「ロックバンドは美しい表現形態 関係性の中で『何か』が作られていく」ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION 後藤正文さん “茶倉庫”スタジオは「願い」を叶える場

Masafumi Goto, vocalist of the popular rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, has visited Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, many times since the beginning of 2024. SBS filmed Goto's private studio for the first time on television. Goto was hoping to make a splash in the music industry from Fujieda. ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION has been at the forefront of the rock scene for over 20 years. For the first time, Fujieda Civic Hall was chosen as the venue for their national tour, with two performances on December 7th and 8th. "I'm truly happy to be back in the city where I was born and raised, and to be able to perform in front of such an audience. Thank you very much," said Masafumi Goto, vocalist of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. Goto is originally from Shimada City. In 2024, he founded an NPO in neighboring Fujieda City to support young musicians and other artists. At the same time, Goto revealed his plans to renovate a 130-year-old tea warehouse into a recording studio and open a residential music studio called "Music Inn Fujieda" in the fall of 2025. "What is a music studio like?" I asked, and he invited me to the private studio that Goto built with his own money. This will be the first time that television cameras have been allowed inside. Many of ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's songs are written in this studio. "For example, with Solanin... I start by humming something like, 'tatatata-ta-lalalala.' I create chord progressions by humming something like, 'ta-tata-lalalala.'" (Goto) Once the chord progression and melody are complete, guitar, vocals, and other sounds are recorded. The songs are formed by layering the sounds recorded in the studio. However, Goto says that there are some sounds that cannot be recorded in his private studio. "You can't record low-pitched instruments like bass and drums, which produce really loud sounds. (plays drums) You definitely can't record that sound in my studio. (plays bass) The same goes for this bass sound. The sounds around here, the low notes, are powerful and can shake the whole building." (Goto) Goto himself has taken soundproofing measures for the ceiling and walls, and his studio is located underground. But even so, he says that the low, powerful sounds of drums can't be recorded here. He also adds, "In my studio, once you set up the cymbals and assemble the drum set, you're right on the ceiling. So as soon as you hit something, the sound bounces back from the ceiling." (Goto) Plans are in place to remove the floor on the second floor of the Fujieda storehouse to create an open ceiling, which will allow for a ceiling height of approximately 5 meters. The main reason Goto chose a storehouse to build his studio was the storehouse's unique high ceilings. Q: Why did you choose Fujieda for your music studio? "In Tokyo, you're always driven by profits and efficiency, and the production scene becomes thin. I think rock bands are a beautiful form of expression. Something is created through relationships. That's very important," says Goto. "Music Inn Fujieda" is a studio that fulfills the desire of musicians to hone their expressive abilities. "I hope that the studio remains even after I die, and that people from Fujieda, Shizuoka, the Tokyo metropolitan area, and Nagoya all think, 'I want to record there.' I'll feel that it's a success if it's still here 50 years from now." To turn a storehouse in Fujieda City into a music studio required significant renovation costs, so Goto and his team raised ¥55 million through crowdfunding. They achieved their goal with over 3,000 supporters in about two months. For more details, check out NEWS DIG! ↓ https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/sb...