Hello! Project's Station '25 ~YT · TV · Radio · Magazines~

[Amped]

Airi says she will be CanCam magazine on 7/23. her CanCam photoshoot makeup :


and Digimono station magazine 6/25, her straight hair when shes going to wear headphones for the shoot

http://gree.jp/c_ute/blog/entry/668159821

[wotakubrandon]

I thought she was Sayumi for a second in the second picture.

[koregaboku]

1) Airi looks GORRRRRGEOUS for Cancam
2) Good for UF* (I'm assuming) pulling what strings they have at Cancam (Koharu's mag) to put one of their front girls in a magazine aimed at young-adult females!!!!!

[Amped]

a new article about H!P today
http://www.floor-net.jp/archives/3022%0A

a summary or translation would be nice.

[koregaboku]

I'm working on it. Partially so that Sohee doesn't have to kill himself (or herself?) doing it what with all the translations (s)he already does. I'll edit this post with the summary when I'm done.

Intro:
Help Me!! and Brainstorming/Kimi Sae... were back to back #1 hits, a feat that Mo-Musu hit last 11 years ago. This article will start with MM. as the main characters, looking into the rest of H!P and and interview with H!P's producer Tsunku to explore the recent rise in Idol x Dance Music.

Renai Hunter was the first foray into dubstep. Renai Hunter was only the start of a slew of songs that focused on dancing and their music videos paralleled that with intensive dance formations. Often times following a trend is how to make a hit but MM. is battling with an original style. It might not be necessary anymore for idols to sing "idol music".

H!P has lately been producing a lot dance music. Is there anything that triggered it?
MM. has always had dance music aspects. However until now there was something lacking which made it so that when an idol (group) did dance music it was always as if they were doing "happy go lucky" type of music. With the addition of Riho and Ayumi who are dancers this aspect changed. Of course all the members (eventually) learn how to dance but Riho and Ayumi are probably the first who can dance at the pro-level straight from the gate.

There's definitely been some dance essence in MM's past songs but it feels like it's getting stronger and stronger with Renai Hunter.
I always wanted to do songs with an edge but if you do it too much it overpowers the song. You have to make sure to hit a good balance or you lose the song. With Renai Hunter I was able to layer vocals together and play with them. MM.'s average age is pretty low so you can't do too much but the MM. right now seems to be able to take on any challenge. Before we used to take on these challenges on album tracks but now we're taking the challenge at the singles level.

What kind of conversations do you have with 大久保薫 and 平田祥一郎 who have been arranging a lot of songs lately like Renai Hunter, 1.2.3., and Berryz Asian Celebration disco sound?
Arrangers look for the right "sound" everyday. I personally try not to chase fads but EDM is such a large category that allows for a lot of creative freedom. I'm also trying to use less backtracks since Renai Hunter. Before we had Takahashi as a main vocal and there was a strong rock-flavor,with lots of guitar and strings. I'm trying not to bury MM songs in that anymore. The challenge of changing the style so dramatically is something I really enjoy. K-Pop has gotten a 5-10 year lead and I find myself trying to actively lessen that lead that they have.

In what ways do you see K-Popleading/widening the gap?
Syncopation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syncopation), how good their vibratos are, the use of vocals, timing, and rhythm. There's few people in Japan that use rhythm as a direction. There's a scarcity of people in the music industry of people that can do it. Unless you grow up or are around music that focus heavily on the rhythm, it's hard to create and hard to sing to.

Does that involve BPM?
In the eurobeat and disco, 124 was thought to be the max. During the para-para movement 140-160 became the norm. I think that a lot of songs are in the 130-140 BPM range. If it's too fast you run the risk of entering "happy go lucky" song territory.

Even though the songs are cool dance tracks that aren't too happy go lucky, they still have unique Tsunk-like lyrics.
I'm really thankful to be involve of the song writing/composing. It involves weighing how to lay the lyrics on top of the rhythm. There might be those who want to sing just one measure but lately I've been playing with cutting measures into pieces/syllables [translator's note: this explains 1.2.3, WkTk, Brainstorming, Crazy Kanzen na Otona].

Tell me your turning point in writing dance music?
At first I thought it was Summer Night Town (98). Abroad there was the Spice Girls and Destiny's Child within Japan there was SPEED and MAX. MM had a folky debut with Morning Coffee. I feel like they were accepted once they challenged dance music.
The next song has to be Love Machine (99). I was really happy to use the disco sound that was popular doing my junior and high school years.
After that I slowly tested the waters with Kono Chikyuu... (11), Pyoko Pyoko (12), and Renai Hunter (12). I think that this culminated in 1.2.3. and then I extended that to Berryz, C-ute, and S/mileage that raised the bar for the entirety of H!P.

Lately there's been a lot of Odotte mita! videos on youtube and niconico focused on H!P. Do you keep up to date with that?
I check it out when someone mentions it on twitter or if it becomes a media talking point. It especially makes me happy when people from overseas do it. The one with all guys was especially interesting.

Will the dance music continue for a while?
I think I'm lucky that this has been working so well. Even indies group Juice=Juice was able to dance oriented song and was well received. But who knows, if the right kind of vocalist comes along (for a different type of song) maybe the style will change again.

When it comes to producing what is it that you require?
A level of timing and star-quality is important. So is the artist's freshness. Especially when the artist is self motivated and they get a sparkle in their eyes you want to make a song for them. This makes it so that you have a great relationship with one another.

Lastly can you tell us what kind of sound you'd like to go for?
I want to do the max of what is allowed. For actual work I've done, I feel like the songs that I sound good on have been especially good lately. Songs like 1.2.3. and Help Me!! that sound just as good when an adult sings it. If you think too much about how an idol should be or music should be you can't break out of the box. I want to do songs that even I sound cool on as representatives of Japan and of Asia.



Holy crap. I didn't notice the interview with Ookubo Kaoru or the dance group guy. I'll do those later? I tired. Haha.

[Sohee]

♀。


Thank you ^^v

[zam_ho]

H!P has lately been producing a lot dance music. Is there anything that triggered it?

UpUpGirls... well Tsunku will never admit to that

[Sohee]

How is UUG's and H!P's recent singles related? I really don't hear it at all.
Japan's music scene and what's popular has changed, and Tsoonk is finally listening.

[Parhelion69]

Zam just wants to mention up up girls whenever he can

[Amped]

after an AKB discussion, Morning Musume was being praised by this person

[youtube]VoBXsKxfzsw[/youtube]

"Morning Musume's level of dance is different from AKB"
マツコ「今のモーニング娘。はAKBとはダンスのレベルが違う」

right now Morning Musume's dance is amazing
今のモーニング娘。のダンスはスゴい