I've come to realize that it's important to wear what you love."

What kind of clothes do you usually wear?

tofubeats: Basically, I tend to wear simple outfits. So I tend to choose plain clothes. The only thing that has color is sneakers. Pants are always skinny. I sometimes wear large accessories such as watches and rings.

Do you have any other criteria for choosing clothes besides design?

tofubeatsI like things that are practical, long-lasting, timeless, and universal. Also, I tend to set my own clothes in terms of this and that. It changes every year according to my mood, so it is like I am constantly searching for my own standard.

What is the standard of tofubeats now?

tofubeatsI think the longest-lasting pair of pants I've had recently are still skinny pants. I have four or five pairs of the same model in slightly different colors. I like the design and the fit is just right. They are easy to move in at live performances, and I am not limited in style, so they are in good shape.

How did you feel when you tried on "A|X Armani Exchange" today?

tofubeatsTo be honest, I had an impression that A|X Armani Exchange was more flashy. I was imagining clothes with excessive decoration like a Milan collection brand, but it was totally different. I'm sure it was partly because they coordinated the clothes with my impression, but they looked chic and mature, with just the right amount of detailing and coloring.

By the way, have you known about A|X Armani Exchange before?

tofubeatsI knew the brand itself, of course. I usually went looking for clothes, so I had seen them. Also, because of my father's influence, I had a lot of opportunities to come into contact with fashion brands from an early age. Because of that, I understood the brand at the level of "Giorgio Armani's casual line," but that's about it.

I see that. tofubeats, did your parents have a lot of influence on the way you think about fashion?

tofubeatsI think that might be true. Ever since I was little, I have always thought that good things are good, and maybe that's where the idea that things that last a long time are good comes from.

Do you think fashion has any influence on the way you make music?

tofubeatsWhen I was not interested in fashion, I hated the stereotypical notion that "music made by people who are not fashion-conscious is not good. But now that I am modeling, I feel that my mood changes drastically. Even when I am making music at home, I can make a completely different progress if I change my clothes and go to the studio dressed in jerseys than if I go to the studio fully clothed. In that sense, the way I dress can have an impact on my music production. In the end, fashion is for its own sake, and I have finally come to realize over the past few years that it is important to wear what you like.

'I finally developed the desire to show a packaged live show.'

Please tell us about your recent musical activities. Your third major album "FANTASY CLUB" was released in May, and I believe you are currently holding release parties in various locations.

tofubeatsWe are basically playing only the songs from "FANTASY CLUB" on this tour. Moreover, we also arranged the lighting and other staff ourselves. This is the first time that I am involved in the overall direction of the show, including how it looks on stage. I have been active in music for about 10 years now, but this was also the first time for me to do a one-man live concert. I am consciously and stoically trying to change things from the past, including every detail, so I feel that I am making a big change.

Why did you decide to do a one-man show, something you have never done before?

tofubeatsI have been thinking that I would like to show my live performance in a limited way, but I have been thinking that it would be better if the audience listened to the sound source and enjoyed my live performance in a party with many artists. Until now, I thought it was fine as long as the audience listened to the soundtrack and enjoyed my live performance among the many artists performing at the party, but with this live performance, my thinking has changed to the point where I think it would be fine to give a limited show. I think it's important to have an album that makes me feel that way.

Did you have a clear concept for "FANTASY CLUB" when you created it?

tofubeatsWe had a clear vision from the beginning. We approached the entire production process, including the artwork, with the idea of creating an album with the theme of "fashionable" in mind. Fashionable" is a bit of a childish expression for pop. For example, I asked the art director to design the back of the jacket like a fashion brand's DM. For the first time, we were able to create a work with a strong sense of flow.

What was your intention in choosing "fashionable" as the theme?

tofubeatsI started thinking about the concept of this work at the end of the year before last. At that time, radical and straightforward expressions seemed to be popular in the Japanese music scene. It was as if they were conscious of how to create a buzz, or how to say things in a direct manner. As an opposite element, I wanted to use the ambiguous word "oshare" to appeal to people's imagination. I wanted to make an album that was "fashionable" in the sense that when you want to convey your true feelings, you do so in a fashionable way.

You tried to make it a work that would leave the listener's thinking to the artist.

tofubeatsI don't want to be something that can be judged as good after just one listen. I don't want to be something that is judged as good only after one listen. Music that is just simple and easy to listen to may not have much depth. Music that is not easy to listen to repeatedly will not make sense unless it can be listened to in a different way. I was conscious of that.

The "Baby EP" released in October is a cut from the album.

tofubeatsThe first song that came out of the production of "FANTASY CLUB" was "Baby". This song became the axis of the album. Thankfully, it was picked up as the theme song for a drama (Fuji TV drama "Ai: Me, Her, and Artificial Intelligence"), and the release came at the right time. Originally, I was thinking of releasing it before the album, but, well, maybe this was inevitable in a way.

Lastly, please tell us about your future activities.

tofubeatsI'd like to make good songs, either solo or with production work, because my goal in life is to make a lot of good songs anyway. I will be lucky if many people listen to them. That's how I feel.