Official Fan Book Content: Interview with Composer Ozawa Takumi (Fan Translation)
This interview was originally published in the "Disney's Twisted Wonderland Fan Book" on November 1st, 2020
Lyricist, composer and arranger of the background music for "Disney's Twisted Wonderland" as well as its main opening song "Piece of my world". Debuted as part of the music group GANASIA in 1996. She has composed music for anime and video games such as "Magia Record" and "Period Cube” and has also produced music tracks for a wide range of music artists such as the individual unit “ReReGRAPHICS”.
How the Music for "Disney's Twisted Wonderland" was Created
Q: The opening song, "Piece of my world", is a big hit. What did you have in mind when you composed it?
A: Actually, I was told not to focus too much on the “Disney” aspect while composing. I wanted to create the imagery of a fantastical music-idol group, but with a touch of villainy. That's how the song was born. I am glad that everyone has accepted it.
Q: It’s surprising that you were told not to focus too much on the “Disney” aspect.
A: But I do incorporate imagery that is reminiscent of the world of Disney, such as the theme parks and the parades. There is nothing too specific—it is more of a general atmosphere.
Q: How were the Night Ravens?
A: There were 11 members, and this was my first time recording with such a large group. Everyone had a wonderful awareness and sense of rhythm. Kihara-san, the main vocalist, has a husky, straight-forward voice with good pitch. Mori-san has a rich, romantic voice. They were able to visualize the worldview depicted in the song through their singing. The other members sang charmingly as well. It's not often you get a recording session with such a lively and good-looking group of people.
Q: I would love to try it out at karaoke. Any advice on how to sing it?
A: It starts out with a bewitching atmosphere, like you’re telling a story. The chorus needs to be energetic and fun. I would love it if the rest of the song were sung freely, with people making the most of their own individuality!
Q: Along with the main opening song, you are also in charge of the background music. Which did you create first?
A: I composed the background music first. The main theme that plays when the application is launched was the very first track I made. Since the song needs to invite the player to the magical world of villains, I kept the necessity of a dark atmosphere in mind. The track references both the live-action Disney movies "Alice in Wonderland" and "Maleficent".
Q: It’s so exciting for "Twst" to have so many different songs as a part of its background music. How many are there in total?
A: I’m not exactly sure, but I know I have created about 95 different songs for the game. The number of rhythmic and event songs continues to grow. I don't know how many more I still need to make (laughs). I am happy to discover something new every time I work on a new song.
Q: What is your process when you compose music?
A: First, I received a list of how many tracks they were going to need up till the final chapter. I was also given an outline of what the scenarios were (only up until about midway through), as well as the illustrations and background art to be used. I began by creating music based on all those materials and received additional materials as things moved along. I am more or less done with everything on the list by now—I’m currently working on event music.
Q: What did you think when you first learned about the basis for the game?
A: I found it to be surprisingly comedic. I thought that the comical dialogue was fun, and while the characters might be villains, they’re not that evil. In fact, there are a lot of scenes that made me laugh in spite of myself. The playful, slapstick humor gets me every time.
Creating melodies and rhythm via scenarios and illustrations
Q: How do you create a melody from an image in your head?
A: I am given instructions for each song, such as "this one should be full of hope" or "this one is about coming up with a plan", and from that I come up with an idea about what that sounds like. There are also instructions along the lines of “please refer to these works”. For example, for the Pomefiore Dorm, I, of course, used the music from "Snow White'' as a reference. For the Fairy Gala (event), I was asked to reference Tinkerbell’s song "Fly to Your Heart", so I expanded on the imagery that was born from listening to it and tried to paint a world reminiscent of Ireland, with piccolos and flutes.
Q: Do you compose music on the piano?
A: The piano is often involved. I pick up on phrases that come forth while running my fingers along the keys. But in the case of digital-sounding music such as that of Ignihyde Dorm, I sometimes play around on a synthesizer first, and expand upon ideas from there. Sometimes I start with drums. In many cases, I also start from looking at the illustrations. I love both anime and manga, and sometimes music comes from just looking at illustrations of different characters. But sometimes it can be hard to come up with a melody. There was a slapstick, comedic scene that I mulled over for days.
Q: There are times when a single song requires days of work!
A: Yes. Some days I work from noon until late at night, or even until the following morning. On bad days I’ll just stop completely. Sometimes I will listen to all the songs I've completed up to that point. If it looks like I'm not going to make a deadline, I’ll sometimes just go “Ahhh!” (laughs).
Q: What do you keep in mind when creating music for "TWST"?
A: It can’t become too dark. Even if it feels unsettling sometimes, it can’t bring you down. It needs to be harrowing and exciting. With the character summons, though, I want the audience to get excited, so that track has a three-beat, exciting feel to it.
Q: What is the hardest part of songwriting for TWST?
A: The rhythmic tracks take the most time to compose. The timing of when the notes need to be tapped is decided by the developers, so I never know how they will turn out. Sometimes I will be trying a newly released rhythmic game and be caught by surprise by how my music has been used and how difficult it turned out to be (laughs).
Q: Do you ever attend recordings?
A: Yes. I complete everything at home on synthesizers, then move to the studio for recordings, with certain parts getting re-recorded with live instruments. I integrate drums, bass, guitars, flutes, saxophones, strings, etc.
Q: Is that your voice in the songs with choruses?
A: Yes, it is. I am often singing the choruses in the music. I sing the chorus in the house-warden battles and the bewitching chorus that comes in after the music box version of the main theme on the album screen.
Q: What is it like to play a game that uses your own music and voice?
A: It's great fun (laughs). When a rhythmic game is too difficult, all I can think is, "I'm so sorry, everyone," and I try my best, but I get stuck, too.
The Composer Speaks about the World of Popular Video Games
Q: Who is your favorite TWST character?
A: At first glance, I was most interested in Idia. I like the gap between how cool he looks and how he’s a complete introvert. Recently, I have become interested in the headmaster. He annoys me sometimes, though (laughs). I am intrigued by his play-acting. And then there is Grim. He does stir up trouble, but he never goes too far. I hope there will be a lot of merchandise (laughs).
Q: Are any of the characters similar to yourself?
A: I don't think so (laughs). But the one that I had the most empathy for was Jamil from Scarabia Dorm. As the story progressed, I found myself thinking, "I know that feeling”, and he resonated with me.
Q: Does each character have their own theme?
A: Not particularly. I take care to not make the characters seem too “evil” through the music. They’re more mischievous than evil.
Q: Do you have any music-related trivia to share that fans might not already know?
A: It might be fun for people to try and guess what movies I had in mind when I was creating certain songs. For example, I had the live-action "Alice in Wonderland" movie in mind when composing the music for Riddle’s overblot scene, but no one realized it. Not even the production team noticed (laughs). Also, the background music for Happy Beans Day (event) is a tribute to the "Mickey and the Beanstalk” cartoon.
Q: Were any of your songs inspired by Alan Menken's music, or other recent movies?
A: The themes and rhythmics for both Savanaclaw Dorm and Scarabia Dorm were, yes. I did not use any of the melodies from the movies, but I did refer to my favorite song "Arabian Nights" (Aladdin), and the "Nants' Ingonyama" part of "Circle of Life" (The Lion King)(laughs).
Enter the Dreamlike World of "Disney" Anytime, Anywhere
Q: Have you always liked Disney movies?
A: Yes! I love the bewitching "Aladdin", and how fun its songs are. I was shocked by “Maleficent", which changed my view of villains entirely. I also like Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas", also because it is bewitching and the parts that pull at your heart strings. I have collected a lot of Jack Skellington merchandise.
Q: Do you go to the theme parks?
A: I loved the "Haunted Mansion’s Holiday Nightmare" with Jack during Halloween. I used to go once a month. I would arrive at the park in the morning and craft a strategy for visiting all the attractions and things in the most efficient way before it closed.
Q: Are you a villainous person yourself (laughs)?
A: I sympathize with and am drawn to villains because I scare easily and have no self-confidence. Also because they each have their own reasoning for what they do, their own circumstances and their own sense of justice. Whether it is right or wrong varies by situation. It can be hard to know if the "righteous" side is really that "righteous” at all.
Q: Finally, a word to your fans!
A: Thank you for all the enthusiastic feedback on social networking sites. Everyone’s encouragement is what keeps me going. I am so happy to hear that there are some people who are learning to play the songs by ear. I think that playing TWST can make you feel like you're at Disneyland, without ever leaving your home. That's how I feel when I write songs for it. If you have never tried the game, I would be happy if you could try approaching it as if it’s another Disney theme park.
Note: Thank you so much to my amazing proofreader for this project, who decided to remain anonymous as they don't have a Tumblr account, without whom this would have been much less legible💕
Additional Resources: (disclaimer: the following projects had no proofreader, edits have been made as corrections came in from the community but these would be best taken as general guides rather than literally)
・Character and Place Name Etymology, Translated from the Fan Book
・Seiyuu Interviews from the Official Fan Book (Part 1 of 11)
・Interview with Twisted Wonderland Creator Toboso Yana (Part 1 of 10)
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