Asia noise experiment 1

(rewind/rewrite)

Karaoke Noise

After the Cao Fei's opening, Thai food, and drinks at a quiet spot in SOHO, we had the choice of either going home or finding something else to do.

For such a big city, Hong Kong really doesn't have much going on in terms of nightlife and culture. People don't go out much. Seems like all they do is work. Bar/club district Lan Kwai Fong is full of Western-washed Chinese, foreigners and expats. It is not in the Chinese culture to drink a lot, party and socialize in a club context. Chinese people enjoy food - Lots and lots of food and talking loudly… or yelling.

So is there a Chinese youth culture? What do Chinese young people do for fun? Is there such thing as Chinese youth culture like the ever so vibrant Harajuku kids etc? Cao Fei explores this in her work, but COSplayers also originally began as a Japanese trend.

One distinct modern Asian phenomenon and youth passed-time is Karaoke. This is not talking small trashy Brasseries with old local drunks singing their favorite French country western song; this is talking serious karaoke - Private booths, ultra reverberated mics, flashy TV screens, Asian pop songs..

I don’t think any of us were really there for the Karaoke. We just wanted something to do and experience at least once. Wilson, Enoch (the locals), Luke (Providence, RI) and me all went to kick the shit – the real deal at Causeway Bay.

Art & Play

Put 4 art kids in a room with 4 mics, and pa and what is there to come?
Karaoke noise. Feedback, ultra-reverb haunting vocals, noise beat pulses, in contrast to Pop star Kary’s heartfelt wailing in the background.

Video to come.

Play: is about exploring. Exploring materials, mediums, boundaries of the world given to you. It is about discover and finding all possibilities within freedom.