[TeamAyu] 'Secret' SPECIAL INTERVIEW

Okeeb, I have the whole thing written up in Japanese, and I'm working on translations. Here are the first two tracks for starters. I'm too tired to do a nice job, so I'm just gonna rest up and then I'll put the rest of the tracks up tomorrow, and probably edited versions of these first 2.

01. Not yet
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

　まさにアルバムのオープニング！ズバリな問いかけというか、このアルバム全体の中に私が散りばめた秘密や 誰かの秘密．．．。私がこのアルバムに込めたいろんな種類のいろんな意味を持つ秘密。

　あとは、ここに至るまでの奇跡。ココで言う奇跡は、想いに近いんだけど・・・。このアルバムを完成させた 事、そのものが奇跡であって＝想い。その奇跡は私が起こした訳ではなくて、私以外の人たち＝このアルバムに 関わったスタッフや関係した全ての人たちがいた事によって起きたと思ってる。その２つがこのアルバムのベー スになっている。オープニングのこの曲は、“秘密”や“奇跡”を聞いてくれるみんながこのアルバムの中に見 つけてくれるだろうか？というみんなへのの問いかけそのものだね。

01. Not yet
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

Pretty much the album opening! I guess it's a flat-out question. I've encrusted the entire album with secrets... secrets of people... secrets which have various meanings of various assortments.

And also, the miracle leading up to here. The term "miracle" is close to my heart... Finishing this album -- that has been a miracle = my heart. I didn't make this miracle happen, but I feel like it has happened because of various people other myself = the staff involved and everyone else related. Those 2 have been the base of this album. This opening song is really a question to everyone listening to these "secrets" and "miracles", asking if they will find them in the album.

02. until that Day...
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

ａｙｕ：これはもともとＣＭＪＫさんがインすと用につくってきた曲で、スゴイ短い曲だったんだけど、ギター の感じやＢメロの感じがスゴイ好きでで、是非フルの（１曲の）曲としてつくって欲しいってお願いした。書き たい事は当初曲を聴いた時から浮かんでて、伝えたいって詞は頭の中にあるから、ＣＭＪＫさんの曲を待ってた 。で、待ってたんだけど、いざあがってきたら、言葉をのせるのがすっごい難しくて（苦笑）。

ミスターkaz：ちょっとした早口状態だもんね。

ａｙｕ：そう。あの音符の連打のところに言葉をのせるのがスゴイ難しい。伝えたい事はあるんだけど、音符に 合う言葉、ブレス（呼吸）もするから良きところで切ったりもしなきゃいけない、それが難しくて。言葉のパズ ルみたいなのを家でやってた。

ミスターkaz：伝えたい言葉の持つ意味と似たような意味を持つ類義語を書き出して組み合わせる作業をした って事？

ａｙｕ：そう！床に置いた紙に書きたい言葉やその言葉の類義語をたくさん書いて、で、その紙を並べて、順番 を変えたりしながら、組み合わせていった。いつも書くやり方とは全然つくり方が違ったね。

ミスターkaz：コレは５文字だからダメとか・・・。

ａｙｕ：そうそう！“楽しい”という言葉を３つの音＝他の３文字の言葉で言うと何とかとかね。で、試行錯誤 頑張って一応当てはめられたけど、今度は本当に伝えたい意味が伝わらなくなってしまったりして・・・。言い たい事（伝えたい事）を言う（書く）のが１番だから、そこを守りながら、で、言葉数を合わせなきゃならない のはホントに難しかったよ（苦笑）。

ミスターkaz：テンポもかなり早いしね！

ａｙｕ：あんなに早くてほぼ同じような音をキープしてという曲はなかったなぁ。詞の世界は、私はスゴク前向 きなつもり、でもスタッフなんかに感想を聞いたら、切ないとかスゴク悲しくて泣いた、なんて人もいたんだよ ね！

02. until that Day...
words: ayumi hamasaki
music & arrangement: CMJK

ayu: This was originally a song made by CMJK to be used as an instrumental. It was really short, but I really loved the feel of the guitar and the B-melody, so told him I'd love it if he could make it a full-length song. Ever since I first heard the song, I had in mind what I wanted to write about. The lyrics I wanted to express were in my head, so I was just waiting for CMJK's song. So I waited, but once it came, it was so hard to fit the words to it! (Hehehe)

mister kaz: It's rattled off pretty fast, huh?

ayu: Yeah. It was so hard to make the words hit right on the notes. I had something I wanted to say, but fitting the words to the notes, as well as having to always cut at a good spot for breaths, it was difficult. I made a kind of word puzzle at home.

mister kaz: Like... you wrote down and combined synonyms with the same meaning as those of the words you wanted to express?

ayu: Yeah! On pieces of paper, I would put down words I wanted to write, as well as synonyms for those words. Then, I'd line up the papers, and combine them as I changed around the order. I made this song very differently from the way I usually write.

mister kaz: Like "This won't work because it has 5 characters..."?

Ayu: Right, right! Like, saying "tanoshii" as 3 sounds = how would it be if I said a different 3 character word? So at first it was a lot of trial-and-error, but this time it got to be so that I just had to express what I wanted to express. It's most important to say what you want to say, but it's really hard to stick to that and still make the word-count match up.

mister kaz: And the tempo is pretty fast, too!

ayu: I hadn't had such a fast song that really kept more or less the same sound. In the world of lyrics, I really try to be positive, but when I heard the impressions of my staff, there were some who got really heartbroken or sad and cried!