[English Translation]
Saku -“FIGHT LIKE A GIRL”
Interview & text by Yasuo Murao
Saku, the singer-ongwriter who has energetically been continuing her music activities while working as a fulltime staff at the nationwide CD retailer chain, Tower Records, has finally completed her first ever album. If the 2 EPs released in the past were positioned as the 'hop' and 'step' towards her dream, this latest album, "FIGHT LIKE A GIRL" serves as the ‘jump’ that makes a great leap forward. Her footsteps and growth as a musician are all etched firmly in this one album.
"I've felt that my musicality had become fuller and richer by releasing the 2 EPs in the past. Also, having been taught the various kinds of music by my colleagues or seniors at work helped a lot. Given the great input there, I wanted to let it all out in the album".
The members who supported this all-alive and enthusiastic artist include proficients such as singer and producer Hideki Kaji (on bass), WATARU.S from rock band SISTERJET (on guitar) or Shuichiro Saito from the 3-piece rock band, Analogfish (on drums). Also welcoming as the all-around producer Jin Yoshida, the one half of the new wave unit SALON MUSIC, and being produced under a watertight structure, the album kicks off with the girly-grunge title track with Saku's guitar wildly blaring out.
"This track is influenced by the Smashing Pumpkins, and the tentative title was
Just for the record, the Cure was what she learnt from the seniors at Tower Records and of which their song is now a standard number at her live performances. Additionally, the track "SAKU-TV" is based on a track that was originally made at the request of Tower Records for the use at the company's sale, and is loaded with bouncy beats reminiscent of that certain Ramones song we know. The first half of the album runs aggressively with guitar rock numbers that 'sound as if someone is blasting out the songs of Sonic Youth or My Bloody Valentine', but the latter shifts to sounds more electronic. The track "Lost In Translation", in particular, is one that represents the sound of
"Ever since I started to write songs using DTM, I've become more than ever able to embody the sounds I portray in my mind", explains Saku happily. As the sound enjoys increased breadth, an increase in expressiveness was required also of the vocals more than ever, but Saku explains, "Through the recording process, I discovered that the cross-over between the cuteness and huskiness was the characteristic of my singing voice". She also adds "It is now my aspiration to make songs that utilizes this voice", explaining that she now has a new goal in sight. At any rate, this album packed with Saku's 'now' can be seen as a declaration of war from Saku the musician, just as the title indicates. Concurrently with the release of this full album, her major label debut single "START ME UP" will also be released, and it's increasingly hard not to keep our eyes on her upcoming activities.
"Listening to all kinds of music, it makes me want to do this and do that, and there arises the ego as a musician. I think that is a kind of toxin, but I want to keep treasuring that toxin. Also, I am always carrying this [goddammit!] feeling when working for music and many other things. I know the word [goddamm] is a bit foul as a language, but don’t you think ‘goddammit’ has a kind of a positive feel to it? I feel like the [it] bit is packed with a forward-thinking sense, like [giving IT a shot]. I hope to carry on working with music with that kind of positiveness and toxin. Well, I might end up with a nasty personality though (laughs)”.
