Ibuki Magazine Masato Nakamura Interview

General talk about everything Dreams Come True related
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Johnny
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Ibuki Magazine Masato Nakamura Interview

Post by Johnny » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:11 am

http://www.ibukimagazine.com/arts-a-ent ... -come-true

One of Japan’s seminal pop bands, DREAMS COME TRUE, is coming to North America after a nine-year absence. The three-city, four-concert tour, called “DREAMS COME TRUE WONDERLAND 2011, THE NIGHT WITH DREARMS COME TRUE in the USA supplied by Pocari Sweat,” starts on the night of Oct. 1 in Los Angeles, followed by concerts in Seattle on Oct. 5 and New York on Oct. 9-10. Ibuki’s Misa Murohashi talked to Masato Nakamura with Skype Video Call while the band was rehearsing in Tokyo.

Ibuki: DREAMS COME TRUE Wonderland happens every four years so that you can play your greatest hits live. You decide which songs to play based on fan requests. When you looked at the results of the voting this time, did you have any thoughts?

Nakamura: In the past, the top songs tended to be the classic hits, but this time, with the top song, “Nando Demo” and No. 3 “Osaka Lover,” the trend was toward newer songs. It was a happy surprise.

Ibuki: Please tell us if you’ve decided some of the songs for your Seattle set.

Nakamura: We’d like to keep the Seattle crowd guessing for now. But of course, there will be lots of songs that have been requested by our fans.

Ibuki: It’s been more than 20 years since your debut in 1989. You have devoted fans of all ages and many famous songs, but are there songs that have a deep meaning for you? Songs from each decade that stand out for you?

Nakamura: Of course there are “Ureshii! Tanoshii! Daisuki!“ and “Mirai Yosouzu II“ but one song that left a deep impression on me is “LOVE LOVE LOVE“. Lately, I really like songs such as “Nee“ and “TRUE, BABY TRUE.“ where Yoshida has written the lyrics. They’re becoming important songs for us in my opinion. But it’s really hard to choose.

Ibuki: I like “Kessen Wa Kinyoubi“ and – I may sound a bit like a maniac – “IT’S SO DELICIOUS“

Nakamura: You really know your stuff, don’t you? (laughs) Fans who like that sort of funk from DREAMS COME TRUE have some deep knowledge.

Ibuki: As for your recent releases, “Sono Saki e,” which features FUZZY CONTROL, is nice to listen to and a wonderful tune.

Nakamura: That song represented a new challenge after we had the chance to meet the wonderful FUZZY CONTROL band. This Wonderland tour will feature three members of FUZZY CONTROL. They’ll be coming to Seattle, too. But I can’t say if we’ll play “Sono Saki e.” (laughs)

Ibuki: We can’t wait!

Nakamura: We’ll leave the rest to your imagination! (laughs)

Ibuki: When you are creating music, do you get any influence from the American music scene?

Nakamura: I really like soul music. From the beginning, when we started DREAMS COME TRUE, the concept was to take Miwa Yoshida's music and arrange it in a soulful way. I love Earth, Wind and Fire. Also, our record company (DCT records) has put out three records by David T. Walker, who has been making music since the Motown days. He's a great guitarist. Musicians like that influence me a lot.

Ibuki: Lately, what sort of music have you been listening to?

Nakamura: Definitely Lady Gaga. But I listen to everything from heavy metal to rap. Yoshida likes to listen to lots of music too. We always buy lots of CDs and check them out, no matter the genre.

Ibuki: A wide range!

Nakamura: Well, it's been said since long ago that there aren't really any genres in music. Yoshida and I are both big fans of music no matter the genre. We'll listen to anything. We also listen to Korean pop, which is trendy in Japan now.

Ibuki: So K-Pop is popular in Japan? In Seattle, it's hard to keep up with the Japanese music scene.

Nakamura: Yes. In fact it's not just trendy; it's extremely popular.

Ibuki: DREAMS COME TRUE has been steadily producing hits for more than 20 years. Do you ever consciously try to write a song that fits a current trend?

Nakamura: Rather than “consciously try,” I study current music. The core of DREAMS COME TRUE is Miwa Yoshida's music, so I think about how to best deliver that music to everyone. But we’re a clumsy band, so there are plenty of times when the delivery goes awry! (laughs)

Ibuki: Clumsy?! As a fan, I can say that whatever you play sounds great. The theme for this year’s Wonderland is “We took all the love we could.” When I think of DREAMS COME TRUE, I think of you singing about love. What’s love to you, Nakamura-san?

Nakamura: Love. What is love? Love has no strings attached. (laughs) There’s no need to look back. DREAMS COME TRUE sings about all aspects of love from passion to affection, the love between siblings, friends, even love of the world – Yoshida sings about all of it. In recent years, Yoshida has been sending messages about how we as people, as humans, as living beings should think and how we should evolve. That’s the sort of love DREAMS COME TRUE thinks about.

Ibuki: You played in Seattle in 2002. What were your impressions then?

Nakamura: Seattle has it all: mountains, ocean, lakes and a city. And the food from the mountains and the sea is delicious. The band members are excited about the visit.

Ibuki: Sushi in Seattle is surprisingly delicious. And recently, karaoke boxes have become popular. Of course, DREAMS COME TRUE is typically on the menu. It’s a region of the US that has a lot of interest in Japan, beginning with readers of Ibuki. I hope you have a great time in Seattle. Thank you for your time today.

Nakamura: Thank you too. I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the Oct. 5 concert in Seattle!
Masa and Miwa and Takahiro too
now a duo dreams come true. :)

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Johnny
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Post by Johnny » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:24 am

Sorry for the double post I just realized that the first tour date the 1st of October for DWL11 a night with dreams come true USA in Los Angeles is Masa's Birthday.
Masa and Miwa and Takahiro too
now a duo dreams come true. :)

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Jei
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Post by Jei » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:48 am

Thanks for the heads up! Great interview :)
-Jay
DCTJoy.Com - The Joy that is Dreams Come True
http://www.dctjoy.com/

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