Interview - WhyOceans @ Ponto Final (Portuguese Newspaper) (23-Apr-2010)

Original:

http://pontofinalmacau.wordpress.com/20 … iro-album/

Translated Version:

http://www.whyoceans.com/community/viewtopic.php?pid=1603#p1603

Formed since 2005, already been together for 5 years, their idea is to traverse the music go further over the sea. Promised by Macau Local band, WhyOceans. And we asked - why not?

Catarina Pimentel

Both the music of WhyOceans and the small room are just like a real movie. Old building, puddles everywhere, lot of stairs. We found the studio on the first floor of the building, by identifying a red door with dim lights. Items are scattered inside the room: Three people, two/three guitars, a violin bow, lamps, pictures and notes sticking on a green board, a sofa and computer are put near the back of the room.

Before 21:00, Luís Carvalhais, Tommy Chu, Jase Lam, Jackal Tam and Ellison Lau are already in the room, where everything happens there. Their new member, Guillaume Leclerc, will arrive later from a company dinner. Staying together after daily works, to prepare the coming shows in Ox Warehouse this Friday and Portal Wine Bar on Saturday. Also, for the album that will be launched before June.

Tommy, Jackal and Jase started playing together since secondary school. Time flied and everyone ran for his own way, until the day Jackal came up an idea. "I met Luis in 2003/2004 through a common friend, I started playing guitar with Luis just like how I used to play with Tommy and Jase. 'So why don't we join together and have fun?' I thought." Recalled by Jackal, keyboardist of the band.

Why Oceans?

The origin that given to the two words when thinking about the band's name could be the most important question here. " 'Why' is the question we ask for everything." said Luis. "And 'Oceans' connect lands and people." added by the vocalist/guitarist, Luis. Their music has no territories. WhyOceans differs their sounds from the others with their multicultural members: four locals, Luis from Portugal and Guillaume from France. 

22:30, the band has already practiced 3 new songs, which will be performed in the coming shows. "At Land", "After Party", "Circles", "Autumn", and two unnamed songs, are all they would like to debut in the album.

In all positions, Luis at the center of the room with his guitar on the chest, giving his voice to the microphone for an eight-minutes composition "After Party". Jackal on keyboards, Tommy ripping the guitar strings, Jase on bass and Ellison on drums. With a sound more relies on instrumental rather than lyrics, the band wants people to be surprised, captivated, with feeling in bones.

"People were enthusiastic when we debuted our new set of sounds. Some of them may feel strange while some may get surprises because this could be something they are not familiar with. We have people in Macau playing Pop music with cool solo, but people may never seen something as what we do - less words, sometimes even nobody sings, songs without any break in ten minutes....but this may be the reason why people want to hear more from us." said Jackal.

"This is also a purpose of this album, to give a message to people that Macau music is not an "old-school" one. We still have some unique sounds around here and it is also good for people to know more, to understand more what is being done by the locals." added by the keyboardist.

Atmospheres

You may find WhyOceans sounds like between electric experimental and post-rock. "It is something that we do not express by words, but through instrumental structure. We want people to understand what we are doing by conveying our atmosphere to them." Jackal goes on: "If you never express by words for what you wanna convey, that means it could be anything according to one's feeling. It shouldn't be something to be caged inside a box, we should let it expands, yeah it's funny."

The local music scene could be better by promoting local talents. "I think we should promote more local bands. Although now we are getting more promotions than before, but most of them are only from individual private parties. In our case, we need to organize and promote everything by ourselves because there's nothing to help in launching and promoting local bands." Luis suggests: "I think that we should have more events, more new things, to help more without expecting to get paid, because that is not the idea."

Jackal adds: "They should encourage more people to make music, or to form more bands. Sometime people do not attend the concerts may be because of boring, since the performers are always the same. I really do not think the problem is about money, we just have too less choices and always the same venue. If we could have more bands and more choices for people, I believe that people are willing to pay for good music."

Do a little traveling

Already been to Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, WhyOceans intends to bring their music out more further. "The idea is to bring the album with us to our every show, for people who attend our shows. So that they can take our music home and listen." 

Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai - then back to Hong Kong, are some destined places that the band would like to make live gigs and colors. But this task is not easy since most of them are occupied by daily jobs. "We would like to make tours, may be we will take a week's leaves from work and go to China or Taiwan." Jase said.

Guillaume is now in the room, laughing frantically, connecting the equipments to computer and amplifiers. The practice is resumed from the beginning and nothing can be listened except the communion of their instruments. A video is playing in the monitor, this is the way that the band used to do. "We will do the same on Friday." Tommy said. "It is interesting to have a video for people to watch when listening to our music, this may make them to travel a little bit." Luis added, laughing.

It's after eleven o'clock now, and the practice is still going on near the Red Market. This is what they always do before shows.