Old Automatic Garbage
For Malaysians, OAG (short for Old Automatic Garbage) is a powerhouse; an iconic band that drove the Malaysian alternative rock scene to what it is today. They have broken perceptions, charts and given the spotlight to the underground music scene. You might’ve heard of this track called “60s TV”…
Formed in 1992, OAG was one of the pioneers of Malaysian-English alternative rock bands. Back then, Malay music conquered the airwaves. For OAG’S original lineup, coming up with music purely in English was risky, and even more so since they were playing rock n’ roll. Nevertheless, with a to-hell-with-it-all attitude and a hunger to be different, OAG broke into the mainstream division, becoming the first indie band to do so.
Their fame picked up when they were signed to Positive Tone and released their debut album, Old Automatic Garbage in 1994. The album went triple-platinum, and the hit single “60s TV” is still relevant up to this day. It was what any band of the era could only dream of, and the boys from Sarawak did just that. They even went on to winning Best New Artist in the Anugerah Industri Musik, a Malaysian version of the Grammy Awards, in 1996.
Fame, fortune and break-ups
Riding the high of their fame, OAG released an EP in 1997 that went gold in only 3 days! EP 67 was the start of their transition from sticking with old skool alternative rock to experimenting with music out of their comfort zone. This has led to the release of albums incorporated with Malay songs, such as Opera Radhi-o Friendly in 2002 and Satelit Ink in 2003. The single “Slumber” also made it to number 1 in local radio charts, breaking through the Malay music scene.
One of the many band lineups of OAG. But one thing for sure, Radhi is at the centre of it all. | Image via Oag Official Facebook Page
In the midst of it all, though fame sounded sweet, OAG went through multiple line-up changes and hiatuses. Even before Satelit Ink, Muhammad Radhi Razali, better known as Radhi, had become the only constant of OAG. Although the founding members made a promise during the recording of their first record to never include session musicians, Radhi eventually had to resort to finding talents among performing arts students to fill in the gaps. With all the changes and the challenges the rock n’ roll scene in the 90s presented, the stress took its toll and Radhi had no choice but to find solace in drugs.
Seksa, dada dan rock n’ roll
The cover of the book published by Radhi under the moniker Radhio Radhikal.
Having been in and out of rehab, Radhi has been proclaiming that he’s clean over the past years. In March 2019, under the moniker Radhio Radhikal, Radhi released a book on his battles with drug addiction with the title Seksa, dada dan rock & roll. In the book, he revealed that he had been under the influence since he was 15 while back in Sarawak. He also opened up about the rocky chemistry with members of the band, as well as his divorce. With the book and his story, Radhi aims to inspire people to become clean and stay clean.
Divorced. New Music. One Man Band. #ForeverAlone? Radhi looks very positive and happy regardless.
While everyone was happy that Radhi was in a good place and promoting positivity to the public, no one knew what was happening behind closed doors. In July 2019, news sparked of a second divorce. It was around that time that Radhi’s old habits had relapsed. But when life brings you down, there’s nowhere else to go but up. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Radhi wrote “#ORI” – a happy-go-lucky dance track. “I created #ORI because I want to share the love and inspire others to keep going no matter how hard the road ahead lies. Always be original”, says Radhi.
OAG is Radhi, Radhi is OAG
In 2020, with a clean slate and freshly out of a divorce, Radhi is OAG, and OAG is Radhi. As he has been the only constant of OAG, Radhi is rebranding his brainchild and claiming what is rightfully his. Thereafter, OAG will still be operating as a band by working with session musicians rather than having member musicians on board. To celebrate the new OAG, the A New Beginning tour has since kickstarted in Johor Bahru on 8 February 2020.
The new single “#ORI” will premiere only during the tour, so be sure you don’t miss the unveiling of a new era! Get your tickets here and in the meantime, here’s a little snippet of “#ORI”!
