My previous experience of Urbanscapes at KLPac told me that you won’t have enough time to look at everything that Urbanscapes has to offer. Therefore I pace myself to prepare for a long day and mainly focus on three things that I would want to see, that is the screening of Gadoh, the collaboration set of Deepset with Butoh dance performance, Nyoba Kan and the collaboration set of Damn Dirty Apes and Perezoldskool.

The day starts out with the hot sun grilling us. However festival goers, ourself included were not going to let something like the hot burning sun to stop us from having fun. We walk around the marketplace to check out the plethora of stalls that sells everything from books to dresses.

Nevertheless the sun was too hot and we decide to go inside too cool off and went to the Cinescapes Stage. Up next was Gadoh a 70-minute feature film directed Brenda Danker and Namron. Gadoh is bold, raw, and hits home. A film about hope in the struggle against racism. Gadoh deserved it’s own post review.

The thing I like about watching film screening in events like Urbanscapes as opposed to watching it in a cinema is that people actually clap and applause at the end of the show. With Gadoh, it deserved a standing ovation.

Right after Gadoh, I went to check out the Lawn Stage, just in time for Prema Yin. She give out an energetic performance, but the crowd wasn’t that energetic. Maybe because it’s still hot outside.

As the weather cool down during the evening, 40 Winks gets the crowd going for what to come next. Pop Shuvit, the rap rock band went on after that, a few mosh-pits and crowd surfing started happening. I thought it was cool of them to cover Smooth Criminal as a tribute to Michael Jackson, even though they didn’t quite practice it.

Yuna up next and it’s clear that this little Malaysian indie sweetheart brings in the crown. The Lawn Stage was pack full with everyone wanting to check out Yuna,

More awesome indie bands were up next, but I decide to leave the Lawn Stage and went back to Cinescapes Stage. It was Deepset with Nyoba Kan collaboration set up next. I could see all the other bands perform anytime, there will always be another gig going on, but Deepset an Nyoba Kan on the other hand is not something you could experience often.

Deepset performed their melancholic instrumental soundtrack, while Nyoba Kan Butoh performer, dance around the stage as if he were floating while at the same time freaked me out, especially when he starts to walk around among the audience.

After that we went to grab something to eat before we get back to the Cinescapes Stage for Damn Dirty Apes. This band have been off the radar for quite sometime, I thought they no longer exist.

Damn Dirty Apes is the band that introduced me to post-rock instrumental music, or as they would have called it, Sci-Fi noise. So I was please when I hear about them playing at Urbanscapes. And they were awesome.

It is a collaboration performance with Perezoldskool pumping out visual to accompany Damn Dirty Apes music. Although the visual did accompany the music well, but it’s nothing special other then some visualization with the name Damn Dirty Apes on it, I was expecting something more.

Now if someone were to create anime video to go with Damn Dirty Apes music ala Darft Punk’s series of music video, that would be very cool.

After Damn Dirty Apes, we went back to the Lawn Stage and finish the day with bands like Gerhana Ska Cinta, Couple and Killer Calculateur.

Urbanscapes was a blast, it should be an annual events. It gives the chance for local creative scene of all kinds to showcase their arts.

Check out more pictures on Flickr Photo Set.

You might have remember Guy Ritchie form his awesome cult favorite movie such as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch and RocknRolla. This time his doing something different in his take on the popular mystery novels Sherlock Homes.

The film starts Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock Homes and Jude Law as Dr. Watson.

I went into this movie expecting something different then what was the Terminator Salvation. I had thought that this particular Terminator movie would be different form at rest. I expect it to be an epic war movie between machines and humans, but I was wrong.

What I got was a Terminator movie instead. Just like all the previous terminator movie, Terminator Salvation is still about one machine robot saving his human buddies. Only this time instead of the machines sending killer robots back to hunt Sarah and John Connor, and the Resistance sending someone to protect them, a human machine hybrid was technically send to the future.

Yes, time travel hurts my brain too.

Some how I could see that this Terminator movie might revive or spawn up a new Terminator franchise. This could only just be the beginning. Terminator Salvation took place on 2018, if you still remember the first Terminator movie, it’s on the year 2029 that the machines send back a Terminator unit to hunt down Sarah Connor.

One thing I don’t get is that how does other people seems to know that John Connor will lead them to victory? It had not happened yet. While in the previous Terminator movies it make sense because they came from the future. In the future where John Connor was kicking ass.

There are still question left unanswered. About Kyle Reese, they need to send him back in time so he could meet Sarah Connor. All I can say is that there are still room for yet another Terminator movie.

The movie itself isn’t that bad. Its action scenes were awesome. There are some epic battles against giant badass robots. It’s an action movie where one could just sit back and enjoy. Sam Worthington one the other hand was awesome being the human-machine hybrid kicking some serious metal ass.

Christian Bale also was equally awesome as John Connor. I wish they would show more of John Connor kicking ass fighting swam after swam of machines robots. Then again this is a Terminator movie, so obviously it’s going to be about the sole good machine robots taking one those evil machines. In this case it’s Marcus Wright, Sam Worthington’s character.

Freestyle rap are rap performances with improvised rap lyrics with few or no previously composed lyrics. Of the top of one’s head, rap composition done on the spot.

Freestyle rap battles on the other hand, is a contest in which two or more rappers compete or battles each other using improvised lyrics. Their goal is to ‘diss’ their opponent through cleverly crafted lyrics. In other words, whoever is more creative in insulting their opponent wins. It’s like jousting with poetry.

Freestyle rap battles can take place anywhere, on the streets or on a stage. It is preferable to have live audience during the battles. Each rappers must use their skills to ‘break down’ his or her opponent, while at the same time entertain the audience, proving to them that they are the better rapper.

Although you may have appointed judges for a more formal contest, but I do think that live audience are better. The victor is the one with the best audience response.

You might have seen the scene from Eminem’s movie 8 Mile. Check out this awesome YouTube video of rapper Jin battling Verse.

Part 1: Verse starts out first, throwing weak lyrics at Jin, testing him maybe. Then again Jin starts hitting it hard.

Part 2: Verse starts to fight back, and things starts to heat up between Jin and Verse.

Part 3: Clearly Jin took this one home. Verse was good but Jin is actually funny in his lyrics.

You might also want to check this freestyle rap battles between Tom Green and Xzibit. Tom owns Xzibit in this one.

Xfm will be taking over The Lawn by bringing in top indie acts such as 40 Winks, Pesawat, Pop Shuvit, Telebury, Yuna, Nao, Pure Vibracion, Gerhana Ska Cinta, Couple, and Killeur Calculateur. There should be more acts, special showcase voted by Xfresh listeners.

The Box on the other hand features Non-stop live DJs and acoustic music, with open mic session and performances by Rendra Zawawi, Rashdan Harith, Zalila Lee, The Sofa Session, Orange Free State, O-Two, Lovesick Avenue, Khottal, The Fridays, Fono Terence C.

If that’s not enough, check out The Cinescapes Stage where music and sound meets motion and video. I think that Damn Dirty Apes collaborating with Perezoldskool is going to me epic. Plus the session with Deepset and Nyoba Kan.

You might also want to chill out over at The Sunset Disco, with The WKND showcase featuring Shahridir & Nizam P, Tenderfist, The Dearly Missed, Furniture. The dance you heart out with top DJ acts from Mixing In Action, John Fishdot, Twilight Actiongirl, and Mailer Deamon.

For indie film fans, rejoice! Indicine at Urbanscapes 2009 will bring together short films from various communities screened throughout the day. INDICINE is a collection of short films from Filmmakers Anonymous aka FA, Freedom Film Fest by KOMAS, Dan Huang Pictures and KLue’s Popcorn & Soda will also curating some shorts as well.

All that and more, as there will be a Marketplace, Exhibitions and Street Performances.

The one night only performance by Envy brought to you from Soundscape Records will be at the Bentley Music Auditorium on 11 July 2009. Tickets prices are RM88 for early bird, before 25th June, RM98 for pre-sale, before 10th July and RM108 at the door. Tickets will go on sale on 11th June at all Rock Corner outlets. For advance or email booking, please contact us at ticketing@soundscape-records.com

Local supporting acts are Love Me Butch and Deng Deng Etc.

Check out this YouTube video: -

Not much information yet on the movie except that all the old cast is back, both Ekin Cheng and Aaron Kwok respectively reprise their roles as Wind and Cloud, who this time find themselves up against Lord Godless who apparently is some badass that can makes sword fly.

Check out the trailer.

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This time Storm Warriors is directed by the Pang Brothers, who are notorious for Bangkok Dangerous. I’m not really a fan of Bangkok Dangerous, but I’m pretty sure Storm Warriors are in good hands.

I’ve download and watch almost all of the talks on my iPod. If this is your first time hearing about TED, I suggest you visit its website and check out videos of the talks. Free to watch.

TEDx on the other hand, is an independently organized TED events. While it’s not really an official TED event, it shares the same spirit with TED.

In the spirit of “Ideas Worth Spreading,” TEDx is a program that enables schools, businesses, libraries or just groups of friends to enjoy a TED-like experience through events they themselves organize, design and host.

TEDxKualaLumpur is the first TEDx event here in Kuala Lumpur, it will be held on 3rd June 2009 (tomorrow!) at Plug and Play Technology Garden, Mid Valley City. Sorry for the late notice, as it just came to our attention.

I’ll try to make it there. I’ve always wanted to go to the TED conference, I guess this is the best I can get, for now.

• Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre – Box office (03-4047 9000) (10.30am – 6.30pm (non-show days) / 10.30am – 8.3pm (show days)) Presale @ RM25 per ticket
• Borders Bookstores @ The Gardens, The Curve and Berjaya Times Square – Special Borders promotion: Get a pair of Urbanscapes tickets for only RM45 (RM5 savings!)
• Zouk Club KL – Ticketing counter (10pm – 3am) (03-2171 1997 for enquiries) Presale @ RM25 per ticket

Check out the official website for more information.

The vocal seems to be very low, then again this is still a work in progress. Hopefully in 2 or 3 weeks time this song will be epic.

Caprice might just be the hardest working local indie hip-hop artist that I know of. He has his own recording company and he is all over the social media. Check him out at the official YouTube channel, YouTube.com/CapriceTV, hit him up at MySpace or write on his wall at Facebook.

If you haven’t heard of him, you might have heard of “Dem Girls” on the radio. Caprice is also the one who introduces me to Sofia Legend, in his track “Fantasy Girls”. Who is Sofia Legend? I suggest you google her yourself, I promise you wont be disappointed.

Dem Girls video:

Fantasy Girls video: