#DentsuUtama: Local Ad Agency Accused Of Plagiarising UK Designer’s Work

Oh boy. This is definitely not something to be proud of at all.

According to TheHive.Asia, a 21-year old European design student named Tom Anders Watkins accused Malaysian ad agency Dentsu Utama of plagiarising his work for a WWF ad campaign titled “Cross River Gorilla”. The campaign in question recently won a Silver Award for Outdoor Advertising at Malaysia’s Kancil Awards.

Tom asked for assistance at Imgur before taking the matter into his own hands by posting it up Twitter and Reddit. He was hoping to get a reply from the local ad agency but received no response from them on the situation. His post went on to gather more than 200 comments on Reddit, 400 comments on Imgur and retweeted almost 900 times.

Social media users asked the design student to hire a lawyer and sue the company, but some users said that the similarities between both design were merely a coincidence.

Tom began using circles technique for his “Animal Logos” portfolio in April 2014 while Densu Utama’s campaign was released this year. The 2 designs aren’t exactly the same, but if the designs are being put side-to-side, the positions of the circles and shapes are strikingly similar.

This isn’t the first time that the local ad agency was accused of stealing someone else’s work. Earlier this month, they won a few awards for an outstanding skateboard design, only to be accused of plagiarising a series of Chinese medicine-themed designs by Challenge Skateboard.

So, what do you think? Can you see the similarities between the 2 designs? Or is it just a coincidence? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below.


“Satsuma” The Owl: The Most Adorable Owl Ever!

Step aside, grumpy cat and Hedwig! It’s time for “Satsuma” The Owl!

“Satsuma” the owl is a Northern white-faced owl that became immensely popular when its owner uploaded a video of the owl perching on his hand while he was illustrating. Judging by the way Satsuma looks at its owner, the owl could very well be the owner’s personal assistant. The owl also seemed to have mastered balancing while the owner scribbles on a Wacom pad back and forth.

The video went viral on the Internet and it has since reached 886k views in less than a month! The owner, Noantica, uploaded several other videos of Satsuma and we’ve got to say that the owl is the cutest bird ever!

However, petting an owl requires a proper license and the owl must be under special care and treatment to survive. Well, you will be happy to know that you can still play with the owl as owl cafés are a growing trend in Tokyo and Osaka!

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.


#Fuel: RON95 Down By 10 Sen; Diesel & RON97 Prices Remain Unchanged

The price of the RON95 petrol has dropped as it is now priced at RM1.95 per litre.

The Malay Mail Online reported that the price went down by 10 sen per litre effective in the month of December 2015.

The announcement was made by the Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia at midnight on Monday (30th November).

However, Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia’s deputy president Datuk Zulkifli Mokti said that the prices for RON97, regular diesel, and Euro 5 diesel would remain unchanged at RM2.45, RM1.90 and RM2.00 per litre respectively.

According to a report by The Rakyat Post, the RON95 petrol was priced at RM1.80 per litre when it was first introduced in 2009. The price went up to RM1.85 in the following year before being raised again the next year to RM1.90. The price remain unchanged until 5th September 2013 where the price went up to RM2.10. The price of the RON95 petrol peaked at RM2.30 per litre last year.

The price of the RON97 fuel peaked at RM3 per litre in 2012 while the price of diesel jumped suddenly to a peak price of RM2.58 per litre in 2006.

Sources: The Star Online, The Rakyat Post.


#HKDisneyland: How To Survive Hong Kong Disneyland, The Checklist

There are many reasons why Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth, and it applies to visitors of all ages.

If you’re young enough to fangirl over “Frozen” stars Queen Elsa and Princess Anna and old enough to appreciate classics like Dumbo and Aladdin, or geeky enough to understand the “Star Wars” obsession, then you need to add “Visit Disneyland at least once in my lifetime” in your bucket list.

When you really think about it, Disneyland is not that out of reach ;)

The closest Disneyland to Malaysia is located in Hong Kong, about a 4-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur. The spectacular world-class resort is a center piece in cosmopolitan Hong Kong, one of the only 5 locations in the world that is home to a Disney theme park. Because of its proximity, it makes the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort uniquely accessible and affordable.

I had the pleasure of visiting Hong Kong Disneyland for the first time over the course of a few days. If you’re planning to do the same sometime soon, here’s a handy checklist to ensure that you have a ball of a magical time and then come home with lovely stories to tell:

The best way to avoid waiting time and the queue is to buy your Hong Kong Disneyland tickets 6 months ahead. 1-day general admission tickets (ages 12 – 64) are priced at HK$539 (about RM300) while 1-day child admission tickets (ages 3 – 11) are priced at HK$385 (about RM217). Ringgit conversions are subject to change according to currency rate, of course. It’s especially handy to get your tickets beforehand if your trip is wedged somewhere in between the school holidays. Get your tickets here.

It’s important to know that Hong Kong Disneyland is located near the Hong Kong International Airport. That’s about half an hour from the city. For a fuller Hong Kong Disneyland experience, and to save time and energy from having to travel to and fro, book a one-night accomodation nearby. Sometimes, you can find pretty good Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotel deals that come with a Disney-themed room stay plus tickets! Go here for more information on the packages.

If you’ve chosen to stay at one of the 2 Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels, great! There’s a shuttle from the hotel entrance to Hong Kong Disneyland every 10 minutes. Realistically, you could also walk if that’s your thing because it’ll take you about 10 minutes to get to the park’s entrance. But I reckon that after a long day or during summer, the last thing you’d want to do is walk. Have no fear, the shuttle will save your day legs! Oh, the shuttle also takes you from one hotel (Hong Kong Disneyland Hollywood Hotel) to another (Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel) so that in itself is pretty awesome too.

There’s no “express pass” for Hong Kong Disneyland but there’s a little something that’ll allow you to skip the waiting in line, especially for the popular rides. It’s called a “Fastpass”, a ticket that allows you to come back at a designated time. Meanwhile, you can go do other things e.g. eat, washroom break, shop. When your alloted time comes, return to the “Fastpass” return entrance at the attraction, show your “Fastpass” ticket to the Cast Member, and bypass everyone else. Oh, it’s free by the way :) Details here.

Hong Kong Disneyland is not that hard to cover in a day if you go early and you’re not planning to go on every single ride. Depending on who you’re with, you might want to just zone in on a few that are to your liking. I personally recommend the Storybook Theatre’s “Mickey and the Wondrous Book” (brand new 2015), Mystic Point’s “Mystic Manor” (opened in 2013), and Grizzly Gulch’s “Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars“. There are also the more adrenaline rush-inducing ones such as Tomorrowland’s “Autopia” and Toy Story’s “RC Racer“. But believe me when I say that those are not for the weakhearted. You’ve been warned. And please stay on for the “Paint the Night” parade after sunset because it’s amazing.

If you want to “shortcut” your way through the park, get on vintage steam-powered train via the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad. It’ll pick you up from near the park’s entrance and take you on a 20-minute scenic tour around the park, before stopping right at Fantasyland. Each coach includes benches that face the park, so you can easily enjoy the spectacular views of Adventureland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street. The Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad is also a handy way to get around quickly and easily. And because the trains are scheduled to arrive at each station every 5 – 15 minutes throughout the day, you never have to worry about waiting a long time to ride one.

Depending on what you eat, prices can be a little steep but no Disneyland experience will be complete without specially curated Hong Kong Disneyland exclusive F&B menus. The park’s executive and culinary director Chef Rudy told me that everything his team of chefs prepare for guests has to go through something they call the “Mickey check”. It’s a process where the food is checked for not just its taste, but also for its presentation and nutritional content. Yes, they are that passionate because your culinary experience is that important to them!

I know what you’re thinking – since it’s Hong Kong Disneyland, there must be close to no halal food, correct? Wrong. As a matter of fact, there are some certified halal meals available at the park (Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland and Explorer’s Club Restaurant in Mystic Point) and also upon request at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotels (Chef Mickey and Studio Lounge at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel, Walt’s Cafe and Room Service at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel). And just how halal is halal? There are Muslim chefs working in the background to ensure that entire process is halal.

Hong Kong Disneyland is going to be jam-packed with activities in conjunction with Hong Kong Disneyland’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. Set to go on for about a year, the celebrations include 10th Anniversary merchandise, a Sleeping Beauty castle projection plus a brilliant “Disney in the Stars” fireworks show, special 10th Anniversary F&B menus, and more. In short, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is more magical than ever before. I’ve written about it here so go check it out!

Good news! Visitors can instantly share their magical moments online as free WiFi has been made available from 17th November 2015 onwards. All you need to do is locate the “Guest-Free-WiFi” and stay connected throughout the park with WiFi hotspots in all shops, restaurants, along the parade route, at the park entrance (ticket booths, turnstiles, Guest Service building, and luggage valet service), and at all indoor Guest Services locations (City Hall, Magic Access Member Service Center, strollers/wheelchairs rental, First Aid center, baby care center, and tip board). No password is required to access the service :)

All the merchandise that you see at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort stores are exclusive to Disneyland. This means that you probably wouldn’t be able to find such a wide range of Disney goodies in most Disney stores outside of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. Thus, you shouldn’t leave Hong Kong Disneyland without them! So yes, buy all the merchandise. Or just buy as many as your budget/luggage capacity will allow you to.

I know how it feels having to lug around your Disney merchandise with you while you trudge along in the park. Luckily, the Hong Kong Disneyland souvenir store on Main Street has this amazing service that will take away the pain for you! Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotel guests can get their shopping goods sent straight to their hotel’s concierge. It takes about 3 hours for it to get delivered so you can just go about your magical day and then pick it up from your hotel when you get back later. Perks of staying at a Hong Kong Disneyland Resort hotel! It’s awesome, no?

Forgot to pick something up while you were at the park? Fret not. There are souvenir stores at both hotels in the resort, but the one at Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel (Kingdom Gifts) is significantly larger. Just take the shuttle over and get it done. If you regret not doing your last minute shopping at the resort but you have to leave for the airport, don’t worry! There’s a Disney store at the Hong Kong International Airport where you can pick up gifts at super duper last minute. Trust a super duper last minute shopper like me to discover these things ;)

Special thanks to our friends from Hong Kong Disneyland for allowing me to relive my childhood dreams and for the magical experience! And just in case you’re wondering when is the best time to go to Hong Kong Disneyland, let me just put it out there that there are 8 long weekends comin’ up in 2016 for Malaysians. No pressure or anything!

Missed out on the live Hong Kong Disneyland updates a couple of days ago? Check out the full coverage on our Instagram here.

For more information, visit their website or Facebook page.

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8 Tips To Not Only Survive, But Thrive On The Shiptastic #ITSTHESHIP2017

We’re just a couple of sleeps away from this year’s edition of “It’s The Ship“. If this is going to be your first time on the ship, then you’re in luck! Because we’ve taken the liberty to draw up a list of tips (trust us, we’ve been there) to help you not only survive, but thrive on “It’s The Ship 2017”.

There’s no dress code per se, but you’re on a ship so you know the drill – remember to pack enough swimwear! In fact, packing for a cruise is just like packing for any other island vacay. So, put them swimwear and casual daytime wear on your packing list, comprende? Floppy hats, flip flops, and sunnies totally welcomed too.

What’s that? You want to soak up some vitamin D and achieve a beautiful, golden brown tan? Then be generous with dat suntan oil. If you’re iffy about tanning/burning (like we are), then slap on heck loads of sunblock. SPF 100, anyone?

Your wallet. Don’t leave home without it. Furthermore, considering the fact that “It’s The Ship 2017” will leave from Singapore to Phuket and then back again, you may need some SGD and Thai baht on hand. Or, you know, just bring your credit/debit card card.

4. Pack a nice #ootn for the gala dinner

If you haven’t heard, there will be a gala dinner on 18th November (Saturday) and 19th November (Sunday), depends on which session you pick. And there’s a theme – Shanghai Nights. Take the opportunity to get creative and rethink what “Oriental” means to you. Time to stand out ;)

5. Study the layout of the Genting Dream

The other fun part about partying on a ship is exploring the ship! But first, you’ll need to do some homework about the Genting Dream i.e. restaurants, lounges, facilities, activities. Wanna go rock climbing? Belt out to your favourite tunes in a karaoke room? Watch a movie? You got it.

You’re going to be out at sea so don’t expect the WiFi or your data coverage to work swimmingly well the entire time. In other words, be prepared to disconnect to connect! And detox from the virtual world while making the best of real life :)

Yes, we know that you paid for your shiptastic vacation, but rules and rules. For example, bring a camera for all them moments but please don’t bring a drone. And in case of individual medical needs, please pack your own meds for allergies and such (with a doctor’s prescription) but strictly no drugs or illegal substances mmkay?

You don’t want to miss your favourite acts. Let’s face it, who does? The set times are out so plan accordingly! Some sets are bound to clash, of course, what with so many fantastic artistes on the lineup. But hey, at least you know well enough to try to make it for half and half each :)

Above all, to survive this year’s instalment of “It’s The Ship”, definitely, definitely do not forget to have fun! And don’t forget to hashtag all your pictures/videos/Boomerangs with #ITSTHESHIP and #ITSTHESHIP2017.

We’ll leave you now with the official aftermovie of “It’s The Ship 2016”:

For more information, hit up the ship’s website or Facebook page.


Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB Inspires Malaysians To Create

Lenovo, in collaboration with MTV, had launched the “Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB”, an integrated social platform that will enable the most progressive, creative, and talented Millennials from Malaysia to share stories about their communities through music. Winning Millennials will connect and collaborate using their different skill sets in order to showcase their talents through an original MTV music video production relating to the theme of the “Pulse of the World”.

The concept of the six-month platform is to enable Malaysians to connect with like-minded individuals with different artistic skills across:

The winning talents across these four categories are determined by public votes through the “Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB” website and regional mentors.

The platform that will go across TV and online, will be run simultaneously across India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

To help support participants, they’ve assembled a panel of local and regional mentors. Mentors will play an important role throughout the entire campaign, sharing their valuable experience and knowledge in order to guide and inspire country and regional winners. Acclaimed contemporary design and art collective, PHUNK and renowned international DJs, Brendon P (The DJ Dispensary) and Matty Wainwright (The DJ Dispensary) will act as regional mentors throughout the campaign, as the public vote for their favourite talent.

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A full-scale promotional campaign will be run by Lenovo and MTV throughout this collaboration, which will culminate in MTV airing the final music video as a showcase of the winners’ talents for a period of eight weeks in Malaysia.

In addition to having access to mentors, attending a five-day workshop and being part of a regional promotional campaign, regional finalists will also have the opportunity to be profiled in local and regional media.

For more information about Lenovo-MTV CO:LAB contest mechanics and official rules, hit up their website.

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Alice in Chains To Perform for Singapore Rock Festival 2014

Joining Rob Zombie, Korn, Alter Bridge, Five Finger Death Punch, Black Veil Brides and Newsted is non other than heavy grunge godfathers, Alice In Chains! Alice in Chains will be headlining and closing the very first Singapore Rock Festival on March 6th, 2014 (Thursday) at Fort Canning Park.

Knowns as the definitive heavy metal bands of the early 90s, Alice in Chains drew equally from the heavy riffling of post-Van Halen metal and the gloomy strains of post-punk. The band developed a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic number. Alice in Chains were hard enough for metal fans and their dark subject matter and punk attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands. The band soared to multi-platinum status with their second album Dirt in 1992 but the fame and success had divided them. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell leaned more towards the mainstream while vocalist Layne Staley was fascinated with the seamy underground. In April 2002, unfortunate news hit and every Alice in Chains fans’ idea of a worse nightmare came true when Layne was found dead.

The band went into hiatus for a long time before deciding to honour their musical legacy by taking their beloved songs to the road this spring/summer. Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez and Sean Kinney will be joined by William Duvall who will handle the lead vocals for the band’s United States club shows and overseas festival performances in Europe, Southeast Asia and Australia.

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell says, “We’re gonna take it like we always did, and we’ve always kind of made it up as we’ve gone along. If you were looking at how to really capitalize on this experience and really make dough and make it a profitable thing, a band might, you know come out with a singer, have a record ready and all that. But that’s not where we’re coming from with this thing. We’re coming from the place of ‘It feels good, and we’re having a good time, so we’d like people to be a part of that.'” KINNEY told Reuters, “We’re not trying to replace Layne…We want to play these songs one more time, and if it seems like the right thing to do, it’ll happen. I don’t know how long it will go or where it will take us. It’s kind of a tribute to Layne and our fans, the people who love these songs.”

This is your chance to catch one of the most hard hitting rock lineups ever in Singapore with Alice in Chains, Rob Zombie, Korn, Alter Bridge, Newsted, Five Finger Death Punch and Black Veil Brides! Don’t miss out!

Here’s Rooster by Alice in Chains! Enjoy!

For those interested, ticketing details are as follows:

At the door: S$148
Sistic booking fee not included.

To Book tickets in Singapore:
Online: Sistic
By Phone: +65 6348-5555
Agents: At all authorised Sistic outlets in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Tickets can also be purchased through the SISTIC Mobile and iNETS mobile apps.

SISTIC Mobile is available at the Apple App Store, Google Play store or Samsung Apps. Download iNETS mobile through the Apple App store or Google Play store or SMS to 76387.

To Book tickets in Malaysia:
Online: Redtix
By Phone: +603 8775-4666
Agents: At all authorised RedTix outlets in Malaysia

To Book tickets in Indonesia
Online: KiosTix
By Phone: +6221 53163240
Agents: At all authorised KiosTix agents in Indonesia

Singapore Rock Festival 2014 to feature KORN, Rob Zombie


#SexAndTheCity3: Sarah Jessica Parker & Her Ladies Officially On Board For 3rd Movie

Who’s ready for more fashion, cocktails, and sex?

Fans of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte should be super stoked because the 4 leading ladies may finally be making their comeback to the big screen ever since their last outing in 2010.

Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall, together with Sarah Jessica Parker (believed to be the last in the cast to sign on) have officially agreed to be on board to film “Sex and the City 3”. Radar Online reported that “the deal is done and the script has been approved by all the women”.

The reason for SJP’s initial hesitation to sign on for the reunion was because of the script. Word on the street has it that the 51-year-old actress didn’t like the idea of how the characters were being portrayed as middle aged women.

But after a few changes made to the script, the actresses gave the green light for “Sex and the City 3” to proceed ahead. It’ll be interesting to see how the 3rd instalment gets a modern, intersectional feminist makeover.

Filming is expected to begin in mid 2017.

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will.i.am Steals From Mat Zo & Arty

Yup. You read right. will.i.am uploaded a “new” song on his VEVO yesterday titled, “Let’s Go” which features Chris Brown. After it was officially released, it garnered attention from several music outlets, praising will.i.am for his “good work”. One even went on to say:

will.i.am has crafted hits with Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. Now the leader of the Black Eyed Peas pumps up the volume with Chris Brown on “Let’s Go”, one of the many collaborations off his solo album, “#willpower”, due April 23.

Breezy encourages listeners to “get crazy,” while will raps over the electro-dance beat that will have you pumping your fist.

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What? It’ll be featured off his solo album? Sure thing, go right ahead. Except, correct us if we’re wrong but shouldn’t solo albums especially highlight your own work? If an artiste were to sample an “electro-dance beat”, shouldn’t it be cleared by the original producer/DJ/artiste or at least the label in which owns the rights to the said sample?

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It appears that will.i.am have conveniently stolen from two of the world’s Top 100 DJs, Mat Zo and Arty. The original track from which will.i.am nicked a sample from is called, “Rebound“, released in 2011 under DJ/producer trio Above & Beyond‘s Anjunabeats label. Apparently, Mat Zo and Arty were never informed of “Let’s Go”, neither did they allow will.i.am to use their work nor was it ever cleared with Anjunabeats.

Arty took it to Twitter to describe his disbelief late yesterday saying:

On the other hand, will.i.am has come out with his side of the story about the apparent song theft, saying, “You can’t steal if you credited somebody”:

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Anjunabeats has issued a short statement regarding the infringement of copyright on the will.i.am track “Let’s Go” featuring Chris Brown. Here it is in full:

Anjunabeats is the record label behind Arty and Mat Zo and owns the master recording rights to their collaboration “Rebound.” Mat Zo and Arty have been important members of the Anjunabeats family for a number of years and “Rebound” was one of the label’s most popular releases in 2011.

As has been widely reported, a large section of “Rebound” was sampled on Will.i.am’s track “Let’s Go featuring Chris Brown” and this took place without the permission of Anjunabeats or Arty & Mat Zo.

Although Arty (but not Mat Zo) was credited in the sleeve notes, this is not the same as obtaining permission. To present someone else’s work as your own, you need to seek permission, agree terms and file paperwork, which has not happened in this case.

We’ve remained silent on this issue until now but as a record label it is our obligation to protect our artists’ interests and we felt it was necessary to respond to some of the inaccuracies that have been reported following Will.i.am’s recent comments to Associated Press.


#IT: Remake Of 90s Psychological Horror Movie Confirmed

To be perfectly honest, the “IT” movie is perhaps the only reason why kids from the 80s and the 90s grew up with the similar unreasonable fear of clowns.

Based on author Stephen King’s psychological horror novel “IT”, the movie is a 1990 psychological horror/drama miniseries which revolved around an inter-dimensional predatory life-form, which had the ability to transform itself into its prey’s worst fears, allowing it to exploit the phobias of its victims. It mostly took the form of a horrible and sadistic wisecracking clown called “Pennywise the Dancing Clown”.

The protagonists were “The Losers Club”, a group of outcast kids who discovered Pennywise and vowed to destroy him by any means necessary. The “IT” movie series took place over 2 different time periods, the first when the Losers first discovered Pennywise as children, and the second when they were called back as adults to defeat Pennywise, who resurfaced.

If you thought that since the movie ended back in the 90s hence your worst fears are kinda over, well, think again. We hear that a movie remake is happening. Oh man..

According to Screen Rant, Warner Bros. has been planning a film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1,138 page novel “It” for the past 3 years. The last substantial report on the project was nearly 2 years ago, with an update from screenwriter David Kajganich (“The Invasion”, “Blood Creek”) about the challenge of fitting Stephen King’s massive literature into a 2-3 hour movie.

But now, there’s word that the project is still lurching forward; however, “It” (no pun) has taken on a radically new form aka “revamped”. King’s source material will now be covered over the course of 2 films, as co-written and directed by Cary Fukunaga (of “True Detective” fame).

IGN reported that producer Dan Lin said upon the initial announcement:

We didn’t want to make this unless Stephen King felt it was the right way to go, and when we sent him the script, the response that Cary Fukunaga got back was, “Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make”. So that was really gratifying..

The planned remake is still in its early stages, thus no casting news is yet to be reported. However, we hear that while Tim Curry gained praises for his astounding performance as Pennywise, he would most likely not come back to reprise his role for the “IT” movie remake. Fair enough, since Tim Curry is about 68 years old and he also suffered a stroke just last year.

We do know that the movie remake is scheduled to start official prep sometime in March 2015 for a summer shoot, and expected to release sometime in 2015. So keep checking back with us for more updates!

Not that we think that anyone should be overly excited about the “rebirth” of the evil clown but, who’s looking forward to seeing Pennywise back on the silver screens? Who do you think should play the kids in “The Losers” club and more importantly, who should be casted as the clown? Let us know what you think in the comments box below!

Sources: Screen Rant, IGN, Wikipedia, Vulture.

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King Of The Railway Screening At The Little Big Club

Last weekend, Thomas & Friends™ treated thirty underprivileged families from MyKasih Foundation to an exclusive movie screening and fun filled ride at the Little Big Club. The event which took place at the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park in Johor Bahru, featured the exclusive screening of its brand new movie King of the Railway.

The children from in and around Johor were the guests of honour for the day and enjoyed numerous activities that includes Thomas Train Rides, balloon sculpting, Thomas & Friends colouring activities as well as munching on popcorn during the movie screening.

An exclusive screening of the latest movie by the World’s Number One blue tank engine, King of the Railway will be taking place at The Little Big Club for fans and friends. The screening is open to public from October 12th, 2013 (Saturday) till November 2nd, 2013 (Saturday). Get two complimentary movie tickets by spending RM30.00 on merchandises at the Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park merchandise store or at any of its F&B outlets.

Details for the exclusive screening of  King of the Railway and exciting activities are as follows:

Date: October 26th, 2013 (Saturday), November 2nd, 2013 (Saturday)


6 Surprising Facts About Short Film “The Incident”, Shot Using vivo X60

vivo recently premiered its short film, “The Incident”, shot using the brand’s flagship vivo X60 Pro smartphone. The featurette marks vivo’s second short film, with its pilot short film being “KITA”, which was shot on the vivo X50 Pro. “The Incident” is directed by acclaimed Kedahan filmmaker, Chong Keat Aun, winner of the Best New Director accolade at the 57th Golden Horse Awards.

This year’s film features an impressive line-up consisting of Miss Universe 2015 finalist Pauline Tan, veteran film actress Adibah Noor, kid actor Phua Chandler and winner of the Best Actor award at the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival’s Asian New Talent Award, Yuan Teng. It is accompanied by the melodious soundtrack, “Light of Hope”, produced by singer-songwriter Yise Loo and sung by Firdhaus Farmizi.

Here are 6 little-known facts that you may not know about “The Incident”.

1. ‘The Incident’ was filmed over the period of 2 days.

In less than 48 hours, the cast and crew pulled together to bring “The Incident” to life. While it may seem like a short period of time, Director Chong shared how he was intentional about this as he understood the gruelling conditions that the cast and crew had to endure.

As all were mandated to abide by a strict set of SOPs, it not only meant that sanitisation took place every 30 minutes, but all were required to wear their masks throughout the shoot, even in harsh weather conditions. Director Chong shared how the cast and crew were often under the punishing hot sun when they filmed scenes such as the one in which Yee Cheng’s motorcycle broke down while she was doing her food delivery errands.

2. Singer-songwriter Yise Loo composed “Light of Hope” in less than 24 hours.

One night was all it took for the composer, Yise Loo to string together the melody for the famous theme song – “Light of Hope”.

The melancholy tune which incorporated the Malaysian seruling, served as the short film’s soundtrack and Yise had initially planned to sing it alongside long-time friend, Director Chong. Due to the time constraints however, Yise sought Firdhaus Farmizi instead, marking their first collaboration efforts together.

3. Fei Dao Er learnt to sing a phrase in Cantonese for the song “Light of Hope”.

Firdhaus, also known as Fei Dao Er to his legion of fans, is fluent in Mandarin, having learnt the language after attending a Chinese kindergarten and vernacular school and having many friends who spoke the dialect with him.

As many of his fans on social media also spoke Mandarin, Firdhaus focused on singing in Mandarin to resonate with them and to date, one of his most well-known tracks is “Gulf of Alaska”, which has scored more than 4 million views on YouTube, in less than a year.

However, for the song “Light of Hope” in which he lends his vocals to, Firdhaus had to master the Cantonese phrase, “Moonlight shining on the ground” and he nailed it within the day of the demo recording! Firdaus is one of very few Malay singers in Malaysia that can sing very well in Mandarin.

4. Miss Universe 2015 finalist, Pauline effortlessly pulls off barely-there looks for her performance as Yee Cheng.

Due to her nature of work, we often see actress Pauline Tan sporting flawless makeup for her movies, television shows and photo shoot sessions.

So, it was exceptionally refreshing to see her come to the set of “The Incident” bare-faced! Not even with a drop of baby oil as it was her intention to realistically portray hardworking mother, Yee Cheng who struggled to make ends meet during the pandemic.

5. Pauline actually knows how to ride a motorbike!

Make no assumptions about the prim and proper Miss Universe 2015 finalist for she is able to cruise down a street on a manual motorbike.

In fact, this was precisely what she did for her role for most of the riding scenes. Though Pauline is quick to note that her maximum speed is just at 10km/hour, she was able to naturally depict the role of a food delivery rider due to her having learnt to ride a motorbike for a previous role.

6. This memorable scene was shot by placing the vivo X60 Pro in a makeshift drain hole.

One of the most striking ways to use perspective is to simply change the height in which an image is captured.

This poignant point-of-view shot of Yee Cheng reaching for her smartphone after her accident was achieved all thanks to the vivo X60 Pro. With the ultra-thin body of 7.36mm placed in a unique spot peeking through a makeshift drain hole, it created an astonishing depth-of-field and framing, which eventually marks this as one of the most memorable scenes in “The Incident”.

You can also enjoy listening to “Light of Hope” here:

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(UPDATE) #GoodVibesFest: 2016 Line-Up Includes The 1975, Two Door Cinema Club, The Temper Trap

The much-loved, homegrown Good Vibes Festival (GVF) will evolve this year into a 2-day international outdoor music festival on 12th August and 13th August 2016 at its new verdant venue The Ranch @ Gohtong Jaya in Genting Highlands.

The 3rd edition of #GoodVibesFest promises a bucketlist line-up with twice as many international and Malaysian acts as before.

The first of 2 announcements, #GoodVibesFest has secured headliners including Manchester’s purveyors of infectious pop hooks and sprawling electro sonics The 1975, Irish indie chart favourites Two Door Cinema Club, and anthemic indie-rock 5-piece The Temper Trap .

Joining the aforementioned powerhouses are Canadian electro-pop pair Purity Ring, Australia’s own renaissance man and beatmaker Ta-Ku, and producer and remix wizard Ryan Hemsworth .

From the homefront, acts announced so far include Enterprise , indie-pop maven Froya, Jumero, dream-pop pairing Juno and Hanna, scene veterans Seven Collar T-shirt, riotous pop Ampangites The Fridays, and Edwin from They Will Kill Us All’s new rock and roll outfit Toko Kilat.

Expect the full line-up announcement from #GoodVibesFest in the weeks to come.

Good Vibes Festival’s new and improved incarnation adds 18 new acts from its first announcement in May.

Joining the party are Grammy award-winning producer Mark Ronson (Uptown Funk, Valerie), electronic music wunderkinds Disclosure (You & Me, Latch), brother-sister folk duo Angus & Julia Stone (Big Jet Plane, The Heartbreak), post-punk revivalists Tokyo Police Club (Hot Tonight, Wait Up) and neo-R&B songstress Alina Baraz (Fantasy, Make You Feel).

The weekend festival is also adding a massive list of local acts, from the well-loved and familiar to new names to remember. See: Kyoto Protocol, +2dB, Mutesite, Indiego & Co., Dangerdisko, Twinkies, WH, Curzon, JHin, Emir Hermono, Axel Groove, MMMeng, and Guibooo.

All hotel rooms are at First World Hotel, Genting Highlands. All prices shown are subject to 6% gst and an online transaction fee of RM10 per transaction.

Tickets will be available for purchase, with phase 1 of sales launching at 3pm on Tuesday, 3rd May 2016 at www.boxtix.asia. Ticket prices will increase in stages closer to the festival.

For more information, visit their website or Facebook page.


Concert Review: Dennis Lau & Friends Deliver Epic Performance

Dennis Lau’s epic concert brought about a plethora of emotions for the audience. With an all-Malaysian, multi-racial blend of artistes rendering Malay, Chinese and English songs, “The Chosen Concert” stands out as a truly Malaysian concert for Malaysians! Additionally, four young lives were transformed as a result of the ‘Give Back’ movement which was part of this concert.

In collaboration with Teach for Malaysia (TFM), four students were chosen from TFM schools and were given a once-in-a-lifetime experience of a six-month Masterclass & Mentorship programme with Dennis Lau and Fara Dolhadi to train and prepare them for “The Chosen Concert” 2019.

The four are Stacy Jean Toolseram (17), Nursyasya Batrisyia Binti Zulkiflee (15), Dania Hidayah Binti Mohd Ridzuan (17) and Razin Aiman bin Mazhan (18). The song “Esok” was specially composed by Dennis Lau for this occasion where the four of them performed it on stage during the concert together with Dewi Seriestha, Malaysian singer-songwriter, Namewee (黃明志), Aisyah Aziz, Lee Elaine and Fara Dolhadi.

The meaningful song talks about opportunities in life and seeks to inspire the young ones from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue their dreams. It was a truly moving performance as the students rendered the song on stage and a fitting end to the concert which seeks to promote limitless opportunities, love, peace and equality.

“The past six months has been very fulfilling for me personally as I journeyed with the four students and witnessed their transformation and growth. They have so much potential in them and I am so proud to have been a part of this programme to ‘Give Back’. I look forward to continue the journey of Masterclass with them and to see where this adventure will bring them in their careers,” shared Dennis.

Held at the Mega Star Arena @ Viva, “The Chosen Concert” featured a magic show as an opening act, by Asia’s Got Talent finalist, Sobhi Shaker. This magical entrée was followed by four eye-opening performances by Jimmy Sax, Fara Dolhadi, Namewee and Dewi Seriestha with Dennis Lau playing the Viper Violin!

After the first break, Jeryl Lee, Lee Elaine, Fara and NAMA performed “A Kind of Sorrow” with Lau on his latest customised violin. Jeryl continued with “I wanna be Free” while Namewee and Fara teamed up for two duets.

For the final slot, the entertainer made a change of outfit and instrument of choice. This time, he performed “The Journey” with his Phoenix violin solo. Next up was the highlight of the evening, where all artistes (Dennis Lau & Friends) performed “Esok” together with the children from TFM. Aisyah Aziz took the stage next with “Abadi Kita” followed by the finale – a Bruno Mars Medley performed by Nama and Aisyah Aziz. The night finally came to a close with an encore performed by Dewi titled “Mahkota”.

For this extraordinary concert, Dennis Lau had a new violin specially commissioned from renowned luthier Alistair Hay. The same designer also custom made two of Lau’s violins previously – the Phoenix and the Dragon violins. Several years back, Lau was besotted when he saw superstar Wang Lee Hom playing a dragon-shaped guitar. He learned that the guitar was the handicraft of Alistair, a custom designer at Emerald Guitars at Cavanacaw, Ireland and proceeded to commission him for the Phoenix violin, followed by the Dragon violin.

At the unveiling of the latest violin, Lau shared that he gave Alistair free creative direction in the designing of the violin and was totally blown away by the end result. Sleek and slim enough to fit into a whisky case, the silver violin’s body was carved in the shape of a teardrop extending gracefully through the neck in one piece. Made of carbon fibre, the Chosen violin is the lightest and most transportable of Dennis’ three most prized violins.

“My violins are tools that I use to express myself as a musician. They allow me to best channel my soul and energy into it and are tools to help reach my goals of showcasing the energy, hopes and dreams of every song I play for the audience,” shared Dennis.

This was successfully achieved on the evening of “The Chosen Concert”. “I am in awe of how everyone came together in the planning and execution of this concert, the love and support that was freely given and shared throughout. It is my hope that every individual who attended the concert would receive in their hearts the inspiration and conviction of knowing that they have been chosen for a higher purpose in life. And that we will all never give up in pursuing our chosen dreams in spite of obstacles and challenges.”

He added, “In the six months of preparations with the students from TFM, we have seen this come to fruition. It was a truly memorable journey for all of us and I strongly believe that these four amazing young people will go on to make waves in their chosen professions.”

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Kang Dong Won To Hold Private Fans Session In Malaysia On 3rd April

Are there any fans of Kang Dong Won (강동원) in Malaysia?

Were you curious when IME Asia released a mysterious teaser yesterday (Tuesday, 27th March)? In the image (pictured below) were the date and time – 28.03.2018 and 1:18pm – with the message asking fans to stay tuned.

🤔 280318 @ 01:18PMSTAY TUNE pic.twitter.com/jCS9o9J6jY

— iMe Malaysia (@imemalaysia) March 27, 2018

Many K-pop fans thought the time 1:18pm was in reference to 18-member boy group NCT (엔시티). Unfortunately for hopeful fans, their expectation was dashed. Kang Dong Won has been industry for more than a decade though. Long time K-drama fans will recognise the 37-year-old South Korean actor from movies such as “Temptation of Wolves”, “Violent Prosecutor” and “Master”.

In December last year, Kang Dong Won signed on to star in his first Hollywood film, “Tsunami LA” (with Simon West attached as the director). Before he heads to Los Angeles for production, the handsome actor will be holding a private fans session where only 100 lucky fans would be invited.

Korean actor Gang Dong Won will be making his first official trip to Malaysia on 03rd April 2018, after his 15 years of debut for press conference and private fans session. Stay tune at iMe Asia Facebook, Instagram, WeChat, Line & Twitter. You may be one of the 100 lucky fans! pic.twitter.com/LkVA9dJeEG

— iMe Malaysia (@imemalaysia) March 28, 2018

For more information, check out IME Asia’s Facebook page.


#1DAMLaunchMY: Directioners! Make Your Way To The “Made In The A.M.” Party!

“Made in the A.M.” is the upcoming 5th studio album by British-Irish boy band One Direction, which will be released on 14th November 2015.

It will also mark their first studio release following the departure of Zayn Malik.

With sales of over 65 million worldwide and performances to over 7.5 million fans, One Direction truly are a pop phenomenon. In May this year the band won 2 Billboard Awards for “Top Group” and “Top Touring Artiste”.

The first single from “Made In The A.M.”, “Drag Me Down” was released in July and went to #1 on 90 iTunes charts and broke streaming records globally. Their recently announced their 2nd single, “Perfect”, an emotionally charged ironic love song featuring passionate drumming, rousing guitars, shimmering synths and an immense chorus.

The song is produced by Julia Bunetta, Jesse Shatkin and AFTERHRS, and written by Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson alongside Bunetta, Shatkin, Jacob Kasher, John Ryan and Maureen Anne McDonald.

In conjunction with the album release, Sony Music Entertainment Malaysia will be hosting the “One Direction – Made in the A.M” launch party on 14th November. There will be games, activity booths as well as prizes to be won at the event.

More importantly, fans will be able to purchase the album for the first time at the venue.

Also, to make this party even more exciting, 1D fans could participate in the #1DAMLaunchMY contest which is a fun photo contest for 1D fans to upload their photo of how do they look in the A.M!

All you have to do is submit your A.M. look on instagram by using #1DAMLaunchMY on Instagram and tag @sonymusicmy. The 5 most creative photo will win the “first in line” slots to grab One Direction’s “Made in the A.M.”

And that’s not all. Top 3 winners with most votes on the launch day itself will walk away with attractive prizes ;)

Hurry submit your A.M. looks now! Contest starts from 21st October 2015 – 4th November 2015.

For more information, visit Sony Music Malaysia’s Facebook page.

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#McDonalds: Taiwan’s New McCafe Ad Features Touching Coming Out Story

A heartwarming clip is shining the spotlight on one of the most difficult decisions a young LGBT individual can make: coming out to the family.

Taiwan McDonalds, which is known as McCafe in the Asian nation, has released their 3rd and latest video from the “More Warmth in Conversations” campaign featuring a young gay man coming out to his father.

The 90-second commercial opens with a shot of a father and son sitting down for coffee at a McCafe table. The son writes a message on the coffee paper cup that reads:

The father has a stern expression written all over his face and a less-than-happy meal ensues. Visibly upset, the father gets up and storms off, leaving his son dejected.

As the son is left alone at the table in despair, his father returns moments later. He grabs his son’s coffee cup and writes 3 additional letters above the original message, changing the sentence to:

The 2 then exchange warm smiles before the tagline “Let there be more warmth in conversations” appears on the screen.

If only the gay-friendly ad, titled “Acceptance”, was met with such tolerance. Despite receiving mostly positive feedback from social media, it’s message of acceptance was received poorly with the country’s religious fundamentalists.

The Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of Family has urged parents and consumers to boycott McDonalds. “Now, even if you want to just take a leak at a McDonald’s bathroom, you can’t help but feel polluted,” an Alliance spokesperson told Taiwanese outlets. It is important to note that homophobic views like that are in the minority as a poll of Taiwan citizens last year showed 71% in support of marriage equality.

We’d also like to commend both Leo Burnett Taiwan and McDonald’s for making such a bold statement. They were successful in highlighting what is generally a painful experience for so many and presenting it in a warmer and more inclusive context.

“We’re trying to urge people to start a conversation, to understand more and love more,” said Murphy Chou, chief creative officer at Leo Burnett Taiwan. The concept was about “how people have tough moments in life when feelings are beyond words, and how dialogue can be encouraged over a cup of coffee”.

“Another goal was to build awareness of McCafe and encourage people to see coffee as more than something to wake them up,” Chou added.

Sources: Same Same, Malay Mail, Creativity Online.


BTS & Lu Han Join A Special Project For Michael Jackson’s 60th Birthday

South Korean boy band BTS and Chinese singer Lu Han will be taking part in a special project to honour King of Pop Michael Jackson.

Jerry L. Greenberg, the former president of MJJ Music (Michael Jackson’s record label) have announced that he is currently working on a special song to celebrate Michael Jackson’s upcoming 60th birthday.

“Michael continues to influence artists from around the world, so I’ve invited some of the biggest global artists to take part in this very special project, including BTS and Luhan from China, among others. My hope is to keep Michael’s legacy alive, for many generations to come, and this project celebrates Michael’s global contribution to music and dance,” he said in a video announcement.

Greenberg is currently the CEO of 769 Entertainment’s Music Division. He had worked with Michael on a daily basis for over 10 years.

The special song will be released on 29th August in conjunction with the late singer’s 60th birthday. Apart from BTS and Lu Han, Greenberg will also invite other artists from around the globe to participate in the project.

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#SpiderMan: Web Slinger Officially Part Of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

Yes, you read right – Spider-Man will appear in upcoming Marvel movies. Sony Pictures announced a deal with Marvel that will see the web slinger appear in an as-yet-unspecified movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – the same universe that contains Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of the Avengers.

The timing of the deal means Spider-Man’s likely to make his first Marvel movie appearance in “Captain America: Civil War“, but the agreement doesn’t mean that Sony is giving up the movie rights to the character.

The next Sony Pictures “Spider-Man” movie is due on 28th July 2017 and the deal works both ways – Sony Pictures said it was also “exploring opportunities” to integrate characters from the MCU into future “Spider-Man” films.

The official press release is as follows:

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS MARVEL STUDIOS INTO THE AMAZING WORLD OF SPIDER-MAN

New Spider-Man Will Appear First in an Upcoming Marvel Film Within Marvel’s Cinematic Universe

Marvel’s Kevin Feige to Produce Next Installment of the Spider-Man Franchise with Amy Pascal

(Culver City, California, and Burbank, California February 09, 2015) – Sony Pictures Entertainment and Marvel Studios announced today that Sony is bringing Marvel into the amazing world of Spider-Man.

Under the deal, the new Spider-Man will first appear in a Marvel film from Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sony Pictures will thereafter release the next installment of its $4 billion Spider-Man franchise, on July 28, 2017, in a film that will be co-produced by Kevin Feige and his expert team at Marvel and Amy Pascal, who oversaw the franchise launch for the studio 13 years ago. Together, they will collaborate on a new creative direction for the web slinger. Sony Pictures will continue to finance, distribute, own and have final creative control of the Spider-Man films.

Marvel and Sony Pictures are also exploring opportunities to integrate characters from the MCU into future Spider-Man films.

The new relationship follows a decade of speculation among fans about whether Spider-Man – who has always been an integral and important part of the larger Marvel Universe in the comic books – could become part of the Marvel Universe on the big screen. Spider-Man has more than 50 years of history in Marvel’s world, and with this deal, fans will be able to experience Spider-Man taking his rightful place among other Super Heroes in the MCU.

Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said: “Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s great characters, beloved around the world. We’re thrilled to work with Sony Pictures to bring the iconic web-slinger into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opens up fantastic new opportunities for storytelling and franchise building.”

“We always want to collaborate with the best and most successful filmmakers to grow our franchises and develop our characters. Marvel, Kevin Feige and Amy, who helped orchestrate this deal, are the perfect team to help produce the next chapter of Spider-Man,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “This is the right decision for the franchise, for our business, for Marvel, and for the fans.”

“Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios share a love for the characters in the Spider-Man universe and have a long, successful history of working together. This new level of collaboration is the perfect way to take Peter Parker’s story into the future,” added Doug Belgrad, president, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

“I am thrilled to team with my friends at Sony Pictures along with Amy Pascal to produce the next Spider-Man movie,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige. “Amy has been deeply involved in the realization on film of one of the world’s most beloved characters. Marvel’s involvement will hopefully deliver the creative continuity and authenticity that fans demand from the MCU. I am equally excited for the opportunity to have Spider-Man appear in the MCU, something which both we at Marvel, and fans alike, have been looking forward to for years.”

Spider-Man, embraced all over the world, is the most successful franchise in the history of Sony Pictures, with the five films having taken in more than $4 billion worldwide.

Wait, wait, back up. Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War” and the possibility of seeing MCU’s characters in future “Spider-Man” films?

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Hype’s Exclusive: MaRLo Is Ready To Bring His Signature Sound To #ITSTHESHIP2016

Dutch-born DJ/producer Marlo Hoogstraten is known for 2 things that contribute to his strong branding in the dance music industry: “MaRLo” (his mid-name capitalisation) and the “MaRLo sound”. Unmistakable and addictive, MaRLo’s signature style comprises of “hands in the air” moments infused with high energy beats derived from trance, techno, tech-house influences.

Any hardcore trance fan will be able to recognise his music from a mile away ;)

This November, he will take his MaRLo-branded set to the 2016 installment of “It’s The Ship”, Asia’s largest festival cruise at sea. And thanks to our awesome friends from The Livescape Group, we managed to ring MaRLo up this morning real quick for a chat.

Hi MaRLo! Thanks for taking time off your schedule to speak to us. Where are you right now and what are you currently up to?

Nice to speak to you! We’re actually moving house to Sydney next week so we’ve been crazy, crazy busy packing everything up. And..my whole life is in boxes at the moment.

A little birdie told us that you’re going to be a Dad soon. Congratulations! You must have had about a million and one emotions when you first found out..

Definitely, yeaaahh! I can’t believe it. I’m so excited about that. I’ve got a dog, and a cat, and 2 aquariums that I take care of. And I love taking care of that. But taking care of another human being? Your own child? It’s just amazing and I’m really excited to do that. I can’t wait to meet this little baby.

What can you tell us about that turning point moment in your life when you realised that you wanted to be a DJ/producer?

I was actually.. – there was an event in Holland called Trance Energy but it’s no longer around, I think it stopped in 2010 – I was at one of those events and I was actually working as a volunteer to help carry the DJs’ record bags and equipment. And so I got to meet a lot of those DJs back then, and when I saw the amount of people sort of all unified in one moment enjoying the same type of music, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it somehow. So I started to produce music and started my own events first and then performed at some, then I fell in love. It became an obsession and it’s all I wanna do – to make music.

The “MaRLo sound” is very distinguishable and it’s easy to tell straight up when a track is made by you. Where do you draw inspiration from?

I think I reached the point where I didn’t want to make music for other people anymore as much. When I first started out, I wanted to get a certain DJ to play my music or I want to keep a certain audience happy. But I’ve sort of let go of all of that and just made music that I really enjoyed making, that I would wanna hear if I was on the dance floor. And that’s going to be my unique sound because I’m not longer sticking to a strict formula.

Do you think that having a signature sound and that sort of familiarity (for your fans) often makes it a challenge for you to reinvent yourself?

Well, at the very core of it..because I’ve made it very clear from the start that I kinda do what I wanna do, the MaRLo sound is diverse. It’s a bit of a lot of things and whatever I feel like doing. My fans that are true fans understand that I may put out a really pretty vocal track, and then my next track is really hard and underground or dark. I really get a lot of joy out of it and I think my fans understand that now.

Your tracks have received a lot of support from the trance titans like Armin van Buuren and Ferry Corsten. Are you also working on putting out an artiste album?

At the moment I’m not working on an album but I am doing a lot of collaborations with other artistes. I’m doing a collaboration with Armin van Buuren himself as well as a bunch of other acts that I’m really excited about.

You’ve played in Asia, particularly Kuala Lumpur, many times in the past. What do you remember most about the response from your Asian fans?

Oh man, I’m not just saying this because I’m speaking to you but Asia is one of my favourite places in the world to play! I’ve played there a long time, and I think also because Asia is quite close to Australia, there’s a lot of common ground there – a lot of similar types of music to what I play at home. So the response in Malaysia especially has always been crazy. Malaysia and Singapore, those 2 territories, have just always been very lively and have great people. And I love coming there also for the food, and enjoy the culture! I actually have been visiting those territories even before I even started DJing. My mom used to take me to Asia a lot on travels when I was younger, mainly places in Malaysia but also South Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia.

So when you first came to Asia to DJ, did you expect that the response would be so crazy?

No! And that’s the honest truth – I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s one of those situations where you’re not sure what you’re walking into and then you get such a warm response. Everyone’s enthusiastic and jumping around like crazy.

From clubs to festivals, you often play in front of sizeable crowds. How do you come down and zen out from the surge of adrenaline after a high energy set?

If I had a really full-on weekend where I haven’t slept much and partied a lot, I’d try to take some time off to just relax and find my center again. Maybe walk through the city or go get a massage, and just sort of relax my brain because like you said, it is very intense. Not just the show itself but also like, rushing to the airport and moving countries. Sometimes you go to 5 countries in a weekend and it’s pretty crazy.

Do you ever get disoriented like, you’re not sure where you are or what time it is?

Oh, all the time! You wake up in a foreign hotel room and you sort of look around and go, “Where am I, again?”..it’s very odd. Or I’d look next to me and see if Janette (Jano) is there, and she’s not, and I’m like, “Oh I must be on tour. Where am I?” It happens like that a lot because I’m always in different places.

So what’s MaRLo like on a good day, like when you’re not working, you’re not tired, not disoriented, and not moving homes..

A perfect day for me is I wake up, I go and have breakfast with my wife and my dog at a local cafe just down the road. And then after breakfast and a strong coffee, I get into the studio and work all day. That’s what I love to do the most. It’s work, but I love making music. To me, the art of creation, of sitting down in front of a blank screen and at the end of it, I finish the song..it’s something very magical.

And this is going to be your first time playing on “It’s The Ship“, an Asian festival cruise. How are you preparing for that?

It’s my first time playing on a big boat party like that. I’ve done smaller boat parties in Miami and also Australia, but this is a really huge one. I’m really excited to be a part of it. I saw videos from last year and it looks crazy! As for what I’m doing to prepare for it, I mean..I’ve got lots of new tracks that I’m excited to play.

In your own words, tell your fans why they need to be on “It’s The Ship” this November.

All my fans have to go on “It’s The Ship” because it’s going to be absolutely amazing! I can’t wait to bring lots of music, lots of energy, and I know you guys all rock and party like crazy, and I can’t wait to be a part of it again.

Right. Thank you so much for speaking to us, MaRLo. And we’ll see you on the ship.

The 4D3N “It’s The Ship” festival cruise departs on the prestigious Royal Caribbean International cruiseliner, Mariner of the Seas, from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore on 4th November. It will then cross international waters on the straits of Malacca to the Pearl of the Orient, Penang, before returning to Singapore shores on 7th November.

Go here to book a cabin from as low as USD588 per person.

For more information, hit up their Facebook page or their website.

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YG Entertainment Reveals “MIX & MATCH” + #iKON Details

Last week, we wrote about YG Entertainment gearing up for their next survival program called, “MIX & MATCH”. Similar to “WHO IS NEXT: WIN”, the show will follow a total of 9 trainees including members of Team B and 3 other trainees who will participate in the battle program to debut as the agency’s next boy group.

Now, YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk has revealed more details about the new group during the press conference for “MIX & MATCH” at Conrad Seoul Hotel in Yeouido. At the press conference, he announced that the new group will be called iKON. Specifically, he said, “Instead of iCON, I replaced the C with K to represent K-Pop… I hope iKON will become a group that represents Korea.”

He also revealed that B.I, Bobby, and Kim Jin Hwan of Team B, who lost the chance to debut on last year’s survival show “WIN: Who is Next”, have already been set as iKON members. As expected, since B.I and Bobby recently worked on the title track for WINNER‘s debut album. Yang Hyun Suk said, “Team B’s leader B.I, Bobby, and Kim Jin Hwan are already fixed members. The system will feature the other 6 who will compete with 2 being eliminated.”

He further revealed that he intends for iKON to debut in 2015.

As for the eliminated competitors, he doesn’t have any plans for them to debut under YG Entertainment.

The 9 featured in ‘Mix & Match’ include:

“MIX & MATCH” premieres on 11th September KST.


#EXID: Hani Clarifies Rumours About Leaving/Retirement From The Scene

EXID Hani’s not going anywhere, you guys. Not for the next 10 years, at least.

She recently stepped up to reassure fans that she won’t be retiring after her contract expires after all, contrary to what she said on a show once.

You see, Hani appeared on Mnet’s “Moon Hee Jun’s Pure 15 Plus,” where she said:

After my contract’s over, I want to explore a different career. There’s something I really want to study, as well as something I really want to do. It’s my dream to be a counselor.

Of course, this came as a shock to fans as 5-member K-Pop idol girl group EXID only recently shot to fame after a fancam of Hani performing their 2014 single, “Up & Down” went viral. In fact, the song only reached #1 on the Gaon Singles Chart months after its initial release. 4 whole months, to be exact!

In case you missed it, this was the video:

Needless to say,people started speculating that this was a sign of her upcoming retirement. A little too soon, if you asked us, especially for a group that only debuted in 2012. Luckily, she put those worries/rumours to rest during an 18th April event, when she was asked about her previous comments about leaving the industry once her contract was over.

I’m glad someone asked because I’ve been thinking I should explain myself. Even at the end of this promotional period, I can’t quit. I’m still tied to my contract. I honestly think it’s stupid to decide and judge right now on what will go on in my life, what events will happen, and what I want to do. The thing I said about wanting to do something else later on was me talking about my dreams. After the broadcast I felt like it was a little rude. And I’m sorry to all my fans. I said this on a previous interview but I think I’ll still be EXID’s Hani 10 years from now. I really think so.

Fret not, peeps! Hani is here to stay :)

Meanwhile, EXID recently released their second mini album “AH YEAH”. Be sure to show ’em girls some love!

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Motorcyclists Can Claim Free Petrol At These 3 Stations

Rejoice motorists, free petrol will be given out to motorbike users.

In lieu of the on-going petrol hike over the past few weeks, Kedai Emas Sri Temasek is feeling generous and the company wants to give back to the public. Their contribution will be through free petrol at 3 Petronas stations in Malaysia.

That’s the good news. The bad news? None of those locations are remotely near the Klang Valley. All 3 stations are situated in Johor Bahru. The event is expected to be a first come first served basis as only 500 motorcyclists will get to claim free petrol per outlet.

3. Petronas Taman Nusa Perintis, Gelang Patah

Do note that each motorcyclist will be entitled to RM5 worth of petrol.

Source: Kedai Emas Sri Temasek’s Facebook.


Hype’s Now Playing: Sandara Park – One Step

After 2NE1’s disbandment, Sandara Park had tried her hand in acting, starring in variety shows, and hosting. And now, she’s going back to her roots.

The 32-year-old singer-cum-actress has released a solo track titled “One Step”. The song is the OST for the movie of the same name.

Aside from singing the OST, the former 2NE1 member is also starring in the movie as the main lead. In her big screen debut, she plays the role of Sihyun who is diagnosed with amnesia after getting into a car accident. She has no memories of the accident or her past and is forced to see to see sounds in colour.

The music video also shows off the sweet side of the singer, showing her playing the guitar while serenading us with her soothing voice. Clips from the movie were also included in the video, giving us a glimpse of the romance between the 2 leads.

While talking about the possibility of a solo album, Dara also touched on the topic of the OST. She said, “I’ve been a singer for a long time, but I don’t have any solo songs that I can call my own. The genre for the ‘One Step’ OST song I sang perfectly suits my image and voice.”

The YG Entertainment artiste also revealed her past difficulties, stating, “When you look at 2NE1’s sad songs I don’t have many parts. It’s because my tone is high and sounds happy even though it’s a sad song. I have tried lowering my tone, but I think a certain charm can be found in my tone. I have changed my mind to try to bring out the positive aspects (of it).”

Dont worry, Dara. We really, really like your voice in the OST!

Here’s hoping for more Sandara Park solos in the future!


Introducing, Malaysia’s First Female Traffic Police Team

When all else fails, perhaps try a softer approach. This saying holds true especially for our country’s traffic police team as an all-woman enforcement team had just been introduced.

First reported by The Star Online, the new team, comprising of 6 officers, is called “Traffic Women Estimable Enforcement Team” aka Tweet, and it’s the first all-woman traffic patrol team in the country. According to PJ Traffic Police chief Deputy Supt Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif, having an all-female team may improve situations at roadblocks psychologically.

We have had complaints that perhaps male officers were too aggressive or intimidated motorists while some motorists refused to cooperate, even when officers just wanted to give them a warning, rather than a summons. They reacted defensively or tried to instigate officers. This doesn’t lead to very professional enforcement. The women officers can appear less aggressive and easier for motorists to work with.

As such, DSP Mohamad Roy said that hopefully with the softer approach, motorists would respond better to their officers. However, one male officer would be stationed with the women on their rounds in case motorists turn aggressive.

Insp Hariati Hamdan, who leads the team of 6, said the plan with Tweet seemed to be working thus far. “Some motorists were surprised that we were all women. However, they seemed more open to admit their offences and talk with us,” she said while manning a roadblock along Persiaran Tropicana yesterday.

To be perfectly honest, most Malaysian drivers would’ve once or twice come across seemingly rude and aggressive male officers at late night road blocks. Or broad daylight road blocks, even. So perhaps, like DSP Mohamad Roy suggests, this would help motorists be less defensive when they come face-to-face with a female officer. Of course, this also opens up opportunities for female officers who find themselves stuck with administrative work and don’t get the chance to be out in the field.

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#InsideOut: Pixar Releases New Clips For Upcoming Movie

The littles voices in your head, they’re really your emotions.

As we’ve previously announced, Pixar has released a new movie titled “Inside Out”, a film that ventures inside the mind of humans reacting to emotional impulses.

Following the release of the “Inside Out” trailer, Disney’s Pixar Animation Studio has released two new clips which centres on five emotions inside the mind of a girl named Riley.

Taken place almost entirely inside the mind of young Riley, the two new clips follow her personified emotions as she struggles to adapt to the new aura in San Francisco.

Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Riley and everyone else are guided by their emotions, Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The personified emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters, when Sadness accidentally causes herself and Joy to get lost within the rest of Riley’s Mind. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the remaining emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school, while Joy and Sadness trek through the rest of Riley’s Mind (including “Imagination Land” and “Dream Productions”), the latter slowly discovering the bright side of life.

The first clip kicks off with Disgust (voiced by Mindy Kaling) and Anger (voiced by Lewis Black) as Riley’s father tries to feed the child greens.

While the second clips features Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) and Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith) attempt to find their way through long-term memory.

Known for his work on “Up” and “Monster.Inc”, Pete Docter will take the role to direct alongside Ronnie del Carmen who will co-direct. The producer for this film will be Jonas Rivera.

“Inside Out” will hit theatres on 19th June.

For more on “Inside Out”, visit the movie’s Facebook page.


#TheHeirs: 2013’s Hit K-Drama Picked Up To Be Remade Into A Movie In China

Remember back in 2013 when K-Drama “The Heirs” was the talk of the town the world? Remember how you anxiously waited for a new episode week after week because it was that good? Well, we’ve got awesome news for you! “The Heirs” ain’t over yet, not really.

Starring the hottest Hallyu stars such as Park Shin Hye, Lee Min Ho, Kim Woo Bin, CNBlue drummer Kang Min Hyuk, f(x) member Krystal Jung, and ZE:A member Park Hyung Sik, “The Heirs” was such an instant hit that it saw immediate international success, particularly in China.

The series follows a group of rich, privileged, and elite high school students as they are groomed to take over their families’ business empires. These wealthy students seem to have everything under control, except their love lives.

Kim Tan (played by Lee Min Ho) is a handsome and wealthy heir to a large Korean conglomerate who is sent to study abroad in the US. But in reality, it’s a form of exile, as his elder half-brother back home, Kim Won (played by Choi Jin Hyuk) schemes to take over the family business. While in the US, Kim Tan bumps into Cha Eun-sang (played by Park Shin Hye), who has arrived from Korea in search of her older sister who claims that she is in need of money for her wedding. When Kim Tan’s fiancée, Rachel Yoo (played by Kim Ji Won), arrives to bring him back to Korea, his heart is torn between love and duty.

Both Eun-sang and Kim Tan return to Korea. Slowly, he finds himself falling for her, later realising that she’s the daughter of his family’s mute housekeeper.

Meanwhile, Rachel’s future stepbrother and Kim Tan’s former best friend, Choi Young Do (played by Kim Woo Bin) (who also go to the same school as Kim Tan and Eun-sang) starts falling for Eun-sang as well. Troubles arise as the heirs realise the differences between money and the real world and they soon learn what love is.

And now, we hear that the K-Drama was so popular in China that it has been picked up to be remade into both a drama and a movie! According to akp, a Chinese media outlet reported on Friday (22nd January) that “The Heirs”, which was already confirmed for a drama remake, will now be coming to the big screen as well. The report further stated that the same writer who created the original drama will be taking on the movie script.

Alas, we know nothing else about the remake because the production crew are pretty tight-lipped about other details. We do know that the script is currently being prepared so it won’t be long before we get our hands on more updates about the cast and more importantly, the release date.

By the way, we totally ship this couple from the original “The Heirs”:

Keep checking back with us for more details :)

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Sultan Johor Wants Johor Prince TMJ To Track Down This Parody Singer

Throughout this prolonged MCO period, it’s evident that a lot of Malaysians are getting more and more creative in their own various ways. Among those who managed to catch the attention of the public include this TikToker/IG user known as @azmannaim44mantra (real name Azman Naim).

After becoming viral for his Hari Raya-themed parody song last year, the 36-year-old recently dropped a new song titled “My Sejahtera Way” (a cover of Frank Sinatra’s hit “My Way”). Interestingly enough, this person also caught the eyes of the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and also Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Idris!

In a post uploaded by TMJ on his Instagram Story, the Johor Prince revealed that he has been ordered by his father, the Johor Sultan, to find the owner of the social media account. “Does anyone know this man? Where can I find him? His Royal Highness had asked me to look for him. First class. Legend,” TMJ remarked. Not only that, TMJ even reposted the full clip of the song on his official Instagram.

Upon realising that he’s currently being sought by the royal family, Azman then took to his Facebook page to share his reaction to the post shared by the founder of the Johor Darul Ta’zim football club. He responded by thanking both His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim as well as the Crown Prince of Johor for showing their love to his recent song cover.

For the uninitiated, Azman’s uniqueness and creativity has been the talk of the town among local netizens ever since the beginning of the MCO period. This is because the lyrics used by him in most of his songs are, more often than not, relatable with the current issues happening in our country.

Up till this day, the father to two is still active in coming up with song covers and parodies on his social media pages.


#PSBTour: #PetShopBoys Brings The House Down With An Electrifying Concert

It was trippy but nonetheless it was a night well spent with the Pet Shop Boys who recently performed in Malaysia for their “Electric” concert tour!

Previously, the UK-based electronic pop duo toured across the world to perform but Malaysia was not included in their tour. Thus, the “Electric Tour Live in Malaysia” was a dream come true for fans as they’ve waited for so long for them to come here.

So, it came as no surprise when the whole stadium was quickly filled up with enthusiastic fans who came to enjoy their once-in-a-lifetime concert experience with the Pet Shop Boys. In fact, the audience was a mix of the older generation of Pet Shop Boys’ fans and the younger generation who enjoyed the duo’s 80s influence!

As expected, the concert opened with a rather trippy welcoming video that had the whole stadium screaming with excitement. Despite performing for the first time in Malaysia, the UK-based electronic pop duo effectively brought the house down as soon as they came on stage!

With the help of visual presentations and dancers, the duo kicked off their electrifying concert with the song “Axis” off their new “Electric” album. The duo introduced themselves briefly in Bahasa Malaysia as well before proceeding to perform another 15 songs with a few breaks in between.

Throughout the entire performance, Neil Tennant the lead singer made it a point to move around the stage a bit to interact with the fans while he was performing. Although Keyboardist Chris Lowe mostly hid his eyes from the crowd with his uber-cool shades, he did have his very own moment where he got all the spotlight for his keyboard solo.

Most concert goers already knew about their extravagant performances but for those who weren’t, they might’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Pet Shop Boys’ showmanship! From a bull’s headgear to a disco ball headgear and even the bright fluorescent outfits, the duo pulled off some of the weirdest costumes alongside the dancers!

But we can hardly call that as a surprise because it was something we had expected from a Pet Shop Boys’ concert. That being said, there wasn’t a single dull moment despite knowing the “surprises” that we were in for! The production crew made clever use of props and lights, especially during the performances for “Love Etc”. It was funny but it was fresh and creative when the duo propped up in the giant beds that stood vertically on stage.

On numerous occasions, the crowd sang along to some of the greatest hits including “West End Girls”, “It’s A Sin”, and “Domino Dancing”. However, all things must come to end as the duo left the stage after they performed Elvis Presley’s classic, “Always On My Mind”.

The crowd chanted for an encore session and requested them to perform some of their classics. Plus, Pet Shop Boys’ concert will be incomplete without performing Village People’s “Go West”!

And so, the duo finally came back on stage for the encore session and this time around, Tennant followed the Malay tradition and wore a tengkolok. The crowd went totally crazy again as they performed their cover version of “Go West”. Ultimately, this just further proved that this was the song that everyone was waiting for the entire time.

The duo successfully wrapped up their concert with their last song “Vocal”, which is a hit single from their “Electric” album. We must say, “Vocal” is definitely our kind of music as it incorporated the EDM style that everyone can really appreciate. Can we call it an old-school rave?

Electric Pet Shop Boys Live 2014 Full Track List:

It was truly a exhilarating performance from Pet Shop Boys and the crowd was such a sporting crowd. We weren’t kidding when we said some of them came dressed up in their most frivolous outfits, all in the name of connecting with the duo! Even until the very last minute of their concert, the crowd was still very much ecstatic as the duo turned the stadium into a dance floor with their encore session.

Special thanks to AMC Live Group for bringing the band who created a memorable night for us!

Don’t forget to check out our Facebook album for more pictures! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter for more live updates! :)

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#JeddahTower: The World’s Tallest Building Is, Oh, Only About One Kilometer High

As you all may know, The Burj Khalifa in Dubai currently holds the title of world’s tallest building. But that will change come 2018.

The same architects that worked on The Burj Khalifa are now looking to trump it with a new project known as the “Jeddah Tower” in Saudi Arabia. When completed, the “Jeddah Tower” aka “Kingdom tower”, will be at least 3,280 feet tall. To put that into perspective, The Burj Khalifa stands at 2,716 feet tall.

And to put that into deeper perspective, this means that the “Jeddah Tower” will be the first tower in the world to reach a full kilometer.

Just in case you think that we’re making this up, The Guardian actually wrote about this earlier this year and this week, the Saudi government announced that USD2.2 billion in funding had been secured to build Jeddah City, including the tower.

Designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, construction up to the 26th floor of the “Jeddah Tower” has already been completed. When completed, the USD1.23 billion project will have 200 floors that will be used for offices, apartments, and a Four Seasons hotel. It will also overlook the Red Sea, which posed engineering challenges due to the nearby saltwater and high wind levels.

Watch the crazy video below and keep a lookout for the garden-skydeck-like thing:

Doesn’t it look like a needle piercing the Saudi Arabian sky? Would you go up there?


5 Horrifying Facts About The UK’s Most Famous Pedophile In Netflix’s Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story

If sexual predators like Bill Cosby have taught us anything, is that we should never judge a book by its cover. You never know what dark intentions could be hiding in the hearts of men and women. Even supposed philantropist and religious leaders like Ebit Lew have been accused of sexual harrassment. Then there’s the UK’s Jimmy Savile. A famous radio host and TV personality. A man so beloved by the people that the very thought of him doing anything to harm anyone would be inconceivable. He ran a show called “Jim’ll Fix It” where he would get guests, often children, on board and make their wishes come true. At some point, this guy was even given a bloody knighthood!

When he passed in 2011 though, the world started to take a closer look at his life. What they discovered will chill you to the bone. Get ready as we uncover some of the most heart-wrenching and disgusting facts about the serial rapist Jimmy Savile as shown in Netflix’s “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story”.

Rarely do you ever hear of people who say they enjoy school. What more the girls from the Duncroft Approved School? A school that housed troubled and wayward girls from around the UK. That being said, they always looked forward to whenever Jimmy came about. Part of his charity efforts was apparently visiting Duncroft and hanging out the girls there, cheering them up and encouraging them. Sadly, this was far from the truth.

As of today, we know that there were at least 46 sexual offences in Duncroft that were associated with Jimmy. He was accused of rape and sexual assault by his victims over the span of his 16 visits to the school. He was even allowed to do disgusting things to these poor girls in the principal’s office! Right now, you might be wondering: Why wasn’t anything done about this? The principal of the school, Mrs Jones claims to have known nothing about it. Which is a little hard to believe seeing that he was allowed to roam the premises and had even stayed overnight. One former student described Duncroft as a pedophile sweet shop.

When you’re a celebrity, it’s certainly expected that you’d have friends in high places. Jimmy, however, was friends with one of the UK’s most famous leaders, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Through his many charitable works, he was connected to the prime minister. She even made an appearance on his TV show “Jim’ll Fix It”. She was there to make a young girl’s dream come true of escorting the Iron Lady herself. They wrote frequently to each other in letters. She also invited him to the prime minister’s residences in Chequers. Needless to say, she was rather close to the TV host.

Much like the scandal between U.S. President Donald Trump and infamous sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, her relationship with Jimmy is one that certainly raises eyebrows. Was the head of government truly fooled by Jimmy’s charismatic personality? Or was she secretly aware of her friend’s perverted predilections? We’ll never know for sure.

As time went on, victims, journalists and whistleblowers began trying to bring Jimmy to justice. The police never acted on the information given seeing that there wasn’t enough evidence to justify an investigation. Then again…a lot of them were quite fond of Jimmy and were in his Friday Morning Club. They even shared details of some of the reports lodged against him. Police corruption is nothing new for sure but this was on another level. Jimmy wasn’t some politician or minister. He was just an odd lad who cracked jokes with the cops.

Someone wrote a letter to the police imploring them to look into Jimmy. No report was ever filed. There’s even rumours of an inspector who did his bidding! Some victims were even advised to drop the case, lest their reputation be open to public scrutiny. For the longest time, Jimmy was free to do as he pleased with the law on his side.

The public had known Jimmy for his work in hospitals. It was inspiring to many how this uber-famous celebrity would spend his time cheering up the sick patients and staff workers in local hospitals. He raised millions of dollars in charities to support these institutions. He was also a porter who frequently ferried patients around a hospital in Leeds. He had connections with over 50 different hospitals and children’s homes. Sadly there were also his hunting ground.

Reports came out that he had sexually assaulted over 60 staff and patients from various medical institutions. The youngest victim was a mere 5-year-old! This monster used his power and status to go after sick, defenseless patients and staff members who worked tirelessly to help them. Nobody likes a trip to the hospital but with Jimmy around…it was nothing short of a nightmare.

It was no secret that Jimmy was a practicing Catholic. He was known to attend a church in Leeds quite often. When we think of places of worship, we think of them as safe havens. A sanctuary away from the evils of the outside world. For Samantha Brown, though, Jimmy made every trip a living hell for her. For over the span of four years, he would molest and grope Samantha. She was at least 11 years old when he began assaulting her.

He went so far as to penetrate her within the church. Samantha was so traumatised by the years of assault that she hid under cupboards when she was in school. To think that the man who met the freaking Pope would do such an awful thing in a church. There was no line that Jimmy would not cross.

For those looking to get the full picture of how Jimmy Savile got away with his many, many crimes, you can now catch “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story” on Netflix today!

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Hype’s Exclusive: Sidney Samson Shares New Music & Record Label Plans

Sidney Samson, the man who brought you “Riverside” made his return to Kuala Lumpur on 9th April (Thursday) as part of his Asia tour. Samson, who was in town only for a night, took over Gravity Club KL performed to a sold out crowd, giving fans some much needed midweek fun.

Having come a long since the release of “Riverside” in 2009, Samson was last in Kuala Lumpur in 2013 for Future Music Festival Asia. We caught up with him this time around to find out what he’s been up to and what his plans are for the near future.

Hello! Thank you, it’s great to be back in KL.

You started out as a hip-hop DJ before switching over to the EDM scene. What prompted the genre switch?

I still do hip-hop actually. The funny thing is, I switched into house music because I thought it was more fun to be playing house music instead of hip-hop. The crowd is happier, it’s really more fun, and the scene is much bigger. I don’t know many hip-hop artistes who travel the world, unlike DJs. But now, things are changing, things are going back a little bit to hip-hop, trap, and moombahton. I’m really happy about that because that’s what I love. So nowadays, I don’t just play EDM, I play a mixture of dance with hip-hop and trap so it’s great.

Given that you mentioned that the scene is going back a little to hip-hop and trap, are you working on anything new at the moment?

Oh yes, yes. I’m staring a new label called Artificial Recordings and the songs I’m going to release on that is mainly trap music. I’ve recently released new song with Far East Movement called “Bang It To The Curb” and I also worked on “Whiplash” which is also another new track with Far East Movement. The music that I’m going to be releasing are more in the hip-hop, trap genre. It’s something people are expecting from me but it’s not out yet. I’ll be releasing a few more this year.

Will an album or EP be accompanying the release of your new music?

It’s hard to say (laughs). Sometimes I feel like releasing just singles but sometimes I’m also in the mood to work on an EP. It really depends on how I feel because sometimes when you release a song, it gets so big that leads to it being a single. And sometimes if you release 4 songs in a row, you’ve got to tie together to be in an EP so it depends.

On the subject of new music, if you could collaborate with a Top 40 artiste, who would it be?

Beyoncé. I just want to be the first DJ to collaborate with her but the collaboration won’t be in the house music genre. It’ll be a hip-hop and trap sound. I really want to work with Beyoncé and hopefully, I will soon.

Oh, you should! You were last in Malaysia in 2013 for Future Music Festival Asia. What do you remember most about that show and what do you love most about Malaysia?

Yes, 2013. Oh, I remember there being a lot of Grey Goose (laughs). Wow, that was 2 years ago. You know what? The crowd here is always so energetic and they always want to party and I love being here. KL is one of the first Asian countries I played at and it will always hold a special place in my heart. What I always remember from KL, is this restaurant where you can eat on the banana leaf. It’s one of my favourites in the world (laughs). But yeah, those are some of the things I love most about KL – the people, the food, the support.

As someone who started deejaying at a very young age and who travels and plays a lot of live shows, how do you adapt to the crowd and decide what to play?

For me it’s second nature. I listen to the DJ before me and see how the crowd reacts. Sometimes, I try new things like I start with EDM then I play a little bit of hip-hop and when no one reacts, I know that I have to switch back to EDM. If it works, then I play a little bit of hip-hop, say maybe 10-15 minutes then I go back to EDM. I will never play a set with only one style of music. I always mix things up.

That’s cool. What do you love most about the dance music community?

It’s a really positive scene. Not the least bit violent. It’s not like back in the days where you had people shooting each other in the hip-hop scene. There are never things like that in the dance scene. Sure, there are some drug related incidents but those are the people’s choice, it has nothing to do with the music. Also, all the DJs, we’re all friends and we’re all trying to make it in the industry so we’re always helping each other. It’s a happy scene and I’m a positive guy so yeah.

Looking back at 2014, what would you say was some of the highlights of the year?

2014…(laughs). It’s so hard to think about that because my life moves so fast. I have a couple of gigs in my mind but I’m not sure if it happened last year or this year. I had fun at Tomorrowland, I really enjoyed myself there. Oh and also TomorrowWorld. Gigs at Vegas were fun. Also my gigs at Lavo, New York was brilliant. I always love playing at Lavo. Oh and how can I forget, Tokyo! Tokyo is so special, I played 2 gigs there and I had the best time ever so if I had to pick one, definitely Tokyo.

Last one, if you had to pick, would you rather fight off a dog-sized cockroach or a horse-sized rat?

Oh my lord. What? (laughs). Oh this is tough…(stays silent for a while). I think I’ll go for the rat. Really not a fan of roaches so I’ll go for the rat. Never know, maybe I can teach the rat some things and turn it into a pet (laughs).

Thank you so much Sidney. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you.

We had a blast catching up with Sidney Samson so big thanks to our friends at Gravity Club for organising it for us. We leave you today with a classic, “Riverside” by Sidney Samson.

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CONTEST: Sweet Moments For Mum With GODIVA

Chocolates are for every and any occasion. Anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Easter, good days, bad days, and even Mother’s Day.

And no chocolate manufacturer knows this better than GODIVA Chocolatier.

Founded in Belgium over 80 years ago, GODIVA now owns and operates more than 450 retail boutiques and shops all over the world, selling only the most premium chocolates..oh, the truffles..

..coffee, cocoa, biscuits, dipped fruits and sweets, shakes, ice creams, cakes, so on and so forth. Walk into a GODIVA Chocolatier store anywhere and you’ll instantly drown in luxury. Shapes, sizes, flavours, you name it, they have it.

On a not-so-light note, premium chocolates will of course, come with premium prices. Which explains why most of us don’t include GODIVA chocolates our daily diet. Sad but true. Boo.

Ah! But here’s your chance to score yourself a day of chocolate indulgence (and lots more) with GODIVA Chocolatier!

In conjunction with Mother’s Day in May, you and the Queen of your heart aka “Mummy Dearest” might stand a chance to win an exclusive dining access at GODIVA. And that’s not all. Guests will also be treated to a prep & prime session plus makeover by Benefit cosmetics, GODIVA hampers, door gifts, and premiere movie tickets. Plus, your special moments will be captured by celebrity photographer, Bonnie Yap.

How’s that for an epic Mother’s Day celebration? All you have to do is go here to submit your entry.

For more information, visit Valiram Group’s website or hit up Pavilion KL’s Facebook page.


BLACKPINK’s Lisa: “LALISA” Is A Love Letter To Her Home Country, Thailand

Lalisa Manoban, or short for Lisa (리사), is already breaking records with her solo music. The 24-year-old’s “LALISA” has already surpassed 800k pre-orders, according YG Entertainment.

This is arguably the highest record in the history of any K-pop female soloist. The last time this happened was 16 years ago with BoA’s “Best of Soul” (800k orders) all the way back in 2005. It’s a huge deal not only to Blinks and Lisa stands, but also the K-pop community.

During her press conference earlier this morning (Friday, 10th September), the BLACKPINK member opened up about this new exciting chapter. She said, “I’m happy and excited to be able to show you a new side of me and new music. I’ve been preparing hard for the ‘LALISA’ stage, a stage I can be proud of and one that will be remembered as the best moment, for Blinks who waited a long time.”

“I think ‘LALISA’ is a song that can show the strength and confidence of my name well. The special reason for choosing my name as the album name was that I wanted to capture my coolest appearance. It means that the solo album itself is me,” the K-pop star continued.

When asked about the concept album, Lisa shared, “I put up my bangs for the first time during the jacket shoot because I wanted to show them a new side of me. Fans have never seen me like that either. I made a huge decision to show a new side of me. I want to show that to Blinks like a surprise gift. I’ve worked hard on everything from album work to styling.”

“LALISA” is also a love letter to her home country as it reflects her identity. “I wanted to contain the feeling of Thailand, my home country. We solved it well with Thai choreography and costumes. There is a Thai-style sound in the song. It would be amazing to hear it. It has an unexpected charm. Also I added traditional Thai dance to the part where Thai sounds come out. Please look forward to it,” Lisa added.

As for her B-side “Money”, Lisa commented, “It’s a hip hop song that everyone can enjoy. As soon as I heard it, I really wanted to [be the one to] sing it.”

It’s also heartwarming to see that Lisa’s fellow BLACKPINK bandmates have been by her side throughout the process. “Jennie and Rosé both showed great things [with their solo debuts], so I worked hard to try and show good things as well,” said Lisa. “All the other members came to my music video set to cheer me on, and they stayed with me until the wee hours of the morning. I felt so comforted by their presence.”

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