I’ve been digging in some friends archives for musical gems. To celebrate, they have also sent me their answers to my Q+A.
Let the light in and find peace in your day.
Cheng Zhang
After six months of mixes and interviews that have brought together creative people, music lovers and interesting personalities from all over the world, it's time for Frico Disco to freshen up. We thought we would start this new chapter with Cheng Zhang. The theme of the playlist that Cheng has wrapped up for us is Euphoria. All tracks are emotionally uplifting and positive, with the hope of making everyone smile in these difficult times. Press play on his mix and take in his Q+A.
︎︎︎ Playlist
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Q: Tell me three things you are obsessed with right now and why. Film, documentary, music, DJ mix, book, blog, recipe, drink. Whatever you want to share with the world.
A: 1. Screenshotting films. Sounds odd? I have been doing analog street photography since nearly two years and recently I discovered a great resource of inspiration - capturing static frames from moving images. Unquestionably, what makes a movie great is the story, the pictures also contribute to the revelation of the storytelling. It helps me a lot to understand the perspective in photography and to have a clear intention when it comes to the subject and the composition of my photos. So I often screenshot while watching a movie when the frame grips and fascinates and I review them afterward. I have to say they really enlightened me a lot.
2. Op-Docs by New York Times. “We're Britain's First Female Rock Band. This is Why You Don't Know Us“; “I Was in The Black Eyed Peas. Then I Quit“ and “2,300 Miles to Work“. Eye-catching titles and thought-provoking stories; this series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers showed up one day on my YouTube recommendation, and I just couldn’t stop and binged the whole thing.
3. Daniel Sloss. The Scottish comedian made his name since he was 16 but I only discovered him through one of Conan O’Brian’s show and Why 7,000 couples broke up after watching this comedy show. He’s brilliant, astute, empathetic and compassionate about societal issues through his work. Some of his punchlines are such great insights that they eventually ended up in my notebook. I'm very upset I haven't heard of him before.
Q: Who has inspired you recently?
A: Johnny Harris’. In my humble opinion, Johnny is one of the best, if not the best storyteller. I’ve learn so much about other parts of the world from his “Boarder“ series on Vox. His documentary encapsulates complex issues in relatable ways using comprehensive motion graphics and great aesthetics; and you can clearly see the thorough research behind every story. And by the way, he happens to be dyslexia. Respect.
Q: What is the color of money?
A: Transparent. Transactions are mostly digital today.
Cheng Zhang
Senior Strategist
Berlin / Amsterdam / Shanghai
LinkedIn - Instagram
After six months of mixes and interviews that have brought together creative people, music lovers and interesting personalities from all over the world, it's time for Frico Disco to freshen up. We thought we would start this new chapter with Cheng Zhang. The theme of the playlist that Cheng has wrapped up for us is Euphoria. All tracks are emotionally uplifting and positive, with the hope of making everyone smile in these difficult times. Press play on his mix and take in his Q+A.
︎︎︎ Playlist
Q: Tell me three things you are obsessed with right now and why. Film, documentary, music, DJ mix, book, blog, recipe, drink. Whatever you want to share with the world.
A: 1. Screenshotting films. Sounds odd? I have been doing analog street photography since nearly two years and recently I discovered a great resource of inspiration - capturing static frames from moving images. Unquestionably, what makes a movie great is the story, the pictures also contribute to the revelation of the storytelling. It helps me a lot to understand the perspective in photography and to have a clear intention when it comes to the subject and the composition of my photos. So I often screenshot while watching a movie when the frame grips and fascinates and I review them afterward. I have to say they really enlightened me a lot.
2. Op-Docs by New York Times. “We're Britain's First Female Rock Band. This is Why You Don't Know Us“; “I Was in The Black Eyed Peas. Then I Quit“ and “2,300 Miles to Work“. Eye-catching titles and thought-provoking stories; this series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers showed up one day on my YouTube recommendation, and I just couldn’t stop and binged the whole thing.
3. Daniel Sloss. The Scottish comedian made his name since he was 16 but I only discovered him through one of Conan O’Brian’s show and Why 7,000 couples broke up after watching this comedy show. He’s brilliant, astute, empathetic and compassionate about societal issues through his work. Some of his punchlines are such great insights that they eventually ended up in my notebook. I'm very upset I haven't heard of him before.
Q: Who has inspired you recently?
A: Johnny Harris’. In my humble opinion, Johnny is one of the best, if not the best storyteller. I’ve learn so much about other parts of the world from his “Boarder“ series on Vox. His documentary encapsulates complex issues in relatable ways using comprehensive motion graphics and great aesthetics; and you can clearly see the thorough research behind every story. And by the way, he happens to be dyslexia. Respect.
Q: What is the color of money?
A: Transparent. Transactions are mostly digital today.
Cheng Zhang
Senior Strategist
Berlin / Amsterdam / Shanghai
LinkedIn - Instagram