The Jakarta-based alternative duo's second full-length album is a boisterous, genre-bending examination of the cycle of life.

Clemens Goldan Divembryan and Talitha "Tata" Belinda Esmeralda—both 24 years of age—seemed poised to end the year 2022 on a high note.

The pair's duo project Biru Baru enjoyed the national spotlight when they nabbed its first Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Award nomination back in September. A couple of months later, Biru Baru released its second full-length album Rasa & Manusia (Sense & Humans). This record extends the pair's presence in the music industry and offers plenty of surprises for audiences accustomed to the pair's tranquil sound from its debut album, the 2020 Selamat Datang (Welcome).

In a conversation with The Jakarta Post on Nov. 21, the pair, in unison, teased the mood of its latest record with two simple words: "Chaos and magic.”

Discovering the 'DNA'

Even today, Tata still feels “dazed” by the AMI Award nomination that Biru Baru received a couple of months back. Competing in the Best Alternative Solo/Group/Collaborative Performance for its single "Terbenam" (Sinking), the twosome was later bested by Efek Rumah Kaca for its quirky reinterpretation of jazz legend Candra Darusman's classic "Sapa Pra Bencana" (Pre-disaster Greetings).

"I wasn't even sure whether I wanted to win [AMI Award]," she commented bashfully. "Still, to receive such a recognition, at the very least, was pretty significant—especially considering we are still relatively new in the industry."

However, there was a bittersweet note that this particular acclamation left on the duo's hearts. Goldan, personally, could not help but look back at when the pair released its freshman album Selamat Datang in 2020. The record became a sleeper hit despite being released independently, with the lead single "Sejenak" (For a Moment) later being featured in the 2022 Indonesian action flick Ben & Jody.

Unfortunately, at the time of the album's release, Biru Baru was snubbed by the AMI Awards. Having tasted both inattention and recognition in the past couple of years, Goldan felt more knowledgeable in navigating the undercurrents of the Indonesian music industry.

"Our debut album was good, but perhaps only for a certain type of people," he observed retrospectively. "I feel fine with that because that album was made per what we were capable of at that time. Perhaps that album was what the [indie] community called for, but not necessarily the [music] industry."

Before Biru Baru proceeded with its second chapter in the duo's discography, Goldan and Tata settled that, to be truthful to the duo's music identity, they must posit Selamat Datang as their crucial point of reference for their future records—particularly the album's closer "Baangka."

"That's when I found out how certain things make us what it is," Goldan added.

"The thickest DNA of Biru Baru is how we stage our sounds. We would layer different sounds on top of each other, with the same notation but a different register. The same goes with the vocals—when Tata and I would go for separate vocal ranges."

Humans, deconstructed: Alternative duo Biru Baru's second studio album 'Rasa & Manusia' was digitally released on November 9, 2022. (Courtesy of JUNI Records) (Courtesy of JUNI Records/.)

Life is 'funny'

Released on Nov. 9, Rasa & Manusia is perhaps Biru Baru's most ambitious record yet. When Selamat Datang dealt with the emotional chronicle of welcoming life changes, Rasa & Manusia deconstructed human experience from an even bigger meniscus: A human being's life cycle condensed into an 11-track LP.

Furthermore, Rasa & Manusia is presented in four chronological arcs: Birth & Creation, Ego & Emotions, Hardships & Conflicts, and Acceptance. The album's opening track, "Pembuka" (Opener), describes the early creation of lives, whereas its closing number, "Hati Manusia, Hati Yang Terluka" (A Human's Heart is a Broken One) deals with the disillusionment and growing pains.

Goldan quipped how the pair's latest creative objective stemmed from a place of “ego”.

"My ego is as massive as Tata's," he continued with a chuckle. "Any song that we make will always revolve around our ego. When we choose to write about stages of life, well, it is rooted in what we are going through. For instance, songs about maturity are about how we have come of age, though our experience might not be the same for anyone else."

To Biru Baru's benefit, no outside voices came to argue against the pair's glorious vision. The pair's label, JUNI Records, was particularly on board.

"Maybe because the label already understood how stubborn we are," Goldan laughed.

The sonic direction of Rasa & Manusia marks a significant departure from its predecessor. While Goldan and Tata still retained their respective roles as vocalist, instrumentalist, songwriter and producer of the album, Rasa & Manusia traded the twosome's alt-folk sensibilities. This is showcased in Selamat Datang for an avant-pop flair that incorporates different elements of alternative rock, electronica, ethereal pop, gospel and marching band.

According to Goldan, the twosome's decision to ditch Biru Baru's prior sound was a "mature" one.

"We felt like, as we grew more mature, we could be more than what we once were," he commented. "I see this album as a reflection of our maturity as musicians. We weren't trying to fix anything broken—we just imbued new stuff that, we felt, was necessary."

Moreover, Biru Baru discovered they could no longer pull off the same formula.

"We found difficulties when we tried to 'replicate' the first album," added Tata.

The album's fourth track "Puan" (Woman), bears different specificity than the other tracks. A piano-driven ethereal pop number that culminates with arena-ready percussion beats, Tata assumes the song's main vocal as she describes the complex nature of a woman. Tata's mother particularly inspired the song.

"This is the song that I had always wanted to present to my mom, but [before "Puan"] I never knew how to do that and how she would react," teased Tata.

Rasa & Manusia still makes room for showcasing Biru Baru's flair for sarcasm, though—as evident in the album's centerpiece, "Belakangan Hidup Ini Lucu" (Life's Been Funny Lately). Over electroacoustic guitar and erratic beats, the duo airs grievances about how life often betrays expectations and how luck supersedes hard work.

Goldan heralded the song as the most “truthful” number he has ever made.

"I wrote the lyrics while sitting alone in a coffee house, feeling like 'Is this really what life has to offer? How come the things that should've happened didn't happen?' The writing was pure. I just wrote it like it was. Like a diary entry," he enthused.

Enjoying spotlight: Biru Baru enjoyed the national spotlight when they nabbed its first Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Award nomination in September of this year. (Courtesy of JUNI Records) (Courtesy of JUNI Records/.)

A pair of 'stray kids'

Biru Baru might feel more confident in its musicianship. That said, Tata acknowledged that, as the pair ushered in its second chapter, the possibility of suffering from a sophomore slump was still a matter of concern. This thought stemmed from the duo's observation that Biru Baru's musical styling has been pretty "heavy"—even within the indie community.

"Not everyone will respond warmly to the chaos and the magic of this album," said Tata. "We'll get to see that later. It's something that we can't answer right now."

Goldan, to boot, felt that, despite the industry recognition and budding popularity the pair had enjoyed, Biru Baru was still akin to a couple of "stray kids”.

"We still haven't found our 'home' yet. If this were high school, people might see us as dorks. Like, which club would accept our music?" he analogized with a laugh.

Nonetheless, Goldan believed that being a musician that does not fit the mold is a "good thing”.

"There's nothing wrong with not fitting in for now. Even [Indonesian pop-rock band] Dewa 19 was ahead of its time when it first started!" he concluded.

Biru Baru's new album Rasa & Manusia is available for streaming