I think you can feel that the 'core' is that Kagrra will always be Kagrra.
The focal point of the name "Kagrra,". Now they're wriggling vehemently behind the scenes to be able to pack that into their sound. Their activities will open up from spring onward, but Kagrra, doesn't stop as they talk about those activities with us here. It's been a while since the last all-member interview, so this time we'll talk about the details so far with regards to the production process of the full album "Core" which releases on January 9th 2018. The day of sunrise is getting closer!
The focal point of the name "Kagrra,". Now they're wriggling vehemently behind the scenes to be able to pack that into their sound. Their activities will open up from spring onward, but Kagrra, doesn't stop as they talk about those activities with us here. It's been a while since the last all-member interview, so this time we'll talk about the details so far with regards to the production process of the full album "Core" which releases on January 9th 2018. The day of sunrise is getting closer!
―It's been quite a long time since we've had an interview with all of the members together, but first of all I want to fill in the gap and hear about how you're all doing since then?
Akiya: Naturally, since I'm always heading for what we'll do next, and what kind of music I'll compose next time, I've been thinking about nothing but that. I'll go to friends' lives to get inspiration and afterward I'll spend a little time playing over the summer.
―When you say playing, what kind of things?
Akiya: Things like games. (laughs)
―Indoors, even though it's summer? (laughs)
Akiya: Ah, but when I go to my parents' house, we barbecue, and have fireworks, and things like that!
―That's definitely the meaning I get from playing in the summer, and it seems fun. I'm envious.
Akiya: Well, because even after I do those kinds of things I immediately feel like making music afterward. Because I've been able to relax a little, I've been able to work on new music.
―That comes before anything. And the others, have you more or less enjoyed your time off?
Izumi: I also went to Hokkaido at the end of summer, because I can refresh there, you know? But, other than that I just did ordinary stuff. Things like meetings and all kinds of prep work.
―And Nao-kun, have you gone to Hokkaido this summer also?
Nao: Nope. I've secluded myself the whole time. Or should I say, in my personal history and up until now I've done nothing but work on music.
―You do it often, but how much?
Nao: Well... just this time, around 5 songs. (wry smile) Moreover it's likely that only 1 of those will be included on the album.
―No way. Because Nao-kun I can say with certainty that your track record is something to be proud of. You were burning up with your will to create weren't you?
Nao: I didn't compose particularly often in the beginning. For me, it was the first time I thought "I want to make more new things" but when I did it, I did more and more... it felt like that, you know?
Shin: He was often unexpectedly at the studio. (laughs)
Nao: That's right. I've often gone to the studio alone to work on music.
Shin: I'd think 'I'll go practice a little' and then he'd be there from the start.
Nao: Because I can go on forever when I'm playing alone, diving in, singing... (laughs)
―Well, Shin-kun, how did you pass the time until now?
Shin: As you'd expect, I've been active with nothing but working on music the whole time. Particularly after the summer, the new album we'd be putting out in the new year was distinctly on my mind, so I started on that. Afterward, I did things like planning the new costumes.
Nao: Right. There were a lot of things we had nice discussions about with everyone.
―As for your public appearance, you put out the "Shizuku" album in the spring, and after the accompanying tour was over, you had your event performance in LA besides that, and not much for other activity, right? But you're always continuing with various things behind the scenes.
Izumi: That's the practical work, but since we're changing to King Records now, we have to create a favourable environment with the new people on staff, you know? We took the time to do that too.
―I see. So you're working hard to build the foundations again.
Isshi: But it's not just because everything is new. We've been successful with releasing our works, but as a band we try as much as we can to maintain the course and as an extension of that, and our attitude on being an active band, it kind of felt like every day was trial and error between the members and the staff with how we want to do things. Or should I say, that trial and error is still not over, even now it's still going on. (wry smile)
―Anyway, now you're in the middle of recording the album, right?
Isshi: That's right, we're revising it now.
―In the summer, you said in your irregular interview series "Isshi's Road through History: The way of Kagura" that a new album will release on January 9th of the new year. Since you already stated that, this time it seems like you'll be suddenly putting out an album without releasing a single before it. This is a new trial for Kagrra, too, isn't it?
Isshi: Yes, that's right. We think that our opportunity to transfer companies means that more new people will be listening to us, so right now we're absolutely doing our best to bring out the potential that Kagrra, has.
Izumi: Our other options were to release a single and link it to the album, or release a mini-album, so we all thoroughly discussed which kind of style we wanted to do. So, we were thinking about, can we as a band speed up the process? And then, in order to convey the things we wanted to express while speeding it up, of course we had no choice but to go with the full album.
―This should be a work full of your intentions as a band. You're all still in the process of recording now, but currently there are only 4 songs for the album that are a temporary take and rough mix.
Shin: That's the status right now, sorry. (wry smile) I think as we listen to those 4 songs we'll probably make changes until they're complete.
―Right. If I speak my mind, there's no way right now I can take a guess at the completed version of this next album from its fragments. (laughs) But still, I felt something like an "omen".
Akiya: It's not a concept album, but while the album this time is based on some things we've done so far, there are also some more new things that we did, especially myself and Naoran. And personally, these are sounds that can kind of melt into my usual everyday life, you know? Thinking about how I want to make such songs, I want that to take form and be included on the album.
―That's fun isn't it?
Akiya: I think that personal songs and sharp songs are interesting, but songs that resemble a scene in one's casual life would also be cool for Kagrra, to have. On the other hand, songs that are too ordinary aren't very good either, so for a perfect balance, we have to refine and polish the sound. That's the kind of thing we want to deliver to everyone.
Shin: I think this album feels more extensive than those before it. Not just for the songs, but for everything gathering toward 'rock'. They way the overall sound resonates, it's a different impression isn't it?
―Is that what you'd say?
Shin: Particularly with "Shizuku", we composed while thinking "The singing are the focal point!" But this is a little different than that.
Akiya: Right. While we emphasize each part, the vocals are passing over all of that and makes it even better? That kind of feeling.
―How to say it... for instance, you're thinking that it's not subtraction but addition, right?
Shin: That's right. We might be thinking about how to give it a better balance, which can mean various things.
―Incidentally, in the rough recording I was given, there was a track with the temporary title "No.30". Does that mean that in your recording plans for this album, there were at least 30 songs that were candidates?
Akiya: That's right. Actually, there are more.
Nao: There were 38 weren't there?
Shin: Somehow when we were recording our track count rapidly increased, and since we couldn't put them in order by giving them ordinary titles one by one, we started to number them partway through. (laughs)
―And from there you select which songs to include in the album. I'm sure that you'll choose the best!
Shin: We're doing our best to make it that way now. (laughs)
Izumi: We're making it while keeping in mind that listening to it will feel like a halfway split of both the Kagrra, from before and the current Kagrra.
―The title of the album this time seems to be "Core". Surely it will become a tightly condensed work that ties together Kagrra's core parts from the past to the present and the future?
Isshi: I think that all of the sounds gathered together from the 5 of us are what makes Kagrra's sound, but I also think this album will be even more precise than that. Lately, when looking just at the surface, there are people saying things like "Kagrra isn't 'Wa' anymore" but the meaning of it is that no matter what kind of things we try, Kagrra, will always be Kagrra. So it'll be an album that lets you feel that "core", surely.
Akiya: Naturally, since I'm always heading for what we'll do next, and what kind of music I'll compose next time, I've been thinking about nothing but that. I'll go to friends' lives to get inspiration and afterward I'll spend a little time playing over the summer.
―When you say playing, what kind of things?
Akiya: Things like games. (laughs)
―Indoors, even though it's summer? (laughs)
Akiya: Ah, but when I go to my parents' house, we barbecue, and have fireworks, and things like that!
―That's definitely the meaning I get from playing in the summer, and it seems fun. I'm envious.
Akiya: Well, because even after I do those kinds of things I immediately feel like making music afterward. Because I've been able to relax a little, I've been able to work on new music.
―That comes before anything. And the others, have you more or less enjoyed your time off?
Izumi: I also went to Hokkaido at the end of summer, because I can refresh there, you know? But, other than that I just did ordinary stuff. Things like meetings and all kinds of prep work.
―And Nao-kun, have you gone to Hokkaido this summer also?
Nao: Nope. I've secluded myself the whole time. Or should I say, in my personal history and up until now I've done nothing but work on music.
―You do it often, but how much?
Nao: Well... just this time, around 5 songs. (wry smile) Moreover it's likely that only 1 of those will be included on the album.
―No way. Because Nao-kun I can say with certainty that your track record is something to be proud of. You were burning up with your will to create weren't you?
Nao: I didn't compose particularly often in the beginning. For me, it was the first time I thought "I want to make more new things" but when I did it, I did more and more... it felt like that, you know?
Shin: He was often unexpectedly at the studio. (laughs)
Nao: That's right. I've often gone to the studio alone to work on music.
Shin: I'd think 'I'll go practice a little' and then he'd be there from the start.
Nao: Because I can go on forever when I'm playing alone, diving in, singing... (laughs)
―Well, Shin-kun, how did you pass the time until now?
Shin: As you'd expect, I've been active with nothing but working on music the whole time. Particularly after the summer, the new album we'd be putting out in the new year was distinctly on my mind, so I started on that. Afterward, I did things like planning the new costumes.
Nao: Right. There were a lot of things we had nice discussions about with everyone.
―As for your public appearance, you put out the "Shizuku" album in the spring, and after the accompanying tour was over, you had your event performance in LA besides that, and not much for other activity, right? But you're always continuing with various things behind the scenes.
Izumi: That's the practical work, but since we're changing to King Records now, we have to create a favourable environment with the new people on staff, you know? We took the time to do that too.
―I see. So you're working hard to build the foundations again.
Isshi: But it's not just because everything is new. We've been successful with releasing our works, but as a band we try as much as we can to maintain the course and as an extension of that, and our attitude on being an active band, it kind of felt like every day was trial and error between the members and the staff with how we want to do things. Or should I say, that trial and error is still not over, even now it's still going on. (wry smile)
―Anyway, now you're in the middle of recording the album, right?
Isshi: That's right, we're revising it now.
―In the summer, you said in your irregular interview series "Isshi's Road through History: The way of Kagura" that a new album will release on January 9th of the new year. Since you already stated that, this time it seems like you'll be suddenly putting out an album without releasing a single before it. This is a new trial for Kagrra, too, isn't it?
Isshi: Yes, that's right. We think that our opportunity to transfer companies means that more new people will be listening to us, so right now we're absolutely doing our best to bring out the potential that Kagrra, has.
Izumi: Our other options were to release a single and link it to the album, or release a mini-album, so we all thoroughly discussed which kind of style we wanted to do. So, we were thinking about, can we as a band speed up the process? And then, in order to convey the things we wanted to express while speeding it up, of course we had no choice but to go with the full album.
―This should be a work full of your intentions as a band. You're all still in the process of recording now, but currently there are only 4 songs for the album that are a temporary take and rough mix.
Shin: That's the status right now, sorry. (wry smile) I think as we listen to those 4 songs we'll probably make changes until they're complete.
―Right. If I speak my mind, there's no way right now I can take a guess at the completed version of this next album from its fragments. (laughs) But still, I felt something like an "omen".
Akiya: It's not a concept album, but while the album this time is based on some things we've done so far, there are also some more new things that we did, especially myself and Naoran. And personally, these are sounds that can kind of melt into my usual everyday life, you know? Thinking about how I want to make such songs, I want that to take form and be included on the album.
―That's fun isn't it?
Akiya: I think that personal songs and sharp songs are interesting, but songs that resemble a scene in one's casual life would also be cool for Kagrra, to have. On the other hand, songs that are too ordinary aren't very good either, so for a perfect balance, we have to refine and polish the sound. That's the kind of thing we want to deliver to everyone.
Shin: I think this album feels more extensive than those before it. Not just for the songs, but for everything gathering toward 'rock'. They way the overall sound resonates, it's a different impression isn't it?
―Is that what you'd say?
Shin: Particularly with "Shizuku", we composed while thinking "The singing are the focal point!" But this is a little different than that.
Akiya: Right. While we emphasize each part, the vocals are passing over all of that and makes it even better? That kind of feeling.
―How to say it... for instance, you're thinking that it's not subtraction but addition, right?
Shin: That's right. We might be thinking about how to give it a better balance, which can mean various things.
―Incidentally, in the rough recording I was given, there was a track with the temporary title "No.30". Does that mean that in your recording plans for this album, there were at least 30 songs that were candidates?
Akiya: That's right. Actually, there are more.
Nao: There were 38 weren't there?
Shin: Somehow when we were recording our track count rapidly increased, and since we couldn't put them in order by giving them ordinary titles one by one, we started to number them partway through. (laughs)
―And from there you select which songs to include in the album. I'm sure that you'll choose the best!
Shin: We're doing our best to make it that way now. (laughs)
Izumi: We're making it while keeping in mind that listening to it will feel like a halfway split of both the Kagrra, from before and the current Kagrra.
―The title of the album this time seems to be "Core". Surely it will become a tightly condensed work that ties together Kagrra's core parts from the past to the present and the future?
Isshi: I think that all of the sounds gathered together from the 5 of us are what makes Kagrra's sound, but I also think this album will be even more precise than that. Lately, when looking just at the surface, there are people saying things like "Kagrra isn't 'Wa' anymore" but the meaning of it is that no matter what kind of things we try, Kagrra, will always be Kagrra. So it'll be an album that lets you feel that "core", surely.