Hiroyuki Sawano, the play accompanist for "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" - the strange balance between the Hollywood trend of "elimination of melody" and "strong melody" for entertainment purposes. Interview with Hiroyuki Sawano

The latest movie depicting the space century, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway," from the Gundam anime series, is currently in theaters.

The film is the culmination of the "Mobile Suit Gundam 40th Anniversary Project" and the second film in the "UC NexT 0100" project (the first being "Mobile Suit Gundam NT"), which aims to expand the world of the work. The protagonist of the story is Hathaway Noah, son of Bright Noah, and will be familiar to those who know "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char of the Counterattack". Set on Earth, where the activities of the anti-Earth Federation government movement "Mufti" are intensifying, the story focuses on Hathaway and a mysterious girl named Gigi, and depicts their human relationships. It is a "Gundam" with a somewhat mature taste.

The key figure in the world of "Gundam" music after "Mobile Suit Gundam UC" is Hiroyuki Sawano, who is responsible for the musical accompaniment. Mr. Sawano has been in charge of music for three works: "Mobile Suit Gundam UC," "Mobile Suit Gundam NT," and "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway.

We interviewed Mr. Sawano to commemorate the release of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway".
⇒[ Presenting a commemorative checkee to celebrate the movie's release! How did they perform "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway"? Interview with Kensho Ono, Rena Ueda, and Souma Saito!

Do you always read novels and the like when you are working on the accompaniment to a play?

Sawano: It depends on the case. In the case of Hathaway, I read the scenario when the script for the anime was submitted.

─ What was your impression of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" when you saw the script and the images?

Sawano: "Mobile Suit Gundam UC" and "Mobile Suit Gundam NT" also deal with war, but I think they put entertainment at the forefront. Of course, "Senko no Hathaway" also has that aspect, but I got the impression that it would be a more serious work for adults.

─ ─ I also got the impression that "UC" has a lot of emotional music and is very entertaining. The music in "Senko no Hathaway" is somewhat cool, or it doesn't seem to be too close to the characters. Isn't there a lot of digital sound?

Sawano: Yes, that's true. In terms of digital sounds, "NT" also had that tendency, but "Senko no Hathaway" is certainly like that. When we were discussing the music, Naohiro Ogata, the producer, ordered us to include sounds that give a sense of the future and the universe.

─ Can you tell us a little more about the changes in the music for "Senko no Hathaway" compared to the previous two works?

Sawano: The first "UC" and "NT" were intended as entertainment works, so we used a lot of melodious and easy-to-understand melodies in the music. In creating the music for "Senko no Hathaway," I had in mind the recent trend in Hollywood film music of eliminating melodies. There is a lot of music that makes you listen with sounds and riffs. I wanted to go down that route, but at the same time, I wanted to use strong melodies at the right moments.

───What were your innovations and specialties in creating music along these lines?

Sawano: Because we didn't use melodies, I didn't want the music to be too bland, so I tried to be creative in the arrangement and choice of sounds. I wanted to create a musical slow and steady sound. I think "Senko no Hathaway" is an adult work that can be performed in a cool and light tone, but Gundam is supposed to be entertainment, so I thought I could make it a little easier for the audience by adding a little more color and tension to the serious scenes. I also think about this. In the theme of giving a sense of space and the future in the sound, I wanted to include a taste of science fiction like "Interstellar" or, for older films, "Blade Runner" in my image of film music.

─ ─ Music from Hollywood movies is an expression that fits well. Are you conscious of the big-budget movie feel of the music?

Sawano: Well, I keep in mind that I am in charge of music for a movie called "Senko no Hathaway," which will be released in theaters, but I don't think I think about the "movie-like" aspect of it that much. The basic motifs of space and war have not changed since I was working on "UC. I have not changed my stance that I just want to put the grandeur that I feel from the work as it is.

─ Have you seen the finished film?

Sawano: I visited the studio during the dubbing process and saw the footage at that point.

───How did you feel about the sound matching?

Sawano: For me, I think all of the music fit well together. I think the music was used in such a way that the viewer was genuinely drawn into the work as a viewer. When the main theme was played at key moments, I was surprised myself.

─ What was your impression of "Senko no Hathaway" as a viewer?

Sawano: The pictures were very beautiful!　I thought the worldview of director Shuko Murase was wonderful. The coolness conveyed through the pictures suited my skin and I thought it was fun.

─ ─ Could you tell us about the impressive songs and episodes in the individual play accompaniments? I think the key song in the accompaniment this time is "Ξ".

Sawano: Since it was written as the main theme, it is the song in "Senko no Hathaway" where the melody stands out. Möbius" was written as a song to be used in the opening scene of the movie, and the vocalists were mpi, Benjamin, and Laco. At first, we wanted the song to be a male-female duet, but we thought it would have more depth if Benjamin, who also wrote the lyrics, sang on the song. This is a bit of an afterthought (laughs), but I think the order for a duet was made with Hathaway and Gigi in mind. But this piece is also about a love triangle involving Kenneth, so there is a link there. I think it was a good thing that the emphasis on the musical aspect of the work resulted in a link between the work and the duet.

─ ─ "Möbius" gives me a great sense of anticipation that something great is about to begin.

Sawano: The order was for a piece with a slightly mysterious atmosphere. In the past ("UC" and "NT"), there were many rock ballads and energetic electronica, so I think we were able to differentiate the two by contrasting them.

─ Benjamin, you also sang vocals on "TRACER.

Sawano: This song is a danceable song with a groove, which was a different order from the others. The way it was used with the video was great, so it is a song that left a lasting impression on me. In fact, the intro part of the song is used in the video with a slightly muffled effect on the original song, and the sound opens up from there. I wasn't sure how they would use it like this, but I thought it was interesting since it led to a good feeling.

─ ─ I also thought that "mSgH" played in the battle scene was also used here with this kind of symphonic music.

Sawano: It's a bit emotional, isn't it? It is a battle scene, but it is also a scene where Gigi and Hathaway are embracing each other, so it was interesting to be drawn into the scene myself.

─ ─ Personally, I was also very impressed with "G1×2 (Gigi)" because of its city pop feel.

Sawano: Actually, I hadn't decided whether or not to write this song until right before recording. A song was needed for the scene between Gigi and Hathaway, but would it be a song, an instrumental, or not used? The production team wasn't sure until the very last minute. In the end, it turned out to be an instrumental, but since we had already started recording, we decided to make it in a session with the band.

─ ─ On the spot?

Sawano: Yes (laughs). (Laughs) I just gave them a score with chords written on it and told them verbally what the vibe was, and then we made the rest in the session. I was impressed by this process because it is not often done that way.

─ Are there any other songs that are unique in their production process?

Sawano: "20200723zr" was not originally planned to be made as a theatrical accompaniment. The original song was a heroic song called "MNE," which I personally liked, but some of the parts I liked were not used in the play. I thought that a slower version of this song for the soundtrack would please the audience, so I made one, and that version was actually used in the play. I was happy and it was interesting.

─ ─ I guess that the part of a musical accompaniment that the creator thinks is "the best part" is not always the part that will be used.

Sawano: I think there are many people in the world who make music to match the length of the film, but I basically don't make music with the length of the film in mind, so this is a natural occurrence.

─ It seems that "Senko no Hathaway" was created with a lot of attention to sound. Are there any songs in the accompaniment that you would like people to hear in the rich sound of a movie theater?

Sawano: The orchestral pieces are very grandiose, so I would like them to be heard with louder sound. The song "EARth" is played with the message in the beginning of the movie without any dialogue, but it is mixed to suit the surround sound of the theater, so I think you can feel the expanse of the space.

─ Do you think the image and concept of the music in the second and later parts of the film will change now that you have seen the video?

Sawano: I think there are parts of the music that will be influenced by the video, but basically, when I start working on a piece, I prefer not to constrict the music by putting prior information in my mind. So I hope to be able to work on the next piece with a flat mind, and I hope to expand the world that I presented in the first part, "This is the music of "Senko no Hathaway"".

─ ─ From what you have said so far, for example, in this case, do you plan to listen to the music of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack," which is narratively connected to "Senko no Hathaway" in advance?

Sawano: I don't listen to it. It was the same with "UC". I think that because it is a "Gundam" series, there are people who listen back to the music of past works, but I think it is better to be honest about the music I feel than to get caught up in listening to it. So, even if I do listen to music from past series, it is only after the production is finished.

─ ─ Thank you very much. Finally, do you have a message for your fans?

Sawano: There have been many circumstances, but we are finally able to release the film. I am also very happy about it. I myself created the music to convey the entertainment aspect of the film. I hope that you will enjoy the film in the theater first, and then listen to every detail of the music on the soundtrack to expand your imagination. I hope you will enjoy both.

(Composition and text by Kiri Nakazato)