Malaysian noise mavericks set to amp up Listening Biennial event

Academic and sound explorer Dr Kamal Sabran is part of the 'Sound And Politics' panel at the Sembang Bunyi Symposium in Multimedia University on July 29, which is set to investigate space as a political construct and how listening as a radical act to facilitate dialogue, understanding, and social transformation. Photo: Kamal Sabran

A symposium discussing the power and impact of sound will be held this Saturday at the Multimedia University in Cyberjaya.

Organised by the university’s Faculty of Creative Multimedia, the Sembang Bunyi Symposium is a satellite event of the second edition of the Listening Biennial, an international initiative that focuses on the act of listening from artistic and academic perspectives.

In a day-long programme (9am to 6pm) at the university's FCA Cinema venue, the symposium (open to the public, walk-in) will bring together artists, scholars, and practitioners to explore the multifaceted nature of sound as both a creative practice and an art form.

Sembang Bunyi Symposium will host four panel discussions where experts will delve into the various aspects of sound, from technical to philosophical, including sound-based art, Malaysian album cover design, vinyl and sound design experience.

The "Sound And Politics" opening panel is set to investigate space as a political construct and how listening as a radical act to facilitate dialogue, understanding, and social transformation. Moderated by Dr Roopesh Sitharan, this session will feature sound-based art practices from Dr Kamal Sabran, Suzy Sulaiman and Dr Lim Kok Yoong. The trio mentioned will also be presenting the S.U.A.P. live cooking soundscape session at the event.

Next, the "12 x 12 The Perspective Of Local Album Cover" panel session will see album cover artist Mustaffa Ahmad Hidzir, better known as Tapa, discussing about his book, 12x12 Album Cover Design with film director U-Wei Haji Saari and how he remains committed to pushing the boundaries of his art.

Album cover artist/designer Mustaffa Ahmad Hidzir (aka Tapa) will join film director U-Wei Haji Saari in discussing the developments of Malaysian album art from the last 40 years and pushing the boundaries of the medium. Photo: Filepic/The Star

"The Hear Sound, See Sound, Touch Sound And Smell Sound: The Vinyl Experience" talk, presented by Yuvaraj Kaliaperumal, a lecturer and audio engineer, shares how listening to music/sound through vinyl reproduction (as an tangible audio recording format/medium) can elevate our experience of the listening event as more than just an auditory experience.

"The Sound Wave Revolution" panel, moderated lecturer Tamim Faruq, will delve into the world of sound design and its transformative power in creating sonic experiences.

Dr David Wallraf, a renowned researcher and noise artist based in Hamburg, will deliver the closing talk, "Noise As A Sonic Experience", which will attempt to locate noise through theories of acoustics, information theory or musicology.

Curated by Associate Professor Dayang Yraola of the University of the Philippines, the Sembang Bunyi Symposium is produced in collaboration with Multimedia University, University of Philippines, Listening Biennial and the Goethe Institut.

The Listening Biennial was conceived and launched in 2021 by American artist and sound theorist Brandon LaBelle in collaboration with Annette le Fort and Octavio Carmago.

More info here.