search

The Upstairs: Resah Berdansa di Menaralara

For Indonesian version please click hereAlmost a year after releasing their 3rd full-length album, Magnet! Magnet!, The Upstairs are back with their newest single and video, "Menaralara". Indra "Kubil" Idris (guitar) was the guy in charge for the video clip, while Jimi Multhazam (vocal) wrote the lyrics and Beni Adhiantoro (drums) took the position as producer. Yes, after quite a few musicians have come and gone, during their 9th year The Upstairs has officially became a trio with some additional players: Khrisna (keyboard) and Pandu Fathoni (bass, synth). Go visit YouTube now and witness---and dance to---"Menaralara"!
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Print

*for English version please scroll down

Setelah terakhir kali merilis album penuh Magnet! Magnet! pada 2009, veteran new wave asal Jakarta, The Upstairs, September ini datang kembali dengan karya terbarunya berupa single yang dilengkapi videoklip: “Menaralara”. Di kesempatan ini, konfigurasi pembagian peran sedikit berbeda. Jimi, yang biasanya dominan, bertugas di departemen lirik saja. Sementara Beni kebagian memproduseri & Kubil sepenuhnya bertanggungjawab di isu visual/video.

Mengawali karirnya sejak  9 tahun silam, tepatnya 5 Oktober 2001, kelompok yang pekat terpengaruh musisi berorientasi kibor mulai dari A Flock of Seagulls, Devo, Depeche Mode hingga Joy Division ini mulai merenggut atensi anak muda ketika menerbitkan EP bertajuk Antah Berantah di awal 2002. Eksistensi mereka yang warna-warni dan aneh sendiri itu makin direspons baik oleh publik ketika selanjutnya merilis album Matraman. Kreasi paling perdana di bawah label independen Sirkus Rekord serta diluncurkan tepat pada malam Valentine, 14 Februari 2004, tersebut berujung amat fenomenal lagi bersejarah. BB’s Bar, Menteng, lokasi dimana pesta diadakan, berubah menjadi lautan manusia. Kafe nan sempit itu ultra kewalahan menampung luapan pengunjung. Konon tak pernah sebelumnya BB’s sampai sebegitu membludak. Belum lagi prestasi di sektor penjualan: 100 CD Matraman ludes dalam 2 jam.

Popularitas kontingen jebolan Institut Kesenian Jakarta itu kian wangi saat melansir video klip untuk menimpali single “Apakah Aku Berada di Mars atau Mereka Mengundang Orang Mars”. Bukan cuma tembangnya bertitel “ajaib”, tepat guna buat dansa-dansi, pun sutradaranya “berbahaya”: The Jadugar, yang merupakan duet antara Anggun + Henry “Batman”. Hype ini terus merambat ke permukaan lewat kemunculan intensif profil mereka di majalah-majalah prestisius tanah air.

Rekam jejak harum semerbak ini mengantarkan Jimi & Rekan berserikat dengan  salah satu perusahaan rekaman mayor di Nusantara, Warner Music Indonesia. Kemudian pada Maret 2006 kerjasama ini membuahkan Energy, album penuh kedua yang notabene adalah padu padan antara daur ulang lagu lama dengan beberapa tembang baru. Berselang 3 tahun setelahnya, pada 2009, band yang menyebut penggemarnya sebagai “Modern Darling” ini hadir lagi—dan menjadi indie lagi—via album ketiga: Magnet! Magnet!.

Setelah sebelumnya Petroff (R.I.P.), Alfi Chaniago, Elta Emanuella, Dian Maryana, sempat duduk di kabinet The Upstairs, jajaran birokrasinya di masa sekarang berupa trio: Jimi Multhazam (biduan), Andre “Kubil” Idris (gitar), Beni Adhiantoro (drum), dibantu oleh personel non-tetap yaitu Khrisna (kibor) serta Pandu Fathoni (bas, synth).

Ayo bergegas menyambangi YouTube untuk menyaksikan “Menaralara”!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQecOi2V3_A[/youtube]

Almost a year after releasing their 3rd full-length album, Magnet! Magnet!, The Upstairs are back with their newest single and video, “Menaralara”. Indra “Kubil” Idris (guitar) was the guy in charge for the video clip, while Jimi Multhazam (vocal) wrote the lyrics and Beni Adhiantoro (drums) took the position as producer.

Yes, after quite a few musicians have come and gone, during their 9th year The Upstairs has officially became a trio with some additional players: Khrisna (keyboard) and Pandu Fathoni (bass, synth).

Go visit YouTube now and witness—and dance to—“Menaralara”!

__________________

*This article was originally published on The Beat mag (Jakarta) edition #23, October 2010
*The Upstairs – Photo courtesy of Agung Hartamurti Wirawan

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Email
Print
Rudolf Dethu

Rudolf Dethu

Music journalist, writer, radio DJ, socio-political activist, creative industry leader, and a qualified librarian, Rudolf Dethu is heavily under the influence of the punk rock philosophy. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.
Rudolf Dethu

Rudolf Dethu

Music journalist, writer, radio DJ, socio-political activist, creative industry leader, and a qualified librarian, Rudolf Dethu is heavily under the influence of the punk rock philosophy. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.

Related

Scroll to Top