Hello November! We started the SPIL series in 2014, and organized 79 concerts so far. It’s the 80th lab this month! We’re doing a little celebration for this and featuring 14 musicians in the line-up! We’d like to introduce you the new venue/studio/label Khatulistiwa across the building from The Percussion Store! Yes, more exciting collaborations in the near future! We’d also like to welcome a friend from overseas, Vienna-based musician Gregor Siedl. Please come celebrate with us, check out a new neighbour venue/studio, and meet new friends! See you at SPIL 080!

Featuring musicians: Aris Huzaimi (percussion), Charlotte Leng (voice), Chen Lau (trumpet), Chia Cheng Kok (percussion), John TR Long (saxophones), Kok Siew-Wai (voice), Loke Xiaoyun (voice), MAB 189 (electronics), Tey Beng Tze (electronics), Gregor Siedl (clarinet/sax/electronics), Lee Si Yuan (percussion), Richard Allan Bates (double bass), Topman Chong (tuba) and Yong Yandsen (tenor sax).

Date: 3rd November, 2023 (Fri)
Time: Door opens @ 8pm
Venue: The Percussion Store
Add: A-01-03 LG Floor, Dataran Cascades, No. 13A, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya.
Admission by donation: RM30
For Reservation, WhatsApp: 012 919 8031
More info and musicians’ profiles: https://www.facebook.com/events/356552113607737

* Only fully vaccinated individuals.

Design: Aixin Choo

More info:
[email protected]
www.klexfestival.com
www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest
Instagram: @klexfestival
#klexspil #percussionstore

Founded in May 2014, SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB (SPIL) is a monthly music series of KLEX Festival. It is an art laboratory focusing on music experimentation and improvisation. SPIL provides a platform for musicians from various backgrounds to collaborate and present a new collective expression through improvisation. Over the years, many local and international artists have initiated experimentations and collaborated in the SPIL series, enriching the experimental and improvised music scene in the region.

ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:

Aris Huzaimi is a passionate musician, educator, and performer. He has been in the industry since 2014 and performed on numerous projects and festivals, both local and international. He has collaborated with a lot of professional musicians, groups, institutions, and organizations such as Bernhard Wulff, Max Riefer, Freiburg Percussion Ensemble, Mannheimer Schlagwerk, and many more. In 2017 Aris started to join the music education industry for young children and teenagers as a one-to-one drums teacher. He helps them to get the best results on their music examinations so they can pursue their talent in music performance.

Originally from the UK, Charlotte Leng studied Music at Goldsmiths College, London. As a classically-trained musician, she has performed as a piano accompanist and as a violist in various chamber ensembles, orchestras and session recordings for bands. She has also collaborated on community theatre projects as both an actor and musician at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and curated world music events. In more recent years, Charlotte began pursuing Dalcroze training, where musicianship is explored and developed by experiencing music through the body. At the heart of this is the process of improvisation and experimentation, through voice, instruments and movement. This has led to regular forays into experimental music, extended vocal and instrumental techniques and free improvisation as well as the exploration of ways to combine ideas from multiple artistic disciplines.

Chen Lau‘s journey in the world of music has been marked by his extraordinary talent as a trumpet player and his unwavering dedication to enriching the world through his artistry. Beyond his virtuoso performances, Chen Lau is renowned as the founder of the AXON BRASS ENSEMBLE, an inspiring musical venture, and as a dedicated music educator actively engaged in teaching and community wind band performances. This ensemble quickly gained recognition for its innovative performances, blending classical and contemporary styles with a touch in Jazz improvising. The AXON BRASS ENSEMBLE’s captivating performances have graced stages across the country, earning them a dedicated following of music enthusiasts. Chen Lau’s commitment to music extends far beyond the concert stage. He is an active member of several community wind bands, where he shares his expertise and passion with budding musicians. His tireless dedication to teaching has inspired countless students to embark on their own musical journeys, instilling in them not only technical prowess but also a deep love for the trumpet and the world of music.

Currently working as a percussionist/ timpanist in the National Symphony Orchestra based in Istana Budaya, Malaysia, Chia Cheng Kok is also music educator of various school and university orchestras. As an active percussionist, Chia has either performed or conducted in the Winter Guard International Competition, Japan International Orchestra Music Festival, Jiayi City International Music Festival (Taiwan) and also played with the Asian China Youth Symphony Orchestra in Cambodia (Angkor Wat), Malaysia Philharmonic Orchestra and many prominent local orchestras and bands. Chia was recently invited as soloist in a double percussion concerto year of dragon with Professional Cultural Chinese Orchestra.

Gregor Siedl is a Vienna-based musician, composer and sound artist. His formal education spanned various fields such as graphic design, philosophy, jazz saxophone and clarinet. Today he is a creator and performer in sound art, experimental music, multidisciplinary art projects and music-theatre. His explorations in sound have led him to diverse artistic collaborations within a wide range of artistic settings. Artificial intelligence, body movements, light, space, shadow and sounds are amongst his media to convey, in a poetic and playful way, his reflections on art and humanity. In his latest projects he keeps questioning the very definitions and boundaries within his artistic practice – music, theatre, visual arts. Gregor has performed at festivals such as: Ars Electronica Festival – Linz, Equidistance Festival – Vienna, TTTIFA International Arts Festival -Taipei, Construction Festival – Dnipro Ukraine, Serious Series Festival – Berlin, Relincha Festival – Valdivia, Acefalo Festival – Valparaiso, Xarkis Festival – Cyprus, Festiwal Muzykofilia ars elektronika – Torun, Filharmonia Festival – Gliwice, Januarlochfestival – Zurich. Hanoi New Music Festival – Vietnam, Citadelic Summer Festival – Ghent, Festival Krieg Singen, HKW – Berlin, FIME Festival Internacional de Musica Experimental – Sao Paulo, STROM Festival – Cologne, Frischzelle Festival – Cologne, Festival Ankunft Neue Musik – Berlin, Hafenfestival – Berlin. gregorsiedl.com

John T.R. Long is a highly experienced performer, composer/arranger, and educator. As a performer he has played in many venues around the world including the Royal Albert Hall, Tokyo Dome and Carnegie Hall. As an educator he has led many youth bands and ensembles with great success: an impressive number of his individual students have gone on to study at the most prestigious colleges of music leading to successful musical careers of their own. John is British born but has been a resident of Malaysia for many years, currently residing in Kuala Lumpur. Some of John’s recent projects include arranging and performing on Zahid Ahmad’s Tuk Tak album and also performing in the horn section for Edd Rahze on his Soul Sisters concert series. John has just completed working with SIEL on their forthcoming album.

Kok Siew-Wai started out as a video artist, now active as an improvised vocalist and artist-curator/organizer. She has shown her videos, curatorial video programmes and performed in Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada and USA, including allEars Improvised Music Festival (Norway), Asian Meeting Festival (Japan), CTM Festival (Germany), Hanoi New Music Festival (Vietnam), Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival, Nusasonic (Indonesia) amongst others. Siew-Wai is interested in improvisation and the exploration of expressions with the human voice.

Born and raised in Subang Jaya, Lee Si Yuan began his journey as a contemporary drummer at the age of 8 before transitioning to classical percussion during his high school years. Since then, he is deeply ingrained as a ‘contemporary classical’.

Loke Xiaoyun sings, and plays the piano, the flute, and the Sape. She also has deep interest in different aspects of music and was involved in different academic research projects in music education, music sociology and ethnomusicology. Trained as a classical musician, Xiaoyun first dipped her toes in atonal vocal improvisation when she was a member of Merle Noir. She also draws inspiration from nuances in different ethnic singing styles. Xiaoyun enjoys working with different artists from disciplines, such as dance and visual works. One of her collaborative works was a multi disciplinary project with Seni Tiga #8: Foundry. She also contributed to KLEX Nusasonic Radio Episode #1: So Far So Good in 2020. Apart from performing, Xiaoyun is a music educator with students from different age groups and currently in training to be a Dalcroze Eurhythmics certified instructor.

MAB 189 is an individual who often wanders around the city of Melaka accompanied by a camera, digital recorder, touch microphone and hydrophone to achieve his aspirations of sonic adventure & eavesdropping experience.

Richard Allan Bates is a Malaysia-based double bass player. British, he was born in Hong Kong has also lived in the UK, Cambodia and the Philippines. Richard has played in a number of musical projects and collaborations. Rooted in free jazz and improv, his playing is focused on structured and unstructured free improvisation. Richard is a co-founder of Khatulistiwa, a recording and event space in Kuala Lumpur’s art district with a label focused on releasing music by and with Malaysian artists.

Tey Beng Tze is a Malaysian visual artist, based in Kuala Lumpur. He graduated from the Malaysian Institut of Art in 2004. Beng Tze is the founder of RAW Art Space. His artworks are collected by local & overseas art collectors. Beng Tze held his 1st solo exhibition “Dirty Mary Crazy Mickey” at Findars @ The Annexe Central Market in 2009; and the 2nd solo how “From Little Things, Big Things Grow” at Lostgens Contemporary Art Space in 2015. He is the co-founder of a Malaysian record label, LaoBan Records, focusing on releasing contemporary improvised music. Also works as a tattoo artist.
https://teybengtze.wixsite.com/tbtze

Topman Chong is a musician and music technician in Malaysia, with over a decade of experience in the music industry. He started playing the tuba since secondary school. Topman is one of the founding members of the Axon Brass. He is also a member of Klpac Band and Klpac Orchestra, two highly respected music groups in Malaysia. In addition to his work as a musician, Topman is also the owner of Chong B&o Services, a highly respected wind instruments repair and maintenance business. With over 10 years of experience in the field, he has developed a reputation as one of the most skilled and knowledgeable music technicians in the industry.

Yong Yandsen is a free jazz and improvised saxophonist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yandsen has released albums through XingWu and Herbal Records in Malaysia, Utech Records (USA), Dream Sheep (Italy), and his solo debut on vinyl through Doubtful Sound (France). He has played at allEars Improvised Music Festival (Norway), Asian Meeting Festival (Japan), Mosaic Music Festival (Singapore), amongst others. Yandsen, together with Darren Moore and Brian O’Reily, form the improvised trio called Game of Patience. They have toured Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Hungry Ghosts is his trio with European musicians Christian Meaas Svendsen and Paal Nilssen-Love and have done several tours in Asia and Europe. In 2022, the Big Foot quartet was formed with Akira Sakata, Seo Takashi and Darren Moore. Yandsen has also done several solo tours to Japan and Taiwan. He is the co-founder of a Malaysian record label, LaoBan Records, focusing on releasing contemporary improvised music.

More info:
[email protected]
www.klexfestival.com
www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest
Instagram: @klexfestival