Positive Tone started as a jingles-recording company back in 1993. Six years later, it is the biggest and fastest growing independent label in Malaysia. Though PT accepted EMI Malaysia's proposal to absorb the label for an estimated RM6 million last year, signing with a major company has done little to change its indie attitude. EMI's networking strength will optimistically turn a profit for PT, but the company has left the running of the music to label founder and managing director Ahmad Izham Omar. His methodical approach in creating little earthquakes has also made PT the most hardworking label in the business. In January, while waiting for the original roster of artistes like Intoxicated, OAG and Juliet The Orange (formerly Brodwyn) to release new recordings, PT put out Tricks & Tales, featuring a crop of new acts under development like Ferhad, Emberz Of Soul and Reefa. Anchored by PT's greatest achievements, the award-winning Poetic Ammo and Innuendo, the album serves as a sampler of the label's R&B and hip-hop direction. In this exclusive interview, Adeline Loh talks to the entire cast and R&B pride, hip-hop prejudice and pop sensibilities.

Are all of you mad that Malaysian audiences have a prejudice against acts that record in English?
All: Yes!
Yogi: But the truth is, we were like them before.

Rem, you once said that Naughtius Maximus was banned from the radio because the marketplace wasn't ready for it.
Rem: Yeah.
All: They were vulgar!
Rem: What the authorities explained to us four years ago was that they found us to be too Westernized.
Spit: Yeah, but once we took out all the explicit lyrics, there was nothing wrong (Laughs).

Do you believe the music scene is ready for it now?
Rem: Yeah, we think so. Hopefully.

What make up Malaysian music? Is it just music created and recorded in Malaysia?
Taj: It's music made in Malaysia by Malaysians.

Do you think the general public understands that?
All: No.

Why is it that if you threw a stone into a crowd, chances are, you're more than likely to hit an R&B fan instead of a rock music fan?
Spit: You're throwing in the wrong direction? No, there are a lot of rock fans out there but there's no playing rock (in the right places). If you play rock at the clubs, people will dance to it. More people are coming up with R&B and rock fusion. Like Jimmy Ray.

Is R&B getting more exposure?
Taj: Where Malaysia is concerned. It depends on the generation (listening to the music). Rock was predominant 10, maybe 20 years ago. Now is the time for R&B.

But apart from the test of time, what makes R&B so appealing to music fans now?
Taj: The words. Our generation is more…(Snaps fingers as he thinks of a word…)
Reefa: Cannot help you there, man! You're on your own!

Okay, on a different note, are we suffering a glut of bad American pop music?
Landslyde: No, not all the time.
Yogi: No comment!
Loco: Well, for certain people it is crap, but for others it's not.

I meant bad by you definition.
Reefa: I got one! (Sings the Emilia hit) "I'm a bit, bit girl/In a big, big world…"
Yogi: Okay, I agree. That is crap.
Lady Dee: (Sings the Diana King hit) "Oh-why-oh-why-oh-why/You tell me l-l-l-lies…" I hate that song.
Hawa: Can I add something? Radio plays too many crappy international songs and not enough good local ones. That's very, very sad.

Do you see a change coming in their attitude? Ferhad's 'Soul in Me', Intoxicated's 'Possibility' and almost anything by Innuendo are on heavy rotation.
Hawa: Yes, but it takes a lot of effort from us. Otherwise they don't care. We have to keep pushing the song, keep pushing he radio DJs, or they won't pick it up on their own. They'll play it, but it's not even close to the exposure that some international artistes are getting. It's depressing because what we have here is excellent.

Is it to your advantage that there aren't many other English recording acts in the R&B and hip-hop scene on the other music labels?
Yogi: Actually, they're coming up to join us. We hope to have more competition around because it's better for everyone.

Everyone here tonight has contributed tracks to the Tricks & Tales album. As a total collaborative effort, it seems extremely gracious. Was there any sort of creative competition going on, even on a healthy level?
All: No.
Sam: We'll plug in the PlayStation or play pool if we're not satisfied.
Yogi: Competition between ourselves is healthy competition, especially when it comes to winning awards. Everybody associates themselves with he rest of the people they're involved with. It's a Positive Tone thing where one group talks about the other acts in the stable, and they always know that we're a family. So there's a unity that people recognize within Positive Tone.

Do al of you enjoy being under the spotlight?
Spit: The light's too bright sometimes.

Do you have any celebrity indulgences that your fans should know about?
All: Celebrity?

Do you have personal barbers?
All: What?

Okay, what you do with all the money you're making?
Reymee: You mean, there's money involved?
All: (Turning to Izham) What money? What did you do with the money? We didn't know about this.
Pot: NO, we don't make any money.
Spit: When we do get money, it goes to charity.

Okay, on a different note again, what makes up an act of defiance in the hip-hop agenda? For instance, in the punk scene, there's body piercing and tattoos.
Landslyde: Baggy Pants.
Rem: Yeah, but we don't live the lifestyle.

So is hip-hop just a form of artistic expression?
Rem: To a certain extent. I mean, we don't act like we're from the ghetto or anything. It's not because we listen to the music that we have to have an act of defiance.
Taj: But the fact that we're making the music is in itself an act of defiance, by coming up with more hip-hop songs instead of backing down in the face of obstruction.

What do you perceive as obstructions?
Taj: Rap was banned in Malaysia. Then they lifted the ban, controlled the music, and now I think they're trying to integrate rap in English lessons at schools.
All: What?
Taj: I'm not joking, man! I'm serious! Because no matter how modern we think we are, we are still kampung people. One way to arouse the music kids interest is through music and rap music. I mean, they can't push country & western in schools right?

Now that a major recording company like EMI is marketing releases from Positive Tone, has anything changed for you as independent label artistes?
Point Blanc: We have new computers now.
Hawa: It's about the same.
Taj: Positive Tone is moving on to another level. Things are more organized.

Are you under pressure to perform better now than before?
All: (Somberly) Yes.
Pot: We hope so. I try so hard.
Taj: Shut up, man! (Everyone laughs)

Last question. If you could substitute the word 'hip-hop' with something else, what would you call it?
Reefa: Tiptop.
Point Blanc: KL style. (Everyone cheers and applauds)