The future of Penang's music scene

'Penang is a special island.’ Wee Khee Loh’s words float between my ears like a half-remembered melody. Better known as Samwise, he has been quietly toiling towards his goal – a world-class recording and production facility right here in Penang.

‘I started by doing non-profit work from my bedroom at my parents’ house in 2001,’ he begins. Now, his studio is constantly busy with clients looking to do production work. Glamorous, signed prints of successful clients adorn the studio walls. ‘There is a lot of talent here. There’s a lot of unique diversity. It’s a place of creativity that only needs a chance to flourish,’ he continues.

Wee Khee’s not the first to express that sentiment. An artist and folk-rock musician who has been in the scene for decades, Kien Lim was born in Brighton, UK where he performed for a few decades. He grew up in KL and Penang, where his parents are from. Kien brings a unique perspective to the table. ‘The Penang music scene is a bit more daring,’ he observes. ‘I like what’s happening in Penang. In terms of music and art in general, there is a lot of exciting things occurring.’

A new horizon
In fact, this seems to be a common thread among most of the artists, performers and other creative professionals I meet. They seem buoyed by a cautious optimism, a measured sense of relief that the time has come for this place to ‘boom’.

There is much to be optimistic about. In the last few years, Penang has been completely transformed by arts and literary festivals such as the Georgetown Festival, the Georgetown Literary Festival and the latest addition to the growing list, the Penang World Music Festival. Murals and paintings adorn the streets and walkways of the city centre, pioneered by celebrated Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic.

Arts cafés such as China House are mushrooming all over Penang, featuring mostly Malaysian musicians, in stark contrast to the common practice of hiring Thai, Indonesian or Filipino cover bands.

For many of the Penang artists and creative entrepreneurs, this budding renaissance has been a long time coming and many make it only this far after overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The Road Less Travelled ‘Starting in 2001, I began by doing music composition and arrangement for charity organisations for about five years,’ Wee Khee says. ‘Back then, there weren’t as many opportunities. It paid very little.’ He chuckles. ‘It was an uphill struggle the entire way.

‘At the end of those five years, I was just about ready to give up. I had made very little progress, and although there was some income, it wasn’t very much. At a time when my friends were buying their first house, their first car, or getting married, there I was making almost no money. I’d taken a huge risk, and at the time it seemed like maybe I had made a mistake,’ Wee Khee confides.

Engbok Ang, a former accountant-turned- creative entrepreneur, encountered a similar challenge. Engbok has been working tirelessly to develop the local music scene for more than a decade. He currently manages a recording studio in Ayer Itam called yNot Music Studio.

‘I started composing when I was in secondary school,’ Engbok states. ‘Back in the day, my colleagues and I had a pretty successful creative group and band. We used to perform and organise activities for Penangites. It is not an exaggeration to say that we could fill large venues to the brim. But, times have changed. Where art and culture used to be an integral part of our lifestyle, now original artists are losing out to large music corporations from America, Taiwan and South Korea,’ he says wistfully.