Interview] Ayaka Takagaki releases best album "Radiant Memories" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her solo debut.

Ayaka Takagaki made her debut as a solo artist in 2010 with her first single "Kimi ga iru place. The year before that, she had debuted as a member of the voice acting unit "Sphere," and has been actively pursuing her career as both a solo artist and a unit.
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of her solo debut, she released a best album "Radiant Memories. The album features 13 songs, including singles and ending songs from the TV anime "Senki Zesshou Symphogear," as well as a new song, "Dear One. The limited edition Blu-ray includes the music clip of "Dear One" and 10 songs from the live videos, making this album a voluminous album befitting the 10th anniversary.

My experience of studying voice at a music college is utilized in my solo songs.

─ ─ Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of your solo debut.

Takagaki: Thank you very much. Ever since I took the "Music Rain Super Voice Actor Audition" while I was still in college, I wanted to become a voice actor who could sing. That's why I studied voice at a music college (Musashino Academia Musicae) in the first place, and it was one of my goals. Even though I was able to debut as a voice actor and sing as Sphere, the day when I could sing as Ayaka Takagaki as a solo singer didn't seem to come very often, and I spent a frustrating time in the beginning. Finally, four years after my debut as a voice actress, my dream came true and I made my solo debut. Ten years has passed so quickly, and I feel that I have reached this day by singing as hard as I can.

T : So there were 4 years between your debut as a voice actor and your solo debut as an artist.

Takagaki Yes, during those four years, in fact, the idea of a solo debut came and went, and there were times when I wondered if I would ever be able to make a solo debut after all. However, I thought it was a very good chance that I could debut with the ending theme song "Kimi ga iru bashojo (Where you are)" after encountering the TV animation "Century's End Occult Academy". I think that the story of my debut, which had disappeared, was to bring me this encounter.

T : Even though it was painful at the time, looking back, it turned out to be a good debut for you.

Takagaki: I realized that there is a timing for dreams to come true. Even if it didn't turn out the way I had envisioned, I was sure that it was meaningful and that it was all connected.

T : Nowadays, there are many voice actors who sing, but I think it is rare to find one who has studied voice at a music college.

Takagaki There are some, but not many. I wanted to be a voice actor since I was in elementary school, and after graduating from high school I wanted to go to a training school to study acting. However, my music teacher in high school recommended that I should go to a music college, and my mother, who wanted me to go to college, told me that my experience studying opera and other subjects in the voice department at a music college would surely be an asset someday after I became a voice actor. However, when I entered the school, I found that music students were quite busy, and there were times when I wondered if I had detoured from my dream by going to music school. There was a time when I wondered if I had detoured too far from my dream by going to music school. But I took a chance and passed an audition for Music Rain while I was still in school, and as I worked there, I began to feel glad that I had gone to music school.

T : In fact, what you learned about vocal music is still useful today, isn't it?

Takagaki That's right. I have released four cover mini-album series, in which I cover classical and opera music. I was able to do this because I studied vocal performance at a music college, and the Blu-ray of this limited edition includes some of the cover songs I sang at concerts.

Tatsuya: I think there are a number of original songs, as well as covers, that you were able to sing because of your vocal studies.

Takagaki: I am very blessed to be able to challenge myself with various types of songs. Some have a fast-paced digital sound, some have a gentle atmosphere, and some have an operatic style. I had good encounters with works in tie-ups, and in non-tie-ups, I was able to make use of my experience at music school in songwriting, which has made my 10 years as a solo artist.

─ ─ "Radiant Memories" contains so many different types of music on both CD and Blu-ray, and I thought it was the kind of music that only Mr. Takagaki could create. Now, please select a few of the recorded songs and tell us about them specifically.