[AS PUBLISHED IN MALAY MAIL]
Being lost is a good place to start
By Jordan Barnes
"HAVE you ever been the last one awake? You know that feeling you get when you have a sleepless night, lying in bed, total clarity."
Those are the words of local singer-songwriter Christian Palencia, 21, who is in Australia recording his latest EP under the rebranded name, The Last One Awake.
A Malaysian audience may be familiar with Christian on two accounts. Firstly, he has been part of the local music scene for some time. His debut EP Adrenaline landed late 2013, accompanying his persona as 'The Barefooted Musician' while performing under the name Christian B. Palencia.
Secondly would be the name. He is the brother of renowned jazz-folk artist, Mia Palencia, who served as an inspiration for Christian from a young age. Such ls the strength of the sibling's abilities that the duet makes for extra pleasant listening.
"If I were to go with something the rest of my life, I wanted it to represent my art - The Lost One Awake."
The man from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, primarily reaches his audience via YouTube as well as gigging and spreading the word on social media. His following totals around the 1000 mark, with standout cover of 90s classic Kiss Me reaping just under 10,000 hits.
Christian has a knack for bringing a song down to a soothing melody, letting it build from the ground up to give it an identity of it's own.
He said his forthcoming album title is being kept under wraps for now, although fans can expect a single soon. While touring Australia last year, he sought out the expertise of sound engineer Al Future who allowed Christian to work long into the night, providing the idea from which the name The Last One Awake derives.
Previously, Christian was the man behind open mic event 'Alter.Native' for local musicians. The witty name goes to show the clever insight this man has to offer, a play on alternative music genre together with the local aspect.
With his sister, Mia, their Sabahan family background is fittingly the topic of many of their songs They first experimented their collaborative prowess during a Storytellers event - a show organised by Christian to feature up-and-coming debutants as well as headliners playing locally.
"We started by doing 'Storytellers'. Our songs were a lot to do with our ancestors and our grandparents - lots of folklore tales."
These shows provided the platform needed to test the waters for live performances. Ultimately, he wanted the crowd to be part of the experience, to bridge the gap between player and listener. His ritual is a four-step process.
"This is my perception of the song. I'm going to play it for you now (plays song). How does it make you feel? Tell me about that story."
Audience interaction is an escalating fundamental for modem day musicians, the reciprocal qualities between performer and listener founded on affability. The performers like to be heard as much as they like to hear the response of those who feel the connection.
It's a pleasing shift away from the dated impression of typical rockstars serving their ego, a shift that brings the stage closer, making the experience of a concert more relative.
It's an approach adopted by many big names of the present pop charts, particularly Ed Sheeran for whom Christian has a lot of love for. California rockers Switchfoot are his biggest inspiration however, a sentiment to the beachside vibe Christian gives off.
A key song for the artist is Never Enough, a breadwinner that grows in every distinction over the five-minute course. The song is performed gently from the off with the delicacy of the singer's complexion revealing itself gradually. The crude-cut sentiment broods and the emotion floods out.
It plays homage to Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter in some ways though the originality of The
Last One Awake is raw, he sings:
"Yes I know this home isn't stone, it's collected hills or sand, the waves they hit, they hit the shore, and soon you're forgotten."
The tale of a broken relationship and lamentation filters through onto other tracks. Half Past the
Hour Glass returns with similar melancholy, though the beating of the box playing with a cheerful strum puts the singer in a brighter disposition.
"I'll hold on tightly so my shadow won't think I'm following, I'll be alright," he recants.
"I'm not ashamed to say that I came out of an extreme depression. Half Past the Hourglass was realising that knowing you are lost Is sometimes a good place to start."
The wordy number demonstrates a side of Christian that balances expression with an intelligent thinker, wiser with experience.
People would be surprised to hear that Never Enough and live punk rock number Hercules were
written about the same girl. It's a lovely contrast to see both ends of the spectrum. It is a song that's been in the family a long time, sister Mia also having performed it, Christian delivers it home with the added trivia of Hercules being his favourite animated character.
"I've always felt in the position of Hercules, as in you always have to go the distance," he
said.
Christian's ambitions remain in check as he plans his return home once more to try out his latest material In the country. He said feeling nervous is essential to live performance. Nerves fail to get the better of him but encourage him to keep trying something new. It gives a more authentic feel to each show.
Bravery, upbeat and a charm to encounter, The Last One Awake will be the artist to look out for in future. His defining mantra as follows: "I'm nervous every time I perform. I think the day you
stop feeling nervous Is the day you should stop performing."
Listen to the tunes at www.thelastoneawake.com or 'The Last One Awake' YouTube channel.
Being lost is a good place to start
By Jordan Barnes
"HAVE you ever been the last one awake? You know that feeling you get when you have a sleepless night, lying in bed, total clarity."
Those are the words of local singer-songwriter Christian Palencia, 21, who is in Australia recording his latest EP under the rebranded name, The Last One Awake.
A Malaysian audience may be familiar with Christian on two accounts. Firstly, he has been part of the local music scene for some time. His debut EP Adrenaline landed late 2013, accompanying his persona as 'The Barefooted Musician' while performing under the name Christian B. Palencia.
Secondly would be the name. He is the brother of renowned jazz-folk artist, Mia Palencia, who served as an inspiration for Christian from a young age. Such ls the strength of the sibling's abilities that the duet makes for extra pleasant listening.
"If I were to go with something the rest of my life, I wanted it to represent my art - The Lost One Awake."
The man from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, primarily reaches his audience via YouTube as well as gigging and spreading the word on social media. His following totals around the 1000 mark, with standout cover of 90s classic Kiss Me reaping just under 10,000 hits.
Christian has a knack for bringing a song down to a soothing melody, letting it build from the ground up to give it an identity of it's own.
He said his forthcoming album title is being kept under wraps for now, although fans can expect a single soon. While touring Australia last year, he sought out the expertise of sound engineer Al Future who allowed Christian to work long into the night, providing the idea from which the name The Last One Awake derives.
Previously, Christian was the man behind open mic event 'Alter.Native' for local musicians. The witty name goes to show the clever insight this man has to offer, a play on alternative music genre together with the local aspect.
With his sister, Mia, their Sabahan family background is fittingly the topic of many of their songs They first experimented their collaborative prowess during a Storytellers event - a show organised by Christian to feature up-and-coming debutants as well as headliners playing locally.
"We started by doing 'Storytellers'. Our songs were a lot to do with our ancestors and our grandparents - lots of folklore tales."
These shows provided the platform needed to test the waters for live performances. Ultimately, he wanted the crowd to be part of the experience, to bridge the gap between player and listener. His ritual is a four-step process.
"This is my perception of the song. I'm going to play it for you now (plays song). How does it make you feel? Tell me about that story."
Audience interaction is an escalating fundamental for modem day musicians, the reciprocal qualities between performer and listener founded on affability. The performers like to be heard as much as they like to hear the response of those who feel the connection.
It's a pleasing shift away from the dated impression of typical rockstars serving their ego, a shift that brings the stage closer, making the experience of a concert more relative.
It's an approach adopted by many big names of the present pop charts, particularly Ed Sheeran for whom Christian has a lot of love for. California rockers Switchfoot are his biggest inspiration however, a sentiment to the beachside vibe Christian gives off.
A key song for the artist is Never Enough, a breadwinner that grows in every distinction over the five-minute course. The song is performed gently from the off with the delicacy of the singer's complexion revealing itself gradually. The crude-cut sentiment broods and the emotion floods out.
It plays homage to Damien Rice's The Blower's Daughter in some ways though the originality of The
Last One Awake is raw, he sings:
"Yes I know this home isn't stone, it's collected hills or sand, the waves they hit, they hit the shore, and soon you're forgotten."
The tale of a broken relationship and lamentation filters through onto other tracks. Half Past the
Hour Glass returns with similar melancholy, though the beating of the box playing with a cheerful strum puts the singer in a brighter disposition.
"I'll hold on tightly so my shadow won't think I'm following, I'll be alright," he recants.
"I'm not ashamed to say that I came out of an extreme depression. Half Past the Hourglass was realising that knowing you are lost Is sometimes a good place to start."
The wordy number demonstrates a side of Christian that balances expression with an intelligent thinker, wiser with experience.
People would be surprised to hear that Never Enough and live punk rock number Hercules were
written about the same girl. It's a lovely contrast to see both ends of the spectrum. It is a song that's been in the family a long time, sister Mia also having performed it, Christian delivers it home with the added trivia of Hercules being his favourite animated character.
"I've always felt in the position of Hercules, as in you always have to go the distance," he
said.
Christian's ambitions remain in check as he plans his return home once more to try out his latest material In the country. He said feeling nervous is essential to live performance. Nerves fail to get the better of him but encourage him to keep trying something new. It gives a more authentic feel to each show.
Bravery, upbeat and a charm to encounter, The Last One Awake will be the artist to look out for in future. His defining mantra as follows: "I'm nervous every time I perform. I think the day you
stop feeling nervous Is the day you should stop performing."
Listen to the tunes at www.thelastoneawake.com or 'The Last One Awake' YouTube channel.
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