Translation of Ayu's "RAINBOW" Director's Notes?

[truehappiness]

Here are the Memorial address 'track notes'~ :]




From angel-ayu.de :3

Translation of other magazine-things by hanabiwings[?]
First off, taking a look back on the year, can you let us hear some of your thoughts and impressions? From March to the very end of May was your very first fanclub members-only live house tour [T/\ LIVE]. In July, four new songs were included on your new maxi-single [&]. Then, in August was your 30th single [forgiveness]. From October on, there was [/\ MUSEUM], commemorating the sale of 30 singles. In November, [No way to say] went on sale and now in December, you released your mini album [Memorial Address] and so on...

Hamasaki Ayumi (from here, abbreviated as a): Uh-huh. But really, I think that 2003 was a fantastically good year. I was able to challenge many things, I believe. Among those things, the [A MUSEUM] live tour that I did was a very big thing for me... It was because I experienced this that [No way to say] came to life and the mini-album [Memorial Album] was born, I think.

With [A MUSEUM] being held completely in concert halls, using multiple stages with instantaneous transitions from one to another, you wearing a 50 meter vail and pure white wedding dress, it was an AMAZING event. 22 songs in all! The public performance time was a full 2 and a half hours!! All in all it was really surprising...

a: It may be so, eh? I wanted to try to do [A MUSEUM] and once again, I was given support by the band members and dancers and saw their magificence in a new light. It is difficult to skillfully communicate it, but I gained so much by the end, I think. It's had an immeasurable influence on me, I think. That's the way I think of this live that's been such a big thing for me.

This time, with [Memorial Address], there are a CD-only (¥2100) and CD+DVD (¥3465), two types; excluding the bonus track [Memorial Address], all seven songs and [A MUSEUM]'s digest-view are included, right?

a: Uh-huh. By giving people the chance to view the DVD, it is possible to communicate the atmosphere of [A MUSEUM], I think.

Even while doing that, CD+DVD combination is a really extravagent unit, isn't it. Can you give us some details about how the images from the PVs and lives recorded onto the DVD went about?

a: From the beginning of this year, I began to gather some imagery that interested me. I examined the products of many video directors for the purpose of inspecting their style. From there, with the release of [&], I released 3 works, [ourselves], [Greatful Days], [HANABI~episode II~], with these directors that showed individuality. The producers viewed these 3 works and talk such as, "Let's release a CD+DVD mini-album" began. Taking into account that talk, this DVD was influenced by the splendor and idea of limitless possibilities I felt this year. I felt that we should collect the PVs of 2003 and the [A MUSEUM] digest-view.

It became a creation that expresses a part of your personality that was deeply into the splendor of imagery, huh?

a: This is my attempt to show people something exposed about myself! The feelings of ayu as changes occur. I feel that these feelings of one person can be shown to many people. I think having peoples' ear and communicating a message and having the chance to communicate to both eyes and ears are different things, so...

Continuing, what are your thoughts regarding the theme of the jacket?

a: The jacket's theme is "The strength I hid inside" and "The emotions I hid inside." I wanted to express that, so the jacket and inside pictures were, "Not laughing and at the same time, not crying--a totally expressionless me" and also, we did things in a gold that didn't emphasize reality, though the photography was in color.

Inside, there is one picture of a doll-like figure in a green outfit and that, too, supported the feeling. Inside of a doll, there is a heart that is able to appeal to people...

a: Sure. There's surely that feeling.

Concerning the mini-album's contents, do you have recollections? There were five singles and three new compositions. Was that song count meant to be eight from the very first?

a: Err, well... This was the first time for me to use the mini-album format, so my thoughts were more toward, "How many songs would be good?" In the end, we decided on eight, but when adding three songs to the five singles, I think it was a matter of communication.

The pop-melody characteristic of [ANGEL'S SONG], the painful awakening of one's love sung about in [Because of you], and in addition, [Memorial Address], recorded by a live band, those three songs. All of them are good songs, huh? By the way, the bonus track [Memorial Address], for which the album is named, is different from the other seven songs: the lyrics were not included. There was a thought behind it, wasn't there?

a: When I decided, "The mini-album=This year's self," the thing that became my base was this [Memorial Address.] So for a title, I thought, this would be a good one. However, in regard to this song, I hadn't planned to explain much but first let people listen. By listening completely, I think that what I was thinking when I wrote this will be understood. Even without publishing the lyrics, more than writing them down (and more than seeing them), without being told anything, I want people to listen. And to feel.

Beginning of selfliner by hanabiwings:
Hamasaki Ayumi Self Linear Notes

[Memorial Album] Track by Track

[ANGEL'S SONG]

Composition: Tetsuya Yukumi Arrangement: H/\L
PV Director: Sunaga Hideaki

[ANGEL'S SONG] has a melody that pierces through. The work that came from the composer, Yukumi, had more of a rock taste with a very sad feeling to it. But H/\L, who we asked to do the arrangement, took it one step farther and created a great arrangement! So, it became a song that I was able to bring firmly from within me. For the PV, we asked Sunaga-kantoku (Director Sunaga), who filmed [Greatful Days]. I transform into a wolf and battle with a gang, but when I first heard that was the premise, the gap between the image I invisioned and the final was really... Honestly, I was a little astonished. (Smile)

[Greatful Days]

Composition: BOUNCEBACK Arrangement: H/\L
PV Director: Sunaga Hideaki

[Will Continue Later ^^;;]