SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] has released his 2nd album "2V-ALK"!

SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], the vocal project of composer Hiroyuki Sawano, who has produced numerous anime theme songs featuring multiple vocalists, is releasing its second album "2V-ALK" (Walk), long awaited by fans. It has been two years since their last album, "o1," and with the addition to their lineup of female vocalist "Tielle," who was selected in an audition in 2015, [nZk]'s possibilities continue to expand. We asked Hiroyuki Sawano to tell us about the album in its entirety!

The jacket features all the phantoms from the previous singles!

─ ─ It has been two years since your last album "o1". First of all, could you tell us the origin of the album title "2V-ALK," which is truly unique to you?

Sawano: There are two reasons for the title of this album. I read in an interview that ASKA was a big influence on me musically, and something he said left a big impression on me. He was active in live performances and on TV, but he was not blessed with hit songs, and there was a time when he was trying to keep up with the wave of trendy music, but he released "WALK" with the feeling that he would stick to the music that he believed in. That didn't lead to an immediate hit, but two years later, we had a big hit with "SAY YES. After that, we released "WALK" again, and this time it was a hit. I was very encouraged by the fact that our belief in our music led to success. I chose the title "WALK" because I wanted to be the same way, even though we are in completely different positions.

─ What is the other reason?

Sawano: Generally, people talk about running toward a dream. But I didn't want to run at a high speed so that I wouldn't be able to see the scenery around me. Rather, I wanted to move forward at my own pace toward my dream, looking at various landscapes at a walking pace.

─ That's why you came up with "2V-ALK. The number "2" is in the title, and I thought it might mean that this is the second album.

Sawano: That's right. We used the number for "o1" as well, so it indicates that this is the second album following that one.

───There are 17 songs on the album, including bonus tracks. It is a voluminous collection.

Sawano: The number of songs is large because I wanted people to listen to a variety of songs and become more interested in [nZk]. Personally, compared to "o1," which was more rock-oriented with electric sounds, this time there are more synth sounds and I think it is more pop-oriented. It may be an exaggeration to say that this is the culmination of the two years since "o1," but I feel that I have been able to push myself to the limits of what I feel is the right music for me at this moment, when I listen to the finished product.

─ The album cover is also very brave.

Sawano: For the jacket of the single "Into the Sky," we used an illustration of a unicorn as the ending theme for the TV anime "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096. The staff suggested that we should continue the series for the next album. So, "CRYst-Alise" was Cerberus, "e of s" was Chimera, "gravityWall/sh0ut" was Phoenix, and so on, and now we have a dragon jacket for each single. If you look closely at the jacket, you can see all the phantoms that have been on it up until now.


─ ─ The jacket is also a culmination of two years of work.