Mark Wong (b. 1982, Singapore) engendered Kulturkampf in 2004 as a computer music project incorporating elements of noise, minimal techno and pastoral decay. This was reflected in early performances and compositions, including a commission in 2005 by German domestic appliances manufacturer Miele to create a piece of music for its launch of a new line of vacuum cleaners. This piece, “Evolution”, was later showcased at the Hong Kong City Festival 2006.
Another highlight came later in mid-2007, when Mark worked with the members of prog-metal band Lunarin to compose the soundtrack for The Trouble with Waiting, a documentary produced by Singapore’s Oak3 Films. This film eventually won Best Asian Short Film at the 2008 Busan Asian Short Film Festival.
In mid-2006, Mark began exploring the improvisational possibilities of the kazoo in collaborative and improvised settings, first with free folk spirits in The Cosmic Mambo Jamboree, and later in the free jazz and Indian Classical-inspired trio, Meteor Feather. The latter was invited to play at the 2007 notthatbalai Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In that time, Mark has been developing and refining his own vocabulary for the kazoo, a simple musical instrument traditionally considered a novelty toy. In addition to conventional humming techniques, Wong has germinated blowing, rasping and other vocal scrawlings. In recent performances such as Electricity, a showcase in conjunction with the International Symposium on Electronic Art 2008, Mark's kazoo plays off the feedback purity of a no-input mixer, becoming the production centre of a certain textural beauty and nervous energy.
SELECTED GIGOGRAPHY
+ Sep 28, 2008 - Choppa@Night and Day, SG
+ Aug 30, 2008 - Open Lab@Studio in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, MY
+ Jul 15, 2008 - Electricity (ISEA2008)@Back Room, Food 03, SG
+ Jan 7, 2006 - Lunarin's "The Chrysalis" album launch@Guinness Theatre, The Substation, SG
+ Oct 15, 2005 - Earshot Cafe@The Arts House, SG
+ Jul 14-15, 2004 - Pre-Baybeats@ Esplanade Concourse, SG
SELECTED COMMISSIONS
+ 2008 - Sound design for Indonesian painter I Nyoman Masriadi's solo exhibition Black is My Last Weapon@8Q, SG
+ 2007 - Soundtrack collaboration with Lunarin for Oak3 Films'The Trouble with Waiting
+ 2005 - Sound design for Miele product launch@The Arts House, SG
SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
+ Jan 2006 - Remixed 2 songs ("Shiver" and "Usher") on Lunarin's The Chrysalis album, distributed in Singapore by Universal Music, S/No: 120 340 2
MUSIC USED IN
+ 23-24 Nov 2006 - Odyssey Dance Theatre's Garden in My Heart dance performance@Singapore Indoor Stadium, SG
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