INDEX
The Importance of Self-Understanding Before Understanding Others
Everyone has their own quirks and flaws, and after more than 10 years of building up Helsinki’s legacy, facing those personal quirks wasn’t easy.
Hashimoto: I think the reason I couldn’t face them for ten years was because I resisted. But the desire to continue making music and to learn new ways of expressing myself hasn’t changed. I think I’ve reached a phase where I need to focus on the areas where I’m lacking and think about how to achieve the things I want to do.
According to the liner notes, “mutual understanding” was one of the themes of the EP. I think through the production process, you were able to deepen your own understanding as well.
Hashimoto: I feel like there’s an unconscious emotion in humans that says, “the unknown is scary.” Even with my strong curiosity, when faced with something I don’t understand, I get scared. When something frightening is right in front of us, the more timid we are, the more likely we are to react in an aggressive way. That’s why, when there’s something I don’t understand, I try to honestly admit to myself, “I’m feeling scared right now.” Once you can recognize the fear, you can also face the question of “why am I scared?”
Understanding yourself before trying to understand others. When I see hate and conflicts on social media, it often seems like the anger is rooted in, “I’ve been holding back.” But I wonder, who really forced me to hold back? Reflecting on yourself might be the key to living honestly.
