Original Remix

Telefon Tel Aviv — the genre-mashing amalgam of Charlie Cooper and Joshua Eustis — formed in 1999 and combined the artists' backgrounds in electronic and instrumental music. Their 2001 release, Fahrenheit Fair Enough, surged with intricate electro-rhythms, shimmering guitars and warm analog instrumentation, and followup Map of What is Effortless (2004) added soulful vocals and a broad orchestral scope. Their diverse influences include soul, IDM, hip hop and harder-edged rock. Cooper's background is punk rock, and Eustis's roots are in Industrial and death metal. We sat with Josh to discuss the duo's techniques onstage and in the studio.─ableton

經常有人問自己為什麼那麼喜愛電子音樂(Electronica)，我都會回答去聽聽Telefon Tel Aviv；這並非是一句表面的玩笑話，而是發自內心對於Telefon Tel Aviv音樂的熱衷。隨著上世紀九Ｏ年代初期Acid House等電子與舞曲音樂不斷地帶給自己，一趟又一趟的聽覺刺激，都比不上三年前首次聽見Telefon Tel Aviv時那般令自己震驚。別誤會本文的目的在於吹捧Telefon Tel Aviv他們是一支多麼出色與無懈可擊的電子音樂組合，但至少在「Map Of What Is Effortless」滿載聲譽的第二張專輯裡，一曲"When It Happens It Moves All By Itself"再交由Damon Aaron以Soulful歌唱重新演繹的"At The Edge Of The World You Will Still Float"，早已深深地迷住自己。姑且不論他們的音樂是IDM、Abstract、Breakbeat或是Post-Rock、Leftfield Hip-Hop，至少在若干年後將其兩張專輯「Fahrenheit Fair Enough」、「Map Of What Is Effortless」拿出來重聽，仍覺得十分過癮；自己經常認為他們是Indie Electronica的最高標準，即使是睽違三年所帶來的混音集錦「Remixes Compiled」仍值得一聽。基於一名死忠樂迷的心態，曾經透過Myspace向兩位成員求證Telefon Tel Aviv團名的來由，卻只得到一句「沒什麼特別意思，只是覺得這個名字很酷。」這樣的答案；可以想見的，Charles Cooper與Joshua Eustis這對相處近十年的音樂夥伴，對音樂的態度是那麼樣的率性與信手拈來。從首張專輯「Fahrenheit Fair Enough」那挾帶Post-Rock、Electronica以及Jazz、IDM等等音樂肌里，再至三年前脫胎換骨的Leftfield Hip-Hop之作「Map Of What Is Effortless」，Telefon Tel Aviv既追求電子聲響上的完美雕塑，也同樣在意其作品所呈現的高度旋律性。當下自然可以明白，為什麼The Album Leaf會特別找來Joshua Eustis為其專輯「Into the Blue Again」跨刀伴奏；為什麼Bebel Gilberto、American Analog Set、Midwest Product...等藝人爭相邀請他們為歌曲量身混音。Telefon Tel Aviv自紐奧良輾轉前往芝加哥發展，隨後並成為Hefty Records當家台柱；全新唱片作品「Remixes Compiled」彷彿為樂隊的上半場遞交出完美的Ending，留下更多的問號與期待來等候這隊芝加哥Laptop電音傳奇的下一步發展。
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Formed
Telefon Tel Aviv並不是一隊多產的電子音樂組合，Charles Cooper與Joshua Eustis從99年相遇到夥拍合成樂隊，2001年確立音樂製作的方向再至同年發表首張專輯「Fahrenheit Fair Enough」至今，他們僅發行過兩張專輯與兩張EP唱片，但是為其他藝人操刀混音製作的作品卻超過數十件。在ableton網站的訪談中，Telefon Tel Aviv提到關於現場演出的模式，經常是一人操控電聲節拍、一人負責旋律伴奏，他們經常在預先安排好的情況下玩出截然不同的音樂風格；兩台Laptop加上簡單的電吉他、鍵琴等樂器，Telefon Tel Aviv硬是玩的比Autechre等Warp樂手更加有趣。他們也喜歡挑戰聲音的模糊地帶，即使在操控IDM、Abstract這樣呆笨的音樂類型時，仍能帶給聽者最高檔的聽覺享受；重覆與多層次聲音的配置、合成與真實樂器的揉合，這些都是Telefon Tel Aviv的強項。重視旋律性與鍵琴音色的安排，比方說在"Fahrenheit Fair Enough"與"When It Happens It Moves All By Itself"這類的曲子中，都能明顯地感受到輪廓清晰的音色搭配。善用Loop與Beat兩種不同的節拍表現，我們也可以在"TTV"、"At The Edge Of The World You Will Still Float"以及"My Week Beats Your Year"這些歌曲裡領略到Telefon Tel Aviv那種遊走於Daft Punk或Slicker、Prefuse 73等人特質的強烈節奏作品。Charles Cooper與Joshua Eustis曾經提到他們最感興趣的是一些古典與電子音樂，於是在首張專輯「Fahrenheit Fair Enough」裡，他倆試圖以吉他、鋼琴或鍵琴等簡斂的原音樂器來搭配Laptop電子碎拍，巧妙地勾勒出一絲ambiences、slow breakbeat-style式的電聲作品。然而像"John Thomas On The Inside Is Nothing But Foam"這類的音樂作品，卻又改走迷人的Post-Rock骨架，並不忘搭配上Leftfield式的夢幻電聲。

「Fahrenheit Fair Enough」是一部成熟、圓融而層次多變的處男專輯，三年後的第二張專輯「Map Of What Is Effortless」卻因為得到騷靈歌手Damon Aaron以及Loyola University Chamber Orchestra室內樂隊的助陣，產生出一份完全脫胎換骨、宛如史詩性的Leftfield Hip-Hop電聲奇觀。從開場曲"When It Happens It Moves All By Itself"那充滿低限的Moog般琴音接續優美弦樂的伴奏，再至"I Lied"、"Nothing Is Worth Losing That"等等Soulful式的歌唱作品，Telefon Tel Aviv的轉變簡直叫人吃驚。專輯中收錄EP唱片「My Week Beats Your Year」的單曲，算是碟內最出人意表也是最迥異的安排；在濃濃的IDM、Electro電聲節拍編排下，彷彿是聽著Daft Punk等人的作品。然而交由長期搭檔女聲Lindsay Anderson所演繹的"What It Was Will Never Again"，卻又透露出Telefon Tel Aviv冷調感性的Trip-Hop風骨。唱片的尾曲"At The Edge Of The World You Will Still Float"承繼著開場曲"When It Happens It Moves All By Itself"那優美的旋律與弦樂伴奏，搭配上Damon Aaron的歌聲與空心吉他伴奏，簡直是巧奪天工、絕對是百聽不厭的歌曲。

Remixes Compiled
「Map Of What Is Effortless」的出色成績之後，Charles Cooper與Joshua Eustis幾乎跑遍世界各地投入演出以及為他人作嫁混音(Remix)等工作。今年Hefty Records特別將Telefon Tel Aviv過去為其他藝人擔綱混音的作品集結成「Remixes Compiled」專輯，當中便包括了Nine Inch Nails、Bebel Gilberto、Apparat、American Analog Set、Nitrada...等等南轅北轍的音樂名字。唱片的開場曲"Even Deeper"即是翻玩美國工業金屬巨舵Nine Inch Nails的作品，並於Trent Reznor的錄音室錄製完成。幽黯詭譎的吉他與電聲迴響，在空泛的Reverb與精密的碎拍設計下，交織出另一份深遂幽靜的鬼魅音境。而他們替巴西電氣爵士女伶Bebel Gilberto所打造的"All Around"，則以空靈的吉他揉合弦樂、碎拍佈置出一份魅惑的音樂氣氛。與柏林IDM奇才Apparat交手的"Komponent"倒是一趟惺惺相惜的合作；兩者在聲響上所共同擁有的特質卻交給了電吉他與人聲歌唱作為主軸，委實難得。再聽聽他們替漢堡後搖滾樂隊Nitrada(Christophe Stoll)所作嫁的"Fading Away"，一方面保有空靈女聲的飄零歌唱，一方面則添加了更多精緻細密的電聲雕塑。然而American Analog Set的"The Green Green Grass"在Telefon Tel Aviv的Remix處理下，則變得更為夢幻、更為Shoegaze一些。「Remixes Compiled」的確是一張驚喜連連的Remixes集錦，雖抵不上Telefon Tel Aviv全新專輯那樣叫人期待，但至少作為一名TTA迷，這年總算有些收穫。

Releases///

Fahrenheit Fair Enough 2001
01   Fahrenheit Fair Enough (6:40)
02   TTV (3:33)
03   Lotus Above Water (3:33)
04   John Thomas On The Inside Is Nothing But Foam (5:15)
05   Life Is All About Taking Things In And Putting Things Out (4:45)
06   Your Face Reminds Me Of When I Was Old (6:55)
07   What's The Use Of Feet If You Haven't Got Legs? (4:15)
08   Introductory Nomenclature (4:38)
09   Fahrenheit Far Away (1:22)

Immediate Action #8 2002
01   Sound In A Dark Room Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
02   TTV (Slicker New Arrivals And Spit Up Remix) Remix - Slicker 
03   8 Track Project Cut
04   Farenheit Fair Enough (Prefuse 73 Bonus Beats Remix) Remix - Prefuse 73

Map Of What Is Effortless 2004
01   When It Happens It Moves All By Itself (3:28)
02   I Lied (5:53) Vocals - Damon Aaron 
03   My Week Beats Your Year (4:09) Drums - Kevin Duneman Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
04   Bubble And Spike (3:59) Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
05   Map Of What Is Effortless (5:23) Guitar - Turk Dietrich 
06   Nothing Is Worth Losing That (5:07) Drums - Kevin Duneman Flute - Wendell Harrison Guitar [Slide], Guitar - Fredo Nogueira Vocals - Damon Aaron 
07   What It Is Without The Hand That Wields It (6:15)
08   What It Was Will Never Again (4:16) Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
09   At The Edge Of The World You Will Still Float (6:45) Drums - Kevin Duneman Guitar - Turk Dietrich Vocals - Damon Aaron

My Week Beats Your Year EP 2004
01   My Week Beats Your Year (Extended) (5:20) Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
02   My Week Beats Your Year (Album Version) (4:10) Vocals - Lindsay Anderson 
03   I Lied (Edit) (4:17) Vocals - Damon Aaron 

Remixes Compiled 2007
01 Nine Inch Nails  Even Deeper (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (4:38) Written-By - Danny Lohner , Trent Reznor 
02 Bebel Gilberto  All Around (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (4:31) Guitar [Slide] - Alfredo Nogueira Written-By - Bebel Gilberto , Marius de Vries , Masaharu Shimizu 
03 John Hughes  Get Me Lost/Driving In LA (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (3:17) Written-By - John Hughes 
04 Apparat  Komponent (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (4:21) Written-By - Sascha Ring 
05 AmmonContact  BBQ Plate ("Last Supper" Mix By Telefon Tel Aviv) (5:17) Drums - John Herndon Piano - Lindsay Anderson Written-By - Carlos Niño , Fabian Ammon 
06 American Analog Set*  The Green Green Grass (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (3:12) Written-By - Andrew Kenny 
07 Midwest Product  A Genuine Display (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (3:33) Written-By - Ben Mullins , Chad Pratt , Drew Schmieding 
08 Oliver Nelson  Stolen Moments (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (5:31) Arranged By, Conductor, Recorded By - Joshua Eustis Performer - Loyola University Chamber Orchestra Performer [Principal, Soloist] - John Vajner Recorded By - Alfredo Nogueira , Turk Dietrich Written-By - Oliver E. Nelson* 
09 Phil Ranelin  Time Is Running Out (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (3:49) Written-By - Phil Ranelin 
10 Nitrada  Fading Away (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (3:55) Lyrics By - Kaye Brewster Written-By, Producer - Christophe Stolle* 
11 Marc Hellner  Asleep On The Wing (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (5:04) Written-By - Marc Hellner 
12 Slicker  Knock Me Down Girl (Telefon Tel Aviv Remix) (6:45) Written-By - John Hughes