As past Heineken Music Presents Impulse: A Junk Music Project had demonstrated, music and visuals go hand-in-hand. In August, we had Drip from the Philippines and new-found Malaysian duo Milli’z performing to the visuals of Altered Image and The Hoo. In November, the line-up is exploding in numbers and in talent.

The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2008/2009 concert season just keeps getting better, and thanks to the Japan Foundation, Kuala Lumpur and Embassy of Japan, this month sees the MPO hosting a two-day international jazz concert.

Hip hop gets some love this November with the first KL Hip Hop Festival. Organized by The Reach Event, the fest has been touted as a symposium for the who’s who in Asian hip hop, bringing together artistes from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore … even to as far as the United States. 

Remember the days of Super Mario Brothers or Galaga played on an old-school game console? Want to relive them in a thoroughly modern fashion? In November, local independent brands Bangkit and Weareenvy will be organizing Colourama, an event that’s fresh in concept but nostalgic in sentiment.

Zeta Bar and Another Chivas Music Experience present DJ Sassy Pandez spinning on 22 and 23 October. A supermodel and an international DJ, Sassy is “the sexiest DJ in the world” and, judging by her Maxim cover, they’re not far from the truth.

At the fifth official Moto GP party at Zouk KL, the house-heavy DJs lined up for this celebration of motor sports will be: Hernán Cattáneo, Benny Benassi, DJs Are Not Rockstars (Alexander Technique) and local talents, Joey G and Twilight Actiongirl.

The King of Crunk Lil Jon will bring his A-game to the launch of Lollipop, the new urban night at Kuala Lumpur's Mist Club. Flying half way around the world for a single launch – life must be sweet for Jonathan Mortimer Smith (Lil Jon’s real name).

Indie rockers, take note. Mark these words, Van She is going to be the next big thing to hit the underground scene. With a sound that fits perfectly into a LapSap rave, Van She's material is highly rooted in the 80's - heavy on synthesizer while managing a more textured sound to maintain a fresh catchiness.

The last we saw of Heineken Green Room was in 2006 at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre where Munich-based Chicks On Speed wowed the crowd with their unconventional, avant-garde electro. It’s been two long, lonely years since that fateful night but on 1 November, Heineken Green Room will return to KL shores with a whole new concept and even more interesting artistes in its line-up.

Get your jazz shoes on, because multiple award-winning artist Diana Krall makes a stop in Kuala Lumpur on her Greatest Hits World Tour 2008! With more than eleven critically acclaimed albums under her belt, the Canadian singer and songwriter is all set to hit the stage with her cool, heavy-lidded vocals and incredible dexterity at the piano. E

This adaptation of the 1944 existentialist play, No Exit, tells the infamous story of Garcin, Inez, and Estelle, translated to fit the Malaysian context. The three characters find themselves in a place that apparently is hell. With only the three of them to keep each other company and time passing at an unquantifiable rate, they realise that the one thing worse than physical torture is mental torture.

Chitra is King Manipur’s only child, born a princess to the royal family. The sole heir to the throne, she is brought up no different from a male heir. In constant preparation to take up that role, she develops a manly quality only the bestowing of power and an overbearing father figure can accomplish. A logical, headstrong woman ready to take on a world of responsibility, she meets Arjuna and falls in love.

Bottom Top is an inspired comedy birthed by Mark Beau de Silva and Faridah Merican. Together, they are a creative powerhouse with numerous highly acclaimed plays and awards tucked securely under their belts. As if there is any more need to further sweeten the deal, Joe Hasham plays his hand as director.

You’re going to go wild for the Blonde Bombshells of 1943! This musical comedy with a UK cast is based on Alan Plater’s BAFTA award-winning BBC TV drama Last of the Blonde Bombshells starring Judi Dench.

The story of a girl is one that is a complex, fun-filled ride of emotional turmoil. Nothing stays constant and everything is almost a struggle. Riddled with conflicting needs, the story of a girl is one that is as hard to tell, as it is to hear. The month of October welcomes to the stages of Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre not one but two revealing tales of several women caught in a time in their lives facing tough choices and tougher circumstances.

Despite a book cover reminiscent of Babe and his barnyard friends, Animal Farm’s swine characters assume roles of Bolshevik revolutionaries that overthrow the human owners of the farm to set it up as a community in which all animals are equal. However, the Marx, Lenin and Stalin-esque piglets overlook the ideologies of class and status disparities that quickly disrupt their master plan for a utopian society.

So you like some jazz and the occasional choir performance … but choral jazz? Now, that’s something a little more novel. The Young KL Singers are back with an unconventionally delicious treat for the eyes, ears, and feet (or head if you’re a head-bopper).

For some, the Malayan Emergency (1948 to 1960, in case anyone needs a refresher) is an incident best left in history books and never to be revisited or explored again. The folks at Five Arts Centre however, will beg to differ. In fact in conjunction with the sixtieth anniversary of the Emergency, they’re launching the Emergency Festival! – an eleven day fest dedicated to investigating and re-examining the many different facets of the Emergency.

The buzzword of 2008 is undoubtedly “green”. Just look around – MNCs are incorporating the green initiative in their corporate social responsibility programs, car producers like Honda are doing lots of R&D into hybrid vehicles, the media consistently runs stories on local eco warriors… So it makes sense really that the next on the list is Kuala Lumpur’s first green entertainment festival. Yes you read right!

Here at KLue, we crave new Malaysian plays and we had the chance to interview Jo Kukathas, the Artistic Director at The Instant Café Theatre Company. Her latest offering, Break ing Ji Poh Ka Si Pe Cah, opens 24 September and with that kind of title, it‘s not to be missed. The title’s relation to the play stems from the desire to explore the theme of language, a topic that comes up regularly in Malaysia, but it also denotes the desire to collaborate and to break the real or imagined boundaries between communities, languages, art forms and practices of art.

Christine Manfield was once quoted to have said, “My philosophy of life and work is based on the premise that life is too short to eat bad food.” It is the very same pursuit of good food that has brought her the accolades and fame she enjoys today. In the circle of celebrity chefs, Manfield ranks high within its clique.

For those not in the know, molecular gastronomy is a way of preparing dishes using unusual techniques (cooking in very low or high temps, for example) and substances, like liquid nitrogen or sodium alginate. In a nutshell, science concepts practiced on everyday cooking.

Acclaimed Chef Tony Gao is here to serve up some yummy dishes.

Residents of Section 13 Petaling Jaya are finally getting what they deserve - a community centre brimming with cafes and restaurants in a neat package that is Jaya One.

Scandinavian cuisine is hard to come by even in this city that is overrun by pots and pots of local and international eateries. So when Hotel Equatorial decided to come up with their Scandinavian Gala Feast, we're almost certain we heard other food-lovers rejoice with us.

The 9th European Film Festival gives you a break from Hollywood this month. From 13-23 November, Golden Screen Cinemas in MidValley, 1 Utama and Pavilion are screening some films like those mentioned here, but be sure to check out the entire list on GSC’s website.

With the Harry Potter series approaching its end, the world needs another literary and movie franchise to obsess over. With that considered, the premiere of Twilight, the movie, seems perfectly timed.

Bangkok Dangerous is a remake of the 1999 flick by The Pang Brothers. Helmed by the same directors, their Hollywood version follows the original’s plot line closely except, they now have Nicolas Cage in the lead playing Joe, a hitman who wearily travels to Bangkok to methodically carry out four hits – all in a day’s work, really.

Fluffy pink comedies are not the stuff of great intellect, but they somehow have been dubbed to empower women anyway. So if you liked Legally Blonde, you should by right, get a kick out of House Bunny. And considering Anna Faris is blessed with the sole talent to satirize blond ambition, casting could not have been a more perfect choice.

Here at KLue, we’ve been following filmmaker Azharr Rudin’s career for a while now. Director of the well-received The Amber Sexalogy series of shorts, Azharr now moves on to the next logical step: his first feature-length film which will be shown at the GSC International Screens come 25 September. Entitled Punggok Rindukan Bulan (or This Longing), the film is about a young boy, Sidi (Saeful Nazhif Satria), and his father Adman (Sharonizam Noor) who are both struggling to cope with the sudden absence of their mother and wife (Maya Karin).

The theme for this year’s FreedomFilmFest is “Democratic Space – Making Room for Human Rights”, chosen to draw attention to the deteriorating state of state democracy. What is democracy? Where exactly are the democratic spaces in Malaysia? What can we do as citizens to reclaim these spaces? Where do the issues of culture, identity, race, religion and development fit in this abyss?

We caught up with Zachary Ong, the producer of The Value of My Sanity. Click to read what he had to say about learning curves, pushing creative boundaries, Yuna, Estrella and Otam!

Despite its name, the iconic '60s TV series Speed Racer has certainly taken its time to make its theatrical debut.

Looking for something different in the cinemas this month? You’re in luck.

Heineken presents JUICE DJ Quest is back and on the lookout once again for new blood in the world of turntablism. Last year’s event saw the crowning of DJ Nikki as Heineken’s first female champion, who won over Heineken music fans and music industry insiders despite heavy competition from a wide range of dance music disciplines. Though DJ Nikki went on to the regional finals, she lost the coveted title to the tirelessly inventive cut ‘n paste technique of Hong Kong’s DJ Forest.

Essentially a live act, Simian Mobile Disco are junkies for extended club wig-out sessions. Their faithfulness to their unique sound stems from a start creating strange electronic music in a spare room. With a mutual passion for music, Manchester University students, James Ford and James Anthony Shaw (Jas Shaw, to avoid confusion), brought the first incarnation of Simian Mobile Disco to life in the late 90s - then simply called Simian.

Pretty, pixie-faced Swede, Hanna Flemström, isn’t just known for her Nordic good looks; she also moonlights as DJ Stella Nutella. Her wanderlust will take her to Kuala Lumpur, where she will be launching Red Square, the club touted as KL’s first and only vodka bar. Named after Moscow’s famous city square, Red Square debuted in Jakarta as Asia’s first vodka bar and DJ Stella Nutella is the perfect introduction to Red Square’s chic concept.

So we all know everyone’s bummed about not having their dose of Twilight Actiongirl on Friday nights this month. But the city’s love for everything indie is in boom lately and with that comes another indie rock night that could satisfy you just the same.

Which is why we love new nights! Such as Freaklub, which is held at the just-as-new Cloth & Clef on the trendy street of Changkat Bukit Bintang.Hosted by DJs RaySoo and Tootekool (real name Sebastian Scholz), Freaklub can best be described as a jamming free-for-all.

Comprising of two DJs, Mairead Nash and Tabitha Denholm, these girls are (in)famous in London, especially in the city’s hipster scene. Think of them as the female version of our LapSap and Twilight Actiongirl nights combined. Both are former hosts of MTV UK’s NME Chart Show, ensuring that they know a thing or two about what’s hot and bubbling under in the music scene.

Paul van Dyk is, as you would probably know, big man on campus in the electronic music scene. He tops the pinnacle of every DJ list across the globe, he’s been Grammy nominated, he’s worked with the Pussycat Dolls, he’s currently ranked as the World’s number one DJ by DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs poll – his name resonates upon the mere mention of his preferred genre.

They spontaneously cart generators down disused railway tunnels, install light systems and play to a homemade rave. They get bouncers to lock their crowd in and they were evicted from their flat for having made too many public order offences. They now live in a caravan with a built in sound system, the party hardy nomads. With a rap sheet of madhouse mischief a couple of miles long, the fearsome foursome collectively known as Sh1tdisco are not likely to put on a dull show.

Having established herself as an international female DJ with a caliber unmatched, Havana Brown is set to make her way to grace the local turntables at Zeta Bar for two very exclusive nights of paramount R&B mixes.

Discover pan-Asia in all its sensual, exotic glory via Tao.

Although the Kancil Awards Festival, organized by the 4As, has been a regular fixture in the advertising industry for 30 years now, this year’s festival will debut an event that has the creatives in a-twitter. Introduced and held annually in Goa, India, Kyoorius Designyatra is a design and creativity conference which gathers some of today’s design leaders, professionals and students to share and exchange insights on the industry as well as to discuss new innovations and developments in the scene.

Travel shows are a dime in a dozen but The Hoppers & Ahli Muzik by Eightball Production is one that is done with a difference. This semi-reality travel show follows the chronicles of four lads as they make their way on a roadtrip across the Peninsular.

Cool T-shirts and awesome live bands aren’t just for KL-ites you know? That’s the message that Angkatan Baju Malaya is sending to those who don’t have the pleasure of living here.

Shoppers, get ready for a quirky, artsy fix. Kraftgrafik (who helps organise LapSap Junkyard sales) and +Wondermilk will be presenting Neue Format Design Mart.