Earlier this year Shinichi Osawa released his latest album BIG WORLD under the MONDO GROSSO project, his most ambitious collaborative record to date.
With the release of the extended cut and alternative mixes of the album’s hit single IN THIS WORLD being released digitally on March 16th, we caught up with Shinichi Osawa to find out more about BIG WORLD and its production.
In 2017 you returned to the MONDO GROSSO project for the first time in 14 years. What drew you back to MONDO GROSSO after all that time?
I had no obvious reason, it was my team members who were strongly asking me to restart the MONDO GROSSO project.
BIG WORLD is a very exciting album, it strikes a powerful message about the state our world is in while giving off a sense of hope. It also from time to time feels like a time machine, reliving moments from throughout MONDO GROSSO’s long history. How did you go about creating the theme for this album?
Honestly I’m not good at setting a theme, usually, but the past few years we are all obviously enduring a hard time equally around the world, I thought I should capture something from this as a creator.
MONDO GROSSO is Italian for BIG WORLD, so technically this album is your first self-titled release!
It was kind of ironic because we started in Kyoto which is super small and one of the most historical cities in Japan.
I’ve listened to the album multiple times and every time I find myself interpreting its message differently. Was this intentional or was your heart set on a particular message?
I’m so glad that you felt differently every time, because that’s exactly what I wanted to achieve. My music has no message. I think music makes the listener see and feel the vision differently as they evolve and reflect on experiences as well.
How did you go about picking the artists to collaborate with on BIG WORLD?
The MONDO GROSSO team did help a lot. We had an interesting challenge mixing genre, generation and language.
IN THIS WORLD is the first single off the album, featuring a piano melody played by Ryuichi Sakamoto and vocals by Hikari Mitsushima, this gives off a sense of despair but feels very hopeful by the end. How do you feel about this track?
Honestly I’m no longer aware that I wrote this song, and in a sense it exists in my memory. It’s like a light or a liquid that can’t be caught, but sometimes emits a tremendous impact.
FORGOTTEN feels like a very personal portrayal of how you see the world right now, almost like you’re looking back on your career and comparing the past to the present. How do you feel listening back to this song?
The impressions we get from art (not just music) are up to each one of us. So I don’t feel it makes sense for me to share my current impressions of this song here.
CHAI joined you for OH NO!, it was a surprising clash of musical styles that seemingly blends CHAI’s new wave aesthetic with a Shinichi Osawa flair rather than MONDO GROSSO. It’s a fun dance track! Do you try to keep your projects sonically separate from one another or do you pull elements from your entire discography when creating a track?
I’m not really a ‘make border or boundary’ guy. I would, though, venture to say this song is like SHINICHI OSAWA producing MONDO GROSSO in the 90s.
STRANGER featuring Asuka Saito is a rock/shoegaze track which was also a surprise to hear on the album. What’s the story behind this song’s creation?
“Asuka singing shoegaze”, my friend set the concept and brought this project to me, and I was able to concentrate on composing. I know it sounds weird but I always take this kind of irregular concept.
Was there a particular track on the album that you felt was the most challenging? Be it composing the instrumental or finding lyrics that fit your theme?
All of the songs are equally challenging. It’s just that they are expressed differently.
ILLUSORY REFLECTION (幻想のリフレクション) sounds like a cut from MONDO GROSSO’s 1995 album Born Free, back when it was an acid jazz band. The inclusion of underground rapper Kamui made the song sound very nostalgic, almost like What goes up must come down. How did the inclusion of Kamui come about?
My partner and co-writer RHYME, introduced me to KAMUI this year. She worked with him on her projects and of course she thought we’d be a great fit. KAMUI is a great lyricist and rapper and he has much potential.
You close the album with the album’s title track BIG WORLD with RHYME on vocals. It’s a peaceful album closer that sounds like a thank you message to you from RHYME for everything you’ve created. Is this an especially emotional song for you?
Every song has a different background. This song is underpinned by a beautiful story created by RHYME rather than me. Again, it’s best not to reveal personal impressions to avoid taking away the listener’s freedom by verbalizing details. It’s all a matter of sensitivity.
Speaking of RHYME, in 2017 you started making music as part of RYHME SO. How has it been working as a duo on this project? I can imagine it’s been quite freeing for you.
I can say that this is one of the most epic musical events that has happened to me in the last 4 years. And RHYME SO is about to drop an album soon. I’m confident it won’t disappoint you.
Together you also opened an entirely vegan restaurant in Shibuya called THE NUTS EXCHANGE. How did the idea to open a restaurant come about?
It’s all about diversity and options to make the world better. Please come down and enjoy!
You’ve been creating music as far back as the late 80s, as a musician with such a long history in the industry are there any artists or genres from the last decade that have really excited you?
There’s nothing in particular to mention here. Maybe that I am an Aquarius.
*EDITOR’S NOTE – According to Google, Aquarians are into alternative, jazz-fusion, electronic dance music and any form of experimental music.
Are there any artists you want to work with for a future MONDO GROSSO track?
I don’t know yet, who knows? Maybe the universe?
Where do you see MONDO GROSSO going in the coming years? Will you always be a part of the project, or will you pass it on to someone new?
I don’t know about that either. However, it’s clear that MONDO GROSSO has entered a new chapter, and I’ve learned to be more bird’s eye view and to use characters more freely, so I think I can be more editorial and create freer collaborations. In the future, someone else can take over, like RHYME?
Many thanks for your time, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store for you and MONDO GROSSO in the coming years. Is there anything you want to say to your international fans to close this interview?
If you like my music, tell someone about it. No matter how far AI evolves such as algorithms, the person to person recommendations are always right.
MONDO GROSSO
IN THIS WORLD feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto (Piano Mix)
Release Date: 16/03/2022
Label: A.S.A.B
Stream: Links
MONDO GROSSO
BIG WORLD
OUT NOW
Label: A.S.A.B
Stream: Links
CD: CD Japan
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