FAIRY FAKEASS TALE

『這十首歌的創作靈感各個來自不同的地方，就與童話故事一樣，各個場景、設定都不盡相同，卻有著類似的血脈。
當時有人問我說：“為什麼要發專輯？憑什麼是你的音樂需要被聽到，而不是其他人的？你的音樂跟別人有什麼不一樣？”
到現在，我依然沒有一個特別的理由去說服別人，但這個問題卻成了我創作最好的自我檢視。用寫歌去尋求這個答案的慾望也就成了我寫歌的動力。』
以嘻哈場景、饒舌口白說出一個又一個竄流網路的暗黑成人童話…

『從前從前，有一座黑鏡森林，裡面有小紅帽、青蛙王子、灰姑娘、睡美人、大野狼正在開著嘻哈派對，咬一口黑蘋果，就可以讓你成為饒舌高手，撩妹絕不失手…』

"FULL-FLEDGED GROWN-UP INTO A CRUMBLING WORLD" -

is the main theme for the album Fairy Fakeass Tale. Scroll down for more detailed information.

THE STORY...

格林先生寫的童話不過是哄小孩的糖
網路酸民們是荒腔走板的不來梅樂隊
白雪公主和灰姑娘比賽著社群按讚數
用黑蘋果治療斯德哥爾摩症候群患者
整個世界在虛擬網路裡面集體假高潮
小紅帽和青蛙王子只能用假帳號掩蓋
所有童話故事裡僅存的天真和孩子氣

MEANINGS BEHIND

Fakegasm

01. 假高潮

眼睛看到的不一定是真的，網路上的高潮只求一時的爽。與善的笑容不以為意，與惡的距離卻越來越近假訊息才能激起網路瘋傳的假高潮穿長靴的貓是最厲害的社群操作高手，讓他的主人成了童話世界裡竄紅最快的網紅…. 「假高潮」這首歌的創作靈感源自於「假訊息」。某天Spark滑臉書，看到許多媒體紛紛報導美國有人撥打一隻莫名的手機號碼，卻視訊到了飾演美國隊長的Chris；一開始不以為意，抱持著看看就好的心態滑過；沒想到再幾個小時後，這則新聞被撤回，而且被其他媒體證實是假的新聞。他不禁開始想起這幾年真真假假的訊息越來越多，「我們與惡的距離」的劇情裡，也提到審核機制的墮落、同行新聞的競爭、以及政治色彩的渲染，導致現在沒有一個具有公信力的平台讓大眾相信新聞與信息來源的真實性，反而需要從多方媒體去驗證新聞的實質性，但有時候多方一起報導也不見得是真的，所以保持合理懷疑的心態，以及時事求證、不隨便轉傳、不下意識接收，才是現在網路世代最需要的態度。在編曲的時候，Spark埋藏了幾個18禁的音效，例如：喘息聲，營造出「高潮感」；後面放了笑聲作為收尾，是因為他自己遇到別人的抹黑造謠時，他都選擇一笑置之。曲風方面做了一個非常快速的beat 讓這首歌會有一直想衝的感覺，音色方面選擇了一個不是很和諧的鈴鐺作為主體，其他的音色都只是輔助，讓808低音穿出來，整首歌聽起來更爽！這首歌更邀請到金曲怪物新人Karencici共同演唱，Karencici更參與填寫英文歌詞；Karencici以充滿個人風格、獨特魅力吟唱，在Spark的饒舌間穿梭，彷彿來自異次元的驚世警語，敲醒在充斥著假訊息的網路世界裡的芸芸眾生的天靈蓋，學會分辨真假、不隨波逐流，更不隨意跟著假訊息起舞，在網路的「假高潮」浪潮之中，能夠存活下來不致滅頂！

The song “Fakegasm: was inspired by fake messages. Fake news creates a climax on the Internet, often only for a moment of pleasure. In this new age world, what you see may not be real. The cat in the boots is a master of social manipulation and has become the fastest-growing internet sensation in fairy tale land.

One day, Spark was skimming through Facebook and saw many well-known media outlets all reporting that someone in the U.S. had dialed an unidentified cell phone number and video-chatted with Chris Evans (actor of Captain America). Later that day, most media outlets apologized for releasing fake news without verifying the truth.

An acclaimed Taiwanese TV series, The Distance Between Us and Evil, also discusses the various factors that affect the credibility of news reports, including the increasing number of political overtones and the competition between journalists, all of which trigger Spark’s critical thinking process. He also noted that the abundance of so-called "credible platforms" had led the public to trust every piece of information they read.

FAIRY FAKEASS TALE

02. 格林成人童話

長大之後才看懂，格林童話是寫給成人看的。
童話與暗黑反差之於小孩與成人的反差
因為世界的暗黑才能顯現出人性美好的光輝
還是因為人性的暗黑才開始嚮往童話的閃亮世界？
小紅帽其實早就知道大野狼的陰謀，只是等著牠陷入自己設的陷阱…

「格林成人童話」原本歌名為「格林暗黑童話」，當時寫這首歌是看完了格林童話的原版，也就是帶有血腥暴力色情的版本之後創作的，從一開始的Demo到現在的成品差距非常大，來來回回寫了三種不同的版本，原先是用台式抒情芭樂歌作為開頭然後再進入hip hop，後來不斷地跟製作團隊討論後，開場決定用迪士尼風格的「交響樂」去詮釋看似美好的世界，再接續後面的主歌，呈現出童話世界／成人世界的反差感，因為當時讀格林童話的時候，Spark完全沒有想過原來美好的故事後面，居然隱藏著無限龐大的黑暗，因此，創作的過程中，Spark嘗試著用不同的音樂元素去混搭，像是二胡古箏去搭配電子鼓、合成人聲去搭配小提琴；用編曲來凸顯童話的美好與成人世界的崩壞。
前面用了交響樂的觀念副歌使用中國風融合嘻哈，最後三者結合作收尾，表達童話／成人／夢幻／崩壞的過程、反差的概念。

As Spark gets older, he realizes the original version of Grimm’s Fairy Tales was not written for children to read. They were gruesome, sexual, and dark in the beginning, elements that later inspired Spark to create this song, “Fairy Fakeass Tale.” The happy endings that we were taught as children to believe were never Brother Grimm’s intentions.
The final arrangement for this song changed drastically from the demo version after numerous discussions with his production team. They’ve decided to start the song with a symphony, symbolizing a glamorous fairy tale world, and later switch to an aggressive, hip-hop beat. During the composition process, Spark combined contrasting music elements, like Chinese erhu with electronic drum, and synthesized vocals with violin.

All of these are intended to create a metaphor for the facade in the adult world—wonderful on the surface yet cruel underneath. The songs move through transitions that mirror Spark’s experience of this world, from naive beliefs to shattered illusions.

TINDER

03. 停不下來 feat. Lydia 韓睿(F.I.R.)

有種R&B讓情慾變得抒情，有種嘻哈讓曖昧變得浪漫
脫單無罪、挑逗有理，網路世界的狩獵規則就是種下一顆傑克的豌豆
然後你來我往的顏文字、暗語、表情符號漫天飛舞、停不下來….

這首歌花了四五天時間編完，算是Spark自己寫很久的一首歌；會寫這個主題就是當時身邊的朋友下載了交友軟體，想要透過軟體脫離單身，Spark親眼目睹了網路約會的始末，覺得非常有趣，也發現網路上的交友有時候反而更真實雙方，條件溝通好，才約出去。歌詞也用了很多網路用語和當下流行的隱喻，例如「買可樂」等等；也是想暗諷這種網路交友的現況。

這首曲風比較RnB，吉他的效果，也選的比較溫順；副歌做的動感一點，想要讓人一起跟著搖擺的感覺；雖然是Rnb曲風，但還是有塞一段沒有換氣的饒舌段落，製造出男／女的情緒反應，讓整首歌層次更豐富。

The song “Tinder”, like the name itself, is about the trend of online dating. Spark witnessed some friends around him hoping to find girlfriends through the app, which gave him a chance to observe as a third person. He found out that online dating is much more direct than traditional dating. Everyone clearly knows what they are looking for and will agree to go on a date if both sides have their conditions met.

The RnB arrangement for this song fits well with the flirtatious nature of online dating, with soft guitar sounds but with an added groove in the chorus, inviting listeners to swing back and forth with the music.

FENDI GIRL

04. FENDI GIRL

夜店裡拿假包蹭酒喝的妹，廉價的妝感像不合腳的玻璃鞋
王子們尋找的午夜十二點消失的玻璃鞋主人
當褪去神仙教母變出的高貴華服裝扮後
王子還會愛上灰姑娘嗎？

這首歌的創作靈感來源來自朋友的抱怨。Spark有個朋友在夜店開包廂，然後發現一堆瞎妹帶著名牌包來蹭酒，理由千奇百怪，而且想也知道這些包應該都是假的，因為夜店很容易弄髒東西，誰會想把貴的東西帶去...

這件事讓Spark覺得很好笑，虧他花錢買罪受，這件事一直都只是朋友之間的一個笑點，沒有特別想去把它寫成歌詞。所以這首歌是先有曲，編了一段Beat之後，就嘗試隨便搭詞進去唱，發現三節音「FENDI GIRL」在副歌中很順口，就從這個詞去發想後面的歌詞，才想起以前朋友夜店的傻事，於是順理成章地寫完了整首歌，來表達現代男女的物慾與荒謬。這首曲風就是要Bounce，想讓每個人擺動起來，舒服的節奏、饒舌Flow 也不複雜，就是讓大家一起跟著Groove動起來！

“Fendi Girl” is a bold satire on women carrying fake luxury handbags, hoping to seduce rich sugar dads and climb the social ladder. The inspiration comes from the story of Spark’s friend. His friend reserved a private booth in a nightclub on his birthday, enjoying some fun with close friends. After a while, some girls wearing luxury handbags joined him in his booth and came up with all kinds of reasons why they were there.

Though one could never fully know their true intentions, what is true is that people became ridiculously obsessed with materialism under the influence of capitalism. Though this song was titled Fendi Girl, the lyrics also talk about Fendi Son, because it takes two to tango. Men using money and power to purchase women as if they are objects also contributes to this twisted social trend.

BLACK MIRROR

05. 黑鏡 feat. Sydney

鏡子裡的世界是白雪公主後母的黑色EDM
看見的不只是鏡面相反的現實，卻是一面邪惡暗黑的照妖鏡
照出每個人的惡魔微笑
這首歌是Spark和他美國的兩位女同學一起寫的歌，原本寫的是純英文歌詞，唱的是學校生活常常讓人沒有生活的時間，都是在應付沈重的課業；後來改為中文版本歌詞，改寫的主題就如同 Netflix 影集「黑鏡」所演的科幻導致人性失控的情節。
因為Sprak覺得中文的純EDM真的很少，做的過程中他也意識到中文EDM有多困難，配唱時也發現中文的一二三四聲的發音，對於旋律有很多的影響，因此做了很多嘗試與調整；整首歌的特色就是空間感很大、很滿，因為保留了很多位置給中高頻，所以給vocal很多的發揮空間。
這首歌他自己沒有演唱，而是邀請了覺得唱腔很適合這首歌的同學Sydney來詮釋，他自己則是擔任了更多製作和原創者的角色，也是整張專輯裡比較特別的一首歌。

The only EDM song in this rap album was originally a collaboration between Spark and his two friends at UMich PAT. At first, they wrote about the heavy workload at school that blocked their creativity. Later on, the lyrics were rewritten into Chinese and focused on the concept of science twisting humanity, just like the famous Netflix drama series, “Black Mirror.”

Spark realized how rare EDMs were in the Chinese music market because the intonation of the Chinese language can conflict with the melodic arrangement in EDMs. After many attempts and readjustments, Spark and Yun-Nong Yen, a professional Taiwanese lyricist, successfully created a unique sound for Chinese EDM.

What’s special about the arrangement is that it creates a wide space for mid-high frequencies to shine through. Therefore, Spark invited Sydney, a talented vocalist from Berklee who also happens to be his high school friend, to interpret this song while Spark remained the producer and arranger

MY ZONE

06. 圍觀者的+1

酸民用鍵盤當劍，以刺傷別人為樂、以事不關己的酸言刷存在感
不來梅樂隊在屋裡的歡樂合奏，在屋外的人們卻以為是一群惡徒
真相是什麼不重要，重要的是終於逮到機會發言
在孤獨的網路螢幕前，只有網路的圍剿派對才能感受到自己的存在
你，是其中一個嗎？

這首歌的創作靈感來自於Spark在美國的遭遇，高中畢業後他確定申請的學校後，自己獨自去Baltimore 參觀Johns Hopkins大學時，卻在附近的超商被搶，讓他覺得對人性失望的並不是被搶，而是旁邊的人一副事不關己的樣子走過…。

這件事讓他印象很深，他就先寫了詞，詞的切入點，改成描述網路酸民的醜態而不是用自己的親身遭遇，讓整首歌的思考更深入一點；寫好了詞，但是對曲一直遲遲沒有想法；後來偶然的某天，腦中突然覺得自己的歌都是用合弦在寫，就問自己，如果不用合弦寫歌，會不會很有趣？於是「圍觀者＋1」就生出來了。這首歌的曲風比較嘲諷，前面電話聲、以及裡面的os，都是以嘲諷的語氣去設計，營造出歌名「圍觀者」事不關己、冷眼旁觀的氛圍。

After Spark completed his college application during his senior year in high school, he went on a college tour to decide which college was his best fit. He traveled to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and faced his first armed robbery at a local convenience store. Though he was safe after he voluntarily handed out all his cash, what devastated him wasn’t the robbery itself, but the crowd that turned a blind eye and walked past the scene as if nothing had happened…

To Spark, this incident was a mirror event to internet bullying, where millions of bystanders hide behind the screen and watch people get hurt. After finishing the lyrics all by themselves, Spark decided to arrange this song without any chord progressions and incorporate various sound effects.

CALL ME

07. Call Me

用非常R&B的方式打給你，讓你知道我想你
用非常抒情的方式想念你，雖然我們還沒有在一起
等你電話的時候，幻想你是沈睡中的睡美人
打給你的時候，已經開始期待，下次是你先打給我

這首歌的創作還蠻奇特的，某天突然回憶起以前追求曖昧對象的那種感覺，就覺得打電話是一種快速增進感情的方式，所以很快速地就寫完這首歌。

寫的時候一開始就只是簡單的chord 搭上簡單的beat，創作的過程中就聽到許多歌曲用說話的方式唱饒舌，Spark覺得很新鮮，就套用到這首歌身上。編曲也是用比較慵懶、挑逗感的器樂和音色來表現曖昧的感覺。算是專輯裡的少數的情歌之一。

“Call Me” is an R&B love song that Spark wrote when he was pursuing his date. In Spark’s experience, calling your date over the phone is the quickest way to know them. Like in a phone call, Spark uses rhythm and intonation in his raps similar to one speaking in a conversation. This slow ballad serves as an alleviation to the heavy tensions in previous songs.

Part Time Bro

08. 打工仔

勞力被一小時一小時的換算利用，打工仔走入童話裡的糖果屋
以為努力付出的汗水和時間，就可以換來一頓飽
卻沒想到等著他的是巫婆的一鍋熱湯，而他只是食材之一。

這首歌是一位朋友的真實故事，Spark有個在國外留學的朋友暑假回來台灣打工，然後得到的待遇很差，常常無薪加班，上班時還會被欺負，但他的精神並沒有被抹滅掉。聽他說這些真實經驗，也讓人見識到在這個社會底層的打工仔要翻身真的不容易，也表達出現今很多年輕人的經濟困境。

曲風就是狠，從歌詞到曲都是有種Gang的感覺，前奏以匆忙的腳步聲、硬幣掉落的音效鋪陳出打工仔上工前的情境；後面依然硬頸跩唱：
『打工仔打工仔就算只是打工也不任你踩／就算只是打工也不被你買』
最後出現彷彿是銀行行員英文OS：
According to our investigation report we find that mr.green doesn’t have a steady income（經過我們的調查，格林先生沒有一個固定的收入）
Spark想像以前的美國工業社會賺錢艱辛的氛圍，設計了這個結尾，呼應打工仔的處境。

One of Spark’s friends came back to Taiwan from his studies in the US during summer break and worked a part-time job. Though he possesses a US college degree in his resume, part-time jobs do not discriminate. He still earns a minimum salary, of $5 an hour in Taiwan, occasionally works overtime for free, and faces bullying from senior workers. This reflects how difficult it is for rookie employees to climb up the social hierarchy if they can only find part-time jobs.

Despite part-time workers being looked down upon, Spark wrote this song portraying a fierce attitude in contrast to the social position. The song sings: “Even as a ‘part-time bro,’ we will not accept to be stepped upon.” You also hear the sound of coins dropping in between songs, symbolizing how cheap their labor is.
At the end of the song, Spark added a voice of a female banker saying, “According to our investigation report, we find that Mr. Green doesn’t have a steady income,” which brings the sarcasm even further.

I CAN'T SAY NO

09. 斯德哥爾摩

嘻哈的愛情危險又迷人，被愛者與加愛者的關係也可能是被害與加害
美女與野獸的愛情像玻璃罩裡的玫瑰一樣
脆弱得讓人無法抵抗，像斯德哥爾摩症候群患者
需要被傷才感受到被愛

歌名「斯德哥爾摩」意指「斯德哥爾摩症候群」（英語：Stockholm syndrome；瑞典語：Stockholmssyndromet）又稱為人質情結、人質症候群，是一種心理學現象，是指被害者對於加害者產生情感，同情加害者、認同加害者的某些觀點和想法，甚至反過來幫助加害者的一種情結。

又愛又恨是一件很痛苦的事，卻有人享受著這類型的愛；Spark觀察到其實這種愛上加害者的情節往往不會只出現在愛情裡，許多人也會陷入政治、社會等狀況裡；瘋狂的支持會傷害自己的人，於是就寫了這首歌。

『不對等的雙方就像狼與羔羊治寂寞的偏方是愛上你該恨的對方』
編曲一開頭，使用電鋼琴獨奏與海浪聲，就像一般路人走過去，往往是這麼的樸實無華且枯燥，但每個的內心深處都有其獨特的一面；到了副歌所有的樂器才一次出現，讓聽覺炸裂，感受到所有壓迫與激烈的飽滿情緒。

The direct translation for this song is “Stockholm,” referring to the psychological term for the bond between the hostage and the captor, “Stockholm Syndrome.” During captivity, the hostage in said syndrome would develop emotional bondage with the captor, sympathize, and identify with them.

To love and hate the same person at the same time is extremely painful, but some enjoy the intensity of it. Spark observes that Stockholm Syndrome isn’t just applicable to love relationships, similar emotion happens in politics and other social settings where one obsessively supports those who will hurt them. Hence, the birth of this song.

The lyrics sing, “Two unequal sides, like the wolf and the lamb; cure to loneliness is loving someone whom you should hate.” At the beginning of the arrangement, Spark uses electronic keyboards and the sound of waves, mimicking an ordinary pedestrian going on about his/her mundane life. And yet, behind the dullness of every heart hides repressed intensity, showing up as it reaches the chorus when every instrument emerges and bombs the aural sensation.

TROLL

10. 雙面人

萬聖節嘻哈派對，群魔亂舞的快樂狂歡
每個人都是雙面人
面前握握手，背後下毒手
沒有人知道眼前的青蛙
不是青蛙而是王子
還是眼前的王子不是王子而是青蛙？

這首歌是Spark在美國時創作的，當時剛高中畢業準備飛美國讀大學，在飛之前，很多同學們相互在社交媒體上創立小帳，只給自己認可的人追蹤，查看貼文，然後去抨擊那些自己不認可的同學；一次的同學聚會讓他看到什麼叫做「面前握握手背後下毒手」的人心險惡。而之後在美國唸書時，同樣的事情也一再的發生，於是他就寫了這首歌。

這首歌的編曲其實很特別，做這首歌的時候只錄了一個朋友吹的豎笛的單音，然後往上往下pitch shift之後變成合弦，加上萬聖節詭異的synth 讓整體聽覺怪怪的卻又不失聆聽性；鼓點也脫離傳統嘻哈，就很隨性的打節奏，反而營造出一種詭譎，人性的善惡雙面、模糊扭曲的氛圍，最後以一聲槍響，製造出戲劇性的高潮結局。

The inspiration of “Troll” comes from Spark’s observations of some of his classmates creating finsta, or fake insta, a private Instagram account set up by only allowing a few close friends to follow. Many of those finsta are used to anonymously attack those they don’t like. At a class gathering, he saw the exact demonstration of “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Some peers shook hands and acted nice on the surface, but stabbed those they didn’t agree with in the back. These scenarios became more and more prevalent as he grew older.

At first, Spark only recorded the sound of a friend playing clarinet. As he manipulated the sounds by using pitch shifts, they became arpeggios of chord progressions. He then added a “Halloween-vibe” synth, creating dissonance but still remaining aesthetically audible. For the drums section, he also chose to deviate from traditional hip-hop and went with a free-flow beat, which surprisingly complimented the eerie atmosphere of the song, symbolizing humanity’s contrast between good and evil. In the end, we hear gunshots that create a climax ending.