Music in Exile, WAT Artists, Nexus Arts and Illuminate Adelaide are proud to present a collaborative project between Chinese/Australian avant-garde composer Mindy Meng Wang 王萌, and her Melbourne-based contemporary Tim Shiel.
Conjuring imagery of “eastern power and beauty” and “a dreamland surrounded by clouds and mist”, performed live, Mindy’s intended visuals for the record and evocative storytelling spring to life, supported by Tim’s electronic craftsmanship.
Mindy and Tim’s compositions oscillate from breakbeat to minimal house influences and laid-back dub and pop sounds, underpinned by an acoustic instrument almost two metres long and thousands of years old — the 21-string traditional guzheng. Their music is a hymn to the world Mindy inhabits, where tradition adapts to changing values and cultures.
Having released their critically acclaimed EP ‘Nervous Energy’ in 2021 this will be one of the first chances for listeners to see the duo’s live sonic splendour and actualisation of their project. Developed during COVID-19, the foundation of their project was laid down by Mindy on the guzheng, and then shared with Tim via the internet to be re-worked and reimagined. The result is a body of work that neither artist had imagined possible, now redefined as a truly ethereal live experience.
This performance is presented by Nexus Arts, as part of Nexus Live, and by Illuminate Adelaide.
This project has been supported by Arts South Australia and the Australia Council for the Arts.
