Blues Gang promise something new, something old in upcoming album
KUALA LUMPUR: Good things come to those who wait, so, it probably isn't so bad that fans of Malaysian blues have had to wait 16 years to hear a new Blues Gang album. Yes, that band, immortalised by the racially unifying tunes like Apo Nak Di Kato and Khatulistiwa is back, and back with a bang, too.
The nation's southern sons are on the cusp of recording a new album, slated for an early 2014 release, though the band, which hails from Johor, dares not flippantly throw release dates about just yet. "We have a six-song plan in mind, two of which will be our old tunes that we hope to re-record," said frontman Ito Mohd during a recent interview, in conjunction with the band's 40th anniversary. The anticipated release marks the band's 15th album, having begun with 1979's Anytime, Anyday. "We are hoping to re-record Maafkanlah and Jumpa Kawan Lamo. These songs will have new arrangements, so this time around, we'd like to get the whole band singing on them. We want a more collaborative feel on things in this new chapter of the band's career," Ito added, saying that the band is running high on enthusiasm, having not released an album under its name for so long, not since 1998'a Ribut Pendamai. Blues Gang today comprises its classic lineup with Ito on vocals, Julian Mokthar on guitar, Abdul Ghani Datuk Abu Talib on keyboards, bass player Jim Madasamy, drummer Shaik Karim and new addition guitarist Azizi Ithnin, who had joined the band briefly in the early 1990s. The 1980s not being anything like 2013 means that the band has had to learn to be in tune with the times, and that selling music alone these days is not enough to pay the rent. "We are going to print T-shirts and work on merchandising as well. These things are all important from a branding standpoint," he said.Rather then rush into releasing all songs in one go, like the good old-fashioned days, the band intends to break up its songs in pairs, and market them as singles, available as music downloads, too. The blues might have its origins in a music scene long forgotten, but there's life in the beast yet. "Young people are buying old people's music, but not the other way around. This gives me confidence to believe that we can still do this and that there's an audience out there for what we do," he said, referencing the legendary Rolling Stones for its longevity. Blues Gang's bass player, Madasamy, chipped in, saying that the blues will never go away because it transcends music. "Blues is about feel and emotion, and as long as you're feeling blue, there's music there for you. Maybe it's because we've lived through a lot of hardship, we know this genre well and excel at it," Madasamy revealed. Debates often crop up whether young musicians can truly play the blues, but with more than 40 years tucked under the band's belt, most people would be compelled to root for the Blues Gang to know best.
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enjoy acik acik semua yer...
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Post time 30-12-2013 09:45 PM
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