Cyberjaya Music Festival 2017: 5 reasons to go down to Cyberjaya this November!

There is a longstanding similarity between the creatives and the tech world that is rarely acknowledged. A culture of entrepreneurship, risk-taking and the relentless need to breaking norms and pushing the limitation of human imagination. On the 25th of November 2017, at Centrus Mall, Cyberjaya, Sonikl (pronounced so-ni-cle) wants you to see all of that happen in sync, as Cyberjaya Music Festival puts the ‘art’ in ‘state-of-the-art’. If you need more reasons to convince you to this interactive festival paying tribute to tech, music and the arts; keep reading!

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 1) Honoring an indie legend and welcoming the new

Of course, the beating heart to any festival is great music! You would think that for a festival with so much going on, they would hold back on the quality of bands. Well you thought wrong! Esteemed alternative rock band SevenCollar T-Shirt is celebrating their 20th birthday by headlining the main stage. They are sure their entire range of sound, bringing back their old, grittier sound and their slightly evolved experimental side. But there’s also fresher, newer artists in the mix. There’s the eclectic and eccentric storyteller, Takahara Suiko, hailing from the fictional land obsessed with mahar and filled with ziggurats, Venopia; giving us a DJ set still packed with auditory wholesomeness and a one-of-a-kind lyricism in her . Witness the power her xylophone has in creating worlds! And on to the New Wave synth-pop side of things, you also have the danceable and introspective coming up in the form of , a two-piece who has recently released an album called Balada on Spotify. There are songs about the apocalypse, love, and smashing stereotypes, all through the fresh sounds of synth-laced productions of Faliq and the hypnotizing performance of lead singer, Eff.

If you want something to elevate you further, has you covered with their psychedelic, post-punk tracks and will ambush your ears on the same place, but with funkier basslines. Also joining this line-up of collegiate bands with their more dream-pop sound reminiscent of younger days where you would hang out with your friends on your bikes and crush on your classmates is ! Although to really add to the diversity, you’ve got post-hardcore, post-punk, post-everything Killeur Calculateur to tear the roof down with an in-your-face energy. They’ve recently released their split EP  Arus with Indonesian band, Vague, featuring their punk poetry piece on celebrity-worship and false pantomime of social media, . Whether you’re looking for a mosh or a laid-back concert to absorb, or if you just wanna dance to everything you see, Cyberjaya Music Festival has it all for you!

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2) A place to get some DIY knowledge and hear stories from amazing people

Plenty of fun is available, but there’s also a huge opportunity to learn from people who have made it. The festival features a conference hosted by DIY Creative Economy Conference (DCEC),

aiming at building bridges between the industry and the grassroots of the creative entrepreneurial community. These sharing of insights ensures a collaborative the growth for both creatives and techies. Presented by Cyberview Starter Kit, DCEC’s theme this year is Do-It-Yourself Creative Economy theme and boast a panel of inspiring self-reliant creatives who have left a great impact on their community. The roster of speakers include Bront Palarae (Founder of Pixel Play and The Daily Seni) who has recently acted in Indonesian horror remake, Pengabdi Setan by Joko Anwar, Bruce Pavitt (Founder of Sub Pop Records, USA) via live telecast (and yes, the Sub Pop of Soundgarden, Beach House and Father John Misty).

There’s also Hairul Sofian (COO of ) and the passionate indie activist-by-nature and content creator, Ahmad Faris (Founder and Creative Director of Tapau TV) joining forces with other music greats like fringe music documentist, lego enthusiast and former programme manager of  XfreshFM, Adly Syairi Ramli (Founder of ) and Fikri Fadzil (Founder of The Wknd). Giving insight into the startup ecosystem in Malaysia is Samira Suffian (Program Director at MaGIC). Also on the list is Irman Hilmi (Chief Editor at Malaysia.my); Mak Wai Hoo (Founder of Soundscape Records); Mohd Jayzuan (Founder of Projek Rabak and ); (rapper and creative entrepreneur); Mutalib Uthman (Founder of Thukul Cetak) and Fariz Hanapiah (Co-founder of Motiofixo Visuals).

So if you just want to rest your feet and be part of a successful person’s experience, just go to any of these talks and get a wider perspective of the world. Knowledge is power!

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3) Watch a movie or two made by ASEAN filmmakers!

We’re also actively involved in this as a film cutaror of works from Brunei and Malaysia! We want to champion the similarities we share in our language, but yet how culturally unique the ASEAN cinema is, not only juxtaposed to the rest of the world, but also between our communities. The films that will be featured includes Pekak by Primework Studios, starring Sharifah Amani, Amerul Affendi, Zahiril Adzim, Sharifah Sakinah and Iedil Putra. Pekak itself has won awards such as the Special Jury Award from Festival Filem Malaysia and is also screened on Netflix! Furthermore our ASEAN Cinema screening will also feature a Bruneian comedy co-produced with Laos, Ada Apa Dengan Rina 2 by Regalblue Production. More to come soon!

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4) Inventions & innovation

Going beyond the creative discussions and the art showcases, Cyberjaya Music Festival would also have the winners of a hackathon (an event where a large number of people come together and create computer programs together) held by Cyberjaya’s own Deep Tech Developers Community, Devcon. The winner’s invention will be presented at this event, and these great people are renowned for creating hologram technology, facial recognition, augmented reality and more. Powered by MaGIC, the only way to check what they have under their sleeves for the theme of ‘festivals’ and ‘enteratinments’ is to be there and see for yourself!

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5) If you love shopping, the marketplace will be your home

If taking away experiences just isn’t enough for you, you can buy a physical souvenir. from the myriad of bazaars and stalls at Cyberjaya Music Festival. On one hand, there’s the Collectors Market which will be filled to the brim by vendors of collectibles, both vintage and new. So if you’re a vinyl enthusiast, or simply an old soul yearning for a nostalgia to relive, there will be flea market gold mines for your pleasure.

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With an extensive list of things to do, there’s something for everyone at the Cyberjaya Music Festival 2017. The perception of Cyberjaya as a desolate wasteland is far from the truth. Ahmad Izham Omar, Chief Executive Officer of Primeworks Bhd and Chairman of Content Forum of Malaysia, has stated, “Cyberjaya has always been a fertile ground for innovation where some of the nation’s best thought leaders and tastemakers have emerged. I hope and believe that CMF17’s showcase of creativity, intellect and technology will inspire future generations of visionaries to continue the growth of an all-encompassing creative eco-system”.

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Header image is of Golden Mammoth by CMF 2017.