Cal Lyall

Born in Montreal, Cal Lyall studied classical composition and jazz performance in Quebec, eventually moving westward in Canada to teach music and perform. An interest in diverse musical forms led to intense travel and study throughout Southeast Asia and the Subcontinent, including lengthy visits to India, Pakistan and Iran. A visit to Japan in 1998 led to long-term residency in Tokyo, where he is currently active as a sound artist focusing on improvisation, folk music and urban noise. Involved in the arts scene in Japan for over fifteen years, he has organized large-scale performances involving both Japanese and overseas artists, while also remaining a key member of a number of musical groups which have toured both locally and internationally. His musical activities are documented on over 30 albums he has both curated (including three full-length compilations released on medama records in Japan) and contributed to as a writer or musician. As an active curator, he established the monthly Test Tone concert series in 2005 at Tokyo’s SuperDeluxe. Featuring over a thousand distinct artists over its 9 year run, it reached its 100th instalment in 2014. He also performs as a solo artist with a number of distinctive artists, such as Tetuzi Akiyama, Tim Olive, Chihei Hatakeyama, Kelly Churko, Toshio Kajiwara, Yoshio Machida, Government Alpha and Chie Mukai, among others. With an active performance schedule in Japan and past tours through Thailand, Laos, China, Korea and Australia, he also heads up the Subvalent record label and oversees the Tokyo Hub of Jolt Sonic Arts (Australia).