[Interview]SHOXX#223 THE MIRACLE BEING UNDER THE SAME STAR✩

Photography: SHIGERU TOYAMA (starmine)
Hair & Make-up: CHINATSU TABATA
Interview: YUKI SUGIE

一一Live performance at Hibiya Yaon(open air stage) on the 29th of May was very impressive. In this place, the Budokan performance for 8th of January next year was announced. Also, the new song “Hoshi no Arika” was introduced here for the first time. Somehow, from these series of events, both the inevitability and fatefulness, can be strongly felt.
maya：2 years ago when we did live performance called「YAON de FEVER.」, would you expect it to explode with such an amazing power? Even though, LM.C got the actual feeling that we’re able to work out the thing we were able to declare. This time「Yaon de FEVER FEVER!!」postponement from April, that set list, the rain situation, the Budokan announcement amongst it, as well as performing “Hoshi no Arika” for the first time--- all of these were inevitable, I think. More than 2 years ago, that space was packed up to the full, that’s the thing of LM.C, it was the best.
一一For Aiji-kun that night was naturally deeply impressing, right?
Aiji：The problem of reality is that tomorrow guarantees nothing. Recent reality confirmed it. Since the earthquake disaster we became even more aware that every single live performance is special; Yaon is not the only one. But, for sure, that day the live performance was immensely good. You couldn’t buy it for no matter how much money, the rain made a dramatic scene too. I think this live performance will remain on 1st page of my life forever.
一一So, the new single “Hoshi no Arika” was announced in such a memorable place; but this song’s title was already known from March; maya-kun presented it on the web earlier. Why the title is the first thing that was told, even before release announcement?
maya：For some reason or another. As I published it, I was explaining it on blog; I made this song last summer at home. But, at that time I couldn’t think about what to do with this song, finally I started it after “LET ME’ CRAZY!!” last autumn.
一一Which reminds me that maya-kun said at that time:”As a matter of fact, the candidate for the single is gonna become exactly LM.C-ish song.”
maya：Ooh, this song is just like that. Eventually I could feel it more afterwards. Before that time I hadn’t got enough love for the song and I let go the title too.
一一And the fate of this song, which might has been buried somewhere unknown, greatly changed...
maya：earthquake disaster. At the beginning I didn’t want to admit connection with it myself. The earthquake disaster has shaken up my feelings and view of life. I’m not that kind of person who recognizes things like that, I’m slightly simplistic, so I don’t like it, or so, I think. However, as I look back at it now, I think that the sudden awareness of this song was absolutely from the earthquake disaster.
一一That day in March, what were you doing, maya-kun?
maya：I was at home making songs. And in addition to that, after that time “SUPER DUPER GALAXY” was about to get out as a single. However, after that day I became like: ”This is not what I wanna get out with now.”. It’s like, there’s no reason, I suddenly became aware of the song I made last year, so that I started to talk about it and consult it with Senpai and Staff: “I want to do this one as a next song.”
一一What did you feel hearing these words, Aiji-kun?
Aiji：As for me, even before maya said that sort of thing, I thought he would like to do this song next. So, particularly, there was neither the sense of incongruity nor the surprise. But I send an e-mail too, right? “This is gonna be next.”.
maya：Oh, now I remember that. However, wasn't that before the earthquake disaster? At that point I thought:”I don’t wanna do this one yet.” and I was making another track. (lol)
Aiji：That time it didn’t returned with a great reaction.(strained laugh) However, after this “Hoshi no Arika” title came out in the middle of March, so I thought:”At last the switch is on”.
一一So, the switch was on, but now what you’ve said previously that you hadn’t got enough love for this song, seems like a lie. And then a strong song was made. Maya you’re a really extreme person.
maya：Even now I don’t know myself what was with it. Like it was said I simply announced the title earlier like that. I wanted the feeling of making this song with everyone, I guess. Because at that point in time, when neither the lyrics nor the music were completed, and from now on we could make this song with everyone with the feeling that this is possibly wanted somewhere.
一一Thus, completed “Hoshi no Arika”... The time I listened to it for the first time at Yaon, as well as new songs, I could feel that this song has some sort of collage elements from your other works in it.
maya：It was meant like that originally when I was creating the song, for example from “BOYS&GIRLS”. I was feeling the atmosphere of songs LM.C made so far.
Aiji：For LM.C it is a great rule type of song.
maya：But, the elements of past were gathered intentionally, after I reopened work on this song in March. I was putting in things like phrases or titles from previous singles. The feeling that, from there I want to go towards the future with LM.C, was immensely strong.
一一Soon, about these lyrics maya-kun shouted out to Fans on the web.
maya：In any case, I gathered everyone’s feelings. I told that everyone can tell and send to me various stories, happy or sad ones. Though at that point of time I didn’t quite see how it will be reflected in this work, but I was seized with the urge that I want to do so.
一一Hearing this, it seems this song has a unique history.
maya：I thought it was available this way, the music. Personally, I wanted to let the space of everyone’s energy in “Hoshi no Arika” accelerate, if it only would get on with it. There isn’t such a noun in music to describe it. Wouldn’t it be correct to express it as “phenomenon” in words? I feel that way.
一一While finishing up a song filled with thoughts that much, I wonder what kind of things, from the sound-making aspect, was Aiji-kun paying attention to?
Aiji：As always, I would hold the sound only the direction that this song was anxious to go the most. As a creator I will set some elements till I get the latest desired feeling from listening to it.
一一As for the great rule of LM.C it is a thing drawn in fresh stereo image.
Aiji：Probably it is that for the last 5 years of LM.C a melody mark is still able to make a splendid high quality based tune. But, because these 5 years passed we’re surely convinced that a feeling of power or some extra part, we set in it firmly. In this case we’re like, let’s do that awfully large.
一一After all, it’s able to say that it was not likely to come out this shape of composition.
Aiji：Therefore, I understood maya’s feeling when he at first said:”I haven’t got enough love for this.”. Because in usual conditions the songs we’ve made are for quality, so the latest LM.C is ought to keep it. The love-packed lyrics in harmony with polished melody or overlapped with sound - all of these need to be present for a song to be created, I believe.
一一And from maya-kun's point of view, what was the most important thing while making the sound of this song?
maya：What will it be? If I would express it in words - it’s love.
一一Love is declared boldly?
maya：Recently, I’m convinced that it is, all the time. Isn’t in music such a thing, like whether or not there is your heart in it, important? Since making “LET ME’ CRAZY!!”, after I became aware of that I started to think: Why am I making music myself? What’s the meaning of LM.C? What do I live for? In my mind appeared what all the answers for these vague questions are. Did you forget? There’s love in it! That’s what it is.
一一I heard somewhere the phrase~.
maya：Oh yes! It was in “Under the same roof”* (lol)
一一And when the mental part becomes the axis, the process of music production seems to be higher-grade.
Aiji：It is. If I weren’t able to understand maya’s feelings and to take a proper extensive view of the outlook of the world in his lyrics, as a matter of fact, I wouldn’t pass through the arrangement line.
一一On the contrary, because that line was passed through, “Hoshi no Arika” that affects ones heart, was created, I think.
Aiji：Feeling love and bonds. It sounds immature (lol), but I think so too, that this is the core of LM.C now.
maya：That’s right. LM.C’s universe itself depends on everyone’s feelings and love.
一一By the way, this song also has gathered voices of fans. In order to posses everyone’s feelings, it seems maya-kun did a lot of time-consuming work.
maya：Working at home, I wanted to finish work completely with everyone’s real voices. So, I made a Gmail account for the first time, and wrote on blog in Japanese, English and Chinese:”Send your voices to me.”.
Aiji：Making others to send something to ones personal address is amazingly indies-ish, although we’re major. (lol)
maya：No, at first I didn’t think it will come out like that. Then, when I opened the lid, a lot of voices gathered from all over the world - I was surprised (lol). Moreover, I worked really steadily to track all of them down one by one (lol). But I did it myself to the end.
一一And it was worth it. Didn’t “Hoshi no Arika” become a wonderful monument for people who love LM.C and for LM.C either?
maya：That is so~, that is. After the single was released there might be persons among them who say:”I should have send my voice too”, but whether you sent it / or not isn’t important anymore. We received everyone’s feelings, in fact, everyone is fully involved in this phenomenon.
一一In August there is Zepp circuit of［LM.C TOUR 2011‐CRAZY A GO GO GO TO THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY‐］in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, in addition at the 8th of January 2011 The Nippon Budokan ［～★ Rock the PARTY ★ 2012］will be held. So I’m looking forward to how this song will resound.
maya：Really. We too. It’s the place we’re immensely looking forward to~.
一一By the way... Doesn’t this single contain second song by another artists all of a sudden?
Aiji：Eh, seriously!?
一一I don’t think it is an auditory hallucination. Wasn’t that naughty yet amazing[means also dangerous] sound some time ago THE MAD LM.C again??
maya：Well~, so far as it goes it’s the 2nd single or something(lol), that appeared again, it seems.
一一Somehow, it can be heard that the song of Mr MAD AIJI is more expressive than the previous one.
Aiji：Is that so? “It was good that the recording wasn’t during the pollen season.” - he said something like that to me (lol).

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*Some Japanese TV drama

Translated by: @LMCtranslations
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Thank you for this ^-^
Will enjoy reading

thanks for translating this! <3

thank you so much for translating the interview! :D

I teared up reading this. This band means a lot to me, their music has been my companion in my darkest times. I love them with all my heart <3 thank you so much for translating this