BlackKaji Radio: Ujikaji & The Observatory Reveal A New Experimental Series

The Observatory and Ujikaji behind the scenes in producing BlackKaji Radio (Credit: Mish’aal)

Far from the ordinary and orthodox, the revered works of The Observatory and intrepid releases from Ujikaji Records never fail to challenge listeners. Followers of both norm-crushing entities would be familiar with their collaborative project, BlackKaji, that’s produced a series of unconventional gigs and presentations over the years. Putting their heads together once more, The Observatory and Ujikaji have just unleashed BlackKaji Radio, a fortnightly broadcast of four episodes that reel you into their collective energy of discovery and experimentation; a deeper dive into their world of wisdom.

Cheryl Ong from The Observatory provides introductions to each segment of the episode (Credit: Mish’aal)

Each episode will span four distinctive segments, encompassing unreleased works from local and international musicians, DIY soundscapes made from home, interviews and conversations that decipher the processes of artists, and interpretive readings paired with music and sound. Assembled neatly and seamlessly in hour-long journeys, these episodes of BlackKaji Radio are also hosted by the two founding partners, who colour the experience with acute insights and warm candour.

Episode One, which kicked off on 16 December, encapsulates this diverse melting pot of contributions fascinatingly. It’s packed with raucous lo-fi punk from Urgent Matter, the amorphous glitchtronica of George Chua, and the dismal ambient voyage of Circuitrip, amongst other unpublished works. You can find raw foley-led recordings, with primary components ranging from an IKEA box on wheels to day-to-day domestic tools. Uncover the tricks of the trade from regional maestros like Kasimyn (one-half of Gabber Modus Operandi) and Dewa Alit (from Gamelan Salukat). And immerse yourself in an odyssey of spoken word written by Im Yu young and recited by Park Minhee, with musical accompaniments from local soundmakers, Safuan Johari and Raghavendran Rajasekaran.

Yuen Chee Wai and Dharma from The Observatory monitoring audio (Credit: Mish’aal)

Mark Wong, founder of Ujikaji, is the co-host of the series (Credit: Mish’aal)

Few radio shows are wired quite like this, and what BlackKaji Radio has on its hands is sheer, positive unpredictability that stretches the horizons of the local music scene.

BlackKaji Radio by Ujikaji and The Observatory: Episode One is out now on SoundCloud. For the full credit list and interview transcripts, you can visit this link.