Japanese Lyrics: The Studio Experience

16/12/2013

Have you noticed the Japanese lyrics in the songs “A View From Within”, “Obsession Is A Gun” and “Muets Aux Temps Des Amours”? They have been sung by Momoka, and even though they are a mystery to each and every one of us, those lyrics and words are also an important part of the songs in which they appear.

Translating Alex’s words isn’t always easy, nor is embodying them. So in this blog, I invited Momoka to share about her experience.

– Stephanie

– How is it to translate Alex’s lyrics in Japanese?

To translate Alex’ lyrics in Japanese was the highest honor and also the most fearful adventure for me. Alex has a tendency to write in a poetic way even in his usual texts. I was worried and excited at the same time about what kind of unknown world I would see through his lyrics. When I translated the lyrics in Japanese, I didn’t even know the melody of the songs. It was really the world of the words and me. Every time I received new lyrics, I felt excited as if I could unfold a brand new story that nobody had read yet.

But I was always afraid as well. I knew how much he put his soul and he chooses the meaning for every single word, so that’s why I was afraid of translating it in Japanese. But when you start thinking about anxiety, it never ends. Nobody tells me what’s right nor what’s good when I translate. Then, all I can do is to believe myself and to give everything I have. This is how I did translate the lyrics. All the words are memorable for me and as much as I hate to read them (because I look for my fault with the texts), I want to cherish those words. So hopefully, you’ll take time to read those lyrics. And that, just like the songs you would listen to many times, I want you to read the lyrics many times too. For those who will have it in a future, I hope you will immerse yourself not only in the sounds but also in the world of words too!

– We can hear your voice on 3 songs, “A View From Within”, “Obsession Is A Gun” and “Muets Aux Temps Des Amours”. How was your experience in studio?

I will never forget the fear I had when I first stood in front of the microphone in the studio. I tried to have fun before. It’s such a rare experience, why don’t I enjoy it!? But once I stood in front of the microphone, I was panicked. I was nervous, afraid and feeling that I didn’t want to disappoint them. In my head, I was like “Alex is shy? No way!!!” lol

But at this moment, I really realized something. The band members often talk about how important it is to expose yourself and to trust each others. And I really understood why it’s that important. You speak in front of everybody. It’s just like that. But when you think about being judged, the fear comes to you immediately. What if they think that I’m falling short of their expectations? What if they think I’m different from what they thought? What if they laugh at me? Having those little doubts made me afraid so much. But I needed to go beyond all that and trust them. It’s ok, they know where I am at now. They’ve been through those steps as well… I told myself “it’s ok” many times. And I did feel that they cared about me and tried to make me relax. I was so thankful for their warm heart and I promised myself that I would give everything I have. It’s really my honor to be part of this album. It’s still unreal actually, but It was such a precious experience in which I was able to learn about “trust”.