A sonic journey at 9th Tomorrow Festival

On May 16 evening, as the stage lights dimmed at B10 Live in OCT-LOFT, U.S. experimental guitarist Sir Richard Bishop took the stage alone. His fingers lightly brushed the strings, weaving melodies that flickered like sparks in the darkness, heralding the opening of the 9th Tomorrow Festival. 

The legendary co-founder of the avant-garde band Sun City Girls transformed music into an acoustic time machine, guiding the audience on a mysterious journey through eras and cultures. When his final chord faded into the air, the venue erupted in thunderous applause.

Sir Richard Bishop during his performance at the 9th Tomorrow Festival at B10 Live in OCT-LOFT on May 16. Photos courtesy of the organizers

The uSSSy band during their concert on May 16.

Then, the Moscow-based band uSSSy captivated the audience with their psychedelic rhythms infused with ethnic influences. Guitarists Pavel Eremeev and Artem Galkin, alongside drummer Andrei Kim, wove a dense sonic tapestry, leading listeners into an endless “swirl of sound.”

Over the past weekend, two more nights of avant-garde performances took place, showcasing genres ranging from rock and noise to post-industrial and ethnic music.

On Saturday night, Malaysian sape master Mathew Ngau Jau and musician-dancer Salomon Gau presented the mystical rhythms of Borneo’s rainforest with a dual sape ensemble and ancestral chanting. Following them, Ün, a duo consisting of China’s Mamer and Jandos, delivered a post-industrial gig using a quadraphonic sound system. British rock duo Petbrick closed the night with a fusion of electronic experimentation, hardcore energy, and chaotic intensity.

Mathew Ngau Jau and Salomon Gau from Malaysia perform at the festival May 17.

British rock duo Petbrick during their gig on May 17.

Clandestine Trio during their concert on May 18.

On Sunday, fans were captivated by Junko Ueda’s unique satsuma-biwa concert. Later, the Clandestine Trio — featuring Alan and Richard Bishop, the founding members of Sun City Girls, along with Chris Corsano — performed a set of tunes from the band’s 27-year legacy of mystifying sonic treasures.

During the three-day festival, New York-based drummer Corsano gave a talk on the evolution of the drum kit in experimental improvised music and an English documentary exploring experimental sound and the rise of electronic music in 1970s New York was also shown.

Since its inception in 2014, the Tomorrow Festival has been acclaimed as a boundary-pushing music event, providing an improvised stage for musicians and sound artists while promoting diverse avant-garde and experimental music in the city.