Feel the heat

Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
23 August 2009

Feeling the heat
MAX KOH


Kasabian wowing the pool-struck crowd

TORRENTIAL rain could not deter the sonic wave in Sunway Lagoon as thousands descended into the man-made pool for the MTV World Stage Live in Malaysia concert last Saturday.

Arriving as early as 3pm, fans were looking forward to watch their favorite acts — Kasabian, All-American Rejects, Boys Like Girls, Hoobastank, Pixie Lott, Ray Gun and Estranged — perform live.

About 15,000 occupied the man-made pool, which was drained for the first time to host the event.

“I couldn’t believe it when I came here and saw that we were going to play in a swimming pool but it is awesome,” said Hoobastank lead singer Doug Robb before the show.

The concert kicked off on time at 6.30pm as homegrown Estranged roused the crowd with a hard-hitting set of four songs including Slave With Us, Ketika Ini, Yang Pernah and its latest In No Time. The songs got the head-bangers going.

Disappointingly, the band did not play Itu Kamu, their seminal hit that garnered them an Anugerah Indusri Muzik award, probably because of the limited stage time given.

Massachusetts-based Boys Like Girls hit the stage next with a tantalising offering of its current single, Love Drunk.

It is obvious that girls like Boys Like Girls, as they screamed and sang along to their lyrics, especially the ballad Thunder and The Great Escape.



Girls loved Boys Like Girls.

By this time, the crowd was beginning to swell for upcoming British band Ray Gun who proved to be a pleasant surprise of the night. The band churned out four funky songs including its single, Just Because.

Fusing the funk-rock of the 70s with 80s dance-rock sensibilities, the band got the crowd dancing in no time.

The rose among the thorns, Briton Pixie Lott, certainly held her own against the boys as she effortlessly sang three songs, injecting a dance-pop vibe to an otherwise rock-saturated show.

The 18-year-old proved she’s more than just a copycat of Lady Gaga and native Duffy.

American band Hoobastank took to the stage next and rocked the crowd with My Turn, followed by the ballad, The Letter.

The Oklahoma band who recently released its fourth album For(n)ever, sprung the biggest surprise of the night when it played an impromptu version of Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters.

Being a child of the 80s, I enjoyed that tasty offering to bits and was also happy that most of the audience knew the words to the song. I almost expected the Marshmallow Man to appear at the concert.

Hoobastank then ignited the biggest sing-along of the night with The Reason.


Hoobastank in action

In between sets, there were long pauses but the crowd was kept entertained with live Twitter updates that appeared on the screen.

That was rather clever on part of the organisers although the phone connection was horribly intermittent.

An amusing Twitter update included one that asked whether the Hoobastank’s lead singer is Chinese and no, he is not.

All-American Rejects was up next and performed its Billboard Top Ten hit, Dirty Little Secret, followed by I Wanna, Swing Swing (its first hit), The Wind Blows and Real World.

The band got the most cheers and crowd participation, probably because of the glitter dust-covered frontman Tyson Ritter, who pranced onstage with flamboyant style.

At one point, he climbed the stage’s scaffolding in true rock star form when performing Gives You Hell, as well as singing into two microphones for another song.

Most of the concert-goers began to leave the venue after that performance. Their loss as they missed a rock-solid set by headlining act Kasabian.

The rock-and-roll band proved by it’s extremely popular in Britain when it performed Club Foot, Fire, Vlad The Impaler and L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever).

The night ended with a big bang literally, as fireworks lit the sky and the fake volcano “erupted”.

You can catch the televised version of the concert on MTV Asia on Aug 28.

Minor gripes during the event include the long sound checks between acts, and the grossly overpriced food and drinks sold at the venue.

But it was a terrific concert.

More than mere moves

Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
16 August 2009


More than mere moves



Photo by Non Tagaki.

Passion is paramount on the floor, a leading Japanese contemporary dancer and choreographer tells MAX KOH

INSIDE one of the dance studios in Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara), a diminutive Japanese woman tells the youngsters to let go of any restraint and just dance.

“Feel the energy inside you and dance,” she says.

As she tosses herself around, hands extended and body melded to the soulful strains of a guitar played live, she nudges the group of students on.

Her movement is fluid, her form a culmination of countless years of practice. But she reveals that it is the passion that counts.

“Dancing is like everything in life. It is always with you. What is important is to do it from the heart. This applies to everything you do in life as well,” she says.

She is Ikuyo Kuroda, a leading Japanese contemporary dancer and choreographer who is celebrated for her challenging and brave work the world over.


Kuroda showing her moves at the dance studio in ASWARA.

Kuroda is training with the Aswara students for a new piece to be performed at We’re Gonna Go Dancing!!, a showcase which will feature choreographed pieces by Japanese dancers, to be held at the Experimental Theatre of the academy.

The event is organised by the Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, Aswara, Japan Contemporary Dance Network and Embassy of Japan in a bid to bridge ties between the two countries through the art of dance.

Kuroda’s new piece is based on her own show, Last Pie, which she performed with her dance company in Japan in 2005.

“Of course, this is challenging. One week is a very short time to work with. Given the limited time, it is impossible to reach perfection in technique and quality. It usually takes a month of practice to reach perfection,” says Kuroda.

“I am not aiming for perfection in technique or quality. What I tell them to do is to dance with all their heart and soul. I want them to express themselves wholly without holding anything back. A harmony of body and heart.

“I want the troupe to attain that passion, that state of being where the mind begins to forget what the body is doing — when the dancers don’ t think about what they are doing but become a pure form of energy.”


Kuroda will be teaching the ASWARA students on the piece adapted from Last Pie.

This is the theme of the piece adapted from Last Pie. It is, she adds, a reminder about the importance of living life to the fullest in everything she does.

“If you want to dance, dance with all you got. If you want to love someone, love the person with all you got. Every moment is so fleeting in this life that we need to give our best, no matter what we do,” says Kuroda.

“In Last Pie, we see how the dancers are forced to dance until their knees give way and they are tired. Yet, they continue. At that point, they forget about shape, body form or expression. What comes through is the purest form of energy, the purest and most natural of body moment and expression — just pure dance.”

And for that, Kuroda has nothing for praise for the students.

“They are a great bunch. They learn well and give all they have to learn the routine even though it may be something different for some of them,” adds Kuroda.

This is not the first time Kuroda is in Malaysia. She performed with her dance company Batik (no relation to the textile dyeing technique, she just likes how the consonants roll off the tongue) in 2005 for the opening of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Centre in Sentul.

Her showcase then was Shoku, an award-winning piece that explores inner feeling and physical touch through subversive dance. She has performed the piece in Japan and Korea as well.

Kuroda started dancing ballet under the famous Tani Momoko Company in Japan when she was six, and continued dancing until her college years.

A graduate of Laban Centre in London, she started delving into contemporary dance and joined the Kim Itoh + the Glorious Future Company in 2000.

Kuroda has performed and choreographed in many countries since. Her work as a choreographer has won her many national and international awards.

You can catch Last Pie as well as Maki Morishita’s Debutante, Masanori Hoshika’s Returnee, and Headache by P’Lush for We’re Gonna Go Dancing, at Aswara on Aug 20-21. We’re Gonna Go Dancing!! is at Aswara’s Experimental Theatre at 8.30pm. Tickets: RM15/ RM30. Call AXCESS Hotline (03-77115000) or visit www.axcess.com.my.

Mystical Sculptures of Mah Meri

Published in New Sunday Times
16 August 2009

Mystical sculptures of Mah Meri



The Mah Meri tribe is renowned for its high-quality wood statues and carvings. MAX KOH heads down to Kampung Sungai Bumbun in Carey Island to find out more about the people and their craft.

THE idyllic Kampung Sungai Bumbun in Carey island is home to the Mah Meri tribe whose wood-carvings are famous the world over for their intricate designs and quality craftsmanship.

The carvings, acknowledged by Unesco as part of the world's heritage, are sought after by collectors from abroad and can fetch up to thousands of ringgit.

Two of the designs have been awarded the Asean Handicraft Promotion and Development Association's seal of excellence for two consecutive years.

Headman Sidin Anak Bujang with Moyang Sauh.


Diaman poses in his traditional mask and costume.


Diaman working on the colossal Moyang Naga.

Kampung Sungai Bumbun is a 50-minute scenic drive from Petaling Jaya on the New Klang Valley Expressway, exiting left at the Bukit Tinggi exit to Jalan Klang-Banting.

There is only one stretch of road in the village, with houses and wooden huts located on both sides. The huts are where the artisans work and sell their handicraft.

The friendly village headman, Sidin Anak Bujan, is an experienced wood carver who stopped carving years ago. He now leaves it to his fellow villagers to continue with the trade.

The wood carvings are modelled after their ancestral spirits, explains Sidin.

There are many ancestral spirits in the tribe's tradition, which the Mah Meri people use to solve different problems and ward off evil spirits.

For example, fishermen will take along the wood carvings of Moyang Sauh (anchor spirit) when they venture out to sea to ensure their safety.


Moyang Sauh

Moyang Puting Beliung (tornado spirit), as its name implies, is an ancestral spirit that is invoked to protect the roofs of their houses from being blown away by strong wind during a storm.

The Mah Meri believe that the Moyang Naga, a colossal dragon, causes earthquakes with its movement.

The story goes that a long time ago, a man went hunting in the jungle with a spear borrowed from the headman. The hunter took shelter under a huge fallen tree as it had begun to rain.

He wedged the spear upright against the fallen tree where he suddenly felt drops of liquid on his body which turned out to be blood and he ran.

He then noticed that the tree was actually a dragon and that he had been taking shelter in its mouth. The spear was wedged into the upper palate of its mouth.

He decided to leave the spear there rather than risk entering the dragon's mouth again. When he brought other villagers back to the place, the dragon had disappeared.

Stories like these are usually re-enacted in dance performances where the Mah Meri will don wooden masks and traditional costumes made of nipah and mengkuang leaves.

The village has a group of dancers who often perform at various functions and events around the country.



An artisan working on the Moyang Harimau Berantai (Tenung Ak Ak).


The finished product of Moyang Hariman Berantai.

Sidin says the best time to catch their performances and the Mah Meri's way of life is to visit the village during Ancestral Day at the beginning of the year.

"Tourists come in the busloads to watch how we celebrate Ancestral Day. Recently, there were more than 200 tourists, including some from Korea and China."

These trips are organised by the Tourism Board of Malaysia.

On other days, most of the villagers will be out working in the jungle, but some can be found carving in their wooden huts.

One such carver is 48-year-old Diaman Kisah who is working on a large Moyang Naga.

With various wooden sculptures, blocks of wood and tools scattered around him, he explains that he has been interested in the craft since childhood.

"My father did not want to teach me, so I learned from others," says Diaman, who hones his skill under master carver Piun Bumbun.

"It usually takes at least two weeks to finish a statue, depending on its size and type. Most of the sculptures are made of reddish nyireh batu wood which is found around Carey island."

Nyireh batu wood is used because of its rich, deep colours and fine grain. However, the raw material is becoming scarce.

"The nyireh batu wood is a very hard wood to work with but it has such a beautiful sheen and glow to it. It's hard to find now because irresponsible people have damaged the trees."

Other types of wood used include nyireh bunga which is used for carving masks and toys.


Diaman with two of his masks that he uses for performance.

Does every statue have a spiritual meaning for the Mah Meri?

"The wood carvings are not created specifically for worship but we do use them to cure illnesses such as fever and stomach aches."

To cure illnesses, a member of the patient's family will carve a figure from wood or fashion one from soil depicting the spirit that is causing the sickness.

"The figure is then given to the witch doctor. A ritual will be performed to transfer the sickness from the patient to the figure, which is then cast into the jungle or sea.

However, the figures sold commercially are not for such purposes, says Sidin.

There are five Mah Meri villages on Carey island. The Mah Meri are natives of the island and are part of the Senoi subgroup of the Orang Asli community.

There are about 73 Mah Meri families in Kampung Sungai Bumbun with more than 480 inhabitants.

In conjunction with National Day, Tourism Malaysia is organising "Mystic of Carey island" on Aug 22, where the Mah Meri people will perform prayers for their ancestors, display figurines and perform traditional dances.

For more information, call 603-5511 1122 or visit www.tourism. gov.my.

Ushering in New Year with pizzazz

Published in New Straits Times
01 Jan 2007

Ushering in New Year with pizzazz
By Mazlinda Mahmood, David Yeow and Max Koh


KUALA LUMPUR: Michael Lee ushered in the New Year in style, puffing on a freshly-rolled cigar and twirling an expensive brandy in his hand.

The cigar was rolled by an expert, a Cuban roller flown in for the extravagant party at a five-star hotel in the city.

The Cuban's services probably set his host back anything between RM10,000 and RM20,000, Lee said.

"I felt like I'd made it this year," said the media consultant.

"The upper crust drank high-end wines which cost up to RM25,000 a bottle and ate oysters, canapes, caviar and foie gras. They also flew in entertainers from overseas."

Alia Abdul Halim, 15, of Damansara was with her family in California. The Sri KDU student, whose father is a businessman, was one of many Malaysians ushering in the New Year overseas.

Acorn Communications' managing partner, Anthony Nathan, 39, said there were people who spent between RM10,000 and RM150,000 to organise New Year eve parties.

He heard of a Datuk who chartered a plane to countdown the New Year with families and friends on top of the world.

But for most, the celebrations were more down to earth. Many went to parties or just hung out with friends.

Some went to temples to seek blessings for the new year. Yet, others stayed home and spent time with their loved ones.

Ahmad Shahril, 23, celebrated the New Year with friends at the KLCC.

Ahmad, who is from Raub, Pahang, used to greet the New Year at the Dataran Raub with his family in previous years.

Zaitun Khairan, 64, from Muar, usually took the children for holidays or picnics.

This year, however, the family had a kenduri on New Year's eve as it coincided with Aidiladha.

Loganthiran Munisamy, 32, invited his parents and in-laws over for dinner on New Year's eve. He also took his family to the temple to seek blessings for the new year.

Universiti Malaya's professor emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim said in the past, each race would celebrate the new year according to their cultural and religious calendar and only Christians and the English-educated celebrated new year's day.


"Also due to economic constraints, Malaysians in the past could only afford to celebrate one new year and it made sense to celebrate their own," he said.

"Countdowns and celebrating the New Year are very much a Western influence. Because of the exposure to Western pop culture, celebrating the New Year has become popular and accepted locally."

National chief Scouts commissioner Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar, 73, recalled that when he was living in the kampung 40 years ago, New Year's day was just like any other day.

Retired teacher Ronnie Wong, 64, said in the old days only people in the city celebrated the New Year.

"We had to organise our own New Year's eve dance. Nightclubs were few and very expensive," he added.

Taxi touts getting smarter at KLIA

Published in New Sunday Times
12 October 2006

Taxi touts getting smarter at the KLIA
By Max Koh and David Yeow

KUALA LUMPUR: With the prospect of stiffer fines being imposed, taxi touts at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) are now more discreet but no less determined in their operations.

Dressed smartly in ties and jackets, they approach passengers who step out of the arrival hall.

They speak in hushed tones and look like relatives waiting for passengers to disembark.

However, as soon as they offer their services, it is clear they are taxi touts.

The New Sunday Times found yesterday that the touts acted as agents for illegal taxis waiting in the parking lot.

When customers accept an offer, the touts would contact the drivers or lead them to the vehicles themselves.

The taxis are often Proton Wiras, and the fares are negotiable, starting from RM80 for a trip to Kuala Lumpur.

The touts claim it is cheaper than the KLIA taxis, which is untrue as a KLIA budget taxi to Kuala Lumpur costs only RM52.50.

The new tactics are in light of the new Road Transport (Amendment) Act 2006.

The Act imposes a maximum fine of RM50,000 and a jail sentence of up to five years for those convicted of touting.

This year, 14 touts were arrested in raids conducted by the police and Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB).

Eight of them pleaded guilty and were fined RM5,000 each and sentenced to up to one month’s jail.

Keith Hewitt from Britain wrote to the NST recently saying that he was approached by at least eight taxi touts upon arrival at the KLIA.

Hewitt wrote that he was bombarded by a mix of questions including: "Which hotel are you staying at?" "Do you need any help?" and "Taxi, sir?"

MAHB general manager Datuk Azmi Murad said the MAHB and police were taking steps to nab the touts.

"We are monitoring the touts’ movements with CCTVs and patrolling the airport. The patrol involves a team of two security personnel in uniforms or plainclothes," he said.

"We are also working with the Ministry of Tourism to terminate the contracts of booths at KLIA that assist taxi touts."

At the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), the situation is no different with the touts accosting passengers openly.

A legal taxi operator at the LCCT claimed that the terminal lacked enforcement against touts.

Sonic Ecstacy

First published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
19 May 2007

Sonic Ecstasy




What happens when hip-hop meets the thumping drum-and-bass sound of an underground London club? MAX KOH finds out

SOME things just don’t gel. Like a menthol sweet and a fizzy drink. But sometimes, the unexpected does offer a nice surprise. Like Elvis resurrected from the dead to sing a duet with Celine Dion on American Idol.


Or hip-hop meeting British drum-and-bass rhythms at Kuala Lumpur’s Upstairs @ The Loft on Asian Heritage Row.

That Hennessy Artistry event showed radical harmonies can complement each other – and well.

American hip-hop singer Jennifer Johns and the British-based Drum & Bass duo Lady Free and Paul T rocked the house.

From head-bobbing soulful bass grooves to hip-gyrating D&B numbers, the crowd was on its feet all night long.

A vivacious Johns got the party started with Ghetto International.

Backed by a competent crew – co-vocalist Solas B. Lalagee, emcee Sokrates The Virgo, and DJ/emcee Edaboss – the California-born singer wowed with her powerful and expressive voice.

The crew provided a strong backing of electronica-hip-hop-soul fusion.

Ghetto International, which is about unity and healing the world, showcased Johns’ talents at effortlessly switching from singing to spitting out rap verses.

The intimate setting also allowed Johns to get the crowd to sing along to The Truth, Painting On Wax and Never Give Up.

The songs were from Johns’ EPs heavyelectromagneticsoularpoeticjunglehop and the upcoming Painting On Wax which she produced independently under her own label, Nayo Movement Music.

Earlier, Johns said she started singing in church when she was only three.

As a teenager, she listened to a diverse range of music from Earth, Wind, and Fire to Sade to songs from the West Indies.

But it was hip-hop that she eventually fell in love with. “Just I am music, I am hip-hop.”

At 17, John became serious about singing and starting performing.

Three years later, she moved to Los Angeles where she quickly built a name for herself.

Johns has performed alongside heavyweights Mary J. Blidge, Chaka Khan and Missy Elliot. She is recognised as a “true talent who is immune to musical boundaries” by the Rolling Stones magazine.

On that Loft night, she lived up to the praise in her hour-long gig.

So how did Hennessy Artistry keep the mood going? That’s when those dirty DnB beats kicked in.

East End London’s Paul T and Lady Free almost immediately took over the stage and got the crowd moving again to Mark Knight’s I Like That.

The duo also performed covers of other notable Drum & Bass tracks like Francois Dubois’s Blood, Claud Van Stroke’s Who’s Afraid of Detroit and Scope’s Strung Out and Last Call, before closing their set with their own single Don’t.

The duo learnt their trade at the heart of the drum and bass revolution. A keen piano player and self taught bassist, DJ Paul T has traversed the breadth of London’s rave scene.

Johns returned to the stage for some impromptu musical fusion with Lady Free and Paul T.

A night of hip-hop and D&B. You had to be there to get it.

For more information about Hennessy Artistry, visit www.hennessyartistry.com.my

Jaclyn Victor Duets with Vince

First published in gua.com.my

Jaclyn Victor Duets with Vince
Find out how the two feel about singing the soundtrack for the popular High School Musical 2

By Max Koh



Sept 9. It was an especially quiet Sunday evening. Pasar malams, often a hive of activity, seemed unusually deserted. Everyone appeared to be staying home. Was there something interesting on TV? Apparently so.

By 7.30pm, families were gathered in front of their TV sets. Children and even their parents looked as if they could hardly contain their excitement. For the next two hours, they were tapping their feet and singing along, especially on You Are the Music in Me and What Time Is It. The songs had been playing on the Disney Channel for a couple of months now.

It was the premiere of High School Musical 2, a sequel to last year's unprecedented phenomenon. High School Musical attracted millions of viewers with its regular telecasts on the Disney Channel, spawned a best-selling franchise and produced a soundtrack that went on to become the best-selling album of 2006. It also won an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Programme while stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron became household names.

Kids, tweens and adults sing along to the music while the recent 'My School Rocks' competition saw schools in Malaysia signing up in droves to participate in the dance contest.

Not bad, eh, for a humble made-for-TV movie?

With its overwhelming popularity with Malaysians, Disney roped in two of the top Malaysian singers Jaclyn Victor and Vince Chong to record a cover of You Are The Music In Me from High School Musical 2.

While the original number brims with youthful vigor, the two artistes' rendition gave it a more mature vibe.

Victor spoke to the media during a recent press conference.
"I'm thrilled for the opportunity to sing You Are The Music In Me. I'm especially thrilled to sing on the soundtrack of a movie that embodies believing in yourself and following your dreams because these are familiar themes in my life and career," gushed the first-ever Malaysian Idol.

Chong leapt at the opportunity when he found out that he will be singing with Victor.

"I had so much fun last year being part of the Asian version of Breaking Free from High School Musical. When I found out that I'll be singing with Jaclyn for High School Musical 2, I just had to be part of it," he said.

The Akademi Fantasia 2003 winner loves how the show is having a positive influence on the kids.

"The wonderful reception that High School Musical has received is great because it shows that Malaysian kids are not passive. The show instills positive values because it teaches kids confidence and how to express themselves."

When High School Musical 2 premiered on Sunday in South East Asia, it dominated the youth demographic, becoming the highest-rated telecast ever among kids 6-14 years old in Malaysia. Viewership among Malay kids saw a 35% increase compared to the premiere of the first movie, as the show was made available in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Apart from singing the Malaysian version of You Are The Music In Me, Jaclyn and Vince also cut a Bahasa Malaysia version entitled Kau Muzik Di Hatiku that is available on the High School Musical 2 soundtrack.

The album contains songs like What Time Is It, Fabulous and Humuhumunukunukukuapua'a, which are featured on the show and looks set to go platinum in Malaysia.

Catch Victor and Vince's You Are The Music In Me on the Disney Channel.

True Blue Heroes

Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
9 August 2009



Click on picture to read. :)

Tracks for Quality

Published in Sunday People, New Sunday Times
9 August 2009

Tracks for quality
MAX KOH




THIS is a man with a mission.

Audi Mok is geared to do what may seem an impossible task – to get more people to listen to Malay music.

Mok is no stranger to the local scene. As a music producer, he has worked with some big entertainment guns including Faizal Tahir, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Ning Baizura, and young ones like Suki.

His songs — including Cinta Datang Lagi by Dina, Generasiku by OAG and v by Nikki and Zahid — have enjoyed huge radio play.

Mok ardently believes that Malay music has the potential to reach out to non-Malay music fans and listeners.

How? Well, “make music that sounds new and current”, he says. “Something that anybody would listen to regardless of the language used.

“If you look at pop music in Japan and Korean, you can see that local music still outsell those from overseas. Why? It’s because their music sounds new and current. I believe that we can do that someday as well,” explains Mok.

The first step, he says, is to break ingrained perceptions about the local Malay music industry.

“The sad reality is that local Malay music often has bad connotations. Whenever you mention Malay music, old rock music and ballads immediately come up to mind. And why is that? Why is that Indonesian are associated with new, modern music while Malay music is associated with those old tags? I believe that we can produce good music that is on par or better than them.” “I want the Indonesians to one day say ‘Let’s make it sound Malaysian!’ instead of the other way round.” In other words, Mok wants to make Malay music sound “cool!” Mok, who recently tied the knot with singer Nikki, believes that production quality and keeping up with the times has to do with everything about it.

“I believe that there is a social-economic reason for this with the biggest challenge being language. Sad to say, it’s a reality that most of the newest technologies are taught in English. It’s really hard to learn the new stuff when there is a language barrier and technology is just too fluid.

“When it becomes overwhelming to learn new stuff, some just give up and stick to the old ways,” explains Mok.

The second step is to change the perception of Malaysians regarding local music.

“We Malaysians have no pride in our music. But I don’t blame the public because most of our local music lack in quality. That’s why I am hoping to break the mould so that the people can see that there’s progression in the industry with new sound and future.” To help him accomplish his mission, Mok was recently chosen as one of the celebrities under the Intel-P1 Industry Trailblazers Adoption Programme.

As such, Mok was given a notebook based on Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, a netbook powered by Intel Atom processor, a P1 Wiggy, and free P1 WIMAX subscription for 12 months.

Mok is only too happy to show off his new toys at his production studio in Petaling Jaya.

If you think that music producers don’t need all that gadgets, think again.

“As a music producer, we all rely heavily on our computers for recording and mixing. If you come into my studio, you’ll notice that all the physical soundboard is not there. We do it all on the computer,” shares Mok enthusiastically.

Well, if Batman has his utility belt, Mok has his new arsenal of gadgets.