多様な歌い手とのタッグで現出する新世界
「進撃の巨人」「アルドノア・ゼロ」といった人気アニメのみならず、映画／TVドラマ／ゲームなど多方面で活躍中の劇伴作家・澤野弘之が、ヴォーカル曲をメインに据えて2014年に立ち上げたプロジェクト、SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]。その第1弾となったAimerとのコラボ盤『UnChild』では、特有のハスキー・ヴォイスが「機動戦士ガンダムUC」の主題歌を筆頭とした重厚なオルタナ・チューンと出会うきっかけを作り、イツエの瑞葵ことmizukiを歌い手に抜擢した第2～3弾のシングル『A/Z｜aLIEz』“&Z”では、本隊と比較して、彼女の歌により直情的なエモーションを誘致した彼が、第4弾作品となる両A面シングル『X.U. ｜scaPEGoat』をリリースした。
荒廃した世界を舞台に人間と吸血鬼の戦いが描かれる「終わりのセラフ」のオープニング／エンディングを飾る本作は、それぞれが同アニメの2人の主役をイメージしたものだという。吸血鬼の殲滅部隊に属する百夜優一郎を投影した前者は、3か国語を操る20歳の女性新人ヴォーカリスト、Gemieの艶やかな激唱をスピード感溢れるビートに乗せたエレクトロック。そして後者は、元は人間だったものの、瀕死の怪我を負った際に敵の血を与えられたことで吸血鬼と化した百夜ミカエラの姿が重なる、スケール感のあるロック・バラード。同曲ではCrystal Lake、NOISEMAKER、wrong cityという次世代ラウド・シーンの注目株らと発表したスプリット盤『REDLINE RIOT!!』も記憶に新しいSurvive Said The Prophetのフロントマン・Yoshが起用され、センシティヴな絶唱で拭い去ることのできない哀愁を体現している。
改めて4作品を振り返ってみて思うのは、才能あるニューカマーを的確にフックアップする澤野の慧眼だ。公開される場／メディアに合わせた音でドラマティックな物語を紡ぐ楽曲の完成度はもちろん、SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]が毎回フレッシュな感動をもたらす理由は、そこにもあるのだろう。
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] “X.U.｜scaPEGoat”
Text by Mayumi Tsuchida
New world created through collaboration with various singers
SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] is a vocal song project launched in 2014 by Hiroyuki Sawano, Japanese musical accompaniment composer and musician who is known for his achievements in various fields including popular anime television series such as [Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)] and [Aldnoah.Zero], as well as many movies/TV dramas/games. On its first release "UnChild", a collaborative piece with Japanese female singer Aimer, he created an opportunity for her characteristic husky voice to encounter heavy alternative tunes, including the theme song for "Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn". On the second release "A/Z｜aLIEz" and the third "&Z" with mizuki of Japanese indie rock band ITSUE as the vocal, he brought more impulsive emotions to her vocal than she does so in her original band. And now, the project's fourth, a double A side single "X.U. ｜scaPEGoat", has been released.
Both tracks on the single, used for opening and ending theme songs for the anime series [Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign)"] in which humans and vampires fight in a devastated world, were written taking inspiration from the two main characters of the anime. The former that reflects the image of Yuichiro Hyakuya, who belongs to the army for vampire extermination, is an electro rock featuring 20-year-old, trilingual, new female vocalist Gemie's glossy singing on the beats filled with a sense of speed. And the latter that evokes Mikaela Hyakuya, an ex-human-turned-into-vampire after he was given blood of a vampire when he suffered a life-threatening injury, is a large-scale atmosphere rock ballad. Featuring Yosh, as the vocal, the front man of Japanese loud rock band Survive Said The Prophet whose split album "REDLINE RIOT!!" with other prominent next-generation artists in the ‘loud’ scene, such as Crystal Lake (Japanese metalcore band), NOISEMAKER (Japanese band) and wrong city (Japanese punk/metal/hardcore/screamo band) is still fresh in our minds, the song exemplifies pathos which can never be effaced from mind with his sensitive, emotional singing.
Looking back the above mentioned 4 works, I'm reminded anew, Sawano's keen eye for accurately hooking up talented newcomers. This might be one of the reasons why SawanoHiroyuki[nZk] never fails to amaze us with each new release, let alone his perfect songs that weave dramatic stories with the sounds appropriate for the venues/media where they are used.
