Unlike our perceptions on other live concerts or festivals, WTF has its own set of throne. It had the perfect ambiance of an indie-hipster fest or whatever shenanigan you may call it, with a balance of mainstream music you listen on the radio during traffic hours. Soon after we saw the set list released by Ismaya Live, we fell in love almost instantly seeing how all the artists from different genres somehow are fused into one wholesome

When we arrived at the Parkir Timur Senayan, we didn’t really know what to expect. The concept was vague, yet intriguing, there was no certain image of what the festival would be like but we ended up psyched when we saw all the festivities. Clowns, gorillas, man-eating sharks, weird bunny-like creature, balloon rides, bananas, free lollipops, tumblr scene kids with flower headpieces, young tweens that make you feel older, artsy cliques who looks much cooler than you, 18+ drinks, booths, festival foods, it had it all. A dream-like carnival.

The first set we got to see was Sore, one of the best local performers we have in the current music scene. It was very nice vibe to sit around the area and swaying to songs like Merintih Perih, Setengah Lima and Vrijeman, and other songs from the album Port of Lima. Other local performers of the Banana Palooza including Lala, Vox, The Experience Brothers had the crowd beguiled.
Timeflies was set to play after Maliq & D’essential’s lively performance at the Clown Chella stage. We can honestly say that the duo was much more than that overplayed song on the radio as they have some serious skills in freestyling and a voice that would melt even the coldest heart. Their set included the songs ‘Swoon’, ‘Monsters’, ‘Until The Sunrise’, ‘I Choose U’, and a very sweet and intimate freestyle song of Jakarta that definitely hyped up the crowd. Miami Horror continued the set as well as Goldroom all away across the other stage while we had some festival snacks by the food booth.

Jessie Andrews brought the party people out with her mixes followed by RAC’s DJ set. A lot them teenagers were lining up to see RAC’s synthpop and electo vibes and sick mixes from the album Strangers, both parts. Azealia Banks, the rising queen of rap and Rapunxel had the crowd cheering over her badass rap beats and her flawless figure wearing a metallic blue steel romper. She performed songs including ‘BBD’, ‘Jumanji’, ‘Liquorice’, ‘1991’, ‘Venus’ and the attitude anthem ‘212’. During Azealia’s set, Mayer Hawthorne also had some mixes up his sleeve. With a sharp suit and weird combination of matching shorts, Mayer brought the dance floor to groove along to the tunes with ‘Reach Out Richard’, ‘The Walk’, ‘Henry and Gingerale’, ‘Her Favorite Song’ and a cover of Hall and Oates’ ‘Kiss On My List’.

The summer fest lineups were definitely dominated by fierce female solos, one of them includes Banks. The enigmatic singer and songwriter wore an all-black attire and the doe set of sad eyes she sings with, including the songs ‘Before I Met You’, ‘Change’, ‘Brain’, ‘Fall Over’, ‘Warm Water’, ‘Waiting Game’ and the roaring song ‘Goddess’ from her newest album of the same title. It was so moving, her performance, the energy that comes from what looks like minimal effort is so empowering that the whole crowd were mostly paralyzed by the grace and the haunting music Banks have brought upon. Banks enlightened that her show in Jakarta is her last set from her world tour, which made the night even more special than it already has. Leading up to last concerts of the tours, the leading lady of the night, Ellie Goulding, ended her two-year tour with a heated finale in the heart of Jakarta.

Ellie Goulding’s performance was undoubtedly the most anticipated one, along with Havana Brown’s set across the stage. The two performers shifted the mode of the festival from a calming summer fest into an energetic rave party. Ellie’s set started with three songs from her recent album ‘Halcyon Days’ with ‘Figure 8’, ‘Ritual’, ‘Goodness Gracious’ and the wild untamed ‘Animal’. It is unimaginable how full of life Ellie is and that she was an absolute sweetheart on stage. Ellie wore a two piece silver and metallic black dress and has her signature platinum blonde hair dancing around the stage. Up next were ‘Starry Eyed’, ‘Stay Awake’, ‘Tessellate’ and ‘Life Round Here’. The set list of the night was a gem, as it covered mostly all of the favorite songs from both of her internationally acknowledged albums.

Continuing with a slower pace songs, Ellie played acoustic ‘Guns & Horses’ and a lovely piano interlude of ‘Your Song’. Ellie Goulding’s music have always been related to synthesizers but watching her live just proves that she is even better without the mixings and computer-distorted sounds. ‘The Writer’, ‘Explosions’, ‘My Blood’, and my personal favorite a mashup between ‘Bad Girls/Salt Skin’ and ‘Every Time You Go/This Love’. By now, the whole audience were already jumping out of breath singing along and trying to keep up with Ellie’s soprano vocal ranges. As if she was saving the best for last, most of the popular singles were performed last which includes the summer pop ‘Anything Could Happen’, hopelessly romantic tune ‘I Need Your Love’ and her timeless single ‘Lights’.
Ellie Goulding’s set ended with her epic youth anthem, ‘Burn’ with firey red lights glistening up the entire stage and the flame-colored glare hypnotized the faces of the mass. Even without an encore, It was that great, and worth the hype. I can righteously say that the festival was a huge hit and we cannot wait what Ismaya Live will offer on the next We The Fest.

Ismaya Live’s upcoming We The Fest is the perfect way to end the summer and welcome the rainy season. After a long awaited hype on Ismaya’s Instagram and Twitter account, WTF finally concludes their line up with among the most happening international artists in various pop, dance and R&B scenes. As all live music enthusiasts in Indonesia know, no one can throw a music party like Ismaya Live, therefore August 24^th is definitely a date on the calendar you should mark, with capital W-T-F.

The music festival is lined up major women warriors in the music industry, including radio’s favorite vibrato folktronica artist, Ellie Goulding, followed by witch hop NY-based rapper, Azealia Banks, breakthrough indie R&B singer, Banks, along with Australian sensational singer/DJ, Havana Brown.

Major good vibes DJs are also set to perform at the forthcoming summer festival, with Goldroom (DJ set), Jessie Andrew, Mayer Hawthorne (DJ set), RAC (DJ set) along with indietronica band, Miami Horror and electro hip hop duo, Timeflies. If you are more into the local scene of contemporary electronica pop and soulful scene, Lala, Maliq & D’Essentials, Sore, The Experience Brothers, and Vox are scheduled to play at the summer festival.

You can purchase WTF tickets both online and offline on ismaya.com/tickets and rajakarcis.com. Offline tickets are available at all Pizza E Birra outlets and Kitchenette Bali outlet. Note that this event is for all ages, but the VIP tickets are strictly 18+.

VIP*                                        Rp 1,000,000

Presale**                               Rp 575,000

Although the WTF festival seem to have a curiously fun yet cryptic and out of the world theme, we can guarantee that this is a festival that cannot be missed! Having any second thoughts on purchasing WTF tickets? Head to wethefest.com and take time listening to the playlist they compiled. We know you’d be ordering the tickets in no time.

for more info:  http://wethefest.com/

*VIP tickets are for 18+

**For presale tickets purchases by the age 16 or younger must be accompanied by person of the age of 17+.

It’s that time of year again, where everyone uses their last batch of stamina to wrap up the year with the most epic rave party in South East Asia, the Djakarta Warehouse Project 2013. 

Who else is counting on the days before 13th of December? The much anticipated dance music festival brought by ISMAYA Live is only weeks away, The we hope that you’re set on what to wear, to do and not to do! Below are few tips on preparing for the greatest night of 2013.

1. Cha-ching! Make sure to bring enough cash for beer, food and possibly souvenirs. A lot of venues have limited options for credit or debit, so cash is preferable

2. Drink responsibly. We don’t mean to be a party pooper, but a rave party is better enjoyed with a certain amount of alcohol instead of being intoxicated the whole night. You do plan on remembering the night, right?
3. Specifically for the ladies, take good care of your well-being during the concert! Some perverts can be drunk, grabby and disgusting, stand up for yourself and don’t give them a chance to harass you. Grrl power!

4. Don’t forget to bring your ID, it’s a 18+ event.

5. Always fully charge your phones, and have some credit to spare. You and your group might separate, and the reception might not be stable enough to contact through instant messages, so phone calls will work better.

6. Just to be safe from pickpockets, put aside some cash and ID in other places other than your wallet. It’s hard to realize these things when you’re having too much fun!

7. PDAs are common in rave parties. Don’t be the awkward third wheel, let the lovebirds enjoy the night!

8. Avoid drunk boys you’ll encounter through the night, just smile and step away. We don’t know how many amount of liquors they have consumed.

9. We know you want to update your social medias, but for once, lose the phones and cameras. Let’s keep it old school. You’re about to witness a lineup of the greatest artists and DJs, don’t waste it on checking how many Likes or Loves you got.

10. Stay in groups! But if you do get lost and find it impossible to find your pack, it’s always great to meet new people and mingle.

11. Public transportations are hopeless by the time the concert ends. Bringing your own vehicle or getting a ride from a friend is your best bet. If that’s not possible, take a good reputable taxi, but make sure to stay awake the whole ride, or better yet, travel in numbers.

12. For those who bring their own vehicles, select a candidate to be the designated driver. Do not drink and drive!

13. Stay dehydrated, and have a good dinner before. If not, there will be great food stalls available, but it might be pricey!

14. In case of unfriendly rain during the night, have your electronic gadgets under waterproof covers

15. There will be mad traffic near the parking lot after the party ends, just relax and make sure to stay fully awake until you’re safe at home. Drive safely.

16. You’ll be a part of the greatest dance festival in South East Asia, so, dance like no one’s watching!  HAVE FUN!

To know more about DWP2013, Please go to their official website : DjakartaWarehouseProject13

You might need to get your neon dancing shoes and light sticks earlier than expected , Indonesia’s biggest dance music festival is having a pre-party before the annual dance rage, and party goers are most welcome. Think of it as a warm up before the big feast of laser beams and ridiculous beats, ISMAYA Live is kind enough to have us rehearse for the D-day. Four talented artists will be performing exclusively, including Laidback Luke, Martin Garrix, Chuckie, and Bingo Players.

Here’s the complete list of what’s coming up early this December!

Laidback Luke & Martin Garrix

Date: 6^th December 2013  |  Venue: Blowfish

Price: Rp 250.000,00 (Normal)  |  Rp 150.000,00 (DWP2013 Special Code)

Chuckie

Date: 7^th December 2013 |  Venue: Dragonfly

Price: Rp 200.000,00 (Normal)   |   Rp 100.000,00 (DWP2013 Special Code)

Bingo Players

11^th December 2013  |  Venue: Dragonfly

Price: Rp 200,000.00 (Normal)   |   Rp 100.000,00 (DWP2013 Special Code)

Tickets are sold at all Pizza e Birra outlets, starting from November 8^th 2013. Note that the events listed are all 18+, so make sure you have your valid ID. For more information, go on http://www.djakartawarehouse.com/

Are you psyched to have the biggest dance party of the year extended? We know we are! Grab your tickets fast and don’t miss out!

Unlike many other male-female duo which usually focuses on the lead female vocal, AlunaGeorge says otherwise, by making sure that the spotlight fits both of them entirely. The London-based pair of Aluna Francis and George Reid had a fateful chance encounter when George remixed Aluna’s former band called My Toys Like Me in 2009. Their musical nature met an instant chemistry after working on several songs including their first EP, You Know You Like It.

Started out with Aluna writing people’s stories into lyrics and George composing the danceable beats later turned into a hybrid of R&B and electropop that is said to have ‘a bright future’ in the music industry.  Aluna’s intriguing and sultry vocals mixed with George’s rhythms that are playful  yet eerie enough to grasp the listeners makes the duo an unquestionable favorite to a very wide range of music enthusiasts. AlunaGeorge’s first official single ‘You Know You Like It’ went viral between the underground crowd, with the cut-clean chic contemporaries that the band represent and the undeniably good tunes. Described as ‘lustrous’ by Pitchfork, and ‘thrillingly futuristic’ by The Guardian, the musical experiment of fusing musical element that seems light years away with the nostalgic trait of the good old TRL days, AlunaGeorge has gained more and more recognition for having brought the change that today’s music needs.

After a very successful track, their second single in 2012 was ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ which yet again amazes the listeners, and inevitable gained tons of new ones. During an interview with BBC Radio 1, the band announced Body Music, their debut album of the year with 14 freshest tunes that sent the album into the top 2 US Heatseekers and the 11^th in the UK albums chart. Their slow yet steady journey to the peak will inescapably reach a sure end. Their recent release of another single, ‘Attracting Flies’, where Aluna’s vocals two-stepped into the dark side, bringing in what sounds like a hybrid between the sugar and spice. In contrary to the title, the only thing that the song was attracting was more listeners, specifically two millions of them.

With the fierce and endless battle between musicians and the genre they represent, AlunaGeorge’s incompetency to belonging in one solid genre gives the benefit of earning more listeners from a wider perspective. Their debut album will certainly not be the last we will be hearing of them. Curiouser and curiouser? Go give them a listen, you know you will like it!

T: So what do you think of Malaysia’s current indie music scene? And how do you think it’s different from Indonesia’s?

Fuad: Oh, number one, we have a lot less people. So you know, you have an event like this in Indonesia you can get like thousands of people like no problem, which is really cool. But I think what’s charming about Malaysia is that it kinda has this underdog thing going. It’s kind of like everybody thinks that local music won’t survive or local music won’t last, and actually it’s events like this, and even like our government coming in, like the tourism ministry coming in, and giving us an opportunity to show what we got. And it’s really nice, we got people all over from South Africa, so it’s not just about Malaysia it’s about what we can offer to the world, you know. [pause] We’re going to the next level, you know. I honestly hope that in the future, it’ll be easier for Malaysian bands to go to Indonesia, and Indonesian bands to come here ‘cause I don’t really see what the fuss is about, even the Philippines, even the Singapore, we’re all the same people. I’m surprised that there are not more regional events.

Shaq: We should do that. You should do that. [laughs]

T: So there’s a current trend of having an album online. Do you think it reduces the integrity of music, it’s lesstangible, there areless records or CDs, do you think it lessens the meaning?

Fuad: No, because we have to understand that for the new generation, there’s gonna be a new medium. There’s gonna be a new form of tangible, and that new form of tangible is online media. If you’re gonna try to shy away from it or you’re trying to push it off agenda, you’re gonna lose out. What you need to is to offer everybody an opportunity, offer everyone something that appeals to them. If the people like vinyls, make vinyls. If your fans want to have physical CDs, make CDs. The most important part is that wall that usually artists have with their fans should go down, like tear down the wall and let’s communicate. Let’s know what they want, I want to know what they want to hear from us, I want to know how they feel about our music, and I want to know how to change their lives because I was there as well, I’m a fan of music that’s how I started to play the guitar.

T: This might be a cheesy question, butwhat inspires you to write?

Fuad: I look at Shaq and I’m inspired. [laughs]

Shaq: He looks at me and I give him an idea, I inspire him every day. We have complete each other. Why are you (read: T) laughing? I’m not done yet, you don’t want to hear what I say? [laughs]

Shanjeev: When he’s done, add it with “not”.

[laughs]

Fuad: I think what’s important to all of us, is that we’re all trying to put our stamp in, no matter how small, on this musical circle of life. Like you’ve got Smashing Pumpkins, they were influenced by Black Sabbath, so, if we’re influenced by Smashing Pumpkins, hopefully someone will listen to us and goes like ‘Oh hey, I want to do something, I want to do what they did, but I want to forge my own path, I want to learn from them, I want to learn from their journey, from their mistakes, from their victories and I want to forge my own path. That’s what we’re trying to do; we’re just keeping this chain going.

T: So, do you have a particular song that you’re mostly proud of? And is there a story behind it?

Fuad: I’m very proud of is honestly Pussycat. I don’t think I’ll write a song better than that, and to be honest I can’t claim full credit for it, I wrote with all bandmates and stuff. So, that’s where the initial idea came from, and from there together with the band, I like how all of us, we put our own spin into it, we put our own influence, that forms what that song has become today.

Gael: For me is Gimme Nothing, cause when we first brought it to the studio, I really didn’t like it. And I was like, ‘No, what are we doing, what are we doing?’, and the more we played it the more I liked it. It is now the song that everybody sings along to, and it’s pretty cool.

Shaq: I’m proud of Gimme Nothing, cause Gael didn’t like it, and I forced him to like it. [laughs] No, no, my favorite is definitely our new song that is coming out, Be Thankful, I had a big part to do that with Fuad and I just love the energy that we have when we play that song. If you ever watch Foo Fighter’s video, that video documentary of theirs, what’s that video documentary, [answered], Back and Forth, they actually made a specific video about the song All My Life, that song no matter how bad or how good that show is, when that song comes on, everything energizes. That is dispensable for me, that is definitely dispensable for me.

Shan: What was the question again? [laughs] For me, I should tell you a little bit of history, I’m the latest member of the band. So, I worked in a pub actually, some years ago, in the pub lah, I was like, what the hell this shit is good! So, Never Know, to me it’s a very personal deal lah.

Hairi: My personal favorite is Inferno. Yeah, firstly because the song is played in Drop B, Drop B is something different, and I like the intro, the intro is a bit, how to say lah, deepening. Epic, yeah epic. And for the song is a bit, macamnusantara, it’s like cultural, I like it.

T: One last question, what’s next for Kyoto Protocol?

[shouts 'Come to Indonesia!']

Fuad: We would love, we would love lovelove to go to Indonesia. We’d love it, we are looking for opportunities. Unfortunately right now we are a bit busy, so we can’t really do the groundwork ourself, but we’re really open to anybody who’s gonna come along and say ‘Hey you wanna come play in Indonesia’. You fly us over, you put us up in a shack, we’re all good to go. That’s all we need. [laughs]

Gael: But in the meantime, we’re going to Bangkok.

Fuad: Yeah, we’re going to Bangkok, we’ll be opening for Two Doors Cinema Club, so we’re really really excited about that.

There you have it, the scoop for Malaysia’s most bad-ass rock ‘n’ roll band. You can listen to their newest single ‘Jelita’ featuring LiyanaFizi, or catch their gigs in the upcoming Two Doors Cinema Club live in Bangkok or the Urbanscapes Festival 2013. Lawagiler!

An hour before the set was scheduled to start, the stadium seemed post-apocalyptic. Though when seeing the entrance gates, theplace was packed with a massive line of soldiers brimming with maximum anticipation. Then as the gates were open, they all marched at once to get to the best row they could possibly access, some were even sprinting in the midst of a mild drizzle. The sight didn’t stop until the set started, the band was barely in sight but the cheering could’ve filled the whole stadium. After a tardy 40-minutes halt before the concert started, the stage finally showed signs of life with a video campaign of the band’s latest Music for Relief programme, PowerTheWorld.org as Powerless was playing. By then, the crowd was already skipping heartbeats.

The first track to open the night was ‘Faint’, even after only seconds, Linkin Park made it clear that their set would be epic. ‘Papercut’ was then played, followed by Brad being in the spotlight and started the first chords to ‘Given Up’ beneath a star-studded lighting.  Mike Shinoda then expressed how good it is to be back, continuing the set with ‘With You’ where DJ Joe Han spinned some mix. ‘Somewhere I Belong’ was shadowed with the applause of the audience all the way from the bleachers to the front rows as Chester screamed ‘‘Sama-sama Malaysia! Thank you very much, we miss you guys. I wanna hear all you guys sing along with us’’, and boy, did we sung. ‘New Divide’ was up next, and the stage was decorated from the controversial visualizations from the video. ‘Victimized’, ‘Points of Authority’ and ‘Lies Greed Misery’ were next in the playlist, the setlist design was impeccable, and the older and newer songs were fused in so intimately that the flow of the whole concert was faultless.

‘Waiting for the End’ was followed by ‘Breaking the Habit’, where frontman Chester Bennington sang intensely and seemed out of place when he stayed at one spot (you see, during the one and a half hour set, it was impossible for him to stop moving around the stage, which was quite an entertainment), pursued by ‘Castle of Glass’, their most recent single from their latest album Living Things. A personal favourite highlight of the their flawless set was the three-way mash-up of ‘Leave Out All The Rest’, ‘Shadow of the Day’ and ‘ Iridescent’, where the lightings gradually brightens up the stage hitting an utmost symphonic satisfaction. Two of the newer singles, ‘The Catalyst’ and ‘Lost in the Echo’ was delivered afterwards. The climax and the long-awaited ‘Numb’ was finally performed, convoyed with thousands of enthusiastic fanatics singing along and air-punching along to each and every beat. Stadium-venued  concerts have always had the anthemic and legendary feel compared to normal staging, where a band as regal as Linkin Park fit perfectly into the scene. ‘What I’ve Done’ was then next, followed with a closing song of One Step Closer, which sadly marks one step closer to the end of the glorious gig and the diamond-like lightings turned to abyss.The audience was still keen to demand for an encore even when the stage was desolated. The chants were showing no signs of stoping, and that was where Linkin Park made another entry back to the stage to fulfil the dynamic dreams of oh so many people. ‘Burn It Down’ and the band’s favourite song ‘In The End’ was played, then the whole set was finalized with an ambitious performance of ‘Bleed It Out’ with the crowd jumping and used up all the energy left, ‘every ounce of it’. Though the show was coming to an end, the band announced that the Malaysian gig was their last one for this year, and rest assured, soldiers, these six talented musicians are on the heave to work on new music!

Needless to say, Linkin Park live in Malaysia 2013 is among one of the best performances any band could ever deliver. The energy, the music, and the chemistry is one of those substance that can never be engineered as precisely and immaculately. Next time a Linkin Park concert comes play, even if you need to fly over to watch it, do it. The experience is worth the expense. We walked in the stadium as a fan, but walked out as a straight-up LP soldier.

The concept is quite simple, a musical mecca to invite all kinds of people with the need to simmer down from life’s pressure with a company of music that will take you to a time where nothing mattered. We arrived just as the gates were open, the InternationalSepang Circuit was altered into a cement-floored amusement park, but instead of rides, they had stages, and instead of grass, they had crates. At a first glance, the venue seemed a tad bit pale, certainly was not up to par from what the poster illustrations that have been publicized. But as the night falls, stage lighting and Nina Marini’s art installations painted the festivities in colors, and that’s when you know the party had started.

There were four main spots, the Red, the Blue, the Green Stage and the Silent Discotek. The first three hours of the festival was packed with local artists among them includes LiyanaFizi, Kyoto Protocol and Tenderfist which we have caught in act and was pleased with what they have contributed to the growth of the local and international music scene.

Ash, the Irish alt rock band, was the first main act that we were all dreading for. Started out with their song ‘Meltdown’, the triad’s upsurge was cut abruptly due to technical difficulties backstage. Then again, what’s a musical festival without a little patience, eh? As soon as the problems were resolved, the band continued with their songs including ‘A Life Less Ordinary’, ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Girl From Mars’, their new song ‘Binary’, ‘Evil Eye’ and the crowd’s favorite ‘Oh Yeah’. Enjoying Ash’s energizing performance to fuel up the night, the band’s performance was nothing but easy and enjoyable music that makes your toes dance in the pink gleam of the sunset. After a generous one-hour set with 13 songs, Ash’s set was closed with ‘Burn Baby Burn’.

Continuing with the next main act, was both Japandroids and Modest Mouse, though it was painful to choose which one to go see, Modest Mouse seemed to be the wiser choice due to the strategic time and place before the main headliner. Modest Mouse’s performance was a full house, reflecting how they colonized the stage with unbelievable musical talents, from the drums, the violins to the sitar. The band performed a one-hour set with songs including ‘Float On’, ‘The View’, ‘Dashboard’, ‘ Ocean Breathes Salty’, ‘Fire It Up’ and their newest song, ‘Sh*t in Your Cut’. With their live formation of two drummers, extended guitarist, violinist and keyboardist, the sound system of the Red Stage was unable to adjust to the variety of the musical instrument the band had to offer. The staggering beats of both drums appeared to drown other sounds, though the interesting fusion between folk and rock they have engineered was radical, and the stampede-like energy of the performance was dominating.

The peak of the night was upon us, and the crowd grew even larger at the Red Stage for the main headline of the night. The crowd had its own flair, ranging from younger to older fans, all excited to finally see Smashing Pumpkins’ live debut in Malaysia. With the band’s years of ceaseless astonishment in the rock music scene, their Grammy-winning achievements and nine successful studio albums of grunge-goth-rock music, the band did justice to the audience as they played the first song of the night, the insanely anthemic single, ‘Tonight, Tonight’. It was clearly seen that the presence rock legends stunned the crowd, all the fans, acquainted or obsessed, had their inner 90s teenage spirit awaken as the band continued with the song ‘Cherub Rock’. The three songs ‘Starz’, ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Disarm’ was a huge hit, a lot of the crowd was singing along tirelessly, some of them starteda crowdsurf. The song ‘Quasar’ was closed with ridiculous rhythms by none other the guitar hero, Jeff Schroeder, that promptly got the crowd hyped, continued with a non-released song ‘Gossamer’. We must never be apart, was beautifully sung by Billy Corgan, followed by the massive herd of fans in the song ‘Ava Adore’.  ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings’ was next, followed by their singles from more recent albums ‘One Diamond, One Heart’ and ‘Pale Horse’. Instant chemistry was felt when the first notes of ‘Today’ was played, the audience was head over heels and dancing to the song was inevitable.  ‘Zero’, ‘Stand Inside Your Love’ and ‘United States’ was the three closing songs before the encore-less one and half an hour epic set. The overall performance was mind-blowing, beyond fascinating, and we certainly had goosebumps when BillyCorgan closed the set with ‘We were, we are, we will be Smashing Pumpkins’. Though there may be a few sighs when ‘1979’ or ‘Thirty-Three’ was not on the list, the audience was still tongue-tied from witnessing the four rock prodigies on stage.

There was so many teen-spirit and liveliness happening throughout the venue on that very day. From the main stages, to the side DJs and Silent Discotek, the fashion and food offered, the festival was the perfect night out for the weekend. We’re expecting a lot more thrills and surprises for the next time the good vibes roam around town!

]]> http://www.svanapaper.com/good-vibes-festival-gave-the-good-vibes-in-kuala-lumpur/feed/ 0 http://www.svanapaper.com/bet-you-didnt-know-linkin-park/ http://www.svanapaper.com/bet-you-didnt-know-linkin-park/#comments Mon, 12 Aug 2013 03:30:53 +0000 Tami Sabran http://www.svanapaper.com/?p=4795 As a band who has redefined nu-metal and rock in the music industry, the name Linkin Park is no stranger to the ears of rock fans, both underground and mainstream. From what started as a bedroom studio music that later grew into massive international stages, Linkin Park has definitely tasted the ups and downs during the seventeen years of their musical career. Below are some facts about the band that you might not have heard of, exclusively compiled by our local LP soldiers.

 1.      For three years, Linkin Park was constantly rejected by numerous major labels; they were even rejected three times by Warner Bros. Records. After performing 40 different showcases for different labels, Warner Bros. Records finally signed them up in 1999. Little did they know that the band would bring immense success and a worldwide sale of 60 million albums.

 2.      Music-wise, the band went through a lot of hard work to create amongst one of the best-selling albums in a decade. They wrote 80 different songs to accomplish the 13-tracks platinum-certified album, Meteora.  The band engineered another 100-150 songs to create the album Minutes to Midnight.

 3.      Besides their diamond-certified music career, Linkin Park has a heart of gold when it comes to charities and social awareness. Music for Relief is a charity founded by the members of the band, designed to provide help for disaster victims. Involved in the Indian Ocean, Haiti and Tohoku earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, Sandy and Rita, California wildfires and other natural disasters, the charity has raised almost $4 million in total, by donating 100% of the funds through benefit concerts, song compilations and on-going support campaigns.

 4.      The members of the band each have their own musical influences and inspirations. Some of them include Depeche Mode, The Beatles, U2, Metallica, Youth Infatuation, Anthrax, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Bjork, N.W.A., Public Enemy and a lot more.

 5.      The band started out with the name of Xero, with the formation of Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson. The post-high school band then later searched for a vocalist, who later became a great asset to the band, Chester Bennington. The band renamed again into Hybrid Theory. The final rename of the band was Lincoln Park, but due to internet domain issues, the band settled with the name Linkin Park.

 6.      Despite their undisputed success, the band faced many bitter moments during the seventeen years of their career and restless gigs. From bottling, controversies with religious groups, unfriendly signs and crowds, being spit on, and even being thrown with ordure, yikes!

 7.       Linkin Park is known not only for their music’s maturity, the band is also never afraid to experiment with new materials. The first two studio albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora, interpreted their definition of nu-metal and a hybrid of rap and rock. Minutes to Midnight revealed a more alternative side of the band, the shift of genre invited various reactions from critics. The next album, A Thousand Suns, an album with a strong social message along with a layered cutting-edge electronica influence, is followed by their latest release, Living Things, in which the sound was described as ‘familiar territory’ and a fusion of previous experiments.

 8.      Breaking the Habit was a hard song to perform for Chester, due to the intense emotional connection he could relate with. Crawling was next, because of its long note throughout the song.

 9.      Brad Delson almost gave up the band over law school, after graduating with a summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in communication studies. He is admitted to be the heart of the band, and the very reason that Linkin Park doesn’t ‘get lost in the shuffle of rap-metal bands.’

 10.  Most of the members have had a strong arts and music background. Rob started playing the piano, but fell in love with drums in the 4^th grade. Mike studied classical piano for a decade, but shifted to jazz then hiphop. Brad’s first instrument was the trumpet. Joe started deejay-ing in high school, studied illustration in college and pursued film-making. Phoenix does not only play bass, he was taught guitar by his Mom and even played the violin. Chester started singing at young age, and dreamt of being the fifth member of Depeche Mode.

At first, I was doubtful. I thought it was just another band that had a meaningless name, with low-quality recording and lyrics that are as deep as a goldfish tank, hence, I thought that Neonomora was no different. But oh dear, how wrong was I. This is definitely not what I had in mind. Ratih Suryahutamy, started singing at a young age, growing up with jazz introduced by her parents; music and Neonomora were a match made in heaven. It seemed out of the question how she possessed her diva-like gift, with her family’s background and a legendary list of muse, it is foreseen that she belongs in the highest peak of musical charts, both local and international. Her kind of music is one of the firsts in the country; mainly justified as ‘folk rock with a touch of electronic’.

‘You Want My Love’ was her first official single, released in November 25^th, 2013, undoubtedly became an internet sensation among local music enthusiasts. What was not to love? The drums and the synths that dominated the song, along with a three-minute of powerful yet haunting ambiances, a dynamic intertwine between today’s music and 30s jazz voice, the song was the freshest I’ve heard in a while. Her first single was followed by the second release within a six month interval, entitled ‘Fight’ that distinctly differs compared to her first radio-friendly song. ‘Fight’ highlights Neonomora under a different light, a mash between Florence Welch’s bold edginess and an influence of the great goddess of jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. The song involves strength, both vocally and musically, a character that local music tends to lack, it’s safe to say that Neonomora is leaping beyond a measurable threshold.

With merely two songs to gain fast international recognition, Neonomora is definitely on the spotlight. Great expectations are thrust upon her, so sit back and wait for her voice to echo even louder than ever.

The great news was announced by the band through their official facebook page on June 14th ;

Yes, you are reading it right. Linkin Park is back on tour and will be coming to Malaysia as a part of their Living Things World Tour. After a solid decade since their last concert in the land of the truly Asia, Linkin Park has finally announced their only Asian Pacific show in Malaysia, but unfortunately will not be coming to Indonesia, Singapore or Thailand.

Ceaseless reviews for having an exceptionally astounding live performances, Linkin Park is definitely in the top ten of your concert bucketlist. Adorned by timelines of generation, Linkin Park have redefined rock and nu-metalic in the music scene until this very day, since their first explosive album release Hybrid Theory until their very recent album, Living Things. The six-member band, consisting of Chester Benningtion (vocals), Mike Shinoda (vocals, guitars, keyboards, piano), Rob Bourdon (drums), Brad Delson (lead guitar), Dave Farrell (bass guitar) and Joe Hahn (turntables, programming and keyboard),  is known for their courage to take high leaps and turnabouts in their career, having constant changes and progress throughout five studio albums they have produced since 1996.

Having won multiple Grammy awards and hundreds of other prestigious achievements, the band have set the bars high for current’s rock band, delineating the coalition between rock and rap. Linkin Park’s live performance are known to be captivating, most of their performances are dynamic, merging two time egresses between past’s nostalgic and future’s indefinite deviations, being the reason why most of their performances are keen to be memorable to both new and old fans.

Despite of the previous controversies faced by Linkin Park’s 2003 concert with a certain opposition party in Malaysia, leading to odd regulations concerning how the concert should proceed, hopefully the upcoming concert will not face the same issues the band experienced ten years ago. The upcoming Living Things World Tour is expected to turn head and inevitably sell out. With Living Thing’s yet another different and successful experimental music, Linkin Park is yet to produce another regeneration of the genre they have defined on their own.

There is clearly no need to further convince our readers whether to buy a ticket to the concert or not, now what the hell are you waiting for?

Linkin Park Living Things World Tour In Malaysia 2013

Venue : National Stadium Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Free Seating: RM95, RM195, RM295
Playground Zone: RM350
Rock Zone : RM450
The Pit : RM550
VIP: RM680

 Promoter : The Wonderland Plus

]]> http://www.svanapaper.com/linkin-park-live-in-kuala-lumpur/feed/ 0