Date & Time: Thursday, 25 June 2015, 8:30pm door opens
Venue: FINDARS, No. 8, 4th Floor, Jalan Panggong, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Admission by suggested donation: RM20
Performers:
Otomo Yoshihide (guitar)
KOK Siew Wai (voice)
YONG Yandsen (tenor saxophone)
Game of Patience (drums, bass/electronics, saxophone)
Taking a break in May, SPIL is back with two labs in a row in June! SPIL013 will feature a rare guest, acclaimed Japanese musician-composer Otomo Yoshihide! Otomo will play with local and regional musicians KOK Siew-Wai and YONG Yandsen, and Game of Patience (Darren Moore Brian O’ Reilly and Yandsen) at FINDARS on Thursday, 25 June 2015 @ 8:30pm.
Otomo Yoshihide is a well respected composer and inspiring musician in the improvised music scene not only in Japan but also internationally. Through the Asian Sound Research project with the support of Asia Center Japan Foundation, and SPIL, Otomo will play in Kuala Lumpur and meet with local audience for the first time!
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS
OTOMO YOSHIHIDE is a Musician, born in Yokohama in 1959. He spent his teenage years in Fukushima. He consistently creates a wide range of music from improvised sessions and noise-like outputs to the pop music, independently as well as simultaneously, and the scope of activities extends across the globe. He also composes film music, producing more than 70 numbers of works. In recent years, he engages in alternative forms of concerts, as well as music works collaborating with various people, under the name of “Ensembles”. He has also committed to organize music workshops for children with disabilities, and the projects for public participatory. When the Great East Japan was hit with earthquake in 2011, he initiated and established “Project FUKUSHIMA!” together with Michiro Endo and Ryuichi Wago. His effort was awarded the Japanese Minister of Education Award for Artistic Excellence in 2012. He was also in charge of the music production for NHK’s television drama series “Ama-chan” in 2013. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Ensemble’s Asia project, Japan Foundation Asia Center.
YONG YANDSEN is an improvised saxophonist and artist-organizer. He has played at the Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival, Mosaic Festival Singapore, Choppa Eclectic Improvised Music Festival, Turn Around Free Jazz & Improvisation Festival amongst others. Yandsen’s debut LP of solo saxophone improvisation was released by Doubtful Sound (France) in 2013. 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. Yandsen and KOK Siew-Wai form Reflex Reactions, an improvised duo with voice and saxophone.
KOK SIEW-WAI is an improvised vocalist, video artist and independent artist-organizer from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She’s performed in festivals such as Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival, Playfreely Festival (Singapore), Asian Meeting Festival (Japan), E-Poetry Festival (USA) and more. In February 2015, Siew-wai joined the Ensemble Asia Orchestra led by Otomo Yoshihide and performed in Tokyo and Kyoto. Siew-Wai and Yandsen formed Reflex Reactions, an improv duo with voice and saxophone. She is the festival director & curator of the artist-run Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video & Music Festival (KLEX)since 2010.
GAME OF PATIENCE (Darren Moore: drums; Brian O’ Reilly: bass & electronics; Yandsen: tenor saxophone) is one of the few groups in South East Asia region dedicated solely to the creation of free improvised music. Unconstrained by any given tradition, they draw influence and techniques from both the Asian and Western experimental music traditions. Performing with a focused intensity complimented by mercurial group interplay, they create sharp sweeping shards of improvised noise-jazz, creating textures combining extended techniques and electronics with elements of free jazz, electroacoustic composition and free improv.
SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB SERIES:
SPIL is a monthly performance series focuses on improvisation, founded in May 2013. It’s a project of KLEX – Kuala Lumpur Experimental Film, Video & Music Festival. It is an art laboratory series for musicians, performers and artists to experiment with each other through improvisation. Several musicians/performers will be featured in every lab. First, each performer will present a short solo set. This is for the performers to listen and watch, and to recognize the sounds, images or and movements of their collaborators. Then, all performers will improvise together as a group or in different combinations. SPIL provides a platform for performers from various backgrounds and disciplines to collaborate and present a new collective expression through improvisation. It facilitates collaborations between regional and international improvised musicians and performers, encouraging learning, understanding, friendship and exchange locally and globally.
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