International Thamizh Hip Hop: September 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

Malaysia : Ashtaka

Ashtaka - formed in October 2009 consists of four aspiring musical souls, they are Jey, Jegan, Vinz’ and already renowned singer/producer/entrepreneur /song writer Reshmonu.

‘Ashtaka’ in Sanskrit (a classical language of the Indian subcontinent and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism and Buddhism) is defined as the ‘Eight verses of divine which enables one to open one’s self to the universe’. It is thru this profound definition that spears and differentiates the primary objectives of Ashtaka;

i. To create music featuring a variant of genres mainly R&B, Soul, Dance & Hip –Hop to enthrall and captivate the souls of listeners.

ii. To infuse the many languages of India (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Punjabi & etc) into their song material.

iii. To upkeep the highest level of production quality & to portray versatile musical arrangements.

iv. To perform & present their music on a worldwide scale.

An idea spurned and inspired by Reshmonu who is the Executive producer of this group. After creating a name for himself in both the English & Malay music segments of Malaysia, he released his first full length Tamil single ‘Theendathey” mid 2009. The instantaneous hit further convinced him that there was a definite untapped potential in the Malaysian Indian Music Industry.

Ashtaka is currently working on a full-length album slated to be released end of 2010. They recently released an introductory single titled ‘Kanne’ over THR raga and in a short period of time ‘Kanne’ has managed to secure good radio airplay & positioning in the local Indian music charts.

Malaysia : K-Town Clan

https://www.facebook.com/ktcworldwide

http://www.ktownclan.com

K-town Clan has been in the Malaysian music industry for about 5 years now, have performed on a variety of music platforms and during high profile events. The rap group consists of three individuals in their mid-20s - Vidya, Ganesh and Roshan whose stage personas are Vid, Bo and Roshan Jamrock respectively. All three members of the K-Town Clan hail from Kajang, hence, the name of the group essenti...ally gives recognition to their hometown and is a reminder of their roots. From humble beginnings, K-Town Clan received their first nationwide break in 2005. The trio was crowned champion in the vocal category of the highly rated talent show 'Blast Off'- Season 1, which was aired on Astro's Hitz.tv.

K-Town Clan was the first rap group to introduce the 'crunk' rap genre in a local context to the Malaysian masses. Crunk rap is highly popular in the United States as artists like Lil' Jon, Ying Yang Twins and Pitbull, to name a few, have introduced it in the international music arena. K-Town Clan developed their niche sound by taking cues from internationally known artists and adapting them into a local context while giving the music a party and dance vibe which relates to the masses. The group has an innate passion for music which helps in their experimenting and exploring the depths of other musical genres and further infusing it with their own musical styles.

The successes of K-Town Clan's musical endeavors have been recognized in the local radio charts. They have produced chart topping numbers such as 'Come Get Some', 'Sum'in Like This' and their current single 'Give Em the Ughh!!!'

'Playground' - The Debut Album. 2011. (Launched on 24.9.11)

'Playground' is a 16 track album, which comprises an intro, an outro, multiple hard-hitting infectious tracks, skits and a bonus track. Roshan Jamrock, member and music producer/programmer for K-town Clan describes the album as groundbreaking due to the originality of crunk with a local vibe which essentially breaks all musical boundaries. Producing an album with an experimental sound was a risk worth taking as it has received rave reviews among music listeners. Two songs from the album's released singles have already caused waves in the country and the Clan has even caught the attention of people in Philippines, Singapore, Brunei & the UK. The first single to be released, 'Come Get Some' and the current single, 'Give Em The Ughh!!' have individually held the number 1 spot on the Malaysian English music charts for over four weeks in a row.