STAIRWAY TO NIJI #1 - PENINSULA
I’m not the right person to do this kind of things…
Both music and lyrics of Niji have been too complex to my ears, and I couldn’t appreciate this song in its whole greatness for so many years… I feel so much miserable ><
So I want to say how much I love this song now.
In the only way I enjoy, despite my usual lack of accuracy.
Here it is, my declaration of love to Niji
tetsu: I definitely played more passionately, because I wanted everyone to feel the intense emotion in this song. It was really important to me that this song have a true rock-band sound, because I didn’t want anyone saying we weren’t a band anymore. That was my mission-when we played this song, I wanted there to be a definite “band groove”; that’s what was on my mind. (A)
The song is directly connected to what happened to the band during first half of 1997, but I won’t talk about that period, I will focus on the song itself, instead.
It’s even possible to collect detailed info about their schedule. I think it’s nice to start from there, adding sometimes comments from members and also from Ki-oon Sony director N/Danger crue [Chieko Nakayama?].
May 8th - 23rd
first trip to London
hyde, ken, tetsu and 2 managers rented a flat and lived together for 2 weeks. It was a 3LDK (which means 3 rooms, living room, dining room, kitchen). Members had their own room, while managers slept in the living room.
Spending their time freely, they were refreshing their mind and body.
tetsu: after the first week, we wanted to play in a rehearsal studio. Since it was decided that in the latter half of our stay in London 5 or 6 people from staff team would join us, we thought: “Let’s call him (yukihiro) in London”. But his passport had expired (laughs). Eventually he couldn’t come. (B)
ken bought in London the acoustic guitar he used to compose Niji.
coming back to Japan
After coming back to Japan, the members entered a full-scale period of composition.
Director N: We have to make clear what we want to do, and then aim high, because nobody else will produce L'Arc~en~Ciel… Chatting like that we fired ourselves up (laughs). Let’s make songs! This kind of feeling. (B)
June 10th
rehearsal
The band entered the studio with yukihiro, former DIE IN CRIES.
Since March tetsu and yukihiro had become close friends.
tetsu: we did actually used to play video games together at a mutual friend’s house. There was this one Gundam game that was really, really hard, and I stunk at it, but Yukihiro-kun beat it in just one night; he was amazing. (laughs) Hmm…after that, we started talking about other video games, and Evangelion, and we really hit it off. Naturally, we started hanging out a lot, because we had so much in common. When I finally heard him play, I thought his sound was very similar to ours. We’ve been playing together for a few months now, and I think he’s fit in perfectly (A).
In the studio, yukihiro matched 6 songs. From this moment he became a support member for the band, even if it seems that nobody really “decided” that, it happened quite naturally:
tetsu: we almost never talked about a new drummer. When I was wondering what to do, I don’t know why, yukihiro popped up in our speech.[…] He had left a good impression on everybody, so we wanted to try and enter the studio together. Of course we had seen his previous band before, and he came to see our lives. (C)
June 15th
first meeting about songs
tetsu: I told them to come to the first meeting about new songs bringing 3-4 songs each. But when we took off the lid, it turned out that at that time each member made only 1 song (laughs). On top of that, ken-chan forgot to bring the tape he had recorded, while hyde, who didn’t record on the tape, wanted to sing there (laughs). But at that time no tape recorder was in that place, so we decided to record a video. During recording he played and talked (laughs).(B)
trip to Hong Kon g
tetsu, ken, yukihiro and other friends departed for a private trip to Hong Kong.
The trip lasted 3 days, 2 nights. tetsu confessed he was interested in the city itself.
tetsu: “you are going to Hong Kong even if you brought only 3 songs?” I was told. “I want to go before the return (of Hong Kong to China), no matter what”. I said shaking them off. (B)
preproduction start
The band started to create its sound with yukihiro, who helped the director in introducing a Mac in the preproduction.
June 24th
second meeting for songs
Niji was chosen as 7th single
Director N: at this time also the staff joined us. They expressed the idea: “We will follow what you want to do”. Members discussed together and decided that the song that could frankly communicate their feelings and message was Niji. But at that time it was still called Peninsula (laughs). They also decided that the B-side would be a rock song, similar to INXS or ‘80s music.
tetsu: when we were thinking about the b-side, hyde said: “if we release that (Niji) as single, I’d like to have a rock’n’roll and cheery song as b-side”. But at that time we didn’t have that kind of song. “Then, I’ll make it” said hyde. And he really made it. (D)
THE GHOST IN MY ROOM was chosen as b-side
During the the preproduction of Niji hyde brought the first version of THE GHOST IN MY ROOM and started the preproduction of the song with the synthesizer programmer. It seems it was the first time they worked in this way. Incidentally, the programmer was working also for Evangelion the movie, so his conversation with tetsu was really lively.
hyde: since Niji can be considered an answer to what we have been asked in this last half year, I didn’t want to create a gloomy atmosphere in the b-side. I also looked for something with a rhythm more easy to get into at live. Nevertheless, the first half of lyrics has become a bit gloomy (laughs). But then it turns happy and that impression disappears. It really has the energy you perceive in a live, and I think it’s also a chance to come back to ordinary Laruku.
ken: when we started working on the tune, yukihiro-kun wasn’t there. The programmer created a loop using casually the equipment. When we were thinking of using it, as it was good, yukihiro-kun joined us. He gave a form to that part, and eventually the loop was replaced with yukihiro’s idea.
Tetsu: well, it’s first time we used breakbeats. Watching the work itself was interesting. In the end yukihiro-kun gave lots of ideas…he has also several equipments. […] I felt like... someday “teach me, sensei!” (laugh)
Ken: after yukihiro replaced the loop, he played the drums, and its drumming got completely into our sound. How to say it? Like a rubber ball that bounces? I had this sensation, and it was incredibly good. See, we have songs where you can’t feel this kind of beat, but now that it’s here, Laruku’s music is reaching an high grade of perfection (B)
July 7th
recording start in a studio in Tokyo
All the members were not only watching over their part, but the whole work together.
When it was time to record the drums, tetsu played together with yukihiro all the time, while hyde was able to complete the lyrics earlier than usual.
hyde: the text was ready 3 days before adding the singing (laugh). It was the first time I could sing the lyrics since the rehearsal. As usual, before relying on memory, since I must not make mistakes (laughs), my eyes couldn’t separate from the lyrics card. (E)
Director N: during recording, the atmosphere in the studio was really good. In the interruption their heart has been completely purified. I thought they were almost in a spiritual state of selflessness. As for conversation, it was almost focused on EVA. (laughs). In the studio ken-chan doesn’t chat that much, he’s silent. We talked a lot also about their trip to overseas.
ken: at that time, I didn’t feel anything… well, if I think of it now that I’m giving interviews, I realize that while I was composing different sounds, registering them, then listening again to them, and finishing even the track down, at that time - how to say it? - I was playing with a feeling that was purifying and soothing something…But at that time I was not absolutely aware of it.
tetsu: I could picture ourselves performing in a live (B).
All the members said that the recording was smooth, 'cause they had already thought of their sound in advance and they had time to enjoy themselves.
July 16th
Niji, THE GHOST IN MY ROOM both completed
In order to make a perfect work, from the beginning of August they re-recorded the rhythm of THE GHOST IN MY ROOM
August 21st
recording finally complete
August 27th
new artist photo was taken
I wonder if it’s this one, as it appeared in several magazines and was used as cover of LE-CIEL issue
August 27th - September 4th
trip to Germany
September 5th - September 13th
second trip to London
In Germany and London they shot Niji's PV and a documentary for Space shower Tv program “GROOVE AIR LINE”.
This time yukihiro went with them as a support member. He appears in the PV, in the documentary and in some photos that seem taken at that time, too.
October 17th
Niji was released as single.
To be continued...
***
How do you want this song to be taken?
tetsu: I’ll be happy if it’s taken with sympathy. Making good songs together, performing them, making them to be completed is everything to us, but I don’t know how it will be considered or taken. We create with confidence songs that are everything to us, so if number of people that feels sympathy for that increases even by 1 person only, I will be happy (C)
Sources
(A) A Rainbow to the Future and Beyond, WHAT's IN?, October 1997, credit for translation here
(B) L'Arc~en~Ciel - the foot of the rainbow, B-PASS, November 1997
(C) Reaching you with feelings, then heading for the future, POP BEAT, November 1997
(D) REINCARNATION, WHAT's IN? PICTORIAL vol.5, December 1997
(E) L'Arc~en~Ciel’s resurrection!! October 17th single “Niji” release. Aiming at restart…hyde’s interview!!, uv. vol.23, October 1997
Most of pics are screencaps from DVD 20th L’Anniversary live, but I’m not really sure they were taken at Niji time...
sorry ><