i'm thrilled! 林志炫 released a new album last month: 《原声之旅 —— 出嫁》, a kind of 詹兆源 retrospective, in a way, celebrating their 15th year of musical partnership. (詹兆源's produced some of his albums and also written about two dozen songs for him, and since the split of 优客李林, has filled the 李驥 role of songwriter/guitarist in 林志炫's career.) 10 of those early songs (including one from the very first 优客李林 album) have been rerecorded for this collection, the original arrangments have all stripped down until the songs have become uncluttered and intimate, and of course in each the guitar is thrown into greater prominence - i believe that's 詹兆源 playing on all the tracks. and then there are three new songs 詹兆源 has written for this occasion, including the gorgeous 进退两难. this really feels like going back to the very early 优客李林 years (not only musically, but in the way 詹兆源 is dressed as the 李驥 figure and featured on the cover and appears in the music videos, as if to recreate the duo. i wonder what 李驥 is doing now with his mba. i read an interview in which he said he'd been to one of 林志炫's concerts and felt like someone who has seen a former lover embracing her new love and thought - but i should be the one beside her. poor 李驥) the advertisement, as a matter of fact, says: 每个在1991优客李林青春流浪的你 都会在2005的原声之旅中相遇, there we are then, this probably is the album i've never given up waiting for, all this time.

addendum: in fact there have been two (at least!) albums released since i last bought one (that's the trouble, when i am in the us i never seem to know when he's got one out - he publicises very little as it is so that even when i'm home it's more a matter of popping into the shops every so often than overhearing a song on the radio, but when i am here it's nearly completely impossible to know if i don't hunt around on the web.) well i'm glad this reviewer says that in this one he has also 回归优客李林时代, my feelings exactly. ah. also, he explains why he has chosen to use analogue recording: "数字录音无法呈现许多细节的氛围，特别在录制许多现场演奏的乐器和人声时，不但牺牲了许多细致的层次，也无法捕捉温暖的感觉。因此在这张专辑中，林志炫坚持全程采用模拟录音。制作特别推荐《鳄鱼的眼泪》这是一首林志炫的极简主义代表作。在编曲上只使用竖琴．大提琴．手风琴三种乐器，并且完全是现场演奏的音色，配上他干净的嗓音，以及模拟录音的方式，完整的呈现每个乐器的声线和质地，甚至连空间感和飘散在空气中的味道都能感受到。" honestly, 林志炫 is cool.