INDEX
The Burden of Articulation: How My Intimate Relationship with Words Caused Strain
-In the lyrics collection “Have You Ever Spoken with Me?” published last October, there is an essay by you where he mentions the song “Shoki” included in this album. Regarding the phrase ‘I won’t wage war,’ Orisaka-san writes the following.
The producer in my head wanted to reject these lyrics. This is a declaration. Including a declaration in a song feels embarrassing and lacks beauty. When I tried singing it, my heartbeat increased, and I felt my face turn red.
(Quote from Yuta Orisaka’s lyrics collection, “Have You Ever Spoken with Me?” p. 225)
Orisaka: I wrote that in my collection of lyrics, but since then, things have changed. Now, I no longer find myself blushing.
In terms of “Shoki,” while the phrase “not going to war” is important, the following part, “the plastic handle of a ladle left on a pot / the snap of an unknown origin / evening news,” I think is just as important in equal measure.
Whether the snap is the creaking of the house or a supernatural phenomenon, I live without knowing. Within daily life, something vague and indistinct coexists with the phrase “opposed to war,” and that’s who I am now.
-By the way, trumpeter Kodama Kazufumi has been posting photos of dishes he made on X.
Orisaka: I love those posts, too.
-Kodama consistently combines posting photos of his dishes with updates on the dire situation in Gaza, don’t they? I believe that for Kodama-san, calmly sharing daily life is also a form of resistance. In “Hachisu,” Oresaka sings, “Try taking away this feeling from me/Take it away/This stirring in my chest, see?” I feel a resonance between these lyrics and Kodama-san’s culinary photos.
-Do you have a consciousness of resisting something by depicting daily life in their songs?
Orisaka: Hmm, well… resistance, (long pause)… Perhaps I don’t have the words right now to explain how these words connect to society today.
I used to be able to explain how saying certain things had a meaning for me, but because I could explain it, I also found myself unable to move away from it.
-It became a source of suffering.
Orisaka: That’s right. I think the reason I can’t find the words now is because my state has changed from before. During “Shinri,” I felt I could explain every single word. But this time, there are many parts I can’t explain. So maybe that’s why it’s titled “Jumon.”
-I see. It’s like a series of words that diverge from their usual meanings and contexts.
Orisaka: But if I say that, it feels like I’m avoiding it, so I don’t want to use it too much (laughs). Certainly, this album has connections with society, and I myself am thinking about various things. However, I thought that if I only create with words that I can explain, the things I’m expressing through my body might become too stiff.
Considering the importance of meanings and words is one thing, but I also believe that the sensation of “this sound feels good like this” or “this phrase sounds good like this” when voiced out loud is equally important.
Orisaka: The line from “Hachisu,” “Try stealing this feeling from me,” might sound cooler if sung with more stylish words, but I felt like there’s an intuition in me that says, “This is the right answer for me right now.” I wanted to cherish that intuition.
