Interview: Anson Hu Promotes New Album on Sina

September 20, 2011 - There are at least 5 other interviews/shows that Anson has went on since the release of his new album <Who Cares?>. I will translate the ones containing the most information, and I will only translate new key information/answers/ideas from Anson. If you want the whole idea of Anson's responses, please see the previous interviews (Label: news / news videos/interviews).

Summary of the interview:
- Anson expresses that he hasn't changed too much upon return from the United States. After his long vacation, he feels fresh, and his attitude has definitely changed. He explains that when people have long working hours, they will have complaints, or mental fatigue. So he agrees that he needed to have a break and needed to recharge. Anson explains that he has worked for 10 years, and all he has been doing was to work hard for his ambition, to rush ahead, but along the way, he would miss out on a lot of stuff. He really needed a break, so he choose to stop for a bit, and headed to United States to learn something new.

- Anson finally had the chance to experience what people his age would experience: ride a subway, ride a bus, take a walk down the street, and to sit down for coffee. He explains that in this way, he would be able to feel how life is, and would be able to get inspiration for his new music.

- He created his whole new album: the name, music composition, ideas, and production was all done by him, so he believes that no one would better understand it than himself. For his press conference, he explains that he had treated the media, his fans, and everyone like his friends because he wants to tell us about his new creation.

- The interviewer opens up Anson's album and inside, there is a vinyl protective cover, and the cd is embedded inside a vinyl record! He believes that people back then, those who owned vinyl records had treated music seriously: one would save up pocket money, and then to finally select music at a record shop. Then with a lot of expectations, one would go home and to finally play it in their music player to enjoy the music. This type of experience was very enjoyable. He says: with the changing times, and technology development, we are not so picky about music anymore. The vinyl record is related to the theme of his album: Anson wishes that people would actually face music seriously.

- Anson actually told the media that he spent 1.36 million Yuan (around 200 thousand U.S. dollars) and has no element of corruption. His Chinese fans understand his concept and support him by saying "whatever kind of music you produce, we will listen to that kind of music." Anson explains that since has the opportunity to stand on stage, he would treat his music fans with full respect, and will produce the type of music that needs to inspire himself first.

- Anson explains how he was supposed to be holding a guitar in his album cover (a female guitar that is), and then in the back cover, there would be a naked female holding a guitar. His record company then took note of a study that was conducted by the Western people about an album that had album sales at #1 on charts. The band was not well known, the songs are not great, so how did they achieve #1 on charts for sales? The reason was because they had used a naked female as their album cover. This was very interesting, so Anson didn't receive approval for his original album cover.

- He then talks about his views of China VS United States: he thinks that people in the Chinese culture, whether its popular music or fashion, people should always have their own style. Anson explains that everyone thinks that no matter what, everything abroad would be the best. It's a problem because someone like himself actually recorded his whole entire album in New York since he felt that the recording studio was the best.

- Anson says that he was given a very good chance as a Mainland Chinese artist to work with foreigners, because then he can learn about their successful experiences. Through this, he has learned how to be more open, and to write about his own experiences instead of writing about other's experiences; hence in his new album, the songs speak his attitude.


- As practice, Anson now sings his daily diary entries on his computer, and he does it with a challenge: the suffix of each word would rhyme, without thinking. He has been doing this as an exercise, as an diary entry, and he hopes to be able to pick up a new skill.

- About the song <10,000 Light Years 一萬光年>: Anson wrote this song to illustrate what celebrities actually feel. He says it doesn't just represent his feelings, but rather many others out there, and he realizes that in the future, he could use another way or a point of view to get along.

- Anson claims that people wouldn't tell him about his work in front of him, so he would sneak online to view users comments and criticism. He believes that criticism is sincere, and he would be particularly willing to accept. He also thanks his fans for encouragement because it would give him even more courage to do more things in the future.

- Anson truthfully admits that he has no interest in an acting career. He believes that not everybody can do it. However, he releases information about his small cameo in [First President] and the film is being released pretty soon: he says it's pretty hard for him to act because he is always laughing. Since, the film setting is very serious, Anson always unintentionally makes everyone laugh.

- He exposes that his biggest dream in 2012 would be to become a film director, and he would work to direct his own movie. He explains that like his music, he would mix in many different elements together to make a very special and unique movie product for the audience.

- Anson talks about singing the cover version for the song <Scar 傷痕>: since the original version was sung by Sandy Lam, he comments that he didn't feel weird singing it because the original composer/producer is Jonathan Lee, and he believes the song was written in his perspective.

- He talks about how he "doesn't like camera self, but rather his true self." Most people actually mistook Anson's statement as someone who loves himself. However, he explains that under a video camera or film camera, there will always be video editing, or photoshopping, and it will never be real. What he actually likes, is his natural self: the unedited, animated, and live version of him.

- Anson ends off by talking about his upcoming concert. He expects to practice a breakthrough dance performance for his audience.





Source: http://ent.sina.com.cn/y/2011-09-20/18473422601.shtml

Posted in: interviews / news videos