Jameson Feakes & Josten Myburgh - Tour Blog 1

Jameson Feakes & Josten Myburgh are on tour through Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Sydney, Auckland and Melbourne. This blog documents some experiences and insights alongside recommendations of interesting music and art found along the way.

Playing the work of Simon Charles at triple pianissimo under fans and an air-conditioner, bookended by two noise sets on either end.

Performance photos by Wong Yok Teng.

Scored a copy of this Noise in South East Asia compilation above, sold out from the label directly!

Talking to Craig Pedersen about a lesson he once took with a senior improviser, and the question “Why do we make this music?” An answer: “Well, that’s a very basic question.” Not said in a condescending way - just an acknowledgment of the need to constantly engage with the ‘why?’

“I cried the first time I saw Will Guthrie play and this was better than that.” (JM)

Other festival highlights: Kok Siew-Wai (shared belief: you can tell a person this nice is going to make good music before you even hear them), Yong Yandsen (has a huge sound. We sat right in front of this huge sound.), Dharma’s ultra-intense guitar playing, the general vibe in the room (can’t wait to come back), films by Shinkan Tamaki (looking at looking at light) and E Lee Loong (stunning and oddly hilarious work investigating the appropriation of Confucian teachings in promoting capitalism in Singapore), eating roti at midnight with Craig Pedersen, Elizabeth Millar and Ali Fyffe, watching Ratatouille (only once) and drinking cheap alcohol with Ali Fyffe.

A strange bus trip to Singapore is capped off by a workshop where we meet with over twenty young experimental music enthusiasts to talk about the work of Michael Pisaro and perform ‘Half-Cracked (Harmony Series 7d)’ with some of them. In particularly beautiful moments of the work, one definitely felt some intensity in the room, a change in the space, a change in the people in it (at least us).

An impromptu quartet set with Craig Pedersen & Liz Millar had some surprising, beautiful and fluid results - a welcome contrast after a set of three quite conceptual performances.

Afterwards, too much rice.

Huge thanks to Luca, Mark, Brian, Yandsen, Sudar, Siew-wai, Ali, Craig, Elizabeth, Theo and Dharma.