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	If you haven't keeled over in shock yet, brace yourself 'coz there's a lot of notable stints to this man than has been mentioned. He has even been given the honour of jammin' with blues guru, Buddy Guy during the latter's stint some moons back in a local nightspot. Julian has also been active in sharing his guitar-making skills in workshops arranged by a guitar institute. All these are just some of the ways he strives hard at to get acknowledgement for his talent as a solo entity. "I have tried to get detached from what I use to be by forming my own band." (Julian put a group together and called it Julian Mokhtar and the Dos Flers-pronounced as 'those fellas'.) "The point of getting the band together was to have my name in the headline in order to make the public aware that I'm out doing my own things." The band's life span was shortlived as he couldn't find musicians who were committed. Most often they were 'nomadic'. This led him to shelf the idea for an indefinite period. One thing occupies the nucleus of his mind; an idea which he found impossible to shelf-the recording of an album under his name and his name along. Julian reveals, to alll and sundry, that there is an album in the works but is still in its embryonic stage. "I've been working on some material and recording it on a 'master'," he divulges, gleaming with uncontainable excitement, a rarity from a man with a mellow disposition. "It's not an excuse to show-off on the guitar though!" The album which houses instrumentals and a few songs sung by Julian himself, is scheduled to see the light of day come mid year. "I've included some cover versions of songs I've always wanted to do-like Robert Johnson's," he explains further. "Rafique Rashid has also contributed a song which I heard him play one night down at a club and thought it'll do fine to include it in my album." His debut effort is in English and will feature him on all the guitars as well as the bass. He will also be using a guitar synthesiser for the piano parts. This is clearly an effort that's closest to the heart of a one-man band. "At least I don't have to hire anybody else-except for a drummer-and tell him what to do," he says. "To have someone else in sync with your ideas is a one in a million chance." All the excitement evaporates as Julian grimaces over the main obstacle in conceiving his baby. Julian is quite aware of the fact that no recording company is banging down his door to offer him a recording deal. "The recording companies daren't invest their money and take the risk," he laments over their responses which range from total indifference to labelling his brand of music being unworthy to the listening pleasures of the local market. "To get a deal, you'd have to come up with something commer- cial which is marketable. In other words, just play what the recording company wants you to play and not what you believe makes good music." Apparently, the local market has a penchant for Malay rock ballads and in terms of record sales, the recording companies can afford to do a merry little jig to the bank more often than not! "Some of these songs have a guitar solo that comes in from nowhere and goes Kerrang! and doesn't blend in; evidently stick- ing out like a sore thumb! To them (recording companies), it sells!" And not one to dance to a different beat, Julian went against all odds and obtained his own financier to take on the costs of producing a master. It doesn't end here. "With the master I will seek local distributors to distribute the album." Even if there isn't a market for his album here in Malaysia, Julian is game for the album to be distributed beyond these shores. "I figured that since recording companies have affiliations in other parts of South East Asia, they could distribute there," adding, "After all, I am not asking them to distribute it to America, you know!" Having said all this, here's a man who is keen on surviving the strains and struggles of showbiz to attain his dream, even if it means pounding on doors and eating humble pies. For other artistes like him, is there a place in our demo- cratic way of life, to cater for people with a discerning taste for music and giving them a choice? Is there a shelf life for music in its best form-raw and for the taking-in this country? Here's hoping it happens during this lifetime and before bubble-gum pop and tuneless rock ballads revolutionise the al- ready saturated and suffering local music scene. the full story | top | main | back | other people | back to mir