She felt the protagonist, Dunnan, resembled herself.

My participation in the "EX MACHINA" soundtrack happened under very peculiar circumstances.

Haruomi Hosono, who supervised the music, was looking for a female vocalist, but they were having trouble finding someone. At that point, someone involved with "EX MACHINA" who knows me well—specifically, someone connected to Miuccia Prada, the designer at PRADA who provided Dunnan's normal wear and party dress—apparently thought that I resembled the protagonist, Dunnan. So, they inquired with my agency, asking, 'Doesn't she do music?'

Actually, I sang on a compilation album for the brand Katie, released this summer, with Toru Hidaka of BEAT CRUSADERS. It seems Mr. Hosono heard that and decided, 'Let's go with her.'

I think perhaps Mr. Hosono wasn't looking for someone who was a great singer or knew how to sing, but rather someone else.

RIDDLE means 'puzzle-solving.' Writing the lyrics was very difficult.

Once the offer was made, we arranged to meet, and I met with Mr. Hosono. He then asked me to write the lyrics in English. The plan was for him to compose the music after reading my lyrics, so it was really up to me.

He asked if I could email the lyrics by the deadline, but I couldn't think of anything. I was really stuck and ended up sending him some words and phrases that came to mind, but nothing felt right. I was very anxious, realizing I wouldn't be able to finish it by the day I was supposed to meet Mr. Hosono.

On the day of our meeting, Mr. Hosono's schedule suddenly changed, and we couldn't meet. Then, suddenly—ping!—while looking in the mirror in the makeup room at a studio for a photoshoot, the lyrics came to me, and I wrote the first verse all at once.

The recording took two days. Mr. Hosono created the melody and track, and I recorded my vocals. Afterward, he said, 'Could you write the second verse by tomorrow?' and I was troubled again. I arrived on the second day without having written anything. When I confessed to Mr. Hosono at the studio, 'Actually…,' he played me the song he had recorded the previous day. The melody was the same, but the track was completely different. Hearing that, I suddenly understood, and wrote the second verse right there.

The first verse is about when I was doing my makeup, my eyes met my reflection in the mirror. It was me and another me, yet it felt like me and someone else. I wrote the lyrics about that relationship. Though, I could only interpret it that way afterward...

Mr. Hosono and I bonded over discussions of flying saucers; we're email friends now.

Initially, it was intended as an insert song for the film, but they liked the finished product so much that it was suddenly made the ending theme. I was incredibly happy about that.

I'm not a singer, and I'm still embarrassed to listen to my own voice. But the feeling of creating something completely new, something that came from me, surpassed that embarrassment. I was also moved by the fact that something could be created through collaboration like this.

Mr. Hosono is a truly wonderful person. My father's generation loved YMO, and he always spoke of Mr. Hosono with great admiration. Of course, I wasn't aware of YMO's peak popularity, but when I first met him, I noticed that Mr. Hosono's presence doesn't intimidate people. Yet, he sees right through you. When he heard my voice, he told me what he thought, and I truly felt his warmth and realized what an incredible person he is.

He apparently thought my voice sounded 'punk.' I suppose I do have a punkish side, mentally.

Using my voice shares common ground with my modeling expression.

Honestly, singing isn't what I want to do most right now. Even if I were offered another singing job immediately, I wonder if I could create something truly satisfying.

My desires change with new emotions and thoughts, but for now, I want to make sure I don't forget them. Within that flow, I might want to sing again someday. It's all about timing.

I enjoy writing lyrics, so I want to capture my feelings when I experience them. While modeling is my foundation, 'using my voice' feels like a similar form of expression.

For the past year or so, I've been thinking about how to take the foundation I've built and step up. To move forward, I'm undergoing a process of 'shedding what's unnecessary' and 'bringing in something new.' As the flow changes, so do my aspirations.

While recording radio for the promotion of this CD release with Mr. Hosono, I realized that my song, "PUZZLE-RIDDLE," is perfect for listening to while driving. I love driving myself and recently started taking driving lessons. I hope you'll listen to it while driving at night.

In 2007, the entertainment blockbuster that changed the future of animation worldwide, "EX MACHINA."

Rina Ohta Official Website
http://www.okazaki-models.co.jp/linaohta/