J-will

7/6/06 4:39pm Aboard a flight back to LA

Once again writing this journal on a plane … however, what makes this entry different than others is that it marks the end of the production my fifth studio album. I’ve spent the past few weeks literally living in the studio working till roughly 4 to 5am everyday. I can only describe my feeling right now as relieved as it is almost over with the mastering of the album remaining to be completed. As you can imagine, I am thoroughly exhausted though for some strange reason I don’t feel it. In fact, I feel a certain energy and anticipation within me probably because I haven’t had the time to cool down or unwind yet.  I’m sure my body is low on energy but I feel as if I can still go on a few more days without sleep or rest. For some strange reason I feel as if there is still more work to do on the album though it’s near completion.

Looking back, it’s been a very challenging, often times frustrating though, in the end, rewarding experience making this album. There is so much I want to share with you about this album and itsˇ making though it’d be better if I didn’t divulge too much just yet. The album, as I mentioned before, is a “softer” album in terms of sound. It isn’t as edgy or controversial as perhaps the past two albums though I feel it is, nonetheless, still an album with a clear concept and reflects what I’ve been feeling during this period. I’ve tried for the past few years to make albums that were cohesive in tone and sound; however, I always felt that I fell short. Regardless of how successful the albums were, I always felt that there wasn’t enough unity in sound as well as in concept with my previous albums.  However, I feel with this album I achieved more cohesiveness in what I was trying to say along with how I said it. Musically, for example, you’ll find on this album a large presence of string and horn sections. Part of my intention was to bring in a lot of my musical influences from the 60’s and 70’s Soul and Rock eras in which strings and horns played a large part of the sound and arrangements.  Therefore, this album has a certain musical nostalgia from those periods though not necessarily going for a vintage sound. I feel the sound and feel of this album is much more grand, dramatic and larger than my previous albums. Lyrically and thematically, there is also more of a sense of romanticism and sentimentality than previous albums, which were more realistic without taking as much creative liberty.

One thing that I discovered as I was making this album was that hidden behind all this sentimentality and romanticism was a hidden sense of fear within me. This fear, specifically, was of the loss of time, memories and feelings I held dear in my heart. Looking at it from another perspective, there is this fear of losing these things while at the same time appreciating and cherishing them.  Perhaps as we get older we tend to be more preoccupied by things in the past while when you’re young you feel as if there’s nothing to lose and life is all about forward momentum. There was quite a bit of irony as I was writing the lyrics for many of the songs because there always seemed to be a dual meaning and purpose for everything. This was revealed to me gradually as I was making the album, as it was something that crept out from my subconscious mind.

Like I said before, making an album often times takes you to uncharted territories musically but also within your own heart and mind. And that is what makes this entire experience so rewarding. A famous musician once said that if you find a formula for making successful music then you should quit making music. That couldn’t be truer as life and the creative process should always be about surprises, spontaneity and real emotions.

As these following months ensue, I’ll be touring and promoting this new album. Though the album may be completed the journey has just begun. I’ll be looking forward to seeing and hearing many of you again as well as also sharing with you new music, stories and emotions from this album. Please stay tuned.

DT

2006年7月6日，下午4点39分，登上返回洛城的班机

又是在飞机上写日记…不过，这次跟以前不太一样的，这代表第五张录音室专辑的制作过程已经告一段落了。我过去几个礼拜差不多就是住在录音室里，每天工作到清晨四、五点。我只能说我现在的心情是比较放松的，专辑只差母带後期处理便可大功完成。可想而知的，我应该是彻底的筋疲力尽了，但很怪的，我竟然没有这种感觉。事实上，我内心充满能量与期待，这有可能是因为我还没有时间静下心来好好休息。我很确定我现在的体能是很虚弱的，但是我又觉得自己好像还可以好几天不用睡觉或休息。不知怎麼搞的，虽然专辑已经差不多算完成了，但我还是觉得有很多事情要做。

在制作专辑的这段时间是充满挑战，有时甚至是令人沮丧的，但是最後的结果著实让我受益良多的。我好想跟你们分享这张专辑的内容跟制作过程，只是现在我好像还不能透露太多。就像我之前说过的，这张专辑在听觉上将会是一张「比较柔性」的专辑。这张专辑或许不像前两张专辑那样尖锐而充满争议性，但我觉得它依然是一张概念清楚的专辑，真实反映了我这段时间的心情。过去这几年，我一直尝试做出音调与响音一致的专辑；然而，我总是觉得结果不尽理想。不论之前的专辑有多成功，我还是觉得它们的响音跟概念的统一性是不够的。然而，我觉得这张新专辑的一致性做得比以前更好了，它相当贴近我想传达的想法。例如在音乐上，你可以发现这张专辑铺陈了许多弦乐与管乐。之所以会有这样的做法，部份原因是因为我想将我承袭自60、70年代的灵魂乐与摇滚乐的影响带进这张专辑，而弦乐跟管乐在那个时期的编曲里面便占了相当大的比例。因此，这张专辑在音乐上或多或少呈现出那个时期的怀旧氛围，但又不是全然复古的。我觉得这张专辑的响音与情绪是比之前的作品更为开阔且张力十足。以往的歌词与主题偏重在现实的陈述，这次则是运用更多天马行空的创意，抒发出更为浓烈的浪漫与感伤情怀。

在做这张专辑的过程里，我发觉到在这些浪漫与感伤的身後，潜藏著我体内的恐惧。我尤其害怕时间、记忆与心中宝贵感受的消失。换个角度来看，这样的恐惧其实是一种感激与珍惜。也许随著我们年岁的渐增，我们会对过往的事物愈发著迷，而不像勇往直前的年轻生命，不怕失去，不畏消逝。我在写新歌的歌词时，很多都带有反讽的意味，每件事物都具备了双重的意义与目的。

就像我之前说的，制作一张专辑经常会带著你进入未知的领域，这不仅是音乐上的，还包括你的心与灵。整个制作的经验也因而变得弥足珍贵。曾经有位知名音乐人说过，如果你发现了制作畅销音乐的秘方，那你就不应该再作音乐了。人生的真理不就是如此吗！创作的过程应该一直是充满惊喜、自然而真实的情感。

未来的这几个月，我将展开新专辑的宣传行程。只要专辑一出炉，旅程便正式启动。我很期待可以看到你们，听见你们的声音，跟你们分享关於新专辑的音乐、故事与感情。敬请密切期待…

陶喆