OAG (band)

OAG
OAG performing at KL IndieFest.
Background information
Origin	Kuching and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Genres	Alternative rock, Indie rock
Years active	1992–present
Members	Muhammad Radhi Razali – vocals Nizam – guitar Nazrin Zabidi – bass guitar Izmer Khasbullah – keyboard Mohd Azzam Che Manir – drums

OAG, also spelled O@G, also known as Old Automatic Garbage or Orang Asia Genius,^[1] is a Malaysian pop and alternative rock band. The band, formed in 1992, was one of the first English language alternative rock bands in Malaysia to get huge attention from mainstream music listeners. The current line-up of the band are Muhammad Radhi Razali (vocals), Mohd Azzam Che Manir (drums), Muhamad Nizam (guitar), Nazrin Zabidi (bass guitar), and Izmer Khasbullah (keyboard).

History

Debut,67 EP and Melody Mocker (1994–99)

The original line-up of the band were Radhi, Qi(drums), Mohd Azrie Hadi aka Ayie(guitar), Ivan(lead guitar) and Lam(bass guitar). Ivan and Lam were replaced after they returned to his studies by Edmund Boey (bass guitar) and Adin (lead guitar)in 1996. Radhi, Qi, Edmund and Adin have been arguably dubbed 'the Classic OAG line-up' by many. Their big break came when Paul Moss, the producer from Positive Tone at that time heard their music and wanted them to send a new demo. OAG quickly recorded their demos within a few weeks (some say within a week) to submit it to Paul. Paul was impressed with the tape and signed the band up under Positive Tone. Gradually the band picked up a respectable number of fans in the country. They went on to win the Best New Artist category in the Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) (Malaysian Music Awards) in 1996 and their first videoclip, 60's TV, was also nominated for the Best Video Clip category.^[2] The clip was directed by Brad Hogarth. They release and EP title 67 contain six song before their second album coming out.When Positive Tone released OAG's Old Automatic Garbage album in December 1994, no one was expecting that the group of four teenage boys who describe their music as "60s Crunchy Pop Fuzz" would open a new chapter in local English music. The 11-song album backed by the national hit '60s TV' not only became the biggest ever English hit, it opened the doors for more appreciation towards home-made English music. If not for that album, local English music might still be considered as "underground" if not second class. Old Automatic Garbage went triple-platinum and helped spark off the commercialisation of alternative music into mainstream Malaysia. OAG never looked back since : They wrote and performed the Official 1997 FIFA World Youth Cup song, a song that was also released in 8 European countries. They also participated in a landmark alternative compilation album called Boys & Girls 1+1=3 which introduced other groups like Nice Stupid Playground, IntoXicated, Brodwyn ( later renamed Juliet The Orange ) and a solo act Nita. "Boys * Girls 1+1=3" went platinum. In 1997, OAG released EP 67, an EP that went gold in 3 days. The EP was a landmark and a wonderful experimentation between alternative and dance music. OAG then released Melody Mocker in 1999. The album included a groundbreaking CD-ROM section where fans can not only view the various lyrics, artwork and interviews of the group; they can also re-mix certain OAG audio samples for fun! The CD made it to the 1999 PIKOM-Computimes Finals in the CD-ROM category and also managed to gain a GOLD sales award.

Opera Radhi-o Friendly and Satelit Ink. (2000–04)

Around the year 2000, OAG began making music in the Malay language. Their debut Malay album, Opera Radhi-o Friendly which also includes an English song and a Sarawakian Malay song, was released in 2002. Their single from the album, Slumber, went top of local charts. A year later, they released their second Malay album, Satelit Ink. before they split up. Two of their members, Naza who wrote OAG's hit Akustatik and Alim, left the band to set up another band called The Times. EIGHT YEARS AFTER "60s TV" OAG released Opera Radhi-o Friendly. This time around OAG set their eyes on a bigger goal than just to conquer the English-listening crowd: They expanded their horizons and also attracted the Malay-listening crowd. Opera Radhi-o Friendly has sold over 20,000 units, helped by their ultra-cool animated music video for "Slumber", a song that climbed to the 1 spot on Carta Era. Many were left open-mouthed, astonished at the high level of songwriting and music production found in Satelit Ink, their latest album. If the highly-successful precious album Opera Radhi-o Friendly marked the beginning of a new era for one of the most-loved alternative pop groups in Malaysia, Satelit Ink has confirmed OAG's status as a credible yet commercial indie pop outfit, capable of attracting listeners and ardent fans from all walks of life and of all ages. Their hit "akustatik" is a statement of poetic beauty, excellently guided through with beautiful inter-weaving guitars. In fact, all the tracks on Satelit Ink are just too deliciously wondrous and it is a musical crime to even try to describe the songs here. One just has to listen to the album and be taken away on an incredible musical journey. Close your eyes, let your mind go free and i'll bet that you won't want the music to stop. After former members Naza, Alem and Mon left OAg to form rival band 'The Times', Radhi shopped around to recruit a new line up to form the OAG that we know today. OAG now consists of Radhio on vocals, Fizul on guitars, Nizam also on guitars, Eric on bass and Zul who still remains on drums. OAG has just released their latest studio album OrAnG.

OrAnG (2005–11)

OAG came back with a new line-ups in 2005. Radhi, as the founder of OAG, together with Hafizul Azim, Muhamad Nizam, Azeezul Fitri and Eric Wong, recorded an album, OrAnG which was released in 2006. In July 2007, OAG won the group category in the Ikon Malaysia competition, a competition which features established artistes in Malaysia. The band, together with Jaclyn Victor, the winner of the solo category, went on to represent Malaysia in the regional IKON ASEAN in August 2007, where they did not win.^[3]

A year later they released a single which is a patriotic song entitled Merdayka. The song, which debuted live on the Ikon Malaysia a year earlier is the last song they recorded before OAG going on hiatus in 2009. While Radhi went solo and released a single Infiniti using the stage name Radhi-O, the rest of the band members set a new band called OrAnG which is the same name with OAG's album released in 2006. No new materials is released by OrAnG however. This is the period when Radhi is known nationwide for controversies of his unstable marriage and his fight against drugs addiction.

Present line-ups (2012)

In 2012, Radhi recruited new 'musicians' for OAG. The new 'musicians' as he called them are students of Aswara. They are Mohd Azzam Che Manir (drums), Muhamad Nizam (guitar), Nazrin Zabidi (bass guitar), and Izmer Khasbullah (keyboard). Radhi defines OAG's new music as aslinatif, a combination of muzik asli or traditional music and alternative. Just after a short period of time they are together, a soundtrack and theme song of a TV series, Friday I'm in Love which carries the same title was released. Few other singles like Si Pengasih Muda, Di Bawah Tanah Ayer and Ambisi are set to be released soon and also a full studio album coming afterwards.

The band is well known for breaking the mainstream music ideology of Malay rock and pop and pushing the alternative genre and underground spirit into commercial media such as radio and television. The 60's TV videoclip was a landmark success in a new direction of music video for the country, and becomes one of the most recognisable songs ever in indie/underground circuits (next to Butterfingers' Nicotine and Vio-Pipe).

Although the band's recognition would bring fourth numerous newer bands into the spotlight, the music industry has changed little and no improvement has been deemed worthy of the countries name (either through musical breakthrough, videography or achievement awards).

However, during the early period of their career, they were known to be booed at underground gigs for having 'mainstream' appeal with teenyboppers and girls as their fans.

Discography

References

External links

• OAG official website
• More information from espnstar.com
• Profile from IKON Malaysia