Interview 走访 | Naohai 闹海
Naohai 闹海
Summer is just about over and it’s time to bring in this year’s fresh harvest – and Live China Music and Yuyintang have prepared some of this year’s hottest new acts, as well as some special guests to welcome in autumn with a rocking good time – LiveChinaMusic presents Summer Dissolve. The evening also doubles as LiveChinaMusic’s first show in their new home since leaving the dusty carcass of Beijing. On the bill we have established indie rock outfit Naohai 闹海, known for their rugged indie rock that’s volatile and filled with playful post-punk breakdowns and atmospheric post rock soundscapes - they been putting the final touches on their latest album and are ready to ignite.
夏天就要过去，是时候分享当季的收获了。LCM和YYT携时令最热乐队以及神秘嘉宾，用摇滚乐迎接秋天的到来。LCM将呈现“夏日消散”，这也是LCM脱茧北京潜入上海的首秀。闹海，曾以他们另类又锋利的独立摇滚进入视野，又在后朋的躁动和后摇的沉静中燃起新的专辑。
Q: Could you give a brief intro about the band - where you’re from, what kind of music you play, and other details fans might be curious to know?
能简单介绍一下乐队吗？说说你们来自哪里，你们的音乐风格，以及乐迷可能想知道的事情。
A: Originally the band had only three people - lead singer and guitarist Qi Jinlong and bassist Chen Hao, both from Shanghai, and the drummer Zhao Shuang from Wuhan. At that time, Long was inspired by Bing Ma Si (Maybe Mars) during his time at university and gave up his dream of becoming a technical guitarist and decided to start a rock band. Shuang had just arrived in Shanghai after graduation, and Hao was tired of playing with his band at the university. We all found each other on Douban and started Naohai soon after. Later we realized what a coincidence is was that Hao was Long's senior at Yan'an Middle School. It didn't take long for Naohai to put together an EP - , six songs shoddily assembled after a day of recording in Juju (an old basement studio space here in Shanghai). Hearing it now it's pretty hideous. Four years later, Qu Yichen, a college classmate of Hao (also a high school classmate) and who held Naohai close to his heart, also joined Naohai. The four of us worked together for a long time, and during this period, we went through all the problems common to any band - lots of stop-and-go, stop-and-go - but in the end we persisted. The style of music, in a nutshell, is similar to our name – a troubled turbulent sea.
乐队原先只有三个人，主唱兼吉他祁金龙，贝斯陈豪，都来自上海，鼓手赵爽，来自武汉。那个时候龙在大学受兵马司的感召，放弃了成为技术流吉他手的梦想，决定做一支摇滚乐队。爽毕业后也刚到上海，豪也玩腻了在大学的乐队，大家通过豆瓣发帖一拍即合，开始做闹海。后来发现豪是龙在延安中学的学长，实在是巧。过了没多久闹海就发了一张EP，六首歌，粗制滥造，在juju花了一天就录完了。自己现在听听简直不堪入目。四年后豪的大学同学（也是高中同学）、且视闹海为心中最佳的曲浥尘也加入了闹海。四个人在一起磨合了很久，很久，期间经历了所有乐队都会碰到的问题，走走停停，停停走走，但最终我们还是坚持了下来。音乐风格，一言以蔽之，歌一出来你就知道是闹海。
Q: It’s been eight years since you released your debut EP. That’s quite a while ago. What have you been doing all this time? What changes have the band gone through? Has your musical tastes or approach changed since then?
距上张专辑发行已经过去了八年时间了，这些年你们都在忙些什么？乐队是否经历了什么变化？音乐偏好或者创作方式上有变化吗？
A: Five years ago, when we were extremely close to being with our dream label, we were full of enthusiasm and self-esteem, which was counterproductive in the end. Suddenly I felt that there was no direction and motivation for the band - it had turn dull. So I simply put down the instrument, left, and settled down. I deceived myself and comforted myself by saying that some things don’t have to be done when you are old, and some things don’t have to be done when you are young. Give yourself the excuse that with family, the band is always secondary. Our rehearsals gradually felt obligatory, and in the end even the band’s WeChat group could not be found. I can’t remember how long days went on like this, and can’t remember when it started. The band walked together again, naturally. Everyone seemed to be unable to find a reason not to continue. Everyone still listens to their own heart, but together, we just want to to do rock and roll music. We told ourselves never to move forward with heavy burdens in tow.
五年前，当我们和梦寐以求的厂牌无限接近的时候，一腔热血，自视甚高，事与愿违。顿时感觉做乐队没了方向，没了动力，索然无味。于是乎索性就放下乐器，一走了之，随遇而安。自欺欺人的安慰自己说有些事情不是非要老了才去做，有些事情也不是非要年轻才去做。给自己找借口说在家庭面前，乐队永远是次要的。慢慢地排练也变成了一场敷衍，最后连乐队的微信群也找不到了。这种日子记不清是过了多久，但又记不清是从哪天开始的，乐队又走在了一起，自然而然。大家在一起似乎找不出不继续做下去的理由。每个人都还是各听各的，但在一起，就是要做闹海的摇滚乐。我们告诉自己再也不要负重前行。
Q: Speaking of changes, the Shanghai music scene is vastly different from what it was five or so years ago. Do you recognize the scene anymore? What are your thoughts are where it’s heading?
说到变化，上海的地下音乐场景和五年前截然不同。你们对现在的音乐现场有什么看法？觉得有什么新的发展趋势吗？
A: For a while, it felt like there were no active bands in Shanghai, and now there are so many new bands and new voices being heard in major livehouses across Shanghai, bringing a lot of fresh power to the local music scene after the epidemic. The current music scene still needs more infectious performances and more attention-grabbing themes. Without the foreign big-name acts, domestic bands really have to hug and help one another. A simple slapdash lineup will always lack the novelty or attractiveness a show with clear and direct themes. Of course, no matter how much the format changes, good music is still the most important ingredient.
有一段时间感觉上海没有什么乐队在活跃状态，而当下许多没有听过的新乐队也纷纷活跃在上海各大livehouse中，给疫情后的本地音乐现场带来了很多的新鲜的力量。当下的音乐现场需要更有感染力的表演和更有意思的主题，面对国外大牌乐队的缺失，国内乐队只得相互抱团，简单的拼盘可能缺乏一些新意，直接和明确的主题也许会更有吸引力，当然不管形式再怎么变化，好音乐才是最根本的事情。
Q: I heard that there’s a new album on the horizon. Could you tell us a. It more about that? What has the process been like putting it together?
听说你们正在准备新专辑，能不能透露一点专辑的信息？这张专辑的制作流程是怎样的？
A: The entire album was recorded in May, which we were hesitant to do because of the epidemic. But in the end, we went to RC STUDIO )of Mr. Mark Li) in Guangzhou. In order to keep up with the progress, the drummer went to Guangzhou three days in advance and brought the project files we had prepared to the producer. When the other three of us arrived in Guangzhou, the drummer had them all recorded! The whole recording process was recorded every day from noon till three or four in the morning of the next day, and then we went back to the hotel to sleep. When we woke up, we continued to record, and spent ten days in the studio abandoning our wife and kids. On the last day of recording was done with, everyone knew that this was the craziest and most worthwhile thing we’d done with our lives. There are 11 songs on the album, which are 11 songs carefully selected by the band over the past decade. Looking forward to the moment we can release it!
专辑在五月份就全部录完了，期间因为疫情我们还几度犹豫是否要去。但最终还是奔赴李马克老师在广州的RC STUDIO。为了赶进度，鼓手提前三天就去了广州，带着我们已经做好了的工程文件去和制作人对接，其他三个人到广州的时候鼓手已经全部录好了！整个录音过程就是，每天从中午录到第二天凌晨三四点然后回宾馆睡觉，睡醒了继续录，抛妻弃子地在棚里呆了十天。录完的那一天大家就绝得这是这辈子做的最疯狂的也是最值得的一件事儿。专辑总共11首歌，是这十年来乐队精挑细选的11首歌。期待这张专辑问世的那一刻！
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