The comeback! April 6, 2008
Posted by ashz in General, Rants.6 comments
Hello world!
I would like to apologize to my loyal readers of my blog for not updating this space for a long time. I have received a lot of random emails asking me to update my blog and most of you guys were wondering whether my blog is still online and what is the outcome of my “quest” to quit smoking. Thank You but I have very bad news.
I failed.
My efforts to quit smoking lasted for two months. I suffered a mental meltdown due to stress at work and hate emails that I received from “Industry insiders” wanting me to stop criticizing their work. Well, note to all you wankers: Thank you! Your words have made me stronger!
Oh, did I tell you that I’ve quit my job at Metadome? I got offered by Pervert Designs (Now Pervert Music Group) to oversee their Business Development department and to tap into the mobile music market. We have very ambitious and scary projects lined up for this year. I like!
The career transition proved to be a very huge step, besides the fact that I started my first day in Pervert Music the same day I quit from Metadome, but since the company is going for a JV with an international partner and regional expansion soon, I am really really drowning under heaps of proposals and stuff. My girlfriend thinks that I am a hopeless work-o-holic and my friends gave up calling me for regular Indian food sessions. Note to self: I must talk less about work and concentrate on life more. Breath more air.
I am still juggling between my work, life and my Law degree, My mother thinks that I have to focus more on my degree. I don’t know, sometimes I really wish I have 10 mini “me”s running around and doing all of the things for me.
Aaahhh well.
Downloading update patch for Ash2.0 now!
I am 168 hours Nicotine free and I am losing my mind!! November 19, 2007
Posted by ashz in General, Rants, Video content, web 2.0.1 comment so far
Hi! How are you guys doing? I have not been blogging for a long time as you can tell as I was recovering from very extreme side effects of trying to quit smoking ( I have stopped for 7 days now, and I still have the withdrawals) and loads of pending paperwork and media planning. Seriously. More things are piling up and I really think that I should chill for a moment to ease my brains…So to start things slow, I am just going to share some videos that I amused me over the past few days:
The Air Guitarist:
Check out the Hello Kitty breast plate and the pants, was he really tearing it up or was he scratching his…well you get the idea.
Now check out this one, a classic Indonesian Dangdut song:
The hair and the pants are mindblowing!
But the winner of my weekly brains blender video award goes to:
Please…Just check out the lyrics!
So now we know where Michael Jackson ripped the song from!
Must…Not…Think…of….Cigarettes….
Parkdrive and I- A very special trip to Jakarta November 2, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, Dj Gear, General, Music 2.0, Rants, music, web 2.0.3 comments
Remember Parkdrive that I blogged about awhile ago? No? Let me refresh your mind, I discovered this band a couple of months ago by accident. I was blown away with their production quality and sound that I decided to contact them via Myspace (Yeah I know, that was so cliche’ and pathetic…) and we remained in contact.
Lo and Behold! God works in very very mysterious ways. Juno, the main man behind the band and the Managing Director of Gowamusic, was somehow stranded in KL while he was on his way to Melbourne, so he called me and we hooked up. I was kinda nervous at first, knowing that we have never met before, but hey, it’s natural selection, we became buds in no time at all. He was in tears when I told him that I was going to bring him for a ‘Teh Tarik’ and ‘Nasi lemak’ session, ( Note for the clueless: Teh Tarik is frothy milk tea and Nasi lemak is rice cooked with coconut milk served with very hot anchovy chilli paste. Mindblowing!)
So we chat and he came to my office the next day before flying to Melbourne.
I was in Jakarta sooner that I knew it, I called him at the airport and we met up later that night at his office. He returned the local delicacy favour thing by bringing me to a ‘Nasi Padang’ restaurant ( Nasi padang is a local Indonesian delicacy. You cannot miss it if you are in Indonesia, it is rice served with various accompaniments, the thing that amuses me that you may have like 20 accompaniments on the table but you only pay for which dish you eat, cool stuff!)
Indulgence….
I hung out at his studio the next day and he was very passionate about his music and equipment. Something which I long for in musicians, no disrespect! so here you go, some snippets I took from our session:
And here is part 2:
Notice that he uses a software called ‘Ableton Live!’ religiously, I strongly think that Live! have changed the way musicians from around the world play, compose and perform, its stable as hell and very easy to use, I got some tips from him on how to play Live!, tweaking your kick drum and a whole lot of good advice.
So here are some of ‘Parkdrive’s’ video clips, just in case you want some action hah!:
Really really cool stuff!
I went back to KL thinking about how you just can meet people, no, good friends in the weirdest of places and situations…
I’m missing jakarta already….
RIM to block illegal download sites- Scapegoating at it’s best September 24, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, music piracy.3 comments
The music industry heads here wants the government to block internet users from accessing illegal download sites. Blaming the sites for the fall of CD sales in Malaysia.
“We are feeling the pinch from foreign websites offering illegal downloads to Malaysians,” said RIM chief executive officer Tan Ngiap Foo. (The Star, 21 September 2007)
The association has proposed to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to look into this matter and they are currently preparing a list of potential sites that offer illegal downloads and plans to work closely in barring the sites, naming music.bluehyppo and bimbit.com as solutions to legal digital downloads.
According to Tan, nobody wants to buy CDs anymore, not even pirated CDs
Honestly…I think he must be out of his mind
My take:
1- Those illegal music sites that you were referring to, has got nothing to do with the plunge of CD sales
2- Digital music is the way to go, move on please
3- The more you weed them, the more they thrive from the free buzz, business case: When Russia decided to shut down AllofMp3, the site received more than a million hits in its final weeks
4- So are you saying that pirated CDs are one of Malaysia’s credible source of income for the music industry?
5- Why don’t we support more legal online retailers? Cut the dodgy MACP collections for a change
Pffft!
Don’t Panic! The pack that would save your sanity! September 21, 2007
Posted by ashz in General, Music 2.0, Rants, music business, startups.add a comment
As I was busting my brain looking for more marketing solutions for my band, I discovered a cool medium called Don’t panic!. I first heard about Don’t Panic from a good friend of mine a couple of months ago and according to her, these packs are very popular in the UK. Wait, you said packs? Yup, you heard me right, PACKS.
Basically a Don’t Panic pack is the new age advertising medium, an evolution from the hey days of photocopied flyers and uncool swag. A Don’t Panic pack is similar to what we lesser humans call a goodie bag, or swag bag. The packs are usually filled with flyers, posters, advertising paraphernalia and various product samples. If you are lucky, you might find underwear in those packs as well, and no, I’m not joking. The packs are always tastefully designed and each pack is an individual.
And so… I embarked on to meet the guys behind this project to dig their brains and get a clear picture of what the fuss was all about.
“Each pack is unique and has its own character, and we want to maintain the character of the packs by coming up with new designs and concept for each pack,” Says Yamin Shafie, The Head of Sales and Marketing for Don’t Panic!
“We started this project just recently in Malaysia and we acquired the rights for the brand to be marketed in Malaysia, we want something which is fresh to the Malaysian masses to experience and collect, it has been proven to be a very affective advertising and marketing tool for big and small brands alike,” He added
The graphical design of the packs features work from local artists and designers, a philosophy that according to Yamin, is a move to support local talent, and not only that, Indie bands get a discounted advertising/insertion rates if they were to promote themselves in the packs.
The packs are distributed to over 200 spots which includes clubs, bars, art galleries, universities and colleges, cafes, Fashion boutiques etc. The best part is that the list is constantly expanding and the take up rate is usually 98%. The packs are produced up to 20,000 per month and there are major plans to increase production…Phew! Not bad for a company that operates from a humble 2 storey house in Taman Tun.
Their client list ranges from Nike to Zouk and more companies are starting to jump on the bandwagon in promoting their products and events.
“I see this because Don’t Panic! hits the right demographics and target market for urban brands, they are starting to see the packs are becoming an urban lifestyle accessory”
The way I see it, Don’t Panic packs are becoming a life saver….
For more info, check out www.dontpaniconline.com
6ixth sense is number 4 on the ERA.FM local chart! September 3, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technopreneur.6 comments
I received an SMS from my boss last weekend. I was still groggy from the whole Malaysian Independence Day celebration, my head was still dizzy and good news is always welcome. Our project band 6ixth sense is at number 4 in the local charts now. I swear I can hear my boss screaming with joy on the other end. Unconvinced, I browsed the site and Lo! I was in tears. Our hard work is really really paying us off. In fact, further internet discoveries showed that the single has been receiving very positive feedback indeed. Oh by the way, look out for the video clip which shall be aired via Hotlink’s TV spot soon!
Crazy innit?
Notice that last week the song was at number 13 and shot straight up after the video clip was released in Youtube. My assumption is that users whom viewed the video clip were really into the song, thus, spreading the virus even further to their mates? Or perhaps our viral newsletters affect users in some way that it created alot of buzz? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure
Okay here are my action plans to boost up the song in the chart:
1- Send out more viral newsletters
2- Mention about this achievement in our weekly tabloid insertions
…And we shall see whether this goes as planned!
6ixth Sense Video Clip- Tak Bisa Memilihmu…Who said we cant do a cool Vid with a very low budget? August 21, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Music 2.0, Rants, music, music business, web 2.0.24 comments
The first single of the band’s second single entitled ‘Tak Bisa Memilihmu’. The video was shot in one day and the whole video was done in one shot, hence, the “floating effect”. No, I’m not kidding.
The models are As and Zizi, two upcoming models which were very close friends of Krol, the director of the video. When asked on what he feels of the outcome of the vid, he just ran and banged his head on the concrete wall. Again, I’m not kidding. He wanted to create a classy feel to the song which explains the piano and the black and white setting of the whole video.
Can you guys guess the budget of the whole production?
Universal music drops D.R.M- I Told You!! August 13, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, DRM, General, Malaysian music scene, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, music piracy.add a comment
Yup, you heard it right! Universal, the biggest major record label has dropped its copy protection. Well, not entirely. They’ve agreed to drop DRM from a significant amount of content from their existing repertoire. This move is an Industry experiment to see how does this affect the consumer market and if thing look promising, they might drop DRM entirely.
But the music will not be offered D.R.M.-free through Apple’s iTunes, the leading music service. I think this is to level the playing field and would also be a litmus test to gauge downloads from other stores such as Realnetworks or Wal-Mart. In fact, Universal has notified Apple that it would not commit to a long term agreement to sell music through iTunes. As for the pricing, I’m not sure, they might price it US1.29 per download, something similar to EMI’s move, but nevertheless, this shall pressure other record labels to follow suit. Based on predictions, DRM will be dropped entirely by end of this year.
I would really like to see the progress of this, now with the shackles removed, lets put money where our mouth is!
Will digital music downloads affect CD sales?- Some people just dont get it! August 9, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, DRM, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technology, web 2.0.add a comment
I read an article in Berita Harian covering the effects of digital music on CD sales. The article mentioned Metadome Sdn Bhd as the pioneer CP that embarked on releasing our very first digital release band. The article also interviewed Mr Sandy Monteiro on his take regarding digital music and his views on the plunge of CD sales in Malaysia. According to the article, he mentioned that CD sales is not and will not be affected by the advent of digital releases and new technologies which should be embraced as part of our consumer lifestyle on how we should view music. Big ups to him for highlighting the effects of blogs as a formidable marketing tool and that veterans in the industry should step down thus giving way for new blood to run the business. This is the first article from Malaysia that suggests to embrace technology rather that going against it.
I have a feeling that the reporter (Farihad Shalla Mahmud) didn’t really understand what he was writing about and it showed his lack of research of digital music and the advent of this new industry buzzword. One of his questions was whether digital music will directly contribute to the “death” of physical releases. I strongly feel the he still thinks digital music as a threat rather then an advancement. Bollocks.
Another “interesting” question from Farihad: How would the masses respond to digital music?
Blardy har har. He failed to grasp the concept of what digital music is all about. Its not a genre or a product, it’s a delivery format. This is so embarrassing coming from a so called entertainment reporter.
Mr. Sandy, if you are reading this, even if there are still demand for cassettes or CDs like you mentioned, then why on earth did Tower records has already went out of business in the States? You mentioned that the digital music format can co-exist with Cds and Cassettes, but don’t you think in less than 10 years time, CDs and Cassettes would be as dead as Vinyl records or hey, remember the cartridge format? My view on this is that digital releases wont “kill” the latter format, it’s what you call evolution of the way consumers consume, view, discover, and experience music.
So here are my queries and suggestions:
1- Why haven’t major labels setup an online music store? This would balance the competition with Steve jobs…heh
2- When will the major labels offer music subscription services?
3- If CD sales are still promising, then why on earth is Eminem suing Apple?
4- Mr. Sandy, RM29.90 for a CD is still expensive. I have an idea for you, if you still feel that CD sales are the way to go, then lets do this: A store which offers consumers to pick and choose their own tracks which is priced according to song popularity or market demand, and on the spot burning facilities. Users will then may have the option to choose how many tracks they want on their CD, design their own cover art, or print the album cover complete with tracklistings, lyrics, images and probably other customization services. Its simply similar to a buffet style store selling music. Perhaps you might want to consider selling on the spot mobile content as well, bla bla bla…My 2 cents
What do the rest of you think?
6ixth sense- Top Download on Musicunlimited.com.my! August 6, 2007
Posted by ashz in Asian Music Scene, General, Malaysian music scene, Mobile content, Music 2.0, downloads, mp3, music, music business, technology, web 2.0.2 comments
This is some good news! remember my industry experiment with a band called 6ixth sense? Well, I basically just discovered that they are one of the top most downloaded band on musicunlimited.com.my! Horrayy!
So…
Will this be the dawn of music marketing in Malaysia/Asia? We shall see. More updates coming. Watch this space!
