Doppelganger Indie Picks & Interview (May 2022): Martin Vengadesan & The Stalemate Factor (MY)

presents...

Martin Vengadesan
& The Stalemate Factor

(Malaysia)

In this edition of Doppelganger KL's Indie Picks, we feature journalist, author and musician Martin Vengadesan. No stranger to the Malaysian indie music scene having performed across the Klang Valley since the 1990s and 2000, Martin's enigmatic musical journey starts with the word.

The Stalemate Factor has had a different line up for each album, and now has a new one for upcoming shows. This picture above depicts the 2018 line-up when the band first released their first album, The Queen's Gambit. Pictured from left to right are bassist Hisham Zulkifli, drummer Andrew Sagayam with the album in hand & Martin Vengadesan (vocals, keyboards, guitars). More band credits below. Photo via Martin's Facebook.

Journalist

A newsman, Martin wrote for national Malaysian newspaper The Star from 1996-2018 as a News Editor and ran a column in Star2 on 'Music Myths and Legends' for a decade.

He is now Associate Editor at online news portal, MalaysiaKini.

In his latest article published on Labour Day, he speaks to Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairperson S Arulchelvan who speaks about labour issues that affect workers in Malaysia. One important issue that may implicate those who work in the gig economy and the freelance world, which includes many musicians, is that there isn't a law in place to protect us (them).

Author

His first book, 'Malaysian Murders and Mysteries: A century of shocking cases that gripped the nation' was written together with former newsman and press secretary from the Prime Minister's office, Andrew Sagayam and was published in 2019 by Marshall Cavendish. The book, Martin shares in an interview, was inspired by a conversation he had with independent publisher and filmmaker, Amir Muhammad. The news duo Martin and co-author Andrew indulge readers with 40 Malaysian murder and mystery cases starting with a murder case in British Malaya almost 150 years ago. If you're a history buff, you'd love this. By the end of the book, you would have gained understanding on Malaysia's colonial history, learn about wanderers like Jim Thompson who went missing in the highlands and ngeri-eerie tales of wanton murders that took place across a topiary of pre-independent Malayan countryside to a post-Merdeka Malaysian cityscape.

True to the evil twin idea, Martin's darkish creative side is unleashed in fictional novel 'Malaya 2057: A Thousand Moons Have Passed' (2021, Silverfish Books). He reads an excerpt from it in Sharon Bakar's virtual 'Readings' event last February 2022 and shares his futuristic view point into a newer world order.

Musician

It's clear what grips Martin as a musician, lyricist and composer. His music and lyrical prose brings forth issues that are current and that are gripping Malaysians, weaved in between musical notes and words.

Martin Vengadesan and The Stalemate Factor's most recent album release in 2020 is a psychedelic rock styled album 'The Knight's Flight'. See if you too can capture hints of The Beatles and Pink Floyd. This album was produced with Ashwin Gobinath, all songs were written and composed by Martin. 

In 2019, the band released 'The Bishop's Sacrifice', featuring rock music about politics and religion.

One of his first projects with The Stalemate Factor as a band in 2018 was the release of 'The Queen's Gambit', an album that was co-produced by Martin with Hardesh Singh and Ashwin Gobinath. It features 10 tracks that Martin tells us, "are more personal". It ends with an enigmatic finale, listening to "Across the Moors" with headphones on, one would feel the intensity of a sea of strings while lying arms behind your head on a bed of lyrical bravado. Enjoy!

Across the Moors · Martin Vengadesan & The Stalemate Factor 

Song Lyrics: link

The Queen's Gambit ℗ Martin Vengadesan, Hardesh Singh, Ashwin Gobinath 

Released on: 2018-04-27 

Author: Martin Vengadesan

Composer: Martin Vengadesan

Behind the album.

An Interview with Martin Vengadesan (MV) by DoPPel Music World (DMW).

DMW: We'll start from the first album, 'The Queen’s Gambit'. It sure sounds very personal. Can you tell us a little more about it?

MV: The first album is the most personal of all I think, although there are some deeply personal songs on both the second and third that deal more explicitly with politics, loss of loved ones and my move away from religion.

MV: Among the songs include Affirmative which is about the frustration I feel as an ethnic minority in a country with a racist system - and that's despite a fair degree of success from members of my family. I did finalise the lyrics around the time of the Hindraf and Bersih rallies. Something needs to change or the Malaysia that we love will collapse into a corrupt and racist abomination. 

MV: Written In Water is about my relationship with fellow activists in union and political sphere, especially dating back to the Reformasi era.

   

MV: Song For An Abused Child is my sadness over one of the most horrific child abuse cases I read about.

Aside from that, there are about four songs that deal specifically with former loves of my mine. My first love is Snow Sculpture and you can hear her voice on it. I had a 10-year relationship with Baby Doll, who also sings backing vocals. Wisdom Of A Lie is about the breakdown of a marriage. Petunia is about a guy who suddenly has too many girls on his hands.

DMW: Could share a quote on what being creative in music means to you... and if being a newsman, gives your music a different kind of appeal?

MV: Firstly I do think that creative rock music shouldn't be just about doing cover songs note for note or writing a lot of 'originals' that sound just like your favourite band. I do think that a song should be a statement or a work of art or an emotion. Not just some facile words that don't mean much.

I also have over 2,000 CDs in many different genres and I like to mix things around in terms of song styles. That's why you can get a two minute long acoustic ballad and a 23 minute progressive rock workout on our albums.

As for the news element... well, I had two great passions since my mid teens - socialist/progressive politics and writing and recording my own music. Neither paid the bills and thus journalism was a wonderful profession for me to fall into. The first half of my career was focused on entertainment and features while I have since moved to news/politics. It's not a conflict for me and there are indeed overlaps - like the second Stalemate Factor album is very left-wing actually.

I do see some sort of coherence and complementary roles between my music, my published books, my activist spirit and my work as a journalist, but I do have to remind myself where the line is, from time to time.

DMW thanks Martin and The Stalemate Factor for making this interview possible.

Martin back in the day (via Facebook)

The Stalemate Factor is a psychedelic rock band that draws its inspiration from the surreal and trippy music of the 1960s. Visit their Facebook page here.

Credits

The Rook’s Siege (upcoming fourth album) 

Martin Vengadesan - vocals, keyboards, bass
LK Wong - guitars
Ashwin Gobinath - drummer/programmer/producer

The Knight's Flight (2020)

Martin Vengadesan - lead vocalist and keyboard 
N Rama Lohan - guitars/vocals
Edward Gomez - bass/vocals
Andrew Sagayam - drums 
Joanne Timbuong - backing vocals
Balamurugan Ramakrishnan - percussionist
Sridhar Gopalaraman - Carnatic flutist 
Karolina Šustová (Czech) - violin
Ashwin Gobinath - producer

The Bishop’s Sacrifice (Dec 2018)

Martin Vengadesan - vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass
Joshua Rayan - guitars
Andrew Sagayam - drums

The Queen's Gambit (Jan 2018)

Martin Vengadesan - vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, bass
Hisham Zulkifli - bass
Andrew Sagayam - drums

Purchase CDs, books or follow Martin.

Visit his Facebook profile here and order directly from him.

Read reviews in The Star | MalaysiaKini

Song Lyrics here

Listen here: YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify