Sisters In The Velvet on “Mother’s Octave” and Physicality

Last Updated on 2025-11-12 by a-indie

“To Be a Child” and “Turquoise”

—Maririn: About track two, “To Be a Child”—there was a live video of this song on YouTube, and the seven minutes went by in a flash. It’s a song that starts quietly but builds toward the end. Did you create this with live performance in mind?

Tatsuro Aoyama: Yes. For this entire EP, “how we perform sound live” was also part of the theme. In terms of “physicality,” these songs are very conscious of live performance.

The Exotic “Turquoise”

—Maririn: Like “To Be a Child” earlier, all four songs have really cool interludes, and they all feel subtly different. Among them, track three “Turquoise” especially has an exotic feeling that I like. What instruments are you using in this song?

Tatsuro Aoyama: The instruments are guitar, bass, drums, plus piano and conga. There’s also a synth-like sound, but that’s all guitar too. Musically it doesn’t sound very band-like when you listen, but that was also intentional. For example, if someone listening to jazz wants to do a band incorporating jazz and adds saxophone—I’m not really into that approach. For us, it’s more about how we do it with guitar or different instruments—I’m the type who feels individuality in that. It might seem like there are many layers, and it sounds like various instruments are playing, but surprisingly the instrumental composition hasn’t changed much. It’s basically a band formation with just piano and conga added.

—Maririn: Why did you arrive at conga?

Tatsuro Aoyama: During production I was listening a lot to Curtis Mayfield and 70s music, and influenced by that I wanted to incorporate conga. I was also listening to a lot of Afrobeat. Before forming this band, I was originally a drummer. I like percussion.

A Special Recording Location

—Maririn: On X (formerly Twitter), there were some photos posted during recording, and the atmosphere of the place with the piano and conga looked really nice. Is that a recording studio? There were flowers displayed next to the piano.

Tatsuro Aoyama: The person who played piano this time is someone named Romantic Yasuda, who also does keyboard support for betcover!! and Brother Sun Sister Moon.

—Maririn: He’s originally from Bakudan Johnny, right?

Tatsuro Aoyama: That’s right. We had Yasuda-san participate on piano, and there’s a place like a piano bar called “Amane Studio,” and it became a flow of recording there. We also recorded the conga there together.

—Maririn: I see, that’s why that red carpet-like thing.

Tatsuro Aoyama: Right, it was a really nice space.