Siwilai hosts weekender exploring Jazz Kissa & listening culture in Bangkok
The programme includes the Jazz Kissa book launch, listening sessions, a panel talk & OJAS' new Klipsch collaboration
Siwilai, in collaboration with ERG Media, is running a three-day programme named A Celebration of Sound from July 24-26 at Siwilai Sound Club, timed to the Southeast Asian launch of the book Jazz Kissa: The Soul of Japanese Listening Culture.
Jazz Kissa refers to Japan's listening cafés and bars, spaces built around vintage audio systems, large speakers and curated vinyl collections.
For generations these cafés have operated as places for discovering and preserving records, often run independently and sustained by small, dedicated communities.
The book documents this ecosystem through more than 300 photographs by Katsumasa Kusunose, alongside a foreword by Devon Turnbull of OJAS, and is published by ERG Media.
The programme is built around three figures who each approach sound culture from a different angle, spanning publishing, photography and audio engineering.
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Kusunose is a Japanese photographer who has spent over fifteen years photographing Jazz Kissa interiors and the people who run them. Ted Gushue founded ERG Media in 2017, growing it from a media and production company into a publishing house covering luxury, automotive, fashion and lifestyle subjects.
Turnbull's OJAS, a New York based audio practice known for handcrafted high-fidelity systems, also debuts the limited edition Klipsch + OJAS kO-R2 loudspeaker at Siwilai Store, where a dedicated Listening Room will remain open to the public until August 9.
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OJAS already supplies the sound system at Siwilai Sound Club through its 816 speakers, and a separate OJAS x NNNN ON4 system at Siwilai Radical Club.
The programme opens Friday, July 24, with sets from GodDam and Pam Anantr alongside Siwilai's in-house residents.
Saturday, 25 July, includes a panel discussion with Kusunose, Turnbull and Gushue on listening culture and sound-focused spaces, followed by listening sessions guided by Pinkmoon, Turnbull and Endo Nao.
Sunday, 26 July, closes the weekend with sets from Nuglengbar, Oh Piyatat and DJ Mod.
Entry to all events is free, and the Jazz Kissa book will be available throughout the weekend.
Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.
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