Lakar Live provided nights of great music with independent bands from Lumut, Perak - Lensa Seni

Review by Hamidah Abd Rahman

Located in the state of Perak, Malaysia, Laman Karya Lumut is a space that allows local artists and art lovers to share their interests in various disciplines of art and music. It is from here that the live-streamed event on Facebook from Nov 26 to Nov 29 came about. Called Lakar Live, it featured four different independent bands performing “live”.

The Lakar Live show provided a platform for independent bands such as Lovethee, Teman Lelaki, B.O.T.T.S (Based On The Truth Story) and Suara Anak Laut, to showcase their music and share their stories as musicians with an online audience.

The first night featured one-man band Lovethee – singer, guitarist and lyricist Mohammad Nadzri Shaharuddin, or Aie, as he likes to call himself.

Lovethee’s lyrics relate to the country’s social problems, society and nature, as was demonstrated in one of the songs performed called “Pakai - Buang”, which revolved around environmental issues.

With a focus on the indie-rock genre, Lovethee’s performance conveyed Aie's honesty and passion for his art. His music has the sentiments of 1990s alternative rock, which brings with it a sense of nostalgia and provides a sound that is barely heard in today’s music.

Next year, Lovethee is preparing to release an album called “Sepuh Rasa”.

The following night highlighted one-year-old indie band called Teman Lelaki (Boyfriend), consisting of vocalist Eidi Arif Tajul Edrus, guitarist Muhammad Hafizzudin Hazmi and bassist Muhammad Syamil Syahiran Mariadi.

As implied by the name, the band plays poetic love songs within the genre of folk-pop and ambient music. Upon hearing Teman Lelaki’s music, it is easy to drift away, carried by the soft, pleasant instrumentals alongside Eidi’s mesmerising vocals.

Teman Lelaki was also one of the finalists for Anugerah Lagu Indie (Indie Song Award), which was live-streamed on YouTube in October 2020 by Kamar Seni Studios, a recording studio in Kuala Lumpur, for its song “Dengan Nama Tuhan” (In the name of God).

Written by Eidi and Hafizzudin, “Dengan Nama Tuhan'' has the power to resonate with every listener, as Eidi’s soothing vocals and the acoustic, dream-like arrangement evokes a melancholic sound.

Teman Lelaki is in the midst of recording its demo, as the band hopes to progress towards producing a full album in 2021. The band dreams of nationwide recognition, and with the talent that was witnessed here, it is a dream that may surely come true.

On the event's third night, B.O.T.T.S’s (Based On The Truth Story) jamming session was cathartic and full of raw energy that instantly heightened the mood within the studio.

Formed in 2012, the punk rock band consists of vocalist and guitarist Khairul Shahir Alias, lead guitarist Abdul Aziz Sham, bassist Azim Anuar and drummer Syaiful Zamahuri Mohd Razali.

The name of the band is self-explanatory, as their songs are based on their personal experiences and anecdotes, with Khairul being the main lyricist.

During Lakar Live, the band members shared that they all have personal commitments towards their families and full-time jobs that hinder their ability to actively pursue their music career as a band.

Nevertheless, B.O.T.T.S’s rough and unrefined sound conveyed such an exciting synergy, that one would have thought that the band has been playing forever.

On Lakar Live’s final night, Suara Anak Laut (Sounds of the Sea Children), a band based in Pangkor Island, gave a sentimental performance.

The band members are bassist Mohd Masri, percussionist Mohd Firdaus and guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Izuan Shah, better known as Lola.

Lola stated that the band does not tie itself to any specific genre, but its music tends to strive towards folk, focusing on having poetic lyrics and acoustic arrangements.

The band’s lyrics concern topics of humanity, personal sentiments, as well as world issues, which was demonstrated when they performed their song called “Tentang Hati” (About Heart) inspired by the plight of the Palestine crisis.

Lola noted that when it comes to writing lyrics, one has to be “ikhlas” (sincere) and willing to be open within one’s self. This is evident as the sincerity in the band’s lyrics and the acoustic arrangements within Suara Anak Laut’s music exudes a sound of magical reality and wistfulness.

The CMCO has halted Suara Anak Laut’s ability to perform in front of a live audience, but the band stated that the pandemic has allowed them to grow creatively in lyric writing.

Suara Anak Laut is hoping to record an extended play or a full album in the future.

This was the second edition of the Lakar Live show since its inception during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO) back in June 2020. It made its return as the country underwent another restriction period with the Conditional Movement Control Order (MCMO) that lasted from Oct 14 to Dec 7, 2020.

Lakar Live was sponsored by the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA), through the CREATE NOW Funding programme that aims to support visual artists, arts performers and independent musicians to help cultivate the arts scene in Malaysia.

Recordings of these sessions are available at www.facebook.com/LakarLumut

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Hamidah Abd Rahman is a writer under the CENDANA - ASWARA Arts Writing Mentorship Programme 2020-2021.

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