The inaugural Kena Sound music collector culture event at Nero Event Space, PJPAC, 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya on Aug 6 promises a day out with a difference for music lovers who have not lost faith in physical music formats.
It’s an event to celebrate listening to music via a physical format, notably vinyl, CDs, cassettes and more.
Organised by the Kena Sound Crew (a collective of music lovers) and supported by PJPAC, the independent event aims to broaden and liven up the record-buying experience and give music collectors an opportunity to interact with kindred spirits and discover new developments in this niche music collecting scene, which is being propped up by independent record shops and online sellers nationwide.
What is Kena Sound about?
"Music collecting is a passionate pursuit yet there are no events catered for music collectors in Malaysia. You see toy collector events and book collector gatherings, but nothing for vinyl collectors, CD lovers and cassette revivalists," says Chang OY, one of the Kena Sound organisers.
“Kena Sound is about bringing back the fun when it comes to music collecting. It will be presented in a laidback setting, with music conversations (on stage), pop-up music stalls, record shop storytelling, video screenings, open turntable sessions and more,” he adds.
The PJPAC black box venue Nero will be transformed into a "pop-up record shop soundtracked by 'live radio' talk sets and deejay sessions" throughout the event.
“Kena Sound is open to everybody, no matter the age. It's a free admission event. The main idea is to share and recognise the music collector community’s role in keeping the (physical) formats alive despite how much streaming is the norm now," says Chang.
“Today, vinyl remains the format of choice, attracting young and old fans. It is also important to note that older music fans are not the only active collectors nowadays. Young music fans, who have built their own sizeable vinyl collections in the last 10 years, also have a big say in the record collecting scene in Malaysia. Let's not forget newcomers who are now keen on physical music formats.
"Even CDs are still selling to a dedicated fanbase and the cassette revival has received serious attention from tape collectors. Niche music collecting or not, there is a community out there ... digging and loving (physical) formats. Outside the digital age narrative, loads of Malaysians still care about physical formats, and Kena Sound is an event to welcome these people,” he adds.
A diverse line-up
On the Kena Sound stage, Datuk Kamil Othman, the legendary radio presenter for The Alternative Rock Show on Time Highway Radio (now defunct) in the 1990s, will be sharing his radio experience of introducing non-mainstream Malaysian music on the airwaves and also talking about his favourite records.
Kamil, a former Finas director general, is a well-respected name in the filmmaking circles. But he is equally admired in the Malaysian music scene. For adventurous music lovers in the 1990s, Kamil's radio show played a pivotal in encouraging and exposing non-mainstream music culture.
A curated list of music vendors and pop-up record shops has also been confirmed for the Kena Sound programme, including Sputnik Rekordz, Crossroad Records, LP Freak Store, Tandang Store, MusicRecords2U, Waste Records, Amused To Death, Peluru Dalam Perahu, Cosmic Rays Comics & Records and more.
Studio Bayangan, an artiste-based outfit is also part of the diverse line-up alongside Tokosue, an independent bookshop in KL, and CultKids, a pop culture artist/designer.
Disko Santan, a Nusantara funk-based deejay out, CJ Oli (a cassette tape enthusiast and tape deejay) and Wakmy (a soul disco deejay) are some of the deejay highlights at Kena Sound.
More info here. WhatsApp: 011-3311 5779.
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