Freespace Noise Fest 2024

The programme featured two weekends of non-stop free improvisation at The Room, showcasing over 20 performances across six days, culminating in a finale double-bill at The Box with Japanese guitarist Yoshihide Otomo and Indonesian duo Senyawa.

During the event, I improvised alongside my Twenty Alpha collaborators. Since it’s impossible for all five performers to create sound simultaneously without excessive overlapping, we divided the performance into distinct segments. I used a radio to capture ambient signals, switching between news broadcasts and voices to create an ironic commentary on the cacophony of mixed radio sounds, mirroring the human noise we emit in daily life. At one point, the radio coincidentally played a song by Beyond, which drew laughter from the audience, as it contrasted sharply with the experimental nature of the performance.

I incorporated distorted vocals to interact with the radio, alternately switching between random radio programmes and my animated, willful vocalizations. At times, I paused my own sound to fully engage with and listen to my collaborators’ contributions. For instance, when one of my collaborators played the flute, I responded using my suona, employing manual off-key techniques to create a playful and unconventional dialogue.