AD CORE DEVISE DESIGNER COLUMN Vol.133
Tatsuro Yamashita released his first new album in 11 years, "SOFTLY," which reached number one on the Oricon weekly album charts. Tatsuro Yamashita began his career in 1973, and as he soon celebrates his 50th anniversary, the latest issue of BRUTUS magazine features a special feature on him. Artists over 65, such as Eikichi Yazawa, Yumi Matsutoya, and Keisuke Kuwata, are becoming increasingly prominent amid the COVID-19 pandemic. I immediately purchased "SOFTLY" and watched the music video for "LOVE'S ON FIRE" on YouTube. The typically urbane tune and ENDo's light-hearted dance video capture the current vibe of Tatsuro's work, even as he ages. It's truly impressive how, despite his age, he still captures the spirit of the moment.
I first heard Tatsuro Yamashita on "RIDE ON TIME" when I was a university student in 1980. I became a fan after his 1982 album "FOR YOU," and I still listen to it often on my iPhone. I try to listen to new music, but I'm amazed that Tatsuro Yamashita's music, even 40 years later, still feels fresh and stylish. The freshness and timelessness I felt as a university student serve as a model for my own work. I used to listen to music on cassette tapes inserted from vinyl records. When I saw the record jacket for Tatsuro Yamashita's album "FOR YOU," I was impressed by the cool graphic design and dreamed of working with someone like him in a design job. When I was young, the only way to absorb design sensibility was through magazines and record jackets. I also often read the fashion magazine "Ryuko Tsushin" to hone my sense of style.
As I entered the workforce, I began designing furniture. I realized that PR work, such as catalog creation and photography, was just as important as the actual creation itself, and I began working with people from a variety of fields. In 2000, I began working with graphic designer Hiroshi Takahara, and we have collaborated on many projects, including directing our company's advertisements, catalogs, and overseas photo shoots. Since I personally felt that my current work was more important than what I had been doing, I never really asked him about his previous work. A few years later, I was surprised to learn that Takahara had been designing record jackets for artists like Tatsuro Yamashita and Ryudo Uzaki for a long time, and that he had served as art director for Ryuko Tsushin. Takahara also worked on "FOR YOU," a song by Tatsuro Yamashita, a man I admired as a student. I felt a sense of destiny when we happened to work together, and we were drawn to each other.
I once heard from Takahara that before he designed the cover for "FOR YOU," Tatsuro Yamashita handed him headphones in the recording studio and asked him to listen to the sound he was particular about, so he listened to it over and over again. Unfortunately, Takahara didn't understand his particular tastes, but it seemed to him that he wanted to share his passion for sound with him. He said he learned a lot from working with Seto. He said there were many times when he felt that Tatsuro's tastes were similar to his own when working with Seto. Tatsuro has a very strong artisanal spirit and has his own unique theories that he has internalized, which is very instructive, but when he talks with Seto, he often felt that they were the same. I remembered how happy he was when he was told that he was working with his idol, Tatsuro Yamashita.
Takahara-san is a gentle person who listens carefully to what others have to say and is one of the people I respect. His name appeared in a special feature on Yamashita Tatsuro in "BRUTUS." I feel like it's fate that I get to work with people I respect, such as the cinematographer Maruyama-san, the Frenchman Dominique, and the Los Angeles producer YASUKO-san. We haven't been able to meet for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I'm thinking about going overseas soon to do some interviews and scout locations. (Creative Director Seto Noboru)
