#evisbeats

[linguajunkie]

Jam of the day… if you’re into a mix of Japanese/English

By evisbeats, annie the clumsy, whaletalx

[atarashii-gakko]

Interview with DECORATED YOUTH

January 26 2022

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Unlike most J-Pop female idol groups, ATARASHII GAKKO! staunchly refuse to be objectified, they wear sailor-fuku (sailor suits) uniforms in a style that were worn by Japanese students back in the 70s and 80s which feature long skirts and pulled-up socks. While musically AG! merges elements of modern J-Pop, Showa-era kayokyoku, rap, punk, and dance music, they also choreograph their own aggressive and expressive dance moves, which are a hybrid of the energy of Japanese butoh dance, heavy metal headbanging, and hip-hop street dancing. If it sounds impossible to categorize them in any genre, that’s because it is, and it’s meant to be that way. With Money Mark acting as their mentor and coach, AG! took control of their creative output and artistic identity and created the brilliance that is The SNACKTIME EP

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HI! So, these past 20 months have been pretty intense due to various reasons including the pandemic… Before we began, how are you doing with everything? How has this last year been for you and how are you feeling? How have you been coping with everything?

SUZUKA: It’s been an opportunity to reflect, to search within and realize what my goals are and what makes me tick! This journey of reflection was quite exciting, very inspiring times!

KANON: A lot of things went under drastic changes and there were hesitations and struggles for sure, but it opened up some quality time to get to know myself on a deeper level, which was a positive aspect.

MIZYU: Going on stage was our core venture, we lived for it. So, when that came to a halt, keeping our social media up and live became crucially important! We posted new clips from our past performances, published our liner notes, or produced merch for our online audience, making sure that there was always fresh content for our fans online. I think this contributed to expanding our reach to listeners out there beyond the physical stage!

RIN: The situation led us to earnestly think about the message we truly want to convey, and also on a personal note, to realize my sincere aspirations and devotions. We ventured into ground breaking activities during this period, so the pandemic was definitely a turning point for me and also feels like the dawning of a new chapter for us.

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Going back to the beginning. Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like growing up there? Did creativity/music/art play a big part of your childhood?

S: My mom is a huge Beyoncé fan so I’ve been dancing to her tracks since I was in diapers. Seeing how much I loved dancing, my mom signed me up for dance classes and that’s how I got into the entertainment industry as a performer. I really loved being on since stage since those early years.

K: I did so many after school activities growing up but none of them stuck until I encountered dance. I was really fascinated by it, so dancing became a huge part of my daily life back then. I was dancing all the time. Because I grew up in the country side, my days were quite simple just consisting of the back and forth between my home, school, and the dance studio.

M: I was born and raised in Tokyo. I loved to get up and dance whenever there was music playing, and started taking dance classes when I was in second grade. Music and dance were always there throughout my childhood days, and I loved it.

R: My dad is a hip-hop fan so perhaps I was listening to hip-hop music ever since I was in my mom’s womb. Of all the experiences I had since I started dancing and competing in dance tournaments, there is this inspiring quote from my favorite teacher who told me ‘don’t forget your love of music when you’re dancing’. From that moment on, I am ever so captivated by the elation when the body links with music through dancing.

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When you were old enough to start seeking out music, where did you regularly find yourself (a certain record store / internet site / getting recommendations from a certain friend)? Who were some of the artists you first found and then were always on the lookout for?

S: I seek out new things on Spotify but I also love discovering music from my friends and family. Money Mark also shared with us some of his favorites, I saved them all and listen back to them. My favorite artist: Beyoncé

K: My older sister’s music library was a big influence when I was growing up. My favorite artist: Koda Kumi.

M: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was my first favorite artist and I started exploring from there. I was also intrigued by how artists artistically express their sounds through music videos and live performances, it was so exciting to see.

R: I would rummage through my dad’s cd collection, or share discoveries with friends, or Shazam something playing that caught my ear. I am amazed how music is everywhere, all around the world. And there’s music I wouldn’t encounter in my bubble, so when I met Money Mark he taught me so many new things it’s been lots of new discoveries. My favorite artist: EVISBEATS

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Talk some more about your formative years… What was the very first concert you attended? When was the first time you felt super inspired by music? Were there posers on your wall when you were growing up?

S: A concert from Lady Gaga: she came out on stage and performed in a transparent dress with taped nipples, that left an extremely powerful impression on me.

K: When I went to see Koda Kumi: there was an enormous stage with a fountain, the way she switched between costumes was like magic, and I felt like I was in a dream!

M: I have always been in love with the creations around Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. It’s cute and eerie and so exciting. I had her CDs and DVDs from concerts, her photo books with her cool styling and never missed a post on her gram!

R: The first concert I attended was by MISIA: I was really young but remember being blown away by her powerful vocals, stage presence and her aura! The moment I was super inspired by music was when my dance teacher made a remix track just for me. It was filled with the nitty-gritty of all the things I loved, and I just had to move!

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What was your mindset going into the creating / recording process of this EP? Did you feel any sort of limitations when writing or recording it? Which songs were the easiest / most difficult to create? What song(s) are you most proud of on this record? Why?

**We wanted to create something really mind blowing. There was no pressure to be felt, just pure excitement! Fantastico came out quite quickly, and producing Pineapple Kryptonite was like putting together pieces of a puzzle.

S: I am especially fond of CANDY, I can’t wait to perform this in front of a crowd and make them go wild.

M: All of the tracks are dear to my heart, but because Pineapple Kryptonite was the first song that we completed, it’s especially moving to perform it on stage, every time I get that fuzzy feeling. It’s something indescribable and profound. Makes me very proud

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When and how did the EP title SNACKTIME come about in the album creation process? What is the significance of the title?

**The title was decided after we got back to Japan from LA. In LA we were cramped in the recording room and working on the tracks every day, so our snack times where we would leave the room for a break and eat snacks to refresh, then pitch new ideas to each other, was really essential for the progress of our work. That’s how our EP came to be, owing it to our snack time

[gottahavesoul]

DJ SHOTA - MELLOW WORKS

0:00 Ritto - NINGEN State of Mind 0:32 Nujabes - Reflection Eternal 1:24 EVISBEATS - 夢の続き(Yume no Tsudzuki) 2:25 NAMEDARUMA - 100MILLION 3:24 (briefly) Nujabes - Luv(sic) pt.1 3:32 TOKONA-X (ft. Kalassy Nikoff) - Let me know ya... 4:05 Nujabes - Luv(sic) pt.1 4:27 Nujabes - Luv(sic) pt.2 5:09 Nujabes (ft. Shing02) - Luv(sic) pt.3 5:41 Drake - In my Feelings (Brasstracks Cover) 6:56 Grover Washington Jr. (ft. Bill Withers) - Just the Two of Us 7:18 Nujabes - Another Reflection (Vocal: Sankara - State of Mind)

[ferios-favorite-styles]

♬おすすめの曲♪ CRAZY OUTSIDE - Remix / MIYACHI, 青山テルマ, EVISBEATS

(https://open.spotify.com/track/04IRSxOCTodSLSdShK8UYr?si=GG_A3apjQzyNhhyIMe1XOwから)

[saigono-arisaka]

MV「NEW YOKU」feat. CHAN-MIKA animation by SAIGO NO SHUDAN

[cafenoramusic]

(tezakk) 勝手におすすめミュージック♫ いい感じのチカラを抜きたいひとときに。

[itsukanoitsuka]

[jrockexplosion]

EVISBEATS-  “Mebae feat. Phoka”