INDEX
Evolution in Live Performance Approach Post-“e o“
Last year, our fifth album, “e o,” generated a lot of buzz, didn’t it? And when we started the tour, the excitement only grew. I noticed that, at the Zepp Shinjuku show and the Sendai concert I attended, there were more new types of fans who had never seen cero before.
Takagi： That’s right. When we asked the audience who were at their first cero live show, quite a few people raised their hands. There was definitely a change. People who had only heard our music through streaming probably couldn’t imagine what our live performances would be like.
Arauchi： In a positive sense, there’s no longer a set pattern of excitement at our live shows. It might be perceived as a shift in the vibe.
You mentioned in an interview during the release of e o that the album was created with “silence” as a key concept. This might have resonated with the times.
Arauchi： For live performances, the songs from “e o” tend to become a bit more physical, bringing more energy compared to the studio recordings. I find that quite interesting.
Takagi： It’s difficult for us to explain, but cero essentially evolves past songs based on the mode of our newest tracks. Right now, “e o” is altering the structure of our older songs, and as new things come up, our live performances will continue to evolve accordingly.
Takagi： It’s hard to put into words what makes e o “e o”-like, but the same mode is present in the track “My Lost City.” The exhilaration felt when listening to “e o” isn’t necessarily something that manifests outwardly; it’s more about an inner experience.
In the past, I would have expressed the joy of a live performance as simply being fun if it felt enjoyable. But since “e o,” I’ve come to believe that simply presenting what happens within the music leads to a sense of exhilaration. Essentially, this is what it means to “listen.”
For me, it’s about “listening carefully to what is happening during the performance before singing.” I approach playing with the awareness that I am also one of the listeners. This mindset has been particularly reinforced since “e o” and was further solidified by creating this live album. It feels like a meta-awareness of what’s happening with cero, where I am amazed by it and then express that amazement.
