fono
Run by local music collective Public School, fono is a music-focused community space. Their regular programming consists of listening parties offering diverse music genres that are often overlooked by most, from Jamaican dub reggae to African disco, Malay funk to other Southeast Asian rarities, and beyond; always, without fail, crossing continents to select only the very best.
Amongst the local heroes and friends from the region, fono also hosted visiting acts from far like jazz keyboardist & songwriter Kamaal Williams (UK), LA’s experimental hip hop Low End Theory affiliate Free The Robot (USA), Awesome Tapes From Africa (USA) who DJs with only cassette tapes from Africa, and the ever so knowledgeable (and entertaining!) music selector Nabihah Iqbal (UK) of NTS and BBC fame. Every now and then, they also collaborate with other organisations or collectives to throw live music nights, film screenings, and workshops.
They’re only open during scheduled events but if you’re around, say hi to the highly passionate crew — Uzair, Rudy, Rizki, and Yugo. Need an icebreaker? Start by asking about their vintage audiophile sound system. Make sure to follow their Instagram so you can keep a tab on what’s happening on the top floor of The Zhongshan Building on weekends because trust us, you’d want to be at fono and not have serious FOMO.
Open during events or by appointment only.
TANDANG RECORDS STORE
Like Bogus Merchandise, Tandang Record Store originally hailed from legendary punk house Rumah Api at their previous premise in Ampang before moving to The Zhongshan Building. Their spirit and ethos is fundamentally punk, but their record store stocks a wide variety of musical genres across CDs, cassettes, and vinyls; with latest releases and secondhand classics; from the Nusantara and beyond. Upon entering, you’ll also see a rack of band merch, music zines, and books.
On any given day, you’ll find the founders, Wan and Alak, manning the store and hanging out with longtime friends and collaborators from the local and international punk underground. Some nights, they throw gigs that are notorious for lasting until opening time the next day.
KANID STUDIO
Tucked in a Harry Potter-esque door under the stairway, Kanid Studio is the Kuala Lumpur home to Sarawak-born, part-Kelabit musician, activist, and storyteller, Alena Murang.
Learning from her Kelabit and Kenyah elders, Alena sings, dances, and plays the sape', a traditional lute instrument, making her one of the first and few female sape' players. Through her music, art, and occasional production and TV work, she strives to tell the stories of the people and environment of Borneo, particularly of the Orang Ulu, Kenyah, Kelabit, and Penan people of Sarawak.
On top of that, she also engages in research, documentation, and language and cultural preservation. She has been featured on Nat Geo People, Asian Nikkei Review, NPR Radio, BBC Radio 2, Discovery Channel, and more.