JUICE’s 2011 Predictions: The Mover and Shaker’s Edition

In our second edition of 2011 predictions, we picked the brains of business owners, promoters, photographers and firestarters to give us the lowdown. Forecast is looking dapper, digital and dubstep-y…

CEE
PRODUCER, FIRE STARTER AND EVENT ORGANISER (MONSOON/BAREFOOT ASIA/CRUNCHTIME)
Underground bass, barefoot and whatnot
Music will keep on flourishing like crazy in Malaysia and the region. Big up to the Mutants, Bud Cultures and all a dem… KL’s nightlife will get richer and deeper super soon, because we are ready. It’s bedtime, sayang! When it comes to singer-songwriters and indie music, Malaysia is all there. Big time. In 2011, more and more of them will go global, cos they’ve got what it takes la.

WAN ATIF
PHOTOGRAPHER
Prim and proper
I predict fashion trends for men will be more prim and proper, almost yuppier per se. Look out for more boat shoes and a heavy usage of sports coats.

Concerts and bedroom DJs
There’ll be an abundance of concerts and hopefully, the return of festivals and “proper” raves. Also be sure to look out for fresh young talent, especially bedroom DJs.

IRMAN HILMI
OWNER OF GRAFA
Small, Niche Businesses
As the need for employment independence increases, there will be more young and not-so-young people leaving the comforts of their jobs to start up their own businesses. Our neighbours down south have a wealth of niche, small shops selling various items scattered along Haji Lane and Bali Lane, and it’s about time we buck up and up the ante. Expect everything from quirky restaurants to bicycle cafés and edgy fashion boutiques carrying local brands to mushroom. Because sometimes, if you can’t buy something here, the best thing to do is to get a business license and import it yourself. Or if you’re motivated enough, produce it yourself with your Alibaba.com contacts, no?

OMAR MICHAEL
FOUNDER, MALAYSIAN DUBSTEP ALLIANCE

Electro house overdose
Fergie’s singing to it, it gets Saturday night at the Zouk Mainroom and its commercial face, David Guetta, has replaced Tiësto as the de facto rave headliner. Electro house today is like trance back in 2007. It’s reached its zenith, and the only way it can go from here is down.

Steve Jobs reveals himself as Freemason Emperor
See those reception problems on your iPhone 4? It’s the built-in mind control device messing with your antenna. Steve’s gonna push a little red button and activate that device some time in 2011, giving him just enough time to carry out the Mayan prophecies as planned.

From DJ to producer
The aftermath of the “I wanna be a DJ” virus is that many KL beat junkies are moving on to production. The result? Soundcloud is now swimming in demos from bedroom superstars, many with mad potential. If anyone’s planning to launch a local version of Beatport, please sell me some shares.

The rise of TV, the fall of movies
Spartacus? Breaking Bad? Sons Of Anarchy? I was this close to making sweet love to my TV in 2010. It’s always been awesome how TV series can spend months building characters and plot lines, but this year they’ve nearly b!tch-slapped movies into obsolescence with increasingly better acting and production values. Plus, have you seen that rank Thor trailer?

The death of dubstep
Dubstep is about to drop dead under a heap of annoying “filthier than…” jokes. Nobody will listen to it in 2011. There will be no dubstep gigs. Disillusioned dubstep DJs and producers will move on to greener pastures, like Eurodance. YEAH RIGHT. We’re taking over baby!

SU-ANN & SLIM
OWNERS OF PALATE PALETTE
The rise of creativity
Creativity is something that comes naturally to us. We will take it a step further and be more creative in our lives! The arts in all forms-music, performance, painting, crafting, writing, etc-will be the necessary outlet in which we will express ourselves freely and unrestricted. The products of our collective energies, ideas and explorations will be celebrated, and we will push new boundaries in creativity to bring about more colours in the world!

Deeper interconnectivity with nature
In 2010, everyday citizens of the world saw and heard more about the environment than ever before, from no-plastic bag campaigns to world leaders discussing global climate change. Now is the time to “walk the talk”. There will be a deeper awareness and understanding of green concepts. We will plant more trees, recycle more trash, reject excessive product packaging and upcycle (which is to turn everyday rubbish into something useful and beautiful). We will rejuvenate our souls by spending more time playing at waterfalls, rivers and hills, and less time in soul-usurping shopping malls.

Humanity will shine
Out with the old and in with the new. The current dinosaur-like way of thinking and running things will go extinct, and be replaced by fresh and revolutionary ideas. There will be new models for governance and business. Current models rooted in greed and fear will cease to be relevant. People in power will heed the voices of everyday people. We will demand that our forests and the basic human rights of age-old tribes (like the orang asli) that live within be protected. The poor, hungry and helpless will be empowered to help themselves with the full support of community as a whole. We will start taking charge of our lives and stand up for what we truly believe in.

There will be more smiles 🙂
Fact: One of our unifying reasons for living life is to be happy. This concept sometimes gets lost in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. For 2011, we will find more ways to be happy (and healthy)-through spending time with friends and loved ones, having a drink, relaxing and letting our mind wander or simply following our dreams. We will be doing what we love to do, and nothing else! Love will be a major motivation to be happy in our lives.

Disclaimer: This prediction for 2011 was written when the stars were aligned with the moon and sun in no particular order. Should these predictions not come true in 2011 for any reason, it will in 2012 (fingers and stars crossed)!

WEI YENG
CO-OWNER OF WHEEL LOVE

The 1920’s
We’ve had the revival of the 1990s right back to the 1940s, but the 1920s hasn’t fully been restored. The fashion, the music, the lifestyle and even the designs should be influencing our daily lives for the next 365 days.

Suit smart
After years of different eras, predictable trademarks such as neon-coloured clothing, skinny jeans, cotton-spandex leggings, fake eyeglasses and high-waist bottoms should be at their tail end. It’s time to get back to the basics of a well-groomed person who appreciates a simple, well-pressed shirt and good shoes.

Online congestion
Now one’s Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare check-ins and a whole bunch of other social media metrics indicate one’s “wiredness”. Everyone’s adding and checking in as if money could be earned, and 2011 is going to see an increase in online traffic as bad as the jams in KL during rush hour.

Creative sprouts
Work pressures and the daily grind are driving more and more people to let go and instead, do what they love most. The leash that we put upon ourselves is going to be longer, if not totally cut, and will see the rise of more creative expression and ventures.

Agree or disagree with our movers and shakers? Let us know in the comments below! Look out for the last installment tomorrow!