Projects
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Lulled into a dreamy sleep from which there will be no waking up
ถูกกล่อมให้เพ้อละเมอหลับใหลไปเสียแล้วอย่างไม่มีวันตื่น
(IN PROCESS)
This immersive, multichannel audio-visual performance combines acoustic piano, electronics, spatial audio, and live visual projection to explore the transformative process of political awakening—in Thai, known as "ตาสว่าง" (eyes wide open). Taking its title from prose by Thai radical thinker Jitr Poumisak, whose life was cut short in 1966 by US-backed Thai elites, the project examines the state preceding awakening and the impossibility of returning to ignorance once truth is revealed.
Work-in-progress performance at Lincoln Center in collaboration with Nitcha Tothong and MAYSUN
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Lak Lan Yon Yaeng ลักลั่น ย้อนแย้ง
Lak Lan Yon Yæng ลักลั่น ย้อนแย้ง is a multimedia performance created by NYC-based Thai improviser Kengchakaj in collaboration with visual artist Nitcha Tothong.
Through composition and improvisation, the performance creates a sonic dialogue between past and present, drawing from deep cultural lineages while addressing the layered complexities of Southeast Asian, Thailand in particular, historical and personal experience. The collaboration between sound and visual elements creates an immersive exploration of identity, tradition, and the ongoing reverberations of political transformation in Southeast Asia.
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elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ
elekhlekha อีเหละเขละขละ is a collaborative research-based group consisting of artists, Kengchakaj Kengkarnka–เก่งฉกาจ (https://kengchakaj.info/) and Nitcha Tothong(fame)–ณิชชา(เฟม) (https://nitcha.info/)that examines, decoded, explore, and define decolonized possibilities by creating, using code, algorithm, multimedia, and technology.
https://www.elekhlekha.xyz
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Atta-Anatta อัตตา-อนัตตา
Atta-Anatta อัตตา-อนัตตา is a solo performance piece using many elements, including piano solo, live electronics, and Jitr-จิตร, a computer-generated, imaginary electronic Thai ensemble. This project explores the juxtaposition among various Thai tuning systems and western tuning systems, improvisation and algorithmic generated music, electronics, and acoustic instruments.
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Common Tonalities
Common Tonalities is a project that explores Southeast Asian tuning systems and scales through modern music technologies for the creation of new music. We invite participants to a series of workshops, led by Khyam Allami, that focus on the subject of tuning and the cultural biases in music technologies, the practical analysis of tuning systems of Southeast Asian music based on published resources and archival recordings, and how to use them in various creative musical processes.
-> Nusasonic
-> Common Tonalities
-> Khyam Allami
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LAK LAN
released November 8th 2019 on Outside In Music
Lak-Lan (ลักลั่น), derives from a Thai word that can be translated as juxtaposition, dichotomy, or paradox. The concept of Lak-Lan opens up room for an exchange of dialogue—a gap for creative opportunities. These compositions investigate themes of contradiction in my identity, thoughts, and feelings—elements that I’ve adopted, captured and expressed through improvisation in the compositions and arrangements of this album.
->Listen to Lak Lan
->Lak Lan release show at Rockwood Music Hall
->Outside In Music
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JITR-จิตร
Jitr-จิตร is a speculative, live computer-generated, imaginary electronics Thai ensemble that aims to explore a new language and skill set to practice decolonial aesthetics of Thai sound culture and its visual representation. The core concept inspired by Jit Poumisak(จิตร ภูมิศักดิ์)’s series of essays(1954) speculating the evolution of Thai traditional music with indigenous knowledge in mind and critiques the “Frozen in Time” state of Thai traditional music. Jit Poumisak was a crucial Thai activist, writer, and historian who was seen as a threat and killed by the Thai government in the 1960s.
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6849 MINI ZINE an exploration on perception of time by using polyrhythm
According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, time is not absolute. Clocks run faster on mountain peaks than sea level. There is no single beat that we all revolve around. The concept that time is a constant beat is merely an invention of human measurement of time.
A musical composition '6849' paradoxically use a constant measurement of musical duration to shift perception by using polyrhythm, demonstrating the idea of time as not absolute.
This Zine recreates, in visual form, the original composition '6849’ through a different medium, including data visualization, coding, and musical score. The result investigate the perception of a variety of independence pulses within the same duration.
Zine by Nitcha Tothong and Kengchakaj Kengkarnka
if you interested in buying one(comes with a download code of ‘6849’) please say hi@kengchakaj.info
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interested in buying just a track
please visit https://kengchakaj.bandcamp.com/releases
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COMMON GROUND พื้นเดียวกัน
In celebration of UN International Peace day, Sirintip and me colloborate on พื้นเดียวกัน - Common Ground aiming to bring awareness of climate change and equality issue.
พื้นเดียวกัน - Common Ground blended Thai tuned synths with western tuned synths in the interlude sections to create a detuned effect while being completely authentic to the way Thai instruments are tuned.
Music video directed by Interdisciplinary artist, and designer, Nitcha Tothong.
-> Sirintip
-> Nitcha Tothong
-> more about Thai tuning
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ADDICTED EAST TONES
co-founders
A group of musicians who love jazz and support live music. AET stands for addicted east tones, representing the sound of New York jazz what so called east coast jazz. We focus on giving performance opportunities to New York emerging artists. AETones currently have a weekly schedule on Saturday and Sunday 7-9pm at Cheers Thai Restaurant.
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JULPHAN & KENGCHAKAJ DUO
Thai jazz musicians, Julphan Tilapornputt and Kengchakaj Kengkarnka, formed the jazz duet, performs their originals with a mixture of jazz standards. The duo was found by both Julphan and Kengchakaj where they first met in New York City in the summer of 2016. Since then, the duo has been developed their original repertoires and style based on Modern Jazz language.