Photo taken by Arman Dzidzovic, Sharon Lee, and Winston Yeung
Drawing inspirations from minimalism, industrialism, sound art, trance, pop and even classical music, the Hong Kong-based music producer, sound artist, and DJ Alexmalism explores the boundary in between styles and genres. He has performed and deejayed in numerous venues and platforms such as XXX, OIL Club, ALL Club, Sónar Hong Kong 2019, Times Museum, Tai Kwun Contemporary, and NTS Radio.
His first track Sombre was released in the complication Mental Maps by the pan-Asia label Chinabot, and his debut album TKO released on Absurd Trax. Named after Hong Kong’s Tseung Kwan O Bay (known as Junk Bay), TKO a collection of jagged club tracks built on a conceptual framework inspired by David Harvey’s geographies of global capitalism. Alex’s approach is minimalist but ends in maximal results. Throughout the record, he moves through trance, house, and techno, employing pointillistic synth patterns and industrial rhythms. Some tracks are lively and effervescent while others feel murky and grinding, lending to the dualistic nature of ‘TKO’ itself. You get the sense that beneath Alex’s disaffection towards his hometown lies a sliver of reverence.
As an independent researcher, his research interest including the current deconstructed club music scene in East Asia and its network, Hong Kong Underground music scene, and many others music/sound-related topics. As a sound artist, he has exhibited at Para Site, A+ Contemporary, Burning Man by UNPOP, and many other venues. Alex releases his music under the alias Alexmalism and it's available on Bandcamp, Soundcloud.
Since 2022, Alexmalism decided to explore the world of Cantonese pop music, and his eponymous Cantonese electronic pop album "ALEXMALISM" was independently released on streaming platforms. The album showcases his versatility as an artist and his ability to write music that appeals to a broader audience.
Alexmalism 為香港音樂製作人 Alex Yiu 姚少龍的音樂藝名，自2015年從倫敦大學金匠學院修畢音樂碩士回港以來，Alex 便開始活躍於香港地下音樂和藝術場域進行創作和演出，其作品由當代音樂創作至表演藝術包羅萬有。2018年末，他將首張的個人電子音樂專輯《TKO》，帶到去柏林著名的電實驗音樂節 CTM Festival 並於傳奇俱樂部 Berghain 和其廠牌 Absurd Trax 的同伴一同演出。進入二零二二年，Alex 空降粵語流行曲的創作，姚少龍 Alexmalism 的同名粵語電子港流行曲專輯《ALEXMALISM》於二零二二年獨立上架串流平台。
作為聲音藝術家的 Alex Yiu，也曾經在各大小藝術機構如 Para Site、A+ Contemporary 等作展出。
Education(s):
PhD candidate - School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
Master of Music in Sonic Arts - Goldsmiths, University of London
Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Music Composition/Production - Hong Kong Baptist University
Major Exhibitions:
2022-23 "Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III", Taikwun Contemporary, Central, Hong Kong
2019 “Play. Boredom. Worship.” Co-curating with Suze Chan, Tomorrow Maybe, Eaton HK, Jordan, Hong Kong
2018 “Kotodama”, Para Site, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “Sound Form”, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, Centre A, Vancouver, Canada
2016 “What Potions Have I Drunk of Siren Tears”, A+ Contemporary, Shanghai
2016 “At Wit’s End”, Kula-Bazaar, Asia Kula Kula-ring, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju
2015 “Nook Echoes, A Joint Exhibition of Cross-media Arts”, PMQ, Hong Kong
2014 “Yasi * We Friend -- A Cross-Media Response Exhibition to Leung Ping Kwan”, Hong Kong Fringe Club, Hong Kong
Performances/Compositions:
2020 Online streaming concert, E(ar)-Storm | ReNew Vision, New Vision Arts Festival, Hong Kong
2020 Soundtrack for Kit Wan Studios Capsule Collection 20/21 conceptual film
2020 Absurd Trax vs Selam X, “Liminal”, CTM Festival, Berghain’s Säule, Berlin, Germany
2019 “Lush Processes”, Sound Forms 2019, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong
2019 ART AFTER HOURS: HONG KONG VISIONS WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIKING HONG KONG, JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun, Central, Hong Kong
2018 EP “TKO” release concert, HKCR, Foo Tak Building, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “Chinese Hill Billies” (Do not hasten to bid me adieu), Lecture-performance, Para Site, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “UNPOP”, Burning Man 2018, Audio Games Lab, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, Black Rock Desert, NV, USA
2018 “Livecraft”, Steve Hui x Alex Yiu, Twenty Alpha, Foo Tak Building, Wanchai
2018 “Alter Ego”, Fresh Form II, Sound Forms 2018, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai
2018 “Chinese Hill Billies” Lecture performance, Gold Saucer Studio, Sponsored by HKADC, Vancouver, Canada
2017 “You Millions, I Embrace You!” participatory performance in “Proletarian Punk”, Institution for Provocation, Salt Projects, Beijing, China
2017 “Doublé”, multimedia composition, Cycle Music and Art Festival, Gerðarsafn, Kópavogur Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
2017 “Ever Since I Left the CityU”, sound performance, XXX Gallery, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
2017 “You Millions, I Embrace You!”, participatory performance, 100ft. PARK, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
2017 Sonic Anchor #29 Part II & #31, sound performance, Comix Home Base, Hong Kong
2017 “Dance off” by Joseph Lee, sound design/performer, Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series, Black Box Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong
2016- DJ at Hong Kong Community Radio, live stream performance, Hong Kong
2016 “Snark”, Curated by Andre Chan, performer, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
2016 “What Potions Have I Drunk of Siren Tears”, sound performance, A+ Contemporary, Shanghai 2016 “In between the Tropic of Cancer”, sound performance at Tokyo University of Arts, Tokyo
2016 “EXPERIMENTAL SERIES #2”, sound performance, Fringe Upstairs, Fringe Club, Hong Kong
2016 Papay Gyro Nights 2016 Hong Kong, group improvisation, Focal Fair, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2016 “Spaces Traces, Places”, performer, Modern Academy 2.0, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Unit 12, Cattle Deport Artist Village
2016 “noise=noise [] THE HIDDEN []”, audiovisual performance, Multimedia Theatre, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, Hong Kong
2015 “Boundary Music”, Angharad Davies, Rie Nakajima at Whitechapel: Music for Museums”, White Chapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2015 “Practical Vocation” with Francesco Moraca and Serenella Martufi, sound design, The Old Laban Centre, London, United Kingdom
2015 SONIC STRIP: Goldsmiths MMus Degree Show, audiovisual performance, New River Studios, London, United Kingdom
2015 “PureGold 2015”, audiovisual performance, Southbank Centre, London, United Kingdom
2015 “Impression: Fire Dragon Dance” for Chinese Orchestra, CCC & Music Friends, "Chinese Music Impression" concerts, Hong Kong
2014 “Sonic Anchor #16 Fieldwork and Housework”, audiovisual performance, CMHK, Hong Kong
2013 “Hong Kong Composer On Stage”, sound performance, 2013 Chinese Composers' Festival, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Hong Kong
2013 Midday, Quarry Bay” for percussion ensemble, New Generation Concert, RTHK Radio 4, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, Hong Kong
2012 “La Soledad” for viola da gamba, Concert “After Gesualdo”, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, St. Joseph Chapel, Sai Kung
2012 “Here and There” by LeeCat Ho, sound design, Dance Theatre "Self.Explore" by Mary Jane Tang, CCDC Dance Centre Jockey Club Dance Theatre, Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
2010 Graduation Song, The Complaints Choir of Hong Kong, participatory art project
Conferences/Symposiums/Presentations
2020 “Becoming ‘Hong Kong’: Sound and Music of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests”, Research Networking Day, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2018 "An Overview of the Internet-based Underground Post-Genre Club Music and its Translocality: From a Hong Kong Local Perspective", presentation, “Symposium: Underground Music-Making in Hong Kong and East Asia”, Keynote speaker: Prof. Will Straw, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, December.
2016 “Perspective on Sound Arts in Hong Kong”, performance/presentation, Special Program 3 ‘In between the Tropic of Cancer’, Cultural Typhoon 2016 ‘Can You Feel It?: Cultural Intervention in the Globalising Cities’ with Keynote speaker: Prof. Lawrence Grossberg, Tokyo University of Arts, July.
Workshops
2017 Cycle Music and Lab, Modern Academy, participating artist, Spring Workshop, Hong Kong
2017 Munich Biennial – International Biennial Platform Hong Kong (Part 2), participating artist, Connecting Space Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2016 Munich Biennial – International Biennial Platform Hong Kong (Part 1), Connecting Space Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2014 “The Modern Academy”, participant, Goethe-Institut Hong Kong, Hong Kong 2009 The Complaints Choir of Hong Kong, participant, Hong Kong
Fellowships/Prizes
2016 Sonic Transmission Artist Exchange Project, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong
2014 CASH Music Scholarship, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd.
2013 New Generation Concert, First Prize, RTHK Radio 4, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild
PhD candidate - School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
Master of Music in Sonic Arts - Goldsmiths, University of London
Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Music Composition/Production - Hong Kong Baptist University
Major Exhibitions:
2022-23 "Myth Makers—Spectrosynthesis III", Taikwun Contemporary, Central, Hong Kong
2019 “Play. Boredom. Worship.” Co-curating with Suze Chan, Tomorrow Maybe, Eaton HK, Jordan, Hong Kong
2018 “Kotodama”, Para Site, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “Sound Form”, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, Centre A, Vancouver, Canada
2016 “What Potions Have I Drunk of Siren Tears”, A+ Contemporary, Shanghai
2016 “At Wit’s End”, Kula-Bazaar, Asia Kula Kula-ring, Asia Culture Center, Gwangju
2015 “Nook Echoes, A Joint Exhibition of Cross-media Arts”, PMQ, Hong Kong
2014 “Yasi * We Friend -- A Cross-Media Response Exhibition to Leung Ping Kwan”, Hong Kong Fringe Club, Hong Kong
Performances/Compositions:
2020 Online streaming concert, E(ar)-Storm | ReNew Vision, New Vision Arts Festival, Hong Kong
2020 Soundtrack for Kit Wan Studios Capsule Collection 20/21 conceptual film
2020 Absurd Trax vs Selam X, “Liminal”, CTM Festival, Berghain’s Säule, Berlin, Germany
2019 “Lush Processes”, Sound Forms 2019, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, McAulay Studio, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong
2019 ART AFTER HOURS: HONG KONG VISIONS WITH CONTEMPORARY MUSIKING HONG KONG, JC Contemporary, Tai Kwun, Central, Hong Kong
2018 EP “TKO” release concert, HKCR, Foo Tak Building, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “Chinese Hill Billies” (Do not hasten to bid me adieu), Lecture-performance, Para Site, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
2018 “UNPOP”, Burning Man 2018, Audio Games Lab, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong, Black Rock Desert, NV, USA
2018 “Livecraft”, Steve Hui x Alex Yiu, Twenty Alpha, Foo Tak Building, Wanchai
2018 “Alter Ego”, Fresh Form II, Sound Forms 2018, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Wanchai
2018 “Chinese Hill Billies” Lecture performance, Gold Saucer Studio, Sponsored by HKADC, Vancouver, Canada
2017 “You Millions, I Embrace You!” participatory performance in “Proletarian Punk”, Institution for Provocation, Salt Projects, Beijing, China
2017 “Doublé”, multimedia composition, Cycle Music and Art Festival, Gerðarsafn, Kópavogur Art Museum, Reykjavík, Iceland
2017 “Ever Since I Left the CityU”, sound performance, XXX Gallery, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
2017 “You Millions, I Embrace You!”, participatory performance, 100ft. PARK, Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong
2017 Sonic Anchor #29 Part II & #31, sound performance, Comix Home Base, Hong Kong
2017 “Dance off” by Joseph Lee, sound design/performer, Hong Kong Jockey Club Contemporary Dance Series, Black Box Theatre, Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong
2016- DJ at Hong Kong Community Radio, live stream performance, Hong Kong
2016 “Snark”, Curated by Andre Chan, performer, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong
2016 “What Potions Have I Drunk of Siren Tears”, sound performance, A+ Contemporary, Shanghai 2016 “In between the Tropic of Cancer”, sound performance at Tokyo University of Arts, Tokyo
2016 “EXPERIMENTAL SERIES #2”, sound performance, Fringe Upstairs, Fringe Club, Hong Kong
2016 Papay Gyro Nights 2016 Hong Kong, group improvisation, Focal Fair, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
2016 “Spaces Traces, Places”, performer, Modern Academy 2.0, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Unit 12, Cattle Deport Artist Village
2016 “noise=noise [] THE HIDDEN []”, audiovisual performance, Multimedia Theatre, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, Hong Kong
2015 “Boundary Music”, Angharad Davies, Rie Nakajima at Whitechapel: Music for Museums”, White Chapel Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2015 “Practical Vocation” with Francesco Moraca and Serenella Martufi, sound design, The Old Laban Centre, London, United Kingdom
2015 SONIC STRIP: Goldsmiths MMus Degree Show, audiovisual performance, New River Studios, London, United Kingdom
2015 “PureGold 2015”, audiovisual performance, Southbank Centre, London, United Kingdom
2015 “Impression: Fire Dragon Dance” for Chinese Orchestra, CCC & Music Friends, "Chinese Music Impression" concerts, Hong Kong
2014 “Sonic Anchor #16 Fieldwork and Housework”, audiovisual performance, CMHK, Hong Kong
2013 “Hong Kong Composer On Stage”, sound performance, 2013 Chinese Composers' Festival, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, Hong Kong
2013 Midday, Quarry Bay” for percussion ensemble, New Generation Concert, RTHK Radio 4, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild, Hong Kong
2012 “La Soledad” for viola da gamba, Concert “After Gesualdo”, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, St. Joseph Chapel, Sai Kung
2012 “Here and There” by LeeCat Ho, sound design, Dance Theatre "Self.Explore" by Mary Jane Tang, CCDC Dance Centre Jockey Club Dance Theatre, Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong
2010 Graduation Song, The Complaints Choir of Hong Kong, participatory art project
Conferences/Symposiums/Presentations
2020 “Becoming ‘Hong Kong’: Sound and Music of the 2019 Hong Kong Protests”, Research Networking Day, CTM Festival, Berlin, Germany
2018 "An Overview of the Internet-based Underground Post-Genre Club Music and its Translocality: From a Hong Kong Local Perspective", presentation, “Symposium: Underground Music-Making in Hong Kong and East Asia”, Keynote speaker: Prof. Will Straw, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, December.
2016 “Perspective on Sound Arts in Hong Kong”, performance/presentation, Special Program 3 ‘In between the Tropic of Cancer’, Cultural Typhoon 2016 ‘Can You Feel It?: Cultural Intervention in the Globalising Cities’ with Keynote speaker: Prof. Lawrence Grossberg, Tokyo University of Arts, July.
Workshops
2017 Cycle Music and Lab, Modern Academy, participating artist, Spring Workshop, Hong Kong
2017 Munich Biennial – International Biennial Platform Hong Kong (Part 2), participating artist, Connecting Space Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2016 Munich Biennial – International Biennial Platform Hong Kong (Part 1), Connecting Space Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2014 “The Modern Academy”, participant, Goethe-Institut Hong Kong, Hong Kong 2009 The Complaints Choir of Hong Kong, participant, Hong Kong
Fellowships/Prizes
2016 Sonic Transmission Artist Exchange Project, Contemporary Musiking Hong Kong
2014 CASH Music Scholarship, Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong Ltd.
2013 New Generation Concert, First Prize, RTHK Radio 4, Hong Kong Composers’ Guild