On May 30th and 31st, Kenichi Suzumura held his first solo open-air concert "Mantenten's LIVE". Before the concert, he also released a single disc containing two lyrical songs, "Song of the Moon" and "Song of the Sun". This single disc tells the story of the "moon" and "sun" in the world of Kenichi Suzumura, so be sure to listen under the sky. Next, we will send an interview with Kenichi Suzumura to hear his thoughts on these two new songs and the "Mantian LIVE" concert.

――I heard that this song was specially made for the open-air concert "Manten's Live" at the end of May, but how did you make it?

Suzumura: As the song progresses to its climax, I thought it was like a melody with a moon-like air, so I came up with the idea of writing a song about the moon.

――The intro is always very gentle, and it is a melody that makes you feel the moonlight.

Suzumura: The melody line and composition are the key to determining the quality of a lyric song, and the decision to "make a song of zuò moon!" After that, I asked the music to arrange some dreamy melodies that give the impression of the night sky. We really wanted the song to give everyone the impression of the moon.

――What is the key word in the lyrics to develop your worldview?

Suzumura: When I started writing the Song of the Moon, I decided that I wanted to include two singles, "Then the other one is the Song of the Sun." However, when I was writing the lyrics of the Song of the Moon, I was worried about whether the lyrics would become the same as the Song of the Sun. Because both the moon and the sun are always in the sky to guard our lives. I wish the themes of the two songs Moon and Sun would be a little different. Therefore, the song of the moon is written from the point of view of us looking up at the moon, and the song of the sun is written from the perspective of the sun.

――What kind of world view did you write the lyrics of "Moon Song," which begins with a dreamy prelude?

Suzumura: It's easy to make a song with a sense of loneliness with the theme of "moon" or "night", but this time we aim to make a song with a sense of "HAPPY". I feel like the moon is quietly watching me. On the night when the moon comes out, "What a failure today" is more or less like this, everyone will have their own secrets. If you have a secret that no one can tell, you suddenly see the moon floating in the night sky, and you may think, "Ah, I was seen." Although the moon does not react to our secrets, it is because of this that the feeling of sharing secrets is very reassuring. Isn't this often the case, when we talk, we know the answer but just want to ask questions. Because the moon knows her weakness and feels lighter. The moon knows everyone's secrets, so everyone's secrets are shared and connected in a sense.

――"Song of the Sun" is a powerful song.

Suzumura: If the moon is quietly gazing at the non-interference being, then the sun is the existence of strong intervention and the existence of energy. If the sun shines on a cold winter day, you will feel warm, "Thank you, sun!" But in the summer, it gets too hot, and you hear things like "I'm so irritable, the sun" (laughs). Although the sun is only shining on us, from the perspective of the sun, there may be a moment when you think, "Why am I doing this?" However, in terms of results, it is good. The existence of the earth is definitely a good thing for the sun. Because the earth allows the sun to shine to work. The sea appeared on the earth, where there was nothing, and then human beings like us were born, and the joy of having someone by our side arose. When you think about it this way, the sun is exactly like a human being. Sometimes we feel that what we are doing is meaningless, but somewhere there must be people who are happy about it, and before we know it, we have more friends, as if the sun is surrounded by planets. So, although the title is "Song of the Sun", you can also substitute yourself and others in it.

――Which of the two themes do you prefer, "Moon" or "Sun"?

Suzumura: That's a really hard question to answer. This time, I tried to write lyrics, and I found that I liked every theme. The subject matter is very ordinary, and the moon and the sun are things that artists all over the world draw from. In a sense, it's a royal combination, but it's hard to write lyrics for tunes with a high degree of freedom. However, when I was thinking differently, I liked it again, and I was grateful for them by taking a walk while looking at the moon, "I wrote your song recently", and "I worked hard for the sun to shine on the earth today." I've always been a fan of the universe, but this time I've read a lot of books.

――What about the track list for "Mantenten's Live"?

Suzumura: Since there are two days of "luna" and "sol", I wanted to make some changes to the tracklist. "Luna" is a calm atmosphere for adults, and "SOL" is an atmosphere that is lively like a sun festival. Normally, at concerts, the lights are lit up the moment I jump on stage, but this time it's an open-air venue, so it's a natural atmosphere. There is no roof and Mt. Fuji can be seen, so instead of being on stage, I had to go with nature and decide the order of the repertoire according to the time of sunset. Because of course, there are interesting things about performing on stage in nature, which is also a highlight for everyone.

――I heard that you just shot the music video for "Song of the Moon" yesterday.

Suzumura: It's a really great MV! My MVs always have a "TV drama style syndrome", and because of the subject matter, this time it is easier to lean towards the TV drama style. However, I said to the MV director, "I don't want to make a TV drama style, but I want to make it dramatic." "The results were surprisingly impressive. It was filmed at "Kawaguchiko Stellar Theater".

――Is it the venue for the open-air concert "Mantenten's Live" at the end of May?

Suzumura: I made the feeling of the moon gently floating in the sky from the building of the Stellar Theater...... I can't understand it with words alone (laughs). You can see the moment when the moon is born, and this is artificial, so I don't use CG!

――I'm becoming more and more interested in how to shoot.

Suzumura: To put it bluntly, it's very simple, let the illuminated balloon fly up gently and adjust the color of the camera at the same time to show the moon, but the effect is really amazing!

――I'm looking forward to it.

Suzumura: Also, the overall color of the music video is soft and warm, and it is a reflection that plucks at the heartstrings of the listener. The image of "Night", which I have never seen before, is also a highlight. It was taken by opening the roof of the StellarTheater and looking at the night sky.

――On the day of the shooting, it looked like the weather forecast was raining?

Suzumura: The weather was really bad, but in the final shot, the rain stopped when the roof was opened.

――Worthy of a sunny man! Having said that, this CD cover is very surprising, and you can't be seen.

Suzumura: Well, I'm even more surprised when I see the real thing. The CD is designed with a lunar motif and a transparent CD case depicting the sky. When you put a CD in the CD case, it's like a moon in the sky. It's a tearful work of the designer (laughs). The original proposal was made because of a picture of day and night merging. When I saw that image, I thought, "Let's go deeper and get closer to reality." As a result, the atmosphere froze in an instant, but after that, a lot of trials and adjustments were made. And the form in which you can see the lyrics directly from the outside is very original! I was reminded that "if the cover is transparent, there is no place for the lyrics." I directly proposed, "Wouldn't it be nice to put the lyrics outside?" So be it, the lyrics are printed directly on the cover. "When you design the CD like this, it looks like the moon has words written on it. Seems like news from the moon, right?

- Then you must take a look at it in your hand. The advertisements for "Mantian LIVE" are also very beautiful.

Suzumura: It's a fun visual effect to integrate the sun, moon, and sky. The CD cover and the decorations on the front are my requests. Airplanes, UFOs, and the like. The tie is made of earthenware zuò. If you come to the concert, you can take a photo with my life-size billboard wearing this dress (laughs).

――This is also the dress you wore in the concert brochure?

Suzumura: I didn't have a pamphlet this time, but I made a picture book of "Song of the Sun"!

- Awesome!

Suzumura: The story of "Song of the Sun" is told in the form of a picture book, and it is from the two perspectives of the sun and people. I conveyed the general content of the story to the picture book writer, and the other person drew such a work. A lot of effort has been put into the visual aspect of this work, and I hope you can enjoy it.

-- In any case, the first thing you have to consider is the weather.

Suzumura: I hope it's going to be sunny! It's a great venue, with bowl-shaped auditoriums like an amphitheater, and when the roof is opened, it looks like your hands can touch the sky. Everyone will feel like they are looking at me standing on the stage from the air. It's so beautiful. The open-air concert was held with the cooperation of Yamanashi Prefecture, Lake Kawaguchiko, and other parties, such as the Fujikyu Manten, a special train on the Fujikyu, and Suzunoyu, a collaboration with hot spring facilities.

――It's a bathhouse that appeared in last year's MV for "VESSEL".

Suzumura: It's not a joint project, but if you go by car, there's a super delicious Kawaguchiko Hoto noodle shop, and Fuji-Q Highland is also relatively close, so you can have a great time on a Friday. Yamanashi may be colder than Tokyo, so be prepared for the cold if you come.

――Finally, would you like to say a few words to the fans?

Suzumura: The two main songs this time are really good tunes. For me, it's a lyrical song that I haven't seen in a long time. Please enjoy the fantastical music videos and invincible images. For concerts, singing with your back to Mt. Fuji is the only place where you can do it, and you can create a festival atmosphere that is absolutely different from usual. Please come and experience it for yourself.