Efek Rumah Kaca (ERK) released its latest mini album, Jalan Enam Tiga (63rd Street), on Tuesday.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Cholil Mahmud said he initially wanted to make the album a souvenir from his time in New York.

For the last five years, Cholil and his family have resided in New York as his wife, Irma Hidayana, pursued master and doctoral degrees. To create the album, drummer Akbar Bagus Sudibyo and bass player Poppie Airil joined Cholil in New York in the summer of 2019. In three weeks, they wrote four new songs that were ready to be recorded.

“An artist usually takes a three-month residency in a particular area, absorbing its spirit and responding to the place. That’s what we were trying to do with the album,” said Cholil in a press conference in Jakarta on Tuesday, as quoted by Tempo.co. 

Read also: Efek Rumah Kaca, Eko Nugroho collaborate to create art, design clothes

The album features four tracks, “Normal yang Baru”, “Jalan Enam Tiga”, “Palung Mariana” and the single “Tiba-tiba Batu”, which was released in September 2019.

The album’s title, according to Cholil, was inspired by Sesame Street, the pioneering educational children’s television series. In May 2019, the intersection of West 63^rd St. and Broadway in New York was permanently renamed as Sesame Street to celebrate the show's 50^th anniversary.

On Tuesday night, the band performed at M Bloc Space in South Jakarta. The concert featured new songs and 25 others from the band's previous three albums.

Jalan Enam Tiga is available on all music streaming services. (wng)

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