Monoloque infuses Malay Gamelan into new single 'Ningrat'

EXPERIMENTAL rock band Monoloque's latest single 'Ningrat' chronicles the life of a sovereign leader and the people's loyalty to him.

The track, which launched on March 19, is the latest release from his highly-anticipated upcoming double-album, Lagu Perang (Bunyian Gamelan Melayu di Abad ke-21), or loosely translated as “Battle Cry (Gamelan Music for the 21st Century)”.

In the latest project, Loque reimagines Malaysian Gamelan music through a 21st-century lens, showcasing the soothing traditional ensemble as the main element in the composition to captivate listeners.

The band's frontman, Loque (real name Khairil Ridzwan Anuar), said the rework for Ningrat was done after he graduated from the infamous Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 2009.

“Before I continued my studies, the idea of creating a perfect ‘motive’ or guitar line was complicated and somewhat difficult. Most of the time, I stumbled upon a dead-end," he said in a press release.

"It was in Berklee that the barriers were broken. What I have always felt impossible, has actually been practiced for all this while. I was caught up in my own cocoon that I was unable to see the way.”

Formed in 2009 by Loque, who is the lead guitarist for grunge pioneers Butterfingers, MonoloQue intially consisted of fellow Butterfingers bandmates Kadax (Mohd Fakhrudin Mohd Bahar) on bass, Loko (Noor Haffizal Rashid) on drums, with the addition of guitarist Ijoo Omar, and keyboardist Senyap (Adam Shahrir Omar).

The change of group members took place in 2011 when Senyap was replaced by Apex (Hafeez As'ad Azam). In 2014, Loko left the band and was replaced by Bakri Ismail.

Despite the lineup changes, the music produced by Monoloque has consistently been described as experimental sounds paired with poetic lyrics.

In that spirit, the latest single 'Ningrat' is part of Loque's vision to preserve Malaysian art and tradition, while his goal in making Lagu Perang (Bunyian Gamelan Melayu di Abad ke-21) is to share the understanding of gamelan music.

The inclusion of gamelan is imbued with a contemporary touch to give a sense of relevance to current times, and Loque hopes it would set a benchmark for future generations of Malaysians.

The uniqueness of 'Ningrat' lies in the composition as Loque had taken the rhythm of an old Gamelan Melayu song entitled 'Lagu Perang', and layered it with rhythms from other instruments, creating an entirely different song.

The first iteration of 'Ningrat' was recorded at King Studios, while the latest version was recorded at the Tune Studios and Kilang Menjahit Bunyi, under the supervision of sound engineer Hafiz Ahmad.

Loque notes that 'Ningrat''s first demo was actually completed in 2006, however he said he never felt like the song was ready to be released. After several years – and undergoing some changes and improvements – the song has finally been fully realised.

Ningrat will also be available on the vinyl and compact disc (deluxe) versions of 'Lagu Perang (Bunyian Gamelan Melayu di Abad ke-21)'.

The single is available to stream on all digital platforms here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7baKaotnb3evmBXSBK7ImO – The Vibes, April 4, 2021