Music brings out
their charisma
Interview with Black Box


By Emily Hui

Two years ago:

ˇClayton Cheung was an English teacher;
ˇJoaness Lam worked for a drugs wholesale company;
ˇAlex Chan was a computer supervisor.
Then music brought them together.
They became Black Box.

 Now:

ˇClayton is a full-time composer;
ˇJoaness and Alex maintain their jobs.
But their music is forever.
They remain Black Box.


Alex

Joaness

Clayton


Q: Why do you call yourselves Black Box?
A: It comes from a computer testing program. It means offering our music for people to listen and test whether they accept it or not.

Q: What kind of band you want people to think you are?
A: A band which is eager to produce good music.

Q: Among your songs, which is your favourite?
Clayton : Every new song that I write. It is meaningless if you don’t feel the new song is the best one.
Joaness : Songs that can express my feelings, such as “You are my fate”.
Alex : The unborn ones.

Q: Who is the most influential person in your musical world?
Alex : Joaness. Before knowing him, I had never thought of composing songs by myself.
Joaness : Those who have enthusiasm towards music, just like Clayton.
Clayton : It’s hard to say, because I’m not easily affected by others.

Q: Have you ever argued with one another in producing songs?
A: Very rarely. Since we work as a team, we talk with each other when we have different ideas. Moreover, our producer also works with us to provide opinions.

Q: How do you view the music industry in Hong Kong?
A: It is only a point in showbiz. No high-ranking people in the record companies really start their careers from music.

Q: Are there any short-term targets you want to reach?
A: We hope to have a mini-concert that will attract those who really appreciate our music.


December 1996

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