The Many Characters of this Body – MAFAzine Issue 1

Audio Scenario Building: Conversation with Chuanzi Gao

Interview Conducted by Annan Shao

Intro: Chuanzi was my art teacher in high school, and he is also an indie musician(as vocal for the psychedelic rock band Frozen Street ). As I’m interested in building scenario in my art, I interviewed him about his experience and opinions on working at the intersection audio and visual works.

Q: How do you gain inspiration for your pieces?

As both a painter and musician, I would create a motivation that involve sensation elements first. It could be feeling in my life or a illusion. These clips are like storyboards in a film flashing in my conscious. Then writing the music are just like making soundtracks for the film. It involves synaesthesia ability in multiple art forms, which you can get sophisticated through practicing.

Q: You talked about practicing, which is time consuming in both visual and audio art. How do you manage your time when practicing?

Normally I wouldn’t check my time division deliberately, I just use every possible minute for practice. I’m not that pushing-to-limit type, but the way I complete my work has to be efficient since it’s group work. I would finish my technical part aside from band practicing. Rehearsal is about the right tension and atmosphere for creation, without which your art would end up like inorganic ruins. 

Q: How do you think of your creating circumstance?

Living in the era of fast consumption, nearly all the audience choose a fast track for entertaining. Musicians push themselves to make news and singles, with a pathetic fear for being eliminated the competition. I pity them, and don’t think trade completeness with speed is a nice bargain. 

Q: How does your cultural background impacts your work?

I’ve always believed the change background can bring on creators. Sometimes it’s a specific way of making visual and audio combination, sometimes it’s a longing for certain topic that roots in your culture. In my case, the emotion burst only happens when I leave my home zone, as my base for creation.