Song Title: “Half Empty Sunset Colors”《半空日落色》
Artist: Fairy Boy《仙童》
Release Date: April 4, 2020
Xian Tong sarcastically refers to themselves as, "a post-rock band that lacks entertainment spirit", and according to them, "Although entertainment and music can both make people happy, the music focuses on pursuing truth and beauty."
Post-rock is the kind of music that surpasses the need for lyrics. "Half Empty Sunset Colors" portrays a calm and soft atmosphere that has the ability to elicit profound emotions. One member, Dong Shu, puts the band's goal as musicians into words quite eloquently:
"Listening to live post-rock performances can elicit feelings of loneliness, but we want to express more beautiful things. Rather than expressing loneliness, we hope to leave the audience with feelings of goodness and beauty."
One might wonder where such a unique name as Xian Tong (仙童) came from, and here is the band's response:
"The idea for the band name ‘Xian Tong’ (meaning 'fairy boy') formed because we used to make songs on the balcony of my home in Beijing until the middle of the night. Those nights, I often sat cross-legged in a chair and whenever I was tired, I would rub my face until my hands came together. I think the name describes those moments that we had. It also came from the image of a fairy boy that is independent and immortal. Then, I discussed the name with everyone, and we all liked it and so we used it."
Xian Tong went on to discuss how they composed their new single, "Half Empty Sunset Colors" and some of the hardships that they work to overcome while creating post-rock music.
"My original ideas and goals about the song were achieved pretty completely and orderly, since having a simpler process is how I prefer to do things. As for the arrangement, I also considered having a string quartet.
The track builds up energy akin to that of a fanfare, allowing an opportunity for deep self-reflection. It imbues listeners with a sense of pride comparable to that of a protagonist overcoming their largest obstacle.
"Because there are no lyrics and thus no explicit meaning, the song relies on repeating the melody to deepen the impression. The guitar and trumpet bounce back and forth on the melody, while the trumpet gives the “color” and a Pad is used in some parts to add more depth.
"The whole song is a short journey, but I hope everyone will enjoy it."
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