Blacklist Studio
Encyclopedia
Blacklist Studio was a group of Taiwan
ese musicians who came together and released a ground-breaking album in 1989 called Songs of Madness . Reportedly five years in the making, this work came out at a critical juncture in Taiwan's history
, two years after the lifting of the decades-long martial law
. The album was critical in the formation of the genre known as New Taiwanese Song
.
Its members included Wang Ming Hui and Chen Ming Chang .
The first album's notes reveal the seriousness with which the group assessed its own role in Taiwan's musical development. They believed that Taiwanese music ought to reflect the times, that it was important for the new generations to "correctly" see the relationship between the mother tongue and themselves. Unlike virtually all other previous works, their songs sought to engage post-World War II social changes in a frank, realist
way.
The songs' styles cover Taiwanese folk, rap
, and rock
. One song has a clip of the Republic of China
national anthem
. Another samples environmental sounds from the street. Most of the songs told stories, sometimes through humorous or ironic dialogues between ordinary citizens. Taiwanese is used exclusively in all of the songs.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese musicians who came together and released a ground-breaking album in 1989 called Songs of Madness . Reportedly five years in the making, this work came out at a critical juncture in Taiwan's history
History of Taiwan
Taiwan was first populated by Negrito, and then Austronesian people. It was colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, followed by an influx of Han Chinese including Hakka immigrants from areas of Fujian and Guangdong of mainland China, across the Taiwan Strait...
, two years after the lifting of the decades-long martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. The album was critical in the formation of the genre known as New Taiwanese Song
New Taiwanese Song
New Taiwanese Song is a genre of Taiwanese popular music. It was first used to describe pop songs, often dealing with political themes or social criticism, that followed the upheavals of 1989. Songs of Madness by Blacklist Studio was one of the first and most prominent releases in this genre. Lin...
.
Its members included Wang Ming Hui and Chen Ming Chang .
The first album's notes reveal the seriousness with which the group assessed its own role in Taiwan's musical development. They believed that Taiwanese music ought to reflect the times, that it was important for the new generations to "correctly" see the relationship between the mother tongue and themselves. Unlike virtually all other previous works, their songs sought to engage post-World War II social changes in a frank, realist
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
way.
The songs' styles cover Taiwanese folk, rap
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, and rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
. One song has a clip of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
. Another samples environmental sounds from the street. Most of the songs told stories, sometimes through humorous or ironic dialogues between ordinary citizens. Taiwanese is used exclusively in all of the songs.
Songs of Madness (1989)
The titles below are official ones provided by Rock Records:- Imperial Taipei
- Mad
- Too Sad to Speak
- Papa's Words
- Dragon Festival Celebration
- Taxi
- A Democracy Bumpkin
- Shin-chuang Street
- Sow a Seed