Roaring good time
> Tiger Jams comes to a close with solo showcases from local and regional artistes, and a performance by Scottish band Chvrches
MUSIC and art platform, Tiger Jams, recently concluded with a grand finale event on Sept 2 at the rooftop of Rhapsody Square in TREC Kuala Lumpur.
Local bands Donamarie, Rozella and Son of a Policemen (SOAP) beat seven other talented bands in an online contest in June, which saw over 100,000 votes cast by fans, and took home a cash prize of RM15,000 each.
While the cash prize was definitely a welcome reward, what probably made it even sweeter for the finalists was the chance to work with acclaimed Asian acts such as Hong Kong’s punk pop band ToNick, Singaporean pop band The Sam Willows, and Malaysia’s very own electro-guru Darren Ashley to produce one original track each.
They also got to work with established visual artistes such as Donald Abraham, Kenji Chai, and Flex to produce a music video for Tiger Jams.
Throughout the month of August, the three bands also got to host their very own solo showcases, where they were accompanied by their music mentors and visual collaborative artistes.
The solo showcases began on Aug 6 with SOAP performing at Slate, The Row together with The Sam Willows and Donald Abraham, followed by Rozella’s showcase on Aug 13 at TREC, KL with Darren Ashley and Flex.
Last but certainly not least was Donamarie’s showcase on Aug 20 at KL Venue, Fahrenheit 88 with ToNick and Kenji Chai.
However, only one of the three finalists was given the chance to collaborate with an international group to produce an exclusive Tiger Jams remix.
The group in question was Scottish synth-pop trio, Chvrches, who are known for their catchy beats and lyrics.
Based on the original tracks performed by the three finalists, Chvrches specially handpicked Sabahan songstress Rozella for the collaboration, based on the strength of her song, Home to You.
When asked how she felt about working with Chvrches, Rozella said: “Having Chvrches remix a song that I wrote is still something that I am trying to digest. I hope that it will open more doors for me in the near future.
“I absolutely love the remix. It’s very different from the original – very cinematic. It really brought out the lyrics and changed the emotion of the song.”
Before the finale, we also talked with members of Chvrches, Martin Doherty (synthesisers/vocals), Iain Cook (guitar/bass/synthesisers), and Lauren Mayberry (lead vocals) on why they decided to work with Rozella.
“It was her vocals that stood out from everything else,” said Doherty.
“And when we listen to music for the purpose of remixing, we also look for a hook in the vocals or simply put we look for a line, or a way that we can re-imagine or reconstruct the song by using one key element.
“We just saw her vocals marrying well with the production we’re known for.
“Other than that, we also really liked how the melody was constructed and the lyrics she wrote.”
The finale saw hundreds of fans taking over Rhapsody Square to watch the Rozella, Donamarie and SOAP perform several of their songs onstage. The event also featured performances by the finalists’ mentors.
The highlight of the night was a riveting performance by Chvrches, who thrilled the audience with high-energy showmanship.
It was quite a sight, and the perfect way to end the exciting Tiger Jams journey.