Armed with a camera and a burning spirit, Cipoi opened the door into the Malaysian rock scene through his lenses over the years, from a small stage to a large-scale music party experience that reached more than a decade. He was just a wanderer with a camera that became to be the official photographer of most bands or music festivals. It’s a special breakthrough and even inspiring for those who have the same dream. Cipoi shared a bit of insight about what headbangers fan can expect from his recently published book titled, ‘Sedekad Rock ‘n’ Roll’, this book is not just a collection of photos, it is a 10 years archive of Malaysian rock music industry documentation.
Tell us more about how you started the book idea?
“It started by accident back in 2016. I saw old photos from 2007 then, I just realized that I’ve taken photos for around 7 years then I began toying with the idea of having a book like a decade from 2006 to 2016 of my music photography collection. With the help of a few friends I managed to have a publisher for my book who is Guerilla, they believed in my project.”
What’s the inspiration for curating a local rock and roll documentary book?
“I’ve never seen any music photography book of the Malaysian music scene, so I started that idea since I’ve always love to collect international photographer’s photobooks for references.”
What excites you about the rock and roll that got you into the photography scene?
“I have always been a big fan of Malaysia underground music way before I took photographs. It is always the appeal of having a sense of belonging in terms of music, the attitude or the style during that time. Even most of my friends are into all kind of music such as metal, hardcore or rock songs. we always go to gigs and concerts since my high school days. So when I took photography, the route I took was specifically music photography. After a few tries of taking pictures at gigs, I was instantly hooked. The intensity and the atmosphere during the gig and concert really attached to me. My target would always be for people to feel ‘Damn, I missed a great show’ when they see my photos and is also for musicians/artist in the independent scene to have a good profile photo. A good photo or profile of the bands would certainly appeal to fans.”
What’s the main highlight or special features of the book you’d like the readers to take notice of?
“The book is a photography archive of Malaysian musicians including international bands that have performed in Malaysia. You can expect tour stories of Malaysian bands. There is also a write up about my own experiences, tips on photography and personal stories. Some musicians and fans contributed their thoughts on some of the photos in the book. The book is memories of my photo journey through my lens. I’m proud to have captured the badass attitude that Malaysian musicians have.”
What’s the key to taking pics of the artist’s fast movements on stage?
“Fast movement during a set is always challenging. Try to embrace the movements by using a rear sync flash. I’m sure you’ll be amazed by the outcome. Just try and enjoy the shoot, the best photos always happen when I really enjoy the show.”
What camera gears are suitable for you when capturing rock events?
“Personally, any camera is possible but I think a camera that can work with a low light resolution would be better. I still know some friends that shoot with old film cameras for gigs and still manage to get a good shot. As long as you know your camera capability, you can roughly know how and when to shoot. For lenses, I prefer prime lens in all my shoots, and I keep changing it to different settings to try and capture the subject.”
After a decade, what do you think about the rock and roll progression in the Malaysian scene?
“After a decade, its good to see some artist/bands from my photo collection blown up in the scene but some have already stopped. For me, it’s a steady progression with ups and down. To be fair, there’s always gigs and shows every single week, especially in KL. There are fewer choices of event spaces for gigs and there are fewer people organizing shows outside of KL. I just hope that there will always be more collective teams that are hungry/passionate young kids to organize shows and have a roster of good bands to keep the independent music scene alive. This is the way to keep on going to get music fans supporting the local scene. Then, it will be a healthy cycle.”
‘Sedekad Rock n Roll’ book is available on Instagram: @ahmadcipoi and @sedekadrocknroll for only RM40. Photos courtesy of @artherockshow.
