Ryo Takaiwa, a rare musician, faces his dream stage with a full album 10 and a conversation with Christian Dada and Masanori Morikawa.
In this age of "no stars," a musician named Ryo Takaiwa has emerged, and those who know him say that he has the aura of a "real star" that everyone should know. He has been active as the frontman of SANABAGUN. and THE THROTTLE, and held a live concert to celebrate the release of his first solo album "10" at SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO on December 12. He performed at SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO on December 12 to celebrate the release of his first solo album, "10," with a big band consisting of members under 28 years old. (CHRISTIAN DADA) designer Masanori Morikawa, who provided the costumes for the event.
More than enough to embody the world of the album "10" , overwhelming entertainment.
After 10 years of planning and more than a year of production, she finally made it to the stage of her dreams with her album "10," which was produced by Yaffle of Tokyo Recordings, the producer of the album, and an 18-piece big band. Accompanied by the album's producer, Yaffle of Tokyo Recordings, and an 18-piece big band, he appeared on stage with his hair dyed silver and dressed in a double white suit custom-made for him by Christian Dada.
The live performance, which started with two Frank Sinatra covers as a greeting, sublimated the musical world of "10" into a large scale entertainment, depicted by contemporary songs and personal lyrics that are based on jazz but cross over soul, hip-hop, and house music. The show lasted 90 minutes.
Including a medley of Christmas songs that he performed as an encore, he successfully embodied the night as a major milestone in his musical career by condensing not only the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness that each song portrayed, but also his dreams and life.
What were your thoughts as you took the stage for the recent release concert with an 18-piece big band?
lofty rock. I came to Tokyo from Iwate with the ambition of becoming a star who would lead a big band. I formed my first band when I was 22 years old. . It was a big band, too. I borrowed money from various sources and received support from the university I attended, but the band fell apart. . and THE THROTTLE, and I went through a lot of hardship. This time, I released the album "10," and it was my dream to hold a live concert to commemorate the release, and I felt like toasting myself for realizing my vision over the past 10 years.
What kind of images or ideas did you have in mind when it came to the structure of the live show?
lofty rockSince the live performance consisted mostly of songs from the album "10," I imagined the story of the producer Yaffle and myself, and since Yaffle has his own image as an artist, it was not a one-man entertainment. I wanted to be cool in the parts that needed to be cool, but the live show was fun, and as I sang, I got so excited that I couldn't be cool enough (laughs). (Laughs.) Moreover, many of the audience were people who knew how fun Ryo Takaiwa was through his live performances with SANABAGUN. and THE THROTTLE, etc., and they were wondering when I was going to make a fool of myself, and I was thinking, "No, I'm not done yet. And the back-and-forth between "When are they going to mess around?" and "No, I'm not going to do it yet" was fun.
It was an enjoyable concert, with Mr. Takaiwa's humanity oozing out in his inevitable antics.
lofty rockI thought I might have screwed up, so I'm glad to hear you say so.
I want to be that kind of big presence that people say, "He was a real star.
And the live performance itself, like the album, was also marked by a commitment to modernity, using not only big band but also hammering and synthesizers.
lofty rockWhen I released the album, I wanted to play with a big band, but I wanted it to be pop music, just as, for example, Minamoto Hoshino does, and in order to create contemporary jazz and music that goes beyond that, if I just opened all the drawers of Ryo Takaiwa, I would just play Sinatra numbers. I felt that I needed a producer. I was in need of a producer, and I was introduced to Yaffle. He didn't want to do something that was just a rehash, imo. The venue, Quattro, was not a seated dinner show, but a standing live house, so we were very particular about that.
I see.
lofty rockFor example, if you like only bebop to hard bop from the 40s and 50s, or if you like only big band from the Showa era, jazz is a music with a long history, so I understand that you like or are particular about a certain style, but in my personal view, jazz is a music that must constantly evolve, even faster than hip-hop. But in my opinion, jazz is a music that needs to constantly evolve at a faster pace than hip-hop. So, it is fine to play standard numbers at special milestone gigs such as Christmas gigs or 30th anniversary gigs, but in order to increase the number of my sympathizers in the world, I must always be on the front line in terms of how I perceive jazz music.
How did you feel when you sang the songs from this album, which is a condensed version of your life from the past to the present, in a live performance?
lofty rockIt was the first time in my music career for me to put my own view of life into a soundtrack, and it was also the first time for me to perform in front of an audience, so I felt somewhat itchy (laughs). In normal live performances, Ryo Takaiwa always has to be the star of the show, so he has a calm, bird's-eye view of himself, but he couldn't do that at the release live performance. I thought, "Oh, so this is what a solo live performance is like," and that was an interesting experience.
Could you tell us again about the image of a star for you, Mr. Takaiwa, living in an era called "starless"?
lofty rockFor example, to a boy who admires a superb pianist playing in a jazz club with only two customers, that pianist would be a star, and I think that the person whom each individual thinks is a star is a star. But for me, a star is "THIS IS STAR," and I always imagine a picture like that, like when you get into a luxury car and enter a building you built, there are 50 people waiting for you at the entrance. Nowadays, it is more familiar to me to see my neighbor's brother in a band or a singer, and I feel that music made on a handy mobile device is spreading from youth culture, but I am different from that. I always imagine stars who are on the high street and on a big scale. I want to be the kind of person who, after I grow old and die, people will say, "He was a real star.
At the concert, Mr. Takaiwa was wearing a custom-made double white suit by "Christian Dada." Personally, I think that style suits different people, and not many people can pull it off.
lofty rockI guess so. I could have made a white suit at a tailor-made shop in Ginza where nice men and nice men go, but I thought that would not give a sense of the Tokyo of today. I felt that, as a trendy 28-year-old, it would make sense for me to wear a Japanese brand that has been shown at the Paris Collection, and I thought it would be interesting to cross the name "Ryo Takaiwa x CHRISTIAN DADA. I thought it would be interesting to cross the two brands.
How did you first meet Christian Dada?
lofty rockThe first time was when I was introduced by an acquaintance to make a ska-jan as a costume for THE THROTTLE. DADA" means "dadaism," or punk, right? I went to him and asked him if I could wear a white suit, which is a man's dream this time around. (laughs).
So, this live concert was also an act of materializing a concrete image in your mind, wasn't it?
lofty rock. Yes, that's right. I had this image even before I moved to Tokyo, or rather, because I grew up in the countryside, my longing and image were concentrated in my 6-tatami-mat room. So, after moving to Tokyo, I spent the last 10 years trying to realize that image. . That's why I was rather down after the concert. When the people involved asked me, "Did you have a good time? I would say, "It was normal," and go into a mysterious downer. Anyway, I felt that nothing had started yet. I felt like, "With a scale like this, there's no way I could feel like a star. Damn, there's a long way to go.
In that sense, the release concert is the sum total of 10 years and the moment when you stand at the starting point of your solo career.
lofty rockYes, that's right. The past 10 years have been a prologue, and I feel like I have finally reached the zero point. . That's how grand and magnificent my vision is. On the other hand, SANABAGUN. and THE THROTTLE were formed by me and I am still active as the boss of the band, so I believe that my solo experience will further establish my sense of distinction as the head of the band. I believe that my solo experience will further establish my sense of discipline as the head of the band. Musically, through the production of the album and live performances with Yaffle, I have developed an awareness of the latest trends, and I listen to cutting-edge music after each performance. I believe that what I absorb from here on out will be fully demonstrated in both my band and solo activities.
