YOASOBI SET TO GO GLOBAL

The 27-year-old composer Ayase only needs one word to sum up the music of YOASOBI: connection. He views the Japanese pair, which consists of 20-year-old vocalist Ikura and himself, as a means of communication. They transform poetic prose into catchy pop lyrics by writing songs based on fictional novels and short stories, connecting meaning to tunes. The intersection of the written word and music is YOASOBI. Each song is a chapter in a book on the human condition, its own mellifluous narrative. The group is expanding their reach for their upcoming release with the release of E-Side, their first English-language album, on November 12. Through an interpreter, Ayase tells PAPER, “We want to reach more people. “We don’t want anything changed. Our goal is to simply convey the essence of to new fans in a new language. But it should be very similar at its core.” In Tokyo, it’s just a little after eight o’clock, which is the ideal time of day for YOASOBI, which loosely translates to “nightlife.” It represents how Ayase and Ikura work hard at building their respective careers throughout the daytime before becoming YOASOBI at night. While Ayase creates Vocaloid music for digital pop singers like Hatsune Miku, Ikura is a singer-songwriter who goes by the stage name Ikuta Rira. Together, they have produced a number of enthralling successes and have established themselves as one of Japan’s most promising and popular new artists. Eight songs make up the album E-Side, with lyrics written by music director Konnie Aoki. These songs include their most recent single “Blue,” which was influenced by the anime Blue Period, and “Into The Night,” which is the English translation of their first big hit, “(Yoru ni kakeru). The song was made famous byThe Temptation of Thanatos by Mayo Hoshino, also known as Thanatos no Ywaku, has amassed more than 400 million streams worldwide. It peaked at the top of several charts in 2020, including Billboard Japan’s Hot 100 of the Year. The music of YOASOBI is in stark contrast. Drum kicks and piano interludes keep the pace relentless as they advance the disorienting vocal melody. Ikura’s crystal-clear vocal modulations and Ayase’s proficiency with Vocaloid software are demonstrated through key shifts and octave jumps. However, the story is frequently reflective and even depressing. Two lovers in the story “Yoru ni kakeru” give in to the seduction of death. Within months of its debut, it became a great hit in Japan. It’s romantic and depressing. Ayase attributes the song’s popularity to its numerous access points. Perhaps the dark plot, the catchy tunes, or the vibrant visual style drew in listeners. Ikura adds, “Perhaps my voice.” There are numerous aspects of the song that draw listeners in. These steps in the creative process all function together. The stories that are posted on the wellknown creative writing website monogatary. com serve as inspiration for Ayase and Ikura. It serves as a location where aspiring writers can upload and distribute their work. After choosing a story, Ayase analyses its ideas, tearing it apart into fragments, and reassembling it into music. He absorbs the book and incorporates its themes into his poems. “When I come up with a melody,” claims Ayase,Ayase attributes the song’s popularity to its numerous access points. Perhaps the dark plot, the catchy tunes, or the vibrant visual style drew in listeners. Ikura adds, “Perhaps my voice.” There are numerous aspects of the song that draw listeners in. These steps in the creative process all function together. The stories that are posted on the wellknown creative writing website monogatary.com serve as inspiration for Ayase and Ikura. It serves as a location where aspiring writers can upload and distribute their work. After choosing a story, Ayase analyses its ideas, tearing it apart into fragments, and reassembling it into music. He absorbs the book and incorporates its themes into his poems. “When I come up with a melody,” claims Ayase,He was on Instagram looking for a vocalist to work with him on a new project, writing music based on literature, when he came across one of Ikura’s videos. He instantly went to her YouTube channel, where she had posted covers and original compositions, and was captivated by her voice. “It was very clear, almost like crystal,” he remembers. “It was also comfortable, but distinctive.” It’s both something you’ve heard before and something you’ve never heard before.” Ikura, then known as Rira Ikuta, wasn’t sure if she wanted to perform other people’s lyrics at first. She’s a Swiftian at heart, a composer at heart. “Taylor Swift is the artist I look up to,” admits Ikura warmly. But she was captivated by Ayase’s efforts in the Vocaloid space and his charisma.”It was a suicide song, and it made me feel something I’d never felt before,” she adds. “The theme was completely unfamiliar to me, but it spoke directly to my heart.” “It was an indescribable sensation.” On the surface, Ayase and Ikura appear to be polar opposites. Ikura is all patterns, colours, and delicate jewellery, but Ayase is all black - black mask, black pullover, onyx ring on his middle finger. His first impression of Ikura was that she was completely innocent. “When I first met Ayase, I was distracted by his ear gauges,” jokes Ikura. Ayase concurs, describing himself as a hybrid of his favourite hardcore rock band, Maximum the Hormone, and J-pop. “He appeared to be a scary guy, but he wasn’t,”And, like any elder brother, Ayase is awestruck by Ikura’s vitality. “I don’t feel like there’s much of an age gap between us,” he says. “But sometimes we work on music until the wee hours of the morning, and Ikura can dance all night and still be cheerful.” “That’s when I realised I’m not so young anymore,” he adds, smiling. Their influences are diametrically opposed. Ikura was born in Chicago and spent her first three years of life there before moving to Japan. As a result, she was raised on the Disney Channel. She