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Recording Diary
...New York Session
Choose the day you want to see!
I have compiled a diary of the recording sessions in New York. |
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Go to Photo page Go to New York Sessions page Go to New York Sessions page To the top page of Sound Website |
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1998.7.15 (Wednesday) |
| Departure Day! |
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-I'm worried about you.- (Kumatani)
It will be a day when I understand how Kong of the Suicide Squad A-Team feels. This is the first time I've been on one, and I just don't like airplanes. Shaking around in air pockets. All the colas on the table hit me. After all, he was in a state of peeing. Quite blue. From then on, the wrinkles never disappeared from my brow until I arrived. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.16 (Thursday) |
| A day in the life of Kosugi-san from his thoughtfulness |
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Today, Kosugi-san made a day off for us. And so, a naisho day! (Kumatani) I went to MOMA. (Tokoi) You're giving it away! (Kumatani) |
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1998.7.17 (Friday) |
| A day that woke me up all at once |
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Recording started today in New York. In the morning, I was picked up by Kosugi in his magnificent BMW and headed for Avatar Studios. As I entered the booth called ROOM C, I could already hear the nostalgic phrase of "Theme of BIG". Surrounded by American engineers and staff, I was still too shy to greet them properly. Ricky, the drummer, was a very comforting and peaceful person. And yet, when they play the drums, they are so powerful! Very cool! The groove I'm looking for is perfectly expressed. I found myself grinning and thinking, "Am I really that happy?" I felt again how grateful I am for the overseas recordings. He's like, "How do you like this?" "Do you like it?" He asks me each time. I must have been looking at them like a child. Bassist Will Lee is very hilarious! I really agree with the saying, "Music is a universal language, even if words can't be understood." Jet lag makes me sleepy and drowsy from about 7pm. Afterwards we went for a Mediterranean meal, but it was almost too much for my palate and I was half asleep. I can't wait to get back to my normal life. Little by little, AMY is being built. I felt as if I was looking forward to the end and didn't want it to come. (Kumatani) Recording in New York in the middle of summer under sunny skies began before I was even mentally prepared for it. When something you have been looking forward to finally appears in front of your eyes as a reality, you inevitably feel a sense of excitement as well as an indescribable nervousness. That's no wonder, since Ricky Wellman is the drummer of the Miles Davis Band, and Will Lee is a disciple of bass god Jaco Pastorius. But I was surprised to find that these two people were considerably more friendly than I had expected. Even though I was playing too good to be true, he was always so attentive to me, asking me, "Are you okay like this?" He was always smiling, and he was very considerate of my needs. To be honest, this is the main reason for the difference in recording between Japan and... What a thought! I was nervous on the plane, nervous walking on the streets of a strange city, and nervous seeing a BIG artist out of the blue. This is not good. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.18 (Saturday) |
| A day full of volume |
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Today, I walked to Avatar Studios with Tokoi. On the way there, I bought a sandwich from a street vendor and sat by the fountain to savor it in a good mood. Plenty of volume! After arriving at the studio and taking the BIG bass, some people did not show up after the appointed time. Quite late! Philip. But I don't apologize or anything. Play the piano polo. You have a very, very warm touch. He often brags about the World Cup. (France won the World Cup, after all) Everyone is hilarious, anyway. It is still a totally different feeling from the Japanese. Glad to hear it sounded really great and funky. This evening we had Indian food at India Street by Beat On Beat. This is the only street that is filled with light bulbs, as if it were Christmas? Very, very weird stores lined up and weird music playing. We ate Indian curry while listening to live Indian sounds by Indians. Very tasty!!!! This city has so many faces with so many different people. I enjoy it and think about it every day. And, Roy, Aya, thank you!!!! (Kumatani) Unlike yesterday, we walked to Avatar Studios. I guess bass player Zev Katze is a cool uncle type. He is a quiet man, but the way he pulls off a BIG song without hesitation, he is truly a craftsman. Opposite to that is Philip Seth on piano. It's like a naughty adult. But the sound is elegant and powerful, and the technique is top-notch. I guess you could call him a jazz pianist who loves classical music. Bass and piano, I play both, but I feel hard when I play. But these people are overcoming the pain and enjoying playing. It's hard to feel happy until you feel happy. For some reason, I had the illusion that the tones played by Philip were looking at me and comforting me. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.19 (Sunday) |
| A day on the subway |
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Today, I took the subway for the first time. Starting today, the location will change to Kosugi's studio, Beat On Beat. Anyway, the platform is painfully hot. Moreover, I have no idea how to distinguish between an express train and a local train, which makes it a bit difficult. I ate a huge hamburger and French fries at the McDonald's on the Beat On Beat side and entered Beat On Beat at 1:00 p.m. Mike, the guitarist, came in HIPHOP fashion. But the guitar is so funky! I love it! BIG's guitar was very rock and roller. He really seems like a person who genuinely loves rock music. Today, yakitori. The "general" of the rumor. But I'm still a little sick, whether it's jet lag or air conditioning sickness. Anyway, I'm tired. I decided to go home early and rest. Tomorrow, when I take the vocals and brass, I can almost do it. I feel a little sad. I hope many people will listen to it soon. I had never felt this way before. (Kumatani) Today, overdubs at Beat On Beat, Kosugi's home base here. We only recorded "BIG" and "AMY", but today was great. Guitar's John Paris was revealing a wonderful beard so great that it reminded one of a Drift-like mustache. I suddenly gave him a nickname "Gorgo" in my mind. But thanks to him, the image of "BIG" has become much more solid. Is it called New Orleans style? That slide guitar. This is rock! I was taught what it means to be a rock star. When he finished playing, he smiled and said, "ROCK'N ROLL!" (Tokoi). |
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1998.7.20 (Monday) |
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That's fast. Almost the end? |
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At last, my session is almost over today. Anyway, it made me feel better. It took seven hours to record the brass. Just cool!!!! I write about it every day, because it really is wonderful. I can't get enough of that kinky tone. All four of them are so enthusiastic and serious that they even start having meetings during recording sessions. The brass arrangements were well done, and the solos by MUTEPET were plentiful. Soulful anyway! Nikki's vocals were also great. Every time we recorded a part, Kosugi-san would say, "You are seventeen. Her voice is both cute and sexy. Ad-libs are indeed quite good. It really turned out to be a great song!!!! Really happy! But it's kind of sad. I couldn't thank them properly, I couldn't exchange a few words with them, and I am very grateful to the people who made this song possible. To the people who made me discover something new. And of course to the SEGA staff. I'm really glad I had this experience! (Kumatani) After all, it is the recording of the East 4th Horns, a brass band (laughs). The name of their band, which is also a regular at Beat On Beat, is said to come from East 4th Street, which is also the address here. Among them was John Scapula on Sax, who was a rare presence who could play all types of Sax. It's also famous for Tower of Power. But I was surprised. It would be rude to say that I was surprised, but their sound was incredibly powerful, yet even more gentle and warm. Good expression? Excellent technique? There was an aura about the place that is hard to put into words. I felt as if I could understand Kosugi's feeling that he came to this place because of his admiration for BIG BAND. There is a "sound" that can only be produced here... I thought, "I can only get that sound here..." (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.21 (Tuesday) |
| A Day in the Life of Actors |
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Today, we recorded a song for Big. Ted Poley arrived (according to Kosugi) with his wife who looked like a ---. They are singing loudly even before they enter the studio. "Should I sing like this?" "What should I do here?" I'll ask, "What do you want to do?" His wife watched anxiously during the recording session. I thought. "This guy looks like he's having so much fun. He looks like an actor!" I'll never forget the look on his face after recording, "Oh, are we done?" (Kumatani) Lorne Lawrence. Jazz guitarist. It's strange, what a strange man. You'll probably be surprised!" I had no doubt about his words to me. What surprised me was the man's ears. What a surprise! He was tuning the strings of his guitar without using a tuning meter, relying only on his own ears! And it is not an ordinary one, it is his own unique tuning. Even if you are a very good guitarist, if you ask him to play on his guitar, he will surely be mistaken for a guitar beginner. A guitar with scratches that show that it has been well-loved. Around him were cases full of BOSS compact effectors. But his guitar playing with cutting technique is superb. It was so good that Kumagai and I laughed. I wondered what this gap was. On the way home, he suddenly places his CD on the desk, "Hmm!" and pointed at it silently. The digital video we brought with us would only record the CD jacket for about one minute. He is a strange man. (laughs) (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.22 (Wednesday) |
| A Day in the Life of a Necrophiliac |
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He is a very cute looking rapper. My eyes sparkled just a little bit. There was no session for me today, and I was kind of comfortable watching over them. Marlon, the vocalist of Knuckles, is very sexy. I was a little surprised at how well it fit with Tokoi's music. (Kumatani) With rap and vocal recordings by Dread Fox and Marlon Sanders, it was truly a knuckle-dragging affair. The tough image of rap music and the glossy vocals to express delicate emotions matched perfectly. Dread Fox looks really good with dreadlocks, as does his name. Both arms are horizontal in front of him, and his upper body is carving out a rhythm unique to rappers. Marlon, on the other hand, is also marking the rhythm with his upper body in the same way, with both hands in worship. Although their vocal styles were different, they both shared the same ability to express themselves with their entire bodies. With that in mind, I finished recording all the parts for Knuckles. The sessions I was able to have with various musicians in a few days will be a very valuable asset for me. It had been a long time since I had felt such a sense of accomplishment and loneliness. I would like to thank the staff for such a wonderful experience. Now, tomorrow is the last recording of all songs! (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.23 (Thursday) |
| Last Day |
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Today, I really, really finished. A big black man with dollet hair walked into Beat On Beat with a child. He said the kids are big fans of Sonic. They seem to be very good friends. I'm inviting my family to the site of my work, right? And we're having fun together, playing games and stuff. I mean, I think people here are more family-oriented than the Japanese. We are a family, but we also treat our children as individuals. I really envy this relationship. AMY was originally going to include a tambourine and shaker, but the shaker was cut and suddenly a conga was added. But it's still good...it's good!!!! The songs became brighter and more crisp. Cowbell Claves also entered. It's done, it's done. Anyway, it's a complicated feeling. I feel like everything is in the middle of a dream. Completed! Good luck from now on! (Kumatani) Yesterday I finished recording my songs, and it was probably the most relaxing day of work I've ever had. Vasili Johnson, the famous percussionist, came in. What a surprise, there was also a cute Jr. Although I have a Sampling CD released under the name Vasili, this was the first time I heard Vasili play the conga live. A moment of luxury. "BIG" and "AMY" have been given their last breath and seem to have been reborn as a perfect rhythm. Now, there is only the mix! (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.24 (Friday) |
| First, a Big birth! |
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I stayed up a little too late the night before, and my head and body are dizzy today. But I have to keep my ears open and concentrate on the mixing site. But I still got sleepy and dozed off for a bit. I was woken up around the time of completion and went into the studio in a daze, but really, I woke up at once! It's soooo cool, Big! First, a Big birth, and then! (Kumatani) Today I started another two days of work with Roy, the engineer, at Avatar Studios. The work, however, is just waiting. One thing I noticed is that every studio here has a fruit basket. And carrots... And there are carrots... How could I have done it if I kept thinking about unnecessary things? There is nothing more to say about the parts and balance that I wanted to see utilized. There is only one thing to say. You came back as a big man. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.25 (Saturday) |
| And Knuckles & Amy are born! |
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Today may be the most inspiring day of my life. Kosugi, who called us to Beat On Beat, let us listen to the finished Knuckles' and Amy's songs. I had the sensation of a sizzling heart. I was very moved. This is the real thing! (Kumatani) Roy's skills exploded today! Excellent. The mix of Knuckles' and Amy's brass is pleasant, each making the most of the vocals. In Knuckles' song, Marlon's chorus was also used in the first and second halves of the song, and in Amy's song, the drums were "muted" in the second half of the song to add a sense of liveliness to the song. Characteristically, the former seems to have settled on impressing the drums and bass, while the latter seems to have settled on impressing the brass so that they can be enjoyed. I can't wait for everyone to hear about it. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.26 (Sunday) |
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..... |
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Anyway, I'm limping. (Kumatani) Today, I took the flabbergasted Kumagai with me to the American Museum of Natural History, which I have wanted to visit for a long time. As I expected, the label of the museum was different from that of the Ueno Museum! I was excited by myself. Because I am a dinosaur enthusiast at heart. After all, T-Rexs are dinosaurs. There were probably about ten of them, large and small. Kumagai, on the other hand, seemed to have no clue about dinosaurs. So, next I went to F.A.O Schwarz. Kumagai's eyes were sparkling here. I just followed along. I found Curious George picture books. I'm buying all over the place (laughs). Kumagai is also a collector of this monkey named George and a collector of PLAYMOBIL. And today, my legs are like sticks because of all this, so I will probably have a blast. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.27 (Monday) |
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........... |
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Anyway, I went limp. Languid. There was a launch in the evening. Kosugi, Tetsu, engineers Roy and Justin, Tokoi, and myself. We had a lot of fun talking about all kinds of memories. I remember taking a picture in front of a Spanish restaurant like we were all on a school trip for some reason. (Kumatani) This evening, Kosugi arranged for us to have a launch party at a Spanish restaurant. The restaurant is located in the hotel where the movie "Sid & Nancy" was shot. A little late, Roy arrived. Apparently, he was busy at work. According to Kosugi, this person gets work like an iron man. Yes, I am convinced by the way they work. For some reason, as I got drunk on wine, I could hear Kosugi, Roy, and Justin's English as if it were Japanese. It's strange. I understand everyone's sentiments so much that I want to know how they feel. Many times I wished we could meet like this again. Thank you so much for giving me such an enjoyable evening. (Tokoi) |
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1998.7.28 (Tuesday) |
| See you soon! |
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The day finally came for me to return to Tokyo. I'm actually very blue. But the experience I had here was something I will never forget and it seems to have changed me. Anyway, see you soon! That was my last thought. (Kumatani) I'm not sure if I want to get on a plane again... I have mixed feelings about this, but I don't want to go home. I learned a really good lesson this time. I felt that I had to take this opportunity to take a step forward, and I was thinking to myself, "Now, I have to make a song for the stage." I am deeply grateful to all of you who have given me various kinds of courage. (Tokoi) |
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Go to Photo page Go to New York Sessions page Go to New York Sessions page To the top page of the Sound Section website |
Feb.1999 SEGA CS Sound Team