foreword [03] Bala Starr essays [06] Listening to the World — Charles Merewether

[09] Just Outside Our Hearing — Joleen Loh

[17] If You Gave Sound a Chance, Everything Else Would Not Matter — Ian Woo

[22] Zero: A Meditation on Listening — Chong Li-Chuan

[27] In Conversation with Joyce Koh — Bani Haykal artists [35] In Conversation with Zul Mahmod — Bani Haykal [46] Song-Ming Ang [48] George Chua

[50] Gulayu Arkestra

[52] Joyce Koh

[54] Kai Lam

[56] Mohamad Riduan

[58] Darren Ng

[60] The Observatory

[62] Joel Ong

[64] Ong Kian-Peng

[66] Brian O’Reilly

[68] Shaun Sankaran

[70] Dennis Tan

[72] Evan Tan

[74] Zai Tang

[76] Mark Wong The EXHIBITION [80] Zul Mahmod [82] The Archive, Performances, Installations, Sound Scores, Listening Stations

[98] Biographies

[102] acknowledgements [4] Mohamad Riduan, Hijrah (detail), presented at Bridge: Dari Utara ke Selatan (Bridge: From North to South), Jendela, Visual Arts Space, Esplanade, mixed media installation, dimensions variable, 2013. Photo: Muhamad Wafa Director, Singapore Arts InstituteofContemporary Bala Starr enthusiastic collaboration withthecurators andtheentire ICASteam. to ensure itssuccess. We congratulate andwarmly thankthemfor theartists their and dedicated work on this major project, as well as to all of the ICAS staff for helping Biennale. Sincere thanks gotocurators BaniHaykal andJoleenLoh for their creative Fund, theArts Council, BCube andtheSingapore Entertainment, National Arts Our thanks gotothe generous supportersandcatalogue:the oftheexhibition building. withinthedynamicarchitecture CollegeoftheArts mezzanine ofthe LASALLE inandneartheEarl Luintertwine Gallery, whichissituatedin anunusually discrete and experimental forms. Here, installations, music, performance, writing andcurating and Attitudes are construedaround interdisciplinary work, collaborative practices of premises basic the that fitting is it forefronteducation, the of at In the environs that places experimentation school and creative of an art innovation music andsound art. whichdiscussesthewiderinternational ofexperimentalhis introductory context text, the director Singapore Arts from ofthe InstituteofContemporary 2010to2013, for Wong and Koh Nguang How. I would like also to acknowledge Charles Merewether, especially through thecontributions ofspecialists andarchivists such asartists Mark has beenoverlooked andcriticism.They toredress inexhibitions have attempted this The curators have beenconsciousthatSingapore’s recent ofsoundinthearts history materialandintherangeexhibited ofpractices we experiencethrough theexhibition. inthetemperament thisintensity materialandwe ofthe sonic sense andcomplexity it shares imaginatively withitsaudience. works Each of the artists intensively with language anddisplay torealise aproject thatisambitiousandtheinformation inscope development Together ofthisexhibition. theyhave carefully negotiatedquestions of Curators BaniHaykal andJoleenLoh have worked inthe withtheartists closely ended ‘uncertainties’ arts. ofsonic Each encourages of listening, an active sense and explores thegenerously open- recordings instrumentations andesoteric to archival research anddocumentation. field music, folk noise, fromwidely, range interests artists’ The music. and sound in work challenging often and influential their for recognised internationally are many theorists, writers, critics, entrepreneurs, andproducers. several Spanning generations, and Attitudes are variously also researchers, performers,educators, mentors, curators, The and musicians work seventeen whose isrepresented artists inSOUND:Latitudes FOREWORD SOUND: Latitudes

[5] [6]

[7] [8] Listening to the World Charles Merewether cinematographic music’. melodies and symphonies of noise, which are a new and specifically sounds, it becomes possible to create chords and dissonances, this whenhewrote that‘throughthetransposition ofnatural imagined already had Epstein Jean filmmaker The world. modern out ofnature, thematerial world ofobjects, andtheman-made The new era had brought with it a world of sounds emanating was different, alive. It would be like collage or a mixing of syntax representing andmix ofcultures. thevibrancy ofthecity Tristan of mixing a or collage like be would It alive. different, was could embrace andexperimental sound, noise music, aworld that There thatamodernandtruly was contemporary thesense culture of music, andlanguage noise ofmaterial.’ inorder to obtainaunity reunification the and language, in and noise in sound of musicality tasksthat oneofthechiefartistic radio rediscovery ofthe was ‘the others. Later, historianRudolf theeminent Arnheimwrote, art in1936, composers such asClaude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, ErikSatieand modernist culture, music aswell by astwentieth-century musician- in theengine room ofmodernisationandout ofthevibrant life of sound, of aesthetics the different from Luigiartist Russolo published hismanifesto The Art of Noises. While of anindustrial ageandhuman intervention. In1913, theFuturist thereleasecame ofaworld ofsoundsthatwere boththeproduct Modernism was borneunderthewingsofmodernisationandwith it that surround us. spaces the of reality humdrum the from flight for allows it beyond; world we live in, both audible and inaudible.’ the experience we way the influencing in ingredient active an […] how‘soundto as amplifies silences, communicates, and emanates, willingly into anexperienceofthesonorous world. It isaproposition as theiraudience, takingusout ofourselves physically toenter and music inour lives. The curators have asked toleadus artists SOUND: Latitudes andAttitudes celebrates thevalue ofsound,noise – Tristan Tzara, Înserează(Night Falling), 1971 will [...] bescandalized thatthecity so before crowing therooster starts [...] let’s park gotothecommunity like apriestfrom thechurch like akernel from the peach, and you night, springout oftheroom [...] openyourself therefore, window 3 The Art of Noises originated of Art The 1 Sound lifts us up, Sound lifts out, 2

Ono, JohnCage,David Tudor andTakehisa Kosugi. at theSuigetsu Center inTokyo involving Nam June Paik, Yoko York presented was intense extraordinary concerts andledtosome Tokyo period, theexchange between During thepostwar andNew Suigetsu Center took the mixing of art, sound, voice and acoustic Suigetsu Centertook themixingofart, the at concerts the and influential were indeterminacy and chance ‘plastifying’ music, ofrendering‘plastifying’ itplasticlike sculpture …’. might saythattheorigin of thismusic found isalso intheinterest in be presented by meansof non-traditional characteristics. […]one was notastudyoftimbre, it isfocused on envelopes, forms. It must electronic era, music in the postwar wrote that ‘musique concrète Pierre Henry, whowas instrumental incombiningConcrete and harmonic might The century. composer meaninthemid-twentieth There was a reformulation of the harmonic, a rethinking of what the life. daily of iteration reflective its with along language of economy to bethought bondin its ability closest ofinterms of itsbrevityand that theycould explore. Poetry, mostespecially, appeared tohave the discovered thisotherworldandexperimental ofsound,noise music making objects,sculpture, painting, prints orwritingpoems,who from acrossartists were aspectrum;these whohadbeen artists century, Intheearlytwentieth America. themovement involved strongly Germany, inJapan, andelsewhere inEurope andNorth concrete music. It began to spread asfar as Brazil and developed Olivier Messiaen,andEdgard Varèse amongstothers championed movement. like Composers Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, verve, excitement and innovation with the flowering of theConcrete WorldAfter War Two, whathappenedthenwas nottoberepeated in tape recorders. developed that included microphones, phonographs and magnetic audio- moreeffectively the movement.Resistance technologies New were of field the of Schaeffer andradiophoniccommunications techniques astobroadcast so understanding Pierre the improving composer French on worked the Two, War World During hadbeenfirstincollage.paper used of soundandexperimental music intheway tobeused piecesof of chance, deartotheDadaists, so was essential tothepotentiality TGH Strehlow life whose work revolved around theregion. The idea drawn from Germantranslations by thelinguist andanthropologist Aranda (an songs Aboriginal group inCentral based Australia) language. CabaretVoltaire IntheDada-based inZurich, Tzara used loved soundandexperimental music, andspoken word inany Tzara, and oneofthefounders thegreat Romanian ofDada, artist, 5 Cage’s ideaof 4

[9] [10] of spoonsandpots. their living rooms andkitchenswiththesoundsofclinking glasses, of theirrecordings onsounds from based nature, from timberyards, Japanese experimental group that, in the late fifties, released tapes and violinist,Kosugi hadbeenamemberofGroup Ongaku, asmall thanithad ever beenpresentedmusic further before. Acomposer moment life. ofurban where intermingle thecontemporary thearts withandarticulate its audiences into aworld further ofexperimentation, into aworld harmonic melodies. It takes thedomain oflistening further, takes experimentation, nolongerguided by theacoustic limpid of purity This project is an ongoing celebration of a world of almost impure practice century. ofthe twentieth of contemporary art andlegacy music hascontinued andnoise through toexpand themany facets One hundred yearsRussolo, ofsound,experimental after theart listening inspace. practicesartistic inregard tobothperceptual andphysical actsof in significant more became too environments Listening important. duration, repetition,more became notation,andperformance processing andthedevelopment ofelectronic music. Notionsof allowing for greater control over sound composition,scoring, systems more accessible, superseding analog synthesizers and directions. technologyhaddeveloped Computer makingmusic From the mid-seventies on, the music scene grew in many different 6 5 4 3 2 1 key memberoftheTaj Mahal Travelers intheearlyseventies. movement andworked inJapan, internationally asaFluxus andwas latera artist Fluxus the foundingfigure of a Kosugi musician, became a as artist an much As cymbals. and two kitchen blender, watering can and ice-cubes, a vase of roses, five radios, a piano, by tub, usingabath arubber duck, aniron pipe, awater pitcher, agoose-call, created Secretin1960.Cage music ontheshow a Got show I’ve another TV The piece was not dissimilar to John Cage’sWalk Water that was presented on 1963 where anexperimental heperformed music piecePlaying Music on a Bicycle. in Show Allen Steve Frank show The appeared Zappa onthepopular TV variety la Vie in1952. the first ‘musique concrète’ for a commercial short film Seul in1950 andthenwent ontowritethescore forHomme un Pour Symphonie amongst others Schaeffer during the1940s, including acollaborative production of with worked Henry 2003. Fayard, Paris: Michel Chion, PierreHenry, ibid., 2007, p.191. Acousmatic Music’, inOrganisedSound,12(3), 2007, pp.189–202. Marc Battier, theGRMBrought ‘What toMusic:From Musique to Concrète Curators BaniHaykal andJoleenLoh, proposal, exhibition 2013. 6

Astrologie ou leMiroir de

Just Outside Our Hearing Joleen Loh penetrated, for it opensup inmeaswell asaround me, andfrom ‘Totime, Iam same the listen is to enter by thatspatiality which, at aware ofhisorhersurroundings, writes: Nancy subject –orlistener, ifImaycall himorherthat­ ofthe‘other’,‘I’ andtheself collapse. Drawing ourto the attention open modeofbeingin whichthedistinctions ofinterior andexterior, one. For Jean-Luc Nancy, tolisten istobeconscious ofanexpansive, drawing inward, bringing andsurroundings ourtoself attention as venturing outwardstothevibrancy ofthingsoutside and ofoneself Unlike hearing(the perceiving ofsounds), listening isresolute, multiplicity, orienting usasoneamongstmany otherlistening bodies. generates usandour surroundings connectionsbetween withsuch Listening isanactofengagement withtheworld around us.It more thanmerely physical. our ears but through also our bodies and our brain. Listening is allalso tooliteral isnotnew, for soundisnotonlyregistered through – thatyou your mayclose eyes, but notyour ears. That theanalogyis Let us put aside the at-times convenient but all too clichéd argument Why listen? – JanZwicky, Practising Bach,2011 supports themall. the unrungringing that the bright orhunger, ofsex song but of human speech,noteven orthewuthering the clangoftheory and theresonance ofthings–not just outside our hearing,theproportion the planetmakes: akindofmusic There asound is,saidPythagoras, – ZaiKuning, ConferenceoftheBirds,2006 it isnotnecessarilynoise. When you provocative, hearsomething isprovoked. else made, whileeverybody express itsexistence.Areaffirming sound is middle ofthenight, itsimplywants to thewolfIf we thatwails observe inthe sounds are madebut notnecessarilymusic. To reaffirm itsexistenceinasilent landscape, The ofitsexistence. soul islonelyandweary –whobecomes

[11] [12] from onetotheotherandfrom oneintheother.’ outside andinside, tobeopenfrom without andfrom within,hence take can that a“self” place.To belistening istobeat the same time and itisthrough such adouble, quadruple, opening orsextuple me aswell astoward me:itopensmeinsideaswell asoutside, Dasein isopenfor itsownmost potentiality-for-Being­­ andauthenticIndeed, hearingconstitutestheprimary way inwhich Dasein’s existential way ofBeing-openasBeing-with for Others. and itsrelationship tootherentities. Hewrites:‘Listeningto...is itself to openness and awareness very its by defined connection, intheworld andismademeaningful throughwith andparticipates as Heideggerunderlines, thatthehuman being(Dasein)engages beyond oneself, onethatunfolds It intimeandspace. islistening, with theworld, aware withthings ofanincreasing participation to listen. Stirred from insularity, thus theself becomesinterwoven a constellation bodies ofspaces, andobjects,should we choose relationships asubject anditsenvironment, between connecting That istosay, mediate can andanimatenew matter sensorial to one another [Aufeinander-horen].’ hears itunderstands. because […]Being-with develops inlistening with it. Dasein Dasein carries the voice of the friend whom every mastery over them, categorize and simplify them, or give over and simplify them them, categorize mastery tothem images tobeablefamiliarizein anattempt ourselves withthem,gain mental affixing quickly signs, or signals familiar words spoken to us, music, environmental sounds – looking for we whatwe pickandchoose listenMore thannot, to– often whatisbeingheard andwhat isunderstood?between the visual tangibility and ‘stability’ of images, insists on the disparity make sense of or find meaning in an expressive medium that, unlike butcomplicity persistently obstructsunderstanding. How dowe an still generating yet to arrive. Therein lies a contradiction: sound demands our fleetingness, its at grasp understanding for myself – the meaningofwhat I hearisalways only can but truth, its Iwill phenomenon or object, neverand thesonic comprehend our body, listening whatIhear remains Between full ofuncertainty. Yet despitebeingcontemporaneous withthesoundsthatpermeate to cross boundaries, tobeacknowledged, tobegiven to. attention engaging inconversation whilerejecting others, thentobeheard is speak within a frameworkto someone of sociality, receiving and that suggests opennesstoothers. For instance, ifIamlistening us around too, agivingparticipation tothepeopleandworld ofattention – a form of care. It requires effort, an active process active an effort, requires It care. of form a – 2 Listening is, then, a form of 1 –asinhearing space includingspace curated listening of changing stations,aseries exhibition consists of five components in and outside of the gallery works of sonic scope thatinvite various possibilities oflistening. The engageswitha wide the exhibition and mediaperformance artists, or subject. Featuring works bymusicians, composers, visual artists, in Singapore practices whose share ofsound asamedium theuse explores avast array expressions ofsonic by various practitioners edition, first The of activity. oraspects sonic to sound approaches specific on focusing edition provide witheach aplatformarts, onwhichtoengagewithsonic andprogrammes ofexhibitions SOUND aimstobeseries thatwill of edition first the manner, was central totheconceptualization anddevelopment of experience and encounter various forms of sound in a non-linear andhow tofacilitate arts, the sonic inwhichaudiences a space may contour andmeaning– that inextricably communication attention, The considerations oflistening –ofsubject, aneconomy ofrelating, of listening, and intuitive experience, rather thanofreasoning orofdiscourse. ofcritical a strategy first, remain, must contradiction.very Ultimately, the search for meaningwithinsound towriteabout sound–asIdonow –isanexerciseattempt inthis is sublimated toavisual referent, whichmutes its particularity’. fast orslow, but never isitthenoun underconsideration. Insteadit into soundisloud, clear, apositionofattribute: silent ornoisy, itis the heard, immersive andpresent. Its language relegates thesonic oppositeofsound, whichisalways‘[critical discourse] isthevery does badly indealing withsound.AsSaloméVoeglin pointed out: complexities andresonances. This isexactly why discourse critical Sound rejects any attempt that, whether intended or not, flattens its all, listening isnotsimplyabout engaging withthefamiliar. within thistensionthatwe mayengagearesonant meaning.After beeasilygrasped, asidethatwhichcannot itisperhaps casting within the straining towards Rather than possible meaning itself. perceptible registers andtheintelligible register –but itisfound what islistened towithreasoning orcomprehension –connecting That toequate is,meaningisperhapsnotsituatedintheability listening demands being susceptible to sound’s uncertainties. Rather thanmuting andneutralising resonances, these perhaps of lived experience, allowing for imagination toprobe atmeaning. challenges ourand expands thoughts without necessarilygenerating areality It signifiers. simplistic such resists sound But names. SOUND. Developed togetherwithBaniHaykal, SOUND: The exhibitionSOUND: The SOUND: Latitudes andAttitudes, 3 Any

[13] [14] medium thatactivates various relational the exchanges between explore interactive particularly sound asa social, performances viewers ofthese intheirminds,tobecompletedthemind. Some environmental dynamics, to meet the noise, and acoustical social parameters, moving away from sound asobjecttointegrate with from conventional orescape expansion in itsarticulation, musical performativity of sonic material probes sound as a specific medium Arkestra, and Dennis Tan in collaboration with Delphine Mei. The Tang, Shaun Sankaran, KaiLam, BrianO’Reilly, George Chua, Gulayu arespace by ofsoundperformances aseries MohamadRiduan, Zai Coinciding witheachchange-over ofinstallations withintheexhibition by MohamadRiduan, Zul Mahmod,OngKian-Peng, andDarren Ng. degreesvarying through ofchanging aseries sound installations and inwhatways we experiencesound,andthisisexplored in isintensely experience.Space bound upof theconcert withhow and provide for atemporal experiencethatisseparate from that them. They pursue aheightened perception relations ofspatial away from thedurational towards conditions thespatial around (or tospeak),soundinstallations giving so move sound anobject, Bridging asa medium soundandthevisual ofart. further seen Developments insound installation have allowed for sound tobe that draw such tensionsout. to oneanothernotresolve agapbut tofacilitate theconnections experimental Their music works andsoundart. are placedinrelation makesstations also manifest thecomplexentanglements between to Zul Mahmod,andmore, ofwork for theselection thelistening Sankaran’s work asMindfuckingboy toDarren Ng,The Observatory Fromopposed. the works of Joyce Koh to Gulayu Arkestra, Shaun to includewhowere conceptually artists andcreatively often paradigms,how sonic it challenges or extends and it was necessary silences, found sounds, and noise. It spans a field that is divergent in introducing alternative instrumentations, electronic possibilities, the private realm oftheears. It encourages aconcentrated listening, gathered compositions that continually washing in and out of shift, is experiencednotonlyacross thelistening stationsbut withinthe experience soundonamore intimate level. This spectrumofsounds to collective interactions withsound.They invite listeners to from stillness tonoise, random tostructured forms, andpersonal are representative ofthisbroadsensibilities, spectrumofsonic The works featured ofthelistening stations,oraudio aspart points, an archive. installations, of sound scores, a selection sound performances, and work ofcollectives and collaborations. Such instancesinclude the a shared through andexperimentation, spirit ofenquiry often the events during particularly thelate1980sandearly1990s, whichsaw Included inthearchive are documentations andcollaterals of eventspast andaudio releases, withannotationsby Wong. video interviews, photographs, event collaterals, and recordings of music, theatre, art’. and performance of experimental music, music, andunderground noise academic the ways thatanascent culture sonic has formed out of thestrands inSingapore. arts Forof sonic Wong, to‘[look]at itisanattempt uncovering overlooked andanalyzingthecomplexyet often history Wong, titledFinding Sound . It for isconceived space asatemporary isanarchiveEnriching the exhibition developed Mark by artist and theirvisualization oftherelationshipsounds. between provide insight into the artists’ processes ofworking withsound and performing understanding awork. The works brought into togetherinthissection points entry various offering interpretation, arrangements indications ofsonic basic thatallow for more open of graphic rely notations. They often on forms of abstraction or as notations stave well ofgraphs, astheuse drawings, paintings, andvarious forms conventional to modifications include These of expressing ideasandtherelationshipsounds. sonic between have turned to alternativenotations, composers and artists means comprehending requires themalso aliteracy ofmodernmusical may prove toberigid andauthoritative, nottomention that archiving compositions.Where musical notation modernmusical as guides apieceofmusic, toperforming andfor studyingand in various formats. Musicscores, orsheetmusic, have beenused The features also exhibition ofvisual aselection scores rendered inspire aform ofsociality. work and audiences, individuals between within a crowd, to seeking Tang DaWuwithmusicperformance byJoeNg, Concert, SingaporeMusicFestival, 1989.Photo:KohNguangHow 4 To MakeFriendsisAllWeWant It ofnew aseries comprises , BigO

[15] [16] a performative matrix. This inwhich mirrors sensibility aCagean and relationships into playthrough the immediacy ofsound within performance,to additive superfluous rather theyactivated anactive perception thatbrought situations a not were sounds these interest in sound alone, as pointed out by Lee Wen and Zai Kuning, duringperformances the’80sandearly’90swas notdriven by an many beargued examples. While itcan ofsoundin thatthe use his collaboration withXYLVA’s Daniel Joseph. TanJason created soundsusinghisbodyandfound objects,in which, asKoh Nguang How pointed Convent out, Garden’s musician Eve event in1992 organized by 5thPassage Ltd Artists during Fields aNewYear’s, also Screams;aswellBody as Earth Certain Corporate Toil (Joe NgandWong Fook Yew) for theirperformance 1990, during whichhecollaborated withexperimental music duo Trees atThe Substation’sfor garden in Monuments exhibition solo The archive features also glimpses Koh into artist Nguang How’s another’s experimentations. practitioners, working incollaboration orinmutual of support one variousand musicwitnessed alternative exchanges art between organized by 5thPassage Ltd Artists Village, andThe Artists also Assembly, aweek-long festival arts thattookplaceover 1993-94 sculptors, The painters, Artists’ artists. General andperformance Scheduled, a collaboration theatre between practitioners, musicians, Laterthan O’ClockComes 12 Time Anwar This andtheLateComers, together including, for example, ajoint by performance Khairul Ulu It Sembawang. sawabroad spectrumofpractitioners come the eve of1990, organized by Village The Artists attheirstudio in Show, a24-hourTime event held on Road. Anotherexample isThe Singapore MusicFestival in1989whichtookplacealongOrchard Da WuWantWe all is forFriends Make To aperformance collaboration experimental Tang musician between JoeNgandartist Right: GillesMassotandPhilippeRadoux, 18.7, performanceattheweddingofRonniandUtaPinsler,1985.Photo:EmilyNg Left: KhairulAnwarandtheLateComers, Scheduled , TheTimeShow,ArtistsVillage,1989–90.Photo:KohNguangHow Good Evening,MyNameisMichaelPeuh18 This Time12O’ClockComesLaterThan 5 Ilist onlyafew of during the people writing about the visual arts in Singapore.people writing about the visual arts andthatthisresultedciplinary inhimfalling outside theradar of points out thathispractice then(and now) was broadly multidis- aboutexperimentations. sonic was Massot little written because These events are largely overlooked for various reasons, notonly radio read transceivers, andtext whilstlyingontheground. cymbals, instrumentstwo-way unorthodox such astaperecorders,set, aTV was aprogressive build-up oflights andsounds,generated using Pinsler, The whocommissionedtheperformance. performance Night, Ronni andUta place atthewedding ofthehostsMagic ofmultimediawithin thecontext collective art Talking Eyes, took Philippe Radouxsound artist in1985.The performance, created is Michael Peuh 18 18.7, sound and light inSingapore, performances Good Evening, My Name makers. mentioning Another example worth is one of the earliest through improvisations withDIY music instruments andsound- experimentation includinga spirit of artistic working withsound and created installations across various public encouraging spaces, whoduring Commandos, theFestivalArt Fringe of1988, performed since 1981,isoneexample. conceived Massot ofandorganised the whomoved fromMassot, MarseilleinSingapore andhasbeenbased or are overlooked andforgotten. TheGilles bodyofwork ofartist Many stirringsinSingapore sonic havegoneundocumented, also rather thananend. music tobecomeincreasingly expands open-endedasameans arts that overlap and contradict, offering audiences a glimpse into glimpse a audiences offering contradict, and overlap that arts piece together various positionsandpersonal investments insonic musicians, academics and observers of the sonic field. It attempts to is explored through archivists, ofinterviews aseries with artists, down’‘passing knowledge of Singapore’s local culture. sonic This to explore oral tradition and asagateway topreserving memory and memories.It isfor thisreason thatFinding venturesSound also to usinconversation, onpersonalexperiences,encounters, based Many such events, including mentioned I’ve those above, were related at alternative venues, documentation withlittle tospeakof. and many about, have takenbeen written place in underground or inSingaporeings ofthedevelopment not arts have ofsonic often Worthwhile understand- further stirringssuch sonic asthisthatcan transnational itmayhave beeninitsorigins anddevelopment. comfortably fit with thethen-present however scene viewpointsart ofthe local not did 1981, in arrived only had who Massot, and considerations were ofnationalidentity akey concernatthetime by incollaboration Massot withmusician and 7 Furthermore, 6

[17] [18] to speak. of divergentto the scope developments so in sound in the arts, art’s trajectories, there hasnotyet dedicated beenanexhibition in Singapore. Despitethemany intersections ofsound’s andvisual SOUND istherealization we ofanexhibition wanted andhear tosee probed, anddiagnosed. inSingapore arts –onethatisunraveledof sonic tobequestioned, intersecting trajectoriestounderstand thebeginnings isanattempt search for sound’s theintersections between andthe visual arts’ forgotten stances,suppositions, names,andmemories.This It andobservers. abounds inpersonal stories, of itsparticipants the 1980sonwards, revisited through theindividual experiences fragments events oflocal from anddevelopments arts inthesonic out of systematic research, born it is, rather, being a from space to reflect Far on various viewpoints. different from history complex a expressions. thisafirst attempt. Consider practitioners inSingapore, aninvitation tolisten toarange ofsonic various of languages sonic the explore to seeks edition, first its in comes to thinking about art andexhibition-making. comes tothinkingabout art whenit withsound works seat takingtheback visual arts, often 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 name afew. discourse orwritingabout practice, sound,andthesustainability ofsonic to lack ofsoundcurators andsuitable infrastructure ingalleries, lack ofcritical This is due to several reasons including, have pointed the as artists out, activities. performers, andhascontinually andexperimental music supportedsound art years middle-groundmusicians, beenthefertile and visual artists, between inSingapore.been crucialtothedevelopment arts It ofsonic hasfor many In thisrespect, The thealternative space Substation contemporary arts has emailcorresp.,Gilles Massot, 2013. emailcorresp.,Gilles Massot, 2013. Koh Nguang How, pers. comm.,2013. Mark Wong, emailcorresp., 2013. of Philosophy a , London:Sound Art Continuum Publishing Corporation, 2010, p.14. Towards Silence: and Noise to Salomé Voegelin, Listening Publishing Group Inc.,2007, p.206. History, NewYork: Continuum International A Paul Heggarty, Noise/Music: Jean-Luc Nancy, Listening, NewYork: Fordham University Press, 2007, p.14. 8 Today, there remains soundandthe adivide between 9 This exhibition,

If You Gave Sound a Chance, Everything Else Would Not Matter Ian Woo sounds merged, where ambient thesonic and therecording machine situate anew imageseparate from the source, are so recorded Like photography andpainting where light andliquid morphand removed. onto speakers twice spaces within the tunnel – the sounds of two that are captured onadigital recording device, andplayed back the source oftherecording, or occupants. itslocation, Just sounds nature andanimalsofSingapore. Ihave nodirect visual relation to that were These sampled fromincluded thecity. soundsofpeople, through the interior corridor, you would hearsegments ofsounds installation attheEsplanade Tunnel Linkwhere, asyou walked Soundscapes(2010), an Sacred I amthinkingabout ZaiTang’s What isthesoundtrack ofone’s dream state? inspired withinspaces. soundassemblages examples could range from performativeabstractions tosocially is explored The positions inwhichsoundasart inthisislandcity. definitive,areexamples These not but rather influencesreflect and encounterssonic from withmusicians Singapore. andsoundartists The following are arecent ofpersonalanecdotes selection Do Ihearsoundswhenamasleep? DoIhearsoundswhendream? asleep. Ihearupon waking.sounds ofthecity Before thisrealisation, Iwas first the are they because me to out stand sounds These morning. morning. You justhearthemfrom can all directions from 7.30inthe I also like to hear the sound of different motor engines starting every I like myna hearing thesoundsofthose birds singing inthemorning. whatothersoundsdoIlike?So notesandhighs thatresonate bottom clearasabell.velvety inherentsomething withinitstremble frequencies andbass with honk, especially stabs.Just ifyou a‘bimp’; itinshort use there is pleasant thanothers. Ireckon theMercedes Benzmakes apleasant do notlike ofcourse, hornsbut, are thesoundofcar some more I mayhem. and order traffic between reactions extreme evoke can honks duration,honk, two and,depending ontheirrhythmic horns from culture vary On theroad, hornsignalscan toculture. One tosignalsomeone. sounds inanattempt We make we because are soundseveryday alive. We make also

[19] [20] I am citing The Observatory here because their members were offwere members their because here Observatory The citing am I were device. ofdistortion saturated sort with some I layered; heavily and effects-laden remember point,there thatatsome were voices, andeven those was It experience. sound a open’ to‘art’. The music theyplayed that night was more akinto also, noonewould want togive an indication thattheywere ‘not thatwas and, performing to do that since it was The Observatory Well, no one walked but out, perhapsitwould have beenuncool much music theycould andnoise tolerate. like they were the audience, torturing as if they wanted how to see forbad theiraudiences. I asked herwhy andshesaidthatitwas upfrom feels came tomeandsaidshesometimes theband really play whatever theywanted you thegig, tolisten Vivian to to.After Wang got they where off, day Observatory’s The like was it that It acacophonycompared was ariot, totheirusualIsensed sets. were apieceofelectronic Theperforming band music. Observatory means experimental inBahasaMelayu). Three ofthelocal parts together with Singaporean record label Ujikaji Records (‘Ujikaji’ the Pigeon Hole organised 7x0x07 by starters hard-core punk party remember,anexperimentalI also Frottage music attending gig at your sacred voice. were positionedwhileexperiencingthework, you might have found Depending of the everyday. within the white noise on where you our memoriesofthesacred sonic (natural)aimed atintertwining open reading ofwhatwe thinkwe know. Ibelieve Tang’s work was Real timeandstagedsoundswere allowed tomingle, suggesting an With this installation, the framing of sounds was itself in constant flux. favourite istheloopedmusic attheNTUCFairprice supermarket). bring anelementtoour routine ofcalm shoppinghabits(my current shops andbuildings, constantly aspsychological used decoration to countless easylistening music beingprojected songs inmalls, being played incommercial back andpublic We spaces. have heard Sacred reframedSoundscapes also our stereotype ofaudio sounds to bringlight thefact crowded. thattheworld isgetting desire for contemplation was exactly whatTang wanted toprovoke, ideal placeandtimewas notthedesire for thiswork. Perhaps, my course, oneman’s contemplation isanotherperson’s But noise. an at and sounds, shuffling pointsome Iwishedthework were installed ataquieter Of location. and chattering those all annoying, was Tunnel Link,there were many people walking withme.The crowd form anewaudio AsIwalked materiality. through theEsplanade ment toactivate andeven, attimes,playitself. breathing, blowing and channeling windtopreparing theinstru - ofpreparednew acoustics withinthehistory instruments, all from sound generators. They are constantly lookingfor ways to discover and theenvironment. All threework withwindinstruments as artists to ‘paint’ andactivate therelationship body, between object the acoustics ofspace, thephysical of sound bodyandtheuse Haykal, TimandMohamadRiduan O’Dwyer were experimenting with from 2010to2013.Cross-disciplinary windinstrumentalists like Bani Charles Merewether Singapore Arts at the Institute of Contemporary invarious beseen thatwere performances can heldandcurated by of newinstrumentation use The andprepared further soundobjects arrangements.musical compositions toinclude newpresentations formats ofsong and andtheavant-garde,jazz theyare attheforefront their oftweaking rock, progressive pop, of influences various from Formed sounds. ofdeveloping thisresearchunderstood theimportance for new discovered new sounds that excited the audience. The Observatory on theaudience, but there were nights also where theperformers taking. There were nights where or‘set’ theperformance was lost instruments. There ofunlearningaswell was asense asrisk- tointeractspace andtodiscover newways withtheir toperform wereObservatory) created toprovide audiences andmusicians a Darren Moore andBrianO’Reilly) andPLAYFREELY (organised by The Experimental music events like CHOPPA (organised by Tim O’Dwyer, curious of musicians would upactsofimprovised pair solo orperform sounds. configurations and bands where millennium early the There were adhoc 24-hour also andpunk in noise performances oronatabletop. back its on flat laid guitar the playing musicians by performances solo their usual instruments. Iremember suddenlyandhearing seeing from sounds discover to ways new find and guitars their detune to lovers music of generation a influenced that Youth;event an band Sonic rock influenced avant-garde American the by performance sound seekers. It wasatimewhenwe also were introduced toa planted inanewgeneration seeds ofindependent andprogressive culture. Ibelieve whomademusic manybands atthistime local oranythat mostoftheworld believedkindof ofart hadnosense naïve and raw. It was and nervoussound played a pervious to a city and The Bored Phucks were makingrock ’n’ roll soundsthatwere of line-up punk-influenced Ground Opposition Party, like the Stomping bands first the when time a was This ’90s. and 1980s late the ofSingapore’ssprings from thehistory alternative music in scene

[21] [22] Ang’s work; there isanaïve and sentimental toexplore sensibility our There isastrong instinct tobringpeople together withmusic in conjured andtheeveryday. withinmeameditation onart andhearingthis Seeing pertinent. became making ofmusic history manual labour ofconstructing anobjectthatwe withthe associate anotherperson’saccompanying Observing theact of assembly. andtuning,randomof assembly sounds ofthepianowere heard Ang tuningandassembling apiano.Inthevideo, due totheprocess night thecrowd gotthehangofit.Anothertime, Isawthisvideoof but was toldthatlaterin the after soon not pick up on that; I left Ididsongs. my bittoMichaelJackson’s ‘Thriller’but thecrowd did a disco ball, suggesting thatwe were supposed todancethe ofhiswork Do You as part Wanna setting Dance. Ispied in agallery 2010, generating where theartist YouTube Iwitnessed disco songs SingaporeContemporaries Arts in atInstituteofContemporary New Flesh: the of, hewas anexhibition apart I onceattended In of whathepresents andheard seen space. inanexhibition isoften much because artist visual a as identified often is Song-Ming Ang each timerevealing newshapesandsurprises. The voice repeatsthis city? itsguttural pronouncement repeatedly, likewind, often adrone from Doesthisvoice thepast. belongin delays.and murky Whennotsubmerged, thevoice like rises primal sings andscreams withdynamicvariation generated by bubbles has she prepared. Submerging herface inabowl ofwater, device sheutters, filter a to relation in often sing, to voice the uses of thevoice, thatwhichisheard asatexturaldevice? AnGieSeah a way totransmit language andmeaning,but whatabout thegrain sound usage.Infact,we talk much so thatspeechbecomes simply voice of isthemostimmediate soundinourvocabulary everyday The human soundsasart. oftheirbodytoarticulate physical parts space, there areusingmore examples also ofartists immediately from ofinstrumentation theuse tosimulateApart body, objectand of real timeandspace. andexperiencewithinthemselves acubistthe space manifestation the gallery, providing the audience with fresh ways to move around sounds were comingfrom of objectsandcorners of various parts heard asaform asituationwhere ofsignal.Iwitnessed projected where anunknown location sounds were stageset, an imaginary was released from various objectsintheroom. The work conjured witnessing alive where sound laboratory theprojection ofsounds Riduan played oppositeeachother.The was performance akinto I would like where performance Haykal tociteaparticular and think itwas thatofthedream narrator’s voice. sound from my headpresent throughout thedream sequence. I I dreamt asilent dream lastnight. remember Ialso there was a dream? doIhearsoundswhenamasleep?So DoIhearsoundswhen chance, would else notmatter. everything a sound gave they if that belief firm my is it – sound the More importantly, theyneedtoput asidetheirtimetowait for audiences need to be ready and listen to see to the work of artists. will needtobeinvestigated. Ontheothersideofspectrum, be fully appreciated, andrelevant critical production components need to understand that inorderArtists for their sound works to order tolearnabout how soundmight bepresented initsbestlight. I believe thatthere are many resources thatwe needtoexplore in to our attention? discover wayshow thendosound artists better tobringtheir work of soundandimageare becomingcommonentities inour lives. So, as indulgent. smaller, The world getting isalso therefore simulations nuance, many of its presentations could easily be misunderstood challenging intermsofitspresentation. Beingintherealm ofsonic I will endthisessayby stressing thattheelement ofsoundis andknow thatitwill takeparticipate place. ustoabetter need itinour lives. Like Karaoke culture, whobelieve those initwill the great doesnotfully composer understand hismusic. But we is about themusic we love but will even never understand. Often, I amnotsure ifAng’s work isabout music orsound.Perhaps it experiencinghiswork, therehave toaddthatafter are timeswhen pointsaesthetic barriers are for starting important Ang’s practice. I and re-examination of music cultures that divide our everyday strange, hiddenrelationship withthemusic ofour time.The meeting

[23] [24] Zero: A Meditation on Listening Chong Li-Chuan to make another decision.Hence, for me‘leaving zero’ represents travelled toarrive ata point (namely‘zero’), ofdeparture ajuncture numbers, e.g. -0.1, -1, etc. to imagine tracing how near or far one has desires tobecomea listener bevisualised can intermsofnegative a non-listener to a listener. In the same metaphor, the ambitions or easilybegrasped0.1, itcan from asadeparture zero, goingfrom represented by apositive number, say1,oradecimal fraction like of departure). Regardless of alistener of whethertheidentity is listener, (negative) withmeanimaginary zero (point carrying if Ihadever considered becomingalistener, Iamalready anon- That of becoming a ‘listener’. is to say, in the case ‘non-listener’ alreadyof thatidentity inone’s for possession, example thatofa point. It isasymbol inplaceofaformer oranabandonment identity daughter, wife, ormother, for example. Zero symbolises aturning listener or, for thatmatter, – playingtherole of becominganything The conceptofzero inthisanalogyofbecominga isimportant in experimental Let music andsound art. uscall thispoint zero. visitgalleries newexperiences andmuseums, seek concerts, attend I hadmadeadecisiontobecomelistener, makingachoiceto when a point was there say to Suffice dyad. spatial-temporal a in be considered separately, out spaced inthecourse oftime, located factors might becontemporaneous tooneanother, but they could what isput together, i.e.how orhow itiscomposed itisdone.These to listen (stating theobvious maybe), but nottobedependent on on the journey.to embark In other words, to become a listener is a decision perspectivemaking in from instance, differfirst but only maynot bear any or consequence onchoosingtobecomealistener inthe may incidentally which matter, different entirely an is tolistenthat whatonechooses tolisten toortheway onechooses kindoflistener.a goodlistener It ortobeacertain maytranspire for becomingagoodlistener. There is nomoral imperative tobe has,orlacksas towhocan, theability, orissuitable asacandidate listener. It is,ultimately, ofchoice.There amatter isnorestriction who hadembarked onsuch ajourney, anyone becomeagood can about thetrialsandtribulationsupon embarking ofsomeone or present. Granted that there are in circulation anecdotes and myths at other each of insignificance the recognise to failing past, the of construed asadichotomous pair, arisingfrom thesamejudgement it isno‘small’ secret ormystery either:‘big’and‘small’ be can there isno‘big’secret ormystery behinditall. For thatmatter, whys andwherefores oftheactlistening, Ihave discovered that smooth andhomogenous. However, tofathom inmy the attempt The far tobecomingagoodlistener path from isoften being Leaving Zero 2), four in quaternary (base four), five in quinary (base five), and so and five), (base quinary in four),five (base quaternary in four 2), three) (base when therethe ternary are onlythree symbols(0, 1and (0 and1)towork timesone count with,and‘three in ofsomething’ symbols system two) withonly two (base inthebinary of something’ timesonecount matches with‘ten’ system. ‘10’is‘two inthedenary granted actually thatwe can have tenapplestoarrange andit system thatwe takedenary for granted inour operation, everyday one-zero) in‘10apples’ onecounts ofapples’ is‘ten onlyinthe one counts of apples’.ation of ‘ten However, the symbol ‘10’ (read In theworded apples’ form, ‘ten iseasilyconstruedastheabbrevi- Now thetrace ismadevisible! elaborate expression is: By thesametoken, system, whenwe imaginethe a2inthedenary expressing itas: the palimpsest becomesinvisible. We could make thisexplicit by place value. But sincethesymbol0remains thesame, thetrace of timesonecountstill intermsofits ofsomething’ denotinga‘ten intheplaceof‘units’,is left superimposed onaprevious zero, requires nohuge leapoftheimagination; for time, asecond azero timestenonecounts20 apples,ormore ofapples’. precisely ‘two It apples, and19applesplus 1appleequals 20apples,representing Hence, 9applesplus 1appleequals 10apples,representing ten ‘tens’, ‘hundreds’, from right ‘thousands’ on, shifting and so to left. the placeof‘units’ or‘ones’ and,subsequently, theplaceof one, represented here by ‘1apple’, azero (deposited) will beleft in the ‘decimal system’, ten’. tomean‘base tencounts For every of that thisnumber system iscalled the‘denary system’, sometimes equals 2 apples, or ‘2(1 apple)’. We are taught school in elementary act ofgrouping applesplucked from atree. So, 1appleplus 1apple have thedesire toput togetherortoorganise. Take for example the we things/objects quantifiable the represent to – 9 to 0 – symbols quotidian encounter withnumbers, we have atour disposal ten On counting, or‘leavingzero’, itistaken for granted thatinour harmony,sound –pitch,rhythm, on. andso which incidentally plays acrucialrole inunderstanding organised ofcounting,the conceptofbecomingandresembles theactivity Zero Shift 2(100) 2(101)

[25] [26] explicit. The above could beexpressed as: and henceonthesurfacenothinghastransformed, unlessmade ofzero itisthebase (point because ofdeparture) thathasshifted, a ‘non-experimentalist’. There isnomind-body (actual) separation always carries with him/her the point of departure (zero), but is now ‘experimentalist’ (one). The personwhowas oncea‘non-listener’ this timeasa‘non-experimentalist’ onthejourney tobecomean could of‘listener’ berepresentedthat theidentity againby a‘zero’, (zero)of a‘non-listener’ (one), example becominga‘listener’ we might say ‘binary’ the from on Carrying affair. multi-base a is zero’ whatI abandonment already ofthatidentity inone’s possession’. ‘Leaving illustrate helps that base meant earlier by ‘a symbolintheplaceofaformer oran identity ashifting with value different depending ofthatsystem. onthebase It isthiszero takingona value, different a on takes ‘0’ symbol the system, number each In onecounts (denary). ofapple’to a‘ten base inaparticular terms – ‘10 apples’ – is affective (feels good) only when it correlates on. Hence, whatwe callanactualgroup oftenapplesinsymbolic Thence, because Iamahipster inappearance,because orImerely resemble one. ‘10’inappearancetype For or semblance. example, Iama hipster are prepared todemonstrate ‘10’,we oftype are the basis onlyof we could declare ourselves ‘10’ listeners, as type and unless we or whatever we havetobecome.Following chosen onfrom that, far we have progressed inbecomingalistener, anexperimentalist departure) but unlesswe make explicit our ‘base’, we donotknow how us a ‘negative zero’ (an invisible, implicit and undeclared point of the ‘base’ we are counting in.We are around always with carrying it could bea move by one, two, or three steps, etc. depending on Another example would betoimagine ‘leavingzero’ by 10;hence perspective onaprevious based perspective. thus beunderstood can asa ofthebase,orbasis, A shifting ‘non-experimentalist’ (base [‘non-listener’ ‘listener’]) ‘non-experimentalist’ ‘listener’]) [‘non-listener’ (base ‘non-listener’ ‘listener’ ‘non-listener’ ‘experimentalist’ 0 1 a move into the realm of demonstration/verification (agency- demonstration/verification our minds.Let zero’. ‘inscribing us callthiscycle ofactivity of realm the contingency dyad), toreturn ofdoing something to‘zero’ inboth into move a To meaningfully of listening discuss istothus theactivity instigate the ‘music’ unseen by questioner. in mind, constantlymy is floating of negative numbers representing what I construe as ‘listening’ and a negative number (an undeclared point of departure). Indeed aset of‘music’the identity sheholdstrueisrepresented inmy mindas has anideaofwhatismeant by music ‘music’, is’. or‘what Again, do you listen to’, itisimplicit thatthequestioner knows, oratleast Similarly, question, in the second when being asked, music ‘what to present her withanapproximation ofwhatIhave listened to. in words, notating,singing, whistling, orplayingan instrument, she meantlisten’ by ‘to inaconcrete form, perhapsby medescribing then decide whether to reassurecan was what her if ‘this’ or ‘that’ by be proven will her demonstration itmeanstolisten’returning of‘what theidentity to‘zero’.of At‘zero’, I efficacy the then mind, ‘explicit correlation’, now represented by apositive number inmy demonstrate theanswer-value inaconcrete form, makingitan fantasy ofthequestioner andI.Ifthequestioner proceeded to imagination/ the in resides answer-value the because correlation’ means to listen. In my mind, a negative number represents the ‘implicit listen to’, that the questioner already has in mind a correlate of what it In theinitialquestion, itisimplicit whenbeingasked doyou ‘what answering questions. those and ‘(non-)music’, Ishall theepistemologicaljourney entertain in tothequestioner’ssympathetic implicit notionsof‘(non-)listening’ infinitely and/or infinitesimally variable in the imagination but as all are identities I am these And defined. be to beg identities of myriad doyou listen‘what to’ kindofmusic doyou and‘what listen to’, a thatatthejuncturebasis ofbeingasked questions – two these withinfinity abase of in infinity the concept of ‘leaving zero’, on the iswhatIconsidertobea‘singularity’inquiry symbolised by negative forms oforganised sound.This dyad ofcontemplative-philosophical oflistening, contextualised byto theactivity ofcertain theidentity What interests ofbeingalistener meishow theidentity islinked Such reveal questions often the expectations of the questioners. so, I would be confronted kind of music do you with, ‘what listen to’? as alistener, I would be asked, doyou listen ‘what to’? And,even more me and we when I introduce would Often benonethewiser. myself not to declare myself asone, orcontinue to letwhatIhearwash over ismerely‘I am a listener’ adeclaration. I have achoice of whether or Inscribing Zero

[27] [28] ‘zero shift’. in explicated base shifting the of effect the to duelistener/reader) (questioner/ beholder the of mind the in unnoticed go not may or no pretence ofactually but doingsomething, theendresult may to beapianist.It isofinterest zero’ tonotethat‘inscribing makes claims who person a by played being piano a of effect and cause actual playingofthepiano, allowing ustoactually andhearthe see done. For example, zero’ the‘inscribing inthe ofapianistislocated ‘actual doing’, terminating in the end result of what was performed/ the and ‘doer’ the of notion/identity the reinforces that something of performing/doing’ ‘actual the denotes here zero’ ‘inscribing of listen’ of whatit is ‘to the identity appreciate The X’. and ‘to concept music or sound art becomes an actual agent ‘to demonstrate/verify’ conversation thatensues from listening toapieceofexperimental what itmeansconceptually tolisten andtoappreciate X.The we are in effect exercising a contingency, in other words,‘to rectify’ appreciate X. Hence, when we decide to listen and to appreciate X, listen’not needtopretend ‘to appreciate tolisten X’ or‘to andto agencies for are doingso atour disposal Onedoes inactuality. (reciprocated inasemantic-pragmatic dyad) or, more crucially, the areX’ conceptsare these onlybecause already incirculation Arguably, listen theinnatepossibilities to’ ‘to appreciate and‘to

In Conversation with Joyce Koh Bani Haykal changed. Music became sound to me. Sound became acomplex sound tome.Soundbecame changed. Music became to investigate electronic music in 1996, towards my attitude music whenIbegan took whenIdealt material.Nevertheless, withmusical within theframework music. It ofconcert determinedtheapproach I This practice formed thefoundation towards ofmy attitude music process involved many years ofpractice incounterpoint and harmony. Joyce Koh: Iwas trained primarilyasanacoustic The composer. music, anddesign? sound art different grounds and disciplines. How do you distinguish between perspective seeingthatyou are involved thatcover inprojects by about your talking Bani Haykal: work Let’s from abroader start wood frameandplasticstrings,seriesof5 with TheArtsFissionCompany,Singapore, in collaboration Wrath , danceperformance for Locust’s Joyce BeetuanKoh,installation about herjourney asacomposer, herprocesses andvalues. projects. In the following interview, Koh speaks with Bani Haykal theatre directors innumerous andvisual artists interdisciplinary media, shehascollaborated withchoreographers, extensively interactive soundinstallation. Working inbothacoustic andelectronic workvarious spans forms, artistic musicwhose from to concert Dr Joyce BeetuanKoh isaSingaporean andeducator composer screens ofvarioussizes:240x280cm,190and 240x120cm,2013

[29] [30] instruments? JK: BH: level. Ihave imagined dynamic what itwould belike tobeinthe bellow, and one (common) be only can there that means effectively independent keyboards itstwo between andtheshared bellow. This in 2003.The interesting thingabout theaccordion istheparadox components andbehaviours. remain thesame:my focus isonsoundasa‘complex’, withvarious It’s true that I’m expanding my Nonetheless,atthecore, scope. I transformed into instruments. musical interactive sound objects. By thetimeofproduction, theyhad objects. Through thecourse ofthecomposition,theybecame interactive-sound designer.The installations beganasphysical andPerMagnusKhiew Huey Chian, avisual Lindborg, artist, an sound installations. This was acollaboration otherartists: withtwo harpsichord, newinteractive fourteen stringinstruments andtwo In 2010,String for Icreated livethe thework On performance, pipa, direction andshapeinmusic. as sound–withall itsuniversal truths.There will always beform, neverAh! I’ve looked since.Istill back investigate sound– medium. fixed a not and with working I’m that electronics live It’s orrather drove instability uncertainty theadrenaline toahigh level. This different shape. a had performance Each was! electronics live time digital processing fascinated working me.Andhowwith risky on aproject for accordion andlive electronics. The ideaofreal- worked I eye-opener. an was Paris in (IRCAM) Acoustique/Musique computing studyattheInstitutdeRecherche etCoordination where timbre is but one of many parameters. The year of music entity complex a as then and timbre as sound about thought first sound Iwanted.particular It like seems anatural evolution tohave of complexsound.Onlysuch acombinationcould the bringforth type unique perhaps or specific, a create could I that way a such quality. Asearlyas1991,Ihadorganised groups ofinstruments in concept oftimbre, exploringandthinkingabout soundasatimbre Prior to investigating electronic music, I was already working with the compositional thinking. idea that sound isaphysical phenomenonhassinceshapedmy time. It has frequency, amplitude, timbre, energy and spectrum. The withvariousentity components. Itanobjectthatmoved became in Yes, definitely. An example is the accordion concerto I composed Doyou also pursue approach this you when for acoustic write way thatabandwould music? their with I scene. contemporary same in the mean, why a work performed can’t be repeatedly the in works composed locally against period, soIwonder ifthereisadiscrimination gigs for acertain beusedat their all to list set same the carry and bandstypically BH: JK: BH: JK: BH: JK: BH: behaviours. approaches Iapplythese tomy compositionalthinking. movements,determines musical aswell asenhancesmusical I’m interested inarchitecture; especially space how acertain surround movement. sequentiallyto thenext inacircular motiontocreate a360-degree notion ofspace, motifswere musical from passed onepercussionist audience and two on stage – accentuated the effect. To extend this physical layout ofthefour percussionists –oneoneachwingofthe arrangement produced a stereophonic effect. At the same time, the the percussionof instruments, inparticular instruments. This image ofembrace eventually distribution determinedthespatial embraced enlarged by andoversized two [accordion] arms.This I’m happy about very that. cities. different in musicians different by twice least at performed on Radio 4 on 26 October 2013. Almost all of my works have been In fact,Hong Kong will the Norwegian bebroadcasting performance Radio presented alive-performance broadcast. Symphony Orchestra conducted by Susanna Mälkki. The Norwegian Symphony Orchestra conducted by Okku Kamu, then, the Stavanger Singapore the with first times; both performed Frode Council. Arts Norwegian accordionist Frode Haltli withfundsfrom theNorwegian commission by theSingapore Symphony Orchestra andthe time. The a second performance accordion was a co- concerto Singapore. Bothwere in2003–tenyears performed ago! Few Why? andfar between. It isindeedeasiertogetacommissionthanpresent a Yes, inStavanger, performances: we hadtwo Norway, andin Was this concerto performed inSingapore? Wasperformed concerto this The reason The Iaskisbecause Icomefrom abandbackground AndinSingapore? present invitedworks to Are you like often again? this

[31] [32] and music, that to me has a significanteffect in cultural formation. anappreciation cultivateabout ornurture for sound beingableto they haveor whether but knowledge it’s of it, more an in-depth than more once? sound of how well played one understands it’s think a matter I don’t be it can’t Why work. the through composer or a more meaningful relationship the of it, with understanding a experience or to listen develop to amorework meaningful moreonceisnecessary than to able being think I sound. to listen our culturalto landscapeandhow we perceive, and understand once. just here. I think a work needs to be heard or often, at least more than that’s great. You would think that it should have the same presence BH: JK: BH: JK: BH: JK: do you thinkit’s important? international orchestra –theywould bedoingthis.But notours. tour. You on would have imagined thatthiswould applyinSingapore. Askany will showcase band the which sound, band specific I might even towriteespecially commissionacomposer for our that whenIgo on tour I take this repertoire cases, withme. In some developedband, arepertoire sound.It andanensemble isnatural is abletogobeyond tunesandbeats. tofootlend itself tapping.But thetimewill come when theaudience immediate appreciation. Unlike popular music, my music doesnot Singapore. Isuppose thekindofmusic doesnotyield Icompose Of course Iwould like my music a lot more tobeperformed in be to orevenabsorbed tocomprehend immediately. difficult is it complex, is it because And complex. most the faculty.the leastdeveloped, Soundis but themostsophisticated withsound. The ears not thecase are it.Itwish tosee is certainly You have apainting can onyour wall. You whenyou choose can to listening tospeak. so tothesound –letthetimeandsound pass, thismeansyousound. Soundistime-based; have todedicatetime considered arts’, but buyrarely themostdeveloped.‘visual Onecan form. Theencounteredartistic visual arts, through are seeing, often Why doyou thinkso? Let meturnthequestion toyou: back why You’re absolutely right, Bani.Just imagine: Ihave built up my Perhaps ithastodowithhow soundisinfact theleastdeveloped I’d like draw ‘underground’ inthe situation those to aparallel with I wonder work can contribute how much a composer or artist’s Your workpresence hasastrong outsideofSingapore, and to the digital realm? digital the to piece for noisegroup Circuitrip? alternative scene? For would instance, you considercomposinga JK: BH: JK: BH: JK: works?these orpresenting performing issue itcomesto when orconstraint because of the nature of the work itself. is I parallel wonder this drawingif I’m space reason only is The a scene. huge alternative or must comefrom themotivation ofthemusician. them, for their specific technical repertoire. In a nutshell, the desire looktolivingmusicians can composersandaskthemtowritefor Lachenmann, for example. It must comefrom withinyou. Today’s composer, Iwould study themusic ofElliot Carter, orHelmut Shostakovich, Salvatore orGyörgy Ligeti.Asastudent Scarrino Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, I would examine the work of Dmitri to improve my technique –andby improving, Imeantogobeyond am a strong believer in self-motivation. If I were a musician looking totellsomeone themwhattodo? Iwouldn’t want todisturb them.I they would want towritetheirown music. Why would theyneed compare themtooclosely. the ‘underground’ or alternative I don’t scene. suppose we should be limited. The framework music of is concert different from that of them. I think thatif you don’t playnewmusic, your technique will new techniques, will put inthehundred hours neededtoachieve Musicians, whoare interested themselvesandlearning inextending in obstructingthedevelopment ofcontemporary music practice. Musicians whoare notinterested innewmusic are amajorfactor this perspective, isatthemercy thecomposer ofmusicians. or hermusic will return tothedrawer From ifitisnotperformed. the writes music ormusician themusic. andanotherperformer performs His composer The different. is relationship the situations, for hisorherinstrument. However, music composition inart andcomposes Heorsheperforms andperformer. the composer procedure. Similartofolk ortraditional music, player thepipa isboth the time.Theywhichisinfact andperform, compose thetraditional of the‘underground’ are scene themusicians themselvesmostof It’s much notso acrossover I like asitisanexpansion. tothink No, Iwouldn’t. They are happy inexistencewhere theyare and composers the believe I aspect. one Definitely, only is space but How was thatjourney orthat crossover for you fromacoustic the As a challenge, would you take role on the of a composer for the

[33] [34] JK: BH: JK: BH: language hasdeveloped. dimensions totheoriginal idea.I’m glad so about theway my process hasprovided mewithunimaginable energies andnew ismostevidentexpansion intheinterdisciplinary projects. The I havesmall beenabletoexpand ideastotake ona3Dform. This possibilities ofdigital manipulation andmy architectural interests, the perspective ofacoustic composition.Nonetheless,through the motivation Mymusical hascomefrom composing sinceIwas twenty. On the String , Per and I workedthe collaborations are InOn sound-based. music with ease at I have worked together onabout eight projects since2001. Our more much computing and equally strong conceptually. PerMagnus definitely and is He background. computer music. Hetoocomes from anacoustic composition husband. We met when we were both in Paris at IRCAM pursuing is PerMagnus my Lindborg, Heisalso andsound artist. acomposer Another personwithwhomIhave undertaken many collaborations interpretation counterpoint andsonic todancechoreography. processes merging. Angela has allowed me to find my own language, or subject inparallel. The outcome isthus oftwo anencapsulation collaboration hasbeen‘side by side’ –where we examine anissue understanding eachother’s process, aestheticsandlanguage. The Fission,In thework withAngelaandtheArts ithasbeenabout together. collaboration hasbeensustained andrichinsevenyears ofworking trustingofthesoundworld Iprovide.very Isuppose that’s why our effort between music composition and choreography. She has been FissionAngela [Liong]from theArts hasbecomeanevenly balanced String. Mycollaboration with the for example, inthe2010work On Sound iscentral projects. tothese It iswhatdrives thevisual work; projects. I don’t work with sound effects, or in a decorative manner. For years, thelasttwelve beeninvolved I’ve ininterdisciplinary work tofindnewexperiencesandstrategies. learnt before. project thatIundertake, Inevery Iknow itwill behard know. IfonedayIfeel drained, Imust feel abletorely onwhatIhave that I’m continuously ‘upgrading’ myself, never content withwhatI Sure, but I would like to establish something first. I have been have I first. something establish to like would I but Sure, Yes exactly. I’ve been involved in differenttypes of collaborations. This has been at the heart ofyour collaborations. hasbeenatheart This the about Let’s your talk collaborations. with whom you whom with have such arelationship? collaborators other about me tell you Can periods. long for last naturally evolve over timewithout this? example – who has helped for shape your composer, work, or did a your language – influence central a been there has language, out always Hasthis earlier. case? beenthe decorative, not collaborations isthatthey’re asyou have pointed JK: BH: JK: BH: JK: BH: overall direction andconceptionoftheproduction. designed theinteractivity oftheinstallations, whileIworked onthe at thelevel ofconceptsandmusic computing techniques. He pretense. Ihavehim atwork seen during rehearsals andtheway he music by creating newsuch something asquirky textureswithout seriousness ofcontemporary able totranscend theunnecessary personal relationship withhim.Igreatly admire theway heis And LigetiisLigeti.I have notstudied Idon’t withhimso have a relate tothesound,respecting itasaliving being. him for hehastaught menotonlyabout sound,buthow also to English composer, father. ismy Iwill artistic always tribute pay to – andofcourse my teacher, David Lumsdaine. David, anAustralian- towards sound; Edgard Varese, Ligeti–Ilove thehumour inhiswork reckon withit...but I’m flexible! to know my music towant tocollaborate withme.You’ll have to the way itis.Iamuncompromising. I’m noteasilymoved. You’ll have there isastrong reason, my raison d’être, why asoundshould be music. Idon’t music else’s customise to someone taste.Ibelieve production opensinmid-March thisyear. visuals. Steveproduced hasalso andcreated thevisual images.The On ascreen behindhim, the poem’s unfolds in astream imagery of only live –herecites performer andbegins to‘re-live’ thepoem. design. It isalmostoperatic. The production features Steve asthe performance, imagesandsounds.Iamresponsible for thesound on TS Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’.It isamultimedia production withlive There are three composers who have influenced my attitude my influenced have who composers three are There Ihave astrong language. You can’t ignore it.Idon’t docommercial Currently, Iamcollaborating withSteve Dixon onaproject based You have closecollaborative very sustained relationships that With such a strong perspective on the importance ofyour musical With such importance perspectiveonthe astrong you attitude haveThe towards sound andmusic inyour

[35] [36] explore, musical space’. speak, outer soto but most people are far behind theirs. I was the firstto composer isnever generalbelief, to ahead anartist ofhistime ‘Contrary he’s work, How relevant your to work? are imaginings these orattitudes Braxton’s Anthony in instance, imagining what music might Forbe like, say, fifty like. years downthe road. be might towards imagining future the ofmusic and what future sounds JK: BH: JK: BH: that sound. That’s whatIstrongly believe in. the soundthatyou leave behindwhenyou go, itiswhatyou doto writing for thefuture. Hewrote soundfor It sounditself. isnotjust away before Iwas born.Iadmire theway hebelieved thathewas Of course Ihave nothadthechancetomeetVarèse sincehepassed to me. withthemusicians.communicates All hisworks are masterpieces had to be able to articulate that. had tobeablearticulate on my mindthatIwant todo well. Idonotwishtobea clairvoyant. It isthuslater? notinteresting for metopredict. Ihave many things about it.Itdo anything will speakfor itself, maybeahundred years If my music stays, itstays. Ifitdoesn’t, itwill bebeyond my control to meanings. musical carry who are abletosustain form alarge-scale over alongtime, andyet you are super! It that I come across is seldom super improvisers This level bedonelive needstobeprocessed anditcannot …unless formal level, itrequires time–akindofthatisnot about ‘now’. that inorder toachieve aconvincing expression atthelarge-scale of sound doesn’t sustain meatthelevel form. oflarge-scale Ifeel club culture; though there bemany can unusual sounds,thatkind predict. Ithinkofmusic onlywithinmy sphere. I’m notinterested in write whatIwant tohearanddowhatIbelieve itshould be.Ican’t Nice one. Wouldn’t you agree? What confidence Varèse must have I’m notconcernedabout ways, that.Insome I’m hedonistic. I I’m reminded of something Edgar Varèse once said. He said: said: He said. once Varèse Edgar something of reminded I’m I have come across a number are of composers who geared

In Conversation with Zul Mahmod Bani Haykal with sound. That was whenIreturned from my residency inFinland. taking ona supporting role. So, focusing onworking in2004 Istarted had such astrong presence, like thesoundseemed itwas merely visual installations, but Irealised the visual thatbecause element got into Icreated computer back, music. WhenIcame soundand I time first that’sthe and software, using music dance making was my wasduring music residency where inNorway He Isawthework ofaDutchartist. to computer introduction first My 2001. in Zul working withsound later.Istarted Mahmod:Ithinksound came time? at same the practice your exploration in your of sound; didthey artistic come together your with backgroundBani Haykal: Let’s start insculpture and andacommitmentcommunity toprocess. meet-ups of rooted kopitiam intheimportance in October2013–apersonal history different two over – shares his perspective Zul to education, on arts fine in education his From Call. Open Art designer and, more recently, the curator for The Substation’s Sound Zul sculptor,Mahmod wears many hats: he is a sound artist, sound plastic balls, wires, amplifier, tweeters, variable dimensions, 2010dimensions, variable tweeters, amplifier, wires, plastic balls, Zul Mahmod, Sonic Encounters Mahmod, Zul , Moscow, sound installation, sound , Moscow,

[37] [38] about andperformance? your installation relationship both with sculpture andsound? it would affect the way you sounds.listen tothe vibrations, ifyou so recreated theworkofnewmaterials, withaset much about afull bodyexperience, ofmaterialsand thesensuality listening. But thework was notjustabout listening, itwasvery also and soundtoengageaudiences space between inaprocess of by my work solo W.O.M.B.in2006, whichexplored therelationship andI work, sound as a created aroom –asmall room –withjustsponge.That was followed purely I approached which project, first SingaporeanincludingChina andtwo artists myself. That was my ItDuolun featured ofModernArt. Museum from anumber ofartists by curator Shanghai-based Biljana Ciricwhowas thenatShanghai order to bring audiences closer to the work. It’s difficult sometimes. people. For me, thatlanguage I’m issomething still learningin engages what that’s and there, performativity significant a there’s his wholebodymovement so based contributes tothesound.Still, butin hisperformances it’s actually hiswork because issensor- and there Tarek isLebanese artist Atoui too, whopractically dances high, very is level energy the and angst Tara with instance,filled is I’m still learning, there must be a method as to how you For perform. listen tothesoundscreated. With performance, andit’s something to beinasafe environment –tobecomfortable.Iwanted themtofully interact with them quite differently. With installation titledSonicDome. Venicethe 52nd Biennalein2007 and created sound asecond BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: with sound elements withinitcreated by electronic components. in my upcoming show solo return toamore sculptural perspective, There’s alottodiscover. Atthemoment,works I’ll beshowing learn intermsofelectronics, found sensors, objectsandmaterials. studyingsound,IrealisedWhen Istarted there wasmuch so to What isyour working sound? challenge with biggest moreyou shareYou Can performance. in haveinterest also an What was your first installation informed by your background in I think both have different languages, and audiences encounter or Yes, Following in theoneinitsgallery. W.O.M.B.,Iparticipated Finland, After there was a group show called That’s work the thatwas atSubstation? presented The W.O.M.B., I wanted audiences irto Addict Migration your practice? to relation a in boundaries these as define yourselfyou do How describe artist. also sound you time, same the At Singapore. advocates in of sound art important known most as one of the remainYou project. this of development the in discussed we’ve of how sound canbeperceived orpositioned. some decades, curatorswould have rethought methodologies the responds andenvironment. space tothegallery within aninstallation format andoften of anexhibition, that context focus ofmyprimary work issound,theyare mostlypresented in the The art. sound of understandings some into comfortably fit works applying for institutionalfunding. As for my practice, Ifeel thatmy as ithelps peopleunderstand itbetter, when andisusefultoartists definition a needs it form, art other any like Also, professionalism. unfair reading, but itstill strikes anundesiredofsemi- undertone musician does not know what they are doing,which may be an At times,theterm‘experimental’ may give theimpression thatthe of thework orthemusician, to‘experimental asopposed music’. Perhapssound art. thetermhelps toframe orelevate thestature around 2009.Experimental musicians begantocallwhattheydid and isalways agrey area. noticingitsusageinSingapore Istarted beproblematic can too. do thinkthetermsoundart I Sometimes, problematic. become can it art, visual by influenced the mainfocus. Whensoundispresented inamannerthatisheavily factor; ontheotherhand, withsoundinstallations,primary sound is visual work, whichmerely incorporates sound where sound isnota with soundora installation. Aninstallation withsound isa for example awork involving beaninstallation sound:thiscan takenoften precedence whenitcomestocurating sound.Take practices toreach theinstitutionsandgeneral public. sound for time a long take to going It’s difficult. been has it level, – who would really sound works see as a sound piece so, on this We don’t have many soundcurators – noteven inthemuseums perspective, whichmakes italways challenging working withthem. backgroundarts and, as such, tend to present it from a visual ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: I agree. It’s a sentiment that Joleen and I share and something agree.I sharesomething It’ssentimentI and a and Joleen that You for wouldhasbeeninexistence thatsincesound think art I do find the term problematic‘sound art’ – it is difficult to define Unfortunately, no, found I’ve thatvisual aspectsofworks have [Laughs] Ithinkit’s thecurators. They usually comefrom avisual

[39] [40] dedicated specifically to soundthe sonicarts? or specifically dedicated sound works. until it’s sold.’ anartwork not ‘it’s said: He curator. a be to happens also who friend a through why LASALLE isn’twhy LASALLE introducing it. enable really such exploration sound and various media. between I don’t know can arts the in background A work. his in influence Mohamad Riduan who studied sculpture, you still its can see explore, especially intermsofmaterialstudies. Take for example inwhichto introduceis thebestcontext it.There’s alotyou can really can independently. Idothinkart inform soundpractices and Ifyou’revisual arts. interested insound, you’ll have toexplore that theyare Collegeofthe Arts, more focused andLASALLE on Arts Also, ifyou lookatinstitutionslike Nanyang Academy ofFine ofnationalcollections. recognised institutionsorbepart by arts Singapore, soundpractices are goingtotake alongertimetobe in Ifthisisthesituationofarts WhatisSingapore art? is it? market value isthere. So, whenyou talk about Singapore work, what collect works from Indonesia, Thailand, or elsewhere, the because Plus, Singapore collectors don’t collect Singapore work, theywill open and there are more collectors as compared to Singapore. their work by themselves. can’t institutions,and the media.education Artists promote toart becultivated can throughin thearts education, from pre-tertiary with museums it’s hard togetthemacquired. Isuppose thisinterest thatarethose installations, whowould buy them? [Laughs] Even or, collectors. ifnot, Intermsofselling soundworks, especially museums the by acquired be will works significant and important There where needstobeanindustry is –whathappensnext? problem withcreating andproducing work, but themainquestion Whathappentotheworks?that? InSingapore, we don’t have abig BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: Doyou Singapore think should have oraspace agallery You make point strong about avery education role within andits I’msure collect who thatthereare museums andcollectors joke a heard I scene. the support to ecosystem an need We Ofcourse there are, like inBerlin orNewYork, where it’s more [Laughs] Maybe, lah. A space like that would definitely be ideal, but what happens after Do they exist in different fields for you or is there a connection devices small a connection these andyourbetween sound installations? there is or you for fields different in exist they Do personal use? more polishedexteriors? to boxes DIY from shift the describe you Can Evelyn. & Crabtree From your website,you’ve Inoticed boxes re-used by brandslike collage boxes to found in objects from your sound sculptures and shift instruments. this noticed I works. your in objects found of small drawings. They’re quite collages. colourful often Ivent most these from emerge ideas my – sketchbook a in working first with objects. in sculpture worked has come in as I’ve with quite a lotof found of themassoundsketches. Ithinkthisiswhere my background with them.Iturnedtheminto sound devices. money hadbeenspent on,Ithought Imight aswell dosomething products. So, rather thanthrowing awayboxes these much thatso manyto so avenues including science, performance, andmore. climate, it’s more today than ever important before expand as it can Interactive the numbers wereArts, declining, but I think, in our current now they’re closingthatandchanging Media. ittoBroadcast With workshops are from inLASALLE theInteractive and department Arts just conduct workshops instead.Actually, who engage me for those all about thenumbers. That’s I feel why that institutions should I left. now, thedirection hasbecomemore mainstream. It’s toosafe andit’s newhastaken someone theowner overbit jaded.Because left, and, ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: at LASALLE? the arts, which begs the question – how come you’re not teaching I do see these instruments as sketches that lead to larger works. Doyou sound consider these works for orare sale they for Moving yourabout use backthe to talk practice, Iwant to But you’re about paperqualifications, talking yes? Mymethodofworking, even begun withinstallations, hasoften They’re both,actually. andhavesome Ihavesome used sold Actually, itwasmy because girlfriend bought alotof these Yes. havingtaught After atOritaSinclairfor sevenyears, Ifelt a [Laughs] I’m notqualified toteach.

[41] [42] from an attitudinal perspective?from anattitudinal inception? How hasitevolved, standpoint, from ifnot atechnical Has perspective. that always process beenthe by you which work? different a from them seeing always hand, at works. Iwill tochallenge always myself try thisway. itormultiplysimplest ofthingsandthenexpand how ittosee foundation isfor mostofmy work: togive newmeaningtoeven the ZM: BH: ZM: BH: of circuit bending astheyexperiment withsounds by or modifying create new sounds. But I think it’s really difficult for those in the field and process to on, so and effects, guitarlike things with work and technologies different to resort to have I’ll bending. circuit of end At the moment,there are forums discussing how it might be the things are indemand,thepriceswill shootup too. hand stores andthelike. However, whenpeopleknow thatthese are bound to lookfor alternatives like vintage toys from second- everyone in the field is facing the same problem. Artists or musicians Plus, China because isthebiggestmanufacturer toys, ofthese one chip, and that’s it.You can’t doanything! within built flat, just is Everything nothing. capacitors, no resistors, when you openthemup, there’s nothingthere towork with–no new toy iPads thatmake sounds. You buy acouple can ofthembut like these interesting things very have stuff,my they all get to lot a hack into. It happenedabout ayear ago, IvisitMustafa maybetwo. toys from China comewithfully integrated chips,whichare hard to to change the context oftheobjectandwhatitis. to changethecontext explore thepossibilities ofusingthemasspeakers. Usually, Idothis sculptural perspective; insteadofjustpickingup vibrations, Iwould as usingacontact microphone, andI’ll approach itfrom amore new electronics how andseeing theywork. It could beassimple physically. Isuppose, is‘R&D’ almosteveryday toget for me–trying and sonically expand how ideas,andthensee theycan test these I’m working withsound.I’ll testtheelectronics kits, onsmall-scale So, for me, theprocess ischaotic.It’s thesameapproach when them tolarger works, theirexpressions becomeminimalandsubtle. of my frustrations through sketches these but whenItranspose How doyou circuit think bendinghaschangedsinceits You you materials the concept challenge use or the constantly Yes. I always try to find new meanings. I think that’s where the where that’s think I meanings. new find to try always I Yes. I thinktheproblem withcircuit bending todayisthatmostnew practices? more onthe experimentaltouched sideofsound andmusic out? Or,out? were publications than thereother other before itstarted? landscape ofexperimental soundlike practices inSingapore the was what and begin it did How Ark. Pink under Lam Kai with Pink about Arkwas by interviewed andwritten Russell Storer. published Singapore by Arts where theInstituteofContemporary Singapore in Art although there was apublication Contemporary hadtogo.Thereand those weren’t many publications onPink Ark away storage because was limited. Ihadtoomany thingsathome, pointed up and thenumber ‘69’onitschest.[Laughs] Our logowas actually apinkelephant standing up withitstrunk anddancers. improvise artists withperformance which was largely We performative andsound-based. triedto also days,school andwe triedintroducing new elements inour work, 19 inSiglap. We hadknown eachotherfor alongtime, sinceour Kai[Lam] andIwere because Pink Arkstarted housematesatStudio Substation record andlocal store Flux Us. there was agig oranevent takingplace, many ofwhichwere atThe digitally. to create manipulate soundsketches them further thatIcan so layerdifferent that textures way. analogue them With use I devices, and analogue systems, thetextureitgives iswiderandit’s niceto analogue with circuit bending, but whenIcombinebothdigital triedgoingfullyme isjustanotherinstrument,tool.I’ve possibilities when combinedwithanalogue devices.The laptopto together. With all plugins, these you are abletowork withmore ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: limiting withmassusageofnewtechnologies.and very knobs.It’s andtweaking customising gadgetry now much tougher Did Pink Ark have DidPinkArk any publications orzinesthatyou guys put days about early Let’s the your andtalk goback to collaboration Doyou have apreference for systems? analogue ordigital Actually, whenyou emailedme, Ihadjustthrown everything It was quite vibrant even before week Pinkevery Arkbecause No, Ilike both.You really can alotwhenyou expand both use BigO , which , which

[43] [44] suspects back in the early 2000s? backearly inthe suspects have changed? Orare thingssimilar? crew were helpful and theystayed up withme.We hadthis group us withsound equipment. Logistics was a killer, but The Substation documenting theprocess andwe hadagoodfriend, Rosdi, tosupply few of theguys on board. We uswith hadSAEInstitutetosupport We hadasmall budget towork with,but we still managedtogeta 24-hour sound festival?’ we back, worked And whenIcame onit. corresponded withKaiandasked, ‘Hey, why don’t we organise a called people. festival that we organised in 2005, AspidistraFly beautiful but thepeopleandtheiregomakes bad.’ itvery commented onmusic. like: Hesaidsomething ‘Ithinkmusic is to politics. It’s tiring,you Ijustreadwhere know? anarticle X’Ho keep challenging ourselves, rather thanspendmore timeattending just like playing apiano. presents itsown challenges withit, whenitcomestoperforming was already explored by engineers intheseventies. The laptopalso people thought you were checkingyour emails.[Laughs] then,whenyouAnd, back laptopsfor hadthese performance, performance, that’s so where we went our own ways. muchsound andnotso into Kaiwas performance. interested in ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: about? Why stop? didPinkArk tik hr’ a o o tuh n ht S, h wr te usual the were who So, that. in truth of lot a there’s think I The interface is different. Do youthink the attitude orthe politics That’s beenacommonperception. It started in2004,whenIwas inFinland It started andIwent tothis festival There was George Chua, Yuen Chee Wai, Evan Tan, Harold Seah, Ithinkthingsare still habitsdon’t similar. Some die. We should We have tobeopen-minded.It’s anothernewinstrument,which We broke up was Iwas because more interested inexploring Una Voce Una Avante, whichfeatured videoand soundworks. Later, I was quite a significant event. How did that come that did How event. significant a quite was , Darren Ng,ZaiKuning. For our 24-hour sound art Una Voce, we only had a few Una I do think now is a pretty goodtimeforI dothinknow it. isapretty form.who iscurious about thisart insular or, worse, elitist. It should be open to everybody, to anyone the sameaudience develop into comingin,itcan quite something out to a wider audience and break away from that. When you get my fault asthebudget was really tight. However, I’d like to reach could we be because did not publicise the event enough – that was well,to get, notthekoyak-koyak (broken shape) orinbad ones, properly andprofessionally. Andintermsofequipment, we need funding, Iwould considerdoingitagain.Iwant theartists topay talks andworkshops, maybeeven conferences aswell. With proper you reach can out tomore peopletocomein.You conduct can ZM: BH: ZM: BH: ZM: BH: arrived, Iwas like ‘shit, Ithought you were onrecords?’ my fault Ididn’t –because know hewaswhen usingCDs!So Safuan, andChris (X’Ho). But problems Icaused for Chris –itwas of turntablists, consisting of Akira (Rizman Putra’s brother-in-law), similar festival would garner that same attention today? similar festival would attention garnerthat same What wascrowd the like for Would you doitagain? Didheperform? It was thesameusual crowd musicians, andfriends.It ofartists, This time? Maybe.There’s more awareness about soundnow and [Shakes head] Una Voce Una ? Doyou another think lah.

[45] [46]

[47] [48] Song-Ming ANG Song-Ming Ang, Courtesy theartist andFOSTGallery Backwards Bach , two-channel video, 2013. end Ithought Ihad toditch beingamusician altogether, established sub-genres of experimental music. In the ‘experimental’ musicians, Iwas merely reproducing time, some IrealisedAnd yet,after thatlike many musician. my asanexperimental earlyandmid-twenties laptop me tomake music, togoasfar out aspossible.Ispent music, on.KidAinspiredcomposition, IDM,noise andso forms ofexperimental music –free modern jazz, Consequently, I embarked on excursions into various Brian Eno, you nameit. that madeup thesum ofKidA–theWarp catalogue, me ontoMilesDavis. Istudiously delved into theparts Lansky, whilethe horns on‘The NationalAnthem’ turned ‘Idioteque’ out made me seek the compositions of Paul experimental music. The four-note openingsampleon rock music; there were traces many of so genres of expected from KidAwasn’t aBritpopband. just horns …Iwas blown away by all thethingsonenever electronic textures,cut-up samples,dissonant vocal Kid Adid make onme.Otherworldly thatkindofimpact lineage. ofmusical sort a certain words, ‘influence’ is about aband’s sonic aesthetics, and punk andMerzbow’sblitzkrieg assaults. sonic Inother or riffs; how Youth’s Sonic metal rock noise draws from The Ramones’s Sabbath’s Black and songcraft inspired example, asablendofBeatles- Nirvana peopledescribe it usually meanswhatorwhoamusician soundslike. For When we talk about ‘influence’ with regards to a musician, rip-off). (although Iadmitwe sounded like avery, U2 bad very my Subterranean high-school band HomesickAliens my for Discman months. InRadiohead’s honour, Inamed year ofjuniorcollege, andtheCDremained lodged in I shared alove for. OK Computer was released in my first junior college, andRadiohead wasmy aband friendsand musician. Like many teenagers, I gotinto rock music in IaspiredBefore to bea working as an artist, Istarted ofhow Igottowheresummary Iam. answer would somehowinvolve KidA,andthisessayisa about music?making art my Whenpeopleaskmethat, of instead music make just not why So love. first my is occasionally about music. forms, Of all music the art and I make aboutI am an artist music. write I also art I Might Wrong: Be A Personal Journey Inspired By Kid A Kid was first published, Nov, inPopMatters 2010. ‘I Might BeWrong: APersonal Journey Inspired By KidA ’ -- like Radiohead, I can claim some toaffinity what they do. feel secretly proud thateven though Idon’t make music a goodtime...NeverSomewhere lookback.’ withinme, I ourselves Have ... again Begin / up ‘Open out: stepped I from ‘IMight Be Wrong’, andhow appropriate theyare as Recounting my journey, help I cannot but recall the lyrics liberating. butunderstanding itwas strangely also ofvisual art, Ihadnobackgroundhandicapped because and way ofthinkingabout thesubject. Ifelt extraordinarily making music orwritingabout music; it’sfrom justanother different much not It’s music. to approaches and a creative toexplore newterritories dead-end,andpartly I moved whatIfelt across toescape was disciplines partly of adaptation film Zeffirelli’s Romeo andJuliet. Franco by inspired was mentioned in an interview that ‘Exit Music (For a Film)’ themes ofthemusic. Iremember how also Thom Yorke onwards consistently (and brilliantly) complements the Orwell’s novel 1984,whiletheiralbumfrom Bends The art film. Computer soundslike anaural interpretation ofGeorge and art, visual literature, as such art, of forms Radiohead hadalways betrayed anallegiance toother probably bears Tzara’s influence. ended up adopting a distant, tone that most cryptic on howofthelyricsKidA towritehislyrics.Some turned to Tristan Tzara’s Dadaist manifesto for inspiration Yorke one instance in and difficult, monumentally were depression, unabletowriteany The songs. KidAsessions Computer,end oftouring OK Thom Yorke hadfallen into triumphant reinvention following Atthe timesofdespair. by itsethos.KidAtomerepresents aheroic and muchso anaestheticone;Iwas infact more motivated thoughts,On second ofKidAonmewas theimpact not stand outside music toit. whilebeingclose then that I decided to make about music, Icould so art reproducing theaestheticsofexperimental music. It was have toembrace thespiritofexperimenting rather than Irealisedbecause thattobetruly experimental, Iwould OK

[49] [50] George Chua 2012. Photos:OliviaKwok Tiger, EsplanadeTheatreStudio, The SongoftheBrokenHearted Yue, GraceLowandStephanieGoh, Aziz, Dharma,AndyLim,Jeffrey Chua, OsmanAbdulHamid,Ray Ho TzuNyen,RizmanPutra,George aunt could nothandle hersorrow anymore. The second flat. that widow, my in young a being because, happened first The happened that suicides two were There too afraid totalk about then. itback did conversations, understandofthose some but was conversations, mostofwhichIcouldn’t understand. I busy were and many timesIwoke up tothem.Iheard all kindsof my parents since flat working. Iwould Sometimes fall sounds asleeptothose that in up grew I against it. coming from the ground when I pressed my ears of strange soundsandvoices Ihadheard. They were place. That intrigued was whenIbecame by all kinds I was sleeping on the marble floor of my grandmother’s started working withsound. started iftheywerematter ornot.Afew musical years later, I several flutes and started playing them at night. It didn’t or resembling that of a flute. Twenty years later I bought I was curious but Inever did hearany soundsmadeby the culprit behindthehaunting. played by theghost Heissupposedly ofthedeceased. being flute the of sounds about home at wererumours There constructed. being was flat the while there died There wasaforeign also constructionworker who and child. a form ofdementia. She was survived by her husband from suffered who someone as reported was suicide

[51] [52] Gulayu Arkestra formed in 1998.Incontrast toGulayu Arkestra, whatwe as ourUnder band theVelvet whichwas (UTVS), Sky making musicBoth Jordan together and I started together for years over two asGulayu Arkestra. intentional actions. Sincethen,we have beenworking tales, produced through intentional un- or sometimes a result of free-form improvisation onfolk orbased beconsidered our piecesareotherwise asjunk.Often, ments, found objectsandhouseholditems that would instrumentsof musical (often ethnic), self-made instru- with us. To make sounds, we would a combination use time ontheislandandbrought our instruments musical grammes. preparations, Duringthese we spent alotof island to kick-start Village’s The Artists residency pro- wereI Jordanand Rais off-shoreconstantly the visiting Gulayu Arkestra beganinPulau Ubin atatimewhen led us to turn somewhat organicallyled us toturnsomewhat towards certain we create. PlayinginOldChangi Hospital,for instance, sounds the influence to them allowing within, situated with andaware we andcontexts are of thespaces houses, gardens, andmore.empty We are engaged inoutdoorOldChangiand performed spaces, Hospital, explored through further Gulayu Arkestra. We recorded Sound’s relationship thatwe issomething with space primarily instudios, but thathasitslimitations. of recording sounds.We rehearsed andpracticed compositional techniques andalternative methods wevarious used forms With of UTVS, soundscapes. we begantoexperiment withsoundsanddesigning firstself-produced album organised. It was during our post-production for UTVS’s did withUnder theVelvet was more Sky and musical Black Sea Sorcery in2008that by following notationsandinstructionsfrom musical having notbeen classicallytrained tomake music and opentoexperimentation thantrained musicians, non-musicians as they are, attimes, more enthusiastic may ornotbeaconductor. We actively involve public, musicians and non-musicians alike, and there with modernorchestras. We toinvolve try the often performer-audience dichotomy commonlyassociated the organising principles, hierarchy, exclusivity, and the conventional instruments, Gulayu Arkestra subverts also a conventional orchestra. from usingnon- Apart Our Arkestra, asthe name suggests, isnotlike Gulayu Arkestra operates onaconceptofopenness. hospital. abandoned fear andparanoia thatwe experiencedwhileinthe sounds, soundsthatwere related of tothesense Arkestra. people. That’sbetween dimension thesocial of Gulayu believe create thatsoundcan newconnections of its sound-making process. Weto be part strongly in one, Gulayu Arkestra allows for interested audiences not to mention countless auditions to be able to play which necessitatesrigorous training andorganisation, sound collectively. Unlike aprofessional orchestra to innovate this, though, with accompanies is trying with thelimitations norms.Achallenge ofmusical that in our sound-makingstemmed from adissatisfaction Theseused. techniques andtheongoingdevelopments and by playinginstruments notastheyare usually spectrum togetherthrough unconventional techniques music scores. They are invited to explore a vast musical — ArifAyab The Substation,2011 Intromission Polar Gulayu Arkestra, ,

[53] [54] their aestheticlanguages. transferability playing techniques, and the nuances virtuosic in of certain was determined by characteristics, thesimilarities intheirsonic the and West: andharpsichord. thepipa The instruments choice ofthese a Iemployedthe soundscape, traditional two instruments from theEast to evoke order in diffused of beingimmersed bysensation sounds movingTo inspace. then enrich were sounds These sounds. virtual of producing instruments,as musical capable acoustic, electronic, and Both sculptures/instruments (The Corridor system andanimmersive environment sonic of67 comprised speakers. interactive an sculptures/instruments, two created and experimented we designer PerMagnus Lindborg, andinstrument designerDirkStromberg, Together KhiewHuey Chian,andinteractivity composer withvisual artist, design, instrument design,light), culminate inamultimedia performance. and, through interdisciplinary investigations interactive (music, visual arts, thought scientific the of features certain of musicalisation systematic a – project the of framework and concept the define to me led inquiry This space? imaginings Ifthese were audible, whatwould theysound like? texture createdsonic by various ofastringcurving vibration patterns could hearthesoundsofvibrating one-dimensional strings? Orthe Inspired by String Theory, Ibeganwithquestions such as:Whatifwe String the On canvas becomesphysical: i.e.thestage. characters) are driven by identities musical andrelationships. The sonic play’s the (effectively objects sound the devices, theatrical on based be of music’. That is,whilstthenarrative structure ofthecompositionmay ‘No’). This canvas idea of the sonic grew to become a ‘theatre Saying of Ways(16 vermeiden zu Nein das multimediaWege pieceentitled Sechzehn worked adaptinghisnovel Endlich withthewriterKarlheinz Ott, Stille into a During my residency at the Herrenhaus Edenkoben in Germany in 2004, I significant to became my (physicalpursuit. space sonic andvirtual) acoustic instruments anddream alarger canvas. sonic The dimensions of able toimagine soundsthathadnotbeenpossibleto beproduced by work withcomposition-assistedandreal-time Iwas processing software. to learnt I Acoustique/Musique, Coordination et Recherche de Institut At play. theatrical whichissimilar to thewayan identity characters are introduced in a that only this combination of instruments could produce, thus establishing when put together, created aunique timbral quality character –asonic To a group give I chose to asound object, anidentity ofinstruments which, the ideaofcompositionasa‘sonic canvas’. parallel tothepianos.This ledmetothinkabout soundasacomplex,and by thetimbral possibilities of thepercussion, especially whenheard in percussionpianos and two instruments. In that piece, I was overwhelmed composed my first professionaltwenty-one; piece at it was a work two for as anorchestra withitswinds,brass, percussion, harpandstrings.I fascinated by imagined theresonance thepiano ofthepianoandoften My relationshipwhenIwas four withsoundsstarted atthepiano.Iwas is aconsolidation andapproach of my tosounds. attitude Joy and ) wereThe Canopy playable ce Koh production of sound interactivity,installation/instrument, light,pipa, Joyce Koh, harpsichord, 14 stringplayers,60mins,2011. Photo:JacquiRae Theatre ofMusic , EsplanadeTheatre Studio,amultimedia

[55] [56] Yuzuru MaedaandKaiLaminconjunctionwiththesoloexhibition of TangDaWu, Kai Lam, Lullaby forlonelybeers Kai Lam The FirstCouncil , GoodmanArtCentre,2012 , acollaborationbetween make a drawing of his or her imagination. Sound as a and understanding isinnate, similartohow achildwould understanding This ofthespatial. faculty ofperceiving to give usanaural experiencethatinforms our cognitive inside amother’s body.The ofsound isitsability essence of human life, beginning from thefoetal life thatgrows sense first very the it’s – thing primal a is me, to Sound, technology, eras, movements. certain orart forms ofhuman expression thatcontinue totranscend and abstract forms ofsounds, astheycontain universal both traditional forms ofmusic aswell asexperimental unique cultural make-up. Ibelieveshould embrace artists own its reflects that sounds of organisation an becomes and instrumentation. Whenwe deconstructmusic, it reflects its own distinctive form language, musical musical composition every as world the of parts different from of music tolisten genre toasmuch music andItry asIcan appreciation. Idon’t have apreference type for acertain I developed aninterest insound through music and a humanity thatperpetuatesthebody. and ahumanity my toarticulate ownI seek systems ofrepresentation working withinsuch contradictions,creativity. Asanartist individual freedom andrestricts theevolution ofhuman which systematicallyauthoritarian oppresses machinery resistance againstthedominant cultural hegemony, an anyserve singular purposebut itisarepeated actof political freedom. For me, isnotmadeto performance and proliferates into thepossibilities ofcultural and surrogation isbuilt through theprocesses ofperformance of our expression; I’m interested inhow thiscultural and cultural environment andadoptwhatwe aspart see My work is about our hybridity, how we perceive our social isstill alotlessevidentart thanthatofvisual arts. discourseacademic surrounding orsound in soundart Perhaps lessimportant. something thisiswhy even the time, ledmany but itsinvisibility todeemitas hasoften form ofexpression isabstract andvividatthesame

[57] [58] Mohamad Riduan Mohamad Riduan, around meisconstantly abuzz. I have experiencedtotalsilence yet sinceeverything on aphysical level withall my Idon’t senses. suppose ‘consuming’ themnotjustthrough my ears but also exist orpresent themselvestome, experiencingand toembracethe way all togo.Itry kindsofsounds that I believe thatbeingadaptableinany given situationis of mind. discomforting ones – in any given situation or state toappreciate sounds–bothenjoyable these try and enjoying sometimes adapt, themfor their own sake. I many, toremain interferences opentothese Itry and unwanted creep soundscan into andirritate spaces to others unwanted or excessive sounds. While these my surroundings, opentowhatmaybeconsidered sound, Iadoptedanapproach ofactively listening to In thesearch ofapersonal process ofworking with media withinthework. to bothelements both andtobeablebalance build thework. The challenge for meistobesensitive incorporated inresponse to tothematerialsused through whichIexplore form, whilesoundisoften Sculpture hasalwaysmedium beenthemainartistic no soundispresent), whichIhave sinceIwas young. relationship withtinnitus(‘ringing’ oftheears when sound beganasaprocessonanintimate based I was trained as a sculptor. My decision to work with variable, 2013 Esplanade, mixed mediainstallation,dimensions North toSouth) Bridge: DariUtara keSelatan(Bridge:From , Jendela,Visual ArtsSpace, Hijrah (detail),presentedat

[59] [60] Darren Ng Photo: LimWeiLing presented byDramaBox,2012. Wen), directedbyJalynHan, with LimWeiLingandWoan by DarrenNg(incollaboration sound installation Season, Studio performance, EsplanadeTheatre AFAR, theatre installation find ephemeral beauty amidst this augmented sense of familiarity and of familiarity sense this augmented unfamiliarity, through intent orchance. amidst beauty ephemeral find (re)discoverphysical Ihopetheycan Ineithercase, space. soundsand familiar or transporting them to an unfamiliar aural space, in relation to I like tochallenge ‘realities’ these eitherby alienating listeners from the directjuxtaposing and indirect sounds for my listeners in relation to space. are intentional. In my works, I often find myself creating contextual ‘realities’, indirect sounds (manipulated) – the former being incidental while the latter In my opinion,there arekindsofsounds –direct two sounds(natural) and wewhich isthespace are listening to, divided assuch. a river anditsbanks. To me, soundisthematerialisation ofnegative space, relationship withsound, asIbelieve negateonefor we cannot theother, like forms via subtraction and deconstruction. I have developed also a spatial yearning for simpler, minimalistic, quieter anddiscreet sounds,insearch for It is due to this ever growing complexity of sounds that I start to find myself ignorant listeners. we As a result, have taken soundsfor these granted, becomingselective and,attimes, noises’. as ‘unwanted away some filter to us conditioned or subconsciously,complex. Consciously thissaturation of soundshas progresses intechnology, our environmental sounds have become more and industrialisation of intensification the Withrealities.cultural and social, with thesoundswesounds,inturn,shapeour emitandthese contextual, be. Assoundproducers andreceivers, we constantly shapeour environment Sounds are nolongerasindependent from theirlisteners to astheyused are bothpsychologically andphysiologically reactive topsychoacoustics. transducing media, we perceive meanings to them, and sounds, associate vibrates our bodies andismore physical thanwe give itcredit for. As eardrums andbinaural signalsare translated into neural signals.Sound vibrations are notmerely heard but felt also andperceived. They tinkleour Sounds are vibrations inall ormusic. physical beitnoise These senses, a fixation ofminetocollect them, anduse likesonic kleptomaniac. a the conscious andthesubconscious.they weave It inbetween has become defines and characterises our reality. There is a déjà vu quality tosounds as ontological. Ilikesounds isoften listening toanenvironment oraspace, asit aural penchants reside inthesimple, quiet andminimal.Myrelationship with Charmed by the evanescence of things and the tacet moments in life, my

[61] [62] of thetunesbeing played, they were of justaseries I don’t suppose Ienjoyed orappreciated the musicality up, asmy latefather was amusician. At thatpoint intime, Bani Haykal: Musicwas like astaplewhenIwas growing intriguing.level thatIfind very freedom thatcomeswithitandtakes music toanother and improvisational process. There kindof isa certain brought about anotherdimension tothecompositional rediscoveringwhile also oldways. Soundexploration sounds, of creating ways new find to trying constantly world opened up with this realisation. Today I find myself but sounds.Awholenewsonic also harmonic patterns the realisation and thatmusic isnotjustabout rhythmic led me to the left-field kind of music, which brought upon young That anobsession. eventually agethat became ofmusic withthediscovery fromDharma: It a started The Observatory The Observatory was first formed in 2001. I had also had I 2001. in formed first was Observatory The awareness ofsound only beganaround the timewhen deck,but a deeper with therecord ofacassette button began whenIwas seven oreight andexperimenting Leslie Low: Myinitialimpression ofsound probably perceived oradapted into otherlogics. ofmybasis work, where ideaorformbe can every interest intheforms ofabstraction thathave beenthe with actions and intents of people. This developed my arrangements or motifs sonic specific associate would I abstractsomewhat ‘abstract’ experience.Iuse because a background the in music with up growing made films and to not justmusicBeing exposed but cartoons also way Iwould perceive theworld thatsurrounded home. its Although home. our harmonic content was mostprevalent, itshapedthe filled that sounds organised alter sound. Ispent to hours experimenting in thestudio him from tricks audio/studio neat of bunch a learnt Around writingmusic withLeslie, thetimeIstarted I music tradition. andthewholerigidity oftheclassical Vivian Wang: I got sick of playing standard sheet form. art play inour current interest inworking with soundasan us affect psychologically. Those formative years to have apart they how and frequencies of understanding for exploration andinvestigation toward adeeper them to The recordingObservatory. studioameans became and correlating sound the experimentation andcompositionwe did design, withThe recordings, sound field and to effects attention paying began I madefor anexcitingcombination ofthetwo time. just begun working in an audio-post environment. The just openedup. approach to making music. The creative possibilities had This was alotoffunfor measitpresented awholenew by aggressively theoriginal distorting soundsource. stompboxes, Icould explore newlevels ofdissonance like andhardware computer software such asguitar Yamaha electrickeyboard. Using ofdevices all sorts aboutobsessing changing thesoundofmy modest imbued with humanistic meaning, like I started a song. for thesake ofsound incontrast already tosomething moreexperiencing sound.Ibecame interested insound itdidNevertheless, getmeinto for anotherheadspace – although, essentially, were these still in nature. musical – be it the sound of a voice or an instrument everything at work, discovering ways ofproducing andaltering Documentation for TheObs:A Philipp Aldrup 2013. Photos: Arts Singapore, Contemporary Institute of Omnia Mutantur Anitya lll: Observatory, The ,

[63] [64] Joel Ong 2011. Photo:LynetteTan Forks, soundperformance, Below: JoelOng, Photo: LavenderChong sound devices,2012. installation, kinetic site-specific sound Above: JoelOng, Tuning Wagon, of objectsthatinspired my work inatomicvibrations in2011. cultural It contexts. orsocial was hisdesire in1961totapinto back the‘innermusic’ specific of silencing a but sound of absence the not was silence that position his to. It is inseparable from piece 4’33” seminal the writings of Cage,whose affirmed The notion of silence, for me, therefore is a question of what we give our attention ofconsiderations become anetwork for sound artists. through whatmediating technologies andacoustic environments we listen, then albeit toosmall for ustohear.The questions ofwhatwe listen, how we listen, and itsenergyceases, still existsinminute vibrations ofairmolecules thatcontinue on, it wasofstill composed linger intheair. Similarly, asoundnever really decaysor when themistdissipates, weitasmistbut nolongersee thevapour molecules that listening practices for soundintheenvironment, oncecompared sound toamist– theshow isover.after Angus Carlyle,oneofmy favourite whowritesabout artists should beabout rediscovering thefundamental actoflistening thatcontinues long the workto hear so is hallnever about solely its role as it concert in an isolated sincesoundnever space reallyparticular ‘dies’, for itmerely us becomestoosoft installation or performance. a sound art ways) sounds in‘new’ thatonewould with novelty (hearing‘new’ associate typically like tone, timbre and frequency. Within an appropriate they encourage context the down the cultural and music constructs of noise into more productive denominators minute details,nuances andevolutions intime.Hearingsoundsastheyare fold can attentiveness, indiscovering andrediscovering sounds intheenvironment andtheir Murray Schafer calls‘ear-cleansing’, instrippingdown alistening process topure The way tounderstanding for befound aworkmecan ofsoundart inwhatR. installation inreal time. systems thatare modulated andcontrolled or oftheperformance inthespace physically andsymbolically). This hasespecially my impacted designingoffeedback (both work my in part big a play resonance room/acoustic and site-specificity that sitetosound’scognizant, istheuniqueness ofevery found propagation. I’ve So avant garde. One challengeormusician is Iface, soundartist ofwhichevery techno-scientific modern in developedlaboratories, practices andconcomitant artistic thatwere developing withinthe listening of cultures between discourse practices Inparticular, andscience. Iwas interested grounds fertile inlocating of after,Soon Ideveloped aninterest intheparallel historiesofexperimental sound away from theactualsiteofmeasurement. were sensors far these decodedinalaboratory sensors; primarilyvisual andoften more embodied andinstantaneous thanthrough itsmediations by environmental medium toexperiencetheintricateinteractions found innature inaway thatwas signaling behaviours inanimalsasanundergraduate. Ifound soundamore salient investigatingMy interest beganwhenIstarted communicative and insoundart mediating technologies thatgovern our systems ofknowledge. andunderstandingobserving nature, andincritically analysing theperceptual and not from an experimental music background, but more from my interest academic in Perhaps themostinteresting ofmy relationship part withsound isthatitborne

Of course, beyond any this extends one

[65] [66] Ong Kian-Peng interested in noise in its scientific definition. It is a random signal with a flat power spectral density, which means which density, spectral power having anequal power withinany frequency Anexample from band. ofthisisthenoise anunuseda flat FMradio channel with signal a random is It definition. scientific its in noise in interested be another’s also and politics to the 19th century,sound can go back The of noise noise. history however I am most Sound, like mostthings,hasanaesthetic quality. Much like towards thesubjectivity visual objects,oneperson’s production ofsound aswell. visualisations. Myinterests ofsound continue toengagewiththe intheproperties todayandIhavestarted also works out usingsoundasdata, andtranslating ofRyuichi Nicolai.Istarted SakamotoandCarsten itinto graphical working withsound.Atthattime, thatIstarted Iwas reallyArts interested inaudiovisual works, beinginspired by the the of College LASALLE at studies my of year last towards the different only experiencing was It of spaces. way new a offered it that realising and hooked, was I Walkman.friend’s a borrowed I when sixteen of age the at sound with wasn’tI sound. to comes it when wasbloomer I late a even into music waybig a untilin my first affective experience a perception ofreality, andhow thismaybeapplied tosound. Currently, oneofmy ongoing research interests revolves around how thehuman brain utilises multiple toform senses even whentheresound everywhere, was none;intheanechoicchamber, our bodies thesource became ofsound. the chanceofexperiencingmyself recently It inJapan. was deafening. Icould notstaythere for long.There was to I tend level. think thatthere isnoreal oncewrote silence.JohnCage about hisexperienceintheanechoic chamber, physical whichIhad a very on us affect can silence Even sound. with work my underpins that aspects defining the audiovisual andtheaudio haptic,for example. That sound isnever purely acochlearexperienceisoneofthe including combinations of a differentnumber in via so also but doing air are perceiving sound, media.we also When Sounds are vibrations perception andare vibrations because notlimited travel toacochlearsensory notjustthrough like ofwind,fire, those sea waves andothersyntheticsounds. me,interestingNoise,to is buildingset. a for as block different soundsTV a of of kinds channels empty static the or software, 2011 Right: OngKian-Peng, dimensions variable,2012 pipes, metalbearings,drumroll, motors, microcontroller,acrylic,metal Left: OngKian-Peng, Coronado Perceptio , servo , custom

[67] [68] the recorder’s tiny internal microphone. down a recording of uncovering ofhaunted melodies excavated by slowing and,ontheother,and rhythm Iwas drawn tothe instrumentmusical was about intonation, pitch,melody Ferrari would callthem). Ontheonehandplaying a Luc as ‘concepts’ later out find would I as (or emerged From points,these two the first of manysonic identities uncovering theirinnerworkings. by warping thespeedofrecorded materialsand my introduction tothepower ofabstracting sounds naturethe casual ofasoundevent from itssource, but recorder. This was notonlymy introduction toremoving but withasimplebrown plasticFisher Pricecassette instrumentsplaying musical My first foray into engagingsound was not only through form remaining, creating thefoundation ofthework. only thesturdiest structural elements intheirskeletal structuresonic untilcrumblenomore, itcan leaving ormorea work –two opposingconceptspulling ata Forunease. me, a duality is at least needed to create direction ofthought of leaves mewithasense often Sound onasingle planeoraesthetically monoisticin from whichthefinalstructure isthencreated. source. This methodcreates ofmaterials adatabase collection ofrelations tracing outwardfrom theoriginal and combine/recombine them to create an arborescent works.based Itake slight these bitsofdigital detritus a miniscule amount ofmaterialinconstructingmy time- One oftheways inwhichIemploy thismethodistouse deduceone can outlines theunseen ofcomplexforms. from a study of minutiae and their interrelationships, (in Klee’s words) the‘magnitudeofnatural Thus, order’. day landscape/soundscape, it is possible to understand of thesmallest manifestation ofform withintheevery kleninen’ (a devotion tosmall things). From thestudy zum ‘andacht as Klee Paul by developed first thought frequently toacontinuation onaconceptualline of work, I amdrawnapproach inconstructingaparticular totrace thetangledIn trying threads thatconstitutemy a thunderclap or the wind rumbling Brian O’Reilly or music studies at school, this conceptinits constructionandimplementation. uses entitled of thisexhibition no. 11–16 Erosion Intervals direct sources. sonic The work thatiscurrently apart of levels anddegrees, leavingonlyfaint traces ofthe recordings or‘sound memories’ onamultitude shifts an environment, thelistener andtheirrelation tothese that inaddition tothetransformation ofsoundswithin relationship tothesoundmaterials.Ferrari believed words. To fully understand itonehastohave adirect quite elusive beconveyed andcannot properly with termheldamuchsecond deepermeaning,whichis sounds accompanying Thecomposed a performer. which refers track to a backing of pre-recorded and tape’), although nowadays it has shifted to ‘fixed media’ the word ‘tape’ inascore (for example, ‘for pianoand different undertones. vastly with words two same the as together Both phrases inFrench could beconveniently grouped sounds’ ‘memorised between or‘sound memories’. differencesthe aboutspoke often we mid-1990s, the in Luc Ferrari ashismusic assistant onCycle des Souvenirs by andengagedwithin.WhenIwas working withthelate recording but totheenvironments also Iamsurrounded sense, notonlytomy own practice performing and relationshipshifting toall thatisaudible inatemporal For example, recently Ihave beenthinkingabout my own transforming andmanipulating sounds. creation ofcountless newbeginnings andconceptsin to eachothercreate acohesive work. This ledtothe conceptual soundworlds, whichcould merge andrelate seeminglydisparate two to bringtogetherthese textures ofsound.This was theconnectionneeded and soundmasses gave way toshifting rhythms concrete. Suddenly, theworld ofridgednotesand musique on recordings and writings Schaeffer’s Pierre and transformation. This was noteasilyresolved until my uncovering of reinterpretation constant flux, of process. There isalways adesire tobewithinastate micro- compositions, forms vs. macro-forms are prominent in my thought fixed vs. improvisation texture, The duality ofacoustic vs. electronic sounds,pitchvs. The first was a term we could use to replace Above: BrianO’ReillyandNaoki Nomoto, the TokyoFestival oftheModular,Tokyo, 2013. Photo:DairoKoga Below: BrianO’Reilly, performanceatThe Substation, Singapore, as partofthe duoBLACKZENITH,2011.Photo: GreggTavares SUPER DELUXE , performanceat

[69] [70] to evoke emotionsand transport audiences to toanother are created auras stabilise ordestabilise theenvironment. my Iuse music specific projects, different For would consider‘music’. to like it’s itbecause or notwhatpeoplehear everyday of sound into music is beautiful. is going Not everyone me tomake music To andnoise. turnany basically type that Iamin.The inconsistencies ofsound usually trigger state of kind a specifically, more or, feel I how express a risk–itgoesagainstfear. sound asamedium Iuse to is music experimental with working that feel I different. boundaries, takingitasfar tocreate asIcan something sound. Myrelationship onpushing withsoundisbased with workingwas with what probably got me started switching the channels. Thatstatic that was in-between was constantly tomusic, exposed peopletalking, orthe Growing up, theradio was always switchedonandI SHAUN SANKARAN it’s more about openingup my without soundpalate the has always beeninteresting tome.WhenIcreate noise, easily bored withthenormalstructures ofmusic, noise observation to the maximum where you switch off. Being – there are many so soundsanditpushes your limit of are like ajungle war zonewhere you have tobealert As for projects under thealias Mindfuckingboy, they of flight. as a means toexperienceart inside thebodyandself the actoflistening itself, pushing thelistener inward, Eno’s ambient forebears, music ashistorical Ifocus on Music andBrian trance. Keeping ErikSatie’s Furniture asslow,be described comforting andlike adream-like thevisceralalternatively andconceptual.It between may static andnoise, anambitious pieceofmusic thatdrifts isabreakVision from theworldState of Dream projects kind ofstatewithout having toeven move. One ofmy got much easier after familiarisation.got much easier after Being trained as followed by actually learninghow them,but to use it sound was choosing the‘right’ equipment orinstruments, In thebeginning, aconstant challenge ofworking with experience creates agreater impact. to involve feelingofan andhearingsoundsaspart been usingmore frequencies bass thanbefore because Currently my music ismoving into theheavierside.I’ve the onesthatpeoplecan’t really hearbut insteadfeel. range belowfrequencies, 60 Hz,bass ofanything or inaudible. Iwould considertheinaudible tobein the On theotherhand,Iaminterested insilence and the that whenpiecedtogether, isaharmony ofchaos. sound ofpipes,rain, breath,atall machines,anything I’mvocals. openingitup tomany otherthingslike the instruments ofbasic use like theguitar drumor orbass Left: ShaunSankaran, Right: ShaunSankaran, Dream StateVisionPromo beauty ofsound. beauty you will hear things you even and that’s see cannot the the wind.Beingattentivetoyour surroundings iskey – to music, there’s thesoundofcrickets, constructionor even when you’reSound is everywhere, not listening want tothelistener. tosend handling theequipment according tothemessageI messages andmeaningsinto my works, and tweaking had orowned. Now, thechallenges involve incorporating it ledmetodiscover how much Icould dowithwhatI was, instrument/equipment the of process exploration sounds tohow Iwanted them.However frustrating the a sound engineer helped also intermsofmanipulating MFB bySilentInfinite(Abigail) , 2012.Photo:NatashaNoor , 2010

[71] [72] DENNIS TAN ation andimprovisation. Employing self-made acoustic usingthecomputer asatoolforI started music cre- Max/Msp, software the to introduction my Since music. The otheraspectofmy soundwork relates to closely states ofbodies andactions. be listened to, torepresent used andisalso physical sound bodies, sound goesbeyond to being something explore themes ofpower struggles. Through these amongst groups ofpeople, andhaveto beenused sound bodiesofspeech draw patterns upon rhythmic but have treated also themas‘sound bodies’. These loudspeakers notonlyasameanstoproject sounds works involving objectsandinstallations, Ihave used ofitsphysicality. Inmysound andobservations past objects. I draw my inspiration from the semantics of universal themesthrough installations, sculptures and todecode is amedium beused andaconceptthatcan that my interest develops. Sound, for in sound art me, the intersection elements, ofsonic materialsandform To me, soundisbothabstract andconcrete anditisat elements, andthesymbioticrelationshipthem. between my explorations have visual inthesynthesis andsonic informed between areas these of Both school. film in from came abackgroundart inmusic andstudying The development ofmy workofsound withinthescope I express my work in different areas ofsound and music. Dennis Tan, wires, plinth,190x cm and45cm,metal sound installation, Goes On loudspeakers of10 25 x23cm,2009 , 4-channel And Time Photo: SebastianZiegler 300 x45050cm,2010. metal wires,microcomputer, with propellers,concrete, 3 blueballoons,6motors Thin Line Dennis Tan, , installation, Balancing ona loudspeakers, cables,amplifier, 12-channel soundinstallation, dimensions variable,2008 Dennis Tan, Perpusila , good anditdoesn’t smoke, leave itbe. One rule inDIY electronics isemployed here: Ifitsounds have conducted theminbothEasternEurope andAsia. of electronicsa series workshops, relatively inexpensive Iconceptualised devices.In2012, newsoundsusing anddevise further properties sonic DIY electronics have enabled me to experiment with generating ofpitches,tonesandwaveforms. avariety electronics, voltage through passes various components, inmyof DIY used In electronics, performances. often world the to me led has sounds different for search ous and subvert conventional notations. musical relationship manandmachine, explore andalso between exploreOn theotherhand,my often the performances ern instruments such ascomputers andtheircontrollers. theplayability mod- design,impacting ofthese software of my research into theergonomics ofinstruments and needs. This interaction manandmachineispart between allowed metobuild anddesignprograms suited tomy less possibilities ofworking withinthedigital realm have the evolving future withinourThe performances. end- tocorrelate presentattempting music ofthepast, and Germany. We created environments usinglive sampling, pling techniques, Iformed the group Kitchenin Sonic sam- and recordings field waves, sine instrumentation, x 120cm,2007 white cables,amplifier,600 installation, loudspeakers, Water, 8-channelsound His Reflectioninthe He wasLookingfor Crosses HisPathWhile Dennis Tan, A Rainbow Let’s Make Noise, and Make Let’s My continu-

[73] [74] Evan Tan,DarrenMoore,MatinFellani,ShaunSankaran,Yuen CheeWai, Goodman ArtsCentre,2011.Photo: MartinChua EVAN TAN PLAYFREELY VI , trying todo.Iamstill learning. trying frequencies, andallow for audiences tounderstand what you are When working with sound, you have to understand its aesthetics, methods ofworking withsoundtobe‘contemporary’ orstimulating. mind. Within a realm of infinite possibilities, you have to change your needs toknow whattodocreate that you something have in to remain hasnolimits focused.andboundaries, Assoundart one to express. Aconstant challenge ofworking with soundfor meis narratives intheircompositiontounderstand whattheyare trying andlisten tothe theirmethodsandstyles, to studyandobserve Forto noise. myself, Itry perform, when Ilisten tosoundartists Toin itself. theuninitiated,itmaysound unfamiliar orcomparable challenging orexperimental bevery music Listening tosoundart can to my works. peaceful, butdiscomforting also andanxious –hasbeenimportant thoughtat thesametime.This experienceofsilence–often ofas out completely, but you are disturbed by itsoverwhelmingsilence are sources thatisdesignedtoshut inaspace exterior ofsound that your Silence in this instance is a paradox; body is emitting. you Your toringconsistently ears andyou start hearthesounds can chambers, andthesilenceinthere bereally can uncomfortable. expe- I have rienced beinginprofessionally soundproofed listeners, studios, oranechoic affects sound how and space of Speaking in abookstore. are commonly perceived. Simplyimagine playingblackmetalmusic toaccentuate or changetheway aspace spaces has thecapacity asaweapon beused inwarfare. It also exhibition. can For me, sound aquariums, orsounds thatcontribute tothenarratives ofanart moodswithin alsohas Sound different examples Some are spaces. social soundsdesignedfor soothing evoke and sounddesigner. behavior affect as a to capacity the my work in people affect This helps meunderstand obscure ornewsounds,andhow they sounds thatarouse meinmusic, othermedia andtheenvironment. out filter you noise simply depending Iamalways onasituationorcontext. listening out for or calming stimulating, be can Sound liberating way. tocreatecomposed moodsornarratives like inmusic, but inamore unfamiliar andinteresting be sounds can newsounds, andthese of my own. Idiscovered thatby usingdigital synthesis, create Ican musique concrèteandmore, constructingsound collages Istarted and researching digital and methods of synthesis tools, the history abstractcompose music. Iwas inspired acquiring alaptop andafter musicians were toexperiment withcomputers starting also to ‘sound collages’ ofway. International inanon-linear electronic sort digital editing, onehascompletecontrol ofcomposing andcapability an audio archivist. Iwas really withinthedomain of fascinated that, onewhenIwasuse working for theNationalArchives ofSingapore as workstations oflearninghow to oncomputers, Ihadtheopportunity of control. Whenrecording hardware was displaced by digital audio be abletomixthemproperlygives afterwards sense animmense yearsbands ago.The torecord ability inmulti aband tracks andto I have beeninterested inmusic recording sinceIbeganplayingin

[75] [76] place inaway thateludes imagesorwords. ofa essence capture ofhow thevery soundcan curiosity for This school. earlyexperience planted of theseeds of awakening atsunrise, inSembawang justintime textural glissando toalucid transporting meback scene The appeared song tomeinmy daydreams, itssoft, atfirst dayinSembawang light. tohearevery used the tracebird’s ofaparticular whichI morningsong, in London ataged seven, Iunknowingly withme carried WhenIeventuallycolours, texturesandrhythms. settled richintheirown unique ofsonoroussoundscapes, variety and Singapore, contrasting totwo exposed urban dwellers. Ispent my earlyyears London moving between As achildmy young ears, probably like yours, were city beyond thewomb. ears, asitdid yours, acoustic forenvironment theexterior I sounds environment during theinitialstagesoflife primedmy first the were encountered. Enveloped withinthisintimate listening rumbles tummy occasional stream, intonations ofhervoice theshifting and tempo ofmy herbubbling mother’s blood heartbeat, fluctuating The utero. in began sound with relationship Like mostofuswhohave theprivilegeofhearing,my zai tang of theWorld , Vermont: Destiny Books, 1977. 1 RMurray Schafer, TheSoundscape:Our Sonic EnvironmentandtheTuning development could benefit our wellbeing. and highlight how more holistic approaches tourban vital role listening plays inour perception ofthe world lived environment. Through toreveal my work Itry the drownedoften out by theperpetualmorphosisof our andprovideidentity uswithafeeling ofbelonging are The soundsthatimbue placeswithadistinctive of sense inhabit are andoverpopulated. becominghomogenised In anincreasingly we world, thesoundscapes urbanised characteristics ofcreatures living within it.’ SOUNDSCAPE onthephysical responses orbehavioural ‘… the study of the effects of the acoustic environment or by RMurray Schafer as: of research and practice called acoustic ecology, defined aural experience mediates. I draw influence from an area ofbeingthatour andthesense sound,space between Over theyears my work hasexplored theinterplay 1 Aldrup Photo: Philipp seconds, 2011. variable, 1000 dimensions and sound, paint, wood nails, spray masking tape, magnetic tape, rubber bands, styrofoam, guitar string, record covers, Needle Mind’s Eyeofa Through the Below: ZaiTang, inverted, 2013 paper, digitally duet), pencilon Unform visual scorefor Above: ZaiTang, , vinyl, (solo/

[77] [78] along ifyou feel like adding totheconversation. yourselfto sensitise tothevibrations surrounding you, andtappingyour toes butseen omni-present. It In aculture dominated by thevisual, sound represents asubversive force, un- What isitabout music andsoundthathave captured my lifelong devotion? mean. mean andwhattheycan on a project, I am listening to points of view, and thinking hard on what they composing, playing, later, italwaysandendedwithlistening. Whether started art, sound-based Even when Ibegantomake my own music –electronic, electro-acoustic –and me tolisten withempathy and,more so, for sheerpleasure. as if with new ears and discovering great joy and the world anew and, infact,Iwas able to return topopandrock, listening toit from an and back, silence to noise – discovered inmy JohnCage lateteens,itwas asifmy ears –andmind and following itsdevelopment into freeandtheavant jazz garde. OnceI I discovered tracinghistory. jazz, its roots in ragtime, big band alternatives by reaching out into themargins, anddigging deeperinto music as apopular culture ofvacuity, andconsumerism. Ilooked mundanity for a point on FMradio,ner ofpopandrock music, everything absorbing until Ireached year-old my ears. My journey insoundhasbeenajourney through listening, of learningtoopen does notmeanour ears are always open.’ R. Murray Schafer: ‘We have noearlids. We are condemnedtolisten. But this Today, echoesofthatshame withme. Icarry I have beenaware ofthepsychological andphysiological power ofmusic. me with aprofound ofself-awareness sense andshame. From ayoung age, family,the fillingof rest the to remark teasing a made member family a this, suffering Music was my first and first my was Music were truly, fully open for the first time, ready to listen to where I began to tire of formulaic music, or what In my listening to ‘Billie Jean’, thoroughly immersed in the groove and the involuntary compulsion to tap my toes. Ostensibly amused by amused Ostensibly toes. my tap to compulsion involuntary Mark wong pre-teen and early teenage years, or improvising, I amlistening. When Iconduct research lifelong love. An early memory involves memory early An love. lifelong penetrates a world of surfaces. To listen deeply is endless sea of possibilities. I listened to I common grief. Cage taughtcommon grief. Cage rabidly consumed my younger self the entire sonic field and folk blues me as a five- a as me all man- read Mark Wong, TheRightto Free Speech(in4OfficialLanguages) media player, headphones, dimensionsvariable, 2013 , manipulated book, soundfile,digital

[79] [80] Right: ZulMahmod, light sensors,wood,sixmonitors,tweeters,laserpointers, computerand Left: ZulMahmod, fibreglass, sofabed,wood,tweeters,subwoofers,amplifier, DVDplayer, ZUL MAHMOD 2007. Photo:NationalArtsCouncilofSingapore Dancing withFrequency Sonic Dome.AnEmpireofThoughts microcontroller, 2008 , interactivesoundinstallation , soundinstallation, and parcel ofour fast-paced such asinSingapore Iembrace society – so urban it. future soundworks. Another aspect thatIbelieve Ican’t itissomething isnoise; isimportant run away from. It ispart work with.Theybe materialsIcan are like my sketches. record Ican andcollect themasmaterialsfor my current or sound hasalottodowithbeing selective over whatyou want tolisten to.Personally, Iconsidersoundpollution to shapeshowIbelievesounds willalso peoplebehave spaces. usby, insocial justpass certain but Ithinkexperiencing To it shapes the characteristics spaces; in social important of anyme, given sound is very and environment. space It butperformance there ismore tosoundthanjustperformance. The encountered onethingI’ve many isthatwhenwe itwithlive talktendtoassociate about sound soundart, of my works tookonasupporting role. However, since 2004,Ihave decidedtoconcentrate onsound. tried to incorporate sound in my visual work, but as my visual installations had a stronger presence, aspect the sonic computer music toSingapore, in2001throughback whenIwasWhencame inNorway. thework I ofaDutchartist characteristics. There are alotofthingstodiscover andexplore insound-making.Iwas introduced tosoundor focus inmySound hasbeenaprimary work for years. thelasttwelve Iamalways fascinated withsound andits

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[83] [84] Finding Sound Finding academics andobserversofthesonicfieldinSingapore, Through aseriesofnewvideointerviewswithartists,archivists,musicians, stories, names,forgottenstances,suppositions,andmemories. developments alteredthroughindividualexperiences,andaboundsinpersonal events andCDreleases,withannotationsbyWong. Itrevisitslocaleventsand of newvideointerviews,photographs,eventcollaterals,recordingspast often overlookedhistoryofsonicartsinSingapore.Thearchivecomprisesaseries is conceivedasatemporaryspaceforuncoveringandanalysingthecomplexyet offering audiencesaglimpseintocomplexhistoryfromdifferentviewpoints. positions and personal investments in sonic arts that overlap and contradict, ‘sound art’asapointofdeparture,theinterviewsattempttopiecetogethervarious local knowledgeofSingapore’s sonicculture.Taking theuneasycategorisationof to exploreoraltraditionasagatewaypreservingmemoryand‘passingdown’ 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 with thesoloexhibitionof Koh NguangHow, Corporate Toil(JoeNgandWong FookYew),CertainEarthScreams,inconjunction lll, no.28,2007,pp.30–36 Teh SuChing,‘InaStateof Flux’, Substation, 1990.Photo:Koh NguangHow Joseph Tham, Body Fields (sporesac)/Flux Us,72-13,2006 I haveEscapedEvenMyself Una Voce, George ChuaandYuenCheeWai, Sonic Visions Conference oftheBirds with EvanTan,variouslocations,2004 Desire Paths,AnAudioTourExperienceofLittleIndia Extracts fromthearchive(followingpageS) ‘Local SoundArt’, The TimeShow pulse.VERSION ™ 24-hour SoundArtFestival,organisedbyPinkArk,TheSubstation, 2005 , organisedby5thPassage, Parkway ParadeShoppingCentre,1992–93 ‘Let usrock!:History//Music andFreedom’ , organisedbySong-MingAng,TheSubstation,2011 , TheArtists Village, 1989–90 is an archive developed by Mark Wong as part of the exhibition. It isanarchivedevelopedbyMarkWong aspartoftheexhibition.It , organisedby TheatreWorks,2003 Juice, c.2008,p. 20 , organisedbyonistudio,TheSubstation,2006 , organisedbySingaporeSoundArtCollective ‘live’ atstrategiesv02 The StraitsTimes : Monuments forTrees , 30July2005,p.20 , Spell#7incollaboration , inThinkMagazine,vol. , 2003 , TheGardenof Finding Sound Finding ventures ventures

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Image courtesy Ong Kian-Peng

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Image courtesy Brian O’Reilly and workingwithsound. providing insightintotheartists’processofvisualising feature variousinnovationsfortranscribingsonicideas, terpretation. Theworksbroughttogetherinthissection cabulary, oftenallowingforvariousentrypointsin- other graphicnotationsthatexpanduponmusicalvo- includes the use ofgraphs,drawings, paintings, and ploring therelationshipbetweensightandsound.This alternative meansofexpressingsonicideas,furtherex- may prove rigid, composers and artists have turned to musical compositions.Wheremodernnotation a pieceofmusicaswellforanalysingandarchiving Music scores have been used as guides to performing

[93] [94] Room Tan, Room Dennis (detail), 42 paper, x180 2009 cm,

[95] [96] collective interactions withsound. sonic activities fromstillnesstonoise, randomtostructured forms,andpersonal to ing onamoreintimatelevel, offeringvariousentrypointsintoexperiencing arangeof broad spectrumofsonic sensibilitiesintheexhibition.Theyencourage activelisten- bilities. Theworksfeatured aspartofthelisteningstationsarerepresentative ofthe sonic experimentationcontinues toexpandinrelationdigitalandelectronic possi- new sounds.Overseventy yearsafterthecommercialproductionof tape recorders, and taperecorders,soundscouldbecut,rearranged, spliced,andloopedtocreate ed incorrelationtotheadventoftechnology. With theemergenceofmagnetictapes The possibilitiesfororganising,remixing,andcapturing soundstodayhaveexpand-

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[99] [100] often exploring various formats and exploringvarious formatsoften and using methodsoffree improvisation, Arkestra centres direction itsmusical unintentionalsometimes actions.The sounds, produced by intentional or Ubin toform anunusual orchestra of had gathered ontheislandofPulau perspectives onsoundandmusic who of like-minded individuals with varying Gulayu Arkestra consistsofagroup Gulayu Arkestra it. whoseek able tothose and entering atrance-like stateisavail ecstasy andthatthesecret toecstasy tionship onehaswithsoundleadsto into atrance. Hebelieves thattherela and sequences ofsound thattake him cycles making satisfaction great finds family andspiritualcommitments, he thing hecares for anymore. from Apart isnotsome since acareer inthearts tance inmentioning works hispast anyperson anddoesnotsee impor George Chua iswritingasathird George Chua and Future Perfect (Singapore). Kong), Künstlerhaus Bethanien(Berlin), Fjord (London), Spring Workshop (Hong Stanley Picker (London), Gallery Sound ect (Japan), at exhibitions andheldsolo SCHUNCK (Netherlands), ARCUS Proj (Melbourne), Contemporary Gertrude Welt (Berlin), Singapore Biennale2011, atHausperformed derKulturen der events unfold. and Anghasexhibited sion, orconstructingsituationsinwhich of pushing anideatoitslogicalconclu These compositionsconsist rule-based fan, andamateur. positions ofartist, fromperformances theoverlapping point toproducestarting and artworks music Anguses ashis Song-Ming Song-Ming A Artists BIOGRAPHIES ------works have beenpublished by theAs in Europe piano andAsia,two Her works have widely beenperformed Beetuan Koh has aninternational career. Award-winning DrJoyce composer Joyce Koh music-making purposes. and householditemsnotdesignedfor instruments, aswell asrandom objects instruments,ethnic musical self-made sound through of use anextensive musicians. Gulayu Arkestra produces orchestra was formed were nottrained members involved atthetimewhen More interestingly, mostoftheArkestra structures and hierarchies of music. strategies the conventional that defy of Fine(Singapore) Arts andtheSinga She lectures attheNanyang Academy amateurs, professionals andeducators. enrichment programmes for children, offers which organisation an Arts), the (Thinking InandLearningArts Through has beenprogramme director ofT.I.L.T she Since2011, ofThethe School Arts. 2007, shewas HeadofMusicFaculty at dent inLondon composer andParis. In years working andliving asanindepen puting (IRCAM, Paris). Shespent 20 Postgraduate Diploma in Music Com (York,a Ph.DinComposition UK)and canvasDrKohsonic andspace. holds displinarity, Koh explores notions of her interests inarchitecture andinter to soundinstallations. Originating from dance collaborations, andtext-sound cluded music, commissions for concert UK. Aversatile composer, herworks in Boardsociated Royal ofMusic, Schools began his formal training in visual arts began hisformal training invisual arts He art. and performance stallation art practiceof hisextended invideo, in aural works isaresult arts andsonic ground insculpture. KaiLam’s foray into withaback multi-disciplinary artist Kai Lam(A.K.A.Singlish Punk) isa Kai Lam pore NationalInstituteofEducation.

------Royal Melbourne InstituteofTechnol Hegraduated Council. Arts from the fromeducation bursary theNational grant from Lee Foundation and an and, in2001,hewas awarded astudy CollegeoftheArts in 1995 atLASALLE performed numerousperformed timesatThe Es Mohamad Riduan and has exhibited Mohamd Riduan projects. andart performances around AsiaandEurope topresent his countries different to traveled has he Speak(2009). Since1999, Ephemeral The In Imagination (2003) andRooted (1999),Monuments of Futurevestigating artist-run projects including In Artists ist-organiser, hehasinitiatedcritical As an art ogy with a Bachelor of Arts. and SONAR (Barcelona), to name a few. and SONAR(Barcelona), tonameafew. including Wiener (Vienna) Festwochen international festivals music andarts installations innumerous prestigious andpresent solo perform hissound sonicbrat. been invited He has also to Label andgoesby thepseudonym he is signed to record label Kitchen. productions. Asamusic composer, He hasbeeninvolved inover 150arts film. and dance, contemporary theatre, 15 years ofinternational experiencein andmusic whohas composer artist Darren NgisaSingapore-based sound Darren Ng tions anddual soundcomponents. sation incorporating dual visual projec lective focusing onstructured improvi a multi-disciplinary col performance Singapore-based collective OFFCUFF, imental music. amemberof Heisalso sculptures, andexper art performance Riduan isbestknown for hissound entitled exhibition ofatwo-man planade aspart recently, atJendela,Es heexhibited festival England. Most inNottingham, pore, andWorld Event Young Artists’ Singa Arts Institute ofContemporary planade, Furor Space, The Substation, ’. Selatan’. ke Utara Dari Bridge: ------part of the Loft Collective, an audio of the Loft Collective,part an audio Asia, Australia and theUSA.Heisalso formed in spaces atgalleries andart 2007, andhaspresented andper since designer andinstallation artist pore. Hehasbeenactive asasound from Singa Joel Ong is a sound artist Joel Ong commercial music-making. vention ways andthemechanical of about breaking down inhibition, con distinctly Singaporean perspective. It’s sal themes or writing about life from a creating music thatcontains univer unpredictable. The isn’t goal justabout experimental, thought-provoking and audience appreciation for work thatis perception ofmusic andinvigorating disciplinesarts whilst challenging the laborative work withtheatre andother programme ofinternational touring, col willyears, continue The its Observatory three For Council. thenext National Arts receive amajorgrant by theSingapore dent andcontemporary music group to indepen first the became Observatory all forms unexpected.This year, The force powering exploration musical in theyrepresent than that, acreative music group inSingapore. based More avant rock andanexperimental band isanindependent The Observatory The Obser design collective INDEX. Players andafounding memberofthe for Theand MusicComposer Finger currently SoundArtist theAssociate National UniversityofSingapore, heis Theatre Studies graduate from the practice) in2012.APhilosophy and AwardArtist (music; multi-disciplinary Council’sthe National Arts Young Best Sound.Hewasconferred also Mention for SpecialAchievement for as well asreceived anHonourable won BestSoundDesignmultiple times in theStraits Times To date, hehasbeennominated14times va tor Theatre Awards, Life! Theatre Awards, y ------based inSingapore.based Joelhas com production andsound designgroup processes, andhascreated installa He isinspired by natural systems and from anexclusively cochlearmodality. experiencing sound that takes it away of ways different examining as well as sound conceptually andexperientially, around of exploringtheproperties His current interest insoundrevolves M1 Fringe Festival. Festival Artists inSouthKorea andthe London, AsianStudents andYoung Los Angeles, Music Conference, Siggraph in 2012, cluding attheInternational Computer his works locallyandinternationally in media installations. Hehasexhibited his works rangesartist, from sound to rently inSingapore. based Asamedia a MFA andiscur inDesignMedia Arts Ong Kian-Peng recently graduated with Ong Kian-Peng busy streets ofSeattle. soundwalkthe occasional through the lecturesalso on digital and leads art andtinklingtypes withelectronics, Joel Washington. making proto In between Media (DXARTS) attheUniversityof andExperimental a Ph.dinDigital Arts wheresiding heispursuing inSeattle Western Australia. Heiscurrently re at the University of in Biological Arts SymbioticA, theCentre ofExcellence inSingapore,Art) andisanalumni of the Substation award OpenCall (Sound Ong was mostrecently therecipient of nano- andbio-art. telematic, computational, of fields the media especially and‘new’ within art contextualise newparadigms indigital inorder andscience to tories ofart his shared complementary andoften HiscurrentArt). research involves the PICA (Perth InstituteofContemporary InstituteofAustraliaEar Sciences and Institute, the Nanochemistry the Curtin pleted interdisciplinary residencies at SOUNDWORKS at ICA ------and disharmony of sounds, a stepping and disharmony of sounds,astepping Kingdom. His work is both a harmony andtheUnited Sweden, Switzerland erlands, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Hungary, Indonesia,Italy, Malaysia, Neth Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Republic, Czech and Chöd. in Austria, He has performed as Mindfuckingboy, Dream StateVision, globe under various such incarnations perimental soundworks across the musician who haspresented his ex Shaun Sankaran isaSingaporean Shaun Sankar provisation andvisual music. ing techniques through of im the use composition, andcreative music-mak focusing onelectronicthe Arts, music College of Music,LASALLE temporary alectureris also ofCon attheSchool live visuals withBlack Zenith. O’Reilly synthesizer/ modular and Patience, of treatments ofthegroup aspart Game projects, contrabass withelectronic and moving imagesfocusing onsolo program. Currently, audio he performs Barbara’s andTechnology Media Arts at theUniversityofCalifornia Santa music composition and sound design ed hisgraduate studies inelectronic and kineticsculpture. Hecomplet on sound, analogvideosynthesis, whereInstitute ofChicago he focused oftheArt O’Reilly theSchool attended playingtechniques. extended integration ofelectronic treatments and sounds ofhisinstrument through the textures andhiddenacoustic micro cusing onuncovering theinaudible music. acontrabassist Heisalso fo installations, moving images and noise electro-acoustic composition,sound of fields the within works O’Reilly Brian Brian O’Reill represent orcreate sound. ena inasculptural andvisual way to phenom tions thatengagewiththese y ------

[101] [102] Opposition Party and The Padres. He and TheOpposition Party Padres. He Singapore music since1988with scene the in involved been has and film, and Evan Tan isasounddesignerfor TV Evan Tan pore, Thailand, andVietnam. ed inFinland, Germany, London, Singa ception. Tan andexhibit hasperformed perspectives, andtopromote theirre themultimedia of sound, toexpand out ofthequest todevelop newworlds by hidden humor. All of this happens analysesmarked these are often also ideas ofmusic instruments; andmusical sound. Hisworks convey ‘stories’ about of patterns tion, andcommunication engage withtheenvironment, percep Thesemateriality. soundbodies deeply resulted from hisinterest insoundand tions – what he terms ‘sound bodies’ – impulse todevelop objectsandinstalla influ enced by hispersonalexperiences. The is work conceptual His society. individuals between munication and with universal themesand the com Dennis Tan who deals is a sound artist Dennis Tan intimaciesthose thatare deniedwords. a purge andanexpression ofself of His music ofemotions, isacatharsis befound. can ceptual andminimalart towardsuncompromising attitude con ofcontenttion withtheclarity andan in creating soundsinwhichafascina shapes andforms. Sankaran indulges and totaldenialofobjectivity, names, tered electromagnetic realms ofpure and disbelief superstitions, swimminginto unchar his suspends film, on of soundand,like theactors caught pretation. He engageswiththeessence suspended, completelyopentointer caught on camera, unmoving and trol freeze altogether like performers time where media, andself-con social offreedom,a soundscape moment in andmusicnoise isnotunlike creating total aural anarchy. To him,creating out ofboundaries, andanexercise in ------was a member of The also Observa Music Technology Univer atBathSpa Tang was awarded aBAinCreative become acatalyst for liberation. to more dynamicstatesofbeingand experience oftheworld, contribute awareness enrichour ofsoundcan reveal through hiswork how agreater reference asafoundation, hestrives to movement. Using points these of to feelinnate ability sound through – discovering more about the body’s listening; andelectronic dancemusic strategies towards compositionand tal music –developing more nuanced withinthebrain;our senses experimen ceptual languages form can between synaesthesia –understanding how per to our experienceofplaceandpsyche; phy –exploringhow listening relates acoustic ecologyandpsychogeogra of research thatinform hispractise: have emerged from thekey areas the years, three these co-ordinates are andthebody.Over sound,space The central elements ofZaiTang’s work Zai Tang Singapore (2005). (2008), and together withSpell 7Performance Club Tzu Nyen (2010), Singapore Biennale andHo Germany withThe Observatory Theatre DerWelt, Productions (2011), 7 Performance Club andSpare Room Georgetown Festival, Penang, with Spell (2013), Affixen and Club Performance 7 Festival,NUS Arts Singapore, withSpell invariousticipated festivals including perimental Minister. He haspar band group Spell 7.Heiscurrently intheex various soundwalks theatre withlocal electronic music. designed Hehasalso ings, digital noise, electro-acoustic and sound scene, art exploring field record been active inlaptopmusic andthe hehas Since2002, from 2003–11. tory exhibiting work and performing in work in exhibiting andperforming Since2006,of Arts. Tang hasbeen College atCamberwell in Digital Arts sity, andcompletedhispost-graduate Sound Festival, Voce Sound Festival, Una ------around experimental music practice, in practice revolved that had hitherto resulted from a circa 2011 visual art Mark Wong’s into theworld entry of Mark Wong alongside hiscollaborator ZaiKuning. 4th SingaporeFilm Short Awards (2013), the at Sound Best winning film former film Tribeca and festivals (2012)respectively, withthe Rotterdam the in Road) films short the forwork Tang’s sound design and composition alongside his father Tang Da Wu. Zai Venicein the52nd Biennale(2007) Singapore, theUKandmostnotably collective. He was the co-founder of collective. Hewas theco-founder of ly worked oftheartist in thecontext Singapore. Mahmodhasfrequent F1 Grand PrixNight Racetrophy in Singtel first the for designer the also is and collaborating Mahmod withartists. ‘sound-scapes’, crossing genres often forms with‘sound constructions’ and has cutareputation for integrating 3D The Substation in Singapore, Mahmod space at thealternative art ciate Artist Venice52nd Biennale in 2007. An Asso atthe Singaporeartist Pavilion ofthe sound first Singapore’s was and 2006, attheOgakiBiennalein performance resented Singapore withasoundart development. art Hereptemporary in Singapore’ssound-media artists con at theforefront ofageneration of Hehasbeen leading soundartists. Zul MahmodisoneofSingapore’s Zul Mahmod ries ofspaces. thenarrativescommunicate andhisto environmentto the sonic aswell as to to encourage amore careful attention sound, video and object installations devised site-specific and conceptual hispractice hasveered towards 2011, radio shows andlive DJ-spinning. Since free-form dance, and film for positions experimental music performance, com cluding electronic, electro-acoustic and and l Lns lw Out Flow Lines All Jalan Jati (Teak (Teak Jati Jalan featured featured ------struction: Ai Weiwei Ai struction: Con ter UniversityPress (2010), Under Event by Manches the After of essays Land ISSUE: Years(2013), 40 Prvacki, Milenko of Art The Memory: lications include After Center inLos Angeles.Hisrecent pub he was collections curator attheGetty Sydney (2004-06). From 1994 to2004, director andcurator oftheBiennale of Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabiandartistic director deputy ofthecultural district, 2007na. Between and 2008, he was and Universidad AutonomainBarcelo has taught attheUniversityofSydney the UniversityofSydney. Merewether erature at anddoctorateHistory inArt tralia where hereceived hisBAinLit Edinburgh, hewas educated inAus Singapore from 2010to2013.Bornin in CollegeoftheArts LASALLE Arts, tor oftheInstituteContemporary writer and curator. He was the direc Charles Merewether historian, isanart CHARLES MEREWETHER Writers Kong, Taiwan, andFinland. Norway Italy, Moscow, China, Malaysia, Hong Thailand, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, inSingapore, Mahmod hasexhibited prints, sculptures andready-mades. ap proach, his works include drawings, /multi-genre multi-disciplinary a ous media andplatforms. Adopting Mahmod’s practice traverses vari FestivalSound Art UnaVocein2005. 24-hour first Singapore’s organised ly collective in Singapore. It subsequent sound first the as milestone a marked to pursue ‘experimental soundart’, was Kai Lam in 2004 formed with artist Studio 19andPink Ark.Pink Ark,which Gallery (2006).Gallery by Art Whitechapel Contemporary of Documents Archive: The (2007), and pee n ota Jpn 1950-1970 Japan Postwar in Sphere Public the in Experimentations Non-Art: (2012), a co-edited volume (2012), a co-edited volume (2008), Art, Anti-Art, Anti-Art, Art, ------viduals, both locally and internationally, collaborated withcollectives andindi music. and writer, As a performer he has Bani Haykal and experiments withtext bani haykal Curators of wanderlust, inebriationandstupidity. notions with filled machine sound Cuba,the band aminimalandrhythmic musician, hecurrently with performs and PhilipAsa GustontoJohnCage. fluences range from Hieronymus Bosch modes ofrepresentation. in Hisartistic in painting’s inherent tosuggest ability language ofabstraction withaninterest Woo isprimarilyapainter working inthe practice DFA withRMITUniversity(AUS). (UK) andaresearch ofArt School European FineattheWinchester Art and 2006, he received a Masters in Fine (SG) 1995 Arts in 1991. Between studies attheNanyang Academyof Born inSingapore, IanWoo beganhis Ian Woo chong https://soundcloud.com/li-chuan- here: ofhismusicism. Some maybefound tivity, embodiment, andpost-structural formation,identity gender, performa andsilence,ics ofnoise musicking, sound andsemblance, theaesthet to, acoustic ecology, aurally, listening, terests included, but were notlimited at GoldsmithsCollege, hisresearch in ElectronicGlasser MusicStudios (EMS) acoustic compositionattheStanley a post-graduate researcher inelectro of London.versity When Chuan was education at Goldsmiths College, Uni strategic design. Hereceived hisformal a consultant experienceand inuser by choice, atlarge, anacademic and is amusician by training, composer Chong Li-Chuan, known also as Chuan, chong li-chuan ------participating in several festivalsparticipating includ 2013, in have(AUS). beenpublished Hertexts the Overlooked atGeorge Paton Gallery at (AUS),Contemporary andLooking (UK), ChangeatStrarta, SaatchiGallery of City – Her curatorial work includes Flux Cultural Medallion recipient Lee Wen. in2012by exhibition Real, asolo the of forMuseum Lucid Dreams in the Reverie curatorial assistant attheSingapore Art in Singapore. Previously, shewas the Festival, aninterdisciplinary festival arts curatorshe was thevisual arts ofLitUp Singapore. Arts In2013, Contemporary She currently works attheInstitute of Joleen Loh isacurator andwriter. JOLEEN LOH ofTongueTastersGathering . musictheir quarterly programme Tribal with The Substation andacurator for Dormant Artist Music. He is an Associate subject the inside Music, thinking (Bandung), producing three works: Singapore Arts andPlatformrary 3 Substation, InstituteofContempo atThe hehasexhibited As anartist, and Norway. with The Observatory, inFrance, Italy toured,has also and bothasasoloist provisation andthespoken word. He of syllables’) exploringstructured im and‘sketches got lostanddied trying’, released 3studies (‘Ergophobia’, ‘how I musician, As a solo he has Observatory. groupperformance OFFCUFF andThe the music collective Mux, audio-visual vocalist for andsongwriter b-quartet, His work withmusic includes beingthe The M1Fringe Festival amongstothers. Festival, 55mm2 Festival (Germany) and ing World Event Young (UK), da:ns Artist UN Magazine,andDailyServing. Press, Praxis 2013, Singapore Stage Art Network, Space Arts Asian 2013, – 2008 TODAY, INTERPLAY at Fehily Ruins at Fehily to Wonder From Glossary, Media Lab Projects Projects Lab Media Glossary, at Art Stage Singapore Stage Singapore at Art and Re - - - -

[103] [104] Harold Evan Seah, Tan, Tham Joseph andVivian Wang. Wong, Wu Jun Han,Chong Li-Chuan, George Chua, PerMagnus Lindborg, Shaun Sankaran, of theexhibition’s development, we would like also tothankKoh Nguang How, ZaiKuning, Mark Finally, for sharingtheirvaluable insights andengaging indiscussions withusduring thecourse resources withus. Substation aswell astheIndependent Archive &Resource Center, whohave kindly shared their wasmadepossiblewiththe helpexhibition also ofKoh Nguang How, theteamsbehindThe Charles Merewether, IanWoo, Chong Li-Chuan, Zul Mahmod,Joyce Koh andVanessa Ban.The thanksHeartfelt who have to those contributed also in various ways toward the catalogue: LimandChristopher Ang. Cheryl ensured thisproject’s success, andwould especially like tothankPhilip Francis, NingChong, Fund, andBCube Entertainment. We aregrateful very tooursupporters exhibition whohave SOUND: Latitudes andAttitudes was generously Arts Council, supportedby theNationalArts Narayanan, Redzuan Zemmy andHafizOsman care.for theirtime, and effort Ramesh thank to like would we and staff, ICAS of assistance the without possible been have presentation oftheworks aswell intheexhibition would ofperformances astheseries not Sincere thanks toICASDirector also BalaStarrfor The hersupportofthisexhibition. and encounters rich experiences withsound. their us with sharing for and time their for grateful are We choice. first as well forexhibition, the publication as texts even though writing may not necessarily be their first the edition ofthisproject. All ofthemhave contributed in work past ordeveloped newwork for this faith and effort enthusiasm, their for Mahmod, Zul and Wong Mark Tang, Zai Tan, The Observatory, JoelOng,OngKian-Peng, BrianO’Reilly, Shaun Sankaran, DennisTan, Evan Ming Ang,George Chua, Gulayu Arkestra, Joyce Koh, KaiLam,MohamadRiduan, Darren Ng, Song- artists, participating seventeen the foremost, curators and Thewouldfirst like thank, to Acknowledgements www.lasalle.edu.sg/ICAS/about-icas.aspx Email: [email protected] Telephone: +6564965075 Singapore 187940 1 McNally Street CollegeoftheArts LASALLE Singapore Arts Institute ofContemporary Printed by Allegro Print, Singapore Design by Vanessa Ban ISBN 978-981-07-9067-7 means without thepriorpermissionofpublisher. maybereproduced,part stored inaretrieval system by ortransmitted any research, criticismorreviewundertheCopyright aspermitted Act1987, no This catalogue is copyright. from fair Apart dealing for the purpose of Images ©2014,theartists Text Singapore ©2014,theauthors Arts andtheInstituteofContemporary A Parallel Event oftheSingapore Biennale2013IfTheWorldChanged. of the exhibition Published Singapore by ontheoccasion Arts theInstituteofContemporary byCurated BaniHaykal andJoleenLoh SOUND: Latitudes andAttitudes SOUND: Latitudes andAttitudes to 16 March, 7 February 2014.

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