Not the first time
Each of these emerging bands has a style of its own, but they also have in common a way of combining homegrown and western styles of music. For example, Luan Tan's beiguan-derived music alludes to the communal rural spirit of earlier times, something which is being rediscovered in the extra-curricular life of today's students. It is a collective, pluralist mode of creation which contrasts starkly with the staleness of mainstream pop and illuminates new possibilities for music in Taiwan.
As radio presenter Tao Hsiao-ching explains, all pop singers in Taiwan used to be produced by just a handful of people. The same techniques were evident in every recording, with a corresponding loss of freshness and distinctiveness. But when bands are creating and performing music alongside one another in an environment of collective competition and endeavor, overcoming difficulties along the way, they forge a sense of shared values. Each band is a separate team of individuals, so naturally they differ in style. And a musical environment in which plenty of bands are active will naturally tend towards diversity.
In fact, this isn't the first time that the arrival of the age of the bands has been declared in Taiwan. It happened in the seventies, eighties and nineties too, which goes to shows how long the pop scene has been craving the injection of variety and vitality that bands can bring. According to Wang Tzu-shou, however, all that happened before was that a "specimen" band would hit the charts, giving people the impression that bands were about to take over. There is a burgeoning interest in pop bands right now, and a greater range of bands than ever, but so far it is still an "isolated breakthrough," with little impact on CD sales.
"At the moment Mayday is the only band doing really well, with the others selling less than 30,000 copies per album," says Wang. Most bands have yet to cross the threshold of market success, and without that it will remain difficult for them to survive outside of the mainstream.
"In the early days of the industry, record companies tended to be headed by ex-musicians who were willing to support bands even when they weren't selling well," continues Wang. "But since the arrival here in the 1990s of the major international labels, companies have only been interested in the most profitable acts. So it's hard to feel optimistic."
All the conditions are in place for pop bands to take off in Taiwan, but it hasn't quite happened yet. For all their creative power and audience appeal, the bands still have to confront the cruel reality of the market, where it's survival of the fittest. Musical quality is no guarantee of success in this industry. Instead, the key determinants are factors such as styling, packaging and promotion. Music critic Yeh Yun-fu, who once handled the marketing for a Luan Tan album, points to the way that clever promotion helped build the success of Mayday.
Mayday manager Hsieh Pei-ling acknowledges the role of good marketing in the band's success. Because of the negative stereotype of rock musicians as scruffy guys always puffing on cigarettes, Rock Records made a point of creating a fresh look for the band. The company also used advertising to encourage listeners to identify with the songs, building an image of the group as perfect "Taiwan lads" and urging fans to feel like they were part of something by buying the CDs and going to the concerts.
Hsieh notes that many bands at the moment have the necessary creativity and are making good music, but ultimately, whoever gets the marketing right will have the best chance of prevailing.
and the pop beat of college darlings Mayday (below).