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Kunto Aji learns to let go in new album

Musician Kunto Aji learns to let go in his sophomore album, "Mantra Mantra", to the delight of the listeners who relished the record.

Wening Gitomartoyo (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, November 19, 2018

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Kunto Aji learns to let go in new album Kunto Aji performing at Synchronize Festival in Jakarta on Oct. 6, 2018. (JP/Donny Fernando)

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n the middle of September, musician Kunto Aji released his sophomore album, Mantra Mantra. It came three years after his first album, Generation Y, and four years after his debut single, “Terlalu Lama Sendiri”, which was one of the most played songs in the country throughout the year.

Aji, a contestant in Indonesian Idol season five (2008), is known for his raspy and warm voice. While “Terlalu Lama Sendiri” and Generation Y was written by collecting other people’s stories, Aji turned inward and explored his own emotions for Mantra Mantra. And while Generation Y included poppy songs that mostly dealt with love, his second album is directed more toward self-love.

The first and last song on the album are titled “Sulung” and “Bungsu”, containing lines that are repeated throughout the songs: “Cukupkanlah ikatanmu/Relakanlah yang tak seharusnya untukmu” (Know when it’s time/Let go of the things you’re not meant to have). With soothing music and Aji’s voice almost like he’s delivering hymns, they are instantly worlds apart to the buoyant and laid-back nature of his previous songs.  

Within days of the album’s release, Aji’s social media accounts were inundated with comments. Some were quick to point out a number of songs so heartwrenching that people were reduced to tears upon listening, such as “Pilu Membiru” or “Rehat”. Others found companions in feeling uncertainties or questioning yourself in jazzy “Topik Semalam” or the indie rock-tinged “Jakarta Jakarta”.

But also in those songs, people reported feelings of catharsis and comfort. Some shared their stories of heartbreak and separation, and how the songs in Mantra Mantra helped them to go on. It was an album that took everyone by surprise, both musically and lyrically. Though probably one who didn’t expect such a response to the album was the singer himself. Talking to The Jakarta Post prior to performing at Synchronize Festival in Jakarta in October, Aji said he never expected the album to have that kind of impact.

“I didn’t expect that people would correlate so deep. It’s thrilling enough for me if they enjoyed the music. But when they understand and get the lyrics, it’s mindblowing. I can’t stop feeling grateful. There was a time when I didn’t sleep for three whole days because I was so excited,” he said.

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For Mantra Mantra, Aji collaborated with record label Juni Records and four producers, namely Ankadiov Subran, Petra Sihombing, Anugrah Swastadi and Bam Mastro, who were entrusted with conveying different perspectives in each song.

“There’s this so-called jinx for a musician’s second album, in which there’s so much expected of them and there’s pressure of taking it a step further,” he said. “In my case, I found that it didn’t necessarily mean more complex music or deeper lyrics.” As someone who considered himself a private person, Aji was willing to try to incorporate his personal matters into his music; something that he’s never done. “Slowly I tried to open up, as it could also help us to be mentally healthy,” he added.  

Aji’s mix of honest lyrics and straightforward music turned out to be a success. Along with the album, Aji has made ongoing efforts to raise mental health awareness. “It’s an incredibly important issue, and most Indonesians haven’t quite grasped it,” he said.

One thing he’s been open about is his tendency to overthink, something that he tried to convey in Mantra Mantra. “To this day I’m still learning [to cope]. The essence lies in the album, how we learn to let go. I found that letting things happen is the highest lesson in life, which I got from my uncle who practiced Kejawen (Javanese spiritualism), my psychologist and Islam. In the end,  I wrote the album for myself as therapy. It’s an ongoing battle to remind myself,” he said.

Therein lies the reason why the album is named Mantra Mantra. Each song comes with words that come across like a chant, sometimes almost like a prayer. So what does Aji say to himself when he needs reassurance?

“A mantra that I say to myself is ‘the thing that I fear will not happen’,” he said. “It’s easy to say but it needs reaffirmation, it needs repeating. That’s why the lyrics in ‘Sulung’ [Know when it’s time/Let go of the things you’re not meant to have] are repeated from beginning to end, because it’s a positive affirmation. And you can’t say it just once as it’s a constant battle. That’s the philosophy, that you need to say it over and over again to yourself.”

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