INDEX
Ichiko Aoba Drifting Through a Sea of Emotions: A Call to Respond
You mentioned that this work “dives more into everyday human life.” Are you referring to life on Hateruma, or in Tokyo?
Aoba: For the song “tower,” it’s about the skyscrapers of Tokyo. The lyrics “Crimson eyes, a swarm of Ohmu” are inspired by the red lights on the high-rise buildings.
In the city, countless people are packed together, each with their own lives, partings, struggles, and joys, forming a kind of human galaxy. With this song, I wanted to write toward that galaxy.
So the theme of “luminescent creatures” is connected to many different images.
Aoba: “Luminescence” might conjure images of something sparkling or cute, but it also represents the fact that we truly exist, or perhaps that we simply are alive. Within that existence, there is killing and life-and-death interaction, something unavoidable even in the modern world. In biological terms, it’s the predator-prey relationship. Humans are complicated, but in essence, what we do hasn’t really changed over time.
I see, that makes sense.
Aoba: But this is just a subtlety of language, and it’s easy to misinterpret, so I spoke cautiously.
The theme of luminescent creatures delves into the essence of life itself and the nature of living beings. In that sense, it’s quite different from Windswept Adan.
Aoba: That’s right. I feel it’s no longer like a miniature garden. At the time of the release, I hadn’t spoken about it in this much detail, but now, after people have had time to really listen, I think its meaning comes across more clearly.
Editor: I noticed recurring images of boats, sails, and lighthouses throughout the album. Do these reflect the experience of traveling the world on tour?
Aoba: Not quite. It’s more like drifting through the currents of emotion.
Editor: You’ve often described how your melodies capture life at its most fragile edge. I feel this song also reaches out to listeners individually, inviting them to resonate with its pulse.
Aoba: “Wakusei no Namida” holds both a microscopic and cosmic perspective. I once imagined a music video where a giant meteor strikes Earth, peeling away its surface in slow motion over several minutes. But I abandoned the idea, it was just too overwhelming.
