Machico has released ``Let's Go!! Rider Kick ~Exercise Version~'', ``Uchoten'', and ``Sukihaki New Beat''. We asked him about his feelings ahead of his solo live on November 30th and about the songs.

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Cute and mysterious

Two unprecedented songs have arrived

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ーーWere these two songs released as digital singles created with live performance in mind?

Machico: We were releasing it before the live show, so of course we were conscious of the live show. Before that, “Let’s Go!! Rider Kick ~Exercise Version~” was released, and as a result of that, we started talking about releasing two new songs digitally, but this time it’s not a tie-up, so Director Anai asked me what kind of song I wanted. There, we talked about how we would like to have more cute songs since there are a lot of refreshing songs like those from KonoSuba (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! series). In addition, when I told them that I would be happy if there were some interesting and mysterious Vocaloid songs, they told me that Disco-san (her name is Ikuko Iijima) from the band 4-chome Anna makes interesting songs. It was.

Since then, I have listened to some of the songs that Disco-san wrote, and there are many lyrics with strange phrasing, and the sound is full of things that I haven’t seen in any of my previous songs, so I would love to work with him. When I asked for it, I received “Uchoten” and “Like-Hate New Beat.”

ーーSo you were hoping for a feeling that you had never experienced before.

Machico: When you sing for a long time, you get an image attached to it. I’m happy that people think of songs like this when they think of Machico, but in order to continue for a long time, we have to try new types of songs, and I’ve always wanted to do that, so I’m grateful for this opportunity. I was so excited.

ーーHow did you feel when you received the song?

Machico: Both songs are cute and interesting. It felt like I was looking into a toy box, and I thought the lyrics were unique. In particular, “Uchoten” has many different elements, and the lyrics have no sense of reality. So, is it wrong to understand this one by one? That’s what I thought. Moreover, “Uchoten” has an up-tempo and cute tune, but the temporary song was quite expensive. It was really expensive, so I thought, what should I do?In the end, I had the key lowered by one. I thought that even if I could sing it in the recording, it might be difficult to sing it live, so I decided on the key while thinking about the future and carefully trying to keep the atmosphere of the original song intact.

–What were you conscious of when you sang “Uchoten”?

Machico: I dare say I sing it in a calm manner. I thought it was different from a song that lives by expressing it with nuance, so I recorded it while maintaining a sense of excitement.

–Although it was a quiet story, I got the impression that the tension was rising a little at the end.

Machico: Maybe it was my bright feelings coming out (lol).

–The sound was lively, too.

Machico: At the time of the demo and recording, the orchestra hadn’t been completed yet, so when I listened to the complete soundtrack after recording, I was surprised to find that it sounded very Chinese-like (lol). That was a pleasant surprise for me, and I felt that the mysterious lyrics were made even more mysterious by the sound.

–As for the lyrics, I feel like I stopped understanding them halfway through (lol).

Machico: That’s right (lol). It’s an imaginary world that unfolds inside the heads of the characters who appear here, so I tried not to try to understand it, in a good way. That’s why I thought it would be better to leave room for people to take it in their own way and think of interesting things, so as I said earlier, I sang it in a matter-of-fact manner and tried not to let my own voice dictate the correct answer.

–But there’s no doubt that you’re ecstatic, right?

Machico: I think it’s a song that captures the lively feeling you get when you fall in love, transformed by a certain person’s brain toy box, so I think it’s ecstatic. Disco was there for the recording, and I was happy because I sang the song with my interpretation and Disco really praised it.

ーーWhat kind of reaction did you get after releasing it?

Machico: Since it wasn’t a tie-up, everyone was excited to see what kind of song would come out, so they reacted like, “This is it!” It’s a song that would look great live, so we’ll be playing live as soon as possible. He said he wanted to listen to it. During the recording, we recorded each block, but when we performed it live, we naturally sang it all in its entirety, so while I was still remembering the parts I struggled with, I consulted Mr. Anai about how I could sing it live. Yes. For example, you can sing this part and ask them to perform this part.

— Vocaloid songs and recent fast songs are not designed to be sung by one person.

Machico: It’s quite difficult to catch my breath. If it’s high, fast, doesn’t have a breath, or has a tight division, it’s difficult to sing it all the way through. After making my debut as an artist and experiencing various workplaces, I’ve recently come to the conclusion that it’s also right to not push yourself too hard, in a positive sense! So that’s it. That’s why I lowered the key, but even if I don’t sing the whole song, if I can follow it up with a performance, it will work as a song, so I wanted to discuss the details. So as soon as we finished recording, we talked about how to do a live show.

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my voice is cute! thing

I want to let everyone know

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ーーNext up is “Like-Hate New Beat,” but I think this song is more focused on cuteness.

Machico: It’s a really cute pop song. I have a song on my album called “Kitto Chocolat,” and it’s cute and sweet, and it’s popular with fans. So this song was born from the idea of trying to create a feel with that atmosphere.

–It has a sweet feel to it.

Machico: There are sweet-like phrases scattered throughout, like “Kitto Chocolat,” and sweetness is mixed into the lyrics. As for the way I sang it, I imagined a calm girl rather than an energetic girl, so I sang it with that kind of voice, so it’s like a sister song.

ーーThe structure that starts from the beginning of the chorus is also good.

Machico: It starts with “This song is not sweet.” It’s so sweet! I often sing cute songs, especially as characters, but I rarely sing them as a solo artist, so my voice is cute! I had an ambition to let everyone know about this (lol).

–But in this song, the first person is “me.” It might be my daughter though.

Machico: That’s right. The lyrics say, “Don’t ask me what I like about you, I’ll tell you from 1 to 100 until I die.” The value of a relationship is so great that you can say something like this to the girl you love! That’s what I thought. This is a phrase that doesn’t come out unless the relationship is quite deep. I also liked that he had a strong style of teaching me everything from 1 to 100, and I thought he was quite easy to follow.

–By the way, what kind of direction did you have during the recording?

Machico: Basically, can it be sweeter? There was only that kind of nuanced direction, and the recording ended much more smoothly than “Uchoten.”

ーーIt may be selfish, but I feel like this is your specialty.

Machico: Maybe so. Personally, I feel that songs such as “Kitto Chocolat” and “Sukihaki New Beat” are very neutral and can be sung. I can hit high notes, and I’m good at it, but there’s something about me that I’m working hard on, so I think singing at this tempo and with this tone of voice is the key that makes me feel good. .

ーーHow did you feel after listening to the completed song?

Machico: When you listen to “Kitto Chocolat” and then listen to “Sukihaki New Beat,” they have the same theme of sweetness, but they have different personalities, so I don’t think they feel similar. is. I thought this was a song that I thought was cute.

But you look very student-like. It’s a world that can be imagined within a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship… Income and marriage don’t come into play, and it feels like a world just for the two of them. That’s why I like student romances. Isn’t it fine as long as the people in question like each other? But as you grow up, it’s no longer just a problem for you, but you start thinking about what other people think about you. But I don’t want to think about that! That’s why I want everyone to listen to this song and think that love is good.

ーーBoth of these songs are songs that I look forward to seeing live, and I also started to like the songs that Ikuko Iijima creates.

Machico: He’s a person who makes really interesting music, and since he’s also on stage as a player, I think he must have a lot of that feeling as well.

–I would like to ask you a little bit about “Let’s Go!! Rider Kick ~Exercise Version~”. Machico’s name was also engraved on the Kamen Rider series.

Machico: That’s right! I was able to sing songs from the “Osama Sentai King Auger” and “PreCure” series, and with Rider joining us, we were able to complete Nichiasa Kids Time. I’m thinking that maybe I’ll be able to perform them live (lol).

–The original song is “Let’s Go!! Rider Kick,” but it turned out to be quite cute.

Machico: I also knew the original song, which is why Reiwa is so cute! I was surprised (lol). I had heard that the theme of this song was for children to dance, so when I sang it, I made it a point to sing it clearly and so that I could clearly hear the pronunciation. Rider sometimes sounded like Daida, so I put a lot of emphasis on that pronunciation. Also, just because the song is cute, it doesn’t make sense to have a cute singing voice, so we also had a direction that said, “We want Machico to be played in the position of a singing lady,” so we wanted to create a lively and cute song. I now sing in a way that is energetic and conveys the words well. The video was also adorable because the rider was deformed and turned into a cute character.

Also, because of my father’s influence, I used to watch Kamen Rider No. 1 a lot on Kamen Rider. When I was in kindergarten, I would climb on the hood of a car and jump and have my dad catch me, so I was happy that my dad was so happy about it, as well as being able to sing.

–A live performance featuring these three newly added songs “Machico Live 2024 -Cheer Up! -” will be held at Toyosu PIT on November 30th, what kind of live performance do you think it will be?

Machico: There are a lot of people who say that when they listen to my songs, they feel bright, energetic, or that they get a push, so I want everyone to be able to support everyone who came to the concert, and to have a positive feeling. I chose this title because I wanted it to be a live show where people could become people. After deciding on this title, I also made a setlist, and this time there are basically two types: pop and energetic, and cute. So, I would like you to prepare for some songs. Of course, we’ll be playing the standard songs that we always play, which are the songs that come to mind when you think of Machico, but this time it’s a big venue called Toyosu PIT, so even those who have recently discovered us can easily sing along to the atmosphere. I want it to feel like it’s easy to understand and people can participate. Of course, I think the setlist will also be refreshing to those who often come to my live shows.

–Is there anything else I should prepare for?

Machico: I don’t do everything, but I would like to see the songs with choreography that I post on SNS. Also, I want to support you all! I’m also planning to sing a song from “Ambitious*” that fits perfectly with this concept, so I’d like you to listen to it.

–Finally, please tell us about your outlook for 2025.

Machico: In 2024, we were fortunate to be invited to events overseas such as Shanghai and Korea, and we were able to hold our first fan meeting overseas. So, in 2025, we will be able to meet our overseas fans as well, so we will do our best in Japan, and we hope to be able to make our voices heard, so please continue to support us. I would like to jump brightly and energetically in 2025!

(Interview: Junichi Tsukagoshi)

●Release information

digital single

“Ecstatic”

Lyrics and music: Ikuko Iijima Arrangement: Koji Mizuguchi

Currently being distributed on each distribution site!

https://machico.lnk.to/uchouten

digital single

“Like-Hate New Beat”

Lyrics and music: Ikuko Iijima Arrangement: Koji Mizuguchi

Currently being distributed on each distribution site!

https://machico.lnk.to/SukiKiraiNewBeat