Interview - Arena37 (July 2003)

Issue: July, 2009

Translation by: Oritsu_luv

Your single ‘Tralali Tralala’ which was a limited edition release for your 4/25 show at Shibuyakou Kaidou is going to have a general release! More importantly, what’s with that title?

Hmm? Isn’t it fun? (LOL) Did you just get super jealous?

Why?

Hmm? Because I’m the only one who knows the secret of the real fun hidden in ‘Tralali Tralala’! (LOL)

…But that’s what this interview is for: so you can tell me about the fun hidden in the song. So I think it’s kind of funny for you to be trying to make me jealous or humiliated…

Ahahaha. You want me to tell you? About the fun of ‘Tralali Tralala’?

Yeah. (LOL) I mean, the song is really fun to listen to. (LOL)

Isn’t it!? Isn’t it just the most fun!?

So, is there any meaning behind the title of ‘Tralali Tralala’?

Nah. It doesn’t mean anything. (LOL) If anything, all the meaning is in the music note at the end of the title. The title works just because of the music note! That’s what really pulls the song and the lyrics and everything together. Also, the rests. This song is also about [musical] rests. It’s a song to show how putting a rest in changing the entire value of a song.

Wow, now there’s a word I never thought would have come from your mouth. What was going on when you wrote this song? Were you feeling like that when you wrote it?

It’s not really that I wrote it when I was thinking that way, more like I grew to think that way. When you take a step, you need to prepare yourself to take that step. But I think that turning around and looking back, and facing backwards are two different things.

Right, right, I get that but like, if you aren’t always walking, or should I say running —–

(NOTE: The rest of this question and the beginning of Miyavi’s answer are cut off on the scan.) —-and running, I just mean that my feet are firmly on the ground.

I see. It certainly does feel like you’ve always been running at 120% power.

Well, I think that people need that sort of period in their lives, so looking back, I don’t have any regrets.

Right, right, I really get that.

Like, you need a break in order to constantly give 100%.

Oh, that’s very true.

So when you go to take a big jump, you have to crouch down first.

Or like, get a running start.

I’ve started to think that you have to remember that that sort of thing is important too.

You realized that that is the most important part when it comes to giving 100%.

Yeah. Right. That’s all ‘Tralali Tralala’. I mean, in the course of your life, you’re going to lose sight of things, or make mistakes, or fail, you know? I don’t think you should be too concerned about it, because you have to keep on going. The important thing is to really take a look at yourself and face yourself and improve.

I see. So when did you write this song

In January of this year, I think. As I was coming out of hibernation. (Miyavi hates Winter.) I wrote this song to give myself some speed, and some motivation.

Was there any special reason you made it a limited release at your first show?

Honestly, there wasn’t really a special reason for it. (LOL) I think I was just really anxious to get it out to everyone…

So the b-sides are going to be ‘POP is dead’ and ‘Shindemo Boogie-Woogie’?

Yeah. The Utaya Version and the Gekiya Version. (LOL) It’s like a live recording from the 4/25 show. The reason I picked these two songs for the b-sides is that I’d released them as a video single, but that was sort of a limited release so a lot of kids hadn’t been able to buy a copy. So it’s just that I wanted to put them out for the kids who couldn’t buy that.

I see. So you’ve got a while until your 10/19 show at Hibiya Yagau Ongakudou, but do you have any plans before that?

(NOTE: This is the show Miyavi references in the Feb 09 Arena interview here.) I’m gonna make a movie. And it’s so Miyavi. (LOL) What kind of movie?

Um, it’s hard to explain. I’m not just gonna be in a movie, I’m making a movie.

You’re not appearing in a movie, you’re actually making the movie?

Well, I’ll be in it too, but I’m involved in all other stuff too, from the script on.

And the sound track?

Of coourse!! (echo) ‘ourse! (he’s echoing) ‘ourse! I’m doing the theme song, and ‘Miyabi Gaku’ was very sound track-like, so I figured I could do it. I haven’t done any of it yet so I don’t know what it will be like though.

And you’ll be acting right? What role will you be playing?

Me. (LOL) But it’s a fantasy. Like, it’s kind of my story, but not entirely.

What’s the title going to be?

Oresama.

Whaaaat!?

Don’t be so surprised. (LOL) Why are you so surprised?

I figured you’d do the sound track, but I thought you would just appear in the movie like a normal actor.

Then I’d be an actor. (LOL)

You said you were going to be in a movie, so that’s what I thought. I thought you were just doing it as an entertainer!

Well, I won’t deny that. But it’s not like that. It’s just like the way I write songs and sing them, I’m going to write the story and the songs and act them out.

So for you, it’s a like a movie length music video?

I guess it’s got that kind of feeling. Well, in music videos you take a song and then you film something that fits the image of that song, but this time I’ll be making songs to fit the images. At first I really didn’t plan to put any music in, but as I talked about the story, the images filled my head like a movie, and so as a musician, I just…you know? (LOL)

I see. I’m looking forward to this!

Well, yeah, I want you to kind of look forward to it. I’ll do my best while I prepare for my hibernation! (LOL)

It’s still summer, and autumn comes before winter anyway. You’re jumping the gun! (LOL)

What are you talking about!? I’m like an ant. I start preparing for hibernation in summer! (LOL)

I see. You did say that ‘Tralali Tralala’ is a song you wrote during hibernation. So in order to live a fulfilling life in winter you need to live a good live until then too!

That’s right. You always need that running start to give 100%! I’m really saying some good stuff today, aren’t? (LOL) But I guess you could expect nothing less of me! Oh hey, I want you to end this with ‘We could expect nothing less of Miyavi-kun!’(LOL) That would never fly. (LOL) I’ll just write it down just like that. (LOL)