An obscure orchestra and an opera for the dead

Matt Hsu’s Obscure Orchestra has more of an ethos than a sound. A twenty five piece indie band with constantly evolving membership, it began as a solo project by Matt Hsu, whose values and “punk-trained” composition shine through on not one but two new albums released on the same day: Noodle, and Forest Party.

Opera for the Dead (祭歌) is a "contemporary Chinese cyber opera" that explores cultural practices around death and grieving. Guzheng player and in-demand collaborator Mindy Meng Wang and sound artist and composer Monica Lim have teamed up to create a work which features four instrumentalists, a countertenor, electronics and cutting-edge visuals. Andy chats to them about how rituals, improvisation and friendship inform the performance.