KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 -- A new government-backed music project bringing together some of Malaysia's best-known hip-hop and alternative artists was unveiled at an exclusive listening session in Kuala Lumpur last weekend.

PADU: The Album, led by DJ Pri2 and Poovilashini, was previewed to around 100 invited guests from the music, media and creative industries at Mantra Bar on June 14.

Supported by MyCreative Ventures under the Ministry of Communications, the bilingual Malay-and-English project features collaborations with artists including Kidd Santhe, K-Town Clan, Airliftz, Balan Kash, Syntax, Besanth, Adam Imanullah, Axtin and Shane Kennedy.

According to the organisers, the five-track album was conceived as an independent project aimed ...