BlackKaji Is Back: The Observatory & Co. Invade The Picturehouse With Sonic Experiments

The Observatory are ready to traverse more uncharted territories (Credit: Courtesy of BlackKaji)

There’s music for the sake of songcraft, and there’s music crafted for the purpose of sonic design. And then there’s music that refuses to be categorised, capriciously meandering into the abstract realm of art. Music that latches onto the serpentine cord of experimentation and transforms into an unfamiliar medium, finessed for those with an appetite for the avant-garde. It’s a form of musical alchemy skilfully practised by art-rock pioneers, The Observatory, and left-field record label, Ujikaji Records. And once again, the two radical identities are uniting for another iteration of their collaborative showcase, BlackKaji.

The Observatory has been an influential unit in the experimental scene since 2001, with its current lineup comprising Dharma, Yuen Chee Wai and Cheryl Ong (Credit: The Idealiste)

“Trellis of trunks and crowns / Underground roots entwine / One force flowing through all” reads the poetic synopsis of the next BlackKaji live gig. While past editions have taken over the halls of ArtScience Museum, this upcoming event on 10 March will be its first at Projector X: Picturehouse; an apt setting that, too, champions unconventional expressions. The event’s synopsis suggests an uncanny nexus between participants, and fittingly, it’s this shared inclination towards off-kilter sounds that connects its roster of performers hailing from Bali, Bangkok, Taipei and Singapore.

Expect performances from Bali’s Kadapat who channel white and black magic with electronic-gamelan formats, and Kasimyn who’s one half of the notorious Gabber Modus Operandi. Bangkok exports the eccentric NúÚ P3A☭3, a multi-disciplinary artist whose palette of club and non-club sounds draws inspiration from marginalised groups and queer culture.

Taipei’s Meuko Meuko debuts in Singapore with improvised works that explore noise and field recordings to musically paint Taiwan’s spiritual landscape. And representing Singapore are Lynette Quek, an audio-visual tinkerer who doesn’t shy away from fusing music with technology; and the duo of Rose & Jun that comprises gamelan player Rosemainy Buang (from ANTARMUKA) and Wu Jun Han whose past expressions have spanned cassette tape loops and recorded conversations with strangers. And topping it off, you have The Observatory in full force with a barrage of electronic textures, guitar sorcery and complex live percussions.

Is music still traditionally music when you throw out all definitions? BlackKaji and friends continue to challenge everything you know.

BlackKaji at Projector X, 10 March 2023, 7.30pm, Projector X: Picturehouse, 2 Handy Road, #05-01, Singapore 229233. Get your tickets here.