Creative energy

Published on October 12, 2007

Four years ago, Malaysia's Malacca dubbed itself the "electronic music and lifestyle" spot of Southeast Asia, kicking off the Recharge Revelation. More than 7,000 clubbers were blown away by a sensory overload of amazing music, fresh artwork and exciting interactive activities. Since then it has turned into one of the region's landmark music events, accommodating more than 20,000 clubbers with a music policy that embraces electronica, rock, and hip hop - truly an event dedicated to contemporary progressive modern living.

Taking place on October 27, this region's biggest dance music and lifestyle festival will be even bigger and wilder, featuring more than 40 headlining international, regional and local talents spread across six venues. Together with dance festival partner, the UK's Global Gathering, the two brands are planning a great festival, with a lineup that includes Thailand's own electro-clash rockers, Futon.

Dubbed Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering (RR5GG), the organisers stick to their philosophy to bring local acts to the limelight and at the same time cooperate with internationally known talents to uplift the music scene in Malaysia and Southeast Asia in general.

"Since its inception in 2003, we have grown year after year and attracted around 8,000 clubbers to the venue," says Kenneth Chan, festival director. "Initially it was a response to the dry and lacklustre clubbing and music scene in Malaysia at that time. Outdoor or independent venue events were too commercial and formulaic. We have always believed in the potential for Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia holding it's own with clubbing cities like Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore. [Malaysia's music scene] needs to develop as it's pretty much limited to world tour dates from pop acts like Mariah Carey, Black Eyed Peas and Linkin Park."

Started off from underground beginnings, with parties organised by independent collectives on building rooftops, beaches, jungles - even a disused prison - the group attracted professional promoters with corporate sponsorship that resulted in a huge influx of international A-list DJs.

"It was an interesting mix of people and the parties showed this diversity by having very creative environments and visual arts in the mix. It was this mix of music and creative lifestyles that made the scene interesting and stand out from the homogenous commercial scene and ultimately why the scene attracted such a big following," says Chan.

This one-day festival stretches to six venues at A'Famosa Resort in Malacca, a port city an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. Running from 2pm until late, the musical feast offers non-stop music from dance to hip-hop, electronic to rock and retro.

Highlights of the festival include stars from DJ Mag, Sander Van Doorn from the Netherlands, hard trance spinner Marcel Woods, Finnish hard dance DJ Proteus, Dutch deep trance DJ Johan Gielen and celebrated UK techno-electronic house DJ Damian Saint. Not to be missed are the funky group Simian Mobile Disco and French electro-rockers Black Strobe.

"There will be four of us performing, that is all the band members that you can see on the album and we're going to be playing trancey and rock tracks at the same time. It will be tracks from the album 'Blood Shot Eyes' mixed with old songs like 'Ain't No Stranger'," says Black Strobe's vocalist and programmer Arnaud Rebotini. "So we get to rock live, with a light show, and you can dance to it - it's live dance music."

Black Strobe is scheduled to perform at TQX Freedom Electric Arena during the day alongside Simian Mobile Disco from the UK, which promises a surprising, energetic show.

"I always bring loads of records and CDs so we can change it up," Simian Mobile Disco member James Shaw says. "We don't go out and play the same set because that would be boring. We'll try out some different things and depending on how the crowd reacts we'll either go further down those lines or try something different."

Bangkok-based electro-clash rockers, Futon, who previously performed with Groove Armada in Malaysia and will be joining RR5GG this year, has their signature sexy act to offer, within limits, "given the constraints of playing in a Muslim country, though," says DJ Bee, the group's programmer. Futon will be performing some new songs that are not on the latest album, "Pain Killer" as well as some old favourites. DJ Bee himself will also be showing off behind the deck, bring his Rehab session from Bed Supperclub to the TQX Freedom Amp Stage.

Bed Supperclub's resident DJ, Josh Christian Ezelle, will be another headline from Thailand. His act will include Born 2 Funk and Kurd Maverick jams with a touch of percussive funk thrown in. US-based Ezelle was a founder of the underground warehouse-rave scene in the States during the late 1980s and early '90s. He has performed in many massive parties such as Sound Factory, The Gathering and Basics and the recent Black Moon Party on Koh Samui.

Not only great music and good vibes, RR5GG also offers a creative, interactive festival scene.

"We pay as much attention to programming visual and performance artists, street culture exhibits and installation pieces as we do to the music," Chan says. "The festival introduced new elements into the party scene here. Elements like electronic gaming stations and chill-out spas that have since been copied by many other promoters for their events and now quite common. We believe in innovating scenes in time with the evolution of music and the lifestyles of people relating to music."

This year's festival lifestyle scenes include new chill out spa concept with new activities like the CO2 shower, a roller-skating rink in the retro arena Solid Gold and gravity games like bungee, swing, Zorbs and the G-ForceX.

Recharge Revelation 5 Global Gathering Malaysia takes place from 2pm until late on October 27 at A'Famosa Resort in Malacca, Malaysia. Tickets are Bt660, inclusive of two drinks, available at Thaiticketmaster. Tickets are also available at www.rechargeroom.com. Festival and accommodation packages can be purchased at www.afamosa.com. For more information, call the festival hotline at 03 6207 1650 from 9am till 6pm (Malaysian time) Monday to Friday.

Manta Klangboonkrong