INDEX
First Feature Collaboration: Tavito Nanao and Kuro, a Perfect Match for the Album Concept
How did you come to collaborate with Tavito Nanao and Kuro (TAMTAM) for your first-ever feature on this album?
xiangyu： The first person who came to mind was Tavito Nanao because I thought he’d really vibe with the concept. Honestly, if he had turned it down, I might have scrapped the idea of featuring anyone at all. At that point, I’d only met him once, but through our social media exchanges and my spontaneous involvement in his “Food Rescue” initiative, I felt a strange, one-sided connection with him. So, I took a leap and sent him the track along with a letter. To my surprise, I quickly got a voice memo back from him saying, “I came up with this melody.” From there, we ended up creating the song entirely through phone calls and emails, never meeting face-to-face. It felt almost like we were writing letters back and forth, and somehow, that made the process even more romantic. It naturally led to a mellow, heartfelt track.
xiangyu： And Tavito, he’s really sincere when it comes to music. He’d carefully consider every word and melody, saying things like, “I think this would resonate better,” or “This part might not come across as well.” It was such a luxury to work with him like that. I don’t think I’ve ever approached music with this much dedication before.
xiangyu： Plus, the release comment he sent after the track was finished truly meant a lot to me. Even though we had only met once, he said, “I really trust her, she’s someone who volunteers in Tohoku and helps out in Yokohama’s Sugamo area.” It wasn’t about praising the track or my rap skills. It made me realize how incredible it feels to be trusted as a person, not just for your music. It really made me want to live in a way that honors those words.
How about Kuro from TAMTAM?
xiangyu： I’m a huge fan of Kuro and his band TAMTAM. I love them so much that even if our live shows are on the same day, I’d sneak in and watch their set between rehearsals. Just like with Tavito-san, I wanted someone who would be just as excited about the concept, so I sent Kuro a letter. He replied with this really long message, sharing his own “method for dealing with Enryo no Katamari” (a reference to the album theme), and ended it with, “So, I’ll do it.” It was amazing!
xiangyu：Kuro is the one who took the theme of the song (Cosmic Bun) and expanded it to include space. The idea of imagining space from a single soup dumpling left on a Chinese round table never occurred to me, so I’m really glad I asked him to be part of it. The idea that “when you crack open that dumpling, there’s actually a universe inside” — my strange daydreams — Kuro totally embraced it, and that’s how the song came to life.
So, they already knew all about it [laughs].
xiangyu：Tavito-san and Kuro-san were both super perceptive from the beginning, but after working together, they said things like, “Since the release party, I’ve been thinking about this more,” or “It made me rethink how I approach hesitation.” Even though they already had that kind of mindset, hearing that it gave them a new perspective made me really happy. It’s such a nice feeling—like this small idea I put out there is rippling outward.
Now that the album’s out, it’s exciting to think about how Enryo no Katamari will continue to reach more listeners and become part of their everyday lives.
xiangyu： Yeah, totally. I’ve come to realize that, at the end of the day, what I really want is to connect with people through my work.
Lastly, since April is when a lot of people in Japan start new chapters in life, it’s also a time when many struggle with relationships or fitting in. As someone who really values communication, is there a mindset or phrase you personally hold dear?
xiangyu: “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” I guess. There was a time when I didn’t want to sing in front of others because I was afraid people would think I was tone-deaf. I used to care way too much about what others thought of me. But over time, I’ve realized that, honestly, most people aren’t really paying that much attention anyway.
Also, I’ve never talked about this much, but my younger brother went through a period where he shut himself off from the world. He got discouraged after struggling with exams and kind of lost hope in life. I’m not living a conventional life as a company worker or anything, so I started thinking, What could someone like me possibly do for him? And somewhere in the back of my mind, the answer was: maybe singing in front of people.
He knew I had a complex about that, so I thought maybe I could show him — like, “Your sister is out here in her 30s still singing ridiculous songs about crayfish.” That doesn’t define me as an artist entirely, but even if this album doesn’t resonate with anyone, it’s not the end of the world. I think it’s totally okay to express yourself freely, without putting too much pressure on it.
xiangyu “Enryo no Katamari”
April 25 (Friday) release
- Enryo no Katamari
- Rasuichi no Pizza
- Zutto Iru Tomato
- Uchū Pie (feat. Kuro)
- Haccha-KO
- Mottainai Obake
- Piece of Cake (feat. Tavito Nanao)
Distribution link: https://orcd.co/xiangyu_enryonkatamari
