[Translation] A interview

[tsumekaze_]

So, truehappiness kindly provided this youtube link and I thought I would translate it for everyone because I find it very interesting. Share spirit! haha.
As I am not native if anyone has any correction to do please feel free to do so ^^


disclaimer: because of AIRPLANES flying over ayu's house, noisy interviewers mumbling all the time or just giving their feedback by unnecessary "uhuhuh" all the time AND ayu's inability to get one sentence straight and/or without the use of multiples NANKA, NANTOKA, YAPPARI (in english those would be "like, so, that thing, after all") the translation is not so accurate but the meaning should be conveyed... I did my best! Hope you will appreciate!
(of course I am joking, I'd never insult my queen.)

Originally Posted by truehappiness

A interview was posted shortly after the release, though hm... I wonder if it'll be up for very long.

Spoiler:

Q: This time's two new songs included as sound producers "DJ Hello Kitty" and "m-flo", right?
I believe this is something you have barely done until now, why did you think that you
wanted to do it with this timing?

ayu: For my 15th anniversary I was thinking about what to do with new songs, in which directions... when I met with
the director there was a talk about how I wanted to do EDM... because somehow lately the
music I've been listening in private is of that genre the desire to do that grew stronger
in me.
Because it's a different world from the world I know I had been thinking about how I should
do it. With Komura-san...when I listened to his production I thought I wanted to do it
badly, it's like Komura-san's melodies definetely permeate into everyone's body, that kind
of feeling. So that kind of catchiness TK makes, I wanted it to become part of this world
and I wanted to create EDM music with that kind of "hamasaki ayumi" sound. It was
definetely a challenge...yet when I tried to do it it was good...
More than before it wasn't...

(she interrupts here because an airplane flies over her
house, so she kinda looks to the sky perplexed and them mumbles something about it and
laughs away with the interviewer, LOL)

More than before it was like "ah, I'm glad! I'm glad it turned out good!"

Q. With what feeling did you procede in collaborating with DJ Hello Kitty? (not sure about
the question literally but the meaning should be this)

ayu: From the start there was Komura-san's (can't understand)...and while I was moving on
writing lyrics Dj Hello Kitty was doing the same with the...remix? no, it's not a remix,
it's called...arrangement? uh, arrangement. (lol ayu♥)
So the feeling was that of a perfect timing, we were coordinated. Then when we put them
together, "ah this should be more here" and things and decisions like that.. (basically she
is saying that they fixed it up a bit)

interviewer: Yesterday when the PV came out, though it was a song people were listening to
for the first time (...), it's like they recognised that sound. People were going "uuuuh"!!
(she does this verse, it's not me gone crazy. XD)

ayu: uh it was like that! That's because, you see, it's easy to remember! because it's catchy, ne.

Q. The word "meisou" (in FTL lyrics, second verse, meaning "straying". "Is there anyone who
has never gone strayed from me?") was terribly impressive but, what about it in the lyrics?

ayu: Because the sound as to say doesn't become "heavy", the feeling is "ah I'm like that, everyone's like that, isn't that right? well, everyone is like that! right!" And so the nuance I could give is that even when you're there you can
like...laugh?
It's like there was that word and this other one and that other one but at the end it's
this one you know? It's like "you can't always become perfect" but you can go ha ha ha about
it, like even if you're not the top batter it doesn't matter, that feeling ne.
So when I put it on Youtube so that everyone could hear it, everyone was like...I was
worried about how it would have been received. But at the end everyone...it got a really
good popoularity so I was happy, that everyone could hear it.

(they say something here which I can't really understand now.)

It feels like lately I have started a challenge.

Interviewer: Please continue on this path from now on.
ayu: yeees

Q. The other one song is with m-flo, right? what about this one?

ayu: The collaboration song with m-flo, definetely...we had this track, then because there were many differents patterns for the melody it was a way of producing I never experienced until now. And because the way of doing this track was so new to me at first I didn't know what to do, I was like "what should I do...", that was like the complete opposite of working with komura-san, so much harder than what I had thought previously. I thought "ah probably I can't do this". But then trying different things, entering the stadio and singing different kind of things... ideas like "what if I do this melody" or "what if I put this melody with that other one..." somehow, doing many things, at the end I got this feeling of "oh, I did it."

Q. So you already knew VERBAL-san from before?

ayu: For another job I already had met and talked with VERBAL. So then when I met with dj Hello kitty, there I thought about how I wanted to do music by collaborating with many people and by borrowing different sound producers and about what different kinds of challenges I wanted to accept,and then I said that I wanted to do music together with VERBAL...so after that we talked about doing a song and the talk was pretty fast, VERBAL agreed very fast and said "oh let's do this let's do this!"...that kind of feeling, yes.

Q. for what concerns lyrics' world there must be some things maybe which you definetely want to be there, in a specific way.

ayu: there are these whole images that I have and things I want to do to which I want to get closer to step by step and these include of course words that I want to convey and so I write them out in practice.

Q. MERRY GO ROUND's lyrics are good ne!!

(can't really get what she says here, I'm too tired probably XD I'll try again tomorrow)

Q. how was it when you listened to VERBAL's rap?
ayu: When i was recording merry go round, the very next day we recorded verbal's rap and it was like, even though I had not explained to him what I wanted to convey or the world of my lyrics -of course I showed him my lyrics, I let him read them but I didn't explain anything at all, and he looked at my lyrics and got his perception of it and wrote the rap with his sound and I was like "ah you got it!"
It was really impressive.
He wrote it in only one night!
It was like... it was the first time we were doing music together...for me it was like, as for verbal, and for m-flo as well and kitty, it wasn't the first time they listened to vocals of ayumi hamasaki and it was so...uhm...i don't know how to say this...uhm.. what is it...fast, like "yes, yes, it's like this." Like it was right and there wasn't any hesitation, (...can't understand but she says similar things I thinks.)
At the end looking at verbal's lyrics it was like "yes that's what it was" "how did you know it?" and "ah! were you thinking the same thing after all?" these kinds of things. It was cool! M-FLO IS COOL! HAHA

Q. the songs are both long dance music tracks but how would you want everyone to listen to them, in which situations?

ayu: Well feel the love, it's definetely for when you wake up in the morning feeling energetic, or for those times when you think you want to do your best, it's definetely suited for these moments but of course for when you meet up with your friends and do things like going for a driving somewhere or meeting at a friend's house. But it's suitable even for when you're lonely...well now that i think about it it's good for any situation. (LOL)
Because it's not a too fast edm track ...this Komura-san's melody's catchiness plus, on my part, the lyrics...because of them together it suits for every situation.
for merry go round, uhm...what situaton would be good i wonder...uhm..
Well when it comes to ayu's songs I have this refusal, I don't know why but... I don't really listen to songs that I sing myself...but for merry go round I somehow found myself listening to it a bit. *laughs*
When I get into the car, in those moments...nonchalantly.
interviewer: "nonchalantly"
ayu: uh "nonchalantly" *laughs*"

Q. (I don't really get everything she says but it's something about the image/feeling of ayu putting "hamasaki ayumi's"
tapes into the car)
ayu: TAPE? *she mimics the gesture of entering a tape*
*everyone laughs*
ayu: When was that?! from where did you come from?!
interviewer: Showa era!
ayu: *laughs* I was surprised!! to enter tapes you said..!! i just put it while in my car with my iphone, I listen to it alone, so that no one knows anything (? she mumbles, cannot get this straight)" (either that she is listening to herself or that she's listening to music, couldn't really get this)
interviewer: ahh that's how it is!

Q. You have just finished yesterday to shoot the pv, so how is it?
It was really fun! cast and everyone were faboulous, they were very good, really.
interviewer: you had fun right?
ayu: It was vey funny, yes, it was the first time but everyone was so cute and also INSERT NAMES HERE and kitty came. (can't get the names, some james and...charlie? bah)


-They go along talking about kitty's age and how he is after all ayu's senpai
*everyone laughs*
"crazy! kitty senpai!"-

Q. This interview is part of the limited release for Team Ayu, this is the first time you do a bonus like this for your fanclub right?

ayu: Oh so... why is that so, though! *laughs* why is it the first time I wonder!
It's pretty fun! *laughs*
she vawes at the cameras
Uh but well it's like this is a "conversational catch ball"!
because I don't get many chances to explain myself like this I think it's a very good thing being able to do so.

Q. Lastly, a message to your beloved TA fans!

ayu: uhm somehow... I use to convey this "low fufu" (...it basically means laughing but..well, low. da hell girl XD it's like laughing away the problems, as she said earlier in the interview)
no but somehow...really of course there can't be only good things, there are bad things and unwanted things and things that might come off as mistakes as well as fights but somehow because you love someone whatever happens you don't get mad...but it shouldn't be like that, because that person is important after all things like getting angry, crying...but on the other side being happy...different happy things happen and you become able to comprehend each other...if it's not like this then...
oh! somehow while i was saying this this person (interviewer) started crying hahaha!
She cried!!! *LAUGHS and points out to the interviewer* she cried and now even airplanes come flying over here *points out to another plane flying over her house AGAIN, does she live near a fucking airport?! lol) ahaha see you everyone!!

Lol @ random ending pretty much XD

[BabyJane]

Thank you for your effort. So curious what she is saying... Will you be doing hard subs, so we can download the interview with subs? Thanks again!!!

[HULUFan]

Wow thank you!
Can't wait to see it!

[tsumekaze_]

Originally Posted by BabyJane

Thank you for your effort. So curious what she is saying... Will you be doing hard subs, so we can download the interview with subs? Thanks again!!!

I'm sorry but I don't know how to make hard subs ç-ç plus because this interview is kind of difficult to translate (because of many background noises and because of her using many "spoken" forms and conversational words/constructions) I have some problems with some sentences and I end up resuming the meaning of what she meant but I do miss few words <_<
I'm so sorry!

[axmish87]

My god the interviewer is annoying as hell
mmm~mmmm~hmmmmm~
Shut the hell up, i'll gladly listen to those grinding sounds from lawn mower then his constant moaning

[Surreal17]

Originally Posted by axmish87

My god the interviewer is annoying as hell
mmm~mmmm~hmmmmm~
Shut the hell up, i'll gladly listen to those grinding sounds from lawn mower then his constant moaning

I was going to say exactly the same thing

[tsumekaze_]

okay so I updated the firt post with the translation! it took a whole lot more than I thought LOL XD enjoy everyone!

[AyuGAME]

thank you thank you thank you

[KillTime111]

It`s been a while to see interviews like this of her, good good .

[Brownchild]

So she barely listens to her own songs? o.O That's certainly very interesting to know. On the other hand, she needs to work with Dr. Luke and Max Martin already if she wants to create some quality EDM-influenced pop music. Like, she needs to get them actually do the arrangements of her songs instead of buying songs from international songwriters and having her crappy Japanese music producers rearrange the instrumentals. It's not like she can't speak English especially nowadays LOL

[truehappiness]

Originally Posted by Brownchild

So she barely listens to her own songs? o.O That's certainly very interesting to know. On the other hand, she needs to work with Dr. Luke and Max Martin already if she wants to create some quality EDM-influenced pop music. Like, she needs to get them actually do the arrangements of her songs instead of buying songs from international songwriters and having her crappy Japanese music producers rearrange the instrumentals. It's not like she can't speak English especially nowadays LOL

She didn't even do that with this single with the international songwriters.

And tasuku/Yuta IMO are perfectly capable. Neither of them worked on this single though. (DJ Hello Kitty/m-flo however... did)

[NintendoHTF1242]

Originally Posted by Brownchild

So she barely listens to her own songs? o.O That's certainly very interesting to know. On the other hand, she needs to work with Dr. Luke and Max Martin already if she wants to create some quality EDM-influenced pop music. Like, she needs to get them actually do the arrangements of her songs instead of buying songs from international songwriters and having her crappy Japanese music producers rearrange the instrumentals. It's not like she can't speak English especially nowadays LOL

Merry-go-round is high quality EDM. It's a beautiful type of EDM. Feel the love just feels outdated though tbh.

But Dr. Luke and Max Martin would clash with Ayu, tbh. Although it would definitely be interesting to hear.

[Delirium-Zer0]

I'll make subtitles for this tonight & tomorrow if anyone still wants them

[tenshi no hane]

thanks for posting! I didn't even know this video exists.

[tsumekaze_]

You're welcome guys

[maneayu]

Thanks tsumekaze for the translation!! =D

omg... there is another video on the list of videos recommended by YT.
I have no idea what they say, but it seems they talk about ayu's engagement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=DGLNAvBMU3w

(probably here wasn't the place to put this link! X_X)

[tiffanytgs]

whoot! thanks for the translation! i was like ??? when watching the video initially finally here comes the translation!

[Livey~]

Thank youuu~!!

[tsumekaze_]

Originally Posted by maneayu

Thanks tsumekaze for the translation!! =D

omg... there is another video on the list of videos recommended by YT.
I have no idea what they say, but it seems they talk about ayu's engagement

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=DGLNAvBMU3w

(probably here wasn't the place to put this link! X_X)

yes they talk about ayu announcing her engagement, interviewing some people about it (out of which two girls say: "AGAIN A FOREIGNER?", and the most say "I want ayu-chan to be happy" "I wish this last long and she's happy" and a nice old man says something like "well I hope she can be happy...maybe she goes for foreigners because they're more tender?" LOL. Basically nice stuff tho.) Then they read out loud ayu's entry when she announced her engagement and her classmate's congratulation on the entry of her blog. Then a brief resume of her past love life (manuel, maro, surprisingly they do not mention nagase) described as "speed wedding" and "speed divorce" and "speed dating"....stuff like that. Then they go about revealin details about when ayu met her fiancè, when, how and who he is explaining exaclty what UCLA is and so on. They promote a lot her last single tho, it always plays in the background and there is the announce "out today 25/12!".
Then there's this roundtable with opinions about her wedding and her fiancè and again explaining who he is and that he's a med school in ucla, which is essentialy in a district that gets described as "japan's shibuya" because of the night life and entertainments for young people. Then a lot of blablabla, they go on explaining details about the engagement such as the rules to get a VISA (such as the marriage which has to be done in 90 days from the announcement of the engagement) and so on. At the end they reveal this card with her...dunno how to say...life marks? XD
things like "debuted as an actress in 1993, then idol, then marriage with foreigner, dating her backdancer etc." and reveal another card with a very similar artist because of same life experiences, and that's matsuda seiko, who debuted as singer and then, basically, dated a lot of foreigners, lol. That's it, pretty much!

[Surreal17]

thanks tsumekaze