Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
I am from Tokyo. He entered the music industry after winning an audition for Sony as a singer while in college. During college, I won through an audition that was held by Sony Music Japan and that became an opportunity for me to enter the music industry. From that time on, I started work on writing music for other artists and naturally music became my job.
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
I learned classical piano from childhood, so my base was built then. After that, besides classical music, I learned the basics of pop and jazz music and chord theories. I self-taught myself once when I started working in the industry and am still continuing that.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences?
At the very first it was Richard Clayderman.
When I was four years old, I begged my parents that I wanted to learn to play the piano. It was because I admired those types of music my parents used to listen to. But the most strong influences were the bands I listened to since then. When I was a teenager with multiple senses, being omnivorous,I was exposed to a wide variety of music including Soundtracks, Western, and Japanese music. I think that being exposed to those music’s influence my musical styles today. KORN was particularly one of the influential bands for me.
Q: You have just released your new single ‘SPARKLES’. Is there a story behind it?
Since it was produced as an insert song for the movie version of “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime : Scarlet Bond” (Japanese title: Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Guren no Kizuna Arc), it was produced my matching the content to the scene that the song was being planned to be inserted on. As a result of watching the scene, I decided that a straight ballad would suit, and thought about the content that would contribute to the movie as much as possible. At first, I was thinking of doing something like a film scoring, but the scene in question was longer than usual, so I put aside the video and just made the song. After receiving an OK, I was planning to edit the song to match the video, but surprisingly it was approved as it was. I thought it would be better if I edited it, but when I saw the completed video, I was surprised that the sound and lyrics had fit perfectly. It was a miraculous finish in which the content of the video, the sound of the arrangement, and the content of the lyrics firmly linked.
Q: What is the message of your music?
As a base, it is filled with the desire to have the song become a part of the memories of the listener.
I would like to create sounds and words that blend into the lives of the listeners and are close to the various life situations they would experience.
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
I think it’s the good melodies for the most part. And the lyrics are based on the premise of a good melody. And then the pleasant arrangements to it. I don’t think it will resonate even if one of them is missing in that order. In my work, I make songs in various genres, but in almost all of them there is an essence that makes it clear that it was RON who made it. It’s not that I’m trying to be conscious of it, but I’ve come to hear that kind of voice from listeners, and came to realize that. I think my sound is probably characterized by the balance of the mixtures.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
Basically I don’t face music in search of rewards or a sense of fulfillment. I don’t think it’s something to expect for myself and I think it’s my job to meet the expectations of my clients and listeners. However, as a result, I am happy to hear the voices of clients and listeners who are happy from it and it is a point that I feel is worth doing. In that sense, I think that there is also an aspect for me to continue because I feel that I am getting a certain sense of satisfaction.
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
I spend a lot of time imagining before starting the actual work. I imagine the genre, direction, BPM, the instruments that will be used, the feel of the chords, the melody, etc. while reading the purchase order relaxing on the sofa and not in front of the computer. Once it’s settled to some extent, I start creating the song while playing the piano or guitar. Once I get there, all that’s left is the arrangement and it’s pretty quick. I think it’s important to have a solid image of the finished product before starting work.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
I haven’t really found anything that I found was difficult. It’s music that I started because I like it. It’s probably because I started making music because I love it. However, the schedules can be physically demanding and there is no time to rest. Like I can be creating 8 songs while holding 3 accompaniments.
Even so, I’m working on making sounds with a fresh feeling while refreshing myself well.
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
First of all, I am proud to say that I have been in the music business for 20 years and it has been on an upward trajectory. I’m very happy to think that it comes from the results of the songs were well evaluated.
What I think is important is to keep your curiosity, keep studying, and never forget your feelings of love for music. I don’t think any of them would be meaningful if they weren’t naturally occurring. When it comes to songwriting, I think it’s important to always raise the level above the minimum level that I’m satisfied with.
It’s also important to make the client happy and like the song. As a result, it will become a wonderful song with heat when it reaches the listener. But for myself, I’ll never be fully satisfied with a song, and I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied. If I ever become satisfied, then my musical life will be complete.
