Nomiya is the only one who doesn't lose it (laughs)

KikuchiThe recital is quite something now that it's the third time.

NomiyaOh, I get nervous every time. Especially on the first day, I really want to run away.

YuyamaWe never feel that at all. From the staff's perspective, she's an amazing talent.
Aren't performers often prone to outbursts or extreme emotional swings on set – what you might call 'losing it'?

KikuchiNomiya never loses it.

YuyamaThat's right.

KikuchiShe's an unusual person! (laughs)
Normally, female talents are there to 'lose it' on set (laughs). It's a thrill, in a way, to have everyone try to calm you down. I've worked with all sorts of people, and they've all lost it. Nomiya is the only one who doesn't (laughs).
I've worked with all sorts of people, and they've all lost it. Nomiya is the only one who doesn't (laughs).

NomiyaReally?

YuyamaShe ends up acting like one of the staff (laughs).

NomiyaI've certainly never complained. Oh! Maybe once. When they asked me to play a corpse.

KikuchiWouldn't that be the director losing it for asking? (laughs) Nomiya, you're truly fascinating!

NomiyaDuring my Pizzicato Five days, we were shooting photos and a movie in New York from early morning, and I was incredibly tired.
Around that time, Mitsuo Shindo had just started photography. While another photographer was changing film, Shindo kept aiming his camera at me, so I couldn't take a break. I eventually fainted from anemia. It turned out to be a very realistic performance as a corpse (laughs).

KikuchiThat wasn't 'losing it,' that was a legitimate protest! (laughs)

NomiyaThat was the only time I truly said, 'Please, spare me!' (laughs).

KikuchiThat means the people filming were losing it, getting overly excited while shooting (laughs).

YuyamaBut that's how artists hype themselves up, by 'losing it'.

KikuchiExactly! The male staff around them get more and more excited!
But with Nomiya, isn't everyone around her female? (laughs) In that case, can't you 'lose it' and get hyped up? Is there that kind of 'girls' school' dynamic, where the queen bee loses it and everyone follows?

Momoko on guitar, Yuyama on drums, and me on bass

KikuchiI still feel like I'm infiltrating a boys' school as a spy (laughs), since everyone is female. I don't think a normal man could handle being surrounded by only women. A band would likely have more men.

Nomiya(Pointing to Yuyama) We have a drummer here too (laughs).

KikuchiIf Yuyama played drums, all sorts of fans would show up! (laughs) We're actually planning to form a band on this side now.

YuyamaLet's debut our band too! (laughs)

NomiyaThat's a good idea.

KikuchiFor the encore, you could perform with our band. That would be a surprise, wouldn't it? But it feels like we're building towards something for the future, doesn't it? For the fourth installment, we should drop the 'recital' title and just have a regular live show! (laughs)

NomiyaMomoko on guitar, Yuyama on drums, and me on bass. We have a separate vocalist, though.

KikuchiThere's a separate vocalist!? (laughs)

YuyamaThat's NOEMI, the pole dancer.

KikuchiShe sometimes performs at a club with a pole in Shinjuku Ni-chome, right?

YuyamaWhy don't you try it? Pole dancing. (to Nomiya)

NomiyaImpossible! I actually tried it once, but I couldn't even climb the pole (laughs).

KikuchiYou lack the muscle strength! (laughs) But I think you should let people know that you're even more interesting and that you're okay with the 'gyaru' image. I'm sure many people see you as an ideal older sister figure.

YuyamaNomiya's blog is also funny. Her word choices are amusing.

KikuchiShe has a comedic touch.

NomiyaWith the gyaru style, Yoko Morimoto told me, 'I want to follow you anywhere!'

YuyamaExactly!

KikuchiThe celebrity culture is naturally collapsing. Next up will be the gyaru! (laughs)

You've never heard Nomiya sing over a HIP HOP track, have you?

KikuchiBut this time, we're adding a new kind of 'edge' by showing that Nomiya can sing electro songs coolly, something we haven't seen before. That's definitely something to look forward to.

NomiyaI'm personally looking forward to doing new music like electro.

KikuchiThere's a new frontier being explored here, something that even people who don't initially think of Nomiya as 'stylish' or 'a celebrity' can enjoy. It's about making her music accessible to a wider audience.

NomiyaI feel like it's finally starting to resonate with people in its third year.

KikuchiThe fact that it's held every year! We can still explore and expand much further. You once said something that made me laugh in a good way: 'I'm kind of Black, you know?' (laughs)
You once said something that made me laugh in a good way: 'I'm kind of Black, you know?' (laughs)

NomiyaBut a Black person told me that.

KikuchiThat's too real! (laughs)

NomiyaThey said I might have Black blood (laughs). I told them I was born in Hokkaido, though.

KikuchiNone of the icons for this year are people of color, and you yourself are very fair-skinned. However, you do have a certain Black sensibility. I sent you a YouTube link of Ciara, a Black female singer who's had chart success, right? In the end, we decided it was a bit different and put it aside.

NomiyaI felt my singing ability wouldn't match up.

KikuchiBut there's a possibility for a Black aesthetic, both in terms of the music and the visuals.

YuyamaLike 'The Fifth Dimension' or 'MFSB.' I think it's possible (laughs). A sophisticated and cool vibe with a Black context. If it's a Philly, new soul-style song, then yes. It would even look cool with an afro and a stunning dress!

KikuchiA hippie vibe. What I was thinking of was something like Ciara – very sexy, but not overtly erotic. It's probably something women would like, so that kind of feel might work. Plus, you've never heard Nomiya sing over a HIP HOP track, have you?

YuyamaI'd like to explore a 'Black' Nomiya in the future. If we go that route, we could draw inspiration entirely from Black culture. That luxurious yet cool Black aesthetic is something nobody is doing right now. It used to be part of disco. It's almost the etymology of the word 'cool,' and I'd like to try that.

NomiyaThat might be good.

YuyamaLike the slightly dark vibe of La Belle's 'Lady Marmalade.' La Belle was from the 80s, wasn't it? They were very theatrical, wearing outfits like spacesuits.

KikuchiThat was completely drag queen, incorporating glamour. Today's Ciara, or Melody Thornton from the Pussycat Dolls – tall and model-like, but with 'just okay' singing – that kind of connection to Black music might work. And then there's Donna Summer.

YuyamaDonna Summer.

KikuchiThat was techno.

YuyamaThat was because she collaborated with Giorgio Moroder.
The other day, I went to Shinjuku Ni-chome for a meeting, and I saw a Donna Summer PV at a club there. She actually had a beautiful soprano voice and incredible singing ability.

KikuchiShe wasn't a belter, though.
Shinjuku Ni-chome likes house and techno, so they probably don't listen to HIP HOP, right? Gay men aren't likely to say, 'JAY-Z is amazing!' or '2PAC is the best!' HIP HOP is probably still a man's domain.

YuyamaThey're completely at odds!

KikuchiHIP HOP is completely homo-social. Gay people aren't allowed.
Isn't it the same in Japan? You don't find gay people who like 'THA BLUE HERB,' because it's too hardcore.

YuyamaWhen I was working on the club magazine 'LOVE PA!!,' I was completely neutral. When I approached a hardcore hip-hop group for an interview, they refused, saying they couldn't be featured in the same magazine as house culture.

KikuchiThat makes sense. Even artists who chart well, like 'KREVA' or 'RIP SLYME,' probably don't have that 'amazing' appeal for gay people. That's why I think Nomiya still has so much untapped potential in all these areas. This time, in that sense, I think we'll see a side of her that's elegant but not necessarily 'celebrity.'
Also, with the program changing so much, I think having some level of musical unity is important. This time, it's a bit special as part of the 15th-anniversary project for 'Ebisu Garden Place.'

This time is a bit special as part of the 15th-anniversary project for Ebisu Garden Place

YuyamaIt might be interesting to see a side of her that's different from the Bardot or Hepburn image, through that sound. I think it's layered and cool. The 'sound' might be surprisingly good. It could be a pleasant surprise.

KikuchiOf course, her fans will come, saying 'Anything for Nomiya's work!' But this time, since it's a large venue, I hope people who have never heard her before will also come. Especially young women.

NomiyaThis time is a bit special as part of the 15th-anniversary project for Ebisu Garden Place.

KikuchiThat's about it for promotion, I guess (laughs). Doesn't Nomiya appear in cosmetic magazines or fitness magazines focused on weight loss? You don't do any fitness, do you?

NomiyaOnly when I feel like it.

KikuchiSo, it's 'natural fitness' (laughs).

NomiyaThat's why it's not a good example (laughs). But I think losing weight is all about 'spirit.'

KikuchiYou don't do any workouts at all? You don't use resistance bands or go for runs?

NomiyaI run or walk occasionally. I've gained weight recently, but as the performance approaches, I naturally slim down due to nerves. And when rehearsals start, it's quite a workout.

YuyamaAlso, your appetite drops right before the show, doesn't it?

KikuchiThat's bound to make you lose weight.

NomiyaI have to force myself to eat.

YuyamaKikuchi, are you doing anything physically demanding?

NomiyaYou go to the gym, right?

KikuchiI exercise! I love working out. I stretch, I do strength training, and I run. Otherwise, at my age, if I ate this much, I'd be huge. I eat a lot.

YuyamaBut playing the saxophone must be physically demanding.

KikuchiPlaying the saxophone is aerobic exercise, it uses your abdominal muscles, and you lose weight rapidly. But it's tough before taking artist photos. I have to cut my usual four plates of food down to two.

NomiyaReally? (laughs) You do pay attention, don't you?

KikuchiI don't lose my appetite even when I'm nervous. Nomiya, what about cosmetics? How do you approach them?

NomiyaI'm also super casual about makeup.

KikuchiThere are techniques, right? Like those packed into articles in 'Koakuma Ageha.' They even have diagrams for eyeliner, showing 'Let's raise this by X millimeters,' do you have anything like that?

KikuchiNomiya, you're very 'Do It Yourself!' Many people probably think you have butlers who will do everything for you when you sit down, but that's not the case at all.

NomiyaI wish I had a butler! (laughs)

—Finally, could you please give a message to our readers?

KikuchiPeople tend to think Nomiya's recitals are only for those who are already fans, but they're actually much more open, with enough 'quality' and 'substance' for all sorts of people to come and listen.
So, even if you've never heard her before, don't know Pizzicato Five, or even who came before them, if you think 'She's wonderful!', I hope you'll come see her. Especially young women.
I'd also like young men to come. I think it's important to experience seeing older women in various ways. There are very few women her age who are active and could be an object of admiration for young men. So, while we'll of course have our regular patrons, I hope new people will come as well.

YuyamaThe program this time has a theme of returning to Maki Nomiya's roots. Nomiya embodies iconic women from different eras, like Audrey Hepburn or Brigitte Bardot, and through that, you can see how women's culture has been influential and powerful in every era. I believe Nomiya embodies all the visual aspects of Hepburn's or Bardot's sense and knowledge. Therefore, this recital can be seen as containing essential education for modern people, much like reading a book.
Furthermore, it's a 'passionate' event where contemporary artists, such as the foremost musician Naruyoshi Kikuchi, momoko from momokomotion, and designer Keita Maruyama, play and interact with Maki Nomiya's presence. In today's era of only commercial or underground options, this recital strikes a good balance in between, so I'd be delighted if you could come.
In today's era of only commercial or underground options, this recital strikes a good balance in between, so I'd be delighted if you could come.
In today's era of only commercial or underground options, this recital strikes a good balance in between, so I'd be delighted if you could come.

NomiyaThis is the third recital, and last year Oppers featured it extensively. Some of you may have an image from the photos, but for those who haven't seen it yet, I really want you to experience it.
What we've spent a year creating disappears in just one day, or rather, about an hour and a half. I want us to enjoy this fleeting beauty, this luxurious time, together.
I truly hope you'll come and experience it for yourself.




Date & Time: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 (Holiday)
Matinee: Doors open 1:30 PM / Show starts 2:00 PM (Additional Performance)
Soirée: Doors open 6:30 PM / Show starts 7:00 PM

Venue: Ebisu The Garden Hall
Price: Ticket price ¥7,350 (tax included / all seats reserved)
Tickets
Ticket Pia 0570-02-9999 (P-code 331-206)
Lawson Ticket 0570-084-003 (L-code 74813)
eplus
CN Play Guide 0570-08-9999

Organizer: Hot Stuff Promotion
Planning & Production: Road and Sky Organization / HOU71
Special Sponsorship: Ebisu Garden Place Co., Ltd.
Sponsorship: ALMACREATIONS

Hot Stuff Promotion
Tel. 03-5720-9999
(24-hour automated guidance *Operator available: Weekdays 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
http://www.missmakinomiya.com/special/