Interview Oto Mayumi

Meet OTO MAYUMI, the brilliant mind behind 'Good and Bad Shades.' Delve into the inspiration, creative process, and cultural influences that shape her unique J-Rock sound. Discover the artist behind the music.

1. Congratulations on the release of your first studio album, "Good and Bad Shades." Could you share the inspiration behind the album's concept and its title, which translates to "Hai, Iie" in Japanese, indicating the shades between ashes and shadows?

Thank you! The concept idea comes from the songs I wrote, in which I talk about the grey side of people (the twisted and even contradictory emotions).
I started with the idea of wanting to use the word “grey” which in Japanese is called "Hai-iro" (ash colour), after which I developed this idea by making a word pun with Hai (Yes), Iie (No), as if I were indicating the concept “white=yes and black=no”, which when combined form that colour.
In conclusion, I have transcribed these two terms into kanji to give them the meaning of the double interpretation, i.e. Hai=ash, Ii=good, e=shadow.
The Western version title “Good and Bad Shades” is an adaptation that I wanted to do to try to convey this concept of mine.

2. Your album explores the complexities of human emotions, describing the grey side of the soul. How did you navigate expressing these intricate and often contradictory feelings through your music?

I let myself be driven by inspiration. I am an artist who relies heavily on instinct and sensation in writing, I cannot create a "calculated" text. But I'm not complaining, because in the end I remain quite satisfied with this modus operandi of mine.
One thing I'm very careful about while writing is to be spontaneous and try to use words that feel on the skin.

3. The album features a mix of J-Rock with some out-of-genre elements. How did you decide on this musical direction, and what challenges or surprises did you encounter while blending different genres within the album?

Let me start by saying that not everything is thanks to me, but it is also due to my producer, Codadilupo from Tafka. I made the base, then he was the one who colored and gave life to my songs.
Even from this point of view, I was very inspired. For example, the choice to write “Datte” with the acoustic guitar, or even wanting to do the last song in an electronic style was my choice because I believed that that genre and musicality were suitable for describing and launching the messages of those songs. My producer certainly made the same reasoning, such as the choice to include the piano in the “MNHR” song. We worked a lot comparing and exchanging ideas, remaining very open to the proposals of both.

4. Can you delve into the creative process of "Good and Bad Shades," particularly the singles "Haisuikou no gomi," "Owl," "Zenbu," and "Datte"? How did these songs come to life, and what themes do they explore individually?

All the songs were written starting from the text and were subsequently set to music. In “Haisuikou no gomi”, my first single, the music production work started from the Slugger Punch and Whiskey Music team, who gave a nice punch to the song. Codadilupo finalized everything, also playing the guitar solo. In “Owl”, I had the opportunity to work with guitarist Matteo Camurati and drummer Alessandro “Alma” Mazzola. I wanted to leave them freedom of interpretation, in fact there are many of their ideas in that track. The single version wasn't produced by Codadilupo. He remixed the song for the album.
From “Zenbu” onwards, I worked exclusively with the producer Codadilupo (that also played most of the instrumental parts of the album) and in some songs with his trusted drummer Michael Graziaplena. They were all remote jobs, but this created no discomfort or difficulty in creating for me.
“Haisuikou no gomi” is about my experience when I had various impediments to a goal I wanted to achieve.
“Owl” instead describes my victory in having reached and realized that goal.
“Zenbu”, on the other hand, is a "digestive" song. It describes the answers that I gave myself after emerging from depression, especially thanks to the goal achievement.
“Datte” on the other hand is a very sincere and direct love song, which strangely I had no blocks in writing (usually the opposite happens when i write love songs).

5. All lyrics and music in the album are by you, OTO MAYUMI. How does your background, being born to classical musicians and having dual nationality, influence your songwriting and musical style?

 About the lyrics, I was certainly very influenced by Japanese artists, especially by YUKI (former JUDY AND MARY vocalist, currently active as a soloist), Sheena Ringo (Tokyo Incidents lead vocalist, also active as a soloist) and CreepHyp.
About the music there is certainly an even wider mix, such as J-pop, J-rock, anisons and especially vocaloid songs.
I think I have the influence of classical music both in my composition concept (not setting limits on the notes extensions) and in my vocal approach, also because I studied it for about 5 years.

6. Collaborating with Codadilupo from Tafka on production and mix for most of the album, and even remixing "Owl," how did this partnership enhance the overall cohesion and sound of "Good and Bad Shades"?

First of all, to have a complete and coherent vision for all the tracks on the album. This because the production was completed by a single person. In fact, Codadilupo was able to study carefully in detail with awareness the entire project.

7. The album includes unreleased songs in addition to the singles. Can you share a bit about the themes and stories behind some of these unreleased tracks?

Each of those songs has a beautiful intense story, but I will limit myself to mentioning three songs in particular.
Even though I mainly wrote J-rock songs, in the unreleased songs there are some of them that have influences from other genres.
"Asso", a song that talks about an "incorrect" relationship: a girl who goes to bed with a guy who is already engaged. I wrote this song when I had recently discovered a Japanese alternative rock band called CreepHyp, which has remained one of my favorite bands ever since then. In fact, both in terms of the theme of the song and in terms of sound, you can notice some influences, even if obviously I personalized the song. The theme tune was played with the keyboard which gave it a J-pop feel. It's a sort of miracle that I accepted to use a keyboard, because I am very skeptical about using that instrument (credit goes to the producer).
The second song I mention is "MNHR". It's about a psychologically unstable girl. In this piece a piano sound with jazz influences was inserted. Since the track is about fluctuating emotions, the piano sound gives it that atmosphere of tension and suspicion.
Instead, the third and last track that I feel like mentioning is "Red, Blue and Violet". It's a song in which I cast my doubts on how the so-called toxic relationship can be radically resolved, where the guy raises his hands at his partner. I don't even know the reason, but inspiration driven me to compose it with electronic elements and not as a J-rock song. In fact, this song, which I also specifically chose as the last track on the album, has a completely different mood from the other songs. I don't know whether to call it distressing. It is certainly beautiful and full of nuances, especially in the final part which takes on a charge that I don't want to spoil, but in my opinion it deserves attention.

8. In the CD booklet, you've included translations into Italian alongside the original lyrics. How important is it for you to convey your music's message to an international audience, and how do you see this dual nationality reflected in your work?

To me, understanding the text/message is very important. I care a lot about it, even if at the same time I am a lover of free interpretation. In fact, even if I translated the lyrics into Italian for my Italian fans, if (for example) a love song was to be interpreted as a friendship song I'm fine with it anyway. I love and respect the listener's imagination and I wouldn't necessarily want to impose my "original" message. I can also say the same thing for Japanese people or those who understand the Japanese language.
Certainly the fact of being bilingual Italian-Japanese, with the experience of having lived in both nations helps me a lot to have a broader vision of things. I'm also pleased that perhaps this peculiarity of mine arouses curiosity.
As far as the process of creating songs is concerned, I don't live considering these aspects of mine linked to nationality. Perhaps this is also due to the fact that I consider myself neither totally Italian nor totally Japanese, but OTO MAYUMI and that's it, as a single individual.

9. Having a background in opera and later transitioning to Japanese music, how has your journey from classical music to J-music influenced your artistic evolution?

Honestly, I don't know, because I've always seen them as two completely different things. Perhaps, if an expert were to analyze my compositions he would find some common points, but I wouldn't even see it as my specialty considering that many "modern" genres come from a distortion of classical music.

10. Your biography mentions collaborations with various artists such as Tafka, FURAMI, and DJ-V. How do these collaborations contribute to your growth as an artist, and do they bring different perspectives to your music?

Collaborations allow me to try and explore genres that I would hardly approach with my solo activity.
I discover and learn new things, for example the way that artist structures the song, the instruments he/she uses, the themes he/she deals with, what rhythm and color he/she gives to the song, etc.
In fact, the satisfactions I feel in collaborations then give me the desire to experiment with different genres from my own and/or grow. My future projects have a high possibility that they may be different from the songs in my current discography, although on the other hand, I believe that no one will be able to completely take away my rock streak from me.

11. In addition to your music career, you've also engaged with your audience through YouTube and radio broadcasts. How do these platforms allow you to connect with your fans, and what kind of content do you enjoy creating beyond music?

Basically I am very pleased that there are so many people in the world who love Japan and its culture. I like when people get curious about listening to cultural differences, in fact I had a lot of fun telling stories and interacting with the audience.
But I realize that this activity is unlikely to bring people to interest to me as an artist. In fact when I gradually moved completely to being a singer, I lost a lot of audiences. Few old fans have become fond of my music. I lived a transition period in which I lost old fans, but I gained new ones only interested to my music. But I don't regret the path I took, also because I learned many things along the way, such as how to speak and explain things, or even simply how to edit a video and how it should be done to make it interesting.
I don't think I will go back to offering content that I published in the past. Indeed, so as not to confuse those who are getting to know me now, from January 2024 onwards that type of videos will be available only via a link that I will place on the descriptive page of my YouTube channel.

12. Could you share some insights into your live performances, especially at events like Lucca Comics & Games, Napoli Comicon, and NaonisCon? How does the audience response shape your experience on stage?

Every time I participate in these events, I am always pleased to feel first-hand the passion for Japan's otaku culture.
I am often surprised at how much people know how to sing anime theme songs in the original language (this despite the Japanese language being very different from theirs). In fact, during the performance, I turn the microphone towards the audience so that we can further share the charm of the anisons.
By having this type of experience, apart from getting more and more carried away, I can only confirm a motto of mine that I have always had: the public is there to have fun, so I can't do anything other than have fun with them to spend a beautiful moment. In fact, I tend to set up my show in an engaging way.

13. As a J-music singer-songwriter with a multicultural background, how do you perceive the impact of cultural diversity on the music industry, both in Italy and Japan?

I have the impression that unlike Japan, in Italy the audience's greed in seeking out beautiful music has been lost. I'll give a simple example: when I open YouTube to watch a Japanese music video, I see Japanese people that comment "seriously" the content. You can find analyzes of the song, their interpretations, etc. I hardly see this thing in Italian musical content. Not to mention the respect towards art and artists. Italian people often want everything for free, while in Japan there is a sense of guilt in receiving musical content for free. It's common to read a Japanese comment that say something like: “It's beautiful, so I'll buy it”. Furthermore, I consider the Japanese people to be much more open to musical innovations. Having places like live houses for independent artists to perform, or even indie festivals organized, that give a lot of exposure to emerging artists. Many people go there. These are all things that I hardly see in Italy.
It must also be said that it is not just the listener's fault, also because Italian musical quality has dropped a lot. Recently there are many banal songs in mainstream, one similar to the other. So I also understand the audience's reluctance. It is clear that if the contents that are produced are not interesting, one cannot have the energy and desire to commit to purchasing, in-depth analysis or going to concerts.

14. With the increasing globalization of music distribution, how do you navigate the balance between catering to your Japanese audience and reaching an international fan base?

In all honesty, I never thought about this plan. I don't know whether to say "I'm not at the level of thinking about this yet" due to my current notoriety.
But knowing myself, I don't know if having greater notoriety leads me to think like a "calculator". Also because it makes me think like this: if I have currently been known and loved for what I have written, why should I change? I want things to happen rather naturally. In fact, I would like to grow without losing my musical identity.

15. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the future of your music career? Are there specific themes or genres you would like to explore in upcoming projects?

My imminent goal is definitely to do some dates in Japan. Then I will only know what this will bring me after doing it. I go a bit with goals, but I always try to leave a little space to inspiration and destiny, also because I know that I don't have total control over my life, and sometimes coincidences work more beautiful magic than calculated steps.
I already have an idea about the second album, but since I love making surprises, I don't want to say anything. The only thing I feel like saying is that in the future, I'd like to include some rap and electronic elements in my songs, but remaining with the rock base. Let's see what I'll come up with! I don't know either.

16. Lastly, for your fans and new listeners, where can they find and support your music, and do you have any upcoming projects or events they should be on the lookout for?

Thanks for reading to the end! My music is available worldwide in all digital stores.
Here the link where you will find my entire discography: linktr.ee/otomayumi
As for upcoming projects, as I said before I would like to try to do some dates in Japan. As soon as I manage to organize myself, I'll make a nice announcement! Follow me on social media!