All ready to joget
> Local act Altimet & the Kawan Band is hoping to wow the crowd with its folk-infused music at the Good Vibes Festival this weekend
BANDING together for a reunion of sorts is local act Altimet & the Kawan Band, who will perform at the Good Vibes Festival, presented by Toyota, at The Ranch at Gohtong Jaya, Genting Highlands, this weekend.
The band is led by frontman and rapper Ahmad Abdul Rahman – professionally known as Altimet – and comprises Timothy Toh (keyboards), Dean Sim (guitar), Omar Ibrahim (drums), Gideon Yogan (bass), Rav Singh (percussion), Mohd Rizdwan (trumpets), and Faliq Auri (flute & saxophone).
It was keyboardist Toh who first suggested that they team up, and they soon became friends after establishing the aptly named Altimet & the Kawan Band in 2016 to debut at the US’ South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas.
Since then, they have been focusing on individual projects, but Good Vibes gives them an excuse to play together again.
Bridging the gap between traditional and modern elements, the band describes its sound as having “hip hop and Malaysian folk influences”.
In a recent interview with five of the band members, the boys revealed that they have yet to finalise the setlist for the festival, but two iconic songs – Kotarayaku and Keliling Dunia – from their repertoire will definitely be included.
“We must do Keliling Dunia. If we don’t, someone will get kicked out,” Altimet joked. “We just want everybody to have fun.”
What is for sure though is the band’s incorporation of Malaysian folk elements like joget, a contrast from the mostly indie pop and R&B groups lined up for the festival.
Hoping the crowd will feel the vibe without realising the traditional elements, Omar said: “What would be interesting is, if, at the end of the show, people actually didn’t realise that we were playing some traditional stuff.
“That would be interesting, [if] they didn’t know that they got educated, you know what I mean?” he added with a laugh.
“People should practise joget in boots in preparation for Good Vibes,” quipped Dean, who added that their set will be a success if people can’t get enough of their music at the end of it.
According to the drummer, finding time to practise is not so simple, but like most big group gatherings, band or not, WhatsApp is usually the way to go.
“You get everybody’s feedback and then it’s a game of slotting in the day where everybody is free,” he said, adding that their schedule is still relatively relaxed.
In fact, the boys were also informed they would be performing at Good Vibes through the popular app.
But the message from the band is clear. If you want to see more good local acts, you got to first come out and support them live.
As Altimet says: “Come and watch the show. Actually … [to] anybody going to Good Vibes, if it’s possible, watch as many local bands as you can.”