Sound Bath Sessions 174: Liane Mah, Walter Chan, Grace Chen

It was still a warm December when we met again for her last session. Grace brought along Walter who was going to be a part of the session. We took the ferry to meet Liane in Mui Wo at Ning's Yard, the spiritual retreat center she renovated, a short walk from the pier. In this solemn track, Liane and Walter begin with a flute and ocean drum. Grace uses her voice to hold long notes to the extent of her lungs, trembling to sustain them, sometimes morphing into overtone singing. The stark thumps of the ocean drum awaken the imagination. At its climax, a helicopter rips the sky open leaving only the drum bold enough to accompany it, then quickly disappears as if it were a dream, right on cue. Wonderfully layered, minimal, and unfinished- but complete.