Taking control in a musical fashion
DOUBLE Control Where is a six-piece rock band with their roots firmly planted in Shanghai's independent music scene. Nie Xin speaks to their lead singer and discovers the band's aim to fuse fashion and music.
For Huang Xingzhong, music is all about love and life; and doing music itself is just a way of life.Huang, better known for his stage name Zhong Zhong, founded the rock band Double Control Where (DCW) in May 2009, and the six-piece group will return to the stage in the new year after several months of absence.
Besides vocalist Huang, the band also includes guitarists Lin (Yang Jianlin) and BB (Chen Yiwu), bassist A Biao (Xu Huibiao), drummer Gu Zheng and post-producer Tang Xiaolong.
The upcoming 2011 performances will most likely be at Yuyintang, their regular performing venue, as well as the Mao Livehouse.
Zhong Zhong, 27, founded his first band in 2001 after graduation.
"Our first performance was in a gallery on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall," recalls Zhong Zhong.
He says he never expected that he would one day become a singer until he met a musician friend and ever since then he's been hooked.
Zhong Zhong's first solo show also took place in 2001 at a pub in Xintiandi.
"I still clearly remember that night I sang the song 'Sweet Dream' by Marilyn Mansion - alone on the stage," he says.
Since then he has never stopped pursuing his band dream, and now the outfit has a powerful name "Double Control Where."
"Double Control - doesn't it sound cool?" says Zhong Zhong, laughing.
DCW's musical style is a mix of post-hardcore, screamo, emocore metalcore and electronics. They have some popular original works, such as "Say Goodbye" and "Some Just Want Everything."
The band recorded a new single "I Love to Be Loved by You" in October, and they are now preparing for more.
"The inspiration behind our music comes from daily life - all the love, life experience and emotion are true," he says.
Zhong Zhong likes to listen to music in various styles, and he thinks that helps him and his band stay posted to the latest music around the world.
However, surviving purely as an independent band is by no means easy in a cosmopolitan city like Shanghai.
Zhong Zhong has a full-time job as a marketing director for a fashion brand. Another two members of the band also have regular jobs.
"For me, leading a band is like keeping a relationship. You should understand each other and keep tolerant, and then the team work can create great music," he says.
However, Zhong Zhong says the happiest thing in his indie music career is the feedback from the fans.
Regarding himself as a very realistic person, Zhong Zhong says he never expects too much for the future of the band, but he hopes that their efforts will bring them a solid ground for performance in Shanghai.
"I hope the band will grow up and become better and better," says Zhong Zhong. "But I know that there are too many unexpected conditions that will also decide the success of a band, especially in Shanghai, a highly commercial city with difficult music soil.
"What we should do is try our best and wait for whatever comes," he adds.
With an interest in the fashion industry, Zhong Zhong is planning to combine music and fashion to make DCW a brand of both.
A collaboration with local fashion brand Less Than More is the first step.
"As a local indie band, we should be active in looking for sponsors of this kind, and not waiting for something to come to us," he says.
The Band's Faith
To achieve the best performance on stage, all the members in the band have a firm belief in music. Their faith is "Music is the pure music, and emotion is the pure emotion."
With this attitude and aim, Zhong Zhong and his band object to all the fakeness and affectation in music.
They hope all the friends who love their music will feel the resonance and real rock emotion deep in their hearts.
More Than Music
In May, Double Control Where started collaborating with a local fashion brand, in a hope to fuse music with fashion. In their words, they try to promote "the spirits of the young, fashion, independence, rock & roll."
"Fashion is a way to express information and thoughts through designs, just like music," says Zhong Zhong.
Initially, the fashion brand will provide performance costumes for the band.
"We will also further develop the cooperation in design and music creation," says Zhong Zhong.
For Huang Xingzhong, music is all about love and life; and doing music itself is just a way of life.Huang, better known for his stage name Zhong Zhong, founded the rock band Double Control Where (DCW) in May 2009, and the six-piece group will return to the stage in the new year after several months of absence.
Besides vocalist Huang, the band also includes guitarists Lin (Yang Jianlin) and BB (Chen Yiwu), bassist A Biao (Xu Huibiao), drummer Gu Zheng and post-producer Tang Xiaolong.
The upcoming 2011 performances will most likely be at Yuyintang, their regular performing venue, as well as the Mao Livehouse.
Zhong Zhong, 27, founded his first band in 2001 after graduation.
"Our first performance was in a gallery on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall," recalls Zhong Zhong.
He says he never expected that he would one day become a singer until he met a musician friend and ever since then he's been hooked.
Zhong Zhong's first solo show also took place in 2001 at a pub in Xintiandi.
"I still clearly remember that night I sang the song 'Sweet Dream' by Marilyn Mansion - alone on the stage," he says.
Since then he has never stopped pursuing his band dream, and now the outfit has a powerful name "Double Control Where."
"Double Control - doesn't it sound cool?" says Zhong Zhong, laughing.
DCW's musical style is a mix of post-hardcore, screamo, emocore metalcore and electronics. They have some popular original works, such as "Say Goodbye" and "Some Just Want Everything."
The band recorded a new single "I Love to Be Loved by You" in October, and they are now preparing for more.
"The inspiration behind our music comes from daily life - all the love, life experience and emotion are true," he says.
Zhong Zhong likes to listen to music in various styles, and he thinks that helps him and his band stay posted to the latest music around the world.
However, surviving purely as an independent band is by no means easy in a cosmopolitan city like Shanghai.
Zhong Zhong has a full-time job as a marketing director for a fashion brand. Another two members of the band also have regular jobs.
"For me, leading a band is like keeping a relationship. You should understand each other and keep tolerant, and then the team work can create great music," he says.
However, Zhong Zhong says the happiest thing in his indie music career is the feedback from the fans.
Regarding himself as a very realistic person, Zhong Zhong says he never expects too much for the future of the band, but he hopes that their efforts will bring them a solid ground for performance in Shanghai.
"I hope the band will grow up and become better and better," says Zhong Zhong. "But I know that there are too many unexpected conditions that will also decide the success of a band, especially in Shanghai, a highly commercial city with difficult music soil.
"What we should do is try our best and wait for whatever comes," he adds.
With an interest in the fashion industry, Zhong Zhong is planning to combine music and fashion to make DCW a brand of both.
A collaboration with local fashion brand Less Than More is the first step.
"As a local indie band, we should be active in looking for sponsors of this kind, and not waiting for something to come to us," he says.
The Band's Faith
To achieve the best performance on stage, all the members in the band have a firm belief in music. Their faith is "Music is the pure music, and emotion is the pure emotion."
With this attitude and aim, Zhong Zhong and his band object to all the fakeness and affectation in music.
They hope all the friends who love their music will feel the resonance and real rock emotion deep in their hearts.
More Than Music
In May, Double Control Where started collaborating with a local fashion brand, in a hope to fuse music with fashion. In their words, they try to promote "the spirits of the young, fashion, independence, rock & roll."
"Fashion is a way to express information and thoughts through designs, just like music," says Zhong Zhong.
Initially, the fashion brand will provide performance costumes for the band.
"We will also further develop the cooperation in design and music creation," says Zhong Zhong.
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