Words: Kojiro Kurata / Edited by: Ryosuke Akagane
Osaka-based trackmaker Kinail has released “My Wave,” a collaboration with Tokyo-based singer-songwriter Som, through FTZrecords.
For their first collaboration, we invited the two to talk at length about how they came to work together, the production process, and their thoughts about each other.
Coming Together
—I understand this collaboration came about because Kinail approached Som. Som, was working together like this a new kind of venture for you?
Som:Well, since I started using the name Som, I have worked on collaborations here and there with a few people, and Kinail was one of them. Of course I like working on my own too, but I thought making something with someone else sounded fun. I had no reservations at all—if anything, I felt, “I want to try this.”
—When Kinail got in touch, what made you decide, “I want to work with this person”?
Som:He sent me a DM on Instagram, and I listened to his songs on SoundCloud and elsewhere. I am older than Kinail, but I thought it was amazing that a high-school student was making arrangements at that level. His tracks were also in a genre I had hardly worked in—or even ventured into—so I thought that might actually make it interesting. There was an element of challenging myself too, and I said, “Let's give it a try.”
—Kinail, you approached Som while you were still in high school!?
Kinail:Yes, I reached out while I was in high school (laughs). At the time, my genre and Som's music were quite far apart, but I was thinking I could start trying more new genres. Then I happened to hear Som's music, and I wanted to make a track while respecting her identity as an artist. That is why I got in touch.
—How did you feel when Som replied?
Kinail:Honestly, I was happy (laughs). It was my first time working in this kind of way, and I was just grateful that the first person was Som!
Som:I am grateful too (laughs). Thank you!
—Once you decided to work together, did you smoothly settle on how you would make the music and lyrics?
Kinail:It took time, but I think it went smoothly. I left all the lyrics to Som, and we held meetings together to keep sharing the imagery we had in mind.
About the Song
—So you finished the song by sending each other files and saying, “I made something like this—what do you think?”
Kinail:That is right. Basically, I would send over a few things and ask Som, “What do you think of this?” We made it while having all sorts of discussions.
—How did the very beginning of the process unfold?
Kinail:With tracks, I usually program the bass first and then add the melody. So I think this song has turned out quite bass-led too. There is a royalty-free subscription service called Splice Sounds that lots of artists overseas use. I mix samples I find there with parts I program in MIDI myself, and that is how I made this track too.
—Som, did you then write lyrics to go with that melody?
Som:Oh, Kinail sent me only the track, so I first tried putting a melody over it and added the lyrics afterward.
Kinail:This track was probably quite hard to put a melody over, wasn't it? (Laughs.)
Som:It was incredibly difficult (laughs). Honestly, I struggled with it so much... (laughs).
Kinail:Even I thought, “I have made something difficult here” (laughs).
Som:It was like, “How am I going to put a melody over this...?” I remade it over and over (laughs).
Kinail:Seriously, thank you so much (laughs).
—Kinail, you were not deliberately trying to make something difficult; it just ended up that way when you made it with Som in mind, right?
Kinail:That is right. I tend to go by feel, so that can backfire on me... (laughs).
—Som, did you think, “Oh no...” the moment you first received and heard it?
Som:No, not at all when I first heard it. It had a Western-pop feel and seemed fairly simple, so I thought it might become a cute song. But when I actually tried adding a melody, I could not figure out how (laughs). While I was working on it, I kept thinking, “Why is this so difficult...?” (Laughs.) “Oh no, how am I going to do this?” (Laughs.)
Kinail:I had thought of a few melodies myself too, but so many of them felt wrong that I ended up leaving the whole thing to Som (laughs).
Som:I kept thinking, “No, that is not it...” too, and redid it again and again (laughs).
—It sounds like a pretty fun process (laughs). Did you complete everything remotely, without meeting in person?
Som:We made it entirely remotely, from beginning to end.
Kinail:It took time, but I did not find it particularly inconvenient. I think exchanging files went smoothly, so working remotely did not feel like an obstacle.
—You finished it without meeting even once...!
Kinail:That is right (laughs). It makes you realize that where you live really does not matter. I thought that working like this could make it possible to adapt and try a wide range of things, even when collaborating with artists from different genres.
—It opens up possibilities! You mentioned that it took time. How long did you spend making this song?
Kinail:How long was it...? Around what month did we start?
Som:Wasn't it around September 2020? It was quite a long time (laughs).
—You mean you spent that much time on this one song, rather than making it alongside a number of others?
Kinail:There were probably periods when things paused because of our personal lives and so on, but yes, it took about that long.
—As you exchanged ideas like that, did your impressions of each other change from before to after the collaboration?
Kinail:I felt that Som was really growing—she is amazing. She has been getting a lot of media coverage recently, and is becoming really well known as an artist.
Som:No, I am not, I am not (laughs). It just happened to be that kind of timing (laughs).
—But the knowledge and inspiration you gained from working with Kinail might be having a positive effect, so perhaps you cannot rule it out entirely? What about you, Som? Did your impression of Kinail change?
Som:Hmm, I am not sure. I had never seen his face in the first place, and he does not show up on social media, so I do not know (laughs).
—Wait, you have never seen his face, not even once!?
Som:I really have not (laughs). I have always wondered what kind of person he is. He remains a mystery (laughs).
—I did not see that coming (laughs). Come to think of it, かっか from FTZrecords said he had not seen his face either... That is some impressive branding (laughs). Not even showing the people involved in making the music is quite something... (laughs). Som, don't you feel like asking him to show you?
Som:He never shows it, so I thought it might be better not to ask, and I did not bring it up (laughs).
—I suppose if you see that as part of his appeal, it is appealing (laughs).
Som:That mysterious quality (laughs).
Coming Together
—Was there anything you were especially conscious of because this was a collaboration?
Kinail:Som's genre is completely different from mine. A lot of the music I make is uptempo, so a relaxed tempo like this was actually almost a first for me. In that sense too, I am glad that making a song with Som let me take on a new challenge. In the production, I hoped we could pack both of our strengths into the song. Rather than holding on to any odd fixations, I wanted us to work freely and flexibly.
—Was it the same for you, Som?
Som:Yes. My only thought was, “I absolutely want to put a great melody over this track.”
—A challenge to yourself, in a way.
Som:It was a challenge (laughs).
Kinail:That is right (laughs).
What Went Into the Song
—If there are particular feelings you put into this song, please tell us about them.
Som:Yes. Before we started making the song, we talked through the imagery we had in mind. Kinail described memories of studying abroad in Australia and images of the seaside, so I worked my own imagery into that. In the lyrics, I pictured gently speaking to and encouraging someone important to you by the sea—a friend, a partner, it could be anyone. They are talking, but I imagined it as a deep conversation, and that was where I began writing the lyrics. The track originally had a straightforwardly pop impression, so rather than making it just a bright pop song, I wanted the lyrics to have real meaning and give it depth. I wrote the lyrics and melody hoping it could be a song that stays close to people.
—You get a gentle feeling just from reading the lyrics. Kinail, did you change the track after receiving them?
Kinail:Yes. The first demo track did not have wave sounds in it. But along with the lyrics, I received the idea of a seaside setting, so I thought I might try adding mainly wave and water sounds. When I did, it created quite a sense of space, so I kept them. That is how we worked out the details as we went along.
—So rather than one person taking the lead in production, the two of you worked on it together?
Kinail:That is right. Basically, we listened to each other's opinions and trusted each other with the parts we left to one another. That is what it was like.
—Now that the song is complete, when would you like people to listen to it? We have talked about the seaside and partners, for instance.
Kinail:Basically, I would like people to listen on their own. It does not matter whether they are sad or happy. I want them to put it on in an ordinary moment, when they want to relax or need some music. Rather than limiting it to a particular setting, such as the seaside, I want people to hear it in all kinds of situations. It can stay with you anywhere. I think the song will probably be heard mainly by younger people, and I do also have a little hope that it will reach listeners overseas.
A Message for Listeners
—Please share a message for people who have listened to this song!
Som:There are all sorts of messages and feelings in the lyrics, but the main thing I want to convey is, “It is going to be okay.” For people with troubles or worries, as the title and lyrics suggest, it is like a gentle wave saying, “I am here beside you, so it is okay.” It is a song that can gently stay close to you like that.
—Yes, put that way, I can see how it would fit all sorts of situations and be a song you can keep beside you. Do you have a favorite part of the song—a moment you particularly like?
Som:Yes, I think it has to be the chorus. There were so many steps before we got to it (laughs). The song is structured as though it has two choruses: a secondary chorus and a main chorus. I think the section beginning “ゆらり〜” is the main chorus, and that is the one I like.
—After all the work it took to make, you feel attached to it (laughs).
Som:Yes (laughs). I thought, “This is the only one!” It was the final result I reached while thinking, “I cannot come up with anything beyond this” (laughs).
Kinail:It is the same for me. I really think she wrote a wonderful chorus. It was a melody I could never have come up with myself, so it really struck me. I thought, “That is amazing.”
Som:Thank you!
Kinail:When it arrived, I went, “Wow!” (Laughs.)
Som:I am happy to hear that (laughs).
—Were there several versions before you arrived at this chorus?
Som:I think so. I did not actually send them over, but I think I came up with just under ten on my own.
—If you did not send them over, was this the only one you sent?
Som:Yes. Right at the start, there are some English-like lyrics that serve as an intro. That was the first chorus I sent him. Then we decided to try making a little more, and the second chorus was the one beginning “ゆらり〜.” But unexpectedly, Kinail said, “We can use both!” I thought it was such a strange idea (laughs).
Kinail:Of course we were keeping them (laughs).
Som:That was beyond what I had imagined (laughs).
Kinail:Well, apart from the fact that you had gone to the trouble of writing them, they were both good (laughs). So I thought we had to use them. But I think it gave the song a good structure in the end. I am grateful to Som for sending those choruses. Thank you!
Som:Thank you (laughs).
—Exceeding each other's imaginations and going in unexpected directions sounds like a pretty good combination.
Som:We keep exceeding each other's expectations, and I cannot keep up with it all (laughs). It is exhausting, really exhausting (laughs).
Future Activities and Plans
—Now that the two of you have made such a good song together, will you keep making music as a pair?
Kinail:There is nothing planned at the moment, but personally, I would like to work together again if we can.
Som:Yes. We have no plans at all, but if the timing works out somewhere along the way! This time was a challenge, and the next time would probably be one too, so I would like us to keep making things while going beyond what the other person expects! (Laughs.)
—I see! With the hope that this collaboration might happen again when the timing is right, I will bring the interview to a close here. Thank you!
Kinail & Som:Thank you!
RELEASE
Release Date: 2021/11/10
Format: Digital release
Artists: Kinail × Som
Album Title: My Wave
Label: FTZ records
Streaming and download link: https://big-up.style/eAcNq6U1o7
ARTIST
Kinail
Kinail handles composition, arrangement and mixing himself. As well as original music made with a sampler, he produces tracks and remixes for a wide range of artists across genres. In May 2020, he released “My Wave” featuring singer-songwriter Som. He currently focuses on making tracks for artists in Japan and overseas while also producing music and performing live as a DJ. His previous singles have appeared on official Spotify and AWA playlists, and have ranked highly on the POPS chart of Taiwan's StreetVoice.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kinailmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinailmusic/
Som
A singer-songwriter and composer born in Seoul and raised in Osaka. Som began making music on a computer in 2017. A bedroom artist who handles everything from arrangement and mixing to cover artwork, Som sings night pop in a soft, husky voice.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/666_yorunoao
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/666_yorunoao/
