VENDOR – An Unconventional Album Launch With GOODSPACE

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The 13th Floor’s Shamin Yazdani checks out the grand opening of VENDOR by Goodspace– An unconventional album release and interdisciplinary installation reimagining the artist as vendor, album as the menu and music as the meal.

Warning: May contain traces of food puns! It’s a few minutes before 5pm on a Saturday when we pull up on Karangahape Road. The day started with a morning of life admin as open-ended as Mary Poppins’ carpet bag, followed by an afternoon of running errands around the city with a friend. However now it’s time for something a bit different – an album release, hosted in none other than Lim Chhour foodcourt – a popular dining destination and one stop shop for Asian cuisine – and music, apparently?! 

As we wander over, my friend says to me “he has an aura, you’ll see”. He’s talking about Tāmaki Makaurau based artist Jefferson Chen AKA Goodspace, and in a few minutes I’ll discover exactly what I signed up for when I agreed to write about his album launch campaign. We enter the food court, making a beeline for a pop-up in the far-right corner, where the exterior reads ‘VENDOR’  and ‘GOODSPACE’. As we approach the open door, we are immediately greeted by Chen, “Kia ora, welcome!” His manner is calm and gentle, his energy warm and welcoming, his words measured and intentional. He wears an upcycled cap, small delicate braids in his hair, a statement earring hanging from his left lobe and a fun, whimsical outfit (stylish kicks included) which I immediately compliment and he embraces graciously, promptly crediting Nicola Luey who styled him for the occasion. I gaze around the room. It’s a feast for the eyes, garnished with vinyl records, produce crates that hang from the ceiling, hand-written notes from ‘patrons’, a “wall of shame” featuring CCTV style images of Chen’s creative team. Bistro dining tables bear salt and pepper shakers at the centre, paper menus and one blown up menu behind where Vendor Chen stands. The space is small, maybe six by six, and makes for a unique setting for a listening party, the vulnerability of which is hard to overlook but Chen surely embraces. 

Today is day one of a week-long activation ahead of the release of Goodspace’s latest project ‘Let’s Talk About Death’. To mark the occasion, Chen adopts the allegory of the Vendor. For Chen, this concept has been brewing in tandem with the album for some time; paying homage to Asian cultures, the immigrant hustle, and the space that has been home to many moments, memories and feeds: Lim Chhour foodcourt. Reaching for and offering us a menu each, Chen explains that the songs are the dishes and we have a 10 course meal to look forward to.

My friend and I settle at a table. Over the next 30-something minutes we journey through a myriad of sonic textures and flavours, a testament to Chen’s diverse palate and influences. I listen carefully, paying attention to the nostalgic effervescence of playful melodies, burgeoning soundscapes and vocal stacks. I instinctively identify tasting notes and pairing potential. For instance, if you like The Strokes, perhaps you will enjoy She Don’t Need You. If you appreciate the melodic complexity, rhythmic innovation, and genre blending of a British sonic aesthetic, I recommend sampling Kicking Stones, Miss, Bit by Bit, Looking Down On Myself, and Soap Dish, for their nod to Radiohead, Zero7, The Kooks, The Beatles, Massive Attack and Arctic Monkeys. As we digest each song, it’s not hard to recognise that while the album title and track names largely imply a heavy overtone, the soundscapes offer a light playfulness, making for a charming duality that goes down smoothly. 

After the session, Chen thanks us for joining in the group dining experience, and I thank him for sharing his creations. Crafting a body of work and releasing it to the world is no small feat, but to sit through and bear witness to strangers’ consuming it in such an intimate setting is truly a vulnerable and inspiring undertaking! Before setting off, Chen and I chat briefly, connecting over music and influences. He asks if I’m an artist too, and what I’m working on. I guess a seasoned chef can always sense when something is cooking. 

Shamin Yazdani

ShaminShamin is an Iranian New Zealander and multi-hyphenate creative engaged in storytelling across diverse mediums and platforms. She began her professional journey in the UAE and London, steadily advancing to creative producing in broadcast television. Shamin’s contributions in film and creative direction have featured on various platforms and publications including BBC World News, Vogue Arabia, Elle Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, The Gulf Film Festival, MENA Film Festival, London Shubbak Festival and more.

Let’s Talk About Death is available to stream and on orange vinyl LP from 5 Oct.

 

Shamin Yazdani
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