Latest news with #musicduo
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Tafee Crys Releases AI-Powered Single ‘We Drank the Sea' to Sound the Alarm on Ocean Pollution
New Single 'We Drank the Sea' Released Last Week Uses Musical Metaphor to Reveal Environmental Pollution's Silent Crys Blends AI and Art to Compose an Elegy for the Ocean and Reflect on the Consequences of Concealment. In their newly released single We Drank the Sea, the music duo Tafee Crys combines electronic soundscapes with minimalist lyrics to craft a parable about ocean pollution, the suppression of information, and the consequences humanity must bear. Created with the assistance of artificial intelligence, the track is both haunting and melodic, offering a poetic lens through which to reflect on issues such as radioactive wastewater discharge and health crises that only came to light years later. The duo's two members, Zheng Wu and Yaqi Mao, who have received numerous international music awards, shared the inspiration behind the song, their use of AI in the creative process, and how music can serve as a powerful medium for environmental reflection. Inspiration Behind the Song When asked about the inspiration for We Drank the Sea, Wu explained that the idea stemmed from real-world events, decisions that were intentionally hidden and ultimately affected countless lives. The lyrics of the song set up a situation where the public is led to believe that everything is safe concerning the ocean, years later they discover that they ate the bad. The song captures feelings of deception and harm between the relationship of trust and the places where we are silent. Mao added that they wanted to pose a question: If the ocean had a voice, what would it say back to us? The Power of Metaphor The lyrics primarily used metaphor, avoiding direct statements about environmental concerns. Wu said metaphor is an invitation for deeper thought, getting people to think about how environmental damage could affect humanity's future in ways we don't normally think. He explained that he didn't want the message to be shallow. Mao stated that an artist doesn't have to yell to be powerful. Environmental degradation seems to have complex and deep consequences, and every issue can be considered from multiple perspectives. Regardless of whether people come to different interpretations, the important thing is that people begin to think about the environmental issues we are facing today, and in the future. The Role of AI in the Creative Process AI was involved in the flow of the song, making it more efficient and providing creative opportunities. Mao noted that while the duo wrote the lyrics and melody themselves, AI helped them explore new sonic textures. It didn't replace their creativity but expanded what they could achieve. Wu added that AI allowed them to experiment freely, refining the track until it resonated emotionally. Recurring Environmental Themes in Their Work This isn't the first time Tafee Crys has addressed environmental themes. Their earlier piece, Flying Guest, also touched on ecological concerns. However, with We Drank the Sea, they aimed to delve even deeper. Wu recognized that human advancement will always affect the environment, though he emphasized how we do not need to be fully aware of this reality. Mao cautioned that while views toward pollution can differ: some too alarmist, some too dismissive, these various approaches show how complicated and wrought with distortion humanity's relationship with environmental reality can be. The Message for Listeners Wu expressed hope that the song would encourage reflection, even discomfort. If it makes listeners pause and question whether such scenarios are unfolding in reality, then the duo considers their mission accomplished. Mao added that beyond the musical experience, he hopes the track inspires small but meaningful changes in daily habits, whether using a cloth bag instead of plastic or refusing to discard trash into the ocean. Even minor actions, he noted, can make a difference. Media Contact Company Name: Tafee Crys Contact Person: Wu Zheng Email: Send Email Country: China Website: Source: The China Box
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Sparks has been making music for more than half a century. They see no reason to retire
LOS ANGELES (AP) — They've spent more than half a century together as bandmates, putting out dozens of records. But brothers Ron and Russell Mael — the duo behind the art-pop band Sparks — have no intention of retiring anytime soon. The band's sound has been ever-evolving since its inception. Ron, 79, and Russell, 76, view resisting any impulse to remain the same or rest on a previous record's success as a central priority. Ahead of the release of 'Mad!,' their 28th studio album, on Friday, as well as an upcoming tour, the pair spoke with The Associated Press about why they keep working, not waiting for inspiration to strike and why it's been so meaningful for younger generations to find their music. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. AP: Talk about how you approach making new music after all of these years. RUSSELL: After 28 albums, the challenge is just trying to find new ways to kind of retain the universe that Sparks has created, but to obviously try to make it fresh for people that have been following the band for a long time. And the other thing is also just to try to make an album that maybe doesn't sound like it's from a band with a 28-album-long history, so that if someone were to pick up the new 'Mad!' album, and this was the first exposure they had to Sparks, that it would be as poignant and provocative in all sorts of ways as anything we've done in our past. AP: You both grew up in Los Angeles during a pivotal time for rock music but moved to the U.K. early on in your careers for a bit. Do you feel like your surroundings inform your creative process? RON: When we first started out, we had never even been to Europe or anywhere. But we kind of pretended like we were a British band because that was the music that we really responded to. And we always kind of liked bands that had an image. LA bands, in general — at the time we were starting — an image was something that ran counter to musical integrity. And we always thought that was ridiculous. So, we kind of were in general just really attracted to British bands. Other than a few things like The Beach Boys and that sort of thing, in general, we weren't influenced by LA bands at all. AP: Have you given much thought to why you make so much music? RON: Other people tell us we're prolific and we don't really sense that. I mean, the one thing we do do is not wait for inspiration. We kind of have to pursue it. When you wait for that lightning bolt, it kind of can take more time than you really want to take waiting. We work a lot knowing that not everything is going to pan out. But in order to kind of give the appearance of being prolific, we have to actually sit down and pursue those things rather than waiting for some kind of divine inspiration. AP: Have you guys ever thought about retiring? RUSSELL: Retiring? What's that? If your whole thing in life kind of is creating stuff, there's no, you know, there is no such thing as doing something else, so, you know, it hasn't crossed our minds. Maybe we're blind or something to that, but no, we're really happy. AP: I'm sure you know that The Last Dinner Party covered your song, 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us.' Have you been surprised by younger listeners connecting with your music? RUSSELL: We're happy with the younger following and really diverse following also that Sparks has. It's just kind of reassuring to us that what we're doing is connecting in a modern way to younger people and really diverse sorts of people as well. And so that's almost the most satisfying thing. Obviously, we're happy that we have fans that have stuck with us from Day 1 and that they're still there. But then having new fans that are kind of coming with a different reference point to what Sparks is — with some of the older fans, it's like, 'That was the golden era,' or whatever, but the younger fans don't have those reference points in a really healthy way, we think. And so, from the last few years of albums that we've had, those for them are the golden era of Sparks and right now is the golden era. AP: I read that you guys grew up in Pacific Palisades. How have you been processing the fire? RUSSELL: To even kind of even comprehend that all of the Palisades is just … you know, it was really sad. The elementary school that I went to got completely destroyed so it's just hard to comprehend. It's pretty staggering.
