Sun-drenched distortion, simmering waves of synths, and dream pop that’s not afraid to take a risk and head to the prom circa 1986 – it’s a sound that when done right, feels like bliss. And Shaoxing’s City Flanker hits pretty damn close on their debut LP, The Journey to City Flanker. Chock full of nostalgia-invoking, trance inducing tracks layered with droning riffs, cascades of feedback, and a neon-lit sense of atmosphere, the band strikes a chord that’s both retro and modern; intoxicated in romance and too cool for school. It’s geeky, it’s stylish, and loads of fun. The band was kind enough to say a few words about their just released.
沐浴在阳光下的失真，蒸汽波的合成音乐，还有敢于冒险前往1986年舞会的梦幻流行音乐——这是一种正确的声音，感觉很幸福。来自绍兴的City Flanker在他们的首张LP《The Journey to City Flanker》中表现得相当不错。这支乐队充满怀旧情绪，令人着迷、诱人的歌曲中充斥着嗡嗡声的重复乐句、级联的反馈和霓虹灯照亮下的氛围，这支乐队创造出了一个既复古又现代的和弦;陶醉在这浪漫中，自我感觉非常酷。它很怪，很时尚，而且很有趣。乐队很友好地对他们刚刚发布的专辑说了几句话。
Q: Could you introduce the band — where are you from and how the band got started?
问：能先介绍一下乐队吗？乐队来自哪里，以及是如何开始的？
A: Thank you William, our band is from Shaoxing, an ancient town from southern China. The reason we all came together is actually very simple. We were all from the same university drawn to one another by our love for rock music.
答：谢谢你威廉，我们的乐队来自绍兴，一个来自中国南方的古老小城，我们的乐队成因其实很简单，所有的乐手都来自同一所大学，我们起初就是由一群喜欢摇滚乐的同学所聚集起来的。
Q: While your earlier work leans more into shoegaze territory, you’ve been adding more and more dance elements into your sound. What led you down this path? How did the band evolve over the years?
问：早期的作品更倾向于 shoegaze的音乐风格,音乐里面也加入了很多舞蹈的元素。是什么原因让你们有这样的选择，在过去的几年中，你们的音乐有什么变化？
A: Over time, our understanding of music has changed – it always changing – and the artists we admire are never limited by a certain style, even if said new style may be an unwelcome risk in our own sound.
答：随着时间的推移，我们对音乐的理解和认知也在不断的改变，而我们所欣赏的艺术家从来不会被某种固定的风格而受到局限，即使冒着新的风格可能不受欢迎的风险。
Q: While your earlier work leans more into shoegaze territory, you’ve been adding more and more dance elements into your sound. What led you down this path? How did the band evolve over the years?
问：早期的作品更倾向于 shoegaze的音乐风格,音乐里面也加入了很多舞蹈的元素。是什么原因让你们有这样的选择，在过去的几年中，你们的音乐有什么变化？
A: Over time, our understanding of music has changed – it always changing – and the artists we admire are never limited by a certain style, even if said new style may be an unwelcome risk in our own sound.
答：随着时间的推移，我们对音乐的理解和认知也在不断的改变，而我们所欣赏的艺术家从来不会被某种固定的风格而受到局限，即使冒着新的风格可能不受欢迎的风险。
Q: Listening closely to each track, there’s a wide range of influences in your music? How has your musical tastes changed over the years?
问：仔细听每首歌曲，可以感受到你们的音乐的多元化，也受到很多因素的影响，你们对音乐的认知在过去的几年有什么变化?
A: From the original shoegaze to nu-gaze, from dreampop to ambient and drone, we have seen the infinite possibilities of synthesizers in music, and our musical tendencies are becoming more liberal. Just like life, music has many levels. We try to extend the latitude of our music to a more expansive level.
答：从最初的Shoegaze到Nu-gaze，从dreampop到ambient/drone我们看到了合成器在音乐中的无限可能，我们的音乐倾向也在变得更包容。就像生活一样，音乐也是具有很多个层面的，我们试着将我们音乐的纬度扩展到更广阔的层面。
Q: What song on the new album do you feel closest with? Could you explain the meaning behind the song?
问：你对新专辑的哪首歌曲最熟悉，能解释一下这首歌曲的含义吗?
A: Personally, I like the song “Moment” very much, because looking at life, it is composed of these crucial moments or fragments. I think everyone has these unexpectedly joyful moments in their hearts. What we tried to do was record that particular feeling, so when we hear the song later, we can immediately recall that same emotion all over again.
答：从个人来说，我很喜欢“moment”这首歌，因为人生对我来说就是由一些重要的瞬间或是片段组成的，我想每个人心中都有一些不为人知的美好瞬间，我们尝试的就是将那一刻的感觉记录下来，或者说当以后听见这首歌时，能重新回想起那时的情感。
Q: While many bands seem to migrant to cities with robust music scenes, for the most part, your band is based around Shaoxing – what has kept you there? Could you describe how the city has influenced you and your music?
问：有很多乐队都去到了一些音乐环境繁华的城市，你们的乐队目前是在绍兴，是什么让你们愿意留在绍兴，能不能介绍一下这个城市对你和你的乐队都产生了哪些影响?
A: In fact, our musicians work in different cities, and now we are basically rehearsing in Hangzhou. The band’s album was actually produced in Hangzhou’s Chaochang Music Studio. Compared with the fact that cities have influenced our music, I am more inclined to think that our experiences and favorite artists have influenced our music moreso. Of course, our life in Shaoxing is also a part of our experiences.
答：事实上，我们的乐手分别在不同的城市工作，现在我们基本上都在杭州排练，乐队的专辑也是在杭州的巢场音乐工作室制作的。//比起是城市影响了我们的音乐，我更倾向于认为是我们的经历和喜爱的艺术家影响了我们的音乐，当然我们在绍兴的生活也是经历的一部分。
Q: Whats your favorite piece of musical equipment and why?
问：你最喜欢哪种乐器，为什么喜欢?
A: I like all kinds of things, and it ’s hard to say which one is my favorite. I always feel that musical instruments are for music. As far as I am concerned, I am very interested in wind instruments in folk music. I bought a lot of interesting flutes in Nepal. If you have a chance, you can try playing them. The process is very interesting.
答：各种各样的我都喜欢，很难说哪一个是我的最爱，我始终觉得乐器是为音乐而服务的，就最近而言，我对民族音乐中的吹奏类的乐器很感兴趣，我在尼泊尔买了很多有趣的笛子，有机会的话你也可以试试演奏它们，过程非常有趣。
Listen to The Journey To City Flanker below
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