Violinist From Melaka Wants To Redefine Violin Music

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There are many talented musicians in our country and one of them is violinist Martin Looi who released an album called Sugary in December 2023.

The album consists of 5 instrumental songs which are contemporary, fused with the classical sounds of the violin. They are Seven, Chisy, Just Talkin, Nonsense and Nostalgia.

Just Talkin was written and produced by Martin himself. In his words, the song is a “cheeky” R&B track that has a captivating melody.

R&B fans would be thrilled to hear a violin added to the genre. Nevertheless, the fusion adds depth to the song, and it also brings a fresh feel to the genre.

Seven is the cover of a song by famous Korean pop artist Jung Kook. According to Martin, this song fits the violin like a glove.

Hearing Seven, with the violin fused in gives listeners a new refreshing feel of the song.

Another cover is Nonsense, originally by Sabrina Carpenter, which also sounds great with violin added to the mix.

Martin said the melody of the song is memorable and that allowed him to highlight the range of the violin with room for improvisation and reinterpretation.

As for Chisy and Nostalgia, both were written and produced by Martin’s sister, Lav Looi, a producer and vocalist based in Spain.

“Chisy is a pop-bachata track fusing sensual bachata elements with catchy pop melodies while Nostalgia is a pop-disco track with a throwback vibe,” Martin said, and he is not wrong.

You can enjoy these songs in a loop while driving or while enjoying a cup of coffee in the evening while reading TRP stories.

Martin Looi

Martin has been playing the violin for 20 years. He started playing the instrument at five when his mother enrolled him for lessons.

Since then, he has been traditionally trained and completed all his major exams for the instrument. However, he is now into playing the instrument in a non-traditional manner.

“My classical training has helped me tremendously in terms of the technical aspects of my playing,” Martin said.

Violin is Martin’s first love. According to him, there are many things the violing can do and he is not even close to figuring out the instrument’s full range.

Pic Credit: Martin Looi

Among the reasons why he loves the violin so much, Martin said it is because the violin helps him express his thoughts.

“I believe it is the perfect instrument to express my thoughts and ideas in the form of music. The endless possibilities and versatility of the instrument allow me to keep pushing the boundaries and that makes it exciting for me.” Martin Looi.

The inspiration behind Sugary was simply because Martin wanted the world to know about his musical journey and where he is now in his musical career.

“I wanted to put together a couple of songs to show where I’m at in my musical journey at this very moment and I think all of the tracks on the album sums it up perfectly,” Martin who appreciates all genres of music, said.

Pic Credit: Martin Looi

He is also trying to change people’s view of the instrument.

The way I play the violin is very similar to singing so I think the violin melody in my tracks can 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

Martin Looi

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