When asked how it feels to be the sole extant founding member of one of Taiwan’s most mutable bands, Cheer Hsieh (謝青翰), one half of electronica duo KbN (凱比鳥), waxed philosophical. “It’s a Zen spirit,” he said. “I go with the ups and downs. If a change can let things move in a specific direction, then there isn’t anything wrong with it.”
KbN, whose lineup at one point comprised 11 members, has been a mainstay in the independent music scene for more than a decade, and has moved through a succession of genres, from punk rock to trip-hop and now experimental electronica.
Yet the same independent DIY punk rock ethic that characterized the band’s humble beginnings continues to fuel its future aspirations.
“It [Taiwan’s music scene] is getting better. I mean at least we can get more information about things, and more people can accept this new stuff, [and] are willing to try new sounds,” said Hsieh. “The artist is free to do more.”
The group, whose current lineup consists of Hsieh and Jerry Fang (方宜正), aka Jez, has been taking full advantage of that freedom. Its songs are often built on sound textures rather than obvious melodic components. The music isn’t in the notes, it’s in the way the noises and rhythms rub against each other to create moods.
KbN plays tomorrow night in Taipei at Hook as part of City Sounds #4, and appears along with 40 other local acts at next weekend’s Freak Out Da Beast (吵年獸) festival, which Hsieh and Fang had a hand in organizing.
KbN made headlines two years ago as the first Taiwanese act to play at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. A couple of years before that, the band’s song Urge (衝動) received a Golden Horse Award nomination for best original song for Hou Hsiao-hsien’s (侯孝賢) film Three Times (最好的時光), and was on the sound track to Yao Hung-I’s (姚宏易) film Reflections (愛麗絲的鏡子). The group has also contributed work for The Bean (美人胚子), directed by Wang Mei-jung (王梅蓉) and Luo Chiao-mei (駱巧梅).
The band is working on two animated shorts with college students for their graduate projects, and is teaming up with painter Chen Ching-Yuan (陳敬元), also known as WANWOR, on a remix EP scheduled for release in March and a concept album due out in the summer, both based on his paintings.
“There is already a story in a film, so we just try to add emotion to follow the story,” said Fang. “But with a still image, you have to imagine the story. We’re using sound to make a story to match the image.”
The fruits of KbN’s collaboration with Malaysian graffiti artist Bobo will go on display next month at Asiaworld Shopping Mall (環亞購物中心) in Taipei as part of The Message 777, an event that pairs independent bands with artists and is sponsored by French clothing brand Agnes B.
“I think our generation happened to have this freedom and passion to do what we want to and to see what we are really capable of, and to try to reach places our moms and dads never dreamed of,” said Hsieh. “And if we’re lucky, we may make a living out of it.”
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