Giriboy’s interview with Pikicast, June 2016
I heard that you listen to your music a lot. GIRIBOY: The reason why I started to make music was to listen to the music that I like. I'm usually intoxicated by myself. After I make my music, I listen to it all day and dance all day while listening to it. Yeah, I think I'm really intoxicated by myself.
Is it like narcissism? GIRIBOY: Yeah maybe ^^
Say hello to 'Piki People' (T/N: Pikicast subscribers). GIRIBOY: Hello Pikicast subscribers. I'm Giriboy. I hope to look nice (on Pikicast). I prepared to be nice. *laughs* After I released my album, I'm having a concert in commemoration of releasing an album, and I just play games in my house. I'm playing a brand new game named 'Overwatch'.
Tell us about the new album (Mechanical Album). GIRIBOY: This album has a bit of strong electronica music tendency. I did some repetitive works more than the past albums. I diligently did computer works and instrumental edits a lot for this album. You know we usually say that we manufacture music like a factory, right? I really worked for it all day long. If you listen to the instrumental versions closely, you may get some other impressions.
How could you make an assessment about your album? GIRIBOY: First of all, I can find some traces of hard work. For me to hear ^^ I feel that my career is going up steadily without any decrease. Commonly we have something like ups and downs, but for me I think I'm just going up.
I heard that the song 'PANIC' you sang today is about your mental state? GIRIBOY: I recorded the song when I was really down. Actually my nature itself is very moody so when I feel down I go really down, and when I feel up I go really up. And this repeats dozens of times in a day.
What makes you PANIC? GIRIBOY: Commonly… you know like hateful comments. I don't know where my phone number was disclosed but sometimes pranksters call me too. I haven't heard any swear word yet but they do some bad behaviors that makes me feel bad.. There are also some things that didn’t exist before when I was doing music as a hobby. Now because I'm doing music as a work, it sometimes gives me some stress too. When all these things complexly comes to me, I get a panic then.
What kinds of prank calls do you get? GIRIBOY: Boring calls. Hope they are at least funny but.. they just rap on a phone and ask for an assessment. And sometimes they are drunk.
Do women make a prank call too? GIRIBOY: Yes. But at least they are in good manners. They act like they called a wrong number and ask me "Are you Giriboy?" then I say "No, I'm not" hahaha.
What kind of hateful comments do you get? GIRIBOY: They talk about my music as if they know everything. If they are just criticizing my music, I don't care that much. But if they act like they know something about my music, I really don't like it. When I look at the comments about the music I can see many of the comments are wrong.
Your album was released on the same day with Beenzino’s album. GIRIBOY: I think it helped promoting my album because people anyway try to compare each album. But Beenzino is a person who I watched when I was going to the concert in my young days so I thought “Am I being compared with him at last?”
Some comments say Giriboy’s album is better than Beenzino’s album. GIRIBOY: I hate those kinds of comments. The two are in different fields so comparing doesn't have any meaning. The points those people see when they are comparing of listening to music is completely different from those who do music. This actually makes me feel skeptical..
Say something to those who compare music. GIRIBOY: I have nothing to say about. Comparing is those listeners’ matter of will. I just can ask them to listen to it more well. *laughs*
Even though you participated in Show Me The Money, you hate being introduced as a rapper? GIRIBOY: I don't "hate" it but I don't want them to see me only as a rapper. I want them to see me as a person who does everything. Who does every kind of music. A person who does every music regardless of genre. You know, I also listen to music regardless of genre.
You make hip hop music and you also make idol music. Which one is more entertaining? GIRIBOY: Both are entertaining, but idol music is more interesting since I haven't made much. When making an idol music, I can't just make music but I have to think about the idol team. You know like when I'm editing the instrumental parts, I should think of the choreography too and for this reason, having more things to do makes it more fun.
Which artist do you want to work with? GIRIBOY: I want to give EXO my songs. It's just my dream. I want to sell my songs to SM Entertainment musicians. The music videos SM made are very cool. SM seems to be more suitable for me than any other entertainment companies. The reason I started making music was because of the group Shinhwa. I grew up dreaming of making music by watching Shinhwa.
Did you want to be an idol? GIRIBOY: I wanted to be an idol when I was in elementary school, but living in an accommodation does not fit well with me so.. Nowadays some good idols are also doing a producer work together but when I was young, there wasn't something like that. (Idols just sang and danced and it was producers who made music.) And I also wanted to make music (so I gave up being an idol.) If I am an elementary school student now, I may grow up dreaming by watching Zico.
Whose voice is used in your G.R.BOY sound that comes out on your songs? GIRIBOY: There's a rapper named Kasper who participated in Unpretty Rapstar. She is good at English so I asked for it and I'm using it from then.
Any special reason you used Kasper’s voice? GIRIBOY: It's just because she was the one who is good at speaking English with female voice around me.
Why are you inserting G.R.BOY sound like JYP? GIRIBOY: I found out that foreign producers do it like that. Like marking that this is a track that I made, making as signature sound and mark it.. Another reason is because people don't see who composed or arranged the song so.. Anyway I like JYP. Him dancing at end-of-year music awards looks cool. He dances well.
Favorite producer? GIRIBOY: Pharrell Williams is the one I like since I was young. The first foreign producer was Pharrell. I first knew him as a hip hop musician, and after finding out that he writes many songs and does many kinds of music, he seemed much more cool. From local producers, I like SM’s producers especially the producer Hitchhiker who also did the band Rollercoaster. He is my role model. He does a band, does lots of different music genres, also a DJ.. Anyway he is my role model.
Have you heard the song 'Eleven' by Hitchhiker? GIRIBOY: I put that song in my DJ set when I was doing a DJ. I have thought about releasing an album like that way as a producer.
There are many issue makers in your entertainment company JUST MUSIC. GIRIBOY: A lot ^^ In case of Black Nut, honestly, he seems a bit unattractive (T/N: he doesn’t feel good about Black Nut acting in silly ways). I feel sorry for him to say like this, so I tell him about it everyday. Like "Are you too focused on making issues?” But actually, Black Nut isn't a person who wants such things. He doesn't want it but I think he is doing it against his will because it’s to satisfy the people who want it.
Don't you want to make an issue? GIRIBOY: Absolutely not! Honestly to me, I think making an issue brings down the value. I don't want to make such a thing.
To fans who will listen to the new album. GIRIBOY: Usually people focus on melody and lyrics only but for this time, I wish them to listen to the music overall. Wish them to focus on not only the lyrics and melody but also the things like instrumental works.
Source: Pikicast Trans: apricot0101