Young violinist strikes sweet melodies with 'Sugary' release

While many musicians are reluctant to dip their feet into a recording market that rarely delivers financial returns, young violinist Martin Looi is backing himself with the release of his upcoming EP (extended play), “Sugary”.

Due to being featured on Spotify and all online music platforms today, it is a five-track release which he believes is a blend of classical technique with contemporary hip-hop and pop influences.

“I intend for this album to be a gift to my listeners and supporters. However, I do have something else in the works so stay tuned,” said Looi, 24.

Of Chinese-Portugese parentage, he hails from Malacca and has been playing the violin since he was five. Looi said he is confident that he can distinguish himself in this genre even though the tracks are instrumental.

“The way I play the violin is very similar to singing, so I think the violin melody in my tracks could easily be interchangeable with vocals.

“Traditionally, you would associate the violin with classical music but I intend to change that view by incorporating the violin in a not-so-typical context like pop, hip hop, R&B and Latin music,” he said.

Looi also said that the likes of Nigel Kennedy, Vanessa-Mae and Maxim were his inspirations with their classical crossovers.

“Listening to them is what inspired me to work at mastering my craft. My mom was the one who introduced me to Vanessa-Mae when I was a little kid.

“I used to imitate her and other contemporary violinists like Lindsay Sterling and Ara Malikian. They have all contributed to my development as a violinist,” he added.

Sugary features three original compositions and two covers, including renditions of “Seven” by Jung Kook and “Nonsense” by Sabrina Carpenter, with each given his personal stamp.

Musical background

As a student, Looi performed in Perth with the University of Western Australia orchestra in 2013.

After school, he attended the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney, Australia, and graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Engineering.

He has already worked as a studio musician for the likes of Aubrey Suwito, Joe Flizzow, Vince Chong and Jaclyn Victor and “Sugary” is his second EP after “Maddy”, which came out in March 2022.

“I left to pursue my studies with the intention of coming back to Malaysia. I’m a proud Malaysian and I think Malaysia has many underrated talented artistes.

“I’ve collaborated with some of them but there are many more that I would like to work with, hopefully in the near future,” said Looi.

He also confesses to a passion for fashion and enjoys cooking.

“I also enjoy working out at the gym, which helps me stay in good shape since I enjoy food a lot. Plus, a healthy body is a healthy mind, so I kill two birds with one stone.”

Looi also dedicates at least one hour a day to practise and advises budding musicians to always keep working at their craft.

“Stay humble, practice, practice and practice. Learning an instrument takes a lot of patience and many people have a dream of going pro but do not make it to a professional level due to the lack of perseverance.

“Practising does not only bring you closer to mastery, it also develops the confidence you will need to put out your music and share it with the world,” said Looi.

Social issues

In addition to music, he also believes in speaking out on social issues.

“I believe press freedom is very important because it’s crucial that accurate information is being shared without being influenced or manipulated by any power and people should be able to think for themselves based on the unbiased information presented.

“I also think education reform is important in a sense that (our modules) should be updated regularly since the world is constantly changing and evolving, though the language which they are taught in should stay the same,” he said.

Looi lauded moves to end the death penalty in Malaysia, saying he believed that no matter how bad the crime was, nobody has the right to end another’s life.

“I think it’s an inhumane, outdated punishment,” said Looi.

He also emphasised the need for environmental activism, saying that he was proud that Malacca is Malaysia’s very first smoking-free city and the government was introducing initiatives to reduce pollution such as introducing “No Plastic Bag Day” on Fridays and Saturdays in all shopping malls and supermarkets.

“We have one Earth and we should take care of it,” he added.

Looi also called for more tolerance when it came to LGBTQ rights.

“At the end of the day, we are all the same, we all want to be accepted and loved for who we are. Love is love, spread more love. Simple,” he said.

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