Interview: Ding Chenchen

Interview conducted and translated by Michael Cupoli

Ding Chenchen is an experimental/noise musician that is originally from Xuzhou and went to university in Shanghai. While studying there, he took part in a number of NOIShanghai events that are organized by Junkie from Torturing Nurse. Last year, Ding Chenchen decided to move to Beijing and quickly became a part of the experimental scene here. He has already taken part in a lot of Zoomin\’ Night and Subjam performances in his brief time in Beijing. In addition to performing, this year he has had several releases put out. K.M.K.M.K, one of his many projects, released a tape on WV-Sorcerer this past May. This June, another one of his projects called T6 with thruoutin will be releasing a tape split with The Twenties on Nasty Wizard Recordings. Catch them at their release show at fRUITYSPACE on June 5th.

1. When did you start making music? What instruments can you play? What bands and/or groups where you in before?

Around 2009, I started using the name noise666 to make my own experimental music. I can\’t play any instrument and I don\’t have an understanding of music theory either. The projects I have been in consist of noise666(2009 to now), XXSEXX(2010 to 2015), KMKMK(2013 to now), DINGCHENCHEN(2012 to now) and SOS救命死誓团(2016 to now).

2. You lived in Shanghai before. What do you think the differences are between experimental music in Beijing and Shanghai?

The attitude towards experimental music in Shanghai and Beijing is quite different. In Shanghai, everyone is more interested in doing their own thing. Where as in Beijing, everyone wants to play together which I think is very interesting. Because of this, I think it is possible to do many different things. Of course there are some downsides, but the important thing is look at what you want to do.

3. I believe that you moved to Beijing last year. Why did you decide to move to Beijing? Is this because you love to eat Beijing roast duck?

Haha. I have only eaten Beijing roast duck once and that is only because a colleague invited me to eat it. The reason I came to Beijing is complicated. The simple answer is that I don\’t like the south too much. From 2010 to 2014, I studied in Shanghai and took part in many NOISHanghai events. Later on, the owners of 696 Livehouse in Shanghai decided to close the venue. Also, I didn\’t have a very stable job. I just worked part time several days a week and it didn\’t pay very much. During that period, I was very dispirited and just drank and slept a lot because there wasn\’t much else to do. I got annoyed with the situation and thought that I should go to another place to be in a different environment and to change myself. The result was I brought my guitar pedals to Beijing.

4. How did you meet Brad aka thruoutin? How did the two of you start doing T6? What plans does T6 have for the future?

I met Brad at my first show in Shanghai. At the time, 696 was going to have a show and Brad contacted us saying that he wanted to come to Shanghai and asked if he could play at the show. After the show, the two of us decided to form T6. Now T6 is about to release a cassette split. Also, we are going to make a music video about playing chess. We haven\’t made any plans for the future yet, but I hope T6 can be a long term project. I think Brad feels the same way.

5. Recently, you have been using sheet metal and found objects to perform. Do you consider these objects to musical instruments? Why do you like to use sheet metal? Where do you buy sheet metal and how much does it cost?

What does found objects mean? I like to use sheet metal because I listen to the albums of a lot of harsh noise musicians. I found that their albums used the sound of a lot of industrial or metallic percussion. I really like those sounds. I decided that I want to use the sound of sheet metal for my own music. Also, using sheet metal is very direct. You don\’t have to waste too much time setting up guitar pedals which make you not want to perform after everything is connected.

I consider sheet metal to be an instrument. It doesn\’t matter what you think of sheet metal. An instrument is only something that can produce sound. Now I am using two pieces of sheet metal  that I found in B4 level garage of my previous apartment building. I am using an iron chain and iron dustpan that I bought in a hardware store.  The iron chain was 10 RMB per meter. I don\’t remember how I bought but I think it was 3 meters long. The iron dustpan was about 15 RMB. I think I will continue to pick up metal that I find.

6. This year you have worked with several different drummers. When you collaborate with them, you have been using a no-input mixer. Why do you like using no-input mixers?

I think no-input mixers are very direct and aren\’t a lot of trouble. You only need one power supply and a patch cable  and then you can take it with you. The sound of a no-input mixer has a large range and there are many possibilities with it. Like I said before, I don\’t want to carry too many guitar pedals because after connect all the pedals and get the sound I want, I don\’t want to perform.

7. You just went on a tour from the end of April to the beginning of May. How do you think the tour went? Where did you go? Which venues did you play at?

I don\’t think it was a tour. I just wanted have some fun. Since I really like Nojiji, I wanted to play some shows with the.  Wang Ziheng (saxophone), Jojo (drums), Xiao Jian (vocals) and myself have a project called SOS jiumingsishituan. We played one show before and I talked to Wang Ziheng about the project. We decided to play a show together at Gebi in Yiwu. The group Mind Fiber which is Wang Ziheng, Li Jianhong, vavabond, and Josh Feola were having a show in Hangzhou, so all of us went together.

8. I know that you listen to a lot of different music. Can you tell us what are your five favorite albums?

It is so difficult to choose. Currently, my five favorite albums are:

Kazumoto Endo – While You Were Out (1999)

Kazuma Kubota – Utsuroi（2015）

The Gerogerigegege – All My Best To You, With Love Juntaro（1990）

Facialmess ‎– Dub Made Flesh（2006）

MXM – Flesh-Biting Paedophile（1995）

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丁晨晨是一位来自徐州的实验乐手，他在上海读书了，当时丁晨晨参加了闹上海好几次，去年他决定搬到北京了，他经常参加燥眠夜和撒把芥末的活动。演出此外，他也发型了几张专辑，今年五月份WV-Sorcerer厂牌把丁晨晨的组合K.M.K.M.K发了一张磁带，六月份他和thruoutin的组合T6在Nasty Wizard Recordings厂牌即将发行The Twenties和T6的合辑，6月5日在fRUITYSPACE你可以来看T6的发行会。

1.你什么时候开始搞音乐？你会玩什么乐器？以前都有什么乐队和组合？

我大概从09年开始用noise666这个名字开始自己的声音实验，我不会任何的乐器，我也不懂乐理。我有过很多的组合和计划，算不上乐队吧。他们主要是noise666（09~现在）、XXSEXX（10~15）、K.M.K.M.K（13~现在）、DINGCHENCHEN（12~现在）、SOS救命死誓团（16~现在）。

2.你以前住在上海，你觉得那边的实验音乐和北京的有什么区别？

上海和北京的实验音乐氛围区别还是比较大的，在上海可能大家都会比较自顾自的，在北京大家会一起玩，这让我感觉有意思，所以我觉得在北京也许会有更多可能。不过也会有一些缺点，主要看自己怎么想的吧。

3.好像你去年搬到北京，你为什么决定搬到北京？这是不是因为你爱吃北京烤鸭？

哈哈，我来北京只吃过一次烤鸭！还是之前的一个同事请客，来北京的原因挺复杂的。简单来说就是因为不是很喜欢南方，我在上海读书，10年到14年参加了很多次闹上海的活动。结果后来承办闹上海演出的696 livehouse突然关门，加上那个时候我没有稳定的工作，每周只工作几天去兼职挣很少的生活费，那段时间我每天都生活的很颓废，喝酒、睡觉好像没别的事。后来我有点厌烦，我觉得我应该去另外一个地方换个环境（说不定能改变自己），结果我就带着我的效果器来北京了。

4.你怎么认识thruoutin的Brad? 你们怎么开始玩T6？T6以后有什么计划？

Brad是我们在上海的一次演出中互相认识，当时在696有一个演出，他说他要到上海来，看到有这个演出消息然后他联系了我们之中的一个人想加入进来。我们互相看了对方的演出后才决定组成T6这个计划，T6很快会出版一张磁带split，之后我会和Brad拍一个MV关于下棋哈哈！再之后我们还没想...我希望T6是一个可以长期合作的计划，我觉得Brad也是这么想的。

5.最近你喜欢玩铁和其他found objects，你觉得这些东西算是乐器吗？为什么喜欢用铁？一般在哪里买铁？老板把铁怎么卖？

found objects怎么翻译？玩铁是因为我听了很多harsh noise乐手的专辑，我发现他们的专辑中都会涉及很多工业或者金属敲击的声音，我很喜欢那些声音，我决定要把铁的声音单独拿出来。而且铁更直接，你不用费半天力接很多效果器调试半天然后你就不想演出了。我觉得它们都是乐器，不管是铁还是什么，只要可以发出声音它们都是乐器。我现在用的两块铁皮是我在之前的公寓地下4层的车库里捡的，我用的铁链和铁簸箕是在一家五金店买的，铁链是1米10元，我买了3米好像具体不记得，铁簸箕好像是15元，我觉得我以后还是继续捡废铁吧。

6.你今年跟几位鼓手合作，跟鼓手合作，你用无输入调音台，你为什么喜欢无输入调音台？

我觉得无输入调音台很直接，不会很麻烦，你只要带一个电源和一堆连接线然后把调音台带过去就可以了。它的声音很丰富，可以有很多种的可能。就像我之前说的，我不想带很多的效果器，当我把它们接好调试正常我已经不想演出了。

7.你从四月底到五月初巡演了，你觉得这次巡演怎么样？你都去哪儿了？在哪些场地演出了？

不是巡演，我就是去凑热闹，因为我很喜欢NOJIJI他们，我想和他们一起演出。我跟萨克斯手王子衡、鼓手JOJO、主唱小健有一个计划叫SOS救命死誓团，之前只演过一次，我跟王子衡商量，我们一起去义乌的隔壁演一场。正好王子衡和李剑鸿、vavabond、Josh的乐队迷走神经那段时间在杭州演出，那我们就一起去吧！

8.我知道你听音乐挺多的，可以告诉我们五张你最爱的五张专辑吗？

这个好难选啊！我目前最喜欢的五张是：

Kazumoto Endo – While You Were Out (1999)

Kazuma Kubota – Utsuroi（2015）

The Gerogerigegege – All My Best To You, With Love Juntaro（1990）

Facialmess ‎– Dub Made Flesh（2006）

MXM – Flesh-Biting Paedophile（1995）