Fifteen-year-old prodigy launches self-produced album

At a time when many of his peers are busy on social media, 15-year-old Jordan Ezra has notched up a remarkable milestone by producing his debut solo album, “Oddity in Duality”.

Produced entirely at home, the album features 10 tracks, all of which he composed, recorded, and produced himself.

As a multi-instrumentalist, he tracked himself recording different instruments at different times to put the album together.

“It is and will always be a very satisfying achievement for me. And when I look back 10 or 20 years from now, I will be able to recollect this first journey of mine working on my debut solo album,” Jordan told Malaysiakini.

He revealed that he began writing some of the songs when he was 12 but kept them on hold until last year when he started learning production techniques.

Inspired by classics

Despite his young age, Jordan is inspired by the music of the 1960s and 70s, particularly bands like the Beach Boys and the Beatles, and his understanding of that era’s music and production techniques greatly influenced his work.

Balancing his studies with his music has been challenging for him.

“It’s a very tough balancing act.

“I put most of my focus on studies and music and discard overindulgence in video games. Apart from my music classes on weekends, I also need to attend tuition for my studies during school nights,” he said.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh officially launched the album yesterday at Drum Asia Live Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur.

“My hope for the youth in this country is to create more opportunities and platforms for them to showcase their creativity through the Youth and Sports Ministry,” she said, adding that her ministry is also in partnership with Astro.

“To discover talent, we hold talent shows and auditions, and we will continue that this year,” she added.

At the album launch, Jordan and his band Motion performed several tracks from the album, including “Motion: The Great Reset”, “Wednesday Night”, “I’ll Miss The Sun,” and “Tailgate”.

They also premiered a new single he composed two weeks ago, which is set to be recorded next week and released at the end of August.

“Oddity in Duality” is available on major music platforms including Spotify and has even earned him a place in the Malaysian Book of Records as the youngest Malaysian to compose and produce a solo album.

Aiming high

Asked what his next step would be, Jordan was clear.

“To get into Berklee College of Music and complete my degree in composition, production, and sound engineering. I want to continue writing songs and producing albums.”

He added that he wished to continue expanding his music knowledge and establish himself as a successful songwriter-producer-musician.

National Archives continues to trace, acquire archival material abroad

Documentary on tale of 2004 tsunami survivor, 20 years on

From astronaut ambition to advocacy through animation

COMMENT | Concrete steps needed by govt for film industry to flourish

How Kurosawa and punk rock shaped Finas chairperson

PHOTO ESSAY | Quiet 104-year-old cinema still has loyal fans