"Ambiguous, Swaying Night!"- an Interview with Penguin no Yuuutsu
Summer 2022 was a whirlpool of academic busyness for me. Exam season doesn’t usually allow for attention to be diverted elsewhere outside of revision material, but this year’s June is memorable to me for more than just the frantic exam preparation: it was also when I first discovered Tana’s music project Penguin no Yuuutsu.
A new discovery followed by an immediately strong curiosity, that results in continuously renewing comfort, is a process so intrinsically tied to my enjoyment of music: with only 6 songs released under the project’s name, I cycled through them all multiple times. This cycle continued on for weeks, which culminated in helping define my entire summer. Despite it being a new music project, there was a strong sense of familiarity with the tone of the music right from the beginning as it spoke to me with a reassurance that sounded sung from a mutual realm of personal reflection.
This exact recurring feeling I experienced in response to her music made me ever more curious about the project, and the musician behind it. Months later I can now proudly, and gratefully, share this opportunity I had to interview Tana about herself and her art!
An Interview with Tana, of Penguin no Yuuutsu
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1.
Mustafa: “Hello Tana! Congratulations on your recent EP release!
To start off: I discovered your music when the label Gerpfast Records released your EP on cassette. How did this collaboration come about?”
Tana: “The label reached out to me first. I first followed their social media page after finding out they’d released an album by Downt on cassette, which is how they found out about my music. I started talking to the label right around the time just before the EP released in June.”
I’d been following the cassette releases from Gerpfast Records since late 2021 and coming across Tana’s music upon the announcement of their collaboration made me immediately curious about the process behind releasing it as a cassette, which is a format I hadn’t engaged with at all until learning of the Indonesian-based label.
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2.
Mustafa: “You sing and play guitar for the band Citrus Airline, and their music is quite different to Penguin no Yuuutsu as it’s a lot more upbeat and optimistic. When it comes to Citrus Airline, how does the creation process differ when working with a band compared to writing and creating on your own?”
Tana: “The main difference between Citrus Airline and Penguin no Yuuutsu is that the composer is different: I write songs for Citrus Airline, but I’m not the main composer for the band. For Citrus Airline they really care about showcasing the diverse musical backgrounds of each member, so I’m kind of a ‘guest’ vocalist in a way.”
Mustafa: “‘Guest vocalist’ makes it sound like a temporary thing. Do you anticipate being part of Citrus Airline in the long term?”
Tana: “By ‘guest vocalist’ I mean more that I’m somewhat of an outsider to the band, and my contributions to the band capture the ‘vibes’ of that perspective. However, it’s not a temporary thing at all: I’ll be the vocalist of Citrus Airline for as long as I can.”
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3.
Mustafa: “You mentioned that the members of Citrus Airline have different music backgrounds, so I’m curious about your own music background: how did you grow up with music, and what led to you eventually becoming a musician?”
Tana: “When I was a high school student, I bought an acoustic guitar and started singing on streets because I really looked up to the musician YUI. She started out as a singer/songwriter, and she was my first inspiration to pursue music. I then discovered the musician Sayuri, another singer/songwriter. I had also started some cover bands: first in high school, then another when I attended university. During this time I listened to mostly Japanese rock bands. After that, about 3 or 4 years ago, I started getting more into music from around the world. I started to explore the post-rock and math-rock genres. Currently, I’m really interested in bedroom-pop.”
Mustafa: “It’s really admirable how you started out playing music on the street. What was this experience like? Did you have an idea of wanting to eventually become a musician and record your own music, or was it driven by the passion and inspiration you felt from YUI and Sayuri’s music? What was going through your head at the time?”
Tana: “I started singing on the street not really by choice, it was because I felt like I had to because this was shortly after I’d formed my first cover band, and I had to get used to singing in front of people sooner rather than later!”
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4.
Mustafa: “On the topic of live music: what has it been like playing live shows in Japan, with Citrus Airline or as Penguin no Yuuutsu? What was the experience like when you started out as a musician and began playing shows? I’m really interested in the perspective you had of performing live shows early on in your career, as well as recent shows impacted by Covid.”
Tana: “There are some small venues which are crowded into densely packed areas, and one of those areas is Shimokitazawa. Here there are lots of small music venues, and they just host a show and call up bands when organising the event. They often invite small bands/young artists. That’s a general way to start out performing live here in Japan. Recently, Penguin no Yuuutsu has started being called into events where other bands of similar musical styles perform. This is because the venue knows our style of music and they try to organise events around that sound.”
Mustafa: “I’m interested in your description of how these venues support new musicians. Here in the West, it can be a lot more difficult for musicians to start out and find live shows to perform at. It sounds like the environment in Japan is a lot more supportive of newer artists, in this instance. I’m interested in your perspective of what it’s like in the music industry in Japan. Here there are pop stars that reach levels of fame which most people can’t ever think of reaching, but in Japan there seem to be many different layers to the music industry, and it seems very realistic to go quite far because of how much support there is. Have you perceived any similarities or differences between music industry in Japan compared to the West?”
Tana: “That’s a really huge question! (Laughs). When a small venue contacts small bands/musicians to organise events, they usually have a quota, or requirements, that bands have to meet, such as selling a certain amount of tickets, and if you do not meet the quota you have to make up for it with your own money. It’s definitely getting better for young musicians compared to three years ago when I wrote the songs for ‘Aimaimu’. Penguin no Yuuutsu was already a band back then, and I feel like I was contacted by venues who didn’t have such strict requirements. After Corona hit, the venues became a lot kinder to young musicians because the pandemic made it tough for both parties. There are still some requirements though, such as ticket sale quotas, and if you don’t meet them then you have to pay to cover those ticket sales. It’s supportive in some ways, but not fully.
In regard to the West: I don’t really know the music scenes there, but I feel like the independent scene in Japan is more closed in a domestic way, and it’s not really open to the global scene.”
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5.
Mustafa: “On the topic of how it’s closed off: do you anticipate that potentially changing in the future? Gerpfast Records, for example, have an international fanbase so their cassette releases of Japanese albums reach people around the world. Do you anticipate that with support like that, the music scene might end up changing or are there still things in place that keep the scene closed off?”
Tana: “I think that in a macro sense it’s definitely going to change, but the change won’t be quick. However there are some artists, like Haru Nemuri, who have reached to music scenes around the world and gotten really big there. With examples like that, it shows there are chances and opportunities overseas, so I’m really eager to see where Penguin no Yuuutsu goes.”
Mustafa: “I’m really happy to hear that, as I really really enjoy your music and Haru Nemuri is another artist I’m a big fan of! It’s very interesting to me how Haru Nemuri is also regarded as a notable example from within Japan as an artist who developed an international fanbase. On that topic, I wanted to ask about how you came about Haru Nemuri’s music?”
Tana: “I don’t really listen to her music that much, but I really look up to her as a role model as an artist who became so big overseas compared to Japan, because I find that so inspiring.”
Mustafa: “Haru Nemuri is such a notable example of this phenomenon because I don't know of many other artists who became so big internationally in such a specific manner. Another example that comes to mind is Daoko, but they became popular in a very different way to Haru Nemuri. While Haru Nemuri’s international renown is mainly from within enthusiastic music groups, Daoko reaches audiences who may not be as passionate about music, but they are still aware of her being a popular Japanese musician. I was curious about what you think about the way those two artists are distinguished in such a way, and which of those two kinds of international reach you hope to have for your music?”
Tana: “The way I see it, Haru Nemuri and Daoko are both super super big, and I don’t really hope to be one of them. I actually wasn’t aware that Daoko was super big overseas as well. To me, that’s more a question of “do you want to be mainstream, or do you want to be niche?”, and what I want is for my music to be more niche.”
I’ve always been more drawn to music that was made with the passion for expressing something. Fame and wealth are appealing to everyone, so I really respect Tana’s wish to remain more niche, and upon hearing her answer I took a moment to express appreciation for her approach to making music.
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6.
Mustafa: “With Daoko being more mainstream and Haru Nemuri being a little more niche, something I saw as being important to that discussion is how Daoko was signed to a really big label called Toys Factory, and the impression I got when she was signed to them was that oftentimes she’d have to release music because there was a schedule in place from the label. The sound of her music changed when she signed to Toys Factory, which lots of her fans noticed. I’m aware of lots of times when labels have imposed rules for musicians to follow, so they may not have as much freedom. So with your music, I’m interested in your perspective of being signed to a label, as I understand you currently operate as an independent musician. How do you see things being different when working as a musician signed to a label instead of operating independently?”
Tana: “I’m interested in signing to a label because I feel it helps with a lot of things like distribution of merchandise/CDs, as well as promotion, so I think some support in that area would be a lot of help. However I want to do whatever I want whenever I want, so I don’t want any kind of restriction when it comes to releasing my music. In regard to signing to a really big label: I can see how that can help bring the artist some resources they may need to then go on and release more of the music they want to release outside of the label.”
Tana’s answer is further reminiscent of Daoko’s journey with her art: After leaving the Toys Factory music label, Daoko started to release music which sounded more diverse, indicating she had more control and freedom over the creation of those sounds. I had never really considered such a perspective before, but I now see how in the industry there can be benefit when gaining more resources in this manner.
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7.
Mustafa: “I want to talk about your recent releases from Penguin no Yuuutsu. When it comes to music videos, I’ve always found them interesting because of the way that they bring a visual aspect to an audial experience. Something I was very interested in with your art was the ‘Penguin Syndrome’ music video. One part I particularly like about the video is when you’re sitting at the table outside, with the penguin opposite you. The way in which I interpreted the video was that it’s about dealing with loneliness, and the penguin represents a need for companionship.
In the video, there is a book you are seen reading, and I saw the serial number on the back which I looked up and saw that the book was called ‘The Depression of the Penguin’. I’m very interested in what that book means to you, given the link it has with your music, and how it inspired you.”
Tana: “The name of the band is taken from that book: I decided to buy the book after just seeing the cover for it, and I thought it would make a great band name. It’s a Ukrainian novel about a novelist who has a depressed penguin. The lyrics are roughly based on the novel, which is why the penguin is described as being depressed. As for the music video, I included the penguin plush just for the sake of having it there (laughs).”
Mustafa: “Something else I really like about the video is how it switches between scenes recorded outside, from you setting the table with the penguin plush, to scenes where you’re inside reading the book. Something else I noticed was that in the video there is a close-up shot of some items inside the room, one of them being an origami unicorn. I was curious about why this particular item was included, as it reminded me a lot of the film ‘Blade Runner’ which featured origami unicorns very prominently in its story. Was this inspired by the film, or is there another reason why it was included in the video?”
Tana: “I thought about the contrast between inside and outside a lot: the outside was shot in the park while the inside was shot inside the room of our bass player, and the origami unicorn was already there so it was included in the shot of his shelf. I haven’t actually seen ‘Blade Runner’ (laughs).”
Mustafa: “Also in the video are multiple close-up shots of your face, where you have various morose and contemplative expressions. I really like the way those facial expressions of visible emotions capture the intentions behind the song, and I really appreciate how perfectly those segments work within the video itself.”
Tana: “In one of the first close-up shots of my face in the video, I’m actually trying to smile (laughs)! That particular segment is meant to represent an attempt at sharing a happy meal with the Penguin, but I think I wasn’t able to smile well (laughs)!”
The idea of ‘playing pretend’ within this particular scene with the Penguin is, to me, a perfectly and uniquely realised portrayal of struggles with loneliness, made more inspiring by the way Tana represents it so vividly and personally.
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8.
Mustafa: “The ‘Ochiru’ music video is another of your visual works I really enjoyed! I saw ‘Penguin Syndrome’ as representing an internal struggle with one’s feelings, while with ‘Ochiru’ you’re seen walking outside a lot, which I interpreted as linking to a disillusionment with the way one lives their life. Some of the lyrics which stood out to me from the English translation of the song you uploaded to your Bandcamp page are “I bought ice cream at an unfriendly convenience store”, followed later on by “I bought ‘meaningless’ at a convenience store”. I really liked these lyrics convey an indifference/nonchalance in regard to daily life. The segment towards the end of the video comes to mind, where you’re seen walking down a path, before suddenly appearing in a different part of the shot, and then multiple different versions of you are seen on screen. I was curious about how you came to making the video. What were the inspirations behind planning and filming it? I’d love to learn more about the creation of this video and how you see it tying into the song.”
Tana: “The music video is mainly inspired by dreams. The name of the EP, ‘Aimaimu’, means ‘ambiguous dream’. The video is meant to represent several dreams mashed into one. I’ve just been really interested in dreams lately. The shot where multiple versions of myself are shown represents being stuck in daily life and feeling bugged, glitched, or kind of broken.”
Sadness and mental health come up a lot in music, and lots of musicians draw inspiration from it, but Tana’s personal perspective resonates with me because of how beautifully her authenticity tackles such heavy topics.
This video, in particular, speaks volumes to me in the way it’s crafted. The transition from night to day as the train crossings are raised towards the end is a segment I’ve replayed over and over, mesmerised by the sonic and visual conveying of facing a bugged reality, followed by Tana’s reflective expression of questioning as she watches and turns away.
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9.
Mustafa: “I’m curious about the journey of the songs when listening to the EP: it starts off with ‘Ochiru’ which is quite fast-paced, before moving to 2086 which is slower, then SCR which is faster, then finally finishing with Kimenai which is mostly slow until the end where it increases in speed and volume. What was the thought process behind arranging the EP in this way?”
Tana: “I gathered all the songs which I’d made within a certain timeframe: most of the songs are ones I made three years ago. About the song order: I was thinking of a bipolar disorder kind of approach, so it goes from between hyper-energetic and depressed.”
Mustafa: “That brings to mind the name of your music project: Penguin no Yuuutsu (meaning ’Melancholy/Depression of the Penguin’). What is the inspiration and intention behind wanting to include these themes so prominently within your music?”
Tana: “Basically: it’s my personality! (laughs)”
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10.
Mustafa: “You featured a different guitarist on each song on the EP, as well as the bassist Tsubota (who recently started the new band, hardnuts, in November 2022), and the drummer from the band 50 pears. I’m interested in what it was like collaborating with many different artists in this way, as I think it’s really special to collaborate with friends to create art. How did you end up making the decision to feature four different guitarists? Was that decision also inspired by wanting to emphasise the idea of bipolarity on the EP? How did you get all the different musicians together on board for the project? What was the collaboration process like when working on ‘Aimaimu’?”
Tana: “There are three reasons why I asked for multiple guitarists on ‘Aimaimu’. Firstly, I thought it would be fun! I also thought it would widen up the spectrum of my music, and that my music would reach more people through the different guitarists featured. As for how I decided on which guitarist I wanted on my EP: I mainly asked my friends, and also contacted some artists that I was already a fan of. It was actually really hard for me to talk with so many different musicians.”
It strikes me as both remarkable and special, how the EP was put together with guest performances by Tana’s friends and inspirations: diversifying its sound with the joys of collaboration in such a way represents Tana’s artistic wonder in a way that makes me feel even more amazement when beholden to it.
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11.
Mustafa: “In the description for ‘Aimaimu’, it says that it is the first of two EPs. I assume you’re currently working on the next EP as you mentioned on your social media. How is the approach and creative process for the second EP similar or different when compared to the first time?”
Tana: “For the next EP, the songs will be darker and sadder. The first had the bipolar theme, to represent a manic state, while the next will be more depressed overall. The songs in the next EP are from a different era, too: they were written a year ago. But a similarity is that dreams will continue to be a major theme.”
“Tana seems to have very interesting dreams!” I remarked when voicing my excitement to listen to the next EP, and about the possibility of another collaboration with Gerpfast Records in the future, to which Tana responded with confirmation of her interest in working with them again to distribute the second EP internationally.
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12.
Mustafa: “Another part of the EP I really love are the front and back covers. I really love the style used with the pixelated girl sitting on the bus with the fish swimming next to her. I imagine that must have been inspired by another dream, but that art style is very reminiscent of a video game, so I was wondering what the ideas were behind the cover.”
Tana: “The artist that drew the cover is called JAGAIMO. Their art is usually related to abnormal things in daily life, which is why I thought they’d be a good fit to make the cover for this EP. The cover art itself was made roughly around the same time as the ‘Ochiru’ music video. The imagery of the bus is taken from the scene in the music video, and I can also be seen with a fish-shaped key holder, which inspired the fish to be present on the cover.”
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13.
Mustafa: “For the artist photos on your streaming pages, social media, and Bandcamp: I love how they capture a very special kind of morose atmosphere in a way that really speaks to me on a personal and artistic level. I see a lot of myself in not only your music, but also the way in which these feelings are conveyed through the project of Penguin no Yuuutsu. I really like the imagery captured in those photos, in particular: the photo of you sitting on a bench at a subway station waiting for a train. I’d love to hear about how those photos came about being taken. Does the vision of these photos inspire you to communicate the same visuals through your sound?”
Tana: “The photographer I worked with, Seto Sunao, uses a film camera which I thought was a great way to take pictures. She also utilises and works with light really, really well, which is demonstrated perfectly in those photos.
One example of a time when I wanted to convey a particular image is in 2086. I created the song around the image of water. However, the main important thing for me when it comes to sound is the musicians being in their comfort zone and doing what they do best.”
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14.
Mustafa: “In our discussions of musicians we both listened to, I noticed there were many Western artists you were a fan of. Yumi Zouma, who I’ve also been a big fan of for a while, was a notable example. I’m interested how you came across them, and what appeals to you about their sound, because I was a big fan of them even before I got into Japanese music. I am aware that they’re a comparatively niche English-singing band, so I was curious about how you ended up discovering them and what drew you to them, as their recent music is very different from the style of music you make.”
Tana: “I don’t really know what to pinpoint about their sound which I’m drawn to, but I really like the somewhat dark, sad, and depressing female vocal music. I’m really drawn to the band for that reason, and I’ll also be seeing them live soon when they tour Japan! I wasn’t aware that their newer music sounds different to my music.”
Yumi Zouma is a band that marked a new step in my journey of discovering music back in 2017. I’d grown to become very familiar with their discography and sound in the time since then, so it was both surprising and exciting to hear that Tana was a fan of theirs too. Their musical sound has shifted with their two latest albums, but it’s clear to see the way their mood and sound overlap with Penguin no Yuuutsu when listening to their earlier music.
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15.
Mustafa: “I saw on YouTube that you uploaded a cover of Potage by Tricot!”
Tana: In that video, Ogushi played the guitar!
Ogushi is Tana’s friend who plays guitar for Penguin no Yuuutsu and was present in the call to help with the interview. It wasn’t until Tana mentioned his involvement with the Potage cover that I found out about his own musical works: he is the lead singer and guitar player for his band Catt, which is linked at the end of the interview.
Mustafa: “In the video, I particularly liked the way in which the chemistry between you and your bandmates was displayed as you played such a complex song together. It looked really light-hearted and fun, and at the end of the video one of your band members, I think it might have been you Ogushi, they scream into the microphone?”
Ogushi: “*laughs* Yes, that was me!”
Mustafa: “That made me really smile! I don’t often see such light-hearted fun during performances of complex songs like that! I was interested in the choice of that song in particular too, as Tricot was one of the first Japanese bands I became aware of. I know you mentioned being a fan of Math Rock, so I was curious about your relationship with their music and how they inspire you, as you must really like their art to want to cover one of their songs.”
Tana: “I liked Tricot way back when I was in high school, right from their first album, and they gradually shifted and changed their music over time, and I like the way that they change and evolve, going further into math rock. I chose Potage because it was one of my favourites from Tricot’s recent releases, and I also thought it’d be relatively easier compared to their other songs as their music is generally difficult to play! It still ended up being quite difficult though (laughs)”
Mustafa: “I find it interesting how you cite Tricot’s change in sound as appealing to you. Whenever Tricot is mentioned online, it is mainly in discussions about math rock music, so the early image I had of their discography was that it was mostly consistent and unchanging in sound and genre. On that topic: do you anticipate that your music might go through similar evolutions in the future, or will there always be that core theme of melancholy and sadness?”
Tana: “I think it will both still have those core themes go melancholy and sadness, but the music will definitely change. Whether I get better at writing music, or maybe better at playing instruments, or utilise different artistic approaches, or maybe even try different music genres, there will always be the same emotional core.”
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The world within just a single EP being so expansive, virtually limitless, thanks to Tana’s vision only makes it even more exciting to look to the future of Penguin no Yuuutsu. How the journey of this music continues with the next EP, how it complements Aimaimu, and develops beyond, are some of the many reasons to anticipate future works by Tana with greater excitement. Along this timeline, ‘Aimaimu’ will forever be a special project to me because of what it stands for: both as a standalone work of art, and the introduction to a truly masterful artist.
-Mustafa
‘Aimaimu’ by Penguin no Yuuutsu is available to purchase digitally from Bandcamp. If you enjoyed this interview, please kindly consider supporting Tana directly here: https://mofmofpenguin.bandcamp.com/album/aimaimu
Four copies of the EP on limited-edition cassette are still available from Gerpfast Records: https://gerpfastkolektif.bandcamp.com/album/aimaimu-ep
Catt’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@catt6171
Sincere thanks to Tana and Ogushi for making this interview possible and sharing their wondrous music which has brought me comfort and contentment in abundance during times when I needed it most.
This interview is dedicated as gratitude to those who have supported me throughout this past year.
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