ONE OK ROCK-《35xxxv》REVIEW
去年2014年的日本人氣搖滾樂團ONE OK ROCK（OOR）的活動不再只規限於亞洲地區，更活躍於海外十五多個國家。除了於海外完成二十多場的演出，更在美國巡演其間制作了全新專輯《35xxxv》。雖然到海外發展的決定引起很多正面及負面評價，但去年確實是對組成十多年的他們一個重大的轉捩點。
ONE OK ROCK(OOR), a renowned Japanese Rock band based in Tokyo whose were no longer confined in just Asia but also stepped their feet into fifteen different countries overseas since 2014. After completing twenty live shows abroad, they produced a new album 35xxxv during their tour in America. Having got so much positive and negative comment for their decision to expand into foreign countries, last year was certainly the most significant turnaround for OOR since their formation over ten years ago.
久違兩年，OOR於本年2月11日推出第七張大碟《35xxxv》。比起2013年的《人生×僕=》曲風變化更大，加入許多後製音效，很多人也認為他們的歌曲已完全走向歐美曲風。雖然這張專輯的班底全是海外製作人，但OOR卻不認為這全是他們曲風突變的原因，結他手Toru曾於訪問說：「美國的錄音室的環境及空氣都跟日本很不同，甚至像花園一樣，有地方讓你慢慢休息、打乒乓球。將音樂融入了那邊的生活，在這情況下錄音實在很棒，雖然以往在日本的對我們來說也是很好的經驗，但在日本卻不能在這樣的環境錄音，亦是很好的新嘗試。我認為身處的環境亦有很大的影響，讓我們的音樂産生了這樣的變化。」「由去年開始到不同的地方表演，遇到不同的音樂人，每人對樂曲的處理、錄音過程及歌曲的編排結構等都不一樣。看到這些，我在想我們是不是也可到別的方向？我們在日本追求的是不是也不只可在日本找得到？在走入錄音室的瞬間我明白了，製作自己認為好的音樂，捨棄不重要的簡單地重視自己眼前重要的事情。」
Two years after their last album, they released their new album 35xxxv in 2015, putting in a lot of post-production sound effect . It even became more Americanized than their last album 人生×僕=, many say that they are currently shaking off their old J-Rock style and completely changing themselves to an American Rock style. Though this album is all produced by overseas producers, OOR did not think that is the main reason for their change. “ The studios in American were just like a garden or even a park and they got room for you to take a good rest or play ping-pong. I think it was great to record our songs in such a condition that music is completely well mixed with life there. Without doubt the time we had recorded our songs in Japan was also a great experience for us but we tried something we could never do in Japan and it was a good try for us.The place we were and the condition around really play a key role to our songs and lead to our present changes.” guitarist Toru said in an interview. "We have been performing around in different places and we have got chances to meet different musicians. Everyone differs in method and path for recording , mixing, coordinating and structuring songs. After I saw all these, all came in my mind was are we also able to head to a different direction in our music? Did all what we were seeking in Japan were not only to be found in Japan? By the time I stepped my feet in the recording studio, I suddenly realized that all we can do now is to abandon all the unnecessary thoughts and do what we think is good in music.”
OOR聽到這張專輯也感到曲風很不像以往的他們，主唱Taka亦曾說曾對此感到不安，畢竟預測不到樂迷聽到會有什麼感受，「正因為有一種這不是ONE OK ROCK的音樂，我們才需要做這種音樂。」「我想這張專輯必會令我們産生一些變化，但我還是覺得這張碟是做對了的。」
OOR got a feeling about the very different style and characteristic in their previous songs. The vocalist Taka had indicated in an interview that he felt angst about this. After all he could not predict what their fans would feel after they had listened them. "Just because we feel that this doesn't sound like ONE OK ROCK so it is a must for us to do this different kind of music. " once said by vocalist Taka, “ This album would change us some but I still think we have done right in making this album.”
《35xxxv》推出後確實引起很大的迴響，比以往更可明顯聽出美式Punk Rock及Alternative Rock 對他們的影響。雖然專輯整體一致性很高，但相對於以往的專輯卻較難令人留下深印象。OOR在2014年推出的單曲《Mighty Long Fall/Decision》中已透露了他們的曲風將有所改變，〈Stuck in the middle〉雖然跟他們以往的風格較像，但跟專輯的其他快歌〈Suddenly〉、〈Mighty Long Fall〉、〈Cry Out〉等一樣，節奏感分明的樂歌加入了比以往更多雜亂卻調和的電音及機械人聲特效等後製，而相信令聽眾最難以接受的一首是找來美國樂隊Sleeping with Sirens的主唱Kellin合唱的〈Paper Planes〉，〈Paper Planes〉可說是完全脫離OOR深入民心的J-Rock風格，大量的電子原素及特效人聲確實遮蓋主音歌聲的魅力，輕快的歐美主流風格，完全跳出以往OOR影子的一首。再沒有以往乾脆利落的聲音，有樂迷認為加入愈多這種聲效便會愈失真，愈掩蓋他們本身的魅力，但不可否認的他們正很努力作新嘗試，而這種新嘗試還帶着很多未知數，亦像他們所說一樣，這張專輯確實為他們及這個圈子中帶來了一些改變。
35xxxv aroused lots of echoes after its release from which we can clearly listen the influence that American Punk Rock and Alternative Rock bring to OOR. This album as a whole got a good consistency but compared with the previous ones, we can say that it is less impressive. They had already foreshadowed there would be a change of their style in their release of the single Mighty Long Fall/Decision last year. The song Stuck in the middle was said to be resembling the old style of OOR but alike other rhythmical tracks like Suddenly, Mighty Long Fall and Cry Out, they added more chaotic but coordinated electronic elements and robotic style of altered vocals. The most unreceptive song in this album was believed to be Paper Planes which is featuring with vocalist Kellin from an American band Sleeping with Sirens, completely having reversed their familiar image of a Japanese Rock band with electronic sounds and full of distorted vocals which was said to completely shadow the charisma of Taka’s voice. Some say they differ from their simple squeaky clean sounds they had and the over-polish of their sound would kill their original taste that fascinates the audience like they had before, but we could not deny that they are trying their best pursuing something new. This trail still contains many uncertainties and as what they said, this really brings some changes not only for them but also even in this scene.
(Photos from ONE OK ROCK official website)
2015.3.19
