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Metal Soul 锻造之魂

September 28, 2018 2018年9月28日

 

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Sĩ Dang stands in the corner of an immense metal workshop in Dĩ An, a village 20 kilometer north of Ho Chi Minh City. The metal bar he’s holding with his bare hands seems to be an extension of his body as he twists it in sync with each strike of the mechanical power hammer.

Sparks fly around the machine, even bouncing off his exposed skin, and the booming echoes can be heard far outside the workshop. But inside Sĩ’s head, it seems quiet—the young blacksmith is completely absorbed by his work and oblivious to anything other than the red-hot end of the metal bar. Only when the metal becomes too cold to forge does Sĩ snap out of his trance momentarily to reheat the metal in the furnace.


在胡志明市以北 20 公里的 Dĩ An 村庄,Sĩ Dang 站在一间大型金属加工车间的角落,徒手握着一根金属棒。随着动力锤每次击打,他灵活地扭转金属棒,仿佛这根金属棒就是他身体的延伸。

火花在机器周围四溅,弹到他裸露的肌肤上,轰隆隆的回声一直传到车间外的远处。 然而,在 Sĩ 的脑袋里,世界是安静的。这名年轻的铁匠完全沉浸在自己的工作中,对火红金属棒以外的事物浑然不知。唯有当金属变冷不能继续锻造时,他才会从这种投入的状态中暂时抽出,将金属重新放到火上烧热。

Watching his effortless movements, you might assume that he’s the son of a long bloodline of blacksmiths, born with a hammer in hand. But this is far from the truth. “I found this job online two years ago,” he says. “I applied without any previous blacksmithing experience. But I was a welder at the time, so I knew I loved metal and fire.” The Vietnam-based French blacksmith who hired him, Sébastian Sicot, has absolutely no regrets: “Sĩ is definitely very talented, and he has a strong work ethic.”


他的动作轻松自如,仿佛这把锤子是他与生具来的一部分,这也许会让人以为他来自于一个铁匠家族,从小耳濡目染。然而,事实远非如此。“两年前我在网上找到这份工作。” 他说,“申请这份工作之前,我没有任何锻造的经验。不过我做过焊工,所以我知道自己喜欢和金属、火有关的工作。” 雇用他的是定居越南的法国铁匠 Sébastian Sicot,对于这个决定,Sébastian 说自己一点也不后悔,“Sĩ 很有才华,而且非常有职业道德。”

The Soul of the Craftsman

When the work with the power hammer is done, Sĩ takes a forging hammer from a wall filled with other miscellaneous tools and starts bending the metal. Of the twenty hammers regularly used in the shop, nearly all of them look exactly like the ones blacksmiths used centuries ago. Sĩ says, “Some tools haven’t really changed over the years, but nowadays, most of us use slightly different forging techniques.”

To Sĩ, the technique, in fact, the whole process of blacksmithing is even more magical than the final objects he makes. Sure, he wants to create beautiful pieces, but he finds most fulfillment in the craft itself. “Good blacksmiths slowly turn a lifeless piece of metal into something with a soul,” he explains. The 24-year-old craftsman is not trying to be poetic: it’s clear he means it.

He believes that blacksmiths have the ability to imbue vitality into a lifeless piece of metal by putting their own soul into it. “But only when they work with their hands,” Sĩ adds. “Shaping metal with factory molds and machines don’t give it a soul”.

Sĩ often works closely together with his fellow craftsmen in the workshop; they all contribute small pieces to a larger whole. “The end result is a melting pot of all our souls,” Sĩ’s eyes sparkle as he says it.


工匠之魂

完成动力锤部分的工作后,Sĩ 从摆满各种工具的墙壁上取出锻锤,开始弯曲金属。几乎所有店里常用到的二十个锤子,看起来都像是几个世纪前的产物。Sĩ 说: “有些工具经过这么多年其实也没有怎么变化,只是大多数现代人的锻造技术稍微不同。”

事实上,对于 Sĩ 来说,锻造的整个过程比他所打造的最终成果更加令人称奇。当然,他想要打造出漂亮的作品,但他发现自己最大的成就感来自这项工艺本身。“好的铁匠能慢慢将一块没有生命的金属,变成一件有灵魂的物体。” 他解释道。这位 24 岁的铁匠并非刻意将其浪漫化,很显然,这是他内心的真实想法。

他相信,铁匠在锻造的过程中,能够将自己的灵魂融入其中,为无生命的金属注入生命力。 “但前提是他们要用自己的双手工作。用工厂模具和机器来塑造金属并不会给它带来灵魂。” Sĩ 补充道。

Sĩ 经常会与车间的其他铁匠合作,一起打造大型的作品。“最终成果是我们所有人的灵魂的熔炉。” Sĩ 说道,眼里闪耀着光芒。

Heritage

That sense of connection with other blacksmiths is even more profound when doing restoration work. Indeed, every forged piece carries the soul of the maker inside, even when that person is gone. Sĩ says, “When you’re touching an old piece, you have to listen to the existing soul in the material.” This doesn’t necessarily mean using the exact same tools, but “you have to respect the soul of the craftsman who made it.”

Restoration work also requires more skill. “For a new piece, we follow the design instructions. Of course it still requires skill, but there aren’t so many surprises in the process. Nothing like the old pieces. When you restore an object, you have to fix every little detail. And you need to be very careful because older material can be more vulnerable.”


传承

在进行修复工作时,与其他铁匠的联系更为深刻。事实上,每一件锻造而成的作品都会带上制作者的灵魂,即使那个人已经不在。 Sĩ 说:“当你触摸到历史悠久的作品时,你必须去聆听金属中既有的灵魂。” 这并不意味你要用完全相同的工具,而是要 “尊重制作这件作品的工匠的灵魂”。

翻新修复的工作也需要更多的技巧。“对于新的作品,我们只需要遵循设计说明就好了。当然,这个过程也需要技巧,但过程不会有太多的惊喜。旧的作品却不一样。当你要修复一件旧的作品时,你要修复每一个细节,同时需要非常小心,因为它的材料由于时间久远,会变得更脆弱。”

While Sĩ discovered this passion mostly by accident, his dedication has set him on track to becoming one of the top blacksmiths of Vietnam. “I’m willing to do the same thing ten times, twenty times even—because it means I’m improving myself,” he tells us. “I’m very patient. That’s just who I am.”


虽然 Sĩ 对于铁匠的热情是偶然的发现,但他已经决心成为越南的顶级铁匠之一。“即使是同样的作品我也愿意做十次,甚至二十次,因为这意味着我在不断提升自己。” 他告诉我们,“我很有耐心,我就是这样的人。”

Contributors: Annigje Jacobs, Brice Godard
Photographer & Videographer: Brice Godard


供稿人: Annigje Jacobs, Brice Godard
图片及视频摄影师: Brice Godard

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Rendered Realities 在我的世界里放一把火

September 27, 2018 2018年9月27日

To enter the worlds of Izzzy is to forget time and place. His digital artwork is a product of the internet, with references that point to some imagined future and call a land of ones and zeros home. In this alternate dimension, the Jakartan artist has spawned forth an array of cyborgs and monsters that hint at a larger narrative happening just outside of each frame.


进入印尼雅加达艺术家 Izzzy (真名 Yudhistira Israel)的世界,你要先将时空的概念抛诸脑后。他的数字艺术作品以网络为灵感,构筑出一个想象的未来,将虚拟的网络世界当作家园。在这个不同维度中,他创作了一系列的机器人和怪物,就像是在更大的叙事背景中的人物角色。

Like many young creatives in Indonesia, Izzzy originally built his following as a Youtuber, creating parodies and cracking jokes about local topics under his VNGNC alias. This all changed when he was tapped by Mardial, a popular local music producer, to direct a music video, which is ultimately what inspired Izzzy to take a new career direction. While he’s thankful of his Youtube fan base, he’s set that identity aside to focus on motion graphics, music videos, and 3D art. “I can’t deny that I started with my Youtube personality,” he says. “But I stopped working on that channel and my Instagram keeps growing. So I think it’s safe to say that people enjoy my visual work.”


和印度尼西亚的许多年轻创意人一样,Izzzy 最初通过 Youtube 来积累粉丝,他以 VNGNC 的名号发布一些模仿和有关当地话题的搞笑视频。直到被当地有名的音乐制作人 Mardial 邀请,并指导拍摄一部音乐MV后,Izzzy 迎来了事业的转机,最终也激发 Izzzy 寻求新的职业发展方向。他很庆幸自己曾拥有的 Youtube 粉丝群,但他已经决定将 Youtuber 的身份放在一边,专注于动画、音乐 MV 和 3D 艺术的创作。“我不能否认自己就是从 Youtube 开始的。”他说:“但我已经停止更新那个 Youtube 频道,而我的 Instagram 依然在不断发展。所以我想人们应该还是挺喜欢我的视觉作品的。”

His work reveals clearly defined inspirations, largely made up of internet culture: Tumblr aesthetics, vaporwave cues, and cyberpunk motifs heavily shaped his artistic sensibilities. “Tumblr influenced me back in college, I used to browse it a lot. It’s a lazy way to keep your creative brain occupied,” laughs Izzzy, whose real name is Yudhistira Israel. “When I wouldn’t feel like doing anything, I’d go on Tumblr and type some keywords and just scroll.”

Izzzy’s imaginary worlds are overflowing with pop culture references, like the Greco-Roman statues and palm plants that are commonly associated with vaporwave. He even goes so far as to create fan art for the likes of Stranger Things and Devilman Crybaby. A deep appreciation for other people’s achievements is plain to see. His personal style is draped over this wealth of inspiration, conveyed through textures, lighting, colors, and storylines that drip with mood and mystery.  


他的创作灵感在作品中显而易见,主要都是互联网文化,Tumblr 美学、蒸汽波艺术(Vaporwave)和赛博朋克(Cyberpunk)元素,都对他的艺术创作有着重要的影响。“大学的时候,Tumblr 对我影响很大,我常常会刷 Tumblr。这算是一种保持大脑创意的比较懒的方式。” Izzzy 笑着说,“当我什么都不想做的时候,我就会去 Tumblr 上,输入一些关键字,开始刷。”

Izzzy 的想象世界里充满了各种流行文化参考,如希腊和罗马的雕像、蒸汽波艺术常出现的棕榈植物等等。他甚至为美剧《怪奇物语》(Stranger Things)和日本动画《恶魔人》(Devilman Crybaby)创作了同人作品。他在作品中清晰展示出自己所借鉴的灵感参考。而在这些丰富的灵感之上,则是他个人风格的铺展,通过纹理、灯光、色彩和故事情节,呈现出充满氛围感和神秘感的画面。

“3D is just one medium,” Izzzy says. “I can’t go outside and set a construction site on fire and then take a picture of it, so I just create it. My diverse artistic background has given me a different perspective about how to use various mediums together.”


“3D 只是一种创作媒介。” Izzzy 说,“我总不能为了拍一张照片,就到外面去放火烧掉一块建筑工地吧?所以我只能自己来创造这种场景。拥有多元化的艺术背景这点,也让我知道该如何将各种媒介融合在一起。”

 

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Elements of his 3D work make appearances in his music videos. Floating cars partially submerged in turbulent water and exploding digital skulls are some of the more obvious recurring themes. Then there’s also his bold use of color. “The colors in my music video treatment is a lot like my 3D works. Teal and purple. Magenta and violet. They’re really natural elements for me.”


他的 3D 作品元素也会出现在他的音乐视频作品中。在淹没在湍流中的汽车、爆炸般的数字头骨都是他在作品中反复出现的主题。此外,还有他对颜色的大胆运用。 “我对 MV 作品的色彩处理和我的 3D 作品很像。深青色和紫色。洋红色和紫罗兰色。这些对我来说都很自然的色彩。”

 

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He also VJs for Dutch EDM duo Yellow Claw and creates a portion of their video content that he performs live when on tour with them. While they have their own aesthetic of cinematic visuals and crisp lines, Izzzy is able to bring his personal touch to those screens as well. His vision is most clear in the music video he made for their track “Do You Like Bass?”, which is a hectic barrage of pretty much every element he’s ever worked on and more. It starts out with a partially tongue-in-cheek warning: “This video has been identified to definitely trigger seizures for people with (or without) photosensitive epilepsy.”

In the end, all Izzzy’s output circles back around to his still 3D art. It’s the most personal of his work and sets the stage for much of the rest of his various outlets. When asked what keeps him going back to 3D illustrations, his reply was plainspoken yet sincere: “I’m just really passionate about it.”


他还给荷兰电音组合 Yellow Claw 担任 VJ,与他们一同巡演,并参与创作了乐队现场表演时的影像内容。在影像原有的电影视觉效果与清晰线条之上,Izzzy 将个人风格融入其中。在他为乐队的曲目《Do You Like Bass?》制作的音乐 MV 中,他的理念最为清晰,这几乎可以说是他曾经创作过的所有元素的结合。片头更是插入了一段诙谐的警告:“这个视频已被确认肯定会给患有(或没有)光敏性者强烈刺激。”

所有 Izzzy 的作品归根到底都是以 3D 静态艺术为核心的。这是他最具个性化的作品,也是他的其它艺术创作的基础。当被问及是什么让他回到 3D 插图创作时,他的回答直接又真诚:“因为这是我的真爱。”

Instagram: @vngnc

Contributor: Mike Steyels


Instagram: @vngnc

供稿人: Mike Steyels

What a Load of Rubbish 垃圾袋里的秘密

September 21, 2018 2018年9月21日

Open up the garbage bag and rummage through the discarded memories. Piece these crumpled scraps together and you just might discover that it forms the life of a family, with a husband, wife, son, and daughter. A tasty early-morning breakfast, a plate of sliced fruit, discolored family photo albums, the sounds of laughter and quarrels throughout the house – memories of all these sights, sounds, smells, and experiences come together in Rubbish Famzine, a zine made by the Lim family in Singapore.

Starting with its inaugural issue in 2011, Rubbish has been made by the same four-person editorial team: husband-and-wife duo Pann and Claire, along with their son and daughter, Renn and Aira. A seemingly ordinary family, the Lims are crafting family diaries in an extraordinary fashion.


拆开这袋垃圾,摊开那些揉皱的、蜷缩的、被丢弃的回忆,便能拼凑成一个鲜活的家庭印象:四口人,一对夫妻,一对子女,早起饭菜的香味,一盘被瓜分的水果,退了色的家庭相簿,聚集在客厅的争执和欢笑。看到的、听到的、嗅到的、触碰到的,都是它独特的“最”生命力。这就是《Rubbish Famzine》,一本来自新加坡四口之家所打造的家庭志。

从 2011 年第一期开始,《Rubbish Famzine》的团队就由这样四个人组成: Pann 和 Clairie 夫妻俩以及他们的孩子 Renn 和 Aira,这个看似再普通不过的四口之家,却实在地体现着家庭志的定义。

To Pann and Claire, their children aren’t just mischievous little rugrats who occasionally contribute to a discussion. The family’s creative philosophy is that everyone has to contribute their own ideas. Renn and Aira may be young, but their input is respected, and sometimes their imagination can yield surprising results.

Every issue is created in a casual atmosphere, with the entire family brainstorming over snacks, a pot of tea, and pen and paper. Then, through a series of candid conversations about their personal likes and dislikes, a new issue of this independent magazine born.


对于 Pann 和 Claire 而言,Renn 和 Aira 的存在并非只是偶尔参与讨论小捣蛋鬼们。因为这个团队的创意理念就是,每一个成员都必须有自己在想法上的贡献。虽然 Renn 和 Aira 年纪小,但是他们的每一个想法和意见都会被尊重,而且有时候孩子的想象力会惊讶这个世界。

《Rubbish Famzine》的每一期就是在这样的一种气氛下诞生的:一家四口,围坐在一起,一壶茶、一些小零食、笔和纸,彼此间毫无保留的畅谈,喜欢的讨厌的,简单直白的被交流被记录,最终一家人的只言片语变成了一本独立杂志。

The Ziney-est of Zines

Yet maybe “independent magazine” is the wrong word. As its name indicates, it’s really a zine, and this concept is the core of its creation.

There’s no set distinction between the two, and both zines and independent magazines are outside mainstream media, non-commercial, not for profit, and not bound by social convention. But while independent magazines are still magazines, with numbered issues, a regular publication, and retail distribution, zines tend to be small-scale publications that emphasize their handmade, artisanal quality and their creator’s lively spirit.

As a family-centric publication, the happenings of the family—however mundane or normal—are of course covered from issue to issue. But what makes each story so captivating is linked to the Lim family’s playful packaging and layout designs. 


最 Zine 的独立杂志

与其把它定义为独立杂志(Independent Magazine),我更愿意称它为 Zine,可能正如它自己的名称 “Famzine” 一般,Zine 的概念成为了它的创作理念。

关于独立杂志和 Zine 的区别,其实也从来没有一个特定官方的说法。对于圈内的创作者们而已,两者共有的就是区别于主流传媒的文化产物,拥有非商业化的立足点、非盈利主导的运营模式以及摆脱世俗禁锢的创意性。独立杂志本身还是具备杂志的属性,期刊号、固定发行周期、分销概念等等。而 Zine 则更偏重于小规模印刷的独立出版物,强调手工感和一种鲜活的出版人精神(常常是独立制作)。

作为一个以家庭为中心的出版物,《Rubbish FAMzine》把家庭的琐事——无论多么平凡而日常——在一期又一期的杂志里被细细诠释。但当然了,每期的故事如此迷人的原因,也与 Pann 和 Clairie 一家俏皮包装和布局设计有关。


 

Issue #1: “Google Translating Tokyoto”

Staying true to the magazine’s title, product images for the debut issue were photographed with the magazine inside a generic black trash bag and surrounded by crumpled up paper scraps.


黑色垃圾袋包裹了杂志,里面塞满了揉皱的废纸,就仿佛一个任何家庭都会出现的装满垃圾的垃圾袋。


 

Issue #2: “Till Death Do Us Part”

Adopting the aesthetic of old pamphlets and print material, this issue is comprised of five sub-issues of different sizes, all of which is thread bound. It’s all housed within a scaled-down replica of an old Chinese National Language School folder that inspired the issue.


做旧的小册子,按照不同的尺寸叠放,最后用红绳子扎起来,仿佛一个十字架,也正好照应了本期主题。


 

Issue No. 3: “Forever and a Day”

One of the most playful issues to date. Loose and seemingly random objects—which includes a paper airplane, a twig, cassette tapes, folded sheets of paper, and mini brochures—all packaged inside a tin cookie can make up the issue.


可玩性极高的,纸飞机、树枝、卡带、对折页、小册子,看似不相关的零部件却毫不冲突地放进了一个旧铁盒里。


 

Issue #4: “The Incomplete Herbarium And Other Garden City Exploits”

Two thin sheets of plywood make up the front and back cover of this issue, sandwiching the contents within. The use of wood is an allusion to the issue’s theme of urban gardens.


前后的薄木板设计,把小册子好像三明治一般夹在当中,木头的概念也接近了该期的主题:城市花园。


 

Issue #5: “In the Name of the Father”

An issue of TV Weekly with Taiwanese singer Teresa Tang gracing the cover, a black-and-white family portrait, old publications filled with scribbles and notes, miscellaneous clippings held together with paper clips – this issue celebrates the life of Pann’s father, Lim Tiap Guan.


邓丽君封面的《电视周刊》、黑白的家庭照、做了标签的旧刊物、回形针整理的资料,每张纸都承载着父亲的生活气息。


 

Issue No. 6: “An Emojious Odyssey of the Gluttonous Omnivores”

Designed like restaurant take-out, this issue makes gratuitous use of emojis as a means of expressing the family’s collective love for food. The layered binding makes for a fun journey into a world of all things delicious.


外卖盒的包装,塞满了 Emoji 表情,以此表达出这个家庭对食物的收集热。层层叠叠的装帧为读者展现了一个充满乐趣的美好世界。


 

Issue No. 7: “Flash and Blood”

Featuring repurposed boxes of Kodak Ultramax 400, cyanotype paper, and an assortment of old family Polaroids, this issue is a loving ode to analog photography from the Lims.


主角是改装自柯达 Ultramax 400 的底片盒,配上蓝晒纸和旧的家庭拍立得,组成一集怀旧的书刊——这是他们一家人谱出的诗篇,用以歌颂自己对摄影的热爱。


Authentic, Intimate Content

Pann is often asked a pointed question: is the magazine an invasion of his family’s privacy? His answer is that Rubbish seeks to make appealing content, but it can’t help exposing some rather intimate stories.

He explains that before every issue hits the printers, the family reaches a consensus on the content. So no matter if it’s stories of Pann’s father’s illness or the private love letters of his parents, everyone’s already given their approval. Ultimately, Rubbish is a physical manifestation of the Lim family’s love: their love for each other, their love of travel, and their love of country. More importantly, they hope the zine can encourage, support, and help everyone who reads it.


最真实的无距离内容

曾经问过 Pann 一个很尖锐的问题:这会侵犯家庭隐私吗?他的回答是,《Rubbish Famzine》的确主张做亲和力很高的内容,但同时却或多或少都在向大众去揭露一家人比较隐私的情节或故事。首先,在独立杂志的内容被刊登之前,都会得到家庭成员的支持和认可。因此无论是父亲生病的故事还是他父母间的情书,其实大家都是表示支持的。《Rubbish Famzine》每一期的内容都在诉说这四口之家浓郁而真切的爱,对旅行的热爱,对自己国家的挚爱,对父母的珍爱。最重要的是,他们希望通过杂志的内容,能够激励、鼓舞并帮助到选择《Rubbish Famzine》的各位读者。

When asked about the name Rubbish Famzine, Pann laughs and says that “rubbish” is just something they often say at home instead of “stuff.” This playful means of communication perfectly encapsulates their quirky family dynamics.

“If you choose to pick up a copy of Rubbish and really read it, then for us there’s no greater honor or joy,” Pann says. “We hope every reader can be touched by our stories, laughing in delight or feeling moved to tears.”

As the Lim family’s saga continues, fans eagerly await every new issue. And no wonder—each story is authentic and meaningful, and perhaps by reading them, readers can discover meaning among the clutter of life.


至于杂志名“Rubbish”(垃圾),则来自于他们的口头禅,在 Pann 家,这个词常用以取代 “Stuff”(东西),这种独特的沟通方式,却很能展现了他们家其乐融融的气氛。

“如果你选择了我们的《Rubbish Famzine》并且认真阅读了它,就是我们最大的荣幸和快乐。希望每一个读者都能被我们的故事触动,无论是开心地大笑还是感到动容或悲伤。” Pann 一家的故事还在继续,总让我们禁不住去期待下一期的内容。因为故事里的每一个字都真实而有意义,可以透过它看到杂乱生活中的本质。

Additional Recommendations from Pann Lim:

I like fun, unique magazines with a fresh perspective. What comes to mind are LOST, Staple, Underscore, and Werk. If more print media in Asia can take similar creative approaches, I expect more people will be willing to read them.


主创人之一 Pann Lim 推荐的亚洲独立杂志:

我喜欢新鲜有趣独特的独立杂志,比如《LOST》, 《Staple》, 《Underscore》, 《WERK》. 如果亚洲纸媒能够继续秉持这样的创意态度,相信我们能看到更多的人愿意去阅读。

Facebook: ~/holycrap.sg
Instagram: @holycrap.sg

 

Contributor: Handowin Ho
Images Courtesy of Rubbish Famzine


脸书: ~/holycrap.sg
Instagram: @holycrap.sg

 

供稿人: Handowin Ho
图片由 Rubbish Famzine 提供

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Generation Q 一代酷儿一代人

September 18, 2018 2018年9月18日

As the fight for equality and mainstream acceptance continues for LGBTQ groups, cinema has become an important medium in sharing authentic vignettes of the queer experience. Filmmakers from all over the world are using cinema to invite discourse on the injustices being faced by these sexual minorities. With the second annual Shanghai Queer Film Festival kicking off on September 21st, we take a look at a few of our favorite short films that’ll be shown this year.


随着 LGBTQ 群体(同性恋、双性恋、跨性别者和酷儿)争取平等和主流认同等运动的持续推进,电影,也成为了分享同性恋经历真实片段的重要媒介。来自世界各地的导演及电影人,正试图以电影来引起人们对这些性少数群体所面临的、不平等也不公正的境遇进行讨论。在第二届上海酷儿影展开幕之际,我们选取了几部将会于现场展映的短片电影,以一窥在亚洲地区 LGBTQ 群体的生活。


 

Slingshot Prince / 《拿弹弓的王子》

 

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The story takes place in 1995 in a small southern China village.

At the center of the film is a 12-year-old tomboy who’s been ostracized by her community for being unfeminine. Loathed by neighbors and family’s alike, the misunderstood protagonist feels cornered by the village’s archaic views on gender. Boys her age pick on her and shame her for being different. Her family, embarrassed by her “eccentric behavior,” is equally unsupportive, shunning her while they coddle her younger brother.


那是在 1995 年中国南方的一座小村。

12 岁的女主人翁是个中性打扮的假小子,言行举止与传统温良贤淑的小姑娘差别迥异。但在传统思想的禁锢中,这个特立独行的姑娘并没有得到来自家人和邻里的理解和尊重,大家眼里的她并非个性,而是怪异——家人感觉脸上无光,对她的弟弟更宠爱有加;而同龄的男孩子,却因她的不同而百般不爽,借机羞辱了她一番。

Slingshot Prince by Lin Sixin
Slingshot Prince by Lin Sixin

Slingshot Prince isn’t completely fictional. Director Lin Sixing based the film on real-life experiences—a blend of childhood memories and fictional plot elements. Arriving at the filming location, a village seemingly stuck in the 90s, Lin says all of his memories from his youth came flooding back to him: “The location, colors, lighting, and even sounds really brought me back to my childhood and reminded me of how I viewed the world back then.”

At the turn of the century, China’s economy and society underwent massive changes, and the village where Lin was born wasn’t exempt from the effects of modernization. “In a radically shifting society, self-doubt not only comes from within. It stems from a misbalance of societal validation with self-affirmation,” Lin states. “And those indoctrinated by the Confucian Ideal of Great Harmony repress their desires to express their individualism.”

By the end of the film, the tides turn for the protagonist—she stands up for herself, getting her revenge by picking off each of the boys who humiliated her with her slingshot.


这《拿弹弓的王子》(Slingshot Prince)的故事绝非“纯属虚构”。对导演林思新来说,这部电影来源于他的少年经历,真实的过往和虚构的电影情节交杂。而影片背景设置在 90 年代的村镇,则“真正还原”了导演对那个年代的记忆——“不论是拍摄场地,色彩,光线,或者是声音,全部都如实地还原了我少年时对这个世界最初的认知。

在这个世纪之交时,中国的经济和社会面貌发生了遽变,而导演所生所长的村庄也面临着城镇与外来文化的冲击。“在这样的一个社会巨变的环境下,人心的矛盾不仅仅来自于自我认同上,也来自自身被社会的认同和自我认同的不平衡上,而大多数这种被儒家大同思想深深影响的普遍社会价值观,造成了对个人自我表达欲望的压抑。”

所幸的是在影片最后,她站起身来,用自己弹弓狠狠反击那些欺凌她的男孩子,让他们付出了应有的代价。

Slingshot Prince by Lin Sixin

 

Sorry for the Inconvenience /《抱歉打扰了》

 

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In rural towns and villages where queer culture hasn’t quite been accepted, it’s not uncommon to see discrimination or even acts of violence against LGBTQ individuals. This is especially common in Asia-Pacific and Africa, where, statistically, sexual minorities have been the most marginalized groups in society.

These experiences are brought to light in Filipino director Carl Chavez’s Sorry for the InconvenienceThe short film is centered around Joshua, a timid teenager who’s bullied by classmates for not being masculine enough. In a fit of rage, he exacts revenge on them but things don’t go as planned. Desperate, he turns to his father, a local policeman, for help.


身处同志文化未能波及的小村镇,而因此囿于性别认同且饱受压抑的性少数人群,偏见、歧视、凌辱,对他们而言都太过寻常——据统计,在亚太(包含中国)和非洲地区,性少数人群往往是社会中最为边缘、最为弱势的群体之一。而在多样性接纳度较小的村镇地区,则显然更为严重。

无独有偶,来自菲律宾的导演 Carl Chavez 也在影片《抱歉打扰了》(Sorry For The Inconvenience)中叙述了类似的经历。在他的影片里,害羞胆怯的少年 Joshua 被同学霸凌,尽管复仇的火焰一经萌生就再难浇灭,但实际操作起来却有重重阻碍。无奈之下,他只能寻求自己当警察的父亲的帮助……

Sorry for the Inconvenience by Carl Chavez
Sorry for the Inconvenience by Carl Chavez
Sorry for the Inconvenience by Carl Chavez

 

Pink Pill /《粉色药丸》

 

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No matter if its gender identity or sexual orientation, anyone who deviates from the norm can easily find themselves shamed and vilified.

The film Pink Pill takes place in a small riverside town in Sichuan. Zhang Ke, the main character of the film, is a high school sophomore whose secret relationship with Chen Xue, a female classmate, is outed after her diary is read out loud in front of the class. As a result, Zhang is maliciously bullied day after day.


在固化的性别观念里,非但多元的性别身份成为了受攻击的靶子,那同性二人之间萌发的暧昧情愫,也会成为众人诽谤和侮辱的对象。

《粉色药丸》(Pink Pill)发生在四川一个江边小城,高二女孩张鹤的日记被人发现,旋即被堂而皇之地念了出来。她与另一个陈雪之间的暧昧关系,从此昭告天下。随之而来的,是无尽的恶意。

Pink Pill by Xie Xiaoshan
Pink Pill by Xie Xiaoshan

Li Bo is one of Zhang Ke’s classmates with a long-time crush on her. He’s heartbroken seeing her bullied daily. Even though he’s normally timid and passive, he steps up, getting into fights to protect her. As the two grow closer, Li starts imagining that maybe his love can change her. What if sexual orientation was like a typo, something that can be easily corrected?

As the film progresses, Li’s frustration reaches a boiling point. His originally good-willed intentions transform into a selfish desire to change her. He yells at Zhang, denouncing her sexual orientation and calling it an illness. The story leaves viewers pondering just how much intolerance and bigotry exists in this world, hiding in plain sight.


而一直暗恋张鹤的男同桌李波,既觉得心疼,又想要改变——为了张鹤,懦弱的李波甚至跟人打架。随着二人的关系慢慢亲近,李波亦开始想象,或许自己的爱可以改变她呢?或许性向是就像错别字一样,可以被修正呢?

影片中,李波还是没忍住对心仪的姑娘叫喊“有病的是你”。但凭一己私心,妄图改正他人的性向或身份认同,这又是正确的吗?而像上述那些反对、歧视、欺凌性少数人群的“大多数”,又有多少呢?

Pink Pill by Xie Xiaoshan

For this year’s Shanghai Queer Film Festival short film competition, the featured films explore different LGBTQ perspectives from all over the world. Together, these vignettes paint a larger narrative around the state of modern society and how LGBTQ culture has been molded by the countless hurdles and obstacles faced by individuals along the way.


在本次“上海酷儿影展 SHQFF”中的亚洲短片竞赛单元里,我们会看到更多发生在亚洲的性少数人群的故事,以及他们所代表的 LGBTQ 文化,究竟是如何在一次次反抗和碰撞中显形的。

Photographer / 摄影师: Cao Feng

As gender identity and sexual orientation becomes increasingly blurry in modern times, the meaning of queerness equally demands greater diversity. Through cinema, SHQFF hopes to not only portray the reality of the LGBTQ experience, but it aspires to bring about much-needed change in the world.

This year, the second annual SHQFF will take place between September 21st and September 26th. Themed around the concept of “Generation Q,” the featured films looks to offer a well-rounded perspective of queer culture in modern times. Apart from the screenings, panels and various discussions will also be held during the event.


在这个时代,当性别身份与性取向已愈加模糊,有关“酷儿”(Queer)身份的定义也愈加丰富多元。我们希望这些电影不但能够呈现现实,也能具有改变现实的力量。

今年,第二届上海酷儿影展将于今年 月 21 日至26日隆重回归。本届影展决定将眼光放至更多元的维度,以“Generation·Q·世代为主题,和观众一起通过来自不同文化的精彩酷儿影片,见证光影中的酷儿迭代。而在影片放映之外,第二届上海酷儿影展还将为大家带来精彩纷呈的映后讨论及论坛。

Website: www.shqff.org
WeChat: SHQueerFilmFestival

 

Contributor: Chen Yuan
Images & Videos Courtesy of SHQFF 


网站: www.shqff.org
微信: SHQueerFilmFestival

 

供稿人: Chen Yuan
图片与视频由 上海酷儿影展 提供

Just a Trim 露天理发师的迁徙

September 17, 2018 2018年9月17日

It’s early morning in Hanoi, and streetside vendors are already busy setting up their stalls. But among the peddlers hawking fresh produce, flowers, and snacks, one group in particular stands out: the barbers with makeshift salon seats set up right alongside the street.

Over the past few decades, these barbers, equipped with only the bare essentials, have become a common sight among the hodgepodge of street vendors in Vietnam’s capital.


清晨时分,河内的街边摊贩正匆匆忙忙摆好摊位。在一大片贩卖新鲜农产品、鲜花和小吃的摊位中,有一群人尤其突出,那是在街边摆着临时理发椅的理发师们。

在过去的几十年里,这些只拿着最基本工具的理发师已成为越南首都街头小贩的一员。

The early 1900s was the peak of popularity for outdoor barbers. At the time, Vietnam experienced a period of economic uncertainty that forced many living in underdeveloped areas of the country to move to Hanoi in search of work. This was the case for many barbers from Kim Liem, a place dubbed as the “barber’s village,” who moved en masse into the city. This migration of barbers saw entire boulevards in downtown Hanoi become massive, open-air salons.


20 世纪初是露天理发师的流行盛期。当时,越南经历着经济困难时期,许多生活在贫穷地区的人们只好前往首都河内寻找工作。大批来自越南“理发村”Kim Liem 的理发师也在这个时期涌入这座城市。大规模的“理发师的迁徙”将河内市中心的整条林荫大道变成了大型的露天理发沙龙。

However, as Hanoi continues to grow, efforts to declutter the streets and clear out unlicensed businesses have been ramped up, and street barbers are among those targeted. Waves of crackdowns have taken place over the years, but many persistent entrepreneurs return over and over, albeit in fewer numbers each time. Authorities still regularly patrol the streets today, chasing off vendors and handing out fines.


然而,随着河内的不断发展,政府开始推进街道整顿和清理未经许可的商贩,街头理发师也成为被清理的对象。尽管多年来一直遭受打击,但许多不愿放弃的理发师仍然一次又一次地卷土重来,尽管每次的数量已经越来越少。当局如今仍然会定期在街上巡逻,追赶小贩和开罚单。

As a result of these clean-up campaigns, barbers with financial means have opened legitimate salons. The less fortunate ones have been forced to switch careers entirely. Today, the barbers that remain active are engaged in a constant game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities, rolling the dice everytime they set up shop. But as long as there’s demand for low-cost haircuts, there will be barbers willing to take the risk.


由于这些清理活动,一部分有经济能力的理发师开设了合法的理发店,而不那么幸运的理发师则被迫转行。而那些至今还在的露天理发师则要每天跟当局玩猫捉老鼠的游戏,每一次的开店都像是一场冒险。但是,只要有廉价理发的需求,就会有理发师愿意赴险。

Contributor & Photographer: Claudio Seber


供稿人与摄影师: Claudio Seber

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Dream Can 救火人生

September 12, 2018 2018年9月12日

 

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“It’s never been about how good we are. It’s always been about being passionate.” It’s this sentiment that’s allowed Dream Can (or Gu Shui Che Jian in Chinese) to carve out their own niche within China’s indie rock scene and beyond.

Youthful and energetic, the girls that make up Dream Can are A Re, the lead singer and guitarist; Qi Yu, the drummer; and A Can, the bassist. The trio met each other in Shanghai’s Songjiang University Town, bonding over a shared passion for experimental rock. In 2014, while still in school, the three formed Dream Can. Since then, they’ve landed themselves on China’s leading independent rock label, Maybe Mars.


“问题不在于我们有多厉害,而是要始终充满热情。” 正是这种信念,让谷水车间(Dream Can)在中国的独立摇滚界中开辟出一片自己的天地。

谷水车间由三位充满活力的年轻女孩组成,包括主唱兼吉他手阿惹、鼓手淇钰以及贝斯手阿璨。三位女孩最初在上海松江就读大学时相识,因为对实验摇滚的共同热爱而走到一起。2014年,她们在学校期间成立谷水车间乐队,之后成功与中国领先的独立摇滚唱片公司兵马司(Maybe Mars)签约。

Listen to some selects tracks from Dream Can’s new album Into Sparks below / 点击即可试听谷水车间专辑《救火人生》上的几首精选歌曲

With a varied list of musical influences ranging from 60’s German krautrock to Japanese psychedelic rock, Dream Can produces an elusive sound that teeters between a dream-like state and something more quantifiable, sometimes flitting between time signatures multiple times in a single track. Like a voice in the back of your mind that you can’t trust but decide to go along with anyways, they craft soundscapes that dare you to listen and explore just a little further.


影响她们音乐的来源非常丰富,既有 60 年代的德国 Krautrock 摇滚,也有日本迷幻摇滚。她们的创作具有一种难以捉摸的魅力,游离在梦幻与真实之间,摇摆不定。有时候即使是同一首歌,也会在不同的拍号之间变化,仿佛是在创造回荡于你脑海中的一个声音,你不信任它,却还是决定跟随它走。她们的音乐是在挑战你去倾听,并进一步深入探索。

“Shanghai’s music scene is always changing, and you can find all types of styles here,” says A Re. “But styles come and go, that’s how I feel anyways.”

In a city as notoriously fickle with trends as Shanghai is, Dream Can refuses to compromise their sound or fit into any preconceived notions of what an all-female band should sound or look like. “Nowadays, I think that as a group of female musicians, being admired or criticized is the same thing,” she sighs. “It’s all about being noticed.”


“上海的音乐场景总是在不断变化,你可以在这里找到各种类型的音乐。” 阿惹说, “但风格就是这样来来去去,起码我是这么感觉的。”

在上海这座瞬息万变的城市中,谷水车间拒绝为自己的音乐作出妥协,或是遵循那些针对女性音乐人先入为主的观念。“我认为对于今天的女音乐人来说,被喜欢或批评都是一样的,关键都在于有没有人注意到你。” 她叹了口气。

With the release of their debut album “Into Sparks,” Dream Can hope to bring their dreamy, psychedelic aesthetics to as wide an audience as their sound will allow. Next up in the coming year for the trio is a couple of overseas gigs to spread their talent beyond Chinese shores.


随着首张专辑《救火人生》的推出,谷水车间希望将这种梦幻般的迷幻美学带给更多的听众。接下来一年,她们将会到海外演出,将自己的音乐传送到中国之外的地方。

Weibo: ~/gushuichejian
Xiami~/gushuichejian

 

Photographer, Videographer, and Contributor: Lui Chen
Audio Courtesy of Maybe Mars


微博: ~/gushuichejian
虾米~/gushuichejian

 

供稿人,图片摄影师与视频摄影师: Lui Chen
音频由 Maybe Mars 提供

Painting the Town Red 剥去都市的浮华外壳

September 11, 2018 2018年9月11日

Cody Ellingham, the photographer behind DERIVE and Danchi Dreams, is back with a photo series that casts Shanghai in a dramatic new light. From gloomy alleyways to rundown apartment buildings, the desolate scenes seem to question how accurately romanticized photos of Shanghai reflect its reality.  The series—devoid of humans and awash in deep shades of red—strips back the shiny veneer of the Chinese megalopolis, replacing it with a foreboding sense of unease and mystery. “At night, you can explore the true essence and form of a city,” Ellingham says. “And for me, it feels more effective to show the relationship between humans and places by not showing people directly. This is best achieved after dark.”


曾创作了《DERIVE》和《Danchi Dreams》(团地:现代化的梦想)的摄影师 Cody Ellingham 携新作归来。从阴暗的小巷到破败的公寓楼,荒凉的场景似是在质疑:人们平时看到那些繁华的上海城市照片真的能准确反映这座城市的现实吗?通过这一系列没有人物、弥漫着深红色调的作品,Cody 剥去了这座中国大都市的浮华外壳,取而代之呈现出一种不安和神秘的预感。“在晚上,你才能看见一座城市的真正本质和面貌。”Cody 说,“而对我而言,略去人物来展示人与城市之间的关系会更有力量,所以天黑之后是最佳的拍摄时机。”

Instagram: @cbje_tokyo

 

Contributor: David Yen


Instagram: @cbje_tokyo

 

供稿人: David Yen

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The Folk Art of Pulikkali 这里的老虎不吃人

September 10, 2018 2018年9月10日

Onam is one of the biggest and most important festivals in Kerala, India. The annual harvest festival spans ten days, with different celebrations and performances taking place on each day, including boat races, martial arts, music, dance, and more. Of these festivities, one of the most visually extravagant is Pulikkali, a traditional folk art known as the tiger dance.


欧南(Onam)节是印度喀拉拉邦最盛大和最重要的节日之一。这个一年一度的丰收节日为期十天,每天都会举办不同的庆祝活动和表演,包括赛艇、武术、音乐、舞蹈等。在这些庆祝活动中,最具视觉冲击力的是传统民间艺术 Pulikkali 舞蹈, 也被称为“老虎舞”。

Pulikkali is believed to have been introduced by the King of Cochin, Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran, over two centuries ago. It began as a celebration of bravery and the spirit of battle. Today, it’s become an essential part of Onam. On the fourth day of the festival, hundreds of portly men are covered in vibrant paint, many with their pot bellies transformed into the face of a ferocious tiger. Throughout the day, they roam the streets, performing a feral dance to the rhythm of traditional percussions as thousands of onlookers cheer in delight.


相传,“老虎舞” Pulikkali 是两个世纪前由科钦(Cochin)国王 Maharaja Rama Varma Sakthan Thampuran 引入的,最初是一种赞颂勇敢与战斗精神的庆祝表演。而现在,“老虎舞” 已经成为欧南节的重要组成部分。在节日的第四日,数百名身材魁梧的男子在身上涂满色彩鲜艳的图案,在肚皮上画上凶猛的虎脸。一整天,他们走到街上,在成千上万旁观者的喝彩声中,随着传统打击乐的节奏表演狂野的舞蹈。

While the performance receives widespread attention and praise, the preparation efforts by artists and performers are often overlooked. Painting each performer is a painstaking process that can take up to seven hours. Even before applying the first coat of paint, all hair must first be shaved from the performers’ bodies. Then, once the first layer of paint is applied, there’s a three-hour wait for it to dry before tiger stripes and other finishing touches are drawn on.


尽管“老虎舞”受到了人们广泛的关注和称赞,但艺术家和表演者的前期准备工作却常常为人忽略。单是为每一名表演者画上身体彩绘就可能需要长达 7 个小时的工作。在涂上第一层颜料之前,他们要先将表演者身体上的所有毛发剃掉。上完第一层颜料后,需要等三个小时的时间让颜料干燥,然后再画上虎纹和其它最后的润色。

For all participants, it’s a long, tiring day that begins early in the morning and lasts until late. What makes all the hard work worthwhile is a shared understanding of how their efforts are contributing to keeping this traditional art form alive.


对于所有参与者来说,这是漫长而疲惫的一天,因为要从清晨一直忙到深夜。 而正是他们的努力,使这种传统艺术形式得以流传,也让这项工作变得更有意义。

Contributor: David Yen
Photographer: Claudio Sieber


供稿人: David Yen
摄影师: Claudio Sieber

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Breaking Down Walls 离开菲律宾,他让更多人看到菲律宾

September 7, 2018 2018年9月7日

Tucked off to the side of one of Metro Manila’s many massive superhighways is a small but lively creative hub and music venue where Jappy Lemon is painting a mural. The inhumane scale of the highway makes the location difficult to access by foot, but after a long stretch of car parks and chain restaurants, an overpass provides an entry point into the venue, Route 196.

The wall at Route 196, in the Katipunan neighborhood of Quezon City, was actually one of the first Jappy ever painted. “When I was getting my start, it was hard to convince anyone to give me a shot, but they were nice enough to let me paint here,” he recalls, glancing up at the overcast sky as he keeps an eye on the weather. Two years later, he’s returned to update the wall with his newer style. These days, he paints half a dozen walls a month.


Route 196 是一间小而热闹的创意据点和音乐场所,藏匿于马尼拉纵横交错的高速公路一侧,正是 Jappy Lemon 正在创作壁画作品的地方。非人性化的高速公路设计,使得人们难以步行到达此处,要穿越过漫长的停车场和连锁餐厅,和一座立交桥才能到达。

在位于奎松市 Katipunan 街区的 Route 196 外墙上,Jappy 画了自己的第一幅壁画作品。“刚开始的时候,很难说服别人给我机会。只有他们愿意让我在这里画。” 他回忆道,同时瞥了一眼阴云密布的天空,他必须时时刻刻注意天气的变化。两年后,他再次回到这面墙来,用自己全新的风格重新创作这幅壁画。最近以来他平均每个月都要画六面墙。

Raised in nearby Mandaluyong, Jappy has been interested in art all his life and originally planned to become a comic book artist. After a two-year stint at art school, he decided he’d learned what he needed and transferred to business school. But he continued making art on the side, experimenting with using both paint and digital means create his colorful, cartoony works.


Jappy 在附近的曼达卢永市(Mandaluyong)长大,他从小就对艺术感兴趣,原本的梦想是成为一名漫画家。在艺术学校读了两年后,他认为自己已经完成所需要学的东西,于是转学到了商学院。但他并没有放弃艺术,继续用颜料和数字媒介创作出洋溢着卡通风格的缤纷作品。

Jappy got his start with murals by chance. At business school, a student organization asked him to paint one in their office. “It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, because I had never done it before. It took me weeks to finish a small mural,” he recalls, laughing. But after posting photos of the completed piece to Facebook, more mural requests came trickling in, and he’s kept on ever since. These days, on walls all around the city, you can spot his signature tigers and comic book characters, all striking acrobatic poses against a backdrop of brilliant, angular designs.


Jappy 的壁画创作开始于一次偶然的机会。在商学院的时候,一个学生组织邀请他在办公室里创作一幅壁画。“那是我做过最难的事情之一,因为我以前从来没画过壁画。我花了几个星期才完成那一小幅作品。” 他笑着回忆道。但是,当他将成品拍照上传到 Facebook 之后,吸引到越来越多人来找他创作,此后,他就一直画到了现在。如今在这座城市各个角落的外墙上,你常常能看到他的标志性老虎和漫画人物摆出生动的姿势,搭配着色彩明亮、棱角分明的背景设计。

Image Courtesy of Jappy Lemon

As Jappy works on a bright, animated skull character outside Route 196, the previous mural peeks out from underneath. The older piece, painted with brushes, is duller and lacks the energy of his newer creations. One year ago, he transitioned to using spray paint for his murals and hasn’t looked back.


Jappy 在 Route 196 外墙上重新画上一幅色彩鲜艳的骷髅骨头卡通形象,下方隐约还能看到之前的壁画痕迹。原来的壁画是他用画刷创作的,色彩比较暗淡,也缺少新作品那种蓬勃的能量。从一年前开始,他改用喷漆创作壁画,直到现在。

Despite a steady stream of commissioned projects, Jappy still often hits the streets in search of walls for personal projects. “I try and paint pieces for myself as regularly as possible. About three times per month,” he says. “With clients, it’s mostly their ideas I’m translating. The ultimate goal is to develop my style so that clients will come to me looking for that.”

He recently spent a month in New York, financing his trip to one of the world’s most expensive cities with his own art. “I feel a little isolated here in the Philippines because the rest of the world doesn’t notice us,” he says. “I want to prove that Filipino artists can be talented. Even within Asia, we struggle with our reputation: the light we’re shown in is so negative most of the time. All people know are the negative things and the beaches. But there’s a lot of talent here.”


尽管委托项目源源不断,但 Jappy 仍然经常跑遍街头去寻找创作个人项目的墙面。他说:“我想尽可能地多创作个人作品,每个月三次左右。至于客户委托项目,基本上我只是在帮客户传达他们的想法。但我的最终目标是发展出我个人的风格,让想要这种风格的客户来找我。”

Jappy 最近在纽约生活了一个月,运用自己的艺术来筹集生活在这座全球最贵的城市之一所需的费用。“在菲律宾,我觉得有点被孤立了,因为并没有世界上其他地方的人注意到我们。” 他说,“我想证明菲律宾也有才华横溢的艺术家。即使在亚洲,我们仍然在为自己的声誉奋斗。大多时候,我们展现给外界看到的都是消极的一面。其它国家的人只知道这个国家的负面消息,还有这里的沙滩。但是这里也充满蓬勃才华。”

Facebook: ~/jappyagoncilloart
Instagram: @jappylemon

 

Contributor: Mike Steyels
Photographer: Jilson Tiu


脸书: ~/jappyagoncilloart
Instagram: @jappylemon

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
摄影师: Jilson Tiu

Girl’s Girl’s World 就想做一个“非主流”

September 5, 2018 2018年9月5日

 

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In October 2017, Shanghai-based musician Shu Ying released her first full-length album Girl’s Girl’s World to critical acclaim—the ten-track record quickly making noise across China’s independent music scene. Formerly a keyboardist with the post-punk outfit Undress for Success and founding member of the electronic dance band Quadruple Cherry, Shu now inhabits her own radiantly untamed melodies amidst the loud, discordant, confused noise of twenty-first century Shanghai. A multitalented singer-songwriter who sings and writes both in Chinese and English, she also works as a digital content marketer and runs the Chinese-Dutch indie music label Waving Cat Records.


2017年10月,上海音乐人树樱发行首张个人全长专辑《Girl’s Girl’s World》,获得一致好评。这张共含十首曲目的专辑迅速在中国独立音乐界掀起波澜。树樱曾担任后朋克乐队 Undress For Success 的键盘手,也是电子舞蹈乐队四重樱(Quadruple Cherry)的创始成员之一。现在,树樱来到上海,在二十一世纪充满喧闹、混乱的上海音乐界中,创作着自己那无所拘束的独特旋律。她是一位多才多艺的创作歌手,用中文和英文演唱和写作,同时还是一名数字内容营销家,负责管理中荷独立音乐品牌 Waving Cat Records

Listen to some of our favorite tracks from Shu Ying below / 点击即可试听树樱的几首歌曲

There’s a chameleon-like quality to her music, undoubtedly due to her diverse personal background. Of mixed Han and Kazakh descent, she spent her early years moving between Shaoxing, Urumqi, and Stockholm, and such youthful experiences proved formative for her music. “I remember taking a 60-hour train with my family to Urumqi as a kid. I encountered stories and different types of people when I was small and didn’t feel uncomfortable with it. Music is diverse—mixing cultures enables me to see things from a different angle.” Girl’s Girl’s World exemplifies Shu’s globally minded approach to music making: the Chinese singer’s album was recorded in the Netherlands and produced by Israeli Idan Altman.


多元的文化背景,使得她的音乐像变色龙一般变化多端。她是一名汉族和哈萨克族混血,从小在绍兴、乌鲁木齐和斯德哥尔摩三地生活,年轻时的经历塑造着她的音乐风格。“我记得小时候我和家人一起坐了 60 小时的火车去乌鲁木齐。那时候我遇见各式各样的人,听到各种故事,但从来不会觉得奇怪。音乐是多元化的,融合不同的文化能让我从不同的角度看待事物。”《Girl’s Girl’s World》体现了树樱音乐创作的全球性:这是一张中国歌手的专辑,在荷兰录制,并由以色列裔制作人 Idan Altman 操刀完成。

Despite its international imprint, Shu’s music bears faint echoes of the nightclubs and streets of Shanghai, or at least the beautiful chaos of the city’s recent past. Like most dynamic cities, Shanghai is a city in flux, its kaleidoscopic cultural landscape muted by ever-increasing levels of conspicuous consumption. “I used to go from club to club and street to street because I didn’t want to miss out on anything, but now Shanghai is a bit overwhelming, because of the pace of construction and consumerism,” she says. In a sense, her music has come to be defined less by place than by emotions and experiences: “I guess the emotion I get from my experiences is the most important part of my musical equation.”


尽管树樱的音乐充满全球性,但隐约之间仍然透露出道地上海街道和夜生活的气息。或者说,她的音乐映射出了这座城市近来共存的美丽与混乱。和大多数充满活力的城市一样,上海是一座变幻无穷的城市,万花筒般的文化景观却因为不断增加的炫耀性消费,变得无声无息。“我以前常常到各家夜店,逛遍所有街道,只为了不想错过任何东西。但是快速的城市建设和消费主义的快节奏,让人觉得上海似乎有点失控了。” 她说。从某种意义上说,与其以地理位置来理解她的音乐,不如从情感和体验来定义她的音乐,“在我看来,我从体验中获得的情感,是我音乐创作中最重要的部分。”

From its title to the female characters behind the lyrics, Girl’s Girl’s World is also a female-driven record. Many of the songs are sung from a woman’s perspective and drawn from the experiences of Shu’s female friends. Many of her influences are also female vocalists. Tracks such as “Brought by a Haze” and “Never Want That Talk Ever Again” (from her 2015 EP Are You Still A Teenager?) evoke the visceral grittiness of PJ Harvey, while “Leaving the City” contains the electro-pop DNA of late 1990s Madonna.

In a male-dominated society, it can be especially difficult to find your voice and have it heard. “We don’t have a mature, healthy music industry in China, despite the fact that numbers of streaming music users and concert goers are growing rapidly.” Undeterred by these challenges, she persists in search of that elusive and unique sound: “You have to be totally independent, mentally and physically strong to be a misfit.”


从标题到歌词背后的女性角色,《Girl’s Girl’s World》是一张饱受女性影响的专辑。当中许多曲目都是从女性的视角出发,创作灵感大多来自树樱身边女性朋友的经历。她的音乐创作也受到了许多女歌手的影响,譬如,在她2015年的EP《你还是青少年吗?》(Are You Still A Teenager? )中有两首歌《Brought by a Haze》和《Never Want That Talk Ever Again》就回响着英国女子另类摇滚 PJ Harvey 那种坚韧的精神;而《Leaving the City》(离开这座城市)则指向了90年代末麦当娜代表的电子流行乐。

在男性主导的社会中,作为一名女性,要找到你自己的声音,并让人们听到你的声音,不是一件容易的事情。“在中国,虽然音乐串流媒体用户和会去现场看表演的观众,两者数量都在快速增长,但这还不是一个成熟、健康的音乐产业。” 树樱无惧于这些挑战,坚持寻找自己那难以捉摸的独特声音,“想要成为非主流,你必须完全独立,在精神和身体方面都要很强大。” 她说。

Incidentally, it was painting, and not music, that provided the first studio experiences. She studied traditional Chinese painting and oil painting in primary school, and later developed an interest in the shapes and costumes of Japanese animation. Her training in visual art is reflected in her lush sonic landscapes: “Music has as many aspects as there are colors in the world—intense, destructive, endearing, passionate.” In fact, the two—painting and music—are linked for Shu in a synesthetic way: “Music is flavorless without the imaginative stretch of colors.”


值得一提的是,她成立的第一间工作室并不是因为音乐,而是绘画。小学的时候,她学习中国传统绘画和油画,后来开始对日本动画中的设计与和服装产生兴趣。她在视觉艺术方面的训练反映在她丰富的音乐中。“音乐有着与颜色一样多彩的方面,可以激烈、可以震撼、可以惹人怜爱,也可以充满激情。” 事实上,绘画和音乐对树樱来说是相互连结的,“没有了充满色彩的想象,音乐也会索然无味。”

If her eclectic list of musical influences is any indication, Shu Ying’s new album, slated to be released later this year, carries high expectations. Her current playlist includes stalwarts such as Syd Barrett, Neu!, The Kills, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, as well as her recent obsession: garage and punk bands from San Francisco and Los Angeles such as Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees, Fidlar, and Mystic Braves.

With songs full of attitude and vulnerability, disclosure and distance, Shu Ying’s music is an exciting presence on the Chinese indie music scene. Longevity almost seems beside the point. As she sings in “To Know Less,” the final track of the EP Are You A Teenager?, “Without short moments of clinking glasses / There won’t be everlasting memories.” Cheers to that.


各种多样的风格都影响、进而形塑了她的音乐,大家对她在今年即将发行的新专辑也寄予厚望。最近她常听的音乐有 Syd Barrett、Neu!、The Kills、The Jesus and Mary Chain,除此之外,她还迷上了旧金山和洛杉矶的车库和朋克乐队,如 Ty Segall、Thee Oh Sees、Fidlar 和 Mystic Braves。

树樱的音乐充满态度和脆弱性,既袒露赤裸却又保持距离,是中国独立音乐界中令人期待的力量。至于自己的音乐生涯能走多久,对她而言,这一点无关紧要。正如她在《你还是青少年吗?》EP 的最后一首歌《To Know Less》中所唱:“Without short moments of clinking glasses / There won’t be everlasting memories.”(没有玻璃叮当作响的瞬间,就不会有值得永驻的记忆。)真是说得太棒了!

Bandcamp: shuying.bandcamp.com
Xiami~/shuying

 

Contributor: Brian Haman
Videographer: Anaïs Siab, Damien Louise
Photographer: David Yen


Bandcamp: shuying.bandcamp.com
Xiami~/shuying

 

供稿人: Brian Haman
视频摄影师: Anaïs Siab, Damien Louise
图片摄影师: David Yen