Images of Ascension by Dirk Stromberg and Clare Chong with Qush Abdul

The work stems from a discussion with Robert Reigle in 2016, who upon hearing Dirk Stromberg’s Rising Tones, noted from his research how few works truly ascend in pitch. This iteration of the work sees Qush Abdul performing live manipulation of original video content created by Clare Chong.


About Dirk Stromberg (Producer and improvisor)

Dirk Johan Stromberg is an American music technologist, composer, and improviser. His body of work explores the dynamic interaction between performer, technology and performance practice. Designing both hardware and software has led to the development of a variety of interfaces, synthesis techniques, installation works, electro-acoustic instruments, and interdisciplinary production works.

Dirk Stromberg has been developing a number of hardware projects, most notably his Phallophone, an electro-acoustic sensor-based instrument. He is developing repertoire for the instrument with composers around the world, creating his own repertoire, while touring and presenting his work and research as a musician and technologist.

Dirk Stromberg is a founder of the Contemporary Music Festival in Vietnam (Duong Dai Festival, 2007-16) and is currently on faculty at LASALLE College of the Arts. He was formerly on faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, Saigon Technology University and School of the Arts (SOTA), Singapore.

About Clare Chong (Director and visual design)

Clare Chong works with undertones of the mundane. She is concerned with issues prevalent in ordinary life; the wink of an eye, the slight curl of the lips, a twitch in the ears. Her subjects are quiet outcasts of society we don’t pay attention to, and her works challenge means of gazing and observing – To what extent do we impose our preconceived notions, judgements, and opinions onto an image?

Chong works as a film director with works ranging across short films, music videos, documentaries, commercials, experimental films, video art and installation pieces. She is currently signed to Director’s Think Tank. Chong’s works have been showcased at various film festivals, art galleries, events, and talks, but all these are secondary to her wish of making her works accessible to anyone, anywhere. She believes that every film must be created in celebration of a space, of a period in time, and of someone. Every piece is always a letter written to a distant lover.

About Qush Abdul (Live video performance and musical improvisation)

Art and music enthusiast Qush Abdul started out as a musician in the local indie music scene in 2010, having performed small gigs to headlining major music festivals in Singapore and neighbouring countries.

After discovering multi-disciplinary techniques, he went on to explore unconventional methods of approaching music by forming a collaborative audiovisual project, Lost Sessions. Since then, he has devoted himself to deep explorations of art and music through technology. His work comprises electronic, ambient and industrial sounds with audio-reactive, generative visuals.