November is a bumper crop of music festivals for us! Other than this weekend's #FPSSL and Camp Symmetry, we've got Urbanscapes 2013 to look forward to near the end of the month. In our weekly Urbanscapes Special, we interview the regional bands to find out what they're up to and let them run wild with their responses. This week, we're featuring the likes of avant-garde singer-songwriter The Venopian Solitude, jazz fusion artiste Bihzhu and the immensely-sized indie pop collective Khottal. Read on good people!

The Venopian Solitude

Which day are you playing on? 

I don’t know. They’re being all secretive and what not. I tried hacking into their site, but ended up being rerouted to a Pakistan server and hacked Google.com.my instead. Aha no. Probably a Saturday. Or a Sunday. OR DOOMSDAY WE’LL NEVER KNOW.

*Note from Urbanscapes PR: The Venopian Solitude will be playing on Saturday 23 November at The Woods stage.

How are you preparing for Urbanscapes 2013?

I have been rolling in the deep - sorry, ditch - sorry, bed and eating like an incinerator, if incinerators behave like living beings. In the meantime, I go back and forth between multiverses, which mostly exist in my subconscious. And to be honest, I’m a champion at procrastination so we (the band mates and I) are not going to start practising until most probably a week before.

What are you personally looking forward to at Urbanscapes?

Finishing the set so I can stop feeling like pooping and peeing, and running away from home due to the pressure of performing at a frigging huge festival. And They Will Kill Us All. And Pitahati. OH AND BIHZHU. And Red Hong Yi. Actually everyone. And BEING OUTSIDE AFTER DUSK BECAUSE MA NEVER LETS ME OUT AT NIGHT AHAHAHAHAHA.

Tell us about your most memorable moment from a music festival.

The first and only festival I’ve been to throughout my 22-plus years of living was this year’s Good Vibes Festival (because my mother’s frequent advice is “anak dara tak elok keluar malam”). That time I had a legit excuse (which was 'free tickets') and the second I heard Kyoto Protocol playing their set from the entrance gates, I was running like an idiot (it was like what, 500 meters of running downhill and across the plains? God knows..) towards their stage. And dancing again like an idiot. All the more because I came alone. Yes, alone. Foreverfriggingalone.jpg. But it was Kyoto Protocol and damn they were good, so I didn’t care. I only wished I'd memorised every song of theirs beforehand. Well, at least now I’m half-prepared.

What can people expect from your Urbanscapes set?

They can expect me to mess up as per usual, because I have a superpower of messing things up, but because this will be the second time I will be performing with a full band, and my band mates are a bloody talented bunch of human beings. At least my mistakes won’t be much of a sore thumb - and I am rambling - but basically something that they would be annoyed with because I would suddenly scream like a lunatic out of the blue. At least that’s what I’m aiming for. World Annoyance.

As the saying goes, don’t expect too much or you’ll be disappointed. Gitu. (Like that)

List five songs you'd put inside a "Festival Songs" Mixtape!

Why five? Why are you doing this to me? I’m a hipster. I hate conformity. I’m doing six.

Janelle Monáe – Tightrope
Julia Nunes – Stay Awake
Kimbra – Limbo
Kimya Dawson – Zero or a Zillion (feat. Aesop Rock)
HAIM – The Wire
Nina Simone – L’il Liza Jane

Yes I’m a feminist. DEAL WITH IT.

Bihzhu

Which day are you playing on?

I’ll be playing on Sunday 24 November.

How are you preparing for Urbanscapes 2013?

I am annoying all my neighbours and their cats with copious amounts of vocal exercises. That, and downing as much laughter as I can… it’s helping to cure my stressitis.

What are you personally looking forward to at Urbanscapes?

I’m trying to go with no expectations and I highly expect to be happily surprised.

Tell us about your most memorable moment from a music festival.

I played recently in Bogor, Indonesia and it was memorable personally because it taught me many things about myself, and that I can cultivate more of my inner Zen, even when it’s chaotic on the outer.

What can people expect from your Urbanscapes set?

Just a whole lotta heart.

List five songs you'd put inside a "Festival Songs" Mixtape! 

How bout five songs I would LIKE to hear more in festivals?
1. Odessa Rose - Hummed Low
2. Anna Chong - Blue
3. Fat Freddy’s Drop - Roady
4. Laura Mvula - She
5. Asmidar - Langit Biru 

Khottal

Which day are you playing on? 

No idea. We haven’t gotten our schedule yet. But come both days anyway? :D 

*Note from Urbanscapes PR: Khottal will be playing on Saturday 23 November at The Commons stage.

How are you preparing for Urbanscapes 2013?

After the amazing experiences we had at the previous Urbanscapes, we are in full-fledged preparation mode to head back to the festival again. We are doing all the typical things the bands always do except a few members were spotted doing b-boy/breakdance moves during rehearsal breaks. We’re a huge band already as it is… if we start incorporating dance moves onstage… hmmm…. 

What are you personally looking forward to at Urbanscapes?

Apart from the bands (Urbanscapes has a pretty cool lineup this year; they’re bringing Efterklang!!!!), we would love to check out what’s Nyoba Kan got this year. Plus the out-of-this-world creative, Fairuz Sulaiman. Not really sure what Kontak! is about, but we bet they will bring some cool artsy goodness. Oh, and Actorlympics too – Afdlin Shauki is on the bill this year, man. 

Tell us about your most memorable moment from a music festival.

Heard someone shout, "Hey, I'm Indonesian and I love you guys!" during our set at Mosaic Music Festival in Singapore. That was really nice.

What can people expect from your Urbanscapes set?

We predict a handful of fresh new tunes will be brutally thrashed during our set... 

List five songs you'd put inside a "Festival Songs" Mixtape! 

They would be Arcade Fire's ‘Wake Up’, Midlake's ‘The Balloon Maker’, Blur's ‘Tender’, British Sea Power's ‘Waving Flags’ and New Order's ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’.

Urbanscapes 2013
MAEPS, Serdang

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