What Happens When A DJ, A Guzheng, A Tabla, And An Oud Share A Stage?

By Ben Liew  •  09 Sep 2026 in Events

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Forget picking between electronic music and traditional instrumentation. SIMBIOSIS wants to throw them all into the same room and see what happens.

Presented by BoboKL and even if., SIMBIOSIS is a 90-minute immersive audiovisual performance bringing together electronic music, live instrumentation, and visual storytelling at BoboKL on 16 and 17 September 2026 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are RM125.

At the centre of it all is a live DJ set from JONNYVICIOUS, joined by Jamie Teng on guzheng, Stan Konnexions on tabla, and Luk Ahmad on gambus/oud, with French live visual artist Arnaud Blondel transforming the space around them.

The result is less a conventional gig and more an audiovisual collision where electronic pulse, acoustic instruments, cultural memory, and live visuals constantly feed into one another.

Electronic Pulse Meets Acoustic Memory

The premise behind SIMBIOSIS is pretty straightforward: don’t put tradition and modernity into separate boxes.

JONNYVICIOUS provides the electronic backbone, bringing the alternative shades of house and techno he’s become known for. Jamie Teng brings the guzheng, an instrument she has studied since the age of nine, while percussionist and producer Stan Konnexions puts tabla at the centre of the rhythmic conversation.

Then there’s Luk Ahmad, whose gambus and oud practice moves between acoustic tradition and electronic exploration.

Rather than having these instruments simply accompany the DJ, SIMBIOSIS positions them as active voices within the performance, creating a dialogue that shifts throughout the night.

Then The Walls Start Moving

Music is only half of the equation.

Arnaud Blondel’s live visuals will turn BoboKL into a constantly shifting environment of colour, texture, and movement, responding to the music and performers in real time.

Blondel, a French videographer and live visual artist who has made Malaysia his home for 16 years, works at the intersection of moving image, music, and space. His Metamorphosis audiovisual series has previously appeared at BoboKL and venues around Kuala Lumpur.

So while the musicians are busy building the sound, the room itself becomes part of the performance.

Five Creative Practices, One Living Thing

SIMBIOSIS brings together five creative practices into a single evolving performance: DJing, guzheng, tabla, gambus/oud, and live visuals.

That combination is the whole point. This isn’t tradition being wheeled onto a contemporary stage for decoration, or electronic music getting a token acoustic flourish. The five elements are designed to interact, shift, and respond to each other as the performance unfolds.

The show runs for approximately 90 minutes, with an intermission, giving audiences a chance to take in what just happened before diving back in.

Consider it a night where the DJ booth, the instruments, and the visuals all get equal billing.

SIMBIOSIS
BoboKL, Kuala Lumpur
16–17 September 2026
⏰ 8:30 p.m.
️ RM125
⏱️ Approx. 90 minutes, with intermission

Get your tickets via CloudJoi.

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