Music Conference Asia (MC Asia) 2013 is back for its 5th year to celebrate global electronic music in Malaysia!

Apart from the amazing local acts hand-picked to perform, last year's instalment brought us international acts such as the legendary Dash Berlin, Richard Durand, Jerome Isma-ae and Julie Thompson on LIVE PA!

My awesome party-ravers and I at last year's MC Asia 2012!

Music Conference ASIA is an event unlike any other music festivals.

It fuses both education/knowledge in the music industry as well as a grand after party with some of the world’s most respectable talents and trendsetters from the dance music scene worldwide!

WHAT Music Conference ASIA 2013 – A Global Electronic Music Celebration

WHEN 27 April 2013, Saturday @ (time to be confirmed)

WHERE Sepang International Circuit: Welcome Center

HOW MUCH RM109 (early bird) & RM129 (pre-sale) AirAsiaRedTix (VIP tickets to be announced!)

[This ticket includes both admission to the conference event & the rave party]

With thousands of fans gathered over the past years, Music Conference ASIA has united revellers from around Malaysia and also the Asia neighboring countries under one unison rhythm.

Now, in its 5th edition, Music Conference ASIA continues to inspire the future with the introduction of a fresh new look – an interpretation of unity, along with the birth of its official festival stage – Global Sound System. 

During the day: Music Conference ASIA

Music Conference ASIA will continue its tradition as a pivotal platform for the advancement of electronic music industry in Malaysia, and also the region.

With the highlights on: Keynote Interview, Workshop Session and Masterclass, Music Conference ASIA will bring together international delegates such as prominent electronic music artists and producers, technologist from the music industry, media and enthusiasts to explore more on the current trends of electronic music.

(Topics and schedule will be announced prior to the event date.)

During the night: GLOBAL SOUND SYSTEM

The brainchild of Global Sound Masters, purveyor of Music Conference ASIA, brings a new flavor to the local music festival.

For a perfect build up electronic music journey, the night focuses on a fully intense audiovisual adventure with top of the class, legendary electronic music acts and  flared with high pulsating beats to rev the crowd, along with state-of-the-art lighting and sound production.

Music Conference ASIA marks new milestone on its 5th edition with the birth of its brand new official festival stage – GLOBAL SOUND SYSTEM.

The highlight of the event will be featuring many talented international DJ spinning right here on our Malaysian soil.

For the first wave of line-up announcements, here are the details!

Brian Transeau (BT)

BT is a highly reputable Grammy-nominated music producer, platinum-selling artist, film composer and technologist from the USA.

Dubbed as “MacGyver of electronica” by Wired magazine, he has consistently been crafting dance-floor destroyers and has since received massive support from prominent DJs around the world. 

Ranked at #5 of America’s Best DJ of 2012, BT will be dishing out his enigmatic electronica sounds at the forefront of the Global Sound System stage action! 

Judge Jules

Voted #1 DJ by Mixmag reader’s poll and charted in DJ Mag Top 100, the legendary DJ, producer, well-known radio presenter and the brain behind Ibiza’s busiest night – Judgement Sundays, Judge Jules will return to our shores for a musical bedlam. 

His DJ sets are the epitome of what DJing is about; passion and crowd-connection, amazing tunes and a set of hands capable of the most nimble of mixing.

A high profile radio personality of the then Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and now internationally-syndicated Global Warm Up show, this British talent is set to drop bombs at Global Sound System stage. 

Alex Kenji

One of house music's latest and hottest property from Italy, Alex Kenji exploded on to the scene in 2011. He will be taking over the Global Sound System stage to belt out his infectious blend of an impeccable house selection ranging from bouncy Italo house to tech sound style. 

His breakthrough chart-topping hit ‘Pressure’ has scored Best Progressive Track at the 2012 International Dance Music Awards and became a #1 track on Beatport Top 100. This adds to his other chart success ‘Get Funky’ nominated as Best House Track in the 2012 Beatport Awards. 

Sitting under the global spotlight with over 100 releases, don’t miss this overwhelming talent!

There are only three announced DJs for now, but more will be announced in due time!

Stay tuned 

With a huge vibe for the upcoming Music Conference Asia and Global Sound System, I can already forsee another huge electronic music festival to look forward to this year!

Here are some photos from last year's Music Conference Asia 2012 :

My buddies & I on our journey to Sepang for MC Asia 2012

We are…

Ready!

We arrived early at the scene

Jerome Isma-ae on the decks!

It was my first time listening to his tracks. He was really good!

BuddyPam and I raved the night away!
 

Julie Thompson singing LIVE for us!

I've always only heard her on DJ's tracks, but not a LIVE performance! 

Happy ravers!

Richard Durand takes the stage!

Look at him go!

Konzy and I dropping sweatbombs!

And guess who was the final act of Music Conference Asia 2012?

It's trance-meister Dash Berlin from the Netherlands!

Such an honour to have the World #7 DJ-Producer perform here in Malaysia!

I've always loved his tracks – for a long time now!

And so did several thousands of other fellow partygoers

Final photo before the four of us left!

But here's your chance not to miss this year's edition! 

Yes yes I have not forgotten about this finale post I promised 😀
 

Here are the prequels – Part 1 & Part 2 and now finally, the closure!
 

Pretty timely, if I do say so myself. Hiak hiak hiak. 'Cos we're featured in The Star newspaper recently!

  Jason and I got a byline for our photographs too!
 

On the final day, Ian, Ivy and I accompanied the BRATs to Satu Suku Surf School. This is one of the only properly established surf schools in Malaysia. No joke about that, for behind these walls are the coaching grounds to Malaysia's #1 Surfer! 😀
 

Satu Suku Surf School!
 

The school is usually very busy with ongoing lessons and whatnot on certain months of the year, when the tide is high, wind speed and especially when the monsoon season isn't looming with danger.

But when we went, it was closed due to the heavy storms and monsoon winds approaching
 

But these fine young fellows opened up the school just for today's session!
 

(READ: Just for us) 😀
 

They were very accommodating and informative! Thankfully, the BRATs didn't have a hard time interviewing the boys.
 

Explaining the basics of surfing and how they begun
 

The BRATs even got a chance to know how surfboards are made and which were the ones most surfers prefer in terms of ergonomics and aerodynamics :D In Satu Suku, Billabong is their main sponsor!
 

Learning in progress! Do. Not. Disturb.
 

The boys shared simple tips, tricks and their signature moves as well!
 

Wah so engrossed with your work! *claps*
 

Meet Muhammad Daud, affectionately known to all as Mamat!
 

Such boyish coy looks 😀 Awwwwwwww.
 

Mamat just outside Satu Suku's porch
 

Soon, we decided to continue the session on the beach instead. The seaside view looks so much better on video! Plus, the lighting is  waaaayy better too. Don't they look so much better in their element?
 

Surfboards, skin tight surf suits and the sea
That what makes a surfboy!
 

Sharing session continues! 😀

One of the best parts of today was that both Mamat and Shukri loves being in the center of attention! 🙂 They really seem to enjoy being interviewed, even sharing light moments with us along the way.
 

Malaysia's #1 Surfer lookin' all regal atop his "throne"! 😀
 

He lived in Australia for a good number of years training himself surfing

and even came back with a slight Aussie accent!
 

When he was looking all relaxed and calm here, check out the opposite side of the table 😀
 

Behind every news story, a dedicated team of workers is at it with sweat and toil!
 

While they were at it, the seniors and faciliators were just making sure everything runs smoothly and the recording equipments were well taken care off. We gotta make sure the BRATs are on the right track in getting to their angle of the story and whatnot too!
 

Towards the end, *inserts random camwhore moment*

Tinted the piccie with a slight tinge of yellow for an old school feel
 

It began to rain midway! 

Yet the BRATs wanted to finish their session first!
 

Come rain or shine, the show must go on

Gotta cap the camcorder lest it gets drenched with rainwater

Finished the final bits of the interview and that's a wrap!
 

Camwhoring with Mamat under the rain

omg my hair looks so damp and flat 🙁 🙁
 

Alls well ends well. Aside from a good story, I'm sure we've got pretty fond memories of these 2 beach boys!

For they were nothing short of an amazing duo of good fun, information and humour!
 

Back at the hotel meeting room, they worked on their news materials before the presentation the next day 🙂
 

They all did a pretty swell job, as a result of the 4 whole days at this young journalists camp.
 

FINAL DAY!

credits go to the BRATs who put up the pictures they took with me on Facebook 🙂

I stole! I stole!

On a random note, I find this BRAT below very cute!

Doesn't she look adorable? Her name is Kimberly & has a nickname of wasabi or somethin' liddat 

Oh lots of you have been asking me about my godawesome BB casing & cover 😛
 

it's all dressed up by www.blackberryhousing.blogspot.com

Have fun shopping for your BB's wardrobe!
 

Right before we all adjourned back to KL in The Star van, we somehow HAD to stop by beach again for some McD lunch!

Oreo McFlurrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyy is love
 

Hey hey all! 😀

Yes, I'm in a land foreign to me. Though I ain't proud to say that I've never stepped foot in Kuantan, Pahang before (it's the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia) I am, in every sense of the word, a tourist in my own country this time round. 😀

But first, here's a pretty sight to see along the North-South highway en route to Pahang!

Yup, it was a faint rainbow somewhere in the distance

After a slight drizzle 😀

Being a first timer in Kuantan, one can't help but to stare in amazement at the HUGE street signs along the roads!

Prolly meant for the short sighted or elderly people. But then again, there can't be that much senior citizens in Kuantan to warrant them ALL huge signages, right? *ponders*

My point exactly.

I swear they are 3 times the size of normal road signs of all the other states of Malaysia!

And well, their moralistic roadsigns can mess up the minds of the guilty!
 

Translated from Bahasa Malaysia :
 

Don't you feel guilty? Throwing rubbish out of your vehicles?

So after settling down in the hotel with The Star R.AGE team, off we headed to Pak Su (Soon) Restaurant.

It's quite a popular foodie outlet for fresh and top-notch seafood! 😀

Don't exactly remember what we ordered, but there were definitely fish, crabs, prawns, bean curds, squids and so much more on the table!

Ian and I before the food arrived 😀

Ooohhhhhhh glorious baby coconuts!

Yes I know we can get them in any part of Malaysia, as they grow in abundance!

But STILL. 😛

Honestly, the pincers of that crab served was enormous 😀

So can you imagine the SIZE of the entire crustacean!?

After a hearty (and rather pricey) dinner, we all adjourned to Teluk Chempedak for some supper by the beach

Totally loved the concept of the McDonalds there!

Very homely and al-fresco style 😀

Beaches are love. Ain't it?

Strolling by the beach. But all alone? 😛

Prince charming, where art thou?

Camwhored a wee bit with the rest of the Senior BRATs 🙂

Leon and Andrea 😀

Jason and I

It was pretty good fun though! With the R.AGE team chillaxing by the beach, with sand in between our toes and enjoying the salty breeze blowing softly our way.

Guess this is all the relaxation we need before handling a bunch of BRATs (40 teenagers to be exact!!) for 4 days starting tomorrow morning.

Love my room though. It's spacious, comfy and has ample lighting!

Oh, and we bunked in at M.S Garden Hotel, Kuantan if you were wondering

Had a long day! We took them all around Kuantan to the fishing villages with salty Fish processing factories, batik making factories and Keropok Lekor production houses! For the non-Malaysians, those are the local delicacies and important heritages of Kuantan

But more of that soon okay? In the meantime, here's a lil sneak peak!

The group of hyperactive and inquisitive BRATs which I accompanied to the Batik making factory

Check out their batik print  – the BRATs logo!