At last year’s Anime NYC we were able to have a chance to speak with STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION, the man behind several of the well known anime theme songs for series such as Kyoukai no Kanata and The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Find our interview below!
Thank you so much for meeting with us! How are you enjoying New York?
It’s been great! Yesterday I had New York-style pizza for the first time. I don’t remember the name but it was an Italian place near the hotel – delicious though.
And how was your first performance yesterday? Was that the first time you had performed the insert song for That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime?
I was a bit nervous since yesterday’s style of performance was a first for me. I did everything on my own – from the backing to the checks. In addition, while I had done a recorded performance of the theme song before, it was the first time performing the song in front of a live audience. I was so focused on doing well, that I didn’t have the chance to fully appreciate how well it was
received by the fans.
And speaking of anime music – you’re very well-known in the West for your works on series like Kyoukai no Kanata and The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, not to mention everything you’ve written for artists over the years. If you had to pick 5 songs to represent yourself as Stereo Dive Foundation over the years, what would they be?
Picking? That’s so hard… In a way I try to always put my fullest into each work, so it’s much like asking a parent to pick your favorite child.
That being said, if I had to speak as just STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION, perhaps my three most known works, (STORYSEEKER, Daisy and Chronos) because I know that these would be the songs the entire audience would know and enjoy.
And what about as a composer?
This is an even harder question! Haha. When it comes to composition, there’s not just my own feelings that go into the song, but all these other factors that go into making a song great.
It almost sounds like an experience akin to cooking for you.
Yes! In fact, I quite enjoy cooking as well. Making soba from scratch is probably one of the experiences I enjoy the most.
Would you say it’s those additional factors that separate being a performer and being a composer?
Yes, that’s definitely part of it. When I’m a performer, I specifically have the end audience in mind when writing. But when I’m composing, there are so many other factors. Composing music is my life; it’s a daily routine for me. When you compose music, the artist who will perform the song as well as the producers are almost like the end client, so the perfect song isn’t just one that is well-received but one that manages to merge my own essence, the production team and artist’s feelings, and finally the end audience into one perfect work. When the process goes well, it is like magic – that magic even extends into how strongly the audience feels about the music as well.
So thinking about those works, perhaps I would choose my writing Hataraku Oniisan and Hypnosis Mic as my favorites.
Those are two very different works!
Yes! But that’s part of the joy – being able to mold such vastly different ingredients into one perfect piece.
And when writing for anime in particular, I’ve heard people talk about the miracle of 89 seconds [the length of an anime opening]. Is that something you actively consider when writing?
In fact, it’s something that comes naturally to me. I always find that now, when I write for anime, I go oh, the piece just naturally has a perfect verse chorus at the 89 second mark.
So that must be why you’re a genius at this!
Haha, not quite but thank you! It’s very important to consider the feelings of everyone who is involved so perhaps it has become second nature for me.
Thank you so much for speaking with us! Finally, a word for our readers.
Thank you so much for coming to my first New York performance, and I hope to have many more in the future!
STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION‘s latest single is available here for purchase.
