SINGER-SONGWRITER and music producer Ryota Katayama was born in Japan but moved to Malaysia when he was just four years old. Today, the 28-year-old is not one to shy away from the spotlight; if anything, he longs for the thrill and excitement of the stage, where he feels most at ease performing.
Since his debut in 2012, Ryota has frequently performed his blend of soft pop ballads mixed with layers of slow-burning vocals at various local music festivals, and played his synth-wave track Unknown at the Chinese electronic music talent reality show Rave Now in 2018.
Although he did not win, his work with Unknown recently saw him named the Best Arranger at the 2020 AIM Chinese Music Awards, where he also won the award for Best Composer.
How has the pandemic affected you professionally and personally?
“As a musician, being away from the stage and the audience is rather difficult because I love performing, and performing on stage has always been one of the driving forces as to why I became a musician. Personally, I’d say being away from my mother who is based in Perth, Australia has been tough for me, it worries me that I can’t take care of her.”
Could isolation lead to increased creativity?
“It probably did for a lot of people, but it didn’t work out very well for me. My productivity was spot on during the first two weeks of isolation, but after that, I tend to feel unmotivated with increasing lack of creativity. It could be because I’m in my room most of the time and I much prefer to be around people, socialising and exchanging conversation – that’s when I feel most creative and inspired. Creativity also comes when I’m relaxed and when I’m fully focused on what I really enjoy doing.”
Do share with us some of your early influences when it comes to music.
“I was very into Nicholas Tse during my years in primary school. I thought he was cool when he played the electric guitar, so I decided to pick up a guitar in my first year of high school, and haven’t stopped playing ever since.
“Then I started playing in a music band because I was really into rock music, like My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday. Those days, we as a band would pretty much play at music gigs and compete in any battle of the bands. After years of being in the band, I felt sort of ready to do something on my very own, and to express music in my own way, and that’s how I started to become a singer-songwriter. One thing that I care about most when I’m writing, is to be true to myself and be as unique as I am.”
How has the style of your music changed over the years?
“It did change from time to time, to keep up with trends and the audience’s interest. I was very stubborn before opening up to other music genres when I was in college, but at one point I was introduced to a South Korean rap competition TV show Show Me the Money; it changed the way I look at pop, R&B and hip-hop.
“Since then, I’ve been open to experimenting with any kind of music genre.”
Your latest single Baby’s Breath reminisces about the past with your mum. What sparked the homage?
“Thanks for listening! The story of the song goes back to when I was living in Australia, I’ve always had this idea about writing a song as a tribute of love for my mum. I couldn’t be more grateful and proud of her, she single-handledly raised me since I was a kid, hence, putting the song together has never felt so right.
“In late 2017, when I decided to quit my job at that time to pursue music again, that’s when I felt it was the right thing to do. The melody and the lyrics just happened overnight.”
Too often, artistes are told that they can’t make a living out of what they do. Has that ever discouraged you to continue pursuing your passion?
“Yes, it can be discouraging. The general public or people around you will always question your career, making you feel insecure, but I think it’s normal. It’s not an easy path to walk down, to begin with.”
Having produced music in Australia and in Malaysia, what are your thoughts on the Malaysian music scene?
“There isn’t much of a difference whether to have my music produced in Australia or Malaysia. We have access to the internet which makes pretty much everything accessible and available. And I don’t think I should pinpoint anything, however, I do hope there will be more music festivals and platforms where we can showcase our work and be exposed to a wider audience in Malaysia.”
Any advice for aspiring singer-songwriters?
“Marketing and social skills play a big part, regardless of what you do, but I’d advise on perfecting your craft first before looking at any other potential way out.”
TRIVIA
Describe your life with a movie title: “Catch Me If You Can.”
What’s underrated? “My music? [laughs]”
What’s overrated? “Bubble tea.”
Guilty pleasure: “Netflix’s The Five.”
Pet peeve: “Starting most of my sentences with “erm...”
