Dennis Lau (born 9 September 1985) is a Malaysian electric violinist, pianist, songwriter and producer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Known for his explosive stage performances with the violin, he released his maiden album "DiversiFy" in 2009, featuring an eclectic mix of musical genres and collaborating with several notable local artists. Helming a music and production company, Lau is regarded as a patron of the arts, grooming young musicians and pursuing a broad range of collaborations. In 2011, Lau made his film debut in Namewee's "Nasi Lemak 2.0" starring as Lan Qiao.
In 2016, Lau commissioned Irish luthier Alistair Hay to build three electric violins custom-made for his body and specifications, one of the results of which is the dazzling, gold-plated phoenix violin he debuted at the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Phoenix Rising" concert, held in Kuala Lumpur in October that year.
Early life
Dennis Lau was born on 9 September 1985 in Teluk Intan, Ipoh, Perak to Lau Chee Chun, a corporate figure, and Chuah Chai Eng, a pianist. He was three when he first started playing the piano, guided by his mother, and at age eight he moved onto his signature instrument, the violin. An instrument, he says, that most resembles the human voice, with its versatility in diverse genres.[1]
His mother was thrilled at Lau's enthusiasm and talent when approaching the piano and violin, but as his interest waned, hers intensified.[2] "She forced me everyday to play the piano and violin," Lau recalls.[3] "By the age of ten I hated it," Lau admits, "I totally rebelled, but I had no choice." He would return from school to practice scales, while meal times were spent poring over musical theory and committing them to memory.[2]
Lau went on to obtain several diplomas in classical piano, including the ATCL (Associate of Trinity College London), AMusA (Associate Diploma in Music, Australia), ABRSM (Associate Board of the Royal Schools of Music) and LGSM (Licentiate of the Guildhall of Music, hons.).[4] Under the tutelage of prominent violin instructors Nora Kim and Andrew Chye, he became one of the youngest pianists to reach Grade 8 at 11 years old.[5] The young protégé was Award Winner for Outstanding Performance in the LTCL and FTCL examinations at the Trinity College of London.[6]
After his secondary studies, he decided to further his music education, saying he was "very bad" at academics, and music was the only thing he could "pass".[3]
Education
Lau attended UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelors in Music under the Newcastle Australian Music Degree Program,[6] having studied violin in the School of Music. The release of his limited edition album DiversiFy in 2010 included a short film screened at the university. Lau says his time at university was "extremely innovative" and provided him "an encouraging environment to try out new ideas".[7]
During this period, Lau performed as a soloist with the Universiti Malaya Symphony Orchestra (UMSO) in the presence of Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Azlan Shah. He was also actively involved as a regular secessionist with the RTM Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, while holding the first violin position for the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO).[4]
Outside of playing with orchestras, Lau began performing at weddings, hotel lounges and corporate events to make ends meet. Lau recalls, "My first gig was at a hotel in KL. I played to an empty crowd every night but that didn't put me off as I was determined to make the extra money."[8]
In early 2006, Lau initiated his first international collaboration, with David Tao during his "Love Can" concert.[9]
Career
2007–2009: Pre-debut
In 2007, while in Bangkok for a vacation, the inspiration for Lau's first original song "I Just Wanna" came to him suddenly. "When I returned to KL, I immediately called my friends to find a studio where I could express the tune in my head," Lau reminisces. "It sounded very special to me since it was my original creation and I had not had my own music recorded at that time." From then, Lau began composing more and more songs, which he would later compile into his first album "DiversiFy".[8]
In the years following his graduation, he began making appearances at high-profile events as a performer,[10] notably for Dato' Sri Khalid bin Mohamed Jiwa and Dato' Siti Nurhaliza's first wedding anniversary. Demonstrating his later inclination to pursue unlikely collaborations, Lau teamed up with local jazz band James Boyle and the Ragged Tigers, for both the Penang Island Jazz Festival and the Genting International Jazz festival.[9]
In November 2009, Lau released his maiden album "DiversiFy", featuring classical music fused with elements of jazz, hip-hop and R&B.[8] The album was recorded over a period of two years, with Lau preferring to compose and record track by track. "I wanted it to be based on my experiences and the people I've met."[11] As a result, the album was recorded all over the region, in Beijing, Guangzhou, studios in Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.[8][11]Sony Music Entertainment Malaysia signed Lau and acted as distributors of DiversiFy, making Lau the first instrumental artist signed with Sony in Malaysia. DiversiFy won the award for Best Producer at the Voice Independent Music Awards (VIMA) 2009.[9] Lau began performing internationally, giving a mesmerizing performance to Star World's Asia Uncut Programme hosted by Jon Niermann in Shanghai.
2010–2015: A budding star
Following the success of his first album, Lau released DiversiFy Limited Edition in November 2010, which included two trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, an exclusive soundtrack[7] and three bonus tracks. This featured collaborations for "Syukur" with Altimet, and "Reflection" with saxophonist Jimmy Sax. Lau produced his first short film with award-nominated director Adrian Lai, titled "Prelude in F Minor", after one of the songs in the album, starring television personality Daphne Iking and drama regular Steve Yap. His alma mater, USCI University, sponsored production for the film and it was launched at Zouk KL in conjunction with the limited edition release.[12]
Now developing a signature style, Lau began another unlikely collaboration with Malaysian beatboxer Shawn Lee in 2010. "We met at an event late last year and just decided to start jamming here one night. It drove the neighbors crazy but we figured we could really do a collaboration from then," Lau recalls. Playing the violin against Lee's thumping rhythms, a series of collaboration projects called "Unity of Arts" took off.[13] "I love hip-hop and R&B but I am classically trained," Lau says, "so I decided to blend them together."[8] This habit of pursuing improbable collaborations and exploring the spaces between musical genres would remain persistent traits in Lau's career.
In 2011, Lau pivoted and made his film debut in Namewee's "Nasi Lemak 2.0", starring as the villain "Lan Qiao".[9] The film follows a chef who tries to learn a secret recipe to improve his business.[14] The low-budget film premiered in Melbourne, Australia on Malaysia's National Day, 31 August 2011, then later in Malaysian cinemas on 8 September 2011.[citation needed] The film was successful, reaping RM7 million.[15]
Lau gave several notable performances throughout this period. He was asked to open for American pop star Adam Lambert at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur during his Asia tour in 2010. In 2011, he collaborated with Malaysian hardstyle duo DJ Bass Agents at Crown Casino Melbourne for the Merdeka celebrations in Australia. He was a guest artist at the prestigious Islamic Fashion Festival held in London, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, as well as giving a Special Performance by Invitation for Her Majesty, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah in Istana Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur.[9]
In 2012, Lau kept to his spree of performing in the presence of royalty, playing at the Installation Ceremony of the King at Istana Negara, the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the monarch of Malaysia. During the royal visit to Malaysia by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Lau was blessed to give a performance. Lau also performed as guest artist for several international artists, including MC Jin's "My Dream" concert in Kuala Lumpur[9] and Japanese rock musician Miyavi.[16]
In August, Lau released a new pop single and music video titled "Gotcha Style", combining elements of art with music. Collaborating with Moots of Pop Shuvit, Thanuja Ananthan the Miss World Malaysia 2009 and acclaimed fashion designer Bernard Chandran,[9] the single, distributed by Sony Music Entertainment debuted on 12 August 2012 on Malaysian radio station HITZ.FM English Chart.[5] In the same month, Lau starred in Namewee's second movie, Hantu Gangster, which hit cinemas nationwide. The film featured an array of local celebrities, including Farid Kamil, Amber Chia, Reshmonu and MizzNina.[15]
Throughout this time, Lau continues to invest time and effort into his entertainment company Mosaic Music Entertainment, making a name for himself in entrepreneurial circles and bagging the Rising Star Awards Outstanding Performance Artiste of the Year at the McMillan Woods Global Awards 2013,[17] his first among many from the entrepreneurship awards body.[18] In the same year, he went on to star in Jason Kok's film "Fantasia", taking the supporting role of Lin Lai Feng, a violinist.[19]
In 2014, Lau collaborated with the National Department for Culture and Arts (JKKN) of Malaysia to publish "A Malaysian Journey", an album with classic Malay songs featuring famous artists including Amy Search, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza, Ning Baizura and Dato' David Arumugam.[20] The following year, he released an international version of the album, simply titled "The Journey".[10] "The Journey is like a personal album which charts my musical adventure from the age of 3 when I first started learning to play the piano," Lau says. The album took five years to produce, compiled into 10 songs produced in collaboration with local artists, including Jojo Struys, Abigail Chew, Michael Leaner, Soo Wincci, Edmond Chong, Yuri Wong, Moots[21] and the award-winning, LA-based producer and songwriter Tat Tong. One of the tracks closest to Lau's heart is "My Mama Says", written by Lau himself featuring the vocals of Crystal Lee.[citation needed] The song released on Mother's Day, with Lau dedicating it to his mother's nurturing.[22]
Lau won a series of awards in this period, securing the Brand Laureate Grand Master Brand Icon Leadership Awards in 2014,[17] the ASEAN Leading Violinist Performer 2014 from the ASEAN Retail Chains and Franchise Federation (ARFF), followed by the Global Music Entrepreneur Icon of The Year in the Global Branding Awards in 2015.[23] Lau won several more awards from the McMillan Woods Global Awards body, including the Global Music Entrepreneur Icon of the Year Award in the Masterclass category and the Icon in Contemporary Instrumental Music Award in 2015.[17] In August, Lau spoke for the first time at TEDxTARUC (Tunku Abdul Rahman University College) in Kuala Lumpur.[24]
2016–2019: A phoenix rises
After six years of consideration, Lau finally decides in 2016 to commission renowned luthier Alistair Hay of the acclaimed Emerald Guitars to build a custom-made violin.[25] "Just like a soul mate, a musician's instrument plays a very important role in the development of the player's voice and personality," he says.[26] After seeing Chinese artist Wang Leehom unveil his iconic silver dragon guitar "Bahamut" on his Music Man tour, also custom-made by Alistair Hay, Lau was inspired to build a custom six-string violin that could rival the stage presence of Bahamut.[25] Lau sought out Hay, based in Donegal, Ireland, to begin development.
At the time, Hay, despite a great reputation with stringed instruments, had not worked with violins before. Lau said for any musician, having an instrument custom-made for them presents many challenges, such as getting the right balance of character, playability, and tone.[27] "I had been holding the idea of a violin that would wrap around your body for support, so I suggested making a Phoenix and Dennis agreed that it was a perfect symbol to represent his music and his journey and rebirth as a musician," Hay says, "We spent a few months discussing the design and then Dennis travelled all the way from Malaysia to Ireland to have the violin fitted to his body. It was more like tailoring a suit than building an instrument."[25]
The 23K gold-plated and peridot studded phoenix electric violin that was the result made its debut at Lau's first large-scale concert, "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Phoenix Rising", held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2016,[28] which Hay and his wife attended as special guests.[26] In his signature style, the concert featured several mixed ensembles, showcasing the array of talent Lau has collaborated with over the years, including Ning Baizura, Jimmy Sax, Syafinaz Selamat, Atilia Haron and Soo Wincci.[27] Later on, the concert would help Lau set a record for the most number of music collaborations by an instrumentalist in the Malaysia Book of Records.[29] Alongside musicians, Lau, with Jennifer Thompson as show producer and notable composer Audrey Suwito as music director, incorporated rhythmic gymnasts (including the 1998 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Sarina Sundara Rajah and her protégé) and speed painters into the performances, with some 3500 people attending.[30]
This period saw Lau focus on music production and performing. In 2017, Lau's single "The Destination" featuring vocalist Esmond Chong hit number one on the Malaysian radio station HITZ.FM MET10 charts.[citation needed] In 2018, Lau saw increasing collaboration with Singaporean musician Hanjin Tan on several songs, "Lafite", "Da Call", and "You Are The Most Beautiful".[32] The music video for an earlier track the duo composed entitled "Marry Me" was produced by Lau's Mosaic Entertainment Group and directed by Patrick Low, who actually filmed it in Donegal when Lau went to visit in 2016.[25] Lau also returned to collaborate with Namewee, this time with a track and a music video, "One and Only", which released in April 2018.[33] He won more awards from the McMillan Woods Global Awards body, taking the Entertainer Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017,[34] then the Music and Content Production Excellence Award in 2018, for his work in the music industry.[35]
Following on from the phoenix violin, Lau commissioned two more violins with Hay. Revisiting the dragon theme with the creation of "Suilleach", a six-string silver dragon violin, and "The Chosen", a simpler, more elegant design for ease of travel.[36] In March 2019, Lau initiated a collaboration with Adam Izzy and award-winning producer Tat Tong to produce a track and music video of the same name, "The Chosen",[37] and by June, Lau put together another full concert, titled: "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Chosen".[38]
Lau, with Jennifer Thompson as show producer once again, chose to feature a more powerful and emotive roster of young talents, including Aisyah Aziz, Jeryl Lee, Dewi Seriestha, Lee Elaine, Dennis Yin, NAMA, and Fara Dolhadi.[38] The all-Malaysian, multi-racial blend of artists rendered Malay, English and Chinese songs and featured a partnership with education NGO Teach For Malaysia (TFM). Sharing a common goal with TFM of empowering underprivileged students, four pupils with musical talent were scouted from TFM schools and given a six-month Masterclass and Mentorship Programme in vocal and performance training by Lau and Fara Dolhadi. The students then made special appearances at the concert, finally coming together with other artists to sing the specially composed song "Esok", which contain themes of seeking opportunity in life, meant to inspire the younger generation from underprivileged backgrounds.[38][39]
Lau also debuted "The Chosen" violin at the concert. For this third commission, Lau gave Hay free creative direction, and the result was a violin sleek and silver, with a body carved in the shape of a teardrop, the lightest and most transportable of Lau's three violins. The phoenix and dragon violins, while impressive, proved to be a logistical nightmare. "When Alistair came up with this design, I didn't expect it," Lau admits, "I just asked for it to be practical. It cannot be like the previous ones."[40] The concert featured a magic show as an opening act, by Asia's Got Talent finalist Sobhi Shaker. The concert was well received, with a portion of ticket proceeds going to TFM to support its mission to end education inequality.[41]
Lau continued to put on notable shows in this period. He performed at the 20th Hong Kong Handover Anniversary in 2017.[42] He also performed for the First Lady of Malaysia Tun Siti Hasmah and Dr.Mahatir bin Mohamad's—the then Prime Minister of Malaysia and oldest statesman in the world—63rd wedding anniversary, gifting a violin to the First Lady alongside Dato' Siti Nurhaliza.[43]
The gig economy was devastated, and being a gig worker, Lau wasn't excluded from the effects, with an instant halt in all performances and projects. "During the pandemic and MCO period, the first two weeks specifically, I was really down.[47] Music is my passion and the freeze on live performances was like an artistic imprisonment for me.[48] Feeling unproductive is possibly the worst feeling ever. But, this period also allowed me to pen my senses and observe what possibilities are around me that could be productive and to add value to," he says. Guided by opportunity, Lau starts "My Chicken King", turning him into a free-range chicken supplier overnight.[47] In the course of the pandemic and the later MCO 2.0 and 3.0, this project later evolved into "Ah Lau Food King" and involved a larger roster of products, including condiments and fresh seafood supplied to households and local Chinese restaurants.[48]
Since 2022
As the pandemic eases in Malaysia, Lau opens 2022 by starring in Namewee's "Nasi Lemak 1.0", the sequel to the 2011 film "Nasi Lemak 2.0", returning again as the villain Lan Qiao.[49] In 2023, Lau held an intimate performance at the Jao Tim Restaurant along Jalan Sultan in Kuala Lumpur, arranging several ensembles again in his signature style in a special "Dennis Lau & Friends" showcase.[50]
The same year, Lau initiates a collaboration with Datuk Syafinaz Selamat on a single "Glory", with the help of his long-time lyricist Shathesh Raj A/L Ramachandran, known fondly to Lau as "Tinta". The song was composed as a tribute and a celebration to Malaysian athletes, and would take over a year to complete.[51] In July, Tinta died,[52] unexpectedly leaving "Glory" his final project with Lau and this deeply affected the violinist, who had a unique and extensive working relationship with him. "Glory" released in January 2024.[51]
Presently, Lau continues performing at notable functions and events in the South East Asian region while managing his food businesses and entertainment company as an entrepreneur.
Artistry
Style
Over the years, Lau developed a signature style that comes to characterize his approach to music and performance. As early as 2009, with the release of his first album DiversiFy, Lau said "I love hip-hop and R&B but I am classically trained, so I decided to blend them together."[8] The album has elements of classical music fused with jazz, hip-hop and R&B, which demonstrate Lau's natural inclination to eclecticism in art.[17] The first album is titled "DiversiFy" because Lau believed in the breadth of the violin—"I want to show people that the violin, as an instrument, can create a new beat to any kind of music."[8]
In the midst of organizing the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Phoenix Rising" concert in 2016, Lau gave an interview to a magazine notably saying "R&B, electronic, pop—these are all just labels, actually, music transcends labelling."[17] By then, he had gained a reputation for his finesse, showmanship on stage, and ability to adapt to different music genres.[6] Back in 2012, Lau experimented with multi-disciplinary art with "Gotcha Style", a track and music video collaborating with rappers, dancers, and fashion designer Bernard Chandran to bring violin and vocals together with pop and dance.[5]
His third album released in 2015 "The Journey" was a contemporary R&B album, showcasing an experimentation with electronic dance music (EDM),[citation needed] and during the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Chosen" concert in 2019, Lau arranged and performed with artists singing in three languages, Malay, Mandarin and English.[39]
This eclecticism shows itself also in Lau's penchant for a broad range of unlikely collaborations, teaming up with the beatboxer Shawn Lee as early as 2010.[13] In an interview with New Straits Times in 2010, Lau says "I don't like to play solo. Collaborations make it better because it's not focused on one performer."[12] The 2016 "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Phoenix Rising" concert featured rhythmic gymnasts and speed painters,[30] while the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Chosen" concert three years later featured a magic show as the opening act.[39]
Violins
Lau has always gravitated to the violin. "It is the closest instrument to a voice, I feel," he reflects, "the violin allows me a flexibility and versatility on stage that I can't find with the piano." With the electric violin, Lau struck out and made his mark on the local and international music scenes.[17] Lau has been known to place tremendous importance on his instruments. "Just like a soul mate, a musician's instrument plays a very important role in the development of the player's voice and personality," he said. Commissioning luthier Alistair Hay of Emerald Guitars is a key moment in Lau's career.[27] Hay developed three distinct violins in total for Lau over the course of six years.[38]
The first was a 24K gold-plated six-string carbon fiber electric violin in the shape of a phoenix, with gemstones for eyes. The wings of the violin were customized to fit Lau's body, and Lau debuted the violin at the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Phoenix Rising" concert in 2016.[53]
The second violin was modeled after a dragon, inspired by Wang Lee Hom's "Bahamut" silver dragon electric guitar, it was named "Suilleach", and is currently in the possession of Chip Lim, an art collector and friend to Lau.
Finally, Lau gave Hay free rein to design a third violin without any personal input. Hay built a compact, sleek, tear-drop shaped carbon fiber electric violin, meant to be fastened to Lau's body via a bespoke harness allowing the violinist to position the instrument out of the way when needed. "For this third piece, I wanted the audience to focus on the musician and less on the violin," Hay says.[40] Lau named this violin "The Chosen" and unveiled it at the "Dennis Lau & Friends: The Chosen" concert in 2019.[39]
Mentorship
As early as 2012, Lau began to find pleasure in nurturing the talents of others.[2] His habit of initiating collaborations puts him in touch with a wide variety of people, and in 2013, the parents of Crystal Lee, then only nine years old, enlisted Lau's Mosaic Music Entertainment to mentor Crystal and manage her career.[54] With the label of "Little Starlet", Crystal burst into the entertainment scene with her critically acclaimed role opposite Jay Chou and Nicholas Tse in the blockbuster feature film "Viral Factor", released in 2012.[55] In June 2013, Crystal won the Best Actress Award at the Shanghai International Film Festival for her performance in the Hong Kong film "Unbeatable", co-starring with Nick Cheung Ka Fai. This propelled Crystal to international stardom, leading to her meeting with Lau.[56] Lau takes her under his wing, and begins developing Crystal's precocious aptitude for singing. "It gives me such satisfaction," he said, "I want her to succeed faster than I did."[2] They continued to work together for years, with Lau initiating musical collaborations with Crystal, and employing his production company to produce a series of music videos for her.
At the same time, Lau also takes on a young beatboxer Koujee under his wing, initiating a violin-beatbox collaborations under the "Unity of Arts" project.[57] In the vein of his previous collaboration with Shawn Lee, Lau explores a more relevant sound with Koujee. The mentorship takes off, and Lau and Koujee performed together in a string of explosive performances in 2012 and 2013.[58]
