Few music creators get to appreciate the true power that the right music can have on the dance floor. But the Malaysia-born music talent known as Keemo Rahman truly does. The artist started his professional career as a modern dancer and choreographer in the 1990s. Born Abdul Hakim Abdul Rahman, in the Kuching city of Sarawak in Borneo Island, Malaysia, his multi-dimensional relationship with music led him to want to craft music that is positive for the mind and body. He gained his music creation and production experience in remixing music for his dance troupes and as a part-time DJ in local music clubs in Kuching. He dared to experiment with various types of music and believes that music is a good way to express feelings.
1 In Music: Thank you for joining us. Starting your music journey from a dance perspective must surely have contributed to making you and your music unique. Tell us more.
Keemo Rahman [KR]: Yes, I did start as a modern dancer, modern dance choreographer and dance music producer. Those 3 elements are a good combination and what makes me unique in the music industry. I could say I do all these things at once, and most importantly it reflects on the sound of my music: daring, fierce, and one of a kind.
1 In Music: What or who shaped your music and who supports you?
KR: I must admit it was all on my own. My weakness is that it is extremely hard for me to accept any mistakes made by others. This could possibly affect the creative process. So, I would definitely do it all on my own. I will then only get others to judge once the final product is done. And do you think people will get the product corrected once it’s finished? No, I don’t think so, haha. People know how hard it is to get music done, and they know the process. I mean that all my music is shaped, directed and conceived by myself. Who supports me? Of course, my dear father, trusted close friends and my followers. They have good taste in music.
1 In Music: When did you realise you were going to make music professionally?
KR: I realised it many years ago, when I was teaching people to dance. I choreographed modern dance music, from theatrical dramas, street dance, and ballrooms. I could say that
the dance floor had inspired me to become a music producer.
1 In Music: What type of music do you listen to?
KR: I listen to almost all kinds of music, from primarily modern pop, R&B, Hip Hop to ballrooms and ballets. All kinds, yeah.
1 In Music: Who, to you, is the most undervalued music artist?
KR: Personally, there are no undervalued music artist that I could find so FAR. All music artists have their own specialties, and they are capable of doing all what arts are all about.
1 In Music: How do you prepare for your performances?
KR: Practice, practice and practice. Practice makes perfect!
1 In Music: What do you do when you are not making music or dancing and that you are passionate about?
KR: I love to cook! That’s the other part of me that I realised months right after I lost my mother. How I miss her home cooking, and now thank God, I got her skill.
1 In Music: Success to you is…?
KR:
Success is being who you are, being bold, creative, rare and unique!
1 In Music: What wise words would you share with a new musician?
KR: I love to listen to all wisdom and good advice. I wish I could make all people happy, enjoy my music of course. In music, there are no boundaries. We all can be creative, keep going, keep trying and don’t ever give up.
1 In Music: Any upcoming projects?
KR: Ministry Of The Dance Floor is coming in just around the corner, and you better get ready with your dance shoes! Ministry Of The Dance Floor is my second release after Quarantune last year. The album contains 19 tracks, all dance-oriented, all which you cannot miss out on.
The highlights of the LP are Land Of Unity featuring Malaysian Bintang Klasik Hijrah Yahya, Wake Up Call, Survival, No Courage Without Fear, Mambo Electro featuring Paksi but there are and many more. Personally, Ministry Of The Dance Floor is my all out production so far. With the theme of past and future, Ministry Of The Dance Floor is all about dance, freedom, dare, a trip down memory lane, the future. Plus, it’s unique. At the end of the day, it’s all about keeping together and dancing. I am the producer and the arranger of all the tracks. The guest artists Hijrah Yahya and the rapper Paksi joined me on the LP and contributed their talent, their beautiful voices and skills.
Ministry Of The Dance Floor is going to be released on August 14, 2021. So stay tuned!
1 In Music: We can’t wait! Where can we find all your releases then?
KR: You can easily google me up, just search Keemo Rahman. My music releases are available on all major music platforms, namely iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, JOOX, Deezer, Youtube, Amazon music and more.