When duo Endah n Rhesa went on stage as the main attractions, they seemed rather simple for the place. The stage was full of instruments - two drum sets, two keyboards, an electric piano, some microphones, a few wires snaking between things, and big names waiting to play them. Unperturbed, Endah simply donned an acoustic guitar, Rhesa an electric bass and the pair began to move the crowd.

The harmonious music emanating from their strings, however, was not so simple. A folk-pop-funk melody soon blew away the audience crowding the Rolling Stones Live Stage in Kemang, South Jakarta, earlier this month.

Their stage act might have been simple, involving just a few steps here and there, but it was well-coordinated and captivating.

The strings sit nicely with Endah's energetic clear voice, matching the obvious chemistry between the two musicians. Their similar big hair (Endah let her slightly unkempt long hair hang loose while Rhesa wore his curly hair blown up), similar glasses, and down-to-earth clothes seem natural on them, as if it would be odd for them to be wearing anything more eventful.

The gig was effortlessly enjoyable; time flew without warning.

Apparently, the process to get to this point was not so easy, especially because there were only two of them, they told The Jakarta Post in an interview last week.

The pair met as members of a rock band during their in-waiting period before undergraduate studies started. They soon became caught up with their studies and quit the band, but chemistry had grown between them and they decided to form a band of their own together in 2004.

"Initially we wanted to recruit more people to form a more conventional band. But we found no one suitable and decided to work with what we had. We had to accept the fact and do our best," Rhesa explained.

The fact that they are a due has forced them to focus on efficiency.

"There are only two of us. We try to maximize each one. Endah uses acoustic guitar to keep the beat. I use an electric bass so that I am not limited in using my technique. Endah's voice is another instrument. With these three instruments, we went ahead," Rhesa said.

The pair effectively creates percussion with their guitar and bass.

Endah produced Nowhere To Go with Rhesa on guitar in 2005. Two years later they recorded a live album, before eventually re-engineering and releasing Nowhere To Go early this year.

"The album is based on our materials from four years ago. So many of the songs are medium slow because indeed five songs of the CD were old. The newer ones are more upbeat," Rhesa said.

"In the past we did not know how to make upbeat songs attractively so we did more medium slow songs. But we experimented a lot and finally found the formula. The album is our four-year journey," Rhesa said earnestly.

The four years between the two Nowhere To Go acts was a well-spent incubation period for the duo, who used the time to experiment with their music and explore their potential. The years allowed them reach a level at which they could communicate their musical ideas more effectively.

"Playing music is like talking. The more words we have in our vocabulary, the more beautiful the music we can play and the better communicated it will be. The more listeners that understand means our musical vocabulary is getting better. That's why I say music is a language," Rhesa says.

"Skill is very important here because there were ideas we could not play because of our limited skill. As we learned and became better, we realized what was in our heads," Endah added.

"Because we know many *musical* languages - formal, informal and so on - we know how to talk to the different audiences. There are people who are drawn by music with a faster tempo. There are people who are more mature who we can entertain with a more philosophical language," Endah said.

The pair introduced an alter ego "Shane Harden" to be their spokesperson (Shane Harden is the anagram of Endah n Rhesa).

"All the songs in this album make up a story told by Shane Harden about his friends' experiences. Indeed, almost all the songs in the album are from our imagination. Endah likes to capture a moment and tell the story to others, rather than telling her own stories. We think telling our own experiences would sound more preachy. General stories let people interpret the songs more freely and get the moral of the story as they see it," Rhesa said.

That's why they came out with all-English songs.

"Some people say that we are not nationalistic enough. They asked why we did not write songs in Indonesian, but it is not about that, for us, music transcends all languages. Even if you do not understand the language, you understand the music and the meaning. This time, it is just suitable to say it in English," Rhesa said.

After producing the first two albums on their own, Endah n Rhesa signed with indie label Demajors because, "they are the only label who supports our ideas."

Their ideas include selling their album for Rp 25,000 a piece, lower than the normal retail price, to encourage people to buy the *real thing'. Naturally, it broke their hearts to see pirated versions of their work selling for Rp 6,000.

"It was really very low quality. It is just the front cover and back cover in a plastic bag. But actually there are reasons behind our CD packaging. For example, we chose the sketch paper, instead of art paper, because we like the concept of sketching," Endah said rather grimly.

"For me, music only is not enough. *I consider* what a cover can give. Every detail of a CD, even the plastic, can be made as artistic as possible. We tried to maximize this idea. There is a story on the cover, on the CD printing, on each page," Rhesa added.

However, they still believe that good music has a place in Indonesia, even if it is less exposed in the mainstream media.

"There are some electronic media and print media organizations who are helping give us exposure. We really appreciate and are glad that music like ours still has a place. We believe that the media that supports us has the same anxieties as we do," Rhesa said.

Their hard work earned the duo a gig on the high-rating Kick Andy show and at the Indie Asia festival 2009, which was held at the Singapore Esplanade last month. They also have a weekly show on Hardrock FM.

"Be unique" is Rhesa's motto and it seems to work well. Endah n Rhesa is not your typical Indonesian music group, but then again, who likes the usual? If they keep up their pace, the couple will not be an opening act for much longer.

Album Title: Nowhere To Go

Released in 2009 with 11 songs on Demajors

Popular

To my horror, it’s just a movie!

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Pentagon chief congratulates Prabowo on being elected President