Nine years on, Indie pop outfit Bangkutaman is back and in a new phase of musical maturity.
Bangkutaman have just released a new record, Bangkutaman IX, to celebrate their ninth year. The album is a collection of their works from the past nine years.
With lots of help from Yes No Wave Music, the album is available to download at www.yesnowave.com and, yes, it's free!
The real celebration, however, took place sometime in 2008, when the band's guitarist, Justinus Irwin, decided to rejoin the three-piece band after a two-year hiatus.
A few years before, a conflict between Irwin and Wahyu Nugroho (bass, vocals) reupted, pushing him to take a leave from the band. The third member is Dedyk Eryanto on drums.
"What we were doing at that time was a process; it's a long story, but there is a special chemistry between us. It's not changeable somehow," Irwin says. "Now that we're reunited, maybe we'll have a slight chance at being more successful and bigger than we were then.
"I missed playing guitar with the boys," he adds with a chuckle.
The reunification has been highly successful. Just after they got back together, the band toured Singapore and gained more new fans.
Bangkutaman IX is a good example of where the band comes from and where it is going. There are two new songs, including demo versions of "Ode Buat Kota", their next potential hit, which for some old fans may be quite surprising to hear.
"We are a different jar nowadays. Each member has found his signature sound. So we think our quality has really improved," says Wahyu.
"Back in the day, all we knew were the Gorilla Biscuits, The Smiths, The Charlatans, The La's or even The Stone Roses. Now we know The Rhythm Kings," he says explaining how their pool of inspiration has grown.
"It's a bit impossible now to produce songs that are heavily influenced by The Stone Roses."
Bangkutaman is back on the road again and they are definitely still alive and kicking hard.
You can follow the band at www.twitter.com/bangkutaman or pay a visit to www.myspace.com/bangkutaman99.
- Felix Dass
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