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Especially in the light of the daunting times ahead of us, a strive for inter-cultural communication and understanding is vital for the advancement of humanity. To not fall back into the dark abyss of tribalism and xenophobia, we need to turn towards each other with empathy and curiosity, so as to further our bonds across the perceived (but nonetheless imaginary) borders of our world. As such, I am always glad to see musical projects that work to bridge gaps between communities, to bring people together in an artistic endeavor that searches for similarities and fruitful dissonance.

South Korean violinist Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and Taiwanese-American pianist Joey Chang are the driving forces behind multi-disciplinary improvisation ensemble Muzosynth Orchestra, founded to, and I quote,

Call upon the freedoms their musicmaking stand for: restorative freedom to Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples, autonomous freedom to Trans and queer people, protective freedom to vulnerable immigrants, cultural freedom of Asian, non-white and all historically persecuted and homogenized communities, and the liberation of all peoples under apartheid and neo-colonial suffocation.

Now that’s one hell of a mission statement! To achieve those lofty goals within the small confines for their community, they allow all members of the ensemble cast the creative freedom to explore their whims and interests. No themes or ideas are shared beforehand – all music of the Muzosynth Orchestra is created through collective improvisation, a demanding but ultimately fulfilling MO.

From these sessions, helmed by Lim and Chang, sprung forth the début album of the Muzosynth Orchestra, simply titled Muzosynth Orchestra: Vol. 1. The tracks are derived from ‘the culmination of countless collaborations and friendships into one synthesis‘; bearing in mind how they seek to operate, this checks out. The album comes out on February 21, and we’re elated to premiere the single “Pahn” for you today. You can listen to it below.

“Pahn” doesn’t initially come across like your usual improvised piece; yes, you can basically feel the tense concentration of unregulated group play, but there’s a surprising sense of joy and structure to it that I personally didn’t expect upon reading the PR sheet for the first time. Lim’s violin takes the lead, strutting along the track’s various directions with melodic lines, trills, and sharp motifs. Percussion is used sparingly but to great effect, accentuating the melodies with flexibility and dexterity. I could be mistaken, but the presence of another stringed instrument is keenly felt especially towards the end of the song; either that or Lim is using extended techniques on her violin, which would also make a lot of sense given the musical context.

With the Muzosynth Orchestra, Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim and Joey Chang have created and outstanding environment for artists to explore group improvisation through the lens of compassionate understanding and the strive for collective freedom. There’s a sharp political and humanitarian angle to their approach, which is keenly felt and brilliantly resonates within the music itself. If this feels like a project you want to support, feel free to pre-order Muzosynth Orchestra Vol. 1 via Bandcamp. As I mentioned earlier, the album will be out on February 21.

You can follow Katherine Kyu Hyeon Lim on Instagram and check out her website here; Joey Chang has a website as well, alongside his Facebook and Instagram presence. Their collaboration will likely yield further fruit in the form of exciting releases, so be sure to keep an eye (or ear) on them!

Dominik Böhmer

Pretentious? Moi?

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