Cui Jian, born in 1961, is 60 years old this year. When he entered the sixtieth year, the new album “Flying Dog” was released. Taking this opportunity, Cui Jian accepted an interview with reporters.
When “Flying Dog” was officially released, Cui Jian had just passed his 60th birthday. Some people say that Cui Jian has become easy-going and not angry anymore. But Cui Jian does not agree. He believes that people have more than one side. He wrote in “The B Side of Time”: “I, like people, only see my own face. Could it be that there is you in it, which is being changed by the times. Sometimes someone yelled: Hey Lao Tzu hasn’t changed at all.” This yelling person may be talking about himself.
Regarding the current situation of heavy packaging, heavy flow, and heavy capital in the market, he has criticized and helpless, but he has his own way to deal with it—firm his persistence.
Some people pretend that he doesn’t understand his works, but he is willing to communicate and share with young fans who do not understand and appreciate his music, but he will not change it, let alone cater to it.
At 60, an important turning point in life, neither mentality nor changes seem to be something Cui Jian cares about, or in his opinion, such changes are trivial. 60 is just a number. Who said that 60 represents old age? You can still sing on stage for two hours at the age of 60. When you stay up late or even overnight to create, record, and occasionally get a wonderful idea, you completely forget how old you are.
What Cui Jian cares about is that he is still doing what he likes, he can still create and perform without distraction, immerse himself in the pleasure of making music, and even staying up late to make music is regarded by him as a kind of health preservation-because of this. It can make him feel good. So the word retirement never appeared in his dictionary.
Cui Jian said: “Time goes straight, and time can be bent only when music is played.” Maybe time will elapse forever, but when the music is played, there will be a curve, the one who sang “Nothing” back then People, right there.
new album
“Flying Dog” expresses the most authentic Cui Jian at the moment
The “Flying Dog” album contains 8 songs, less than 40 minutes, is the shortest one in Cui Jian’s album, but the thickness and concentration are not reduced at all. The 8 songs were concentrated in 2017-2018, which condensed Cui Jian’s latest thinking and exploration of life, love, society, and history in recent years. It expresses the most authentic Cui Jian at the moment. The new idea lies in that he stands in the high-tech era and renews Ask about the meaning of life.
“The black of the universe”, “the beach of doomsday”, “the B-side of time”… these cold phrases condensed his thoughts. The “black of the universe” in “Flying Dog” is death, a black hole, and unknown. Mystery, corresponding to the wild rhythm and carnival and noise escort of “Flying Dog”, is the apocalypse-like vastness of “Doomsday Beach”; and “the B side of time” is different from “the A side of time” “The dark matter of life is darkness, fear, death, and even more courageous and heterogeneous rebellion. In “The B Side of Time”, it contains life energy that transcends the limit of time.
The album was released on the occasion of Cui Jian’s 60th birthday. Many people felt that this was Cui wanted to leave some voice for his 60s, but for Cui Jian, all this was just a coincidence.
“It should be released earlier. I thought it would definitely be done in one year. The result was one or two years later. We also learned a lot about this album, did a lot of experiments, and reached the final satisfactory result.”
Cui Jian has done successful experiments in many fields, including MV. In October 1991, Cui Jian and Zhang Yuan jointly completed the TV music film “Let Me Sprinkle Some Wilds on the Snow” won the MTV Music Video Award “International Audience Choice Award”. But Cui Jian has been reflecting on the MV. The so-called “music film” contains a series of visual art skills, such as photography, director, lighting equipment, makeup, etc. The only thing that has nothing to do with music is that the work of musicians is to perform. , Lip-synching.
“If you continue to sell music according to the way of MV, music will die. Real singing and real performance are bone marrow. The bone marrow is fake, and the other things are no nutrition at all. To build a culture from the bone marrow, everything revolves around the truth, otherwise Only pop singers are left, real musicians are not taken seriously, and the real music industry cannot rise.”
The two live music short films “Flying Dog” and “B Side of Time” of the new album are real live performances with visual images. This also shows his attitude: In the entertainment age of over-pretentious packaging and over-visualization, music must defend its strong live character. This is also Cui Jian’s consistent attitude since the launch of the “True Singing Movement” in 2002.
New product
To make music, you must first be satisfied with yourself
After Cui Jian’s new song was released, there were mixed reviews from the outside world. Some people said that Cui Jian was still the same Cui Jian, while others said that Cui Jian was old and the music stopped moving. But Cui Jian doesn’t care about the unexpected voices. He believes that the music made must first be satisfied by himself. “You can’t take it out if you are not excited. I am quite satisfied with the production of the two albums “Light Frozen” and “Flying Dog”. The previous albums, such as “Give You A Little Color” and “Incompetent” “Force” had some regrets in the production, and the conditions did not allow it at the time.”
When he first produced the work “Flying Dog”, Cui Jian was “not very confident” in the market. “The works are actually my children. When they become works and put on the market, they should be independent. I am. I don’t know if the audience will like it.”
But Cui Jian does not agree with the excessive segmentation of the market. He believes that good music does not need to divide the age, let alone divide the market by age group. “The market seems to belong to young people, but in fact, who is more in line with the market? With the new marketing model, whoever can occupy the market; whoever has the ability to consume the market can lead the trend and trend of the market.”
As for this kind of wind direction and trend, Cui Jian believes that there is still a lot of room for discussion. “Even if young people cannot agree with me 100%, there is no need to avoid this problem. Everyone knows in their hearts that the more marketable things are, the more likely they are. shallow.”
New music fans
Someone “can’t appreciate it” Old Cui doesn’t mind
As for some young music fans who don’t understand or “can’t appreciate” Cui’s music, Cui Jian doesn’t mind, but thinks this is normal.
“When we were young, we couldn’t tell the difference between good and bad when we listened to music. When we matured, we started to listen to music that was once neglected. Now many young people’s choices are guided. After a certain period of time, there will be aesthetic fatigue. Value or content that has not been noticed before.”
Cui Jian said frankly that he would not change himself for them, but he was willing to communicate and communicate with them. He is willing to spend time to understand young people’s preferences for music, and to find something to learn from. He will write down the music that young people like to listen to or the title of the album, and then go home to study it carefully, because he sincerely feels that young people listen to music that is much richer than the music of his generation.
“I don’t spend too much time studying young people. I just don’t give up the opportunity to observe them and watch their performances. I think this is a part of life. Enjoying the artwork created by others is about my own life. A supplement.”
But on the other hand, Cui Jian did notice that the market did not consider his generation of musicians as well-intentioned considerations and arrangements. From the last “Light Freeze” to today’s “Flying Dog” six years later, what he thought The theme of the expression is a kind of inheritance and continuation, but he is angry and helpless to those who pretend to know or do not understand. There is joking and disdain in his tone. “Someone clearly saw it, pretending to not see or understand.”
Since 35 years ago, Cui Jian’s music has never ceased to be critical, nor has he given up the opportunity to communicate and collide between rock music and society. This time, “Flying Dog” embodies his views on life, love, society, and history. His latest thoughts and explorations, among which new works echo and dialogue with his old works from different periods: from “Nothing” to “Left Behind”, from “False Monk” to “Quantum Law of Love”, from “Like a Knife” To “Continue”…maybe many people have noticed, maybe more people don’t care, this is the choice of the market, he accepts it safely, and believes that one day, these carefully made music will finally make people’s eyes Bright.
New changes
Acknowledge that you have many faces
Since Cui Jian sang “Nothing” in Beijing Workers Stadium in 1986, proclaiming the birth of Chinese rock music, Cui Fitness has various labels, such as “the father of Chinese rock” and “the first person of Chinese rock”. The public’s recognition of Cui Jian Most of it is cynicism, screaming, resistance, etc. On many occasions, Cui Jian’s “fire bombardment” or “fighting” actions are deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
After “Flying Dog” came out, some people commented that 60-year-old Cui Jian seemed to have become easy-going and less angry. Cui Jian did not agree with this.
“People have many faces, how can there be only one appearance. But there will always be people who use this side of you to attack your side. I can’t do this, and I can’t be instigated by them to hate myself.”
Perhaps because of this, with the song “B Side of Time”, Cui Jian said: If you saw the world as an A side before your thirties, it was relatively simple and straightforward and hit the nail on the head, the current expression may be more complicated. . The so-called “increased age and peace of mind” is superficial, even an illusion. Assuming there is a B side, it must be greater than one’s expressive ability, and the abstract lyrics under the pen represent this B side.
Of course, the 60-year-old Cui Jian is still different from when he was in his 20s and 30s: he is more tolerant than before, does not condemn anyone at will, and does not judge any individual. Cui Jian said that more self-awareness should be paid attention to and discovered. People will encounter many problems in the process of improving their independence. In the process, they will understand others better and enjoy the process. Without this process, he is not qualified to make comments such as “Cui Jian is old and easy-going”.
And his sensitivity and anger embodied in music are now more than before. It can also be said that “Flying Dog” represents a new beginning, and all he wants to express is here.
New turning point
60 years old does not mean that when you are old, work is health preservation
It is an important turning point for a person to reach sixty, but the mentality and changes at the age of 60 do not seem to be something that Cui Jian cares about, or in his opinion, this change is insignificant, because in his opinion, 60 is just a number. , Does not mean aging, now he can still sing on stage for two hours; to make an album, you can always run-in, financially and mentally, you can wait for your best state without any pressure to do it first. Satisfactory works.
“I have always had performances, I am self-sufficient, and able to take care of the surrounding staff. I have my own studio and bought a lot of equipment. It is not very luxurious. There is no pressure to pay rent. The soundproofing of the studio is very special. Well, you can play the trumpet when you work from midnight to morning. Apart from not playing drums, this is happiness. I think this way of life is so beautiful, so we are not willing to give up this way of working.”
Cui Jian even thinks that this kind of work itself is a kind of health preservation, because the mood is comfortable and there is no work pressure. The only pressure is the pressure on yourself. “The pressure of too much time is not the pressure of too little time, and there are dissatisfactions. I’m not allowed to rest for two days. It’s a good weekend, and I will start thinking about overcoming difficulties on Monday. After finding a way to solve the problem, I suddenly became cheerful and happy.” At this time, Cui Jianran forgot that he was nearly 60 years old and was just immersed in doing it. In the thrill of music, for him, health preservation is not about going to bed early, getting up early, having a good diet and eating habits, but being able to sleep until he wakes up naturally, and he can find happiness and satisfaction at work.
new Hope
I never thought about retirement
In Cui Jian’s view, the growth of age does not prevent a person from doing what he likes to do, and this kind of like and pursuit can make people better and better, so the word retirement has never appeared in his dictionary. .
In fact, the current state of Cui Jian’s performance can really confirm his feeling. He can perform for two consecutive days, and it is a high-quality performance. It can also travel in the middle, and it is not a problem to travel thousands of kilometers; on the stage From the adjustment of the breath, the conversion of the vocal range, and the supply of physical strength, it is far more comfortable than ever.
“So if you really like this job, nothing is a problem. Someone told me that you can sing three or four songs by yourself. Why should you sing for two hours? In fact, singing the third and fourth songs is the best When I was tired, after singing the fourth song, I started to relax, and I felt like I was getting better.”
Compared with theater-style performances, Cui Jian enjoys the interaction with the audience more at the music festival. He is eager for such interaction. He describes the feeling on stage and off stage as “just like a little fire.”
But concerts are even more challenging. Even if they are held in a bar or LiveHouse (small concert), they need to audition. The audition is actually a performance, plus a formal performance, it is equivalent to two consecutive performances, even if there are only 100 An audience, even fewer, went all out. If you change places, take a day off in the middle, or even do not rest, the next day you will immediately leave for another place to start the next stop. There will also be two more games, which are not a small test of physical strength and ability.
“This is what a real musician should do. I am willing to play this way. I can really exercise and improve. I enjoy this kind of work. Every day is like fighting, just like the various cells in your body. It’s also fighting to help your body’s resistance continue to improve.”
“I long to be blown by the strong wind/ I long to be pushed by the big waves/ But the sea is dry like wind/ But the wind is tender like water…” From 1986 to 2021, from the age of 25 to 60, Cui Jian never stopped observing and Recording and searching for new expressions will be the same in the future. His “musical thinking” is still burning and has a steady flow of energy.
Text/Reporter Shou Penghuan Photography/Wang Xiaoxi (except for signature) Coordinator/Man Yi
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