DAVID 发布在EMI官方的信

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1 F  发表于 2004-10-5 18:15 | 只看该作者 | 倒序看帖 | 跳转到 »
8/24/04 2:34pm LA

These past few weeks have been quite difficult as far as writing and music goes. I have been struggling with ideas, sounds and concepts. Mainly, I have been at a loss for what to say and talk about. For me, this is the biggest issue when producing an album because if I don’t know what I want to say then everything is meaningless.

I experience a lot of self-doubt, confusion, frustration and depression during each production of a new album. But this process is essential because otherwise nothing new will emerge. I firmly believe that one must “reset to zero” before one’s heart and soul can contain and express new ideas and emotions. However, this process can be quite painful and exhausting emotionally. I believe that if one is not able to complete this process andcycle then one will not move forward or grow in that stage of life.

Something I’ve wanted to talk about but only touched upon previously is the state of Chinese music as a whole. The reason I couldn’t’ talk about these things is because of the limitations of the media and press. I’m not talking about censorship but about the fact that our media is becoming increasingly more focused on trends and gossip rather than more “serious” topics. Therefore, I am delighted to have this forum in which I can “chat” and share with my friends and supporters thoughts and ideas I may have. I am in no way claiming that I am right about anything so please don’t hold me to that. I am merely expressing my opinions and observations about things that I am extremely concerned about. I don’t see music as just merely entertainment but a reflection of our culture and society.

The eternal dilemma of the artist is to create something new while at the same time not isolate his/her audience. That is something I ponder with each album. To deliver something that is both new and fresh while at the same time not losing your audience is something very difficult to achieve if at all achievable. If you come out with an album that is too different than your previous works then people will say that you are changing for change’s sake or that you have changed for the worse. If you don’t change at all then people will say you are repeating yourself and stagnant. How does one achieve a “perfect” balance so that both sides are satisfied?

Often people tell me that their favorite album of mine is the “blue” one or the first album. They tell me their favorite songs are “Blue Moon” or “I Love You” and that they wish I could write more songs like those. However, what they fail to understand is that the person who wrote those songs has grown and changed. If I tried to write songs like I did on the first album I probably wouldn’t be able to do so because I’ve become a different person who feels and thinks differently. And even If I were able to write songs similar to those on the first album would people like them or would they say that I’m repeating myself? Herein, lies the dilemma.

And what is the solution to all this? Well, there is no “solution” except to be true to yourself and be yourself.

However, that is easier said than done, as you all know. It takes courage, love, and some wisdom to be yourself. What I’m grateful of is that at least I have the love and support of my fans and friends to be myself. As for
wisdom, well, I ask that of God.

Production and work on my new album has already commenced as you may already have heard. I am deep within the process and am often confused and frustrated. I hope something new and true will emerge at the end of this journey. There are talks and rumors about when the album will be released but all I can say is that it will be done when it’s done. I ask for your support and patience and that you also keep an open mind and ear when you first listen to this album when it comes out.It will be something quite different than the previous albums but I assure you one thing-that this and every album of mine will be an imprint of my life, mind, heart and soul.

To me, the first three albums formed a trilogy of sorts. This is technically the fourth new studio album and, so, it will commence a new period or perhaps trilogy for me. This new album will embark on new sounds, topics, ideas, feelings and opinions. But it will, nevertheless, still be a David Tao album at the core.

Until next time…DT

翻譯:

2004年9月4日 早晨9:38 台北

距离上一封信还不到两个星期的时间,可我现在已经处于一个很不一样的状态。不是因为我现在在亚洲,而是现在的我突然觉得很有活力,感到受到启发。我很想告诉大家这是怎么改变的、为什么会改变,但又实在很难去解释或者描述,所以我只能说是上帝在指引着我并为我照明了前方的道路。事情开始变得清晰并且又如同以往有了活力,而我也可以“看见”前方的路和目的地。我曾经担心、沮丧,但现在乌云似乎已经不再笼罩着我,太阳的光也照在我身上。我觉得我正迈入一个新的领域,迈进我的人生以及这张专辑的下一个阶段。在这段时间,鼓励,友情和爱对我来说是不可或缺的,我再一次感谢你们给予我的坚定的、不变的爱与支持。
新专辑正在渐渐成型中,现在我能看到它的许多特点。我不能说专辑已经快完工了,但是那个时刻的确已经可以看到了。对于这个新专辑我感到非常激动并且我能保证它将是非常不同的,而且紧系着我的心。专辑里我加入了很多新的东西,但最主要的元素是:朴实。我觉得我早先的一些创作(和现在市场上的许多创作)供过于求,许多时候也太表面化。我认为音乐在乐器和内容方面需要回到它的根源。现今的音乐经常只是一层层没有意义的声音。我们有很多任我们使用的技术和信息,但是我们却创造不出什么真正独创的或新颖的东西。

现在的音乐家和制作人有了软件和设备可以去做任何事情,而这些在五年前只能是做梦。然而我们一直在浪费在滥用它们,同时,创造不出任何独创或新颖的东西。因此,尽力去保持简单朴素是最难做到的一件事情,尽管有这全部选择和工具。一些最杰出的艺术家和画家都用非常简单的线条和色彩创作,一些最令人难以忘怀的作品只不过是黑色和白色的肖像而已。一些最好的旋律也只有几个音符与和弦。贝多芬说过,不在于你想要投入什么,而是你决定省略什么。朴实是生活的关键。
顺便说一下,目前公司还没有成立陶喆官方网站。如果在网站,论坛或者电邮中读到这封信,只能代表的是我个人的想法,并不代表该网站的观点。另外,如果你们在其他网站、论坛或者电邮里看到我所写的信件,那并不意味着我完全同意该个人、网站或者团体所持的所有看法。因为我不想在将来这方面上产生任何不必要的误会。我只是想继续通过这种特定的网站和大家真诚地交流我的思想和看法。也因为我对于网站和论坛没有管理的职务,所以无法代表或者负责。我希望你们大家能理解我说这些话的真正用意,而绝对不是想针对谁而冒犯他。这也可以为了将来更好地和大家交流而避免一些麻烦和误解。我希望所有对我和我的想法感兴趣的朋友能够一起继续分享我来信中的内容和想法。
每次在作专辑的时候,我都把自己关闭起来,不去管外面的世界和发生的事情,我不读新闻,不听电台广播或任何音乐,也不参加很多活动。这迫使我往自己“内心”看并变得自省。我不能一直依赖外界给我灵感、感觉或互动。这样的时期,我必须变得自足,靠自己生活,特别是当我在创作的时候。我把它称作“生活斋戒”。这个时期会持续一个星期至几个月,很多时候它是相当痛苦难熬的。这和斋戒或绝食是非常相似的,因为前期阶段,当你的身体在变化,在经受,在设法调整到缺乏食物和营养的状态的时候,是非常困难的。然而, 当你的身体调整好了(或者对于我来说,是我的头脑和生活), 新的感觉、想法和观察将会涌现,将会尽情的展示它们自我。往往,你也能把事情看得比以前更清楚透彻,而且以前错过的,现在也被赋予了新的意义。

在这段洗涤的时期,我清空我的头脑和灵魂,让新的能量进入我的生活。

我喜欢非常驾驶,因为它给我自由、迅速和清晰的感觉。我看得到世界的全部,从身边飞驰而过的每一秒都给我带来一个不同的视野和风景。我控制着,我可以去我想要去的地方。当我的朋友乘坐我的车时,他们经常问我为什么我把电台音乐或关掉。他们非常惊讶,因为在他们想象中,一位音乐家开车的时候应该是喜欢听音乐的。狠多人喜欢在开车的时候放音乐,让音乐陪伴这他们,也为他们的旅行提供一个情感上的背景。然而,我喜欢驾驶时是完全没有音乐的。
实际上, 我每一天很少听音乐。或许是因为我总是被音乐环绕着,所以我选择在我的日常生活中不去接近音乐。你也许听过有人这么问道,“你会不会用听音乐来改变心情,或者聆听适合你心情的音乐?” 我认为人们两个都会做,这显示音乐会有着多么强的力量。也正因为音乐有这样的力量,我选择在有些时候关掉音乐,因为它可能在那片刻改变或进一步加深我当时的心情。我宁愿让我的思绪和心情自己去体会也不想让其他事情来干涉。所以很多次当我回到亚洲时,我经常感觉自己被新的八卦、信息、新闻和“垃圾”所炮轰。要令自己避开外面的世界是很困难的,但有的时候我们需要这么做。

一位我很欣赏的导演曾经说过,我们全部都是在没有察觉的情况下,被系统化地改变着。年复一年我们的标准和期望被降低,但我们却没有意识到。如果你将现在的世界和一或二年前的世界比较,你或许会意识到它只有多么少的进步和改进。你可能注意到了, 实际上, 它退步了,恶化了。又或许你会认为现在的世界是一个更好的地方? 或许我们的标准和期望都逐渐的被降低了,所以我们根本没有意识到? 你们有多少人在自己居住的城市有安全的感觉?你是否感觉到在你居住的城市、国家和世界中,暴力和仇恨正在增加?我是感觉到了。奇怪,有时候我在我自己的家都没有安全的感觉。暴力不总是会以具体形态出现的,它存在于我们的头脑里中、精神中,灵魂之内。我们的权利也经常被社会、媒介、公司和政府滥用。所以, 我觉得在某些时候让自己避开外面的世界是很重要的。要学会如何去“过滤”那些进入我们生活和思想的东西也是非常重要的。
这和病毒还有垃圾在我们的电脑和手机里的肆意扩散十分相似。每天我打开我的电邮都会发现它被许多宣传品和垃圾邮件淹没了。我们设有“搜寻和恶意”垃圾邮件过滤器,然而,这些过滤器不能捉住每一件垃圾邮件,有时也会错误辨识合法的邮件为邮寄宣传品并删除这些合法邮件。我们每一个人都象是一个电子邮箱,有不同层次过滤器在工作着。有些人没有过滤器,因此我们必须手工清理每天的邮件, 这很令人挫败也太耗时了。许多次, 我们被这样垃圾邮件诱惑或唬弄或欺骗和误传导致不堪的后果。在生活中,我们的精神和情感过滤器经常无法捕捉住一切。结果,我们被引人歧途,变得迷茫。你的生活中有这种垃圾邮件过滤器吗?如果有的话,你的垃圾邮件过滤器是设置在什么样水平呢?你是否可以分辨你的生活中,什么是真实什么是虚假,还有你周围的一切?你是否相信你在报纸上读到的一切?你是否相信你的政府,老师和领导人所告诉你的一切?

当你有质疑的时候,请跟随你自己的心。不要害怕问问题。不要害怕有自己的观点。对上帝祈祷,祈求指引和明鉴吧。
on my way to see my friends who lived a couple blocks away from me as i walked through the subway

 
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