Sakuracon 2015: Kanako Ito Interview

Japan-A-Radio was granted 1 on 1 interview access with prolific video game and anime theme song singer Kanako Ito.

Sean Cruz (SC): How were, what were your thoughts on the concert last night?

Kanako Ito (KI): I have to say I was really, so happy to see the huge stage and the huge room being filled by all the fans and the way that people were grooving to the music it was really amazing.

SC: You had mentioned in your Q & A (fan Q & A) that there were some songs that you would have liked to have done that you weren't able to do, which songs would you have liked to have done if you had more time?

KI: During my autograph session a lot of the attendees brought the CD Package version of Saya no Uta (visual novel). I sang two songs for the game, Saya no Uta and Garasu no Kutsu, both of which are really dark and almost depressing, so for a really short set list I was afraid it was going to ruin the mood, but again at the autograph session because so many people brought the game package I was thinking maybe I should have at least sung one of the themes.

SC: Did you want to become a singer growing up? And if you weren't a singer what would you be doing now?

KI: So, singing wasn't really on my life-path chart when I was younger, I suppose it happened when I grew up. It wasn't until I joined semi-pro and professional bands that I thought "Hey, maybe I can do this as a career." And from there people kept asking me to sing in different types of settings and it snowballed from there.

SC: So in your case it seems like it was a more gradual progression to becoming a professional, in Japan some people get scouted or audition or whatever, but in your case it was more gradual and you kind of just fell into it.

KI: Yes, so in my case it was all about the connections and the friends that I had around me. I haven't really had to audition for anything.

SC: That's nice.

KI: "Lucky desu!" (Laughs)

SC: When you're doing songs for anime and video games, do the producers come to you, or do you make the songs first and go to them, how does that process work?

KI: Nitroplus is a very interesting company and the first that I have worked with and with them, and a friend was working at Nitroplus and was composing a song one of the games, I didn't really have to do any "presenting" of myself and it kind of just came together naturally with them.

SC: You've done a lot of work with Nitroplus since then, out of all of them which one is your favourite?

KI: So the most memorable project that I've worked on is for a game called Hello World, there is a lot of my singing in this game, not just one song, including the opening and ending and some songs in between.

SC: Which was the most difficult project or most difficult song that you had to work on or record?

KI: The most difficult one is for a company called Gust and their title "Atelier Escha & Logy" and the song was really long and I was in the studio for 8 hours straight recording the song recording all the chorus and harmonies. (Laughs). This song was composed by a vocaloid producer so these are guys that compose based on vocaloid tunes and it seems pretty clear that, yes the vocaloid might be able to do these things but a human being cannot possibly seem to adjust their voice as quickly as that a vocaloid makes so that makes it very difficult... if you get a chance to listen to it I suggest you do.

SC: When you were performing with your bands before you started performing anime songs, did you find it difficult to find studio time or practice time, because space is at a premium in Japan?

KI: Again this goes back to my connections and kind of the story of my life, when I was still with local bands I was a friend with a studio owner and the owner was a part of my band so the owner would always book Mondays at the studio so we were able to access the studio for free. Maybe that's why I've been able to improve so much.

SC: Do you have any closing comments?

KI: I ask for everyone's support out there and hope that you'll continue to be interested in the work that I do including the games and the anime and the music attached to them as well, and I will do everything I can to make sure that I am invited to perform again.

SC: Thank you very much.

KI: Thank you!