Tristan Juliano and Zakari “Zaki” Danubrata of Mantra Vutura observed how, since their 2017 debut and recent Anugerah Musik Indonesia (AMI) Awards nod back in September, their profile had grown both higher and broader. No longer were the two buddies a couple of indie musicians with nothing to lose: This time, they had to deal with fame, fans and all sorts of expectations.

“With a bigger audience comes bigger responsibilities, certainly,” Zaki told The Jakarta Post during an interview on Nov. 30.

“But we haven’t ‘exploded’ like [indie pop artist] Pamungkas just yet, so things are still pretty manageable. Still, pressure is good for us.”

The contemplative “aMakna” was digitally released on Oct. 28, and the duo couldn’t have dropped their latest single at a better time. While Mantra Vutura has been enjoying its second wind, the song’s featured artist, folk pop singer-songwriter Raissa Anggiani has been dominating the streaming charts with her viral “Kau Rumahku” (You’re my home).

Even so, the duo has decided not to let their ambitions get the best of them. As Zaki put it, “We still have big dreams. But we approach them more realistically [this time around].”

Quarter-century ‘calm’

Like most musicians, the global pandemic forced Mantra Vutura into a creative hiatus for the past two years. Nonetheless, Tristan and Zaki decided to make lemonade instead by focusing on their nonmusic ventures.

Zaki focused on building his food-and-beverage business, which slowly grew into a full-time job. Predictably, once it was time for Mantra Vutura to return safely to the recording studio, he experienced a drop in his creativity.

“It was a big drop so I had to be lured back,” he chuckled. “However, when we released [previous single] ‘Tabir’, I felt this fresh sensation. Like, I was working in a straight line before. And now? The colors have returned. But I felt that I might need to repolish myself because the communication between Tristan and I has been pretty scarce the past couple of years.”

The March 2022 release of “Tabir” marked the start of the duo’s productive period and a new era of music. Their devoted fans might have expected an album to come out at anytime, especially considering that Mantra Vutura’s latest original LP, Human, was already three years old.

As grateful as he was at finally being able to make music safely again, Tristan had been eager to drop a follow-up album as soon as possible. He said that, no matter how long a break Mantra Vutura took, the duo would never “stop”.

“Our purpose is to deliver kind-hearted messages about life,” he asserted. “That’s why I think we will always make music until we grow old, even though there’s no schedule we have to stick to.”

Another factor that influenced the duo’s present creative streak was that they both turned a quarter-century old this year.

For Zaki, this helped him tame his “ego” as a musician. “Now I worry less about what Mantra Vutura can achieve and stuff. I think that has been toned down, that obsession with success,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tristan said turning 25 made him feel “very content”.

“There’s a calmness that Zaki and I feel now, that we share the same understanding. We’re on the same tempo now,” he quipped.

‘Reminder for humanity’

Tristan and Zaki wrote “aMakna” together, though it was the former who came up with the song’s genesis. Tristan explained that the song’s instrumentation had been settled in early 2021, though it took nearly two years for him to develop lyrics that fit.

“[This year] was when I spent a lot of time bonding with God and reading the Quran. There was this passage that I found so meaningful and I figured, ‘How can Mantra Vutura express this?’” he added.

Zaki was enthusiastic when Tristan pitched his idea. And while Tristan was in charge of the “gas”, he was in control of the “brakes” in producing the song.

“Here, I tried to put myself in a place where I was, like, ‘We have to be careful, though. What do we have to think about first? How should we communicate this?’ We consulted [an Islamic] scholar to make sure our work did not deviate from its purpose,” Zaki explained.

“And I always stressed that this song was not a [religious] commentary,” he added.

Running 4 minutes and 56 seconds, “aMakna” is a folktronica ballad that relies heavily on acoustic guitar, keyboard, strings, synthesizer and Balinese beats that the duo describes as “rindik-like” (rindik is a traditional music instrument from Bali). Tristan and Zaki’s vocals are deliberately layered and processed to imbue it with a sense of ethereality, while featured artist Raissa’s vocals are left untouched.

Lyrically, “aMakna”, which loosely translates as “without meaning”, conveys a message of redemption of the past and relinquishing the future into God’s hands. This “future” is left up to the listener’s interpretation. It could be the next chapter in their life or the afterlife.

Tristan explained that “aMakna” wasn’t meant to be preachy, regardless of its message.

“It’s a reminder for humanity that the world is temporary and the hereafter is eternal, though it’s not like we want to scare anyone,” he continued.

“This life is the most beautiful gift, during which you can do many good things. And, who knows? They might be useful for you in the afterlife.”

Angelic voice

Zaki admitted that out of Mantra Vutura’s songs so far, “aMakna” might be the most singable, thanks mainly to Raissa.

“We were thinking, ‘Which female singer could give us that dreamy voice?’ And, immediately, we thought of Raissa,” he recalled.

Tristan added how producer Enrico Octaviano believed the song would be “even more gorgeous” if it incorporated a female voice, or poetically speaking, a songstress who could assume the role of an angel of God in the song’s narrative.

“It’s like an angel who appears when we’re at rock bottom, telling us to take a break and rest,” he said.

As for whether Raissa fills the role of an angel of life or an angel of death, “Let’s leave it to the listeners,” Tristan said.

Raissa, who has known Tristan and Zaki since 2020, told the Post that a specific onstage experience with them made her realize that the alternative duo’s “fresh character” made them one of the best in the industry.

She added that she adored “aMakna” because it was “interesting, comforting, unique, everything jumbled into one”.

“‘aMakna’ was outside my comfort zone, so I was, like, ‘Why not?’” the 18-year-old recounted, adding later that “never say never” was a kind of mantra for her.

“I gave it a go, and when the [vocal] parts were divided on the day of the recording, I found myself comfortable singing [my part]. And the meaning of the lyrics is so deep,” she added.

Raissa’s loyal fans might find her recent team-up surprising, especially since “aMakna” also marks her first foray into electronica.

“I can’t say that I will [explore other genres] right now, but as for whether it’s possible or not, it certainly is. Because who would have thought that Raissa Anggiani would collaborate with, not Mantra Vutura to be exact, but musicians whose genre is outside my comfort zone, such as electronica?” she laughed.

“aMakna” featuring Raissa Anggiani by Mantra Vutura is available to stream.

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