■We wanted to make an album that had a different scent than our previous albums.
――I think that LM.C plunged into a new chapter with this new album, “PERFECT FANTASY”. I think it reflects the change in your mental states.
Maya: We started production on this album a year and a half go. We recorded our 2012 release, “DOUBLE DRAGON”, and our 2013 single, “My Favorite Monster”, around that time, so we took our time on the recording, and it was born naturally. In recent times, we would start production when a release was confirmed. This time, we prepared for production like we did before we started working as LM.C. Our change in mental state probably brought his new style about.
――So you didn’t finish these songs because of deadlines?
Aiji: That’s right. That’s the biggest difference from before. This time, we wanted to make something that had a different scent than our previous LM.C projects. It’s because we felt like the LM.C brand was complete after making our previous album, “STRONG POP”. We’ve done so many genres up till now. Now we can do anything, and it will be LM.C.
Aiji: Broadening the spectrum is cool too. But we wanted to specialize in one thing and make an album with a unifying scent.
――Do you mean specializing in the sound?
Aiji: For example, LM.C’s songs have consisted of half programmed drums, and half live drums. This time, most of the drums are programmed, and that is a huge difference. We basically wanted to make songs that you can sing and dance to, or sing and get wild to. The album has strong danceable songs like “My Favorite Monster” and “Chameleon Dance”, but also straight rock tunes like “DOUBLE DRAGON”. You can still sing and get wild to some of the tunes. We might have been subconsciously thinking about playing live. I think we just wanted songs you can “sing and ___ to”.
――I see. Are there any things you two talked about while finishing the album?
Aiji: This time, Maya came up with the title, “PERFECT FANTASY”, early in the process, and I think it had an effect on the sound of the album. The first instrumental track, “Neo Fantasia”, was inspired by the album title.
Maya: The title was announced one year ago…
Aiji: By announcement, you mean you just told me, right (laughs)? We went to this café that we went to before we debuted.
Maya: We talked for a long time about songs. That's when we said, “So, this will be our next title?”
Aiji: I think you decided on it more selfishly (laughs). I just said, “I guess that’s good?”
Maya: In my own mind, I was stuck on the word “FANTASY”. “DOUBLE DRAGON” has a phrase that goes “stacking up the ultimate Fantasy”, and I thought it was a catchy word that described LM.C well.
■This time our lyrics are not directed at somebody else. They are directed at ourselves.
――“PERFECT FANTASY” really is a good title. At first, I thought that the album would have a lot of fable-like songs or horror/fantasy type songs like “The Midnight Museum 4”, “Bell the CAT”, or “Sentimental PIGgy Romance.” But you have many songs that are fantastical but are grounded in reality. Your painful songs are as memorable as your usual positive songs.
Aiji: Yes, you’re right. We can’t sing about the love between a lion and a pig forever (laughs).
――You can’t be singing about the animal series.
Aiji: Maybe we have become adults, in a good way. You can say we are more sophisticated now, or that we are deeper… I think our lyrics focus on the soul of our characters more now. Particularly in “KINJIRARETA UCHUU” (Forbidden Space), I think we treaded into new territory.
――“KINJIRARETA UCHUU” definitely caught my attention from the title. The melody has a song/ballad sensibility. Combined with the digital beat, it has a feeling that a lot of songs don't have now.
Maya: LM.C doesn’t use many Japanese song titles, so the fans really reacted when the song was announced. The lyrics are about two incidents that actually happened in Japan. Thematically, there is something that connects it to “My Favorite Monster”, which is about the monster that hides inside all of us. “KINJIRARETA UCHUU” is about another self that you cannot seem to grasp… It’s kind of like the multiple personalities of people.
――“Chameleon Dance” seems to have lyrics about chameleon-like lies. Is it like multiple personalities?
Maya: It’s more about human events than multiple personality. We direct the lyrics towards ourselves more than we do at other people on this album.
Aiji: We were able to dig into our souls from working together as LM.C for seven years. This is where we ended up.
――part 2――
■We wanted to make an album that had a different scent than our previous albums. (Aiji)
――You have songs you can sing and dance to and songs you can sing and get wild to, but the last three songs, starting with “Mono-logue”, are all songs with melodies that sink into you. “Mono-logue” seems like a mid-tempo ballad that is a letter to yourself.
Aiji: Maybe something happened (laughs).
Maya: It’s about us in the future. For example, what would we think about when we look back at our current selves when LM.C are not around in the future? We sang about a letter from the future. I wasn’t conscious about the change in our mental states, but it came naturally from all of our experiences as LM.C. The album has a new element and a good balance as a result.
――So Aiji, what parts were you conscious of as a guitarist and a songwriter?
Aiji: As far as the melody goes, I write to end up at something absolute every time.
――So the guitar is there to benefit the song?
Aiji: That’s right. I’ll play guitar if that song benefits from it, and I will not play it if it doesn’t. If the song requires a rock band type of guitar solo, I will play one. I will not play one if it doesn't require it. This stance hasn’t changed for a long time. The song is the main character. I am always searching for the right playing style, arrangement, and guitar parts that fit the song.
――I think what you just said is reflected in the album. Maya, the guitar is emotional, isn’t it?
Maya: (Whispering) It’s great (laughs).
――(Laughing) Why do you whisper?
Maya: (Laughing) I can confirm Aiji’s stance here because I originally was a guitarist. I also think that we have come full circle with the style and emotions on this album. Our first album, “GLITTER LOUD BOX” (2007), was not a full album, but had only eight songs. The feeling of the words on “PERFECT FANTASY” is similar to when we just started.
――Now that you mention it, the messages in your earlier lyrics are more jagged than they are now.
Maya: Maybe that’s right. LM.C have a lot of fictitious songs, so there seems to be a lot of people who imagine a katakana (phonetic Japanese alphabet) “fantasy” world.
Aiji: They imagine more fairy tale-like songs.
Maya: That’s true. We made “PERFECT FANTASY” thinking “This is the only way!” But we did include the animal series with “CHAMELEON” (laughs).
――(Laughing) “CHAMELEON DANCE” was a part of the animal series? I think ending the album with “DIVE TO FANTASY” is very much LM.C. It’s a pop tune that creates a rainbow in your heart.
Aiji: It’s like going into a world of primary colors with the last song. I think a lot of people imagine LM.C in primary colors. We wanted to escape that, so we made our album cover with a monochrome feel this time.
――The album cover is totally different from your previous covers. What were you thinking with the soaring tower?
Aiji: Like I want this thing in the real world. What I wanted to say was that the world we live in now is a fantasy.
――That’s beautiful. Not only your album cover, but your clothes are black and white as well. Visually, I feel like you have changed.
Aiji: It has been seven years since we formed. The Maya with the Peter Pan complex from back then no longer exists (laughs).
――You can graduate elementary school in seven years.
Aiji: You’re right. One day you’re carrying a land cell (backpack), and all of the sudden you are in middle school (laughs).
Maya: Dangerous. It’s around the rebellious phase.
■I want to do shows that we can only achieve now, combining new and old LM.C.
――So, LM.C will change the way they present themselves from now on?
Aiji: I don’t know about that. I don't want to force any changes. But as I said before, I think the branding of LM.C is complete, and that gives us the freedom to do whatever we want. I don’t want to betray people, but it would be nice if people would think, “LM.C has been doing some cool stuff lately.” We want to keep the quality up as we progress.
――What can we see on this upcoming Japan tour?
Aiji: I want to do shows that we can only achieve now, combining new and old LM.C.
Maya: I think during our 2013 summer tour, we got very close to achieving the show that we always imagined since we first formed LM.C
Aiji: Also, this will be the first time we will do a meet-and-greet at every concert.
Maya: What a wonderful plan.
Aiji: The meet-and-greet will be after the concert, so we will all be dripping with sweat while saying, “Nice to meet you.” Finally, many things will be revealed (laughs).
――(Laughing) Revealed? You haven’t ever built up any image or persona.
Maya: Maybe a meet-and-greet in the dark (laughs).
Aiji: We can’t show our thanks that way (laughs).
Maya: I just want to move forward with our feelings, even if it’s just one or two steps forward. We are ready to put on some great shows.
Aiji: We will show people the perfect fantasy!!
Interview & Text: Hiroko Yamamoto
Source: http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000004273 &
http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000004274
