The WKND Sessions Live and The WKND Recording Fund Launch with Hotlink

KUALA LUMPUR, 8 JUNE 2015 – A fresh re-imagining of the long-running Internet music series The Wknd Sessions will be launched at The Bee, Publika on the 12th of June 2015 as part of Cooler Lumpur Festival. Now recorded in front of a live audience, the series will be known as The Wknd Sessions Live (TWSLive) and feature performances by ten noteworthy Malaysian acts held at multiple venues throughout Malaysia.

A collaborative effort between The Wknd and Hotlink, TWSLive is focused on showcasing some of the best musical talent Malaysia has to offer. Each TWSLive event will feature two artistes, with each act performing a 45-minute set in an intimate setting, all recorded in high definition and featuring The Wknd's signature sonic imprint. Videos of each event will subsequently be made available on http://www.the-wknd.com for viewing.

A collaborative effort between The Wknd and Hotlink, TWSLive is focused on showcasing some of the best musical talent Malaysia has to offer. Each TWSLive event will feature two artistes, with each act performing a 45-minute set in an intimate setting, all recorded in high definition and featuring The Wknd's signature sonic imprint. Videos of each event will subsequently be made available on http://www.the-wknd.com for viewing.

The first TWSLive event at The Bee will kick things off with fresh and exciting music from Bil Musa and Jaggfuzzbeats. The full listing of venues and artists for subsequent TWSLive events will be announced at a later date.

In conjunction with TWSLive, The Wknd and Hotlink will also be launching The Wknd Recording Fund (TWRF), structured to function as a platform for new Malaysian musicians to record, produce, release and market the recorded material. The winner will walk away with a professionally recorded single and an opportunity to perform for a live audience at the final TWSLive event, together with the headliners of the final show.

During the launch event at The Bee, Publika, Hotlink will also provide facilities for budding musicians with original material to record their submissions to TWRF. Full details will be made available on The Wknd's website at http://the-wknd.com/twrf.

TWRF will be calling for submissions starting on the 12th of June 2015 until 31st August 2015. One winner will be selected via a combination of online voting, a panel comprising of The Wknd’s internal producers as well as a hand-picked jury of prominent personalities in the Malaysian music scene. Online voting will start from the 1st to 30th September 2015.

Hotlink will be contributing a special cash prize of RM10,000 to the winner, RM3,000 to the first runner-up and RM2,000 to the second runner-up as funds to continue their efforts in developing their craft.

“After doing this for the past seven years, we've made a conscious decision to create a more immersive experience for our audience”, said Fikri Fadzil, founder of The Wknd. “We want to try and capture the energy that feeds both the artist and their fans. With The Wknd Sessions Live, our ultimate goal is to show that there is no more labeling of 'mainstream' or 'indie' music – there is just good music. This works hand-in-hand with The Wknd Recording Fund as our commitment to help develop the music scene.”

“We’re excited to be working with The Wknd on TWSLive and TWRF to help re-energise the local music scene and discover new local talents”, said Navin Manian, Maxis' Head of Prepaid, Consumer Business. “In the past, we have partnered with talented acts ranging from YouTube stars Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider, to international superstars Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, to even KPop stars Royal Pirates and megastars BIGBANG. The next natural step is for us to work with local up-and-coming musicians and give them a platform to nurture their talent.”

With more than 100 Malaysian and South East Asian artists featured, and over 300 music videos produced since its first broadcast in 2008, The Wknd aims to continue breaking new ground on its mission to introduce the best of the Malaysian and South East Asian music to the public at large.