Interview with Fuji Fabric opens a new door for Ai Nakajima. Ai Nakajima released a new single!

Ai Nakajima, aka "Mamegu," will release "Saturday Night Question," the opening theme for the TV anime "Netojin no Susume" on October 25, 2017. The key point of this work is the collaboration with Fuji Fabric. The lyrics were written by bassist Shinichi Kato and composed by vocalist/guitarist Soichiro Yamauchi, with backing music by the members.
For Mamegu, this is her second single since resuming her activities. Together with the cute coupling song "Hagureta Kotori to Yawn no Sora," it is said to be a work that shows the kind of music she wants to do now.

Saturday Night Question" is a song that opens a new door!

───The new song "Saturday Night Question" is the opening theme for the TV anime "Netojin no Susume. This is your second single since resuming your activities.

Nakajima: It was at the end of last year that I first heard that I was going to be in charge of the opening theme for "Netojyu no Susume". At the same time, I was happy to hear that we might be able to ask Fuji Fabric to provide the music.

─ ─ The end of last year was the same time when you resumed your activities. Did you know about Fuji Fabric before?

Nakajima Yes. I had heard their singles, but I fell in love with them even more when a staff member recommended their album to me, and I have all of their live DVDs.

─ You also sing some anime theme songs, and you are a band with a unique charm, aren't you?

Nakajima I agree with you. When I heard the demo of "Saturday Night Question" for the first time, it was full of the Fuji Fabric spirit. I was so happy. It has a sound that only Fuji Fabric can produce, and the lyrics have a philosophical depth, even though they do not use particularly difficult words. I wondered how I would be able to jump into such a well-developed world.

─ How was the recording process?

Nakajima: For "Saturday Night Question," Fuji Fabric also performed, so I was able to observe the recording of the instruments before recording the vocals. I was happy just to be able to see the band's sound being created in front of my eyes, with BOBO on drums, but then I got into the booth and sang a tentative song.

─ So you had a chance to sing with Fuji Fabric?

Nakajima Yes, I did. The booth with the members and my booth were separated only by glass, so I could see them directly. I thought, "It's just like watching a live DVD," and I was so absorbed in listening that I almost mistook the beginning of the song (laughs).

─ Did you exchange any words with the members at that time?

Nakajima: I was nervous and reserved (laughs). I talked about the lyrics with Shinichi Kato, the bass player who wrote the lyrics. It was full of gimmicks, and he sprinkled in a lot of words that I reacted to. Of course, there are words that remind me of the world of "Netto no Susume". I thought this was also the essence of Fuji Fabric.

───How was the recording process?

Nakajima: Soichiro Yamauchi, who composed the song, took part in directing the vocal recording. He gave me a lot of detailed advice that only a vocalist can give, such as, "Let's relax and sing the A melody softly, and from the second line of the B melody, let's start to lighten up a little. I was able to record the song without any worries. My intention was to sing the song while taking on various challenges, and let the singer find what he liked best.

───What were you particularly conscious of?

Nakajima: The A melody and B melody are darker than I have ever sung before. It gradually gets brighter, but I thought the characteristic of this song is that the world doesn't suddenly open up, but rather a light gradually shines through. I think I was able to come up with an interesting way to sing the song.

───That must be a way of singing that fits with the characters and the story of "Netto".

Nakajima Yes, I sang the song with Moriko, the main character, in mind. She has gone through many twists and turns as an adult woman, and has a lot of emotions. I felt that she is not a person who can easily express them, so I was careful not to make her vocals sound too bright and cheerful until the very end of the song.


─ ─ Especially in the beginning of the story, Moriko was confined to her house for a long time.

Nakajima: At the beginning of the original story, Moriko says, "The world sucks. I thought about how I could express in a song the feeling of despair that everyone must have about reality, regardless of the degree of despair. In the song, Moriko opens the "next door" in the end.

───The melody of the chorus is catchy and brightens up, so I felt that was the saving grace of the song.

Nakajima: I made it brighter in stages, from the first chorus, to the second chorus, to the third chorus. In real life, it is not so common for good things to suddenly happen or for people to suddenly become happy. Since "Netojin no Susume" is a work that depicts a realistic drama, I wanted to express the feeling of a gradual light coming on in everyday life in the song. Therefore, the really bright part of the song is the chorus of the third verse.

─ In other words, you have to listen to the full-size version on the CD to get the real brightness of the song.

Nakajima That's exactly right! (laughs) The TV size has the B-melody of the first verse followed by the chorus of the third verse, which is a wonderful structure with hope, but it is the full size that gives a more gradation toward happiness.

─ ─ The atmosphere of the vocals is also different from the past, isn't it?

Nakajima: This time around, I tried to reduce the girlishness inside of me. I don't want to go so far as to say it's neutral, but I wanted to sing in a way that doesn't make you feel like a man or a woman. This song opened a new door for me as well. I think that being exposed to Fuji Fabric's sound creation was a big part of that. I was inspired by watching everyone discussing and creating the sound.