We want to increase the proportion of live performance and create subtle fluctuations

── August not only features a special rebroadcast of "schola" but also your third consecutive appearance at the music festival "WORLD HAPPINESS."

Last year, this tendency was already strong, but I think this year we'll see even more live performance. Mr. Hosono, in particular, wants to do a live show with entirely live playing. Mr. Yukihiro and I are trying to moderate him a bit (laughs). We tell him, 'Let's use the hard disk a little, too.'

── The YMO performance on the TV version of "schola" also had a strong live element. Are you in that kind of mode now?

Yes. And Mr. Hosono really wants to play with tempo fluctuations. When music comes from a hard disk, you have to sync with it. The tempo doesn't fluctuate, does it? However, in YMO's case, even if we play entirely live, Mr. Takahashi's drumming is so good that the tempo might not fluctuate much. Mr. Takahashi can play a precise beat even without a click track. But I agree that we want to increase the proportion of live performance and create subtle fluctuations.

── We're also looking forward to changes in the song selection.

Yes, we're also increasing the number of new versions of our past songs. If we play the same songs every year, we get bored ourselves, so we've made significant changes to the setlist this time. We're playing many new versions of old YMO songs. We plan to play songs that will make those who knew the old YMO smile and say, 'Oh, really?!'

Where can we record away from our daily lives?

── After "WORLD HAPPINESS," you'll immediately begin recording the album with Taeko Onuki, won't you?

We'll fly straight to Sapporo, and the recording will start. I'm currently selecting songs, deciding on arrangements, and determining keys for that. Ms. Onuki is writing lyrics, and preparations are steadily progressing.

── It was a very mellow and beautiful atmosphere.

And for the recording of this album, we had initially planned to do it at Air Studio in London. However, due to Ms. Onuki's schedule and other factors, it was decided to record it domestically. Once that decision was made, I didn't feel like recording it in Tokyo, which is our everyday environment. Since the album was originally intended for London, I didn't feel motivated to record it in Tokyo, as an extension of our daily lives. I worried that we wouldn't be able to create that special atmosphere in Tokyo. So, when considering a place within Japan where we could record away from our daily routines, Sapporo came to mind. Sapporo, specifically a location on the outskirts, is said to have a studio with an atmosphere conducive to recording away from the everyday. I plan to bring my own piano from Tokyo and meticulously craft the sound and atmosphere there.

── We're looking forward to its completion. Has the album title been decided yet?

It's 'UTAU.' The same as the tour title. It's a straightforward title meaning 'to sing.'

A gift of live audio from last year's performance with Taeko Onuki

── And on that tour, you're trying something new again, aren't you?

It's a ticket with a CD. Since people are coming to the live show, I really want them to hear the CD too. I also thought that some people might want to buy the CD along with the ticket and listen to it before attending the concert. So, I considered making it a ticket and CD set.

── But it's not just about including a CD, is it? There's also a free downloadable audio track.

When you include a CD, there are shipping costs, and the price increases. So, I wanted to offer something in return. That's why I thought of giving away live audio from last year's performance with Ms. Onuki, which will be downloadable only for those who purchase the ticket with the CD.

── That will also serve as preparation for the live show. The "UTAU" tour, starting in November, will cover a significant portion of Japan.

I think it's 17 shows in total. That's a lot, again (laughs).

The time is ripe for a North American album release and tour

── And before that, you have a solo North American tour, don't you?

Yes! Ten shows across the US and Canada. It's been about 10 years since my last solo tour in North America. It feels like it's been about 10,000 years since the last ice age (laughs).

── (Laughs). On Facebook, your American fans seem very happy about it.

It seems so. Reading their comments makes me feel apologetic for making them wait (laughs). But also, the two-disc album released last year in Europe, 'out of noise,' and a compilation of piano solos, are finally being released in North America this autumn, so the time is ripe for a tour, of course.

── Is the performance style the same as your concerts in Japan and Europe last year?

Yes. It's a concert using two pianos: my acoustic piano and a MIDI piano. The difference from Japan is that the venue sizes vary greatly. We have concert halls that can hold over 1,000 people, and also club-like venues with a capacity of around 400. The larger venues are fine, but in the club-like settings, with two pianos, visuals, and the number of staff required for our production, when we explain the scale, they're surprised, saying, 'That's like Lady Gaga!' But I'm determined to get through it with the attitude, 'So what if it's like Lady Gaga! What's wrong with that!' (laughs).

── And, as I read on Facebook, you're also announcing a concert in Korea for the new year.

That's right. I'll be in Japan until the end of this year for the tour with Ms. Onuki, so I'm thinking of holding a concert in Korea again after the new year. It will also be about 10 years since my last performance there. I've wanted to perform there again, and there have been continuous requests from the other side. This will be a solo concert, similar in style to the North American tour. So, it's a rather complex, nested structure: a solo tour in the autumn, a tour with Ms. Onuki in the winter, and then another solo concert in Korea after the new year.

── All in all, you have a considerable number of live performances lined up.

I'll do my best, even while grumbling, 'This is so tough!' (laughs).