Fresh off their big break at long last, we interviewed the three girls of techno-pop unit Perfume about their well-received new album GAME and even their relationship to each other in this close-up on their charms!
―― Your rather dancefloor-oriented album GAME, fully produced by Nakata Yasutaka, has been completed. A~chan: Nakata-san brought us really insanely cool and aggressive-sounding songs again this time. They’re not all songs meant to appeal to everybody — I guess you could say they have some peculiarities. It feels like, “Have we gone a little too far?” (laughs) Nocchi: But I think it’s good that we took it to the extreme. We’re really happy about it personally. Kashiyuka: When I first heard it, I thought it was different from how Perfume has been in the past. Before, our music as Perfume was cute and sweet, but every song on this album has a strong, assertive color to it. But you don’t get sick of it even when you listen all the way through. It feels like you want to hear it again; even just listening to it myself, I thought it was cool. Maybe I feel like an outside party (laughs).
―― Even your singles like “Polyrhythm” sound different in the context of the album. Nocchi: I agree. We’ve sung “Chocolate Disco” and “Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow” for the past year or so, but even they sound really fresh on the album. I think there’s a noticeable difference image-wise between our singles and the new tracks, but I believe the track order Nakata-san chose might’ve been able to cover that. A~chan: The cover art and costumes are all totally different from before, but nothing about Perfume has changed. I think that might be the good point of our album this time. Kashiyuka: I’m glad we got to show each of our individual personalities, too.
―― Your idiosyncrasies certainly did come through rather clearly. What kind of character does Kashiyuka have in Perfume? A~chan: Her mere presence is cute. I think of her as someone who doesn’t need to do anything more than just exist. She’s like a poster girl or a mascot. Nocchi: She’s always smiling and tends to listen to the conversation from the side. But every once in a while, she really talks. Kashiyuka: That sounds more like you (laughs). A~chan: Nocchi has started talking more, too.
―― Then what is A~chan’s character like? Nocchi: The sun. Not illuminated by someone else, but emitting a light from inside herself. Kashiyuka sparkles, too, but A~chan makes people shine. I think she’s good at drawing out a person’s character and interesting qualities. Even our current manager was developed by A~chan like this (laughs). Kashiyuka: A~chan is the driving force behind Perfume. If A~chan is feeling sluggish, then we all feel sluggish, and when she gets like “OK, let’s do this!” we all leap into action (laughs). She even drags our staff into it, so she’s a moodmaker who can change around the vibe of any situation.
―― And lastly, how about Nocchi’s character? Kashiyuka: Nocchi is refreshing. She never says anything bad, and I think she’s a professional, work-oriented type. Even though she’s a total recluse in her private life, she does her job responsibly. A~chan: Right, right, she’s always sleeping at home (laughs). I think Nocchi has a really strong attitude towards work. She’s rational and puts everything in order one at a time. There are things I can learn from her. But Nocchi doesn’t have a lot of friends (laughs). Kashiyuka and I keep in pretty close contact, but I don’t talk to Nocchi as much. Nocchi: You guys are in contact? Kashiyuka: You don’t know? (laughs) A~chan: When Perfume ends, I feel like I’ll lose contact with Nocchi, so I hope for us to cooperate with each other in the future (laughs).
―― (laughs) At present, you’re currently in the middle of a nationwide tour and have even added extra dates. Nocchi: When I heard that the tickets sold out that fast, I was ridiculously happy. We also went to see Yokohama BLITZ [where an additional performance will be held] from the outside and it was so big. A~chan: We all had a round of applause (laughs). My hopes have really gone up. It’s our first time touring unaccompanied, too. Kashiyuka: I want to make every concert as hot as Tokyo!
<aside> 📎 Kamiya Koichi for @pia (May 8, 2008)
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