- Firstly, please tell us the meaning behind the title ‘Consolation.’
Wakana-san (hereafter, Wakana): ‘Consolation’ has the meaning of comfort and according to our producer Kajiura-san, ‘People are fundamentally beings of desire, and we experience conflict as we seek our desires, I would like the thing that lies ahead of that to be true ‘consolation.’’ With this album, the intention was to express the ‘consolation’ inside us.
- And the album concept in Kajiura-san’s mind also influenced the title.
Wakana: Kajiura-san said that ‘In one’s whole life it is impossible to obtain something that can truly satisfy. I think it is because people continue to have desires that they are able to feel ‘consolation.’’, and I think that is spot on.
- Hikaru-san, this album has been presented as ‘a return to form as well as a new step forward’, but what would you say specifically?
- Hikaru-san (hereafter, Hikaru): Firstly, althought it was written as ‘a return to form’, that was because it became that way when describing it in a few words in hindsight. Originally when we first began there was the core that was Kalafina, and from there we branched out and made the 3rd album, there is a feeling in those few words that all the more because it is now, let’s try making the 4th album by looking again at our origin.
Because I experienced various challenges and there were a lot of things I was able to see, there are probably songs that will feel nostalgic to our fans on this album, I think it might be from there that you will able to feel its newness.
- How was the set list (song order) decided this time around?
Keiko-san (hereafter, Keiko): I think we wanted people to feel a ‘comfortable flow’ when looking over all the songs.
This time around, because during the production stage there were songs we were unable to see completed, whenever there was a spare moment we talked it over with everyone saying ‘What shall we go with?’
Since there are a lot of songs from the singles on ‘Consolation’ , it might be similar to the flow of a live setlist. No matter the album, the title song comes first, and then from there we go to ‘moonfesta.’ It feels like a Kalafina live when the tempo drops. And then, when going towards the last songs the intensity increases, the flow then ends warmly as if wrapping itself around you with songs like ‘Hikaru furu’ and ‘Yume no daichi.’
- It’s all the better, you might be able to perform it as a live with the same song order.
Wakana: A long time ago we once had a live where we performed the theme songs from the Kara no Kyoukai movies continuing from numbers 1-7, since there is a very good unity between the songs included on this album, I feel as if we might be able to do it. Although there are only 13 songs (laugh).
- Speaking of lives, the other day, at the ‘Lisani! Live3’ that was held on the 27th of Janurary, you secretly sang the OP theme ‘connect’ by ClariS from the anime ‘Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica.’
Wakana: With even part of the staff not knowing beforehand, the truth is even on the setlist hung up backstage ‘???’ was also written (laughs).
Keiko: Even in rehearsals, so that no one in the area could hear, we did it just through our ear monitors without sound coming from the speakers. The staff said ‘It’s the first time for you to hide a song so rigorously before singing it.’ (laughs)
- How did it go when you actually sang it?
Wakana: It truly had a big effect. We felt anew the popularity of ‘Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica’ and ClariS, we were truly happy to have been involved with a production such as this. I was filled with happiness while singing it.
Since it was a cover of course we felt that we had to ‘sing it carefully’ but at the same time we also felt that we would like to put some Kalafina-ness into it as well.
This time around, Kajiura-san specially arranged the chorus for us so I think it may have sounded quite original.
- Just before January 23 you also released your first live album ‘Kalafina 5th Anniversary LIVE SELECTION 2009-2012.’
Hikaru: With this album it was the first for so much to be released in such a short amount of time so I was a bit anxious thinking ‘Will everyone be able to listen to this much?’, but I think we were able to deliver to everyone a live CD, as a live CD showing all that we have done in five years.
My voice has gradually changed, as well as my feelings regarding songs, and because from there something budded in myself regarding singing, I think it became a release full of the feeling of wanting to say ‘Thank you’ to everyone who has cheered us on until now.
Keiko: For us as well when listening to this album, it became a good opportunity of looking back on all the lives we have done up until now. I think it would be great if you could come to our our April 6 ‘Consolation Special LIVE at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL’ after listening to our latest album ‘Consolation’ or conversely, after enjoying our lives, you can also enjoy hearing the difference between the CD.
- On the 23rd of January, your history book ‘Kalafina History 5th’ with photographs of all the lives you’ve done up until now included was released.
Hikaru: It truly became a tremendously thick volume! (laughs).
Keiko: Even if it just looks back on our lives, I was surprised to see so much. Because everyday was just like ‘Do recordings, run while heading to lives, going to review meetings straight after the live, and the next day running forwards while facing ahead once more ….’
To me it’s a book that’s like an ‘album of memories.’ Because it hits hard whenever I look at it, I don’t look at it very often (laughs).
Hikaru: I look at it pretty often, thinking things like ‘So that’s what I was thinking that time overseas.’
Do you remember that there’s a photo of Keiko sticking her tongue out?
Keiko: That was a time when we fumbled a bit at the end of a live.
Wakana: That time all three of us messed up. When someone went to say ‘Thank you very much!’ some else went to say ‘We are truly grateful!’ and such, it became quite repetitive (laughs).
Keiko: …. Well, with this and that, a lot of things happened, it’s like whenever I look at the book I remember (laughs).
Hikaru: I think people who went to the venues will be able to remember, ‘At that time, the atmosphere was like this’, the costumes and songs have their own concept depending on the live as well so I think you will be able to enjoy seeing such changes as that.
- Although at this rate I think I would like to keep hearing about the book (laughs), let’s return to talking about ‘Consolation.’ Firstly starting with the jacket cover.
Wakana: The colour of the costumes this time around was unusual. They feel a little chic despite being dressy, you can feel a dignified atmosphere.
It’s like a painting, the image is like it becomes a single picture when adorned by a frame, I had the impression that it was like the stateliness of our 2nd album ‘Red Moon’ and the softness of our 3rd album ‘After Eden’ combined together.
Keiko: The birdcages were very impression-making in the set. There are withered flowers in place of birds. They were also strewn about near our feet.
In addition to fitting the image of the songs on the album, I think it became a jacket where you can feel a very fantasy-like atmosphere.
Hikaru: The tone of the jacket is a little sepia-ish but it also has dark parts, the ‘Consolation’ font also looks very lovely.
Keiko: In the same way as the origin of the title ‘Consolation’ that we talked about first, there are surely people who will look at it and have a warm feeling, as well as people who look at it and think it feels mysterious, how will the songs feel depending on the person listening? I think everyone should enjoy it in the way that they feel it to be.
- In the A, B first press limited editions, the video clip for ‘Yume no Daichi’ is included.
Keiko: This is interesting, the three of us have different expressions. Lately, inside of our having differing roles, our facial expressions honestly come out in different ways.
Hikaru: With this clip, it was the first that we tried ‘Kalafina projected onto a forest’, I would like everyone to enjoy it since I think it became a video clip where you can feel something like a fusion between us and nature.
- And then, from June onwards you will be beginning an approximately 2 month long tour starting at Nakano Sun Plaza.
Wakana: I would like to make each performance such that even people who have come to the venues for the first time can enjoy themselves.
- Incidentally, are there any foods you would like to eat at any of the tour stops?
Keiko: Last time we went to Sendai, a fish paste called ‘muu’ was very delicious, so I would like to eat it again.
Hikaru: The croquette in Takaoka, Toyama are famous so I’d definitely like to try some!
Wakana: I was brought up in Fukuoka so I’d like to introduce everyone to various delicious foods. When I go this time I’d like to eat ‘Nagahama ramen.’
- Lastly, a few words for the fans.
Wakana: ‘Consolation’ contains our feelings as we are in our 5th year, as well as a new feeling of heading towards our 6th as well. Kalafina will always continue to hold signs showing that ‘We’ll continue to sing’, I think you will be able to listen to it in anticipation thinking ‘What kind of things will they be doing this time around?’, I also think people who are listening to us for the first time will be able to hear its freshness, so I would definitely like everyone to listen to it once.
Keiko: Each time we release an album, I am very happy to be able to feel the reality of being able to connect to many people because of the various productions that we have been involved in.
We feel that we would like to return the happiness that we have gained to everyone through our music.
Please look kindly on us!
Hikaru: Since ‘Consolation’ is an album that we’ve put all the best of what we can do now into, please by all means listen to it, I would also like everyone to please come to our lives as well!
☆ Introduction to the new songs from all three members
01.al fine
Wakana: ‘al fine’ is a musical term meaning ‘to continue until the end.’ This song is an overture-like song created so that words from each of the songs on the album are inlaid. It is full of the feeling that we would like you to feel the album’s atmosphere firstly from this song and then enjoy it until the end.
02.consolation
Keiko: In addition to it being the title song, because it starts full on with a chorus of coined words, I think it is a song that makes everyone feel excited. Also, the roles of our three voices clearly comes out, Hikaru expresses the ‘energy of going after the things you want’ and then with Wakana’s voice that’s like it is enfolding itself around you expressing ‘the consolation gained while searching’ the song suddenly changes. With their two voices expressing those two different scenes I believe it became a song where Kalafina was able to fully play to their strengths.
04.Door
Hikaru: Since it is a song that Kajiura-san wrote during her amateur days, it’s a song where we feel its youthfulness a little among all the songs that we have sung. It’s a mysterious song where the core is in its gentleness.
I think it is a number that swells the imagination with a number of things, with a soft touch to it.
06.Hanataba
Wakana: Since it is the first of Kalafina’s songs using the accordion it might sound very fresh.
Only, inside the freshness, since it has a tone that feels nostalgic, and this is a song where we are singing of the pain of having overcome something heartrending, that is where the meaning of ‘consolation’ is included, so I think the accordion became a good accent.
07.signal
Keiko: We challenged a new genre this time around with this song. Rather than a challenge to us individually, I feel that it was a challenge for Kalafina as a whole to present a song such as this.
Although it has a cold digital sound image, while Hikaru and I are always robotically singing the same melody, with Wakana scatting there is a part of it that twines itself about you, doesn’t it? All the more since it is music made to balance each of our vocal styles put together, it is also a song that I feel might be the essence of Kalafina.
Although in the last part where it builds up there is the accordion solo that appeared in ‘Hanataba’, the performance comes in in a sort of flowing way so that you wouldn’t think it was the same instrument, because it is seems it is something apt to be ignored I would definitely like everyone to pay attention to it.
Wakana: I was very worried about how to properly express the scatting. They wanted me to sing as if merging into the voices of the other two, ‘with a sexiness that’s a little cool’, and I took that to heart. Although it was difficult, as a result I think that were able to show a new Kalafina.
08.obbligato
Hikaru: This song has the image of a single painting put into lyrics. Although it is drawn as a ‘story of love between a man and a woman’ , when we begin to sing it feels very rockish, although it sounds like a graceful ballad from the parts when Wakana singing the B melody becomes the main melody, the backing remains boisterous. I think that gap makes it a very interesting song.
Although ‘obbligato’ has the meaning in musical terms of being ‘a different melody that competes with the main melody’, it also has the meaning of ‘inevitable’, I feel like both meanings come into the song. It is the first time for Wakana to sing the lower harmony with two different styles of singing, and although they rest together, I think the song’s virtue comes from from the various styles of singing.
Furthermore, since it becomes three voices in the hook, I think you are able to listen to the usual Kalafina style singing so I would definitely like people to listen to it carefully.
09.Kiichigo no Shigemi ni
Wakana: It is a very simple song, but because of that it comes across as very real, when I listened to the completed version my voice also came across as very real sounding.
In ‘oblivious’, which was the theme song for ‘Kara no Kyoukai Movie 1: Fukan Fuukei’, there was also a theme of ‘You can’t see something real but you can catch a glimpse of it’ and I can feel the same sort of thing from this song as well.
The truth is, there is a very steady character setting in Kajiura-san’s mind for this song, a setting in which ‘the main character is a girl of 12 or 13’ and the ‘raspberry thickets’ are a little bit taller than her height. When I asked her ‘Is this story a dream that the forest is having? Or is it something that really happened?’ and she said ‘In my thoughts, I believe it is of a girl thinking up a story of imagination. But the things you came up with are also interesting, Wakana.’ I think everyone should imagine it as they like.
13.Yume no Daichi
Keiko: It is being played as ‘Rekishi Hiwa Historia’’s new ending theme.
We have also previously done ‘symphonia’ as the ED theme for the same program, to continually be given charge of the theme songs for more than four years for a program is something that doesn’t often occur so I am very happy for that.
Historical people also had dreams, as well as being a song that expresses respect for such great people, there were also a lot of words relevant to them. It is fitting for the ending of the album, and since it is a song that can warmly wrap itself around you at the last, after you have finished listening to it I would be happy if it could become a small impetus to think ‘I’ll try my best tomorrow too!’
) but "Obliggato" is fantastic. I can imagine it rocking the house down live. For that reason I'd like to get hold of a concert blu-ray of their next tour...also because they can be *consistently* great live now, and of course because the new songs stand up so well alongside the old faves.
Idk, it just went on flow for me. Even, think that hearing the accordion in it is nice. Althou I'd probably choose a bit different sound of it x)
I guess upbeat songs are not my type of songs..but I like Keiko and Wakana in it! Maybe after more listening Ill get to like it, you never know 
