SPIL 048 features local improvisers/musicians YUEN aka SKY (diy instrument, sound synthesis), Jimmy Chong (drum), Sudarshan Chandra Kumar (electronics) and Yong Yandsen (tenor saxophone). Please come join us, and bring your friends!
Date: Friday, 24 August 2018, 8:30pm
Venue: RAW Art Space, No. 8, 4th floor, Jalan Panggong, 50000 Kuala Lumpur.
Admission by suggested donation RM20 (general), RM15 (students)
About the Performers:
YUEN aka SKY is a sound enthusiast and like the challenge of
making DIY instruments as objects for expressing and
synthesizing sounds. He is of the view that by engaging with
the sound element, the process can lead to a better understanding
of the “spaces” occupied by music, including
experimental and noise music. “There is no music or noise
without SOUND.” He is currently working on Project SNM
(SoundNoiseMusic), a personal experimental project focusing
on handmade DIY instruments and hope to enrich sound
exploration through critical and creative art practices
amongst artists, designers and the public.
Jimmy Chong
Primarily a drummer with a piano upbringing, Jimmy first cut his teeth in 2003 as the drummer of the Malaysian indie band “NAO”. He was responsible for playing drums for songs, which defied easy categorization. His accomplishments in “NAO” include performing locally as well as in China where the band was invited to perform twice for the Midi Music Festival held in Beijing. Whilst Jimmy is no longer playing for the band, his unique drumming can still be heard on their debut album and subsequent EP.
Jimmy graduated and earned a music degree at a local music college (certified by Wolverhampton University of London) where he learnt and cultivated other skills that make up a well-rounded musician such as composition, arranging and production. His composition and arranging skills can be heard in the music for videogames such as Smart Fish Aquarium and Gridiator. His production skills can also be heard on arguably the first ever Maldivian Jazz album; Shambe’s debut Feshun, where he was also responsible for composition and drumming duties. A live concert to celebrate the album’s launch in 2011 was held in MALE, the capital of Maldives where it was well received.
Jimmy joined the renowned percussion team known as HANDS in 2007 where he learnt a great deal of Far Eastern drumming and also incorporated Western drumming techniques into HANDS’ rigorous routines. His tenure with HANDS led him to perform in France, Hawaii, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia and Turkmenistan. The experience he has gained from being widely traveled shows in his conversations and outlook on life.
After playing with HANDS extensively for four years, Jimmy decided to take a break from touring overseas by sessioning locally. The artistes he has played for include Germany’s Chicks on Speed, Yu Heng, Ling Jia Jun, Wen Li Ming, John Wee, Wang Ming Li and many more. He has also sessioned abroad in Macao as part of the pop band “MONTUNO”.
Jimmy also engages in experimental and avant garde music. A highlight of such endeavors has been his collaboration with the famous local composer, Ng Chor Guan in the Polka Dot Playground where he plays eclectic percussion alongside Ng’s Theremin.
Sudarshan Chandra Kumar has performed for the CHOPPA Music Fest (Singapore), Playfreely (Singapore), Switch On (Malaysia) and KLEX Festival (Malaysia). He participates in Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL) regularly, a monthly experimental music series in Kuala Lumpur. Sudarshan has contributed vocals and live electronics to the following bands: HKPT, Takdir, Sorry and Think!Tadpole!Think!. Working with music for theatre, he is the music facilitator for Main Wayang (2015-2016), a children’s theatre workshop which emphasizes on the basics for orchestrating D.I.Y multimedia performances and has directed and scored music for his musical “The Propitiation of Fundamentals” (2015).
Yong Yandsen is an improvised saxophonist. He has played at the Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival, Asian Meeting Festival (Japan), Mosaic Festival Singapore, Choppa Eclectic Improvised Music Festival (Singapore), allEars Festival (Norway), Music Matters Festival (Sri Lanka) amongst others. Yandsen, together with Darren Moore and Brian O’Reily, form an improvised trio called Game of Patience. They have toured to Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. He has also done a few solo tours to Japan and Taiwan. Yandsen is the the co-founder of a new Malaysian record label established in 2017, LaoBan Records, that is focusing on releasing improvised music.
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Founded in May 2014, SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB (SPIL) is a monthly music series focuses on improvisation. It’s a project of KLEX – Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video & Music Festival. It is a performance laboratory series focusing on music experimentation and improvisation. SPIL provides a platform for performers from various backgrounds to collaborate and present a new collective expression through improvisation.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest/
www.klexfilmfest.com
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