Thanks to zagunsousan from YKDB for the translation!

Originally published at CDJournal.

[Ichikawa] It’s widely known that, in addition to releasing Anime and Movie OSTs and producing individual artist’s albums, Yoko Kanno is responsible for much CM music. That portion has only become available recently for download on iTunes as a compilation of CM music entitled ‘CM Yoko.’ At the time of this interview immediately after its release, it impressively reached the number one spot on the download rankings. I think it would be appropriate to say it was a highly anticipated release.

[YK] Having done commercial music for over 10 years, I began to wonder if it would be okay to release a CM compilation. Fortunately, having received recognition for anime music, there are people who are interested in my work. Of course, CM music is also tied to the clients and the various performers and singers, so it is difficult work to bring it all together. There are many things you cannot do or must not do, elements that you have to incorporate, and also a demanding deadline that you must absolutely meet. As the creator, because there is a lot of work that focuses on a target whether it is the client’s ideas or the trends with consumers of the products, I have a strong feeling that it is part of a job, so up until now I have been opposed to releasing my CM work as a product.

You have said “I haven’t counted, but I’ve probably done about 1000” CM songs; from which you chose 23 songs this time.

As a whole, I chose pieces that wouldn’t be found on an anime or game soundtrack, that were easygoing and exemplary of CM music, the type that you can say ‘this is what CM music is.’ Also from an artistic perspective, I chose pieces that show why CM music is interesting and its possibilities.

Though, it can’t be the case that you simply hand off the songs for the CD as they were made for the CM. To fulfill your duty to best convey the merits of the product you are dealing with, in a short period of time you must make use of various devices, but it is for the commercial. If you just take a look at what concerns the music, there are issues like if the voice of the narrator and the vocal are different, then the level of the vocal has to be significantly lowered, or how it sounds coming out of a television, or all the various workmanship details to capture the ear of the audience.

Because of that, if you just pull just the music from the commercial, the sound will clearly be strange and hard to listen to. For this CM compilation, because we wanted it to be just as listenable as ordinary music, we put some effort into renewing the sound so as not to have the sound quality differ. It was surprisingly a lot of work (laughs).

Listening to you speak, I am beginning to think being a musician is quite difficult, having your hands tied, the broadcasted sound being strange, but it is said that it is because there is that type of artistic sensibility and fashion that we enjoy playing in this unreasonable world. And, there is also something fascinating about this job that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

It is delightful to write music that can be heard all over Japan by men and women of all ages. And in CM music there are ‘hits.’ Commercials begin with the Sponsor and its large staff and are created as a team aimed at the single goal of selling the product. Sometimes the entire staff squarely ‘hits’ the goal. Doing this, the product also becomes a ‘hit.’ Rather than saying it went according to the creator’s blueprint, it is a moment which cannot be called anything other than a coincidental harmony. That is very exciting. The songs on this CM music compilation are songs that did just that.

A little while ago, I wrote that the number of CM songs you have written up until now was 1000, but that CM music is not all of what Yoko Kanno has written. How do you go about writing music and managing such a tremendous volume of work?

During staff meetings, while listening to the concerned parties, I often end up making it on the spot. Other than that, while taking walks, or riding cars perhaps. I don’t head to an instrument, you see. When a melody pops into my head, the finished song rings in my head so all I need to do is give it shape and record it. When a stylist sees someone, in that instant they know what look suits them. It’s similar to that. Nothing to do with trends or backgrounds, it’s what comes to me on the spot you see.

In a job with a high degree of difficulty, fulfilling both quality and quantity, she continues delivering the ‘hits.’ Yoko Kanno, frightening.

Ichikawa Makoto (September 2007)

Related Articles:

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• CD Release: CMYoko + 2
• New Yoko Kanno Interview for CMYoko
• It's Open Season! Ragnarok and CMYoko Lyrics Wanted!
• CMYoko Short Review
• Kanno's CM Music to be Published in iTunes Japan (updated)

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