IN early January, local neo-psychedelic rock band Ramayan dropped their fantasy-themed debut album ‘Di Persiaran Cakrawala’ (On Cosmic Road), and now – three months on – have described the relief of releasing four years of "intense concoction" and working with prolific Indonesian film-scorer Mondo Gascaro as a producer.
The album, which packs 10 tracks, was crafted with the aim of taking listeners through a unique sonic and emotional experience, providing more ambiance compared to their 2016 self-titled EP.
The first single taken off the album, ‘Lamunan Anak Bulan’ (Daydreams of the Moonchild), released to critical acclaim prior to the launch of the full-length record last year. The track also clinched the TAPAUawards’ Best Song of the Year 2020 in December.
‘Di Persiaran Cakrawala’ also featured renowned Indonesian artist and musician Mondo, who co-produced the project, staying with the band in Malaysia for a month to record the album.
Asked on the experience of working with Mondo, the band said it "was not what we expected", or at least "not in a bad way of course".
"Before we started recording, we often discussed the approach we wanted to take on for this album," the band told The Vibes in a statement.
"Because we wanted to record this album track-by-track, as opposed to our previous approach of recording live, we wanted a producer who would show us all of our flaws, and tell us we’re not good enough, and hopefully that would’ve made us want to be better."
The band said they handpicked Mondo for the role based on his previous works.
"To our surprise, he pretty much went along with whatever we wanted to do without many objections. Working with him was like being on a cruise and we got to go wherever we wanted to go."
Formed in 2014, the five-piece Ramayan is led by famed singer Datuk M. Nasir's youngest son Syafi'i on vocals and guitar, and also consists of Pi’e (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Omar (bass, bass synth) and Que (drums, synths).
They were signed under renowned Malaysia-based independent record label, Luncai Emas Sdn Bhd the same year.
The band has credited the psychedelic and prog rock of the '60s and '70s as their backdrop, with ballads and melodies influenced by the likes of The Beatles, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Todd Rundgren, ABBA as well as local heroes such as Alleycats, M. Nasir and the late Sudirman Haji Arshad.
Ramayan has also described their music as a unique blend of Malaysian and Western sounds, blending elements of Nusantara sounds with Malay poetry and lyrics.
With the mix of localism and western influences at its core, the band notes that ‘Di Persiaran Cakerawala’ attempts to conceptualise the idea of retro-futurism from the perspective of someone from the region. This was also done with the personalising of related symbols and themes to fit the album to fit the band’s narrative.
In the past, Ramayan had represented the country on international stages and festivals such as Archipelago Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Zandari Festa in Seoul, South Korea. They have also opened for international act The Temper Trap in 2017, and shared a stage with Indonesian bands such as Barasuara and Matajiwa.
The release of the album came at a time when the band could not hold live performances, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the launching also came with a sigh of relief as it had been brewing for quite some time.
"It feels kind of strange. On one hand, we feel great and relieved that we’ve finally released this album that’s been sitting in the studio for almost two years waiting to be freed," Ramayan said.
"We’ve had a lot of positive reactions from this so far from friends and fans, so that feels good."
On the other hand, the band said they have yet to be able to truly enjoy the release of an album, owing to a lack of shows, but this did not dampen their spirits.
"For us, the enjoyment of making a record is to be able to create what you love, and share it with others, and finally sharing the love in the form of a live concert experience."
"With the MCO (movement control order) everything feels kind of like (being) in a limbo." – The Vibes, March 21, 2021
