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FireFlyz | 57
the Malay blockbuster
Dampak
starring
Aaron Aziz
Jezz
– representing Malaysia to play
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia at the 2013
Merdeka celebrations there. It was a proud
and joyous moment
Boy
– I have two! – being the headline
band at the WAG Festival 2014 held in
Kuching, Sarawak where we had some
amazing international acts sharing the
stage as well. Also to have been able to
play with the globally renowned band
Smokie both in our regular night perfor-
mance and sharing the stage with them at
the MyMusic Festival 2015!
Aizad
– the release of our debut EP –
Sinergi
(which I incidentally named) in
2004. It was a milestone achieved for all
us. Very gratifying.
Asartistes,whodoyoulookuptoandwhy?
As always we Malaysians tend to have
a ‘look West’ policy when it comes to
music. Needless to say the West sets
the bars. However, we would like to pay
tribute and admiration to local musicians
who have continuously inspired us. We
can name legends like Datuk Ramli Sarip
who has in the past graciously joined us
performing on stage. Coming also from the
local nightlife scene we draw inspiration
from the very best with the likes of Gerard
Singh, a singer songwriter who’s also
performed in a couple of our tracks from
our debut EP. We are living and learning
among giants and we are lucky to have
them to look up to.
How far do you plan to take your music?
Ultimately, what doyou hope to achieve?
To be frank when we started Hydra it was
to make a living, playing in the nightlife
scene. After coming under management
of 3Ts however we have been pretty much
under the direction of the company. As
mentioned previously an English EP is
now in planning with more overseas
ventures coming our way. As musicians
it’s always a dream come true to attain
the accolades of fans and peers. We are
already living that dream at the moment.
Each milestone will be a blessing and we
hope to go from strength to strength.
What advice would you give to other
aspiringbands out there?
Never give up, even when you feel it is
almost impossible to carry on. Whatever
comes your way, be it good or bad have
faith in God and music. Get a manager or
amanagement company. Invest in a sound
engineer. Let the sky be your limit. Work
on original material. Learn the business
of music alongside playing it.
Doyouguyseachhavea9-5 job, if youdo,
what areyour occupations?
Lan and Boy are full time musicians
with Hydra. Jezz, Gbeng and Aizad tutor
students privately during the daytime.
Howdoes it feel like performing?
There are clichéd statements describing
this feeling. All of them are true. It’s
something that’s tough to be put inwords.
It’s amazing and exhilarating!
What local fruits areyour favourites?
Lan
– Watermelon
Gbeng
– Duku Langsat and Dukong
Jezz
– definitely the king of fruits, Du-
rians!
Boy
– Mango – the sweet ones!
Aizad
- Oranges
When it comes todoingoutdoor activities,
wherewouldyougo?
Performing five nights a week in the
nightlife scene with a regular rehearsal
day added, we get one day a week to rest.
So anywhere outdoors be it a park or a
destination that takes us away from the
concrete jungle is most welcome!
What areyour favourite local kuihs?
Lan
– not really local
kuih
. I love my
Dunkin Donuts though!
Gbeng
–
Kuih Lapis
at
Ubi Kayu
Restaurant
Jezz
–
Karipap
and
Cakoi
, no specific
place
Boy
–
Kuih
Seri
Muda
found best in
Terengganu
Aizad
– Fried bananas by the roadside stall
on the way to Kelana Jaya LRT station!
Where doyouguys hangout andwhy?
Lan
– as a coffee addict I stand by Star-
bucks!
Gbeng
– Asia Cafe in Subang Jaya
Jezz
– Taman Kosas area, pretty much
anywhere!
Boy
– Asia Cafe in SS 15 Subang, Star-
bucks and Chatime
Aizad
– Old Town White Coffee outlets
band itself is just over a decade old with
this current line up being together for the
last six years.
From early 2013 we came under man-
agement of Thrive Talent Tank (3Ts), an
artiste management and advancement
company formed by the former founder
and manager of Akasha, Malaysia’s lead-
ing world fusion music outfit – Mr. Shiva.
This prettymuch had chartered some clear
directions for us. Over the last two years
we have had some awesome experiences.
For the rest of the coming two years we
had a few exciting ventures. In May 2015,
we were featured in the mega comedy
show
Laugh Die You
which will soon see
a comedy showdown between Singapore
andMalaysia. We are also planning for our
full English EP album with music festival
invites from Europe and the USA.
What are some of the challenges that you
face as a band?Andhowdoyouovercome
them?
When you are dealing with different
personalities you are bound to face differ-
ences and this definitely is a challenge – in
any kind of a scenario. For us, our ages
are stretched across decades, the oldest
being in his 50’s and the youngest in the
20’s. You can imagine how this unfolds!
However, we seek to find strength in our
situation. The easy part is we are all bound
by music. Music unites, never divides.
Like anything else, practice makes perfect.
We are lucky to have found an amazing
chemistry with each other and we always
refer to ourselves as a family than merely
as a band. The most important thing
is honest communication, a sense of
forgiveness and camaraderie. Perhaps
that’s the easiest way to spell how we
overcome issues.
What would you say has been the most
memorable moment for each one of you,
since you’ve been performing together
as a band?
Lan
– mine would be winning the award
for Best Vocalist for VIMA 2014. Being in
the music industry for a span of 30 years
and doing cover songs, this was indeed
a crowning glory. Many thanks to my
manager!
Gbeng
– the release of our first single
Hujung Mentari
a Malay song which was
featured as the original sound track for