Digital Buddha (work-in-progress)
Conceived by Jin Hi Kim
Komungo and Electric Komungo, Jin Hi Kim
Percussion, Lukas Ligeti
Video Mix, Benton-C Bainbridge
Video Mandala, Joel Cadman
“Digital Buddha” begins with a contemplative hypnotic video mandala and the ancient 4th century acoustic komungo that is rooted in Buddhist meditation. Then it gradually moves into a video mix with extraordinary juxtapositions, fast cut swirling images of a deconstructed electric komungo. The show has a range of interlocking and overlapping images and music from quiet contemplation to a romping ecstasy.
On the world’s only electric komungo, Kim processes komungo sound through a personal computer program, blending acoustic, electrified and altered sounds via MIDI foot pedal control of a custom MAX/MSP program. While staying true to the nature of the instrument, her electric komungo solo performances interweave from old timeless mind to space-age blips.
Jin Hi Kim is highly acclaimed as both an innovative komungo (4th century fretted board zither) virtuoso and for her cross-cultural compositions. Her work has been presented on Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Royal Festival Hall (London), Haus der Kulturen der Welt (Berlin), and many significant new music festivals and jazz festivals throughout the USA, Europe, Canada, South America, Russia, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.
Kim’s komungo solo pieces represent an evolution of the instrument into the twenty-first century. She has created the interactive pieces for the world’s only electric komungo and MIDI computer system using MAX/MSP. Kim’s electric komungo solo performances have been presented at Freer Gallery at Smithsonian Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and YTN-TV National Broadcasting in S.Korea. An interview about the electric komungo was broadcast on MBC-TV in conjunction with Korean Traditional Craft Exhibition 2007 at United Nation. Kim was featured on BBC Radio News, The World/Global Hit radio program about the premier of her One Sky , for electric komungo and chamber string orchestra, which was broadcast on KBS TV (S. Korea). Please visit www.jinhikim.com.
