Mika: shooting for "ELLE" Korea, June 2013

[Poisonyoulove]

exactly this one (but bigger if possible), big thanks for searching

 

 

[BiaIchihara]

 

much better now :mikadas:

 

big thanks

[laymay kang]

awesome~!

 

I know you can not read korean article. but i want just feel article whole atmosphere. I think its cute

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2013 by laymay kang

[laymay kang]

Thanks to my sis laymay kang

 

 

 

Thank you so much for upload, mikasister~ !!!!!!!

 

now upload whole article and retouch a photos.

Edited June 21, 2013 by laymay kang

[Kumazzz]

ELLE Korea Facebook

 

<ELLE Today – Top Genius MIKA!>

 

발간 전부터 <엘르> 편집 팀에 수 많은 전화가 걸려오게 만든 그 주인공! 한국에 대한 각별한 애정을 가진 사랑스러운 '팝 지니어스' 뮤지션 미카의 화보가 <엘르> 7월호에 공개됩니다. 지난 서울재즈페스티벌을 통해 인상 깊은 공연을 펼친 그는 <엘르>지면을 통해 그의 음악 세계에 관한 인터뷰를 진행했답니다. 한국의 '떼창'에 반해버렸다는 해피 바이러스 미카. 그의 화보 중 한 컷을 <엘르> 페친들께 제일 먼저 공개합니다!

 

(1820 x 1191 ) https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1025881_496011077139496_501879139_o.jpg

 

[Marilyn Mastin]

ELLE Korea Facebook

 

<ELLE Today – Top Genius MIKA!>

 

발간 전부터 <엘르> 편집 팀에 수 많은 전화가 걸려오게 만든 그 주인공! 한국에 대한 각별한 애정을 가진 사랑스러운 '팝 지니어스' 뮤지션 미카의 화보가 <엘르> 7월호에 공개됩니다. 지난 서울재즈페스티벌을 통해 인상 깊은 공연을 펼친 그는 <엘르>지면을 통해 그의 음악 세계에 관한 인터뷰를 진행했답니다. 한국의 '떼창'에 반해버렸다는 해피 바이러스 미카. 그의 화보 중 한 컷을 <엘르> 페친들께 제일 먼저 공개합니다!

 

(1820 x 1191 ) https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1025881_496011077139496_501879139_o.jpg

 

Multimika.

[Yuna]

I'm crazy enough to translate this long interview..

Enjoy!

 

Mika? Holy cow, the Musician Mika? At the time we're supposed to meet Mika, his long-time fans crazily called us to confirm ELLE magazine is really interviewing Mika. (I didn't do anything! )

Global musicians rarely spend hours at the day of the concert. Mika, who just came to Seoul to attend Seoul Jazz Festival, not his own gig though, got red in his face already after enthusiastic rehearsals before comming to this studio. He came here without guards but just be accompanied his mom 'Joannie'. Unlike his breathtaking performance on the stage, he actually was a type of shy man, even too cool to the editors. If the staff didn't tipped us that he avoids to use his voice before the concert, I must have felt hurt for that. But in other hands, when we're talking about his hobby horse, like Classical fashion brand like Saint Laurant and Dior, he talked a bit with favor. "I don't like to have curls like middle aged women. Please dry and make them to have more various sized curls" "Could you hide this dark circles more? My face look so tired with that" He was very attentive to his appearance, carefully checked his face and appearance before the photoshoot. He arrived here last night, and had a rehearsal in early morning so he apparently looked so tired. But when we got into photoshoot, he was just a professional celebrity. When "Celebrate", the song from his latest album "Origin of Love" was played in the studio and the camera shooting rush on him again and again, he seemed to feel that more comfortable with that. His poppy songs like sweet bubblegums reminds a scene of happy festival. His songs create hope and courage to let the listeners feel themselves more powerful. All happy energy from his music gave him loads of devoted following fans all over the world. Especially his first album, "Life in Cartoon Motion" included all 10 songs got super hit, it's very rare to musicians. He can sing 3 octaves, he's a superb music producer as well to master his album on his own, but he had darkness to have to be 'cosmopolitan' from very young age, getting bullied. Fortunately he started music by home-schooling, not actually going school, he could find his identity from music.

 

Q You look like a 20 old guy. You don't getting old, right?

wow, what a praise! I'm getting 30 soon. (31 in Korean age) Getting 30 is not that big to me, but all ppl around me ask me how it feels to getting 30 soon and what am I going to do on my 30th birthday. I started music from 10 years old, and you know it was not easy. Now I'm lucky to do what I love. What can I say... I already felt being 50 when I was just 12 years old, so doesn't feel like 30 at this moment. Mosic and creativity never make ppl getting old.

 

Q Define your 3rd album, <The Origin of Love>

Whole compilation of Love Songs. Some are classical symphonies, some are eletronics full of anger and sadness, some are happy songs. Those sounds all diferent but ppl who fell in love feel all of that. I wanted to find true meaning of love, what love is.. what we're so blind when in love..

 

Q Love is not forever, we know that but we fall in love again and again..

When in love, we're happy and life is fool of joy. At the same time, we feel scared and depressed. all this various kinds of feelings make you happy after all. I fell in love with someone just before getting into making 3rd album and that gave me inspiration to make this album. I spotted that and put them into this album.

 

Q Sunlight, Freedom, Struggling.. all are in the lyrics too. Are those are part of memory with that person?

I broke up with my ex leaving a sheet of letter. I wrote my feeling on that letter. I felt so ordinary because of that person, and expressed that on the song "Rain". It was one of my lifetime hurtful moment. Some artists creat good songs when they're in sad, but I'm not. When I feel hurt I can't make good songs. Because I just lost something to give me inspirations, to communicate with.

 

Q You seem very sensitive to the feeling 'Love' than any other ppl. To you, What is Love?

Love is not romantic at all. It's actually very dangerous. It makes engine works like a fuel, but just one mistake can burn up everything.

 

Q You said this 3rd album is one of his best to make you feel free. But I never felt you' got locked up somewhere?

My life changed a lot just before releasing my 2nd album "The boy who knew too much". Honestly I tried to make it similar to my first album, because it had a huge success. I felt free when I made the first album, but I couldn't when I made the second one. Now I feel free at my third album as it contains my personal things a lot. In the past I hided behind fantasy characters in my imagination. For example, Billy Brown, who left his family for one man, actually I hided behind him. On this album, I thought I don't need to hide any more.

 

Q This is your 4th concert in Korea. Seoul Jazz Festival.

My Korean fans are so unique. They remember all of my songs' lyrics. Imagine thousands of fans sing my song, what I made in front of my piano. It's like a dream. I remember watching worldcup game just after my second concert in Seoul. I'm very well adapted to every place wherever I go, because I've grown up three countries, but Korean fans enthusiastic reactions make me amazed, everytime I come to Korea. And above all, I love Korea. I can feel so much energy here, which is hard to find in Europe actually. People are so generous, music, design, culture..I even want to make my next album here. Seoul is one of the most creative city which is full of mixed up trends in unique way.

 

Q All your albums its identity full of its own story.

First I send my demo to record companies, but no one answered. So I went to Miami and made my music, and had a quite a good song, so I could sign with my label. It was the story of first album, and the second album is, the movie 'The man who knew too much' was a reference of that. Personally I'm a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I wanted to make this album title just like a movie title. The third album, it has 'aura' which could be find from groomy adolescence. It's like a Tim Burton's fantasy. That's because my sister, Paloma, fell from the window and it was very serious. At the same time I fell in love, so all my emotions at that time became the motive of my third album.

 

Q You moved to place to place when making 3rd album.

I felt I have to be isolated when I'm working on 2nd album. I worked in front of my piano for 7 months. I felt so lonely. I didn't want to do that again, so I decided to forget myself all and tried to work with other musicians. I went to see Nick Littlemore in Montreol, made album with him. JoDi Marr and my friends in Miami helped me to make huge part of this album too. And I went to Stockholm, and collaborated with Klas Ahlund from Teddy Bears, and Pharrel Williams.

 

Q So you write songs, sings, do producings, and directing the show by yourself?

(In this Seoul Jazz Festival, he put 20 professional choirs to show amazing performance to crowds)

Theatrical stuffs is a great add to the concert. Music doesn't exist by itself but with all visual things related to that, and that's very important thing of my show. If I don't do that properly, it's boring. On rehearals, on the stage I set the instruments and sings, and thinks how I should work on new things this time. I sometimes fix up my stage with staffs. I started music from Opera, so I love Opera theatre set design. What is matter is creative idea, not the cost. All tours should have own visual identity.

 

Q Professional show producer Mika, I wonder how's your early shows have been.

I started doing shows in small pubs in London. I decorated the place with candles and flowers. Light off, I wanted to make the audience feel being only with me for just one hour.

 

Q It's interesting, you're working with your brothers and sisters too?

We're always together. I have 4 brothers and sisters, we have no money to start something so had to help each other. I'm doing music, Yasimin does arts, Paloma does art, styling, pruduction, Zuleika does sewing and metal crafts, and my brother does architecture and graphic design. Even set designers, Stylist says No on something, we made it happen at last. We could do that because we work for ourselves, not for money.

 

Q I heard that your mother travels with you on tours. It's rare thing that 30 years guy is so close to mother.

My mother advise me as my music companion. For me, School is a disastrous place. My mom help me to do home schooling instead of sending me school. She's a talented designer as well. When I was young I was surrounded with pabrics, artworks.

 

Q You have 3 octave voice. It's such a bliss.

I can sing higher than general men. My parents can't sing so it's not coming from them. I got piano lessons and that's why I could sing from then. I wish my voice sounds better than this.. what am I saying...I'll shut up, sorry.

 

Q Your songs has bight popping melodies, but lyrics are not like that.

Beauty exists in contrasts. If the joy comes from pure joyness, that's a sweet fake. Joy is real and beautiful thing when mixed with darkness. When make perfumes with just sweet scents, that's just a crap. when tangy musk is mixed with some scent, you can make amazing perfume.

 

Q How could get your inspiration and idea ?

When I worked with one songwriter, he said "When you write songs, never use your best memory of your life" That means, if you regulate yourself not using that best memory, then you can make best song after all.

 

Q What's your best inspiration then?

Curiosity, Desire to seek troubles, and life of people around me. Not only for artists, every ppl have to recreate things in their life.

 

Q Do you have any special ability that no one has?

Well If I have a supermental power, I want to stop the time. Then I can do something fun. Which things I can do... so many amazing paintings to steal, for example.

 

Q You're so creative. You could be a writer.

I want to write a fairytale for adults. I read 'Winne the Pooh' by A.A Milne, I realized how amazing it is. It's just a simple story, but it contains amazing stories. Someone says it's just for children, but adults can understand its meaning better.

 

Q I know it's too early time to ask it, but how's your next album going to be?

I already started to write songs for new album. It would sound like 70's Billy Joel. The arts in my music would be something psychedelic , very colorful and creative.

 

Q Heard that you write songs behind hidden four pennames, for other artists too? Is there any well known songs except Madonna's 'Gang Bang' ?

I have several, and recently I said I wrote songs as a penname 'Alice' . I wanted to separate part of myself and create something new, so I sometimes use my penname, not the name 'Mika'.

Edited June 22, 2013 by Yuna

[A. Clay]

Thanks SO much.

[dcdeb]

I was waiting for this translation! Thanks so much, Yuna!

[mamiam]

Thank you sooo much Yuna - for this huge translation!! Great job - and MIKAs next alb. sounds promising: " It would sound like 70s Billy Joel. The art in my music would be something psychedelic, very colorful and creative" ...

 

Love,love

me

[Lucrezia]

Thank you so much Yuna!

 

This interview is very interesting

[smokesignal]

Wow, Yuna, thank you!

 

Now that he mentions it... He does look a bit tired in those pictures

[Yasi]

Thanks Yuna,amazing interview and amazing translation:thumb_yello:

[Alireine]

Thank you very much Yuna!

[stelly78]

Oh great thanks so much Yuna:blush-anim-cl:

[BiaIchihara]

Thanks for translating Yuna

[clara85]

I'm crazy enough to translate this long interview..

Enjoy!

 

Mika? Holy cow, the Musician Mika? At the time we're supposed to meet Mika, his long-time fans crazily called us to confirm ELLE magazine is really interviewing Mika. (I didn't do anything! )

Global musicians rarely spend hours at the day of the concert. Mika, who just came to Seoul to attend Seoul Jazz Festival, not his own gig though, got red in his face already after enthusiastic rehearsals before comming to this studio. He came here without guards but just be accompanied his mom 'Joannie'. Unlike his breathtaking performance on the stage, he actually was a type of shy man, even too cool to the editors. If the staff didn't tipped us that he avoids to use his voice before the concert, I must have felt hurt for that. But in other hands, when we're talking about his hobby horse, like Classical fashion brand like Saint Laurant and Dior, he talked a bit with favor. "I don't like to have curls like middle aged women. Please dry and make them to have more various sized curls" "Could you hide this dark circles more? My face look so tired with that" He was very attentive to his appearance, carefully checked his face and appearance before the photoshoot. He arrived here last night, and had a rehearsal in early morning so he apparently looked so tired. But when we got into photoshoot, he was just a professional celebrity. When "Celebrate", the song from his latest album "Origin of Love" was played in the studio and the camera shooting rush on him again and again, he seemed to feel that more comfortable with that. His poppy songs like sweet bubblegums reminds a scene of happy festival. His songs create hope and courage to let the listeners feel themselves more powerful. All happy energy from his music gave him loads of devoted following fans all over the world. Especially his first album, "Life in Cartoon Motion" included all 10 songs got super hit, it's very rare to musicians. He can sing 3 octaves, he's a superb music producer as well to master his album on his own, but he had darkness to have to be 'cosmopolitan' from very young age, getting bullied. Fortunately he started music by home-schooling, not actually going school, he could find his identity from music.

 

Q You look like a 20 old guy. You don't getting old, right?

wow, what a praise! I'm getting 30 soon. (31 in Korean age) Getting 30 is not that big to me, but all ppl around me ask me how it feels to getting 30 soon and what am I going to do on my 30th birthday. I started music from 10 years old, and you know it was not easy. Now I'm lucky to do what I love. What can I say... I already felt being 50 when I was just 12 years old, so doesn't feel like 30 at this moment. Mosic and creativity never make ppl getting old.

 

Q Define your 3rd album, <The Origin of Love>

Whole compilation of Love Songs. Some are classical symphonies, some are eletronics full of anger and sadness, some are happy songs. Those sounds all diferent but ppl who fell in love feel all of that. I wanted to find true meaning of love, what love is.. what we're so blind when in love..

 

Q Love is not forever, we know that but we fall in love again and again..

When in love, we're happy and life is fool of joy. At the same time, we feel scared and depressed. all this various kinds of feelings make you happy after all. I fell in love with someone just before getting into making 3rd album and that gave me inspiration to make this album. I spotted that and put them into this album.

 

Q Sunlight, Freedom, Struggling.. all are in the lyrics too. Are those are part of memory with that person?

I broke up with my ex leaving a sheet of letter. I wrote my feeling on that letter. I felt so ordinary because of that person, and expressed that on the song "Rain". It was one of my lifetime hurtful moment. Some artists creat good songs when they're in sad, but I'm not. When I feel hurt I can't make good songs. Because I just lost something to give me inspirations, to communicate with.

 

Q You seem very sensitive to the feeling 'Love' than any other ppl. To you, What is Love?

Love is not romantic at all. It's actually very dangerous. It makes engine works like a fuel, but just one mistake can burn up everything.

 

Q You said this 3rd album is one of his best to make you feel free. But I never felt you' got locked up somewhere?

My life changed a lot just before releasing my 2nd album "The boy who knew too much". Honestly I tried to make it similar to my first album, because it had a huge success. I felt free when I made the first album, but I couldn't when I made the second one. Now I feel free at my third album as it contains my personal things a lot. In the past I hided behind fantasy characters in my imagination. For example, Billy Brown, who left his family for one man, actually I hided behind him. On this album, I thought I don't need to hide any more.

 

Q This is your 4th concert in Korea. Seoul Jazz Festival.

My Korean fans are so unique. They remember all of my songs' lyrics. Imagine thousands of fans sing my song, what I made in front of my piano. It's like a dream. I remember watching worldcup game just after my second concert in Seoul. I'm very well adapted to every place wherever I go, because I've grown up three countries, but Korean fans enthusiastic reactions make me amazed, everytime I come to Korea. And above all, I love Korea. I can feel so much energy here, which is hard to find in Europe actually. People are so generous, music, design, culture..I even want to make my next album here. Seoul is one of the most creative city which is full of mixed up trends in unique way.

 

Q All your albums its identity full of its own story.

First I send my demo to record companies, but no one answered. So I went to Miami and made my music, and had a quite a good song, so I could sign with my label. It was the story of first album, and the second album is, the movie 'The man who knew too much' was a reference of that. Personally I'm a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I wanted to make this album title just like a movie title. The third album, it has 'aura' which could be find from groomy adolescence. It's like a Tim Burton's fantasy. That's because my sister, Paloma, fell from the window and it was very serious. At the same time I fell in love, so all my emotions at that time became the motive of my third album.

 

Q You moved to place to place when making 3rd album.

I felt I have to be isolated when I'm working on 2nd album. I worked in front of my piano for 7 months. I felt so lonely. I didn't want to do that again, so I decided to forget myself all and tried to work with other musicians. I went to see Nick Littlemore in Montreol, made album with him. JoDi Marr and my friends in Miami helped me to make huge part of this album too. And I went to Stockholm, and collaborated with Klas Ahlund from Teddy Bears, and Pharrel Williams.

 

Q So you write songs, sings, do producings, and directing the show by yourself?

(In this Seoul Jazz Festival, he put 20 professional choirs to show amazing performance to crowds)

Theatrical stuffs is a great add to the concert. Music doesn't exist by itself but with all visual things related to that, and that's very important thing of my show. If I don't do that properly, it's boring. On rehearals, on the stage I set the instruments and sings, and thinks how I should work on new things this time. I sometimes fix up my stage with staffs. I started music from Opera, so I love Opera theatre set design. What is matter is creative idea, not the cost. All tours should have own visual identity.

 

Q Professional show producer Mika, I wonder how's your early shows have been.

I started doing shows in small pubs in London. I decorated the place with candles and flowers. Light off, I wanted to make the audience feel being only with me for just one hour.

 

Q It's interesting, you're working with your brothers and sisters too?

We're always together. I have 4 brothers and sisters, we have no money to start something so had to help each other. I'm doing music, Yasimin does arts, Paloma does art, styling, pruduction, Zuleika does sewing and metal crafts, and my brother does architecture and graphic design. Even set designers, Stylist says No on something, we made it happen at last. We could do that because we work for ourselves, not for money.

 

Q I heard that your mother travels with you on tours. It's rare thing that 30 years guy is so close to mother.

My mother advise me as my music companion. For me, School is a disastrous place. My mom help me to do home schooling instead of sending me school. She's a talented designer as well. When I was young I was surrounded with pabrics, artworks.

 

Q You have 3 octave voice. It's such a bliss.

I can sing higher than general men. My parents can't sing so it's not coming from them. I got piano lessons and that's why I could sing from then. I wish my voice sounds better than this.. what am I saying...I'll shut up, sorry.

 

Q Your songs has bight popping melodies, but lyrics are not like that.

Beauty exists in contrasts. If the joy comes from pure joyness, that's a sweet fake. Joy is real and beautiful thing when mixed with darkness. When make perfumes with just sweet scents, that's just a crap. when tangy musk is mixed with some scent, you can make amazing perfume.

 

Q How could get your inspiration and idea ?

When I worked with one songwriter, he said "When you write songs, never use your best memory of your life" That means, if you regulate yourself not using that best memory, then you can make best song after all.

 

Q What's your best inspiration then?

Curiosity, Desire to seek troubles, and life of people around me. Not only for artists, every ppl have to recreate things in their life.

 

Q Do you have any special ability that no one has?

Well If I have a supermental power, I want to stop the time. Then I can do something fun. Which things I can do... so many amazing paintings to steal, for example.

 

Q You're so creative. You could be a writer.

I want to write a fairytale for adults. I read 'Winne the Pooh' by A.A Milne, I realized how amazing it is. It's just a simple story, but it contains amazing stories. Someone says it's just for children, but adults can understand its meaning better.

 

Q I know it's too early time to ask it, but how's your next album going to be?

I already started to write songs for new album. It would sound like 70's Billy Joel. The arts in my music would be something psychedelic , very colorful and creative.

 

Q Heard that you write songs behind hidden four pennames, for other artists too? Is there any well known songs except Madonna's 'Gang Bang' ?

I have several, and recently I said I wrote songs as a penname 'Alice' . I wanted to separate part of myself and create something new, so I sometimes use my penname, not the name 'Mika'.

 

thanks for translating

[DerMoment1608]

Thanks for the translation

[DongDong]

Thanks for translating,Yuna.

[cathouzouf]

Thanksa lot Yuna!

[Marilyn Mastin]

Thank you for translating the interview, Yuna.

"A fairytale for adults." That's a great idea!!

[Dreamy_Queen]

Yuna, greatest thank you!

[mellody]

thanks for the translation yuna!

 

i love it that he still mentions billy joel as an influence for his next album - so it wasn't just for the american tour! ok it might change another few times til he's finished writing and recording, but so far i like what i hear.

[laymay kang]

here watching video~

It is when mika took a pictures at ELLE KOREA.

I want to see all photo!!!

 

 

http://www.elle.co.kr/elletv/ELLETVView.asp?MenuCode=en0105&SubMenuCode=en010501&intSno=8820

[Kumazzz]

here watching video~

It is when mika took a pictures at ELLE KOREA.

I want to see all photo!!!

 

 

http://www.elle.co.kr/elletv/ELLETVView.asp?MenuCode=en0105&SubMenuCode=en010501&intSno=8820

 

Thanks a lot for posting !!!! :wub2: