On a mission to amplify Malaysia&rsquo;s music bigger than ever, Arif Kamarudin's mix of styles sounds like no one but himself.

Midnight Fusic is not just another band on the scene; they are the soundtrack to late nights, unspoken feelings, and that rush of nostalgia you can&rsquo;t quite shake. Since forming in 2013, the Malaysian quartet has carved out a space that bridges the raw energy of rock with the polish of mainstream appeal. Their songs, anchored by emotive vocals, catchy hooks and dynamic instrumentation, don&rsquo;t just play, they resonate. At the heart of it all is Arif Kamarudin, whose lyricism turns fleeting emotions into anthems that stick. Midnight Fusic has been called one of the most exciting bands in Malaysia&rsquo;s indie scene. As the vocalist, what does your voice represent within the band&rsquo;s identity? I think of my voice as the glue that ties everything together. Each of my bandmates brings their own edge and authenticity, and my role is to channel the emotions we create as a unit. At the end of the day, I want listeners to feel and understand the stories behind our music. What drew you to become not just a singer, but the storyteller for Midnight Fusic I&rsquo;ve always been fascinated by how lyrics land differently when they&rsquo;re sung with real emotion. To me, songs aren&rsquo;t just something you listen to; they&rsquo;re something you&rsquo;re meant to feel. Even if a track is mostly sounds and textures, there&rsquo;s still an intention behind it. That&rsquo;s why singing for me has never been about hitting perfect notes; it&rsquo;s about telling our stories in a way that resonates. Honestly, I don&rsquo;t sing because I think I sound good; I sing because it makes me feel alive. How do you personally define the &ldquo;Midnight Fusic sound,&rdquo; and how has that definition evolved since the band first started? From the beginning, we knew the kind of sound we wanted to put out. Over time, it&rsquo;s only become sharper and more defined. You can hear our love for everything from &rsquo;80s synth pop to early 2000s rock bleeding into the music. Those eras shaped our taste, and that DNA naturally shows up in our songs. But we&rsquo;re music lovers at the core, so we&rsquo;re never boxed in, who knows, maybe one day Midnight Fusic might head in a completely unexpected direction.

"To me, songs aren&rsquo;t just something you listen to; they&rsquo;re something you&rsquo;re meant to feel." - Arif Kamarudin

When you&rsquo;re writing or performing, what emotional space do you find yourself entering, and how do you translate that into your vocal delivery? It really depends on the song. Sometimes it&rsquo;s nostalgia, sometimes frustration, sometimes joy. I just let the emotion lead the way. My goal is always to keep the performance honest, no matter what the feeling is. Is there a particular Midnight Fusic song that feels closest to your heart, maybe because of what it represents in your life? I Don&rsquo;t Wanna Dream Tonight is the one for me. It&rsquo;s rooted in a haunting, life-changing experience I went through, a real turning point that pulled me even deeper into music. Your voice carries both rawness and polish. How do you strike that balance between vulnerability and control? For me, it&rsquo;s about knowing when to let go and when to hold back. I don&rsquo;t want to sound too perfect, because that strips away the emotion. But I also don&rsquo;t want to sound chaotic just for the sake of it. It&rsquo;s finding that middle ground where the vulnerability still feels intentional. Midnight Fusic has carved out a name for itself in Malaysia and beyond. How do you personally handle the weight of growing recognition? I try not to frame it as...

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Photography Joe Ng Creative Direction, Styling &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Hair &amp; Makeup Wuzz Siew Photography Assistant David Ong

Interview: Arif Kamarudin and his modus operandi

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