Malaysian DJ Sean Leng ‘surprised’ by strong local support at UK gigs

 

Sean Leng is a Malaysian DJ who is making a name for himself in the UK and elsewhere. (Guan Yew pic)

PETALING JAYA: Many Malaysians abroad will testify that it can be daunting to live and work so far from home. For them, it’s often a relief to meet other friendly Malaysian faces – even more so when they come out in droves to show you support.

Such is the case for local-born DJ and musician Sean Leng, also known as 7UFO, who recently performed a string of sold-out concerts in the United Kingdom.

To his delight, many of the concertgoers were Malaysians who had turned up in solidarity with their fellow countryman. The 25-year-old currently lives in Leicester, where “there are only a handful of Malaysians”, he told FMT.

“Yet, when I was booked for the shows, there were so many Malaysians, it was surprising! It was very heartfelt for me.”

The audiences at these concerts – which were held in Nottingham, Sheffield and Leeds – consisted of up to 500 people each, and included a large number of Malaysians who belong to student societies from various universities.

These gigs were made possible with the help of British event organiser William Tse, who booked Leng after having witnessed him in action during another show.

Recently, Leng performed in three sold-out shows, each with about 500 attendees. (Guan Yew pic)

So, what has changed with Leng’s music since he last spoke with FMT? For one, he has lined up several new songs for release next year under his music label, Exigo Records.

“I’ve incorporated Asian sounds into my music, made to fit the western world,” he said, referring to Chinese instruments that have been fused with his usual genre of house music.

Comparing his experience deejaying overseas versus in Malaysia, Leng shared his perhaps surprising observation that standards for local DJs are much higher than those in the UK.

“For example, every club and bar in the UK still expects DJs to bring their own consoles,” he explained.

That said, the British music scene is ostensibly much more diverse, while Malaysians are content to stick with their favourites.

“Underground music is pretty dead in Malaysia,” he pointed out. This isn’t the case in the UK, where this genre has a huge following and is even respected, despite it not being targeted at the average listener.

Leng says he is immensely grateful for the support his fellow Malaysians have shown. (Guan Yew pic)

Also, in the UK, Leng’s audiences are usually acquainted with what he calls “white music”: “Think Katy Perry or Michael Jackson.”

Malaysians, on the other hand, have a preference for hip-hop and adjacent styles, which could be part of why so many showed up to his UK gigs, given his reputation for dabbling in these genres.

Leng further opines that the support from Malaysians abroad is noticeably stronger than that of Malaysians back home.

“People back in Malaysia won’t support you as much because they see you in every club. You get so relevant that you become irrelevant,” he said.

So, what’s next for this enterprising musician who’s also a business and management major? Leng revealed he has further concerts planned in London and other cities in the UK.

These are in addition to performing at a musical festival in Cyprus next month. “I’m very excited, and a little nervous!” he concluded with a laugh. - FMT