????? A Journal of Transform is a multi-media project created by the artist/musician Céli Lee and her band ?(MU). Due out on September 3rd via Entertaining Violence, the soft cover book and album contains 18 graphite drawings by Céli plus 13 dedicated musical compositions by ?(MU). Lee is a Chinese born London-based artist whose work encompasses drawing, sculpture, photography, film, and sound–and ?(MU) finds her joined by fellow musician Sergio Calderón.
Lee’s erotically charged pencil drawings for ??? A Journal of Transform often combine human and animal forms into surreal figures filled with longing and desire, and they come with curious titles like “NOTHING’S AS WILD AS HER DEEP HEART AT SEA,” “SHE CRAVED AND CRAVED AGAIN,” or “LONGING FOR DEVIL’S GAZE.” The accompanying 13-track album was recorded in Tokyo and London between 2017 and 2018, and it finds Lee and Calderón creating searing instrumental work. As a soundtrack for ??? A Journal of Transform, ?(MU)’s multi-genre approach to soundcraft encompasses aspects of jazz, rock, folk, and noise to create a haunting ambiance for Lee’s starkly rendered but voluptuous figuration.
Each physical copy of ??? A Journal of Transform is hand-numbered with unique calligraphy by Céli Lee on the CD cover. Issued in a limited run of 101, as well as a digital download with PDF book and MP3s, orders are availalbe via the art publishing house Entertaining Violence. Below you can view outtakes from the book as well as stream the tracks “WAITING ROOM PERFORMANCE,” “SHE CRAVED AND CRAVED AGAIN,” as well as “FIRST KISS.”
?–WAITING ROOM PERFORMANCE:
https://vimeo.com/283294081
?–SHE CRAVED AND CRAVED AGAIN (Edit):
https://vimeo.com/283294055
?–FIRST KISS
https://vimeo.com/283294024
