Ujikaji Explained

Ujikaji
Status:Active
Country:Singapore

Ujikaji is an independent record label and event organiser in Singapore.

Background

Ujikaji means "experiment" in Malay, and the label's interests lie in the curation of experimental music, with a special focus on Southeast Asian artists and sounds. The label supports independent artists with platforms to perform their music, as well as in producing and releasing their music, and establishing a complementary partnership that allows them to focus on the creative aspects of music-making. Ujikaji has released works by Magus (Leslie Low and Mark Dolmont), Dream State Vision (Shaun Sankaran), Awk Wah (Shark Fung), The Observatory, Pan Gu (Leslie Low and Lasse Marhaug), Tim O'Dwyer,[1] PUPA, Yuen Chee Wai, Yan Jun and FEN.

Having established a semi-regular night of experimental and improvised music at now-defunct cafe and bar, Artistry, Ujikaji currently co-presents, with The Observatory, the BlackKaji series of performances at Black Axis.[2] According to musicians NADA: "What Ujikaji does is Singapore’s answer to the spirit and curation found in places like John Zorn’s The Stone on the Lower East Side in New York City or Café OTO in east London."[3] Along with fellow veteran independent Singapore label KITCHEN. LABEL, Ujikaji was cited as having "done a lot for the experimental scene in Singapore" and paving the way for newer experimental labels like Evening Chants to emerge.[4]

Artists

Discography

Catalogue No.ArtistAlbumRelease Date
UJI-001MagusSun Worshipper2011
UJI-002Dream State VisionDream State Vision2011
UJI-003LPAwk WahAva2013
UJI-004LPMarco FusinatoSpectral Arrows: Singapore2017
UJI-005LPThe ObservatoryBehind These Eyes: The Catacombs Remixes2014
UJI-006CSPan GuThe People are Panthers2015
UJI-007CDTim O'DwyerHysteresis2015
UJI-010LPYuen Chee Wai & Lasse MarhaugIn Praise of Shadows2018
UJI-011CDYan Jun & Yuen Chee WaiCrows that have no eyes2017
UJI-012CSPUPALies2018
UJI-013LPGeorge ChuaSmokescreen 2020[5]
UJI-014LPAcid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso U.F.O. / The ObservatoryTrails To The Cosmic Vibrations 2018
UJI-015CDStevphen Shukaitis, Penny Rimbaud, Dharma and Awk WahEntry Points. Resonating Punk, Performance, and Art2019
UJI-016LPFENImagined Commonities: Live At La Cave 12, Genève 2019
UJI-017LPHaino Keiji & The ObservatoryAuthority is Alive2020[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dr Timothy O'Dwyer . LASALLE College of the Arts . 6 February 2020.
  2. Web site: Gwee . Karen . Ujikaji Records and The Observatory collaborate on new performance series BlackKaji . Bandwagon . 6 February 2020.
  3. Web site: Sound Sensations: Singapore's Music Scene Uncovered . First Stop Singapore . 6 February 2020.
  4. Web site: CLOT Magazine . Insight: Evening Chants record label, building on beautifully strange music . CLOT . 6 February 2020.
  5. Web site: NME . George Chua releases hyper-stylised music video for ‘Neo-Punggol’ . NME . 15 September 2020.
  6. Web site: NME . The Observatory and Keiji Haino release collaborative live album, ‘Authority Is Alive’ . NME . 5 October 2020.