The Squid's Ear Magazine


Kwang, Goh Lee: The Lost Testimony Of Rashomon (Herbal International)

A diverse set of electronic compositions from hauntingly beautiful to tormented soundscapes, composed by Goh Lee Kwang for a multimedia stage work based on Rashomon, a short story about moral ambiguity written in 1915 and based on a 1000-year-old Japanese tale.
 

Price: $11.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 3.00 units


EU & UK Customers:
Discogs.com can handle your VAT payments
So please order through Discogs

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Goh Lee Kwang-composer, performer


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




Label: Herbal International
Catalog ID: 11XX
Squidco Product Code: 20801

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2011
Country: Malaysia
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
No recording data listed.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Music for a multimedia stage production loosely based on Rashomon, a short story about moral ambiguity written in 1915 but based on a thousand-year-old tale from a Japanese collection of thousand-year-old tales. It is far more well-known and celebrated around the world as a classic film by Akira Kurosawa, though he borrowed only the name and a fragment for his story about the subjectivity of memory.

Kuala Lumpur based Goh Lee Kwang is one of southeast Asia's most fascinating and prolific multimedia artists. He produced this score for Nyoba Kan, a postmodern dance company that "showcases ugliness and indecency, while integrating it with philosophies of yoga, Buddhism, qigong, modern dance and other forms in its ongoing meditation on inner wisdom and universal compassion and mercy".

The Lost Testimony of Rashomon proves to have a life beyond the stage, as his ambient soundtrack relates the tale with vibrant detail and great restraint - Goh is otherwise not normally shy about making quite a racket. "Rain" and "The Spirit of Rashomon" are light and beneficent, but then things turn ugly. "Masago - Extorting a Confession" is twelve minutes of deliciously drawn out and tortured tones, death by a thousand cuts in stereo. Goh proceeds to ingeniously harness the muscle of Anglo-European industrial music in order to conjure a coven of "Witches" glimpsed distantly across wastelands and through thick fog. "The Judge" is a pitch black, unrelenting, stentorian rebuke; finally, a thunderstorm washes it all away. When listening to music written specifically to accompany images on stage, screen or video monitor, the original story is reduced to fleeting shadows and the music is forced to recall its own version of events. Goh's recording succeeds admirably as a vivid parallel cinema of sound."-Stephen Fruitman, Cyclic Defrost


Artist Biographies

"Goh Lee Kwang is a Malasian artist who creates sound installations, performs electro-acoustic improvised music, makes tape music and composed soundtracks. His works focus on the various possibility of both the realistic & abstract, crossing the boundaries of digital & analog, electronic & acoustic, go beyond language & expression. He is the founder of Switch ON, platform for electronic arts, and the founder of the Herbal International label."

-Bandcamp (https://gohleekwang.bandcamp.com/)
11/29/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Rain 2:34

2. The Spirit Of Rashomon 8:40

3. Masago - Extorting A Confession 12:38

4. The Witches 13:45

5. The Hair Stealer 5:24

6. The Judge 11:46

7. Rashomon Struck By Lighting 1:56

Related Categories of Interest:


Electro-Acoustic
Organized Sound and Sample Based Music
Sound, Noise, &c.
Soundtracks, Movie Scores, &c.
New in Experimental & Electronic Music

Search for other titles on the label:
Herbal International.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Kwang, Goh Lee / Christian Meaas Svendsen
Gibberish, Balderdash and Drivel
(Nakama Records)
Three "nonsensical" musical conversations between Malaysian experimental musician and Herbal International label founder Goh Lee Kwang, and Norwegian bass player and Nakama label leader Christian Meeas Svendsen; a first encounter between two different mindsets, nationalities and generations, packaged with a pencil to let you draw your own cover.
Blechmann, Tim / Goh Lee Kwang
DRONE
(Herbal International)
Recorded at Herbal International headquarters, Finders Art Space in Kuala Lumpur, Tim Bleichman and label founder Goh Lee Kwang reunite for this album of no-input mixer and laptop, an extended work of powerful sound, glitch, and indescribeable sonic environments.
Other Recommended Releases:
Kwang, Goh Lee
Avalanche (2 CDs)
(Herbal International)
A double CD of experimental composition from Malaysian sound artist Goh Lee Kwang, hypnotic works of strangely repeating glitch that bookend shorter works of rich percussive abstractions, including a work with processed voice and an extended percussive "Ritual", singular pieces reflecting Kwang's curious mind and long experience merging aberrant and subtle sound.
Kwang, Goh Lee / Christian Meaas Svendsen
Gibberish, Balderdash and Drivel [VINYL]
(Nakama Records)
Three "nonsensical" musical conversations between Malaysian experimental musician and Herbal International label founder Goh Lee Kwang, and Norwegian bass player and Nakama label leader Christian Meeas Svendsen; a first encounter between two different mindsets, nationalities and generations, packaged with a pencil to let you draw your own cover.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Back2Bed
(Herbal International)
Goh Lee Kwang recorded these tracks from 2012-2015, a diverse set of pieces using sound, noise, field recordings, even guitar and rhythm to create unique audio environments, a succint and interesting reflection on the inquisitive nature of this audio explorers work.
Kay, Martin
Courtyards
(Herbal International)
Sound artist Martin Kay focuses on the intimate and visceral symphony of domestic activity reverberating throughout a variety of shared courtyard spaces in Paris, using field recordings from various locations to examine their distinct acoustic characteristics.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Innere Freuden / Internal Pleasures
(Herbal International)
The title of this work for a cross-wired analog DJ mixer from Goh Lee Kwang translates to "Internal Pleasures", as he finds unexpected sounds from the noise floor of his equipment, which he develops into 7 untitled sound works of hiss, hum, controlled feedback, and rich sound.
Kawng, Goh Lee / Julien Ottavi
Pukul Berapa?
(Herbal International)
Goh Lee Kwang performing on no-input mixer meets Julien Ottavi on TamTam, bass drum and a computer running Puredata and Apodio 10 for an album of electronic improvisation recorded in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Nantes, France, balancing aggressive and meditative sound.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Draw Sound [3-inch CD + BOOK]
(Herbal International)
An unusual release of drawings and coins - 98 tracks in 8 1/2 minutes, where each track is the sound of one or more coins dropping by the hand of sound artist Goh Lee Kwang, plus one track from Woody Sullender; the book has pencil drawings apparently inspired by the sound.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Butterfly Lovers OST
(Nyoba Kan)
A sound track to the Malaysian stage play "Butterfly Lovers", which explores the themes of human relationships and emotions through a Zen perspective, from sound artist Goh Lee Kwang in a sextet that merges traditional Malaysian instrumentation and electronics.
Kwang, Goh Lee / Tim Blechmann
Findars
(Herbal International)
A work for heavy electronic drone and glitch, Herbal International Label founder Goh Lee Kwang presents this live performance from Malaysia's Finders Art Space in Kuala Lumpur, for 36 minutes of mysterious intensity that settles and fills the listening space like a pall.
Rocchetti, Claudio / Klaus Janek
Reisenotizen Aus Dem Land Der Mitte
(Herbal International)
A cohesive work of processed bass, field recordings, and feedback developed during the tour of Klaus Janek and Claudio Rocchetti through China, Hong Kong and Malaysia, at times adding Li Zenghui, Yan Jun, Stephen Roach, Feng Hao, Liu Xinyu, Torturing Nurse and Sin:Ned.
Kwang, Goh Lee
New Ear [2 CDs]
(Herbal International)
Two extended works from Herbal International label leader Goh Lee Kwang: the two part "Vurnmmkied" the first of static sonic environments that slowly morph, while the second varies with a mix of subtle and harsh sound; "3753" contrasts with gentler, slower territory.
Murmer
Framework 1-4 [2 CDs]
(Herbal International)
Patrick McGinley (Murmer) in a series of bold experiments with untreated field recordings, exploring notions of musicality within the structures of found sound, written partially as a reaction against the idea of documentary or objective presentation of found sound.
Battus, Pascal / Lionel Marchetti / Emmanuel Petit
La Vie Dans Les Bois
(Herbal International)
A document of a musical performance recorded in the open air near a castle in France by Pascal Bathus and Emmanuel Petit on electric guitars, and Lionel Marchetti credited with "electricity", recorded while Yoko Higashi performed a butoh dance during their music performance.
Kwang, Goh Lee
_, And Vice Versa
(Herbal International)
A series of unusual electronic constructions from Malaysian sound artist Goh Lee Kwang, Herbal International's label boss, a diverse set from indistinct squiggly sound to full-on noise, with lengths from 31 seconds to 37 minutes; unusual, peculiar, and fascinating.
Kahn, Jason
Beautiful Ghost Wave
(Herbal International)
Jason Kahn uses feedback and electronic noise to create a large work created from static, hiss, and unusual electronic sound, dynamic and ever-shifting aspects of both lovely and aberrant electronics, captivating in ever-shifting sounds that inform but do not overwhelm.
Meelkop, Roel
Oude Koeien
(Herbal International)
Sound artist Roel Meelkop compiles various limited vinyl 7", 10" and lathe cut releases from Korm Plastics and related labels, along with one work made for this release, showing the variety of approaches and concepts Meelkop applies to his fascinating sound work.
Riek, Lasse Marc
Harbour
(Herbal International)
Compositions by Lasse-Marc Riek of the Gruenrekorder label, created from field recordings of sounds in harbors, recorded between 1999 & 2007 in Finland's Bjorkoby and Ostero harbors, and in Germany in Wismar and Hamburg harbors, rich evocations of the sea.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Hands
(Herbal International)
A fun and unusual electronic album from Malaysian sound artist Goh Lee Kwang's, whose instrument of choice is an old Roland Jupiter analogue synth, with toy keyboards, saxophones, bass and drums also thrown into the pot and merrily melted down by Max/MSP.
Beequeen
Time Waits For No One
(Herbal International)
A reissue of the 1995 album from the duo of Frans de Waard and Freek Kinkelaar, electronic sound work in a Zoviet France mode, using looping structures but also freeform improvisation to create dark and alluring audio environments with beautiful sonic elements.
La Casa, Eric / Cedric Peyronnet
La Creuse
(Herbal International)
Eric La Casa and Cedric Peyronnet collected sounds in a triangular area in the north of the Creuse departement, France, giving the landscape a sonic corporeality by each initiating a sound work based on a specific site, which the other composer expanded upon.
Kwang, Goh Lee
Good Vibrations
(Herbal International)
Aberrant experiments with a stereo DJ mixer from Herbal International label leader Goh Lee Kwang, 5 tracks of unexpected sounds, micro-drills, crackles, purrs, hums, buzzes, quirks and bleeps from the mixer itself, performed live with no overdubs or pre-programming.



Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought:
Fake Humans (Fisher / Didur)
Exegesis [VINYL]
(Shhpuma)
The Toronto-based duo of Colin Fisher on woodwinds and percussion and Carl Didur on keyboards and bass bridge acoustic and electronic improv with science fiction sensibilities in their two part "Exegesis", a critical exposition of un-genred music that borrows from global sources in service to their unusual and exotic tale; a wonderfully perplexing album.
Humcrush (Storlokken / Stronen)
Enter Humcrush [VINYL]
(Shhpuma)
After a six year break, the Humcrush duo of Stale Storlokken on keys and Thomas Stronen on drums & electronics return with this studio album of rhythmic angularities and experimental sound worlds, drawing on their experiences with bands including Supersilent, Food, Elephant9, Time is a blind guide, Meadow and Motorpsycho.
Junk & The Beast (Petr Vrba / Veronika Mayer)
Trailer
(Mikroton Recordings)
Petr Vrba and Veronika Mayer use non-idiomatic improvisation to research the combination of textural materials, crossing them with vibrations of objects on the speakers, pure sound waves, feedbacks, tones coming from trumpet, accordion, electronics, and laptop, culminating in the creation of a muscular frenetic soup of tense energy fields.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC