　13. Go For It　14. Ushinawareta Monogatari
15. Rainy Soul

【First-press limited edition: 2 CDs + Premium Disc】
GZCA-5213–14　￥3,990 (tax included)
★ Includes a photobook!!

【Regular edition: 2 CDs】
GZCA-5215–16　￥3,200 (tax included)

★ GARNET CROW Happy 10th Anniversary
　livescope 2010 〜THE BEST TOUR〜★
・Saturday, February 27: Tokyo International Forum, Hall A
・Saturday, March 6: Sapporo City Education and Culture Hall
・Tuesday, March 16: Hiroshima Aster Plaza, Grand Hall
・Thursday, March 18: Fukuoka International Congress Center, Main Hall
・Saturday, March 20: Sendai Civic Hall, Main Hall
・Thursday, March 25: Chunichi University Cultural Civic Hall, Prunier Hall
・Saturday, March 27: Osaka International Convention Center, Grand Cube Osaka, Main Hall

●Ticket price: ¥6,000, all seats reserved (tax included)
※Children under six are not admitted.

■ OFFICIAL WEBSITE
www.garnetcrow.com