[Behind the Scenes] "Forest Ballad" guitarist Sakakibara talks about what a gut guitar is and what thoughts go into its sound. - Part 2
The new album "Forest Ballad - Ghibli Songs on Guitar," to be released on Friday, March 3rd, is a warm and heartwarming collection of Ghibli song covers featuring famous Studio Ghibli songs performed only on acoustic guitar (gut guitar).
Naganori Sakakibara, the "soothing guitarist" who played mellow guitar on the long-selling album "Night Cafe: Relaxing Time, " spent two and a half months pursuing the worldview of Ghibli and the "soothing sound" of a gut guitar for this album. This is the second part of the behind-the-scenes story of the production, told by Naganori Sakakibara himself and production producer Kunihito Ikeda.
[Behind the Scenes] Click here to see Part 1 .
--What does a gut guitar mean to you, Sakakibara? What are the highlights of it?
Sakakibara:
To me, the gut guitar is not just a tool for work, but a kind of resting place for my soul. When I'm feeling weak or upset, strumming the guitar helps me feel healed and calm. With just this special guitar, I can create a masterpiece for Ghibli. I was really happy when I heard about this project.
Rather than treating the song as a standalone piece, I recalled each moving scene from the film, trying to link the message woven into the film with the sounds I spun. In Totoro, Satsuki desperately searches for Mei, who has gotten lost. I imagined that evening scene and played "Wind Path." That was probably the most enjoyable part of the process.
Producer Ikeda:
My recommendation is the seventh track, "Teru's Song from 'Tales from Earthsea'." I consulted with Sakakibara, saying, " Why don't you try making it with as few sounds as possible, while still cherishing each and every sound? " It's a song that almost makes you hear the singer's breathing , but Sakakibara wore a mask during the recording to avoid any unnecessary sounds.
Sakakibara:
The mask is a recording switch! I have been moved by the works of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki since I was a child, so I carefully created the original worldview . There were also parts where I arranged the music as if I was having a conversation with the person who created the original song, asking questions like, "I wonder if they had a hard time with this part?"
Producer Ikeda:
The rearrangement was sufficient, simply arranging it faithfully to the original using gut guitar. This time, the image of the two of them matched perfectly! Every song has a fantastical feel, but please enjoy the overall structure of the album, which is made up of two peaks, with the seventh track, "Teru's Song from 'Tales from Earthsea'," as the halfway point .
[caption id="attachment_7402" align="aligncenter" width="677"][/caption]
--Finally , a word to our readers
Producer Ikeda:
When listening to Sakakibara's gut guitar, the scenery and sounds of the city pop up in between songs, and the scent of dinner hits. The lingering sound truly transports you to a world of healing . The images that lie beyond the sound of the guitar are very soothing. Perhaps sad memories and emotional scars blend into the scenery of the town.
Sakakibara:
After finishing recording one song, I feel like an empty shell, and as if to recover from that emptiness and physical fatigue, I slowly resume finger practice for the next song, then speed up again. I repeated this process for 15 songs, and to be honest, there were moments around the last two songs when I felt so exhausted that I could no longer recover mentally or physically, but the production cycle lasted about 3-4 days over two and a half months, and this time, the direction of the CD that Ikeda and I wanted to make was perfectly aligned, so it was a very fulfilling undertaking.
This may sound a bit exaggerated, but we all have accumulated wounds and trauma. Even if we forget about them for a moment, they remain stagnant somewhere. I want my music to be a sound that releases those feelings and improves the flow . I really want it to reach that place.
Of course, it's also great for Ghibli fans! I don't think it sounds like any other Ghibli cover. I'd be honored if you added it to your collection. I also think it would be enjoyable for those who enjoy acoustic guitar and solo fingerpicking.
Furthermore, people often say that, despite the solid performance content, when played as background music it doesn't interfere with conversations or other situations. I wonder if this is the result of practicing the gentle breeze and autumn insects (laughs). So I think it would be suitable for medical facilities, and I hope it can help people even a little when they are feeling stressed in their daily lives .
Editorial Department:
You will enjoy music in a different way than usual, with delicate sounds that make you feel like you can hear the breathing, fantasy tones that are full of the world of Ghibli, and the overlapping of the ``lingering echoes'' that the two are particular about.
Thank you very much to Sakakibara-san and Producer Ikeda for talking with us today!
[caption id="attachment_7394" align="aligncenter" width="671"][/caption]
<Future activities of guitarist Naganori Sakakibara>
"I hope to increase the number of opportunities to perform solo with the gut guitar!" says Sakakibara.
For upcoming live schedules, please see the top page of his blog.
>>> Sakanori Sakakibara's official blog
Read the behind-the-scenes story (part 1)
" Forest Ballad - Ghibli Song on Guitar "
Product page here
Naganori Sakakibara, the "soothing guitarist" who played mellow guitar on the long-selling album "Night Cafe: Relaxing Time, " spent two and a half months pursuing the worldview of Ghibli and the "soothing sound" of a gut guitar for this album. This is the second part of the behind-the-scenes story of the production, told by Naganori Sakakibara himself and production producer Kunihito Ikeda.
[Behind the Scenes] Click here to see Part 1 .
UPDATE: We have received footage from the in-store live performance held on March 3rd! ▶︎Watch the live video
A rearrangement that respects the original
--What does a gut guitar mean to you, Sakakibara? What are the highlights of it?
Sakakibara:
To me, the gut guitar is not just a tool for work, but a kind of resting place for my soul. When I'm feeling weak or upset, strumming the guitar helps me feel healed and calm. With just this special guitar, I can create a masterpiece for Ghibli. I was really happy when I heard about this project.
Rather than treating the song as a standalone piece, I recalled each moving scene from the film, trying to link the message woven into the film with the sounds I spun. In Totoro, Satsuki desperately searches for Mei, who has gotten lost. I imagined that evening scene and played "Wind Path." That was probably the most enjoyable part of the process.
Producer Ikeda:
My recommendation is the seventh track, "Teru's Song from 'Tales from Earthsea'." I consulted with Sakakibara, saying, " Why don't you try making it with as few sounds as possible, while still cherishing each and every sound? " It's a song that almost makes you hear the singer's breathing , but Sakakibara wore a mask during the recording to avoid any unnecessary sounds.
Sakakibara:
The mask is a recording switch! I have been moved by the works of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki since I was a child, so I carefully created the original worldview . There were also parts where I arranged the music as if I was having a conversation with the person who created the original song, asking questions like, "I wonder if they had a hard time with this part?"
Producer Ikeda:
The rearrangement was sufficient, simply arranging it faithfully to the original using gut guitar. This time, the image of the two of them matched perfectly! Every song has a fantastical feel, but please enjoy the overall structure of the album, which is made up of two peaks, with the seventh track, "Teru's Song from 'Tales from Earthsea'," as the halfway point .
[caption id="attachment_7402" align="aligncenter" width="677"][/caption]
The scenery beyond the sound of the guitar
--Finally , a word to our readers
Producer Ikeda:
When listening to Sakakibara's gut guitar, the scenery and sounds of the city pop up in between songs, and the scent of dinner hits. The lingering sound truly transports you to a world of healing . The images that lie beyond the sound of the guitar are very soothing. Perhaps sad memories and emotional scars blend into the scenery of the town.
Sakakibara:
After finishing recording one song, I feel like an empty shell, and as if to recover from that emptiness and physical fatigue, I slowly resume finger practice for the next song, then speed up again. I repeated this process for 15 songs, and to be honest, there were moments around the last two songs when I felt so exhausted that I could no longer recover mentally or physically, but the production cycle lasted about 3-4 days over two and a half months, and this time, the direction of the CD that Ikeda and I wanted to make was perfectly aligned, so it was a very fulfilling undertaking.
This may sound a bit exaggerated, but we all have accumulated wounds and trauma. Even if we forget about them for a moment, they remain stagnant somewhere. I want my music to be a sound that releases those feelings and improves the flow . I really want it to reach that place.
Of course, it's also great for Ghibli fans! I don't think it sounds like any other Ghibli cover. I'd be honored if you added it to your collection. I also think it would be enjoyable for those who enjoy acoustic guitar and solo fingerpicking.
Furthermore, people often say that, despite the solid performance content, when played as background music it doesn't interfere with conversations or other situations. I wonder if this is the result of practicing the gentle breeze and autumn insects (laughs). So I think it would be suitable for medical facilities, and I hope it can help people even a little when they are feeling stressed in their daily lives .
Editorial Department:
You will enjoy music in a different way than usual, with delicate sounds that make you feel like you can hear the breathing, fantasy tones that are full of the world of Ghibli, and the overlapping of the ``lingering echoes'' that the two are particular about.
Thank you very much to Sakakibara-san and Producer Ikeda for talking with us today!
[caption id="attachment_7394" align="aligncenter" width="671"][/caption]
<Future activities of guitarist Naganori Sakakibara>
"I hope to increase the number of opportunities to perform solo with the gut guitar!" says Sakakibara.
For upcoming live schedules, please see the top page of his blog.
>>> Sakanori Sakakibara's official blog
Read the behind-the-scenes story (part 1)
" Forest Ballad - Ghibli Song on Guitar "
Product page here