If there is one rule for music, it’s that it always evolves and the latest music trend to hit the dance floors in Malaysia – and around the world – is Electronic Dance Music (EDM).

Even though this genre has been around since the 70s disco era and even survived the 80s underground movement, it is only now that it has become mainstream and acceptable, especially here.

Oh, and just because the genre is old … it doesn’t mean that EDM is similar to the groovy tunes our grandparents boogied to. Nope, not at all.

To untrained ears, EDM may sound like an alien population’s call for help but in actuality, there are several EDM sub-genres such as house, techno, hardstyle and dubstep which music are distinctive to those familiar with the genre.

“EDM wasn’t something that everyone knew about, it was very underground (back in the days). I also think it’s the natural progression of music trends and people’s change in music taste. They always want more energy in music,” said DJ Blink, of the popular Blink and Goldfish deejaying duo.

David Guetta (left) and will.i.am.

Blink, whose real name is Lau Hoe Yin, has been into deejaying ince 1998 and explained that the genre could have become more recognisable after pop artistes lent their names to several EDM tracks.

Deejays such as David Guetta and Afrojack have successfully collaborated with pop artists like Usher, Taio Cruz, Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dog (or now Snoop Lion), and created several tracks that have hit the mainstream charts. This is turn have encouraged other pop artistes like Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and will.i.am to work with dance music producers and incorporate EDM elements in their music.

The rise of the deejays

Blink’s partner, Alvin Teoh, aka DJ Goldfish, 31, said that people are more aware of the EDM culture nowadays, and many of them are interested in becoming deejays themselves.

“There’s a crazy number of deejays out there today, and it’s also way easier to learn how to become a deejay nowadays compared to years ago,” said Goldfish, who owns Goldsounds DJ Division which trains people in the art of deejaying.

The music institution, which has been running for seven years, saw an increase of 300 per cent in student registrations in the past year alone.

Bo Amir Iqram aka Mr Fluff.

Bo Amir Iqram, aka Mr Fluff, has been in the EDM scene for at least seven years now and is a self-taught deejay as well as a music producer.

“You know, last time, everyone wanted to be in a rock band, and then everyone wanted to do hip-hop, and now it’s no surprise that people have the EDM sound in their music.

“Go and listen to the current top 100 hits, and I won’t be surprised if you’ll hear EDM elements in them,” said Bo.

According to Goldfish, technology has made it easier and more accessible for people to pick up deejaying. Blink also added that online channels like YouTube serve as great self-learning tools. “Nowadays, all you need is a laptop, a CDJ (a CD player that allows you to control the music from CDs, an emulation of a tradition vinyl control surface) or DJ digital controller (analog control of music from the computer by using a deejay software), and you’re good to go,” he said.

Who’s your deejay now?

Deejaying schools have been sprouting rapidly in urban areas and the music equipment are also easily attainable but attending classes and owning turntables aren’t just the makings of a deejay.

Victor Chan aka DJ Victor Trixter.

Victor Chan, 23, who goes by his stage name DJ Victor Trixter, finds that there are many people who want to become deejays, but do not actually have the passion for the music.

“(They get into it) because they see it as a job opportunity or because it seems like a cool thing to do, but if it’s not about the music, then they are missing the point of deejaying,” said Victor, who had learned to deejay since he was 15.

He believes that deejaying isn’t just an act – it’s a way to express one’s self.

“Deejaying isn’t just about mixing a few tracks and beats together and adding cool effects to it. You’re telling a story with your mix. If you go to somewhere and the deejay plays something you can hear on a CD in your car or at home, then what’s the point?”

“It’s very easy to put on the songs everyone wants to hear and make them happy, but it’s another thing to be creative and make your mix stand out,” said the deejay, who is currently working on producing his first single.

Originality is also very important when it comes to EDM that is the only way deejays could carve a name for themselves in this competitive industry.

Deejaying duo Blink and Goldfish, find that it is very important for deejays to not only spin other musicians’ work but to also be able to make the music as well.

“Apart from being a deejay, it’s also important to create your own music. If you’re just a deejay who is playing other people’s music, you’re just like a band who only play cover songs,” said Goldfish.

They believe that deejaying and producing goes hand in hand and in fact is the only way for a deejay to make it in the industry today.

“If you play your own music, your following grows because people don’t just see you as a deejay but recognise you as an artist as well. When people enter the club, they would want to hear your music. You are (the main) act,” said Blink.

Single-base stunts are some of the most difficult in cheerleading – with only one base supporting one flyer – but the cheerleaders in our video make light work of it. In this week’s episode, they do a single base extension with a liberty and twist cradle dismount. They threw in a back walkover out of the cradle just for fun.

Sounds complicated? Well, it is. Just watch the video at our R.AGE YouTube channel (youtube.com/RageOnlineTV), where you can also find the last three episodes.

And as usual, don’t try this at home…

Stunt name: Single base extension with liberty and twist cradle dismount.
Level: Intermediate-advanced

Step 1:
Start with a liberty grip.

Step 2:
The base and spotter drive the flyer up. The base turns and holds the flyer’s feet at extension while the spotter holds the flyer’s ankle and the base’s wrist.

Step 3:
The base and spotter lower the flyer to shoulder level, and push her up again while holding only her right leg. The flyer lifts her left leg to perform a liberty heel stretch.

Step 4:
As the flyer dismounts, she twists her body mid-air until she makes a full rotation. She then assumes a cradle position and is caught by the base and spotter.

Step 5:
The base and spotter lowers the flyer while she does a back walkover out of the stunt.

Want to see cheerleading stunts like this performed live? Easy! Be at the Cheer 2013 finals on June 29 and 30 at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free!

Cheer 2013 is organised by R.AGE and presented by MARIGOLD HL Low Fat Milk. Silkygirl is the main sponsor and Sugus is the co-sponsor. Red FM is the official radio station.

By CHRISTINE CHEAH
alltherage@thestar.com.my

Cleaning window panes and glass panels, replacing lamps and light bulbs might sound a mundane task to you, but for Mohd Adam Tun Tuah, this is his bread and butter. He gets out of bed every morning hoping to bring these tasks to new heights.

“I have been doing freelance rope access work for more than four years now, and I love what I do,” said Adam, 21, who is from Alor Setar, Kedah.

Adam’s job is one that few people are trained for. It involves using practical ropework to gain access to places that can’t be reached by scaffolding, cradles or any aerial work platforms.

For example, he has to use his rope access skills to help keep the window panes of the Petronas Twin Towers skybridge and KL Tower restaurant crystal clear.

There’s actually official training and certification for rope access professionals like Adam, given by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA) International. Adam is a certified IRATA International Level 1 rope access personnel. However, one does not need to have the official certification to perform rope access work.

Adam, who paid for his own IRATA International course fees (which cost RM4,000), emphasised the importance of certification.

“There are a lot of rope access companies in Malaysia, but there aren’t that many Malaysians doing the work. Most of them are usually foreigners.

“A foreign worker costs half of what you’d need to pay for a certified IRATA personnel and they would only have some basic training from the company that hired them,” he added.

The rope access industry in Malaysia, according to Adam, has to be more strict about qualifications and safety measures.

Despite the competition from foreign workers, Adam is still very much in love with climbing, which he has been doing since 2008.

“I first started climbing at a Rakan Muda event. I’ve been addicted to it ever since. Then I met Zamri Hamid, a former national climbing coach who trained me,” recalled Adam.

Upon completing secondary school, Adam decided on an outdoors career. He followed this call and applied to be a high rope technician at the SkyTrex Adventure Park, Shah Alam, Selangor.

“I was an average student and of course my parents encouraged me to further my studies. But I felt that I was just meant to be ‘out there’.

“My parents were sceptical at first because of the risks involved in my work, but as time passed, they saw it as a safe and well-paying job. They are fine now.”

As to whether he will continue doing rope access work in the future, Adam said he might be giving other similarly exciting outdoor jobs a try.

“My dream job is to be a commercial diver, but the course to obtain certification is extremely pricey. I’ll be doing this until I save enough money to take the course,” said Adam, adding that commercial diving is in high demand in the oil and gas industry.

By DENIELLE LEONG
alltherage@thestar.com.my

WHILE the life of a jet-setting rock star might sound glamorous, the members of The Used have been very careful to not allow thefame and fortune get to their heads. Instead, the American rockers are more than happy to give back.

“We’re really just some down-to-earth losers who love rock and roll,” said drummer Dan Whitesides during an interview in Kuala Lumpur.

Whitesides was in Malaysia with lead vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard and guitarist Quinn Allman as part of the band’s world tour to promote their latest album, Vulnerable.

“The tour is all about real reality, and not what you usually see on TV. We’re a truthful band and our fans know that they can expect an honest show from us,” said Whitesides.

The band, founded in 2001, headlined the 2013 Take Action Tour, an annual concert series aimed at raising funds for non-profit organisations helping teenagers, particularly with issues like depression and suicide. Acts like Paramore, Gym Class Heroes and Avenged Sevenfold have all been part of the tour in past years.

For this year, the tour managed to raise around $100,000 (RM310,000) for the It Gets Better project, which was founded in 2010 to help struggling LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) teenagers. The suicide rate resulting from bullying among LGBT teens had been growing, and The Used was glad to have been able to help raise awareness about it.

“We had a great time on the Take Action Tour because it was such an amazing cause. I feel that the LGBT-sphere does not get fair treatment. It’s a big issue and I believe our fans could relate (with their struggles),” said Allman.

Besides It Gets Better, The Used is hoping to help out with other causes. Their record label, Hopeless Records, also one of the organisers of the Take Action Tour, is affiliated with an extensive list of non-profit organisations.

“We would love to give our support to as many campaigns as possible. If it’s a good cause, then we’re definitely on board,” Whitesides added.

For Allman, he is eager to help raise awareness about epidermolysis bullosa, a skin disease that has affected a friend. “It’s just something close to my heart and I want more people to learn about it.”

The band is also hoping to make a difference through their music now, with Vulnerable, their fifthstudio album, taking on a slightly different tone.

“Vulnerable has more positive songs than our previous records. Bert is truly a changed man and he writes differently now,” said Whitesides. McCracken has experienced deep personal tragedy in the past, when an ex-girlfriend, pregnant at the time with his child, died of a drug overdose.

That tragedy has no doubt influenced the band’s current interest in helping struggling teens, and that positive energy was definitely felt during their show at KL Live.

The band performed hits like Pretty Handsome Awkward, The Bird And The Worm, Buried Myself Alive and A Box Full Of Sharp Objects.

It was a rocking night of music, with local bands Oh Chentaku, Caravel, Busco and Scarlet Heroes also performing.

JOE Brooks knows that where there is a will, there is a way. So, for his upcoming album The Boy & The Broken Machine, Brooks decided to do it entirely on his own.

The currently unsigned singer-songwriter admits that the one-man task is a great challenge and adventure, with a fair share of bumps and hurdles.

“There are a lot of difficulties, especially financially and I’ve had to fork out my own money for it,” he reveals in an interview in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Brooks was in KL for the second time (he was in Malaysia last year) for a showcase at The Bee in Publika, Kuala Lumpur.

Even though Brooks, who celebrated his 26th birthday last weekend, has more responsibilities and a bigger workload now, he remains optimistic about managing his own music career. “This independent project has allowed me to explore every aspect of the process (of making an album), and I get to say that I’ve done this and tried that.”

He produced his own music videos, too. Two months ago, Brooks released his ‘Til My Heart Stops Beating music video and it has since garnered over 460,000 views on YouTube.

Brooks believes that other musicians should try their hand at independent projects and says there are endless possibilities when doing it. His EP, A Reason To Swim, for instance, was funded by his fans through Pledge Music, an online platform which many independent acts utilise.

“I hope that they could adopt my mentality in doing things and to be confident enough to do it themselves,” he says.

The charming singer also opens up about his love life – he is currently dating Molly, who has two children from a previous relationship.

“I never imagined my first serious relationship to involve two children, but I am just open to anything. The kids are absolutely delightful, but they can be monsters at times,” he gushes. The children – aged four and seven – find him delightful too.

“But it’s not always just bunny rabbits and candy floss, I do try to discipline them as well.”

Although he is taking his parental responsibilities seriously, he jokes that he does not intend to have “hundreds of children” just yet as he still has loads to do, namely completing The Boy & The Broken Machine.

He says that the album is an honest reflection of his growth as a musician in the past few years. It will feature songs that talk about his struggles as a musician, some female interests (from the past, obviously) and even Malaysia’s own Port Dickson!

“The Island is actually the first track,” he reveals.

Fans got to listen to the song for the first time at his show later that evening. Besides tracks from the album, Brooks also performed old hits like Holes Inside, Hello Mr. Sun and Someday.

Fans were ecstatic to meet him, and he was just as eager to greet them. During his visit to KL last year, he stayed past midnight to ensure that everyone got his autograph.

“I believe that my fans are the nicest people. If you’re nice to me, I’ll definitely treat you well.”

By CHRISTINE CHEAH
alltherage@thestar.com.my

FROM 15 teams in 2000 to 36 teams in 2012, Cheer, Malaysia’s premier inter-school cheerleading competition, has sure come a long way.

Things are only going to get better at Cheer 2013 – organised by R.AGE and presented by MARIGOLD HL Low Fat Milk – where we will be introducing a brand new division, the All-Girl Juniors, and some rule changes that will promise even better performances.

The junior division was created to help teams with less experience. Some schools have been competing for the past 13 years, giving them an advantage over the newer teams.

“We wanted to give these teams a chance to compete with teams of a similar level,” said Tan Yee Ming, vice president of the Cheerleading Association and Register of Malaysia (CHARM).

“The standards increase every year and it is hard for the newer teams to catch up with teams that have been competing for many years.

Teams in the junior division will be competing based on the International Cheer Union’s (ICU) Level Two rules. Certain advanced stunts are not allowed at this level, which will help level the playing field and encourage more new teams to get involved in the sport.

The two existing divisions – the All-Girl and Co-Ed divisions – will still compete based on the ICU’s high school rules.
But as usual, the ICU have introduced some new rules to improve safety. This year, the most significant changes involve dismounts and flips.

“It is a whole new ball game now,” said CHARM president Beverley Hon. “But it is for the greater good of the cheerleaders.”

For example, double downs – a type of dismount where a flyer at the top does two full twists before landing in the bases’ arms – will not be allowed at Cheer 2013. It is considered an elite stunt.

“These changes will encourage the cheerleaders to come up with more creative ways to dismount, and it will be a new challenge to all the teams,” added Hon.

Coach Chong Siew Han, from team Dynamitez (SMK Damansara Jaya, Selangor), agreed that the rule changes were good, as they encouraged cheerleaders to develop more difficult stunts.

“Everybody wanted to do double twist cradles before this. But now, due to the new rules, the teams will have to focus on performing better mounts instead.

“Overall, the cheerleaders will have to concentrate on improving fundamental skills, like the basic twists and turns,” said Chong, who has been coaching for over ten years.

For more detailed information on this year’s rule changes, log on to the Cheer Facebook page at facebook.com/TheStarCHEER or email contact.charmcheer@gmail.com.

The Cheer 2013 finals will be happening on June 29 and 30 at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free. The event is organised by R.AGE and presented by MARIGOLD HL Low Fat Milk. The main sponsor is Silkygirl and the co-sponsor is Sugus. Red FM is the official radio station.

The Indonesian workers at Vincent chang’s plantation live and work together, spending most of their free time resting, watching TV or singing and playing the guitar.

LIFE in an oil palm plantation can sound much worse than it really is.

Sure, the workers have to perform manual labour for eight hours a day and live in a small wooden hut with at least four other guys. Yes, there are some natural dangers, like snakes, territorial wild boars and the occasional violent, over-sized monkey.

But still, the fact is that an oil palm plantation isn’t the most difficult place in the world to work in, and that’s something that Achmad Mutaqin, 23, and Aris Atul Huda, 28, can attest to.

The two Indonesians have been working at Vincent Chang’s 100-acre plantation in Raub, Pahang for the past two years, and they have been quite pleased at how things have gone so far.

“It’s been good,” said Aris in Bahasa Indonesia. “Our boss has been kind to us, and we have gained a lot of work experience. We will be able to bring these experiences with us when we go back to Indonesia.”

Achmad Mutaqin (R) showing the BRATs how sharp and heavy the iron rod used by oil palm plantation workers is.

Aris, Achmad and another three Indonesians working at Chang’s plantation – all from the same kampung in Cilacap, Central Java – spend most of their time wielding long steel rods with blades attached at the end, which they use to cut down and carry the large fruit bunches of the oil palm trees. Just carrying the rods alone can be quite a workout, as they are quite heavy.

But it’s all worth it as both Aris and Achmad say they get to regularly send money back to their families.

Chang said oil palm is relatively easy to grow and harvest, which it why it has replaced rubber in many of the plantations in the area.

“It takes much more work to tap rubber, and when it rains, you won’t be able to harvest anything,” said Chang.

Even though he has hired a supervisor, Chang still visits his plantation almost every day, which explains the great rapport he has with his workers. That, and probably the fact that he’s installed Astro for them.

“They all work quite hard. When they’re not working, they’re either resting or watching TV. Once in a while they take the bus to (Raub) town, but that’s about it. I think some of them have been to Bukit Bintang (in KL) before,” said Chang. Those who work past their usual hours are paid overtime, he added.

Chang said virtually all plantation workers in the area are foreigners these days. “I think locals find the work too tough. There are restrictions on the number of foreigners we can employ. We can only hire one foreign worker for every 10 hectares of plantation land. We can hire as many locals as we want, but the pay is only RM30 a day.”

Instead, many locals are starting their own plantations, including some younger entrepreneurs.

“I think they’re mostly run by the older folks, but there are definitely some younger people starting their own smallholder oil palm plantations now,” he said.

NIKI CHEONG

alltherage@thestar.com.my

LAST weekend, about 200 people came together at Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur for a picnic under the shady trees, all dressed in the colours of the Jalur Gemilang.

The event – “Saya Mahu Picnic” – was organised by bizarre participatory arts group RandomAlphabets (RA) in just four days as a response to the tensions after the 13th general election.

I was part of the core group who volunteered to put together the event, alongside RA spokesperson and co-founder Zain HD, Juana Jaafar and others.

Zain HD (in yellow)

The idea stemmed from a couple of text message exchanges between the three of us after the election results were announced. We felt that there was a strong tension both on the ground and online, some of which were sparked by certain polarising sentiments relating to race from a variety of sources, including elected officials, politicians, media institutions and of course, the average layman.

The intention behind Saya Mahu Picnic was to play a small part in diffusing what appeared to be escalating tensions.

The three of us were not the only ones who felt this way. As quickly as we started moving (we had announced the event on Tuesday evening via social media), we noticed that other people were mobilising their respective movements.

One group started a Facebook group called “Kita Kawan Mah”, which aimed to celebrate the diversity of our fellow countrymen and women. There was another group of people who started sharing pictures of themselves posing with messages calling for unity.

Then, a group of prominent Malaysians – including social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, educator Jonson Chong, welfare activist Toh Puan Aishah Ong, former Miss Malaysia Deborah Henry and businessman Tan Sri Lim Kim Yew – came together to endorse a statement speaking out against the strains of racism that were emerging following the general election, of which I was also one of the signatories (you can view the full statement at http://bit.ly/182SfMX).

For RA, our approach was to go back to what we knew and did best – bringing people together in a fun manner.

RA was founded on the ethos of organising events that get people to spend time together in the most random ways, as we’ve done through other events like Keretapi Sarong, KL Freeze in Unison, World Pillow Fight Day, Tali Tenang and more.

The basis of our events is fun. RA feels that while we can all talk about unity, it is only when people spend time with one another that opportunities to build relationships emerge.

Saya Mahu Picnic was just one platform to facilitate that. We feel that platforms are important for people to express themselves differently. Zain personally believes that people in general are always keen to show how they feel and express themselves in a bigger and more prominent platform.

For such people, just ranting on Twitter, updating a Facebook status or just chattering at the coffeeshop is often not enough.

Saya Mahu Picnic was an opportunity for these people to come together and do something more, whether it was through the songs the picnickers sang – including Ikhlas Tapi Jauh, Rasa Sayang and Saya Anak Malaysia – or the potluck, where they shared a variety of food representing the different communities that make up our country.

Zain, in an interview with The Star during the event, said: “People need to realise that it does not matter how small their influence is, it is what they do with that influence that matters.”

The common thought is that these days, the only way to initiate action is to brand something properly or look at sustainability. People don’t often feel that the little things matter when they clearly do – the positivity that drowned out some of the negativity on social media is a good example.

Saya Mahu Picnic was our little contribution, both as a form for us to express ourselves but also as a platform for others to do the same. We’re grateful to those who took the time out to join us but also for the support and encouragement that we’ve received following the event.

* NIKI CHEONG is a social media strategist and lecturer. For more information about RandomAlphabets and its projects, log on to randomalphabets.com. 

By OH CHIN ENG and CHRISTINE CHEAH

alltherage@thestar.com.my

PENANG. Food. Good food. That’s probably what comes to our minds when we think of the Northern state. But as one of the crucial entrepots that played an important role in the history of the nation centuries ago, Penang offers more than just a delicious plate of char kuey teow.

And that’s what the Heritage In Penang (HIP) project founders want people to know – that there are many historic wonders in Penang hidden in plain sight and that they are here to help people discover them.

Last weekend, the HIP project organised a free walking tour – “The HIP trail” – along the famous Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling (check out the tour map below).

Participants were given a map of the earlier years of Penang as well as illustrations and postcards depicting the state in the 1880s. They were also encouraged to imagine that they were people living in that era.

In character and eager to explore the trail, the participants were soon studying traditional trades, pausing to observe the architectural traits of historical buildings and discovering the legends and myths surrounding the trail.

“We want people, especially the youths, to be culturally aware of their heritage assets through different methods,” said Chen Yoke Pin, Arts-ED programme coordinator.

Founded 13 years ago, Arts-ED is an initiative that seeks to provide non-formal arts and culture education programmes to young people seeking to preserve and promote the legacies in Penang.

The HIP project is just one of its few initiatives. Other programmes include cultural events, cultural mapping, documentation and more.

And the response from the young people towards the initiatives is very encouraging.

N. Vijay Kumar

Medical student N. Vijay Kumar, 26 said, “What attracted me the most is the early settlement history, how they came and settled here, mixing with all kinds of people from different races.”

Vijay, who travels occasionally on the street, admits that he never knew the stories behind it, and it’s the first time he’s taken the initiative to learn about Penang’s heritage.

“Now the concern is how the young people are going to maintain this place. If not, it’ll all fall apart,” he said.

Chai Siu Yeng

For Chai Siu Yeng, 20, the HIP trail walk was very informative and it gave her an opportunity to discover the gems hidden along the street.

“The walk was really educational as I managed to see, hear, feel, smell and taste the things hands-on. You won’t find these things in textbooks,” said the Universiti Sains Malaysia student.

And trust us, these photos here don’t do the stunt any justice. To get a feel of how awesome it looks in real time, log on to our R.AGE YouTube channel (youtube.com/RageOnlineTV) or use our iSnap feature on this page.

Oh, and if you feel like giving the 360 mount a try, just don’t. These cheerleaders are made from some tough stuff, and without a proper cheerleading coach around, you’ll probably just hurt yourself.

Stunt name: 360 mount with a forward peel dismount

Level of difficulty: Intermediate-advanced

Step 1:

The main base grips the flyer’s right foot.

Step 2:

The main base, second base and spotter drives the flyer up and turns her 90 degrees to the right.

Step 3:

The bases lift the flyer up by extending their arms, while the flyer does a scorpion stretch.

Step 4:

The flyer does an arabesque stretch.

Step 5:

To dismount, the flyer leans forward and does a 360 degree roll while the bases support her back. During the roll, the flyer extends one leg forward first, while the bases hold on to the other leg.

Still not enough cheerleading action for you? Come and catch the top secondary school cheerleading teams in the country live at the Cheer 2013 finals, taking place on June 29 and 30 at the Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. And of course, admission is free.

Cheer 2013 is organised by R.AGE and presented by MARIGOLD HL Low Fat Milk. Silkygirl is the main sponsor and Sugus is the co-sponsor. Red FM is the official radio station.