FORBIDDEN CHINA by KINK GONG / DISCREPANT 2022

FORBIDDEN CHINA
DISCREPANT SUC 50 TAPE
A pre-lock down project by Laurent Kink Gong Jeanneau, given a new impetus whist home bound in 2020/21. Starting with a detuned Santur (Persian dulcimer) and then expanding the concept and playing techniques to various detuned acoustic guitars, first by raising 2 or 3 strings above the neck whilst hitting them with chinese chopsticks.

With the worldwide lock down of 2020 Laurent took this tecnique to its logical conclusion, by banging everything percussive with strings and exploring the various resonant boxes inherent to this type of instruments, real or not.

A list of forbidden spoken Chinese words were added later on, coinciding with a time when China isolated itself and control of the masses became an international issue.

Those compositions do not use the typical repertoire of south-east asian minority music Kink Gong is known for, instead they start from a completely acoustic home made source and involve minor electronic treatments. Perhaps a new sound where Kink Gong remixes itself, its own home recordings to further add to the already prolific and zigzagging Kink Gong catalogue.

releases April 15, 2022

All instruments recorded and played by Kink Gong in Berlin, 2020 / 2021

Art collage by Kink Gong 2008, Acupuncture + Head of the iron girl

Released on tape (100 copies only) (SUC50 2022)

A SIDE

1 FORBIDDEN CHINA
PERCUSSIONS (UYGHUR DAP HAND PERCUSSION + GUITAR BODY)
SPOKEN WORDS (FORBIDDEN KEY WORDS ON CHINESE INTERNET)

2 STRINGED
2 STRINGED GUITAR
SPOKEN WORDS (CHINESE LANGUAGE SOUNDS)

3 REEDUCATION CAMP
SANTUR + ELECTRONIC + METALLIC CONTAINERS WITH WATER
SPOKEN WORDS (CHINESE LANGUAGE SOUNDS)

4 BARBED WIRE XINJIANG
SANTUR + 2 STRINGED GUITAR

B SIDE

1 FIREWALL
2 STRINGED GUITAR WITH STICKS
CENSORED IMPERIALIST VOICE

2 GHOST SANTUR
SANTUR + GHOST VOICE

3 BINDU (VIRUS)
COLLAGE OF CHINESE SPOKEN WORDS
CHINESE POP SONG

4 TAPE SANTUR
SANTUR

Under the name KINK GONG you find 2 activities, the 1st one is to record ethnic minority music mostly in south-east Asia, the 2nd is to transform, collage, recompose the original recordings into experimental soundscapes.

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