Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Dissent – Live at Phù Sa Lab (2018)

Mai Khôi Chém Gió is a cathartic explosion of repressed humanity. Effectively banned from performing in Vietnam, the defiant Hanoi-based trio represents an awakening of self-awareness and social critique in a society in which freedom of expression is far from guaranteed. “We give voice to the unspeakable”, says Mai Khoi, “unlike other musicians here, we don’t ask for permission to perform or submit our lyrics to the censors.” Sonically, the avant-garde group is equally bold, weaving eastern woodwinds around unabashed brass over dissonant guitar in experimental and, at times, highly improvised arrangements. Melodic and lyrical themes are diverse, reflecting the emotional variation –from innocent and ironic to ominous and introspective- of Mai Khoi’s sophisticated compositions. Her dramatic voice is instantly recognisable for its angelic qualities, wide range of vocal expression and glass-shattering highs. She is joined by Nguyen Duc Minh on scale drums, flutes and mouth harps, many of which he has invented and carved out of bamboo himself, and Quyen Thien Dac on the baritone, bass clarinet and alto, soprano and tenor saxophones. In a soundscape where so many groups look and sound the same, Mai Khoi and the Dissidents offer something you have never heard before.

Mai Khoi
Mai Khoi is a Vietnamese celebrity, singer and musician. She has been playing music since she was 12 when she was the pianist in a wedding band with her father, a music teacher, in the coastal city of Nha Trang. Drawing on a wide variety of influences, from traditional Vietnamese folk to blues, soul and rock, Mai Khoi seamlessly blends disparate styles, melodies and rhythms. In 2010, Mai Khoi won Vietnam Television song and album of the year awards, the highest awards for song writing in the country. She has toured the US (2016/2014), Europe (2016) and Australia (2015/2017).

Quyen Thien Dac
Quyen Thien Dac is Vietnam’s top jazz musician. Dac learnt saxophone from his father, Quyen Van Minh, who set up the first jazz club in Hanoi after the war. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston and completed a Master in Jazz at The University of Sweden. Dac forges an original and complex sound, bringing the timbre of traditional Vietnamese music to jazz using the baritone, soprano and alto saxophones. Dac is currently involved in many musical projects including the touring internationally acclaimed Vietnamese circus, Lang Toi.

Nguyen Duc Minh
Minh is a versatile multi-instrumentalist proficient in mouth harps, bamboo flutes, scaled bamboo drums, the double-the reed trumpet, the urn drum, the string drum, and many percussive instruments. Minh is known for his propensity to weave hypnotic riffs around evolving melodies, articulating a diverse range of complex emotions from ecstatic joys to abject dejection. Minh has previously toured the United States as part of a competitive US State Department awarded tour.



Tracklist:
01. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Xin Ông (Please, Sir) (6:18)
02. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Chúng Tôi Muốn (We Want) (3:49)
03. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Chuyến Xe (Bus Trips) (6:21)
04. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Trói Vào Tự Do (Cuffed in Freedom) (5:36)
05. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Chị Và Em (Sisters) (6:50)
06. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Trại Phục Hồi Nhân Phẩm (Re-Education Camp) (6:04)
07. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Om Mani (Om Mani) (6:58)
08. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Trái Tim Vô Cảm (Indifferent Beats) (5:04)
09. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Air Drone (Máy Bay Điều Khiển) (6:51)
10. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Tiếng Nói Của Chúng Ta (Our Voice) (3:45)
11. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Em Thành Của Anh (I'm Yours Now) (3:43)
12. Mai Khôi Chem Gio - Làm Gì Để (What to Do) (5:46)