you can find this post on dreamwidth!
Q1. Thank you so much for your work today! To start things off, give us your impressions after the recording.
The story is based on the theme of bands, so I had the opportunity to act out various scenes, from the members' daily interactions to the live performances. All the scenes had each character’s flavor and were fun to record.
Q2. What kind of person is the character you play? Tell us about your impressions and their appeal. Are there any similarities between the character and you?
He's uncompromising when it comes to music, sees the positive outcomes from issues first which makes him a really cool guy. My first impression was that he was a bit of an egotist but, when you look at him as a whole, he's a bit of a loner, an individualist. I think he’s someone easy to get on with.
On the other hand, Akane-kun's downer side may be similar to my usual self. I can relate a bit to his stance on passion, though I'm not a rock star myself (laugh). If anything, it’d be cool if I were like one.
Q3. In Rubileo’s fashion, have you had friends over at your house recently?
Recently I have been visiting people I work with, like Uchida Yuuma-kun. A house reflects one’s personality, doesn’t it? It was fun to see some of Yuuma-kun's uniqueness.
Q4. If you were a woman, which of the characters would you want to date? Tell us why.
Hmmm, but I don't want to go out with anyone though... (laugh). If I had to choose, I'd say Haiji-kun. He seems reliable and supportive.
Q5. If you were in a band, is there any part you would like to play in particular? Additionally, if you could write lyrics or compose, which would you like to try?
(If you already did in the past, we'd love to hear about it!)
I can't play any instrument so I'm just a vocalist, but lately I've been thinking about picking up either the guitar or bass. And between writing lyrics or composing… I’d say lyrics. The way you think, feel, and project yourself subtly shows through it. Though I’d be embarrassed if my lyrics were to be read, maybe I should just compose...
Q6. Finally, do you have any comments for your fans who are looking forward to the release of the CD?
This is Furukawa Makoto playing Higurashi Akane. If you listen to this CD, you’ll understand what kind of people RUBIA Leopard are: I'm sure that everyone who is interested in this project will like it as much as we do.
The last part of the story is quite dramatic and I tried to express Akane's rock-side: if you like that aspect, you won’t at all be disappointed. (I personally love it.) We hope you are looking forward to the release.
♪ When recording for「Answer」
Q1. What were your first impressions when you heard the song and read the lyrics?
RUBIA Leopard is a band whose straightforward music and lyrics are loved by everyone: if you listen and read the lyrics within the DIG-ROCK framework, their world view will shine under a more understandable light.
In this story, Rubileo is a powerhouse band in a position of musical strength. Despite being the strongest, they are no defending champions: although there are younger groups running after them, they aren’t trying to hold back. I got the impression that they weren’t "delivering" their songs to their fans, but rather "hitting" them in their own way.
Q2. What was it like to actually sing it? Tell us what you were the most conscious about and what we should look forward to.
The music and lyrics were designed to represent Rubileo, the song being song pretty hard-hitting, so I was conscious of making sure that Akane Higurashi wasn’t going to hold back.
If you listen to it with the drama CD context in mind, you'll be able to relate to it even more.
I've recently noticed that my own singing style is more about "singing with a live audience in mind" rather than "singing perfectly"... This way, I feel like I can create a stronger sense of performance and heat of the moment. Rubileo is no different: “it’s not about having the right pitch!”, something like that (laugh). I hope I was able to sing and act in a way that expresses Rubileo's spirit!
Q3. What kind of songs would you like to sing as Rubileo in the future?
I think Rubileo's passion and hunger comes out the most in “Answer”, so I'd like to try a ballad to broaden their scope, a bit more technical with sharp sliders [1], or songs that change their pace!
[1] ”sliders” (or “glissando”) is a musical term expressing progressive change in notes