A new horizon, an overture to narrative music spun in the media---Sound Horizon "Ema ni Wish! (Prologue Edition) release! Interview with Revo

Revo, who has been creating "narrative music" as "Sound Horizon," has brought his evolved form to the world.

This work, "Ema ni Wish! is the first "Story" work that depicts the "world" as the basis of Sound Horizon's activities in 10 years since "Märchen" (October 1, 2014). It has been 10 years since "Märchen," a "Story" work that depicts the "world" that is the foundation of Sound Horizon's activities.

This work is a fusion of the means of expression of music and images, and is an experimental work that brings about the diversity of life that Revo has shown in his music, and the embodiment of the act of questioning the meaning of different world lines, and at the same time, it gives the impression that he is moving to a higher level as a creator himself.

We invite you to listen to every word spoken by "Creator Revo," who continues to create stories that only he can create, i.e., he grasps the choices that are different from others.

I can feel the responsibility that comes with making choices.

--This is your first release as Sound Horizon (SH) in six years. Please tell us how you are feeling now.

Revo I was still active as Linked Horizon during that time, so my workload hasn't decreased in terms of workload, but I don't know when I realized it. It's frightening. I think that a long release cycle is often not better from a business standpoint. Perhaps it is not all bad in the sense that people who support the product remain active, unaffected by fads and fashions. That is just an "if" story.

--Revo: Do you feel that you spent a lot of time in terms of creating the work?

Revo I don't know. I didn't devote all my time to this work. But what is certain is that on this horizon in which you are all living, not a short number of months have passed. This time, since we are talking about a world similar to modern Japan, there will be various issues that are linked to it. So I wonder what it would be like if the timing of the release were different. This is only a "Prologue," so there are still some things we don't know, but when people listen to the "Full (Edition)," they may find it interesting to wonder what would have happened in a different world line.

--What kind of message did you put into this album?

Revo I feel that the true meaning and depth of what we want to convey is waiting for us later. But I guess it is not something new. If there is anything I should say now, it would be that I have presented more clearly the "freedom of interpretation" that I have been somehow conveying until now. However, that could lead to throwing listeners into a narrow cage again. With the choices made clear, the thoughts are trapped in a stronger "finiteness" and may not be able to escape from the curse of "fixation". But those of you who have been following along will not think of these as the only interpretations when you come into contact with this work. In that sense, I trust Laurent (a nickname for SH fans) as well as Shimizu-san (a listener). Like "Nein," this is just a clarification of the fact that there is more than one interpretation from our side, in a way that is easier to understand. For example, in the case of a concert, visualization helps to lock in the imagination. But by choosing a different option than the one that is explicitly shown in your mind, you may be able to reach a conclusion that extends beyond that.

-Why did you clarify areas such as consideration and interpretation now?

Revo It's the first release in a while, and I thought it would be a good idea to make it explicit. It's a way of preparing people to make a choice. But I don't know if that is really "kind. It might just be the devil putting on a kind face. I don't think I ever said in the piece that "choosing" comes with responsibility, but I'm sure people who listen to it will feel it. The story changes depending on the choices you make. But that doesn't mean that the approach or structure of the music has changed. As for the listening experience, until now I could only go one route. In a sense, this work is suitable as an introductory work, as it allows us to see other possibilities in a simplified way. Since "Nein" is a falsified version of the original, it is easy to feel that the original is correct and "Nein" is false, but if you are given a choice without the original, it is up to each person to decide which he or she considers the truth. In that sense, this work may help us feel the possibilities of various events or what is behind what has happened. On the other hand, it also means that I can do the same thing with existing works in my mind. It is just not clearly presented from our side.

The desire to enter the world is connected to the music you are listening to.

--I felt that the musicians who participated in this work have been renewed considerably. How did you choose them?

Revo: When you work with the same members for a long time, it is not uncommon to want to work with new people. That is by no means a problem only with people, but for a creative person, getting stuck in a rut is an eternal enemy. There was a large part of me that enjoyed the situation of not being able to see 100% of the finished product before recording began, and not knowing what kind of chemical changes would take place. As with any musician, even if they know a wide range of music, they have a backbone, or rather, a drawer that can be easily opened. This is part of their "character," so I wondered how to bring such people together to create a chemical change. However, since it is necessary to unite them into a single music group, it would be very difficult if all the members were new. Besides, there are clear character traits in the songs, so there is the basic premise of selecting people who are best suited to express the worldview of the music and the characters.

--Revo: Is there anything memorable about working with new members?

Revo I wonder. I'm sure there should be, but hmmm... ....... I think I have an evil mind to answer something interesting as an interview (laughs). I guess so. It may not be the answer that Shimizu-san is looking for. For example, for those who sing, we often screen applicants first, have them listen to their own demos, and then ask those who we feel have potential to come in for an audition. In the process of having people sing my songs in the form of tentative songs, I feel that the people I end up asking, although "relatively speaking," are not habitual in the good sense of the word. For example, those who come from a musical background tend to sing in a musical way. There are also those who come from a pure pop music background, those who have a classical vocal background in bel canto singing, those who are voice actors, and those who are actors. I was strongly impressed by the variety of personalities in singing expression. I don't think there are many projects that bring together such a wide variety of people in a single audition (laughs). The genres of the music here are also very diverse, and it is not unusual for the tunes to change in the middle of a song. I think we often ask for people who can demonstrate their individuality while also being flexible enough to adapt to changes in the music. Also, we select people with concerts in mind, so some decisions cannot be made based on voice alone. It is also important to know how closely they can match the age and distinctive appearance of the characters. In fact, it is not only the efforts of the person himself/herself, but also the power of various things such as costumes and makeup to embody the character. In fact, it would be easier if we could bring the characters themselves. But it would be easier if I could bring the characters themselves, since they all live in a world where it is not easy to bring them into the world, and their singing ability is not always more appropriate to express them in a fantasy song (laughs). (Laughs.) After all, I am not writing songs for them. That's what makes it interesting, but it is also true that there are unique difficulties.

--Revo: It's not just a question of how to get the person to sing along, but also how to get them to sing along.

Revo It's not just a question of how to make the person fit the song, but also how to make him or her fit the song. It is not easy to have a person's natural 100% and the music fuse together in the best position without doing anything. It is the person's awareness, my direction, and my willingness to enter the world that ultimately leads to the music you are listening to. Therefore, while I would like to see a chemical change somewhere between the person's expression and the techniques he or she has cultivated, I think there are many difficult aspects when the individuality is too strong. If what is delivered is a person's personality that has nothing to do with the worldview of the music rather than the music, it will be disqualified as narrative music.

A story that should be drawn to show diversity and the expansion of the world

--The music played on the menu screen at the beginning of the game is truly traditional Japanese music, and it heightened my expectations for the world of SH that was about to begin.

Revo: Yes, that's right. If you were to listen to it guerrilla-style on the street, it would be amazing if you could guess that it was my music. It is a song that is very much in the vein of Japanese classical music. But if a classical musician were to listen to it, he or she would be able to tell. They would say, "This is not a classical piece. There are arrangements in this piece that would never be done in classical music. I admitted to myself that when I go back to the classical music of the East, I have the feeling of wanting to put in some sounds that I could not bear if I had been exposed to contemporary Western music. I am still quite patient and subtractive (laughs). (Laughs) The thinness of the chords and the pauses are the beauty of harmony. This mysterious sense of fusion is akin to Gagaku, which is not like Gagaku at all. I thought it would be appropriate for the ceremonial music of the Rouran shrine.

--Revo: I heard that you studied what you thought would be necessary for this Story piece.

Revo It's all done on the fly, though. From the great tradition.

--Revo: What did you find attractive about Japanese classical music when you came into contact with it again?

Revo: I think it is the same for everyone, but there is a great sense of calmness. After all, Japanese classical music is associated with New Year's, so I feel a sense of security or nostalgia, as if I have returned to my parents' home. I'm in Saudi Arabia now, but I've been in Japan for a long time, so it's safe to say that the music is from my hometown (laughs). As you can imagine, the music on the menu screen keeps looping, so it's hard to listen to it by itself all the time, but it's good background music when eating osechi (New Year's dishes). Unfortunately, it was not yet released for New Year's Day (laughs). But next New Year's, you could have it playing endlessly while you drink sake and eat rice cakes, and all sorts of other enjoinments.

-- Following Halloween, SH music will become an everyday accompaniment (laughs). On the other hand, I was shocked by the appearance of the themes of "infertility" and "infertility.

RevoThose are words that don't often appear in J-POP, aren't they?

--RevoIt is a theme that is essential to SH songs in the sense of "birth," though.

Revo The entertainment I aim for is not centered on light-hearted sympathy. If anything, what I want to deliver is imagination. It may be a bit of a misnomer to say so, but the imagination is already inside of you. It can be nurtured into the ability to empathize with things that do not exist within you, and into a heart that can be compassionate toward the situations of others. This time, I delved a little deeper into that. Even if we were to create a new image of mothers, it would inevitably become thin if it was just a mentality that only scratched the surface. For the latest work, I wanted to connect the realism of a mother's determination, hardship, and mother's love with the "Around" worldview and the worldview of the surrounding area. If people know this, when they look back on our past works, they may be able to think about the drama that has not been depicted in the past. When I tried to portray this theme more deeply to people who are familiar with my existing works, I knew that I could not avoid the issue behind "life," especially as one of the issues that are becoming more important today as births are becoming older. In fact, since this is the first ema, the first barrier to pass through, we are suddenly being asked what our listeners think about life and children.

--It is hard to say that this is a familiar issue for people in their teens and twenties, and by delving deeper into the issue, we are involved in a very sensitive area. Still, I felt that this is a theme that you want people to think about, or that you are driven to think about.

Revo: It is a delicate subject, but I believe that my dear Laurent and his friends will accept it. That's why I didn't hesitate to send it out. I think this pain will also foster a lot of tenderness, but I'm not thinking so heavily or deeply perhaps. It is not about the decision now, but about the flow of events leading up to this point. To put it broadly, I think it was destined to be that way from the time "Roman" was released. If we defined the existence of Yvelle, we would have arrived at this point about 15 years after that. Of course, there may be a different world line, but at that point, we brought Yvère into the world, well, I don't know if he is or not (laughs), but when we made him known to everyone, I think there was a pretty high probability that he would advance to this world line. I have always wanted to do something new and expressive with each work, and the cutting edge of that is "Wish on an Ema! is also at the cutting edge. Although I say "cutting-edge," "Around" will soon be followed by a Full Edition (laughs). (Laughs.) So, I thought I would present this form once and pose the question to the audience. The answer may or may not appear in the Full Edition, but as a case in point, I feel as if I have a destiny to depict this kind of world.

--What do you think of your choice of the motif "cat" following "Schrodinger's Cat" in "Nein"?

Revo: Based on "Nein," but to put it another way, it could be a cat or a wolf in the box, and the story would work even if the cat were replaced by another animal, but "Why a cat? But I hope people will think about "why a cat? There are reasons for choosing a cat.

--Revo: Also, "forbidden love," which often appears in SH works, is this a theme that attracts you as well?

Revo I guess you could say that it attracts me, but in the end, the idea of majorities and minorities is about how we perceive "numbers. History is a series of facts in which the majority side has been righteous and the minority side has been persecuted.

Both are only "1" as an option. So ......, am I still God? (Laughter).

-- (laughter). I understand that both heterosexuality and homosexuality, as options, are one, but "God"?

Revo Sorry. Bad habit. I didn't properly explain the moment when my thoughts took off, so the process looks blown out of proportion (laughs). It seems buggy, but it is normal. The point is, when I create a work, the idea of where I belong doesn't exist. It doesn't matter which one is more or less. In a sense, we are equal. Maybe we are looking at the world from God's point of view. Rather, as a story, why are we only telling this side of the story when there are a number of other options? If you want to show diversity and the expansion of the world, there are many more stories to tell. For example, a chef prepares a flat plate, and it is up to you to choose which one you want to eat. We don't need the chef's preconceived notion of which is tastier. Since it is a musical work, eventually you will say, "I will eat it all," but I wonder which plate you will choose first.

-That's where Revo's intention is "nothing", isn't it? It's not a store-buy bonus omikuji (omikuji). I feel the theme that there is no right or wrong choice, but at the same time, I also feel a message that encourages "life". How do you approach your musical activities in this regard?

Revo: Well, but one thing I can say after creating various stories is that I don't think that I want everyone to die by creating and releasing my works to the world (laughs).

--Revo Well, but one thing I can say is that I don't think that I want everyone to die by creating and putting my work out there (laughs). I'm sure the people who listen to it will, too. Even if there are many tragic endings.

Revo It's like, "Our goal is to exterminate the human race. If that were the case, I wouldn't be making music. I think there are other things to make. ××Like xx facilities or xx weapons. So, even though I am depicting a tragic story, I want everyone who is listening to my music to be happy. Well, "happiness" may not be something that can be given unilaterally to someone. However, if there is a positive energy that seems to well up after listening to a musical work, I wonder if it will lead to something meaningful for that person's life. That movement of the heart is proof that you are alive.

-On the contrary, it is not music that forces you to "live" and recommends you to do so.

Revo As you can imagine, I can't take that much responsibility. I don't want you to die, though. A life in which one encounters something that one would be willing to die for may be called happiness. It would be sad to die because you didn't meet it. However, if you are still alive, you have to burn. ......