Recording package designer Xiao Qing-yang (蕭青陽) is to attend the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on April 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the artist said on Wednesday.
Xiao, 56, was nominated in November last year in the Best Recording Package category at the Grammys for his work as art director of Hong Kong band Soul Of Ears’ English-language album ZETA.
It is his sixth Grammy nomination.
Photo: CNA
Upon first look, the design of the album is clearly influenced by the static and vector images usually seen when television transmissions are suspended, Xiao said of the design.
Upon further inspection, it is revealed that the material of the album sleeve, which has images of people protesting or wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, easily wrinkles the pages inside, he said.
Flattening out the creased pages does not return them to their original state, which is a metaphor for the fact that the past cannot be undone, the designer said.
The wrinkles also reflect the situation in Ukraine, as the country is being “crumbled,” he said.
The letter “Z” and the symbol on the command key on a Macintosh computer keyboard signify his desire to give the world a chance to return to what it once was, as the combination of the keys is the “undo previous command” shortcut on the Apple devices, he said.
The songs on ZETA revolve around a story about a possible future for humanity, with the album itself akin to a prophecy, as the musicians faced the pandemic during recording and the war in Ukraine during post production, Xiao said.
ZETA last year won the Golden Melody Award for Best Album Design — Technical Category.
Deputy Minister of Culture Lee Ching-hwi (李靜慧) said that the Grammy nomination helps to elevate the local awards, as it proves the artistic vision of Taiwan is on a par with the rest of the world.
Lee praised Xiao for his accomplishments, with his package designs earning him six Grammy nominations at the 47th, 50th, 51st and 61st and this year’s event, as well as a nomination for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package at the 53rd Grammys.
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
ENERGY RESILIENCE: Although Alaska is open for investments, Taiwan is sourcing its gas from the Middle East, and the sea routes carry risks, Ho Cheng-hui said US government officials’ high-profile reception of a Taiwanese representative at the Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference indicated the emergence of an Indo-Pacific energy resilience alliance, an academic said. Presidential Office Secretary-General Pan Men-an (潘孟安) attended the conference in Alaska on Thursday last week at the invitation of the US government. Pan visited oil and gas facilities with senior US officials, including US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and US Senator Daniel Sullivan. Pan attending the conference on behalf of President William Lai (賴清德) shows a significant elevation in diplomatic representation,
The Taipei City Reserve Command yesterday initiated its first-ever 14-day recall of some of the city’s civilian service reservists, who are to undergo additional training on top of refresher courses. The command said that it rented sites in Neihu District (內湖), including the Taipei Tennis Center, for the duration of the camp to optimize tactical positioning and accommodate the size of the battalion of reservists. A battalion is made up of four companies of more than 200 reservists each, it said. Aside from shooting drills at a range in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), the remainder of the training would be at
RSS