Liver & Lung, the Malaysian theatre company behind Sepet The Musical, have released their debut studio album. A soundtrack from their upcoming musical film, the album is now available on Spotify and all other music stores.
Mahsuri (& Other Peculiar Tales) is a six-song album that depicts the legend of Mahsuri, a Malaysian tale of a beautiful woman wrongly accused of adultery. The album blends South and South-East Asian sounds with contemporary musical theatre elements to reimagine the legend, documenting Mahsuri’s arrival in Langkawi, her romance with the warrior Wan Derus and her untimely death at the hands of her evil mother-in-law, Mahura.
The studio experimentation showcases East Asian instruments, Bollywood-inspired vocals and authentically Malaysian percussion beats, truly capturing a diversely Malaysian spirit.
The album was first composed by Shafeeq Shajahan for Liver & Lung’s to-be-released film, a recent finalist at the Short Shorts Film Festival in Tokyo. The album features rising starts Badrika Baluch (as Mahsuri), Joshua Gui (as Wan Derus), Nabilah Hamid (as Mahura) and Nave VJ (as Deraman).
“I developed the concept for Mahsuri (& Other Peculiar Tales) in 2017 as a stage musical. It was hugely successful and won Liver & Lung our first BOH Cameronian Award. The film adaptation has been gestating in my mind for a while, so I’m so happy that our music is finally released for all to listen,” said Shafeeq Shajahan, who also directed the short film.
“I’ve always believed in the importance of remembering our roots. The Malaysian identity is diverse and colourful, and as a film and theatre-maker, I feel a responsibility to keep reintroducing Malaysian stories to new audiences in contemporary & exciting ways,” Shafeeq added.
The film is set to launch later this year.
Liver & Lung is an award-winning, international production company founded by best friends, Shafeeq Shajahan and Hannah Shields. After winning three awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards this year, Liver & Lung has been committed to upholding the arts in what has been a difficult year. This release marks the beginning of their venture into digital musical soundtracks.