Introducing the Members of the 20th Anniversary Project vol. 15

Thanks to you all, we finally finished the album! We submitted all the data, and all we have to do now is to wait for them to arrive. I feel somewhat relieved knowing how far we’ve come but also still a bit anxious until I actually see the product. This time I’d like to introduce the technicians who helped us finish the album, recording engineers and mastering engineers. Mamiko Kawakami She worked on the three songs written by Akira Inoue. I call her “Mami-Mami,” and we actually have known each other for a really long time. She was an assistant at a recording studio I had an audition at when I was a senior at high school. She knows me even before I debuted as a singer, and what’s more, we worked together for the recording of “squall.” I even feel it’s like a fate. It meant so much to me that she worked on as many as three songs from the album. She is calm but when it comes to music she becomes passionate. I could feel that in the songs. “Tsumuki” “Izayoi” “Mariefred Vind,” they all became great songs. The recorded sound was very nice too. The recording for strings instrument for “Tsumuki” was like a dream-come-true, and has definitely become one of the unforgettable recordings. Next, Naoki Ibaraki worked on “Snow,” “Merry go-round,” “Osentaku(Laundry),” “Maigo no Kurage (Lost Jellyfish).” I met him through my 3rd album “catharsis,” and recently he’s participated in “I’m home,” “Inoribi.” He has become one of the crucial members to make songs with. In this recording, he often worked until so late with me to meet all my requests even small ones. At the end, we were able to make the songs perfect. His gentle smile made me feel easy, and when I was lost, he gave me on-point advice. I relied on him so much for this album. Assistant Otaki cheered us up and kept the positive vibe, and Kusanagi brought some homemade snacks for us. I thank them for making the recording go smooth. For all the recording and trackdown, there have been so many engineers who worked for my album. Some of them I forgot to take picture with and I cannot introduce in here, but I cited all of their names on the liners note in the album, so please check it out when the CD comes to you. Lastly, I’d like to introduce Mitsutaka Abe, mastering engineer. That was my first time to work with him, and was such a great time! Mastering is like decorating a cake, which is a very important process but requires a great musical sense. The taste of songs really vary in this album, so I was not sure if I would be able to give them one solid taste to make the album coherent. Akira Inoue came to see the mastering process, too. They are true geniuses of music, and as they work on the songs, I could literally see the songs shine with their magic. Before I know all the songs became bright and colorful! His attitude toward work was.. holy in a way. He takes the work very seriously and the dedication to the work makes the atmosphere holy in a way. I’m grateful that I get to have him in my work. I’m sure the songs are happy because a great musician like him have worked on them. So many people have worked on this album to make this album a great one with full of love, and I just cannot thank enough for all of them!! I hope that you will add your own color to my “Coloring Book” to make it even more bright. Please look forward to the day of the release :)