It has a core but does not stick to one place. (STUTS)
As mentioned earlier, you are not only an MPC player and beatmaker, but also a talented producer, and sometimes you even rap, which gives me an impression of your versatility. On the other hand, Daichi also produces his own beats, and I feel that we have a lot in common as artists who have a wide range of expression in creating music.
Daichi Yamamoto: When I asked him for ideas on how to rap or sing the vocal parts or lyrics for "Cage Birds" and "Breeze," he would try out his ideas and rap over them, and I always thought his word choice was wonderful. I always thought his choice of words was wonderful.
STUTS: I am glad to hear you say so, but I am also very afraid of it (laughs). As a producer, I have listened to many people's raps and songs, and I have learned about their recording methods, which has probably had a positive influence on the way I sing and record.
Daichi Yamamoto: I see.
STUTS: I think that I can relate to Daichi in that he has a core but does not stick to one place. I feel this way because we have made many songs together, and that is why I can talk to him about anything and ask him for advice.
Daichi Yamamoto: We also talk about our private lives, and I think you are one of the artists with whom we communicate closely. I was in the same room with aru-2-kun during the APPI (APPI JAZZY SPORT), and we talked a lot about music, but we also talked about things that had nothing to do with work.
STUTS: That's right. I had a lot of fun at that time. Also, I often ask you about the UK. A while ago, he told me about Kozy Radical (an up-and-coming rapper from England).
Daichi Yamamoto: You may indeed talk about foreign countries a lot.
Daichi has experience studying abroad in London and is fluent in English. I think there is no language barrier when it comes to beat live performances, so do you have your sights set on expanding overseas as well?
STUTS: I would love to go abroad if such an opportunity arises.
Daichi Yamamoto: Are there any artists you would like to work with overseas?
STUTS: I don't have a clear idea, but I'd like to work with artists I like and people who sing songs I listen to a lot.
Daichi Yamamoto: That's right. The promoter of Frank Renaissance, a HipHop label that collaborates with Japan and the U.S., was the one who helped me build a bridge for that song. The beat was made by QUNIMUNE (a Tokyo-based producer who is also well known for Daichi Yamamoto's signature song "Let it Be feat. Kid Fresino"), and Jenkins liked the track. Jenkins liked the track, and we talked about it with STUTS around that time, I believe.
STUTS: Yes, yes. I was surprised when I heard that story. By the way, Daichi, I think you use both Japanese and English when you rap.
Daichi Yamamoto: Lately I've been thinking that there are words in Japanese that can be pronounced like English. It feels good to frolic with words that can swing either way, like "not enough" and "Tell Me Why," which are words I use often.
STUTS: I see. Also, English has different intonation in the U.K. and the U.S., and Daichi's pronunciation seems to be somewhat British.
Daichi Yamamoto: Really, but it is true that the English one is a bit more percussive.
STUTS: Why don't you make a song that is entirely in English?
Daichi Yamamoto: I deleted it already, but I used to post it on YouTube. I used the same track from "93 'Til Infinity," but I thought my rap was kind of lame (laughs). But I would like to try it again someday, and I would like to record and perform overseas as well.
STUTS: I was invited to a festival called "Low End Theory" in LA almost 4 years ago, and it was the first time I had the opportunity to perform live overseas. Unlike in Japan, the response from artists was extremely quick, and I received several requests for gigs during my stay, so I had a very exciting few days. I am not sure how well I did, but I would like to do some overseas gigs someday after I get settled in Corona.
Daichi Yamamoto: It would be great if we could do a live concert together in England or something.
STUTS: Let's do it sometime! It would definitely be fun with Daichi, and I'd love to do it again in Japan with a band set or something. I am looking forward to it.
Daichi Yamamoto: I'm looking forward to it! It was nice to talk with STUTS today after a long time. Thank you very much!
