Sonik Al Kosmik by Space gambus Experiment is currently No 1 in the
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The mesmerizing sounds of The Space Gambus Experiment are the result of a unique collaboration between musicians Mohd Zulkifli Ramli (Gambud/Oud) and Kamal Sabran (electro – acoustic). This blend of traditional and contemporary Malaysian music is also merged with radio waves received from the planet Jupiter.
Kamal Sabran is an artist, designer and researcher. His work stands at the intersection of art, science and technology. His paintings, video art, short films, sound art and installations have been shown at art spaces and festivals internationally. In search of ever widening means of artistic expression, Kamal constantly looks for collaborative opportunities with artists, poets, photographers, designers, musicians, filmmakers, researchers and scientists. He is based in Ipoh, Malaysia.Who is Kamal Sabran, in your own words? I am soul-searching. I am energy, vibrating. I’m looking for other frequencies to connect.
If you could summarize what the Space Gambus Experiment is, in one sentence how would you describe it? Music from outer-inner space.
When did you start to think and then develop the idea behind the Space Gambus Experiment – what was it that inspired you to fuse science and art in this unique way? It was in 2006, after I finished my residency with the National Space Agency (NSA), that I realized all of my compositions were incomplete.
I put all the tracks away on a hard disk and worked on other works until in 2009, when I met Zulkifli Ramli, the gambus/oud player in the well-known Malaysian folk ensemble called “Dewangga Sakti”.
For your info, Gambus is not only a musical instrument. Malays also believe it acts as medicine to heal some health problems as well as soul and spiritual ailments. We began experimenting and blending the mystical sound of Gambus in my unfinished tracks that contain cosmic radio waves at my home studio in Ipoh. With no big ambitions, we just experimented with the source but finally we found out that we were making this “outer-inner space” meeting point in our music. We were also surprised that the gambus/oud perfectly blended in with my compositions like a jigsaw puzzle. Gambus and cosmic radio waves created an amazing atmosphere that was more than what we expected.
How did you think to experiment with radio waves and celestial material? As a sound artist and experimental musician/noisician, I’ve been collecting sound from nature. Most of my sound art is based on sound that I find within my surroundings. So one day, I’m thinking of how to get sound that is not from this earth. Then I started thinking about space sound. Sound from outer space. So I started to do some research on it. Luckily I was selected as artist-in-residence for the National Space Agency, Malaysia in 2005. There, I conducted a research project called “Sonic Cosmic Music from Outer space” where I finally composed music based on cosmic radio waves collected by a radio telescope in collaboration with scientists there. I finally performed it live in the planetarium with a fellow artist, musician, and poet in 2006. I have published the research as my MA thesis at University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia in 2007 with Dr. Kamarudzaman Md Isa as my supervisor. Now I am pursuing my PhD under a fellowship program at the University of Science Malaysia.
Tell us how you gained access to the Malaysia National Space Agency? Tell us about your time there?It was in 2005 when the NSA opened their residency program. My proposal was accepted by the NSA after several rounds of interviews. I was the first artist at the program. The one year residency was very interesting and inspiring for me - developing, working with and catching sounds from places in outer space that I could never ever imagine before. Full access to the technology and expertise in the NSA gave me completely new “tools” that I was eager to play with. It was a great experience that I will never forget for my entire life as an artist.
How did you discover and decide to use radio waves from Jupiter? Why Jupiter?The discovery of cosmic sources of radio waves is the most important in Radio Astronomy – which is the science of studying radio waves from objects in space. Stars, planets, galaxies, clouds of dust and gas and other matter in space are sending out energy that travels in pulses or waves. There are a number of cosmic radio waves that we can capture through a radio telescope. For example, background radiation and sun bursts sound like a lion roar. But Jupiter’s radio waves offer a lot of unique and colorful sounds and it is one of the “brightest” radio sources in the sky. Jupiter sounds (referred to as Jovian radio bursts) consist of “L bursts” like ocean waves crashing on a distant beach. “S bursts” produce a staccato of rapid popping sounds with a beat that is somewhat similar to woodpeckers. I found that Jupiter’s radio waves evoke the sense of “continuum of spatial imagery and emotion”, deep listening and sensations of floating, cruising or flying.
What are the other components/instruments/sounds you have used to create the Space Gambus Experiment?I used a lot of traditional Malay instruments like Gendang, Seruling, Gamelan, Gong, Serunai, Tabla and Rebab along with other instruments like drum, trumpet, accordions, bass, violin, guitar, sax and many more. I was also experimenting with noise sound sources like toys, water, sand, soil, wind, radio signals, poetry, plastic bag, circuit bending and hundreds of layers of tiny sounds. All of these ingredients blend with an electronic abstract pattern that I programmed using computer software. There are also many precious sounds contributed by the collaborators. I recorded and mixed everything myself at my home studio using lo-fi and low-tech equipment.
How many people, and who, have collaborated to make the project come true? How did you find these other talents? SGE comprises of 15 collaborators from all over the world – North America, South America, Europe, Middle East and Malaysian local musicians. Namely, Adam James Davis (UK) Alvari Lume (Finland) Antonio Mainenti (Portugal) Arcano 18 (Ecuador) Cathy Fern Lewis (Canada) Derek Crofut (US) Goh Lee Kwang (Malaysia) Gunhild Seim (Norway) Jim Leftwich (US) Lily Taylor (US) Lorenzo Pancini (Italy) Matt Middleton Crude (New Zealand) Masoud Takavar (Iran) Markus Wenninger (German) Zenmetalshirt (Switzerland).
I have worked with most of them previously and some of them I just met recently. And 90% of them I never met face to face - we only communicate online, through Facebook and email. We regularly collaborate online by exchanging sound files. I have compiled some of the sound projects online, and you can have a listen at them here http://www.reverbnation.com/kamalsabransuperfriends
I have also involved scientist, researcher, filmmakers, writers, designers, poets and photographers as crew for the Space Gambus Experiments production. I am lucky to have artists and curators, Nurhanim Khairuddin & Syed Omar from Teratak Nuromar, both who help a lot in producing the CD. And also my beloved wife, Dalina Dahalan, who as studio manager ensures that I work in the best conditions.
You are clearly a renaissance man when it comes to sound and music, what do you think makes a sound inspiring? All source of sound is very unique and inspiring on its own. There is a story behind it. It is up to someone to appreciate it by looking at it from a different angle and thinking about it deeply. I believe sounds have a great effect on you physically, mentally and spiritually.
What do you think about The Smalls Street Sounds and the Sound Map? Do you think interesting things can come from audio and visual artists sharing their works and collaborating in this way? The Smalls Street Sounds is a very good and innovative project for sound artists to participate in and contribute to. I believe by sharing and collaborating through audio and visual means, the artist will come out with more interesting artworks. As usual, experimental artwork will produce a new perspective and open more possibilities for new directions and findings.
What sound(s) inside the Sound Map of The Smalls Street Sounds event do you like the most? Why? I like all sounds in The Smalls Street Sounds. Like I say, each sound has its own interesting stories. So I enjoy listening to the story being told by the sound maker. However, the track I like the most is entitled “Bart Train” uploaded by Mike from San Francisco. The sound of the train was recorded was like a symphony of music. The movement of the train creates and captures various moods, space and emotion.
What kind of sounds would you like to see more of in the Sound Map? What kind of sounds did you wish it were easier for artists to find online? I am interested in sound sources from very tiny living creatures, cells, microorganisms, brain waves, aura frequencies and other things that we can’t hear with just our ears. They all have a very special sound quality that I believe can help in making new art. Imagine if we can blow up those tiny sounds, how we will be surprised by their potential. On the other hand, I also wish it were easier for me to find ambient sound from different places online and in real time. Imagine if we could merge the whole world by only clicking our finger.
What advice would you give to aspiring sound artists and filmmakers who wish to use sound in creative way to tell their stories? Sound has it own life; therefore it has its own stories. By selecting the right sound for your artwork, it will then live naturally.
The Smalls is an online showcase for creative work in music, film and design based in USA.
