On Sept. 7, RIKIMARU launched his first full album, CLOWN OR CROWN. After serving as a member of boy band INTO1 by means of the WARPs PROJECT, it’s the primary launch from the solo venture he launched this summer time which additionally shares the identical identify. On this interview, Billboard Japan spoke to RIKIMARU in depth in regards to the artistry his followers can anticipate from his solo venture and album.
You’ve stated that your newly launched solo venture could be a “mutual sharing of philosophies between you and listeners in addition to an embodiment of the explanations you create as an artist and a method to pursue your objectives.” What led you to aim this?
Previously, the pictures related to my music have been “freshness” and “youth.” That was enjoyable, in its personal method, however taking a look at myself as an individual, it felt like that picture didn’t actually connect with the actual me. I felt like a picture of “craziness” could be a better match. That’s why I made a decision to make an album whose picture is extra alongside these traces. By my songs, I needed to look at societal points and interpersonal relationships, not romance. I needed to make songs whose themes would resonate with listeners, which is why I launched the venture.
You’ve launched your first full album, CLOWN OR CROWN. Why did you select that identify for the album?
I had this psychological picture of a deaf clown and a blind king. The deaf clown is an emblem of freedom and craziness. He’s completely immersed in his personal world, which is why he can’t hear others. The king lives in a darkish fortress, and he doesn’t know what sorts of lives individuals outdoors his fortress live. The album’s themes revolves round these two individuals, whose outlooks on life and whose views on the world are so completely totally different from one another. Based mostly on that basis, I wrote songs as tales of what I personally have seen and felt, and what I’ve heard from others.
So it’s one thing of a social satire.
Proper. However it’s not only a deep, heavy album — it has lots that may even resonate with listeners. The tales could possibly be interpreted in a different way if taken in numerous methods. CLOWN OR CROWN has this deaf clown and this blind king sharing data and their very own sensibilities, so I need listeners to additionally share their very own concepts and impressions.
I’m getting the sensation that album is encouraging individuals to broaden their views.
Proper. For instance, I take into consideration 80% of what I learn on-line is pretend (laughs). The bulk opinion isn’t all the time the reality. Typically the minority view is appropriate. And never every thing you see is actual. It’s as much as you to find out what to just accept and what to reject, and when you change your perspective, you may get insights into all types of various worlds. That’s one of many issues I need to convey by means of the album.
I do know precisely what you imply.
And the distinction between “CLOWN” and “CROWN” is simply the distinction between an “L” and an “R.” In China, I’m often known as “Liwan,” and in Japanese my identify is “RIKIMARU.” I typically hear that “Once you’re simply chatting, you’re ‘Liwan,’ however once you dance you’re “RIKIMARU’.” Wanting on the first letters of the names I am going by, it’s an “L” and an “R.” I solely seen that afterwards, nevertheless it’s an attention-grabbing coincidence.
It seems like an album that gives individuals with insights into varied facets of your character. You launched “TALKIN’BOUT,” a single from CLOWN OR CROWN, on July 27, earlier than the album was launched. What’s the that means behind the music?
Not too long ago there have been lots of people scuffling with bullying or violence on-line. It’s additionally widespread for the individuals making these abusive feedback to be faceless. You typically don’t know who they’re. Even when the individuals round you’re saying constructive, uplifting issues, typically it simply doesn’t get by means of. The theme of this music is that you must flip your consideration to the constructive. If individuals need to criticize, allow them to criticize.
That’s an issue that’s turn out to be notably distinguished as of late. So on the album, you’re specializing in that subject.
Among the individuals who criticize others on-line are doing it as a result of they’re careworn. When you get of their crosshairs, it’s virtually like an accident. I understand it’s simpler stated than achieved, however I feel an important factor is to not let it get to you. When you let your self get affected by negativity, you lose sight of your self, proper? That’s what I needed to speak. I need listeners to make their highest precedence being true to themselves.
It seems like this can be a theme music in your whole solo venture.
That’s true. I needed to make it sort of a desk of contents, a declaration that “I’m going to speak about issues which can be occurring at this time.” That’s why I made it the primary music on the album.
I heard that you just’ve made quite a few revisions to the music, refining it into its last kind.
Till I began engaged on the album, my voice sounded…infantile, I suppose? Missing in artistry. It felt like I used to be simply singing. After I performed it to individuals I knew within the music trade, they stated “Your singing method has improved, however there’s no emotion in your voice.” I didn’t really feel that my voice was creative, both, so throughout the recording of the music, I recorded every line, line by line, again and again. Previously, it took me about three hours to file a complete music, together with the refrain, however this time it took me 5 hours simply to file the melody line alone.
You have been actually a perfectionist.
We solely had ten days to file the entire album. So there have been instances after I’d go in to the studio just a little after lunch, file all evening till 10:00 the subsequent morning, get 4 hours of sleep, after which return into the studio once more. I did the recording within the US, and the producer stated “I’ve by no means had a recording session proceed by means of your complete evening earlier than” (laughs). However everybody pulled collectively and contributed, making the recording successful.
You’ve additionally uploaded a music video for “TALKIN’BOUT” to YouTube. What are the highlights of the video?
The dancers are blindfolded, which represents the faceless individuals I talked about earlier. There are scenes the place the dancers are approaching me from behind, or by which it appears like they’re taking a look at me, however they don’t actually see me. They’re simply haunting me. It’s attention-grabbing seeing the reactions of people that watch the music video, studying their novel interpretations.
One of many appeals of the music is how a lot depth there’s to discover its that means. The choreography was achieved by YUMEKI, proper?
YUMEKI’s been doing a whole lot of nice work these days, and his dancing is de facto cool, so I requested him to choreograph the music. I need individuals to pay particularly shut consideration to the dancing within the refrain and within the dance break that follows. This was a brand new expertise for me — it was the primary time I had one in every of my former college students do my choreography. I believed it will be excellent for giving my dancing a unique really feel and displaying a brand new facet of me.
The lead music is “I’m Riki.”
This music is in a very totally different style than my previous songs. Previously, I’d danced straight by means of all my movies, however this music video has zero dancing. As an alternative, it’s like a brief movie of a narrative I created, and I did a whole lot of performing.
What was your story about?
After I get wired, I typically assume “What am I? Who am I?” I don’t actually perceive myself. When that occurs, it’s just like the world goes darkish. I get disoriented. “Why am I right here, doing what I’m doing?” My story depicted that feeling.
I’m certain that earlier than writing the story, you’d thought of simply who you have been. What sort of conclusions did you arrive at?
I didn’t arrive at any conclusions (laughs). I by no means arrived at an understanding of who I used to be, or what my very own best self could be like. However I did understand {that a} darker method, like CLOWN OR CROWN, was a very good match for me. Additionally, I’m actually fickle. Who is aware of, perhaps after I take heed to the album once more later it’ll really feel like a comedy (laughs). However I need to think about myself as I’m right here and now, and I need to benefit from the second, with out occupied with the long run.
Your entire songs, together with the 2 that we’ve mentioned, have clearly outlined themes. I’m certain there have been a whole lot of issues that you just paid particular consideration to, and also you confronted a whole lot of challenges.
I actually centered on the themes. Even when an album has an total theme, it’s uncommon for every particular person music to have a way of story and to match the general album theme. I spent about half a yr occupied with that.
So far as challenges go, the English was a problem. With this album, I needed for individuals world wide to find me, so a lot of the lyrics are in English. Once you sing, in case your accent’s off, the emotion doesn’t come throughout. The nuance may change, as effectively. So I sang with an American, who supplied enter like “When you sing it this fashion, the singing matches the story” or “The emotion doesn’t actually talk effectively when you do it that method.” Making all these changes was troublesome.
You actually put your all into the album. In closing, do you might have any message you’d prefer to share together with your album listeners?
This album is sort of a fairytale. Every music tells a narrative, so I’d like it when you listened to it in the identical method you’d learn a storybook.
—This interview by Azusa Takahashi first appeared on Billboard Japan