Happeningsとは旧知の仲。ツジコノリコさんには竹村延和との共作、ユニットTNTNでのコラボレーション作品（まだまだ発売中）、そしてコンサートでお世話になりっぱなしです。現在、夏のバカンスで帰国中の彼女に近況をうかがってみましょう。考えてみれば拠点をフランスに移し早20年、近年は音楽活動のみならず、映画監督としても活動するノリコさん。のんびりしているようでいつだって精力的。最近のニュースは？

Noriko is an old friend of Happenings. We are indebted to Ms. Tujiko Noriko for her collaboration with Nobukazu Takemura, her collaborative works with the unit TNTN (still on sale), and her concerts. She is currently back in Japan for a summer vacation, so let us ask her about her recent activities. It has been 20 years since she moved her base to France, and in recent years she has been active not only as a musician but also as a film director. She seems to be taking it easy, but she is always energetic. What's the latest news?

ーーここ数年、住んでいるのはフランスのサンリスですね。

サンリスの近くでシャンティイ城のそば。パリから早い電車で30分くらい。郊外というより、めっちゃ森。だから自転車にも乗れるようになったし。最近、車の免許も取ったし。

ーー免許取るのは苦労しました？

いきなり路上を走るからめっちゃ怖かった。ドライビングスクールの中で、とかじゃなく。でも自分がこれまでどれだけ注意力散漫で、ぼんやりしてたかをあらためて気付かされたわー。

ーー免許は子どもの送り迎えのためとか？

そう。幼稚園の。ちょっと遠い幼稚園だから、これは取るしかないって。成長、成長。いろいろ成長。

ーー最近、ライブは？

たまにしてる。

ーー作品のリリースも控えていますね。

Mego（ウィーンのレーベル）から。

ーーEditions Megoからはアルバム『My Ghost Come Back』（2014年）以来ですね。

Megoのピーター（・レーバーグ）に３時間分くらいの音源を送ってて。ピーターから“長いから（レコードでなく）CDでリリースしよう”って連絡をもらってたけど、私、返事してなくて…。

ーーぼんやりしてて？

そう。出そう、って返事した日に彼が亡くなって。それが去年の７月。今年（2022年）の秋には出るんじゃないかな。ピーターが死んだからレーベルは閉じてしまうけど、計画していたものはリリースされるみたい。

ーーそういえばもうすぐサントラもリリースされますね。2020年に公開されたイギリス映画『Surge』。これはスリラー？

トレイラーにあるようなエンタメ感はそこまでないけど面白いよ。有名な俳優さんも出てる（主演は『007』などに出演しているベン・ウィショー）。これは『Kuro』（ツジコが監督・音楽を手掛けた映画作品）を聴いた監督からオファーをもらって。『Kuro』のおかげ。『Kuro』はバジェットが無いから自分で音楽をやっただけで。最近は映画音楽の世界では職業作曲家だけじゃなくて、アーティストに音楽を頼むのが最近増えてるみたい。

ーー『Surge』のサントラはイギリスのレーベルConstractiveからリリースです。最近ではヴラディスラフ・ディレイと渡邊琢磨（Delay × Takuma）のコラボレーションを発表するなど挑戦的。

SN Variationsが遊びでやってたサブレーベルみたいだけど、最近は本気で。リリースも増えてるみたい。いいレーベル。あと、サントラは中国の新人監督の映画をやると思う。女の子の監督。

ーーサントラの制作は自分のスタイルに合っている？

合ってると思う。家でひとりで作ってる方が好きやから。（ライブで）歌うのは好きやけど、家で作ってる方が楽。そんなに（サントラは）たくさんやってないからまだ分からないけど、めっちゃ楽しい。映画好きやし。

ーー自分でも監督してるくらいですしね。

これまで歌詞を書く時も、ちょっぴりストーリーを考えて書いたりするから。サントラは何の苦もない。うん。楽。


ーーサントラだけでなく、歌を中心とした作品は？

最近は歌の無いものが多いけど、歌ものみたいな音楽も作ってて。めっちゃアジアなレーベルとかからリリースしてみたい。88Risingみたいな？ なんか面白いレーベル見つけたけど、なんやったかな。まぁ、歌ものも楽しいからやってる。声を使いたくなる。

ーー歌う、というより自分の声を使う、という感じ？

そう。メロディを使うときは声が良いかなって思ったり。

ーー制作は子育ての合間に行っているんですよね？ 大忙し。

そうそう。毎日作ってる。めっちゃ働きもの。

ーー音楽活動はもう20年以上になりますが、新しいアイデアが尽きることはない？

ないない。もう、ますます。最近はより楽しい。なんでやろ？ 歳かな？ 歳とってくると、いろいろ楽しい。周りはどう思ってるか分からんけど、自分は楽しい。

ーーそりゃいいですね。

あと今、また映画（のストーリー）も書いてて。それは、また（『Kuro』を共作した）ジョージ（Joji Koyama）くんと。お互い、子どもが熱出したとかでストップしたりするけど。今度はすごいドラマ。日本を舞台にしたリアルなドラマ。とりあえず書いてみて、それが実現すればいいけど。日本でも東京というより、そこまで都会じゃない街を想定してて。日本に住んでる日本人じゃない人のセカンドジェネレーションの物語みたいな。

ーー音楽に映画に、創作は止まらないですね。

めっちゃ家庭染みた例えだけど、食器洗い機にお皿を空き好きで入れて、しっかりキレイにする人もいるけど、私はめちゃめちゃ詰め込んで洗うタイプ。キレイになってない部分もちょっとあるけど。まぁ、それでいいかと思うタイプ。オプティマイズ。詰め込み。

ーーぼんやりしているようで生き急いでいる？

しっかり考えてゆっくり作ったら、もうちょっと良いものができるかもしれない。けど、それができないことも分かってる。

ーー自分ひとりで制作していると、いろいろと逡巡して終わりがない作業のような気も。いかがです？

いやいや、終わる終わる。すぐ終わる。それが良い結果を生んでいない、ということも知ってる。けど、どうしても詰め込むし、すぐ終わる（笑）

ーー今後、例えば大きな会場でコンサートをやってみたい、というような野望は？

ないない。誰かの家に行って歌うくらいが楽しい。

ーー以前、日本で人の家を巡る出前コンサートをやってましたね。

あれ、楽しかったー。またやりたいわ。

2022年7月27日、大阪・上本町のマクドナルドにて。

ーYou have been living in Saint-Lys, France for the past few years.

Near Saint-Lys, by the Chateau de Chantilly. It's about 30 minutes from Paris by early train. It's not really a suburb, but more of a forest. So I can ride a bicycle now. I also recently got a car license.

ーWas it difficult to get a license?

I was very scared because I had to suddenly drive on the road. Not just in the driving school. But it made me realize how distracted I had been and how absentminded I had been.

ー Did you get your driver's license to take your children to and from school?

Yes. For the kindergarten. It's a kindergarten a little far away, so I had no choice but to get it. Growth, growth. Growing up in various ways.

ーHave you been doing any live performances lately?
Sometimes.

ーYou are also planning to release a new album.

On the Mego label (Viennese label).

ー You haven't played on Editions Mego since your album "My Ghost Come Back" (2014).

I sent about 3 hours worth of material to Peter (Rehberg) at Mego. Peter contacted me and said, "It's too long, let's release it on CD (instead of vinyl)," but I didn't respond...

ーYou were in a daze?

Yes. The day I replied, he passed away. That was last July. I think it will come out in the fall of this year (2022). The label will be closed because of Peter's death, but it looks like what we had planned will be released.

ーBut come to think of it, the soundtrack will be released soon: the British film "Surge" released in 2020. Is this a thriller?

It's not that entertaining as the trailer says, but it's interesting. Some famous actors are in it (starring Ben Whishaw, who has appeared in "007" and other movies). I got an offer from a director who heard "Kuro" (a film that Tsujiko directed and composed music for). It was thanks to "Kuro. I only did the music for "Kuro" because I didn't have the budget. It seems that recently in the world of film music, more and more artists are being asked to do music, not just professional composers.

ーThe soundtrack for "Surge" is released on the UK label Constructive. Recently, Vladislav Delay and Takuma Watanabe (Delay × Takuma) have released a collaboration, which is challenging.

It seems to be a sub-label that SN Variations used to do for fun, but recently they are serious about it. They seem to be releasing more and more music. Good label. Also, I think they are going to do a film by a new Chinese director for the soundtrack. A girl director.

ーDoes producing soundtracks suit your style?

I think it suits me. I prefer to work alone at home. （I like to sing (live), but it's easier to work at home. I haven't done that many (soundtracks), so I don't know yet, but it's a lot of fun. I like movies.

ーYou even direct your own films.

When I write lyrics, I always think about the story a little bit when I write. The soundtrack is no problem for me. Yeah, it's easy. It's easy.

ーHave you made any works that focus on songs as well as soundtracks?

Recently, I've been making a lot of music without songs, but I'd like to release it on a very Asian label or something. I would like to release my music on a very Asian label, like 88Rising? I found an interesting label, but I don't know what it is. Well, I enjoy singing music, so I do it. It makes me want to use my voice.

ーSo it's not so much singing as using your voice?

Yes. When I use melodies, I think my voice would be good.

ーYou do all the work in between raising your children, don't you? You are very busy.

Yes, I am. I make music every day. I'm a very hard worker.

ーYou have been active in music for more than 20 years now, but do you ever run out of new ideas?

No, I never run out of new ideas. More and more. It's more fun these days. Why is that? Is it my age? As I get older, I enjoy many things. I don't know what people around me think, but I enjoy it.

ーThat's great.

Also, I'm currently writing another movie story. I'm working with George (Joji Koyama), with whom I co-wrote "Kuro. We have to stop working when our children have a fever or something, but this time it will be a great drama. This time it's a great drama. A realistic drama set in Japan. I'm just going to try to write it and hope it comes true. I'm thinking of a city in Japan, not so much Tokyo, but a city that is not that urban. It's like a story about the second generation of non-Japanese living in Japan.

ーYou never stop creating music and movies, don't you?

This is a very homey analogy, but there are people who like to put their dishes in the dishwasher when it is empty and make sure they are clean, but I am the type of person who crams a lot of dishes into the dishwasher and washes them. Some dishes aren't clean enough. But I'm the type of person who thinks that's fine. Optimize. Packing.

ーDo you seem to be in a hurry to get by?

If I think carefully and make it slowly, I might be able to make something better. But I know I can't do that.
Creating on your own, it seems like a never-ending process with a lot of hesitation. How do you feel about that?
No, no, no, it's over and done with. It's over quickly. I also know that it doesn't produce good results. But you can't help but pack it in, and it's over quickly (laughs).

ーDo you have any ambitions to do concerts in the future, for example, in large venues?

No, I don't. I enjoy going to someone's house and singing. I enjoy just going to someone's house and singing.

ーYou used to do door-to-door concerts at people's homes in Japan.

That was fun. I want to do it again.

July 27, 2022 at McDonald's in Uehonmachi, Osaka.