Don’t you just love it when you discover something new?
A little coffee shop that serves fantastic char kuay teow that only you know about, perhaps?
What about a bar packed with sweet 20-somethings with great music but no cover charge?
In the same vein, I just made a rewarding discovery over the weekend. It’s the musical misfits who call themselves by many names (just like God, or the Devil) : 2 Many DJ’s/Soulwax/Flying Dewaele Brothers/Samantha Fu/Kawazaki. I refer to them as Soulwax because that is the moniker by which I was acquainted with.

I do not want to introduce their music any further without first introducing the aforementioned interesting piece of mashup. Imagine: Nirvana’s “Smells like teen spirit” on one side, Destiny’s Child’s “Bootylicious” on the other. Head on collision. Would never work rite? Try giving the song a listen, then reconsider.

To listen:
1.Visit this website.
2.Click on the heading that says “JUKEBOX”.
3.Scroll through the leftmost column that says “Audio” until you reach ‘Soulwax Mashups’.
4.Click on the song title “Smells like Booty (Nirvana vs Destiny’s Child)”.

After listening to that explosive track, you’d probably reckon that these fellas spend their musical career ripping off other people’s music and call it their own. If you did, then you are right in a sense. But mind you, they do it with a can of whoop-ass.
Soulwax is an electro-alternative band, and by the looks of their discography, they did tonnes of covers, remixes and mashups of other bands songs. They are also musicians in their own right who create fantastic music of their own as well.
I like the way their bad(-ass?) electric guitar riffs and thumping bass and driving rhythms seem to give a midas touch in pushing the energy levels of the original song through the roof. They remake many songs that were originally tame indie or pop standards with a mean rock ‘n roll twist, which is what I like.

If you don’t believe me, browse the jukebox and check out some other tracks they did. Some notable ones that I had time to hear were:

1. The Gossip’s “Standing in The Way Of Control” (Soulwax Nite Version)
2. The Clash vs Basement Jaxx mashup “Magnificient Romeo”
3. Kyluss Minogue “Can’t get you out of my head”
4. Sugababes “Round Round”

I am certain you’d be, at least, tapping your feet to either of them songs. Provided, you are a fan of indie/electronica/indie-electro/dance music. My earlier exposure to indie-electro music had resulted in me abandoning this subgenre in favour of their separate genres (indie and electronica), concluding this subgenre as a dull, unimaginative offshoot that would be hard-pressed to bring the house down. Discovering such fresh sounds now however, prompts me to reconsider my position on this type of music. Thank you, Essential Mix on BBC Radio 1, for featuring them in 2005, and re-featuring them in 2007. You always know how to cheer up a disappointed music fan.

KL clubbing event managers, bring them in and I’ll kiss your shoes. I got enough of the lame stuff I’ve been fed with lately.

I am sure all of you guys have watched the Petronas ad above already. It features a school boy who did not draw a picture of a reunion dinner during his art class period (Reason? Watch the ad). I first came across this ad yesterday night at the tomyam restaurant I frequent. LY and I were having a quick bite before I sent LY to catch the bus back to KL. I got a bit emo after watching the whole ad (which festive season Petronas ad won’t have that effect on you?), suddenly yearning for the next bus back home. Unfortunately, I had to wait until this afternoon because I chose to work on the morning half of Chinese New Year eve.I had to do this in order to earn the whole of next week off. I was the last of non-local staff to leave this so-called ‘city’ for their respective hometowns/cities.

The feeling of working on 30th night (CNY eve) is not a good feeling AT ALL. Already there is an exceptionally low numbers of Chinese staff in my hospital, insufficient to get you into festive mood. It got worse when my other colleagues kept asking me,”You haven’t gone back yet ar? Strange, all the rest of the Chinese staff are already on leave”. Then I’ll explain to them why. With a kanasai feeling in my gut. And it was true, at work today I felt like the only non-local Chinese left in KT, let alone the hospital.

The same goes for my flight back to KL this afternoon. While there are usually quite a number of Chinese to be seen checking in at the airport, today I was the only one in the KT airport and in the KT-KL flight. Even upon arriving in KLIA and in the KLIA Transit, I could count in one hand the number of Chinese people I saw.

Don’t misunderstand my sentiments as racism. It’s not about wanting Chinese people near me.
It’s just that their absence made me wonder that by working on 30th night, did I appreciate CNY less than them? Hence am I less Chinese?

It felt like I was losing out while the other Chinese are already back home either ‘lepak’-ing or helping prepare for the big dinner. I began to question whether I should have sacrificed my long break instead of sacrificing half of my 30th night.

And so I have decided to make the most out of my long break here in KL. Made sure that my 10 days back here would more than make up for a largely missed 30th night. After the CNY din is over, it’s gonna be all about movies, shops, food and hopefully some artsy fartsy event. Earlier, I was flipping through magazines and drifted through blogs to look for a nice place for a get-together lunch this weekend. I ended up discovering a myriad of KL food, fashion and art scene through these trusty magazines and blogs. How much I have been missing out on. I always fail to realise how much I miss KL until I return here.
I need to get my transfer back, no matter what.
I must, I must, I must, I must, I must.

But for now, I am just glad I have a home to return to celebrate 30th night. Hope you are too. GXFC, people!

Footnote: Check out how this moving ad came about

So it says at the website of upcoming Swedish sneaker, Sneaky Steve. This is a new sneaker label that came out with their first collection just a few months ago for Fall/Winter 2007/08. According to their website, Sneaky Steve’s are meant to be the intermediary between the beautifully made but overpriced luxury sneakers and cheap but ’shitty’ local brand sneakers (by local he’s referring to Swedish ‘local’ of course’). Thus it’s designer sneakers at an affordable pricetag.

Design-wise, they claim to be “a mix of 80:s street and punk culture with a touch of preppy English mod”, which is an accurate description. To back the description up are the use of black/white leather, brogue/wingtip detailing, pointed toes and an unrestrained use of 80’s bright colours for their summer collection. After checking out the outgoing AW 07/08 collection posted on their website I also notice some semblance to the other designer sneaker label, London’s SWEAR. I am quite taken in by their mixing of elements, embodied by the “Chuck Black Patent” which combines the informality of a slip-on shoe with the oxford shoe elements of wingtips and patent leather. Also liking their hi-cut model Swap available in white leather, black leather or silver.
Pic courtesy of LifeLounge

What caught my eye that led to the discovery of this brand was the creatively-presented photo campaign of their upcoming SS 08 collection:

(Photos courtesy of Streetwear Feber)

It seems like a brazen use of the 80’s colours they were speaking of. But by the looks of it, these sneakers are meant to be fun and not to be taken too seriously. It would take a KL person tremendous courage to wear these playful high tops out (like the one in tennis ball green!) but some colour combo’s are alright. Personally, I’d wanna know more about the high-cut leather black and white velcro sneakers on picture 6. Those look cool.

The closest to get these babies are in Singapore’s Billet Doux store. Price should be not more than an average pair of Nike Air Force One’s.