Japanese acts FEMM, Centimillimental and Back-On to wow audiences at KL concert

RiRi (left) and LuLa of Japanese act FEMM, as 'envoys' for sentient mannequins, 'are here to express unity, equality and self-confidence through our lyrics and peacefully unite our race with humanity.' – YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

RE-IGNITING the wave of Japanese popular culture in Malaysia, musical stars hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun are holding a cross-cultural concert with Malaysian artists.

Dubbed the Japan x Malaysia Friendship Concert 2022, the show will be held at Zepp Kuala Lumpur, located next to LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), on Sunday (Oct 30).

Malaysian-based multimedia entertainment company Toybox Projects is organising the event, dedicated to promoting deeper ties between Japan and Malaysia through a variety of cultural projects.

Since the concert’s last run in 2017, new Japanese artistes FEMM, Centimillimental and Back-On will be gracing the stage this Sunday, alongside Malaysian performers Floor 88, Estranged and Sakura Band.

Electronic duo FEMM, a music project composed of RiRi and LuLa, have captivated international audiences with their messages of female empowerment and the freedom of self-expression.

"Made in Japan", the double act adopts the unique concept of portraying sentient mannequins, and are excited to be playing in Malaysia for the first time.

"As real-life mannequins, we are here to express unity, equality and self-confidence through our lyrics and peacefully unite our race with humanity," RiRi said.

Centimillimental, a rising star in Japan with over 100 million streams on music-streaming platform Spotify, is best known for his works in popular Japanese anime "Given" and "Bakuten!!".

"I’ve played multiple gigs before in Japan, but I feel now’s the time to step out of my comfort zone and start playing for more overseas audiences.

"I’ve never performed in Malaysia before, and hopefully the audience will enjoy the new music I’ve prepared for the occasion," the singer-songwriter said.

Also returning this year is the Japan Arts Culture and Entertainment (JACE) festival, which will also be held at Lalaport BBCC, Jalan Hang Tuah, Kuala Lumpur from Friday (Oct 28) to Nov 13.

Toybox Projects founder and chief executive officer Yuri Aizawa said the event was being held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Look East Policy, Malaysia’s initiative for social and economic development through Japanese education.

According to Aizawa, visitors will be able to experience bona fide Japanese activities and delve into the authentic Harajuku experience at the festival.

"We’ve given this year’s festival a special twist with our theme 'Harajuku Kawaii,' giving visitors an authentic experience of the internationally popular destination Harajuku in Tokyo, Japan.

"We will be hosting fashion shows, cosplay contests, tea ceremony demonstrations, samurai workshops and brand booths with products brought all the way from Harajuku," the founder said.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the Japanese artists at an exclusive meet and greet at the festival on Oct 29.