1. Is your stage name trademarked?
Dose Two is not a trademarked name. Neither is Q.Be. Trix on the other hand is a trademarked cereal brand which is half the reason his new moniker is Sayla. And since you’ve mentioned it, we’ve set an appointment with an intellectual property lawyer to put things in motion.
2. What is your music background? (Who are you and your group-members? Tell your story)
Dose Two’s story lies in the love for poetry and music. But the order of things doesn’t undermine the passion we have for both disciplines. Sayla is a student of the piano and an ex-indie rocker whilst Q.Be plays the guitar and has been a student of Hip-hop since day one. We started doing music as a pass-time but the deeper we got into it, the more it became a part of our lifestyle. Hence we had a few shortcomings on the way here, but the journeys been enlightening and we’re using that knowledge now to push ourselves further musically.
3. Who is your fan/customer?
We’d rather use the word ‘listener’ to describe our target audience. And these listeners comprise of level-minded, well-read, intellectual folks. Our brand of music isn’t all the sort of Hip-hop you get from radio stations; ringtone sing-alongs and unparalleled chauvinism. Instead, our cup of coffee is more for a connoisseur of the arts rather than the average Joe. This doesn’t mean we will alienate our ‘fans’ and ‘customers’ because a good album is a well balanced album; it isn’t Hip-hop if you don’t have a message to deliver. Our music stresses on the importance of spoken word and wordplay, and that’s exactly what we’re here to do, to be a voice of the people in different life scenarios. So thus, our audience is the people.
4. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
The album is entitled ‘Ordinary Heroes’. That may land hand to understanding our approach for the songs we’ve written. It’s about everyday things put under a microscope, dissected, studied and reported in the form of rhythm and poetry. It’s our take on the human condition. From songs about an infatuation or a commentary on the local social atmosphere, to a feel-good joint or a track with a political statement, we try to cover themes that are relevant and could be associated by the average Malaysian youth, so don’t expect an album that is all dark and serious, nor a bubblegum pop formula fest. Expect a nice concoction of everything real.
5. Who are your musical influences? (Site specific examples.)
Music is life. To limit this answer would be to limit our life honestly. And in order to answer this question thoroughly, we’d need to write an essay, but since there’s no time for that, here’s the shortlist: Frank Sinatra, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Notorious B.I.G, and Tupac Shakur. Just the tip of the iceberg, mind you.
6. How do you describe your music to people?
Barack Obama with a swingin’ big-band and a Hip-hop producer. Hahaha.
We’re chilled and composed for a minute, then we’ll go neon and mad on the next – both ways, we’re still like Facebook for the ears.
7. What are your long-term career goals and future plans for the group?
To take over the world word by word. Haha.
Dose Two has a 3-4 album blueprint drawn out with all the contingencies to ensure our presence in the world music scene does not subside. We do see ourselves hitting the international market with the 2nd or 3rd album.
As of now, we are finalizing works on Dose Two’s debut album ‘Ordinary Heroes’ to be released this year – penned for the local market. On the side, Sayla is embarking on a solo album and along with the rest of our musical collective ‘Flow Familia’; we’re working on a mix tape entitled ‘Camels in the Sky’, also due this year.
As a production team, we have managed to set up a private recording lab whereby we’ve been requested and commissioned to pen songs, lyrics and beats for other artists. We’re also in talks of setting up a label very soon.
As a collective – ‘Flow Familia’ have also successfully organized and executed our first monthly event at Cloth & Clef; Changkat Bukit Bintang entitled ‘Auscumn!’ We hope to establish the event as a platform for quality Malaysian acts, hip-hop and off other genres, to share and showcase their talents to the rest of the KL crowd – All in a chilled, relax and Sunday evening environment.
witty boys with content?my expectation will be high boys.
That Sunday Awesome event you guys had was hot!