Friday 3rd May | 7pm | £14 / £11 conc / *PWYC
We are delighted to have the fwd thinking Asian label + collective CHINABOT back!
Described by Wire Mag as "A vital and illuminating journey" and The Quietus as ‘presenting an entirely fresh and reinvigorated version of global culture’
In line with their rich history of genre-bending and melding, Chinabot presents an evening of enthralling and diverse electronic music from Asia. Combining live sets from Jaeho Hwang (South Korea), Ayankoko (Laos), Neo Geodesia (Cambodia).
What Chinabot say about Chinabot :
“Chinabot is a platform and collective created to change the dialogue surrounding Asian music. Started in 2017, the multi-disciplinary label and network of Asian artists decided to cooperate on a new way to collect and promote exciting Asian music. Releasing undiscovered artists from Bahrain to Thailand, Chinabot is positioned at the junction point between the influence of Asian music on contemporary/traditional sounds, music outside the mainstream and the development of experimentation. Whether it’s Jazz folk music, experimental ambient or mutant techno, we celebrate exciting new music that falls between the gaps -- a place for adventurous listening”
JAEHO HWANG ( SOUTH KOREA)
A Seoul-based DJ, producer, and visual artist melds traditional Korean elements with contemporary club music, inspired by the Buddhist concept of impermanent selfhood. His debut EP, "Non-Self/비자아," blends dark industrial beats with Korean samples, exploring identity in the digital era through anatta*. Featured in Resident Advisor and Boiler Room, Hwang is a Chinabot member and co-founder of Seoul's "Fragmented Service" collective, hosting international acts like ZULI and Dis Fig at venues such as Cakeshop and Seoul Community Radio.
*In Buddhism, the term anattā or anātman (Sanskrit: अनात्मन्) is the doctrine of "non-self" – that no unchanging, permanent self or essence can be found in any phenomenon.
NEO GEODESIA ( CAMBODIA )
Neo Geodesia is Saphy Vong, a French Cambodian audio visual artist born in a Thai refugee camp after his parents fled the Khmer Rouge, and grew up in the suburbs of Nancy, northeastern France. His unique musical outlook fuses the experimental and DIY ethos that can be found in both the local Nancy Hardcore and Grindcore scene that embraced him as a teenager, and the sounds broadcasted from Cambodia into his home through his parents pirated tapes and videos of Khmer pop, karaoke, monk chants and movies.
His recent project has been dedicated to fusing experimental electronic processes with traditional Khmer music and exploring the far edge of sonic expression to include noise, Bek Sloy, Funeral Smot and Roam Vong. ( music definitions below)
Over the years, however, he has focused his approach less upon heaviness than slipperiness, granular textures and head-spinning polyrhythms.
Active for more than a decade under the alias Lafidki, he has produced, composed and released electronic music for Orange Milk Records. His music has been featured in Resident Advisor, NPR, NTS, BBC, Mixmag, The Quietus and Bandcamp Daily.
Bek sloy - baek sloy is a dance style that came about around 7-8 years ago. It basically means break your brain.
Funeral Smot - Smot chanting, or smot is a chanting tradition performed primarily at funerals in Cambodia. It is associated with other various forms of Buddhist chanting.
Romvong - Rom Vong which means "dance in the circle" in Khmer, is one of the two most popular traditional folk dance music in Cambodia. Originating from Khmer pre-historical tradition, the music genre associates with a type of slow group dance that is performed during special occasions especially New Years Eve.
AYANKOKO (LAOS)
Ayankoko is the solo musical effort of French-Laotian multi-instrumentalist and composer David Somphrachanh Vilayleck; a fusion of jazz, sound design, traditional, noise, ambient, computer music, and classical. He studied at the French conservatories of Perpignan and Strasbourg and has a PhD in jazz guitar, improvised music and composition. Vilayleck has been working for 20 years in the fields of jazz, dub and experimental music. Ayankoko is an ever-evolving project which questions the ear about sound perception, its raw nature, the definition of music and the concept of ugly-beauty. Ayankoko uses syncopation, abnormal time signatures, and polyrhythms to explore new conceptual frameworks and create an overwhelming feeling of weightlessness. On his new album ‘Kia Sao ກ້ຽວສາວ’, Ayankoko advances his technique, pushing it as far as he can, from complex abstraction to blissful bursts of melody.
*Pay What You Can ticket policy
Everyone at The Rose Hill knows how much pressure the community is under at the moment. We're committed to fostering an ecosystem where Arts, Culture, and Community can be nurtured, remain accessible, and endure sustainably. That's why we're offering a limited number of Pay What You Can (PWYC) tickets to Rose Hill Promotion events. These tickets are intended for anyone who currently doesn't have the financial means to purchase a full-price ticket. You can purchase these via the link above.