Where Aren't They Now? (Pt.1) - Movement Club KL


In this new part feature, we will be looking at establishments (places) that has colored the music scene in Malaysia, once upon a time. These establishments have played some part in the development of Malaysia's relatively young music scene (or for today's entry, Malaysia's nightlife scene) and we figure that they deserve a final mention as a tribute to their priceless contribution. And to inaugurate the first part of the series, we present to you what was among KL's first superclub*, Movement.

For the lack of a written record on the history of the club, we guess we don't have to beat about the bush and just skip over the history part on the beginning of the club. If we weren't mistaken, Tone magazine (r.i.p.) once used to run an article about Movement club, right after the tragic demise of the place. But since even the magazine itself has disappeared from our collection and got sold to the 'apek surat khabar lama', we guess you can pretty much take a gander at the situation that we're in. There is a Facebook group by fans and lovers of the long-gone club, but we just couldn't be bothered to contact them and uncover the beginning of the club.

Located at the junction between Jalan Pudu and Jalan Bukit Bintang, Movement was among the earliest clubs that sparked a great interest, and quite incidentally, gave birth to the thriving nightlife scene that the KLites of today are enjoying. They were at the front line of bringing big names to spin the deck for a special night out that is to be remembered, with internationally-renowned (and legendary) DJs like Richie Hawtin, Paul Van Dyk, Roger Sanchez, and John Digweed among those who have brought the roof down and entertained the 'lively' crowd. They were, at the time, as how one would say it, the bee's knees.


But alas, like how all good parties would go, the vinyl will have to stop spinning at some point as tired clubbers shuffle their drunk asses off back home; but on January the 5th, 2002, the vinyl deck stopped spinning for good as news has it that the club has burned down to the ground. It was a tragic demise for the fledgling two-years-old club because from the surface, things were looking rosy for the club as more and more KLites begin to embrace the clubbing culture. Not only that, the Electronic/Dance music scene was also just about to get off its' infant feet and with one club succumbed to the ground, venues in those days are not as abundant as it is today.


Perhaps, the really tragic part of this story is that today, after more than nine years after the club perished in a fire, what replaced it now on the very same spot is an open-air parking space. All the clubbers in KL have dispersed and converged in other livelier places like Jalan P. Ramlee, while the music, the crowd, the party, the life, and the movement that made this very spot the epicenter of KL's nightlife has died out altogether, in physical and perhaps, in memory as well.

Movement Club
Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
2000 - 2002

P/S: Thanks to the Movement KL Facebook group for the first two pictures

*opinion varies. Some will say it was The Backroom