In an era with advanced mobile communication, no matter where one is, whether at home, on various modes of transportation, or in a café, many types of tasks can be completed with convenient technology. The concept of the mobile studio is very common in the 21st century. However, in the early 1980s, mobile phones had not become ubiquitous, and internet technology was still in its early stage. Home computers were not popular. Chen Chih-Yuan, who sought out novelty and change, exceeded all creative workers and started a life of arranging with unique creativity. The key to his success was high mobility in the form of a highly concealable, multifunctional mobile studio.
This van looked no different from any other in appearance. No matter where it was parked in the city, it did not stand out. However, inside the van, Chen Chih-Yuan pulled the curtains, put on his headphones, sat cross-legged on the chassis of the van, from which the front seats had been removed, and entered an environment separated from the rest of the world, one that was purely for creation. With extremely high efficiency, he created the arrangements and the full scores for song after song.
The noisy sounds of daily life on the busy streets of Sanchung City, where the Platinum Studio was located, and in the alleys of Taipei City, where the Lifeng Studio was located, became the harmonious accompaniment to Chen Chih-Yuan’s arrangement of the songs. These sounds turned into strong beats and were written into Chen Chih-Yuan’s B4-sized full scores.
Back then, time was money, and the recording of an album had to be completed in a single day. The assistant producers of the record companies often received senior studio engineers’ orders and waited outside the van, awaiting the freshly completed full score of the arrangement from Chen Chih-Yuan. As soon as they received it, they hurried upstairs to make photocopies and distribute them to the musicians. The recording work of a new song thus began.
