Date: March 19, 2011(Sat)
Time: 8pm – 10pm
Venue: Vision BookCafe
Address: 2/F, No 9 Queen Victoria Street, Central (MTR Central Station exit C)
Ticket (1 drink included): Advance booking: $80 / At door: $100
Student & Joint Publishing’s member: $60

Ticket reservation: xtan@jointpublishing.com

The past ten years witnesses the rapid growth of China’s economy and transformation of ideology, during which the quick acceptance and vigorous development of improvisation, not only within music scene, but also in poetry, drama and interdisciplinary arts, refract an emerging awareness of contemporary China to a series of core issues about themselves and the world ar…ound, such as individual identity, freedom, power, community, social network, traditions, multiculturalism and many others.

The style of improvisation in music has started to bloom in Chinese new music scene around 5 years ago. Musicians were exploring and imitating of the form of improvisation, more and more Chinese musicians have reached the essential core in their creative practice. The improvisation music scene in Beijing and Shanghai has never been so active.

Among the four musicians, Li Jianhong is the pioneer and one of the leading figures since the early stage of Chinese experimental and noise music. Jun-Y Ciao focuses on free style saxophone /clarinet improvisation music with strong Fluxus influence. Laptop musician VAVABOND is keen on early electronic music and cosmic noise. Mixed media artist Gogoj’s work is influenced by Doom and experimental music. Four of them have collaborated many times in avant-garde music festivals like “Sally Can’t Dance”.

In this tour to HK and Macau, they will present a mixture and dialog between sound, video, electronic and traditional instruments in the style of improvisation with the experimental spirit.

About the Artists:

Li Jianhong

Li is one of the most prominent Chinese experimental musicians in Mainland China. He performs improvisation music with guitar and a series of effect pedals. His style is between musical improvisation, noise and psychedelic rock. His recent works explore the relationship between improvisation music and the environment. Li is an active figure in the Chinese new music scene by being the founder of several groups such as “The Second Skin”, “D!O!D!O!D!”, “VagusNerve” and “Pisces Iscariot”. He is the founder of 2pi Records and the curator of the annual avant-garde music festival “2pi Festival” since 2003. Li has released about 30 music albums from worldwide labels such as PSF, Post-concrete and Archive. http://www.myspace.com/lijianhong
http://site.douban.com/lijianhong/

VAVABOND

Being one of the few female experimental musicians in China, VAVABOND began working in large volume noise music by using custom made software, and concentrating on cosmic sounds and electronic improvisation. The sounds she produced are originated from granular electronic sound, clips between electronic frequencies, noises from insects wings, cosmic beams, crop circles, breathe and light, which are all weaved into a noisy-quiet scene. She formed a psychedelic noise band – “VagusNerve” and performs as an improvisation duo with Li Jianhong. http://www.myspace.com/vavabond
http://site.douban.com/vavabond/

Gogoj
Gogoj works as a video artist for years, sound has a significant role as the communicating language in her work. Her experiences with classical music instruments have great influences on her works. Her music style is also influenced by New wave, Electronics, Industrial noise, Doom and Experimental music. She has performed in several experimental music festivals in China and Germany.
http://sgogoj.com/

Jun-Y Ciao
Jun is an artist and musician. He works as an editor in the “Art World” Magazine. He hosts the music program “One And Half Tone Music”. Jun graduated from Dusseldorf Art Academy where he founded the music group “MTDM” in 2005.
http://www.douban.com/artist/powerwoodquality/