I came across a rather interesting post. The gist is that this listener believes he understands Dou Wei's music and eagerly hopes to communicate with this legendary musician. However, Dou Wei does not respond to him, which leads to his furious outburst on social media criticizing Dou Wei.
To be honest, it's a bit funny; I even feel he has a bit of an inflated sense of self-importance. Musicians are not obligated to provide emotional after-sales service just because you bought their album.
But this incident reflects a truth: Dou Wei has long distanced himself from the clamor of commercialization. He has even shut down all social media platforms where he could be found, closing all communication windows with the outside world.
If you listen to Chinese rock music, you must know the significance of Dou Wei's name in the history of Chinese rock. As a pioneer of Chinese rock, he has long left the genre, even stopped singing lyrics, and his musical expression is entirely different from what it was back then. In my view, his rebellious spirit dissipated along with his marriage to Faye Wong.
He is still making music now and is exceptionally prolific. I roughly estimated that he has released over 70 albums in recent years, which is an exaggerated number. Most of these works are highbrow and niche, consisting mainly of instrumental, experimental music, and folk music. Some are not even released on streaming platforms, only sold offline.
If you search for Dou Wei on streaming platforms, the most listened-to albums are still those from his rock period, like "Black Dream" and "Sunny Day." The public still prefers the Dou Wei of his 20s, while the Dou Wei who has dedicated the last twenty years to experimental music has never been accepted by the masses.
In my opinion, Dou Wei has become immortal, and what he creates is also immortal music, not easily understood by mortals.
Dou Wei rejects labeling and commercialization; the spontaneity and purity in his music are merely for self-expression, which is also a form of modern asceticism.
Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead, gives me a similar feeling; they both chose to "defect" at their peak, diverging from mainstream expectations, using music to resist commercialization, and pursuing a more transcendent artistic realm.
Returning to the angry listener at the beginning, I think he is not truly angry but rather yearning to be understood. However, I believe Dou Wei's more than twenty years of experimental creative career has already shown that seeking understanding is not easy. Silence is his insistence on the free expression of music; music has become his narration of everything in the world.
P.S. If you are a fan of classical literature, I highly recommend listening to Dou Wei's music. He draws inspiration from ancient texts and has created many works rich in cultural meaning. For example, the piece I have been listening to recently, "The Innocent Duke," is his musical representation of the clear and profound thoughts from "A New Account of Tales of the World."