CommonGraySense

Back from the Dead

2005-12-12T03:53:00.000-08:00

It has been really ages since I posted anything here. Maybe I was too lazy... Anyway, went through my archive and found this unpublished article on Eyes Adrift. Nothing great but...whatever. Just feel like sharing. If I'm not mistaken, this article was written sometime in 2002, maybe. Anyway...

“They want the next Nirvana, they want the next Sublime and they want something like that. Well. We are not giving them that and we never promised them that.”

APART from all the new bands that made into the headlines last year like The Vines and Nickelback, there are actually three new bands that is really worth to look forward to –Audioslave, Eyes Adrift and Zwan.
And this is simply because these bands are made of people who used to play in legendary 90s bands from the likes of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden (Audioslave); Smashing Pumpkins, Slint and Chavez (Zwan); Nirvana, Sublime and the Meat Puppets (Eyes Adrift).
In short, these bands are what many fans and critics would call as supergroups.
“Yeah we came from super bands and we are some super musicians. But when I hear the word supergroup, I hear a contrive effort.
“You know something that was thought out like ‘Let’s go rip the people off and make a lot of money’. And that’s not what we are. If it was, we’d be at a major label,” explained Bud Gaugh, Eyes Adrift drummer in our chat with him recently.
He’s one third Eyes Adrift, a band that also includes Curt Kirkwood, formerly of the band Meat Puppets and Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic.
Gaugh himself is an alumnus of LA’s ska-punk trio Sublime. Without having to further explain, we are pretty sure that many will agree that the three has a resume that would make any budding musicians turns green.
“You know, it kind of hurt my feelings to hear the word supergroup,” he added.
Okay, we got your point.
Apart from that Gaugh was very talkative and witty. Well, he should as despite the harsh reviews it received for its hard-to-be-pigeonhole brand of music, it didn’t stop the band’s self-titled debut album from shifting copies.
“I seriously think that these people they need to go to the psychiatrist and beg for help. They want the next Nirvana, they want the next Sublime and they want something like that.
“Well. We are not giving them that and we never promised them that [laugh]. So if they want to hear something that they’ve probably heard before, they can listen to all the Nirvana or Sublime or the Meat Puppets cover bands [laugh].”
Which lead us to the band’s music. If Audioslave and most probably Zwan took the easy way (follow what the band’s key person says), Eyes Adrift music direction is more democratic.
There’s a hint of Meat Puppet’s alt-country tinged turns epic jam (Pasted), a bit of straightforward rock (Alaska), a bit of jazz and fusion (Sleight of Hand). Despite the diversities, none of the song sound forced. Everything like Gaugh puts it, “Is working out really cool.”
Having fan base made of three America’s most important modern rock bands also helps according to Gaugh.
“It’s been pretty well mixed. At our shows we see a lot of our previous bands T-shirts out there. We’ll see a lot of old album covers of our previous bands. Probably more Nirvana and Meat Puppets fans cause they sold more albums than Sublime [laugh].
“We’ve done two tours around the US and I’ve seen a lot of similar faces from our first tour at our second time around shows. So the people are staying for the music and they are coming out again and they are buying our albums. I think it’s good as we are getting our point across.”

Funk Soul Brothers: Black Dog Bone

2005-02-08T01:24:00.000-08:00

The piece on Black Dog Bone was published in Malay Mail on Jan 3, 2004

ANY music enthusiast can brag that he knows so much about the origin of rock `n roll - like how Jackie Brenston's debut album, Rocket 88 in 1951 is credited as the first rock `n roll record.
But wouldn't it be more credible if you know the fact that Mike Ibrahim dengan the Night Walkers recorded the song Cuk Cuk Kundong; or Indonesia's Guruh Gypsy's self-titled album in 1975 is considered as one of the finest in Asian prog-rock history; or how important Singapore's Black Dog Bone is to the development of the local music industry.
The younger generation might not feel much about this. Perhaps, the closest they would know about Black Dog Bone is the band that first recorded Khayalan, which was recently re-recorded by Ruffedge and became quite a hit a couple of months back.
By the way, did you know that Khayalan is also a cover version of Earth Wind and Fire's Fantasy?
If you didn't know all this (now you do), you might not know what you were missing.
Black Dog Bone's (fondly known as BDB) debut album Sindir-Sindir Sayang in 1976, was one part of the turning point of the development of music-making particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. That's how important BDB is.
The band recently released Reunion, a compilation featuring remakes of its classics like Khayalan, Nasi Goreng, Geram, Joget Bujang Di Rantau and Relax.
And tomorrow night, the band will be performing at Planet Hollywood for a special one-off showcase. This is BDB's first official show in Malaysia since its `retirement' in 1981.
The beginning of the band goes back as far as the early 70s in Singapore (which was in a transition period from being the capital of both the film and music industry then).
At that point, the domestic music industry was in an unproductive period. Most of the radio hits were supplied by imported music from Indonesia (remember Emillia Contessa, Wiwiek Abidin, D'Mercys, D'loyd or even the all-women nasyid band El-Suraya?).
Then, along came a bunch of similar-minded musicians who decided to get together and form a band.
"Honestly, we never planned to become a recording act. When guitarist Izzar Masrom (Razzi M) offered me to join his band our intention was to mainly do the club circuit," Black Dog Bone's drummer and vocalist Jatt (original name Tahir Ali) said during an exclusive phone conversation with Buzz recently.
Together with Masron Ali, (trumpet, valve trombone), Hamid Ahmad (bassist), James Chai (flute and saxophone) and Michael Heng (keyboards), the yet to be named band did their time performing at Chinese clubs, sometimes backing up Hong Kong and Taiwanese singers who came down for a visit.
"We didn't have a specific name during the first year. Only when we hired a manager, the late Sunny Goh, we started to use the name Black Dog Bone. He just decided on it and we just kept it!" Jatt continued.
At the same time, fellow musician and immediate friend S. Atan was offered a job as the artiste and repertoire personnel with Tony Wong Company (Pte) Ltd (S). Atan saw the band's potential and offered them a recording deal.
"Since we were more of a club band, we didn't really have that much time to concentrate on writing our own music. Atan basically did everything for us. We just went to the studio and record. That's why most of the songs on our debut album were mainly covers, while some are Atan's own compositions," Jatt said.
"As for the musical direction of BDB, Atan suggested that since we had a brass section and our major influence was mainly Motown music from bands like Earth Wind and Fire, the Commodores and Tower of Power, maybe we should go for funk."
Despite the lack of originality, such musical style was something totally new for Malaysian and Singaporean ears.
As a result, Sindir Sindir Sayang became a huge hit with catchy songs like Bila Rindu, Bibir and Relax.
"We were astounded when we found out that the album, in a way, ended the domination of Indonesian bands like the Favourite Group and D'Lloyd. Everyone was raving about BDB. The funny thing was, because there was not much exposure in the print media then, no one really knew that BDB was actually a Singaporean band," he laughed.
Beyond the commercial success, Sindir-Sindir Sayang also jump-started the domestic music industry back to life.
"We could see that things started picking up even faster after we released our third album. Still, it was rather a small pool and everyone came from one company - EMI."
He also recalled that during those days, BDB even did the backing vocals for upcoming artistes like the late Sudirman Arshad, Anita Sarawak, Gaya Zakry and Sharifah Aini.
When S. Atan moved to EMI, BDB also followed. With EMI, the band released another six successful albums - Si Gadis Ayu, Khayalan, Dulu dan Sekarang, Diganggu Kenangan, Bahagia dan Derita and their last album Diskorama. The last one was released in 1980.
Songs like Khayalan, Gadis Ayu, Geram, Nasi Goreng and their disco remix of Kwek Mambo are now considered classics, while Cahaya Di Aidil Fitri of course has become one of the Hari Raya staples until today.
What is so significant about Khayalan?
"We were inspired to record Khayalan when were playing at a club in Amsterdam called Moulin Rogue. We played there for about six months and that time Fantasy was a big hit there. So when we got back, we told Atan that we wanted to record the song," he recalled.
After Diskorama, things were no longer the same in the band. With the emergence of disco, and the fact that 70s pop funk was considered passe, the band members were in dispute over their musical direction.
"There were a lot of conflicting ideas. The music scene was changing at that time, and people were heading towards a more disco direction. Some of us did not want to go there. To preserve our friendship, we decided that it would be best if we retired. I'd consider that as the lowest point of our careers," Jatt said.
Band leader, Razzi M was the first to go and Jatt then followed suit to go solo.
Officially the band was disbanded in 1981 but according to Jatt, after he left, the band (which had a new line-up) was still active playing at club circuits.
Jatt also released a solo album, Merpati Putih in 1983 but without the rest of Black Dog Bone, it wasn't as `magical'. That album flunked and Jatt went on hiatus (to the mainstream music fraternity, at least).
He was actually alive and good at the club circuit. He was performing with Hard Attack (70s rock band) up till 1993 before playing another band called Rockerfella up to 1998.
And the most recent, Jatt sang in a band called Black Sweet Hunters (a band which features members of two other big Singapore bands in the 70s - Sweet Charity and Lovehunters).
The rest of the gang were also doing their own thing. Hamid and Masron are still active playing the club circuit, while James is now a sound engineer.
Razzi M currently runs his own music outfit Razzi M Production. The only member who is not involved with the music scene is Michael - he works for a freight company.
BDB's reunion was originally supposed to happen in 1996 but due to Jatt's problems with the religious authority - he was banned for a year by the `music fraternity' following his `tangkap basah' case with an actress, who later became his wife. (They are now divorced, by the way).
"It's the fans. They are the ones who've been persuading us to make a comeback," Jatt said of the band's reunion.
"After all, I also think that it is the right time for a reunion. Since everyone is going retro nowadays, you know, going back to the 70s and 80s, we might as well catch up. We don't know how the trend is going to be in 2005, so we better do it now."
Since BDB's upcoming reunion show and compilation are meant for the band's fans, they hoped for nothing else but the ultimate satisfaction from all sides.
"I think the expectations from our fans for this upcoming performance are very high. I know most of them are quite curious on stuff like `can they still pull it off?' or `Can Jatt sing Khayalan like he did before?'.
"I can tell you now that it's a tough song to sing at this age!" Jatt laughed.
Being in the same form as they were during their peak or not, Jatt however assured that BDB fans would definitely get something from the gang - a `one hell of a down the memory lane show!'.

The Black Dog Bone Discography
1976 Sindir-Sindir Sayang (Tony Wong Company (Pte) Ltd (S))
Notable tracks: Bila Rindu, Bibir and Relaks
1977 Si Gadis Ayu (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: Gadis Ayu and Hatiku Luka Lagi
1978 Khayalan (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: Khayalan
1978 Dulu dan Sekarang (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: Dulu Dan Sekarang
1979 Di Ganggu Kenangan (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: -
1980 Bahagia dan Derita (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: -
1980 Diskorama (EMI Music)
Notable tracks: Kwek Mambo and Minyak Urutan

It Boils Down to Desire: Why do you play in a band?

2005-02-08T01:16:00.000-08:00

The piece was published in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on June 2, 2004.

HOLD on. Before you decide to pick up an instrument and make music, ask yourself this question - why?
Are you going to do it because of your love for music, or just because you want to be a part of the `allure' of the entertainment industry?
Whatever your reason, if you couldn't find the right answer, you might find yourself (or your band) being plagued by one big complication - the problem of not doing anything - just like what most of our good local acts in the independent music scene are struggling with right now.
Just imagine. We are now reaching the second half of 2004, but how many local releases have we seen so far?
Well, very few. Even when new bands are popping up almost everyday.
Yes, it's a cliche when we talk about how good the independent English music scene was back then compared to now. But seriously, that's the fact.
There was a time where you can easily get at least two releases by local bands in a month.
Back then, pioneering bands like Carburetor Dung, Naked Butterfly and many others had to struggle to put out their music.
With a whole lot more obstacles to go through and an almost non-existent audience, the bands marched on and went against the odds regardless what the outcome was.
Why you ask? Because they knew and understood why they were playing in a band in the first place.
Then look at the independent English music scene today.
A decent demo can be recorded in your bedroom; information on music is just a click away; almost everyone has access to `good music' and most importantly, the masses are more receptive towards this so-called `fringe' music.
Apart from all these privileges, today's independent English music scene is short of two important things - productivity and sad to say, originality.
The local independent music scene is in its 17th year and how far has it progressed? The answer depends on which angle you are looking at.
If you are talking about the level of `reception' from the masses, well, there's a category for Best Local English Album and Best New Local English Artiste in our Anugerah Industri Muzik. That should say a lot.
If you are talking about the number of recording companies that `promote' independent music, there are a lot, right from the major labels to the smallest independent labels.
As for the range of music influences, someone in a place as remote as Batu Pahat or Bukit Kuin are listening to the most unknown band in the UK. So things must be really good.
Gigs? Almost every weekend there'd be one.
Music publications? Well, they have taken over the role of the photocopied pages of fanzine and is now more glossy and `trendy'.
Content? More pictures because editors these days believe that readers prefer to see rather than read.
So, are all this something that the independent English music scene should be proud of?
Now let's ask ourselves a few questions.
Have we seen a band that we can really be proud of?
Do we have a record label that puts out `noteworthy' releases by our local bands regularly?
Do we have a thoughtful music magazine that writes about all these bands?
Do we have a record store where we can purchase all the good albums?
Do we have venues where bands can perform with decent equipment and get paid for it?
The answer for all the questions above would be no and almost.
Seventeen years and it looks like the independent English music scene hasn't learned anything much.
We've complained about how the masses are being exposed to the second-grade imitation of MTV rock music.
But can you blame these `bands' when they actually make the effort to be visible.
While many of those who are `concerned' complain, these bands are actually doing something about themselves.
We are talking about mediocre bands that have songs played on radio or albums reviewed by the print media. Do you think that happened out of the blue? Hell no!
Marketing may be a sinful word in the independent scene but what's the point of forming a band, writing your own songs, investing your hard-earned cash on albums or EPs or demos when it will only be heard by 200 people?
Well-written band biographies and Press releases, decent promo shots and other related materials are essential. Do local bands have all these? Rarely.
Only few local bands are equipped when it comes to all these things. Damn Dirty Apes and LYME are good examples (and how coincidental some of the band members of these groups are not Malaysian).
Despite the lack of commercial value in their music, these bands went out of their way to promote their releases.
It's not mindless fame-seeking or self-promotion but the understanding of the fact that good effort must be put in.
Come to think of it it, the approach taken by our local independent English music bands is more or less the same as how the major labels (yes, the one that they hated for not doing justice to the band they signed) are treating their products.
You could hardly find good independent bands in Malaysia, who talk confidently about themselves and the music they are making. But when an `average' band talks that way, it would be dismissed as an act of self-indulgence. How amusing.
When it comes to this, the local Chinese independent faction deserves a standing ovation.
Despite all the limitations, the bands have an active recording label (Soundscape Production) and they are currently working on their own magazine and have been organising high- profile events.
Would they receive the same kind of acknowledgement as the English independent music-makers would? No.
Then why bother going through all the hassles?
Like what the father figure of the local independent music scene, Joe Kidd wrote in Blasting Concept back in 1995 of his conversation with Ian MacKaye:
"It all boils down to whether you really want to make it happen or to just keep on dreaming about it. It's within your grasp, no excuses."

Ipoh Independent Music Scene

2005-02-02T01:07:00.000-08:00

The piece on the Ipoh's independent music scene was published in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on Dec 15, 2004.

MENTION the Malaysian fringe music scene and you may only be familiar with bands from the Klang Valley.
These bands are very fortunate that they get exposure in the media, which can help promote their music.
If they're industrious and resourceful enough, they may even get their big break.
But what if they live in Johor Baru, Kuching, Ipoh or Alor Star? The chances of them being heard are very slim unless they move to KL. This is the situation of many good local bands in the independent music scene.
The bands in Ipoh are a good example. Throughout the years, the music scene up north has been producing one good band after another. But despite the glowing praises, they rarely get the attention they deserve.
Their presence can only be felt when they perform at Paul's Place in Damansara Uptown or appear on 8TV's Late - which are rare - and get written about in fringe publications.
Radio airplay? It's almost non-existent. Hopefully, with the emergence of Xfresh FM - the radio station that champions local music - Ipoh bands can finally get heard by the masses.
Below the Radar feels it's prime time to highlight one of our most active creative music scenes and give these bands and scene movers their long overdue attention.
Like most of the local independent music scenes, metal was the first form of fringe music that really gained popularity.
According to a seasoned Ipoh indie music enthusiast, the scene only started somewhere around 1988 with bands like Glottis (which later changed its name to Necrotic Chaos) and Warhead.
Another pioneering band, Brain Dead, though from another Perak district, Taiping, would always make the trip to Ipoh to hang out, trade tapes, magazines and fanzines.
Towards the `90s, more bands emerged, notably Profane Creation and Vociferation Eternity.
Also emerging at the same time were punk-driven bands like Disaster Funhouse, Skinning Pit, Nothing, Skinbashers, Pet Hate Minors (which then changed its name as Couple) and Muck. Oh, not forgetting the short-lived, all-female poppish punk combo, Spellbound.
In 1995, the Ipoh independent music scene hosted one of its biggest showcases at a cinema-turned-skate park, Dynasty, to a full-house audience.
Bands from other states like Penang and KL joined forces with Ipoh's very own, Skinning Pit and Nothing.
The following year saw another big scale independent music fest being held.
Dubbed as Ipoh Mega Blaster, the show went on for nine hours with 16 bands performing.
As we reached the late `90s, more and more bands of various music styles started to emerge notably Bloody Mary, Toxin 99%, Head Cleaner, Fat Flat, Soma, Boneless Mahoney and Ninecities.
But one of the most important events in the development of the Ipoh independent music scene in the `90s was the establishment of Bodysurf Music (run by members of Muck, which by then has become Ipoh's premier indie rock outfit).
Since its formation in 1997, it has been actively organising gigs and releasing recorded materials from Perak-based bands notably its Kopi Sechewen compilation series (Volume 1 was released in 1997, Volume 2 in 2001 and Volume 3 in 2003).
Speaking of compilations, the other two important documentations of the Ipoh/Perak independent scene would be Crashover Records' Silverstate Punk/HC compilation in 2001 and BARA a.k.a. Breaking Ground 2 compilation in 2002.
In this new millennium, Ipoh's independent music scene has somehow become the country's capital for indie rock led by its finest sons, Muck.
Couple, which has since relocated to KL, has been getting rave reviews within the international power-pop circuit with their playful and experimental brand of lo-fi pop.
Newer bands like Free Love, Bittersweet, Harmacy, Scandel 26, Elisebelle Tears and Neighbours Coma, not only continue the melodious legacy they pioneered, they have also improved it by marrying it with fresher sounds.
To keep tabs on the latest happenings there, Below the Radar's Ipoh correspondent, Jay from the band Free Love, recently sent us an update on the active bands back home.
If you feel that our local independent acts are trying too hard to sound like all the successful international radio-friendly bands, give these bands a chance to be heard. Perhaps that could change your current perception of local fringe music.

MUCK
File Under: Indie rock/lo-fi
One of the pioneers and prime movers of the Ipoh indie scene, Muck made its mark in the local independent music scene with its second demo, Blastosit in 1996 (its debut, Bitch Sounds was released the previous year). Formed by brothers, Myo and Ducktoi in 1994, the band was inspired by the lo-fi/indie-rock sounds of bands like Dinosaur Jr, Modest Mouse, Pavement, Sonic Youth and Sebadoh.
Despite being consistently active in the gig circuit, the band's music was never documented in the form of an album or EP. Instead, its songs could only be found in notable compilations like Kopi Sechewen (1997), Underworld Chronicles (1998), Silverstate Punk/HC (2001), Breaking Ground (2001) and BARA a.k.a. Breaking Ground 2 (2002).
Finally, after more than eight years together, Muck churned out its first `proper' release, a split album with UK's dark and brooding lo-fi combo, Things in Herd. It was worth the long wait though, as the album captured the band at its finest and is regarded as one of the best in the
history of local independent music.
Those who are planning to make a trip up to Ipoh, feel free to pay the band a visit at their studio in Wallercourt. (Don't worry, the guys in Ipoh are friendly, fun-loving and nice).

* Contact them at: trademuck@email.com
* Or visit: www.trademuck.tk or www.myspace.com/muck

COUPLE
File Under: Power pop/lo-fi
Started out as Pet Hate Minors in 1995, the band released its first EP, In Love in 1996. Despite its quality, the EP received glowing reviews from local music enthusiasts for its sense of urgency and frontman, Aidil's knack for sweet melodies.
After a short hiatus, (Aidil went to the UK to study Law), the band re-emerged in 2001 as Couple. The name change didn't seem to affect its music; in fact, Couple took off where it left off and bettered it.
Couple has released three critically acclaimed EPs, Turning Melancholy to Magic, Telegrams from the Heart and Listening to the Pop. This year, the band re-recorded eight songs from its EPs and two new songs and released them in its debut album, Punk Rock for Sissies.
The album somehow made its way into the international power pop circuit and the band was rumoured to have gained the attention from Not Lame Recordings (the biggest power pop label in the world) for a possible deal. This year, the band launched its Pet Projects, an independent collective cum record label. To date, it has released EPs by bands like Lucy in the Loo and Bittersweet.

* Contact them at: encik_aidil@hotmail.com
* Or visit: www.couple.8k or www.myspace.com/couple

FREE LOVE
File Under: Indie rock/lo-fi
Inspired by bands like Sebadoh, Modest Mouse, Superchunk, 764-Hero and Sonic Youth, Free Love started out as a creative outlet for former Bloodymary band member, Jay.
Now a full unit, Free Love comprises the frontmen and frontwoman from Muck, Bittersweet and Lucy in the Loo (occasionally Smek from post rock quartet Sgt. Weener Arms will help them out with the synthesiser).
With a reputation as one of the fun-to-watch live acts, Free Love also excels in its musical department as can be heard on its song Indie Rock Darling (the only song that has been recorded so far) that was featured on 2003's Kopi Sechewen 3 compilation.
The band is currently working on an EP and until it's released, let's hope that it will live up to its expectations.

* Contact them at: freelovefree@hotmail.com
* Or visit: www.myspace.com/freelove

BONELESS MAHONEY
File Under: Garage pop
How to describe its music? Well, imagine a mixture of Swedish garage poppers, the Drowners meet the groovy bass lines of the Rentals and distorted guitars from Ozma. One of the longest surviving bands in Ipoh's scene, the quartet has appeared in various compilations such as Breaking Ground 2 a.k.a. BARA, The Silverstate Punk/HC and Kopi SeChewen Vol 3.

* Contact them at: boneless_buddy@yahoo.com

ELISEBELLE TEARS
File Under: Emo rock/screamo
Formed by former members of Fat Flat, the quintet will rock any stage given to them. To date, these emo rockers have one EP, Miracle Happens Once and were featured on Kopi Sechewen Vol 3. Have also appeared on 8TV's Latte and was said to have a big following in Singapore.

* Contact them at: elisebelle_tears@email.com
* Or visit: www.myspace.com/elisebelletears

HARMACY
File Under: Indie rock
They're young and they rock harder than any MTV pop punk-boy band wannabes out there. From the slacker-pop guitar riffs to the melancholic vocal styles of J Mascis, these boys are definitely one of the bands to look out for in the near future.
You can check out its music on Kopi Sechewen Vol 3 or better yet, wait for its debut EP which is currently in the final stages of mixing and editing and probably will soon be available.

* Contact them at: harmacyrock@yahoo.com
* Or visit: www.myspace.com/harmacy

FLICKA
File Under: Post grunge
Don't let the word post-grunge chase you away as Flicka is not your Pearl Jam or Nirvana wannabes. Grunge in their context came from bands like Seaweed, The Posies and Love Battery. The band has released a demo, For Sheila in 2003 and a song in Kopi Sechewen Vol 3.

* Contact them at: flicka_folks@yahoo.com

THE SWEETEST THINGS
File Under: Emo/pop punk
Fans of The Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effects and Jimmy Eat World will definitely dig the band's music. The band has one song featured on the Kopi Sechewen Vol 3 compilation and is said to have finished recording its debut EP.

* Contact them at: tst_band@hotmail.com

BITTERSWEET
File Under: Brit rock/pop
A new band fronted by Herry who is also the drummer of Free Love (also a former member of The Hans). Having the best elements of the Stone Roses and the Cure in its music, the band recently released its debut EP, Something Much Greater to positive reviews.

* Contact them at: ten_storey@hotmail.com
* Or visit: www.myspace.com/bittersweet

SHIZUKA
File Under: Indie pop
A catchy pop band with fun-loving attitude and a great sense of humour. Musically, it will ring a bell with fans of the Lemonheads, Better than Ezra and Goo Goo Dolls.
Under its belt, the band has released a split EP in 2002, contributed two songs in Kopi Sechewen Vol. 2 and one song in The Silverstate Punk/HC compilation. They have been in hiatus for a while but will be more than happy to come out of it, if they're invited to play.

* Contact them at: shizuka3@email.com

THE HANS
File Under: Brit pop
Heavily influenced by Suede, the band has contributed a song in Kopi Sechewen Vol. 3 compilation. Still early to tell what lies ahead but they're definitely loaded with potential.

* Contact them at: thehans@goatmail.com
* Or visit: www.myspace.com/thehans

SUKA NO. 23
File Under: Indie pop
Musically, it's heavily influenced by bands like Radiohead, Asian Kung-fu Generation, Glay and lots of Indonesian bands (according to them). The group sing in Bahasa Malaysia and is said to be better than any Malay pop-boy-band around.
Currently busy recording its self-produced home-recording demo.

* Contact them at: suka_no23@yahoo.com

Steam Kodok

2005-01-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

Sometime last year, I came across this compilation by accident when I was searching for local mp3s on the net. Initially I thought it's a homemade compilation because of the title, Steam Kodok but after doing some research I found out that it was an actual compilation did by a Dutch indie label called Grey Past Records. After looking high and low for any possible ways for me to get in touch ith people from the label, I came across an email address of a guy called Andy Warhoofd. Dropped an e-mail and only three weeks later, I received his reply. Based from the short Q&A, I decided to write a feature on Steam Kodok. The piece was published in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on May 19, 2004.

HAVE you ever walked into a bookstore to find an encyclopedia of Malaysian music? Or have you ever tried to find a decent section on Malaysian music in music stores?
Don't crack your head because the answer is, you can't find one!
In this country, music is almost never taken seriously. More attention is paid to the juicy tidbits regarding the mischief artistes get up to, and how much money they make.
In general, music is seen as only for entertainment purposes or even worse, as a mindless way to waste time and money.
Don't believe it?
Just ask any of your friends who claim to be music enthusiasts, questions like who was the first Malaysian recording artiste and what's the title of his or her album?
If they have the right answer, please ask them to drop me an e-mail.
Sadly, no one seems to have documented and preserved the factual evidence of the origins of popular music in this country. A part of our national heritage may have been lost forever.
Well, maybe except for Andy Warhoofd, the mastermind behind Steam Kodok: 26 A-Go-Go Ultra-rarities from the '60s Singapore and South East Asia Underground compilation.
Released late last year, the compilation features songs by groups like Mike Ibrahim and the Nite Walkers, Kassim Slamat and the Swallows, Rosnah and the Siglap Five, Naomi and the Boys, the Quests and a lot more artistes that not many of us have ever heard of.
The best part about the compilation is that it was not a Malaysian effort, but by Grey Past Records, a small independent label in Holland!
Oh, to set the record straight, Andy Warhoofd is not Malaysian. He's Dutch and has never been to this part of the world. (by the way, for those who don't know, Singapore was still part of Malaysia until 1965).
Now how does it feel to have a foreigner come out with a Malaysian compilation? And who the hell is this Andy Warhoofd guy?
Outside his close-knit circle, not much is known about Warhoofd. When contacted via e-mail, his answers were elaborated via his close acquaintance, MJ Coumans.
According to Coumans, Warhoofd's fascination for these forgotten music legends started 10 years ago thanks to his curiosity about the disappearance of Dutch rock `n roll music in 1968.
For the last 10 years, he has been collecting obscure Dutch garage beat and psychedelic music and along the way, he released a string of compilations like the Biet Het series, Jeugdzonden (Youth Sins) - (a compilation of early releases of now big Dutch stars) and Waterpipes and
Dykes (a compilation of Dutch psychedelic unknown legends).
Warhoofd also wrote a lot of liner notes for US-only releases of Dutch '60s music. In the '90s, Warhoofd also worked as a producer in Holland. His resume includes albums for bands like the Krontjong Devils, De Stipjes, the Apemen, the Firebirds and more.
However, Warhoofd preferred to keep a very low profile and has always shied away from interviews.
When asked what led Warhoofd into the unknown world of Southeast Asian '60s pop music, Coumans wrote: `While collecting the lost Dutch rock 'n roll music, Warhoofd got irritated by the stupidity of all these old and forgotten Dutch rockers who for some reason were so overwhelmed by the Anglo American cultural supremacy that they forgot their own powers in their roots and their own original quality.
`That's the same reason why 99 per cent of all mankind believe that all the good music of the last three decades was made in the UK and the US. For most, a classic hit becomes a classic hit because you've heard it over and over again a zillion times. All the superb stuff from all over the world will never reach that level no matter how much quality it has.
`That's why generally, not much is known about the Asian scene, the East European scene, the Greek scene, the Spanish scene and the South American scene. Only those who are into obscure stuff would know about it. So something had to be done about it'.
And he did it well too. Listening to songs like Ikan Todak by Les Kafilas, Bad Loser by Naomi and the Boys, Chock Chock Kundong by Mike Ibrahim and the Nite Walkers and Bunga Beracun by the Swallows, one would definitely say this: Wow! I never knew that Malaysian artistes were that good at that time.
Of course they were, not just then but even today. The only thing that prevented us from discovering all these gems is because most of the time it would be overshadowed by below par cash cow-type materials and lack of appreciation and open ears.
People generally smirk at the quality of Malaysian music. To a certain extent, they don't even care about it.
For instance, when checking with representatives from Malaysia's governing music body like Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) and Akademi on whether if there is an archive that preserves recorded music in this country, their answer was no.
Now, let's try the recording labels.
In a recent visit to one of the recording companies, yours truly was shocked to find out that no one has the master tape for Zaiton Sameon's debut album Menaruh Harapan!
Is Malaysian music regarded only as cash cows? Something to be erased or dubbed over when it's no longer useful?
Just try contact any record label and ask them for a detailed biography and discography of let's say Zainal Abidin or Sheila Majid or maybe OAG. May Lady Luck be on your side.
One theory why music archives are non-existent is that it involves a lot of money! (Funny how there's money to spend when it comes to other things like fighting piracy and stuff).
Warhoofd and Coumans said that most of the music featured on Steam Kodok are not being really appreciated and archived in the countries of its origin which they found really surprising. Embarrassing isn't it?
More from the e-mail: `We hope with such compilations, the level of appreciation would increase. Bands featured on Steam Kodok were authentic cultural pioneers that battled the world.
`It must be taken into consideration that these bands made their music at the border of the Anglo American global cultural takeover and with remembrance of their own pure ethnic feel. They did put Asia on the rock 'n roll map!
`Maybe not many people realise this but the Steam Kodok compilation surprised a lot of people in the field'.
Well, they might be surprised but we, on the other hand, should feel ashamed because the praise did not come from our own mouths and it took someone in a faraway land to put the compilation together.

STEAM KODOK: 26 A-Go-Go Ultra-rarities from the `60s Singapore and South East Asia Underground.
The compilation also comes in vinyl format with only 17 songs. It also comes with extensive liner notes and release information.

TRACKLISTING
1. Trailers - Ali San (2:17)
2. Mike Ibrahim and the Nite Walkers - Chock Chock Kundong (3:24)
3. D'4 Ever - Mungkir Janji (2:37)
4. Kassim Slamat and the Swallows - Mak Itty, Mai Illa (3:06)
5. Rosnah and the Siglap Five - Gembira Ria (2:43)
6. Les Kafilas - Ikan Todak (3:05)
7. The Dynamics - Used To Be (2:34)
8. Ronnie Ong - Buttons and Bows (3:07)
9. Fox - Untitled (3:32)
10. The Swallows - Bunga Berachnin (2:41)
11. The Key Boys - Untitled (3:17)
12. Trailers - I'm Ready Now (2:36)
13. Naomi and the Boys - Bad Loser (2:46)
14. J Ismail and `D' Irama - Lupakan Aku (2:08)
15. Kassim Slamat and the Swallows - Nga Lompok A Go Go (2:19)
16. The Quests - I'll Be Your Man (1:59)
17. October Cherries - Barabajagal (2:54)
18. The Key Boys - Untitled (3:11)
19. The Quests - Hur Pi Tzu Shau Hsiang (2:43)
20. Ismail Haron and the Guys - Bersedia (2:45)
21. Mike Ibrahim and the Nite Walkers - Senyum Selalu (2:36)
22. The Dynamics - I Wish You Would (2:58)
23. Kassim Slamat and the Swallows - Lek, Paju Molle (4:11)
24. The Antartics - Runaway (2:29)
25. Pietro Attilla and the Warlocks - Goodbye (2:21)
26. King Drummer - I Am A Drummer (1:53)

* What Andy Warhoofd and MJ Coumans say about the bands featured on the compilation:
"Warhoofd and everybody at Grey Past Records loved this compilation. For instance, all of us love the weird feel projected by bands like Mike Ibrahim and the Nite Walkers. We also love the naughty mix of innocence and rock attitude projected by the female singers too."
"The Quests are fantastic. The Swallows had great compositions and great feel in their songs."
"The bands featured here can be divided into two categories – the Western and the Eastern sounding (the ones that we favour more)."
"While compiling all the materials for the compilation, Warhoofd also noticed that Asian preferred gentle melodies."
"By now we have a large archive of Asian music from other Asian countries like Thailand especially. We would probably come out with more similar releases in the future."

* FOR further information on Steam Kodok, write to Grey Past Records, PO Box 1074, 4801 BB, Breda, Netherlands. Or you can call or fax them at 0031 76 5215143 or drop them an e-mail at huiboki@wanadoo.nl

The Fringe Chronicles

2005-01-10T03:26:00.000-08:00

This piece on the pioneering act of local fringe music scene was published in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on Oct 27, 2004.

COMPILATIONS have always occupied an important part in anyone's music experience. It's a form of recorded material where one can listen to his favourite songs back-to-back. If you remember, back in the good old days, a music enthusiast would usually sit next to the radio and record all his favourite songs.
Today, compilations have evolved to become one of the in-things in the music industry. From a recording company's perspective, it's one of the most profitable releases - unlike the full-length albums, compilation albums incur so much less in investment. So we have all sorts of
compilations in the market.
From the likes of Tangkap Tonggeng: Koleksi Rock Cintan Frust Vol. 10 to The Super Hits of Putera Puteri Diva Melambung Vol 35. It has reached a stage where if a song or an artiste can still be milked, then milk it!
Now, we only occasionally see truly worthwhile compilations - like the now defunct Warnada Records' Battle of the Bands and the Juara-Juara Rock series. These are compilations that unearthed legendary names in today's rock music like Lefthanded, Ella & the Boys, May, Bloodshed, D'Febians and many others.
The artistes and repertoire (A&R) people in the recording companies back then understood that before they invested in a full album of one yet-to-be proven talent, it was better to use the same amount of money to try out five talents.
In a country where buying singles has yet to become a culture, this was actually a clever A&R endeavour.
Out of five, maybe one or two would make the cut and once the names are established, to sell a full album would be that much easier because the public would know what to expect from the artiste or group.
This concept may be unfamiliar to the major labels but it is ubiquitous among the string of independent labels all over the world.
Due to financial constraints, these independent labels have to be very resourceful and clever.
More importantly, coming out with compilations would also serve as a record of their work.
After all, the main purpose for establishing an independent label is passion for the music.
Ian MacKaye started Dischord Records, one of the biggest and most influential independent labels in the world, because he wanted to document the music made by bands in the Washington DC independent scene.
Apart from releasing his band's music, Brett Gurewitz started Epitaph Records to help Los Angeles punk rock bands record their work. These are some of the examples of what successful independent labels from the west have been doing since the early 80s. In Malaysia, three notable
independent labels who kind of understood the concept of such compilations were Positive Tone, Posse Records and Bodysurf Music.
In 1997, Positive Tone released the 1+1=3: Boys and Girls compilation introducing bands like Nice Stupid Playground, Intoxicated and Brodwyn (which later changed its name to Juliet the Orange).
Two years later, the Trick and Tales compilation was released and helped Ferhad and Reefa break into the mainstream local airwaves.
In 2001, the label created more history when, in collaboration with Pyretta Records, it released Sembunyi: The Hidden Sounds of Malaysia compilation featuring all the movers and shakers of the local electronica and dance scene.
Following suit the following year was the Phat Family compilation that documented the budding local hip hop scene then.
Formed in 2000, Posse Records (a subsidiary of NSR Records) made its entry into the local music scene with the Family Day compilation. The acts featured on it like Love Me Butch, Lyme, Flop Poppy and Sevencollar T-shirt were not as high profiled as Positive Tone's stable but it
represented the crop of newer bands emerging in the local independent music scene then.
The next year, Posse Records released the under-appreciated Another Boring Sunday: The College Album featuring music by radio-friendly rock bands like Nitrus (that went on to win AIM Best New English Artiste Award the following year), Uno, FAM, Fait-Accompli and False Opus.
Based in Ipoh, Bodysurf Music has been releasing its Kopi Sechewen compilation series since 1997. Documenting the music being made by Perak's independent bands, the series (Vol. 3 was released late last year) remains one of the milestones in the documentation of the local independent music scene.
Apart from the labels mentioned above, there are also smaller independent labels that came out with one-off compilations that documented certain types of music from various places in the country. Some of these labels are no longer active but their contributions in capturing the music
of their time would always remain pivotal in the history of local independent music.
Below the Radar dug into our archive of local fringe music recently and found more of these important documentations of local independent music released in the past 11 years (in no particular order).

Various
Monkeys
(Monkey Records: 2001)
A NOTABLE effort from the local Chinese independent music scene, Monkeys provided the platform for the newer generation of local Chinese acts (and two English singing bands that have been working closely with the Chinese independent music scene).
Unlike the pioneering bunch, acts featured here like Tham, Lang Mang, the Shitworkers and Maharajah Commission were more progressive in terms of musical references thus making the compilation one of the most diverse and refreshing to listen to.
Who's on it: Moxuan, Maharajah Commission, the Sh*tworkers, Jiu Tian, Lang Mang, Red Eggs, Them, Boon and Lee Kwang.

Various
Aedes Radioshow Vol. 1
(Alternative Garage Production: 1994)
ARGUABLY the first-ever homemade compilation of local bands ever released, Aedes Radioshow Vol. 1 was compiled by local independent music pioneer, Joe Kidd. It featured songs taken from demo tapes, rehearsals and live performances by local bands from all over the country - from Terengganu to Johor Baru to Kuantan.
Quality wise, the compilation may not have the crispness and clarity of a proper release but spirit-wise, it captures the excitement and energy of the very young local independent music scene then.
Who's on it: Subculture, DPSA, Stoned Crows, Zink, Minority, Future rimitive, Splatters, Flowers Decay, Chronic Mass, Country Bards and more.

Various
Visionville Hardcore Vol.1
(AsItIs/Strange Culture Records: 1996)
RELEASED during the time when the local hardcore scene was at its peak, this compilation featured five of the best local hardcore bands of various musical styles from 80s old school, rapcore, hardcore metal, progressive hardcore and brutal core. Apart from that, the compilation also kind of divided the local independent music scene into two camps back then - the DIY community and the `sell-out' set as this was distributed by a major label, Life Records.
Who's on it: Projekt AK, Another Side, Chronic Mass, Disaster Funhouse and Never Ending Threat.

Various
Wait Semenet a.k.a. Lust Minute Compilation
(Stuck Music: 2003)
KEDAH has never been the hotbed of local independent music, so when this compilation reached our mailbox late last year, everyone was really excited to hear what bands from the northern state had to offer.
Creativity-wise, bands there still have a lot to work on. Anyhow, that's not really an issue because the sweet thing about such a compilation is that, it captures the sparks of creativity of bands from a certain music scene at one point of time. It's also good to know that something is definitely brewing in the Kedah independent music scene.
Who's on it: Offside, C Rodox, Rinky Dink, Blusterd, Big Head, Tumbleweed of Greenland, Fore-Thy-Eyes and Monochrome.

Various
A Circle of Friends
(Sonic Asylum Records: 1993)
THIS was the first compilation of local independent music that garnered some attention from the mainstream media. Despite claims that the compilation was released without consent from some of the bands featured, the 10-song A Circle of Friends is still a milestone in the development of local independent music.
Featuring some of the best independent bands at that time like Subculture, Spiral Kinetic Circus, ART and Flop Poppy (featuring a very young future OAG's frontman Radhi on vocals), the compilation had the same impact as Carburetor Dung's debut album, Songs for Friends and The Pilgrims' Perfume Garden on a lot of kids at that time - to pick up a guitar and form a band.
Who's on it: Subculture, Flop Poppy, ART, Spiral Kinetic Circus, Society, Commoner, Deflowered, Bone, Sludge and Soulwound.

Various
Ji Duan Fen Zi
(Huang Ho Production: 1998)
SERVING as the first ever compilation on local Chinese independent music, Ji Duan Fen Zi (The Extremist Crap), marked the birth of a new local Chinese music scene, post-Canto Rock. All the names featured were still relatively unknown to many, but musically, it was one of the most
satisfying releases that year. Two of the bands featured here, Moxuan and Chong Yang, kind of set the template for the future sounds of the local Chinese independent music.
Who's on it: Chong Yang, Moxuan, Two Face and Dream & Stone

Various
Yue Zhan Xuan Yan
(Huang Ho Production: 1999)
RELEASED a year after The Extremist Crap, Yue Zhan Xuan Yan (The Declaration of Huang Ho) went up one notch in terms of the quality of bands featured and the music documented. This time six local bands were pitted with two Singaporean acts, Chou Pi Jang and Feens. The set also featured the first ever recorded material by local drums n' bass duo Herb Vendors.
Who's on it: Moxuan, Arcadian, Nine Days, Chou Pi Jang, Herb Vendors, KRMA, Chong Yang and Feens

Various
Miaow City Attack
(Teenage Rebel/Strange Culture Records: 1998)
MIAOW City Attack Vol.1 is the second compilation featuring bands from Kuching's independent music scene after the Just Eat This in 1994. Spearheaded by former OAG members, Naza and Alim, the set documented music by seven bands of various musical styles active in the Kuching scene at that time.
Musically it didn't offer anything really outstanding but historically, it serves as one of the most important documentations of Kuching's independent music.
Who's on it: Audio Godz, Radish Fan, Fist of Fury, Outtune, Sychronizer, the Rudeboys and Nerd.

Various
Punkrawkoholic Vol. 1
(Independently released: 2003)
THIS compilation came during the time when most of the independent bands were seeking more depth in their music and it couldn't have come at a better time. Punkrawkoholic Vol. 1 is a collection of 13 in-your-face punk tracks and instead of trying too hard to be intelligent, the bands featured here went back to basics without taking themselves too seriously.
Musically, the quality is uneven but bands like Snixtyx, Ben's Bitches, Hanging Drop and Chasing Bater turn in laudable efforts.
Who's on it: Murkyway, Firework Trustfund, WITT, Snixtyx, Spunky Funggy, Ben's Bitches, Hanging Drop, One Buck Short, Chasing Bater, Der Bucksters, Smerf, Thunder Coffee Club and RUSH.

Various
The Underworld Chronicles: Chapter One
(Pony Canyon: 1999)
DESPITE having pioneering names like Ipoh's Muck, Kuala Terengganu's Cloudy and Kuching's Mr Wilson's Garden, Underworld Chronicles strangely didn't gain that much attention from local enthusiasts back then. Musically, it's one of the most creatively satisfying compilations to emerge since Aedes Radioshow and A Circle of Friends.
From Cloudy's brand of mod-pop, to Muck's indie rock to Damage Digital's 30-second grindcore assault, Underworld Chronicles brilliantly captures the energy and quality of each band without losing any of its edge.
Thinking back, the fact that the compilation was released at a time when the local independent music scene was in dilemma - to stay underground or to work synergistically with the major label - may have cost the album (and the bands) the exposure both deserved.
Who's on it: Cloudy, Mr Wilson's Garden, GORB, Novokane, Damage Digital, Spacebar and Muck

Above are some of the notable compilations that you should look for if you are curious enough to learn more about the development of the local independent music scene.
Other important compilations worth checking out include the cassette-only Under the One Roof, Segamat's Very Fresh Underground, Breaking Ground, The Remedy Anthems: From Friends for Friends series and Pop Rebels to name a few.

Gone but Not Forgotten (Part II)

2005-01-06T04:22:00.000-08:00

This piece on the pioneering act of local fringe music scene was published in two parts in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on June 16, 2004.

TWO weeks ago, Buzz's `Below the Radar' went deep into its archive to introduce some of the lesser-known purveyors of Malaysian independent music like Carburetor Dung, Chronic Mass and the Pilgrims.
This week, we dig deeper to present you more bands that were responsible for some of the best music ever made (but hardly heard) in this country.

FUTURE PRIMITIVE
DESCRIBING their music as "alternative with some strange mixtures", Future Primitive were Johor Baru's No 1 band.
They raised eyebrows with their first demo, the punkish Violent Society in 1994.
They marked their debut in the KL gig circuit with a memorable performance at the legendary Psycho A Go Go gig at Fui Chui Hall back in 1995.
A few weeks later, the band released their second demo, Gift, which showcased their new musical direction - a combination of mid-80s Brit-pop and the indie noise of their American counterparts.
But for unknown reasons, the band slowly dissolved during the late 90s.
Ex-guitarist David had a short stint with emo band Polythene after the break-up.

NAKED BUTTERFLY
FORMED by veterans from the local trash metal scene, Naked Butterfly could have become commercially successful.
With tight musicianship, solid vocals and killer grooves, they were the first local band to dabble in funk metal and they were great at it.
The band - Oz (guitars), Adrin (vocals), Che Mat (drums), Boy (guitars) and Mamal (bass) - had a reputation as a MUST SEE live act.
The band completed their debut album, but due to some problems, the album was only released in July the following year.
"If this one proves to be a failure, it will be the first and the last from Naked Butterfly," guitarist Oz told Blasting Concept back in 1995.
How true. In November, after completing their tour to support the album, the band members decided to call it quits and their brand of homemade funk has never been replaced.
After they broke up, Oz went on to play with Butterfly Kiss and other bands like Koffin Kanser and Republic of Brickfields.

MUCK
DESPITE churning out memorable indie-rock tunes, Ipoh's Muck have always been under-rated and often neglected.
The band was formed by brothers Myo (drums) and Ducktoi (guitar/vocals) in 1994.
Muck first caught the attention of local music enthusiasts when their second demo, Blastosit, in 1996 received glowing reviews especially after it made the pages of Blasting Concept.
Inspired by lo-fi and indie rock bands like Dinosaur Jr, Modest Mouse,
Pavement, Sonic Youth and Sebadoh, Muck music is not like that of most local bands. It has that, er, distinctive `Ipoh sound'.
The band has appeared in various compilations like The Underworld Chronicles, BARA, Breaking Ground and most importantly Perak's pivotal Kopi Sechewen compilation series - which was coincidentally spearheaded by Bodysurf Music, a label run by Myo and Ducktoi.
After laying low for quite a while, the band took everyone by surprise when they released a split album with another lo-fi band from the UK, Things in Herd.
More mature and refined, the split CD saw Muck at their creative peak and it could be rated as one of the best local releases ever.
Muck is still going strong and can be contacted at bodysurfmusic, P.O.Box 585, 30670 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

THE BOLLOCKS
THERE was a time when Kuala Pilah in Negri Sembilan was the home of punk rock bands with that classic 80s British sound.
And the band that deserves much of the credit for putting the district on the map of the local independent music scene, are the Bollocks.
Influenced by bands like the Exploited, Chaos UK and the Sex Pistols, Bollocks were formed in 1992.
After perfecting their skills, the band members released their self-titled debut demo in 1994 and quickly caught the attention of local independent music enthusiasts.
There's nothing really original about their music but they stood out for their stand.
Unlike most punk bands of that time, the Bollocks took an intelligent look at things happening around them.
And as they aged, their music started to carry more local-ness in it.
Three years later, they released their debut EP, Revolution.
Sold at RM3, the eight-song EP was a bargain and stood as a testament to the band's stand against commercialism (the EP was later pirated and sold at RM11.50 each!).

NICE STUPID PLAYGROUND
DEFINITELY one of the finest indie-pop bands around, Nice Stupid Playground were formed in 1992 in Kuching by vocalist/guitarist Charles Rossem, Ricky (guitars), Aziz (drums) and Jon (bass).
Regarded as the pioneers of Kuching's indie-pop scene (also the most productive), the band's music is a combination of the influences of the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Stone Roses and the Cure.
Their first release was a demo called Of Course We Didn't, in 1992. They followed it up with My Life is My Parent's Biggest Television the following year.
Two years later, they made their live debut at Swinging Hair gig at Kuching's Waterfront. The same year they recorded another demo, Nature, Oceans and Everything but it never saw the light of the day.
Thirthyzeroeight, their third demo turned out to be their breakthrough release.
Not only did it capture the band at its creative peak, it also landed them a record deal with Positive Tone.
Nice Stupid Playground made their mainstream debut with three songs featured on 1+1=3: Boys & Girls compilation released in 1996. One of their songs, Bedroom Window became a cult hit and they were sent into the studio to record a full album.
Released three years later, their debut album, My Life is my Parent's Biggest Television (named after their second demo), took everyone by surprise for its solid songwriting and much more mature and defined Nice Stupid Playground’s sound.
Stereo Girl, Two, What if it Rains and Ballistic received regular airplay but because of the progressive nature of their music, the album tanked and the band was left in limbo for years.
Despite demand for their second album, the band drifted into a hiatus before resurfacing early this year with a live and memorable set at KLue Urbanscape.
It was reported that Nice Stupid Playground are working on some new stuff. So, let's keep our fingers crossed.

SUBCULTURE
FORMED in 1992 by former Carburetor Dung guitarist/vocalist Azreen, Subculture might be the local independent music scene's answer to the Ramones.
Describing their music as punk rock `n' roll, the band members also have a reputation for being among the tightest bands around and have always been the main attraction whenever they played live.
When they signed a deal with SZS Production, the band received a lot of stick for selling out but it didn't stop their debut album, Love & Hate from selling more than 50,000 copies in 1994!
With the success of Love & Hate, the band went to Synchrosound Studio to record their follow-up album and it was reported that it cost a bomb.
When released in 1997, the overly polished, Time Knock only received a lukewarm response and the band found themselves entangled in problems with their label and slowly disappeared into a hiatus.
In 2002, they resurfaced with a new album, Retrofungus and a new label, Pony Canyon Music.
Despite going back to their raw sound, the album seemed to have come a bit too late for the band.

SPIRAL KINETIC CIRCUS
FORMED in 1992 by Infectious Maggots' vocalist Fathul, Spiral Kinetic Circus could have made it big with their unique, spacey and droning indie-pop songs that could have easily put a lot of `urban' bands nowadays to shame. The band first received attention for Iris, a song that was featured on the legendary A Circle of Friends compilation in 1994.
After the compilation, the band went through a rather quiet period and were rumoured to have split up. But when they released a split EP with Dead Mushroom in 1996, the rumour was kind of silenced despite the fact that the only remaining member of the original band was Fathul.
The following year, the band introduced their new line-up, which included Andy of Flop Poppy and released their debut album, Sweetened Condensed Tunes for the Broken Hearted.
Despite its hip-swinging tunes, the nine-song album never really took off and the band slowly dissolved. There have been rumours that Fathul will be re-forming the band but it hasn't happened yet.

ENSLAVED CHAOS
FORMED in mid-1996, the music of Enslaved Chaos has stood the test of time and they remain one of the best bands ever to emerge from Kuantan's independent music scene after the Pilgrims, Minority and Dull Entertainment Programme.
Inspired by bands like Sepultura, Pantera, Fear Factory, DRI and Slayer, the band's music was energetic, powerful, fast in your face and at the same time funny.
The band released a self-titled EP through DEP in 1997 and was put to rest a few years later when most of the band members were occupied with their jobs and lives.
Some of the band members now play in Monsoon.

BANDS mentioned above form just a partial list of bands that deserve to be remembered for their passion and hard work in paving the way for the local English music scene that we have today.
There are a lot of other great bands that could have been easily included here.
For instance, bands from the late 80s trash metal scene like Rator (their Evil Symphony demo was said to have inspired a lot of overseas metal bands), Blackfire, Punisher, Assault and Slap Death to name a few.
Then there were also good bands of various musical styles from the heyday of local independent music scene in 1995 like Hostile Disgrace, Un'Normal Human Genetic, 24 Reasons, Basic Rights, Mr Wilson's Garden, Tayar Soton, Disaster Funhouse, Cloudy, Minority and a whole lot more.
How about the overlooked Xtroverts, The Beads, DISH, Muck, DPSA and Dull Entertainment Programme?
Feeling lost? Good. It's about time you got to know and appreciated more of the music made in your own backyard...

Gone but Not Forgotten (Part I)

2005-01-06T04:12:00.000-08:00

This piece on the pioneering act of local fringe music scene was published in two parts in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on June 16, 2004.

IF you think local English bands are just the ones you see on MTV, think again. `Below the Radar' went deep into its archive to introduce to you some of the lesser-known legends of Malaysian independent music. Here's the first part.
Did you know that we once had a band called Naked Butterfly who could be easily mistaken for funk metal combo Red Hot Chili Peppers?
Or did you know that before Pop Shuvit `broke' rap rock into the local English music scene, there was a band called Projekt AK who had been playing covers of songs by Rage Against the Machine and other stuff on the Judgment Night soundtrack back in the mid-90s?
If you didn't, worry not, because generally, not much is known about the origins of the local English music/independent music scene/DIY (depending on which one you are comfortable to call it) scene.
Why? Because there hasn't been any serious effort to document this particular aspect of Malaysian music history.
Apart from the Blasting Concept! column in The Sun that ran from 1994 to 1998, Thr.fm's Alternative Rock Show in the mid-90s, Radio 4's Under Currents (also in the mid-90s) and TV3's Alternatif, there hasn't been any dedicated platform that highlighted, in-depth, home-made music in English.
Then again, the lack of platforms for such music may be caused by the fact that there hasn't been that much interest by the public. Local English music is regarded by some as a novelty. But then again, it actually has two categories in Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM), which gives it a certain amount of legitimacy.
Yes, there are two dedicated categories for local English music in AIM but is the music judged by a qualified jury or at least by people who care?
In fact, does it even matter in the first place to have such categories in AIM when almost all the winners and nominees would be forgotten within a few months down the road?
Well, that's another story altogether.
This week, Below the Radar will highlight some of our local bands that, despite their lack of exposure, made some outstanding music.

CARBURETOR DUNG
IF there's one band that would be at the top of the list in Malaysia's independent music hall of fame, it would definitely be Carburetor Dung.
Each of its band members played a strong role in the development of the local independent music scene.
For instance, apart from being the guitarist for the band, Joe Kidd also plays in numerous other bands of various musical stylings.
He also wrote regularly for Blasting Concept, the sole and regular source for news and info regarding the local independent music scene back then.
Lead guitarist, Pari, played in A.R.T, one of the pioneering melodic punk rock bands back then. Vocalist Shahlan, played a role in forming Basic Right (one of the notable hard-core bands alongside Chronic Mass) and used to drum for Kuala Terengganu punk pioneers Malaria and Stoned Crows. Drummer Lan Bear also played guitars for Infectious Maggots, the sorely missed grind-core combo.
Carburetor Dung's debut album, Songs for Friends was released on Sept 27, 1993, via the now defunct VSP imprint and three days later the band made their first public appearance at the Revenge of the Rats gig alongside bands like Subculture, the Splatters, the Pilgrims, Chronic Mass and Lovely Ugly Carnival.
Held at Garfunkel Pub, Life Centre in Kuala Lumpur, the gig was also the first `punk' gig (prior to this, punk bands usually had to share the stage with thrash/death metal bands).
Carburetor Dung offered well-written lyrics and in-your-face melodic hardcore/punk anthems as can be heard on its album on songs like Boo Hoo Clapping Song, Oppression and Cruel Blue Van. These songs were inspirational to most of the independent music enthusiasts at that time.
As a matter of fact, that album also inspired a lot of other kids out there to form their own bands.
The band went through a line-up shuffle in 1995 and then went rather quiet. But Joe and Fendi kept busy with the Shitworkers, a project band they both formed in 1994.
In 1998, Carburetor Dung resurfaced with three songs for Hishamuddin Rais' Dari Jemapoh Ke Manchester soundtrack.
The following year, the band released the Allure of Manure mini LP, showing their harder sound and more direct, in-your- face lyrics. They then released a UK-only seven-inch single, Sheepfarming In Malaysia.
The band went through another long hiatus from 1999-2002 before resurfacing early this year with a new vocalist and a new drummer.
You can find more details about the band and stuff related to them by visiting their website at http://dungpeople.kerbau.com

CHRONIC MASS
DEFINITELY one of the best hardcore bands in the country, Chronic Mass was formed back in 1991 in Universiti Islam Antarabangsa by Knox (guitars), Jon (bass), Awang (vocals) and Shah (drums).
The band went through three reincarnations - first as X the trash metal band, then as Necrophilia a grind-core/cross-over combo before settling as Chronic Mass. The debut demo, Chronically Messed, despite being only available as a limited edition, went down well with hard music lovers and was regarded as a collector's item.
In 1996, the band released a split EP with another hard-core band Basic Rights. The EP captured the band at its prime and at the same time introduced their new musical direction - a trashy metallic hard-core style with progressive influences all over the place, intertwined with heavy grooves.
In the same year, the band contributed two songs on Visionville Hardcore compilation, alongside four other local hard-core bands, Disaster Funhouse, NET, Projekt AK and Another Side. After the release of the compilation, the band went quiet and has yet to resurface. There have been rumours though, of the band getting back in action.

THE PILGRIMS
ORIGINALLY known as Hijrah when they were formed back in 1987 in Kuantan, the Pilgrims was, without doubt, one of the best bands to ever surface on the local English music scene.
The band, Lee (vocals), Kombat (guitars), Ili (bass) and Nazim (drums) started off by playing speed metal alongside punked-up versions of joget songs.
In 1991, the band released A Pilgrimage to Nowhere demo and in 1992, after signing a deal with Sonic Asylum Records, a subsidiary of FGM Records, the band released its debut album Perfume Garden (the first punk album to be released in the country).
Backed by a strong following and their punkish remake of folk song, Sua Sue Good Morning/Air Pasang Pagi, the album sold more than 3,000 copies within a week!
Unhappy with their label, the band members then hooked up with Alternative Garage Entertainment (a record label run by local punk guru Joe Kidd) where they released their second album, Away From The Numbers in 1994.
Despite complaints from those who enjoyed the raw Perfume Garden, Away From The Numbers turned out to be their finest effort and most under-appreciated.
Gone were their punkish robustness replaced by more thoughtful and well-written post-punk/neo-psychedelic gems like Beware Your Heart, Falling Down Allover and Celebrating Mother.
The original members of the band went separate ways soon after that but resurfaced as The Pilgrims DC in the mid-90s (the only original member was guitarist, Kombat).
Unlike the original Pilgrims, the new band took a more comic-y stand in their music and after releasing a couple of albums under Pony Canyon, the band decided to call it a day.
Kombat is currently playing with his surf band, Kombat and the Kugiran. Lee had a stint as the vocalist of Carburetor Dung before moving to Australia.

INFECTIOUS MAGGOTS
ARGUABLY the meanest and most ear-grinding and boundary-pushing grindcore crossover act in the history of local independent music.
Infectious Maggots was also one of the first metal acts to come out with an album alongside Modar, Cromok and FTG.
Some of its former members include the likes of Fathul (Spiral Kinetic Circus), Knox (Chronic Mass) and Lan Bear (Carburetor Dung) – Infectious Maggot's debut album, Deep Within Our Grief Factory Milks Run Red in 1992, paved the way for local metal bands to experiment with various other elements like industrial, electronics and even drum `n' bass.
Despite the non-commercial nature of its music, the album went on to sell more than 10,000 copies and received a lot of good reviews by both local and international metal music enthusiasts.
The future of the band then was in doubt when most of its core members went separate ways but it didn't stop Fathul (who was at one point the sole member of the band) to come with the Cookie Jar EP. More experimental rather than metal, the EP caught the attention of Pony Canyon Music which later signed the band. After going through another line-up reshuffle, the band released its second album, Unknown.
A more polished and less experimental effort, the album didn't make much of an impact except for a few bright sparks here and there.
After a few live shows, the band disappeared before it was revived by original vocalist Fathul in 2002 with the release of the third album in Bahasa Malaysia, Karat Besi Simfoni...

Huang Huo: The Yellow Flames

2005-01-05T01:54:00.000-08:00

This piece on local Chinese independent music scene was published in the Below the Radar column in Malay Mail on Apr 7, 2004.

SOME of us might have heard stories on how difficult it is to survive if you are an English-singing independent/urban band in this country.
The obstacles include the lack of financial support, the almost non-existent platform to showcase one's talents and the ever sceptical Malaysian audience.
If that's tough, imagine how much tougher it is if you are a Cantonese, Mandarin or even Tamil singing independent/urban band.
In the first place, does Malaysia have an independent/urban Chinese or Indian local scene?
Of course we do!
Despite their lack of presence in the mainstream media, Malaysia's Indian independent/urban music scene, to a certain extent, is more stable and consistent compared to the English scene.
Seasoned players like The Keys, LockUp and Darkkey have been going strong for years while the new ones like Shatriya, Rudra and Chakra Sonic are gaining more and more exposure thanks to their recent crossover to the mainstream media.
Another good thing that has been helping the local Indian independent/urban bands survive is that they have strongly been accepted by their audience.
Things are a bit different for the Chinese independent/urban music scene.
"Local English music has an existing audience compared to bands that sing in Mandarin or Cantonese. The odds for these bands to find their market are doubled or even tripled," pointed out Mak Wai Ho, one of the movers in the local Chinese independent/urban music scene.
Unlike the Tamil and English singing acts who can still find their songs being played on national radio on odd hours, local Chinese independent/urban acts do not have that privilege.
Arguably, the only act that managed to get her song played on national radio was Pao.
The KL-born Pao (perhaps the only active female in the local Chinese independent/urban circuit) had her upbeat rocking single, Fish, played on the no.1 local Chinese radio station MyFM, with regular rotation back in 2002.
Her self-financed debut album, Transcend, was lauded by critics of local music as one of the best releases of the year but like any other local Chinese independent releases, it went unnoticed among its Chinese audiences.
"For the Chinese music listeners, rock music is bad, outrageous and noisy. But personally, it surprised me to have all the positive reviews and support from the Chinese media," she said.
Compared to both the local English and Indian independent/urban scene, the Chinese scene is relatively new. The seed can be traced back to the Guinness Canto-Rock competition back in 1993.
The competition sparked much interest among the Chinese kids back then to form a band and of course, to try their luck in the competition at the same time.
Some of the bands that emerged from the competition and had a short but notable career include Alienoid, the first local Chinese rock band to cut an album, and Baby Amp.
Originality was not an issue back then. The most important thing was to go out there and rock the stage.
"Throughout the period of 1993 to 1997, most of the local Chinese bands sounded or wanted to sound like the Hong Kong group, Beyond.
"The diversity of music in the scene is happening only lately," Mak pointed out.
The Guinness Canto-Rock competition lasted until 1997. But without it, bands were left without any other platform to showcase their talents.
Hence the scene slowly regressed.
But in the same year, Huang Ho Production House, one of the important elements in the development of the local Chinese independent/urban scene, came into existence.
"Huang Ho Production was more like an indie label/collective with the intention to create greater consciousness in the Chinese crowd about their local rock bands," explained Mak.
Creating consciousness about their existence among its own audiences.
Now that's a tough one.
If it does not appeal to the Chinese audience why not try crossing over to the English audience? But most local Chinese independent/urban bands sing in either Mandarin or Cantonese alone.
So, what is there left for them?
"We have learnt to live with that fact. As long as our passion is there, we will still keep at it," Mak said.
For the past two years or so, the scene has improved somewhat.
Bands like Moxuan, Maharajah Commission and RUSH have crossed over into the local English independent/urban scene in impressive fashion.
Despite the fact that two of the band members are Malay, KL-based post-rock quartet Maharajah Commission have been working closely with the local Chinese independent/urban scene. The band has been featured on notable releases like the Monkeys compilation in 2001. Their debut album last year, Dialogue Amoreaux was even released under Monkey Records, an independent label run by members of one of the notable bands in the local Chinese independent/urban scene, Moxuan.
Cameron Highland's experimental indie-rock combo, RUSH, on the other hand, didn't quite register within the local English independent/urban scene when they released their debut album Metamorphosis in 2002.
After a few line-up changes and a change in its musical direction, the band have been lauded as one of the fast-rising bands within the local English independent/ urban scene.
In terms of recording, album releases and keeping the scene going, Soundscape Productions (an offshoot of Huang Ho who called it a day in 2001) and Monkey Records are still the two main scene movers.
During its short stint, Huang Ho Production House did release some of the important albums that documents the development of the local Chinese independent/urban scene.
The Ji Duan Fen Zi (Extremist Crap) compilation in 1998, Yue Zhan Xuan Ya (The Declaration of Huang Ho) the following year and Chong Yang's debut album, Forced March in 2000 are regarded as milestones in the local Chinese independent/urban scene.
Other important releases include Monkey Records' Monkeys compilation and Soundscape Production's Pop Rebel compilation in 2002.
On Aug 31, 2003, the first Chinese Independent Music Festival was held at Culture Street. Local Chinese independent/urban acts like Pao, RUSH, Lang Mang, Meng Shat, KRMA and Mumster were joined by local English bands like Love Me Butch and Damn Dirty Apes in a six-hour musical showcase.
Despite the limitations faced and some hiccups, the show could be considered as a success and has opened a new chapter in local Chinese independent/urban scene. "Currently we are looking for more interaction with the local English independent/urban music scene. That's why we have been inviting them to play at our shows. At this point we yet to see the same thing happening the other way round but we are going to keep on working on it," Mak said.
For Mak Wai Ho and the rest of the participating and active people in the local Chinese independent/urban scene, there's still a long way to go before they can see a progressive and healthy music scene they can call their own.
Till that happens, nothing is going to stop them from keeping the flame burning.

(One of) The Key Figures of Malaysian Fringe Music Scene

2004-12-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

Alternatively yours, Kamil
By T. L. Khoo
(This Q&A was originally published in Sunday Mail, Sept 7, 1997. It didn't really offer that much of details on Kamil Othman or The Alternative Rock Show but I feel that it's good enough to give some insight on one of the key figures in the development of Malaysian fringe music scene. Kamil Othman now work as the Vice president of Multimedia Development Corporation (MDC)'s Creative Multimedia Content)

BY day, Kamil Othman is the staid corporate communications manager at Shell Malaysia Limited, playing the role of corporate executive to perfection, complete with shiny leather shoes, long-sleeved, crisply-ironed shirt and tailored trousers.
By night and on weekends, he becomes himself once again, dressed in jeans and perhaps a favourite Jethro Tull T-shirt.
Kamil Othman, once a self-confessed hippie of the '60s, is the popular host of The Alternative Rock Show on Time Highway Radio, a show that has seen a steady and increasing following of listeners since it came on the in January 1995.
Born in Taiping, Perak, on June 25, 1955, Kamil, the eldest of four children, graduated in economics and accountancy from the University of Anglia, Essex, England, in the late 70s. In England for a total of eight years, Kamil grew his hair long, wore bell-bottoms and listened to the likes of Frank Zappa, Deep Purple and Grand Funk Railroad.
Last year, Kamil wrote a play entitled Osman Sensei which was set during the last days of the Japanese Occupation in 1945. The play revolved around history teacher Osman, who is forced by the Japanese to instruct their officials in Malay.

How does qualified accountant end up having his own radio show?
My first choice was to become a film maker and I wanted to go to London to join the film school and I almost got in when Daddy-O interjected because he disapproved.
So I ended up doing my first degree in Economics, then I took up Accountancy later because it was my father's choice. And also because I found out that the failure rate is high. I deliberately tried to fail but
couldn't and thought that the more I failed then my father would give up on my taking up Accountancy and might allow me to do film but that didn't happen and I became a film critic instead. All failed film makers become film critics because you can write about other people's films while still harbouring the desire to make your own.
The radio show came about through a conversation I had with a senior executive of THR and the rest, as they say, is history.

What is The Alternative Rock Show and how is your style different?
The show is alternative because it is different from other radio shows.
I present off-the-cuff and I go for the informal approach. My show is not about alternative music, although I do try to play music produced by obscure bands and music by harder-edge rockers such as Led Zeppelin and Frank Zappa. The songs that I play are intended to show the link between past music and present music.
Some people play music because it is their job to play music, but I play music that I have an emotional connection with and that's easy for me, because I don't have to research anything.

Explain your interest in harder-edge rock music
I have liked heavy metal since I was 12 and I make no bones about liking heavy metal until today, although a lot of my friends have `given up' or retired from heavy metal.
Groups like Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull were standard items for the youth growing up in the late 60s, for the choices then were Cliff Richard, Connie Francis or Carpenters.
That era was reminiscent of a `dam breaking' because at first music was very standardised - 3 minute pop songs about love, heartache, etc.
Because of the youth rebellion that was taking place then, in America there was a lot of protest-type rock music that came into play, such as the psychedelic movement, Bob Dylan with his first folk-rock protest-type of songs.
The Beatles are a very good example of how the '60s evolved. They first started as a Brit-pop band, and then their music grew up with them. So, by the time of Sergeant Pepper, you could hear where the Beatles were pointing the way for where rock music was going to pick up.
Although the Beatles did not dabble so much in hard rock, the fact remains that they provided the seeds for the new wave kind of experimental music.

Who is your all-time favourite musician?
Frank Zappa is my hero, every year, on the anniversary of his death (Dec 4, 1993), I devote an unsuspecting Malaysian public to two hours of Frank Zappa.
He was one of the most important musicians who ever lived because long before everybody was doing the things that they were doing, he had already done them. Such as techno or collage music or even the latest trend of music called Electronica, which places emphasis on electronic instruments such as synthesizers, ambient sounds like those of wind blowing, surf breaking on the seashore and so on, which are incorporated into a bigger body of work.
Frank Zappa had been doing that all the time, including dialogue - I can prove that he is one of the first rappers although he probably did not see it that way. Zappa brought elements of jazz into rock, elements of big band into rock - and the unique thing about him is that he did not conform to what his record company (VERVE) wanted. He was true to himself.

Why is it so important to be true to oneself?
You just have to be yourself. People say that when you reach a certain age, then you should act in a certain way. For example, when someone is 25, they are supposed to like this and then when you are 30, you are
supposed to like something that is `suitable' for a 30-year old.
Being an accountant like me, I'm expected to conform to the way an accountant should behave, but I don't. Even if you are married and have 10 kids, you don't have to conform to the manner in which a person with 10 kids is expected to look or dress.
People ask me why I don't listen to the latest interpretation of Mozart by so-and-so, and I say that I listen to it as background music, more than anything else and it doesn't mean that I have to like it.
It's a little bit like golf and the reason why I haven't played golf until today is because the reason for playing golf is not playing golf - it has to do with being seen to belong to an expensive golf club. And for that reason, I still stick to my old Volvo 244, although I have bought a newer car.
People shouldn't have to think about what they should like, if they like heavy metal then so be it. They shouldn't have to defend their tastes.
I have been labelled as `trying to be different' as a result of my eclectic taste in music, movies and novels.

How did you get the `trying to be different' label?
I don't seek to be different; it's just that all my life I have been labelled as `trying to be different'. It is not trying to be different but given the choice between soya bean and coke, you prefer one to the other. I can't help liking things different to my peers.

What are you passionate about?
Apart from music, I love movies and I have to admit that I cry at movies, which is why I watch movies alone. I cried while watching Mrs Doubtfire, Fried Green Tomatoes and Cinema Paradiso.
My love for children (he has four kids) is reflected in the movie Mrs Doubtfire because it is about a father trying desperately to be with his kids who will try anything just to be with them. I love science-fiction movies and novels by the likes of Roger Zelazny and Joe Hadelman.

Why do you love writing?
Writing is stress-relief for me because I do not have many God-given gifts and I think that writing is one of them. It is a gift because I will never find it a chore or a burden to write. I keep a diary (I have kept it since 1968) and I like to put into words things that I experience or see. My diary contains all sorts of feelings and experiences and I am explicit about how I feel.
I also like composing poems. Poetry is a very good way of summarising the times in your life that you feel melancholic about.

Do you have any weaknesses?
Uh-huh - for movies on my wanted list such as obscure, Italian horror movies from the early '70s, for records and CDs and for science-fiction movies and books. When it comes to movies, if I miss the first three seconds of a movie, I will walk out again - it's my habit to see the movie right from the beginning to the end.

The Best Malaysian Rock Albums?

2004-12-29T03:22:00.000-08:00

I came across this interesting piece on local rock music in Harian Metro (published on Oct 23, 1997). Too bad the writer was not credited. Anyway read on.

BERPULUH-PULUH kumpulan rock muncul di arena muzik Malaysia terutama selepas siri Battle of The Bands lebih 15 tahun lalu dan saya berada di tengah-tengah perkembangan itu sebagai seorang peminat rock.
Pada masa yang sama, Search muncul dengan album sulung Cinta Buatan Malaysia manakala peminat muzik rock masih lagi terpengaruh dengan Sweet Charity.
Battle of The Bands menyaksikan lima kumpulan rock mencatatkan kejayaan begitu gemilang iaitu Bloodshed, Lefthanded, Rahim Maarof & The Whitesteel, Ella & The Boy dan SYJ.
Mereka beraksi di merata tempat dan saya menjadi saksi ketika mereka membingitkan Stadium Indera Mulia di Ipoh, Perak. Kini semuanya sudah berpecah.
Mungkin sebelum ini ramai yang berlumba-lumba mendapatkan album klasik seperti Allahyarham Tan Sri P Ramlee, Saloma, Ahmad Jais atau Sharifah Aini (termasuk dalam bentuk LP) tetapi hari ini dalam sedar atau tidak, sudah ada album rock Melayu yang boleh dianggap sebagai collector's item.
Berikut adalah 12 album rock Melayu klasik pilihan saya (mengikut turutan):

Bloodshed Samarkhand (EMI Music)
Mungkin ramai tidak sedar album ini tetapi masih mengingati lagu Srikandi Cintaku ciptaan M Nasir yang menjadi hit bagi album ini.
Namun sebenarnya bagi saya ini adalah album rock Melayu terbaik sejak kebangkitan genre muzik itu di negara ini.
Mungkin ada pihak yang tidak setuju tetapi bagi saya ia adalah album terbaik Bloodshed.
Saya masih mengingati lagu seperti Panah Arjuna dan Samarkhand. Sayang sekali anda pasti tidak akan menemui lagi album ini di pasaran terutama dalam bentuk CD.

Search Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur (PolyGram)
Ini adalah album ketiga Search selepas Cinta Buatan Malaysia serta Langit dan Bumi. Saya menghadapi kesukaran membuat pilihan bagi album
Search kerana album Fenomena juga adalah antara terbaik daripada mereka.
Namun Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur sebenarnya adalah terbaik pilihan saya. Saya membeli kaset ini dengan harga RM9.35 pada 15 Jun 1987 dan lagu Fantasia Bulan Madu terus memikat hati selepas sekali dengar.
Berbanding Fenomena dengan lagu hits Isabella dan Gadis Misteri album ini lebih banyak menampilkan lagu hebat seperti Bunga Pesona, Gadisku, Gelora Cintaku, Pembakar Perasaan, Sebatang Tongkat Untuk Berdiri, Serigala Segalanya dan Mentari Merah Di Ufuk Timur. Album ini adalah collector's item dan tiada dalam bentuk CD.

Wings Hukum Karma (Antartic Sound Production)
Tentu ramai bersetuju jika dikatakan ini album terbaik Wings. Saya juga menyukai album Belenggu Irama dengan lagu hit seperti Inspirasi Tamingsari, Biarkan Berlalu dan Intanku Kesepian. Namun saya rasa Hukum Karma lebih berbisa.
Saya membeli album ini pada 10 Oktober 1988 (masih elok sehingga hari ini). Hukum Karma menjadi masterpiece Wings kerana ia ada lagu hits JS Kevin, Misteri Mimpi Syakilla dan Taman Rashidah Utama.
Namun jika diamati album ini juga mempunyai lagu fast yang menarik seperti Opera Hidup (...hidup bagaikan pentas opera, tirai lakon bermula...), Sembunyi, Hukum Karma dan Orang Kita. Wings terus keluar dengan album hit selepas Hukum Karma seperti Teori Domino dan Jerangkung Dalam Almari tetapi bagi saya Hukum Karma adalah terbaik. Juga tiada dalam
bentuk CD.

Ekamatra Satu Tekanan Irama (EMI)
EMI perlu memberikan nadi baru kepada album ini kerana ia jelas sekali sudah menjadi album nostalgia.
Siapa boleh melupakan lagu hit Ekamatra seperti Pusara Di Lebuh Raya, Sentuhan Kecundang atau Hanya Satu Persinggahan.Kumpulan yang berasal dari Johor ini langsung tidak dikenali dengan lain kecuali tiga lagu itu.
Pemain gitar, Shahrul dilihat begitu potensi dalam album ini sehingga dia sendiri menjadi artis solo EMI selepas Ekamatra berpecah.

Rusty Blade Rintangan Hidup Dunia (Life Records)
Sayang Rusty Blade sudah berpecah kerana mereka kumpulan rock yang begitu hebat. Saya menjadi peminat Rusty Blade sejak 786 Ikrar Perwira.
Lagu slow rock dan fast dalam album ini semuanya memikat.
Lagu slow rock pilihan saya ialah Penantian dan Kehilangan manakala lagu fast pula Satria Bangsa, Rintangan Hidup Dunia, Taming Sari dan Langsuir Liar. Jangan harap mendapatkan album ini dalam bentuk CD.

May Hakikat (Warnada)
SAMA seperti Samarkhand, saya gagal mendapatkan album ini walaupun selepas berkali-kali mencarinya. Hakikatnya ia album terbaik MAY kerana ia menyelitkan lagu hit mereka seperti Sendiri.

Lefthanded Keadilan (Warner Music)
SAYA juga gagal mendapatkan album ini tetapi saya pernah memilikinya dahulu.
Kalau tidak silap ini adalah album yang menyelitkan lagu Debunga Wangi dan Tiada Lagi Kidungmu. Kehebatan Man Kidal serta vokal hebat Nash jelas terbukti dalam album ini. Lefthanded saya kira antara kumpulan rock terbaik di Malaysia.

Rockers Kekejaman (Life Records)
TIDAK ramai yang mengenali kumpulan ini tetapi mereka adalah antara kumpulan rock terhebat suatu masa lalu.
Lagu Kekejaman menjadi ikutan peminat. Rockers mempunyai imej paling baik untuk sebuah kumpulan heavy metal. Antara lagu kegemaran saya dalam album ini ialah Memori, Zaileha dan Kenangan Cinta Pertama.

Exist Exist (Jojo's Production)
LAGU Untukmu Ibu (ciptaan Rahim Othman) jelas menjadi nadi kepada album ini. Exist meletup dengan lagu itu dan sekaligus menaikkan nama Jojo's Production.
Saya memilih album ini kerana Exist menjadi kumpulan top ketika usia mereka dalam belasan tahun (kalau tidak silap, pemain gitarnya, Along, berusia 14 tahun ketika album ini keluar).
Bukan sahaja Untukmu Ibu menjadi hit, malah lagu ciptaan LY seperti Janji Bidadari dan Rahsia Pohon Cemara turut menjadi ikutan. Exist disukai oleh semua golongan termasuk ibu bapa kerana lagu Untukmu Ibu.

Bumiputera Rockers Bisa (Life Records)
SAYA rasa ramai juga yang tidak mengingati album ini. Namun anda pasti ingatkan lagu Seribu Tahun Takkan Mungkin yang menjadi hit bagi BPR.
Apa yang pasti ada beberapa lagu lagi yang mantap dalam album ini terutama 1511 yang begitu utuh dengan kisah sejarahnya. Antara lagu lain yang menarik ialah Harum Subur Di Hati (kegemaran saya), Aku Hanya Serangga dan Dajal.

XPDC Kita Peng-Yu (Life Records)
MUNGKIN ada yang kata saya patut memilih album Darjah Satu kerana ia adalah album pertama XPDC.
Saya memilih album ini kerana saya rasa ketika inilah mereka memulakan genre ala Metallica sehingga ke album Brutal.
Saya juga tidak terkejut apabila ada wartawan lain dan saya juga, memilih Brutal sebagai album rock Melayu klasik 10 tahun lagi.

Ella 30110 (EMI)
SAYA bukan memilih album ini kerana lagu Sembilu atau Layar Impian sebaliknya lagu Kitalah Bintang membuatkan saya memilih ini sebagai album terbaik daripada Ella.
Melodi, muzik dan susunan lagu Kitalah Bintang adalah satu masterpiece daripada Ella.
Lagu itu terlalu lengkap sehingga saya tidak pernah jemu mendengarnya.
Anda dengarkan sendiri gitar untuk lagu Kitalah Bintang dan saya yakin anda juga akan suka.

2004-12-28T23:41:00.000-08:00

I've always fancied having my own page online where I could write, talk, discuss, wank, jerk off on things that revolves around me. Well, in my case, it's not going to be that much of revolving things apart from my fetish for history, decent music and music-related writings/ramblings. So, I'm so sorry if you might find this place one hell of a lame/boring place to be. Then again, who the fuck asked you to pay me a visit at the first place? So, fuck you!