The Recce for Mr. Ooi at Majestic Hotel

So ever since this article came out on Poskod.my. There has been a lot of interest in gathering together to go and meet with the man Mr. Ooi Eow Jin. Too many of us he is a teacher, to those who know he was one of those rare gems that you would. almost never hear about.

Today, I decided to have tea at The Majestic Hotel ( I don't usually drink tea) mainly because I wanted to see how Mr. Ooi is doing. I was never under his tutelage but I've seen him around ICOM when I was there doing my foundation course. He was a bit flustered when he realised I was behind him and asking for a few minutes of his time. He walks with a steady tempo and firm strides.

Don't ask him how old he is but just remember to speak a bit louder when you are on his right side. I was grateful that he took the time to 'layan' me before he had to go and meet somebody. He asked me what did I want to ask him and I wish I was more prepared. He still seems sharp and his eyes always looking at you when you spoke.

But before that I bumped into one of his old students with his family.

Tay Cher Siang & Tomo the Handsome baby boy came to say hello to Mr. Ooi too.

At the end of our conversation Mr Ooi walked swiftly to his next meeting about the article that was written. He said he was happy to meet people like me and I told him that more people wllbe coming to visit him. Just like Cher Siang with Tomo

Cher Siang & Tomo strike a pose with Mr. Ooi

So if you plan to meet up with Mr. Ooi he performs on everyday from 3pm - 6pm Tuesdays til Sundays. at the Colonial Cafe at The Majestic Hotel. Parking is available at the hotel for RM10 per entry. There is a special tea set priced at RM 48++ with sandwiches and scones. The service here is Impeccable but Please do come dressed properly. The Colonial Cafe is a beautiful tea room, just look at it! you do not wear slipper and shorts to this place. and it is abit cold!

Boi Akih Performs at No Blacktie 28th & 29th October (RM50) Cover

A couple of years ago Boi Akih participated in the Penang Island Jazz Festival. She is an artist based out of the Kingdom Of Netherlands. She will be performing at No Black Tie on the 28th and 29th Of October. Which is a Monday & a Tuesday. She will be performing with Niels Brouwer on guitar & vocals, Owen Hart Jr on drums and Yedo Gibson on saxophone.

 Boi Akih has  special message for all her fans in Malaysia and the rest of Asia.

Boi Akih writes:-

Hi everyone,

I just want to let you know that we will be back in KL to perform with the new Boi Akih quartet.
We gonna play pieces from the CD Circles in a Square Society and of course new stuff.
The concerts will be at NBT in KL starting at  09:30 PM

 surf to boiakih.com for more concert dates

We hope to see you again!
Monica Akihary, Niels Brouwer with Owen Hart Jr. & Yedo Gibson

Big & Small at Treehouse Open Mic organised by Amrita Soon @ Paradox Art Cafe, Bandar Utama

So a while ago I wrote about this singer songwriter Amrita Soon. She is new and really Hard working.  She also organizes her own open-mic series called Treehouse open mic at Paradox Art Cafe in Bandar Utama. It is a neat little place on the first floor tucked away near One Utama. The open-mic is held every 3rd Sunday of the month and one act selected by Amrita Soon to be the featured act for the day.

The last featured open mic-er was the very new and upcoming group called Big & Small. With Big Guy Daryl holding down the groove on the guitar and Krystal or affectionately called KT belting out some killer vocals. This group was a breath of fresh air and also a throwback to the years of good old soul of rhythm and blues.

Unfortunately KT had to leave to pursue her studies in The United States of UhMurica. So, I am not sure of the future of this group.
But here is a video of one of KT's killer vocals with Daryl on guitar joined by Alan on percussions. Enjoy!

Red - Amrita Soon Featured artist for FeedBack Open Mic@ The Bee, Publika

Amrita is one of those singer songwriters who can keep writing and writing songs. Her approach may be simple but taking all those experiences and turning them into music and lyrics. Not everyone can do that well. She does it well. Okay so maybe you are not into this kinda music but if you give it a chance and listen to the lyrics of her songs you will find a story in each and every song painted clearly.

Given the fact that she is only 18 and pursuing her music dream with tremendous support from her parents. She is such a lucky girl that she herself is hardworking at doing this. She organises her own open mic with her running around arranging the acts and making sure the guitarists have their guitars jacked in or mic-ed up.

She works harder than alot of people I know who are doing music. It really is quite inspiring to know that in this sea of new young musicians that there are ones like Amrita Soon fighting the good fight for the next generation. Now I am not saying I am old, (okay so I am old) but this girl is really inspiring.



You can read more about her here

FeedBack Open Mic @ The Bee, Publika: Zarul, Hani & Zue

Nowadays, open mics seem to be the only relevant platform for new and emerging artists who are looking to get some stage time without having to compromise their creative efforts. You can try and experiment every possibility, and maybe you just want to sing your own favourite songs minus the bad reverb and smelly microphones.

Sure we hear the greatest hits from radio, of horse prancing gentlemen, Convulsive shaking of epileptic proportions and sometimes the wrongly stated fact that diamonds refract light and not shine bright. It seems ironic that despite the massive onslaught of commercial radio stations forcing down music handed to them by marketing execs of record labels who know next to nothing about where is the best place to eat after a nice gig. 

Okay, maybe that is beside the point.

My point is The Indie scene in Malaysia as a whole is a lot larger than it seems. The quality of some of the acts are top notch, world class. You can almost always pinpoint the first time the now famous artists who had their turning point at the right left-click of a mouse or an open mic in Shah Alam. (yes there are open mics in Shah Alam)

Funny thing is The later you stay for an open mic, the better it gets!

Here is what caught my ears and forced me to pull out my camera to take a video of awesomeness

So the Next time you think about blowing off an open mic session this is what you might have missed!

Moonshine 25th July, 2013 at Laundry Bar, The Curve, Damansara

For the uniniated the term Moonshine loosely describes the act of doing something in one's own backyard. However, Moonshine KL has always been at the forefront of putting forward new indie acts who people almost always never hear of. But the high quality of musicianship and creativity has always wowed audiences. I stumbled on to the girls of Crinkle Cut on youtube sometime last year. Having met them briefly prior to that it felt like we grew up listening to the same influences. Having two videos online only at that time, the girls really put alot of effort in those videos. It was a very simple video of them just singing to the camera so that people would be able to audiotion them so that they can hire them for weddings. All four being very good composers, the girls really pulled of a great show last night. Even being asked to perform and extra song after their last song.
 
Watch this space for more bands that performed that night.

MoonShine A HomeMade Music Show @ Laundry Bar, The Curve Damansara

MoonShine is back at Laundry Bar this month on 25th July 9pm with a covers edition with an awesome lineup that most of you have not seen before. A Cover is basically  performing a song written or sung by someone else.

First up there are going to be these guys Nigel Tay and Razlan Shah. Based in Boston, USA now completing their studies there. These guys have extremely super cool and unique voices. Girls beware hearts will melt.







The Two will be performing together for this time.

Next, there will be the two seasoned singer songwriters of KL & PJ and some say in Ropponggi,
Ok no, they have never been there..... I think.
The Haircuts (as you will see why in this next video), come from the same era of growing pains studying in the education system of Malaysia and therefore listening to the same songs on the radio. So the covers that you are most likely to hear from them are from the early 90s and maybe even before that.

Video Credit by Lainie Yeoh

Also on that night we will be featuring CrinkleCut a really tight vocal group with rich harmonies. These girls are all strong singers with a passion for singer. Its not often they get to come together to sing so come and support them and remind them why they should!

Finally, we have the spanking new performers The Vochale Project! These girls have really worked hard to put on a show a show for you all. 9 members in total these girls sing in true accapella fashion.



So as you can see it is going to be an awesome night of PURE music and not dial up modem material.
So come bring your friends invite them using the FB LINK Here.

If you are new in town here is a MAP


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FeedBack Open Mic Featuring The Vochale Project, Faith by George Micheal (Cover) at The Bee, Jaya One

The Vochale Project is fast becoming popular as the all woman indie accapella group.Their backgrounds are as varied as their voices in the group. These gals are all about having coming together and having fun while being disciplined to build and practice their repertoire. While giggling off their nervous jitters on stage, after getting the note from their pitch-pipe. The nervous looks fade away into focused singers on a mission to entertain the audience with their singing.

Having 9 people in any band can be a really tough challenge but these gals have really worked it out to some great effect. Here is hoping we see more of them. 

Actually, you can see more of them at their next performance at Moonshine A Homemade Music Show : Covers Edition at Laundry in the Curve in Damansara.

Hameer Zawawi - Natural Fantasy FeedBack Open Mic @ The Bee, Jaya One

Hameer is all original when it comes to writing and performing his own songs. He is one of those singer song writers that have a unique sound. On the verge of releasing his music here is a taste of things to come.

Open Mic, FeedBack @ The Bee Jaya One, July 2013 Edition

FeedBack Open Mic @ The Bee is Back again in the less hazy month of July. If you know whats good to do afer the haze has gone. Its come and hone your talents at the Open mic. Overseas students are back for the holidays,  long distance lovers meet again, realising u need to exercise for that so called summer holiday and yes you know its going to be an awesome open mic!

This month we are featuring 2 acts! Long time Open Mic goer Hameer Zawawi who will be releasing an audio recording soon and an All new act The Vochale Project an all ladies accapella group.

Click on photo for larger view

Location Map Here



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Apex in Abadi by Anonymous

Biasanya, jarang kita lihat seseorang berkembang untuk menjadi llebih matang dan mempunyai hala tuju yang lebih jelas dalam pendirian muziknya. Penyanyi dalam video ini Apex, bersama dengan saya sewaktu belajar di Akademi Seni Kebangsaan. Kita bersama telah menempuh beberapa cabaran seperti duduk dalam hutan dalam keadaan gelap-gelita dan melompat dari dinging yang ketinggiannya 30 kaki serta kena bangun awal setiap hari selama 5 hari yang diiringi muzik tentera.

Kita jarang mendapat peluang untuk kerja bersama-samasewaktu belajar di kolej selain daripada produksi besar yang melibatkan semua jabatan. Selamat menempuh cabaran baru ini!!

Its not everyday you get to see someone grow in a way that makes them sound more mature and having a clearer direction. But it is always very settling to know that people really can change for the better. Apex the singer in this video was in the same batch as me when we were back in college. We stayed in a jungle together in the middle of the night in pitch black darkness, abseiled off a 30 feet wall and woke up everyday to the sound of some military like song for about 5 days. Selamat menempuh cabaran baru ini!!

We never really got to work together much during college apart from the shows where all the departments were supposed to put on a show. Wishing you good luck my friend!!

Bass Cover #4 Misty written by Erroll Garner

Continuing in the bass covers series, here is a solo version of Misty written by Errol Garner. Its a great vocal song, Popular nonetheless, there are many bass covers of this song on youtube but because a friend of mine pointed me in this direction that is why I decided to do this.

The Main difference with covering this song and the previous one God Bless the Child is that I only started figuring out the arrangement after I posted the previous video. Breaking a song down and figuring out how to play the chords with the melody was really a learning experience for me. It was like going back to school and finishing an assignment given by your bass instructor.

Another big difference is that the way the melody was written it was a little hard to voice the melody as the top note properly on the chord. Thankfully having a 5 string really helps a lot, or rather it helps me cheat a lot. Some of the other challenges while learning this song was to try and play it in time. Of course it is a personal choice but  I always like to have a pulse in the music so that it gives a better impression of time to the listener. Granted I am not a very fast linear player so I tried to compensate for this.

So for my next cover, I am going to take a break from playing solo and maybe try to work with a singer. I really excited about the next one. I just hope I have the time to do it soon. Yay!

Have a good week everyone! 

Crinkle Cut at FeedBack Open Mic at The Bee Jaya One. May Edition

I first met the girls from Crinkle Cut before they were Crinkle Cut. I was invited by one of their lecturers
 Joe Loy. It was a songwriter's showcase as it was kind of like a class project where all the students had to present their original compositions throughout the night. That was when Tallest of the singers Frances voice really blew me away when she sang Ashley's original composition Years Await.  Melissa and Grace were singing in one of the most killer combinations of chorus singers. I tell you my hair was standing on end listening to these girls sing.



Last night they were the Featured Open Mic performers at Feedback open mic organised by MoonShine Productions. They performed one of Grace's tunes with Ashley on the Ipad doing some killer stuffs.



Currently, the girls are working in different bands playing in Waikiki Club and other projects that they are a part of. I do hope i get to see more of this band. because I think I'm already becoming a huge fan of their  music. So if you are like me and you enjoy Malaysian made music please go out there and try to catch all of their performances tell your friends there is no need to go to Sepang to have a good time on the asphalt in the hot muddy ground where ur shoes get ruined and you are too drunk to be listening to any music.

Check out their Youtube music page HERE
FB : The Crinkle Cut Band

Cover of Sayang Kinabalu with Dave

I first met Dave at the Penang Island Jazz Festival in 2012 he was playing for the Band Funkyard. Dave is from Sabah and he is so talented, like most Sabahans are. Granted that there as many bad ones as there are good ones. But I think Dave was singing when he was born. 

I had really wanted to play with him since he got to KL. Buttime did not permit until yesterday. What followed was a great makan session and a movie hahaha. It was a very hot Day thus you can see the fan. I'm still figuring out what i need to make a better audio recording. I could just fix it with buying a Zoom recorder but yeah the videos are not paying yet haha.  

This is Sayang Kinabalu, a traditional folk song reworked by Dave together with Funkyard. 

The video below is a video of our performance at The Open Mic Feedback at the Bee in Jaya One

Bass Cover # 3 - God Bless the Child written by Arthur Herzog & Billie Holiday

This is one of those songs that I keep coming back to over and over again, because the melody and chords work really closely together. It also has a strong melody that sticks in your head. I first heard this song in a cassette recording of The Simpsons Sing The Blues album. Sung by Lisa Simpson. The album version has a really awesome saxophone solo at the end one of my first eye openers about jazz music when I was about 10 I guess.

Every kid of the 90s would love this album, there is just so much fun and joy in this album.

I've been working at this song since I was way back in college. Never got the chance to record it back then. But thanks to people like Az Samad  & Rozhan Razman who first taught me about chord  voicings on the bass I am able to explore more. En. Ramlan Imam also helped me to open my mind to approaching the bass as a solo instrument.


So I don't know what I will record next I just want to play music that i like to listen to. I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for dropping by.

p.s. : Drop me a comment if you have any suggestions about what I should play next.

Bass Cover #1 : Jatuh by Liyana Fizi

So I wanted to try some equipment for uploading Youtube videos using my bass and camera. The result was a massacre of sorts. It did however, develop into a very food finger warm up for electric bass. The reason I chose this song was because ithought it was a siple progression to learn. Little did I know it messes up your fingers on the bass. But, it was a really good stretch for my fingers :)

Kakiseni Fest 2013 22nd April til 1st May

So kakiseni fest is happening next week and yours truly will be working for Moonshine at the street for some of the music performances. I haven't checked the weather yet but i hope all will be well.

The good people at Kakiseni is promoting the arts at Pavilion, KL.
The festival is going to kick off on Monday 22nd April 2013 til 1st May which also coincides with the BOH Cameronian arts awards. Some of the interesting events happening will be a street parade on 28th April.

I will of course attempt to try and document my experience while being there. I think its going to be a huge kick-ass fest!

Wednesday Open Mic at Merdekarya Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

For those of you itching for an open mic this week and every other Wednesday of the month Merdekarya will be hosting the open mic at their place
352, Jalan 5/57, Petaling Garden, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
Alot of people have mentioned about this cozy place thats has a great vibe for all things local and indie. Check their Facebook page here

Open Mic Details here

Here is the map below

From Jalan Gasing: Drive-drive-drive along Jalan Gasing and then just before the Old Town roundabout, there's a traffic light. Turn left at this light, and turn right at the end of that road. You will pass some shops on your right (Khun Thai, Kavita's). Keep driving and you will see Merdekarya on your right. It's above Restoran Sun Raj but the entrance is through the back alley.

Contact info
Phone 016-207 1553
Email merdekarya@gmail.com

Immediately Seek Attention - SquareCircles

SquareCircles has been around for a few years gigging hard and after recording the album it was a new era for the band. One where we settled into our sound and being branded many different things by others. What the band is about is mainly getting together to play music together. The band consists of Sujesh the songwriter and master dark comedy, Lohan who is the axe-slayer and Sujesh's partner in crime. Wong the multi martial artist in music instruments, Krishna the beat bouncer and I hold the bottom end.

So if you like the music share it with your friends details on getting the CD  is on the Links in the description.

Open Mic - FeedBack @ The Bee

The Open mic will be be back on the last week of of February. The Jaya one Outlet will be undergoing some renovations so the outlet will be closed for awhile. So everyone Set your dates for the 26th of February I think its going to be a packed one seeing as its the end of the CNY holidays and everyone will be back in town! 

So hope to see you all there! :)

Mia Palencia, Singapore Art House

Back in the day I used to play and record bass for this singer who recorded her first solo album. The title track Finding my Way talks about someone coming to a new place and basically finding their way, metaphorically of course not the typical directions to the Mcdonalds nearby.

I guess sometimes in life all of us reach this point when we seem lost and don't know what to do. Some of us stay in this state of mind for too long and it ends up becoming a vicious cycle of self doubt that develops into cynicism. I think its not a good place to be in (for your mind) but then again no one wants to feel like that forever so I guess we should all just get on with our lives and not stay in the same state of mind. but what do I know.

Not many people know that Mia Palencia had this gig in Singapore at the Singapore Art House. It included that talented drummer Stephanie Chan from KK, Sabah, Guitar maestro from Tawau, Sabah Alejandro Tingzon Jr a.k.a. Jun, Leonard Khoo from PJ who did sound for us and myself. It was a week long sting including a day of soundchecks and 4 nights of shows. Possibly one of my best experiences playing outside of Malaysia in terms of musicality. it was nice to play for nights instead of just the one night.

I really enjoyed playing with these awesome musicians possibly second only to playing with the now defunct Qings & Kueens. So that was then and now I have found my new band of brothers (literally, haha) in SquareCircles. Will talk more about that in a different posting. Hope you enjoy this song and your not feeling too glum. There is only so much you can do for others the rest is up to them.

Hameer Zawawi at Open Mic FeedBack @ The Bee, Publika

Its not the first time I met Hameer Zawawi. He has been coming out for gigs since before his brother Rendra Zawawi started gigging. When Hameer was younger he used to come with his mom on time for gigs. but nowadays Hameer is usually fashionably late :) but he never fails to pull off a great show.

The Cowboy song as he calls it, I think is something that could be of a spin-off from one his projects as a video game programmer. Yes he is Video Games Programming Major. He is on a break til he starts work this year. Hopefully we will see more of him at the open mics. 

So, I've been told that my blog is a lil bland boring looking. What do you think I should do? What would you like to read about? or get more videos? Photos? 

I currently have a backlog of tonnes of Photos from Penang Island Jazz Festival, TemperedMental Album Launch. Old photos from other gigs from other MoonShine Shows.

Send me a comment and watch what happens! :) 

Azim at Open Mic FeedBack @ The Bee, Publika

So the first time I met Azim was at the Open Mic Feedback at The Bee in Jaya One. It was a quite night just after the new year started. Was hanging out with Mokthar that night because his boys had to handle another job. So along came Azim and said he wanted to sign up. He seem really young and confident and he had no qualms about the time slot given to him to perform which was the 2nd for the night.

He kept practicing his guitar in this little corner there and looked like he came alone. Bright - eyed focused and ready to perform. I think its great that young musicians like him take the time to warm up before a shot no matter how small. Dude was in the zone basically. So after Boss went up to perform that night Azim got on stage.

That was at the recent open mic FeedBack at The Bee in Publika. We got to talk a little bit more and and I found out that he is studying Law and political science! I was like ok thats different maybe he will be one of those that could make a change ehh?

I wonder who else I'll meet at these open mics

Keira & Rachel at Open Mic FeedBack @ The Bee, Publika

So after a little persuasion I got Keira to come and do the open mic at The Bee in Publika. So, she roped in Rachel for some back up and brought along a tonne of friend to support her. She said she didn't have a guitar but Rachel borrowed one from a good friend. It was her first time doing the open mic and despite her nervousness about not wanting to be the first to go up She did a great job. She sang her own song Sparks Fly and the audience at The Bee were the first to hear it and it was well received. Have a listen

Later that night she told me that she is going to come back for more and bring more of her friends to come and do the open mic as well. Keira and Rachel are students currently on semester break from Universiti Putra Malaysia. They are both music majors.

I will be posting up the dates for the next Feedback Open-Mic at The Bee, Publika. Come back to check on that.