Musician Tetsuya Komuro.
He has created many hit songs that anyone can sing, and it is said that in his head, "Tetsuya-kun, Komuro-san, and Tecchan," the lyrics, composition, and arrangement, were "three Tetsuya Komuro" who were arguing. .
Mr. Komuro has taken on new challenges, such as being appointed as a visiting senior researcher at RIKEN this year and working on music production using AI.
How do you look at the music of today, and what kind of music are you trying to deliver in the future?
(Interviewer: Announcer Tomomi Hirose, Interviewer: Announcer Koji Komatsu)
Even when I didn't want to touch the keyboard
Komuro announced his retirement in 2018.
However, in October last year, he posted a handwritten message on his SNS account saying, "Please let me do music for a while."
he proclaimed his resurrection.
This year, he toured with his group, TM NETWORK, and this month, he is actively working, such as a concert with an orchestra is scheduled.
(Hirose)
Mr. Komuro, my first impression is that your hair is a little brighter and longer, and your expression is very soft.
It's been over a year since he announced his comeback, but what do you think?
(Komuro)
On October 1, 2021, I said, "I want to do it again."
During that time, my ears were a little unwell, and I got sick, and I didn't want to touch the keyboard after that. There was a time when it happened.
(Hirose)
Even when you don't want to touch the keyboard anymore?
(Komuro)
For about a year, I didn't even play something like "Do-re-mi-fa-so-ra-si-do".
It's like, "I'm done. It's a bit difficult right now."
I was unexpectedly weak, I wonder if I was this weak, I should have been more amazing, I should have been so confident that I was overconfident, but I lost all confidence.
However, there was a time when the state of emergency declaration was due to the corona disaster, and it felt like I was always at home, and other musicians and people with various jobs were on vacation all over Japan. isn't it?
At that time, for some reason, I vaguely thought that when everyone was revived, or restarted, everyone would all go, "Hey!" , it's getting envious.
I thought it would be wonderful to be able to start again.
From that point on, I wanted to try something like a reactivation, a restart, and I actually remembered a little.
So I started playing a little, instruments too.
When I think about it, my life and my position are almost 100% music.
That's why, when I started working on music, I realized that there was no place to stand, no place to be, nothing.
I really felt it.
In addition, two members of TM NETWORK said things like, "How about it? How about soon?"
(Hirose)
You were called out directly.
(Komuro)
Yes.
He called out to me (laughs)
and asked me something like, "How do you feel?"
(Hirose)
In the midst of all this, have you ever been reminded of the way you approach synthesizers, or their presence?
(Komuro)
I used to play the violin, but I've never had a formal education on the piano, so I have a complex about it.
So, it is the only keyboard instrument that even pianists can't quite play, or even a little hard to play. , I feel like I'm going to pursue synthesizers forever, even after my return.
(Hirose)
What made you fall in love with synthesizers?
(Komuro)
I was taught how to play the violin, but there were a lot of melodies that came to my mind, songs that I wanted to play, and songs that I thought were good, but my skills couldn't keep up.
I thought it would be great if I could make something that pops.
Origin of synthesizer
There is an encounter with music that shocked Mr. Komuro.
At the Osaka Expo in 1970.
Komuro, who was 11 years old at the time, was fascinated by Isao Tomita's music.
Then, Komuro in his teens got a synthesizer, as guided by Mr. Tomita, a leading figure in synthesizers and electronic music.
At the studio where we interviewed, we specially prepared the same model of synthesizer that Mr. Komuro bought for the first time.
(Hirose)
This is Mr. Komuro's first synthesizer.
(Komuro)
It's been a long time since I've seen it, but it's even more amazing.
cute.
(Hirose)
What was the situation when you first got it?
(Komuro)
What is it?
You can sell all sorts of things, like an old electronic organ you have at home, musical instruments, stereos, etc. to your friends (laughs)
(Hirose)
Wait a minute.
was at home.
(Komuro)
In my own house.
(Hirose) Yours
?
(Komuro)
Or at home.
(Hirose)
Something for your family?
(Komuro)
Yes.
I sold that kind of thing.
Did you buy it?
Also, I got my grandmother to help me a bit, so it was a price I could afford.
I ended up with nothing else, but mostly.
(Hirose)
But how did you bring something of this size home?
(Komuro)
It's a little embarrassing, but it was still the Showa era, and there was something like a rear car.
From the bus stop, that's why I remember carrying it with my friend.
not the car.
(Hirose)
Mr. Tetsuya Komuro and the rear car are not connected at all, in my mind.
(Komuro)
Yes (laughs)
I didn't have the idea of transporting it by car, at that time.
In the interview, Mr. Komuro actually operated the synthesizer and asked about its features.
The word "sustain" was mentioned there.
A feature of synthesizers is that when you press a key, it continues to produce sound.
(Komuro)
It means "sustain" or "sustain".
(Hirose)
Is there a sound even if you take your hand off?
(Komuro)
Let it grow.
Of course, if you keep pressing the keyboard, it will stay out.
(Hirose) With
a piano, even if you press and hold a key, the sound naturally disappears.
Sustain?
(Komuro)
(Pressing the keyboard) With this, the sound continues forever.
This synthesizer only produces one single note.
That's why it's the same as the recorder.
People who are very familiar with music, musicians, hear different sounds all at once.
That instrument is making that sound, but I think the general public will learn the melody that stands out the most (the main melody), the melody of the song first, if there is a song. is.
I think that such a single note has the strength of a sound that first jumps into the ear.
And Mr. Komuro starts playing the melody of "Get Wild".
(Hirose)
We can hear the melody of the chorus of "Get Wild" powerfully inside us...
(Komuro)
There are various sounds behind it.
In that sense, first from this single note, first from the most prominent part.
Maybe that's one of the hints for something like a hit song.
(Hirose)
When you first encountered synthesizers, what kind of music did you think would be suitable for the expansion of expression?
(Komuro)
At that time, it hadn't progressed to this point yet.
I thought that one day I would be able to fascinate a lot of people with my sound.
I heard that Isao Tomita, the first person I knew as a synthesizer player, had captivated tens of thousands of people with just his synthesizer, so I thought I'd like to do something like that too. I was.
Behind the scenes where “longingness, sadness, and reassuring” were born
In 1994, Mr. Komuro finished his activities with TMN and started full-scale activities as a producer.
Komuro wrote, composed, arranged, and produced many hit songs.
He has 20 million-selling songs, four of which have sold more than 2 million copies.
(Hirose)
Speaking of Mr. Komuro, I believe that you have left a truly impactful figure in the music industry.
How did you perceive this?
(Komuro)
My peak period was around 1995, when the Internet was finally starting to spread, but numbers, charts, this week's top ten, etc.
It goes without saying, but if it's number one this week, I can think to myself, "Ah, for now, this is the number one selling song of the week in Japan."
The fact that hundreds of thousands of copies are sold now means that there are people who like it.
If there were a lot of comments like now, and it's the same with various chats, but if I saw a lot of people saying, "Every time, Tetsuya Komuro's songs are all the same songs, aren't they?" I felt disappointed, I felt like I should not have done it (laughs), but I think I probably couldn't do it.
(Hirose)
Among them, there are 4 songs that have sold over 2 million copies. If you were to pick a song that left an impression on you, what would it be?
(Komuro)
Ryoko Shinohara's "Loss, Sadness, Encouragement".
It was the first song when I declared that I was going to be a music producer, so I thought it would be a bit difficult if this was over, so I thought of various tricks as a producer.
Furthermore, I acted like a manager.
I was a little worried, so I watched it by Shinohara-san's side.
Also, during the shoot, I was told, "Komuro-kun, if you're here, come out."
That's how we became "with t.komuro".
Also, when I sing in a karaoke box, there are usually various drama-like videos, but I asked through the record company to make it into a promotional video, music video, or Ryoko Shinohara's video. .
(Hirose)
I was really surprised that he even came to Mr. Shinohara's scene, and even produced to see how it would look in karaoke...
(Komuro)
I was thinking of going behind the scenes, so I did that.
But I felt that it would be pointless if it didn't sell.
I had written a different song for Shinohara Ryoko-san, but the producer of the movie (which was used as the theme song) said, ``Komuro-san, please, TRF-san's song ``Because it's a cold night...'' .
I would like Ryoko Shinohara to write a song that has a song, a melody, and sound all at once, like the beginning of ``Because it's a cold night...''.
At that time, I was given an order to ``sound, lyrics, and music all at once'', so I felt like if I didn't do it all by myself, it wouldn't work. And then the three of us, me, who creates the sounds, and me, who thinks of the words, always have a meeting in my head.
(Hirose)
Wait a minute, can I take a peek?
(Komuro)
As for the pictures, the three of us said things like, "No, isn't it a bit useless? This time, the lyrics," "The melody is a little weak," (laughs), "Sounds, make a little more impact." It's an image that looks like they're having a conversation.
(Hirose)
With Mr. Komuro, who writes the music, and Mr. Tetsuya, who writes the lyrics?
(Komuro)
That's right.
Tetsuya-kun, Komuro-san, and Tecchan, I don't know.
(Hirose)
Three people.
(Komuro) In
"Three Arrows," it's lyrics, music, and sound.
So, "I miss you and her sadness and strength" is also written as "love" in kanji, so you can't say "love".
I argued with the lyricist and the composer, and the composer Tetsuya Komuro said, "The word 'love', a lot of songs, something about love, 'Ai Sanka', 'Ai Sansan', 'Ai no Mama ni...' , there are a lot of that character, so please change it."
"I wonder what else there is. But the melody is 'lovely', isn't it?"
(Hirose)
I see.
(Komuro)
yes.
So, I thought, "Komuro composer, love is good, isn't it?"
In my mind, I think it was like, "Yeah, love is good, but there's a lot of love, so let's do something different."
(Hirose)
So it's a symbolic phrase, the three of us discussed.
(Komuro)
Yes, that's true.
(Hirose)
Mr. Komuro, in that sense, was involved in a wide range of fields as a producer.
(Komuro)
That's right.
One of my dreams is to add the name Tetsuya Komuro to my music chronology.
I was thinking of going to create something called "J-POP".
(Hirose)
What did you have in mind?
(Komuro)
It's a word I use often, but it's both memory and record.
If there is no record, it is somehow persuasive to remain in memory.
After all, it's the two wheels, or rather, if you have a proper numerical record, you can remember it.
It's because I have a memory that it has a number.
I think it's necessary to have both because it's like, "Sure, it's sold a million copies."
Current music as seen by Tetsuya Komuro, and future music
Since the mid-2010s, our relationship with music has changed significantly.
Even if you don't buy a CD, you can enjoy countless songs through subscriptions and SNS.
Under these circumstances, Mr. Komuro became the first musician to become a visiting researcher at RIKEN in March this year.
He is working on cutting-edge challenges in researching AI-assisted composition.
(Hirose)
The song "Be The World" that was announced on the NHK program "Tensai TV-kun hello," contains a melody that was created using an AI-based composition support system. Mr. Komuro, what kind of challenge will you face?
(Komuro)
AI-kun came in when we discussed and decided on the "three Tetsuya Komuro" earlier (laughs), and Computer-kun.
It's like, ``There's something like this,'' or something like, ``I studied my own songs, learned, and deep learning. Now that it's done, why don't you add Komuro-san's strong melody to it?"
Now, AI can also create an orchestra.
(Hirose)
How does this come back to your creations, Mr. Komuro?
(Komuro)
In this era, in terms of my life, I think it's still at the stage of discussion and consultation.
After I'm gone, I think it's going to be like, "I'll leave it to you."
Also, I will continue to make it forever and say Tetsuya Komuro (laughs)
(Hirose)
So you still haven't entered the "three arrows" of those three in a very strong way?
(Komuro)
Someone who supports and supports me.
(Hirose)
In terms of delivering music, what kind of indicators do you see now?
(Komuro)
Basically, smartphones are the most overwhelming amount.
I think it's like how much you can shake your five senses with the palm of your hand, so even if it's music, it needs to have a visual impact.
Also, I don't know if everyone is getting bored, impatient, or in a hurry, but 3, 4, and 5 minutes (of one song) are long.
With a distribution app, everyone scrolls, bonbon, bonbon.
Even in my era in the 90's, people used to say "grab" that the "chorus" was the head, but even so, if I listened for 15 seconds, I heard the same 15 seconds after that. I was making things that people would want to go to.
But now, if it's 15 seconds, it's finished in 15 seconds.
Watch 15 seconds many times, repeat.
I think there is a difference.
Even so, when I first heard it, I thought, "What will happen next?"
Today, the old synth button, or rather the knob, is called "Sustain"...
(Hirose)
I was told that it "sustains".
(Komuro)
Because when you press it, it keeps ringing all the time, or rather, it continues properly.
Nowadays, there is a word called SDGs, but that S stands for “sustainable”, so I think it is becoming difficult to say that it will not be cut, or that there will be more after that. .
(Hirose)
What kind of place does this mindset of always incorporating the latest technology and, in a sense, doing trial and error, come from?
(Komuro)
It's one person, one person's ability, so of course there are habits, and it's impossible to create something like a completely different person's way of doing things, so it's been 10 years.
About 10 years is a long time.
That's why I'm going to change, or to do that, I'm going to adopt new technology, new culture, and culture as soon as possible. I feel like I've come a long way over the years.
I think it's a long-lasting, and it's also a trick to do something.
(Hirose)
But it might be a very strong message not only for music, but also for living in various societies.
(Komuro)
That's right.
I think the ideal is to not erase all of your essence, but to incorporate technology, culture, and culture that make use of that essence.
It's pointless if you lose your individuality.
(Hirose)
What do you think of Tetsuya Komuro's essence now?
(Komuro)
I don't know if it's my essence...
I make music when it hits people and resonates.
Because music can only be created when people face each other.
Composing, writing lyrics, and arranging songs, the singers, the band members, and the musicians are the only ones who can create something like this, so this place is like a mirror.
I don't think any of the songs would have been possible if I hadn't confronted people.
Because the words, songs and sounds are not born from nothing.
(Hirose)
Mr. Komuro, who stands in such a situation, how do you want to deliver your music from now on?
(Komuro)
Anyway, to put it in one word, it's sustainable, or rather, it's a waste if it's disposable, so it's just music, but it's music.
Now, in the sense of taking care of the earth, water is no longer an all-you-can-drink option, so we should cherish it.
It's the same with music, because it's human wisdom.
I would like to make "sustainable music," to put it in a cool way, that is sustainable, and that people will say it's good to hear it again in any era.
(Hirose)
That sound at the origin...
(Komuro)
Oh, it's growing, as long as you keep pushing.
That is the starting point.
“From here on, musician Tetsuya Komuro”
https://www.nhk.jp/p/a-holiday/ts/M29X69KZ1G/episode/te/34XNX7ZQ3M/