The following interview is from the August (2003) issue of "J-Groove Magazine."
ZARD - Sakai Izumi
Feeling of Summer
--In your last interview, you told us that you intended to "Do your best to scale back your tendency to go at your own pace." And, as promised, your latest single "Hitomi Tojite" was released very quickly after. Has this bold move become sort of a stimulus for you?
Sakai Izumi: I guess... But if you compare me to some of the more active people out there, I'm still taking my time of it. But for me, I really feel like I've my hands full. (laughs)
--Is there any new sense of fulfillment for you?
Sakai: I wonder about that. (laughs) Basically, because I'm just repeating what I've always done, it's nothing special. I guess I'm starting to feel the importance of knowing how to keep on working with a sense of freshness, so I don't grow tired of it.
--In March, you made an unscheduled performance at the Osaka club "Hills Pan Kouba," for their "THURSDAY LIVE" event. Was that a stimulus?
Sakai: I'd gone to Osaka for some other business, and was asked to appear at the last minute, so I was very nervous.
--It was your first time on stage since your Live Concert on the cruise ship, wasn't it?
Sakai: Yes, it was. (laughs) But I was only asked to sing two songs, so...
--What was it like to be on stage after so long?
Sakai: I really felt like I couldn't afford to make a mistake, and it was the only thing on my mind. The person I was sharing the stage with, Shizukusa Yumi-san, was a newcomer, but she was very impressive. So it really made me feel embarrassed, since I've been in the business for so long. Since I don't often participate in such events, I tensed up really quickly.
--One of the songs you sang, Boy's Town Gang's hit "CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU," is famous for being one of your favorites.
Sakai: Yes, that's right. Because it was so sudden, I tried to choose songs that had a very "ZARD" feeling to them. The other song, "CALL ME," was actually a song that I thought I would like to pattern ZARD's music after before our debut, but after the show, people were telling me that "CALL ME" seemed to be patterened after ZARD. I appeared at this event because they asked me to try it "as a way of testing my nerves." But there was a lot of pressure on me, because I thought that even if people accepted it the first time, the more I do it, the higher their expectations would become.
--Like they would expect that if you were put on stage like that, then your desire to do a solo live would grow? (laughs)
Sakai: Yes... There was a bit of both the desire to try it, and the fear of it. The listeners have such critical ears, and anytime I sing live, then my performance, which is so hard for me, is under greaty scrutiny. On top of that, I like to go and watch plays and musicals, so when I think about the gap between what they can do and what I can do, or when I wonder how well I can perform, I wind up feeling like I can't turn in anything inferior.
--I look forward to it. (laughs) Moving on, I want to ask you about your new single, "Hitomi Tojite." It started being aired around springtime, on a television show, right? When did you actually create it?
Sakai: Right after I finished the previous song, "Ashita wo Yume mite."
--The music possesses such a simply beautiful melody, and gives the impression of starting off with a medium tempo solo piano intro, only to gradually open up into a more up-tempo beat.
Sakai: It started out as being a uniformly up-tempo arrangement. For this single, I started out by listening to each song included on Ohno-san's (composer Ohno Aika) demo tape, and chose about six songs from there. Then, I formed preliminary music around them all, and that was how I singled out this one song. The demo for it had a solo piano playing through one chorus. That just kept repeating itself in my head, and so I took that one and redid it in a classical style.
--You say you chose it from among the songs on Ohno-san's demo tape, but wasn't there some special point that drew you to that song?
Sakai: At the demo-tape phase, there are a lot of songs, so I make simple choices for the songs that I think might be good for my album, thinking "This is nice," or "I like this one." But, when I got it down to six songs, I found that I liked this one the best.
--I think that the beauty of the melody and the quality of your voice make an exquisite match.
Sakai: In the end, I decide for myself which take I'll choose as the main vocal, but I had to sing the song through quite often. I just couldn't figure out which way was the right way, and in the very end, I just put aside everything I'd sung before and tried to sing by my own nature, not even bothering to try singing "skillfully." Though it took longer that way, it was very educational.
--It's very important to look at your own work with an objective eye, but was there anything particularly difficult?
Sakai: Up until now, it's always seemed that if I just go with the flow, things will work out in their own way... so I have no choice but to just keep plugging away like I always have. But, not to sound like a retelling of "The Crane Returning a Favor," but I really don't want anyone to see me while I'm working! (laughs)
--For this song, the lines that form the title, "Hitomi Tojite" leave a very strong impression.
Sakai: Usually, I choose what the title will be beforehand, but this time I just could not decide, and I arrived at this title only at the very end. It was kind of like a math equation... I really had a hard time finding a title that would fit the meter and symbolize the contents of the lyrics.
--Were you thinking of some image that would stand for the entire lyric?
Sakai: Something like that... that would express human-ness the strongest. Even if it wasn't directly, I wanted to write about that part of us, and created part of the image from that. Recently, there have been times when the music for ZARD's songs has evoked every aspect of the lyrics, but recently I've been thinking that I should place more emphasis on the flow of the music with regard to the melody... But the lyrics were very hard to come by! (laughs)
--Considering that the names Sakai Izumi and ZARD are universally regarded with quality lyrics, such words are very unexpected!
Sakai: All the people who I think "This person's poems are nice," or "They're writing is good, very deep" are all past 60 years old. All people well on in the years, with a wealth of experience. Even though they're the same as word-smiths, the way they use them is different, and you can somehow feel their experiences seeping in between the lines. Since I'm still only half-way there in that regards, I always wonder if people understand how I'm feeling.
--It's your humility that keeps us waiting for what's next, Sakai-san.
Sakai: Oh, is that so?
--About the vocals, you said earlier that you had to sing the song several times through, but is a song that makes such a drastic change so difficult?
Sakai: It's nothing but difficult! (laughs) For such an unwieldly song, it takes a while. But I'm trying lots of things right now, with the idea that it's a good time to study.
--The coupling song, "Itoshii Hito yo ~Namonaki Tabibito yo~" is an accoustic number that leaves a very grand impression.
Sakai: As ZARD, I always pay special attention to coupling songs, but in this case, the coupling song sounds more ZARD-ish, more standard for us.
--Did you imagine it being so grand?
Sakai: Yes, well, I had wanted to create a song using lots of masculine words, which would be alright for a man to sing to a woman. So I made it so that it could be taken either way to a certain extent. Though there are some concrete spaces, like where I mention "Choujagasaki," I think that on the whole, it's a song that represents a motherly instinct that want to envelop a man.
--Between such a standard type of song, and the title track which has such a new way of unfolding for you, is it possible to sing this coupling song naturally, with a sense of ZARD-ness?
Sakai: Hmmm... well, it's the same case with arrangements, but when you have different composers, it takes some time to get used to that. Everyone has their own particular habits, and their own way of conveying melody. So in a sense, it's a collaboration with the composer.
--Did you discover anything from that?
Sakai: Just take a small bit of the essence of it. But, when you think that even when I sing covers of western songs, they become "ZARD"-like, then the listener might find that a bit unsatisfying.
--I think it's great that you can make anything sound like ZARD.
Sakai: I have no idea what I should say to that! (laughs)
--Well then, what space does the newly created single occupy with regards to the ZARD entity?
Sakai: There are still lots of singles I want to release. But I've more or less depleted the drawer that I've been building up over the past year or so. So, I'm at the point where I want to devote all my energy to replenishing that drawer. With regards to this single, I think I'd be happy if you all sing along with it, so that's why I put in a lot of chorus parts. Enough that you'd all want to get together and sing them together. (laughs)
--As you've scaled back your tendancy to go at your own pace, do you think it's a good time to look ahead to a new album?
Sakai: I'm being strongly urged to do so! (laughs) I'm only about halfway done still, but since I haven't put one out in three years, I have to do my best! Though it might not seem like much to others who have been more busy, the past two years have been very hard for me.
--Could you tell us anything at all about the contents of your upcoming album?
Sakai: Well, it's my first in a while, so I'm trying to assemble a wide variety of songs for it. At this point, I can't really go into detail, but I think it will come out well. After all, all around us, people are starting to look forward.
--Have you been looking forward, yourself?
Sakai: Yes, I have. I'm trying my hardest with regards to my creations. I'd just like you all to wait just a little longer! *
TEXT: Yamada Junko, PHOTO: Norikazu Tatsukawa; translated by Ryu
* * * * * * * * * *