TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Looking for 'feel': Tulus becomes labelhead
With his brother Riri Muktamar, Tulus enters his next decade in the music industry by launching TigaDuaSatu: A home for the next generation of promising talents.
Change Size
A
fter shaping a decade-long career that has spanned more than a dozen AMI Awards, three studio albums, sold-out tours, and a self-made label TulusCompany, it might seem impossible to imagine what Tulus’s next chapter would be. However, the 33-year-old singer-songwriter quietly made his move back in October 2020 by launching TigaDuaSatu – an independent label and talent management company alongside his brother, Riri Muktamar, who serves as its cofounder and CEO.
Tulus and Riri Muktamar told The Jakarta Post on June 4 that the launching of TigaDuaSatu was a part of their celebration after a decade in the Indonesian music industry. “This is our attempt to spread our wings,” said Tulus. “We hope that TigaDuaSatu can be a home for new talents who wish to grow in the field of arts. Even though right now we’re still focusing on music, there’s a possibility that we’ll reach more in the future.”
According to Riri, the conception of TigaDuaSatu was born out of a “collective idea” in 2015. “Back then we were thinking of signing this particular talent [whose identity cannot be made public yet], but I guess we just weren’t confident enough. It just wasn’t meant to be,” shared Riri. “But, after a decade, we feel like we have enough experience to pull this off. We are also equipped with skilled professionals to translate our long-term vision into reality.”
Just like TulusCompany, they chose Bandung as the location for TigaDuaSatu’s headquarters. However, Riri teased that for future operations, they could expand to “Jakarta and its surrounding area, especially Bintaro.”
The dynamics between TulusCompany and the new label might prove to be unusual yet fascinating. “The way I see it, TulusCompany is a ‘boutique’ for Tulus, meaning that this label is custom-made for him,” Riri elaborated. “Whereas TigaDuaSatu is meant to be an open business platform. We may explore a lot of new varieties, both in terms of business and creativity. There’s also a possibility to establish a partnership with a third party. But, at the end of the day, I hope both labels can mutually benefit each other.”
As the cofounder of TigaDuaSatu, Tulus is fervent in focusing on the talents as opposed to the genre. “Genre is simply the medium for the talents to express their ideas and vision,” he explained. “I wanted to get involved in a creative process that cultivates the talents, the persons. We don’t want to put them into a singular [genre] box. “
When it comes to signing new talents for TigaDuaSatu, Tulus has his own set of criteria. “This might sound abstract, but I’m looking for the ‘feel’. If the talent who is gifted with a golden voice can imbue a ‘feel’ into their singing, the music will be more alive. If the talent who is gifted with songwriting skills can imbue a ‘feel’ into their writing, the songs will flourish. No matter what kind of work the talents are creating, having that ‘feel’ is absolutely necessary.”
He found that ‘feel’ quality when he met Dere, the 18-year-old folk singer-songwriter who became TigaDuaSatu’s first signee. Tulus remarked that he was in awe of how Dere approaches music. “When I first got to know Dere, she was working on songs written by others,” he reminisced. “But the way she approached those songs was very unique. She could imbue a ‘feel’ to songs that were not necessarily meant for her.”
Tulus’s judgment seemed to pay off. Less than nine months after her debut, Dere has accumulated at least 700,000 average listeners per month on Spotify alone – a feat that is not necessarily achievable by her peers from major label companies. Moreover, unlike major label artists, Dere is scarcely supported by sumptuous fanfare such as television appearances. Asked about how TigaDuaSatu markets her, Riri explained that “the most important thing is Dere’s character as a human being. As simple as that. I believe success is designed by the higher power above. Therefore, if the talents have good character and good work ethic, we can achieve so much.”
Describing the secret behind their first signee’s success, Riri believed it was all thanks to the shifting preference in the Indonesian music industry. “Nowadays the public has gotten used to enjoying different kinds of music with different levels of uniqueness, and I believe the music Tulus has created over the years is also a driving factor of such transformation. I imagine if Dere and her music were orbited a few years earlier, she wouldn’t have become who she is today,” he added.
While Tulus has been creatively involved in Dere’s music, he believed that when it comes to mentoring his talents, all he can do is impart his knowledge and wisdom because, in Tulus’ words, “the steps I have taken as an artist may not necessarily be applicable for Dere or any future signees of TigaDuaSatu.”
Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, another challenge that TigaDuaSatu is facing is the fierce competition in the streaming era. As someone who has experienced the industry transition from the analog era to the streaming era, Tulus sees the former as “more romantic” than the latter. “Because [in the analog era] you could physically feel your music [as CD and cassettes]. Today I haven’t really felt that connection,” he added.
Regardless of the current competition, Riri is certain that ultimately, “content is king”. “If you take a look at the ten most popular songs on Spotify for the past couple of years, they have mostly come from independent labels. This is because the songs’ content is proven to be more relevant to what the audience wants,” he elaborated. Moreover, he analogized the publicly-displayed streaming numbers on Spotify as “a loyal friend who always reminds us”.
“Artists shouldn’t feel insecure about the numbers, but at the same time, they shouldn’t deny if their numbers are low,” Riri added. “Just look at it as a whip of motivation from a very honest friend. That’s way better than if the artists think they’re popular when the fact is they are not.”
As more artists like Tulus may be empowered to launch a label company of their own, it is fairly debatable whether an artist can also dabble as a businessperson – let alone a label executive. Riri, however, believes that nothing is impossible. “SM Entertainment was founded by an artist as well [Lee Soo-man, a singer]. Go ahead and look it up!” he pointed out with a smile.
A new decade, a new era, and a new business venture. With countless projects in hand as an artist, songwriter, producer, and executive for two different labels, how does Tulus juggle them all? “I have plenty of help!” he answered with a laugh.
For more details on TigaDuaSatu, check out its Instagram @ _tigadua1
