DCT Interview in Asahi Weekly this week

[tachikaze]

http://www.asahi.com/english/weekly/feature/index.html

"Sweet Dreams Come in Paris".

(that's, uh, a typo. Should be 'Pairs'.)

the picture is basically what I saw in concert 10/16, though Miwa was more directly in front of me.

Here's a rough translation:

DREAMS COME TRUE, for short "dorikamu", there probably isn't anyone who hasn't heard vocalist Yoshida Miwa's carefree singing voice.

Dorikamu, debuting15 years ago, "If Sunny, Good, huh?", "LOVE LOVE LOVE", etc. many hit songs produce, now New York based, in America's music scene are spending half the year.

Crossing over language and culture barriers, what "dreams" do they want to realize?

For one day in early spring, at Setagaya, Tokyo studio, I met with both Yoshida Miwa and Nakamura Masahito.

(reporter Akamoto Mariko)

"For your 30 year anniversary since first publishing, congratulations!" at the very start, I received dorikamu's voice together congratulations.

Nakamura-san in school-age working as a newspaper delivery agent, "delivered AW" maybe.

In japanese or english usage, "dorikamu's the same, right" when Nakamura-san says, "yes, we are Asahi Weekly!" replies Miwa-san. [Asahi Weekly is bilingual, IIRC]

With this frank pair the interview has become enjoyable.

The pair has just returned to Japan from America after finishing recording the to-be-released on May 6 2nd solo album "beauty and harmony 2".

Coproducer Al Schmitt, 11 grammy-winning big shot.

For the recording, many first-rate American musicians participated, starting with David T. Walker.

Yoshida-san, taking a hand in songwriting these several years, being conscious of american life, came to create several english songs.

But, this time, the new album recorded songs are all japanese.

This is a little unexpected, but from her own name "Miwa" being attached to the project, this a special unique issue, "only Japanese" was decided.

"As for the people I worked with together this time, the very music I listened to growing up, including the hundreds of times played and replayed records, they are music world giants who have come to make this.

"While born in Japan, while listening to their music, I came to make my own music using japanese as a tool.

For me to work together with them here&now has special meaning.

In the end, I am Japanese."

By performing with the very musicians who deeply influenced me, I wanted to emphasize my own background.

This time, lyricist Miwa-san chose to use her own words, in japanese.

But, there's absolutely no reason to abandon english writing and performing.

"The english sphere exists above America, and there english widely across the world is words, and I don't want to neglect making songs with these words.", Yoshida-san says.

Until now, the english writing has been with native lyricists working back and forth together.

But, since this often caused stress, somehow with her own strength she wanted to become able, she says.

because of this, Yoshida-san's english acquisition purpose is becoming considerably high.

"When co-writing, I have to explain what I want to express.

"Why is this word used? That which in Japanese comes unconsciously then has to turn toward consciousness."

While that can serve as an explanation, words I have chosen by my own sensitivity have ended up rejected with "that's wrong in english".

Even on claiming artistic characteristic, it's not accepted.

Moreover, if the lyric's words in the first place might be "wrong", doubts surface.

When I don't understand and try to ask everybody, but everybody disagrees.

[it's] already beautifully [written].

So, after all, until I can do that properly myself, I think I won't be able to convey my own music.

As for getting up to the same level as japanese lyrics, "I think maybe it won't happen", but even through that I want to pursue.

On the other hand, not only do I think the very japanese people's sensitivity "absolutely exists" in english expression, I don't want to lose this part [in the translation].

This (doing english) is probably hard to understand, but at the same time that's the probably characteristic, isn't it?

So I want to have good meaning remain.

But as for that, as can be expected, even if we say to not get that ability of judgement strength won't work, when I think of this this long road, Miwa-san can be said to become "a little dejected".

Overcoming these hardships, in the first place, is why dorikamu is sticking to America, probably.

In 1997, making a base in America, "Staying by ourselves [on our own] is OK".

Since then, for domestic tour travelling far was necessary,Å@but generally the life of travelling between Japan and America is continuing.

"When we first got here, we thought we would go to the places where the music we grew up on was created, and listen.

Here was born the music I grew up on, we are now, that this is the music that we are now producing", says Miwa-san, "we wanted to return the favor... to get american people to listen to our music" Nakamura nods.

The pair immersed in the various genres of american soul, jazz, pops music in their salad days. So the thought of going to america was was held close to the chest back during their time of debut.

Upon going to america, "they won't listen to you without english", they sang all songs in English, and even as MC they communicated in english.

But when looking back now, Miwa thinks "we labored strangely".

"From about the previous year, something's become different" I began to think.

America is a country of immigrants.

There's various nationalities, but they are living with their respective cultures they've brought with them.

When I became aware of that, I understood "stay here by ourselves [on our own] was OK".

Last year in the summer and fall, at the shows we played in America, that's why english songs and japanese songs were half and half.

The process of getting the stage show actualized in America required english for everything.

Nakamura-san, working as the management too, particularly suffered at first because words and culture was different.

But, getting accustomed to the American circumstances, and gathering local staff that could be relied upon, now it's become possible for things to go forward all in english, and you become suddenly aware that now half the music that's delivered is in Japanese.

"Don't you think this is extremely funny?" Nakamura says searchingly with deep emotion.

Nakamura-san majored in english and american literature.

Even though he was proud of his english, when he first came to America, "can't communicate" inferiority complex was occasionally.

I could do it, I think, by a "I don't want to be laughed at" attitude.

I was the type in denial that by using the small chunk of compulsory education thought of native speakers of english: 'I haven't learned that, so you're wrong', he laughs.

But, for Nakamura-san, english is now changed to an "extremely interesting" thing.

"English changes moment by moment. That's it's charm, I think. Various types of people gradually make up words, pronunciation and grammar get broken. Hip-hip lyrics, you have no idea what education these people normally received. Once you remember that, the next week it keeps changing."

Upon coming to America, the one thing I understood was "proper english is not anywhere".

Especially in New York, where from all over the world various types of people gather, it's not at all necessary to worry about pronunciation and so on.

"There's no one who thinks if you're being stupid for not being able to speak. There isn't itself a way of thinking of being stupid. "That's it". But, in contrast to that, you only have to have no feeling of being too embarrassed, in order to be able to talk as a partner.

Above going to live in such a place, Nakamura-san thinks one important thing is to somehow "By myself I can get by maybe".

That's not being self-conscious or having an inferiority complex about not being skillful in english, but continuing to protect one's own nature. Nakamura-san learned the importance of that in the management work.

In American meetings, the participants each say what they want, respectively. If I just listen without speaking, the employer side of me, without my pronouncement things won't get wrapped up. In any case I have be able to say what must be said.

As for the method of being able to say, make clear each phrase in each language, speaking with true feelings. I wasn't ever fluent in speaking.

The meaning of this, Nakamura-san doesn't think, even with english songs, native-level pronunciation is necessary.

"If you can be accepted with 'Your own english', isn't that good enough?" asked to Iceland-born pop singer Bjork.

I want Yoshida to make even with her own english like that. So getting rather perfect, we'll end up becoming "one of them", right?

[revised the following graf with help from a native speaker here]

But, Yoshida-san's thinking seems a little different. Yoshida-san's english pronunciation has been known for the excellence since before long. Her American staff accordingly tends to try to help her speak English perfectly, and in response to their effort she herself is so earnest that she says "I can talk with you on English pronunciation until tonight."

"It can also be said becoming one's own self is good. For example, in painting there is a lot of design basics to completely master, then above that your own style, color comes out, I think. I think one can soon learn to sing like somebody else, but that's bad. Imitation is just appearance [putting on airs?].

So until one how to use vocal cord throat part, completely understand and master, repetition training is what I want to do.

Well, what is that original DREAMS COME TRUE's "Dream"? "Success in the world" was what I was expecting as an answer to the question but...

"Still the same now. making good songs and have people listen to them." says Nakumura-san, the naming parent.

I don't feel the target [audience] I am directing my songs has got wider because I moved the site of activities to America.

"Always one person. Not making for the mass-oriented, I want to deliver to a single person's heart. We what we want to be able to do. Like how Marvin Gay's songs changed my life, music really has great power", says Yoshida-san.

Even if you don't understand the words, tears can come out, right? So, that music that I heard many years ago, I suddenly [BU-A-TTE] return to myself who listened then. It's that unfathomable power that music holds. We ourselves have listened to various music, from this awesome experience, by our own music that we produce, even if a few people can get that kind of thought. Don't you think that's an amazing thing?

[zberry]

Thank you very much for the translation. Greatly appreciated.

[bokusi]

Yes, thank you very much for providing this article to us. There is so little fan information available to us in the US, especially for those of us who do not speak or read Japanese.

Bokusi

[tachikaze]

There's very little now available about DCT in any language, I think. Their biggest success came just before the internet boom, 1992-1995. After that major exposure they kinda dropped off the pop culture radar a bit.

From "The Swinging Star" in '92 to Love Unlimited in '96 was a hell of a run, but their last blockbuster hit was LOVE LOVE LOVE in '95 (not to ignore their #1 "Asa-ga mata kuru" in early '99).

Japanese pop moved into "visual-kei" (gothic/glam rock) boy bands in the 90's. That and the rise of Komuro and Tsunku's monster projects.