How to Taich Mukai work on streaming music service/ His best tracks in 2018. Interview part 2

Interview-en | 2018.12.28 2023.10.29

文： Asahi　写：遥南碧　

Streaming needs efficient. Merchandise needs valuable stuff.
Selected the best of 2018 by Taichi Mukai. What is the best song?
『2018 BEST TRACKS』 selected by Taichi Mukai

Mukai Taichi has become an essential figure when it comes to discussing 2018 music scenes. we interviewed about his new album “PURE” and his own activities in 18 years. The article will be part1&2. the part2 is talking about how to Taich Mukai work on streaming music service and His best tracks in 2018.

Taichi Mukai Profile

Streaming needs efficient. Merchandise needs valuable stuff.

ーI think streaming and subscription music service got around many people general in 2018. Do you have a point that you focus on in this flow as a musician?

Taichi:

I just thought it’s good that streaming music service can release quickly when I want to release and my stock of music is on the trend. And as a user, I thought we face an age of convenience because you can check the music out and share with many people easily.

ーRight. There are many musicians who focus on efficiency.

Taichi:

Yeah, so that’s why if I do a conventional style of sales like CD, it would be old music since the customers get it. In digital music, there is a cycle that is easy to change and born the new flow of genre or music. So we need to deal with it and I started to used SoundCloud for it from 2017. Anyway, I just realized that releasing music through streaming music service was very convenient on the speed side, or I could do it newly.

ーReleasing music to use streaming service is a very important method. But actually, I think merchandise that includes CD is also important for communicating fans. Are you thinking about something like that?

Taichi:

I am. I’m considering to make merchandise that you get naturally. For example, I became to focus on making it like what material of paper I use or what font I use, and so on… I mean, I became to focus on making what it has something of value. In my album “BLUE” I think that I will use all the lyrics cards as a whole and decorate them one by one, or use it as a tool to approach other than such music. Just not only listening to music but by seeing it as a photograph or a character, it seems that it would change how to hear at all.

ーAt this time, did you consider to make interesting merchandise for this album?

Taichi:

I made a T-shirt, pullover, sticker, towel, and key ring.

ーInteresting. So how do you use the streaming music service as a user?

Taichi:

Usually, I listen to a new music playlist on the road and I came to listen to a new genre of music because it became easy to find out through streaming music service.

ーDo you check the playlist of foreign new music?

Taichi:

Yeah. actually, it’s probably more than listening to Japanese songs. If anything, I check it out how the flow of trend changed for researching the market.

ーWhich area of music and genre do you check?

Taichi:

Usually, I listen to R&B music. As an area, I listen to UK songs normally. But I like Swedish or other country’s songs also.