I'm glad I didn't stop playing. I think I have to keep doing it, pass it on, and not let it die out.
Mogi:I was thinking that people who like the songs after "Camp in the Air" listen to the later period all together, but when you sing "Chance", they listen to the earlier period as well, regardless of when it was released. Do they know something like when that song was released?
MIU:I will learn properly later. When I first learned about it, the music came first, but I wanted to learn about the Fishmans properly , so I did my own research.
Mogi:Are you still listening on the subs?
MIU:. I have records, too. I am the type of person who wants to keep what I like as an object, so I buy analog records. But I only have one vinyl record. . ...... that I made with Mr. Kodama.
Is it "Chappie, Don't Cry"?
MIU:That's it! I bought it because I like Kodama. Data does not remain forever, does it? I believe that if the form changes, it will be lost, so I wanted to preserve it in the form of an object and pass it on to the future like my children and grandchildren. I will continue to take good care of it (laughs).
. Speaking of which, I've been wondering about the contents of the cassette that Kodama-san gave you before recording "Chappie, Don't Cry": .......
Mogi:. those are the great songs from "Studio One". It starts out with a message from Kodama-san. Kodama-san had just disbanded Mute Beat, and it was also his first produced work, so he was very enthusiastic, as if to say, "Everyone should listen to this tape and study it. . It starts with the message, "Please listen to the rock steady that shines like a diamond.
MIU:Wow, cool!
Mogi:The first song was "Alton's Groove" from the album "Sunday Coming" by Alton Ellis, and the next one was "Jackie Mittoo". We heard it and became interested in the Studio One label! We heard it, and we were curious about the Studio One label, so we went out to collect analog records, like Jackie Mittoo's "Macka Fat," which is a great album. There's a song by Hortense Ellis covering the Stylistics' "People Make The World Go Round" on it, and it's really good. . also, there were a lot more instrumentals in there than I thought there would be.
. I feel that the period before "Chappie, Don't Cry" was very much influenced by Seishiro.
Mogi:. Sato loves RC Succession.
MIU:I love it too!
Mogi:I see you also listen to RC Succession! What kind of music do you listen to? Do you know about the early days of folk music? How about "My Favorite Teacher" or "Slow Ballad"?
MIU:Yes, I know, and I have the DVD! I also went to the screening of the live performance at "Zep", alone. ......
Mogi:When RC Succession's last album "Baby a Go Go" came out, I once went to see them live at Hibiya Nohe with everyone from Fishmans. Do you know "I Like You"?
MIU:Of course I understand. . I listen to them because I like them, and I do research on them. . I even buy magazines at used bookstores that have interviews from that time. I feel that the music I encounter through reading books stays in my memory easily. I like the feeling of my mind following my body, or my head responding to my actions.
Mogi:I see you like to go back to the history. I'm glad that Fishmans can be a band that will remain in MIU's heart.
Do many people of your generation listen to Fishmans?
MIU:There are very few people in my age group of the same gender. ...... So when I go to karaoke with my good female friends, they don't respond to me (laughs). There are boys, though, because many of them like to dig culture more. ......
On the other hand, you have an amazing reputation on the overseas review site "Rate Your Music". You are the only Japanese musician to be ranked in the top 50 in the "All-Time Best" list. Their live recordings are also highly rated, and in this day and age, the music of the Fishmans is resonating around the world.
Mogi:Yes, I am surprised . I feel really happy, but I also feel like I've finally made it. I feel like saying, "You know what I mean! (laugh) I have come to realize over the past few years that my music can be understood by people of MIU's generation as well as people overseas, and I feel that I must continue to deliver it as my life's work.
. Like a grandmother who continues to tell her story of the war, Mogi-san continues to tell his story as a storyteller, and it is also significant that he continued his activities without disbanding the group.
Mogi:Especially when it comes to singing, I was wondering how to continue, so I am really glad that I did not stop performing. When I decided to start again, I started with the help of UA, Hanaregumi, Ikuko from Clammbon, and Seishiro. I think we have to keep on doing this, pass it on, and try not to let it die out.
