old automatic garbage

When Positive Tone released OAG’s Old Automatic Garbage album in December 1994, no one was expecting that the group of four teenage boys who describe their music as “60s Crunchy Pop Fuzz” would open a new chapter in local English music. The 11-song album backed by the national hit ‘60s TV’ not only became the biggest ever local English hit, it opened the doors for more appreciation towards home-made English music. If not for that album, local English music might still be considered as “underground” if not second class.

Old Automatic Garbage went triple-platinum and helped spark off the commercialisation of alternative music into mainstream Malaysia . OAG never looked back since: They wrote and performed the Official 1997 FIFA World Youth Cup song, a song that was also released in 8 European countries. They also participated in a landmark alternative compilation album called Boys & Girls 1 + 1 = 3 which introduced other groups like Nice Stupid Playground, IntoXicated, Brodwyn (later re-named Juliet The Orange) and a solo act Nita. “Boys & Girls 1+1=3” went platinum.

In 1997, OAG released EP 67, an EP that went gold in 3 days. The EP was a landmark album as it showcased a wonderful experimentation between alternative and dance music. OAG then released Melody Mocker in 1999. The album included a groundbreaking CD-ROM section where fans can not only view the various lyrics, artwork and interviews of the group, they can also re-mix certain OAG audio samples for fun! The CD made it to the 1999 PIKOM-Computimes Finals in the CD-ROM category and also managed to gained a GOLD sales award.

In the year 2000, OAG released their greatest hits album, OAG.COMP, an album that chronicled their unparalleled rise in the Malaysian music industry. That album included new tracks “Sweet FA” and “Endless Dreams”.

Eight years after ‘60s TV’, OAG released Opera Radhi-o Friendly. This time around OAG set their eyes on a bigger goal than just to conquer the English-listening crowd: They expanded their horizons and also attracted the Malay-listening crowd.

Opera Radhi-o Friendly has sold over 20,000 units, helped by their ultra-cool animated music video for “Slumber”,a song that climbed to the #1 spot on Carta ERA.

Many were left open-mouthed, astonished at the high level of songwriting and music production found in Satelit Ink, their lastest album. If the highly-successful previous album Opera Radhi-o Friendly marked the beginning of a new era for one of the most-loved alternative pop groups in Malaysia, Satelit Ink has confirmed OAG’s status as a credible yet commercial indie pop outfit, capable of attracting listeners and ardent fans from all walks of life and of all ages.

Their hit “Akustatik” is a statement of poetic beauty, excellently guided through with beautiful inter-weaving guitars.

In fact, all the tracks on Satelit Ink are just too deliciously wondrous and it is a musical crime to even try to describe the songs here. One just has to listen to the album and be taken away on an incredible musical journey. Close your eyes, let your mind go free and I’ll bet that you won’t want the music to stop.