I recorded Brenda at her teacher’s space about 10 minutes walk from the Kam Sheung MTR. The space is next to the teacher’s house and she also holds her sound baths there on occasion. There is a vegetable garden that is tended to by helpers and his students. It was a sweltering early summer day and you can hear the cicadas, dogs, and caretakers wandering in the heat. Brenda plays several instruments in her sound baths including the shamanic drum, gong, and a small shruti box. The most unique instrument she uses is her voice as she chants harmonizing with the instruments and singing well-wishing mantras that she has learned over the years from her teachers.

Brenda begins with the Shruti box and a chant. She used another one of her gongs this time having deeper and moving sound. There was some yard work being done and the animals in the property can be heard in the background.

Sound Bath Sessions

sbsessions.com

Sound Bath 051- Brenda

Giorgio has an amazing antique collection that encompasses many different styles of bowls, each with their own characteristic. Some had several amazing sounds both dissonant and harmonious all within one bowl. When purchasing new bowls, he prefers the adventure and serendipity of exploring and finding single bowls with character rather than purchasing complete sets. This creates his eclectic signature sound. Giorgio has a deep knowledge of music throughout his life and is the only practitioner I have recorded so far with formal music training. He enjoys wandering around the unstructured improvisations that sound baths allow always listening and experimenting for new sonic discoveries.

This was the final recording of Giorgio. That day I had two other sound bath sessions already recorded and I got to his apartment at 11pm which was intentional so that the traffic sounds in Central would be less. He plays is collection again in a very slow fashion, letting each bowl fully ring out. He would sometime hold the bowls in his palm and play them which allowed him to ‘place’ the sound in the recording more to the right or left, adding some subtle movement.

Sound Bath 052- Giorgio

It had been more than 6 months since I recorded Nicky, and was happy to schedule another session with her. Our last recording was not ideal as there was construction happening just down the hall which really contrasted with her soft and slow style. This time, we recorded in her studio space which was quiet, smaller, and more comfortable. The space was filled with her own things like furniture, a digital piano, and other things she used for her spiritual practice. The place had a great sense of identity.

Nicky used her metal bowls again and added a couple of crystal bowls. Like before, she still used a sequence but it felt more free this time, perhaps because of the location but also of her own maturity of playing style. The session was really relaxing as I was almost fully asleep, occasionally twitching. I wondered how and why I could be in such a deep trance. Reviewing the track at home, I found that for me, tempo=depth. The time between each strike determined the depth at which I was in my trance. Longer time between strikes pulled me deeper down, while shorter times brought me up to the surface. Her space faces a highway so there is the soft swishing of passing cars throughout the track. All of these elements in the recording create a wonderful image of space.

Sound Bath 054- Nicky Sum

I recorded Brenda at her teacher’s space about 10 minutes walk from the Kam Sheung MTR. The space is next to the teacher’s house and she also holds her sound baths there on occasion. There is a vegetable garden that is tended to by helpers and his students. It was a sweltering early summer day and you can hear the cicadas, dogs, and caretakers wandering in the heat. Brenda plays several instruments in her sound baths including the shamanic drum, gong, and a small shruti box. The most unique instrument she uses is her voice as she chants harmonizing with the instruments and singing well-wishing mantras that she has learned over the years from her teachers.

Brenda begins by playing the shamanic drum made with animal hide while holding chimes. The sound is more muted and direct with no sustain which complements her slow breathy chanting and singing. She transitions over to a great symphonic gong with this amazing minor harmonic. Every time she hit that harmonic it felt so uplifting.

This track was bittersweet for me because as a dog was barking over the first half of the track which made it difficult to connect. But the sound of the Gong was just so amazing that it totally made up for it. I asked her if we should do it again and she didn't mind the barking. If I had stopped, would we have gotten what we did? Sometimes I regret stopping a recording because the second time just has a different destiny. This one is for listening. Enjoy.

Sound Bath 055- Brenda Pang

Yumi gives regular gong baths around Hong Kong. Her humorous and welcoming character complements the emotional sound baths that she performs. Yumi has practiced Reiki for many years and spends her time between Hong Kong and Japan with her family.

This was recorded in Zentral in Wanchai. I am always amazed how many sounds can come out of a gong. It can ground you and lift you up with a single stroke. Yumi’s connection to the moment and her ability to tell a story with sound displays her skill and mastery of her gong. An expression of herself through an instrument. Beautiful.

Sound Bath 056- Yumi

Sheung Ning began learning about sound baths a few years ago and regularly performs sound baths. A self- proclaimed introvert, she finds that sound baths allow her to express herself creatively and makes her more outgoing. These recordings were recorded one evening in Lai Chi Kok. In the recordings, you can hear the sounds of late evening in the building as the shopkeepers close their roll down gates, Jangle keys, and leave footsteps that disappear in the distance. It is a great description of place and location.

I felt this recording was grounding and very comfortable. The sounds of shop closings and doors interrupt occasionally but describe the time and place of the recording and she plays through them anyway. She ends with a very quiet tone and silence before she plays her smaller bowls in a melodic fashion to bring you back from sleep.

Listen To Full Track

Sound Bath 057- Sheung Ning

I recorded Calvin at Room Ganesha in Mongkok. He combines the sounds of several instruments in his sound baths using metal singing bowls, tongue drum, and hand pan. Not formally trained in sound healing or music, Calvin’s approach is more about freely exploring sound for relaxation, meditation, and performance. He experiments with interesting combinations of instruments and sounds. The busy street below can be heard in the space.

Calvin begins playing the tongue drum in a wonderful abstract fashion. I have mainly heard the drum played in a melodic, musical fashion so this improvised passage is quite dramatic and refreshing. It felt like he played the tongue drum like the metal bowls so that when he made the transition it was quite seamless. He also played with the depth of the stereo field by walking around the room with the bowl or by holding the bowl close to the microphone much like Michelle Chow did using tuning forks.

Sound Bath 053- Calvin Chan

This track was the recorded audio livestream aired on May 5, 2024 featuring Saravi Tsz at the Murmuring Moon studio in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

For more information about the Emergence exhibition please visit:
http://www.sbsemergence.com

Special thanks to:
Saravi Tsz
Michelle Chow

Emergence

Emergence Info

Emergence exhibition Livestream- Saravi Tsz May 5, 2024

This track was the recorded audio livestream aired on May 6, 2024 featuring Michelle Chow at the Murmuring Moon studio in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

For more information about the Emergence exhibition please visit:
www.sbsemergence.com

Special thanks to:
Michelle Chow

Emergence Exhibition Livestream- Michelle Chow May 6, 2024

This track was the final live event of the Emergence exhibition. The recorded audio livestream aired on May 7, 2024 featuring Yumi Taga at the Murmuring Moon studio in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong.

To skip the guided introduction, please fast forward to 17:05.

For more information about the Emergence exhibition please visit:
www.sbsemergence.com

Special thanks to:
Yumi Taga
Michelle Chow

Released by:
Bivouac Recording
Release date:
7 May 2024

Emergence Exhibition Livestream- Yumi Taga May 7, 2024

Bivouac Recording is a sound label based in Hong Kong.
Bivouac Recording是一个录音品牌且提供录音服务的公司，致力于推进独立现场录音项目。

For a richer experience of the field recordings and audio please read the descriptions for each track. 

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