uou archive / catalog
CD / Digital
October 2025
TRACKLIST
1-6 Prioritization Suite
-美貌 Beauty
-金錢 Money
-運勢 Fortune
-才智 Brains
-臉皮 Thick Skin
-努力 Perseverance
7.七言絕句 Seven-Character Quatrain
8.以後成為星座 Fade Into Constellation
9.盡頭 The Terminus
total 62:38
陳穎達 Ying-Da Chen / Guitar / Compositions
謝明諺 Minyen Hsieh / Saxophones
池田欣彌 Ikeda Kinya / Bass Guitar
林偉中 Weichung Lin / Drums
Produced by Ying-Da Chen
Recorded at MoriSound Studio, Taiwan
Date March 9th &10th 2025
Mixed by Yuchain Wang
Mastered by Taku Unami
Photographer & Layout by Tien-Chun Chang
起初，他向我簡單描述這是一張形似於日本70-80年代自由爵士的專輯，我想這是要讓我迅速理解專輯形狀的方法，然而實際聆聽便能理解這並非單純的對照。器樂的聲音經過樂手在本地與他方的生活經歷，或有欣喜或有苦悶，最終顯現出成熟階段才能展現出的不屈、美麗和自由。
『Live Without Irony』是陳穎達醞釀已久的直球對決，專輯的前中段由六首Prioritization Suite組曲構成，起先有著充滿直覺與明快節奏的強大火力、中段雖有蜇伏但飽滿厚實的能量仍隱隱作現，每回重複的聆聽都能從一小時的錄音中找到全新的樂趣！在六首組曲過後的三首曲目，讓我想起陳穎達令人熟悉的笑容，就像專輯的封面那樣。然而若能仔細聆聽，顯然又是一張擁有更多生命體驗的臉龐。
這張發行於2025年10月的專輯並非一股腦衝撞體制而後沒有尾勁的盲砲，而是陳穎達將生活與聲音的思考匯聚，製作而出直擊人心的樂音。在台灣的爵士錄音中這樣的嘗試並不常見，若是將這樣的樂曲放入世界各地的自由爵士場景當中，亦能在其中快速辨認其無法被輕易模仿再現的特質。十分期待接下來台灣的爵士音樂場景有著更多展開未知之境、帶有個人聲音色彩的演出和發行！
推薦曲：
＊「美貌」 ：將ＣＤ放入播放器就能馬上被一股宣告的能量衝擊，樂手們經過多年配合的默契，讓全新的風景一開始就能以全景模式觀看。十分鐘的曲子，到了後段也逐漸顯現出細微的層次，自由爵士的大傑作！
＊「才智」：歷經三首自由奔放又或者如同在公園隨意散步尋找靈光的曲目「運勢」，這首曲子突然間被賦予了穩定的節拍，從頭至尾穩定輸出的爵士鼓，仔細聽來還是有鼓手林偉中的靈魂，這難道是爵士鼓的極簡音樂嗎？在節拍之外，穎達的吉他聲響帶著強大的能量四處與極簡之聲遊戲，全員最後的加入，突然之間又達到了某種精神爵士昇華的時刻。
＊「臉皮」：這首曲子連著前一首曲子「才智」就像是一枚更低沉的鏡像作，喜歡更多薩克斯與池田欣彌貝斯節奏的人，敬請入內。
＊「星座」：讓我想起穎達過去的作品，富有同理心與個人思維的深度作品。在海岸邊，有四個人在一片長滿草的高地上觀星，穎達的吉他突然有了邊陲區域民族音樂的既視感，而謝明諺的吹奏在這裡是美麗深邃的黑色。
At first, he described it as something in the spirit of Japanese free jazz from the 1970s and 80s. That was a useful shortcut for grasping its outline, but listening closely shows that it is not a simple reflection. The sound of these instruments carries the musicians’ lived experiences at home and abroad, filled at times with joy and at times with struggle, and the result is a resilience, beauty, and freedom that only come with maturity.
Live Without Irony is a direct and long-prepared statement from Ying-Da Chen. The first two-thirds of the record are built around the six-part Prioritization Suite. It begins with instinctive bursts and sharp rhythms, then settles into a quieter phase where the energy remains strong and full. Each listen to the hour-long suite brings new discoveries. The final three tracks reveal a more familiar side of Chen, recalling his characteristic smile that also appears on the cover, yet beneath that image is a face marked by deeper experiences.
Released in October 2025, this album is not a reckless collision with no lasting force. It brings together Chen’s reflections on life and sound, shaping music that speaks with directness and impact. Such an approach is still rare in Taiwanese jazz recordings, and within the broader world of free jazz it stands out as something that cannot be easily imitated. It also points toward a future in which Taiwanese jazz will open new ground with more performances and releases that carry individual voices and distinct colors.
Recommended tracks：
- Beauty: The opening track immediately strikes with a surge of energy. Years of ensemble connection allow a new musical landscape to unfold in panoramic form. Over its ten minutes, layers gradually surface, making it a masterpiece
- Brains: Following the wandering openness of Fortune, this track establishes a steady beat. The drums hold a firm, continuous pulse that feels both minimal and soulful. Chen’s guitar moves with strong energy around the beat, and when the whole band joins, the music reaches a moment of spiritual intensity.
- Thick Skin: A darker counterpart to Wisdom, this track highlights the saxophone and Ikeda Kinya
- Fade Into Constellation: This piece recalls Chen’s earlier works with empathy and depth. It feels like standing on a grassy coastal hill at night, four musicians looking at the stars. Chen’s guitar takes on the quality of borderland folk traditions, while Hsieh Ming-Yen’s saxophone shapes a resonant and beautiful darkness.
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