BlackKaji — The Observatory

Live Sessions	Radio

8 Apr 2022 BlackKaji REFUSE In the spirit of mycorrhizae, or symbiotic associations between fungi and plants’ root systems, members of The Observatory—Dharma, Cheryl Ong and Yuen Chee Wai—joined by fellow musicians Chong Li-Chuan, madam data, Tini Aliman and Lynette Quek, mingle and merge, perform and unform, fuse and refuse in this BlackKaji live performance, held in conjunction with the REFUSE exhibition.	5 Apr 2022 BlackKaji Radio: REFUSE Edition Special edition of Blackkaji Radio in conjunction with REFUSE, an inter-media exhibition about music, mushrooms and de-composition presented by The Observatory. The band discusses their two-decade-long history—from their “family tree” of band members and their ever-evolving sound to stories of their numerous tours and the events they organised—with Ujikaji and SAM’s curators. The podcast extends conversations surrounding the presentation of the band’s archives at REFUSE.

21 - 23 Oct 2020 BlackKaji at the Substation BlackKaji is back. This time, presented as a special online edition, in collaboration with Ujikaji and The Substation, featuring three acts with new music releases, who also share a long relationship and history with The Substation.	21 Aug 2021 Nusasonic Radio #7: BlackKaji Edition Nusasonic Radio BlackKaji Edition dives into the often overlooked world of music and sound in films. This episode explores unreleased music made by musicians from Singapore for films and moving image, a revisit through an interview by Salty Xi Jie Ng with Tan Pin Pin on her 2005 documentary of Singapore music called Singapore Gaga, and reimagined film scripts voiced and paired into music by various artists. Featured artists in this episode include Tan Biyun (with Marcus Yee), Joe Ng, Vivian Wang, Tan Pin Pin, Salty Ng, K Rajagopal, Rizman Putra, Grace Kalaiselvi, Madam Data, Kirsten Tan, Audrey Luo, Cherry Chan, Daniel Hui, deførmed and Suhaili Safari.

19 Jan 2020 BlackKaji #10 We are paddling towards a faint glow We have been adrift for too Long Dreaming of Sand from anywhere Softness to step on Softness to slip into A land imagined	2 February 2021 BlackKaji Radio: Episode 4 Final episode of the 4 part Blackkaji Radio from 2020-21 featuring: sl_owtalk, Marla Bendini, Hell Low Trio, Chris Corsano (New England), Cui Yin Mok with soft/WALL/studs, Dawang Huang (Taipei), Mark Wong, Jordan Johari Rais, Alfian Sa’at, Umi Kalthum, Irfan Kasban and Nadah El Shazly (Cairo)

19 Sep 2019 BlackKaji ArtScience Late ArtScience Late presents a provocative, mesmeric iteration of BlackKaji featuring a live performance and installation by The Great △ (Tokyo), an experimental music set by The Observatory (Singapore) and a live cinema performance by Greg Pope (Oslo).	12 January 2021 BlackKaji Radio: Episode 3 Blackkaji Radio Episode 3 featuring: Zou Zhao, Isyraf, crys cole (Winnipeg/Melbourne), bani haykal, The Observatory with Derek Debru of Nyege Nyege Tapes (Kampala), Rumahrimaudapor, Sin:Ned (Hong Kong), Wu Jun Han, Cyril Wong, Rebekah Sangeetha Dorai and 12 dog cycle (Alice Chang & Nigel Brown) (Taipei)

20 - 21 July 2019 BlackKajiXtra × Nusasonic In collaboration with the Goethe-Institut, BlackKajiXtra – Nusasonic features two packed nights of music and discourse. This edition is part of Nusasonic, a cultural programme that adopts a multi-perspective approach, exploring how contemporary sound practices enable connections and dialogues within the Southeast Asian region, and with Europe.	30 December 2020 BlackKaji Radio: Episode 2 Episode 2 of Blackkaji Radio which features: Tentang Langit, dj sniff (Hong Kong) Sudarshan Chandra Kumar (Kuala Lumpur) & Dirk Stromberg, Dodgy South, Nick Bong & Leon Wan with Darren Tan, Low Zu Boon, Amanda Ling, Inaya Matahari, Sumon Mobarak (Dhaka), Zakir Hossain (Dhaka) and The Observatory

14 Apr 2019 BlackKaji #7 Jungle visions: The tropical heat takes over Me A single blade quivering at the onset of a storm	16 December 2020 BlackKaji Radio: Episode 1 BlackKaji Radio was devised during the national lockdown as an alternative to BlackKaji - our regular series of live gigs and presentations. Produced by The Observatory and Ujikaji, this radio programme features new and unreleased work from local and international musicians, conversations as well as interpretive readings of text paired with music and sounds. Consisting of four episodes released fortnightly, each episode comprises of four segments titled The Black Box: Unreleased Works, Unpacking the Pecking: Interviews and Conversations, House Works: Music from Things at Home and Making Audible. Urgent Matter , George Chua, Guro Skumsnes Moe (Oslo), Circuitrip, Kasimyn with Dewa Alit (Bali), Lai Yu Tong, Yan Jun (Beijing), Ramberto Agozalie (Yogyakarta), Im Yu Yong (Seoul), Park Minhee (Seoul), Safuan Johari and Raghavendran Rajasekaran.

16 Feb 2019 BlackKaji #6 (State of Motion 2019) Commissioned by State of Motion 2019: A Fear of Monsters, this edition of BlackKaji features a diverse lineup of musicians and bands working in this tradition of discord, harnessing the dissonant and visceral potentialities of sound, conjuring uncanny and harrowing mythologies and visions - towards a collective inversion of musical pleasure.

22 November 2018 BlackKajiXtra Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO The heaving of a sun Pressure oscillations ring Like a bell through black Space My heart skips A beat Trails to the cosmic vibrations

21 Aug 2018 BlackKaji #4 Black arrives A thousand sensations Shifting sands and time Out of joint

30 Jul 2018 BlackKaji #3 Staring into the Abyss of your drink Sitting On the old Formica table Decorative surface of Marble pattern layers of Plastics Bonded in heat and Pressure A landscape of desire

3 Jun 2018 BlackKaji #2 Scaling depths of boundless black Lateral shifts Pattern de-recognition Scaffolding, not concrete

22 Apr 2018 BlackKaji #1 To peer into boundless black Hearing the unsound Distributed flow Knowledge of the hidden


All About BlackKaji BlackKaji. A study of the unseen, unsound, unsuspecting, unsustainable, unstable. This is a series conceived by Ujikaji and The Observatory.