so after many hurdles and delays, finally we kicked off our 2nd album's production!

it has been a year since we last had our kick-off meeting and it is so exciting to be able to do another album of 2v1g! it is going to be another memorable chapter in our lives!

the committee, with our new "V", sheena lim, met today to discuss several things, chief of all is the songs selection for the 2nd album.

we have shortlisted 15 songs and the girls are going to have a practice with my producer by the end of the month to finalize the songs. we also would like roger to consider doing one solo as a bonus track.

the economic climate is very bad now but with less competition, we are sure 2v1g will shine!

all we can say is that all the songs we chose have very strong characters. compared to last album, which is ballad-centric, this time we have more mid-tempo songs and more power ballads.

overall, the melody is very strong and it has got plenty of variety.

we wish to launch it by end of july.... god willing.

we certainly are excited!

tho' the search for the missing V (voice) is still ongoing, roger wang and winnie ho, are marching on with full vigor to keep the 2v1g flame alive!

2v1g sans regine tai, is gonna be performing tomorrow and on sunday at cd rama music fair "don't stop the music" at 1-utama old wing concourse. details of the public performances:

saturday, 28th march 2009 - 8-9pm
sunday, 29th march 2009 - 12 noon -1pm

besides, there are plenty of discounted cds for the bargain hunters!

the results are out from interglobal, our distributor in malaysia!

for the year of 2008, 2v1g ranks 2nd in terms of sales, slightly behind all-time best seller, emi fujita camomile!

hooroy for such a feat!

[interglobal top 20 audiophile chart for 2008]

1. Emi Fujita - Camomile Best Audio (igmj 60019)

2. 2V1G (mtp20081)

3. Best Audiophile Voices (PR 27831)

4. Susan Wong - Like You (evsa023s)

5. Nah Youn Sun (igm-009-2)

6. jaja - i love you (hori-0003-2)

7. Stacey Kent - Collection 3 (PR27892)

8. Connie Talbot - Over The Rainbow (evsa029)

9. Kevin Kern – More Than Words Best Of (RM2602)

10. Audiophile voices (pr27905)

11. Emi Fujita - Camomile Classics (PMDJ 10004)

12. Audiophile Female Voices (pr27921)

13. Simply Love (simplycd010)

14. Susan Wong - Best Of (rm120)

15. Eriko Ishihara (pmdi 30114)

16. Audiophile Male Voices (pr27933)

17. Takahiro Miyazaki - Nostalgia (pmdi 30078)

18. Audiophile Female Voices (rm112)

19. HRP7234-2黄红英 ~ 初次尝到寂寞

20. Eva Cassidy - Songbird (G2-10045)

some updates:

[1] after 3 months of searching, we have finally found the elusive jazz vocalist for jz8, our chinese pop/jazz duo! she is a veteran singer with 20 years of singing behind her. not only she sounds sophisticated; she looks sophisticated as well! unlike 2v1g, jz8 will take on a more mature repertoire, reviving some chinese oldies from as far back as the 70's. we are very excited about this project!

[2] barring any unforseen circumstances, we would be launching two albums at next year's KLIAV show. the two albums are respectively 2v1g's long-awaited 2nd album and jz8's debut album. there will be live performances by 2v1g and jz8 like what shanghai bookstore did for the chinese singers (lily chen) a couple of years ago.

[3] my preamp has been sent for repair so there won't be any review for the next few weeks. the ps audio vs furutech duel has to be postponed to next month. preliminary feedback from hifi kaki - who helped me to cook the furutech - has been great so we are really eager to do the friendly shoot-out as soon as possible.

[4] master ken is reviewing the black timber platform (from c&o enterprise) for his meridian cdp. this platform is made of walnut entirely and is 3" thick. i will post a photo of it soon.

[5] the distributor for MIT cables has changed hands. absolute hifi is the new distributor now and hi-way laser is its dealer.

a certain company (obviously with good tastes) has decided to appoint 2v1g to endorse one of its product, which is targeted at discerning adults with refined tastes and who value lifestyle living.

the client chooses 2v1g because they think 2v1g's music is classy and appeals to both the chinese educated as well as the english educated crowd. they also think 2v1g's image is healthy and clean. more importantly, 2v1g is an all-malaysian product!

this is the first time that the client is associated with music in their marketing and branding.

when the time is right, we will reveal the client's name!

the ambience in NBT at the end of the 2nd gig at 12:30am this morning, before we said goodbye to this magnificent stage, was one of unreal peace and serenity. it was a great contrast to the electrifying atmosphere just 2 hours ago. when the lights are switched off and curtain drawn, what is left is fond memories of a great performance that one would cherish forever.

2v1g gave a stellar show on the 2nd night and the most outstanding among the trio, to me, is actually our demure and very emotionally-engaging regine tai. she teased the crowd thoughout with her dimpled smile and sexy aura. eventho' winnie and roger were equally outstanding but my prize goes to regine, especially when she rendered her trademark ballads. she was so intimate and emotive, causing many in the audience to cry along with her.

the first night was great but it was filled with a bit of tension and nerves, and there were mistakes throughout. but the 2nd night, the 2nd night, oh my god, was absolutely fabulous, a near-perfect performance by the 2v1g trio. they were so natural on stage; the chemistry between regine and winnie was so good, as if they have been singing together for ages. i don't have to say much about roger wang because he is god, a guitar god. there were many young guitar players among the audience and they were all speechless after seeing the way roger played his guitar.

my clients who were there on the 2nd night, were all enthralled by such a superlative performance. one actually ushered me to one corner and tell me "i want them to do my show next year".

there were some defining moments on the 2nd night. time stood still and many people cried (yes, they told me) when regine belted out her tear-jerking "tempting hearts", even winnie shed some tears. and when it was winnie's turn to sing "coming home", the last song before the encore, she packed the song with such emotional intensity that the entire audience was totally absorbed and went completely silent. the silence from the crowd during these two songs were deafening - everyone is so engrossed in their performance. and when she ended her last note, the audience was already spent emotionally. such is the power of ballads.

there were so many definite winners in the repertoire. regine's "i have a date with spring" was tailor-made for her. winnie's "lover's tears" & "what a difference a day made" were so good that it won't embarrass the original singers. roger's arrangements and guitar solos in "oblivious time" (cai qin's classic), "getaran jiwa" and "lover's tears" were sublime; it gives me goose bumps everytime i listen to his arrangements. very likely, i will include these few songs in the 2nd album.

there are so many things that amazed me. the girls and even roger were only "good" during the practice but when they went on stage, they were totally transformed and sang like there's no tomorrow. they love the stage and they belong there. roger's focus and concentration are truly amazing; he played a near-perfect performance on the 2nd night. even he admitted that the chemistry within the trio is so rapidly build-up that they already feel like good friends having fun on stage. worthy of mention is how well the girls rendered english numbers; they harmonize beautifully on "you needed me" and "always on my mind". vocal training sessions with mia palencia have certainly paid off handsomely for the girls.

24 hours later, the euphoria of having watched 2 superb performances by 2v1g has somewhat died down and i am back to "normal" life again.

i wouldn't say it was once-in-a-lifetime but it was close to me because they are my babies. i was nervous on the first night because i am afraid that my first-born would screw-up. but after witnessing how they commanded the stage on the second night, i can say that they are ready for the world.

i am so proud of you, 2v1g!

some famous blogger beats me to writing a review on 2v1g's gig last night.

check it out here!

we just finished our first round of rehearsal tonight and i can tell you, 2v1g's maiden gig is gonna be a cracker.

many people, especially roger wang's fans, who bought the 2v1g cd commented they didn't see the true roger wang at play. this is partly true because it was roger's first foray into chinese ballads. he needs time to familiarize himself with this genre.

it is a different story this time. some of his arrangements we heard tonigh are simply gorgeous. song like lover's tears and oblivious time (bei yu wang de shi guang, cai qin's classic) are all given a cool jazz/bossa treatment; they sound totally different and refreshing. we were nodding our heads in total approval of his superb arrangements.

frankly, if you are a mandarin pop lover, you must not be miss this gig. it is gonna be a really good one.

p/s there are still some "staircase" seats left for the two gigs. the seats offer good view of the stage but you have to sit on parquet flooring :-(

the star, after much begging and string-pulling, finally published an article on 2v1g today.

3 months late? better late than never.

They came and they brought a breath of fresh air to conventional Mandarin pop music. Their debut album has earned them endless praises and accolades since its launch 3 months ago.

And now they are going to prove to their fans that they can sing live just as well.

Performing in their first ever gig together, Roger Wang, Regine Tai and Winnie Ho of 2V1G are going to enthrall audiences with a new set of repertoire - Mandarin, English and even Malay numbers - in No Black Tie (NBT) come 7th and 8th of October 2008!

No Black Tie (03-21423737) is the premier jazz club in downtown KL, located at Jalan Mesui, near to Istana Hotel.

Seats are limited by the small capacity of No Black Tie. Admission is RM30.

Please block your calendar now and reserve your seat through yours truly at 012-2083790.

See you at the gig!

AKG "Elle C" microphone in white

• Condenser vocal microphone for female vocalists
• Slender and elegant silhouette
• XLR connector module with 24-carat gold plated pins for optimized connectivity
• 24-carat gold plated transducer case for optimum conductivity and resistance to corrosion and humidity
• Spring steel wire-mesh grill for extreme ruggedness incl. reliable control of pops and wind noise
• Internal elastic suspension

Every musician knows about the very special nature of the female voice. Building on decades of experience in making microphones, AKG has designed a professional vocal microphone with a condenser transducer perfectly tailored to the female voice. The result is called the "Elle C" and delivers an extremely accurate, detailed, and natural sound.

In addition to its superb audio performance, the Elle C also matches the highest aesthetic expectations of performing female vocalists. Its slender, elegant silhouette and special finish in either high-gloss metallic or white pearlescent paint adds an exciting visual dimension to every performance.

budget permitting, we are thinking of buying 2 units of this gorgeous microphone for our 2"V"s for our forthcoming gig in october!

it is incredible that AKG can come up with a mic specially just for female vocalists. i suppose one could extrapolate and go on to produce mics for jazz, classical, rock, pop etc etc.

i wonder if i could replace the internal wiring with stage III cables, and the stock XLR connector with xhadow!

my happiest times come every time i go thru my entire cd collections to look for songs suitable for 2v1g, whether it is for gigs or albums. of course, i have to know whether my two "V"s can sing the songs well in the first place, this i will have to ask my singers' opinion.

i have a special place for damien rice's "o" album in my heart, not the least because of its beautiful haunting ballad "the blower's daughter" (check out the mp3 playlist). damien is a irish singer-songwriter who released the earth-shattering "o" album in 2003. the album is an acoustic gem and is considered as one of the best albums in 2003 by many. it is poetic, melancholic and yet full of hopes. if you have watched the movie "closer" starring jude law, julia roberts, natalie portman and clive owen then you will undoubtedly fall in love with the theme song "the blower's daughter". singapore's tanya chua recently did a live version of the song but her rendition is nowhere near the poetry of damien.

well, 5 years later, i still like the way "o" album sounds in my system. the recording is near audiophile standards. the guitar has a palpable presence. damien's vocals can come across as lonely, melancholic and eerie. the female backing vocals are superb but i was told she has left damien to do her solo album, what a shame for she makes damien's music so special.

if you are late into discovering this gem, don't hesitate, rush down to your nearest record shop!

p/s check out damien live in youtube!
p/s other non-chinese numbers we are doing for the gig include "getaran jiwa", "what a difference a day made" and "quando, quando".

what a stylo pose ;-)

the day we posed for this group photo (after the photo shooting) was the same day that the AKG C12VR mic got stolen.

looking back, the journey was filled with bittersweet memories.

we are now looking forward to the making of the 2nd album with much more confidence.

if i say i didn't expect it, i would be lying. 2v1g has become the best-selling and most talked-about audiophile cd in malaysia and possibly in singapore. and just this morning, i got the latest news from hk that it is chosen as the "CD OF THE MONTH" by the most authoritative hifi magazine in hong kong "AUDIOPHILE" [发烧音响], just how cool can it get?

while i am basking in this glory, i have also moved on to another project, which i conceived last night. i want to create another sensational audiophile act. i have the full plan on my table now and you shall hear more about it in this column.

i am going to invest in 2 pairs of the stage III concepts ASP gryphon, both for my home use as well as the recording studio use. can you imagine the gryphon working in the recording studio? that would be heavenly, wouldn't it? ;-)

many of you may not realize why 2v1g sounds good in many systems. that's because i have a good reference system to monitor the sound. i have also groomed my recording engineer to be a discerning audiophile by exposing him to many first-class recordings, played in my system.

as a malaysian, i am proud that we have created something that has international appeal. 2v1g is a small miracle in the local chinese music industry.

the 2v1g had a rehearsal at my house tonight... it is definitely better than the overly-hyped stage III gryphon ;-)

this is live performance!

watch how amazing roger wang played john lennon's "imagine" (watch the tail end of the song where roger teases with harmonics!). the arrangement is done by his idol, tommy emmanuel!

who would have guessed - 2v1g received an invitation from no black tie (NBT) to perform a gig there in september!

NBT, long regarded as the premier jazz club in downtown kl, is the meeting place for musicians, jazz lovers and casual music lovers who want a classy place for good music. the acoustics there is first class too.

we are delighted! well, we are definitely keen but we have to sit down to discuss with everyone in the team tomorrow night, when we rehearse for our press conference on friday.

2v1g's press conference is going to be held on friday 18th july 2008, at 3pm-4pm at precious old china cafe, central market.

if you happen to be around that area at that time, do drop by and get your remaining autograph from roger wang!

if we do decide to do the gig, hope you guys can come and support ya!