Cross Wiring with MaomaoYopo | Zabam

Audio-visual performances featuring only live sets by producers in collaboration with visual artists.

This new series, called Cross Wiring, explores a world of ambient, experimental, and hypnotic sounds through audio-visual performances featuring only live sets by producers in collaboration with visual artists.

For the third edition of Cross Wirring, we present you music and visuals from Chinese project MaomaoYopo, which is an improvisational project born from deep friendship and spontaneous creation.

Leonwill, originally from Shanghai and now based in Chengdu, plays saxophone and synth. After studying saxophone in the USA, he started his solo project in 2020. He has known drummer Rabbit Wang (tuzzlw^^) for almost nine years – their bond rooted in friendship before music. In 2023, Leonwill invited Rabbit to record drums for his album. Soon after, they decided to play an improvised set at Steaming Records, a local record store. Without rehearsal or discussion, they created something powerful, leading them to form maomaoyopo as a band. Their name, first a combination of their own names, later grew into its own identity. This recording was also captured live at Steaming Records.

Rabbit Wang, also known as tuzzlw^^, is a drummer from Chengdu. Rhythm flows through him as naturally as breath. Influenced by Travis Barker in his teenage years and later by Jojo Mayer, Richard Spaven, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, and Sunny Murray, he carries their rhythms within him. Without trying to define himself or his direction, he inhabits a space between disorder and silence, creating in the pure present moment.

Joining them is VJ updub from Hong Kong. Without any formal background in arts or design, he was discovered by VJing itself through underground music. In 2017, a DJ friend invited him to be a VJ at a gig after noticing him playing videos at after-parties. He accepted, despite not knowing how to seamlessly transition videos. Searching “VJ software” online, he discovered Resolume, opening the path for him to synchronise imagery and music ever since.

Follow MaomaoYopo:
www.instagram.com/maomaoyopo