Daichi Miura Talks ‘Miraculous’ Effort of ‘Death Stranding 2’ Tracks, Perspective as a Longtime Video Game Aficionado: Interview

Daichi Miura dropped a double A-sided single called “Horizon Dreamer / Polytope” on June 25. Produced by Nao’ymt, who has collaborated with the J-pop singer and dancer on a number of his previous works, both “Horizon Dreamer” and “Polytope” are featured in DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, the latest video game by world-renowned game creator Hideo Kojima. The 37-year-old pop star spoke to Billboard Japan about the creative process of both tracks and shared his enthusiasm for and longtime love of gaming in this latest interview.

“Horizon Dreamer” and “Polytope” were written for the video game DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH for PlayStation®︎5. The former is a track featuring a very primitive rhythm and melody.

Daichi Miura: The song has a very grounded feel to it, with a sound that evokes a scene of people walking through the wilderness step by step to reach a new land. It has a touch of bluegrass, with banjos and such, and the music has an indigenous, very physical feel to it. “Horizon Dreamer” was written with images of the game in mind, of course, but since I exist as Daichi Miura in the world of DS 2, Kojima-san said to me, “Don’t make it a song that expresses the world of the game too much. I’d like it to be one that stands on its own as a new single by Daichi Miura and also have proper strength as a pop song.” So Nao’ymt (pronounced “Nao why em tee”) wrote it as a new song for me, incorporating the essence and progress of my music up to now.

I see. Nao’ymt wrote and produced both songs. Could you share what you discussed with him in the beginning of the production process?

I’ve always loved playing video games, and had an opportunity to connect with Kojima-san through an interview during the production of (the first) DEATH STRANDING. As a fan of both Kojima-san and Nao-san, I’d been thinking that it was pretty clear the two of them should collaborate to create something together. Things began to take shape in a miraculous way for this project and we agreed to work together as a triangle.

So it was an eagerly anticipated triangle for you.

Right. I knew there were things that would definitely resonate between them, so I thought it’d be great if they’d connect. Oh, and there was this miracle that happened regarding “Horizon Dreamer.”

Tell us about it.

Kojima-san had told me he was working on DS 2, and shared that “this time there will be a ship that didn’t appear last time, and you’ll be traveling on it.” Around the same time, I received a demo from Nao-san, who said, “I had this image of a man who is floating in the sea, and then a ship comes and he gets on it and heads to a new land.” I thought it was miraculous and felt like I was witnessing an amazing moment. So I personally think that the two were meant to meet at some point, and it was through a combination of such miracles that “Horizon Dreamer” and “Polytope” were born.

You even host a TV show on video games, so your love for them is pretty well known. What do you think makes Kojima-san’s games so compelling?

What I’ve been thinking about regarding Kojima-san’s works recently is that he’s someone who’s relentless in his craftsmanship. When you’re making something, there will be moments when you go, “This might not work.” And you probably come up with various ideas and overcome those moments. The thing about Kojima-san is that there’s no compromise in the way he does that. The message that he wants to convey, the things he wants to create, the passion with which he wants to create things with certain people, the camera angles, the way he depicts things… it’s like that gene is in everything. I think he’s a really relentless person.

Going back to your music, how do you feel about the epic sound of “Horizon Dreamer”?

It was so incredibly cool from the demo stage. I just focused on how I should express the music. The two songs are completely different in tone, but they’re like a set with connected parts. As I mentioned earlier, “Horizon Dreamer” has an indigenous or primitive feel to it, but the way Nao-san breezily transformed that into a Daichi Miura pop song is really amazing.

How about “Polytope”?

I think Nao-san trusts me with what he really wants to do, and it’s one of those songs where he’s like, “Daichi will be able to handle this” and just goes full out with it. In that sense, “Polytope” couldn’t have been created without this triangle of the DS 2 project and Kojima-san’s presence, and from the moment I heard both songs, I was excited about how I’d go about expressing them.

You’ve already released “Horizon Dreamer“ digitally, and performed ”Polytope” live (ahead of the single’s release). How do you feel about the response?

I premiered the music and performance at my concert, but to be honest, I don’t remember much about “Polytope.” I was so focused on expressing it that there was no room for thought… like I was in harmony with the music. I only vaguely remember what I was thinking and how I expressed it. But I do remember that the atmosphere in the venue after the performance was pretty incredible and that the audience was buzzing with excitement. Apparently everyone felt like they’d seen something they’d never seen before, and that makes me happy.

“Horizon Dreamer” is a song that invites everyone to sing and dance together, so there might have been some confusion about the tone and performance of “Polytope.” Do you see those two songs as two sides of the same coin in terms of expression?

“Horizon Dreamer“ ends with the lyrics, ”The sun’s going down again today,” and “Polytope” begins, ”The sun’s setting,” so there’s a connection here. The staging of the live performance of “Polytope” also starts with a setting sun, so that’s also perfectly linked. While the songs depict different worlds from a sonic standpoint, I feel that their roots are the same, so it’s really like a gradation. I’d like people to listen to every part of the songs, especially “Polytope,” and wonder, “What’s this world like?” and experience them together with the game.

In your recent Instagram Live, you repeatedly said you wanted people to try playing DS 2.

I have a feeling that for a lot of people who don’t play video games, the rough idea of what they’re like actually hasn’t been updated for a long time. But they’re pretty incredible nowadays. Video games are the only kind of entertainment where you can play it yourself and control the main character. They contain elements of music, stories and drama, cinematic aspects, and are truly a comprehensive art form in my view. As a gamer and game fan, I feel pretty disappointed that so many people aren’t aware of this. I wish it would reach a wider audience somehow.

So, if there are people out there who know about me, and they found out about DEATH STRANDING 2 through me, then I’d really like them to try it out once. I’m sure you’ll be pretty amazed… I really encourage everyone to experience it.

Japanese video games are highly acclaimed around the world. Do you also want to introduce your music to a global audience along with DS 2?

I’ve never considered collaborating with a video game intending to reach a global audience through the game. I’m a fan of music, a fan of games, a fan of Kojima-san, and a fan of Nao-san, so it’s like I’m immersed in the joy of being able to devote all my energy to the things I love and to create something with all my might here. But  Kojima-san is someone who continues to create works that are loved by many players everywhere, so if people happen to find out about me through a game of his, of course I’d be very happy about it.

—This interview by Takayuki Okamoto first appeared on Billboard Japan