Electronicos Fantasticos! Comes to Kuala Lumpur

This article is the second in a series highlighting recent projects and happenings at FabCafe Kuala Lumpur. Read the first article here.

Since relocating to a larger space in late 2024, FabCafe Kuala Lumpur has been busy curating and carrying out a range of programming. On top of exhibitions and workshops like Beyond the Brush (covered in the previous installment of this series), the team also organizes pop-up events like Huru Hara Saturday.

“Huru Hara” means “chaos” in Malay, and the term perfectly describes the eclectic assortment of art, music, and activities hosted at FabCafe Kuala Lumpur on Huru Hara Saturday. The 2024 installment in particular featured a special musical guest all the way from Japan: the experimental music collective Electronicos Fantasticos!.

Electronicos Fantasticos!: Bringing Japanese Avant-Garde from Kyoto to Kuala Lumpur

Electronicos Fantasticos! is a music project led by Ei Wada. Based in Kyoto, the group has gained popularity online for making musical instruments out of home appliances and other electronic devices like barcode scanners and CRT televisions.

Several members of the group are based in Kyoto, and FabCafe Kyoto hosts them for regular music jams. Through the FabCafe network, members of Electronicos Fantasticos! were introduced to the teams of not just FabCafe Kuala Lumpur but also FabCafe Bangkok. 

Photo by Peter Cheng

After visiting Bangkok, Electronicos Fantasticos! headed to Kuala Lumpur for Huru Hara Saturday on December 21st, 2024. The all-day event featured an art exhibition with mahjong tile artist Karen Aruba, a Second Breakfast sandwich pop-up, and unique craft items along with coffee and snacks. The highlight of the day was a live performance and workshop by Electronicos Fantasticos!.

A world-famous Japanese experimental music project sharing their art with Kuala Lumpur was made possible through the global FabCafe network. Thanks to introductions and coordination by the FabCafe Kyoto team, not one but two cities in southeast Asia got to get up close and personal with some incredible musicians. What might next year have in store for worldwide collaborations? We can’t wait to see!