Audrey Chen-"Thus let the light shine"

Photos courtesy of the artists,
digital augmentation by K.K.W

Audrey Chen: "Thus let the light shine". By K.K.W. 

Somewhere between light and dark is the work and world  of Audrey Chen (one half of the duo 'Kamana'), a stunning mix of classical elements, modern analog electronics, and improvisation. Just listen to "Train" or "Jupiter tracked down Lolita" and you'll see what I mean.

Audrey Chen, photo courtesy of the artist.

Its hard to believe she was born into a family of scientist, doctors, engineers, and yet parted ways with the family convention to play the cello age 8 and voice at 11. Chen spent years in classical training but deviated from it in 2003 to develop her own sound, and venture into new areas of musical creativity.

Using the cello, her voice, and analog electronics Audrey Chen has created music that often tells a story, and speaks to the listener on a deep mental plain. Dark ambient sound-waves as sublime as the waters that lap @ the shore of eternity, that is the mind ('Kamana' live in concert at Wilkes Barre, May 30th 2010). Its somber, chilling, full of undisguised love, and a mystery that can never be completely be understood.   

Strange voices layered against the aching cords of her cello, with percussion's, reaching out to you with a pattern that's odd and haunting. The tracks on Kamanaband.wordpress.com are startling, innovative, and played with conspirito by Chen and Luca Marini. There's a rage hovering just beneath the surface of the sound, a griping, dark beauty that sometimes scares the shit out of you @ certain points. Audrey Chen's work via 'Kamana' and outside of it is a stunning body of music extending from classical and conservatory training, on into the realm of analog/digital sound. Its a sometimes Macabre, often beautiful, interesting, innovative, created on the cusp of modern musical advancement. She is among other great young women delving into the unknown, producing amazing music. Chen has toured in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere, sharing her gift and creativity.


This year she will be touring solo, with 'Kamana' and Phil Minton. She also has two album releases coming out with Nate Wooley and C. Spencer Yeh on Monotype (Warsaw), and Phil Minton on Subrosa (Brussels). Chen will be also be working on project with the widely acclaimed 'Kronos Quartet'. If you would like to know more, go to:http://kamamaband.wordpress.com/, or:www.myspace.com/audreychen, "Art is the reason, art is the way"