U-TA TALKS
-A Compilation of the Secret Stories of B-T-
Regarding [Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE/Juusankai ha Gekkou/Tenshi no Revolver]
Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE-13th album, released February 13th, 2003. Juusankai ha Gekkou- 14th album, released April 6th, 2005. Tenshi no Revolver-15th album, released September 19th, 2007.
Translation: Lola
Start from the recording of [Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE].
There was a lot of different rhythm parts for the recording of this album and I thought that was quite wonderful. There were many songs that I thought were really great.
Did you feel the songs changed greatly once the rhythm parts were recorded?
Yes, especially for 'Mona Lisa'. A little while after I was finished recording, when I was listening to the dubbing process I thought it sounded like a completely different song. When I think about it now, it feels like an incredibly aggressive album to me.
Yeah. Because the first song is 'Nakayubi' right.
Yeah but there's quite a variety of songs on the album which makes it interesting.
Did the recording go smoothly?
Well~ hm~ I'm not sure? Well I can say it wasn't really intense or anything.
Were any of the songs difficult?
Hmmmm. Which was it? ...'Mona Lisa'...I think. I found the mood difficult for that one. The album was rather interesting live though.
Yes, in part because of its aggressiveness.
Yes, yes, yes, yes. We did an outdoor show too.
That's right.
Since we're talking about it now I can say this...remember the blimp above us? Well we tried filming and taking pictures from it but they all came out super blurry.
Oh really? From the blimp?
Yeah, yeah. But the cameras were joggled by the wind. Because that was our first time trying to do something like that outside.
It really doesn't feel like that long ago does it?
I know. It really doesn't.
Next is [Juusankai ha Gekkou]. I didn't have the impression that at that point the schedule was as hectic as in previous years.
Yeah, you're right. I'd even say it went smoothly, everything progressed gradually...as we changed our way of doing things to work better. And things progressed from there successfully.
[13kai~] is a complete change in atmosphere once again from [Mona Lisa~].
Yeah. It had been a long time since we explored a theme like that but I think it really suited us very well. It's probably why it's one of our most famous albums.
How did the recording go?
Hmmm, well at the time it felt like we had an insane amount of songs to work on you know. Because there were instrumental pieces as well right. Even people who had already been listening to us for awhile felt it was an album of great depth, even during the lives.
Was there anything from a certain song that left an impression on you?
Yeah......when I first heard Acchan singing 'Kourin' I got the shivers. I thought it was incredible *smiles*. I thought both 'Kourin' and 'Gesshoku' were amazing because of course they're good songs. Something in the atmosphere, they really suited us I think.
There were a lot of things used to tie into the theme.
Right, because the line was blurred between live album tour and PV.
Yes. You even toured with the clown and ballerina.
I think that's what really gave it all such a unified feeling. I'm glad it was all so grand. I think it was easy to convey the story to the audience as well because of all the extras. Though at the time of [13kai~] I think I was rather surprised at how everything came together so well.
Were you confused by how neatly everything came together?
No, but I guess I wondered if it'd turn out ok. You know we were told quite a lot that [13kai~] was really our kind of thing and seemed like our style but we had never done anything so extremely gothic like that before.
It's true. A lot of people have that impression....
Yeah, I used to wonder why so many people felt that way. Because the truth is we're not like that at all.
After that you put out [Tenshi no Revolver]. An album with a completely different atmosphere once again. Unlike the previously recorded [13kai~], the story goes that this album was made without a unified concept right?
Well I wouldn't say it quite like that, well this is Imai-kun's funny way of explaining it but...he said something like he thought it'd be good if when people heard it they sat up straight in their chairs. But without such a strict feeling of having to listen. Which basically is what rock music is right. How can I say it......our band...the sound we can put out, the five of us, has come to be incredibly powerful and it was with that power that we did [Tenshi no Revolver]. So it really feels like we've made a journey to get to this point. Together...with the five of us, it feels like we can put out our absolute best. That's why it's such an amazing rock'n'roll album....
Do you think it's because you used less extras with the sound?
Yeah. I mean we used acoustic guitar from the very first song *smiles*. I think that was part of it too. When I talk about it being a band album, I mean it was an album in which the five of us really all worked together.
Did any song leave an impression during the recording?
The first song!!
So 'Mr. Darkness & Mrs. Moonlight'.
I thought it'd fit right at the beginning. Like it wouldn't work at all as the fifth song or something like that. Even while recording it I felt it should be the first song. And it happened to come out that way in the end. It just didn't work anywhere else *smiles*.
Did you feel as though 'Alice in Wonder Underground' went well?
Yeah, completely. Because it suits us...for instance there may be some people who have only listened to [13kai~] and [Tenshi no Revolver] and so might think they don't get us at all but then with 'Alice~' in there they can realize that see, there's that aspect to us as well.
Well, looks like we're getting close to the end of this corner but would you say a few words looking back on the period we covered in this issue from [Mona Lisa OVERDRIVE] to [Tenshi no Revolver].
Sadly we are getting close to the end here aren't we. Hm, right well, one thing I can say for certain is that during this period I began to understand my thought process about the cycle of things. Like about what would fit during tours, what sorts of things did I want to show people...it was then that I knew what I wanted everyone to see and hear.