夏天為大地帶來 … Tri-deuces!Deuces, Dicks & Deodorants!

Read English translation of Interview

撰文:陳芝樺 (By: Chan Chi Wa)

1) Q.  何時你們開始接觸和喜歡音樂?

Tomii:小學時候開始拉小提琴,但一直都算不上喜歡。直至在中學時期遇上結他,接觸的都是普遍的流行曲和教會詩歌等,高中開始認識不同種類的音樂,如Classic Rock、Britpop、Blue、Jazz等,從而決定自己現在追求的方向。

Dick:和Tomii一樣,我也是從小被逼學習古典音樂,但實在不習慣Sight-reading、彈奏經典曲目,所以開始試試流行鋼琴。中學時期因為找不到人一起夾Band,就只好一個人利用Keyboard扮演其他樂器,嘗試編曲。後來遇上鼓手Dickson就加入了Tri-deuces,接觸更多Jazz/Funk的音樂。

Dean:我本著參加興趣班的心態,由中二、三開始學習打鼓,越學就越有興趣,好像蠻有型似的,就一直維持下去了。升上大學後,加入了Music Club,受到身邊朋友感染和推介,接觸了不少Alternative、Post-rock等不同種類的音樂,讓耳界不止限於華語流行曲,影響了我慢慢找到Jazz/Funk這種自己最喜歡的音樂類型。

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2) Q. 你們最欣賞哪隊香港樂隊?最想和他們合作或同台?

Tomii:以這個年代最為活躍的樂隊的話,一定是Chochukmo。因為他們無論在錄音,抑或現場演出的質素都是一流的,音樂性和編曲都非常強,從兩張專輯中都能聽出他們不斷進步,是一隊很有方向、目標清晰的樂隊。希望未來可以合作,互相影響,擦出火花。

Dick:近來有隊樂隊叫Project Ace,他們冒起得很快,嘗試把DJ和Jazz混合一起,在香港是非常新鮮,和Tri-deuces也有不少共通點,未來有機會也想合作一下。

Dean:我最喜歡的本地樂隊是已解散的Whence He Came,他們的音樂充滿外國Alternative風味之餘,仍能保留一點本土氣息。我認為他們是香港最出色的Alternative樂隊。

3) Q. 你們最難忘的演出是怎樣的?

Tomii:我最難忘的就是Wine & Dine Festival,因為可以任飲酒精飲品,而且大會提供的「翡翠螺」非常美味,這些對樂隊而言是一種獎勵。另外,觀眾也多是外籍人士,和我們的主音Sonia有較多互動,因為大家都是以英文溝通,相對一般香港觀眾就比較安靜。這次Summer Serenade由Dean擔任客席鼓手,可能也是一場難忘的演出呢!

Dick:我最難忘的就是銀礦灣沙灘音樂節,香港比較少有這種沙灘音樂節。平日會覺得在酷熱天氣看演出是非常辛苦的,但是一起聚在沙灘,吹著海風搖頭擺腦,和一般在酒吧/Lounge等地方Chill著聽我們的音樂是截然不同的效果,氣氛更加熱烈。

Dean:我最難忘的就是草民音樂節,雖然沒有很大的舞台,很好的配套,只是在西九大草地上演出,但和觀眾距離很接近,一同分享同一片草地,吹著海風,是很有趣的戶外演出經驗。

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4) Q. 看來你們都比較喜歡於外演出,你們覺得在外和室演出有什麼分別呢?你們比較喜歡大型還是小型的演出?

Tomii:我認為有冷氣就可以了!(笑)其實兩種演出是相等的,人多有人多的興奮,人少也有人少的溫暖,所以兩種演出我都喜歡。

Dick:我覺得是不能比較的,無疑室內演出會有較好的器材和燈光等配套,觀眾也會更易投入,人數較少感覺也會比較輕鬆舒服;可是在戶外自由自在,無拘無束的感覺,又是另一種興奮。

Dean:最重要還是觀眾的反應!無論人多還是少,和觀眾的互動才是台上表演者最快樂的事情,感覺到大家之間的共鳴。

5) Q. Tri-deuces有什麼短期和長期的目標?

Tomii:短期我們希望能盡快完成我們的EP,現時已經完成60-70%,希望能在九月前完成所有錄音,然後進入混音、Mastering階段。長期而言,希望能參加不同的音樂節,並且不僅限於香港,加上我們的音樂不止適合Rock Festival,Jazz Festival也是一個可以發掘的市場,希望未來可以走上更大的舞台表演,去不同地方巡演。

Dick:補充一點,我們也希望可以影響本地觀眾,因為香港人普遍比較被動不會主動去聽Jazz/Funk類型的音樂,希望我們的音樂能讓更多人認識這種音樂。

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6) Q. Jazz一般予人感覺成熟,為何你們如此年輕卻選擇了Jazz

Tomii:先澄清一點,我們的音樂其實並不完全是Jazz,是把Jazz 「Pop化」了,特別我們在選擇聲音時也不會特地選擇很Jazz的聲音,例如我們也很少Swing感覺和Contemporary Jazz的歌曲,所以這種音樂某程度上也是Pop的,但最重要是那股感覺,拿著Jazz/Funk和Soulful音樂當我們的旗幟是我自己夾這隊Band的小小心願,希望把這類音樂在香港能用一隊樂隊的形式推出,讓更多人認識這類音樂,同時滿足自己想玩這類音樂的欲望。至於為何玩Jazz,或許主要是剛好認識了主音Sonia吧!她的聲線渾然天成是唱這類音樂的,因此大家合作時亦相當舒服,也不會刻意的說要轉其實類型,如Pop或英倫音樂等,在我們這團隊中,現在這種音樂似是最適合的。

7) Q. 既然這次Show以夏日為題,請每人講出三樣夏天必備的物品?

Dick:沙灘褲!

Tomii:酒一定要吧,在炎熱的夏天有冰凍的啤酒是多麼舒服。另外是樽裝水,因為我很口渴。(Dean:不如你數出所有飲品吧⋯⋯)第三樣是,夏天為大地帶來⋯⋯(答:美腿!)

Dean:酒也是必備的!另外有酒喝就當然要配花生吧。最後是止汗劑,因為我比較大汗(笑)!

Dick:除了沙灘褲,還有沙灘球、沙灘墊、沙灘傘⋯⋯最重要都是要有沙灘。

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9) Q. 夏天最愛的活動是?

Dick:游泳!夏天一定要游泳,雖然我今年一次都沒游過⋯⋯

Tomii:我會最愛在家打機。

Dean:我會愛隨便找一個處看到海的地方坐著(其他人:怎麼這麼文青⋯⋯?)像是文青但實際上是像大叔在釣魚。

10Q. 團隊中有3位成員叫DickDickson,平常如何分別稱呼呢?

Dick:其實Dick是沒有問題的,問題是兩個Dickson。但例如在鼓手Dickson面前說Dickson是不會混淆的,因為他知道不是在說自己。但在大家互相溝通時便會改一些花名。

Tomii:其實這問題是挺麻煩的,甚至麻煩到想說早知道找別人好了(笑),而且兩個Dickson簡稱也是D.K.(Dickson Kui和Dickson Kwok),因此這是一個死症來,沒方法解決。不過吹奏Saxophone的Dickson有一個別名,叫「頌頌尊者」,是他中學時期的花名,因他為人很白痴,很好笑,被人「譽」為世外高人般,因此叫「頌頌尊者」。

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11) Q. 幻想10年後的自己會是怎樣?

Dick:生意失敗,生活潦倒⋯⋯(開玩笑)

Tomii:其實都不是很遠的事,很快便到了,我想還是在做音樂吧,但應該不止是夾band,可能涉獵各個音樂範疇,不止是樂隊,說不定還有屬於自己的專輯。又或許在錄音界可以打出一個名堂,我覺得可以望遠一點。

Dick:我個人的目標是當一個以編曲、作曲為主的監製,有一個隊有自己風格的製作團隊,用自己的音樂在主流樂壇佔一席位。

Dean:十年後我希望能做到一個Session Drummer,而最終極的目標是做一個很全面的音樂人,除了在流行界別打滾賺錢,也希望玩非主流而自己最喜歡的音樂。

Interview by Chi Wa Chan.  English translation by Karen Cheung.

Tri-Deuces 將於八月九日Backstage Summer Serenade進行表演

Summer Serenade


1)  Your first contact with music?

Tomii: I played the violin in primary school, but I didn’t enjoy it that much. It was only in secondary school that I got into guitar; most of the songs I listened to then were pop songs and gospel hymns, and in high school I started to know more about different types of music, like Classic rock, Britpop, Blues, Jazz and so on. From there I started to have an idea of the direction I want to take, musically.

Dick: It’s the same for me – I was forced to learn classical music as a kid, but sightreading and playing classical scores wasn’t my thing, so I started learning contemporary piano. I had no luck finding peeps to form a band with me in secondary school, so I used the keyboard to do the other instruments and compose songs. Later I met Dickson (drummer) and joined Tri-deuces, and that got me into jazz and funk.

Dean: I started playing drums in Form 2 and 3. At first it was just an extra-curricular thing, but eventually I really got into it. In university I joined Music Club and through my friends I started to get to know more about alternative, post-rock, and all those other types of music. That really broadened my horizons musically, and slowly I realised that jazz/funk’s my type of music.

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2) Your favourite band from Hong Kong, and the ones you most want to work with or share the stage with?

Tommi: If we’re talking about the popular bands in recent years, it’ll definitely Chochukmo. Their stuff is consistently of high standards, be it in the recording studio or at live performances, and their musicality and composition is very strong. You can see them constantly improving in their two albums, and they’re a band with a very clear goal and direction in mind. I really hope we can cooperate with each other – there might be some interesting chemistry there.

Dick: There’s this band called Project Ace – they’ve gotten really big in just a small amount of time. They mixing Jazz with DJ-ing, and that’s very fresh and new in Hong Kong. They have a lot in common in Tri-deuces, so hopefully we’ll get to work together in the future.

Dean: My favourite is the disbanded Whence He Came, musically they sound a lot like the alternative bands from overseas, and yet there’s also a hint of local flavour. I think they’re one of the best Alternative bands in Hong Kong.

3) What’s your most unforgettable performance to date?

Tommi: Mine was the Wine & Dine festival, because there was free flow alcohol, and the organisers even provided amazing escargots – it was almost like a reward for the bands, and that felt amazing. Also, because we usually communicate in English amongst ourselves because of Sonia, it was good to have many foreigners and expats in the audience – the Hong Kong crowd is usually quieter.  For Summer Serenade, Dean will be out guest drummer and it’ll probably be another unforgettable show!

Dick: Mine was the Silvermine Bay Music Festival, because Hong Kong doesn’t host this sort of beach music festivals very often. Usually it’s a pain to perform under the scorching heat, but being on the beach, bobbing our heads in the summer breeze – it’s a completely different ambience compared to chilling at a lounge, and I think the atmosphere was fantastic.

Dean: Mine was Grassfest – we didn’t have a large stage or good facilities, it was just performing on the lawn in West Kowloon, but we felt close to the audience; sharing the same piece of lawn and feeling the salty breeze on your skin – it was a very interesting experience.

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4) It seems like you guys enjoy outdoor shows more – what do you think is the difference between performing outdoors and indoors? Do you like shows with a bigger setting, or more cozy ones?

Tomii: I’m good as long as there’s air-conditioning! [laughs] I’m not biased towards any one of them, the more the merrier, but there’s a sort of warmth to small shows as well, so I like them both.

Dick: I think it’s difficult to compare –indoor performances usually mean better equipment and lighting, and it’s also easier for the audience to get into the music without distractions. You’re also less tense with smaller crowds. But performing outdoors has a sense of freedom that’s another sort of excitement in itself altogether.

Dean: I think the most important is still the reaction of the audience. Whether it’s a small or large crowd, the most importance is still the interaction between those onstage and off, and that’s what makes performers most happy – we feel the connection between us.

5) What are the short-term and long-term goals of Tri-deuces?

Tomii: Short-term wise, we hope to finish our EP as soon as possible – it’s at about 60-70% now; hopefully we’ll finish all the recording by September and proceed to the stage of mixing and mastering. As for long-term goals, we want to be able to take part in different music festivals, not just in Hong Kong but also beyond. And not just rock festivals either, but jazz festivals too – I think there’s definitely a market there, and hopefully we’ll be able to perform on a bigger stage soon and tour at different places.

Dick: Yep, and also to add, we also hope to influence the local audience, because HongKongers usually don’t actively seek out jazz and funk – maybe we can get more people to know about this genre of music with our stuff.

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6) Jazz usually gives the impression of being a more ‘mature’ type of music – why would you choose this particular genre at such a young age?
Tomii: First to clarify, we’re not actually exactly jazz – we’ve added in a lot of pop elements in it, and even when singing we don’t do vocals that’s very typically jazz. We don’t actually have a lot of songs that are swing or contemporary jazz, so some of our music is actually quite pop, but the most important is the ‘feel’ of it. Positioning ourselves as a band that plays jazz funk and soulful music is a little mission of ours – we want to promote this type of music using ourselves as a band, while fulfilling our appetite for playing this kind of music at the same time. As for why jazz, maybe it’s because of our vocalist Sonia – her vocals are perfect for jazz, and at the same time we’ve had a great time working together, so we haven’t made any attempts to branch out to say pop or Britrock. I think jazz brought us together and it’s a good fit for the band.

7. We heard that Sonia’s leaving Tri-Deuces soon – what are your plans after?
Tomii: We’re still discussing this internally amongst ourselves so we can’t discuss at the moment, but we hope to be able to work with different vocals and be inspired by different music. That’s the plan for this coming one year.

8) Moving on to more light-hearted questions – the theme of this show is summer, so could you please share with us three things you can’t live without in summer?

Dickson: Beach shorts!

Tomii: Alcohol is a must, it’s so comforting to have nice chilled can of beer on a hot day. Another is bottled water, because I’m always thirsty [laughs]. (Dean: You might as well list all the drinks…) The third thing is, summer blesses the land with…beautiful legs.

Dean: Yeah, alcohol is definitely a necessity. If we’re going to have beer, we’ll need peanuts to snack on as well. The last is deodorant, I tend to get sweaty quite easily! [laughs]

Dickson: Oh, aside from beach shorts, there’s also beach ball, beach mat, beach umbrellas…the most important is still the beach.

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9) Favourite summer activity?

Dickson: Swimming. Summer’s all about swimming, even though I haven’t done it even one this year…

Tomii: Playing video games at home.

Dean: I like to randomly pick a spot where I can see the sea, then sit there (Others: So hipster of you…) Yeah okay it sounds hipster, but in reality I’m actually just watching old men fishing.

10) There are three members in your band called either Dick or Dickson – how do you usually differentiate between them?

Dickson: It’s fine with just Dick actually, the problem is with the two Dicksons. For example if you talk to the drummer Dickson about Dickson, he’ll know you’re not talking about himself. But sometimes we’ll also come up with some nicknames for them.

Tomii: It’s actually quite a troublesome problem, it’s so annoying that we’ve said we should have just recruited someone else for the band [laughs]. It’s not just that they’re both called Dicksons – they even have the same initials, D.K. (Dickson Kui and Dickson Kwok). There’s absolutely no way around it. Saxophone Dickson has a nickname, it’s the “Chant Chant Master” [laughs], it’s his high school nickname, because he’s a funny and random guy, it’s like he’s detached from reality like a master out of this world.

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11) Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

Dickson: I’ll probably be out on the streets or something. Just kidding…

Tomii: Ten years isn’t actually such a long time; I think I’ll still be making music, maybe not just in bands but trying out a little of everything, maybe even my own solo album. If I can make a name for myself in the world of recording, I can set my sights even further.

Dickson: My personal goal is to become a producer that mainly focuses on composing and writing music, and with my own production team. I hope my music will have a place in mainstream media.
Dean: I’d want to be a session drummer, with the ultimate goal of being a versatile and all-rounded musician. Aside from making money in the world of pop, I also want to be able to play music I like on the side.

Tri-Deuces will be performing at Summer Serenade on 9th August 2014 at Backstage.

Summer Serenade

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