Yellow : Please tell me about yourself! Where you grew up, your family and upbringing, etc.

Sulumi : I grew up in a small city. Ever since I began getting into rock music, I haven’t been able to blend into my community easily for what I was interested in. My new life didn’t really begin until I came to Beijing.

Y : It is said that you started playing guitar since 1997 and you also started your own rock band. Would you say that you were initially influenced by rock music? What is it about rock music that is most appealing to you?

S : Yes. I have always liked rock music ever since I got introduced to it. I think the spirit of rock music has changed my life; I believe it has saved me from this hollow country.

Y : What kind of music do adolescents in China usually listen to? How is the situation for underground music? Is it popular?

S : Most young people still like pop music, and some of them like rock music and techno. In comparison, fewer people are interested in underground music.

Y : Would you mind sharing with us about your incentive for transitioning from rock music to techno?

S : I began my life and started bands in Beijing around 1999. During that time, there were many competitive bands, and my band was about to disband, so I began to make music with my computer. It was quite a natural transition!

Y : I went to your performance in New York and was very empowered by it! Would you mind sharing where this kind of power and spirit comes from?

S : I would say it came directly from my heart. I also go to live concerts and I will dance around with it, etc. It feels real!

Y : At the live concert in New York, the audience who didn’t know your music well initially had begun to follow with your music. Although you started with GAMEBOY’s sound effect, it had become a melody that allowed everyone to dance together. It was an especially memorable moment. I personally think that it is something that people rarely accomplish! What’s your opinion on this?

S : There are many talented musicians in the world of 8-bit. Such style would always be polished with 8-bit, and I am just part of them!

Y : During the interview for the Creators Project, you mentioned that there was this Japanese techno musician who used the GAMEBOY element on a live performance in China. What is his name? Who influenced you the most among all the Japanese musicians?

S : His stage name is Cow’p from Tokyo’s 19-T Label. He is one of the first chiptune musicians I’ve heard of. He uses the same software as I do Nanoloop to merge HIPHOP, Ragga, and DUB together. His music style is quite unique. I am influenced by many musicians in Japan! My favorite one is Yellow Magic Orchestra, as well as Acid Mothers Temple and COM.A and Joseph Nothing from ROMZ.

Y : It is said that you were influenced to start your own label after you were exposed to DHR (Digital Hardcore Recording) from Germany. I would assume that you are influenced by music from a lot of places besides Germany! How were you able to receive this information living in China, where the access to media is very limited especially during the 90’s?

S : Yes. The DHR Company led by Alec Empire was my first inspiration. Afterwards, I’ve found many of the musicians that I liked from the other bands that he participated. Among the music from the other areas, I like those from Europe and Japan the best. It was hard to surf the internet at the time. I would go up to DHR’s webpage, listen to their music, and record with my MD. It was difficult to get the CD record and MP3. Some Japanese friends of mine would give me a mixed CD and buy some imported CDs.

Y : How do you usually get together with other musicians? How do you meet or discover talented musicians?

S : I have begun to know some musicians of my age since 2002. They have the same lifestyle as I do in Beijing, and some in other places. We like to exchange music that we like, brands, and software online. It was a great memory for me; we even performed together quite often afterwards! We started from not having an idea of our own to being certain about the path we have chosen. It was a really rewarding experience to grow together with other musicians.

Y : What do you think about the modern Chinese music? How does it compare to Chinese music in 1997, when you began to make music?

S : There is no better immersion between Chinese modern music and traditional music. The old ones do not speak for the past and thus doesn’t feel like it is able to be passed on. All the modern pop music is trashy music. Only a minority of rock music exists to support the spirit. Techno music in this era doesn’t account for anything. There is some change in the music style, but barely.

Y : What are the audiences like in China? Since China is so large, it seems like there would be different kinds of audience in different areas. Prime cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and secondary cities might have different taste in music?

S : The cultural cities are mostly Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Beijing is the kingdom of rock music, because most creative artists and entertainers were here. After they received a highly intensive training, they began to spread such extreme to where such excitement is requested by the young people. Shanghai is an international city, but it is difficult to carry out the local culture. Many foreigners make music and perform there, but 70% of the audience is usually foreigners as well. Guangzhou seems very behind. There are none or only a few people who want to devote their lives into the music business. Other cities are growing rapidly and that’s a very good thing!

Y : It’s getting harder these days for the music industry to survive due to the free access to music online. What is your opinion on this?

S : I personally think it’s an issue across Asia, especially in China. Of course, I believe that this copyright problem happens all over the place, but China is the worst. I have also seen a few illegal copies in Japan, but very few people buy them. This is so much better than the situation in China. After the internet thrived, piracy has become P2P. There are also many blogs or website to download movie and music for free. I confess that I also downloaded some, and I acquiesce that people can download my music. What I dislike about this culture is that, some Chinese websites would sell my music. I think the change needs to come from the music fans themselves.

Y : What’s your opinion on Chinese cultural industries?

S : In China, all these industries are focused on gaining more money. It is important to focus on the way of operating the business but not on the business itself. Most people find short path to make profits. I hope that there are more cultural industries that are purely dedicated to establish a solid foundation for Chinese culture.

Y : It seems like your new album, Chaotic Tänze Der Funktion, is more international than The Heaven. I really like it and it doesn’t seem to have any Chinese elements at all! What have led you to such change?

S : I have put a lot of thought into the philosophy behind this album. I had been thinking about how to interpret my chiptune style to the public. It is based on Electro Techno. The tempo is rather slow and it seems darker. I think it has reflected my mature presentation.

Y : After hearing your music, we feel that your music is not limited by national borders, but universal and worldwide. There could be some limitation to development of music in China since so many musicians transform their ideals into their music. What is your opinion about this?

S : Chinese is both special and strange. All cultures blend into this melting pot. The environment seems a little pretentious in terms of its prosperity; only a minority of people is consistent with their dreams and goals. I believe there definitely is a limitation, but we also have developed some policies to confront things that are against our philosophy.

Y : But the new album feels very international. And this feeling of universality is something we want to purvey to others. What do you think about the cross-national music style?

S : I think more entertainers would nationalize their music to understand where they stand, and they would add more of their own cultural elements to it later on.