INDEX
“On the Shore” – The New Creation Born from the Trials of “Moana”
-Could you tell us about the new album On the Shore? How did the production process begin?
Shimotsu: We started by writing “ZION,” and even though we only had one new song at that point, there was already a vague sense that the next step would be an album. We don’t usually start with a set concept; instead, our work tends to become a kind of living album, like a photo album of our experiences during that time. However, I feel that this album has the most cohesive concept we’ve had so far with its ten tracks.
In terms of themes, the 2022 album “Paradise Review” was a blues born out of city life. In contrast, “On the Shore” is about taking insights gained by the seaside and applying them as life hacks for city living. I had this image of recording by the sea, so we decided to do the sessions at a studio in Izu, just like we did for our previous album “moana.”
-While you’ve retained the image of a psychedelic rock band, in recent years there has been a stronger emphasis on jazz and ambient elements. It seems that Maruyama’s presence has played a significant role in this shift. How do you view this change in reality?
Shimotsu: The task of determining the chords falls to these two (Shimotsu and Maruyama). Maru-chan has the role of deconstructing the major chords I play with a bang, so I believe his sensibility is reflected in our music. Taiki (Sakamoto) brings rhythms that complement the melody, which we’ve never done before, and the two who envelop everything (Taniyama and Okubo) create a division of roles. At this point, everyone understands where they fit in, so it feels more like a collective change rather than attributing it solely to Shimotsu or Maru-chan. That’s the strength of working together as humans.
Maruyama： In “Paradise Review” and this time around, I haven’t voiced my opinions much. However, I really feel that everyone has picked up on what I said during the “moana” period.
Shimotsu: The experience from moana has given me a deep, intuitive understanding. The arrangement for “moana” was the most time-consuming, but I believe without that experience, we might have ended up making mediocre albums. The struggle was essential, and in hindsight, I’m grateful for the challenges we faced during that time.
