Chelsea Factory continues to foster the New York City arts scene with the launch of 2023 Resident Artist Soul Science Lab’s immersive mini festival experience, Make a Joyful Noize. Initially commissioned by Carnegie Hall in 2019 with a 2022 premiere, the three-day, genre-defying festival was the culmination of two weeks of rehearsal and exploration in the historic Chelsea Factory space.
Ashley Jenkins, Mathew Thomas, Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Cinque Kemp, Parker McAllister, David Adewumi, Michael Pallas, DJ Scan. Photo by Lia Chang
Featuring music, film, interviews, spoken word, and dance, the multimedia universe created by Soul Science Lab captured the visceral, contagious energy of Black joy with live events at Chelsea Factory. The inaugural Make a Joyful Noize: A Soul Science Lab Mini Festival at Chelsea Factory was an opportunity to share the full breadth of this multimedia duo’s work through its three main elements: music, film, and education.
Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Cinque Kemp, Parker McAllister, David Adewumi. Photo by Lia Chang
The festival concluded on March 10 with the eponymous live performance, Make a Joyful Noize, combining a live band, vocalists, and visual installations, all celebrating Black joy.
Chen Lo. Photo by Lia Chang
The evening featured Chen Lo (lead vocals/Creative Director), Asante Amin (lead vocals/sax/Musical Director), DJ Scan (DJ/triggers), Cinque Kemp (drums/triggers), Parker McAllister (bass), Michael Pallas (trombone), David Adewumi (trumpet), Mathew Thomas (background vocals), and Ashley Jenkins (background vocals). Carlos DeCastillo serves as visual operator, Carlos Del Castillo serves as video engineer, with Violet Tafari as production manager.
Ashley Jenkins, Mathew Thomas. Photo by Lia Chang
Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Parker McAllister, David Adewumi. Photo by Lia Chang
Chen Lo, Asante Amin, David Adewumi, Michael Pallas. Photo by Lia Chang
Ashley Jenkins, Mathew Thomas, Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Cinque Kemp, Parker McAllister, David Adewumi, Michael Pallas. Photo by Lia Chang
Mathew Thomas, Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Cinque Kemp, Parker McAllister, David Adewumi. Photo by Lia Chang
David Adewumi, Michael Pallas. Photo by Lia Chang
Parker McAllister, Ashley Jenkins, Cinque Kemp, Chen Lo, Asante Amin, Michael Pallas, DJ Scan, Mathew Thomas, Photo by Lia Chang
About Soul Science Lab
Soul Science Lab (SSL) is a music and multimedia duo powered by Chen Lo and Asante Amin. The two are storytellers who inspire the future. SSL is dedicated to creating a celebrated body of work and cultivating the next generation of iconic artists. The duo’s current projects include Soundtrack ’63, Make a Joyful Noize (commissioned by Carnegie Hall), and The Renaissance Mixtape (commissioned by the Apollo Theater). SSL has released three studio albums: Footprints, The Visitor: Alter Destiny, and Plan for Paradise. SSL has also developed a culturally responsive education platform for music creatives and educators at Soul Science University—just call them innovative Afro-futuristic griots.
Lia Chang. Photo by Kalin Ivanov
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer, activist, documentarian and an Award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Lia is also the host and Executive Producer of BACKSTAGE PASS WITH LIA CHANG, an Arts and Entertainment and Lifestyle program that airs on Sundays at 6:30pm on FIOS 34, RCN 83, Spectrum 56/1996 and MNN2.
Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. Her short film, When the World Was Young garnered a 2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young. She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2023 Lia Chang Multimedia, unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang, unless otherwise indicated. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at backstagepasswithliachang@gmail.com.
www.liachang.com, www.liachangphotography.com
Lia Chang Photography 