U-TA TALKS
-A Compilation of the Secret Stories of B-T-
Regarding [memento mori/RAZZLE DAZZLE]
memento mori -16th album, released February 18th, 2009. RAZZLE DAZZLE -17th album, released October 13th, 2010.
Translation: w_b
First let's start with an anecdote from the recording of [memento mori].
Thinking about it now, I feel it went well *smiles*.
Compared to the current recording?
Hmm.... I also thought it had a good flow. And we all felt that way you know. We felt like everything was able to fall into place, timing-wise. Let's recording this, get those singles out, do the promotion and do this tour!!! And it was the same for the staging, in a lot of ways.
Anything you'd like to say about the songs?
What is unusual is that a song from a single was made the album opener.
Did you run into any problems?
I don't think there were any this time.
When you were recording the rhythm parts could you tell the kind of album [memento mori] would become?
I felt that the songs would be fun. That live, they'd be fresh and exciting all over again. I think I felt that while we were recording.
Did you also use the bass from [Coyote] during recording?
Yep, I did.
Are you using it for the current album, [RAZZLE DAZZLE]?
No, I'm not. Because the image is a bit different this time.
Now, both singles which came out before [memento mori] made it onto the album, didn't they.
I thought the promotion videos are pretty, you know. For [HEAVEN] and [GALAXY]. Of course I thought the same about the CD colors and besides, there was this sense of album coherence there. We couldn't not add them, and it's because we added them that the album sounds better and better each time I listen to it. We were pretty lucky with how it all worked out so well at the time *smiles*.
Granted it's new, but let's now talk about [RAZZLE DAZZLE]. Any insider stories this time?
We found the recording surprisingly long. The way we saw it, we went into our recording mode around [Dokudanjou Beauty] and from then on it seemed to take fore~ver. I mean, we had a hard time with the transition. And that's why it was so unexpectedly lo~ng.
You brought the demo tape to an interview three months ago and now three months later the work has been completed. I thought that was a rather brief period of time.
It's because for us it started with [Dokudanjou Beauty]. So it feels like we've been at it since last year. Even though we had a break in the middle *laughs*.
In an interview you've said that the latter half of recording was a challenge.
That's because we have lives coming up.
Then it was hard because you couldn't afford any delays.
Yup. We had some but we had no choice but to push through.
And the songs?
I thought...[Kuchizuke]'s image had a cool feel to it. Same for the other songs, I mean they're our style......and they're pretty catchy. We're always wanting to try new things as a band. But even then, they're our style......It's hard to explain you know......But I think we've come up some good, fun songs.
How about the recording of the singles that came before the album?
I think it went swimmingly. Besides, we had the time. We recorded them separately so the work progressed quickly.
There was a photo of Yoko-chan's booth posted on Imai-san's blog. I take it you all gather in there?
No no, we don't *smiles*. It's that~ in there we have access to the data Yoko-chan enters into his computer so if we think of a new phrase, or if we want to see whether some chords will clash, he can check those things right away. For example, when I want to work on a different song than the one we're doing in the studio, Yoko-chan can just boot up his computer. Plus he smokes so he's being quarantined over here *laughs*.
Oh, so that's why he's in that small room.
Yes, it's a tiny booth. Placed deep in the studio, because there's always noise coming from it. Because of recording. And it's set up in the best spot for when you want to work on something else.
You can play in there without being affected by other sounds?
Yup, exactly.
So the recording of the singles themselves went smoothly. For the B-side, [Yougetsu -Yougetsu-], you recorded the rhythm parts early and did the rest including the vocals after, am I right?
Yup, absolutely. Because that was another one we had to put out early on *smiles*.
And you completed your parts for [Kuchizuke] ahead of time since it was going to be used as an anime opening.
Yeah. And because we record the rhythm parts in a large space, in the studio. So I think it's best we record the rhythm together as often as possible.
Both these songs have a single version and an album version, don't they.
Yup. You can't see it just yet but they have a different tone. I kind of feel that the album has turned out pretty solid even with [Dokudanjou Beauty] and [Kuchizuke] on it, it has great amplitude.
When you look back on [memento mori] and [RAZZLE DAZZLE]....
*laughs* That's now, we're still doing [RAZZLE DAZZLE] *laughs*.
You're right. *smiles*
We've come up with something new so this is only the beginning......um......we wanted to make something fun all along, it took us a while, it went without a hitch and there's a lot to it, so I also feel like I've been talking about it over and over for a re~ally long time. But, with each and every time we feel that we want to make something new and fun for everyone to listen to, and I find it wonderful that we have never lost this feeling. Please, look forward to it!
Hey, isn't this the last part of your corner?
It is, isn't it.
So what should we do next time?
I have no idea, do you? ......I'll think about it.