In April 2020, the luxury hotel "mesm Tokyo, Autograph Collection" (hereafter, mesm Tokyo) opened in the Takeshiba area of Tokyo. "Autograph Collection" is a brand name developed by Marriott International, bestowed upon hotels with unique individuality, high quality, and hospitality. At mesm Tokyo, under the concept of "TOKYO WAVES," they offer services and content that resonate with the ever-changing wavelengths of Tokyo. Particularly noteworthy is Casio's digital piano, "Privia PX-S1000," which is available in all 265 rooms of the hotel. This time, artist Rei shares her impressions of the Privia × mesm Tokyo collaboration.

“Wow! This view is incredible.”

Rei, standing on the balcony of the "chapter 4 Suite Luxe" on the 26th floor of mesm Tokyo, exclaimed with delight.

After her success as Washio Reina in E-girls, Rei made her solo debut in 2020. She shared her "love for hotels," saying, "I just love hotels, and I've even stayed at many hotels in Tokyo."

“For example, I might use the spa and then decide to stay if I like it. I prefer hotels with beautiful views, and mesm Tokyo is exactly my kind of place. Plus, I don't know of any other hotels in the city center with such a spacious balcony.”

Indeed, the spaciousness of the balcony and the view overlooking the city from the Tokyo Bay side are unique to mesm Tokyo. And Rei was surprised by another distinctive feature of mesm Tokyo: the presence of Casio's digital piano, Privia, in every room.

“It’s an amazing concept to have a piano in every room. I was surprised at first, but when I thought about it more, enjoying music leisurely while having an elegant stay feels like a very Tokyo-esque way to spend time.”

With that, Rei sat down in front of the Privia.

Perfect for home, and would look great on stage too

Before turning it on, Rei carefully examined the Privia's design.

“Most digital pianos have a lot of switches and buttons lined up, but the Privia is different. It has a simple, modern, and stylish design. You know, these days, not just smartphones and tablets, but even ticket machines at stations are touch panel, right? I'm amazed that even digital pianos have become touch panel now…”

Along with its sleek design, Rei was impressed by its compactness.

“I own a digital piano myself, but I also have an upright piano at home, so I prefer a smaller digital piano. That's why I'm really drawn to the Privia's compact size. If I had a Privia at home, I'd put it in the living room. It's so stylish, I'd want to show it off to friends when they visit (laughs). I think the Privia would fit perfectly as interior decor. I heard it's for home use, but wouldn't it look great on stage too?”

As Rei began to play the Privia, she remarked, “The feel of the keys is very close to that of a real piano.”

“I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about modern digital pianos, but the touch and the sound are astonishingly realistic and excellent.”

While playing the Privia, Rei reflected on her own piano history.

“I started attending music classes when I was three or four years old and first encountered the piano. I began playing seriously after starting elementary school. I might be biased, but I think I have a good sense of pitch and a good ear. When I'm remixing in the studio, I can distinguish subtle differences in instrument sounds. That's probably because I grew up with a piano nearby.”

Rei, who grew up in an environment with a piano, recently had a remarkable experience: a collaboration with pianist Shinya Kiyozuka.

“Since I'm the vocalist, I think Kiyozuka-san played to complement my singing, but his piano performance was so wonderful that it almost sounded like the piano was the main instrument. His playing pulled me along, and I thought, ‘I wish I could play like that.’”

Rei was intrigued by the feature that connects the Privia to a smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing music stored on the smartphone to play through the Privia's speakers. "Playing piano music and layering my own performance over it would be great practice," she said. When suggested to layer her performance over Kiyozuka's piano, she responded:

“It feels a bit presumptuous, but it sounds like it would be fun to layer a different melody over Kiyozuka-san's playing, like a duet.”

Rei reflects that while she has spent more time at home since last year, it hasn't been entirely negative.

“I have a great recording app now, and I've been using it to record the intro section multiple times and send it to my producer friends to create songs. We'd meet on Zoom and decide, ‘Let's make a love song today,’ or something like that (laughs). I realized I could record without going to a studio, which was fun. I'm basically an indoor person, so having more time to play piano and guitar at home isn't necessarily a bad thing.”

As a solo artist embarking on a new journey, Rei is now looking forward to performing at Billboard Live.

“I've been to Billboard Live to listen to jazz concerts. It's such a chill atmosphere, isn't it? Enjoying delicious drinks and food while immersing yourself in the music. It's a place where the audience truly values music and artists, so I'm very excited about performing on that stage.”

When asked if she feels a different kind of pressure performing solo compared to her previous work, Rei replied:

“Before, I focused on energy in arena performances, but at Billboard Live, I want to create a show where the band's sound can be fully appreciated. Honestly, there is pressure. The tension of knowing I can't rely on anyone else if I make a mistake is immense (laughs).”

Even between takes, Rei happily played the Privia. Rei, embarking on a new chapter, the state-of-the-art digital piano, and the luxurious hotel that captures the pulse of Tokyo fit together perfectly, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Rei | Rei
She was primarily active as the vocalist of E-girls, which disbanded at the end of 2020. Last fall, she officially began her activities as a solo singer, "Rei." Her new song, "Kimi to Nara Ii Yo." was released on June 9, 2021.
Details here.

Costume Cooperation: Maison MIHARA YASUHIRO (sandals), Jouete (earrings)

Product Information
Privia PX-S Series Special Page
https://music.casio.com/ja/products/digital_pianos/privia/

#RoomPiano Special Site
https://music.casio.com/ja/heyakatsu_piano/