GET 2 KNOW: CHLOE YU NONG LIN
Name:
Chloe Yu Nong Lin 林雨儂
Location:
Taipei, Taiwan
How would you describe your music?
‘In-between and undefinable’ – I feel my improvisation journey has only started a short while [ago]. There are still many possibilities and exciting worlds waiting for me to explore and discover. Maybe the audience can hear my music language coming from a classical background but still I swing between lots of ‘in-betweens’. I'm still trying to find and define how my acoustic sound and electronics can be fused into a unique and unexpected sound and composition.
‘The joy of listening while playing’ – I pretty much enjoy playing [music] with others no matter if they are musicians, sound artists, dancers, Butoh dancers etc. Listening plays a significant role while I am playing with them – the energy exchange makes me flow with them. The sounds can let me engage with the music flow and each moment.
First music/artist that inspired you:
Derek Bailey is the first improviser to get me into the improvisation journey. I can’t help but to dive into his stunning, elegant, multi-layered solo improvisations. I am not sure if it is the similarity between the guitar and pipa – but his imaginative, profound, and innovative guitar improv style, always surprises me with its depth, uniqueness, and ingenuity.
He is the improviser I dream of becoming. One day, I hope to be able to bring that kind of energy and power to the stage, even without the electronics plugged in!
Could you tell us about the origins of your musical journey as a pipa musician and experimental composer—what in particular inspired the fusion of the acoustic sounds of the pipa with electronics?
The inspiration came from many electronic and experimental sound performances I went to in the past. The exhibitions, concerts, and collaborations in the sound art genre especially opened my mind.
I think what draws me, are the possibilities and unexpected sounds of electronics – allowing me to explore and create new sounds of the pipa and expand it. The experimental composition also introduces another open structure to improvise with and I’m then able to bring others to join in or fulfil some of my [auditory-based] imaginations.
With a strong emphasis on improvisation within your live performances and debut album Pi Sound, as well as spending time immersed in Chicago's improvised music scene – what is it about the improvisational aspect of music that appeals to you the most and why?
I would say listening. As I said before, listening plays a significant role in my improvisation. Like my debut album Pi Sound – listening directs me to overlap the first recordings that further create innovative and rich layers of the tracks. Thanks to [the ability to] listen, I can engage with the music flow quickly and am able to interact with the sounds or other collaborators.
In addition, I always take up the challenge of playing with many newly-connected extraordinary friends. Listening helps me dive into the dynamic sound resonation and energy interaction for unrehearsed conditions.
Regarding venues in Chicago’s improvised music scene – which ones would you recommend checking out?
Beat Kitchen: Beat Kitchen is one of the most remarkable music venues in Chicago. Their Spice Series is held by talented musician Peter Maunu and his two music folks. Beat Kitchen Spice Series is a long-term curation event for free improvisation. The event always brings lots of talented and inspiring musicians together. Beat Kitchen is an incredible place to check out in Chicago! No matter for the bar life or music events. For more info check out their website: https://www.beatkitchen.com/
Elastic Arts: Another significant music venue in Chicago is Elastic Arts. They always curate many incredible jazz and improvisation shows. They also facilitate the latest surround sound systems to offer high-level sound qualities of performances – definitely worth checking out! They also had Twitch steams of the live shows during the pandemic. Find out more on Elastic Arts' website: https://elasticarts.org/
ESS (Experiment Sound Studio): I think this venue is Chicago's most significant sound venue. They curate lots of unique experimental sound events and exhibitions. ESS is always welcoming and supportive to emerging and experienced artists to develop their own art projects there. They create a robust, warm and creative community there. Highly recommend to follow up on ESS's latest projects, check it out on https://ess.org/
Lampo: The event is held by Chicago Graham Foundation. This foundation is pretty engaged with the fine art and architecture scenes and curates many excellent exhibitions in the historic venue Madlener House, located in the Gold Coast area in Chicago. Lampo is part of foundation curation sessions. They always bring many talented, experienced, diverse sound artists and musicians to have a one-night live performance on site. It’s also for free. I really encourage everyone to check it out when the series is happening. Graham Foundation’s website: http://www.grahamfoundation.org/
Chicago is a big and significant music city, there is a long list of venues to visit! The following ‘Now Is’ site is a great platform to learn more about Chicago’s music scene https://beta.now-is.org/.
Also, I highly recommend checking out remarkable and historic jazz venues in Chicago, like Green Mill and Chicago's biggest Jazz Festival held in Millennium Park.
…and venues in Taipei’s improvised music scene that you would recommend?
In Taipei, I would recommend three venues:
Outer pulsation: A secret Facebook group named with a Russian name. They held extraordinary live performance events once a month when there was no outbreak. They always bring noisemakers, experimental sound artists, and no-input musicians into the public space. The event itself always pushes the legal law boundaries yet they still constantly put a series of events out in the world and give the world the most organic sounds – vibrating and resonating in public spaces.
Senko Issha Records: It’s one of the record stores in Taipei. They connect with many musicians worldwide and always get to invite them to have a small and intimate performance event. The place vibrates with the sounds, noise, silence, energy, random, happenings, etc. In the past, every performance I went to gave me lots of inspiration, full of energy and flow with the sound vibe.
Tacheles: The venue I actually haven’t checked out since I was back in Taiwan. Tacheles is a place that collects people from various backgrounds who are very interested in the contemporary art world. They constantly produce great shows and exhibitions and curate open jam sessions once every month/ two months. I believe Tacheles is a venue filled with many organic, new sounds and innovative possibilities. It’s worth checking out their projects.
What are some of the tracks from the past year that you find yourself returning to?
I think it would be Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Vrioon. When I need to concentrate on jobs or some projects, or at times I need to calm my mind and anxieties, I play the entire album – it always brings me a sense of peacefulness.
I was really drawn by Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air – back when I studied in Chicago. It was one of my favourite albums with full energy and motivation for my assignments.
Given the times we're currently in, what keeps you inspired and motivated?
I always wish for the universe to keep me involved in different projects – somehow, it works and has given me an incredible journey amongst the current moment that looks pretty unencouraging and uncertain.
I'm really grateful to have the communities and the connections with lots of supportive and wonderful friends. This is the first significant factor for me to keep contributing to the art and music world.
Also – the second thing is I'm lucky enough to be back in Taiwan in 2020 when the rest of the world was suffering from the pandemic. Life in Taiwan at that time was still pretty much like normal life back in the past. Therefore, I am trying to go to as many live performances as I can, getting to [develop] new connections, form my own communities, and engage in supportive environments. Whether online events or live performances on sites, it always gives me inspiration and motivation to keep art projects running.
I will say to be positive and in trying to connect with the world [it] is the best way to be enthusiastic about exploring this world. It is also a fantastic method to keep yourself inspired and motivated.
Lastly, any new projects you’re currently working on that we can look forward to in the near future?
I’m preparing a duo album with P.M. Tummala, the owner and producer of the label Monastral. The whole album was recorded back in 2020 when I had to leave Chicago due to my visa in the USA.
We’re putting everything together this year, but we haven’t confirmed the release date yet. Hopefully, we can get everything done and successfully released by the end of this year!