01Profile
A DSPS Photo
DSPS
Band — Taipei City / Kaoshiung
03Interview
Name
DSPS
Vocal & Acoustic Guitar: Ami Tseng
Guitar: Yung-Hsiang Chan
Bass: I-An Chung
Drum: Tzu-Heng Chuang
What do you do?
Ami: Lead singer, DJ and clothing store employee
Yung-Hsiang: Guitarist and guitar teacher
I-An: Bassist, guitarist and music teacher
Tzu-Heng: Drummer and drum teacher
Where are you from?
Ami: Zhonghe in New Taipei City
Yung-Hsiang: Fengshan in Kaoshiung
I-An: Lingya in Kaoshiung
Tzu-Heng: Xindian in New Taipei City
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Ami: When Yogee New Waves and Never Young Beach came to Taiwan in 2015 – the performance was in a small venue…it was such a pure and intimate performance.
Yung-Hsiang: Ego-Wrappin’s performance at Summer Sonic – it was so special to hear “A Love Song” next to the ocean – from their sound tests to the actual performance, their amazing performances really blew the audience away.
I-An: KNOWER’s performance at Taiwan’s “The Wall” concert in 2018.
Tzu-Heng: Plus/Minus’s performance at Taipei’s “The Wall” concert in 2008 – I really liked their music, so I wanted to see a live performance. I was really curious how they were going to pull off the crazy rhythms and musical effects from their album in a live concert – sure enough, they pulled it off perfectly in the concert – it really blew me away.
Which sub-cultures have influenced you?
Ami: Taiwan’s band culture around the year 2000
Yung-Hsiang: Britpop from the 90s is a primer for anybody who wants to seriously listen to music
I-An: 70’s soul music and Taiwan’s band culture around the year 2000
Tzu-Heng: Taiwan bands from the 90s and the American punk wave
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Ami: At Wakamiyaji temple in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture – we performed in front of the temple hall with an audience of gods behind us, and an audience of children, elderly and young people in front of us. There was beautiful scenery looking from the stage – being able to play our own music in a temple gave me the feeling like we were creating an atmosphere where the past and present could come together as one.
Yung-Hsiang: At Taipei’s “The Wall” Dream Passage – it was an immersive and intimate performance where we were up close and personal with the audience. We intentionally designed the set so the audience could sit next to us as we performed – they could see our every movement and we could exactly where their eyes were looking – it was a special experience for all of us.
I-An: Same as Ami – our performance at the temple in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. During our last song, with crashing drums echoing throughout the temple, the vibe felt full of joy, yet also very peaceful.
Tzu-Heng: The huge stage at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival (an independent concert that takes place every summer) – the stage was set up on a beach at Fulong – that was my very first time performing in front of a thousand people. Around that time in 2000, all of Taiwan’s bands dreamed about performing on the stage at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival. The experience of performing in front of a cheering crowd of a thousand people undoubtedly set my path going forward as a musician.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
Ami: I’d love to perform together with Supercar.
Yung-Hsiang: Taylor Hawkins – I’d love to see him play the drums up close.
I-An: Marvin Gaye
Tzu-Heng: Wubai – being able to sing “Lonely tree, lonely bird” together with him would be amazing.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Ami: I’d love to have an afternoon tea with Momoko Sakura (a Japanese Manga artist)
Yung-Hsiang: I’d want to watch Jimi Hendrix play the guitar for an hour
I-An: I’d want to have a glass of whiskey with Kobe Bryant.
Tzu-Heng: Go on a walk with my grandfather and have a chat.
Your greatest unsung hero (or heroine) in music?
Ami: wow, that’s pretty tough. All the ones that come to mind are probably celebrities. As for unsung heroes, I’d say all the sound engineers and stage personnel count, don’t you think?
Yung-Hsiang: Susumu Tamura, TS808’s father.
I-An: Stage personnel and sound mixing engineers.
Tzu-Heng: the families of the musicians
02Playlist
04Playlist Notes
What is the concepts/ important points of the playlist?
Ami:
“Y Ahora Tu” by Up, Bustle & Out
“Piano Man Breeds Love” by Teeth Agency
“dirty dancer” by Orion Sun
The first one is a song I’ve been playing a lot while DJing – it has a very strong rhythm and interesting acoustic sound. The second one is an album I’ve been playing a lot recently – it’s very gentle and trendy, and feels like it goes together well with a meal! The third one is a new song from a creator I really like – it’s romantic and tense.
Yung-Hsiang:
“Lunch Box” by KiQ
“Kill your idols, Kiss me baby” by w.o.d.
“There are Ghosts” by Karate
Ami recommended the first song (Lunch Box) to me, but I discovered the other two by using Shazam. Listening to songs you’ve never heard before is such a pleasure – no matter the genre, new music is great!
I-An:
“Loretta” by Ginger Root
“Blue Monday” by Jerry Li
“Summer Love” by The Blackbyrds
The instrumentals from the first two songs are special in that they were nearly all done by one person - Ginger Root described their music creation process in a video. As for the third song (“Summer Love”), I really like the timber of the keyboard and the sweet, pleasant vibe.
Tzu-Heng:
“Breezin’” by Cornelius
“Dark Room” by Earth’s Day Off
“MESS U MADE” by MICHELLE
Even though I haven’t been listening to Cornelius for very long, but after listening to “Breezin’” for a while, I’ve really come to like his music. The odd-numbered beats are really interesting and the arrangement of the sounds is really clever. Despite already being quite avant-garde, the music itself is great! After listening to the second song (“Dark Room”), I always feel tranquil and at peace – I especially like how the lead singer reads and sings at the same time. I discovered the third song while searching for songs with triple meters – the overall arrangement is really balanced and sounds great, and the multiple voices blend together so well as they pouring their grievances – chef’s kiss!
The first track you played on repeat?
Ami: “Tornado” by Jay Chou – one time, I went to my older cousin’s place and she mentioned that a classmate had recommended a CD to listen to. While lying on her bed using the same set of headphones, we listened to Jay Chou’s “Tornado” – Looking back, I think the reason I was hooked on that song was because I heard a cool sound that I’d never heard before. I was also really touched by the emotions conveyed in the song – it was so direct.
Yung-Hsiang: “Find it hard to say” by Jay Chou – Jay Chou got really popular just around when I was in elementary school – I’d listen to this song while playing StoneAge.
I-An: “Airport in 10:30” by David Tao – I started listening to R&B when I was in middle school. When I first discovered this song, I was really impressed by the emotionally conflicted mood of the song and the hovering pentatonic scale throughout the song’s course.
Tzu-Heng: “Have you ever cried in secret” by Eric Moo
Right about when I was in first grade, my uncle lived with us for a short time while he was working in Taipei. One day, I went exploring in his room and noticed that he had a stack of cassette tapes and a cassette player on his bed. Unable to resist my curiosity, I hit play on my uncle’s cassette tape to see what he was listening to, and sure enough, he had been listening to “Have you ever cried in secret” by Eric Moo. I thought it was so good and played it over and over. P.S. It’s worth noting it took tens of seconds to start the song over again.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Ami: “Decide to love you” by Vivian Hsu - the OST from the Taiwanese drama, “100% Senorita”. After I got older, I found out that many of Vivian Hsu’s arrangements involved both the band and an orchestra. I wasn’t aware of this when I was little, but in some way was still touched by this unique sound.
Yung-Hsiang: “William Castle” by Jay Chou – this song is weird but at the time, I thought it was really cool.
I-An: “It’s Love” by Jolin Tsai – I bought this album when I was younger, and would listening to I while studying.
Tzu-Heng: “I want to shout ‘I love you’” by BAAD (the OST to “Slam Dunk”). When I was about 10 years old, I was crazy about the show, “Slam Dunk”. During the weekends, my sisters, cousins and I would play basketball. At that time, we didn’t speak a lick of Japanese, so if we wanted to sing the song in Japanese, we could only do it the hard way and memorize the lyrics. It felt badass to be able to sing the entire song in the original Japanese.
One record you would keep forever?
Ami: The original tape of HER – I often write in my journal while listening to this song – it makes me feel so calm and peaceful. HER’s emotions evoke a sense of solitude – this album can calm me down and make me feel like being alone is a beautiful thing.
Yung-Hsiang: “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory” by Oasis – Oasis was one of my first introductions to rock music…even though I haven’t listened to this album in a very long time, it reminds me of myself at that time.
I-An: “Talking book” by Stevie Wonder – I feel Stevie Wonder’s love all around me when listening to this album…even if I was stuck on a deserted island, I think I’d be perfectly fine as long as I had this album to listen to.
Tzu-Heng: “Circles” by Mac Miller – This album makes you feel chill and calm – if I was stuck on a deserted island, I think a beautiful sunset, coconut trees, the beach plus this song would be a perfect combination.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Ami: I feel inspired anytime I read translated lyrics (perhaps it’s the lyrics appearing in a language with a different logic or way of expressing things)
Yung-Hsiang: “Days of Wine and Roses” by Wes Montgomery – he’s so graceful and elegant – I can’t help but feel inspired and see things in a new way.
I-An: “Where Are We Going?” by Donald Byrd
Tzu-Heng: “Next to happiness” by The Flowers – all of the songs in this album are great! If I had to pick only one song, it would be “Stillness”
Best song to turn up loud?
Ami: A song I’ve been singing like crazy recently is “Rome” by Dojo Cuts
Yung-Hsiang: “The Look of Love” by Mayday
I-An: “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees
Tzu-Heng: Recently, my daughter and I have been singing the Chinese version of the Big Hero 6 OST together.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Ami: “STUDY CASE 01” by Daniel Caesar – I’ve almost never been so taken by such a modern pop song like this – I’ve probably listened to it fifty times.
Yung-Hsiang: “If” by Bread – it’s an old song that just makes you feel calm and at peace.
I-An: “Love me well” by Fong Fei-fei – this is an old song that came out before I was even born. Later on, when I got hooked on Masayoshi Takanaka’s song, “The Rainbow Goblins,” I discovered by accident that the original songwriter of “Love me well” was actually Masayoshi Takanaka.
Tzu-Heng: “And/Or” by 2nd Gen – I don’t really listen to experimental noise, but I really like this one, it’s so good.
What new bands you are listening to?
Ami: I’ve recently fallen in love with a Japanese band called KiQ – they play together so well and the music has a lot of love.
Yung-Hsiang: I’ve recently really enjoyed listened to Mei Ehara’s 2020 album (does that count as a new band?)
I-An: I’ve recently listened to a fantastic young Taiwanese band called Bremen Entertainment Inc.
Tzu-Heng: Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Earth’s Rest Day – I like the lead singer’s whispering voice as he sings through the lyrics.
03Interview
Name
DSPS
Vocal & Acoustic Guitar: Ami Tseng
Guitar: Yung-Hsiang Chan
Bass: I-An Chung
Drum: Tzu-Heng Chuang
What do you do?
Ami: Lead singer, DJ and clothing store employee
Yung-Hsiang: Guitarist and guitar teacher
I-An: Bassist, guitarist and music teacher
Tzu-Heng: Drummer and drum teacher
Where are you from?
Ami: Zhonghe in New Taipei City
Yung-Hsiang: Fengshan in Kaoshiung
I-An: Lingya in Kaoshiung
Tzu-Heng: Xindian in New Taipei City
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Ami: When Yogee New Waves and Never Young Beach came to Taiwan in 2015 – the performance was in a small venue…it was such a pure and intimate performance.
Yung-Hsiang: Ego-Wrappin’s performance at Summer Sonic – it was so special to hear “A Love Song” next to the ocean – from their sound tests to the actual performance, their amazing performances really blew the audience away.
I-An: KNOWER’s performance at Taiwan’s “The Wall” concert in 2018.
Tzu-Heng: Plus/Minus’s performance at Taipei’s “The Wall” concert in 2008 – I really liked their music, so I wanted to see a live performance. I was really curious how they were going to pull off the crazy rhythms and musical effects from their album in a live concert – sure enough, they pulled it off perfectly in the concert – it really blew me away.
Which sub-cultures have influenced you?
Ami: Taiwan’s band culture around the year 2000
Yung-Hsiang: Britpop from the 90s is a primer for anybody who wants to seriously listen to music
I-An: 70’s soul music and Taiwan’s band culture around the year 2000
Tzu-Heng: Taiwan bands from the 90s and the American punk wave
Of all the venues you’ve played, which is your favourite?
Ami: At Wakamiyaji temple in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture – we performed in front of the temple hall with an audience of gods behind us, and an audience of children, elderly and young people in front of us. There was beautiful scenery looking from the stage – being able to play our own music in a temple gave me the feeling like we were creating an atmosphere where the past and present could come together as one.
Yung-Hsiang: At Taipei’s “The Wall” Dream Passage – it was an immersive and intimate performance where we were up close and personal with the audience. We intentionally designed the set so the audience could sit next to us as we performed – they could see our every movement and we could exactly where their eyes were looking – it was a special experience for all of us.
I-An: Same as Ami – our performance at the temple in Yamagata prefecture, Japan. During our last song, with crashing drums echoing throughout the temple, the vibe felt full of joy, yet also very peaceful.
Tzu-Heng: The huge stage at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival (an independent concert that takes place every summer) – the stage was set up on a beach at Fulong – that was my very first time performing in front of a thousand people. Around that time in 2000, all of Taiwan’s bands dreamed about performing on the stage at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival. The experience of performing in front of a cheering crowd of a thousand people undoubtedly set my path going forward as a musician.
If you could be on the line up with any bands in history?
Ami: I’d love to perform together with Supercar.
Yung-Hsiang: Taylor Hawkins – I’d love to see him play the drums up close.
I-An: Marvin Gaye
Tzu-Heng: Wubai – being able to sing “Lonely tree, lonely bird” together with him would be amazing.
If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
Ami: I’d love to have an afternoon tea with Momoko Sakura (a Japanese Manga artist)
Yung-Hsiang: I’d want to watch Jimi Hendrix play the guitar for an hour
I-An: I’d want to have a glass of whiskey with Kobe Bryant.
Tzu-Heng: Go on a walk with my grandfather and have a chat.
Your greatest unsung hero (or heroine) in music?
Ami: wow, that’s pretty tough. All the ones that come to mind are probably celebrities. As for unsung heroes, I’d say all the sound engineers and stage personnel count, don’t you think?
Yung-Hsiang: Susumu Tamura, TS808’s father.
I-An: Stage personnel and sound mixing engineers.
Tzu-Heng: the families of the musicians
04Playlist Notes
What is the concepts/ important points of the playlist?
Ami:
“Y Ahora Tu” by Up, Bustle & Out
“Piano Man Breeds Love” by Teeth Agency
“dirty dancer” by Orion Sun
The first one is a song I’ve been playing a lot while DJing – it has a very strong rhythm and interesting acoustic sound. The second one is an album I’ve been playing a lot recently – it’s very gentle and trendy, and feels like it goes together well with a meal! The third one is a new song from a creator I really like – it’s romantic and tense.
Yung-Hsiang:
“Lunch Box” by KiQ
“Kill your idols, Kiss me baby” by w.o.d.
“There are Ghosts” by Karate
Ami recommended the first song (Lunch Box) to me, but I discovered the other two by using Shazam. Listening to songs you’ve never heard before is such a pleasure – no matter the genre, new music is great!
I-An:
“Loretta” by Ginger Root
“Blue Monday” by Jerry Li
“Summer Love” by The Blackbyrds
The instrumentals from the first two songs are special in that they were nearly all done by one person - Ginger Root described their music creation process in a video. As for the third song (“Summer Love”), I really like the timber of the keyboard and the sweet, pleasant vibe.
Tzu-Heng:
“Breezin’” by Cornelius
“Dark Room” by Earth’s Day Off
“MESS U MADE” by MICHELLE
Even though I haven’t been listening to Cornelius for very long, but after listening to “Breezin’” for a while, I’ve really come to like his music. The odd-numbered beats are really interesting and the arrangement of the sounds is really clever. Despite already being quite avant-garde, the music itself is great! After listening to the second song (“Dark Room”), I always feel tranquil and at peace – I especially like how the lead singer reads and sings at the same time. I discovered the third song while searching for songs with triple meters – the overall arrangement is really balanced and sounds great, and the multiple voices blend together so well as they pouring their grievances – chef’s kiss!
The first track you played on repeat?
Ami: “Tornado” by Jay Chou – one time, I went to my older cousin’s place and she mentioned that a classmate had recommended a CD to listen to. While lying on her bed using the same set of headphones, we listened to Jay Chou’s “Tornado” – Looking back, I think the reason I was hooked on that song was because I heard a cool sound that I’d never heard before. I was also really touched by the emotions conveyed in the song – it was so direct.
Yung-Hsiang: “Find it hard to say” by Jay Chou – Jay Chou got really popular just around when I was in elementary school – I’d listen to this song while playing StoneAge.
I-An: “Airport in 10:30” by David Tao – I started listening to R&B when I was in middle school. When I first discovered this song, I was really impressed by the emotionally conflicted mood of the song and the hovering pentatonic scale throughout the song’s course.
Tzu-Heng: “Have you ever cried in secret” by Eric Moo
Right about when I was in first grade, my uncle lived with us for a short time while he was working in Taipei. One day, I went exploring in his room and noticed that he had a stack of cassette tapes and a cassette player on his bed. Unable to resist my curiosity, I hit play on my uncle’s cassette tape to see what he was listening to, and sure enough, he had been listening to “Have you ever cried in secret” by Eric Moo. I thought it was so good and played it over and over. P.S. It’s worth noting it took tens of seconds to start the song over again.
A song that defines the teenage you?
Ami: “Decide to love you” by Vivian Hsu - the OST from the Taiwanese drama, “100% Senorita”. After I got older, I found out that many of Vivian Hsu’s arrangements involved both the band and an orchestra. I wasn’t aware of this when I was little, but in some way was still touched by this unique sound.
Yung-Hsiang: “William Castle” by Jay Chou – this song is weird but at the time, I thought it was really cool.
I-An: “It’s Love” by Jolin Tsai – I bought this album when I was younger, and would listening to I while studying.
Tzu-Heng: “I want to shout ‘I love you’” by BAAD (the OST to “Slam Dunk”). When I was about 10 years old, I was crazy about the show, “Slam Dunk”. During the weekends, my sisters, cousins and I would play basketball. At that time, we didn’t speak a lick of Japanese, so if we wanted to sing the song in Japanese, we could only do it the hard way and memorize the lyrics. It felt badass to be able to sing the entire song in the original Japanese.
One record you would keep forever?
Ami: The original tape of HER – I often write in my journal while listening to this song – it makes me feel so calm and peaceful. HER’s emotions evoke a sense of solitude – this album can calm me down and make me feel like being alone is a beautiful thing.
Yung-Hsiang: “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory” by Oasis – Oasis was one of my first introductions to rock music…even though I haven’t listened to this album in a very long time, it reminds me of myself at that time.
I-An: “Talking book” by Stevie Wonder – I feel Stevie Wonder’s love all around me when listening to this album…even if I was stuck on a deserted island, I think I’d be perfectly fine as long as I had this album to listen to.
Tzu-Heng: “Circles” by Mac Miller – This album makes you feel chill and calm – if I was stuck on a deserted island, I think a beautiful sunset, coconut trees, the beach plus this song would be a perfect combination.
A song lyric that has inspired you?
Ami: I feel inspired anytime I read translated lyrics (perhaps it’s the lyrics appearing in a language with a different logic or way of expressing things)
Yung-Hsiang: “Days of Wine and Roses” by Wes Montgomery – he’s so graceful and elegant – I can’t help but feel inspired and see things in a new way.
I-An: “Where Are We Going?” by Donald Byrd
Tzu-Heng: “Next to happiness” by The Flowers – all of the songs in this album are great! If I had to pick only one song, it would be “Stillness”
Best song to turn up loud?
Ami: A song I’ve been singing like crazy recently is “Rome” by Dojo Cuts
Yung-Hsiang: “The Look of Love” by Mayday
I-An: “How Deep Is Your Love” by Bee Gees
Tzu-Heng: Recently, my daughter and I have been singing the Chinese version of the Big Hero 6 OST together.
A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Ami: “STUDY CASE 01” by Daniel Caesar – I’ve almost never been so taken by such a modern pop song like this – I’ve probably listened to it fifty times.
Yung-Hsiang: “If” by Bread – it’s an old song that just makes you feel calm and at peace.
I-An: “Love me well” by Fong Fei-fei – this is an old song that came out before I was even born. Later on, when I got hooked on Masayoshi Takanaka’s song, “The Rainbow Goblins,” I discovered by accident that the original songwriter of “Love me well” was actually Masayoshi Takanaka.
Tzu-Heng: “And/Or” by 2nd Gen – I don’t really listen to experimental noise, but I really like this one, it’s so good.
What new bands you are listening to?
Ami: I’ve recently fallen in love with a Japanese band called KiQ – they play together so well and the music has a lot of love.
Yung-Hsiang: I’ve recently really enjoyed listened to Mei Ehara’s 2020 album (does that count as a new band?)
I-An: I’ve recently listened to a fantastic young Taiwanese band called Bremen Entertainment Inc.
Tzu-Heng: Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Earth’s Rest Day – I like the lead singer’s whispering voice as he sings through the lyrics.