Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Foo Jeng Wong. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Foo Jeng , appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I have a new composition for percussion and electronics that will be premiered on April 20th 2024 at rasp.la in California. The piece is a collaboration between percussionist Matt LeVeque, who will be performing the piece, and myself. We had previously met at the Yarn/Wire Festival in New York and I was particularly drawn to his style of performing and improvising, hence why we embarked on this project together.
The title of the piece is “glitch/fractal”, and it is a 40 minute sonic projection of music samples and noise glitches that were generated in SuperCollider. In addition to speakers, transducers will be used as part of the electronics, and their purpose is to vibrate a singular snare drum. Throughout the piece, the percussionist will “interfere” with these digitally generated sounds in the analog world, whether that be touching various parts of the vibrating snare drum or rolling cymbals.
The aim of this piece is to create a dialogue between the digital and the analogue through the sonic juxtaposition of these elements.
Foo Jeng , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a Malaysian composer and pianist based in New York. I grew up in Malaysia being exposed to many different genres of music from a young age, namely Classical, Jazz, and Malaysian popular music. It was through these experiences as well as my studies in the US that I eventually began composing music and collaborating with musicians, choreographers, and visual artists.
My goal as an artist is to create abstract experiences of life through composing and performing works that challenge the constructs of its lineage. I believe that it is through experiencing these abstractions that we are able to reflect upon the time that we live in.
In the words of Luigi Nono, “La lontananza nostalgica utopica futura”, which translates to “the past reflected in the present brings about a create utopia, the desire for what is known becomes a vehicle for what will be possible through the medium of distance”. It is because of my belief in this statement that my music often involve some element of juxtaposition, whether that be through the sounds of the instruments, the form of the composition, or conceptual ideas within the piece.
By grounding my work in this conceptual framework, I hope to create music that serves as commentary to the cultural zeitgeist.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
As an avid listener of music, I would say that there are a ton of records that I resonate with. My list includes:
- A Rift in Decorum -Ambrose Akinmusire
- on the tender spot of every calloused moment – Ambrose Akinmusire
- Lathe of Heaven – Mark Turner
- Abrahamsen: Schnee – Ensemble Recherche
- Feldman: For Bunita Marcus – Aki Takahachi
- Rothko Chapel – Morton Feldman
- Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet – Miles Davis
- Catherine Lamb: String Quartets – JACK Quartet
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Given that it is impossible for artist to survive on revenue from streaming services alone, I believe that the best way to support musicians is to purchase their music and merchandise directly from their website and to attend their live shows.
Furthermore, I also believe that it is important to support local venues in your vicinity, as this will cultivate a community that will ultimately benefit everybody in the long term.
Contact Info:
- Website: foojeng.com
- Instagram: wongfoojeng
- Facebook: Wong Foo Jeng