KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Fans of Malaysian Nu Vintage band FUGO are in for a treat this year as the group prepares to roll out its upcoming new album.
The announcement comes two years after the release of its debut studio album 99, which helped expand the band’s audience, showcased its versatility and established the group as one of Malaysia’s rising acts.
Known for its retro-inspired music and aesthetic, FUGO consists of vocalist and flugelhorn player Hakim Kamal, bassist Kayrol Ami, and keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Faizul Hakim, better known as Fai.
After a busy 2025 that included tours across Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as contributing a soundtrack for the hit local animated film Ejen Ali The Movie 2, the band is now returning with new material, beginning with the release of its upcoming single Izinkan Aku on May 29.
“We are currently in the midst of working on several new releases,” Hakim told Malay Mail.
“Basically our aim this year is to work our way to the release of our new album.
“And within this week, we will also be releasing our first single Izinkan Aku on May 29, which is taken from our new album.”
While keeping details of the new album under wraps, the band hinted at the emotional core of both the album and its upcoming single, describing it as an intimate invitation to practise gratitude and appreciate life’s everyday blessings.
“In our first album, we talked about having good faith, spreading good vibes — but for this album, we’re reflecting on ourselves on whether we are appreciating the blessings in our surroundings enough?
“So this album has taught us that and hopefully it would have the same effect on our listeners,” Hakim said.
Debut show at Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026
Another major highlight for FUGŌ this year will be its appearance at the upcoming Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 music festival, where the group will share the stage with Indonesian and Malaysian acts such as Tulus, Aisha Retno, Mahalini and Rhoma Irama Soneta.
According to Fai, the band is excited to have been selected for the event, which serves as a precursor to Indonesia’s main Pestapora music festival scheduled for September.
He said the opportunity would also help expand the band’s exposure and reach.
“And even as FUGO, we have always dreamt of playing at any one of Indonesia’s music festivals and this seems like a starting point for us to achieve that dream one day.
“We all gotta start somewhere and maybe before getting the chance to perform at big festivals like Pestapora, we should start with practice first,” Fai said.
Fai added that he enjoys performing at cross-cultural events as they provide opportunities to exchange musical and technical knowledge with performers from other countries.
Meanwhile, Kayrol said festivals such as Latihan Pestapora Malaysia and the growing number of music festivals in the country could offer hope and opportunities for local talents.
“We see all these festivals as a platform for all of us and I really hope that these platforms can be a signal of hope for other talents in Malaysia — to say that there is always going to be a place for you and your original work, no matter what.
“It doesn’t matter if our population is not as big as Indonesia’s but if we keep putting out quality and sincere products and if you come on this journey with the right intentions, good things will come for you.
“And hopefully, through these cross-cultural events, we could further celebrate and appreciate our local music even more,” Kayrol said.
Latihan Pestapora Malaysia 2026 will take place on August 15 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
FUGO has also begun teasing fans about Izinkan Aku on social media, with snippets of the song featured in one of the band’s Instagram posts.
