Records have a wide range of enjoyment.
You are the guy who used to wear Naoko Ken's skin (laughs). Incidentally, there is a story that vinyl records have overtaken CD sales in the U.S., and there is a worldwide resurgence in popularity of vinyl records. I hear that more and more young people are picking up vinyl records. Do you have any thoughts on this movement?
Saito:Everyone seems to be having a good time, and I am happy to see so many different records being released. On the other hand, I read an article a few years ago that said that in the U.S., pressing plants are being taken over by presses for large releases, and small labels that have been quietly releasing records are being put off. I was aware that there were some difficulties. I hope things are getting better now. However, I think it is good that records continue to be released.
Yoda:It's a difficult point, isn't it? In my case, I am someone who suddenly started buying records in the last two or three years, but I buy house and dance music records for my own playing, not in the sense of rediscovering retro things, so I think the meaning is a little different from what people call a revival. I think it is a little different from what people call a revival. I am curious as to why people who had never bought records before are now picking them up because of this movement.
Saito:In other words, recently, classics that were pressed in the past are being carefully pressed and released again in the modern age, for example, in heavyweight vinyl. The prices are a little higher, but I think it's great that they are being released again to the world as high-quality products.
Yoda:In terms of labels, is it "MELODIES (MELODIES INTERNATIONAL)" or "PEOPLES POTENTIAL UNLIMITED"?
Saito:On the rare side, it's around there, for example, "Be With Records", "Too Slow Too Disco", and "Aloha Got Soul". There are also some very rare records, but not that rare, but I re-edited some of the so-called classics and put them on 7-inch format. Numero Group," "Light in the Attic," "Music From Memoly," and the list goes on and on (laughs).
Yoda:And that's sometimes, perhaps, because the remastered version is better in terms of sound quality than the original version.
Saito:It may be a little different from the goodness of a true original vinyl, but it's not the same as something that's just been crudely repressed. It may be pricey, but I think it is a very good lifetime treasure item that you will want to keep forever. Of course, it is also important to have records that are affordable.
I'd like to ask you again, what do you think is the appeal of vinyl records?
Saito:What I like about vinyl records is that there are new releases, reissues with lots of love as I mentioned earlier, extremely rare records that you come across by chance, and even things that are easy to get, there is a lot of drama and drama that is very personal to the person who made the record. I think there is a wide range to enjoy.
It is true that nowadays we have a variety of music formats and subscriptions have become widespread, making it easier to listen to music. However, unlike records, I have the impression that vinyl records include experiences and memories.
Yoda:I also think that the music I listen to the most at the moment is subsque. However, whether I like subs the best is another question. But I don't want it to disappear, and I love vinyl records, too. So, I need all of them (laughs).
Saito:I'm not an analog-only person either. I am the type of person who wants to listen to any kind of music I like, and I want to listen to it immediately, so I am the type of person who wants to listen to CDs, subs, YouTube, MP-3s from record stores, whatever it is, I just want to listen to it as soon as possible (laughs). But I feel that the time I spend listening to music on vinyl is the most intense.
What are the differences?
Saito:There is a sense that you are seriously engaged with the music that is being played, that you are concentrating on listening to it. There is a sense that this is the most luxurious and intense experience of listening to recorded music. I am sure this is the same thing that people who like vinyl records say in interviews like this, but taking out the record, putting it on the turntable, and dropping the needle on it. This series of work may be tedious, but there is a weight to it, and that's what makes it so good, I think. Also, when you hold a record in your hand for the first time in a long time, the feeling of "reunion" is the best.
Yoda:As an object, right?
Saito:Yes. The feeling of having the other person right in front of you when you meet them as an object. It has been a long time! I feel like it's been a long time.
Yoda:I know that feeling, too!
They could not stop talking about music even after the interview. Some parts of the interview have been cut, but some of the labels and musicians mentioned in the conversation are as follows.here (place close to the speaker or where the speaker is)I put it all together in the following page. Please listen to it if you like!
