YOASOBI has been busy checking off items on his list of dreams and goals, and he's spent a pretty impressive amount of time doing so. After making their US stage debut last year amid the success of the ultra-viral hit “IDOL,” Ayase and Ikura are back in the US, this time to perform both weekends at Coachella.
Reflecting on the first weekend in Indio, producer Ayase shares, “We did two shows, one solo and one as part of the 88rising Futures series. Coachella has always been one of our goals, so it was very exciting to be on stage, but at the same time I was nervous about the audience's reaction. “It was completely unknown when we went on stage, but it was super warm and super welcoming.”
After a success like “IDOL”, whose music video currently has more than 450 million views on YouTube, the two are aware of their status as ambassadors of J-pop. As they prepare for their second weekend on stage at Coachella, they've selected 10 albums that shaped their approach to making music, one more fantastical and whimsical than what would be considered standard. YOASOBI draws heavily on fiction as a root of inspiration, collaborating with novelists and writers to construct a narrative.
“Seeing that someone could make music that goes so far into this fantasy world really surprised me,” Ikura says of SEKAI NO OWARI's 2012 album. ENTERTAINMENT. “There are definitely some influences in my own music and my own musical roots.”
Read all 10 of the duo's picks below and watch their performance via the Coachella live stream on YouTube this weekend.
ORANGE RANGE — music
Oh I know: That was the first time I fell in love with music. It was the first CD I bought in my entire life; I think I was in third grade at the time. That served as my entry point into this whole world and into the music industry.
Sukima switch Greatest Hits
Oh I know: In Japan, we often listen to the lyrics and melody of any song in particular. I bought this album when I was about 12, I want to say in sixth grade, so at that time I wasn't really listening to the strings or the jazz influence. It was more about the melody and the simple parts of the music. But I think that definitely influenced a lot of how I compose melodies and different phrases.
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