A Velvet Dream

Zy. No. 16
May-June 2004

Photo by Hiranuma Hisana
Interview by Murayama Miyuki

 

ISSAY has gathered many followers in the visual scene ever since he was active as the vocalist of the band DER ZIBET in the 80s before the term “Visual Kei” was coined. Even now, he remains actual with HAMLET MACHINE and ISSAY meets DOLLY among other endeavours.

The summer before last, his neo-cabaret music unit, ISSAY meets DOLLY was formed and now, they are currently in the midst of their 4-part solo concert series “CABARET NOIR ~Yottsu no Yoru~” (CABARET NOIR ~4 Nights~) at Minami Aoyama MANDALA with their first show already performed earlier this year in March. Now, let us take a step into this decadent and alluring world.

 

 

―― What brought this unit together?

ISSAY (I): At first, I thought of doing something distanced from rock. It’s just that since what I have in me is rock, I wanted to try it out and see what will happen if I involve someone who also dabbles in rock but has different elements than I do. For example, classical elements or cabaret chanson¹ elements, and in terms of songs, I do cover those by Kurt Weill² and such, but I’d like to incorporate those sorts of elements because I’m thinking that maybe I’d be able to do something more interesting if I brought in [elements] that are completely different (from rock). I’ve always had a penchant for that sort of thing, so I thought to try something with the most disparate part of this range that I have. At the time, I happened to have a chance to drink with pianist Fukuhara Mari. She’s got a completely different background than I do, so we started to try and see if that would cause us to be entirely unable to do anything, or if we’d end up creating something exceptionally interesting.

―― With the two of you as the official members of the unit, you’ve performed in two different versions for live shows; as Acoustic DOLLY with a violin added in, and as Electric DOLLY with a bass guitar and drums added in.

I: I really wanted to do this in the form of a rock band in the beginning and we even had bass and guitar at our very first live, but we couldn’t see eye to eye on the music direction and it didn’t take long before we split up (wry smile). Following that, we tried doing a small project with Fukuhara Mari’s old friend, Mio Hirono in the form of violin/piano/vocals. And I found myself liking it so much that now, we’re doing it both ways; with this as the primary arrangement and in the form of a rock band too.

―― And what is this “neo cabaret music” in this document?

I: I want it to be a new form of cabaret music following the advent of rock. It’s not exactly nostalgia in play, but I, who have had a taste of rock, wanted to once again do things the way it used to be when cabaret first came to life. However, this doesn’t mean that I want to do something old, but rather, I want to try and do them as if they were new. But if it gets too far removed from rock, I think the readers would have difficulty with that, though. Because, after all this is a rock magazine, isn’t it? (Wry smile). It’s not as if I’m anti-rock anyway, so it’s only natural that there will be rock elements in it.

―― So what are the differences and characteristics which sets this apart from rock?

I: There are elements which have always been there, but I get the feeling that another level of a more theatrical way of thinking has stepped forward.

―― You used the expression, “visible music.” Does this mean that you’re placing importance on the element of showing?

I: That’s right. But it’s not MALICE MIZER’s style of exaggeration. Because even though I call it theatrical, it’s not that sort of over-the-top, and neither am I using stage sets or scenery. What I’m using is my own body.

―― I’m getting an image of decadence based on the band’s vibe, but do you have any specific examples of what that image is based off?

I: Hmm, this is difficult. For the image, I think it’s similar to a more orderly version of the weird salon-like place in the movie Velvet Goldmine³ where the protagonist performed a show prior to becoming famous. That said, I’m not sure [this reference] is helpful (wry smile). I suppose it’s something similar to what those who used to do chanson did, like Miwa-san⁴ of the Ginpari⁵ era. I’ve always loved the aesthetic sense from about 100 years ago to begin with, so that will be brought out in full force along with classical elements which are very much there. Simply put, it’s neoclassical⁶ romanticism⁷. ⁸

―― And that comes out through the visual aspect and other such areas, right?

I: In a gentlemanly way, yes (smiles). Because [I’ll] look just like the people you see in photos.

―― Although, the mention of decadence gives the impression of a dark worldview.

I: While it’s most certainly not bright, it won’t be eerie. This isn’t in the style of evil spirits⁹ anyway (smiles). I’m doing something beautiful here.

―― In the form of creating a fictional world and then performing in it, right?

I: To be exact, I’m including the audience as I create it. In other words, the guests who come to our show will be participating as well. That’s why I think that even if there are people who end up dead drunk or stand up and start a commotion, they are all playing a part in building that world. Rock concerts are also participatory by nature anyway, so I don’t think it’s all that different. I might invite misunderstanding by putting it like this, but there are theme parks, right? There, everyone in the area participates, right? That’s the idea of it. I think it also applies to the way things are created. You can bang on the piano, or wear a mask or something. Rather than making the stage an enigmatic space, I want to turn the venue itself into an intriguing, sort of mature space. I’d also like children to come and crane their necks and watch it too. In the sense of, let’s enjoy a drink and listen to some great music, let’s watch a lovely show.

―― The songs, too, each have turned out to possess a lot of worldliness and drama, haven’t they?

I: Each song is a scene. In fragments. Rather than one main story, it’s more like a collection of fragmented images.

―― However, those are certainly not wild tales. They’re emotions and happenings which occur in reality, and that ISSAY-san feels, right?

I: I think that’s very true. To me, this is contrarily more realistic that real rock music. Because I’ve decided to create a fantasy, a life-sized version of me comes out. Although I’m singing about someone else, that person is someone who is very much a reflection of myself, or, even if I’ve written a story about a fictional man and woman, it’d be about something that regularly happens, and things like that.

―― The lyrics are written by ISSAY-san, but what about the music?

I: More than 90% of the music is written by Fukuhara Mari, while I offer my opinion on occasion.

―― In terms of musicality, is there something like a genre direction you’d tend towards?

I: There is a particular quality [that we’re aiming for], but in terms of direction, there isn’t one. Because if we pay too much attention to conventions, we’d just end up narrowing things down. Besides, I believe that even if we were playing plain, simple rock and roll, with this line-up, things will definitely not end up being normal. If we compose a chanson-type melody, it would come to sound like the tune of a popular ballad from the past, but we will never say no to that. Because once I sing it, a popular ballad would end up sounding like something else instead. My singing style is one that cuts corners¹⁰ anyway (smiles). I’m excessively strong-willed too.

―― During your solo show last August, you titled it CABARET NOIR.

I: CABARET NOIR is not the name of the show, but rather, the name of a place. When we perform, we’re not in Minami Aoyama MANDARA. We’re in CABARET NOIR. And there, it’d be as if we’re holding a party with a specific theme. For example, if we titled it “Blue Night” (Ao no Yoru / 青の夜), we’d perform songs that are associated with the colour blue, and we’d have blue tablecloths, and things like that, you know? I guess the closest way to describe it is to say that I want to have fun with themes. It’s not that I want to have a fixed concept or that I want to express a particular thing, I’m just thinking of picking a theme and then having fun with it with everyone, though.

―― So, the audience can participate and play along too.

I: I’d be more than happy if they would play along with me anyway, and I think that it’d be great if they came dressed up too. It’d be the absolute best if people who are coming to watch for the first time realise that there’s this other way to enjoy music too.

―― Following March’s “Blue Night”, you have “Red” in May, “Purple” in June, and “White” in July; making these The Four Nights (Yottsu no Yoru / 四つの夜).

I: It’s still pretty vague to me what it’ll look like when all 4 have been put together. What I imagined, in the beginning, was something with a seasonal sense, like [symbolising] the end of winter to the beginning of spring with “Blue Night”, the end of spring to the start of summer with “Red Night” (Aka no Yoru / 赤の夜), autumn with “Purple Night” (Murasaki no Yoru / 紫の夜), and winter with “White Night” (Shiro no Yoru / 白の夜). I thought of applying Kishotenketsu¹¹ to that, but when I wrote the song Ao no Yoru (青の夜) which I performed at “Blue Night”, it ended up being completely different from what I had in mind (wry smile). That’s why I’m still not sure about how this is going to go.

―― Well then, we’ll just have to find out for ourselves at your show. Before we end, a message for our readers, please.

I: We’re always together, but I believe that you won’t know unless you come and see it for yourself. Because I think we’re doing something that you would’ve never seen or heard before, and we won’t necessarily release a soundtrack for it too. In any case, I’d love for you to come and watch, listen, and feel it, so please do come to our show at least once.

 

 

 

 

Notes:

¹ A chanson is, in general, any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specializing in chansons is known as a “chanteur” or, if a woman, a “chanteuse”; a collection of chansons, especially from the Middle Ages or Renaissance, is a chansonnier.

² Kurt Julian Weill was a German composer, active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht.

³ Set in 1984 Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. The story revolves around a British journalist Arthur Stuart who is writing an article about the withdrawal from public life of 1970s glam rock star Brian Slade following a death hoax ten years earlier and is interviewing those who had a part in the entertainer’s career. Part of the story involves Stuart’s family’s reaction to his homosexuality, and how the gay and bisexual glam rock stars and music scene gave him the strength to come out. Rock shows, fashion, and rock journalism all play a role in showing the youth culture of 1970s Britain, as well as the gay culture of the time.

Miwa Akihiro is the stage name of Murayama Akihiro. He is a Japanese singer, actor, director, composer, author and drag queen. He started his career at 17 as a professional cabaret singer in the Ginza district in Chūō, Tokyo when moving to Tokyo in 1952. He started working in various nightclubs singing his favourites from the French chansons such as those of Édith Piaf, Yvette Guilbert and Marie Dubas. His claim to fame came rather early in 1957, with a smash-hit called “Me Que Me Que”, which included a string of profanities not used in media at the time. He was also renowned for his effeminate beauty, making him a hit with the media.

Ginpari (銀巴里 / lit. Silver Paris) is a cabaret that opened in Ginza 7-chome in 1951. It closed in 1990 but until now continues to persist as a pantheon of chanson.

Referring to in the style of neoclassicism, a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of “classicism,” namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint. Neoclassicism can be seen as a reaction against the prevailing trend of nineteenth-century Romanticism to sacrifice internal balance and order in favour of more overtly emotional writing.

Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that ran from the late eighteenth century through the nineteenth century. It stressed strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience, placing emphasis on such emotions as trepidation, horror, and the awe experienced in confronting the sublimity of nature.

Putting these two words together is actually rather contradictory with neoclassicism’s focus on emotional restraint and romanticism’s emphasis on imagination and strong emotion.

The word he used was 魑魅魍魎系 (chimimouryou kei). 系 (kei) as in “visual kei”, and 魑魅魍魎 (chimimouryou) is a word/phrase that can be used to refer to Yokai. It specifically speaks of monsters of the mountains and monsters of the rivers. The term originated in China roughly 2,500 years ago in ancient chronicles such as the Zuo Zhuan. It refers to various kinds of obake and things changed into yōkai.

¹⁰ The actual phrase is, “四角い部屋を丸く掃く” (shikakui heya wo maruku haku). It literally means: to sweep a square room in circles. It is meant to imply that you’ll miss the corners doing that.

¹¹ Kishotenketsu (起承転結) describes the structure and development of classic Chinese, Korean and Japanese narratives. The structure originated in China and was called and called qǐ chéng zhuǎn hé and used in Chinese poetry as a four-line composition, such as Qijue. It consists of four parts: Introduction (ki), development (sho), twist (ten) and the conclusion (ketsu). Stories following the Kishotenketsu format will usually have a well defined rising action, climax and a fall.

 

 

Translation: Yoshiyuki
Scans: morgianasama on LJ

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

朝の足音がすれば
忌々しいショウのお開き
嘘も本当も
解け合い消える
そう、後はあなたの世界

ようこそ ここはCABARET NOIR
最後までおつきあいありがとう
又会う日まで
拍手をどうぞ

 

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Asa no ashioto ga sureba
Imaimashii shou no ohiraki
Uso mo hontou mo
Tokeai kieru
Sou, ato wa anata no sekai

Youkoso Koko wa CABARET NOIR
Saigo made otsukiai arigatou
Mata au hi made
Hakushu wo douzo

English

By: Yoshiyuki

When dawn creeps up,
the irksome show comes to an end
Everything, be it lies or truth,
blend together and disappear
That’s right, all that remains is your world

Welcome to CABARET NOIR
Thank you for your company from start to end
Till we meet again
A round of applause, please

City of Mirages (Shinkirou no Machi)

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

枯葉舞う舗道
黄昏の時
季節は無口のまま
通り過ぎる
コトバにならない
想いは置き去り
忘れかけた声
両手からこぼれた

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
時は過ぎゆく
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
躍らせておくれ
叫びはいつも
風にかき消され
目の前に広がる
蜃気楼の街

セピア色の記憶
すり切れた歌
心の奥底で
ほこりをかぶる
夢はあきらめに
変わってしまい
季節は無口のまま
汚れてゆくだけ

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
時は過ぎゆく
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
唄わせておくれ
哀しい色が
浮かんでは消え
君も見るだろうか
蜃気楼の街

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
時は過ぎゆく
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
躍らせておくれ
叫びはいつも
風にかき消され
目の前に広がる
蜃気楼の街
君も見るだろうか
蜃気楼の街

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Kareha mau hodou
Tasogare no toki
Kisetsu wa mukuchi no mama
Toori sugiru
Kotoba ni naranai
Omoi wa okizari
Wasure kaketa koe
Ryoute kara koboreta

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Toki wa sugi yuku
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Odorasete okure
Sakebi wa itsume
Kaze ni kaki kesare
Me no mae ni hirogaru
Shinkirou no machi

Sepia iro no kioku
Suri kireta uta
Kokoro no okusoko de
Hokori wo kaburu
Yume wa akirame ni
Kawatte shimai
Kisetsu wa mukuchi no mama Yogorete yuku dake

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Toki wa sugi yuku
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Utawasete okure
Kanashii iro ga
Ukande wa kie
Kimi no miru darou ka
Shinkirou no machi

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Toki wa sugi yuku
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Odorasete okure
Sakebi wa itsume
Kaze ni kaki kesare
Me no mae ni hirogaru
Shinkirou no machi
Kimi no miru darou ka
Shinkirou no machi

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Fallen leaves dance
on the pavement at twilight
Seasons pass
without so much as a word
Memories that cannot be put
into words are left behind
A forgotten voice spills
from both hands

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Time goes by
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Let me dance
My cries are always
drowned out by the wind
As the city of mirages
unfolds before my eyes

Sepia-tinged memories,
a worn out song
Covered in dust in the
depths of my heart
Dreams end up
turning into resignation
Seasons become tainted
without so much as a word

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Time goes by
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Let me sing
Poignant feelings
surface and disappear
As I wonder if you see
this city of mirages too

Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Time goes by
Sha la la la, Sha la la la
Let me dance
My cries are always
drowned out by the wind
As the city of mirages
unfolds before my eyes
As I wonder if you see
this city of mirages too

Bossa Nova on a Wet Moonlit Night (Nureta Tsukiyo no Bossanova)

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

やるせないメロディー
濡れた月夜のボサノヴァ
いかがわしいリズ
溶け出したおまえの影

もう一度声を聞かせておくれ
うごめくおまえの肌を見たい

狂いだすビートで爪を立てて
心までとどくような傷をつけろ
I wanna do it again

灼熱のカクテル
背中で聴いたボサノヴァ
バラ色の暗闇
溢れ出すおまえの中

もう一度歌を聴かせておくれ
震えるおまえの肌を見たい

狂いだすビートで爪を立てて
魂にとどくような傷をつけろ
I wanna do it again

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Yarusenai merodii
Nureta tsukiyo no bossanova
Ikagawashii rizumu
Tokedashita omae no kage

Mou ichido koe wo kikasete okure
Ugomeku omae no hada wo mitai

Kuruidasu biito de tsume wo tatete
Kokoro made todoku you na kizu wo tsukero
I wanna do it again

Shakunetsu no kakuteru
Senaka de kiita bossanova
Barairo no kurayami
Afuredasu omae no naka

Mou ichido uta wo kikasete okure
Furueru omae no hada wo mitai

Kuruidasu biito de tsume wo tatete
Tamashii ni todoku you na kizu wo tsukero
I wanna do it again

English

By: Yoshiyuki

With a broken hearted melody
Bossa nova on a wet moonlit night
With a salacious rhythm
Your shadow begins to melt away

Let me hear your voice again
I want to see your shuddering skin

Sink your nails into me with an unruly beat
Scratch at me like you’re trying to reach my heart
I wanna do it again

A cocktail of burning heat
Bossa nova heard on my back
A roses-coloured darkness
Pours out from inside of you

Let me listen to your song again
I want to see your trembling skin

Sink your nails into me with an unruly beat
Scratch at me like you’re trying to reach my soul
I wanna do it again

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

空のボトル
転がる蒼い部屋
冷めた身体
かさねる夜明け前
夢と現の狭間
ざわめく時間のタンゴ
あなたのぬくもり抱いて
Last Tango, Tango

仮面の下
名前なんていらない
欲しい物は
決して醒めない夢
明日と昨日の狭間
ゆらめく別れのタンゴ
あなたの影絵と踊る
Last Tango, Tango

踊る世界
踊る嘘
踊る夢につつまれて
堕ちてゆくならそれもいい
狂い咲こう
最後のタンゴ

こわれかけた
記憶の鍵穴に
忘れかけた
懐かしいメロディー
夢と現の狭間
ざわめく時間のタンゴ
あなたの影絵と踊る
Last Tango, Tango

踊る世界
踊る嘘
踊る夢にあやつられ
二度と夜明けはむかえない
愚かな恋
最後のタンゴ

明日と昨日の狭間
めくるめく別れのタンゴ
あなたの影絵と踊る
Last Tango, Tango

踊る世界
踊る嘘
踊る夢につつまれて
堕ちてゆくならそれもいい
狂い咲いた
最後のタンゴ

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Kara no botoru
Korogaru aoi heya
Sameta karada
Kasaneru yoake mae
Yume to utsutsu no hazama
Zawameku jikan no tango
Anata no nukumori daite
Last Tango, Tango

Kamen no shita
Namae nante iranai
Hoshii mono wa
Kesshite samenai yume
Asu to kinou no hazama
Yurameku wakare no tango
Anata no kagee to odoru
Last Tango, Tango

Odoru sekai
Odoru uso
Odoru yume ni tsutsumarete
Ochiteyuku nara sore mo ii
Kuruizakou
Saigo no tango

Koware kaketa
Kioku no kagi ana ni
Wasure kaketa
Natsukashii merodii
Yume to utsutsu no hazama
Zawameku jikan no tango
Anata no kagee to odoru
Last Tango, Tango

Odoru sekai
Odoru uso
Odoru yume ni ayatsurare
Nido to yoake wa mukaenai
Orokana koi
Saigo no tango

Asu to kinou no hazama
Mekuru meku wakare no tango
Anata no kagee to odoru
Last Tango, Tango

Odoru sekai
Odoru uso
Odoru yume ni tsutsumarete
Ochiteyuku nara sore mo ii
Kurui saita
Saigo no tango

English

By: Yoshiyuki

An empty bottle
rolling in the blue room*
A body turned cold
in countless predawns
A tango of whispered moments
in the crevice between dreams and reality
As I embrace your warmth,
we tango in a last tango

Things like names are redundant
when under a mask
The most desirable of all is,
without a doubt, an endless dream
A tango of lambent goodbyes
in the crevice between tomorrow and yesterday
As I dance with your silhouette,
we tango in a last tango

Enveloped by a dancing world,
by dancing lies,
by dancing dreams
Even if I were to fall, I would gladly do so
Let’s bloom in madness,
our last tango

Through the keyhole of
memories falling apart
A nostalgic melody
forgotten
A tango of whispered moments
in the crevice between dreams and reality
As I dance with your silhouette,
we tango in a last tango

Manipulated by a dancing world,
by dancing lies,
by dancing dreams
Never again will I get to greet dawn
In a foolish love
we tango in a last tango

A tango of dazzling goodbyes
in the crevice between tomorrow and yesterday
As I dance with your silhouette,
we tango in a last tango

Enveloped by a dancing world,
by dancing lies,
by dancing dreams
Even if I were to fall, I would gladly do so
We bloomed in madness,
our last tango

 

 

Notes:

*Out of curiosity, I looked up “blue room” to see if there was any cultural significance for Japan and apparently, there is. 

It turns out that there was a nightclub/salon in Shibuya, Tokyo, called “青い部屋 (Blue Room)” which was opened by Togawa Masako, a chanson singer, songwriter, novelist (winner of the the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize), and LGBTQQIAP community icon in Japan. It unfortunately closed in December 2010, but it was a place that was, and probably still is, well loved by artists, academics, cultural figures, and financiers for being a place where the freedom of expression was encouraged. Togawa was known to employ non-binary persons at the Blue Room. According to the Wikipedia entry, it was apparently for this reason that the Blue Room was also nicknamed the “adult’s playground”.
At present, the Blue Room now exists in spirit, touring around the country in the form of concerts and events, and having sessions on Snatch.TV.

Official YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/aoiheyaUnipro
Official website (Japanese only): http://aoiheya.com/

Rain at Three in the Afternoon (Gogo Sanji no Ame)

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

やさしい雨の午後三時
濡れる鋪道をたたく音
子守唄のリズム
傘をさした人影
まるでサイレントフィルム達
モノクロのノイズ

こんな日には誰もかすんで見える
雨がどんな罪も洗い流すさ

赤いレンガ    雨粒
遠く聞こえた冬の日々
さよならのコトバ
にじむ街のざわめき
ゆれる心はメトロノーム
唄うガードレール

こんな日には誰もゆっくり歩く
雨がどんな歌も聴いてくれるさ

…雨が君の涙を隠してくれるといいね…

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Yasashii ame no gogo sanji
Nureru hodou wo tataku oto
komori uta no rizumu
Kasa wo sashita hitokage
Marude sairento firumu tachi
Monokuro no noizu

Konna hi ni wa dare mo kasunde mieru
Ame ga donna tsumi mo arai nagasu sa

Akai renga    Amatsubu
Tooku kikoeta fuyu no hibi
Sayonara no kotoba
Nijimu machi no zawameki
Yureru kokoro wa metoronoomu
Utau gaado reeru

Konna hi ni wa dare mo yukkuri aruku
Ame ga donna uta mo kiite kureru sa

… Ame ga kimi no namida wo kakushite kureru to ii ne…

English

By: Yoshiyuki

A gentle rain falls at three in the afternoon
Hitting the drenched pavement with the rhythm of a lullaby
A silhouette under an umbrella
Like the character of a silent film amidst black and white noise

Everyone looks like a blur on such days
Because the rain washes away all sins

Red bricks and raindrops
Heard from afar,
bidding farewell to winter days
The buzz of the blotted city
The wavering heart a metronome, a singing guard rail

Everyone strolls slow on such days
Because the rain listens to all their songs

… Wouldn’t it be nice if the rain would hide your tears…

Lady in Red (Akai Doresu no Shukujo)

Lyrics: Madame E & ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

ダテンシノ   アイ   ハ
イマ   ココニ   トウケツ   シタ

まちがいは   私が振り返ったこと

一つの夏が終わった
一つの愛を連れ去って
白くむせかえるほどの
霧をはさんで

まちがいは   あなたがほほえんだこと

一つの夏が終わった
一つの愛を連れ去って
白くむせかえるほどの
霧をはさんで

血潮**はほとばしり   輝く真珠になった

紅いドレスの淑女   歌っておくれ
紅いドレスの淑女   踊っておくれ
もう一度だけ
紅いドレスの淑女   歌っておくれ
紅いドレスの淑女   踊っておくれ
もう一度
もう一度……

ダテンシ   ノ   ホントウ   ノ   カナシミ   ハ
ヤッパリ   テンシニ   ナレナカッタ   コト

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Datenshi no   Ai   Wa
Ima   Koko ni   Touketsu   Shita

Machigai wa   Watashi ga furikaetta koto

Hitotsu no natsu ga owatta
Hitotsu no ai wo tsuresatte
Shiroku musekaeru hodo no
Kiri wo hasande

Machigai wa   Anata ga hohoenda koto

Hitotsu no natsu ga owatta
Hitotsu no ai wo tsuresatte
Shiroku musekaeru hodo no
Kiri wo hasande

Chishio wa hotobashiri   Kagayaku shinju ni natta

Akai doresu no shukujo   Utatte okure
Akai doresu no shukujo   Odotte okure
Mou ichido dake
Akai doresu no shukujo   Utatte okure
Akai doresu no shukujo   Odotte okure
Mou ichido
Mou ichido……

Datenshi   No   Hontou   No   Kanashimi   Wa
Yappari   Tenshi ni   Narenakatta   Koto

English

By: Yoshiyuki

The fallen angel’s love
Has now gone numb

My mistake was in that I reminisced

A season of summer has gone by
A season of love taken away
Caught in a fog, stifling, choking

Your mistake was in that you smiled

A season of summer has gone by
A season of love taken away
Caught in a fog, stifling, choking

Blood raging with intense passion turned into shining pearls

Sing for me, lady in red
Dance for me, lady in red
Just once more
Sing for me, lady in red
Dance for me, lady in red
Once more
Once more……

The fallen angel’s true sorrow was
They could never become an angel after all

 

 

Notes:

Spoken parts of the song are bold in the Japanese lyrics, and italics in the Romaji and English lyrics.

* If you’re studying Japanese and are wondering about the lack of the word ‘white’ or anything along those lines in this phrase, here’s a quick explanation on my interpretation.
In most cases, 白く is rather straightforward to translate as “white-ly”. But for 白くむせかえる, it wouldn’t make sense as “white-ly choking”. A less common meaning for 白く is related to negative feelings, to feel bad, sick, and other similar feelings, which is what I went with.

**While 血潮 can be simply translated as ‘blood’, there is a secondary meaning to it that refers to strong emotions and feelings, accompanied by quickened heartbeats.

Four Nights (Yottsu no Yoru)

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

夜のヴェールを纏うヴィーナス
ふり向いたのは影だけ
一人きり震えてはそっとグラスを空けて
こぼれてく涙隠していた

灯りを消して踊るヴィーナス
孤独な影は向かい合う
永遠の愛情をそっとグラスに満たし
一息に飲んで酔うのもいい

巡り巡る孤独
青く沈む夜空
巡り巡る出会い
赤く溶ける心
巡り巡る宴
宵闇は紫
巡り巡る別れ
白く刻む時間
全ては変わるもの

仮面と服を脱いだヴィーナス
罪と恥らいは媚薬さ
痛みほどの快楽をそっとグラスに注ぎ
二人きり堕ちてゆくのもいい

巡り巡る孤独
青く沈む夜空
巡り巡る出会い
赤く溶ける心
巡り巡る宴
宵闇は紫
巡り巡る別れ
白く刻む時間
全ては色あせる

鏡の中で割れるヴィーナス
時は残酷に過ぎてく
裏切りと後悔でそっとグラスを落とし
降り積もる灰に白く染まる

巡り巡る孤独
青く沈む夜空
巡り巡る出会い
赤く溶ける心
巡り巡る宴
宵闇は紫
巡り巡る別れ
白く刻む時間
全ては消えてゆく

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Yoru no veeru wo matou viinasu
Furimuita no wa kage dake
Hitorikiri furuete wa sotto gurasu wo akete
Koborete ku namida kakushiteita

Akari wo keshite odoru viinasu
Kodokuna kage wa mukai au
Eien no aijou wo sotto gurasu ni mitashi
Hitoiki ni nonde you no mo ii

Meguri meguru kodoku
Aoku shizumu yozora
Meguri meguru deai
Akaku tokeru kokoro
Meguri meguru utage
Yoi yami wa murasaki
Meguri meguru wakare
Shiroku kizamu jikan
Subete wa kawaru mono

Kamen to fuku wo nuida viinasu
Tsumi to hajirai wa biyaku sa
Itami hodo no kairaku wo sotto gurasu ni sosogi
Futarikiri ochite yuku no mo ii

Meguri meguru kodoku 
Aoku shizumu yozora
Meguri meguru deai
Akaku tokeru kokoro
Meguri meguru utage
Yoi yami wa murasaki
Meguri meguru wakare
Shiroku kizamu jikan
Subete wa iroaseru

Kagami no naka de wareru viinasu
Toki wa zankoku ni sugiteku
Uragiri to koukai de sotto gurasu wo otoshi
Furi tsumoru hai ni shiroku somaru

Meguri meguru kodoku 
Aoku shizumu yozora
Meguri meguru deai 
Akaku tokeru kokoro
Meguri meguru utage
Yoi yami wa murasaki
Meguri meguru wakare
Shiroku kizamu jikan
Subete wa kiete yuku

English

By: Yoshiyuki

Venus, clothed in the veil of the night
Turning around, only shadows are seen
Trembling alone, I quietly empty my glass
Hiding the tears that fall

Venus, dancing with the lights turned off
Lonesome shadows face each other
An eternal love quietly fills my glass
Drinking in one mouthful, I’ll gladly intoxicate myself

Solitude, coming and going,
under a night sky sinking blue
Fateful encounters, coming and going,
with a heart melting red
Parties, coming and going,
in a twilight glowing purple
Farewells, coming and going, through time whittling white
Everything changes

Venus, stripped of her mask and clothes
Sin and shame, like an aphrodisiac
Pleasure akin to pain quietly pours into my glass
Just us two, I’ll gladly fall with you

Solitude, coming and going,
under a night sky sinking blue
Fateful encounters, coming and going,
with a heart melting red
Parties, coming and going,
in a twilight glowing purple
Farewells, coming and going,
through time whittling white
Everything fades away

Venus, shattered in the mirror
Time continues it’s cruel flow
By betrayal and regret, I quietly drop my glass
Steeped in white by the ash lying thick on the ground

Solitude, coming and going, 
under a night sky sinking blue
Fateful encounters, coming and going,
with a heart melting red
Parties, coming and going,
in a twilight glowing purple
Farewells, coming and going,
through time whittling white
Everything disappears

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

裸で踊る月
滴る星
僕を濡らしてく
時計の針は2時で止まる
亜熱帯のフロアー
猥褻なまなざし
孤独な歌
心をかきむしる
熱情のキス
欲しがる影
夜の扉開く

欲望の香りが立ちこめる
気のふれたふりをして踊っていよう

このまま沈んでゆきたい
ボルドーの夢の中
抱きしめるとすぐに消える
ボルドーの夢の中へ

ブラウスははだけた女達のけたたましい声
螺旋の夢を滑り落ちるゼリーと時間達

虚しく明日を迎えるなら
この夜を飲み干し全てを捨てよう

このまま溶けてしまいたい
ボルドーの夢の中
抱きしめるとすぐに消える
ボルドーの夢の中へ

虚しく明日を迎えるなら
気のふれたふりをして踊っていよう

このまま沈んでゆきたい
ボルドーの夢の中
抱きしめるとすぐに消える
ボルドーの夢の中
このまま溶けてしまいたい
ボルドーの夢の中
抱きしめるとすぐに消える
ボルドーの夢の中へ

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Hadaka de odoru tsuki
Shitataru hoshi
Boku wo nurashiteku
Tokei no hari wa ni ji de tomaru Anettai no furoaa
Waisetsu na manazashi
Kodoku na uta
Kokoro wo kakimushiru
Netsujou no kisu
Hoshigaru kage
Yoru no tobira hiraku

Yokubou no kaori ga tachi komeru
Ki no fureta furi wo shite odotteiyou

Kono mama shizunde yukitai Borudou no yume no naka
Dakishimeru to sugu ni kieru Borudou no yume no naka e

Burausu wa hadaketa onna tachi no ketatamashii koe
Rasen no yume wo suberi ochiru zerii to jikan tachi

Munashiku ashita wo mukaeru nara
Kono yoru wo nomi hoshi subete wo suteyou

Kono mama tokete shimaitai Borudou no yume no naka
Dakishimeru no sugu ni kieru Borudou no yume no naka e

Munashiku ashita wo mukaeru nara
Ki no fureta furi wo shite odotte iyou

Kono mama shizunde yukitai Borudou no yume no naka
Dakishimeru to sugu ni kieru Borudou no yume no naka
Kono mama tokete shimaitai Borudou no yume no naka
Dakishimeru no sugu ni kieru Borudou no yume no naka e

English

By: Yoshiyuki

I am doused by the drizzling stars and the moon dancing naked
On this subtropical floor, clock hands frozen at 2 o’clock
My heart is torn by your salacious gaze, your forlorn song
A kiss of passion with the silhouette I yearn for, and the doors of the night swing open

Shrouded in a perfume of desire
Let’s dance like we’ve lost our minds

In a dream of Bordeaux, let me drown and drift away
Into a dream of Bordeaux, we’ll embrace and fade away

Shrill voices of women with their blouses fluttering open
In the hours that slide by like jelly in a spiraling dream

If we were to greet an empty tomorrow
Let’s drink this night dry and throw it all away

In a dream of Bordeaux, let me melt away
Into a dream of Bordeaux, we’ll embrace and fade away

If we were to greet an empty tomorrow
Let’s dance like we’ve lost our minds

In a dream of Bordeaux, let me drown and drift away
In a dream of Bordeaux, we’ll embrace and fade away
In a dream of Bordeaux, let me melt away
Into a dream of Bordeaux, we’ll embrace and fade away

Lyrics: ISSAY

Music: Mari Fukuhara

Japanese

 

シルクの月と  
ビーズの星に
心躍る時
役者のように  
花束を抱いて
君を探しましょう
愛しい嘘が輝きはじめ
今宵は誰もが名前を捨て去り華やぐ

カルナバルの妖精よ歌え素敵な恋の歌を
はだけた心を集めながら酔いしれて、このまま

道化師達は
笑いの仮面
決して外さない
人混みの中
まだ来ぬ君の
影を探しましょう
愛しい嘘が輝き続け
誰もが浮かれて花咲く一夜の幻

カルナバルの妖精よ踊れやさしい恋の歌で
こわれた時間を集めながら酔いしれて、このまま

やるせない思い
見知らぬ君が
回るメリーゴーランド
緑の酒を
砂糖にたらし
一人夢を見よう
愛しい嘘が輝きなくし
今宵の終わりに奏でる切なきヴィオロン

カルナバル…カルナバル…
浮かんで消えてく一夜の幻

Romaji

By: Yoshiyuki

Shiruku no tsuki to 
Biizu no hoshi ni
Kokoro odoru toki
Yakusha no you ni
Hanataba wo daite
Kimi wo sagashimashou
Itoshii uso ga kagayaki hajime Koyoi wa dare mo ga namae wo sutesari hanayagu

Karunabaru no youseiyo utae suteki na koi no uta wo
Hadaketa kokoro wo atsume nagara yoishirete, kono mama

Doukeshi tachi wa
Warai no kamen
Kesshite hazusanai
Hitogomi no naka
Mada konu kimi no
Kage wo sagashimashou
Itoshii uso ga kagayaki tsuzuke Daremo ga ukarete hanasaku no hitoyo no maboroshi

Karunabaru no youseiyo odore yasashii koi no uta de
Kowareta jikan wo atsume nagara yoishirete, kono mama

Yarusenai omoi
Mishiranu kimi ga
Mawaru merii goo rando
Midori no sake wo
Satou ni tarashi
Hitori yume wo miyou
Itoshii uso ga kagayaki nakushi Koyoi no owari ni kanaderu setsunaki vioron

Karunabaru… Karunabaru…
Ukande kieteku hitoyo no maboroshi

English

By: Yoshiyuki

An escapade under a silken moon and beads of stars
Cradling a bouquet like a thespian, I search for you
As tender lies begin to shine
Tonight, everyone is in high spirits, forgetting their names

Sing, oh goblins* of the Carnaval, sing an enchanting song of love
Becoming intoxicated as we are while gathering hearts laid bare

The clowns will never remove their laughing masks
I search for your absent silhouette in the shifting crowds of people
As tender lies continue to shine
Everyone is euphoric, blooming in a phantasmagorical night

Dance, oh goblins* of the Carnaval, dance to a mellow song of love
Becoming intoxicated as we are while gathering fractured time

Desolate thoughts are a revolving merry-go-round for the stranger that you are
Pouring emerald liquor over sugar, I dream alone
As tender lies lose their shine
As this night ends, a despondent violin weeps

Carnaval… Carnaval…
A phantasmagorical night drifts away and disappears

 

 

Notes:

*I originally translated “goblins” as “fairies” but then I came across Antonio Bazzini’s Dance of the Goblins, which, in Japanese, is named “妖精の踊り” (see the similarity?). Although the tempos of both songs are vastly different, I thought that there were similarities. Maybe it’s just me though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

If you’re interested to listen to it, here’s a rather rad performance of it