Málà Project.docVIP

Málà Project 　　If cooking is like composing music， with each ingredient blending into a delicate flavor， coaxed to its fullest through skill and patience， then spicy dishes are the pop and crackle of percussion. Peppercorns hit the tongue like a snare drum， and chilies simmer like timpani. 　　It’s no surprise， then， that the world famous percussion group STOMP would find inspiration at a Sichuan restaurant. The group gathered in August at Málà Project―the restaurant in New York City that is bringing tongue-numbing dry hot pot to local foodies―to tap， ting and kick a celebration to this aromatic style of dish. 　　Luke Cresswell， one of STOMP’s founders and a self-proclaimed fan of Chinese cuisine， spoke to reporters at the promotional event. This summer and autumn saw the group on tour in China， with performances in Beijing and Macao. Since its founding in 1991， STOMP has performed more than 20，000 times in 53 countries. 　　The group’s signature style revolves around using everyday objects， such as brooms， garbage cans， matchboxes and buckets， to create infectious beats. Each percussionist contributes to the movement and theatrics that make up the invigorating performances， and the group holds open auditions to recruit performers for talent and style， regardless of experience. 　　“I started as a street performer，” said Cresswell. “So， I started with sounds that I could find. You see things differently and try to find new uses out of them.” 　　The show’s popularity stems from the human connection to tapping， beating and drumming that seems to be a universal quality， according to the co-founder. Rhythm is “universal and everywhere，” he said. “Whether we’re in Mexico， China， Japan or Thailand， it doesn’t matter. Everybody loves rhythm.” STOMP connects rhythm and humor in a way that is immediately recognizable to anyone， he added. 　　Cresswell said that teaming up with MálàProject felt like a good fit. The restaurant is located near STOMP’s home base， the Orpheum Th