WEBVTT - A conversation with Yoasobi, Japan’s biggest international act

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<v Speaker 1>Hello and welcome to the Monaco Weekly. This time I

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<v Speaker 1>had the pleasure to interview Yaobi, the incredibly successful Japanese

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<v Speaker 1>duo that is conquering the global charts. I've met both

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<v Speaker 1>of them at the Barbican Center after the duo headlined

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<v Speaker 1>two nights at Wembley, London this June. Here is my

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<v Speaker 1>conversation with both the composer Ayase and vocalist Ikura.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to ask about your band. You, I believe

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<v Speaker 1>one of the fir the first Japanese acts to top

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<v Speaker 1>the global charts of Billboard. So are you happy that

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<v Speaker 1>you're having kind of this fan base, not only in

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<v Speaker 1>Japan but outside from Indonesia to the UK to the US?

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<v Speaker 1>Tell us how, how, how are you feeling about that

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<v Speaker 1>kind of success outside Japan.

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<v Speaker 2>What

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<v Speaker 2>humbled and honored.

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<v Speaker 2>Very pleased with the reception. It's amazing. I'd never expected

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<v Speaker 2>this level of reception really when we started, but through

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<v Speaker 2>social media we do receive a lot of messages, direct

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<v Speaker 2>messages from fans, and it's just wonderful to see them.

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<v Speaker 2>And when we play live as well, we do get

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<v Speaker 2>to see the firsthand reactions and interact with them as

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<v Speaker 2>we saw in Wembley as well, so it's been.

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<v Speaker 2>It's been amazing and we hope that it would carry on.

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<v Speaker 1>I was in Wembley on Sunday as well. It was

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<v Speaker 1>an amazing, amazing. So, so tell us, where else have

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<v Speaker 1>you been in Europe? I know you've been also to Spain,

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<v Speaker 1>to the Primavera festival. Uh, so tell us a bit

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<v Speaker 1>more about which countries have you visited.

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<v Speaker 2>So on this tour, those two locations, so Spain, Primarera

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<v Speaker 2>and Wembley to will end. However, we'd love to visit

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<v Speaker 2>other destinations and we cannot wait to meet the fans

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<v Speaker 2>and play there.

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<v Speaker 1>One question, I, I wanna ask the connection of Yobi,

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<v Speaker 1>the duo with uh Japanese literary scene, because I think

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<v Speaker 1>there's a strong connection. Uh, there's the Monogatari as well. Uh,

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder if you can explain a little bit more

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<v Speaker 1>about that.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>so all the songs are based on writing stories and

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<v Speaker 2>but um in Japan, so that there are many different mediums,

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<v Speaker 2>whether it be from books, anime, manga, and all of

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<v Speaker 2>them are interconnected and we do um represent that style

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<v Speaker 2>as well, which is slightly unusual, but um I hope

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<v Speaker 2>that um the audiences get to enjoy the entirety of

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<v Speaker 2>the medium and representation.

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<v Speaker 1>So it's not simply just a pop song. It's a

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<v Speaker 1>little story,

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<v Speaker 2>right? We are

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<v Speaker 2>producing pop songs. However, there is always a background, more

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<v Speaker 2>of a depth and the context through stories that we

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<v Speaker 2>are basing all those songs on. And through that understanding, um,

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<v Speaker 2>music becomes a lot more three dimensional. So it is,

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<v Speaker 2>I see it as more of a new form of entertainment.

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<v Speaker 2>And we produce music in J-pop genre, which I'm very

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<v Speaker 2>proud of. It's something that I love and I want

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<v Speaker 2>to continue um this act. And so through the J-pop

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<v Speaker 2>songs that we produce, we hope that um everyone gets

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<v Speaker 2>to enjoy Japanese culture and this new form of um entertainment.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, you're certainly both representing Japan very well and as

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<v Speaker 1>a big fan of Japanese music, even from the 80s,

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<v Speaker 1>I would like to know from both of you what was.

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<v Speaker 1>Your influences, music influences, could it be a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of city pop as well, I don't know. I, I wonder,

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<v Speaker 1>I would like to hear from both of you on

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<v Speaker 1>that one.

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<v Speaker 2>I grew up listening to notable Japanese musicians, and the

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<v Speaker 2>front runners at the time. Um, so Anahi, Yi, Ikimonoakari

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<v Speaker 2>are the ones that I can think of right now.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, if I were to give you an example, um,

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<v Speaker 2>also Japanese bands as well, such as Wims and

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<v Speaker 2>But my parents um were an influence in the sense

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<v Speaker 2>that I did listen to the music that they listened

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<v Speaker 2>to in the 80s and the 90s, for example, Yin,

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<v Speaker 2>Yumi Mattoya and Southern Oars as well. And so all

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<v Speaker 2>those um wonderful musicians have influenced me and I think

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<v Speaker 2>they exist within, as an essence, um, musical influence.

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<v Speaker 2>Uh, for me, yes, um, I have been greatly influenced

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<v Speaker 2>by the J-pop, J-pop as well as folk songs. So, um, yes,

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<v Speaker 2>I have been influenced by Yumi Mastoya, as well as

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<v Speaker 2>Maria Takeuchi and Kubotashinobu as well. Um, so leading on

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<v Speaker 2>to that, I love, um, Japanese R&amp;B as well as

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<v Speaker 2>hip hop.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, um, so both of those genres I love. But I,

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<v Speaker 2>so I was in a band actually, um, my previous

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<v Speaker 2>band music was a lot harder than you be sounds. So, um,

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<v Speaker 2>within that line, I love um metal core, hardcore, and

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<v Speaker 2>so I was very um.

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<v Speaker 2>I was very excited to see the picture of Slipknot

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<v Speaker 2>being displayed in Wembley Arena.

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<v Speaker 1>The.

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<v Speaker 1>One of my surprises on Sunday, uh, of course, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>a fan of your music, but I never seen you live.

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<v Speaker 1>He felt sometimes at like a rock concert, and that

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<v Speaker 1>you're singing the beats. He was very, very energetic. So

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<v Speaker 1>I see a lot of rock in you. Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>My

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<v Speaker 1>pleasure. And I'd like to ask, I know you just

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<v Speaker 1>released a recent, uh, single, Watch Me. But what's the

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<v Speaker 1>next plans? Because you've just finished as our tour in Japan,

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<v Speaker 1>sold out, many places.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you resting a bit or are there new new

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<v Speaker 1>music coming out or new gigs?

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<v Speaker 2>No, in fact, um, we actually have to wait for

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<v Speaker 2>us which is happening in Japan in 4, so we

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<v Speaker 2>will be playing these shows but for the next week,

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<v Speaker 2>we will be staying in Europe and we use, we

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<v Speaker 2>will use that as an period. So we will try

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<v Speaker 2>and absorb as much as possible. I'm enjoying being in Europe.

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<v Speaker 2>And yeah, that's our plan.

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<v Speaker 1>I

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<v Speaker 1>would like to know because I know the Japanese consume

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<v Speaker 1>music in a different way, like CDs, vinyls are still

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<v Speaker 1>very big in Japan. What do you think of that? How,

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<v Speaker 1>how do you see the Japanese music market compared to

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<v Speaker 1>other places where it's more about streaming? I prefer the

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<v Speaker 1>Japanese way. I love CDs and and physical media, but. Um.

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<v Speaker 2>is that Japanese music scene has shifted more towards streaming

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<v Speaker 2>as well. Um, so they don't sell as well as before. Um,

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<v Speaker 2>most of the people listen to music through streaming CDs.

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<v Speaker 2>Vinyls are being bought as a memorabilia really, especially for

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<v Speaker 2>those um fans who love the music and they just

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<v Speaker 2>want to keep uh just want to buy it for

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<v Speaker 2>as a keepsake. So that does still exist, but mainly, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>people tend to just listen to streaming, so maybe not

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<v Speaker 2>that different to the rest of the world.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you both Ayasi and Ikura. I'm a big fan

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<v Speaker 1>here and for more information on Yobi and the upcoming concerts,

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<v Speaker 1>go to Y O A S O B I dash music.jp.

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<v Speaker 1>The show was edited by Elliot Greenfield, and I am

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<v Speaker 1>Fernando Gusta Pacheco. Thank you for listening.