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KyotoProtocol shareswith
Brianne JasminAeria
their secrets
onwhat keeps themtogether.
Kyoto Protocol
K
yoto
Protocol is a
5-piece rock band that
had its beginnings in
Kuala Lumpur in 2008.
The band consists of
lead vocalist and guitarist
Fuad, back-up vocalist/
keyboard player Gael, guitarist Hairi, bass-
ist Shakeil and drummer Shan. They have
shared the stage with many international
acts such as Fun, Bloc Party, The Temper
Trap, Smashing Pumpkins and Modest
Mouse. The boys take time out from their
busy schedules to share their story.
Whydidyouguysdecide to formaband?
For the love of music! We were friends
before we started the band and we had a
common interest in music. We each knew
how to play different instruments and we
Tellmemoreabout your current album.
We’re really proud of this album. It show-
cases a side of Kyoto Protocol which fans
may not have had a chance to hear. It’s
got a more mature sound and the music is
more technical in many ways, but it’s still
very relatable to the masses. The album
talks about the struggles we all go through
everyday, with work, love, traffic jams or
simply anything that brings you down.
The album is a collection of nine songs,
from the first song Fuad ever wrote seven
years ago, to the latest song we have ever
written, which together tells a story and
fits a specific theme. Recording-wise, it was
a 2-day process because we recorded all
the songs live. Our recording master guru
Faiz Fadzil (Audio Director at The Wknd)
guided us through the whole process and
he then mastered and mixed the album.
From left: Shanjeev Reddy, Shakeil Bashil, Fuad Alhabshi, Gael Oliveres and Hairi Haneefa.
thought, why not do something productive
instead of playing games all the time. After
all, each of us was composing our own
music for fun, so why not start a band,
have fun together, play shows and entertain
our friends and families at the same time!
Howdidyouguys comeoutwith thename
KyotoProtocol?
Whenwe started, we had a different name
at every pub gig. Eventually, when we
started getting more attention and were
taking part in more serious events, we
needed a name that we would stick with.
Fuad wanted Redux Initiative and at that
point, one of our friends just said “I don’t
know ... it sounds like Kyoto Protocol or
Geneva Convention.” But the sound of
Kyoto Protocol struck a chord with us and
we’ve kept it since!