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After several false alarms and much speculation, we are delighted to announce that Sonic Youth are indeed coming to China. You can see this legendary New York band in April. It’s going to be the most exciting show these shores have ever seen.
We’ve already seen major International artists playing China in 2007, and more will come, but ask yourselves – are any as important as Sonic Youth? Cui Jian seems not to think so:
“It came all of a sudden, Sonic Youth is coming to China! The band I once felt so far away from me now has come to my doorstep where the red flag is still fluttering. It doesn’t matter what people identify Sonic Youth with – the post-punk or the guru of No Wave or the pioneer of free avant-garde, experimental and noise – what does matter is they are here, here in Beijing and Shanghai. They’ll land on the mainland!”
Sonic Youth have re-written the rules and in doing so have become the most culturally important independent rock band of the last 25 years. They have been a major influence on Chinese youth and the rock scene here since the very beginning, and their appeal spans ages and genres in today’s China. Moreover the band is still relevant today, making music that is the soundtrack to many lives. Sonic Youth are still experimenting after 21 albums and their 21st – Rather Ripped (2006) – was ranked number 3 album of the year by Rolling Stone!!!
So why now?
Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon explained their decision to come in 2007 to play live for the first time, “we’ve been interested in China for many years, but the timing has never seemed appropriate for a band like us. All of a sudden China seems to be opening up and accepting the outside world. We cannot wait to be one of the first major Western bands to play this amazing country.”
Gordon, along with her husband Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo, formed Sonic Youth with drummer Richard Edson in 1981. They went on to inspire and influence a whole generation of other artists. From the outset they mixed experimental rock with New York’s avant-garde aesthetic and created an entirely new sound, a sound that completely redefined what guitars could do.
Nathaniel Davis, of Split Works, is excited at the band’s decision to recognize what Spli-t wants to bring to the Chinese audiences, “We want to create great live music experiences that will leave a lasting impression on local music fans. With Sonic Youth, the audience will see a band that has remained at the top of their field for over 25 years. This is live music uncompromised.”
This will be a seminal moment in the development of China’s emerging music scene. Spli-t Works is proud to have the opportunity to work with such an influential band…
Come and be blown away.
Event details:
23rd April Beijing at The Star Live Ticket prices 600/350
24th April Shanghai at the Shanghai Concert Hall. Ticket prices 580/380[:zh]
经过外界无数沸沸扬扬的猜测和推断，开功策划公司荣幸地宣布——让中国乐迷苦候多年的音速青年乐队（Sonic Youth）将会在四月中旬空降北京与上海。
2007年即将会来华的大牌国际艺人与乐队有不少。但是这支纽约乐队的到来却为中国摇滚现场带来划里程碑式的意思。对于音速青年的突然空降，中国一代摇滚巨星崔健感触良多：
“突然得知Sonic Youth这支在上个世纪末让我曾经感到远离家园的乐队将要来到我的家门口，将要来到了红旗还在飘扬的高墙的外面。无论他们被人称作是后朋克还是no wave的鼻祖，还是什么自由先锋、试验、噪音音乐的先驱都统统不重要，重要的是他们来了，而且来的是北京而不光是上海，是登陆而不光是靠岸。”
音速青年改写了摇滚的规则，也使他们在过去的25年里，成为另类摇滚乐坛里最有艺术影响力的独立乐队。在中国，他们几乎影响了整整一代人的成长，拥有崇高的声望。时至现今，中国乐坛的众多乐队还继续深受其演出。乐队去年发布的第21张专辑Rather Ripped，拥有一如既往的实践精神，大碟甫一推出就打入Billboard榜，并被美国《滚石》杂志评分年度最佳专辑的第三位。这张专辑回归了轻柔，朴素，简洁的吉他风格，让支持他们多年乐迷们仿佛穿越时空，回到了八十年代执着的摇滚黄金岁月。
为什么终于此时来到中国呢？
乐队的贝司手兼主唱Kim Gordon回答说：“我们对中国已经向往多年，但对于像我们这样的另类乐队来说，时机似乎一直还不是很成熟。但突然间，中国又重新开放了起来。我们迫切地想成为第一批在这个了不起的国家里表演的西方另类乐队。”
哥顿与她的丈夫Thurston Moore以及Lee Ranaldo，与鼓手Richard Edson在1981年组成了音速青年。是80年代最具代表性的吉他摇滚团体之一。有别于其他的摇滚乐队，音速青年追求的除了精神上的发泄、感官上的刺激之外，更多了实验性的气质，混合了纽约前卫艺术的美学哲学，虽然他们使用的乐器，和大多数的摇滚乐队一样，使用了鼓、吉他、贝司，但是你就是不能说出他们的风格承自于谁。同时，音速青年在赋与了吉他音色一种生命，在巨大、不和谐的实验声音之下，还创造了一种空间感，使声音变成一种永无止境的旅行。
本次演唱会的策划公司—— 开功策划公司的营运总监戴子文认为音速青年把本次中国之旅交给开功是对公司的一个很大的肯定：“我们的目的是要把最好的音乐现场带给中国的乐迷。特别是把过去25年里一直保持着旺盛的创作精力以及对中国摇滚乐有着无比深远影响的乐队带来中国，我们感到十分荣幸。”
今年四月，快来开启，或者完结您的摇滚青春梦吧！
活动详情：
北京 4月23日 星光现场 票价600／350
上海 4月24日 上海音乐厅 票价580／380
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