Es VOL.5 more GARNET CROW life 第 5 回 小岛岩interview

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more GARNET CROW life Vol.5

Iwao Kojima Interview

About “first soundscope 〜Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e〜”

When I am asked, “Of all the jackets you have worked on, which one means the most to you?” I hesitate, but it has to be “first soundscope 〜Mizu no Nai Hareta Umi e〜.” It was the first jacket I was able to create by approaching GARNET CROW’s jacket production with genuine commitment, and it was the jacket that gave me the real feeling that I had properly “met GARNET CROW.”

Because they were a new band, it was difficult to create something without a clearly defined theme, so we went through a great deal of trial and error at the planning stage. At the time, when GARNET CROW’s music was introduced in magazines and elsewhere, I often saw the phrase “evoking neo-acoustic music,” so I used that as a keyword while considering the colors, composition, and other elements. In those days it was difficult for all the members to coordinate their schedules, so they were often photographed at separate times. In fact, for this jacket photo, we first fixed the composition without moving the chairs, then photographed the four members separately. But when we put the images together, they had a strangely strong sense of unity, and I felt we had achieved something very promising.

None of them had much shooting experience at the time. Ms. Nakamura could not pose at all, but she was the kind of person who came to each shoot with an active spirit of inquiry, asking specific questions about the photos, such as, “Should I raise my gaze a little more?” So I do not remember having much difficulty photographing her. AZUKI NANA, on the other hand, is someone whose slightest pose looks perfectly polished, almost like a model, so I asked her things like, “Could you relax your posture a little?” and “Please just act normally.” She then folded her arms and began to think: “What does ‘normal’ mean? I thought I was being normal—what should I do??” she wondered (laughs). I remember moving forward with the shoot in that kind of atmosphere. As for the two men, the way they expressed their individuality was no different then from what it is now; even at that time, they were radiating their own worldview and appealing personalities.

About “Namida no Yesterday”

The jacket was created with the concept of making something like the Beatles’ “YESTERDAY.” I suggested, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have at least one jacket with a photo of the members smiling?” The members also wanted to enjoy making the jacket for this song, and after releasing several works since their debut, they apparently felt that they did not want to keep using exactly the same tone. We agreed that it would be good to try something a little more relaxed for once. The result seems to have been well received by the fans, which was a relief.

About “STAY 〜Yoake no Soul〜”

“STAY 〜Yoake no Soul〜” was a jacket completed after a year of development. In a dressing room at one live show, Ms. Nakamura suddenly told me, “I have decided on the image for the next album jacket!! It’s a waterfall!” (laughs). She described an image of the members standing amid a waterfall sparkling upward like white smoke, and at first we even discussed going on location all the way to Iguazu Falls. The idea was that there would be a waterfall behind the members, with something like a rainbow appearing through the rising mist—a mysterious image. But even if we actually went to a waterfall, it would be difficult in practical terms to take a photo that matched the image exactly. As we refined the idea, we settled on having the members stand in a landscape blurred and indistinct by morning mist rather than using a waterfall, bringing out the feeling of “Soul” expressed in the subtitle, “〜Yoake no Soul〜.”

We moved ahead with concepts involving waterfalls and forests, but in the end, the version selected for first-press limited edition B was photographed at a European-style building in Wakayama, where we had gone to shoot the regular edition. AZUKI also chose the first-press B jacket first, so I asked her, “Why this one?” She replied, “It feels as if the songs on it sound better.” There were other versions that were better from a design or color perspective, but in the end everyone chose according to their own instincts.

Incidentally, we always decide on a theme for the booklet inside the package as well. The theme this time was “Southern France,” and everything was put together with the image of the south of France in mind.

About “THE TWILIGHT VALLEY”

As someone working in design, I personally tend to resist color schemes that are too colorful or overly vivid. When it comes to color, I often muddy the tones slightly or layer subtle shades to create an expression that is less straightforward. However, we always make several kinds of dummy designs and continue working together with the members, producer, and staff right up to the very end, asking ourselves, “Wouldn’t this color be better?”

The only exception was “THE TWILIGHT VALLEY,” for which Ms. Nakamura and the other members had an extremely concrete image from the start. They imagined the members standing on a deserted coastline illuminated by a brilliant red sunset. We spent a considerable amount of time searching for a location that could realize it.

Something almost miraculous happened on the day of the shoot (laughs).

Another shoot was scheduled for that day, and we planned to begin with the other one. Unfortunately, it was raining heavily when we set out. We decided to go as far as the first location and make a judgment there, and luckily the sky had cleared completely by the time we arrived, so we were able to shoot without a problem. Then, as we tried to move to the location for “THE TWILIGHT VALLEY,” heavy rain began again. Once we set off, it became such a downpour that the windshield wipers could barely keep up, and the mood became, “There’s no point in going all that way!” We had almost given up. But when we arrived at the shooting location, a beautiful sunset sky had spread out as if the downpour had never happened. Because the rain had just stopped, the colors of the sky were even more beautiful—a vivid sunset exactly like the color of the jacket—with shafts of light bursting through gaps in the clouds. I was truly moved that day. From the preparation through the shoot and the finished result, it was a jacket we were able to make in a deeply satisfying way.

About “THE BEST History of GARNET CROW at the crest...”

Speaking of color, we made around 50 dummy designs before settling on gold lettering against a pink background for the first-press limited edition of the best-of album released this February. We made so many package dummies that it felt as if we had tried every combination we could think of, even sending them on to the printing stage. Somewhere in the middle of that process, Ms. Nakamura suddenly said, “Pink.” When I asked her why, she said, “When I imagine a CD released in February sitting in a shop, black or white feels too ordinary… I thought an elegant pink might be better!” So we developed it into a pearl pink. We also made pastel green for the regular edition to match that pearl pink, but because it was GARNET CROW, we wanted to create a more mature and luxurious feeling. We also wanted men to be able to pick it up in a CD shop without hesitation, so in the end we chose black.

This is the first GARNET CROW jacket that does not use photographs of the members themselves. We considered many themes—an up-to-date, stylish design, for example. But when we thought about the fact that this was GARNET CROW’s best-of album and a commemorative work that should remain five or ten years into the future, I decided that it had to be art. I felt the choice came down to whether it was art or not. At first, the frame was also much simpler, but that would not do. I kept developing it, thinking that it might work if we brought it further toward art—for example, toward the style of Britain’s Victorian era.

Two more questions from the editorial department for Mr. Kojima!!!

Q. What do you find appealing about GARNET CROW as photographic subjects?

A. I think their greatest appeal is the “excellent balance” created by the two attractive men and two attractive women coming together. I also do not personally like things that are excessively flashy or overly vivid, so I feel that my sensibility and the character of their work have something in common. That is how I have felt while working with them.

They explore many possibilities, but they never choose something that does not feel like them. That makes them trustworthy as creators. At the same time, if something is too straightforward, creating it is not very interesting, so I want to keep presenting projects that the members themselves can enjoy. That is where I find both the reward and the appeal of the work.

Q. What is most important to you when you are responsible for GARNET CROW’s artwork?

A. “Dignity.” I think it is fine for something to be lighthearted—even to have a pop side. But in a slightly different sense, I never want to lose “grace” in any work.