Vision by：Rosalind Murray
在2023年8月成功举办black midi中国巡演之后，我们被乐迷问及最多的便是：何时将“另一个Black”带到中国？众所周知，这两支乐队的关系极为亲密，他们曾以Black Midi, New Road之名联合巡演，成员之间的友谊也常被乐迷称道。
如今，声厂SoundFact终于可以荣幸地宣布，我们将于2024年2月，邀请到当今新音乐领域最富盛名的摇滚乐队之一Black Country, New Road，开启首次中国大陆巡演。这也是继GoGo Penguin之后，声厂在2024年奉上的第二个开年巨献。上海站及广州站将率先开票，敬请期待！
Bandai Namco - Dream Hall广州 GUANGZHOU 02/27 Tue. Shanghai/Guangzhou
Tickets available at 14:00, Dec. 25th
秀动 showstart |
“时代的礼物”_RIOT
“伟大乐队的绝佳转型”_NME
“卓越的音乐素养、精妙的编排，以及对彼此真挚的爱”_FADER
Black Country, New Road成立于2018年的英国剑桥，从活跃于伦敦地下音乐场景，到飞速蹿升为世界范围内最当红的摇滚乐队，BC,NR只用了不到五年时间。早在2019年还未发行完整专辑时，乐队便已凭借几首单曲引起热议。在被英国独立音乐大厂Ninja Tune签下之后，2021年的首张专辑《For The First Time》一经发布便获得如潮赞誉，并获得当年水星音乐奖“年度专辑”提名，如同在略显沉闷的乐坛丢下了一颗重磅炸弹。
2022年的第二张专辑《Ants From Up There》同样好评不断，几乎入选了所有媒体的年终榜单（声厂也不例外），被媒体称作“时代的礼物”。但与此同时，主唱Isaac Wood宣布因健康原因暂时退出乐队，BC,NR也由此开始了新的历程。
在Isaac Wood离队之后，乐队主唱一职由贝斯手Tyler Hyde、萨克斯手Lewis Evans与键盘手May Kershaw共同担任，再加上小提琴手Georgia Ellery、鼓手Charlie Wayne以及吉他手Luke Mark，组成了目前的六人阵容。他们依旧延续了BC,NR极具融合性与突破性的精神，同时又为这支乐队注入了全新的创新基因，如同乐队始终坚持的那样——打破一切，重新开始。值得一提的是，乐队几位成员都可谓是音乐圈里的多面手——Georgia同时也是实验电子乐队Jockstrap的主创，与Jamie xx有过深入合作；Tyler是电子先驱Underworld主创成员Karl Hyde的女儿，时常也以Tyler Cryde之名呈现Solo演出；Charlie同时也在另一支摇滚乐队Ugly中担任鼓手，后者正在引起更多媒体的关注；Lewis曾参与实验器乐三人组Guildhall Military Orchestra的录音和演出。
由左至右：May Kershaw、Charlie Wayne、Lewis Evans、Georgia Ellery、Luke Mark、Tyler Hyde
©photo by Holly Whitaker
2023年，BC,NR在全世界乐迷的注目下发行了第三张专辑《Live At Bush Hall》，这张现场录音就像一个时间胶囊，收集着那些灵光乍现的定格瞬间，也一如既往获得了媒体的高度赞扬。AllMusic称“BC,NR保留了出其不意、善于制造惊喜的自如性，漂亮地开启了乐队新篇章”；NME称这张专辑是“这个时代最为出色的乐队的绝佳转型之作”。这张专辑中的作品也构成了BC,NR巡演的主要曲目，但并非全部，乐队透露正在进行下一张专辑的创作，偶尔也会在现场演一些从未发表过的新作，这些都成了乐迷对下一场演出的期待。
BC,NR之所以被看作是英国新音乐场景的中坚力量，核心原因还在于他们融合多变的创作才华，几乎预示着下一个摇滚时代的到来。乐队根植在具有实验性的后朋克基础上，融合后摇滚、前卫爵士、数学摇滚等元素，大量运用Sprechgesang念唱的唱法；对复杂编曲和曲式结构的探索，使得他们的音乐更加丰富多彩；其歌词的诗意和文学性，又为听众提供了广阔的思考空间。他们常被拿来与Slint、Arcade Fire等艺术摇滚乐队相比较，器乐部分又让人想到美国当代作曲家Steve Reich或是爵士音乐家Ornette Coleman。在媒体看来，他们和black midi、Squid、Dry Cleaning、Shame、Yard Act等年轻乐队一起，成为了英国后脱欧时期后朋克（Post-Brexit-Post-Punk）浪潮的代表。
如今，BC,NR在全世界范围内的巡演多数均是开票即售罄，也已先后登上英国Glastonbury、西班牙Primavera Sound、日本Fuji Rock、中国香港Clockenflap等大型音乐节舞台，以充满激情和感染力的表演，被《Rolling Stone》杂志评为“此生不可错过的现场”。
BC,NR @Glastonbury 2023
绝佳的音乐素养与精妙的编排，连同乐队成员彼此之间真诚的爱与友谊，在BC,NR身上毫无掩饰。就像他们在《Up Song》里唱道的那样：BC,NR friends forever！没有什么比在技术和意识领先的情况下，还保有如此真诚不加掩饰的友谊，更让人为之感动的了。希望在BC,NR中国巡演的现场，你会真切感受并唤醒对身边人的珍视——再昂贵的事物也比不过此时此刻，你与谁在一起。
“a gift for the ages”_RIOT
“a marvelous return from one of our greatest bands”_NME
“brilliant musicianship and arrangements, and their genuine love of one another”_FADER
After the successful black midi China tour in August 2023, the question we've been asked the most is: when will the other black come to China? It's widely known that the two bands are pretty close - they had been touring together under the name "Black Midi, New Road" - and their friendship is lauded and appreciated by fans.
Now, SoundFact is honored to announce that in February 2024, we will be promoting one of the most acclaimed rock band in global new music scene Black Country, New Road for their inaugural Chinese mainland tour. Following GoGo Penguin, this marks SoundFact's second gift for the crowd in 2024. Tickets for Shanghai and Guangzhou will go on sell first - stay tuned!
BC,NR formed in Cambridgeshire in 2018. It takes BC,NR no more than five years to make their transition from an activist in London underground music scene to one of the most acclaimed rock bands around the world. Even before the release of full-length album, the band had already sparked discussions with several singles. After signing with the renowned label Ninja Tune, BC,NR released their debut album "For The First Time" in 2021, which was lauded by fans and critics alike, soon being shortlisted by the Mercury Prize, resembling a seismic bomb dropped into the somewhat subdued music industry.
In 2022, the second album "Ants From Up There" continued to earn praise, gaining numerous 5 stars reviews and appearing on end of year lists across the globe (SoundFact selected it as the best album of 2022). All of this despite being released just days after frontman Isaac Wood announced his decision to step away from the band due to health reasons, marking the commencement of a new journey for BC,NR.
Following Isaac's departure, the band instead now share vocal duties with bassist Tyler Hyde, saxophonist Lewis Evans, and pianist May Kershaw. Together with violinist Georgia Ellery, drummer Charlie Wayne, and guitarist Luke Mark, now a six-piece, the band's sound continue to shift, allowing for further influences and diversity to permeate their songwriting, infusing the band with a new layer of innovative essence and staying true to the band's ethos of breaking barriers and starting anew.
It's noteworthy that several members of the band are multifaceted figures. Georgia is one half of the experimental electronic duo Jockstrap, collaborated with Jamie xx. Tyler, the daughter of the electronic pioneer Underworld's founder Karl Hyde, performs solo as "Tyler Cryde". Charlie also serves as the drummer for the band Ugly, which is gaining increasing attention. Lewis has recorded and performed as a member of the experimental ensemble Guildhall Military Orchestra.
In 2023, BC,NR unveiled their third album "Live At Bush Hall". Just like a little time capsule, the live album captured those ephemeral moments of inspiration of the band and was also lauded by critics with support from the likes of AllMusic who said "BC,NR remain an unpredictable and surprisingly resilient unit, simply galvanized them into writing a new chapter in their story" and NME who noted the new material as "a marvellous return from one of our greatest bands". The tracks are written specifically to be performed live and that's what they've been performing most - but not all - on the road. The band have hinted at the ongoing creative process for their upcoming new album and occasionally been performing unreleased songs. Heightening anticipation among fans, adding an extra layer of excitement to the expectations for their next live performance.
BC,NR stands as a linchpin in the British new music scene, primarily due to their adept fusion of diverse creative talents, almost acting as heralds for the imminent evolution of the rock genre. Grounded in an experimental post-punk ethos, the band intricately weaves together elements of post-rock, avant-garde jazz, and math rock, employing a significant use of Sprechgesang vocals. Their bold exploration of intricate arrangements and musical structures adds a vibrant and varied dimension to their sound. The poetic and literary qualities of their lyrics offer listeners expansive mental landscapes.
The band are frequently compared to artistic rock bands such as Slint and Arcade Fire, with their instrumental part reminiscent of contemporary American composer Steve Reich and jazz musician Ornette Coleman. According to the medias, alongside emerging bands like black midi, Squid, Dry Cleaning, Shame and Yard Act, BC,NR stands as a representative force in the surge of Post-Brexit-Post-Punk in British music scene.
Nowadays, BC,NR's global tours consistently sell out quickly. They've been on stages at major festivals like Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, Fuji Rock, Clockenflap and so on. Their passionate and infectious performances have been described as "unmissable" by Rolling Stone magazine.
The improvisational elements and seamless collaboration among band members are lauded, revealing their brilliant musicianship and arrangements, and their genuine love of one another. As they sing in "Up Song": BC,NR friends forever! Will there possibly be anything even more impressive when you can feel the sincerity of their friendship while every member keeping in the forefront of technical and conscious innovation? We hope that a genuine sense of appreciation and love for people around you can be evoked during the live experience from BC,NR China tour - nothing can be more precious than the moments shared with the ones whom you are with at the present.
02/25 上海 Shanghai 12月25日 周一 14:00 上海/广州 正式开票
Shanghai/Guangzhou Tickets available at 14:00, Dec. 25th 🎄
秀动 showstart |
声厂SoundFact创立于西安，是陕西大剧院旗下专注于独立音乐与青年文化的音乐厂牌，将现场演出、音乐制作、唱片发行、艺术跨界、创意传播高度整合，致力于与有着共同审美趣味与精神追求的人们一起探索声音的真相。策划及主办的演出包括噪点音乐节、100万帧独立音乐现场、爵士在野音乐节、大山的孩子都在跳舞；主办的巡演包括black midi、Black Country, New Road、GoGo Penguin等。SoundFact is an indie label based in Shaanxi Performing Arts Center and rooted heavily in indie music and youth culture. It's committed to creating a gathering place for people who share the same spirit - a desire to explore the true facts of sound, by integrating festival curation, music production, A&R, art crossovers and innovative communication. Since 2021, SoundFact has curated and organized music events such as Sonic Jam Music Festival, A Million Frames Live, Jazz At Large Festival, All Mountain's Children Can Dance, and has promoted black midi, Black Country New Road, GoGo Penguin China Tour.