Some call it avant-garde, some call it experimental and some just call it noise.
Whatever it is, it’s been happening at the Lacking Sound Festival (失聲祭) on a monthly basis for the past eight years. The aural extravaganza strives to explore sound as an art form through boundary-breaking, hybrid performances that involve cutting edge, non-traditional technology.
Now the event is celebrating its 100th edition by throwing celebratory parties tonight and on Jan. 22 at The Wall (這牆). Some of the country’s leading noise makers, sound wizards and electronic musicians will be lining up for the occasion, such as Fujui Wang (王福瑞), Lim Giong (林強), fish.the (real name Huang Kai–yu, 黃凱宇) and Dawang Yingfan Huang (黃大旺).
Photo courtesy of Lacking Sound Festival
Lacking Sound came about in 2007, around the time when Her-He Party, a series of free outdoor shindigs under Huazhong Bridge (華中橋) in Taipei came to a close. Co-founded by Lim in 2003, Her-He Party is said to have influenced many young participants with its liberal attitude and openness to music, setting itself apart from the rave scene at the time, which was besmirched with money and commercialism.
Among the inspired, Yao Chung-han (姚仲涵), then an art student at Taipei National University of the Arts, established Lacking Sound with several of his classmates, in the hope of creating a community of sound artists and fostering an audience, to whom the chances of seeing, let along discussing, works of sound art were few and far between, with the exception of occasional art festivals and exhibitions.
As a regular avenue dedicated to sonic performances, exhibitions and research, Lacking Sound not only organizes shows and forums by local and foreign artists, but has become increasingly dedicated to creating audio-visual documentation, articles and studies about its favorite subject in Taiwan.
Photo courtesy of Lacking Sound Festival
For its 100th edition, the festival teams up with Kandala Records (旃陀羅公社), a noise/avant-garde label set up by noise pundit Chang Yo-sheng (張又升) in 2009, to put forth what promises to be a memorable, two-night festivity. Tonight’s headliners include Lim and fish.the, both important figures in Taiwan’s electronic music scene and the brains behind Her-He Party. Electronic maestro fish.the, in particular, will spin bleeps and buzzes from his long overdue debut album Gong (宮). Multi-award winning composer and guitarist Blaire Ko (柯智豪) will also join in on the fun.
On Jan. 22, partygoers should make sure they have enough energy as the second celebration is a nine-hour audio-visual marathon. Kicking off the show is a collaboration by local new media artist Wang Chung-kun (王仲?) and GayBird (梁基爵) from Hong Kong, using air hoses as their musical instruments. Noise maker Dawang Yingfan Huang will put on his raw, boisterous and borderline trashy solo performance, while pioneering sound artist Fujui Wang will create a group show with his juniors, including Yao, Yeh Ting-hao (葉廷皓) and Lu Yi (盧藝).
Later that night, an electronica party is slated to take place and run till the break of dawn. The lineup features sound artist Betty Apple (鄭宜蘋), Ziet, EAOW! and electronic musician Al Burro from London.
Photo courtesy of Lacking Sound Festival
Photo courtesy of Lacking Sound Festival
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
There is perhaps no better way to soak up the last of Taipei’s balmy evenings than dining al fresco at La Piada with a sundowner Aperol Spritz and a luxuriant plate of charcuterie. La Piada (義式薄餅) is the brainchild of Milano native William Di Nardo. Tucked into an unassuming apartment complex, fairy lights and wining diners lead the way to this charming slice of laid-back Mediterranean deli culture. Taipei is entirely saturated with Italian cuisine, but La Piada offers something otherwise unseen on the island. Piadina Romagnola: a northern Italian street food classic. These handheld flatbreads are stuffed with cold
RSS