Official interview for concept EP "NV" released!

No matter what era you are in, no matter how old you are, we will be by your side as you take on challenges.

NAQT VANE spreads its wings.

 

　"Give a tailwind to challengers." With this idea in mind, NAQT VANE was launched in NAQT VANE The name "NAQT" comes from the German word for "naked" and the English word for "VANE," because we believe​ ​that you can fly freely around the world as your true self, without killing your feelings or individuality.

 

Hiroyuki SAWANO has composed music for various popular anime, dramas, and movies, and collaborates with many talented vocalists such as Akihito Okano, Takanori Nishikawa, SUGIZO, and Aimer in his own project SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]. Starting this project in his 40s was a "challenge." Already a well-established musician, Sawano said, "When you become an adult, you tend to scoff at the big dreams and aspirations you had as a child. But as you get older, I think the things you thought about as a child are more important." He went back to his roots and started NAQT VANE out of pure greed to "have more people listen to my music" and to realize his unfulfilled dreams.

 

The vocalists are Harukaze and Yunoa. Harukaze has always chosen to take on new challenges in life. Having loved Western music and movies since he was young, he studied abroad in Canada alone for high school. He then went on to college in LA and majored in music business. After returning to Japan, he enjoyed working at a record company, but he had a lid on his deep desire to sing, thinking, "There are some things you can't do even if you want to, so it can't be helped." It was Sawano who opened that lid. Although he fully understands the difficulties of living as a professional musician,​ ​for Harukaze, the decision to become a singer was more of a "challenge" than anything else.

Yunoa met Sawano just before she started her career as a solo artist and released her debut song. Due to her childhood experiences, she was not good at creating things in groups, and Sawano also asked her to rap, something she had never done before. When she jumped into the NAQT VANE environment with a spirit of challenge,​ ​the fun she had erased all her worries. Rapping has now become Yunoa's strongest weapon.

For the two, NAQT VANE is a place where they can be accepted as they are​ ​and​ ​where they can bring out parts of themselves that they don't yet know.

 

Harukaze 's singing is positive, energetic, and edgy, while Yunoa adds a dark, sad, and bluesy touch to the songs, so​ ​the new​ ​twin vocal lineup's first EP, "NV," is a work that sometimes strongly inspires the listener, and sometimes gently heals them when they are physically and mentally tired, and is a work that accompanies the "all times" of those who take on challenges. The lead song was unanimously chosen as "Ditty - NV." Although the loop structure and word phrases are playful, it would not work without the singing skills of the two, making it a highly addictive song. Sawano says that he started producing the song with live performances in mind, and in live performances, it has an explosive power that makes you feel even more liberated as the song progresses.

Harukaze has a strong, direct singing voice that can be heard far away, which is also suitable for J-POP, and Yunoa excels at soulful singing and rap that has absorbed black music. Sawano's music is already loved overseas, and with these two vocalists,​ ​I am convinced that​ ​we can take on the challenge of delivering an even wider range of music from Japan to the world.

 

Another distinctive feature of NAQT VANE is the participation of the creative collective Classic 6, who are responsible for the graphics on the album jackets, the music videos, and some of the live performances. It goes without saying that we live in an age where video has a strong influence, but NAQT VANE 's​ ​music videos are intentionally created to leave a sense of "discomfort,"​ ​and each one contains elements that make them "memorable after just one viewing, and make you want to watch them over and over again." The day when people all over the world will be drawn into NAQT VANE 's worldview, which draws you in once you've seen it, is surely not far off.

Taking on challenges can be scary. Even in an age where there are more options, there is still an atmosphere that failure is not acceptable, and inefficient efforts are ridiculed. But still. Each member of NAQT VANE embodies the joy of taking on challenges, conveys the joy of discovering a new you through challenges, and​ ​continues to praise those who take on challenges, no matter what era they are in or how old they are.

[Official Interview]
--It's been a year since Yunoa joined the band and the twin vocal system began. What are your thoughts about the meaning of the name NAQT VANE, "naked wings = spreading your wings as you are," and the theme of NAQT VANE, "bringing a tailwind to challengers," through your experiences this year?
 
Harukaze: I used to work for a record company, and going from there to NAQT VANE was a big turning point in my life. Every time I released a song, there was a challenge, so I think I have changed as a vocalist in the last two or three years. I think it's wrong for someone who has never tried anything to say "Try it," so I think we have to take the lead and challenge ourselves. From the beginning, I said that I hope people will listen to NAQT VANE 's songs and feel motivated to try something, but I think that every time we release a song or perform, the people who listen to us are also feeling a strong desire to "challenge."
 
Sawano: This year marks my 20th year as a soundtrack composer, and 10 as SawanoHiroyuki[nZk], but when I try to do something new, I have to start from scratch again, so NAQT VANE 's activities are stimulating for me. I'm not trying to change musically from what I've done up until now, but I feel that being able to do new things with new vocalists is connecting me to a different level of excitement from what I've been doing for a long time.
 
Yunoa: I came here (NAQT VANE) as a challenger. It was my first time rapping, so I'm a real challenger now (laughs). But I feel like I've gained a new skill called rapping. I've always been bad at working with large groups, and even in middle and high school, I didn't do well in classes like "Let's all work together to draw a picture," so at first I wondered if it would be okay to incorporate everyone's opinions into making songs, but when I tried it with NAQT VANE, I found it fun. I also thought, "This is the time when I can show my true self in front of adults." Recently, I've been doing a lot of live shows, and there are people who say things like, "I'll do my best for the exam," and "I'll work hard starting tomorrow," so I feel like I'm getting a real boost.
 
Harukaze: Even when we all talk, we always say, "Yunoa is fine just the way she is, that's good." I also think that NAQT VANE is about exposing yourself and discovering sides of yourself you didn't know. There are some things about humans that you can't know unless you're naked, right? This is an analogy, but it's like getting naked and being told, "There's a mole here." Like everyone bringing a mirror and showing you a mole on your back that you couldn't see before (laughs).
 
Yunoa: I know what you mean, "Oh, there's a mole in a place like this" (laughs).
 
Harukaze: I feel like it's becoming easier to reveal your true self and take on new challenges in this day and age. I want to deliver this kind of message because we live in an age where many things are becoming possible.
 
--I think we live in an age where it's easier to access the information and means to make your dreams come true, and the options for how to live your life are more diverse. But I also feel like there's still a tendency in some quarters to ridicule people who are working hard and passionately.
 
Sawano: But that's probably just because it's become easier to see. As we grow up, we tend to look down on the big dreams and aspirations of our children, don't we? I think that's been the case since long ago. But as we get older, I think that what we thought as children is more important in the end. When I look at ASKA, who was the reason I started making music, or Ryuichi Sakamoto, Joe Hisaishi, and Yoko Kanno, who are involved in theatrical music, I'm always reminded that I still have a long way to go. I think, "This person was doing this when he was 40 years old," or "I'm not up to that level yet." There are some things that reach people with some kind of content and are listened to by many people, but... no, most of the time I'm reminded that I still have a long way to go. Of course, I have to aim for a different place from the people I mentioned earlier, so there's no need to compare myself to them. What I create doesn't always get the reaction I want, and I feel the desire for more people to listen to it, and that becomes the energy for my next creation or activity. It feels like a repetition of that.
 
Yunoa: People sometimes laugh at me and say things like "there's no way you can do that," but I think, "They're laughing, but I'm the one who's laughing."
 
--That's such a cool thing to say! When producing the first EP "NV" with the twin vocal lineup, how did you perceive the differences in the singing and vocal characteristics of the two members, Sawano-san?
 
Sawano: Roughly speaking, Harukaze has an edgy, clanging voice. It has a sense of momentum. Of course, that's not all he can express, but I think he has the coolness to be able to express that side of him. Yunoa can create a slightly mysterious feeling just with her voice. It can also sound a little sad. The songs that NAQT VANE does have a bit more tension and a stronger rhythm than Yunoa's songs as a solo artist, so I think she takes a different approach from her solo work.
 
--"NV" also includes solo songs by Yunoa and Harukaze. How do you each perceive your own songs?
 
Yunoa: "C" has a lot of lyrics that mean "I want you to be yourself," but I'm not forcing you to be yourself, and that really made sense to me. It's a song that really feels like "this is my song." Lately, I feel like the level of "being yourself" that people are talking about has been rising. But what I want to say is "I want you to be your true self." I don't always want to force anything on people, and I like that these lyrics and sound don't feel like they're forcing anything on people.
 
Harukaze: I think that both songs were written by Sawano, and they brought out our individuality, character, and each other's good points. If "C" is saying "It doesn't matter what form it takes," then "O" is like "I'll give you energy, so if you need it, take it." I'm not forcing it on you, and I'm just giving you the energy to live and the ability to think, but it's up to you to decide how to use it or save it. There may be times when you say "I don't need it now," but I think this song has a message that I'm always ready to provide energy to everyone. So "O" and "C" have some things in common, but I think the way we convey our messages is opposite. This is also a song where Sawano showed me "This is how I see (Harukaze)," and allowed me to show things I didn't know I had. I try different vocal tones for each song, and I try a lot of different things, but this might be the song that shows my natural voice the most.
 
-Why did you decide to make "Ditty - NV" the lead song for NV?
 
Yunoa: We all agreed that "Ditty" was the best. I like this song the best out of all the NV versions.
 
Harukaze: We all like it (laughs). All three of us agreed that "Ditty - NV" was good. It's a playful song to begin with, and "Tick it per DAT Hop" doesn't have any particular meaning, it's like a spell that's chanted, but I think adding Yunoa's rap makes it even more fun. I really like Yunoa's rap part in this song. It's a song that allows you to pursue endless fun even in live performances. The words "NAQT VANE" are in the lyrics, so I think it's a cool anthem with a playful feel.
 
Sawano: I originally wanted to create a song that I could interact with the audience at live shows and that I could perform in a relaxed atmosphere. Having Yunoa join in made the NV version feel even more live-like.
 
-How do you feel TOUCH-NV has changed since Yunoa joined the band?
 
Harukaze: This song is about heartbreak, but even when you've had a broken heart, you can have a lot of different emotions. I'm in charge of the parts like "It's painful" and "I can't forget it at all," and Yunoa expresses the feeling of calming down. I think that the contrast makes it easier to convey the message with two people than when we're singing alone.
 
Sawano: I think that the contrast between the A and B verses in particular was expressed differently than when Harukaze was singing alone. The choruses are sung alternately, but there are moments where they share a common thread, and I think that the balance between coexistence and separation was well expressed in terms of sound. Because the two of us have different characters, the listeners will probably hear the words in relation to Harukaze 's character when Harukaze sings, and in relation to Yunoa's character when Yunoa sings, so I think it's interesting that the meanings sound different.
 
--Harukaze has the feeling of pulling me along, and Yunoa has the feeling of empathizing with me when I'm feeling blue and telling me, "It's okay even if you can't do your best," and that harmony is very comfortable. I think NAQT VANE is music that you want to listen to on any day you're feeling. The lyrics for all the songs were written by Benjamin and cAnON., but what is the point that Sawano is most particular about when it comes to lyrics?
 
Sawano: When I first check lyrics, I don't really look at the content. I only care about the sound. I know very well that Japanese people attach great importance to lyrics, but I'm a composer, so I care about how the words sound in relation to the melody. In that regard, I'll have exchanges with the lyricist, like "Come up with some other options." Basically, when I'm writing a song, I tend to imagine English lyrics more than Japanese, so even if I put in Japanese, I ask the lyricist to write the lyrics with the rhythm as the priority, even if it sounds English, rather than pronouncing it clearly as Japanese. Both Yunoa and Harukaze are vocalists who express both English and Japanese better than I think, so I hope that people overseas will ultimately find it "nice."


--The CD for the EP "NV" has a "variable jacket." What does that mean?
 
Harukaze: The cards are made by randomly cutting out a part of a large picture. Therefore, each card has a different design and there are no two cards that are the same. The lyrics' keywords are incorporated into the design, and the keywords that appear vary depending on the card that is cut out, so people who want the lyrics to this song might want to look for them. You'll want to collect them all. The puzzle pieces included as a bonus are actually 6,000-piece puzzles that we made and each one is included in the set. The system is set up so that when everyone gathers together, a picture is completed, so we were talking about getting together someday somewhere (laughs).
 
-Finally, could you tell us about your current dreams and what you would like to challenge?
 
Sawano: I'd like people to become more interested in this project. I'd like to expand it further so that people will listen to the music and one day we can perform in front of a lot of people. I think that's the first thing we need to do.


Yunoa: I want to meet more people. That's probably the biggest thing.


Harukaze: I think some people will get to know us through this EP, but I hope to continue to challenge myself in various ways so that I can convey the charm of NAQT VANE to the fullest extent.
 
Interview and text: Yukako Yajima