To say that YOASOBI was the main event of the opening night of Hong Kong Clockenflap would be an understatement. Fans of the J-pop duo scrambled to secure a front-row spot hours before their Dec. 1 performance, even lining up for up to three hours to purchase merchandise. This enthusiasm remains a surprise to Ayase and Ikura, respectively the producer of Vocaloid and the singer-songwriter of YOASOBI.
“When we started as a unit, we definitely didn't think we would find so much enthusiasm from the public,” Ayase says. Consequence one day before the concert. “We started during the pandemic, right? So going from the recording studio to a stage with such an audience was simply unthinkable for us.”
Ikura and Ayase have been interviewed continuously for eight hours when they came to our questions. Armed with a kindness that only they know, they manage to keep the atmosphere warm and welcoming. In a hotel suite in central Hong Kong, the duo take turns giving answers, a balance that must have been agreed upon to support each other after such a long day while also acknowledging each other's contribution to the duo. But from the beginning, Ikura can't help but look out the window.
“Hong Kong is such a brilliant city,” he says. “Last night we visited the concert hall and I am very excited to perform for our audience and the night view.”
YOASOBI's relationship with live performances, and more broadly with being the face of their project, is unique and is probably what makes them so fascinating. They barely appear in their music videos, preferring animation. Their fans are encouraged to follow the artists' personal social accounts rather than the group's; the latter is updated exclusively by the duo's staff.
In a time where parasocial relationships with pop fans can generate millions of followers and profits, YOASOBI chooses to be different. It's probably partly due to the fact that they debuted during times of global isolation, when acting wasn't even an option. “As we got more and more listeners, we had to start thinking about the performance and what we wanted to bring to the stage,” Ayase says. “We started adding special sound effects, adding background animation and trying to translate the stories of our songs in the best physical form.”
This is where your narrative ability comes into play. Another element of YOASOBI's unique approach to music lies in his creative process: turning novels into music. While the idea is not new, the J-pop duo is truly revolutionizing the art form.
