[event] Super String Theory // 19th Aug 2011 @ Night & Day bar + gallery + friends

"Super String Theory"
feat. One Lick Less (FR, self-made tabletop guitar) & Jordan Johari (SG, guzheng, zither, guitar).

Admission by donation.

One Lick Less, a.k.a. Julien Bancilhon, brings to audiences a powerful, haunting dynamic sound using original, lapsteel guitars of the hawaiian and american tradition as well as unique, handmade guitars built from scratch in his home in Paris, France. A psychologist working with autistics by day, Bancilhon’s dedication to his music leads him by night to compose sublime melodies, augmented sometimes with poignant lyrics, fusing the traditions of american blues and experimental folk. Inspired by his travels and an insatiable appetite for life and the people he encounters through work and play, Bancilhon began his musical journey in his late teens with hours spent enraptured by the sounds of such blues and rock greats as Skip James, John Fahey and Henry Vestine. A native of South France, the decision in the mid 2000s to perform to a wider crowd beyond close friends and family has led One Lick Less to play and sing to enthralled audiences in Europe and China. Now, he is excited to deliver his richly layered and textured sonic style to South-east Asia.

Jordan Johari (born Rais Jordan Johari, on October 19, 1978, in Singapore) is a Malay multi-instrumentalist, experimental filmmaker, and score/song writer. Besides writing his own stuff, he also plays with Under The Velvet Sky, a Singapore-based free jazz/prog rock improv band.

Supported by Ujikaji Records.

And for those of you who may have missed One Lick Less's performance at his last gig (Frottage: Casual Encounters at the Pigeonhole iii.), you can do so here. Get stoked!

One Lick Less (Julien Bancilhon) live at Frottage III from Ujikaji Records on Vimeo.

[event] Frottage: Casual Encounters at the Pigeonhole iii. // 14th Aug 2011 @ The Pigeonhole

Unrelenting hardcore-punk party starters 7x0x7 and experimental music curators Ujikaji Records team up for something a little different – a series of musical presentations at book café and dynamic arts space The Pigeonhole.

Featuring touring bands from Belgium/Canada, New Zealand and France and representing a smorgasbord of diverse musical visions from Psychedelic Rock to Folk Soul, these casual encounters are designed to rub off on you in all possible ways.

Less than a month and they're in their 3rd one in the series already. This one sees improv blues guitar wizard ONE LICK LESS (FR), bedroom minimal folk HANGING UP THE MOON (Sean Lam/Concave Scream), and whisky oak soulster LINDA ONG (Lunarin)

Doors open at 7:30pm, performances begin promptly at 8:00pm.

$10 at the door.

[event] Playfreely VI // 29th July 2011 @ Multi-Purpose Hall, Goodman Arts Centre

"The basic characteristic of music-making is improvisation." - Derek Bailey

This is the final installment of a 6 part series of spontaneous, inventive musical collaboration between musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and genres. Venturing into unfamiliar artistic terrains, Playfreely engages various groups in a collaborative exchange to improvise without any boundaries, to release the shapes that are latent in that unique moment of time... to play freely.

Artists:

Darren Moore – drums

Matin Fellani (Voodoo) – percussion

Shaun Sankaran – guitar and live electronics

Evan Tan (The Observatory) – laptop and lap steel guitar

Yuen Chee Wai (FEN) - electronics

Special guests: Mr. Sterile Assembly from New Zealand

Entry by donation (minimum $10)

Presented by The Observatory in partnership with Ujikaji Records.

Contact The Observatory at info@theobservatory.com.sg.

Interviews, features and more on Playfreely at theobservatory.com.sg and ujikajirecords.wordpress.c​om.

[event] Frottage: Casual Encounters at the Pigeonhole ii. // 28th July 2011 @ The Pigeonhole

Unrelenting hardcore-punk party starters 7x0x7 and experimental music curators Ujikaji Records team up for something a little different – a series of musical presentations at book café and dynamic arts space The Pigeonhole.

Featuring touring bands from Belgium/Canada, New Zealand and France and representing a smorgasbord of diverse musical visions from Psychedelic Rock to Folk Soul, these casual encounters are designed to rub off on you in all possible ways.

This second installment occurs on the 28th of July w/ art-punk performative duo MR STERILE ASSEMBLY (NZ), avant rock clownz I\D, and space prog avant jazz cats UNDER THE VELVET SKY.

Doors open at 7:30pm, performances begin promptly at 8:00pm.

$10 at the door.

[event] Frottage: Casual Encounters at the Pigeonhole i. // 17th July 2011 @ The Pigeonhole

Unrelenting hardcore-punk party starters 7x0x7 and experimental music curators Ujikaji Records team up for something a little different – a series of musical presentations at book café and dynamic arts space The Pigeonhole.

Featuring touring bands from Belgium/Canada, New Zealand and France and representing a smorgasbord of diverse musical visions from Psychedelic Rock to Folk Soul, these casual encounters are designed to rub off on you in all possible ways.

Their first installment kicks off this 17th Jul (Sun) w/ Belgium-raised Canadian-based sonic artist SZKIEVE, together with curious noise wander AWK WAH, and minimalist psych rock luminaries THE OBSERVATORY.

Doors open at 7:30pm, performances begin promptly at 8:00pm.

$10 at the door.

[event] Playfreely V // 15th July 2011 @ Multi-Purpose Hall, Goodman Arts Centre

Entry by donation (minimum $10)

"The basic characteristic of music-making is improvisation." - Derek Bailey

A 6 part series of spontaneous, inventive musical collaboration between musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and genres. Venturing into unfamiliar artistic terrains, Playfreely engages various groups in a collaborative exchange to improvise without any boundaries, to release the shapes that are latent in that unique moment of time... to play freely.

Artists:

Steve Dannemiller (Brael) – guitar

Mohamad Riduan - assorted wind instruments, efx

Fung Sheong Ying (I\D, Amino Acid Orchestra, Hotel, Awk Wah) - drums, noise

Ian Woo (I\D, Hotel) – bass

Ying (Meza Virs) – keyboards

Reef (Under the Velvet Sky) – guitar, euphonium

Brian Lim – harmonica, melodica

Presented by The Observatory in partnership with Ujikaji Records.

Contact The Observatory at: info@theobservatory.com.sg

Interviews, features and more on Playfreely at:

theobservatory.com.sg and ujikajirecords.wordpress.c​om.

[event] Playfreely III // 13th May 2011 @ Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre

PLAYFREELY III

13 May 2011
8.30pm
Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road

When you start to play off the top of your head, that's when the truth is really known about people. - Steve Howe

A 6-part series of spontaneous, inventive musical collaboration between musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and genres. Venturing into unfamiliar artistic terrains, Playfreely engages various groups in a collaborative exchange to improvise without any boundaries, to release the shapes that are latent in that unique moment of time... to play freely.

Artists:

Atwell Jansen (Heritage) – violin

Ustad Sharafat Khan – sitar

Wil Kolen (Blindspot, Brin) – guitar

Rex Lee – theremin

Aya Sekine – keyboards, moog and shruti box

Jase Sng (Kimchi and the Laksas) – electric bass and upright bass

Cheryl Ong (A Bigger Bang. The Percussion Assembly) – traditional Chinese percussion

Entry by donation (minimum $10)

Presented by The Observatory in partnership with Ujikaji Records.

Contact The Observatory at info@theobservatory.com.sg for more info.

[event] Playfreely II // 29th April 2011 @ Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre

PLAYFREELY II

29 April 2011
8.30pm-11pm

Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road, Singapore 439053

Albert Einstein looked upon improvisation as an emotional and intellectual necessity. (Conversations with Einstein, published 1921).

Artisis:

Analog Girl – electronics

Brian O’Reilly – contrabass

Bani Haykal (B-Quartet) – guitar, woodwinds

Fuzz Lee (Life Without Dreams) – guitar

Dr Samuel Wong (The Teng Company) – pipa

Jagjit Singh (Rhythms Aesthetic Society) – tabla

2nd installment of a 6 part series of spontaneous, inventive musical collaboration between musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and genres. Venturing into unfamiliar artistic terrains, Playfreely engages various groups in a collaborative exchange to improvise without any boundaries, to release the shapes that are latent in that unique moment of time... to play freely.

Presented by The Observatory

in partnership with Ujikaji Records

Entry by donation ($10 minimum).

Contact The Observatory at info@theobservatory.com.sg for more info.

[event] Playfreely I // 15th April 2011 @ Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre

PLAYFREELY I

15 April 2011
8.30-11.30pm

Black Box, Goodman Arts Centre
90 Goodman Road, Singapore 439053

Albert Einstein looked upon improvisation as an emotional and intellectual necessity. (Conversations with Einstein, published 1921)

Artists:

Darren Moore – drums

Andy Yang – the stick

Reggie Perera – didgeridoo

Misha’al (The Psalms) – bass

Isyraf (The Psalms) – drums

Khairil (The Psalms) – guitar

Az (Stellarium) – guitar

Phid (Stellarium) – guitar

Brennan de Souza (Ara Ophidia) – guitar

Ustad Sharafat Khan – sitar

Special guests:

MoHa! (Norway)

Horacio Pollard (UK)

A 6 part series of spontaneous, inventive musical collaboration between musicians from diverse musical backgrounds and genres. Venturing into unfamiliar artistic terrains, Playfreely engages various groups in a collaborative exchange to improvise without any boundaries, to release the shapes that are latent in that unique moment of time... to play freely.

Presented by The Observatory,

in partnership with Ujikaji Records

Contact The Observatory at info@theobservatory.com.sg for more info.