I can't forget the feeling I get from going to live shows." Why does Takehito Kajiwara insist on being in a band? ...... Interview to commemorate the release of the 2nd single "Itosoku of a different color" (Part 2)

Mr. Takehito Kajiwara is in charge of the ending theme "Color difference thread bundle" (to be released on July 20, 2022) for the currently airing TV anime "Orient" 2nd cool, Awajishima Gekitou Hen.

After the release of his first single, a mini-album, and a one-man live concert, Mr. Kajiwara says, "I fell in love with music even more.

In this album, too, he insists on live sound, recording all the band sounds and strings live to bring out the subtleties of the emotions of the songs. We asked Kajiwara about his musical roots, his love of live performances, live sound, and bands, as well as his thoughts on his future musical activities and what music means to him.

⇒ Takehito Kajiwara talks about the story behind the recording of his 2nd single, "Color difference no hitotsukku" (Part 1).

The song was created with the image of singing it at a live performance. After your performance at the "Orient" Thanksgiving Festival 2022 Summer, did the idea of singing this song at your own live performances come to mind?

Kajiwara: I have a strong desire to sing it at my next live performance. Ideally, I would like to perform songs that I have created myself. I have always been in a band, so I don't have much experience performing with a single microphone. ...... In the future, I would like to be able to perform on stage with an instrument, so I can recall the feeling I had when I was in a band, and I feel it would be a good fit for me. If I have a chance, I have a strong desire to perform live with a band.

Q. What do you think is the advantage of live instruments?

Kajiwara I think the charm of live instruments includes the peculiarities of the players. I feel that, to a large extent, the sound is based on the person's life experiences. Of course, it is possible to create a live sound by using a live recording and then outputting it, but I believe that the warmth and soulfulness of a human being can only be conveyed through live performance. Even if the sound is the same, I personally want to feel the human side of the music, so I don't want the music to end "just" with a mechanical sound. As an actor, I put my heart and soul into my work to breathe life into my characters, and I want people to feel that in the music as well. Maybe that's why I insist on live sound.

When did you start to have this obsession with live sound?

Kajiwara I think I had it before I started my musical activities as Takehito Kajiwara, long before I started playing in bands. Even before I started playing in a band, I had been going to live concerts at various places such as live houses, halls, and stadiums. I started going to them when I was in junior high school, and after I started working part-time in high school and college to earn money on my own, the number of such visits increased rapidly. I think I had the feeling that there are so many things that can only be experienced at a concert hall since then.

TM: Do you have any memories of the first live concert that made an imprint on your mind about the quality of live sound?

Kajiwara: It was Mr. Children (hereafter referred to as "Mithil"). I have been to almost all of their tours since I attended my first tour as a junior high school student. I sometimes watch their live performances on streaming media, but I always want to go to the concert. I don't really like to listen to dance music.

Do you prefer to listen to and play with a band because of the influence of Mithil?

Kajiwara I think that's definitely true. I heard the album "HOME" when I was in junior high school, and I started participating in live performances around "Mr. Children DOME TOUR 2009 SUPERMARKET FANTASY". What I still remember is the shock of the sound I felt at the live performance. I had never experienced listening to music that loud in the first place, so I can't describe how surprised I was by the amazing sound I felt with my whole body. I was shocked to feel a sound that shook my heart and made me feel a thump in the pit of my stomach, and I fell in love with real sound and the allure of being exposed to sound.

Do you think that you tend to be attracted to songs with a personal touch because of the influence of Mistill?

Kajiwara That's exactly what I found in the coupling song "Ano Hi wa Mirai ha Kara Kara Kimi e". For example, I like the phrase "If you can think that unpredictability like the weather in the afternoon is not so bad," which is a very ordinary part of the song. I thought that I had heard this kind of lyrics in the lyrics of Mystyl, and I think that I liked this song more because it was close to the lyrics that I was familiar with.

Kajiwara: Is there anything you would like to do as an artist in the future?

Kajiwara I always think that when I am working as an artist, I don't want people to think that I am a voice actor. Of course, my main activity is definitely as an actor and voice actor, but when I am doing music, I want people to be interested in my musicality, the way I sing, and the worldview of my songs. Of course, I am grateful if people become interested in the artist Takehito Kajiwara because they like the voice actor or the characters I have played.

Conversely, I am also very happy when people become interested in a work in which I participate as a voice actor because of my music.

However, as for my attitude, since I stand as an artist, I want to detach myself from everything and be a "musician. It's very difficult to put it into words, because it comes from my own sensory experience of going to live shows and seeing how cool the band members are.

I think that's why you are so particular about the production process, which you mentioned earlier. I get the impression that you are not wavering in your desire to respect the roots of your music.

Kajiwara That's what I want to be. Even if people say I am a bit stubborn, as long as I am doing music under my own name, I want to keep my thoughts about music and the impact and feeling that music has given me.

What does music mean to you?

Kajiwara Music has a kind of power to inspire you, and I think many people listen to music to get a push. My personality is rather negative, so I think music can inspire me in a big way. But that doesn't mean that I have to be prepared to listen to music and do my best. For me, music is something that has always been close to me in my daily life. I have been surrounded by music since I was born, and it is not something that I go out of my way to listen to, like "this music cheered me up" or something. It is something that was a natural part of my life. If I were to use an analogy, it is like breathing. It is so much a part of my life that I feel as if I would not be able to do anything without it. That's how indispensable music is to me, and I think I will continue to listen to music forever. I would be very happy if my music could be like that for people who listen to it.

Lastly, please tell us your thoughts on your first performance at "Animelo Summer Live 2022 -Sparkle-" in August. It will be a different stage and audience than the "Orient Thanksgiving Festival" and your own live performance. ......

Kajiwara: Saitama Super Arena is exactly where I used to see Mistill perform, so I know the actual scale of the event. I have experienced the scenery and feelings from the viewer's perspective. As someone who used to attend live concerts with the thought, "I want to be someone who performs in such a big place," I was deeply moved by the experience. Being able to perform my own songs in the presence of fans of various artists at a festival like this is definitely a milestone in my journey to the next level. I hope to produce something that will leave a lasting impression on those who listen to it, and I intend to produce something that will make them want to go to another Takehito Kajiwara concert, so please look forward to seeing what I can produce!

(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 different colors *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 ga shita kimi he -Instrumental- (To you whose future is that day)