the hatch『333』Interview – Chaos Crystallized into Pop

Last Updated on 2025-12-23 by a-indie

Production Style That Changes with Each Album

Evolution from Sessions to Editing

－Maririn: When you made the first album『Opaque Age』, did your production style solidify?

Midori Yamada: No, it changes every time, so it hasn’t really solidified. The 1st had a really strong session element. The 2nd (『shape of raw to come』) had a lot of parts that Ryoken and I made together. And the 3rd (『333』), we had everyone rearrange what was initially created, or rather, I created the major framework like chords, then explained to everyone “there’s a groove axis here” while having them create. The production style changes every time, and we reconsider how to make things each time an album comes out.

Songwriting That Incorporates Spontaneity

－Maririn: When I first saw the hatch’s live show, I wondered what you did to create this music. How does songwriting usually begin?

Midori Yamada: Recently, I basically create the initial demo that becomes the base. But we start by talking about “we want to make something like this” with everyone. If I just made everything alone, it wouldn’t become band-like, so I incorporate everyone’s interests at the time. Every time we make an album, there are definitely two or three songs where everyone practices like crazy during recording. For the 1st, “VEGITA & THE FAMILYSTONE” was really made just before. “2 AM (stoned)” too. We barely rehearsed them together and started making them during recording. Most of the instrumental tracks on the 1st were made just before. For the 2nd, “as human” and the last track “Discharming us” were made just before. And for this album (『333』), the last track “gdby cntct” was really made while preparing for recording. When I thought we wanted about two more songs, Souchan (Anzai) showed me songs saying “I like this kind of song.” So I said “Then I’ll make it” and made it.

Soichiro Anzai: This song (“gdby cntct”) is the new theory “Dinosaurs are my ancestors(恐竜は俺の祖先)”.

Midori Yamada: “gdby cntct” has a similar structure to “Dinosaurs are my ancestors(恐竜は俺の祖先)”. “KUSHIco 7” was also made during recording.

Soichiro Anzai: While recording on the upper floor of Tsubame Studio, in the gallery downstairs.

Midori Yamada: It’s hard to say how we make things, but the fact that I do a ton of editing is very the hatch-like. There are many parts where I overdubbed without thinking, then edited and messed with them extensively. Souchan’s parts weren’t decided. When I pass things to everyone while they don’t understand the song, they return something like “why did it turn out like that?” So I’m also thinking “why did it turn out like that?” and that becomes the song (laughs).

－Maririn: So songs roll in unexpected directions.

Midori Yamada: I look at rhythm very closely, but everyone else perceives it more roughly. At first I get annoyed like “why is that coming in?” but after listening, I think “I guess that works.” We do a lot of that kind of exchange where I first solidify those spontaneous parts into something song-like through editing. We remake songs a ton. Zakiyama is impatient, so he gets irritated midway through saying that’s good enough. For “Tohmei” too, I made it about four times before passing it to everyone, then changed the axis about six or seven more times.

Ryoken Miyazaki: I think there were too many developments. We decided to create repeating parts.

－Maririn: From there it became “Tohmei (album ver.)”

Midori Yamada: Yeah yeah. We repeated editing what we released once. When I keep listening, I find new discoveries, so I keep messing with it. Recently I’ve been adjusting to show the album tracks in a cool way at live shows. We’re constantly making and changing things. So even we don’t really understand it ourselves.