From Ika-san, the "owner of the seven-colored voice" to Yuri Matsuoka, the expressionist of "life-size singing voice" ...... Commemorating the release of his mini-album ".A"! Long interview with Yuri Matsuoka

Ika-san, who is highly popular on the Internet for her good-looking voice that is cooler than any man's despite being a woman, has released a mini-album ".A" under the name Matsuoka Yuri.

Starting with the mini-album ".A" released on January 9, 2019, Matsuoka Yuri will release mini-albums in three consecutive months. She is active in various fields not only as a singer but also as a voice actor and actor. She also talked at length about what went into the making of this CD.

If you listen to the CD after reading this interview, you will see and hear a new charm ......!

A year and a half of various experiences in singing, voice acting, and stage ......

--It's been a long time since we've released a new CD. It has been a long time since your last release. This is your first new album since your 3rd album "Yumegen ∞ Time Travel" released under the name "Ikaasan".

Matsuoka That was in March 2017 ....... It's already been a little over a year and a half.

⇒Celebrating the release of the 1st single "Nijiyume Road" & 3rd album "Yumegen ∞ Time Travel"!　Long interview with Ikasan (Part 1)
⇒Celebrating the release of 1st single "Nijiyume Road" & 3rd album "Yumegen ∞ Time Travel"!　Long interview with Ikasan [Part 2

--I would like to start by asking you about your long-awaited release under the name "Matsuoka Yuri," which is the name you used when you worked as a voice actor and actor, instead of "Ikaasan. First of all, could you tell us what kind of activities you have been doing for a little over a year and a half?

Matsuoka Yes, that's right. In terms of musical activities, I was singing as Ikaasan in the doujinshi scene and doing birthday live shows (Ikaasan Birthday Festival 2018 -Birthday Live Jewel-). It was also a little over a year and a half that I was really blessed with opportunities to perform on stage. In 2018, I appeared in four plays in six months.

--I was in four movies in six months in 2018, and I played quite important roles.

Matsuoka Yes, thankfully so. So I think it was a year in which I was able to learn a lot and broaden my musical horizons at the same time.

--In the musical "'I'll see you again, I promise,' everyone said. You also played the role of a daughter named Chisato in the musical "Everybody Said 'I'll See You Again. That was very unexpected.

Matsuoka Yes, it was my first female role.

--Did you gain anything or leave any lasting impressions from your various acting roles?

Matsuoka I used to have a strong vision of how I wanted to create a song, but since I started acting, I think I have become more interested in incorporating myself into the work rather than creating toward my vision. I think this has influenced my way of thinking.

--I think it has influenced the way I think.

Matsuoka: I have my own direction of "how I want it to go" (......), but I consult with the director and make adjustments, saying, "Let's make it go in this direction. I think that the time when his own opinion was strong was "Ika-san's time" and that consulting with many people to create something better has become "the style since Matsuoka Yuri was born".

--He was also active as a voice actor during this period. You mentioned in the previous interview that you originally studied voice acting.

Matsuoka: I started performing because I was originally interested in voice acting, and I thought that having a physical performance on stage as the foundation of my work would also help me in my voice acting. However, I still felt that physical acting and voice acting are completely different, and all the worlds are very deep.

--So, through various forms of acting, you have developed a new sense of self?

Matsuoka Yes, I did.

--And now you are releasing your first CD in a while, but this time under the name "Yuri Matsuoka" instead of "Ikaasan".

Matsuoka I have already announced this at a live performance, but until now, my main style was to sing "Ika-san", "Tako-san", and "Ika-san" in seven different colors, but there was a time when I had a throat trouble.

--But there was a time when I had a problem with my throat.

Matsuoka Well, I don't know. Maybe it was my age, I don't know.

--No, no, no, no, you are still young (laughs). (laughs) But I think you must have been overstraining yourself in various ways.

Matsuoka I am sure that there was no problem in using different voices, but I think that the back voice that I use when I catch a cold, for example, might have been a problem.

Also, there was a time when my high voice - the "Tako-san" voice - was not stable. ...... At that time, the producer told me that the most attractive thing about my voice was that I could produce a male-like natural voice, and that I should give it a try. I was told by the producer, "The most attractive thing about you is that you can do a male voice" and "Let's give it a shot". At first, I was going to release this album under the name of "Ikaasan," but then I thought, "Let's try to compete with my original voice," and that's when I decided to release it as "Yuri Matsuoka.

There was a time when I used the "seven-color voice" as a prop and thought it was an expression. However, I wanted to use my own voice without using props, or rather, I wanted to broaden my range of expression in the process.

--For example, until then, you had more or less the "ika-san" character. What did you think when you decided to take all of that off and just be yourself, "Matsuoka Yuri"?

Matsuoka: I think it became easier. When I was working with Ika, I had a strong sense of "I want to create this kind of voice". But the moment I became "Matsuoka Yuri," I realized that "it's okay to be as I am. I was not ...... constraining him, but I felt that I could express myself freely. I thought, "I can do it in a different vector. ......

--You said earlier, "There was a time when I thought singing in seven different voices was expression. You said earlier, "There was a time when I thought singing with seven different voices was expression.

Matsuoka Yes, that's right. ...... I had thought that my voice was everything, that even if I didn't think it was everything, it was still a large part of me, but I realized that it wasn't true at all. What I expressed as my true self was something that came from my heart. When I think back to the time of "Ikaasan," I was very particular about that part and made a lot of effort, but I felt that I was only superficially particular about it.

--I was thinking that I was only superficially focused on it.

Matsuoka: I put a lot of emphasis on it. I think I am placing emphasis on it.

I will put out the best that I can put out right now.

--The mini-album to be released this time is a trilogy, isn't it?

Matsuoka Yes, it will be. I wanted to show various aspects of myself by dividing the concept into three parts, and since ".A (Period A)" is the first one, I wanted to show the impact. I was worried that some people might not be able to easily accept the shift from "Ikaasan" to "Matsuoka Yuri" not only in acting but also in music (while choosing his words)....... But I also wanted to make a statement that "I will change from here".

--Was there a plan to release the album as a single album?

Matsuoka Yes, there was. That was my original idea, and there was also the idea of creating a story within a single album. But now that I think about it, if I had to create another story, maybe I couldn't get away from "Ikaasan". Maybe I was playing the characters in the story again.

--So, from the beginning, were you conscious of intentionally swinging in the opposite direction of "ikasan"?

Matsuoka Yes, I did.

--When I listened to ".A (Period A)," I got the impression that it was natural, or rather, that it was free and flapping its wings. A (Period A)", I got the impression that it was natural, or rather, that it was free and fluttery.

Matsuoka Thank you very much.

When I heard your work as--Ika, I had the impression that you were singing while acting out the character in the world of the song. That was great, but this time I had a strong impression that "Yuri Matsuoka" was singing as a human being. So your voice and the way you sing are basically natural.

Matsuoka Yes, I try not to think about the character.

--I was surprised that the lines of "Burn!" stood out so much, and I thought, "This is new. I would like to ask you about the concept of ".A." What kind of image did you have in mind when you created it?

Matsuoka: As this is the first CD that I will release as "Matsuoka Yuri," I wanted to make a strong start, so I imagined a "passionate red" color. I was also conscious of creating the best I could produce at the moment. Burn!" would certainly be the first song on the first album. Many of the other songs on ...... are also quite powerful.

--All of the songs are very good. Now let's talk about the songs in order. First of all, "Burn!" is a cool song with stirring lyrics, isn't it?

Matsuoka That's right. It is a very cool and aggressive song, but in fact, there is a weak part of the song that says, "I thought it was easy, but actually I am the one who is being rolled" (......).

--I think that's the flavor of this song. The lines in this song are a great hook, and the emotions are gradually changing. I thought the power of expression in this part was amazing.

Matsuoka: I was a bit worried about how much I should direct this part toward acting. I thought it would be a bit awkward if I tried to make it too much like acting since it is a dialogue part within the music, but it is also not the same as using a stick. At first, I wasn't sure how I should do it. But I thought it would be best if the words were conveyed clearly, so I settled on the current form. I really let the audience hear each and every word. In this aspect, I think I was able to use some of the things I learned from acting.

However, the fact that there are a lot of lines in the song made me think that the title song might be a bit too harsh at first. But I wanted people to hear a lot of my voice, so it became a song filled with my voice.

--This is not the first time you have shot a music video for this song, right?

Matsuoka: I have shot music videos before, but this is the first time for me to shoot a music video that can be viewed by people who have not bought the CD.

This time, we tried to incorporate some dance moves. We had a choreographer, and I think this was a new challenge for us.

--Idiotic Elegy" is a heavy rock number in the same vein.

Matsuoka Yes, it is. This one is heavy. I put it on the second track partly because I wanted to balance the song as a whole.

--Together with "Burn!" it is a song from a male point of view.

Matsuoka The overall composition is centered around such songs.

A world view created with many staff members

--Matsuoka: Personally, I love the third song, "Mind Bounce.

Matsuoka Oh, I really like it too.

--It has a sense of floating, like a melody swimming along with a steady rhythm.

Matsuoka It has a sense of freedom, doesn't it? I haven't sung many songs like this before.

--I had never sung such a song before, but I thought it was a new one. So this is another song that I felt was new.

Matsuoka I guess you like new things. I have never had a chance to sing this kind of song before, so I like it from that point of view. The lyrics of this song really convey a strong will. Basically, for most of the songs, I first tell the story and concept of the song and ask the composer to create it, but this song was not included in that process.

Takumi Ozawa, who is composing the music, also wrote the lyrics, and I feel that they are in line with what I want to do in the future and my will. It is not something that came out of me, but it feels very clear to me.

--Matsuoka: Well....

Matsuoka Well...I feel like it opened up a lot, as did the song itself.

--The next song, "Gypsophila," is a moody ballad. The saxophone in particular gives it a mature feel, and Ayla Yuki's lyrics also caught my ear.

Matsuoka: At first, I was worried that the saxophone might make this song sound a bit old-fashioned, as I had discussed with the staff members. But on the contrary, I think it turned out to be a fresh, dramatic, and easy-to-understand song.

--I think it is a song that was listened to by people of a generation much older than you.

Matsuoka That's right. However, in talking with the producer about this song, I didn't want the first Matsuoka Yuri CD to be considered old when people who don't know "Matsuoka Yuri" listen to it for the first time in the future. I want people to think the songs are good even if they listen to them years later. We agreed that what is necessary for that is to have live sound. We thought that the instruments that have been used for a long time and that will never fade away are the wind instruments. So we decided to feature the saxophone in the song.

--So the key was the live sound.

Matsuoka That's right. When I was working on "Ikaasan," I basically had the music made by typing it in, but this time I recorded it almost entirely with live sound. As "Yuri Matsuoka," I want to stick to live sound.

--The last song, "E.X.I.T." was written by Ira Yuki. The lyrics were written by Ira Yuki, and the music was composed by Narukaze, formerly of Fo'xTails. Arranged by Ozawa-san, whom I mentioned earlier, this is another very cool song.

Matsuoka: It is a song that encourages me and pushes me forward. I am sure that this song will push the backs of many people.

--It is the last song on the album, but it is a song that gives the impression that there is always another song to come.

Matsuoka That's right. I thought this song would be the end of the album, but you are right, it is also a song that marks the start of the album.

I may have told you this before, but I used to have a hard time with studio recording. （When I first entered the studio, I would say to the person directing me or giving me advice, "Well, but this is how I feel. When I was younger, I sometimes rebelled against the direction, so I was worried about this project, too, but thanks to everyone, it was a very easy environment to work in.

I was worried this time, but thanks to you all, it was a very easy environment to work in. Having a large number of opinions gives me absolute peace of mind. Also, since the songs this time were mainly from a male perspective and aimed at a relatively female audience, I asked the female staff for their opinions as well. I asked my female staff members for their opinions, and they were always willing to give me suggestions, such as, "Maybe this part should be sung this way. I was often made to think, "I see.

It was a new environment, but it was a recording session that made me realize how much experience and years I have gained.

--I think it was a new environment, but it was also a recording session that made me realize how much experience and years I have gained.

Matsuoka Yes, I think that is a big part of it. There are times when the opinions of those around me differ from what I think of the performance, and I think I have grown through the process of coming to terms with that.

A style of production that does not bring you to the music, but rather the music to you.

--You mentioned earlier that you wanted to stick to live sound.

Matsuoka: In the process of production, we added more and more of this kind of sound, and the ratio increased. It is true that the band sound was the base of the song, but as we were creating the music, we started to have a particular desire to do more, like "if we want to use a live saxophone, we want to use a live piano, too.

When I recorded the band's performance, I also recorded a tentative song along with it. I felt a new sound and groove was created by the band's sound that matched my song.

--You were able to create a new sound and groove by combining the song with the vocaloid P's orchestration, whereas in the past, your approach was to incorporate the song into the orchestration created by the vocaloid P. This time, the sound was created by you and the people around you.

Matsuoka Yes, that's right. I think the difference in feel is reflected in the sound. When I sing Vocaloid songs, I think I have a way of thinking like, "This song will sound best if I sing this way," or I try to sing along with the music as much as possible. But this time, I focused on what came out from within me, and with the support of the people around me, I feel that I was able to create something good.

--Have you ever experienced sound creation that came from within yourself?

Matsuoka: No, I have not.

--For example, I think there were songs you wrote for the past "Ikaasan" albums, but do you feel different from those songs?

Matsuoka Yes, that's right. The songs that were written for the album were also songs that were written for the album, but at the time, I was more interested in bringing out the best of the songs in this way. Well, I was a bit obsessive about it, but I think I was a bit obsessed with the song in a strange way. However, I think there are always good things about those days.

--But as long as you are going to be an artist named "Yuri Matsuoka," do you think you have to show who you are first?

Matsuoka Yes, that's right.

--For example, which of the songs in ".A" shows those elements the most?

Matsuoka I think "E.X.I.T" (......). To be honest, I am not good at putting things into words, but this song really speaks for me. ...... Oh, but then again, so does "Mind Bounce". ......

I can apply any of the songs to what I have experienced in my life, and that's how I feel about them.

--I think I understand the reason why the song was released as "Matsuoka Yuri" and not "Ikaisan". I think everyone would think, "Why not Ikaasan? I think everyone thinks "Why not ikasan? I am also an actor, so I was wondering if you were going to shift to the name "Matsuoka Yuri" for various reasons (see ......).

Matsuoka That's right.

--How do you feel about the first album that was completed as a result?

Matsuoka I think it is very good. I hope you will listen to it with confidence.

--So, will you be working on "Ikaasan" and "Matsuoka Yuri" at the same time in the future?

Matsuoka Yes. Matsuoka: Yes, I will continue to work on "Matsuoka Yuri" with a solid concept and deliver it to everyone, while "Ikaasan" will remain my home and be free to have fun. I hope to have a certain degree of freedom and enjoyment in my work. I think each has its own merits. I hope to utilize both in a positive way.

However, I don't want the two names to cause any confusion in the direction of our work. I would like to have a firm axis for each of them as we move forward.

--I would like to switch between "on" and "off," like when I hang out with my old friends, I would do so at "ikasan.

Matsuoka Aha (laughs). Yes, that's right.

--B" and ".C," which will be released in the future, what do you think their contents will be like?

Matsuoka: I think each will show a different and new aspect from ". A" to ".C", I hope you will pay attention to the way they grow in three stages. I will continue to do my best.

The charm of "Yuri Matsuoka" is his life-sized singing voice

--Lastly, what kind of year was last year, 2018?

Matsuoka 2018 .......

Staff It was over in an instant (laughs).

--Have you been busy?

Matsuoka: I was busy. My mind was busy.

--I was always on stage.

Matsuoka I was grateful for the opportunities I was given, because I thought it would be good for me. I wanted to do my best in everything I did, but even so, I felt that I was a little too busy (laugh). (wry smile). After all, the stage is a place where you have to spend a lot of time. But it was a really intense and fulfilling year.

--How was your private life? Did you have time to hang out with your friends?

Matsuoka: I don't think so. But I like eating. I don't want to compromise on food.

--I don't want to compromise on food.

Matsuoka Yes, it is. For example, when I was in high school, I used to go to karaoke more often, but I felt that all of that was given over to looking at clothes, eating, and so on.

I also had a hobby or ...... something I wanted to make my boom recently. I started listening to Rakugo. I know it sounds old-fashioned again, but--I like rakugo, too.

--I like rakugo, too.

Matsuoka Oh, really? Do you have any recommendations?

--Hayashiya Shozo's rakugo makes me cry. I recommend it (laughs). (Laughs.) Do you still listen to Rakugo on CD?

Matsuoka Yes. I think it's really just an introduction to the genre, but "Tokisoba" and "Shinigami" are very interesting. I wanted to give it a try because I thought I could learn a lot and broaden my range of expression, but at first the threshold was a little high for me. But recently, I have been getting recommendations from rakugo lovers around me, and by making a habit of casually listening to rakugo during casual moments such as when I am getting ready to go out, I have gradually become able to enjoy it without any resistance.

I think I have gradually come to enjoy it. I'm learning a lot.

--I'm learning a lot...Maybe one day I'll try my hand at rakugo. ......

Matsuoka Ah ha ha (laughs). (laughs). ...... But really, I want to try everything, so yes. To be honest, I do hope to do something like that someday.

--Now, please tell us about your goals for 2019.

Matsuoka: I would like to shift my focus from "Ika-san" to "Matsuoka Yuri," and I would like many people to know "Matsuoka Yuri. I would like to make it such a year.

--What is the charm of Yuri Matsuoka in a word?

Matsuoka...... is a place where you can hear his life-sized "singing voice". And the part where he delivers a truly "cool" world.

--I think that comment is cool! Thank you very much.

[CD Info.

A (read: Period A) / Yuri Matsuoka

. A (read: Period A) / Yuri Matsuoka

Price: Limited First Edition (CD + DVD) 2,300 yen (tax not included), Normal Edition (CD) 1,800 yen (tax not included), Pochuun Limited Edition (CD + DVD + GOODS) 5,500 yen (tax not included)

Exit Tunes, Inc.

＜DVD includes the following contents: ・Burn!

Music Video

Off-shot of shooting scenery

<Bonus contents

Special bandana

Original leather bracelet

Logo acrylic key ring

The number of special offers is limited.

The number of benefits is limited.

＜Included songs

1. Burn. 2!

Idiotic Elegy

Mind Bounce

4. gypsophila

E.X.I.T

Live information

Yuri Matsuoka Release Live .A .B .C

Date: Sunday, April 21, 2019

Venue: Daikanyama UNIT

Ticket Price: 4,500 yen (tax included) standing (with a serial number)
Ticket price: 4,500 yen (tax included) *Children over 3 years old are required to pay *Drinks are not included in the ticket price.