Unlucky Morpheus interview with Gekirock - Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World? OP "Sekai Rinne"
Original interview:
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Finally, at long last, Unlucky Morpheus, known affectionately as Ankimo, is set to release their new single, "Sekai Rinne." The title track will serve as the opening theme for the TV anime "なぜ僕の世界を誰も覚えていないのか?(Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?)" starting on July 13. While known for their heavy metal sound, Ankimo is also adept at incorporating high-quality pop sensibilities, and they've long aimed to create anime songs. Here we have the dramatic and dynamic Ankimo-style anime songs, complete!
— Unlucky Morpheus is releasing their first anime tie-up single, "Sekai Rinne," which will be the opening theme for the TV anime "Why Does Nobody Remember My World?" starting on July 13. Considering the flow from their first album as Unholy Orpheus, "What is DEATH?" released in May with its strong melodic death metal influence, this new development is very intriguing. Shiren, was this an intentional move on your part?
Shiren: Yes, it was. The "What is DEATH?" album released under Unholy Orpheus was originally planned to be released together with Unlucky Morpheus's album "evolution" (released in 2022) as counterpart albums. However, due to timing, "evolution" came out first. With this new tie-up, I see "What is DEATH?" as a good contrasting work to "Sekai Rinne." I hope fans enjoy the wide range of our music.
— As you mentioned, the title track "Sekai Rinne" of this single maintains the powerful sound typical of Ankimo, while also featuring standout melodies and catchy elements characteristic of anime songs. Ankimo has previously released pop-sensible tracks like "Amaryllis" (included in "evolution"), so this isn't entirely unprecedented.
Fuki: The "evolution" album we released before was driven by its vocals throughout. Among the tracks, "Amaryllis" had a particularly anime-song-like context, and I think it resonated with fans as a track that could easily fit into an anime, both in melody and vocal tone. In that sense, "Sekai Rinne" is simply a natural outcome of the melody and singing style the song called for. However, this is our first time creating an actual anime tie-up song as Ankimo, so this marks a turning point for the band. This single is likely to reach the largest audience we've ever had, making it very significant for us.
— Since we have the opportunity, I'd like to ask the instrumental members about their feelings when this tie-up was decided.
FUMIYA: For me, it felt like "finally, the time has come." Even though we call Ankimo a metal band, within the realm of metal, we do fairly understandable things, and I think we are a good introductory metal band. We've had anime song-like tracks like Amaryllis before, so honestly, I feel like "finally."
Ogawa: I think there were probably quite a few fans of Ankimo who thought it would be great if we did an anime song someday. Of course, we ourselves had thought so for a long time, but as an indie band, it's hard to come across such opportunities. So I feel like we've finally achieved one of our goals.
Jinya: In reality, getting a tie-up without belonging to an agency and working independently is uncommon, so I feel very grateful for this opportunity, which came about through various fortunate encounters and the efforts of those around us.
Jill: I also feel "finally...!" In all our activities so far, one of my two big dreams was to have my project be responsible for an anime opening. I've been involved in anime background music through recording work before, but having the chance to do an anime opening with my own band is very exciting. Plus, I personally love anime songs. I've posted "played with cosplay" videos of songs like "Gurenge" and "Homura" (both by LiSA) from "Demon Slayer" and "Guren no Yumiya" (Linked Horizon) from "Attack on Titan" on my YouTube channel. So in that sense, I'm very honored to be directly involved in the anime world this time.
— Since it's an anime OP theme, the length is fixed at 1 minute and 30 seconds, so I think you must have been mindful of the elements unique to tie-up songs during the composition process. Shiren, what points did you particularly consider this time?
Shiren: The most important thing in making an anime song is whether it fits "Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" I paid a lot of attention to how this song would resonate within the work. The primary focus was to create a song for this work, and then I thought about how to make it sound like Ankimo.
Fuki: I also wanted to make a song that even people who don't know Ankimo would be intrigued by. And of course, I made sure to showcase the charm of vocalist Fuki.
Shiren: In terms of sound, we don't usually use digital synths that much in Ankimo. But this time, since "Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" features futuristic weapons and has a fantastical world view, I used digital synth sounds to express that feeling. Although, the fantastical world view is something Ankimo is inherently good at. Regardless, I always kept in mind that it was a song for the anime. The time signature also matches the anime's length.
— Could you explain a bit more about what you mean?
Shiren: In "Sekai Rinne," the B melody has an irregular time signature, with a mix of 7/4 and 4/4 time. It fit perfectly to match the song's length. At first, I tried to match it with regular 4/4 or 3/4 time, but it didn't feel quite right. Then I thought maybe an irregular time signature would fit, and it did. The unusual B melody would not have existed if the song length wasn't fixed for an anime (laughs).
— When creating the sound, was there anything you kept in mind considering it would be aired on TV?
FUMIYA: No, the sound is the same as usual. "Sekai Rinne" isn't an overly metallic song to begin with, so the drums aren't very prominent. But I included my individuality where needed, so in that sense, I approached it with the same balance as always.
Shiren: I think I'm the only one who considered how it would sound on TV. It was the first thing to think about as the composer. During the mixing stage, I also thought about how it would sound through TV speakers. The other members focused on how to enhance the demo I presented.
FUMIYA: Exactly. Shiren composed the song with an awareness of it being an anime song, so I just made sure not to deviate from that.
Ogawa: My stance was pretty much the same, and it felt similar to when we recorded Amaryllis. I didn't particularly worry about it being on TV or an anime song.
Shiren: Since we're making music in Japan, I think we all have some understanding of what anime songs are like. Even if we're not consciously aware, there's probably an unconscious imprint. That shared understanding naturally came through in this song.
Jinya: Shiren included all the necessary elements for an anime song in the track, so I focused on delivering excellent metal play true to Ankimo. I think the significance of Ankimo doing an anime song lies in that. Many can make metal-like anime songs, but only Ankimo can deliver our unique metal in an anime song. As a player, my approach didn't change. The only difference was when the mix came up, I suggested minor adjustments to better fit an anime opening.
— Earlier, Shiren mentioned using digital synths to represent the futuristic elements of "Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" Did this create any conflicts between the synth and the violin?
Jill: No, not at all (laughs). From the moment I heard the demo and saw the score, I understood what needed to be expressed in this song. I focused on playing phrases that would be easily received by listeners within the short duration of an anime song. That might have been a bit different from usual.
— Besides the sound creation process, I think the lyrics were also important for "Sekai Rinne." Did you receive any materials in advance from the other party?
Fuki: When we received this offer, I read the original light novel "Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" The novel was serialized from 2017 to 2020 and is currently being serialized as a manga. The anime adaptation was based on specific parts, so I bought and read the entire original work. The lyrics were written after fully understanding the story.
— After submitting the first draft of the lyrics, did you receive any additional orders or revisions from the other party?
Fuki: There were none. I think it's fair to say that the original author approved of the lyrics.
Let's put on a truly metal live performance!
– That's amazing. Even though there are various kinds of anime songs, some lyrics don't have much to do with the original work or the anime's content. However, the fact that "Sekai Rinne" is closely aligned with the original work will surely gain the trust of fans who may not know Unlucky Morpheus. By the way, the title of the song "Sekai Rinne" is—
Fuki: "Sekai Rinne" is an important keyword that appears in the original work. Of course, the anime covers up to a certain point, so I wrote the lyrics in a way that avoided including elements that would spoil the ending or reveal too much. I often depict the stories in my head in my lyrics, and I'm good at that, so writing lyrics that reflect the original content through my filter was really fun this time.
– There are also many unique readings of the kanji in the lyrics, aren't there?
Fuki: Actually, all of them are words that appear in the original work. I used the original hiragana and katakana readings as they were. So, I think the fans of the original work, manga, and anime will feel that the lyrics are written with a proper understanding of the story.
– As a vocalist, how did you approach singing "Sekai Rinne" during the recording?
Fuki: I used all the pop and catchy elements from both my repertoire and Unlucky Morpheus's. To put it more simply, I could sing it in a cooler style, but I consciously aimed for a singing style that would be easy and appealing for anime song listeners.
– Your voice sounds graceful and expansive.
Fuki: The emotional focus of the song is higher than usual. I wanted it to be a song that would catch your attention and make you want to watch when it came on TV.
– This makes me look forward to the broadcast date. I want to watch it live on TV when the caption "Sekai Rinne" by Unlucky Morpheus appears!
Shiren: Ah, the caption is definitely a unique feature of anime songs (laughs).
Jinya: Well, these days, you can watch on various streaming services too. Even if you don't watch it live, you can enjoy it in your own style at your convenience.
Fuki: We've been talking about TV, but I'm sure many people will watch it on their smartphones or PCs. At the recent advance screening ("Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" Advance Screening), many attendees said they were moved to see "Unlucky Morpheus" briefly appear in the lower right corner of the big screen at the Ikebukuro cinema (Grand Cinema Sunshine Ikebukuro).
– I hope many people discover Unlucky Morpheus through "Why Does Nobody Remember Me in This World?" and "Sekai Rinne."
Fuki: Unlucky Morpheus will be 16 years old this October, but in the early days, we even sold CDs by hand at Comiket. People who knew us back then but don't know the recent Unlucky Morpheus might think, "Unlucky Morpheus doing anime songs?" I hope "Sekai Rinne" will remind those who were aware of our doujin activities and think, "Unlucky Morpheus is still around?" (laughs). It's not a negative thing at all. I'm very happy to have people who have known Unlucky Morpheus for a long time. I hope both metal fans and non-metal fans will be surprised and delighted by this.
– By the way, the single also includes a coupling song, "Ready for a new stage," which seems to be a track that metal fans will love. It feels like a classic melodic speed metal tune that is typical of Unlucky Morpheus.
Shiren: Since "Sekai Rinne" is a bit unusual for Unlucky Morpheus and represents new ground for us, we wanted to offer something contrasting as the coupling track. When bands make their major debut, they often get criticized for changing to a more commercial sound (laughs). If anyone feels uneasy after hearing "Sekai Rinne," I'd like them to listen to "Ready for a New Stage." If "Sekai Rinne" was made entirely for the anime, this one was made purely for Unlucky Morpheus, delivering ultra-classic melodic speed metal.
Jinya: Metal fans can rest assured (laughs). If Unlucky Morpheus released this as a single, this song might have been the title track.
Shiren: People who have known Unlucky Morpheus for a long time and listen to this single after a while might think, "Oh, this is the kind of music they're doing now" with "Sekai Rinne," but then with "Ready for a New Stage," they might feel, "Nothing's changed! They're still evolving!" which would be ideal.
FUMIYA: The drumming is explosive on this one. I went all out.
Ogawa: The recording schedule was quite tight, but since it's a song that showcases our strengths, we managed to pull it off.
– I'm delighted to hear a violin solo in "Ready for a New Stage."
Jill: The overall song is classic and straightforward, but I felt a bit of a mysterious vibe, so I played the violin solo with a slightly Arabian nuance in mind.
– Each part has a spotlight during the interlude, making it a very satisfying song to listen to.
Shiren: For those who are hearing Unlucky Morpheus for the first time with this single, "Ready for a New Stage" will likely be the second song they hear. I wanted the violin solo to stand out against the other parts playing classic metal sounds, showcasing the unique character of the violin. If you think of the structure as introduction, development, turn, and conclusion, the turn is the violin solo.
– Regarding the lyrics of "Ready for a new stage," Fuki, you mentioned earlier that this single is a turning point for the band. In that sense, "new stage" seems to refer to the future beyond this turning point.
Fuki: Yes, that's the feeling I put into the lyrics of "Ready for a new stage." Additionally, this song is connected to "Change of Generation" (from the 2012 release 'Parallelism・β'), our first original song from 2012, which conveyed our intention to carry the next generation of heavy metal. We have continued to cherish and perform it as a live staple. "Ready for a new stage" is a 2024 answer song to "Change of Generation." It also conveys the message that even if anyone is worried about Unlucky Morpheus doing anime songs, they needn't be because we will continue to evolve and show you the "new stage = next world" you love about Unlucky Morpheus.
– Both "Sekai Rinne" and "Ready for a new stage" have different colors but proudly carry Unlucky Morpheus's spirit.
Fuki: I'd be very happy if you feel that way!
– When can we expect to hear these new songs live?
Shiren: We're currently on a one-man tour ("Unlucky Morpheus 15th Anniversary Live Tour 'REINCARNATION'"), and we'll start performing the new songs around August. The first performance will likely be in Kanazawa on the 3rd. The tour will continue intermittently until November, so we hope both long-time fans and those who discovered us through "Sekai Rinne" will come to our shows.
Fuki: Speaking of live shows, we're holding a "Rowdy Only Live" at Kichijoji CLUB SEATA on October 14, the day after Unlucky Morpheus's anniversary on October 13.
– That's quite an intriguing live title.
Shiren: In the past, Unlucky Morpheus used to have really chaotic live shows, but with our fanbase now consisting of all ages and the COVID-19 pandemic, we haven't had such chaotic shows for a long time. However, aside from wanting everyone to see us, I also believe that live shows are all about going wild, so this time we decided to clearly announce a "Rowdy Only Live." Let's put on a truly metal live performance!
– That's the spirit.
Shiren: When I saw CHILDREN OF BODOM live at SHIBUYA-AX, I was deeply impressed by the chaotic floor, and it has influenced me greatly. It's not about getting hurt, but I want everyone to experience the fun of going wild, screaming, and enjoying the show. The ticket sales page even has a pop-up asking if you're okay with a rowdy live show before you apply (laughs).
– I think it's wonderful for Unlucky Morpheus, a band that prides itself on being an entry point to metal, to actively promote the joy of experiencing metal live.
Shiren: It's not about getting hurt. Let's all enjoy the fun of going wild and crazy!
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