…and we go East! Further East, to discover the sounds of South Korea and Japan.

On Friday, the 2nd of June, Arsenal of Sounds and its round-the-world journey in music reaches East Asia to encounter and welcome onto the Woolwich Works stage two forward-looking and imaginative acts, The Shilla Ensemble and Yama Warashi.

We will be opening the evening in the Korean Peninsula, where the musicians forming The Shilla Ensemble were born. The group, which blends Korean folk songs (minyo) with court music, dance and more contemporary pieces, has developed an inclusive and in-depth approach towards its country’s tradition. 

This group has a profound and inclusive approach to their country’s tradition and draws inspiration from the culturally rich period of the Shilla dynasty. Led by Hyelim Kim, a daegeum (flute) player, composer, and researcher, The Shilla Ensemble and their Korean heritage serve as an “artistic inspiration for the cosmopolitan environment of the UK”.

While, on the opposite shore of the Sea of Japan, we will meet with the second act of our double-bill show, Yama Warashi, an artistic “vision” that goes beyond a mere music project

Set in motion by Japanese musician and visual artist Yoshino Shigihara, Yama Warashi moves between Japanese folk dance, free-jazz, Afro-infused rhythms and psychedelic arrangements to create something unique, genre-defying and extremely enticing.

The “small mountain spirit” (the English translation of the band’s name) will offer you an entirely new and distinctive way to see, listen to and relate with the Japanese tradition.

On the first Friday of June, meet us at Woolwich Works for an evening of eye- and ear-opening music from the Far East with the Arsenal of Sounds event series, Yama Warashi and the Shilla Ensemble.

– You can get your ticket/s for the event following this LINK –