This is an interview with Comp and Beatmario by Ryuichiro Ban (yes, the TDMD manager) where they talk about karaoke.
Special thanks to Merami fan for sending me the scans!
Notes: I know this is a DAM CHANNEL book so they couldn’t talk about the rival karaoke service JOYSOUND, but…
- through some special service called UtaSuki on JOYSOUND, artists were able to add songs to karaoke themselves. I’m not sure when it was first used by Touhou artists, but some circles (mostly super minor ones) have been using it at least far back in 2018. This is how Diao ye zong released karaoke versions of songs from Nozomi and Aratame (apparently they are no longer available), and Akatsuki Records released a… not-so-great PV for their song Yume wa Sakayume.
- “Bad Apple wasn’t available for karaoke” bitch, JOYSOUND had that song as well as tons of hyper obscure shit back in the day.
The Signs of a Resurgence in Touhou Songs in Karaoke
Recently, a lot of Touhou songs have been added to the DAM karaoke system. Your own songs, as well as songs from other Touhou circles, are becoming more and more available for karaoke. What are your impressions of this?
Comp: I think it’s a really good thing. For a long time, whether it was at live events or sales meetings, we would often hear people ask, “Please add this song to karaoke,” or “Why aren’t more songs available in karaoke?” We would always have to reply, “Well, it’s not something we can add ourselves.” But with Daiichi Kosho (the company behind DAM) stepping up their game, I think those who want to sing Touhou songs will be really happy.
Beatmario: There was a time, maybe about ten years ago, when Touhou songs in karaoke were quite popular. It was during the height of Nico Nico Douga. After that, things stagnated for a while, but there has always been a certain number of Touhou fans who want to sing karaoke. They’ve been saying, “I want to sing this, I want to sing that,” and it made me realize there’s a huge demand for karaoke. That’s why I’m really grateful for this recent trend. The announcement that “Touhou songs are now available for karaoke” went viral.
Have you heard similar things from other circles?
Comp: Yes, I’ve heard that they want their songs to be added too. I think it would be more exciting if many songs were included. Since we have this opportunity, I think it’s better to get excited as a collective “Touhou” entity. I hope Daiichi Kosho continues to work hard and adds a lot more songs.
Beatmario: “Bad Apple!! (Alstroemeria Records)” wasn’t available in karaoke before, but now it’s been added to DAM, and people can easily recognize it by saying, “Oh, it’s here!” The music video even plays on “DAM CHANNEL.” I think many people didn’t know that Touhou songs were available for karaoke, so this is a rebirth of Touhou karaoke culture.
Comp: It’s also partly because each circle doesn’t promote it much. We don’t really talk about it regularly. We mention it when new songs are added, though.
Beatmario: I think a lot of other circles might be like me in this regard. There must be a lot of people who have stopped going to karaoke. When you become a creator, it becomes a bit difficult to engage with it.
What are Your Impressions of Karaoke After a Long Time?
By the way, do you two not go to karaoke much these days?
Beatmario: Not at all.
(everyone laughs)
Comp: In the past, in the past, yeah.
Beatmario: If someone set up a date with Amane-san, I might go LOL
(everyone laughs)
How do you feel about being in a karaoke box today?
Beatmario: When I came to this karaoke box today and looked at the menu, I noticed the food menu is really extensive. It wasn’t like this in the days when I used to go. Everything is delicious too.
Comp: If you ask, they’ll lend you a power strip. They’ll also lend you a smartphone charger.
Beatmario: There was free Wi-Fi too.
Comp: Recently, more people are using karaoke spaces for things other than singing. I don’t come to sing, but if I have some time to kill before a meeting, I come into a karaoke box and do some office work.
Beatmario: There are people who use it for meetings, too. I saw on TV that “using karaoke spaces for business is becoming popular.”
Comp: There are times when you just want a light snack and to use your PC for a bit. When you’re alone, the table is often too small to eat and work at the same time. In that sense, I think karaoke boxes have evolved into a new form.
Beatmario: It seems like there are also gatherings for playing board games and such.
Comp: And it’s soundproof.
Beatmario: It’s the best LOL Karaoke is the best LOLOLOL
“Open Your Throat!” – Expert Techniques
You mentioned food earlier, are there good or bad menu items for singing?
Beatmario: Oolong tea strips the fat from your throat, making it less smooth.
Comp: That goes for all tea. So green tea and black tea are no good either.
Beatmario: Ideally, water is best. Though I’m currently drinking black oolong tea LOL
Comp: Warm beverages like barley tea are still okay. Hot drinks are generally good, and warm water is the best.
Beatmario: If available, I like hot milk.
Comp: Drinks with honey are also optimal.
By the way, is alcohol good for your throat?
Comp: Alcohol is bad in the long run. However, in the short term, it improves blood circulation. If you can drink alcohol and you’re not weak to it, it can momentarily open up your throat. But if you drink too much, like when you have to sing the next day, it can cause you to lose your voice. Short-term, it’s beneficial. Since alcohol cools your throat, it’s best to drink it with something warm.
You often hear the phrase “open your throat.” What does that mean?
Comp: It’s like “opening your legs.” It’s about muscles. It’s very similar to tightening or relaxing your anus muscles. Improving blood flow to those muscles makes it easier to open them, and it involves training. Everyone is used to tightening and relaxing their anus because of going to the bathroom, but no one really thinks about opening and closing their vocal cords.
Can you train yourself to consciously open your throat?
Comp: Yes, you can. For men, a simple way to understand is that if you’re not opening your throat while singing, your Adam’s apple goes up.
HEEEEEE! (Everyone exclaims)
When you hit high notes, your Adam’s apple rises, but if you open your throat, it doesn’t go up as much and you can hit higher notes. But this is just a basic principle. There’s nothing inherently wrong with raising your Adam’s apple a lot. Many professional singers who are considered good close their throats to sing high notes. If you put your finger on your throat and sing with a closed throat, you can feel it rise. When you sing from your stomach, it’s more like “ahhh.”
Beatmario: Really? “Ahhh.”
Comp: So essentially, opening your throat means singing from your stomach.
Everyone: “Ahhh,” “Ohhh,” Wow, that’s amazing!
Mario-san, have you studied this kind of thing?
Beatmario: I haven’t studied it. My Adam’s apple just moved! Is that bad?
Comp: I took academic lessons for about two years. I had voice training from a famous opera singer. It was very physical. I don’t sing much now, but it’s been very useful, especially for vocal direction.
Beatmario: Going back a bit, when Amane-san wasn’t used to live performances, she’d get so nervous that she couldn’t project her voice. Her throat would close up. So, we’d have her drink a glass of alcohol before performing. It helped her relax and made it easier for her to project her voice. In the early days, we always had her drink a glass before going on stage.
Get Better! What are the Secret Techniques?
Comp: There are plenty of secret techniques. It’s hard to put into words, but things like “blblbl!” (vibrating your lips). When you’re nervous, you can’t do “blblbl!” So, before a live performance or singing, do “blblbl!” (everyone does “blblbl!”) Also, humming. Doing “mhmh mhmh” with your mouth closed from low to high notes massages your throat. (everyone does “mhmh mhmh”)
Beatmario: You can discreetly go to the bathroom and do it like “the next song is high, so I better prepare.” It’s cool to sing well without anyone noticing.
Modern songs often seem to have high keys. Many people feel like they can’t reach those notes. How do you overcome that?
Comp: There are many songs with high keys. Lower the key! LOL
Are you saying not to sing in the original key? LOL
Beatmario: There’s a strong impression that it’s cool to sing in the original key, so even if it’s high, people tend to want to try hard.
Changing the key makes it sound different and can be confusing.
Beatmario: Just do your best LOL
(everyone laughs)
Comp: Practice.
Beatmario: You just have to get used to it.
Comp: It’s best to come to karaoke alone and practice. And always record yourself (emphasizes). Record your singing. If you want to get better, sing, record, listen, and sing the same song again.
Beatmario: People who have never recorded themselves will probably think their voice sounds weird at first. It sounds different from what they hear internally. Lowering the key is the best option. Singing in falsetto the whole time in the original key can sound worse.
Comp: Basically, everyone thinks they can do it if they try hard enough, but vocal cords are like height. No matter how much you train, there are limits to growth. There’s potential, but only up to a certain point, just like height. DNA also plays a role. So, there are limits. Not everyone can be Mariah Carey. It’s more enjoyable to sing karaoke in a key that suits you better.
Beatmario: It’s good to find a song that fits your key and make it your own. It’s essential to do that. Then, you can challenge other songs.
Comp: Right, when singing songs by the opposite sex, you adjust the key up or down. It’s the same thing.
Beatmario: Sometimes men sing female anime songs in the original key with falsetto, and it’s like, whoa LOL (everyone laughs)
Comp: It looks like they’re trying hard LOL But the way you enjoy it is up to you. This isn’t a job, so it’s best to have fun with it.
The Art of “Harmonizing”
There are people who can harmonize on the fly, right?
Comp & Beatmario: Yes, sometimes there are.
Is that something that comes from knowledge?
Comp: You definitely need a good ear. Even if you have the knowledge, without a good ear, you won’t be able to find the right notes. It’s about harmony, but when it comes to ad-libbing, it’s based on instinct. That’s what I think.
Beatmario: I haven’t seen many people harmonize while I’m singing.
Are you more on the side that finds it annoying? Like, “Don’t jump in!” LOL
(everyone laughs)
Comp: It’s pretty annoying, right? LOL
Beatmario: I think it’s annoying, but if someone is incredibly good, it might be impressive. I’d like to see that.
Comp: There are people like that. The “harmonizing guy.”
Beatmario: Someone who harmonizes on their own.
Comp: Doing it proudly.
Beatmario: They always do it with pride.
Comp: When there are two singers, and they suddenly decide to sing a song and perfectly harmonize, even knowing the right volume for the harmony, it’s impressive.
Beatmario: When it works, it’s cool.
Comp: But I think it’s better not to do it in casual settings. Not many people want harmonizing, right? LOL
Beatmario: If the song originally has harmonies, it’s like singing along with the chorus or adding interjections. Singing in the same key or adding interjections is a basic technique, and harmonizing is a higher-level skill on that continuum.
Comp: I hope it doesn’t become a pressure thing. Harmonizing and interjections should be spontaneous. If it feels obligatory, it becomes a form of harassment. You need to read the room, even with interjections.
We can’t teach how to read the room here.
Beatmario: It depends on the group, too. It’s hard to say.
How Do They Score on Their Own Songs!?
Speaking of reading the room, the first song selection is a bit challenging. If you two went to karaoke together, what would you sing first?
Beatmario & Comp: Oh…
Comp: Do we have to sing?
You have to sing.
Comp: LOL But first, I think I would sing ‘Eirin (Help me, ERINNNNNN!!).’
(everyone laughs)
Of course, that’s expected. Since Beatmario is the vocalist, I’d like to hear him sing.
Both of you singing ‘Eirin’ together?
Comp: Like, “Please sing it.”
Beatmario: I don’t want to sing ‘Eirin’ at karaoke (firmly).
Comp: I don’t want to wave my arms either LOL
(everyone laughs)
Have you ever tried the “Precise Scoring Deluxe G” feature on DAM?
Beatmario: When I sang my own song, I only got an 80. I don’t believe it LOL
(everyone laughs)
Comp: It’s never high LOL
Beatmario: Nowadays, it seems the scoring function has significantly improved. My parents love watching karaoke shows and always tell me their scores, enjoying it immensely. Having a benchmark is really great.
The scoring criteria aren’t based on the artist themselves, right?
Comp: No, they’re not.
Beatmario: It’s about pitch accuracy.
Comp: Now, I think it’s judged even more strictly. In the past, the louder your volume, the higher your score.
Beatmario: If you think of it as a game, adding vibrato or other techniques can make it a fun game.
Convenient Aspects of Karaoke
Beatmario: Comp, you don’t go to karaoke much, right?
Comp: I used to go a lot back in the day.
Beatmario: You don’t like making a fuss LOL
Comp: I don’t make a fuss.
Beatmario: I often went with Amane. We didn’t do the whole “yay, yay” thing, but I guess if you go with a large group, it happens. For example, if it’s just two people, doing the whole “yay, yay” thing gets tiring LOL And we don’t have that kind of relationship.
Comp: Karaoke boxes are great for students because they offer a private space, which is something kids usually don’t have. As I mentioned before, you can use the space creatively. You can sing until you get bored and then do something else.
Beatmario: You can even eat pizza.
Comp: Yeah, exactly. If you don’t want to search for a place, you can use karaoke as a bar that’s open until morning.
Beatmario: I often go to karaoke alone for vocal practice.
Comp: Ranko does the same. Before a live performance, she practices for about an hour, even in different cities since karaoke is everywhere.
Beatmario: Dressing rooms can be cramped.
Comp: And practicing in the dressing room can be annoying. To me too LOL It’s loud, and what I want to say to everyone is that practicing in a place where you have to limit your voice is pointless. If you practice singing quietly, it puts a lot of strain on your throat and you can’t use your body properly. In that sense, karaoke boxes are excellent for vocal practice.
I see.
Comp: It’s good for both vocal practice and singing practice.
Singing while being mindful in the bathroom isn’t good either, right?
Comp: It’s not. People who sing a lot in falsetto can practice in the bathroom, but it can create bad habits. Suppressing your voice becomes a habit.
Beatmario: What’s nice about practicing with a karaoke mic is the echo effect. It makes you feel good while singing. Even if you’re a bit off-pitch, the echo covers it up.
So the echo has that kind of benefit.
Beatmario: More than anything, it makes you feel like you’re a great singer, and it makes the act of singing enjoyable. I recommend it.
You can adjust the echo with the machine. Setting it a bit higher can make you feel better.
Beatmario: If you want to feel good while singing, turn up the echo. If you want to improve or practice, turn it off and see how you really sound.
Comp: The key is to make yourself love singing first. What Beatmario said is spot on.
Beatmario: You have to love singing.
Comp: If you think you’re bad, you won’t sing well.
I feel like people who read this interview probably don’t hate karaoke. Or maybe they do.
Comp: I hope this encourages people to go to karaoke. Raising your voice and singing loudly is really good for you. It helps with communication skills and even conditions like autism. It’s often said that shouting is beneficial for humans. So, as Beatmario said, “having fun” is the most important thing. Being good or bad doesn’t matter.
That’s true. You’re not singing for others to hear.
Comp: Having fun is what matters.
Beatmario: For those who’ve never been, try it with the echo on full.
Let’s All Go to DAM!!
Indeed, this interview will be distributed as a karaoke guidebook at Reitaisai. Some people might pick it up because of the cover art, so for those reading it, definitely check out Daiichi Kosho’s DAM!!
Comp & Beatmario: DAM!! (in harmony)
It would be great if more people went to karaoke.
Comp: The food is good too.
Beatmario: Super tasty! I’d like to add, “Go with your family.” Parents are usually from the generation that loves karaoke. If you say, “I want to sing some Touhou songs but I’m scared to go alone,” your parents might respond with, “Oh, let’s go to karaoke after a long time, as a family.”
Comp: There are many kids who love Touhou.
Beatmario: I originally thought it was fun to go to karaoke and sing with my family. My parents always praised me.
Lastly, each of you please give a message to those who sing your songs.
Comp: I’ll go first. I just want you to enjoy singing. Don’t worry about being off-pitch or off-rhythm, just have fun. Not just karaoke, I hope you can find more places where you can enjoy yourself.
Beatmario: I was going to say “have fun”…
(everyone laughs)
Comp: Well, that’s a common theme, right? LOL
Beatmario: The most important thing is to have fun. For example, ‘Help me, ERINNNNNN!!’ is a song everyone can have fun with. I hope people will say, “Hey, let’s do that together,” and enjoy it.
Beatmario: Whether it’s call and response, or discovering good songs when someone else is singing, I’ve often found great songs that way. You might go with friends and think, “I don’t know this circle, but this song is great,” and that can expand your interests. Of course, it’s great if people hear someone singing COOL&CREATE, think it sounds fun, and buy the CD. I want everyone to enjoy it.
Comp: Events like doujin fairs, live concerts, arcades, and karaoke are great places to add to the fun in your life. I hope you can find happiness in these activities.
Beatmario: Definitely try “LIVE DAM Ai,” the sound quality is excellent.
Comp: DAM has really enriched its Touhou selection recently. I think it’s going to be a strategic win.
(everyone laughs)
Thank you for today.
