PROFILE
久保百駒 Hyaku Kubo
2003年生まれ、東京出身。2022年に単身LAへ移住。写真をはじめ、現在はストリートやファッションシーンなどで活動しながら、LAのリアルを撮影し続けている。
https://www.instagram.com/hyakubo100
Andrew Aged
https://www.instagram.com/andrew_aged/
Daniel Aged
https://www.instagram.com/daniel.aged/
LAを拠点にストリートからファッションシーンまで幅広く活動している新鋭フォトグラファー、久保百駒の連載『The other side of Angels』。現在22歳のユースとして、自分の視点でLAの人やカルチャーを切り取る。そのカタチを写真を通じて紹介していく。
第3回目、紹介するのはAndrew Aged とDaniel Agedの兄弟。
AndrewとDanielは、ロサンゼルスを拠点に活動するアーティスト、プロデューサー、ミュージシャン。Frank Ocean、Mk.gee、Dijonなど多くのアーティストとの楽曲制作に携わってきた経緯を持つ。Motownやソウル、ジャズに囲まれて育ち、グランジとR&Bの影響を受けながらキャリアをスタートさせた。
2013年には、inc.名義としてアルバム『no world』をリリース。当時の空気感を捉えた作品として今も語り継がれている名盤だ。
近年はThe Kid Laroiの最新作にも参加し、R&Bを軸にした現代的なポップサウンドを形にしている。彼らの流れに身を任せる制作スタイルと、建築のように組み立てる構造的思考。その両面を持つ彼らの音楽は、過去と今を繋ぐ地点にある。そんなAged兄弟がどのように音楽を表現しているのかを聞いた。
音楽との出会い
Hyaku：そもそもですが、どうして音楽を始めたんですか？子どもの頃の話を聞きたいです。
Andrew：僕たちは音楽に囲まれて育ちました。両親が本当に音楽好きで、家の中ではいつも何かしら流れていました。
Hyaku：どんな音楽を聴いていたんですか？
Andrew：母はMotownやソウル系。父はジャズ、特にフリージャズのレコードですね。
Hyaku：楽器は11、12歳の頃に始めたんですか？
Andrew：本格的に始めたのは中学生くらいです。
Daniel：それまではスケートボードばかりやっていたんですよ。
Andrew：でも音楽を始めたら、一気にのめり込んで、すぐに夢中になっていったんです。
影響を受けた音楽
Hyaku：子どもの頃は誰に影響を受けていましたか？
Andrew：最初はグランジですね。例えば、SoundgardenやStone Temple Pilotsとか。
Daniel：The Smashing Pumpkinsもそうだね。
Andrew：それから、親の友人がR&BのCDをくれたんだけど、それまで聴いてこなかった音楽だったから「何これ？」って衝撃を受けたんです。それでR&Bにもハマっていきました。ロックとR&B、その2つの世界が自分たちの中で混ざっていったんです。その後はジャズを好きになり、もっと上手く演奏したいと思うようになっていきました。
楽器について
Hyaku：楽器は何を弾くんですか？
Andrew：僕は主にギターです。
Daniel：ベースと少しキーボード。僕はギターとスティールギターもやります。たくさん楽器やっているように思えるかもしれないですけど、基本的には似たようなものです。フォーマットが違うだけですね。
Hyaku：スペイン語とイタリア語みたいな感じですね。似てるけど少し違う、みたいな。
The Kid Laroiとの制作
Hyaku：The Kid Laroiの新作アルバム『BEFORE I FORGET』の制作はどうでしたか？まだ彼は若いですよね。
Andrew：最初のセッションをよく覚えています。最初はそれぞれ別でセッションしていたんですが、曲が彼を通してそのまま出てくる感じがありましたね。「NEVER CAME BACK」は、ほとんどフリースタイルのような感じで生まれたんですよ。そんな風に、彼は自然と曲を書ける人ですね。1年ぶりに再会して制作したときも、自然に流れるように制作を進めていきました。僕たちは“流れ”で音楽を作ることができる人と一緒に制作するのが好きなんです。今回のアルバムはR&Bがベースになっていて、彼自身もR&Bが大好きだと言っていました。無理のない、すごく自然なプロセスだったと思います。
Daniel：音楽で心が動くポイントが、彼とはすごく近いんです。好みが大きく違うと制作が作業のようになってしまうこともあるんですが、彼とは同じ感覚を共有できる。しかも彼はすごく働く。効率的ですし挑戦を恐れていません。本当に素晴らしいアーティストだと思います。
曲作りについて
Hyaku：曲を作るときって、どんな感覚なんですか？僕は写真を撮るとき、今見えているものや感じていることを表現したいと思っていて。それが理由でやっています。
Daniel：僕は基本的に“無心”ですね。あまり考えすぎないようにしています。始め方は色々あります。曲の“種”から始まることもあれば、何もないところから始まることもある。自分の中にある感情の糸をたどって、それを広げていく感じです。もしそれが種なら、「どんな木になるのか？」と考える。できるだけ考えすぎず、委ねるようにしています。
Hyaku：音がパズルみたいに浮かんでくる感じですか？
Daniel：そう、パズルみたいに。
Andrew：時々、曲はすでにどこかに存在していて、それをつかみ取っているだけのように感じることがあります。そういう瞬間は本当に楽しい。
Daniel：逆に建築のように組み立てていくこともある。ギターや特定の楽器があって、「ここには土台が必要だ」とか「屋根が必要だ」とか、構造を作っていく感覚です。
inc.について
Hyaku：2013年のinc.のアルバム『no world』は、楽器が複雑に絡み合っていて印象的でした。
Andrew：あのアルバムは僕たちにとって基準の1つです。誇りに思っていますし、あの時代は本当に面白かった。今もあの頃を振り返る人が多いのは、音楽的に特別な時期だったからだと思います。最近また一緒に制作を始めていますが、あの時代から学べるものは多い。新しいことをやりながらも、そこから汲み取れるものがあると感じています。
Daniel：思えば、あの頃から世界は大きく変わったようで、実はあまり変わっていないような気もしますね。
Andrew：不思議なことにね。
Daniel：僕自身は今も同じものが好きです。テクノロジーは進化しているけれど、目指している本質はそれほど変わっていない。
Andrew：今のサウンドの中にも、あの時代を参照しているものがある。あの頃のエレクトロは、今につながる土台を作ったと思います。その間の時代はまだ十分に聴き直されていない気もしますが、すごく興味深いです。
L to R_ Daniel Aged, Andrew Aged
English caption is below
For the third installment, we turn our focus to Andrew Aged and Daniel Aged. Based in Los Angeles, the brothers are Artists, producers and musicians whose roots trace back to a childhood surrounded by Motown, soul, and jazz. Influenced equally by grunge and R&B, they began shaping their sound at the intersection of those worlds. Collectively, the two brothers have worked on Frank Ocean, Mk.gee, Dijon and more.
In 2013, they released an album under the name “inc.”, a project that captured the atmosphere of its time and continues to be revisited today. In recent years, they have contributed to The Kid Laroi’s latest work, helping craft a contemporary pop sound grounded in R&B.
Balancing an intuitive, flow driven creative process with a structural, almost architectural approach to composition, their music stands at a point where past and present meet.
Hyaku：Yeah. I mean, so you guys, what made you into the music? I really want to ask about that one, man, when you were a kid?
Andrew：Well, we grew up around a lot of music. Our parents love music, big music lovers, so a lot of music in the house.
Hyaku：That’s cool. What kind of music they listen to?
Andrew ：Mom always loves Motown, soul kind of music. Dad was more into jazz, free jazz records.
Hyaku：So since you guys are a kid, you guys playing a little guitar or instrument stuff, like 11, 12?
Andrew：Kind of more like middle school.
Daniel：And more skateboarding before that.
Hyaku：Oh, really
Andrew：When we did start music, it was like we went all the way in, non stop.
Hyaku：now music is really mainstream, and if you get success you can get millions dollars. But I think back in the day was more conservative about it. And you guys, your parents were supportive about it?
Daniel：Yeah. I think at that time there was a lot of bands, musicians. There were these guitar magazines, base magazines. Everything was a little more niche feeling. Nirvana, really cool.
Hyaku：That’s cool. Who you guys were looking up to when you were a kid?
Andrew：Probably first kind of grange stuff, right?
Andrew：Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots. We had all these CDs, that kind of stuff.
Daniel：The Smashing Pumpkins.
Andrew：And then our parents’ friends left us CDs of R&B. We had never really heard that much, and we were like, “Whoa, what’s that?” So we got really obsessed with that, and it was kind of those two worlds combined. That was probably when we started, and then got more into jazz, wanted to get better at instruments. Got more into jazz and things.
Hyaku：How many instruments you guys play?
Andrew：Not many for me. Mostly Guitar
Daniel：Bass, and a little bit of keyboards. I play Guitar, a little bit of Steel Guitar, a few things. But they’re all kind of the same. It’s just a different format.
Hyaku：Yeah, It’s like a Spanish, Italian. It’s kind of same, but a little different. I used to play piano when I was kid because I saw one YouTube and it’s so cool. They were playing a Nima song. I really want to be like that, but obviously it takes time. So every time I have a lesson, I always sleep when I was playing the piano. Then I told my mom, I didn’t think I’m good at this one. I was sleeping the whole time in the lesson.
Hyaku：But now I’m regret. My mom used to tell me, you should do drum, that’s super cool.
Hyaku：How’s working with The Kid Laroi for his new album, because he’s such a younger guy
Andrew：From my end, I remember when I first did a session with him. We had worked with him separately at first, and we each had a session with him. I was amazed at how a song can just come through him. The song we did, “Never Came” that one was just kind of freestyle.
Andrew：He can really write. I remember we were chatting. I didn’t see him for a year after that, and then when we tapped in again, just flow. He flows, he’s very talented. We love to write with people where it just flows, not overthink it. On this last record, R&B is probably home base for us. He was saying how much he loves R&B. It was very fast, very slow state, awesome.
Daniel：It feels like the things in music that move us are similar for him. Some people, what you like is so different, so to make a song can be a chore because of different tastes. But with him, it’s cut from the same cloth. He likes to work too. He likes to be efficient, productive, make a song. He’s not afraid to try something out. He’s really great.
Hyaku：How you guys met Laroi?
Andrew：Through Nick. I met him at Billy’s house. Billy Walsh’s pool party.
Hyaku：That’s cool.
Andrew：Then we were chatting. Because he did a song with Mike and he told me about him a couple years ago. I didn’t know about him. “There’s this kid, The Kid Laroi.” He played me the song and I was like, wow, that’s it. He was telling me how he kind of breathes pop music, like he just seems like a pop song. Almost like the way JB does you know
And I think we all love that style. We grew up, so I’d heard about him. When I met him, we were chatting.
Hyaku：Now I got kind of crazy because everything connected, connecting dots. But when you guys making how you feel? Maybe this question is too abstract. When I’m doing photography, I want to express something that’s going on and what I’m seeing right now, and I wish people get moved by this photography. That’s why I’m doing this stuff. How you guys feeling when you guys making music in general?
Daniel：I think it’s generally just No mind, for me. Not really thinking much. I try to think as little as possible. It depends which method you’re starting from. There are different ways. Sometimes there’ll be a seed of the song that you work from. Sometimes you start from the air. For me, there’s going to be some thread in a feeling, and it’s following that and expanding on it. If it’s a seed, what does the tree look like? If it’s this type of feeling, how can it be its most expressive form? Usually not thinking too much and allowing.
Hyaku：sound is gonna come up to your brain?, like this sound, this sound, kind of puzzle. It’s cool, crazy.
Daniel：Yeah, like puzzles.
Andrew：Sometimes it feels like the song already existed and just captures it. If it already happened and you’re just kind of, that’s really fun when that happens.
Daniel：Or sometimes it’s almost like architectural. There’ll be a guitar or a certain instrument. It needs something, foundation, or needs a roof.
Hyaku：Right? Like, for example, when you guys did your band “inc” in 2013 and you guys had one album out. I listened to everything. It’s crazy, so many instruments, everything connecting again. But you guys making music as “inc.”
Andrew：That album was a good touchstone for us. We feel proud of that album and that time. It was a really interesting time. A lot of people now look back to that time because it was an interesting time in music, and a lot of people were doing awesome things. We’ve started lately working again, but personally thinking about that time. Everything’s new and we’re in the future, but also aware there’s something there to glean from. There was something cool about that era. The conversations we were having then felt like us and a few friends, but I feel like I’m having similar conversations now, even with people that are 21, 22. It feels like a cool time to make something new, with a nod to what that was, and also where it’s all gone.
Daniel：It’s interesting too, because as much as the world has changed, it doesn’t feel like it’s changed that much.
Andrew：Yeah, it’s freaky. Really, I agree.
Hyaku：That’s cool.
Daniel：At least for me, I still like the same stuff. There’s new technology, new tools, but in terms of achieving a similar goal, it’s not that different.
Andrew：Some sounds that are happening now people are referencing that time, taking what’s good and making something new. I’ve been listening to a lot of electronic music from that time.But that whole era of electronic music pretty much paved the way for now. There’s a lot of time in between there that I don’t think people are yet really listening to. It was interesting.
Hyaku：Yeah this Laroi’s album is very put together. It seems like a mature album.
Andrew：I agree.
Hyaku：Well, I really hope you guys have a new album as an ink. So excited.
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