Bangkok DJ Festival 2006

Ben Sowton, DJ Premier, Pompougnac, Louie Vega, Jazzy Jeff and more...

Well, ain't that something..
The Thais are gonna enjoy this indef.

Muse Cometh

Muse - Unintended


This I must go. The last time I watched them was in Indiana when I was 19. 3 piece Brit band with an awesome sound. (Think Radiohead)
Bassist is classically trained in the double bass and when they played this song 'live', I swear I almost cried.

C'mon, Plug in Baby

Matthew Bellamy dresses like an ah beng, def Cristiano Ronaldo's first choice for his wedding singer.



MUSE Live at Fort Canning on January 16, 2007 - Updated Nov 26, 2006

All tickets are general admission free standing and go onsale Dec 1st at Sistic outlets, www.sistic.com.sg or by calling (65) 6348 5555. For Sponsorship & VIP Hospitality Suites please call (65) 6324 0764. Earlybird pricing will be as follows::
S$85 from Dec 1st - Dec 15th (All prices exclude Sistic fee)
S$95 from Dec 16th - Dec 31st
S$110 from Jan 1st - 16th

A New Song for the Yamaha Junior Course Syllabus?

'The Ronald Duck Song (Do Re Mi, Ronald Duck)'

Well, the boys think 'Do Re Mi, Hot Cross Buns' suck to the core.
Why would kids want to sing a song about hot bloody cross buns anyways.
Here's their take on what should be the taught; 'Do Re Mi, Ronald Duck'.
Lame but true to the namesake of the company's most famous duck.

Btw, the boys were a little camera shy. However, they did it in one take. Haha...Happy Birthday Duck!

GRP ALL STAR BIG BAND

Sister Sadie

John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Russell Ferrante, Arturo Sandoval, Randy Brecker, Chuck Findley, Byron Stripling, George Bohanon, Eric Marienthal, Nelson Rangel, Ernie Watts, Bob Mintzer, Tom Scott, Dave Grusin, Gary Burton, Eddie Daniels, Phillip Bent n the list goes on...

Watch Gary Burton, the director of the jazz program @ Berklee go on the vibraphone..sweet..

I'm still nursing wounds...thanks for the concern everyone.

Photos taken with my Nokia N93 @ Powerstation

Luke's Drumthrone @ St James' Powerstation

This is so goddarn true!

This post is taken off Yukun's blog. Found it a necessity to share it..
Don't mind yea dude!
Sentiments alike ere'.
http://djyukun.blogspot.com

YOU'RE KIDDING ME, RIGHT?

From Yahoo News...

Singapore has emerged second for nightlife and dining in the second annual Country Brand Index 2006. Singapore was unranked in the previous survey but it now beats countries such as the United States, UK and Thailand.

The Country Brand Index is developed by FutureBrand, a global brand consultancy, in conjunction with the public relations firm Weber Shandwick's Global Travel Practice. Global Travel Practice is a global study of more than 1,500 international travellers, travel industry experts and hospitality professionals and it examines how countries can be branded and ranked according to key criteria.

My question is... who in blue hell are the "1,500 travellers" that gave the Singapore nightlife the thumbs up when 80% of the "clubs" here continue to cater to bad mainstream / commercial music tastes? How can our nightlife be more vibrant than those in Europe? Hell, even our seedy scene is nothing compared to that in Amsterdam. You're telling me that versus cities that "never sleep" like Germany, Japan and Hong Kong, we came up tops when clubs here empty out generally after 3am and cabs still go into hiding before the midnight charge kicks in. Food and dining, we kinda rock, that we admit. But what nightlife where they exactly referring to? The Mandai Zoo Night Safari, I presume?

Nothing is funnier than to hear a Singapore chinese boy proclaiming that he so digs where Tupac is coming from when he has never gone through the ghetto poverty, struggles and racism and oppression. What cracks me up is to hear the current generation of youngster referring to their "significant" other as "my boo". People, act your goddamn colour! Unless you belong to the elite American black-boys' club, stop trying to dress "hip hop" and speaking in "thug lingo". You look like a bloody yellow banana trying to be black.

So in a country where the authorities "advise" Slayer to tone down their "satanic persona" during their recent concert here, we're actually rulin'? So we are finally hip now? If you say so. The rest of us know better. Not that it's THAT a boring island... just that I can easily name TEN other cities that definitely have more "exciting" nightlife than dear old SingaBore.

Seriously, when "live" entertainment here means a cheesy foreign band doing cover versions and crappy choreography... that scored high in the survey? Just because some Filipino band can sing in Cantonese, that's supposed to be groundbreaking? Forgive me, really... what were the "key criterias" that were examined?

Statistics. Funny thing, isn't it?

Video Snippets of Our CD Launch @ the 'Metamorphosis Event' (Courtesy of Benjamin)

Music - 'Beauty Beyond Sight (Recorded & Performed 'Live' @ Necto, Ann Arbor)

Hugs & Kisses for Benjamin http://cdjben.blogspot.com for filming snippets of the event, tho' it's as dark as Ellen Ripley's alien infested spacecraft.

This particular track was recorded 'live' when I was 20 and still studying. Geez, Mickey Mouse would have loved to do a duet with me.

Yukun, thanks for the CD you passed me. Before I forget, who's Ichigo?

Have you ever met someone so beautiful that you dared not even look @ her/him in the eye/face?
That's what this song is all about. Enjoy!

Do I really sound like him?

Gnarls Barkley - Crazy - MTV Movie Awards 2006

Razak's director told him I sing and sound like Gnarls Barkley after he watched our performance on Friday.
Razak & I don't think so.

Well guys, do u?
I can't pitch that high tho'. Ceelo has a higher vocal range def.

Erm, wait till you hear Razak sing a malay song titled 'Ibu'. Sweet.......ha

Geez, I wanna get that storm trooper costume. Or a batman getup..
- jealous; not envious..darn

The strings accompaniment in the song is just heavenly...Don't ya think
Remix anyone?

'Rockit' Live

Herbie Hancock's Future 2 Future 'Rockit' Live

Luke just lent me the DVD release for this 'live' session. Refreshingly interesting version by Herbie Hancock with DJ Disk on turntables & the ever so cool Terri Lyne Carrington on drums who's also a Yamaha endorsee.
Other musicians include Wallace Roney on trumpet, Darrel Diaz on keyboards.

If you notice, Herbs uses a Korg Karma (K.A.R.M.A technology kicked arse btw back then) tho' I'm a pro-motif user. Bought it from my buddy Azman anyhow.

If Herbie can change with time, so can my mum who still can't sms decently for nuts. If only I can grab a copy of SMS-ing for dummies.

Btw, I remember 3 yrs ago when Herbert & I weren't acquainted with Razak yet. Herbert was @ the PALA show and he watched Razak do a showcase on the turns & CDJs at the Denon booth. Razak was scratching & Herbert was in awe. STEEP!! Must have been the hardhouse you were into back then herbz.

Enjoy the vid!

6 Months on from the Graduation Performance

It's been a long while since I've last seen my students who graduated 6 months ago. It's funny how ppls' roads converge and diverge in different circumstances.
Well, these were the top 5 of the 132 students I had in April 2006, and I know they've gone on to do great things.
From absolute beginners to hustlers hahaha...

From Left: Azreen : - Now, in a local indie band (Won't tell you which one)
Seow Chin: - Resident Keyboardist @ her Church
Milly: - Plays in a mandarin pop band currently
Maung Zaw: - Superstar piano player cum NYP business lecturer. haha
Shirley Annabelle: - Now, my private student, plays @ New Creation Church.
Makes me ponder sometimes why I don't attend service.

Well, met up with some of them during a music workshop. Thanks for the super belated gifts & cards but I appreciate them nonetheless. We'll meet again, I promise.
Meanwhile, the music's in you; Go kick a** on the keys.

Have You Read it Yet?

But Beautiful: A Book About Jazz (Geoff Dyer)
Also featured on LIFE! (Singapore) 2/11/06



Impressionistic fantasies around the lives of eight jazz legends. Though he calls this "imaginative criticism," the vignettes, inspired by photos and writings about the artists, have little to do with music. Rather, he muses about the musicians' personalities and certain episodes in their lives. Lester Young's disastrous stint in the army, Thelonious Monk's inability to communicate with anyone but his wife, Bud Powell's mental breakdown, Chet Baker's drug-induced deterioration, Duke Ellington's endless travels.
Dyer also addressed the oppression of working within an atmosphere of race-alienation, a hardship that led many to abuse alcohol and drugs, and find solace only in their incredible music.
In the end, 'But Beautiful' is a splendid meditation on jazz and the personalities that created it, couched in a prose as lyrical, and as rigorous; as the music it describes. Read it & Enjoy!

Seeya tomorrow @ our cd launch party btw!