prettyprettyGANG
The greatest sense of living!
Translated by pretty pretty GANG
original: http://mikiki.tokyo.jp/articles/-/20295
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GANG PARADE “LAST GANG PARADE” The 9 who will step forward an unknown path, talk about the feelings put into their new album compilation!
WRITTEN BY Tejima Kouji
This is the last spurt of 2018! “LAST GANG PARADE” was completed after an unimaginable story, blessing the 9 who will step forward an unknown path……
GANG PARADE is in preparations to release their 4th album early next year. The meaning that the title seems to have, on the other side is actually positive by whirling up human emotions in a more colorful way than usual. Continuing the issue their producer and manager Watanabe Junnosuke (WACK's representative) talks about the group's history, this time we had the 9 of them talking about the album contents. This is the LAST INTERVIEW (of 2018).
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“LAST” as a turning point
- First, you announced this album title on the Zepp Tokyo live in September.
Yumeno Yua: When they heard “LAST”, I think people in the venue were surprised but, we were surprised ourselves when we first heard about it. But, after the album was completed what I think is, it's a piece that'll become a good stop for GANPARE, I think it's a title with such meaning. “LAST” as one stop. We also have “Barely Last” so, surprisingly a word we used, I realized that after calming down (laughs).
Kamiya Saki: Well, it's more positive than “Barely Last” (laughs). If I had to define it, it's rather like a turning point.
Yua: Feels like it would be nice if “LAST” turned out to have this meaning.
- This time you didn't fool around in the cover.
Saki: That is, yes. Painfully.
Terashima Yuuka (Yuyu): Boredom.
- There is an ephemerality like last. Practically when did you start working on it?
Tsukino Usagi: Around October.
Yuyu: That fast?
Yua: Yes, in middle October we did the lyrics, and by the end of it we recorded it.
- Meaning that this album's title was made as a preamble.
Saki: It was. The first songs were “Message” and “HERETIC”, then “Tadashii kotae ga mitsukaranakute”.
Coco Partin Coco: In the recording the leading song “LAST” was probably the last.
Saki: The song Watanabe-san was talking about in the previous issue was “LAST”.
Yua: It turned into asterisks (laughs).
- Yes. I believe the thoughts of writers Matsukuma-san and Watanabe-san are exceptional but, having the background explained a lot it felt like it would be unrefined.
Yua: Indeed, in the first demo I thought “Ah” but, listening to “LAST” with everyone's voices, I really felt perhaps Matsukuma-san made the arrange matching the current GANPARE instead? To the point of not being drawn by it's background, we powered up since the demo stage.
Yamamachi Miki: The song and lyrics, there aren't much compositions that show such emotion right in the beginning. That's why it'll feel trivial if I don't add my expressions to it carefully, I thought it was a song that even for a moment you can't miss the dance or singing.
- That, Saki-san's singing line.
Saki: It's like that (laughs). I received a part I have a connection with, so including that I was personally excited but, listening to the album casually today, I was normally crying. Leaving aside it's a song born following some kind of history, it's a song that moves you. It feels like feelings were compressed tightly, but it's not just pain, I believe it's a strong song that takes that out and lets you move forward.
- This “LAST” is a symbolic opening, it has an abnormally emotional atmosphere but, overall it's a colorful album with a lot of colors put into it.
Saki: It feels like a great variety.
Yua: Even listening to pieces by a lot of artists, when it's an album there are a lot of songs with similar melodies, are there not? But this album, each and every song is completely different (laughs). It feels like you can listen to everything without getting bored.
Saki: Isn't there a pentagon radar chart? Like a graphic.
Coco: “Emotional” “Interesting” “Happy” “Sad” ……. something like that.
Saki: Yes, feels like the chart stretches in all of those items.
- Speaking of, first “Message” written by Miki-san has a “Fun” feeling.
Miki: Yes. Ever since we received the demo it was a bright melody, I think among the album it's a song with strong GANPARE characteristics, so I wrote thinking it would be nice if I could make use of that.
- It's contents are calling out to fans coming to lives.
Miki: The lyrics are also towards fans, towards people who have interest but don't come to lives because lacking courage, towards people who still haven't found GANPARE. A-melo and B-melo I wrote the feelings from the fans perspective, and the chorus is us transmitting it to the fans.
- The chorus is like manner explanations, it's good. “Just don't do anything dangerous”, it's like “So serious!” (laughs).
Yui Ga Dockson: It's about dive, lift and surf (laughs).
Miki: If you think what's characteristic of GANPARE lives, before it begins our manager Tsujiyama-san will definitely talk about the important points like “dangerous actions are prohibited”. When I wrote the chorus, I was reminded of that voice (laughs).
Dock: I want to have Tsujiyama-san to sing it like a shadow narrator. It'll be easy for people coming for the first time to understand too.
- It's a busy dancing tune but, it's also calm. Indeed just like GANPARE lives.
Coco: It's happy.
As expected if there isn't something like this
- The following song “HERETIC” is popular, or rather has a sorrow mood like South Korea influx from olden days.
Saki: That's right, it feels like a background music to a drama. Everyone's accent singing it it definitely strong, it feels like promotes the title even more. This is WACK's love and hate drama (laughs). From my perspective, I wrote my relation with WACK's employees and Watanabe-san. Like the employees are singing their love and hate to Watanabe-san.
- I didn't imagined that (laughs).
Tsukino: Hearing that the way to see it changes entirely (laughs).
Saki: I think there are a lot of people who join WACK because they look up to Watanabe-san but, being invited to drink and not going home until morning, receiving a lot of advices at the drinking place (laughs).
Coco: Seems like there's a compliance problem.
Tsujiyama: I'm not saying anything.
Saki: Ahahaha. Watanabe-san is really caring, he says malicious things too, that's why “Love heresy” (laughs). Like HERETIC (heretic) = Watanabe-san.
- It's a sensation established recent by employees?
Yuyu: It's a stable period (laughs).
Yua: Relatively. Compared to before it's a stable period (laughs).
Dock: But, “Even wild roses are adorable” it's amazing.
Coco: It's a company that you think that (laughs).
Saki: Well, it's my explanation. The “I want avoid a period”, it's the feeling towards employees of not wanting them to disappear, it's a lyric I wrote with respect.
Dock: Well, the more I hear the explanation, the more the suspicions of it being a Watanabe-san and Saki-chan song intensifies (laughs).
- The heretic (HERETIC) might be Saki-san. The “Anta ni moratta~ (Received from you~)” feelings are incredible though (laughs).
Miki: It comes bit by bit (laughs).
Yuyu: “Anta” is funny.
- It's a song like a more deep “Lai le” but, Maika-san's part before the last chorus changing is also nice.
Can GP Maika: “Yes, singing normally just the part before the chorus was intentional. Just there “Aijou (love)” is sang properly.
- Feels like Matsukuma-san is having fun again.
Yua: Back in “Lai le” too but, the recording was fun.
Tsukino: It was the song that took the longest.
Maika: It got really exciting.
Coco: Yes, as expected there should be that. Because there's that.
- From there there's the 9 members “BREAKING THE ROAD” before “Jealousy Marionnette”.
Dock: It's cool, I love it.
Saki: “Ha, Ha, Ura ura”
Yuyu: The first part like a yell is in Russian.
Saki: The sound is also a little Russian.
Coco: Matsukuma-san said so.
- Lyrics are by Yuyu-san.
Yuyu: Yes, this one has contents like a cynicism towards the world, before in the temporary song there was “Marionnette”. From there I pictured my image of a doll with no will, and it turned like that. Everyone cares about appearances and believes in the majority opinion but, actually you don't know if that opinions is right to begin with. But, isn't there the tendency of minority being in the wrong?
- You feel like that a lot?
Yuyu: Yes. Not realizing my own opinions and endorsing the opinions of the majority, hiding myself and them being closed. In reality I think that surprisingly everyone has their own purpose like “I want to do that”. Even so we live worrying about others, it's a waste, even though there's just one life. It's the end if I say “I'm like that” so, like a little sarcasm, I wrote as a warning to myself.
Dock: Yuyu always, she realizes what's inside such people and writes it, that's why there's a lot you can relate with. Like someone saw trough you.
- Every time you write having the hardship of living as an axis, this time too it's an amazing lyric.
Yuyu: I'm happy. I wrote things completely in contrast with other songs and presented it before, so that's why this one could be hate…….
Dock: Black joke?
Coco: It's not a joke (laughs).
Yuyu: Normally speaking if it's lyrics then I can write worse things, I thought I should write them.
- Because of this melody you feel you can throw shade.
Yuyu: Yes. Because I'm saying harsh songs I'll rhyme and say it in a pop way, I was slightly conscious about that.
- By the way the song was composed by Lyly-san?
Yua: A student from SCRAMBLES school.
Yuyu: Elected in a melody competition.
- Following the previous work did everyone also participated this time?
Coco: Yes. We did too in the same time.
Dock: There was also applications for students normally.
Saki: A whole lot was gathered.
Coco: How much was it, around 90 songs?
Yuyu: They were gathered and from that 3 were chosen.
- Then, the next song “Yorukuraimu” writen by Haruna-san is also among that?
Haruna Bad Chiiiin: Yes. I did the whole song, the lyrics I thought together with Yua-san.
Yua: The first part until the chorus Haruna used in the temporary song, so the chorus and 2nd part I wrote adding something.
- The title is a play with Hilchryme-san but, did you know about “Shunkashuto”?
Haruna: Yes, I played it in “Taiko no Tatsujin”. “Isho isshou ni itekure ya~ (stay with me forever~)”
Coco: Eh, that's wrong, that's wrong!
Haruna: I thought it was the same song…….
Dock: But, surprisingly Haruna has knowledge that doesn't let you feel the generation gap. She knows old songs too.
Saki: That's right. There's often the case of mother listening to it.
Yua: Tsuki (Tsukino) is the one who doesn't know.
Tsukino: I, never listened to it at all.
Dock: Yes, Tsuki and Yuyu didn't know at all.
Coco: Yuyu too acts young (laughs). Sometimes she says with Haruna “I don't know, I don't kno~w” (laughs).
Yuyu: No no no, I really don't know.
- The song has rap and talking as main, was there a designation since early stage?
Haruna: There wasn't. I talked on my own. When I heard the track, I thought it was like a courtesan, I searched a lot and wrote a courtesan song. A song of a prostitute from Edo Period.
Saki: Prostitute song (laughs).
- You're somehow familiar with courtesans.
Haruna: “See, I'm a grandma's girl, grandpa's girl so, when I was little I would watch “Mito Komon” all the time with them.
- There's a familiarity with historical plays. Other than the hook the parts like recitation are the center but, before Miki-san starts reciting normally, there's someone with a strong peculiarity (laughs).
Miki: That's right, they are strong, the characters around (laughs).
Coco: I too tried to do a nasal voice like YOU-san but that was rejected (laughs).
Yuyu: The peculiarity is too strong.
The things we valued
- It's a song that makes you wonder “how will it be on stage?”
Saki: I think it'll be interesting. For the choreography I search about Haruna's image of courtesan, I watched “Sakuran” and “Hanayoi Dochu” with Adachi Yumi-san, and I grasped this fleeting and painful image. The movements of the courtesans, the rhythm play in the tatami room, I added some sexy and lewd movements.
- It's a stage other songs are also having their choreography completed.
Saki: Yes. Maika and I are sharing the choreography though.
Maika: Yes, now I'm in the middle of thinking… It's the peak (laughs). This time I'm in charge of choreographies for “Message” and “Jealousy Marionnette”.
Yua: Also, you said we all will do “Tadashi koate ga mitsukaranakute” didn't you?
Coco: It's a weird one.
- “RATESHOW” type?
Saki: Yes. If we all make it together.
Yuyu: It's fun to think together. It shows the excitement of that occasion.
- Then, “Tadashii kotae ga mitsukaranakute” has lyrics by Dockson-san, this feels like all sounds when you enter a game center put together, it's a song with great information.
Saki: There was the direction to pronounce each sound the exact same way the would appear in a game.
Dock: The lyrics I thought about enjoyment with the sound rather than meaning. But, there was an image, a party enthusiastic to go to battle, not that type of party though.
- The party from RPG.
Dock: Yes. This party, they are beaten by a really strong enemy, a wall they can't cross, they start to decay, they ask for the assistance of a helpless person, it's a little foolish song. So, after I wrote the lyrics, there was something I realized, even though they are being corrupted and in despair they say “help me help me”, when I though about what they are clinging to, I thought it was hope of course. Even people who say “I'm in despair, I don't have things like hope anymore”, in the very end they end up saying “help me please~”, right?
Coco: Meaning you can't give up just yet, right?
Tsukino: That's deep~
Dock: No matter the despair, in the end people want to cling to hope……
Tsukino: But……. We expect that.
Saki: “We expect that” (laughs).
Tsukino: I tried to understand it (laughs).
Dock: Yes yes, we expect that.
Coco: This, the interlude chorus is almost all sang by Dockson.
Saki: Instead, she doesn't sing anything but that.
- Things like “une une uneru~”.
Dock: Yes, like “Chimidoro no hate~”. Also, “Mezasu wa movie star”
Saki: “Movie star” also appears on TIE, right? (laughs).
Coco: Dock, she loves the word “movie star”.
Dock: Yes, after the movie “SiS termination song” was made I said as a joke “We are movie stars”.
- There are a lot of characters in your voice. The person from “RATESHOW” suddenly appears.
Coco: OH!
Yua: As expected.
- I laughed when I heard it.
Coco: Well, you laugh at something like this.
Dock: Parts like “I WANNA MOVIE STAR” didn't exist when I wrote the lyrics, during the recording I talked with Matsukuma-san and decided on it by feeling. Also, “Put your hands up!!” didn't exist before either, I recorded a lot of interjections. I also recorded “1st part is over so let's go to 2nd one~” though.
Saki: That disappeared (laughs).
Tsukino: It was really funny~
Dock: We decided a lot of things based on the feeling of the occasion, it was fun to produce it.
- Well, this dizzy force might be Dockson's brain.
Coco: I see.
- Yes. Then there's CAN'T STOP, and the 10th song is “BOND” written by Yua-san.
Yua: Yes. More than a theme for this, I wanted to make it a story. While there was something within myself that felt “I want to convey that”, people who listen to it and read the lyrics, I wrote wishing they would read and imagine it in their own way.
- Together with a magnificent melody, we can interpret something like a loss.
Coco: I too was a little worried, when the words were decided I asked Yua-chan “Did something happen?” Well, because she wrote a story rather than something that happened to herself, I think it's a song can affect anyone.
Yua: Yes. I think there're a people who lost someone important, doesn't have to be a person, I think everyone has something they treasured and felt were losing little by little, I wrote something to match such circumstance.
- From “CAN'T STOP” to “BOND”, the end of the album is a composition that fills one's heart.
Yuyu: Yes. Things there are always by your side, they are obvious, so we don't really think “it's important”, right? Family, members, people from work. But, even if we realize how important they are after we lose them it's already late, that's why, before you end up losing them, it's the feeling of wanting to realize this importance once now.
- Well, you want people to pick up this by listening the CD with such flow.
Yuyu: That's it.
- Also, the impression of melodies like “BOND”, this time almost feels like “P.O.P”.
Saki: Yes, before I said the overall concept of the album was “returning to origins”. That's why I think there's a lot of EDM melodies.
- So that's it.
Saki: To an extent in the beginning songs with EDM melodies were the main, among idol culture we went way ahead of time, we had a conversation with Watanabe-san like “It was hard for the fans to get in the mood”. This time it's not really a revenge but, we powered up from that time, so with influence of emotional songs like “LAST”, I believe “LAST GANG PARADE” turned out a really appropriate piece.
Going back to the origins
- Will next year start with WACK tour <Going Going WACK TOUR>?
Miki: Before that there's <WACK's Idol Koushien>, on 1/3.
Yua: As it's soon it might be the most important.
Maika: Every year that becomes an important starting point.
Saki: Though we are invited to <Idol Koushien> every year.
Coco: This time it'll be a whole day with just WACK groups.
- How will the performance order be this time?
Yuyu: Yes. Every year it's a suspense.
Coco: We get nervous.
Tsukino: Is it like that every year?
Maika: It's quite legit.
Yuyu: It's the first of the year.
Yua: We must have a good start.
- From there the album will be released, and then the first day of WACK tour.
Coco: CLUB CITTA', 1/10.
Yua: A two man with BiSH.
Tsukino: I'm happy we get to perform from the start.
- Also, on the next day the documentary of the March WACK audition “The world's saddest audition” will be out. It's a content that will rise Maika-san's esteem, isn't it?
Maika: Ah~, I wonder. But, just by seeing the preliminary video, something revived within myself.
Yuyu: Ah, well, when I Maika in the preview, I was like <Aah, Maika!>.
Maika: However my face in that video was so round I was surprised (laughs).
Tsukino: I know. We worry about that. But I was happy me and Haruna were on the thumbnails.
Haruna: I was happy.
Coco: This was the happiest thing. That's why, it is really like that? The most symbolic part of the training camp, these 2 carried it?
Maika: Yes. In the end of it Haruna falls like a ball.
Yuyu: Even though it ended I was wondering. <What will be of Haruna?>.
Maika: I want to see that.
Coco: There are a lot of exciting things since January.
Yua: Right? There's a lot.
- On this subject, the joint tour will go trough March. To balance not having a tour for this album, the number of lives you'll perform is really big.
Dock: 20!
Yuyu: We'll be going somewhere every weekend (laughs).
Yua: We only won't go to 2 places.
Maika: Somehow that makes me sad.
Tsukino: It's like we wanted to conquest it.
Dock: But, the more we perform, we definitely have the be the ones to change the most.
Saki: That's right. Because we'll have a lot of opportunities to do joint lives, there's something like stealing good points of BiS, BiSH and EMPiRE. If we decide for that, we might make it an interesting tour.
Coco: Yeah. In the first place the tour is a period we get to grow a lot, it's an opportunity. This time we're going to places with WACK's power that we otherwise wouldn't be able to go just with our strength.
Yua: There are lot of places we're being taken. I want to have the energy so that next time we'll be able to go by ourselves.
- Perhaps this is also a resolution for the new year?
Yua: The group continued for a long time, lately I'm really thankful that the number of people saying they like GANPARE is increasing but, the tour will start, personally in 2019 I want to go back to the origins. The team power is going up with the 9 of us, there are other important aspects but, more than anything I want to move forward not forgetting the initial resolution of performing live with all our power.
Saki: The growing rate of a beginner is also good.
Yua: Yes, each one returning to their beginner self, and if we look up with desire I believe we can grow more and more. I want to make 2019 such year.