Akan datang.

S H O W C A S E \\ future tense

Hibernate.

S H O W C A S E \\ past tense

July 03, 2010
Lite & Lymbyc Systym Live in KL
• Bentley Music Auditorium.

May 01, 2010
Arty Party 2010
• CapSquare, Kuala Lumpur.

March 27, 2010
Kognitif Showcase
• ZINC Art Space, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

March 06, 2010
The Experimentalist Invasion
• Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Terengganu.

February 27, 2010
Making Waves 2010
• GOHB Books, Serangoon Rd, SINGAPORE.

December 25, 2009
It's Chuckmas!
• Awakening Productions Rehearsal Studio,
Kuala Lumpur.

August 08, 2009
BADGER Exhibition
• Homegrown Space, Wisma Bentley Music,
Mutiara Damansara.

August 01, 2009
Studio,Shop.Space! Noise Concerto Vol.1
• Annexe Gallery Room, Central Market, Kuala Lumpur.

July 12, 2009
Rock N Roll Kot?
• Cloth & Clef, Kuala Lumpur.

June 02, 2009
Rock Hysteria
• Urbanattic, CapSquare, Kuala Lumpur.

April 04, 2009
Kuala Lumpur Design Week 2009
• CapSquare, Kuala Lumpur.

August 16, 2008
Space Rock Music Festival 2008
• One Cafe, Kuala Lumpur.

July 26, 2008
If I Ask You to Stay, Will You...
• Noisy Studio, Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

July 20, 2008
Festival Muzik K.I.T.A
• CT Plaza, Johor Bahru, Johor.

July 19, 2008
Saraba Urutoraman!
• Music Garage, Queen Street, SINGAPORE

April 20, 2008
DISASTER: The Closure
• MCPA Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

April 13, 2008
GIG.A.BITE
• MCPA Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

March 01, 2008
Making Waves 2008 (day 2)
• Esplanade Powerhouse Stage, Esplanade Drive, SINGAPORE.

February 26, 2008
Robin Fox Tour
• CM Annexe, Kuala Lumpur.

December 29, 2007
Support Band & Negara Malaysia
• KL Jam Asia, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

December 25, 2007
We've Lost Beauty Fest (day 3)
• MCPA Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

December 22, 2007
Disc Destroy!
• CM Annexe, Kuala Lumpur.

December 11, 2007
MUKADIMAH! S'pore-M'sia Tour
• Wisma Oh Kongsi, Penang.

December 09, 2007
MUKADIMAH! S'pore-M'sia Tour
• CM Annexe, Kuala Lumpur.

December 08, 2007
MUKADIMAH! S'pore-M'sia Tour
• Beat Merchants, Singapore.

December 01, 2007
Wàllõped! Showcase ep.1
• CM Annexe, Kuala Lumpur.

November 10, 2007
Sakit Kepala Fest 3
• MCPA Hall, Kuala Lumpur.

August 25, 2007
You're Next in Line
• KL Jam Asia, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

March 24, 2007
Ruins Alone @ The Annexe
• Room#3, The Gallery, Top Floor, The Central Market
Annexe, Kuala Lumpur.

February 24, 2007
It's Good to be in Love
• Arport; Laman Budaya, Shah Alam, Selangor.

September 17, 2006
CubaTryTestTengok
• Tunestone Studio, Klang, Selangor.

September 16, 2006
Under Attack!!!
• Tunestone Studio, Klang, Selangor.

September 10, 2006
An Evening in Peril
• KL Jam Asia, Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur.

August 31, 2006
IndiePunkDance Day
• Awakening Productions Rehearsal Studio,
Kuala Lumpur.

August 26, 2006
Sonic Cosmic: Music from Outer Space
• Planetarium Negara, Kuala Lumpur.

July 23, 2006
Kuala Lumpur Independent Bands Festival
• Titan Club & Bistro, Kuala Lumpur.

July 02, 2006
Curious Incident
• Tunestone Studio, Klang, Selangor.

June 24, 2006
Breaking Ground Fest 2
• Dewan Persatuan India Kuala Kangsar, Perak.

June 10, 2006
Muzik Itu Indah
• Titan Club & Bistro, Kuala Lumpur.

May 21, 2006
Sunday S.A.'L'.E
• Galleriiizu, Kuala Lumpur.

April 30, 2006
The Kingdom of Rebel
• Pelita Hati Gallery, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

March 11, 2006
Bercanda di Tepian Tasik
• Artport; Laman Budaya, Shah Alam, Selangor.

January 29, 2006
Antidrugs Night
• Modesto's, Kuala Lumpur.

January 22, 2006
Motion Picture Soundtrack
• No Black Tie, Kuala Lumpur.

December 31, 2005
Arty Party
• Galleriiizu, Kuala Lumpur.

December 25, 2005
Bunyi Sembunyi!
• Artport; Laman Budaya, Shah Alam, Selangor.

October 01, 2005
Enrage Matinee
• FM Maras, Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

September 25, 2005
Edging Those Edged Squares
• Paul's Place, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.

September 17, 2005
My Squared Circle: The Misguided Tour
• UBU, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

September 16, 2005
My Squared Circle: The Misguided Tour
• Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur.

July 24, 2005
Kumbak Kambek Tour
• Paul's Place, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.

July 23, 2005
Children of Art Exhibition
• UBU, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.

July 22, 2005
Bersatu Bersama Zoltans bahagian 2
• Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur.

June 05, 2005
How Laaa Boss...
• Double 38 Corner, Bandar Perda, Penang.

June 03, 2005
Unite with the Zoltans pt. 1
• Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur.

April 16, 2005
A16: More World, Less Bank!
• Paul's Place, Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur.

March 27, 2005
Boing Malaysia Tour
• AP Valley Café, George Town, Penang.

July 2010 issue

KOGNITIF CD - REVIEW

I'm not a big fan of instrumental experimental music, but Akta Angkasa has succeeded in changing my mind about that. One of Malaysia's best experimental bands at the moment, Akta Angkasa has just released their latest, Kognitif. Everything that this band offers is refreshingly creative — right down to the way they packaged their CD! The album offers you a solid instrumental rock sound, rich with the fusion of heavy guitar distortions and effects, and strong melodies with a touch of the electronic. ★★★★

by TARI

 

Thursday - July 01, 2010

STARS ARE ALIGNED

The band’s name literally translates to “Space Act”. Not that our country is privy to such a legislative act yet but Klang Valley-based outfit Akta Angkasa, now a highly recognisable name in fringe music circles, isn’t about to be limited by the confines of general acceptability.

The band first burst on to the scene in late 2005 with boundary-breaking musicianship in mind. Back then, Akta Angkasa, arguably, had the numbers in its line-up to fill up any stage in town. Initially running a roll call of members that was almost sizeable enough to have a competitive football match, Akta Angkasa were a logistical challenge and massive musical puzzle.

But the band’s main man Zul (guitars), who oversees the studio and live creative process, has since saw it fit to trim the numbers down to a much more manageable quartet.

Despite the smaller line-up, the band now consisting of Ned (bass), Mamel (drums) and Fie (synth) has lost none of its jugular-grabbing musical dynamics. All the band members are in their mid-20s, and looking to soak up as much experience in the music scene as possible. But, as Zul shared, the band did not start out with a grand masterplan to take over the musical landscape with a literal army of musicians.

Instead, the band started out purely as a simple musical concept between Zul and former guitarist Nabil nearly five years ago.

“It was around 2005 when Nabil and I had this enthusiastic conversation about music. We wrote our first guitar lines together spontaneously, calculating distinctive time signatures for each chord/bar, so much so that we did not sleep that night,” remembered Zul, who remains the band’s figurehead. “We knew he had found something special.”

Special and unique Akta Angkasa’s music certainly is. In many ways, if the band’s music is a reflection of the kind of challenging experimental edge and vision that it wishes to charton the musical landscape, then the quartet is on the right path.

This Saturday, Akta Angkasa share the support slots at Bentley Music Auditorium in Selangor with fellow local contemporaries Citizens of Ice Cream as they open the highly anticipated double bill show by Lymbyc Systym (United States) and Lite (Japan).

Presented by Soundscape Records, the performances by Lymbyc Systym and Lite, comprising indie electronica and avant rock respectively, point to an evening of uncommon frequencies.

A decade ago, a local band like Akta Angkasa would have struggled to get its music heard, let alone be a part of a growing network of like-minded acts worldwide. But things have changed in the non-mainstream scene here, with rock fans increasingly embracing artful and diverse genres. There is a sustainable and loyal following, especially in the Klang Valley, for sonically adventurous music these days and Akta Angkasa, without a surprise, is one of the acts that has stood out.

While often lumped together with the by-the-numbers (instrumental) post rock bands out there who were born out of a fascination for newer bands such as Mogwai, Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky, Akta Angkasa’s music seems to share more resemblance to free form jazz exponents and the searching spirit of Thurston Moore’s (Sonic Youth) independent projects than those bands, although Zul tips his hat to some essentials of rock and punk when it comes to collective inspiration.

“Pink Floyd and Fugazi. It’s pretty self-explanatory,” he added.

Not content with pushing the envelope by being purely instrumental, the band take plenty of pride in being generally musically unpredictable, with musical parts zipping back and forth rather than a solid song structure taking precedence.

As much as his guitar sets the creative tone, Zul believes in the need to move away from traditional songwriting measures. That is what sets the band apart, he reckons.

“While most of the bands have their repetitive verse-chorus-verse methodology, we prefer otherwise,” he passionately shared. “We often strenuously challenge ourselves to not write songs the traditional way.”

As if that’s not enough to send the popsters scurrying away like vampires in sunlight, the band has piled on yet another layer of complexity on top of this by adhering strictly to the mandate that they will only play one song per show, even if it is a 30-minute song.

“We embrace the metaphorical language of storytelling to the audience,” said Zul, “A short song will never do.”

Not many bands are brave enough to go out there and disregard the inherent value of song structures. It takes an even bolder bunch to glorify the more abstract side of music. But Zul insists that the move is hardly a gimmick, but more of an extension of the band’s personalities and interests.

“I’m a graphic artist by profession, so to spot any great difference between creating music and art is difficult,” elaborated Zul, who gave the example of the band’s use of strobe lights in the past to enhance the audience’s live experience. “One of our cardinal goals is to have a verisimilitude impact on the audience watching us so that when the performance is over, the experience remains very vivid in their thoughts.”

Akta Angkasa recently released its first proper release, an EP titled Kognitif, which properly captures the band at its progressive best. The EP has been well-received by fans of the band, something that is motivating the band to try and achieve more.

“Our biggest motivation now is to document all of the parts we’ve written from the first year that have never been properly recorded or released previously. If it does happen, then we should be ready to record a full album.”

But as much as the band appears to enjoy the creative freedom, the members are not completely disconnected from reality. The gig machine must go on and Akta Angkasa is ever ready to impress audiences not just from a conceptual level. Zul himself grew up with a staple diet of early local independent bands such as Hijrah, Infectious Maggots and Future Primitive, so he certainly understands the value of the local independent music circuit and broader support from the masses.

“I really hope to see more bands challenging themselves to shape their own identities. It’s never easy, I must stress, but it isn’t impossible either,” concluded Zul, who counts local electro pop band Tenderfist as one of the bands he is very impressed with. “Go pick up your own instruments and light up the soul inside.”

by ADRIAN YAP C.K.

 

May 2010 issue

WE'RE BUZZED WITH AKTA ANGKASA

Malaysia's art rock scene has been steadily growing over the past few years, even with bands like Mono stopping over to play to estatic crowds in sold out venues. For the most part, the avant garde stylings of art rock appeal to those who consider their musical tastes more sophisticated than the everyman, but for every band that seeks to position themselves as musical saviors, there is a band like Akta Angkasa that looks beyond pretentiousness to elevate music to another level of consciousness.

Akta Angkasa are an experimental art rock/noise rock band formed in 2005 with a focus on odd-time signatures, instrumental passages, and a cinematic performance. And judging by their performance shots which are dramatically backlit with fog machines and strobe lights on stand-by, their claim of a 'cinematic performance' certainly stands true.

Yet their origins are more typical than their complex and textured music and lean more towards the tradition of last minute miracles: they were booked for a show as Akta Angkasa but had not yet formed the band. Rushing for that single show, they quickly put together their complex compositions and played the show with typical aplomb. And now, the quartet of Zul, Mamel, Fie, and Ned have just released their Kognitif EP; an exploration in trippy soundscapes and have assembled an impressive resume, with performances alongside Australian band, Spartak in 2007, playing various music festivals & shared numerous stages with international acts like Yoshida Tatsuya, Robin Fox and mr. Strile Assembly to name a few.

Despite the rather hurried beginnings, Akta Angkasa has expanded to an outfit that takes music and performance together to an art style; influenced by 70's space rock reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Following this train of thought that references the past, Akta Angkasa use vintage instruments to enhance their sound as seasoned, time-worn equipment brings a character and distinct quality of sound that's just hard to achieve, even with all of today's technology trappings. "Undying analogue weapons", describes the band about their 'antiques'. With this level of attention to detail, it's not surprising that it took them five years to come out with their first real-CD format EP. According to Zul, Akta Angkasa started everything over when it came to the recording process. Retreating to Pangkin, their own personal studio, they rebuilt the songs fromthe ground up, refining compositions and sharpening sounds for greater impact.

While a full length album is not at the forefront of their minds at this point, Zul guarantees us that when it does come out, Akta Angkasa are going to make sure it's an absolute haywire of an album, with more of their signature schizophrenic time signatures and desultory guitar and synth sounds. They are, however, looking forward to touring the whole "Tanah Melayu", and Borneo along with that before heading out to conquer the rest of the world. And it's sure to be a remarkable journey no matter what happens along the way, and ups and downs alike; Akta Angkasa aren't going to exchange the experiences for anything. In their own words, "We embrace the journey we've been through all these years." So what's next, Akta Angkasa? We await with ready ears for their next sonic adventure into the unknown.

by SCOTT NG