安祖 – 大師致敬- 夢遊 (Antzu – Master Tribute- Daydream)
In an era where musical innovation often seems in short supply, Antzu (Andrew Huang) arrives with a genuinely novel concept. His latest album, “大師致敬- 夢遊” (Master Tribute- Daydream), released in March 2025, represents a fascinating cross-cultural experiment: the world’s first album to adapt classical poetry from across global traditions into contemporary EDM frameworks.
This ambitious project, which recently earned a bronze medal for “Concept” at the Global Music Awards, transforms works from luminaries including Yu Guangzhong, Shakespeare, Tagore, and even ancient Chinese canonical texts into electronic dance music. The result is a collection that defies easy categorization while building bridges between literary traditions and modern music production.
The album’s stylistic diversity impresses most. “余光中詩歌《星之葬》” (Yu Guangzhong’s “The Burial of Stars”) and “周夢蝶詩歌《行到水窮處》” (Zhou Meng-Tieh’s “Walk to the Edge of Water”) embrace dream pop sensibilities, creating ethereal soundscapes that complement Huang’s deliberately haggard, dreamy vocals. Meanwhile, “隱地詩歌《法式裸睡》” (Yin Di’s “French Style Naked Sleeping”) ventures into R&B-inflected territory with Huang adopting a sultrier tone that matches the song’s sensual themes.
What’s particularly striking about this album is its hypnotic quality. The production creates trance-like states across various tracks, drawing listeners into meditative spaces where poetry and electronic rhythms coexist. This hypnotic element is particularly evident in the album’s more contemplative pieces, demonstrating a masterful understanding of EDM’s capacity to induce altered states of consciousness while delivering literary content.
For English-language listeners, the adaptation of “莎士比亞詩歌《我如何將妳比喻為夏天》” (Shakespeare’s “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day”) stands out as a bold ballad showcasing Huang’s vocal versatility. Similarly, his interpretation of “泰戈爾詩歌’Unending Love'” (Tagore’s “Unending Love”) as an EDM ballad demonstrates his ability to preserve poetic integrity while reimagining these works for contemporary audiences.
Perhaps most intriguing is Huang’s treatment of “佛經電音詩歌《心經》” (Buddhism’s “Heart Sutra”), transformed here into both a contemplative ballad and, in its remix form “電音《心經》(Trance Remix),” a trance-inducing electronic meditation. The inclusion of the Amis tribe’s ancient “Get Drunk” (《老人飲酒歌》) (“Elders Drinking Song”) represents another fascinating cross-cultural moment, blending aboriginal traditions with house music production.
“大師致敬- 夢遊” stands as a quintessential example of China’s successful integration with global EDM culture. While electronic dance music originated in Western contexts, Antzu’s work demonstrates how Chinese cultural elements can merge seamlessly with these contemporary forms, creating something genuinely innovative. This cultural synthesis represents Antzu’s greatest strength—the ability to honor traditional Chinese artistry while fully embracing modern production techniques.
The album demonstrates Huang’s commitment to remix culture, with six tracks receiving alternative interpretations ranging from lounge to house to trance treatments. “《星之葬》(Remix),” “《行到水窮處》(Remix),” “《法式裸睡》(Remix),” “《借我》(Lounge Remix),” and “Get Drunk (《老人飲酒歌》) (House Remix)” showcase the versatility of the original compositions while serving as an introduction to remix aesthetics for Mandarin-speaking audiences.
Huang’s collaborative approach deserves mention as well. By partnering with emerging producers from across Asia and beyond, including Howard Hsu, Yao Dong-You, and Indonesian producer Graham, Huang ensures that “大師致敬- 夢遊” remains forward-looking while honoring its classical inspirations.
What ultimately distinguishes this album is Huang’s distinctive vocal approach—warm yet stoic, emotionally charged yet controlled—which proves adaptable across the album’s diverse stylistic terrain. Three years in the making, “大師致敬- 夢遊” represents a genuine cultural synthesis, positioning Huang as perhaps the world’s first “EDM Poet Singer” and offering listeners a unique opportunity to experience literary classics through a thoroughly contemporary lens.
This is truly an album that transcends traditional categorization—equally at home in EDM, spoken word, and world music classifications. By bridging these disparate worlds, Antzu has created a work that challenges conventional genre boundaries while delivering a listening experience that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. (7/10) (種子音樂)
