RADWIMPS’ Yojiro Noda: ‘I still have so much I want to accomplish’

If you’re a huge fan of the anime films “Your Name,” “Weathering With You,” and “Suzume,” you’ve probably heard RADWIMPS’ songs a thousand times over. The Japanese rock band has been around since the early 2000s, and they had their commercial breakthrough when they released their album “Radwimps 4: Okazu no Gohan” back in 2006. 

Showcasing his artistry beyond RADWIMPS, vocalist Yojiro Noda has a solo career under the moniker illion. And with his newest release, “WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB” — his first under his real name — he once again proves his artistic mettle.

In this interview, the 39-year-old artist talks about how this new project came to life and why he has no intention of slowing down.

What prompted you to write more solo songs? When did it start, and why?

The solo project first started when HOLLY, the beatmaker, sent me a bunch of beats via Instagram DMs. I didn’t really have time to listen to them at first, but when I did, there were tons of interesting ideas. So, I asked him to send me the stems of a particular track, which he immediately did. From there, I started editing and adding more sounds, which ended up being really cool. I then added vocals. 

I was working on RADWIMPS songs as my main focus, but I started playing around with HOLLY’s beats after my main studio work was done. I never intended to make an album at the start; it was more experimental. When HOLLY DM-ed me, that was the first time I got to know him. I’ve never met him in person. He just randomly sent me the beats. I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t know anything about him. It was just a beat, and it was amazing. So, we started communicating.

Where does the name of the album “WONDER BOY'S AKUMU CLUB” come from?

I really wanted to incorporate words like “WONDER BOY” from the beginning of making this album. Like with “PAIN KILLER,” the mood was very imaginary, dramatic, and playful. I felt that the album was shaping in that direction. On the other hand, in “STRESS ME,” there was always a poisonous side of me present as well. 

This can be said for RADWIMPS songs, too, but even when full of happiness, there’s always something eerie. There’s always a feeling of ambivalence, like having an antinomy as I create music. So, even as a WONDER BOY, I’m having a nightmare. It feels like there’s no border between a dream and reality, and you’re in both a happy world and a nightmare at the same time. That strange feeling became the title.

You’ve released solo music before under the moniker illion. Why did you go with your birth name for this album?

Right after I started the illion project, a big earthquake hit Japan. Partly because of that, illion touched on a few sensitive themes that weren’t necessarily personal to me as Yojiro Noda. It was more of a musical experiment than anything. 

This time, though it started with HOLLY’s beats, the lyrics are very personal, and I feel like I’m singing these songs as Yojiro Noda. So, releasing it under illion didn’t feel right. It has a very different color compared to the past two illion albums. I thought about coming up with another artist name for this project, but adding yet another moniker seemed like too much. So, I decided to go with Yojiro Noda. And if I end up writing more songs in the future, beat-oriented or not, I can just keep releasing them under Yojiro Noda.

What were some of your happy and fun memories from making the album?

There were so many highlights. Like the moment when I finished making songs like “STRESS ME” — that was a totally new experience for me. It was the very first time I felt like I could make music at the same level as in the rap field. Not like a mimic — I was confident that I expressed myself with my own original rap. I was really surprised by that.

Also, “PIPE DREAM” sounds a little like the ‘70s. It’s very old-school, but it was new for me, and it was really fun to put that kind of beat into the song. Collaborating with J.I.D was, of course, an amazing experience for me. That was also very new for me. There were so many highlights on this album.

For this album, you've drawn inspiration from a younger generation, who, in turn, have been inspired by what you've done with RADWIMPS. Do you ever reflect on your role as an influence on a new generation of creators?

That’s one of the most interesting parts of creating music. No one can predict that kind of chemistry. Peterparker69 used to listen to “Your Name” in high school, I think. They said they were listening with their girlfriends, and I was really surprised by that. They were influenced by my music, and I am influenced by theirs. That’s the most beautiful part of creating music. There’s no age, no genre — there’s nothing at all. It’s only about pure music, how we love it, how we dig into it, and how we bump into each other. 

I feel it’s not necessarily a responsibility, but I do think there’s a role I can play in this. I was connected with senior musicians when I was a teenager and in my early 20s. There are so many unknown musicians out there whom I can help introduce to the world with just a small effort. I’m always here to take on that role.

What’s the biggest thing about yourself you learned from creating “WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB?”

I realized that there’s so much more I can do, and there’s so much I still haven’t done. I’m excited to keep going on this journey in music. I’ve already been in the music industry for more than 20 years, so maybe people think I’m in a "veteran stage," but I still have so much I want to accomplish and so much I haven’t done yet.

Like I said, there are so many young talents and artists that influence me, with so many new artists coming up. There’s no end to it, and I’m very happy about that. I can’t wait to see what kind of music I’ll create in my 40s and beyond.

Stream “WONDER BOY’S AKUMU CLUB” below:

Watch our full Roadshow Interview with Yojiro Noda below:

(Note: Minor edits have been made from the original transcript)