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Funk trio Ali set for first Malaysian performance
JAKARTA-based psychedelic funk trio Ali will perform in Malaysia for the first time at Vox Live, Kuala Lumpur, on Aug 14.
Formed by Arswandaru and John Paul Patton, with guitarist Absar Lebeh completing the line-up, the group combines Middle Eastern melodies with 1970s Indonesian psychedelic funk, cinematic soul, afrobeat and disco.
Its Arabic lyrics draw from Arswandaru’s Arab-Indonesian heritage and the long history of cultural exchange between the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The band describes its sound as “Middle Eastern beats with Southeast twists.”
The trio introduced their sound through debut album Malaka, named after the Strait of Malacca and its role in trade and cultural exchange across the region. The trio later released the EP Patterns and recorded a live session for Seattle radio station KEXP.
In 2025, Ali performed at the South by Southwest festival in the United States before completing a 12-show tour across eight European countries.
The Kuala Lumpur concert will also feature local supporting act Sayyid el MuuTayyib, whose debut EP Southeast Asian Hadhrami Jungle combines Yemeni musical influences with jungle and electronic rhythms.
Ali Live in Kuala Lumpur will take place on Friday, Aug 14, at Vox Live. Phase One general admission standing tickets are priced at RM208.
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