UOU Archive’s First Release — Ying-Da Chen Quartet Live Without Irony
The first album released by UOU Archive, and the fifth by the Ying-Da Chen Quartet, Live Without Irony captures the group’s boldest and most evolved sound yet.
Formed in 2012, the Quartet consists of Ying-Da Chen (composer, guitar), Minyen Hsieh (saxophone), Weichung Lin (drums), and Kinya Ikeda (bass). Their journey through different creative periods can be traced across previous albums — R.E.M Moods (2015), Animal Triste (2017), Off Peak Hours (2019), and Do You Know Beige? (2021). Throughout each phase, the group has approached contemporary music with a spirit of sensitivity and rebellion, developing an ensemble sound entirely their own.
All four earlier albums received multiple nominations at the Golden Indie Music Awards (GIMA). “Song of Sickness” won Best Jazz Single at the 6th edition, Animal Triste received Best Jazz Album at the 9th, and Minyen Hsieh was honored as Best Musician at the 11th GIMA for his performance on Off Peak Hours .
UOU Archive 廠牌首張發行專輯，也是陳穎達四重奏的第五張專輯「Live Without Irony」
陳穎達四重奏於2012年成軍，成員為擔任作曲與吉他演奏的陳穎達，搭配擔任薩克斯風演奏的謝明諺、鼓組演奏的林偉中、以及低音提琴/低音吉他演奏的池田欣彌；樂團經歷的不同時期可在他們過往的專輯「R.E.M Moods」（2015）、「動物感傷」(2017)、「離峰時刻」(2019)、「你聽過Beige嗎」（2021） 中聽見，每個時期他們皆以離經叛道的感性面對當代音樂，逐漸創造出樂團獨有的合奏風格。
四張專輯皆獲得金音創作獎的多項提名，其中「生病之歌」獲得第六屆該獎項的最佳爵士單曲、專輯「動物感傷」則獲得第九屆最佳爵士專輯的殊榮，同時團員謝明諺在「離峰時刻」中的演奏也奪得了第十一屆金音創作獎的最佳樂手獎項。
Photography ｜ Chen Etang
A New Chapter After Four Years
After a four-year hiatus, Live Without Irony emerges with passion and clarity, reflecting the members’ artistic and personal growth. The avant-garde and transcendent compositions were deeply influenced by Chen’s years living in New York (2021–2024). The album was conceived around the idea that “these pieces could only exist with this band.” The result radiates a refined emotional intensity and freedom.
The centerpiece, “Prioritization Suite,” premiered at the National Concert Hall’s Summer Jazz Festival in 2023. This six-part suite channels intuitive power and rhythmic vitality—unfolding layers of tension, momentum, and introspection throughout its hour-long journey. Each re-listening reveals new pleasures within the recording’s intricate design.
Complementing the suite are three meditative tracks — “Seven-Character Quatrain,” “Fade Into Constellation,” and “The Terminus” — whose calm resonance and spiritual brightness recall Chen’s familiar smile, as seen on the album cover. Yet beneath that serenity lies a face shaped by deeper life experiences.
與上一張作品的發行相隔了四年，合奏出的熱情與明快反映了樂團成員們這段時間的豐富歷練；
作曲上的前衛超脫與陳穎達在2021年至2024年旅居紐約的時期脫不了關係，而選擇以「只有在這個樂團才行得通」的方向構思，成功釋放出某種伴隨著情操的氣味。
「Live Without Irony」是陳穎達醞釀已久的直球對決，本張專輯的作品以 2023 年夏天首演亦在兩廳院夏日爵士登場、六首曲子組成的「 Prioritization Suite 」作為主打，有著充滿直覺與明快節奏的強大火力、中後段雖有蜇伏但飽滿厚實的能量仍隱隱作現，每回重複的聆聽都能從一小時的錄音中找到全新的樂趣！
搭配三首如同回歸自然、明心見性的音樂「七言絕句」、「以後成為星座」、「盡頭」，讓我想起陳穎達令人熟悉的笑容，就像專輯的封面那樣。然而若能仔細聆聽，顯然又是一張擁有更多生命體驗的臉龐。
Recording & Sound
Recorded on March 9–10, 2025, this 63-minute work—at once solemn, intense, and romantic— was engineered and mixed by Yu-Chen Wang, and mastered by Taku Unami, known for his work in the Japanese improvised music scene.
Rather than a reckless outburst, Live Without Irony distills Chen’s reflections on life and sound into music that strikes directly at the heart. Such explorations are rare in Taiwan’s jazz recordings, yet these compositions would stand out unmistakably even in the global free jazz landscape for their originality and unreplicable character.
This album invites us to look forward to a new era of Taiwanese jazz — one driven by personal voice, risk-taking, and expansion into the unknown.
總共63分鐘的作品，集嚴肅、激烈、浪漫為一體。專輯錄製於2025年三月9號與10號，由王昱辰擔當錄音與與混音工程師，mastering則由承襲日本即興音樂傳統的宇波拓操刀。
這張發行於2025年10月的專輯並非一股腦衝撞體制而後沒有尾勁的盲砲，而是陳穎達將生活與聲音的思考匯聚，製作而出直擊人心的樂音。在台灣的爵士錄音中這樣的嘗試並不常見，若是將這樣的樂曲放入世界各地的自由爵士場景當中，亦能在其中快速辨認其無法被輕易模仿再現的特質。
十分期待接下來台灣的爵士音樂場景有著更多展開未知之境、帶有個人聲音色彩的演出和發行！
.jpg?table=block&id=2a067971-b78a-80ad-ac8f-e2192b1ee16c&cache=v2)
Photography ｜ lisztchang
Recommended Tracks
- Beauty — The album opens with explosive energy. Years of tight collaboration allow the band to instantly paint a panoramic scene. Across ten minutes, the composition reveals delicate inner layers — a true masterpiece of free jazz.
- Brains — After three free-spirited tracks (“Fortune” being the most playful), this one finds a steady beat. Lin’s drumming remains full of soul even in minimalism, while Chen’s guitar charges and dances around the rhythm before the full band rises into an ecstatic spiritual climax.
- Thick Skin — A darker reflection of “Brains,” this piece highlights Hsieh’s saxophone and Ikeda’s pulsing bass.
- Fade Into Constellation — Reminiscent of Chen’s earlier works, this piece carries empathy and introspection. Picture four musicians stargazing by the coast—the guitar evokes echoes of borderland folk traditions, while Hsieh’s tone blooms in a deep, black radiance.
推薦曲：
＊「美貌」 ：將ＣＤ放入播放器就能馬上被一股宣告的能量衝擊，樂手們經過多年配合的默契，讓全新的風景一開始就能以全景模式觀看。十分鐘的曲子，到了後段也逐漸顯現出細微的層次，自由爵士的大傑作！
＊「才智」：歷經三首自由奔放又或者如同在公園隨意散步尋找靈光的曲目「運勢」，這首曲子突然間被賦予了穩定的節拍，從頭至尾穩定輸出的爵士鼓，仔細聽來還是有鼓手林偉中的靈魂，這難道是爵士鼓的極簡音樂嗎？在節拍之外，穎達的吉他聲響帶著強大的能量四處與極簡之聲遊戲，全員最後的加入，突然之間又達到了某種精神爵士昇華的時刻。
＊「臉皮」：這首曲子連著前一首曲子「才智」就像是一枚更低沉的鏡像作，喜歡更多薩克斯與池田欣彌貝斯節奏的人，敬請入內。
＊「星座」：讓我想起穎達過去的作品，富有同理心與個人思維的深度作品。在海岸邊，有四個人在一片長滿草的高地上觀星，穎達的吉他突然有了邊陲區域民族音樂的既視感，而謝明諺的吹奏在這裡是美麗深邃的黑色。
.jpg?table=block&id=2a067971-b78a-80a3-afed-e108dcdcec09&cache=v2)
Tracklist
1–6. Prioritization Suite
1. Beauty
2. Money
3. Fortune
4. Brains
5. Thick Skin
6. Perseverance
- Seven-Character Quatrain
- Fade Into Constellation
- The Terminus
Total length: 62:38
Tracklist
1-6 Prioritization Suite
- 美貌 Beauty
- 金錢 Money
- 運勢 Fortune
- 才智 Brains
- 臉皮 Thick Skin
- 努力 Perseverance
7.七言絕句 Seven-Character Quatrain
8.以後成為星座 Fade Into Constellation
9.盡頭 The Terminus
total 62:38
.jpg?table=block&id=2a067971-b78a-8061-b7f8-c271eb3e484d&cache=v2)
CD Size | 14 cm × 14 cm × 1 cm
Recognition
Live Without Irony was selected as one of Bandcamp’s “Best Jazz Albums of October 2025”
showcasing the Quartet’s rare combination of free spirit and contemporary experimentation.
這張專輯更入選 Bandcamp 2025年10月「The Best Jazz on Bandcamp」精選名單，
充分展現樂團兼具自由精神與當代實驗的音樂能量！
The album blends the classic ethos of Japanese free jazz with the dynamism of modern improvisation. The Taipei-based quartet — Ying-Da Chen (guitar, composition), Minyen Hsieh (saxophone), Kinya Ikeda (bass), and Weichung Lin (drums) — crafts a performance charged with swing, pulse, and fire.
Even in its quieter, meditative moments, the air vibrates with electricity — before the musicians reignite the flame. Live Without Irony is an exhilarating, magnetic work that will resonate with both traditional and modern jazz listeners alike.
這張專輯融合了日本自由爵士的經典精神與新舊爵士的風格，
由台北的四重奏——吉他手陳穎達、薩克斯風手謝明諺、貝斯手池田欣彌，以及鼓手林偉中——
共同打造出一張讓人熱血沸騰的錄音作品。音樂一路在舞池上搖擺、跺腳、舞動，節奏強勁又自由奔放。
即使進入較為沉靜、冥想的段落，空氣中仍充滿著電流般的張力，不久後音樂家們又再次將氣氛點燃。這是一張極具魅力與能量的作品，無論是老派還是新派爵士樂迷，都能在其中找到共鳴。
Album Easter Egg
Personnel
- Ying-Da Chen — Guitar, Composition
- Minyen Hsieh — Saxophone
- Kinya Ikeda — Bass
- Weichung Lin — Drums
樂手介紹
陳穎達 Ying-Da Chen／吉他、作曲
謝明諺 Minyen Hsieh／薩克斯風
池田欣彌 Ikeda Kinya／貝斯
林偉中 Weichung Lin／鼓
Team Credits
Produced by Ying-Da Chen
Recorded at MoriSound Studio, Taiwan
Mixed by Yuchain Wang
Mastered by Taku Unami
Photographer Tien-Chun Chang
Label Information
UOU Archive is an independent publishing studio based in Taiwan, alongside its sister record store UOU Records.
The label publishes new local voices and art, as well as reissues of lost or previously unreleased works.
📷 Instagram:
發行公司介紹
uou archive 是一間位在台灣的獨立出版發行工作室，uou records 是其同時經營的唱片行。我們計劃發行的是感興趣的地方新聲和藝術出版，以及過去曾發表但未有實體或已佚失的檔案。
聯絡方式：
歡迎追蹤 IG ：
ying.da.chen