PROFILE
Rapper/producer from Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan, he released his first solo album "MODERN TIMES" in 2017. In addition to his solo work, he is also active in PSG, a three-piece group with his own brother 5lack and GAPPER, and the Itabashi Brothers, a DJ unit with Harashima "Doshin" Chuho. . In addition to guesting and remixing for various artists, he has also been involved in music production for TV commercials and TV programs. In June of this year, he announced his marriage to actress Saika Akimoto, which drew a great deal of attention.
EP "The Sofakingdom".
The five-song EP, released two and a half years after the last EP, is based on the original concept of creating the EP for the tour, but also includes songs that reflect the confusion of the changes in society as a whole that the band faced during the production period. The EP is a work that reflects the "present" while being pleasant to listen to in pop form. In addition to the four songs produced by the artist, US producer Nottz provided beats for the album. KREVA and 5lack are among the guest artists on the album.Click here for the works page
. The plan was to have a work that could be listened to casually for the tour....
. Before we start talking about this EP, I would like to ask you about your previous work, "MODERN TIMES". Your last work was released in 2017, how do you feel about the response to your work?
PUNPEE:. It's been about two and a half years ago.... After releasing "MODERN TIMES," I was surprised to see how much my activities had expanded with the release of an album. Until then, I had been playing in groups ("PSG," a group with 5lack and GAPPER) and guest performances, without having any individual works. After I had something to call my own, I went on to produce music videos, go on a nationwide tour for the release, and release "Seasons Greetings '18," a Blu-ray of the live performances, all of which I was experiencing for the first time. In other words, it took us two and a half years to reinforce the world of the album based on the worldview of "MODERN TIMES" with the help of various people. It took a lot of time during this period, but I think it was an achievement to have more friends who could realize what I had in mind through my work.
A: With the album, music video, live tour, and Blu-ray, is the story line related to "MODERN TIMES" now complete?
PUNPEE:No, I feel like this will go on forever. As I see it, "MODERN TIMES" is like an American comic book character that exists in various places at various times. So, I can be featured in other people's works as I come from the future. I can also invite myself as a guest performer in my own songs. I would also like to have my music used in comics and other non-music things. Like, "In the future, there will be rappers..." and so on. It would be interesting to see it used in a manga or something without permission. As long as the setting is not too crazy (laughs).
. It is an interesting derivation of the concept of time leap, isn't it?
PUNPEE:Yes, that's right. Well, I feel that I was able to create an album by deciding on such a concept with the previous album. However, I feel that the fact that I cannot create an album unless I have a concept for it has become a hurdle for me. It is difficult to overcome that hurdle every time. I would like to create without thinking at all. It's just a feeling.
I see. After the release of the album, you started your own radio program (a 30-minute program aired on J-WAVE every Friday late at night, which sadly ended at the end of March this year. The title of this EP, "The Sofakingdom," was taken from the title of the program, "SOFA KING FRID. The title of this EP, "The Sofakingdom," is related to the program title, "SOFA KING FRIDAY," I think, but what is the relationship between this album and the program?
PUNPEE:The radio show was a weekly radio show, with a theme of some sort, a tutorial of a song, an introduction of a friend, or a guidebook of my own creation, which I would then put out in small pieces. The show ran for two years and ended, and the initial idea was to do a tour where people could sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. The tour was going to be in May, and the plan was to make an anthology of music that could be listened to casually in preparation for the tour, but ... well, things have changed because of Corona.
. So the concept that you created on the radio led to the idea of a tour and an EP. Is the term "SOFA KING" original?
PUNPEE:. It's a word used like slang in some parts of the world. . it's like a gag, a play on "So F**king". There are times and places where you can't say "F**k" over there. That's true in Japan, too. So, "SOFA KING FRIDAY" means "Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fun Friday. Also, I usually like to sit on the couch and watch TV like Homer from "The Simpsons. That's the image I'm trying to convey.
When did you start working on the EP?
PUNPEE:. maybe January or February of this year. I started making all my beats around that time, although I had been looking for beats a little earlier. After the release of the album, I was only participating as a guest performer and doing weekly radio play, so other than that, it was basically a period of input. I didn't really think about outputting much, but this year I had a lot of plans, and I said to myself, "Okay, let's make some beats! Let's make it!" I'm going to make it!
What do you think were some of the updates in the production process?
PUNPEE:In terms of music, I would say it's about the equipment. For example, I changed microphones and built a proper booth in the room for recording vocals. There is also a plug-in modeled after the actual equipment of a manufacturer called "Universal Audio" (UAD), and I use that. I have used effect pedals that can make big changes, but with UAD, I can get a slightly salty, light-tasting quality. I think I am more conscious of such effects than before, such as the saturation effect of distorting the sound a little to the point where you can't even hear it. The lyrical content and what I wanted to say was an extension of the previous work, but since a period of self-restraint began during the making of the album, it may seem like a work that has been affected by such things. But that was not my intention when I started making it.
This is an EP, but did you start out with 5 songs?
PUNPEE:At first it was like two songs or something. . We kind of talked about putting out a single. Eventually, when we released the instrumental version of "PSG" (*"DAVID Instrumental" released in 2010), we included "Without You," "It's OK," and "Can't Sleep! were included as bonus tracks, but at first we were not going to include "I Can't Sleep! but at first we didn't plan to include "I Can't Sleep! I thought I wasn't doing anything interesting, so I balanced it out. So, even though we had two songs for the single this time, we decided that we wanted something more explosive, and we also wanted something more somber. So in the end, we ended up with five songs.
You mentioned earlier your commitment to the concept of "MODERN TIMES". Personally, I got the impression that it was much more serious than the previous one, but do you think that the current situation had something to do with that?
PUNPEE:At first, I was going to make an anthology with a relaxed atmosphere, sitting on a sofa. I had already finished the cover, which was drawn by French artist Stéphane Oiry, and it shows me in my room with a tortoise with a crown looking at me from behind. As a result, I had to stay in the house all the time, and when I wrote about my feelings at that time, the concept changed on its own. I was so distressed that it came out as it was. By the way, the turtle is the one I keep at home. He is on the cover of "MODERN TIMES" and has been living for about 25 years.
