The flame of red continues to burn hot and leisurely, Kalafina's new single "Hyakkaryouran".

Kalafina's second new single of 2017 is here, "Hyakkaryouran," the ending theme for the TV anime "Katsugeki Tatsunagaranbu. The song is surrounded by a Japanese atmosphere to match the work. The vocals of the three members riding on the rhythm that is repeated with ease are passionate, but at the same time quiet and composed with a calmness that is at once calm and composed with a sense of peacefulness. We asked Wakana, Keiko, and Hikaru to talk about what to expect from the new single, including the two coupling tracks.

The song "Hyakkaryouran" is dramatically filled with stillness and movement.

───The new song "Hyakkaryouran" is the ending theme for the TV anime "Katsugeki Tatsurou Ranbu". The song has a Japanese taste to match the work.

WakanaI thought it was cool from the first time I heard it. The producer, Yuki Kajiura, incorporates the world he sees in his songs derived from his works, and it always makes me wish I could be a part of that scene. In "Hyakkaryouran" this time, there are descriptions such as "a different color of dawn" and "beyond the red rainbow," words that make the expectations of those who will see the work grow, and the theme is the question of whether we can see the end with a clean heart, no matter how we end up seeing it, all wrapped in Kajiura's magic. It is all wrapped in Kajiura's magic. I was excited to see what kind of scene I would see when I sang it live.

Keiko I felt the dignified, unflappable strength in the melody. Also, the intro of the song has a gorgeous sound of a flute like a Japanese musical instrument, but at the beginning of the song, there is no sound at all, and the song dramatically incorporates stillness and movement. As the title of the song "Hyakkaryouran," which means "flower turned into fire," suggests, I thought it was a very cool song because the dynamic part, which reminds us of the strength of the character's feelings and fierce battles, was combined with the static part, which is somewhat coolly staring at it.

─ ─ I see that the intro is not played on a Japanese instrument like the shinobue, but on a flute.

Keiko Yes, there is a person named Rie Akagi, who has played various Kalafina songs on recordings and at live performances, and she plays a very versatile flute.

Hikaru: I used to play the game of "Sword Dance," so there were many lyrics of "Hyakkatryoran" that I wanted to read deeply (laugh). The lyrics written by Mr. Kajiura can be imagined from various perspectives, and I am sure that everyone who watches the anime can picture the characters and scenes from their own perspective. When recording the song, I thought it was necessary to sing the song from a step back, looking at the entire world of the song, rather than putting my own feelings on the front of the song.

─ You mentioned recording, how was the recording process?

Hikaru: I didn't think it was a song where I could express my emotions too sharply, so I sang legato (smooth) throughout the song. Of course, I emphasized the parts I wanted to emphasize, but I didn't feel like I was going to rush forward, and I had more of an image of supporting the singer on the side. The only place where Mr. Kajiura gave me direction to "show strong emotion" was in the "In the flame that blooms like a flower" part.

───How about Keiko and Wakana?

Keiko: I was the one who started the song, so I wanted to sing it in a way that it would leave a strong impression on people who watch the anime. I wanted to make a strong impression on the viewers of the anime. The opening lyric, "We cried when we saw a dream," had a strong impact on me, followed by manly words like "heart of steel," so I was conscious of singing each word clearly, I tried to sing in a low tone and sharply to accompany Hikaru's voice.

Wakana I sang the three-voiced part of the chorus work by listening to Hikaru and Keiko's voices carefully, because I wanted to envelop their voices as naturally as if they were breathing. I think the chorus was heavier than usual. The pitch was lower than usual, so I put a lot of effort into each word and tried not to make it sound weak. Last month, I performed this song at a live concert in Fukuoka, and I was reminded of how cool this song is when the three of us sing it together with the band sound.


───The music video for "Hyakkaryouran" was also very powerful. How was the filming?

Wakana We arrived at the quarry where we filmed in the evening, and when the sun set, the stars were really beautiful. The part where the three of us stood and sang in a large place with a river flowing and a stone cliff in the background, I felt that the movements of each of us became very glossy when I saw the finished video. The compositing with the part shot in the studio was also wonderful, and the Japanese patterns of the three singers' costumes came out so beautifully, I was very impressed. I was very impressed by how beautifully the Japanese patterns of the three costumes came out. I think it made for a fantastic image.

─ Were the three of you free to do whatever you wanted while singing?

Wakana: I moved as if I was swinging a sword with ease. The stone wall behind me was just so cool, and being in that atmosphere, I naturally decided on my movements.

Keiko Compared to the recent music videos for " Märchen " and " blaze," there is less movement. Rather than holding a sword, I was more conscious of the distortion of time that the work "Katsugeki Tatsugen Ranbu" encompasses. The song itself is dignified, so I felt that I could stand and be close to the song, so my movements were very simple compared to recent music videos.

Keiko──All three members hardly move from their initial standing positions, do they?

Keiko: We didn't move at all. I thought that the way we were singing so cheerfully would fit this song.

───Hikaru, you were close-up in the "like a flower" part that has been talked about earlier.

Hikaru: In that part, the vocals are stronger and the rhythm changes, so I tried to add some movement. However, I used a relatively less flashy take for that part as well. There was a take that was a bit more flashy, but I think they chose that take because it matched the overall balance of the music video and the atmosphere of the song. On the other hand, because there was less movement, I paid more attention to the eyes, or rather, to the performance of the gaze. I hope that the gaze of the actress is graceful, but also has a strong core.