Az Samad Releases ‘sehayat dalam sedetik’, An Archival Guitar EP

By Lara Kramer • 19 Jan 2026 in Music

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There is a particular patience required to sit with old work.

Not nostalgia, not revisionism, but the willingness to listen to who you were without rushing to correct them. For Kuala Lumpur-based guitarist, composer, and educator Az Samad, that patience finally culminates in sehayat dalam sedetik, a new instrumental acoustic guitar EP built from songs written between 2004 and 2010.

These were not leftovers. They were pieces that simply waited.

Released on 1 January 2026, sehayat dalam sedetik gathers five instrumental compositions recorded across Az’s formative years, many of them tracked during his time in Berkeley, California, between 2010 and 2011. For years, the recordings lived quietly on ageing hard drives, untouched not out of neglect but out of timing.

When Az finally returned to them, he chose not to over-polish or overwrite their original intent. Instead, he remixed them with a light hand, preserving the vulnerability of the performances while gently aligning them with contemporary production standards, an area he has been exploring more deeply in recent years.

The title translates to “a lifetime in a second,” a phrase that anchors the emotional core of the EP. For Az, it reflects the idea that meaning is not measured by duration. A friendship, a shared experience, or a fleeting moment can hold the emotional weight of years. This record is rooted in that belief, a quiet tribute to people and connections that continue to resonate long after the moment has passed.

Musically, sehayat dalam sedetik resists the dominant trends of modern acoustic guitar, which often prioritise speed, force, and percussive spectacle. Az moves in the opposite direction. The EP leans toward melody, atmosphere, and restraint, allowing space and silence to carry as much significance as technique. The result is a record that unfolds patiently, trusting the listener to meet it halfway.

Here’s ‘bayang biru’ off the EP:

That approach reflects a life shaped by listening. Az grew up performing alongside his father, national literary figure A. Samad Said, at poetry and guitar events, where music existed in conversation with language, memory, and emotion. From early on, his relationship with sound was less about fitting into scenes and more about dialogue. It is perhaps why Az has always moved fluidly between worlds, from acoustic and jazz-adjacent spaces to indie circles, poetry stages, and classrooms.

When you do not fit neatly into one genre, you learn to exist comfortably across many.

sehayat dalam sedetik also stands as a refined exploration of DADGAD tuning, paying tribute to Az’s mentor, the late fingerstyle guitarist Eric Roche. While the influence of percussive innovators like Michael Hedges can be felt, the emotional compass of the EP points closer to the melodic sensitivity of Alex De Grassi. Technique is present throughout, but it never demands attention. Feeling leads. The hands follow.

The EP’s featured tracks each carry distinct emotional weight.

The title piece, ‘sehayat dalam sedetik’, encapsulates the record’s central philosophy of depth over duration. ‘mengapa responds quietly to mortality and grief, written after a friend lost her father. ‘kit’s song’ honours a friendship formed during Az’s Berkeley years, while ‘bayang biru” draws from the structure and soul of classic folk singer-songwriter ballads. Together, the songs feel personal without being indulgent, intimate without explanation.

In recent years, Az’s focus has leaned strongly toward education and mentorship. In 2025 alone, he conducted more than 20 guitar clinics, masterclasses, and talks, reinforcing his role as one of the Malaysian music community’s most respected educators.

A Yamaha Music Malaysia guitar ambassador and NUX endorsee, he continues to balance teaching with performance, most recently blending instrumental guitar with spoken word poetry at the Klang River Festival.

Releasing sehayat dalam sedetik is not a pivot so much as a return. A return to composition, to recording, and to trusting simplicity. Nearly three decades after first picking up the guitar in 1996, Az Samad is not chasing trends or reclaiming momentum.

He is documenting evolution, offering these songs as they are, and allowing them to find listeners willing to sit still with them. Sometimes, the most honest records are not made in the present moment, but rediscovered there.

sehayat dalam sedetik is available now on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal.