Listening In: David Toop performs with Akio Suzuki and Aki Ondo at CityU
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is proud to present the forth event of 30 years of Sound Art in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and the World, featuring musician, composer, curator and author David Toop. He will perform a concert with two of Japan’s most internationally recognised sound artists, Akio Suzuki and Aki Onda, on 9 October 2014 as part of CityU Cultural Festival to celebrate the University’s 30th Anniversary.
David Toop, Chair of Audio Culture and Improvisation at University of the Arts London, has worked in many fields of sound art and music, including improvisation, sound installations, field recordings, pop music production, and music for television.
He has recorded Yanomami shamanism in the state of Amazonas in Brazil; appeared on the long-running music TV show Top of the Pops in the UK with the rock band The Flying Lizards; exhibited sound installations in Tokyo, Beijing and London’s National Gallery; and performed with international artists ranging from John Zorn, Evan Parker, Bob Cobbing, Ivor Cutler, and many more.
He has published several books, including the Rap Attack series, Ocean of Sound, Exotica: Fabricated Soundscapes in a Real World, Haunted Weather, and Sinister Resonance: The Mediumship of the Listener; released eight solo albums; and as a critic written for many publications, including The Wire, The Face, Leonardo Music Journal and Bookforum.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of David Toop’s first authored book The Rap Attack: African Jive to New York Hip Hop, which is considered to be the first critical analysis of hip hop music and its African heritage. Since then he has distinguished himself as one of the most significant authors and critics of sound art and music. Parallel to his writing, he has continued to compose music, perform internationally, and lead weekly workshops on improvisation with students.
For this special appearance at CityU in collaboration with Soundpocket, he will be joined in concert with Akio Suzuki and Aki Onda. Starting his career in the early sixties, Suzuki is a pioneer in sound art performances. His unique instruments and actions are designed to open the audience’s ears to the site of performance and the surrounding environment. Onda is known for his work with cassette tapes and the Walkman, the portable audio cassette player, collecting field recordings as diaries, and later manipulating them in live performances. Onda’s unique sensibility has been applied to other media such as photography and cinema, gaining him wide international recognition.
Details of the events:
Event 1: Lecture by David Toop
Date: 8 October 2014 (Wednesday)
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: M6094 Future Cinema Theatre, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, CityU, 18 Tat Hong Avenue, Kowloon Tong
Event 2: Concert by David Toop, Akio Suzuki and Aki Onda
Date: 9 October 2014 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: M1060 Multimedia Theater, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, CityU, 18 Tat Hong Avenue, Kowloon Tong
These programmes are open to the public for free. For more information, please visit http://www.scm.cityu.edu.hk/news-events/events/sound-art-david-akio-aki/
Fion Ng, School of Creative Media (Tel.: 3442 7659 or 9133 9599)