“🔥”  是什么？拿我们圈里话来说，一个从未在国内电音节或演唱会上看到过的名字，是否一定就是不火的？

但仅仅在三四年间，有一个名字，创造了上亿收听量的单曲《AAA》；接连登上Clockenflap、SXSW等全球顶尖音乐节；带着普通话的散装英语驰骋在20年代的音乐市场。他既可与FKJ、Crystal Castles、Hyukoh同台一起高雅，与Charli XCX、A.G. Cook、Shygirl等人齐名列入Spotify Hyperpop歌单，亦可带你梦回杀马特，拥有并不逊色于罗福兴、王绎龙的抽象美学。

就是这样一个看似矛盾的音乐人，在千禧浪潮的20多年后横空出世，冲破了原本不必要的重重壁垒，代表新时代的亚洲声音自信亮相。引发越来越多的乐迷为之抓狂，甚至抽象。

What does ‘🔥’ mean? In our circle, does a name that has never been seen at domestic electronic music festivals or concerts necessarily mean it’s not popular?

But just in the past three or four years, there’s a name that has created singles with over a hundred million listens, such as “AAA”; consecutively appeared at top global music festivals like Clockenflap, SXSW, and others; and with Mandarin-infused colloquial English, has been navigating the music market of the 2020s. He can share the stage gracefully with FKJ, Crystal Castles, Hyukoh, and also be listed alongside Charli XCX, A.G. Cook, Shygirl in Spotify’s Hyperpop playlist, taking you back to the nostalgic era of ‘杀马特’, possessing an abstract aesthetic not inferior to that of
罗福兴 or 王绎龙 .

This seemingly contradictory musician emerged out of the millennial wave more than two decades later, breaking through unnecessary barriers and confidently representing the Asian sound of the new era. He has stirred up increasing frenzy among music fans, even to the point of abstraction.

瞧~他的名字已经被复读出来了，马来西亚华裔音乐人 Shelhiel 

正 在 路 上 ！

在他即将开启自己首次中国巡演前，我们打算先来会会这位“奇葩”音乐人。

Look! His name has been echoed. Malaysian-Chinese musician Shelhiel is on the way! Before he embarks on his first China tour, we plan to meet this “eccentric” musician.

▎Mixmag China = M

▎Shelhiel = S

PART 1 没有绝对的粗野与精致
no absolute wildness or refinement

M： 我们先从你最火爆的一首歌-拥有亿级播放量的单曲《AAA》开始吧！你觉得这首歌如此风靡的核心因素在哪儿？
Sure! Let’s start with your most explosive hit single ‘AAA’ . What do you think made this song such a sensation?

S： 我觉得歌曲本身就是一个好主题(指歌词中所释义的3A,具有对冒牌的讽刺之意)。归功MV吧！的确有成功把歌推到另一个层次，这里必须喊话支持下导演@birdycantfly！
I think the song itself is a great theme (referring to the irony implied in the lyrics about the 3As). Credit should go to the music video! It certainly succeeded in elevating the song to another level. Here’s a shout-out to the director @birdycantfly!

M： 你和同样来自马来西亚的合作者NYK相互碰撞的时候有没有料到这首歌会大火?
Did you and your collaborator NYK have a feeling it would blow up when you were working on it?

S： 没有😂
Absolutely not lol.

M： 你推出了一首从歌名到内容都有 “中文土嗨” 既视感的曲目 “BuDeBuAi不得不爱(DJ Remix)”，其中甚至充满鸡叫般的采样，可谓“土”到了点子上。是有意要这样做的吗？
You dropped a track titled “BuDeBuAi (DJ Remix)” that’s got that whole “中文土嗨” going on, from the title to the content, especially with the samples sound like chickens clucking—it’s really hitting that ‘earthy’ vibe. Was that intentional on your part?

S： 《BuDeBuAi不得不爱》本来就是一个新慢摇：Hyperpop, Trance, Manyao等。其实有很多我们听的东亚和东南亚电子音乐都是西方电子音乐生下的孩子，我做的这种编曲只是把东方和西方的inspo连在一起，在音乐里大家都是一家人。

《BuDeBuAi不得不爱(DJ Remix)》 最后鸡叫声的drop是受菲利宾灵感启发的Budots (一种菲律宾舞曲/舞蹈风格) 合成器以及Guaracha(源自古巴的舞曲/舞蹈风格)的鼓。那肯定需要国际化的编排编曲, 就是要做一种既高级又好像土嗨的club的感觉，你可以说它土，你可以说它很高级，艺术一旦诞生，就是任由大家去定义它。

“BuDeBuAi (DJ Remix)” is originally a new slow jam: Hyperpop, Trance, Manyao, and more. In fact, much of the electronic music we listen to in East Asia and Southeast Asia is offspring of Western electronic music. The arrangement I made simply connects Eastern and Western inspiration, showing that in music, we are all one big family.

The final drop with the chicken sound in “BuDeBuAi (DJ Remix)” is inspired by Budots (a Filipino music/dance genre) synthesizers and Guaracha (a Cuban music/dance genre) drums. This definitely required an internationalized arrangement and orchestration. The goal was to create a club vibe that feels both sophisticated and reminiscent of a rural party. You could say it’s rustic, you could say it’s sophisticated, but once art is born, it’s up to everyone to define it.

M： 但是在国内，似乎有一批 “精致主义者” 对这种做法嗤之以鼻，并鼓动更多听众反对，甚至公开打击做这类嗨曲的音乐人。对于这个问题你有顾虑吗？
But in China, there seems to be a group of ‘purists’ who look down upon this approach to music and encourage more listeners to oppose it, even openly criticizing the musicians making these types of tracks. Have you been concerned about this issue?

S： 不要听就别听啦哈哈哈，who cares? 想听精致的可以上我的《SUPERSTROBE》和这张专的remixes找啊，我还发行过了一个弦乐版的Runnin, Merindu – String Mix和official video你又不去听去看？ 跟不上我脚步的人我也没辙，我先飞了~
If you don’t want to listen, then don’t listen, haha! Who cares? If you want to hear something refined, you can check out my “SUPERSTROBE” or the remixes from this album. I even released a string version of “Runnin, Merindu – String Mix” along with an official video, but if you’re not going to listen or watch, I can’t do anything about it. I’m outta here~

M： 作为一个根植于次世代互联网，被称为Y2K加强版本Y4K的音乐制作人，在 “流量”、“洗脑”、“病毒式传播” 等标签主导下的短视频年代，你觉得音乐人需要具备哪些能力才能从中脱颖而出？
As a music producer rooted in the next-gen internet culture, often dubbed as Y4K, an upgraded version of Y2K, in an era dominated by tags like ‘streaming’、‘mind-washing’ and ‘viral spread‘，what skills do you think musicians need to stand out?

S： 现实是如今推音乐的方式真的和以前都太不一样了。5~10年出道的人可能在这个时代说不定可以生存。短视频是无法避免的宣传，但最重要是音乐还是得用最纯粹的方式去写，去做出来。真金不怕红炉火。
The reality is that the way music is promoted nowadays is really different from before. People who debuted 5 to 10 years ago might still have a chance to survive in this era. Short videos are unavoidable for promotion, but the most important thing is to write and produce music in the purest way possible. True gold fears no fire.

M： 目前你已经有一定的国际影响力，登上诸如 香港鸡飞Clockenflap、美国西南偏南SXSW 等音乐节，歌曲也被收录在 Spotify 官方歌单中，和其他努力冲向国际的华裔音乐人不同的是，你新专辑中仍然使用大量中文，这与所谓的“国际化”似乎有点背道而驰，你是如何考量的呢？
You’ve already gained some international recognition, performing at festivals like Clockenflap and SXSW, and your songs have been featured on official Spotify playlists. Unlike other Chinese diaspora musicians striving for international success, you still heavily use Mandarin in your new album. It seems to go against the idea of ‘Internationalization’ How do you balance these considerations?

S：《SuperKiss: A》写的是一种era，那时刚好我就想写中文。就好像《SUPERSTROBE》那时候就写了马来西亚三个语言：中，英，马来语。语言的确会决定你的目标市场，但我觉得电子音乐的好处就是它的核心灵魂是无语言的音乐。
 

我的最终目标绝对是要把亚洲，东南亚，马来西亚的文化推到国际领域，不一定只写英文歌曲，也可以从曲风开始。《BuDeBuAi不得不爱》就是一个很好的例子 Trance和慢摇合体，国际化的其中一种方式。

大家尽情期待《SuperKiss: B》的惊喜吧！

“SuperKiss: A” was written to capture a certain era, and at that time, I felt like writing in Chinese. It’s similar to “SUPERSTROBE,” where I wrote in three languages: Chinese, English, and Malay. Language indeed determines your target market, but I believe the beauty of electronic music lies in its core essence, which transcends language.

My ultimate goal is definitely to promote Asian, Southeast Asian, and Malaysian culture on the international stage. It doesn’t necessarily mean only writing English songs; it can also start from the music style. “BuDeBuAi不得不爱” is a great example – a fusion of Trance and slow jam, one of the ways to internationalize.

Everyone, let’s eagerly anticipate the surprises of “SuperKiss: B”!

PART 2 世界在变，享受你的每一站幸福
enjoy every stop of your happiness

M： 列举几个对你音乐生涯（风格转变）产生重大影响的音乐人吧？
Name a few musicians who have had a big impact on your musicareer (style evolution).

S： Ryuchi Sakamoto，Cashmere Cat，Lido，Charli XCX，James Blake，Perfume.

M： 你过去也邀请过许多艺术家来操刀改编(Remix)自己的音乐，这次新专辑有继续推出一个Remix版本的想法吗？你对这些合作者的选择标准是什么？
In the past, you’ve invited many artists to remix your music. Do you have any plans to release a remix version for your new album ‘SuperKiss: A‘ ? What are your criteria for choosing these collaborators?

S： 我有太多很喜欢的国际/亚洲/东南亚DJs和producers，我对于remixes 的视角也会很有想法，比如我的上一张《SUPERSTROBE (Remixes)》是所有我喜欢的亚洲 DJ/producers的lineup：日，韩，菲律宾，新加坡，越南，马来西亚等，我也remix了我自己的歌。
I have a lot of favorite international/Asian/Southeast Asian DJs and producers, and I have a lot of ideas for remixes as well. For example, my last album “SUPERSTROBE (Remixes)” featured a lineup of all my favorite Asian DJs/producers from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and more. I also remixed my own songs.

M： 过去你经历了不同的音乐创作阶段，随之人设形象似乎也变化多端，跟你跨流派的多元音乐风格如出一辙，想知道你最喜欢自己哪个时期的形象？对于许多还在从内到外寻找自己人设的音乐新人有什么建议吗？
In the past, you’ve gone through different phases of music creation, and your persona seemed to evolve accordingly, reflecting your diverse musical styles. I’m curious, which period of your persona/image do you like the most?

S： 每一个时期的我都喜欢，因为我还有很多个新的era还没有去探索，但想法和点子都写下来了哈哈。这是一个马拉松旅程，it‘s a long game，所以要享受每一站的幸福。
I love every stage of my journey because there are still many new eras for me to explore, but I’ve written down all my ideas and thoughts, haha. This is a marathon journey; it’s a long game, so I want to enjoy the happiness at every stop.

M：我们之前也采访过ISOxo(包括着重提到与之合作的 Ninajirachi)，他似乎可以将 EDM、Bass音乐 和 Hyperpop潮流 巧妙地结合起来，另外我们也写过 NewJeans 的专题内容，简单分析了 K-Pop 如何借助电子音乐实现更鲜活的蜕变。你是否也听他们的歌，怎样看待原先被视为非主流的电子音乐 (比如UKG、Grime、Baltimore Club、Neo-Trance等等) 对主流视野的巨大冲击？
We’ve previously interviewed ISOxo (highlighting the collaboration with Ninajirachi), who seems adept at blending EDM, bass music and hyperpop trends. We’ve also covered NewJeans, analyzing how K-Pop leverages electronic music for a vibrant transformation. Do you listen to their music? How do you feel about the significant impact of formerly niche electronic music genres (such as UKG, Grime, Baltimore Club, Neo-Trance, etc.) on the mainstream perspective?

S：这就是我喜欢Pop的原因：因为它是我可以把很多不同音乐元素的精华编织的一个扎实的作品·，既可以新鲜，又可以让大众去听。ISOxo, Knock2专辑好好听，真的成功把Hyperpop, Bass音乐，Trap和EDM混得毫无违和感。

看了他们Coachella set，真心觉得他们都是Skrillex的后浪。NewJeans成功用UKG baltimore/Jersey club 带起一股新潮流，得说是minheejin超级策划：从形象，视觉到音乐都是精心设计的master plan。他们的团队找到250和FRNK作为producers，甚至请到Erika de Casier作为词曲合作者都是很明智的决策。

This is why I love Pop: because it allows me to weave the essence of many different musical elements into a solid piece of work. It can be fresh and appealing to the masses. ISOxo and Knock2’s albums are really good; they successfully blend Hyperpop, Bass music, Trap, and EDM seamlessly.

Watching their Coachella set, I genuinely feel they’re all riding on Skrillex’s wave. NewJeans successfully sparked a new trend with UKG Baltimore/Jersey club, and I must say it’s a masterful plan by minheejin: from image, visuals to music, everything is meticulously designed. Their team’s decision to work with producers like 250 and FRNK, and even bringing in Erika de Casier as a lyricist and collaborator, is very wise.

S：这些“非主流”风格其实一直存在的，都是industry或大的artists推动的影响力。也是一种阴和阳吧，到时太多同样的风格以后，物极必反，新的方向就会出现。在英国亮丽主流的UKG诞生了Dubstep, 太多生产过剩的K-pop 就会催生一个新的NewJeans.

世界一直在改变，所以喜欢什么风格就做什么风格吧。

The ‘non-mainstream’ styles have actually always existed, shaped by the influence of the industry or major artists. It’s a kind of yin and yang balance; when a certain style becomes too saturated, it inevitably gives rise to new directions. In the UK, the prominent mainstream UKG gave birth to Dubstep, while the overproduction of K-pop has also spurred new trends like NewJeans. The world is always changing, so just do whatever style you like.

PART 3 未来，现在与曾经
future & present & past

M： 说说你对最近音乐行业内的热门话题 suno 的看法吧，你怎么看待这种音乐AI工具？ 你会尝试在未来创作中使用它吗？
So, what are your thoughts on the recent hot topic in the music industry, Suno? How do you perceive these AI music tools, and would you consider using them in your future music productions?

S： 我的朋友们已经用suno写了30~40首新歌了。再给它两三年时间让它的music database更进步，可能真就可以直接从suno出来发行新歌了哈哈哈。
My friends have already written 30 to 40 new songs using Suno. Give it another two or three years for its music database to advance further, and we might just be able to release new songs directly from Suno, haha!

S： 用啊 ，怎么不用呢？音乐本来就是被科技直接影响的industry。一个TR808 创造了Trap, 一个antares autotune 就造就了一堆电音宝宝，如今抖音还有人用电音版翻唱周杰伦。
Why not? Music has always been directly influenced by technology. A TR808 created Trap, and Antares Autotune gave rise to a bunch of electronic music babies. Nowadays, people are even using electronic versions on TikTok to cover songs by Jay Chou.

M：88rising、Eastern Margins 以及 Chinabot 等专注亚裔音乐人的厂牌在流行音乐、电子舞曲、实验音乐这些不同层面上让更多亚洲音乐人得到了国际关注，你在海外演出时有感受到亚裔以及华裔音乐人在演出市场的处境与此前有什么变化吗？

Labels like 88rising, Eastern Margins, and Chinabot, which focus on Asian music artists, have gained international attention across various genres such as pop, electronic dance music, and experimental music, bringing more Asian musicians into the spotlight.

So，Have you noticed any changes in the situation of Asian and Chinese music artists in the international performance scene ？

S： 当然肯定有被更多关注的，在我表演去到的各个音乐节，尤其是某些日韩艺人，现场粉丝是那叫一个多到爆啊！
Of course, there are definitely those who receive more attention. At various music festivals where I’ve performed, especially with some Japanese and Korean artists, the number of fans at the venue is just overflowing!

M：通过你的音乐以及合作对象能看出俱乐部音乐对你的影响颇大，你对中国电子音乐场景了解得多吗？除了与 FiFi Zhang 合作新歌 ‘Love, Repeat’，还有没有你比较欣赏并想要合作的中国电子音乐人呢？

Your music and choice of collaborators suggest that club music has had a significant influence on you. How familiar are you with the electronic music scene in China?

Apart from your recent song and collaboration with FiFi Zhang, are there any other Chinese electronic music artists you admire and would like to collaborate with?

S： 我有关注 Lexie Liu(刘柏辛), 反返，Billionhappy，BRAINFREEZE，GG龙虾 等中国音乐人，相信更多艺术家只要默契一致，我都会留意到。另外，我和高嘉丰合作过两次！
I follow artists like Lexie Liu (刘柏辛), 反返, Billionhappy, BRAINFREEZE, GG Lobster, and other Chinese musicians. I believe that as long as there’s mutual understanding, I’ll keep an eye on more artists. Additionally, I’ve collaborated with Jiafeng twice!

M： Mixmag 最关注的始终都是电子锐舞场景与俱乐部文化，我们也在为国内各地的俱乐部制作一键式的图鉴介绍，你觉得这事儿对网友是否有必要？你即将开启中国巡演，是否期待能在不同城市的地标俱乐部中领略到什么不同点？
Mixmag has always been focused on the electronic dance music scene and club rave culture. We’ve also designed a section to introduce clubs across different regions in China in an easy-to-browse format. Do you think this is necessary for online audience?
Are you looking forward to experiencing any differences in the iconic clubs in different cities during your upcoming China tour?

S： 蛮期待的！毕竟这会是发行《SuperKiss: A》的第一个正式演出，也是我的第一个外国tour. 终于可以来亲身体验那些我早就耳熟能详的俱乐部像All、OIL、Axis 等地方。 mixmag China如果做出一个club推荐catalogue我觉得挺好的，因为可能不是每个外国人都了解中国其实也有那么多不断推广电子舞曲文化和不同音乐风格的场所。
I’m quite excited! After all, this will be the first official performance following the release of “SuperKiss: A,” and it will also be my first foreign tour. Finally, I’ll get to experience firsthand those clubs I’ve long heard about, like All, OIL, Axis, and others.

mixmag China如果做出一个club推荐catalogue我觉得挺好的，因为可能不是每个外国人都了解中国其实也有那么多不断推广电子舞曲文化和不同音乐风格的场所。
I think it would be great if Mixmag China could create a club recommendation catalogue because not every foreigner may be aware that China actually has so many venues continuously promoting electronic music culture and different music styles.

一如既往，我们也问了问国内粉丝，发现其中有一个问题，似乎比较尖锐，但有必要拿出来讲讲！此次参与Shelhiel中国巡演的国内DJ EQ aka.拖孩 @Ouuuuuu ：

DJ EQ ： 在东亚以及东南亚地区，有着一些像Funkot、Dangdut、Budots等长久以来都广受当地欢迎并充满活力的电子舞曲风格，而在中国当下的边缘/地下/独立电子音乐爱好者中，大部分听众都会乐于挖掘聆听西方世界以及其他第三世界（如非洲、南美等）的舞曲，却始终不愿甚至羞于触及这些近在咫尺的亚洲音乐，您觉得从一名艺术家的角度来说，该如何打破这样的困境呢？
In East Asia and Southeast Asia, there are electronic music styles like Funkot, Dangdut, Budots, etc., that have long been popular and vibrant in the local scenes. However, among the current edge/underground/independent electronic music enthusiasts in China, most listeners are eager to explore and listen to dance music from the Western world and other third-world regions (such as Africa, South America, etc.), but they are reluctant or even embarrassed to touch upon these nearby Asian music styles. From an artist’s perspective, how do you think we can break through this dilemma?

S：这就得靠热爱这些音乐风格的大家推广了，就是你们亲爱的DJ们，producers和音乐人。

与其说是拒绝被“殖民化”，不如把我们看作是音乐文化的桥梁。我们去重新介绍这些我们自己本土的电音文化，东方/西方/南美/非洲等文化大家都是互相影响，必须共存而诞生出来的音乐。 

以欧洲为中心的电子音乐到最后也会被亚洲的音乐影响到，这是一个大循环。好像我马来西亚的DJ朋友玩着baltimore club时穿插的jedag jedug，是毫无违和感的。全看我们音乐人如何包装/制作/教育/推广这种声音了，最终还是需要有人开始去相信它。Mr. Fong也在努力推了，你还在等什么呢？！(Mr. Fong是Shelhiel的另一个身份，艺术家的外显面貌：更注重在地性)。

撇开所有的包装，好的音乐就是好的。而我觉得音乐各个不同风格都值得去欢庆，这才是真正热爱音乐的表现。

It’s up to us, the DJs, producers, and musicians who love these music styles, to promote them. Rather than rejecting “colonization,” we should see ourselves as bridges of music culture. Let’s reintroduce our own native electronic music culture. Music from the East, West, South America, Africa, and other cultures influence each other and must coexist to create new music.

Electronic music centered around Europe will eventually be influenced by Asian music as well. It’s a big cycle. For example, my DJ friends in Malaysia seamlessly mix baltimore club with jedag jedug, and it feels completely natural. It all depends on how we, as musicians, package, produce, educate, and promote this sound. Ultimately, someone needs to believe in it. Mr. Fong is also working hard to push it forward, so what are you waiting for? (Mr. Fong is another identity of Shelhiel, an artist’s outward appearance: more focused on locality). Setting aside all the packaging, good music is just good music. And I believe that celebrating different music styles is what truly shows a love for music.

4.30 ~ 5.5，独立音乐厂牌BlazingStars将携超闪耀！超流行！的次世代Y4K超新星Shelhiel展开他的中国首巡。跨越三城，六个场地，共合作三十组艺人。Shelhiel 将会在每一场俱乐部派对中献上精心筹划的 Hybrid Set (Live+DJ)，据说藏满了许多让你意想不到的惊喜。

From April 30th to May 5th, the independent music label BlazingStars will embark on the first China tour with the ultra-shiny! ultra-popular! next-generation Y4K superstar Shelhiel. Spanning three cities and six venues, collaborating with a total of thirty artists. Shelhiel will present meticulously planned Hybrid Sets (Live+DJ) at each club party, rumored to be filled with many unexpected surprises.