Yuki Kajiura Kalafina Record

[Mwhlr]

Re:

I don't think I'd be able to recover as Wakana seems to be able to so easily

I don't know, in Wakana's interview, she said she got over it by crying her eyes out in the shower.

Poor Wakana

Though...a part of me wonders...not just with Kalafina, but also with her other compositions, is this why recently it seems to be that (as people have pointed out) Yuki's songs and soundtracks sound similar, or have repeating elements from previous works? Is it because she's 'playing it safe', so to speak, by sticking to a style that she knows works for her, and doesn't want to do something radical that might turn people away from her music?

Yes, her compositions have been a little bit, dare I say, stale recently. As a composer, I bet it's really easy to get into a kind of musical rut after such a long career. She needs some fresh inspirations.

Don't think it's a good excuse though. And HnS being her decade masterpiece?

I was a little concerned when I read that about staying true to the Kalafina "sound". However, the stuff they've put out has been varied, so I'm not too worried (Red Moon sounds very different to After Eden, for instance).

As for HnS, as a totally pure pop song, it's pretty damn good!

 

[Alphard Sokaina]

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I was a little concerned when I read that about staying true to the Kalafina "sound".

Well yes, she was talking about Kalafina. But I think it's true for FJ as well.

 

[Mwhlr]

Re: Re:

I was a little concerned when I read that about staying true to the Kalafina "sound".

Well yes, she was talking about Kalafina. But I think it's true for FJ as well.

Exactly - I think the problem at the moment is that their songs are starting to sound a little similar. I thought "To the Beginning" could have easily been a FJ song.

 

[Alphard Sokaina]

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I thought "To the Beginning" could have easily been a FJ song.

It occured to some other members too

 

[ninetales]

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Yes, her compositions have been a little bit, dare I say, stale recently. As a composer, I bet it's really easy to get into a kind of musical rut after such a long career. She needs some fresh inspirations.

Glad someone else agrees with me on this.

As for HnS, as a totally pure pop song, it's pretty damn good!

I think my main problem with HnS isn't so much its composition - I struggle more with its length, amount of repetition...and the fact that the flute solo only got cut out during one live performance. It's not the type of song that can be listened to many times or casually. While it doesn't sound suspiciously like other YK compositions, and while its key changes aren't completely out of left field (like, say, the changes at the respective ends of TTB, Manten, or Yane) it's just basically arranged for maximum drag, so to speak. imo of course

 

[garnetjester]

I think Hikaru no senritsu is one of Kalafina's prettiest songs melodically, maybe she was alluding to that. I love the song to death (the lyrics are rather awesome as well) but I agree that it can drag on a bit because of its length

 

[Mwhlr]

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it's just basically arranged for maximum drag, so to speak. imo of course

As an avid listening of progressive rock, I have no issue with length xD

Yeh, the flute solo is odd to have playing as part of a live backing track. Obviously it would be a different story if someone actually got to play the solo.

 

[Cerise]

Re:

Thanks for posting the interview. It was really nice to know what Kajiura thinks of Kalafina. And we've got the explanation why she composes the songs that are quite similar:

Even if someone were to say that Kalafina is ‘always the same’ I wouldn’t want to change it. I don’t want to betray the songs people have listened to.

Don't think it's a good excuse though. And HnS being her decade masterpiece? Okaaay

Maybe because she decided it was her decade masterpiece was the reason why we had that period of time where they seemed to perform HnS for EVERYTHING

 

[casarina26]

I love HnS, its one of those songs which contrasts deep, meaningful words together with melodies that uplift people. Unlike some others.

But it being her decade masterpiece?

/looks at Akatsuki, Yakusoku, Hikari no Yukue, Houseki, Fields of Hope...


I guess its ONE OF her decade masterpieces, but not THE one.

 

[ritardando]

Re: Re:

Thanks for posting the interview. It was really nice to know what Kajiura thinks of Kalafina. And we've got the explanation why she composes the songs that are quite similar:

Even if someone were to say that Kalafina is ‘always the same’ I wouldn’t want to change it. I don’t want to betray the songs people have listened to.

Don't think it's a good excuse though. And HnS being her decade masterpiece? Okaaay

Maybe because she decided it was her decade masterpiece was the reason why we had that period of time where they seemed to perform HnS for EVERYTHING

Actually I think they performed HnS a lot because that's their first more-popular-tie-in song which really showed their ability as chorus-group-singers. storia too, but storia's tie in isn't as famous as HnS, while lacrimosa is basically Wakana solo with Keiko as backing vocal, and still isn't that famous. progressive has no tie in. HnS for me is they real breakthrough from KnK movies singer, and not lacrimosa. Tbh, my first encounter with YK is from FJ's parallel hearts. I've known TRC, hack series but atm I didn't know that YK is the composer for those anime. When I read in wiki that Keiko and Wakana is also involved with Kalafina, I immediately download all their songs in gendou, but the first song I listen to is lacrimosa, and I used to hate it a lot. That song's kinda weird and actually still don't give a medieval European vibe at all (until now, although I don't hate it anymore). I left all Kala songs and searching for FJ, and until I listened to Kala's oblivious and ARIA. Which is awesome and make me a Kalafina fans until now.

 

[Yuki88]

^ I think the reason they performed HnS sooo many times is because it sings of light of hope, at least to me.

 

[Mwhlr]

It's one of Kalafina's few upbeat songs which genuinely sounds happy. Not something they do too often!

 

[Mizu]

Yay, I loved reading this interview
It feels like the picture I got of the personalities of the girls in Kalafina was very much confirmed by Kajiura in this interview. Also, I really like that all three of them has improved so much since their first album. They really have something to show for all the effort they have put into their singing

However a sense of accomplishment and progress are different things, thus if while having that sense of achievement they were to lose the feeling of needing to improve themselves that would be the end of them as artists

'if you stop improving yourself, you have lost'. I think that's a good attitude to have, especially as an artist.

After that there is ‘Hikari no Senritsu’, I think it of as my once in a decade masterpiece (laughs).

W-W-Whaaaaa? It's my all-time favorite Kalafina song! The first Kalafina song I memorized so that I can sing it without looking up the lyrics, and the first song I learned to play completely on my keyboard. I love it sooo much and I'm glad Kajiura thinks it's a masterpiece But.. am I the only one who thinks that HnS sometimes has a somewhat... sad... undertone? Like someone searching for hope in a world that may not have much hope... or something like that.

Anyway, thanks Carlene for translating this interview

 

[Alphard Sokaina]

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Maybe because she decided it was her decade masterpiece was the reason why we had that period of time where they seemed to perform HnS for EVERYTHING

I thought the same

 

[murrue02]

Re: Re:

Maybe because she decided it was her decade masterpiece was the reason why we had that period of time where they seemed to perform HnS for EVERYTHING

I thought the same

LOL It's Yuki's favorite Kalafina song