New Sakura Gakuin band members wrote special messages after the release of Sakura Gakuin's 7th Studio Album "Yakusoku". The band members composed and re-recorded some of the most popular songs of the group. Read their messages translated below.
Sakura Gakuin band members and composers share messages about "Yakusoku"
- SAKURA GAKUIN BAND MEMBERS MESSAGES:
Takamune Negishi (Sound producer, Arrangement, Bass)
Even before, Sakura Gakuin had a strong sound, but now we tried to perform these famous-to-the-fukei songs in a full session. The girls captured us too, and they were singing even more cheerfully than before. I’d be really happy if you could enjoy the feeling of this dynamic movement. During work, we were able to sit down with the band and the staff to brainstorm ideas in a fun environment. I think you will be able to feel this earnest and calm air in the songs.
Message to Sakura Gakuin: If you work hard, you can do anything and you’ll have a bright future. Please try out many possibilities.
Mashiita (Drums)
It’s a totally different rock-arrangement from the original songs! Being on these drums, one of Rock’s most valuable assets, a Ludwig Drumkit made in 1964, I performed the best I could in each song, and gave a really rich performance! Although my impressions of the rock arrangement are different from the originals, we watched an important component of the songs, the girls’ dance moves, many times with the band members, and I enjoyed trying to make a fitting sound. As a drummer, my work got harder compared to the original songs, I had to think of new fill-ins (phrases) leading into the hooks, and it was really fun trying out new ideas.
Message to Sakura Gakuin: All these songs are wonderful, so I was incredibly excited to play them! Thank you!
Naoki Hayashibe (Guitar)
I hope you enjoy the new versions which have a different sound and different beats. Each of the 5 songs have their own charms and it was fun recording them.
Message to Sakura Gakuin: Aim to become Super Ladies and enjoy your school life.
Yasuhiro Nozaki (Keyboard)
I think the contrast between the cheerful organ part in Song for Smiling and the psychedelic organ part in Otomegokoro is interesting. I also feel we managed to perfectly match the sound to the singing of the girls. We worked on the songs by playing together, and we constructed each from the ground up, little by little like we were an actual band. Since these songs existed before, we took the choreographies as reference and thought about the arrangement and phrases while watching them. It was really fun.
Message to Sakura Gakuin: Please value your youth!
- SAKURA GAKUIN COMPOSERS, LYRICISTS & ARRANGERS:
Liner Notes, Melodic Solfege
Tomoya Kinoshita (arrangement, writer, composer)
Can I be honest? IT WAS SOO DAMN HARD! It’s the 8th song in the “Learning Series”. Moreover, it’s about Classical works! A bunch of super-famous songs. Putting those in one song was an incredibly daring plan so I said “I can’t fail with this” and started work prepared to die trying. All those songs have different tempos, beats and melodies all over the place. There are 6 works included in the song, but we initially had 15 that we re-organized over and over. As a result I think it became an interesting song full of ideas. When I saw the video of the girls dancing so cheerfully, I thought “I’m so glad I worked so hard” from the bottom of my heart. And being handed the baton of the "Learning Series"… I’ll try to stretch my limits. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Dabada Salad de C’est bon Avenue
Professor Sakamoto (Composer, arrangement)
Up until now we had songs about high-calorie foods like Hamburgers, Dorayaki and Omurice, but this time I tried to create a healthy and fresh song about salad with Acoustic guitar, Accordion and Drums in an 8-bit style. The 3 girls’ French pop-like harmonies and the really cute “dabada” parts are the best! Please definitely do the dabada part and sweat healthily to this song!
Emi Ineba (Lyrics)
It’s the 3rd gen Minipati’s second song. This time it’s about Salad. The 3 girls create the scenery of a Salad plate on a morning in Paris. First I got an illustration of the recipe, that’s how I started writing the lyrics. I tried putting all the ingredients into it. I think you can get better at cooking with music. To the people who will be eating it, to the people who will be listening to it, I hope you can feel excitement and love in this song. I want to see the 3 cute girls singing and dancing soon!
Delta, EHAMIC (Writer, composer, arrangement)
With all members of the original science club graduating and new members taking their places, Kurashima-san, Okada-san, Okazaki-san, while being great successors to the passion and determination of their predecessors, they gave a new charm to this song! This song includes names of incredibly radiant and noticeable stars. They performed this song at festivals and external concerts a lot, and having it performed at many places many people could enjoy this beautiful performance. I don’t think I have to say that this shining is all thanks to their growth and daily training. Isn’t it great having a song with this much meaning on the album, moving into the 2017 nendo.
Yubikiri, Takashi Yamaguchi (Writer, composer, arrangement)
The separation with graduation is a promise of meeting at another place. While watching their concerts, I always felt their positivity, so it took a long time to arrive at the word “Yubikiri”. Even if they couldn’t express their feelings properly they started sympathizing with each other the same way one by one. This song could only exist with their passion and kindness. I’m glad I could present a song at this important milestone. Please keep making these lovely moments. Congratulations on graduating.
Marshmallow iro no kimi to, cAnON (Writer, composer)
When I heard that this song was selected to be rearranged I ended up replying with “What? Marshmallow?!” (Laughs).
This is a song for the graduating students leaving the nest, so more than just composing a sweet sound that draws attention to the painfulness in the original arrangement, I was honestly a bit uneasy about giving a rock sound to a song which has cute things like plushies in it. But Mashiita’s drumming won me over and when I heard it I thought it was really fitting, or should I say it didn’t feel artifical and sounded really cool. „Ah these are the people of rock” I thought. It was a real eye opener for me!
Otomegokoro, cAnON (Writer, composer)
It was my first song written for Sakura Gakuin and along with Friends, it’s a song I’m really attached too. I tried making it more rock-ish at that time too, but I couldn’t do it by myself. It feels like my "Otomegokoro" went out dressed nicely and came home in a stylish White shirt and jeans, I was so shocked and moved! I was especially impressed by the raw/dry sound of Hayashibe-san’s guitar solo’s and riffs, I got numb. The singing of the 2016 Nendo girls also sounds really impactful, they don’t want to lose to the band! It’s really lovely!
Mikansei Silhouette, cAnON (Writer, composer)
It’s a song I worked on for half a year through many trials and tribulations. The hard work and loneliness of that Nendo’s seniors, and the growth of the members that I heard from the teachers. I tried to weave all of that into this song. The song also reminds me of my growth as a writer in this half a year. I like the original sweet and sour arrangement by Sakabe-san, but the groove of Negishi-san’s bass and Nozaki-san’s heart-wrenching piano solo are incredibly amazing!!!
The band members involved with the rearrangement, starting with the supervisor, Negishi-san, were parts of bands like KomeKome, Vehicle and Kururi. which were part of my youth too. I was so surprised and happy when I heard I would work together with these people! The people who gave me this wonderful opportunity, the teachers, the members, the fukei, I’m incredibly grateful to you. And to the members of the band, Negishi-san, Mashiita-san, Hayashibe-san and Nozaki-san, thank you, so, so much!
Identity, cAnON (Writer, composer)
The teachers told me to 'Try creating a song featuring adult-ness' so I tried putting more challenging phrases into the melody and the lyrics. It’s a song painting the dilemma and conflict of 'Clearing out my own path, and having responsibility' of 'Freely being yourself'. I was a bit afraid if the members and fukei will accept it, but thanks to the teachers and A-bee-san, the song got refined even more. I hope you can feel the new charms of the girls’ short harmonies!
A-bee (arrangement)
It was my first time arranging a song. Through trial and error, I think I was able to merge my personality with Sakura Gakuin’s. I think it created a good 'chemical reaction', so please try and enjoy it from this point of view too!
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Article by: Sakura Gakuin band members.
Translation by: Iwashi
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