Dive Deep into Creativity: Discover, Share, Inspire
Hello. This is the translation that I made for THE FIRST TAKE’s podcast featuring Who-ya Extended. I’m a fan of Who-ya Extended and couldn’t find the translation so I decided to make it one for people who need it. Hopefully, this is helpful enough. Enjoy!
Here is the link of the original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBTokk7dHC8 (The interview started on 1:39)
Interviewer : Let’s jump straight into the point, THE FIRST TAKE has a different ambiance with live performance and recording, how was the take with THE FIRST TAKE?
Who-ya : Right. I don’t really do recording or live performance but, compared to those activities, it was really hard. How to say it, maybe this is too ordinary to say but, it was fresh. I think it was a fresh thing to do.
Interviewer : Was there any different feelings when you did the take with the all-white set?
Who-ya : From the very beginning of joining THE FIRST TAKE itself, well around the time I did the take, I was really, what is it, um, is it okay if I call it white wall? I didn’t know what it would look like to sing in the white set. I was shown a short sample video, wasn’t I? At that time I was like “Wah! I know THE FIRST TAKE”. That was the point of view of me as the viewer and then after that, on the contrary when I had to sing there I was like “Okay now I get the nervous,”. After that, when I saw other artists showing up on THE FIRST TAKE, weirdly I don’t feel nervous anymore. Yes, that was how I felt.
Interviewer : Then, I would like to ask about your song. This time, the first song to be performed was the one that has been released in February this year “VIVID VICE”. I know this song is the opening theme song for the popular anime “Jujutsu Kaisen”, but how was the production of this song?
Who-ya : Um, first when there was a talk to make the opening song for “Jujutsu Kaisen” and when it comes to Jujutsu Kaisen, I’m actually a number one fan, a big fan of the original work. That’s why I tried to focus on the charm of this work, ‘the curse’. I can’t see curse either lol but ‘curse’, how do I say it,.. while making a theme that is beyond our mundane life, how the characters here are doing their best on the battlefield, trying to live their life, how the main characters developed through the troubles they had gone through, that felt really human. I like the story that focused on humanlike feelings, that’s why when there was a talk to do the opening song, I tried to express the humanlike feelings through the music and lyrics and made this song. Last year we were also, not just us, but isn’t all over the world have changed so much? We debuted and then three months after that everything changed. Of course, there were some things that not supposed to happen, and a lot of things didn’t work as it supposed to be, but within that time there were a lot of words that were made, and through those troubles and regrets I could project the awesomeness of “Jujutsu Kaisen” characters. I think I made this song as the expression of the least shape of opportunistic.
Interviewer : During the take for THE FIRST TAKE, the guitar and the drum part changed into acoustic performance. How was the process of this arrangement?
Who-ya : I think THE FIRST TAKE is really fresh stuff, it was like making the version something we never saw before. I think the arrangement for “VIVID VICE” is interesting, isn’t it? Both for people who already listened to this song and listen to it again and for the people who listen to this song for the first time.
Interviewer : The second song we are going to talk about is the one that was released in 2019, “Q-Vism”. As Who-ya Extended’s major debut song, I think this song is memorable but, is there something that you became aware of when you perform?
Who-ya : Of course, as the debut song it was the most—well I’m not sure whether it’s correct or not to say it’s the most (memorable) –especially whether I’m ready or not to take this song with different emotional attachment than the others but, maybe when we continued our activities, made a lot of songs and performed those songs, (“Q-Vism”) rather than being the special one because it was the debut song, even for people who know it is just like one of the songs, for the people who listen to this song, maybe they sometimes think it would be a different one than the original one because I missed some parts when I performed. It would be exaggerating if I said I passed the past but I am really aware of those things whenever I perform.
Interviewer : How was the performance with THE FIRST TAKE?
Who-ya : Well, how do I say it, it’s hard to mark one’s own test but, after I performed “Q-vism” as a song and think about it, this stage as THE FIRST TAKE, singing “Q-vism” as the song, I think I did a performance where people who listen to this song to feel and get the meaning (of this song).
Interviewer : Who-ya is the only member who doesn’t change to another unit. This time, are these songs were made in separate productions?
Who-ya : The image of each songs, each songs have their own signatures, their own digital sound. “Q-Vism” and the raw version of “VIVID VICE” maybe have their own face but, to get the anime’s topic involved and pull it out while making the songs, to challenge it in order to make it get along with our vision, each unit share their thoughts and step by step we construct it into a shape of song. There was different approachments as well but the core consistently never changed.
Interviewer : Who-ya’s key visual was drawn in illustration but when people see your real appearance during your performance, I think there are plenty of people out there who were surprised by that. How was the respond of the people who saw your real appearance?
Who-ya : There is no official record about this but there was an event back then in January when I introduced myself as "Who-ya”. At that time, if I think about it again, I was told it was noisy at that time. There were a lot of people who said “I thought you were this kind of person”. There is actually the jacket of the album and the official illustration as well (for Who-ya). I wrecked the image that were imagined by those people by being a whole different person and I feel sorry about that lol. But, that’s the funny part. Nowadays, there are so many people who accept me the way I am and I am grateful for that.
Interviewer : By the way, by showing up in THE FIRST TAKE this time, how was the reaction of the people around you?
Who-ya : I didn’t tell them. Well, it’s not like there is a special reason behind this but THE FIRST TAKE is a special existence for the people who love music. That’s why when I got the chance, not even for my friends who like music—we play music together back then—know that I would appear here and when they knew they were surprised and were like “Eh?!”. I don’t want to surprise the people around me who know THE FIRST TAKE so I didn’t tell anyone.
Interviewer : Is there any behind the scene story from THE FIRST TAKE? If yes, please tell us
Who-ya : I don’t know whether this is included as the inside story or not but, on THE FIRST TAKE channel there is a thumbnail using the photo of me that was taken in the studio. I swear that was the first time in my life doing that. Okay this is not the inside story but, when I did the photoshoot I was like “I couldn’t do this” and the cameraman was like “Nice! Awesome! You’re doing great!”, and then time flew and at that time it was so hot and hard day to go through. I don’t know-how but the results were so cool and I thought “professionals are awesome”. There was various staff there and I felt like I had a great time being together with the professionals. That’s it my inside story which is not really an inside story.
Interviewer : Last but not least, is there any words for the listener of this podcast and your fans?
Who-ya : Yes. Thank you so much for always listening to Who-ya Extended’s music. Being able to appear in THE FIRST TAKE feels like taking the game to the next step for me. I wonder if my voice sounds different when I performed here so, for the people who like this kind of way, for the people who keep supporting me up until this day, I’m looking forward to being able to work more in the future. That’s it, please enjoy the performances as well.
Interviewer : Who-ya Extended, thank you so much!
Translated by Moi (@corvusnacht on twitter)