#2.5songmate

Personal yet popular, a masterpiece which easily overcomes the antinomy of these two concepts.

What we’ve been truly waiting for, Ito Kashitaro’s 2nd album, Niritsu Haihan!

“On the surface, it may seem like two different theories are illogical and contradictory of each other, but in actual fact those two are the basis of one world.”

Befitting such a title, the songs of this album are made from the words born out of the depths of his heart, something one would call personal, and the beats of a pop song that can reach anyone’s ears. While overcoming the challenge of writing the vast number of original songs, there is no doubt that his voice has reached new heights.

After reading the interview including a commentary on all 15 tracks, we hope you would be able to listen more deeply to Niritsu Haihan.

--First of all, looking back at your 1st album, Ichii Senshin, what kind of album was it?

For Ichii Senshin, it was the first time I released an album under a major record label. It unexpectedly turned out to really carry the meaning of Ichii Senshin. Other than singing, I rushed through everything else I had to do. All in all, I thought it was an album which I put my heart and soul purely into singing. And since that album was one where I purely focused on singing, I hope that sort of vigor could be expressed in the songs as well.

--With that being said, what was the theme of your second album and what do you hope to achieve in this album?

Well firstly, I wanted to include more self compositions in this album, and also since it’s been a year since the release of my first album, I wanted to see how my songs have changed, or whether they have changed or not, and express it in this album.

--It’s true that there are more original songs this time.

Yup. There was a period of time when melodies and lyrics just kept overflowing from within me, to the point where I felt that it was a waste to even sleep. In the end, about half of the tracks ended up being self-composed, it was totally out of my expectations. I was originally only planning to include 3 to 4 self compositions, but with more of them being put in, I feel that this album has been filled with much more human emotion. 

--That’s exactly how I felt when I was listening to this album. Ichii Senshin had a more “balanced” feel to it. Although there were other ways to express what you felt, in another aspect I feel that that album was really well thought out. In comparison, your 2nd album has a more personal feeling; I felt like you were trying to express things like, “This is me”, or “This is how I’ve lived” or “I’m living”.

Yes yes yes! There’s definitely that. I feel that the original songs, be it in the form of lyrics or melodies, purely express what I feel in my heart. That’s why no matter what songs I create, they all definitely stem from my heart. If I think of things like, “I want to write this kind of song” or “I have to write it in this way”, I’d definitely not be able to write anything. In a way I think it’s because I’m laying my true heart bare, that’s why this album would give off such an impression. Recently….I think in these past 2 years, I’ve listened to the discussions of many different people. But for me, as someone who sings and writes music, I think that for one to create music, just applying your knowledge of music and songwriting into your pieces is not enough. For example, when someone who reads all sorts of books, who has all sorts of knowledge, who knows about all sorts of things sings, it’s precisely because such a person is singing, I feel that the true appeal of a song is brought out even more. With that in mind, I wanted my thoughts, feelings, knowledge and all sorts of other elements to be reflected in this album.

--Like how this album was greatly focused on the personal aspect.

Yes. At the beginning I wasn’t actually planning to do so, but in the end it just ended up becoming a very personal work.

--We’d also like to hear more about the title of this album...But before that, let’s return to Kokoro (title of One-man Live Tour held in May 2014). If I’m not wrong we met at the post-live celebration, am I right?

Yes, we did!

--At that time, I think it’s after we had a toast, I remember you said something like, “The first album is Ichii Senshin, so for the next album I want something that has the number 2 in it” sort of like a “number series”, and I actually laughed at that time.

And I really did include a 2 in this album (laughs)

(t/n: 一意専心 Ichii Senshin has the kanji 一 for ‘one’ in it, and 二律背反 Niritsu Haihan has the kanji 二 for ‘two’ in it.)

--Even though there’s a 2 in the the album title, it actually holds a really deep meaning doesn’t it.

That’s Niritsu Haihan right there for you!

(t/n: 'antinomy’ is only a very loose translation of ‘niritsu haihan’, and is only taking its meaning very literally, and does not actually convey its meaning in Buddhism.)

--Typically we would use this phrase when referring to more negative things like when two things are contradictory or when something has double standards, but this time it’s definitely not the case right.

Yes. In Buddhism, it means that two different theories seem to contradict each other, but in actual fact those two are actually parts that make up the same world. And that’s the other meaning of Niritsu Haihan. Although it’s true that it’s typically used with the negative connotation of “contradictory”, there’s actually a deeper meaning to it.

--Two elements that were originally conflicting, but in actual fact are both true. Is that it?

Yes, yes. They seem like they’re contradictory, but actually if you were to dig a little deeper you’ll actually find out they’re one and the same thing.

--In the first place, what sort of thoughts did you have and what kind of message were you trying to convey when you gave the album this title?

This time the number of original songs has increased and as a result I’ve exposed more of my true self. For the people who know Ito Kashitaro, it will seem like another Ito Kashitaro that they did not know of has showed up. But it is because they did not know of this that I wanted to express it, that even this sort of Ito Kashitaro is still part of that one same person. Even though the two may seem contradictory, but if you look at them from various angles, you’ll come to see that they are all the one same person, and I’ll be happy if the listeners are able to feel this.

--I see I see. In the first place, human beings already seem to embody the whole idea of contradiction. Plus, the word has the number 2 in it!

Yes! It was just the right word. I actually thought of it at a rather early stage of creating the album, and I took no time to decide on it. And from that point on I didn’t really think up any other titles.

--And to delve a little deeper, I think that Kashitaro-san yourself also has some contradictory elements.

….What do you mean….! (laughter)

--This is something that I personally feel, but in the survey we did this issue, didn’t you say, “other than singing I can’t do anything else (bitter laugh)”

Yes, I think that other than singing, I have no other redeemable trait (laughs).

--Is what you say. If someone were to have such little confidence in themselves and if they were to hate themselves, the songs that this sort of person sings wouldn’t resonate in the hearts of so many people. In reality you do have confidence in yourself, yet you don’t come off as overly modest either.

Hmm how should I say this...As for singing, the reason why I can appear so confidently in front of everyone is because I am “singing”. Rather than me who’s appearing in front of people, I see it as the song appearing in front of people. In the past half a year, I’ve come to think that even my own throat, actually isn’t something that’s really mine. My throat is just another organism, and because of it’s hard work, right now I’m able to sing, and I’m able to feel what it’s like to be heard. That’s why I want to become a song itself.

--Ultimately, “you”, your physical body, are not necessary.

That might be the case. When I sing, I feel free, and in that sort of way, the thought of wanting to express, “I want to convey this sort of feeling”, would just become a hindrance.

--So when you’re writing lyrics, you’re writing down what you want to convey, but when you’re singing…

I don’t think about anything at all. I think that’s the only way I can fully express what I want to say and what was written in the lyrics. 

--Instead of thinking “How should I sing this song?” you would actually sing the song freely, and the song would eventually be sung the way it was originally meant to be sung…

Yes, that’s it! It’s like you’re seeing the correct world the song is trying to express.

--With the songs in Niritsu Haihan being sung from that sort of perspective, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. Normally the tracklist would be introduced first through the form of a crossfade….and the one you did was really interesting.

Are you serious?!

--I was like, “Ah, looks like he did it again.” (laughter)

The 1st and 2nd crossfades were like, “I won’t let you hear the songs!”

--I could hear the tracks in the 3rd crossfade, but as I thought things started to become weird after a while.

Ahahahaha! For the 3rd crossfade, there were comments like, “Why am I even listening to this” (laughs)

--But even if you weren’t able to hear the songs well in the crossfade, it means that you’ll be able to pay more attention to each song after buying the album.

That’s true. In the past when I did a crossfade together with Itowokashi, after it was complete we actually had a conversation like, “How’s this?” “How should I say...it’s like...let’s mess it up a little.” Back then Kabuku* was a word which we often used (laughs). “Crossfades are meant to allow others to listen to our music. But what if we don’t let them listen to it?” “Ah! That’s like messing it up a little right!” (laughter) ….Though we were unfair to the listeners (laughs), we really liked it a lot and it was really fun, we wanted to show how much fun we were having.

(*t/n: in this case, ‘kabuku’傾く can be interpreted as behaving strangely, so I thought it'd be apt to say that they want to mess things up a little w it's not a word that's commonly used, so i think that's why kashitaro felt the need to specifically mention why he used that word.)

--You guys didn’t actually have a fun crossfade where you joked around before right! Even though in the end the crossfade didn’t fulfil its original purpose (laughs). And in order to fully appreciate the CD, we’d like to invite Kashitaro-san to introduce all 15 tracks!

I’d be pleased to!!

M1 夢地図 Yume Chizu (Dream Map)

--You’ve said before that you love 40mP’s songs.

Yes I love them! When I was invited to perform at a live concert called Nijiiro Orchestra, the performers and even the audience thought that I should sing the opening song, Yume Chizu. Even 40mP-san, when we met in private, told me, “I want Kashitaro-san to sing the first song, Yume Chizu.” And because everyone including the composer himself told me that I should sing the first song, I thought that I should give it a go. Which is why for this album as well, I decided to make it the first song as well.

--It’s really suitable to be the first song, since it’s really energetic and upbeat, it fits the image of a top batter.

Yes, it does. 40-san himself also put in a lot of thought into writing the lyrics. Be it listening to the song or singing the song, one can really tell that it’s a song full of feelings.

M2 金曜日のおはよう Kinyoubi no Ohayou (Friday’s Good Morning)

--And there’s a 180º change in the 2nd song.

For the second song, I wanted to put in a more Vocaloid-ish song, and this was one of the songs I was considering. Una-sensei helped me to arrange this song in a more electro-pop beat, and I want everyone to listen to this arrangement too. I actually really liked the original song itself, and the story in the song is simple and it’s really...hmm...Now that I think about it I didn’t want to use this song for its heart-throbbing aspect (laughter)

-But it really is a song that will make your heart skip a beat.

Yes...it really is!! 

--And for you to include this song in the album, in a sense it was quite unexpected.

That’s true. But it’s a really high quality vocaloid song, and to me it’s an important song.

--Well it’s true that you sang it as a Vocaloid song cover, right? Because it doesn’t really seem like something Kashitaro-san would write.

Yes. This kind of songs are...no, I can actually! (in a really small voice)

--Oh?!

Nope sorry that was a lie. I’m sorry (laughter)

M3 ポプラの丘に風が吹く Poplar no Oka ni Kaze ga Fuku (Under the hill of the Poplar Tree where the wind blows)

Ah I collaborated with Poplar to write this song.

--Once you hear this song, you’d immediately think, “This is so Kashitaro.”

When I had a discussion with Poplar, there was something along the lines of “The Poplar tree takes years to grow, and it grows slowly in order to become a very strong tree” written in their company philosophy. And when I read that, in my mind I was thinking, “Just how big can a Poplar tree grow?” and a really huge tree popped up in my mind. It looked just like the World Tree. A tree is not an aggressive creature at all, and the canopy of the tree shelters us from rain and the rays of the sun. I feel that it’s a really peace-loving creature, that’s why if we were to “Join hands under the Poplar tree”(reference to a line in the chorus which goes ポプラの木の下で手を繋ごう//popura no ki no shita de, te wo tsunagou), the world would become a better place. With this sort of message in mind, I wanted to write lyrics that conveyed the desire for a more peaceful world.

--Yes, it has a very gentle image.

And as for the melody, after I had that image in mind, the melodies for the verse, chorus and bridge just came to me naturally, and it became just the kind of song I pictured it to be.

M4 ハッピーシンセサイザ Happy Synthesiser

--This is another electro-pop number in the album.

I included this song because I wanted to include another Vocaloid-ish song. I always listened to this song because I really like it. Personally I also had a lot of conversations with Betti-san, and about 3 years ago he told me, “Sing Happy Synthesizer one day!” and I thought that this was a good chance to.

--It’s a song you’ve been saving up for a long time. I always get the feeling that the 4th song in your albums always turn out to be one of the core songs of the album. In your previous album the 4th song was Melancholic, a song with a very similar style. Was this done on purpose?

So it’s like the 4th batter. Hmm, like for the previous album there were 13 songs, and if I were to sing the full album in a single live performance, I was thinking of a tracklist which the audience would like. For this album too, I started out with the same thought. When I came up with the first tracklist and I ran through it in my head again, I thought that it was a bit stupid, so I decided to split the 15 songs into 3 parts. Like in the Battle of The Bands, they would perform about 5 to 6 songs each time.

--I see.

I actually split them into 6, 5 and then 4 songs. In each of these 3 “live performances”, what kind of tracklist would the audience like to hear? So in this album there’s actually a certain order to the songs. The first “live” would start out with more energetic songs and end more peacefully; the 2nd “live” would be when I would showcase a different side. And the last one would be sort of a summary of everything so far, I was hoping to make it something like the last destination.

--Ah, I see, I see.

That’s why it might’ve been a coincidence. When I was thinking of how to make the live performance more energised, I think it was inevitable that this type of song would be picked as the 4th.

--It’s like halfway into the performance, there was a need for a change in atmosphere...like it was a good timing to insert a more upbeat song that has a different kind of style.

Yes yes! It’s exactly that kind of song.

M5 僕は初音ミクとキスをした Boku wa Hatsune Miku to Kisu wo Shita (I shared a kiss with Hatsune Miku)

--From here onwards it’s a pop song with a sorrowful guitar line.

I really love this song. Even so, there wasn’t a male-key off-vocal version of this song so I couldn’t sing it. But since I’m already in the process of creating my album, why not also create a male-key off-vocal of this song? “Looks like I’ve got no choice but to do this!” (laughs) It has always been a song I wanted to sing. 

--The audio quality must also be very good.

Mikito-san’s arrangement is of a very high quality, so I told Una-sensei that I didn’t want to destroy the atmosphere of this song. So instead of doing a whole new arrangement from scratch, it’s sort of more like an updated version of the original arrangement. The lyrics are also really good. I thought, maybe I’m singing about Mikito-san himself. Though it’s just a suspicion I have (laughs)

M6 Everything’s gonna be alright

--The song that wraps up the “1st live performance”.

The image I had for this song was to sing it together with everyone, and to clap to the beat together, sort of to say “Thank you!” at the end of the live performance.

--This song also has a few aspects of Jazz and R&B to it, and it has a really upbeat atmosphere.

I left the arrangement of this song to Lefty. From the very start, we already had a common interpretation of this song, so we only really needed to work out the nitty gritty details, and the arrangement was completed without a hitch. Although on the surface the lyrics may seem to be very positive, it’s actually about quantum mechanics, one of the hotly debated topics of modern science. The uncertainties of the world that is discussed in quantum mechanics -- rather than seeing it as something negative, what if we view it as something we choose to see? Won’t the world become a much more fun place to be in? At least this is how I perceive the message that exists at the foundation of quantum mechanics, but I don’t think there are many out there who read it as deeply (laughs)

(t/n: haha irrelevant but physics student here! who would’ve thought this song would be about quantum mechanics!! but I get what kashitaro is driving at, I think one of the claims that he’s referring to is the one about the Double-slit Experiment, “We can change the way reality behaves just by looking at it.”)

M7 Replica

--From here on it’s the “2nd live performance”.

40mP-san wrote this song for me. I feel that the lyrics, arrangement and melody line is really like 40-san’s style. 

--Not just in the genre of “pop”, it’s something that’s more of 40-san’s taste, like Jenga?

Yes. For this song, from writing the lyrics and melodies to the arrangement, everything was done by 40-san. When writing the lyrics, he even told me, “I wanted to give it a Kashitaro-san feel.” In the previous album, 40-san also specially wrote the song Kuusou Dice for me. This song also has a very similar feeling to it, and I sang this song, which was completely done up by someone else, with my own interpretations of it. I really like this song.

M8 さくら Sakura

--This a heartrending song isn’t it. But it isn’t depressing or negative, and it actually has quite an upbeat rhythm.

Yes it’s certainly not a negative song. As for the rhythm, when I was writing this song, I was actually quite excited (while strumming the guitar). I was always conscious of the fact that if I’m not consciously aware of it, I’ll keep creating songs of a similar style. (bitter laugh)

--Incorporating the excitement you felt then, I think it’s something that’s very Kashitaro.

Maybe because it’s something that already exists deep within me. The sound producer also did a really wonderful job of finishing up the song. When I first heard the song after it was complete, I was really really surprised.

M9 親愛なるフランツ・カフカに捧ぐ Shinai naru Franz Kafka ni sasagu (Dear Franz Kafka, I dedicate this to you)

--This is another number that’s full of vigor, but the muted guitar is the highlight of this song.

I really like playing the palm mute on the acoustic guitar. The sound producer nishi-ken-san also did up this song beautifully, and it turned out to be something much more than what I was expecting and I was really amazed. For me, to release my self-compositions is a great challenge, but because nishi-ken-san did it up so wonderfully for me, I’m able to have more confidence in them. He made it into an original song that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to let others listen to. This is one of the songs which I feel this way.

--What about the lyrics?

I really enjoyed reading Kafka’s works and his life inspired me to write these lyrics. That’s why, this song and Sakura are a little contradictory. (laughs) This song, without realising, has become a song about seeking someone, but even so I think that it’s definitely something that comes from within me. That’s why I wanted to put these 2 songs back to back.

--So there’s a little antinomy between the two?

Yes yes!

M10 しゃったーちゃんす Shutter chance

--We have another of Mikito-san’s works.

Like Boku wa~, I really like this song but because there was no male-key off-vocal so I never got the chance to sing it. The chord progression and the overall atmosphere of the song is really like Mikito-san’s style.

--Like the depth and the reverberation.

Yes. Also the word choice in the lyrics, it gave off a Sarishinohara vibe. I really like these kinds of songs.

M11 ぼくのほそ道 Boku no Hosomichi (My Thin Way/My Narrow Road)

--The theme for this song is ‘journey’, right?

Yes. When Mikito-san was writing this song for me, it seemed like he was thinking, “What kind of person is Kashitaro-san?” And when I first heard the song, I immediately thought of “journey”. And from there when the final version of the song was sent to me, something like a note was attached. And on it was written, “Kashitaro-san travelled to many different places in the past year, that’s why I wanted to write a song like this.” And when I read that, I thought, “What? We were thinking the same thing all along!” And once I noticed that, it was the first time I ever wrote lyrics so smoothly. In an instant I was able to put all my feelings into the lyrics.

--There was also that “One, Two, Three!”

Ah I liked that too! I even got the staff and Una-san to join in in recording that line. I was going for something that was a little more light-hearted (laughs). I want to shout this out with the audience during live performances!

M12 カナリアシンデレラ Kanaria Cinderella (Canary Cinderella)

--This song was written by your close friend buzzG-san, am I right?

Yes. Just by a single strum of the guitar, you can tell, “Ah, it’s buzzG-san”. And while having this thought in mind, I asked him to write a song in buzzG-san’s own style. Similarly, he also told me that while writing the lyrics, he was thinking about what kind of person I am. Although the melody and arrangement is really unique to his style, it seems like writing this song wasn’t easy, and only after racking his brains hard was this song created. I also met up with him when he was still in the process and I knew how hard he worked for this. When I heard the completed song I honestly thought that it was amazing, and I was able to face this song more seriously (laughs).

M13 I Can Stop Fall In Love

--”Can”?! This is problematic (laughs)

Yes. At first when people didn’t notice, they all said, “Even Kashitaro-san can fall in love.” but afterwards they’d be like, “Oi oi oi!!” (laughter) But this song was more experimental, there was also an element of humor to it, and in a way it might’ve been a song which I’ve put more thought into.

--The song itself is actually the kind of song you’d want to hear live.

For this song I definitely want to do a call and response, and I want the audience to get pumped up too! I’ll digress a little, but this is something I thought of a month after I wrote this song. I thought that people who are too obsessed with love were cmi (if you’re singaporean you should understand this!! if you’re not, don’t worry urban dict to the rescue! I’m sorry haha I couldn’t resist putting this into the translation it just seemed so apt) Like how even though their lover cheated on them yet they can’t bear to leave them. But if you were to change that “love” into a “song”, it becomes something really relatable. No matter how difficult it is, you wouldn’t think of giving up. And when you think of it calmly, this might’ve been that kind of song all along. Maybe that’s why recently I’ve come to be able to understand those who are in love little by little.

--If Kashitaro-san were to fall in love, I reckon you’d be the really passionate type (laughs)

...I won’t though?

--Yes. You won’t fall in love right? (laughter) But somehow I feel you’d be the kind who will only think about your partner all the time….

What are you saying!!......What are you saying!! (roaring laughter)

M14 パラボラ〜ガリレオの夢〜 (Parabola~Galileo’s dream~)

--This is also really Kashitaro.

The theme for this song is stars. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved and admired anything to do with stars and space. If I was told to write a 100 songs, 30 of them would be related to stars. That’s how much I love them. At the time I was composing this song I was at Kawahara, and when the sky started getting dark the stars started to appear. When I saw that, I suddenly thought, “I wonder just how many years ago did this star give off this light that is reaching my eyes? Space has constantly been progressing in order to let this light reach my eyes.” When I realised this, I thought that it was just the same as the human’s way of life. Even though light appears to travel in a straight line, it’s actually affected by the force of gravity and bends just a little. It progresses even in such a harsh environment. And I think that’s very similar to the human’s way of life; from the moment they’re born to the moment they die. And so this was how I wrote this song.

--To reach our eyes isn’t the end goal, rather it is to go beyond that, to anywhere and everywhere.

Yes, that’s what I think.

M15 僕だけのロックスター Bokudake no Rockstar (Rockstar just for Me)

--Befitting the last track of the album, we have a more universal song. Do you know of the song Primal by THE YELLOW MONKEY?

Yes I love that song!

--I felt that the atmosphere and energy of that song was conveyed in Bokudake no Rockstar. Plus there was also a homage paid to 20th Century Boy (T-rex)

I wanted to include that guitar riff no matter what! I wrote this song with the theme of “A 19-year-old adolescent who loves music”. At first, I had no intention at all for this to be a reflection of myself. But when I uploaded this song, everyone around me said, “It’s a song about Kashitaro” and I thought, “Ah, maybe it really is” (laughs). That’s why, through the character of a 19-year-old adolescent, the elements of the Rock that I like, and the inexperienced bits are all shown in the song. The lyrics are without doubt, about things I think of and believe in.

--And for Kashitaro-san, what exactly is a Rockstar to you?

To tell the truth, there is no one I see as a rockstar. Of course, there are many people whom I respect as singers, but “Rock” to me isn’t a genre of music or anything like that. I think that it’s a way of life. For a 100 people, there would be a 100 different kinds of “Rock”.

--I agree with you. Not just music, there are people who are “Rock” too.

Exactly. For every person, their definition of rock may have nothing to do with music at all, but for me, the image of a rockstar would be “The person who loves singing the most in this world.” I think that person would be the number one rockstar.

--So while listening to the 15 tracks in this album, please read this interview too! One last question, there will be a live tour, am I right?

Yes, there will be one!

--And it’s titled Waza. Since there’s Waza(技) and Kokoro(心), the next one would be Karada(体), right?

Oh, looks like you’ve got me there! (laughs) Shingitai (t/n: spirit, technique, body)

--Kokoro was the title of your very first one-man live tour. You wanted to convey your spirit -- your heart first right?

Yes. After that there’s the technical aspect (waza), and lastly it would be a battle of physical power (karada). But through this tour I have no intention at all to show off my technical skills, I’d just sing as usual. If I’m able to sing freely, that would be the best.

--This time the venues have also increased.

Yup. There are 7 more venues this time. It’s my first time going on a country-wide one-man live tour, so there might be people I’ll be meeting for the first time, and I’m looking forward to it!

--From here on and towards the future, towards your aspiration of performing at Budokan. I hope you’ll progress forward like how light shines.

/crying /RollingOnTheFloorCrying

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Amatsuki.

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