Marina Interview Txt

Japanese

Marina (Off the Hook)

Pearl (MC/Vocals) and Marina (DJ/Composition/Vocals) are the two members of the pop duo "Off the Hook". Of course they are well known as the current hosts of "Inkopolis News", and their broad and bold use of club music in their numerous  pieces has earned them fame as well, so that the city is now dyed in their colors in Splatfest times. We asked Marina, who's musical style is at the heart of Off the Hook's Sound, for her thoughts on her creative process.

Q: Tell us a bit about how Off The Hook's music is made.

M: First I decide on a simple main chord-progression, usually about 4 chords, and on a rhythm. It always starts out pretty rough, but with time I keep refining the composition, dropping and adding stuff here and there, letting the piece evolve naturally. The melody and lyrics only come in after that.

Q: And that's when you write Pearl's rap parts, too?

M: No, the rap and its lyrics is all up to Pearl. All I do is mix it into the composition.

Q: How do you record the rap and vocals?

M: First I make some test takes of my vocals at home, over and over, until I get it just right. Pearlie always tells me that I'm being a perfectionist and that I  shouldn't overdo it like that, though (laughs). Once that's done, I move on to the studio and we record Pearl's rap. I'm always surprised by how smoothly that goes, she rarely needs more than 1 or 2 takes to nail it, and even then, the "2" is already sort of a rarity. I guess that's a good thing though, because 2 takes is usually how long it takes for her to get bored and ask to stop. Not that it's a problem though, because, like I said, she just nails it. I could never work at her speed...

Q: We would like to know a bit about your musical background. Are there any artists that have influenced you especially?

M: The Squid Sisters, of course! That includes their producer, Mr. Shy-Ho-Shy, but I just love their style of music... But even that's still sort of an understatement. If you REALLY want to know how I feel about the Squid Sisters, we'd have to keep talking all night (laugh). For example, let's take their cover of the Calamari Inkantation. I could go on for hours just about the way they transformed the piece by playing fast and lose with its musical scale. The Squid Sisters are definitely what I'd call my musical roots. But, of course, I don't think I could ever stand right next to them, even if I pushed myself to. I'd rather just make the sort of music that suits me, and give "Off the Hook" their very own identity, together with Pearl.

I want to make music that transcends race and language. That, to me is the greatest thing in the world.

Q: Talking of the Squid Sisters, you did cover their song "Now or Never!", didn't you?

M: Oh yes, Pearl sort of insisted that we do that one! She treated it like some sort of milestone. Of course, the Squid Sisters covered it from the Squid Squad first, but even so, I was a bit intimidated by the prospect of covering that song after them. So I told Pearl that I'd be okay with arranging it, as long as she takes care of the vocals by herself. Still, the instrumentation was huge fun for me. Also, since it's the sort of song that just sounds kind of lonely with only a single vocalist, I did play around with the filters and effects on Pearl's voice quite a bit, to make her sound like a crowd.

Q: Your song "Color Pulse" has become the leitmotif of the Splatfest celebration in recent months.

M: When the event-planer told us how they were going to overhaul Splatfests for our run on Inkopolis news, they sent us this sketch of the plaza decked out in extravagant lights. Our job was to compose a piece to fit the mood they were going for, so I used that sketch as an inspiration. Then they asked me to program a light-show to go with the piece too. Challenge accepted. I made a cheerful riff, which served as the basis for the full piece. It's our gift to the audience and cititzens watching us up there on stage.

Q: Color Pulse is just one example of it, but a lot of your pieces have rather striking characteristics, such as exotic-sounding note-progressions and phrases.  Sometimes there are also those abrupt beats and cuts in the music. What are you trying to accomplish with these unusual techniques?

M: Believe it or not, I actually get that a lot. I don't really know why though. This style of composing just comes to me natural... I stop the sound when it suits the beat, and I like to cut down on unnecessary reverb by cutting in the right places. I guess it's just in my DNA? It's just how I do these things.

Q: The contrast in "Ebb and Flow" is really striking, what with it's high-energy, thrilling first half, and it's lyrical, melodic second half.

M: It gets your ink pumping, doesn't it~? If I had to put it in words, I'd say that once you "fall in love" with the thrill of the first half, you start getting a little too used to it, so that's what the second half is there for. It keeps you hungry for more. Oh, that reminds me! When Pearlie and I first recorded the vocals for the second half, well, there's this one part where we sing each other's lyrics, right? During the recording, Pearl suddenly got fidgety and then she asked me to leave the room for a bit. It was kind of like she was ashamed of singing next to me. I think that was the only time she recorded about a dozen takes before being happy (laughs).

Q: While we're on Pearl, does she ever pose any specific requests regarding your compositions?

M: All the time. Well, then again, they're less 'requests' and more like criticism... She often says things like 'Wow, this sucks!' or 'How the heck am I supposed to rap to this!?'. That's always a sure-fire way to get me down in the dumps, but I always use that feedback as a chance to reexamine my own work, and usually I can totally see what she means. And then, when I actually do get it right, she acknowledges that too, saying things like 'You're the best, Marina, this is amazing!', so I know I always just have to keep trying~!

Q: Last question, where do you want to take Off the Hook in the future?

M: I want for the two of us, to keep honing our strengths, and give the people in Inkopolis Square the best we have to offer! But that's not all, when it comes to style, I wanna expand a little and dive into stuff like chill-out music. I know it's kind of cliche to say "music is the most important thing in my life", but to me, it is the one thing that overcomes the boarders of race and language. I wanna convey this feeling to others, to friends I haven't met yet, want to support them. That thought is what's on my mind when I compose my music.