Takehito Kajiwara talks about the story behind the recording of the song, including the arrangement of the song and the development of the interludes, and shares his image of the song.

The ending theme song "Color difference thread bundle" for the currently airing TV anime "Orient" 2nd cool, Awaji Island fierce battle version, was released on July 20, 2022. The song is sung by Takehito Kajiwara, who himself appears in this work as Katsumi Amago.

This is Mr. Kajiwara's second single, and he recorded the entire song, even the strings, with an emphasis on live instruments. In the music video, he is seen performing with an emotional expression on his face with the band and strings on his back.

Along with the coupling song, "Ano Hi wa Mirai Datta Kimi e" (To You Whose Future Was That Day), we asked them about the key points of the song and music video, the recording process, and their impressions of the "Orient" Thanksgiving Festival 2022 Summer held prior to the broadcast of the anime.

─ What was your impression of the song "Itosoku of Different Colors" and what were your particular points of interest when recording it?

Kajiwara It is gorgeous and different from the songs on the first single and mini-album. You can hear a variety of sounds, and there is a sense that the power of the instruments enhances the power of the song itself. The original arrangement was rather simple. I thought it would be more interesting if there were various changes throughout the song. I thought it would be more interesting if there were a lot of changes throughout the song. "Orient" has a heavy theme, such as conflicts and conflicts between different colors of souls, so I told them I wanted the song to have a "grandeur" in a good sense, and we came to the arrangement we have now.

I could hear that in your past interviews that you actively participate in the songwriting process.

Kajiwara I think the impression of the music is completely different from the impression I had when I received the demo. At first, we planned to proceed as we had received the demo, but as we listened to the music, we realized that we wanted to add more interludes, a heavier theme, a more compelling worldview, and something that would be "interesting" not only to the singers but also to the listeners. I wanted to create something that would be "interesting" not only to the singer but also to the listener, and I conveyed my thoughts to them.

Tatsuya: Why do you actively participate in such a detailed way even if you are not credited as a composer or arranger?

Kajiwara: I want to make something that I am satisfied with, since I am the one who sings on it. I can leave things I don't understand to the professionals, but I myself have been involved in music since I was a child, and I have a certain pride in my work. I am also very selfish and stubborn, which may be one of the reasons (laugh). For example, even though I cannot actively play the guitar and express what I want, I have a strong desire to share the image I have in my mind, so I try to be as specific as possible in my communication. I try to be as specific as possible.

Trying to be as specific as possible.

Kajiwara Last time I played the lead role, and this time I am playing a character that will appear in the second season, so I feel that the way I perceive the work is different. Since I am not the main character who is always at the center of the story, I feel that I can look at the work from a bird's eye view. I was also thinking about the way the main character stood and how the energy of the main character affected the people around him, so rather than attacking from the center, I was looking at the performance as a whole.

Taken together, I felt that the performance was more about the overall view of the piece, rather than attacking from the middle.

Kajiwara I think the one-man live performance in 2021 had no small influence on me. In anticipation of the opportunity to sing live, I took a look at the songs from the perspective of what I wanted to sing and what would be easy to express in a live performance, and I think there is a lot of part of the songs I created. Being allowed to perform a one-man live show with the band on my back was a return to my roots. I had been playing in bands throughout high school and college, and I remembered the atmosphere and the feeling I had when I was touring live houses, and it was a moment that made me feel like "I am doing music! It was a moment that made me feel like "I'm playing music! I could directly feel the passion of the audience, and it was very moving to see the hall filled with my own live music. It made me love music even more (laughs).

Tatsuya: This song was sung for the first time at the "Orient" Thanksgiving Festival 2022 Summer.

Kajiwara Before me, Wataru Hatano, who sang the first season's ED theme, warmed up the audience with a really cool performance. With the blue penlights swaying, I felt very comfortable singing. I think it was a very good feeling for the first performance.

Tatsuya: The music video is very impressive and beautifully done.

Kajiwara I was surprised at the bundles of threads when I entered the shooting site. I had the impression that even though there were that many bundles of threads scattered about, no matter where you cut them off, the world remained beautiful. I was impressed by how the different colors of light and the worldview of the music were finely crafted to be directly incorporated into the video, and how the placement of the bundles of thread, the materials, and the different colors were all calculated to the utmost.

I was thrilled to be in a situation where there were eight people behind me, but I was also excited and enjoying myself. I am not very good in large groups, so even though I wanted to talk to them about many things, I was a little put off and did my best to greet them with a smile. I have not been to many orchestra concerts, and this was the first time for me to meet a violin player in person, so it was a great opportunity for me, but I was a little disappointed that I could not get to make small talk with him.

Taken together, I think the song is a good example of the kind of music that we can use in our concerts.

Kajiwara: In contrast to "Itosoku of a Different Color," this song is about ordinary, everyday things. In terms of the type of song, I feel that this type of song is more suited to my personal side. Ideally, I would like to deliver my energy to the listeners, but to be honest, I am not very good at that, so I am more comfortable with songs about things close to me. The clean, natural sound rather than distorted tones allowed me to sing naturally.

The first single is the same, in that I am singing the song, but it is not my true self. But the lyrics of "Ano Hi wa Mirai ha Kara Kara Kimi e (To You Whose Future Was That Day)" envelop the listener. I myself would rather be on the side that wants to be enveloped, but I imagine myself being encouraged as I sing the song. I think I am good at singing in a way that I can gently stand next to someone and encourage them in a whisper.

How do you work on the visual image of the music videos and jackets?

Kajiwara: I had worked with the director on the first mini-album song "Mahou ga Kowarashi" (When the Magic Breaks), and I trust him, so I left it to him. As for the visuals, we discussed styling and other details, but the costumes, sets, and atmosphere creation were completely left up to me (laughs).

Continue to Part 2

(Reporting and writing by Shinobu Tanaka; Photography by Shohei Kanazawa)

CD Information

Different colored thread bundles / Takehito Kajiwara
Now on sale

＜CD + Blu-ray
Price: 2,530 yen (tax included)

Price: 2,530 yen (tax included) CD
01. Itosoku of different colors *ED theme of TV animation "Orient
Ano hi wa mirai ga ito kimi e
03. Itosoku of different colors -TV ver.
Itosoku of a different color -Instrumental-.
Ano hi wa mirai da itsuka kimi e -Instrumental- (To you whose future is that day)

Blu-ray Disc
Itosoku of a different color -Music Video
Off Shot Movie-.

＜CD only
Price: 1,430 yen (tax included)

01. Itosoku of a different color *ED theme of TV animation "Orient
Ano hi wa mirai desu kimi e
03. Itosoku of different colors -TV ver.
Itosoku of a different color -Instrumental-.
Ano hi wa mirai wa itsuka kimi he -Instrumental- (To you whose future is that day)

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