ARCANA PROJECT is a five-person vocal unit co-produced by DEARSTAGE, the entertainment agency behind idol groups such as Denpagumi.inc and Niji no Conquistador, and anime music label Lantis. Taking tarot cards as their motif, they perform songs that pull from many different music genres, which has allowed them to contribute tracks to a wide variety of anime series. They debuted in September 2020, performing the opening
theme Campanella Hibiku Sora de for the anime "Monster Girl Doctor", and have also been tasked with singing themes for the series "Redo of Healer" and "The Aquatope on White Sand".
This August, they released the single Eureka, which was used as the ending theme for “SYNDUALITY Noir”. Shortly after the single hit stores, JaME
had the opportunity to ask group member Usa Sakurano some questions about the release, ARCANA PROJECT's unique style and more.
For any readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe ARCANA
PROJECT’s music?
Usa Sakurano: We are an anime song vocal group of five members who love anime and singing. We try to make the most out of the fact that we have five voices when working on our music.
If you had to recommend just one song to introduce your music to a new
listener, which one would you choose and why?
Usa Sakurano: This has to be Dokoku no Torumenta, a song featured on the back of our first album. The song was produced by Kayoko Kusano, whom we really admire. It is a powerful song that allows us to move toward the light
of hope when we are in the midst of despair.
It’s been mentioned that the worldview of ARCANA PROJECT is based on tarot
cards, and you each have one assigned to you. Do these cards express
something about your personalities, or have they been chosen for another
reason?
Usa Sakurano: My tarot card is "The Empress" I was told by the producer of the office that the meaning of both sides of the card suited me perfectly. I want to be a kind and loving person, just like the card suggests.
Was there any particular artist or event that inspired you to become a singer?
Usa Sakurano: I have loved singing and anime since I was a child. I came across Maon Kurosaki when I was a student. I strongly wanted to become a singer who sings anime songs like her! This led me to Akihabara Dear Stage.
After
seeing Maon fulfill her dream of performing at a big anime festival (Animelo Summer Live), I also had the dream of performing at that festival, and last year I was able to make it come true.
What message do you want to convey with your latest single Eureka?
Usa Sakurano: I hope that everyone who has listened to Eureka will continue to have a peaceful time where they can laugh with the people close to them.
Eureka is the ending theme of the anime series “SYNDUALITY Noir”. Have
you had a chance to watch any of the series? If so, what were your impressions
of it?
Usa Sakurano: I checked out all of "SYNDUALITY Noir" after I was asked to work on Eureka. I was very impressed by the way the bonds and differences between the characters were well depicted in their own dramas, and I enjoyed watching it
every week.
What can you tell us about the coupling tracks for the single, Enseiteki Strength and Nanimonologue?
Usa Sakurano:Enseiteki Strength This was delivered by one of my favorite artists, ZAQ. I think it is a very cool song in the style of ZAQ. The complex vocal work that only ARCANA PROJECT can
do was added to it, making it a one-of-a-kind song that can be enjoyed at live performances.
Nanimonologue This is the first song I have written for the group. After watching "SYNDUALITY Noir," I thought about what it would be like if I were Kanata and wrote the lyrics. I put the lyrics into the story of Kanata, who could
not become a drifter (pilot) at first, and how his mind changes as he grows up after meeting Noir.
Do you have any interest in performing overseas in the future? If so, if you
could choose anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
Usa Sakurano: I really enjoy reading and I recently read a book about Paris so I'm very interested in performing abroad. I would like to bring anime songs to many people at anime festivals overseas. Also, I have Korean ancestry, so I would like
to be able to do a one-man live show in Korea.
JaME would like to thank Usa Sakurano, ARCANA PROJECT, and qdopp, Inc. for making this interview possible.
Links to download and stream Eureka on various online music platforms are available here.
