Toko Furuuchi - Round 2

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
THE RETURN OF TOKO FURUUCHI
The popular singer/songwriter from Japan returned to NYC for another packed
performance, also a new album with a new sound.
By Dennis A. Amith
I
I’m not sure what to call it, but listening to Toko
Furuuchi’s latest album “PURPLE” (her 14th album), it was like listening to a rebirth of her music
and rarely do you listen to an album, enjoy it so
much and then wanting to ask the artist, what she
did differently? Why does this album sound so
different? Are you changing your style?
I don’t really know what it is about Toko Furuuchi
but not only did I find this new album to be sexy,
catchy and upbeat, “PURPLE” felt as if it was a
new music chapter in the life of one of Japan’s
most talented and highly sought-after singer/songwriters.
Toko Furuuchi has been belting out hit songs since her debut
in 1993 and her popularity was solidified by winning best album at the
1997 Nihon Record Taishou Awards ( Japan’s equivalent to America’s
Grammy Awards).
And to this day, Japanese audiences continue to go crazy whenever
her song “Dare Yori Sukinanoni” is sung at a live performance.
But I sense a new Toko Furuuchi with the release of her new album
“PURPLE” and I definitely had to know more about her latest approach to her music and if there was a change to it for her new album.
I recently interviewed Toko (our second interview since January
2009) before her Sept. performance at Joe’s Pub in New York City.
J!-ENT: Welcome back to the US! Having performed in New
York last year, it was a very romantic evening. And with
your music, you sing about love and romance. Are you a
true romantic at heart?
TOKO: Thank you! I’m so excited to the
U.S. to sing. Yes, of course I’m very romantic at heart.
J!-ENT: As you are known for your beautiful romantic ballads, I have to ask…
What are your favorite romantic ballads
from another artist that you just can’t
get enough of?
TOKO: I’ve always loved Quincy Jones’
“Just Once”. It is a very beautiful and sad
song.
J!-ENT: Last time, you mentioned you
were listening to a lot of Musiq Soulchild. What artists and songs have you
been listening to a lot lately?
TOKO: I’ve always loved Quincy Jones’
“Just Once”. It is a very beautiful and sad
song.
J!-ENT: 2009 was a wonderful year for
your career and here we are in 2010
with a new album “Purple”. I absolutely
LOVE this album and its been on repeat
on my playlist. But for those who are
familiar with your music in the past, how
would you describe this new album? Is
there a theme?
TOKO: In PURPLE, I’m singing about relationships that evolves. Not so much about
saying goodbye (laughing).
2 J!-ENT |
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OCTOBER 2010
Toko Furuuchi performing at Joe’s Pub in NYC in September 2010. Photo by Tatsuro Nishimura.
J!-ENT: The first thing I thought when
I listened to this album was this feeling of a new vibe with the tracks. It
was fresh, melodies were catchy and
it still maintains that romantic style
that you are known for but with more
deeper bass with an R&B pop style.
You’ve done it before but somehow
there was something about your album “PURPLE” that really stands out
compared to previous albums. Would
you agree?
TOKO: I love how you see it, thank you.
Well, I never meant to make something
“different” this time, but eventually, it
turned out to be something I’d never
done before, and that would be because the change of how I make songs?
I’m becoming more “digital”.
J!-ENT: How was the experience of
working on this album? And how
long was the process of writing the
songs, composing and recording?
TOKO: It took me about whole 1 year
to complete this album, though time
flied like it always does!
OCTOBER 2010
J!-ENT: I absolutely love the track
“LOVE SONGS”. It’s just an awesome, romantic love song and just a
wonderful slow jam. Can you please
tell me how this beautiful song was
created and did it take long to craft
the music around your lyrics. It’s an
awesome song!
TOKO:
I’d been singing “LOVE
SONGS” in concerts before it became
a full track. For months, I was singing
just one chorus of that song in front of
people with only the piano. Afterward,
my producer turned into a beautiful
tune, it was magical.
J!-ENT: Let’s talk about the album
title “PURPLE”, also the title of the
second track which is another track
that I have listened to many times. Is
purple your favorite color and what
was going through your mind when
you were writing the song “Purple”?
TOKO: During the process of the creation, the word PURPLE just crossed
my mind out of the blue. The color,
purple, is not always my favorite color,
but I always found it attractive. Then,
I thought I needed a song titled PURPLE, what purple represents in love,
relationships. Well, the song is the answer.
J!-ENT: Another favorite track on the
album is “Lesson”. I absolutely love
your vocals for this song and also enjoy the music as well. What was your
approach when creating this song?
TOKO: Lesson is a very positive side
of me. It wasn’t that hard to write that
song, I’m such an optimist.
J!-ENT: A song that I have listened to
a lot is “Taiyou”. I love your vocals for
this song, the musical arrangement
especially the string arrangement
from Kinbara strings. What was your
approach to writing and making the
music for this song?
TOKO: I remember writing “Taiyou“
truly from heart. It kills me everytime
I sing at concerts. Shin Kono did the
arrangement beautifully, too. I’m a big
fan of Kinbara Strings.
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| J!-ENT 3
If one were to make a quick list
even after he became world-famous.
of the world’s favorite composers,
Setbacks like these could have
despite his relatively recent vintage
finished a lesser man. Instead, they
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky would be
informed his work, which remains
on it. After all, he did compose
some of the best loved in history.
Swan Lake, which is perhaps the
Yet some kids will still confuse
Tchaikovsky with a nasal spasm.
most famous ballet
Why? Because the arts are slowly
of all time. And
but surely being eliminated from
there can’t be more
Fig.1 Pollen
Causes watery eyes. Much
like Tchaikovsky’s composition
“Romeo and Juliet.”
than just a handful of
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky endured many setbacks,
not the least of which was a blind barber.
today’s schools, even though a
ballet companies that don’t perform
majority of the parents believe
The Nutcracker every Christmas.
music and drama and dance and
Indeed, this great Romantic composer should be so
immortalized. As a young man, he pursued a career in
READIN’
ART
art make their children better
students and better people.
’RITING
music at enormous personal risk and against his own
To help reverse this disturbing
father’s advice. His mild temperament combined with
trend, or for more information
his tendency to work too hard left him with insomnia,
about all the many benefits of arts education, visit us at
debilitating headaches and hallucinations. On top of that,
AmericansForTheArts.org. Or else Tchaikovsky could
Tchaikovsky’s composition teacher never liked his work,
seem like just another casualty of allergy season.
A R T.
ASK
FOR
’RITHMETIC
Someone isn’t getting their
recommended daily allowance of art.
M O R E.
For more information about the importance of arts education, contact www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
Toko Furuuchi performing at Joe’s Pub in NYC in September 2010. Photo by Tatsuro Nishimura.
J!-ENT: While most of the songs were
done with Shin Kono, “Slow Beat”
was produced by you and hip hop artist KREVA. That was a smooth track,
with cool beats and just a pretty
awesome collaboration. I know you
worked with KREVA last year also
for the track “Synchro ~Snakes Obsession~”. What was it like working
with KREVA? And curious, do you
listen to a lot of hip hop (Japanese or
non-Japanese)? If so, who are your
favorites?
TOKO: Well, KREVA is my favorite hiphop artist, I must say, ha-ha, showing
my respect. Though it might sound unexpected, we had a lot in common musically, such as, what feels good or what
feels right when picking up words.
a songwriter. Collaborations with
Mari Mizuno, KREVA, CHEMISTRY…
You’re one of the top lyricists in Japanese music industry. But I was wondering what is your approach to song
writing. Do you listen to these artists
and familiarize yourself with their music or do you just write the music and
the producers/talent do whatever
they want with it?
TOKO: When I write songs for other artists, I try to focus on what the melody
and the vibes tell my heart. It’s pretty
rare to meet the artist beforehand.
J!-ENT: Of all the tracks on the album, is there a song that has a special
meaning for you and why?
TOKO: “LOVE SONGS” maybe? I’m really into that arrangement.
J!-ENT: The collaboration with CHEMISTRY was pretty cool. How did that
come about? And how was it like
to work with them for the single “A
Place for Us”?
TOKO: I’d worked with them as a writer a few years ago, but as working with
them as a singer, I found it amazing
how much they loved singing. They are
such hard workers!
J!-ENT: Speaking of songwriting,
you have been busy as a singer and
J!-ENT: It’s great to have you back in
the US and you have a performance
OCTOBER 2010
in New York. I’m sure many of your
fans are wondering if you ever plan
to do a Los Angeles performance, or
perhaps one in the UK or Paris? Are
there other cities you would love to
perform at?
TOKO: LA and Hawaii? I’ve never been
to Paris, that would be wonderful, too.
J!-ENT: Having performed in New
York last year and visiting the city,
what do you love about New York?
TOKO: Last time was in January, but I
guess I even loved the freezin’ weather.
J!-ENT: For our readers who are just
reading this interview for the first
time, we know how you love to blog
about the various places you eat at
and your appreciation for food. if
there is one thing that you enjoyed
eating in America, that is not available in Japan, what would that be?
TOKO: I ate a lot of morning wraps I
found at a deli next to the hotel, it was
delicious!
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| J!-ENT 5
Toko Furuuchi performing at Joe’s Pub in NYC in
September 2010. Photo by Tatsuro Nishimura.
6 J!-ENT |
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OCTOBER 2010
Toko Furuuchi performing at Joe’s Pub in NYC in September 2010. Photo by Tatsuro Nishimura.
J!-ENT: The last time you recommended the restaurant Fuku in
Shibuya to us. Since then, have
there been any other restaurants
in Japan that have impressed you
and any certain foods that recommend?
TOKO: Lately I often go to a restaurant called AuGamin de Tokio
in Shirogane, it’s a bistro. You can
drink any wine by glass, which is very
nice.
J!-ENT: I know in New York, you
talked about enjoying Western
food, especially burgers and fries.
As you have recommended places
in Japan to eat, has there been any
restaurant that you just love eating
at in New York?
TOKO: I can’t forget the lunch I had
at Bouchon Bakery, I definitely want
to go back for the sandwich.
J!-ENT: In the last interview, we did
a section called wordplay where I
OCTOBER 2010
gave you five words and you gave me
your definition for those words. This
time, I’m going to ask you five quick
questions and you fill in the blank:
e)
When my friends come to my
place for a BYOB party, I like to cook
_________.
TOKO: Grilled chicken.
a)
When I go out to sing karaoke
with friends, a song I you would catch
me singing is ___________?
TOKO: One of Seiko Matsuda’s songs?
J!-ENT: What final words would you
like to say to your fans outside of
Japan?
TOKO: I’m very happy to be back in
the U.S., it’s always my pleasure to
spend some time there. Looking forward to see you at the show!
b)
If there was one fast food restaurant in America that I wish they
had in Japan, that restaurant would be
______________?
TOKO: Chipotle
c)
If there was a film that made
me teary eyed, that film would be
_____________?
TOKO: “A Beautiful Mind”
d)
If there was an artist or band
outside of Japan that I would love
to collaborate with, it would be
_____________________.
TOKO: Musiq
For more information on Toko
Furuuchi, please visit her website at:
http://www.tokofuruuchi.net/
Visit her blog at:
http://ameblo.jp/furuuchitoko/
www.j-entonline.com
| J!-ENT 7
THAT’S SO
“CHEERLEADER
WHO LIKE,
CAN’T LIKE,
SAY SMART
STUFF.”
you
Thin k that ’s mean ? How do
think “tha t’s so gay” soun ds?
Hurt ful. So, knoc k it off.
ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
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