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Serious Play Improv Lab (SPIL 097)It’s been a while, we know! SPIL is back! Please join us for SPIL 097 with an exciting lineup of local improvisers: percussionists Aiman Farouk bin Omar Farouk, Aris Huzaimi, Chia Cheng Kok and Lee Si Yuan; saxophonists Low Chee Meng and Yong Yandsen; bassist Richard Allan Bates; tuba player Topman Chong; and dizi/suling/xiao player Yii Kah Hoe!! See you on Saturday, 31st October at the Percussion Store!
Date & Time: Saturday, 31st October, 2026
Time: Doors open @ 8PM
Venue: @Percussion Store
Add: A-01-03 LG Floor, Dataran Cascades, No. 13A, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Suggested donation: RM30
Reservation: 012 919 8031 (WhatsApp)
More info:
[email protected]
www.klexfestival.com
www.facebook.com/groups/klexfest
Instagram: @klexfestival
#klexfest #klexspil #seriousplayimprovlab #percussionstore #improvisedmusic #freeimprov #freejazz
Founded in May 2014, SERIOUS PLAY IMPROV LAB (SPIL) is the music series of KLEX Festival. It is an art laboratory focusing on music experimentation and improvisation. SPIL provides a platform for musicians from various backgrounds to collaborate and present a new collective expression through improvisation. Over the years, many local and international artists have initiated experimentations and collaborated in the SPIL series, enriching the region's experimental and improvised music scene.
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS:
Aiman Farouk bin Omar Farouk began his journey in music with wind bands in 2018, during his first year of high school. He is now pursuing a Diploma in Music at UiTM Shah Alam, where he studies percussion under the mentorship of Mr. Chia Cheng Kok, the principal percussionist of the National Symphony Orchestra. Aiman has developed a keen interest in Malaysian percussion, including the use of custom mallets to enhance his performance. He has also been involved with prominent youth orchestras and concert bands in Kuala Lumpur, such as the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Philharmonic Winds of Malaysia, and the KLPAC Symphonic Band, which serve as an excellent music platform for aspiring musicians.
Aris Huzaimi is a passionate musician, educator, and performer. He has been in the industry since 2014 and performed on numerous projects and festivals, both local and international. He has collaborated with a lot of professional musicians, groups, institutions, and organizations such as Bernhard Wulff, Max Riefer, Freiburg Percussion Ensemble, Mannheimer Schlagwerk, and many more. In 2017 Aris started to join the music education industry for young children and teenagers as a one-to-one drums teacher. He helps them to get the best results on their music examinations so they can pursue their talent in music performance.
Chia Cheng Kok has dedicated years to developing his custom mallets brand, 'CK Mallets', which has now evolved into a comprehensive percussion store. He currently leads his team in operations across Klang Valley while innovating the in-house PS Timpani Mallets. Since 2005, he has served as the Percussion/Timpani Principal of the National Symphony Orchestra. His involvement in the Malaysian percussion scene includes participation in various projects such as the Malaysian Percussion Festival (2017), Awakening (2022), Gendang Sedunia (2024), and the Festival of Drums and Percussion (2024), contributing to a vibrant music platform.
Lee Si Yuan holds a Bachelor's Degree of Classical Music from UCSI University. In between classes and juries, he frequently performs as a percussionist throughout Klang Valley, often showcasing his skills with custom mallets. Currently, he is a percussionist in the KLPAC Symphonic Band, Philharmonic Winds of Malaysia, and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Additionally, he has participated in various Malaysian percussion projects such as Awakening (2022), Percussion Symbiosis (2022), Gendang Sedunia (2024), and the Festival of Drums and Percussion (2024), alongside guest performances with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, contributing to a vibrant music platform.
Low Chee Meng is a renowned wind band specialist, conductor and educator active across Asia, North America and Europe with extensive work spanning performance, teaching and artistic project curation. He currently serves as an associate professor of Music at UCSI University in Malaysia, where he teaches conducting, chamber music and wind band studies. He previously served as a tenured faculty member at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, as the director of Wind Orchestra and taught applied saxophone and conducting. As a performer, Low is recognised for his work in saxophone solo and chamber performances, and has been invited to participate in international music festivals, masterclasses and various interdisciplinary collaborative projects. In the field of conducting, he has collaborated extensively with professional ensembles, university ensembles and youth wind orchestras. He has led the SWATCA U of L Honor High School Band, the Southern Alberta Youth Wind Ensemble (SWAY) and the Malaysian Outreach Youth Band, among others. He is also committed to promoting music education and artistic exchange, curating major initiatives such as a concerto festival in collaboration with the Leon Fleisher Academy, as well as a series of international masterclasses.
Richard Allan Bates is an active double bassist, improviser, and sound artist based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He is a prominent figure in the region's experimental and free jazz scenes, performing as a soloist and in various collaborative projects. Bates is a member of several ensembles and collectives, including The Stateless Trio, Khatulistiwa, OXBLOOD, and NAEAN.His discography highlights his deep engagement with free improvisation and collective sound exploration. Key releases include Every Moment Is Eternity (a duo album with tenor saxophonist Yong Yandsen, which Bates also mixed, mastered, and co-designed), The Separation of Sound and Space (with Sabu Toyozumi and Rick Countryman), Night Café (Graphic Scores I) (with John T.R. Long), Akin (with Chow Junyi), and the live-recorded albums Lovely TAGO - On a Friday Night and Lovely TAGO - On a Sunday Night (both with Sabu Toyozumi and Rick Countryman).
Topman Chong is a musician and music technician in Malaysia, with over a decade of experience in the music industry. He started playing the tuba in secondary school. Topman is one of the founding members of the Axon Brass. He is also a member of Klpac Band and Klpac Orchestra, two highly respected music groups in Malaysia. In addition to his work as a musician, Topman is also the owner of Chong B&o Services, a highly respected wind instrument repair and maintenance business. With over 10 years of experience in the field, he has developed a reputation as one of the most skilled and knowledgeable music technicians in the industry.
Yii Kah Hoe is a Malaysian composer and music improviser. Yii has been recognized as one of the major voices among Southeast Asian composers of his generation. His music has been widely performed in Asia, America, and Europe. Yii won the National Outstanding Educator Award 2018 presented by the Private Education Cooperative of Malaysia. In the fall of 2015, and in the spring of 2023, Yii was the Scripps College Erma Taylor O’Brien Distinguished Visiting Professor at Scripps College in Claremont. Yii was a Fullbright Scholar in Residence from August 2022 to June 2023 while working as a composition professor at Washington State University. Yii was the festival director of Kuala Lumpur Contemporary Music Festival 2009, the festival director of SoundBridge festival (2013, 2015), the president of Society of Malaysian Contemporary Composers (2014 – 2016) and a senior lecturer at SEGi College Subang Jaya, Malaysia since 2000.
Yong Yandsen is a free jazz and improvised saxophonist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Yandsen has released albums through XingWu and Herbal Records in Malaysia, Utech Records (USA), Dream Sheep (Italy), and his solo debut on vinyl through Doubtful Sound (France). He has played at allEars Improvised Music Festival (Norway), Asian Meeting Festival (Japan), Mosaic Music Festiva, Jazz in July (Singapore), amongst others. Yandsen, together with Darren Moore and Brian O’Reily, form the improvised trio Game of Patience. Hungry Ghosts is his trio with European musicians Christian Meaas Svendsen and Paal Nilssen-Love. The Big Foot quartet is formed with Akira Sakata, Seo Takashi and Darren Moore. Yandsen is the co-founder of a Malaysian record label, LaoBan Records, focusing on releasing contemporary improvised music. He is also the co-founder of Khatulistiwa, a local venue for experimental and improvised music.
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Event venue
Percussion Store, Percussion Store Dantaran Cascade Jalan Pju5/1,Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
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