Akataiyou-no-nihon Interview with INORAN

Music is my life. It’s the reason I live for. It’s my friend.

音樂是我的生命，他是我為什麼會在這裡的理由。他是我的朋友。

AnN was given the opportunity to interview INORAN and met the musician in a cozy café on December 9th, to talk with him about his solo activities, the charity concert with LUNA SEA and future plans.

AnN有機會採訪到INORAN， 和這位音樂人在12/9那天，約在一間舒適的咖啡館，談論有關他的個人活動、LUNA SEA的慈善義演和未來的計畫。

AnN: Hello, it’s so nice to meet you! You are known as guitarist of LUNA SEA, but as a solo artist you have not been active beyond Asia yet. How would you describe your music in general to an audience that may not know you yet?

AnN:哈囉，很高興見到你！在亞洲以外的地方，你是以LUNA SEA的吉他手身分被認識的，而不是個人的活動。你會如何向尚未認識你的一般大眾描述你的音樂？

INORAN: Well, I’m active as a solo artist for 15 years now. With artists I think there are two types: There are bands like, say, Radiohead, who over a long period always remain true to their respective genre. And then there’s people like me who try many genres and do just what they like to do at a given time. Right now I’m really into Rock’n’Roll.

INORAN：嗯，我已經以SOLO的方式活動了15年了。就音樂人來說，我認為有兩種形式：以樂團呈現，例如電台司令，一個跨越很長世紀的樂團，仍忠實於他們的風格。另一種，則是像我一樣，嘗試不同的風格並且只做當下他們喜歡的(音樂)。現在，我也真正進入了搖滾樂。

AnN: How would you distinguish your music from LUNA SEA’s music? Is there any striking difference?

AnN: 你如何區分SOLO與LUNA SEA的不同？ 有什麼明顯的不同嗎？

INORAN: Let’s see… Well, basically there’s not so much difference when making music. I’m playing the guitar like in the band, but I sing myself. And I have many songs with English lyrics.

INORAN：怎麼說呢…嗯，基本上在做音樂的時候，沒有太大的差別。我跟在樂團裡一樣彈著吉他，但我自己唱歌。然後我也有很多英文歌。

AnN: Is there anything you can realize as a solo musician that you cannot express when making music with LUNA SEA?

AnN: 有什麼是你在個人活動的時候才能理解、但在做LUNA SEA的時候無法的事情嗎？

INORAN: When it comes to making music there is not much difference when doing it with the band or as a solo artist, not at all. Of course LUNA SEA’s music is possible only because there are the other four members and songs are shaped through a collaborative effort. Doing music by yourself simply means that even although you can ask the staff for opinion there is no one against what you’re doing.

INORAN：當在做音樂的時候，在樂團或是個人並沒有太大的差異。當然LUNA SEA的音樂有可能是唯一的、因為還有另外四位成員在，曲子的形式也是透過合作完成的。做自己的音樂比較簡單，意味著你可以要求工作人員照你的意思做，但沒有人會反對你做什麼。

AnN: What elements are the most important to you about your own music? Can you tell us what the reason for starting a solo career was?

AnN:在你自己的音樂裡，什麼元素是最重要的？可否告訴我們你開始SOLO的原因？

INORAN: I started my solo activities when LUNA SEA was taking a break, so around the same time the others started their solo careers as well. Actually it’s not like I really wished to go solo, there simply were things I liked and wanted to try and that’s how it started.

INORAN:我是在LUNA SEA休息的時候，開始了SOLO活動的，在那個時間點，其他的成員也開始了他們的SOLO。事實上，不像是我自己希望SOLO的，那純粹是我喜歡什麼、想嘗試什麼，所以才有那樣的開始。 

Sitting relaxed in his chair, INORAN answered everything in that polite manner only Japanese artists seem to have. Turning to questions about his newest single ”Hide and Seek”, his voice betrayed genuine excitement about it.

放鬆的坐在他的椅子上，INORAN以似乎只有日本音樂人才有的禮貌態度的回答了每一個問題。回到關於他新單曲”HIDE AND SEEK”的問題，他的聲音洩露出了他不造作的興奮。 (<=好可愛，扶額)

AnN: Could you please describe your newest single “Hide and Seek”– what kind of song is it?

AnN:可否說明一下新單曲”HIDE AND SEEK”是一首怎樣的歌曲？

INORAN: “Hide and Seek” is a piece I made together with Taka Hirose from the British band Feeder. I know him for about 5 years and we played a session together at the Fuji Rock Festival. And then we thought why not do a song together and started writing some days afterwards. It just happened on the spur of the moment, we were really excited about it!

INORAN：HIDE AND SEEK是一首我和英國樂團FEEDER的TAKA HIROSE一起合作的曲子。我和他認識超過五年了，也一起在FUJI ROCK上表演。然後我們就覺得那為什麼不一起作首歌呢？之後幾天就開始一起寫歌。那是發生在被刺激到的一瞬間，我們對此都很興奮！

AnN: What about the title then? Why did you choose “Hide and Seek”?

AnN: 那曲名呢？你為甚麼選了”HIDE AND SEEK”？

INORAN: Actually it doesn’t really have anything to do with the song. I always liked those words and thought they’d fit well.

INORAN：事實上曲名並不表示真的做了什麼，我一直喜歡這個字眼，然後把它放上去而已。

When asked about the title he laughed a bit sheepishly. We had to ask further about what fascinates him about it. Maybe the sound? Or the meaning?

當問到曲名的時候，他笑得有點害羞。(<=想看！想看！拍桌！！！) 我們必須問得更深入點、關於他迷上這個字眼的理由。也許是發音或是它的涵義？

INORAN: Hm, what is it? It’s somehow beautiful. Yes, the sound of the English words. And I like the meaning of “seek”.

INORAN：嗯～是什麼呢？在某個角度看來，他很美。對，英文的發音！而且我也喜歡”seek”這個單字的意思。

AnN: You brought out your new album “Teardrop” this year and now the single. What can we expect next?

AnN: 你今年發了專輯”Teardrop”和新單曲，我們還可以期待什麼？

INORAN: Next year I want to release an album before summer. I’ll finish my tour now and I’ll play at a festival around New Year. Then I will start songwriting and recording.

INORAN: 明年我在夏天前會發專輯。結束了這次的TOUR，再來是年末的EVENT，我就會開始寫歌、錄音。

On the “Hide and Seek” tour final just one day after the interview INORAN also announced that a tour will be taking place starting March 2012. The tour stops are not known yet. We took the opportunity to test the waters for activities in Europe and hit right on the mark, as INORAN eagerly answered.

HIDE AND SEEK的最終場就在採訪的隔日，同時INORAN也宣佈了來年三月也將舉行LIVE。目前地點還不確定。我們會找機會為歐洲的活動試水溫、正中要害的出擊，就當是給INORAN的熱切回應。

AnN: Until now you have not released beyond Asia yet. Are there any plans to change that?

AnN: 目前為止你仍不曾在亞洲以外發行(音樂作品)。是否有計畫改變？

INORAN: I definitely want to release in Europe! If there’s a chance. I started being active on Facebook and the like lately and there are many comments. If there’s even one person who’d like to see me, I definitely want to do lives there, that’s how I feel at the moment.

INORAN：我當然想在歐洲發行(音樂作品)！ 如果有機會的話，我開始在臉書上活動，像最近，有很多的COMMENTS喔！即使只有一個人想看我，我也想去那邊辦LIVE，這就是我當下的感覺。(<=人家想看！！！)

AnN: So a tour in Europe..?

AnN: 所以要在歐洲巡迴嗎？

INORAN: ..We’re thinking about it just now and are negotiating already. We’ll see.

INORAN：我們目前是這樣認為，也在洽談中了。就看看會怎樣吧！

AnN: Do you like playing in small live houses?

AnN: 想在小的LIVE HOUSE嗎？

INORAN: That’s perfectly fine. That way everybody gets more fired up! You can be closer. But I like big places as well.

INORAN：很完美啊！這樣的話，每個人就可以更熱烈！也可以更靠近！但我也喜歡大一點的場地。 

AnN: Since we’re talking about lives: You were in Bochum 2010 with LUNA SEA, how was it?

AnN: 因為在討論關於LIVE，LUNA SEA在2010也在德國辦過LIVE，覺得如何？

INORAN: It was the only live in Europe on our World Tour and we hadn’t been anywhere beyond Asia yet, so it was really emotional. So many people were waiting for us, it felt really great.

INORAN：那是世界巡迴裡歐洲唯一一場LIVE，我們不曾到過亞洲以外的地方，所以情緒真的很激動。很多人在等我們，感覺真的很棒！

AnN: Let’s talk a bit more about your albums. Lately you re-released your first album “Sou”, what was the reason for that? Did you change anything?

AnN: 來多談一下關於你的專輯。最近你也重發了第一張”Sou”，是麼原因讓你決定這樣做？你有修改什麼嗎？

INORAN: It’s an album from 15 years ago and it is already out-of-print. And since I celebrate my 15th anniversary I decided to re-release it. The only change it that I re-recorded the one song I sing myself. But I still think that it is a great album, so that’s why.

INORAN: 這是15年前發行的專輯，因為已經沒有庫存了。因為想慶祝我15年週年，所以我決定重新發行。唯一改變的是我重唱了我自己唱的那首歌。但我仍覺得那是一張很棒的專輯，這就是為什麼。

AnN: You celebrate this year 15 years of solo work already. Looking back at those 15 years, what did change for you?

AnN: 你慶祝已經15年的SOLO活動。回頭看，這15年來你有什麼改變？

INORAN: There have been many turning points in those 15 years, I think. 2007 LUNA SEA got together again after 7 years, we could do the world tour in 2010 and we did the Charity live in the Saitama Super Arena 2011.

It’s not like I do solo projects because I can’t do something with LUNA SEA or that I am with LUNA SEA because there’s something I can’t do alone.

It’s rather that my solo work is alive because there is LUNA SEA and that LUNA SEA feels alive, is alive, because I do solo activities as well. Now there is a great balance of the two.

INORAN：我想，那15年內有很多的轉彎處。2007年，LUNA SEA在七年後又再聚在一起，也在2010有了世界巡迴，接著是2011在琦玉的慈善義演。

這不像SOLO，我有無法和LUNA SEA一起作的某些事、或是我必須與LUNA SEA一起作的某些事，因為有些事情我無法獨立完成。

我的SOLO倒不是因為LUNA SEA而存在，而是LUNA SEA感覺存在、也真的存在，所以我的SOLO也是如此而存在。現在兩者剛好處於平衡的狀態。

AnN: You have already been touring in May of this year, which was still pretty close to the Tsunami catastrophe. You have also been to Sendai. How did you perceive Japan on your tour?

AnN: 你在五月巡迴的時候，剛好很接近海嘯受災時期。你也到了仙台。你在巡迴中對日本有什麼感受？

INORAN: Something really terrible has taken place there. I was in Sendai on my tour just two days ago, too. And I have been thinking; have been impatient to do something. But as a musician, as a person who made music his life, I really am thankful for the life given to me. There is a lot you can do, like volunteer work, but for me what’s important are things I can do as a musician. And so I soon went to Sendai and noticed that it’s really not about whether it’s small or big venues and the like. Music is important for everybody, there’s much love for music. I really am happy to be a musician. I’d like to contribute from now on, too, for Sendai, for the whole of east Japan, for places where there’s war.

INORAN：那裡真的發生了很可怕的事。我在兩年前的巡迴也有到過仙台。然後我開始思考， 必須急切的做些什麼。但身為一個音樂人、身為一個以作音樂為他的人生的人，我很感謝給我這樣的生命。有很多你能做的，像是當義工，但對我來說，重要的是、身為一個音樂人可以做什麼。所以我很快的到仙台，然後注意到，不管是小場地或大場地。音樂對每個人來說是重要的，音樂被付諸了很多愛。我很高興身為音樂人，此後也想持續的貢獻給仙台、整個東日本、還有發生戰爭的每一處。

AnN: Do you think that because you are a musician you have to do something?

AnN:你覺得那是因為你是音樂人、所以你必須做什麼嗎？

INORAN: It’s rather out of thanks for being able to live on making music. Because I think with music you can make people happier than with anything else.

INORAN：不僅是感謝讓我能靠音樂生活。也因為我覺得，比起其他東西，藉由音樂你可以讓人們更開心。

AnN: How did you perceive the charity live you did with LUNA SEA in November?

AnN: 你對11月和LUNA SEA一起作的慈善義演看法如何？

INORAN: It was a great concert. Everybody gathered for the purpose of charity and there was a feeling of warmth there. It was less that I gave something; it was rather that I have been given. That’s what made it really wonderful. And with all that’s been given I went on the “Hide and Seek” tour and now try to give back, too.

INORAN: 那是一場很棒的演唱會。每個人都達到了慈善的目的，也感覺到溫暖。比起我付出什麼，不如說我得到什麼。這是為什麼他如此美妙的原因。然後帶著獲得的，我想在HIDE AND SEEK的巡迴上也試著去回應。

INORAN also participated in a charity live for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti in January 2011 and wrote the song “Love for…” together with Naoto from ORANGE RANGE.

在2011年1月，INORAN也參予了海地賑災的慈善義演，也和橘子新樂園的NAOTO合寫了”Love for…”.

AnN: Let’s change the topic. How do you create a new song?

AnN: 我們改變一下方向。你怎麼創作一首新曲的？

INORAN: For me it’s not like a song suddenly pops up in my head. Everything that happens around me, everything I experience and feel will mix in my head when I will go home today. And with that I create my songs. I sing in the shower! And I start with the melody, the lyrics come last.

INORAN:我的話，不是那種歌曲突然從腦海裡浮現的類型。當我今天回到家的時候，每件在我身邊發生的事、我經歷過的、感覺到的，都會再我的腦袋裡混在一起。 然後我才開始作曲。在洗香香的時候唱歌！然後開始旋律、最後是歌詞。(<=有洗香香當然要痛一下啊啊啊！)

AnN: How do you experience music?

AnN: 你對音樂的感受是什麼？

INORAN: Music is my life. It’s the reason I live for. It’s my friend. It’s very important.

INORAN：音樂是我的生命。這是我為什麼在這裡的原因。他是我的朋友。他很重要。

AnN: As a last remark: We heard that if you show your student ID on your lives you get 1000 Yen (around 9.5 €, 12.8 $) back. Was that your idea?

AnN: 最後一個問題: 我聽說如果在你的LIVE上出示學生證，可以折扣1000塊日幣，為什麼有這個點子？

INORAN: We thought of it with the staff. Normally you have student discounts everywhere, but in the music business it’s not common. It’s just that concerts in Japan are really expensive and I want young people to be able to go, too.

INORAN：這是工作人員提議的。一般來說在很多地方都有學生的折扣，但在音樂市場上好像不普遍。在日本演唱會的花費還蠻高的，我也想讓更多的年輕人可以來參加。

AnN: Thank you for that. Do you have a message for the fans?

AnN: 謝謝！你有什麼話要對歌迷說嗎？

INORAN: I definitely want to come to Europe next year! Please come and then let’s have a fun time together!

INORAN: 我明年真的很想去歐洲！請務必來看，然後一起擁有快樂的時光！ 

We would like to express our thanks to INORAN and Backstage Project Inc. for making the interview possible!

感謝INORAN、Backstage讓這次的採訪成功！


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