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How To Dress Well is the stage name of American musician Tom Krell, who first started anonymously releasing demos under that pseudonym in 2009. Receiving almost instant acclaim for his haunting falsetto layered over delicate yet memorable production, attention from publications such as the New York Magazine and Pitchfork forced Krell out of his bedroom sanctuary and into the spotlight. After putting out several free mixtapes on his Soundcloud page, Krell released his first full-length album Love Remains in 2010 on Lefse in the US and Tri Angle in Europe and Asia. It was hailed variously as “meditative and evocative” (SPIN), “evocative and heartwrenching[ly] transparent” (Tiny Mix Tapes), and “the biggest breakthrough in home-recorded lo-fi in years” (Pitchfork), landed on numerous year-end Best-Of lists and cemented Krell as a production force to be reckoned with.
In between the release of Love Remains and Krell’s sophomore effort Total Loss, the musician lost both an uncle and close friend. Whereas on Love Remains Krell de-emphasised lyrics in his tracks in favour of vocal melisma that enhanced the overall atmosphere of each song, Total Loss sees him pull back from the chillwave fog and confront his grief head-on. The results include heartbreaking valediction “Talking To You,” the stately and Oriental instrumental track “World I Need You, Won’t Be Without You” and downright peppy (by comparison) lead single “& It Was U.” In Total Loss, Krell confronts his grief with total clarity and brings all of us to our knees in the process.
This March, Split Works is honored to welcome How To Dress Well to China, in association with Scorched Asia for the JUE | Music + Art Festival. Keep plenty of tissues handy.
How To Dress Well – Cold Nites (Live)
SHOW INFORMATION:
【Shanghai】
Date: Friday March 8, 2013
Time: 9:00 PM
Location: 390 Live
Address: 390 Panyu Lu, nr. Fahuazhen Lu
Support: Downstate
Tickets: 100 RMB (Door) / 60 RMB (Student)
【Beijing】
Date: Saturday March 9, 2013
Time: 9:00 PM
Location: 2 Kolegas
Address: 21 Liangmaqiao Lu (Inside the Drive-In Movie Theatre)
Support: Lantern Festival
Tickets: 100 RMB (Door) / 60 RMB (Student)
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About JUE | Music + Art Festival:
觉 / JUE (pronounced joo-eh) –verb: to sense; to awaken. JUE | Music + Art is an annual open-source arts and music festival in both Shanghai and Beijing, presented by Split Works. Now in its fifth year, JUE is all about celebrating the best of the local creative communities in these two great cities and inviting artists from around the world to showcase their talent in China. JUE is a collaborative, open-source affair. Each individual event organizer is entitled to set their own entrance fee and to keep 100% of the proceeds. JUE is growing tremendously year-on-year. The 2012 festival drew over 39,000 attendees to 88 events! But we always strive to maintain a strong sense of community, an intimate vibe, and a top-tier selection of artists and events.
http://www.howtodresswell.com
https://spli-t.com
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How To Dress Well（以下简称HTDW）这个神秘的名字出现在09年，以其为名义创作出的大量带有实验色彩，空灵飘渺的R&B音乐作品以EP的形式被放在个人博客上。之后的一年，这个名字逐渐在网络上引起了关注，并被证明是R&B音乐创作人Tom Krell 的灵感产物，一位在美国布鲁克林土生土长，在德国柏林求学的哲学系学生的作品。
2010年，用一把熟练驾驭高音和顺滑转音的迷人声线，出神入化的创作技巧以及对于80年代90年代R&B的再现和革新使HTDW成功俘获了大量乐迷。他的首张专辑《Love Remains》发正式行之后，便得到圈内媒体的高度评价，Pitchfork的最佳新音乐，Stereogum的年度最佳新晋艺人等等名号相继而至。更有乐评人形容他就像一个声音雕塑家，由他手中营造出的R’n’B氛围犹如一颗流光溢彩的宝石，把听者拖入冥想，迷失，沉醉的循环里。
Tom Krell 对首张专辑的大获褒奖并不留恋，很快撤身而退，在这期间他曾面对的是挚友及家庭成员过世的沉痛打击。仿佛是他个人思想过程的写照，从HTDW的音乐中，我们可以同时听出悲怆凄美和令人振奋的强烈情绪。2年后，HTDW的第二张专辑《Total Loss》发行。这张独特且充满灵性的专辑没有辜负众多期盼，再次得到了相当高的回应。一贯使用的低保真风格，现代R&B映衬下的多种曲风元素穿插，使人成瘾的纯粹美妙音符，拼合出一片如梦如幻的声场。HTDW的音乐中那份细腻，毫无保留的真实和直白，不但治愈了他本人的一度的挣扎与痛苦，也让聆听者感同身受，为之动容。原本常显得商业浮夸的流行，R&B曲风影响来源，经过他的全身心投入的实验和改造演变为了格外诚挚，让人迷恋的艺术作品。
看过他现场的乐迷这么评论：“Tom Krell的嗓音非常非常地动人，很纤细不黏腻的R&B嗓。他唱歌的时候投入到会一直不知不觉地舞动手肘。许多歌的现场版加进了小提琴，如Cold Nite竟然显得有些凄凉起来，听得我一身鸡皮疙瘩（太感动了！）。……总的来说我被这场不到一小时的演出打动得很厉害，就是特别地真实特别地美好，也许是因为场地小舞台近人也不多构造出了亲近的氛围，也许是专辑里层层处理的声音在现场终于浮出水面给了我意外的惊喜。 ”想必读完这段文字的你已经和我一样坐不住，迫切地期待How To Dress Well作为3月《觉》音乐+艺术节的首场演出，和乐迷的近距离接触。
How To Dress Well – Cold Nites (Live)
美国空灵R&B独立音乐人How To Dress Well中国巡演
【上海】
日期：2013年3月8日，周五
时间：21:00
场地：390 Live
地址：长宁区番禺路390号，近法华镇路
嘉宾：Downstate
票价：60元（学生）/ 100元（现场）
【北京】
日期：2013年3月9日，周六
时间：21:00
场地：两个好朋友
地址：朝阳区亮马桥路21号枫花园汽车电影院内
嘉宾：Lantern Festival
票价：60元（学生）/ 100元（现场）
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《觉》音乐+艺术节简介：
觉/ JUE, 动词：感知，觉醒。《觉》音乐+艺术节是一年一度由Split Works在上海和北京两地举办的开源艺术音乐节。今年即将五岁的《觉》，一直致力于彰显这两座城市中最了不起的本土创意团体，并热情邀请来自于世界的优秀艺术家来到中国展示自己的才华。在为期两周的节日里，《觉》活动将在北京和上海的一系列不同场馆中举行。表演艺术、电影、诵读音乐、街头艺术、工作室、摄影展、现场音乐会、还有些许疯狂… 所有这些都被容纳在《觉》宽容的怀抱中。《觉》的发展每年都在登上一个新的台阶。2012年我们总共举办了88场活动，吸引了39,000位观众！相信今年的《觉》会更加精彩，活动详细请见官网
《觉》音乐+艺术节官网：http://www.juefestival.com
How To Dress Well官网: http://howtodresswell.com/
Split Works 官网：https://spli-t.com
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