Hello friends, we’ve been taking a break, yes… Let’s get back on track in May! Come join us on Saturday (17th May) @Percussion Store, we are featuring two special ‘movers’ at SPIL 091! Contemporary trance performer Kien Faye, and percussionist/performer Damien Leow from Orang Orang Drum Theatre, will explore cross-disciplinary improvisation sessions with musicians Loke Xiaoyun (voice), Kok Siew-Wai (voice) and Yii Kah Hoe (dizi/suling). It’ll be interesting! Please come check it out, and bring a friend!
Date: Saturday, 17th May, 2025
Time: Doors open @ 8pm
Venue: @Percussion Store
Add: A-01-03 LG Floor, Dataran Cascades, No. 13A, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Admission by donation: RM30
FB Event: https://facebook.com/events/s/serious-play-improv-lab-spil-0/649917457877289/
More info:
[email protected]
www.klexfestival.com
www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest
Instagram: @klexfestival
#klexfest #klexspil #seriousplayimprovlab #percussionstore #improvisedmusic #freeimprov #freejazz
Founded in May 2014, SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB (SPIL) is the 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 region’s experimental and improvised music scene.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:
Kien Faye (Faye) is an experimental contemporary trance practitioner and performer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His work is deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Javanese and Malaysian trance cultures, exploring ritual forms and the use of natural elements to induce trance states. Through movement, voice, whip, water, flowers, kemenyan (incense), and mantra, he processes intense emotions and sensations, creating a connection between the land, people, himself, and the surrounding environment. Faye explores movement as he navigates life, whether in a forest or a train station, Faye’s practice transforms everyday spaces into stages for exploration and expression. He has performed across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Australia, participating in various festivals and collaborating with artists from diverse disciplines. Actively engaged in the festival community in Malaysia, he values artistic exchange and cross-cultural dialogue.
Leow Hui Min (Damien Leow) is co-member of Orang Orang Drum Theatre, members of the Asia Butoh Tree Team by Yuko Kawamoto (2020-2023). Born and grown in Kuala Lumpur and further study at Bordeaux, France and Venice, Italy. “Some of the artists I’ve had the opportunity to work with, and who continue to inspire my artistic vision today, include Isabelle Lasserre, Pascale Etcheto, Claudia Castellucci, Régine Chopinot, among others. I wish I could approach life like a ‘stranger’ – to stay open, curious, to connect ‘strangely’ with the world. It’s so direct when I discover another country or other culture, I wish I could apply the same openness to very familiar place, situation and context. It allows me to discover a different self, each time when I move, when I dance, when I respond to my personal emotions.” (Damien Leow)
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.
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.
Yii Kah Hoe is a Malaysian composer and music improviser. Yii has been recognized as one of the major voices among Southeast Asian composers of his generation. His music has been widely performed in Asia, America, and Europe. Yii won the National Outstanding Educator Award 2018 presented by the Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia. In the fall of 2015, and in the spring of 2023, Yii was the Scripps College Erma Taylor O’Brien Distinguished Visiting Professor at Scripps College in Claremont. Yii was a Fullbright Scholar in Residence from August 2022 to June 2023 while working as a composition professor at Washington State University. Yii was the festival director of Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival 2009, the festival director of SoundBridge festival (2013, 2015), the president of Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (2014 – 2016) and a senior lecturer at SEGi College Subang Jaya, Malaysia since 2000.
More info:
[email protected]
www.klexfestival.com
www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest
Instagram: @klexfestival