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Taiwan Indie Music: Winners of 2020 The 18th Independent Music Awards-FUTURE AFTER A SECONED

  • Date:2020-07-01

In our efforts to continue to offer audiences the opportunity to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Taipei Cultural Center in New York would like to share stories about Taiwanese indie musicians and artists who are the winners of the 18th Independent Music Awards in 2020. The Independent Music Awards, presented by U.S.-based Musical Resource Group, announced this year’s winners on the program’s official website April 28, with seven artists from Taiwan earning top spots out of over a thousand submissions from 73 countries. According to IMAs’ official announcement, it unfortunately has to cancel the ceremony, originally scheduled for June. Though these Taiwanese musicians are not able to attend the ceremony, we will be featuring online introductory clips and winners’ remarks along with music videos. Please enjoy the music with us!

 

Taiwan metalcore band FUTURE AFTER A SECOND (FAAS), formed in 2014, released its first digital EP “To the Light” in 2017, and was invited to go to Yokohama, Japan for the first overseas performance in May 2017. To be known around the world is a big dream for FAAS, and it came true again when its first album OFiN" (2019)won international recognition this year, with the Best Metal Single "Invert", Best Album Cover Design and Best Short Film Director, three nominations as finalists for the 18th National Independent Music Awards.

 

When everyone thinks that metal music is not mainstream in Taiwan, FAAS proves that "OFiN" is an album that is in line with international standards, and also symbolizes the talents of Taiwan indie music going  international. It is definitely very encouraging for all the Taiwanese metal bands and the lead singer TAKE (武克彥) said, “ I hope that gaining the IMAs recognition can give some young metal bands hope and enthusiasm. If FAAS can, you can too.” To win the international awards is also like “earning recognition by idols,” the guitarist Nicky (李秉諺) said, because many of the judges of the IMAs are famous musicians and FAAS members are actually their big fans.

“Invert”  won the best single in the metal/hardcore category from the album OFiN,” at 18th Independent Music Awards in 2020. With this song, FAAS explores Taiwans international status and political issues through technically complex compositions featuring heavy distortion and powerful riffs. When FAAS wrote this song, it happened to be when the human rights problem in Hong Kong was very serious. The lead singer TAKE (武克彥) said, “we hope that no matter what your opinion is, you could try also to look at things from a different angle. The lyrics of “Invert” mainly explain Taiwan’s diplomatic situation and political environment faced by the Taiwanese, and FAAS intends to express the emotion by using the voice of the band shouting to the Taiwanese audiences.

 

The MV of “Invert,” made by the IMAs winner director Shao An-Tse(邵安澤), is presented in full animation, taking Taiwans political phenomena on the international stage, using the warning behind the election as a framework, what consequences will be caused by the choice of red and blue cards, and who will crush the bones in the end. The ideas of using technological elements, such as robots and animation show FAAS’s intention to make audience feel “the future is now.” How to hold on the dreams tightly and never give it up easily are reasons all the members of FAAS keep walking on the path of music despite they all have another occupations—a cook, a media worker, a photographer and a driver. 

 

In response to the first international award, guitarist Nicky (李秉諺) said that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make an album with three finalists. FAAS actually went through a tough journey in the past six years, and the most unforgettable memory for them is that there was no audience at their very first live performance. Because of their love for metal music, the members of FAAS get together and overcome all difficulties. The most challenging thing for the members are insufficient time and maintaining physical strength. However, like the drummer Hsu (許原竣) said that in a 40-minute performance, he can completely show his true self and feel quite enjoyable. Through the music, FAAS hopes to make every fan feel engaged in live concerts and learned a little something from the first-line experience. 

 

FUTURE AFTER A SECOND (FAAS) is a metalcore band from Taipei Taiwan, they started in the summer of 2014 and after years of trying, they found their own way and build up the spirit of their only faith “OFiN,” means Our future is now” and put it in their music, trying to create more possibilities to connect with people, especially in a live performance. The first EP album “To the Light” produced at Black Frequency Studio by the guitarist of Chthonic - Jesse Liu, and released on January 2017. May 2017, finished the first overseas live tour in Japan, and join ”Far Channel Records” from Japan. FAAS also creates their own project called “Autumn Attack,” its only for metal music. 2019, FAAS release the 1st full album “OFiN,” and the second time Japan tour with the OFiN spirit. In 2018, the mobile game Cytus II was launched, and it included the song "To the Light" , which is well received by players around the world.

"Get ready, because our future is NOW."

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2020 The 18th Independent Music Awards

  •  Metal/Hardcore Song-Invert(WINNER) 
  •  Album Art / Photography-OFiN(NOMINEE) 
  •  Director of Short Form Video-Invert(NOMINEE)

 

Watch Remarks of the winner, Best Single “Invert” (metal/hardcore category)FUTURE AFTER A SECOND


FUTURE AFTER A SECOND最佳金屬單曲得獎感言



⏹Watch News Clips about FUTURE AFTER A SECOND wins 2020 IMAs

金屬樂團FUTURE AFTER A SECOND榮獲全美獨立音樂獎新聞專題報導


⏹Watch The Best Single (metal/hardcore category) of IMAs

18屆全美獨立音樂獎最佳金屬單曲 Invert