Day job - music director for a Malay radio station (select and scheduled songs, maintain library, formulate policies, etc ). Guitarwise - I've been playing guitar seriously for 34 years. I've been a songwriter, recording and performing artiste with the guitar since 1991, so 30 years. My former bands were Fractured Skull, Manifest and Urbankarma. Right now, I've been doing an extreme music project called Chugga Ritual since 2008. I have 18 releases ( EPs and singles ) on bandcamp.com. Chugga Ritual is also available on major streaming platforms. I am also starting other projects like Orkes Biar Batik ( keronchong with distortion ) , Sungei Seletar Blues Experience ( fictional 70s rock ) and Sarbat Bloody Sarbat ( An Ozzy-era Black Sabbath tribute jam )
PLAYING STYLE
For Chugga Ritual music, I experiment with extreme downtuning : B, A or even G, F# on a six-strings guitar which I only string with 4 strings following ' the gospel of Max Cavalera of Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy/ex-Sepultura '. I'm a riffer and chugging metal guy with roots in 80s thrash metal . I also like industrial noise and punk rock guitar. However I also do play less insane forms of guitar music like 70s and 80s hard rock/heavy metal, some faux-keronchong on my son's guitarlele and also classic 80s Malay rock songs. I can play leads to save my life and can do fast sloppy solos and sloppy whammy bar tricks but I don't see myself as a shredder lead guitar player type.
My sound - mainly distortion, heavy, chunky, crunchy riddim.
Inspired me ? - a lot. From Rick Springfield, Andy Taylor of Duran Duran when I was like in primary school, to riffmasters like Tony Iommi, Dino Cazares, Max Cavalera to guitar heroes like Marc Rizzo, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen to Malay Rock legends like Khalid Mobin and Joe Wings, and to guys who like to do weird effect noises like Tom Morello and Munky n Head of Korn. I'm also inspired by guitar players with killer showmanship like the Machine Head guitarists of 1994 to 1997, Robb Flynn and Logan Mader, and also Gary Moore.
Warm up routine - CHUGG CHUGG CHUGG random riffs.
favourite exercise - playing classic Malay Rock solos.
MAIN GUITARS
Main Chugga Ritual guitar is an Explorer shaped custom, made by a company in Solo, Indonesia called BatikSoul. I had it made in 2012. Best guitar for extreme downtuning. My wife, Kynora, co-financed the built.
Other than that I play a Jackson Dinky with Floyd Rose whammy bar, a 7-strings LTD Eclipse and a Gibson SG Standard mostly at home. The Jackson and the LTD Eclipse were gifts from my wife. The Gibson SG Standard was gifted by my father-in-law.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
I don't have a special equipment. Just equipment that I primarily use for different purposes. For recording, I mainly use the Amped CB-4 plugin by ML Sound Lab. At home, my favourite piece of gear for home playing is my Boss Katana Mini micro amp that runs on 6 AA batteries. My favourite guitar pick is the Dunlop Tortex Sharp 0.88 mm, the green colour one with the sharp end. Dino Cazares of Fear Factory uses the same pick. Strings for tuning to B and lower , no specific brand but I use a 0.56 to 0.12 gauge. I almost forgot, I also use the Zoom MS50G multi stompbox pedal a lot for noise gate and the pitch shifter simulator to digitally downtune the B tuned guitar to A or G or F#.
OTHER LOCAL GUITARISTS/BASSISTS YOU FIND INTERESTING
Randolf Arriola is interesting because he is very skilled in his use of looping. Live-looping is an art and a science, it is not easy.
Paul Danial, I have a lot of respect for him. Versatile, virtoustic, extremely skillful and musical. Can riff, can shred, can play relax music. He has been doing since forever.
Haji Mohamed Sharif bin Sujak, my father-in-law. A legend in his own right among ICA/Custom circles coz he performed in many of his workplace events during his service. He was like their Richie Blackmore. He is in his mid-60s now but he still plays guitar as a serious hobby. He has like 10 or probably more electric guitars at home, all Fender, Gibson, PRS, etc, all expensive ones. He plays very tastefully, very neat and accurate and has a deep knowledge about things guitar-related. Always a good time talking guitars, amps and pedals with him and always a nice thing to see when he teaches my sons about guitar.
Aydrean Kasyief bin Burhanudin, my second son. He is the guitar hero of my family and the best part is what he plays is not my type of guitar playing. He is an old soul in the body of a teenager. It is very interesting and inspiring to see him play jazz-sounding chords. He can do many things and already has a great deal of knowledge about things guitar related at 13. I cannot even hold certain chord shapes but what he does, he amazes me because most of it is self-taught. He is into The Shadows, The Beatles, The Quest and also indie bands like Kugiran Masdo, Hujan, Kruangbin and The Pinholes. His tastes in things guitar related are the total polar opposite of me, and I find that very cool.
PHOTO ABOVE
PLAYING STYLE
For Chugga Ritual music, I experiment with extreme downtuning : B, A or even G, F# on a six-strings guitar which I only string with 4 strings following ' the gospel of Max Cavalera of Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy/ex-Sepultura '. I'm a riffer and chugging metal guy with roots in 80s thrash metal . I also like industrial noise and punk rock guitar. However I also do play less insane forms of guitar music like 70s and 80s hard rock/heavy metal, some faux-keronchong on my son's guitarlele and also classic 80s Malay rock songs. I can play leads to save my life and can do fast sloppy solos and sloppy whammy bar tricks but I don't see myself as a shredder lead guitar player type.
My sound - mainly distortion, heavy, chunky, crunchy riddim.
Inspired me ? - a lot. From Rick Springfield, Andy Taylor of Duran Duran when I was like in primary school, to riffmasters like Tony Iommi, Dino Cazares, Max Cavalera to guitar heroes like Marc Rizzo, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen to Malay Rock legends like Khalid Mobin and Joe Wings, and to guys who like to do weird effect noises like Tom Morello and Munky n Head of Korn. I'm also inspired by guitar players with killer showmanship like the Machine Head guitarists of 1994 to 1997, Robb Flynn and Logan Mader, and also Gary Moore.
Warm up routine - CHUGG CHUGG CHUGG random riffs.
favourite exercise - playing classic Malay Rock solos.
MAIN GUITARS
Main Chugga Ritual guitar is an Explorer shaped custom, made by a company in Solo, Indonesia called BatikSoul. I had it made in 2012. Best guitar for extreme downtuning. My wife, Kynora, co-financed the built.
Other than that I play a Jackson Dinky with Floyd Rose whammy bar, a 7-strings LTD Eclipse and a Gibson SG Standard mostly at home. The Jackson and the LTD Eclipse were gifts from my wife. The Gibson SG Standard was gifted by my father-in-law.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
I don't have a special equipment. Just equipment that I primarily use for different purposes. For recording, I mainly use the Amped CB-4 plugin by ML Sound Lab. At home, my favourite piece of gear for home playing is my Boss Katana Mini micro amp that runs on 6 AA batteries. My favourite guitar pick is the Dunlop Tortex Sharp 0.88 mm, the green colour one with the sharp end. Dino Cazares of Fear Factory uses the same pick. Strings for tuning to B and lower , no specific brand but I use a 0.56 to 0.12 gauge. I almost forgot, I also use the Zoom MS50G multi stompbox pedal a lot for noise gate and the pitch shifter simulator to digitally downtune the B tuned guitar to A or G or F#.
OTHER LOCAL GUITARISTS/BASSISTS YOU FIND INTERESTING
Randolf Arriola is interesting because he is very skilled in his use of looping. Live-looping is an art and a science, it is not easy.
Paul Danial, I have a lot of respect for him. Versatile, virtoustic, extremely skillful and musical. Can riff, can shred, can play relax music. He has been doing since forever.
Haji Mohamed Sharif bin Sujak, my father-in-law. A legend in his own right among ICA/Custom circles coz he performed in many of his workplace events during his service. He was like their Richie Blackmore. He is in his mid-60s now but he still plays guitar as a serious hobby. He has like 10 or probably more electric guitars at home, all Fender, Gibson, PRS, etc, all expensive ones. He plays very tastefully, very neat and accurate and has a deep knowledge about things guitar-related. Always a good time talking guitars, amps and pedals with him and always a nice thing to see when he teaches my sons about guitar.
Aydrean Kasyief bin Burhanudin, my second son. He is the guitar hero of my family and the best part is what he plays is not my type of guitar playing. He is an old soul in the body of a teenager. It is very interesting and inspiring to see him play jazz-sounding chords. He can do many things and already has a great deal of knowledge about things guitar related at 13. I cannot even hold certain chord shapes but what he does, he amazes me because most of it is self-taught. He is into The Shadows, The Beatles, The Quest and also indie bands like Kugiran Masdo, Hujan, Kruangbin and The Pinholes. His tastes in things guitar related are the total polar opposite of me, and I find that very cool.
PHOTO ABOVE
Custom-built Aydrean Explorer made by BatikSoul of Solo, Indonesia. The main guitar for Chugga Ritual recordings and live shows