Tsumiki Yuma Totsuka/Billboard Japan
Billboard Japan has actually launched its mid-year charts for 2023, consisting of “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20,” a graph of Vocaloid songs recently released in December 2022, where Tsumiki has actually kept a constant existence on top considering that its beginning.
Billboard Japan spoke with the artist behind “Phony” on just how he really felt concerning the tune, which continues to be extensively liked already, about 2 years after its launch, and also the factor for his consistent task, not just as a Vocaloid manufacturer, however likewise as a songwriter and also as a solo musician.
“Phony,” which you launched in June 2021, continues to be a component in the top of the Billboard JAPAN “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20” graph. Today, I’d like to speak with you concerning “Phony,” which has actually been an astonishingly long-lived hit, and also concerning your partnership with Vocaloid. To begin with, what brought about the launch of “Phony” in 2021?
Tsumiki: When I created “Phony,” in 2021, social media networks were truly removing, and also everybody was concealed up as a result of COVID. I seemed like, at the time, there was a solid and also expanding change towards privacy throughout the globe, both psychologically and also in a real-world feeling. It seemed like individuals were placing on masks. Japan’s “ronpa boom,” that craze of rejecting other individuals’s disagreements, was an additional instance of it. It resembled individuals were displaying justice as a tool. I was detesting that a little bit. I began creating “Phony” to place those sensations to songs. It all started with a demand I reached advertise the KAFU synthetic vocal singing synthesizer. KAFU was made by feeding the voice of digital vocalist KAF right into an AI. That’s why I really felt that it had a link to the circumstance at the time, where everybody was putting on ‘masks,’ and also to the motifs of deception and also fraud.
The noise is really various from the tracks on your very first cd, SAKKAC CRAFT, which you launched on February 2021. I seem like “Phony” has an extra danceable noise.
Tsumiki: The songs I composed via SAKKAC CRAFT was used a type of additive method. From “Phony” forward, I began to wish to allow the product take a breath. Instead of including an increasing number of throughout a couple of days, I desired audiences to be able to listen to the seem like it initially appeared. I assume that while I was experimenting with brand-new points utilizing this method, the songs came to be an increasing number of danceable.
Looking back, why do you assume you were attempting to alter your songs by doing this?
Tsumiki: I believed that method would certainly be a lot more global. Also, up until after that, the majority of the tracks I made were used Hatsune Miku, however the only details that Hatsune Miku collaborates with is tune and also voice. You need to reveal points like breathing and also dropping tones by utilizing notes. With KAFU, however, breathing is placed in immediately. There’s a whole lot even more information than there is with Hatsune Miku. Looking back, I assume that I began making use of a make-up method where the vocals would certainly attract the audience in themselves, to make the vocals attract attention a lot more.
I seem like the motifs of deception and also fraud belonged to your songs also prior to “Phony” appeared. For instance, “Phony” starts with “There are no flowers in this world more beautiful than artificial flowers,” verses that truly make a solid perception. Artificial blossoms are likewise stated in your tune “tautology doubtful.” The “fake” in the title of the very first tune you ever before submitted, “tokyo diver fake show,”, is likewise in the exact same capillary as “Phony.”
Tsumiki: When I compose songs, I attempt to constantly be there for the underdog. I myself have a tendency to be truly reflective, and also I wish to compose songs that makes up for that component of my very own individuality. I usually compose my tracks and also verses with the hope that they’ll get to a great deal of other individuals, also. In that notice, somehow my songs resembles tackling placing sensations of deception or regret. For instance, when you’re having a difficult time at the workplace, there are times when you need to place on an endure face. I think about that as a type of lie. I analyze every one of my songs runs an intent to develop something that saves individuals from that deception.
How a lot do you consider ‘modernity,’ like you stated earlier?
Tsumiki: I can’t discuss points I don’t think. When I’m influenced concerning the tragedy I’m challenged with in our contemporary age, I begin creating everything down. That’s where my songwriting begins, so I presume in such a way it’s unpreventable that my songs would certainly sense of modernity. It can be something as straightforward as “Dammit, there’s no toilet paper! That sucks!” (laughs) I broaden on that particular little day-to-day grief, sublimating it right into popular song.
What type of influence do you assume the prevalent assistance for “Phony” has carried your tasks after its launch?
Tsumiki: I assume it was a significant pivotal moment for me in my very own music life. My initiatives to make songs concentrated on universality involved fulfillment. I’ve constantly suched as songs that wandered off from the boundaries of pop, and also, specifically as a result of that, it was a large bargain that my very own vision of pop turned into complete maturation.
As I stated previously, “Phony” has actually regularly maintained a leading setting in the “Niconico VOCALOID SONGS TOP20” graph. How do you really feel concerning the presence of this Vocaloid-certain graph, which was released in December 2022?
Tsumiki: I presume for somebody entering into songs manufacturing, positions are necessary. Knowing what setting your tune got to can assist inspire you to make songs. In that notice, having Vocaloid-unique positions, and also the desires that feature them, is an advantage. The graph could be what makes somebody that is simply beginning their songs manufacturing assume, “yeah, I just might be able to do this.”
So positions resemble metrics or access factors for more youthful generations.
Tsumiki: I entered Vocaloid manufacturing when I remained in a band, due to the fact that my good friend Tatsuya Kitani was making use of Vocaloid. He revealed me what to do. When my songs showed up in the position, he got the word out concerning that, and also I assume a great deal of individuals uncovered me therefore. I wish to allow the more recent generations recognize that points similar to this can occur.
Do you consider the graph when you compose songs?
Tsumiki: Honestly, directly, I seem like if what I’m producing there reverberated with also someone, I can pass away satisfied. But I’m not making my songs alone, and also I assume the graph is essential for all type of individuals, so I don’t wish to forget the graph, and also I wish that I can declare a setting on it by producing excellent songs. I wish to continue counting on my very own productions, and also I don’t wish to make individuals that count on me really feel embarrassed.
You stated that if your songs reverberated with also someone, you can pass away satisfied. The reality that you can state that with such sentence truly reveals what a committed musician you are.
Tsumiki: I don’t wish to make songs as an ad, I wish to make songs as songs. On the other hand of that, as long as I can share truth significance of songs, I assume anything goes. That’s why I develop the exterior features of my songs, like the thumbnails of my video clips, to connect with as lots of people as feasible. Then, when every little thing is removed, if there’s also a bachelor that I’ve really gotten to, that’s enough to make me satisfied.
The position likewise reveals the existence of songs from various other musicians from your very own generation. What type of impact does this carry you?
Tsumiki: Of training course, it has a great deal of impact on me. I sent my very first tune in 2017, and also a great deal of the various other musicians on the graph are my contemporaries, like Threee and also Ayase. We began viewing Nico Nico Douga when we were around grade school age. We were the generation that was viewing musicians like wowaka, Hachi, and also DECO*27 hold those ‘good music battles.’ It seems like we’re returning to the society of those days. Competing simply for enjoyable, keeping that sensation of “I won!” or “oh, no, I lost” — there’s a type of sentimental interest it. I recognize that positions aren’t every little thing, certainly, however I wish individuals likewise comprehend that they can be appreciated because means, also.
Recently, you’ve been doing a whole lot outside the traditional Vocaloid classification, like teaming up with various other musicians as a songwriter or operating in the system NOMELON NOLEMON with Maria Miki. Looking at this expanding variety of tasks offers me a feeling of your spirit of expedition as a designer, and also your need to handle brand-new obstacles. What do you assume lags your music tasks taking numerous kinds in numerous areas?
Tsumiki: Personally, I don’t really feel a large divide in between these various other tasks and also my Vocaloid songs production. I didn’t begin making songs due to the fact that I intended to make Vocaloid tracks, I simply had Vocaloid sing the songs that I intended to develop. I developed a music system for the exact same factor — if it would certainly assist me get to individuals, after that it’s what I intended to do. I wish that participating in songs production in all these means will certainly assist me share the songs I have deep inside.
This “music you have deep inside” — does that connection right into your need to be there for the underdog, as you stated when we were speaking about “Phony”?
Tsumiki: Yes, it does. Well, I state ‘the underdog,’ however I truly desire my songs to get to all type of individuals. It’s simply that there have actually been numerous times when songs has actually conserved me. When that takes place, I’m full of a frustrating need to develop songs. Every day, also if we aren’t challenged with significant troubles, we run into little aggravations in our every day lives. There are times when we simply don’t really feel determined. When I pay attention to songs throughout these little downs in my day, the songs often influences me. It offers me the increase I require to move on.
So, searching it currently, what do you assume is the allure of the meaningful tool of Vocaloid?
Tsumiki: It would certainly need to be just how simple it is to get going. To end up being a Vocaloid manufacturer, all you require is a computer system and also the software application. In the past, I assume that being an artist needed you to comply with a procedure: having with a firm, obtaining authorized to a tag, leasing a workshop, executing…With Vocaloid, you can do the matching of every one of that from your very own area, with simply a computer system. I assume that’s truly vital. I see this decreasing of the obstacles to making songs to be a favorable point.
Do you have any kind of objectives of your very own now?
Tsumiki: It’s still an unclear concept, however since I was bit, I paid attention to songs, and also the pleasure of songs conserved me and also allowed me to hang tough. So I wish to return to songs — to take what I’ve obtained from previous generations and also pass it on future generations. It seems like the moments we’re staying in are simply obtaining darker and also darker. It’s specifically as a result of this that I wish to develop a globe where kids can be conserved by the pleasure of songs. That’s why I wish at some point to compose tracks for kids.
—This meeting by Fumiaki Amano initially showed up on Billboard Japan
