“扮仙”是ㄧ首電腦音樂環環繞混音的作品，故事是關於一個八家將少年的清醒夢境。在深夜的廟會後，疲憊的八家將少年進入了夢境，在夢中他持續地跳著陣勢，無法停止，直到他真的成仙。
 

八家將（台羅：pat-ka-tsiòng），儺儀、儺舞的一種，臺灣民間信仰中家將陣頭之簡稱，緣自中國民間信仰及中國神話，原指神將數名，通常是八位，一般說法是起源於五福王爺幕府專責捉邪驅鬼的八位將軍，這八位將軍亦是陰間神祇，故也作為東嶽大帝、閻羅王、城隍等陰司神明廟宇的隨扈，逐漸演變成王爺、媽祖等所有廟宇的開路先鋒，擔任主神的隨扈。後來，廟會中參與的信士，裝扮成這「八家將」，以衛護主神。演變為一種臺灣民俗活動，乃廟會陣頭之一；屬於文武陣中的武陣。負責捉拿鬼怪妖邪，也有解運祈安、安宅鎮煞的功能，具有強烈的宗教性質，陣頭氣氛也常顯得神秘、威赫、嚴肅。八家將在信仰意義上，具有刑求妖邪的權威，是勇猛威武的陣頭。

利用 5.1 聲道環繞音響系統的使用，表現出八家將在廟會陣頭中的氣勢與聲響。取樣的鼓聲在特殊處理後從不同方向疊入。這些不同層次的聲音組合，時而交錯，時而結合，時而各自獨立，代表著八家將少年在夢中神遊於不同的空間與世界。也特別使用了台灣道士所使用的手鑼的取樣音色，呈現於不同的聲音變化模組中，融入安神的元素，並藉以與陣頭的勇猛相對比。
 

曾經在少年時期居住在台南廟宇巷弄之間的創作者，希望藉由電腦音樂的形式，將家鄉迷人的八家將廟會陣勢與風采帶到世界各地。

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Wuan-chin Li: “BAN SHAN 扮仙” （2016） (Fixed media, Computer Music work, for 5.1 surround sound system)

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Ban Shan—Taiwanese for “play god”—is a story about a “Ba Jia Jiang,” a young medium who also represents the bodyguards of Taiwanese god.  He had a lucid dream after a temple fair until midnight. The young medium kept dancing in the dream until he finally became one of the gods.

 

Taiwanese “Ba Jia Jiang (八家將)” originated from Chinese folk beliefs and myths, and are usually referred to as the eight members of the gods. The initial legend of  Ba Jia Jiang is from the eight generals catching evil exorcists for the Wufu Emperor (五福大帝). The eight generals are the gods of the underworld. They are also known as the bodyguards or attendants for the temples of the nether gods such as Dongyue Emperor (東獄大帝), Yama (King of hell, 閻羅王) and Cheng Huang (City gods, 城隍). 

 

In order to draw out the scene of the temple fair in Taiwan, in which “Ba Jia Jiang” mediums dance in martial troupes with firecrackers and Taiwanese gongs sounding, a version of 5.1-surround sound was designed for this work. 

 

Drum samples processed in multiple layers represent the different spaces/worlds that the young medium dreamed. The different spaces sometimes stretch over each other, sometimes stand up indivisible, and sometimes exist independently. Besides the sound samples of drums processed into varied transforms , a sampled Taiwanese Hand Gong was also played through multiple effects. In the traditional legend, people believe the sound of the Taiwanese Hand Gong leads the human spirit and ghosts. 

 

The composer, who grew up in the temple area in Tainan City (Taiwan), hopes the 5.1 surround sound version of Ban Shan will invoke the charming fever from the traditional festival in her hometown to share with the world.

 

Ban Shan is originally in 5.1 surround sound, and a stereo demo is located at: https://goo.gl/74tRCI

[1] Video clips from the traditional Taiwanese “Ba Jia Jiang” performance set in temple fair: https://youtu.be/yZx3tdB1ib4 , https://youtu.be/Hsr6EV5Ppco