Mikael Hwang (a.k.a. Psients) releases new EP broaching the intersection of science and art

Scientist-turned-artist Mikael Hwang (a.k.a. Psients) today announces Signal, his new EP released on the 16th June 2022, distributed by Universal Music Group. The release date itself was no accident - 16 just so happens to be the number of chromosomes found in yeast - his latest living instrument.

Hwang has been producing electronic music under Psients - a homonym for "science" - for the past three years, completed his first Asia tour in 2019, and the entirety of his musical career is shaped by his decade long experience as a biomedical researcher.

“As a Master's student, I was one of hundreds of researchers investigating the feasibility of delivering controlled bursts of electricity into nerves for therapeutic purposes as part of GlaxoSmithKline's $50 million bioelectroceutical venture. However, developing such a therapy required us to first decode the language of nerves, which sparked my curiosity. They clearly communicate with one another, so what are they saying and what does it sound like?”

Driven by such questions and growing up on basic biology lab practices of culturing microorganisms in Petri dishes, Hwang created Signal to embrace his deep appreciation for the role sound plays within the sciences and other realms of human life.

At the end of May 2022, Hwang exhibited an audiovisual installation as part of Paradise Art Lab’s 2022 festival. “The installation transports viewers into the world of yeast cells, inviting them to imagine what such a place might sound like and how biology might be used in music in the future. An obelisk in the center of the installation houses the hollow LP record. Inside the custom-built record is a proprietary substance that sustains off-white yeast colonies - achieving the illusion of a Petri dish - and above it are a series of lathed grooves that relay audio signals.”





Following the recent success of Signal’s exhibition, Hwang now announces a 4 track EP, sharing the entire immersive event with the world. He hopes its release can help further the scientific development in living instruments.

“While biology or living instruments are unusual topics in music, as our reliance and exploitation of living systems become progressively evident, so will the prominence of works that discuss them. In the future, culture, whether in the form of music, text, or moving images, will likely be battlegrounds for propaganda and countercultural narratives. Signal, and the likes, will hopefully invite timely discussions and scrutiny, preparing us with a language that can help us express and understand the new relationships and definitions we'll have with life.”

A number of fascinating new projects are on the horizon for the Seoul-based artist, which includes plastic-degrading microbes and sound-levitated objects. The recently released EP via his record label, textures, and entertainment agency, Passport Seoul is available to stream online on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.