Naif: A band obsessed with being taken seriously<\/p>\n
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The five members of the Naif band insist that they are a very
\nserious band.<\/p>\n
They say none of their lyrics have ever been funny, from those
\nin the 1998 self-titled debut album to the 2000 Jangan Terlalu
\nNaif (Don't Be Too Naive) and the recent Titik Cerah (Clear
\nPoint).<\/p>\n
The retro sound derived from 1960s or 1970s pop and rock, the
\ntacky style of fashion (flared pants and all), and the hilarious
\nstage act of vocalist David Bagus Danang Jaya that includes
\njumping and irregular dance moves -- none of it is laughing
\nmaterial.<\/p>\n
In a recent media conference marking the launch of their third
\nalbum Titik Cerah, the band reiterated the issue of being a
\nserious band.<\/p>\n
"It's just weird that people consider David's act of jumping
\naround the stage as funny. I mean, performers do that all the
\ntime, like Jim Morrison, for instance. No one laughed at him,"
\nsaid drummer Franki Indrasmoro Sumbodo, or Pepeng, in a rather
\nirritated tone.<\/p>\n
Well, Morrison did not sing about getting busted by police for
\nspeeding, nor about riding an Italian-made Vespa motorcycle to go
\nto a picnic at the National Monument.<\/p>\n
And neither did Lenny Kravitz, who consistently sticks with
\nthe 1970s raw rock sound.<\/p>\n
It is not necessary, however, for Naif to whine about how they
\nare not being taken seriously, since more than 500,000 people
\nbought their second album and obviously do take them seriously.<\/p>\n
The audience, including fellow musicians, who packed the Hard
\nRock Cafe to see their recent performance took them seriously.<\/p>\n
If people laughed, they laughed with them, not at them.<\/p>\n
"Well, perhaps it's just a matter of different perceptions. We
\nnever think of ourselves as funny. Sometimes when I get serious,
\npeople still laugh at me. Yeah well," shrugged David when I met
\nthe band recently after their rehearsal studio session a day
\nprior to their show at the Hard Rock.<\/p>\n
Again, the band showed their not-so-funny side at the
\ninterview. Pepeng chose not to join us as he preferred to hang
\noutside the studio.<\/p>\n
The rest of the band -- David plus guitarist Fajar Endra
\nTaruna or Jarwo, keyboardist\/pianist Chandra Sukardi and bassist
\nMohammad Amil Hussein or Emil -- then elaborated on the reasons
\nwhy they are not a comical band.<\/p>\n
"Everything we create, we make it as neat as possible so that
\nit is compatible to people's ears. If it's got to be tacky or
\ncheesy, it's the cool kind of cheesy," David said.<\/p>\n
"The words may be naughty or mischievous, but never vulgar.
\nIt's honest and ethical."<\/p>\n
Mostly in their late 20s, the members of Naif hail from the
\nFine Arts school at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), a community
\nwhich the band said is very conducive in nurturing creativity.<\/p>\n
"It's also the place where your mentality as a band is tested,
\nbecause the audience is merciless," David said.<\/p>\n
Hoping to create something different, they then opted for an
\noldies sound. A friend suggested that they send a demo tape to
\nIndosemar Sakti record company, which at the time was going to
\nrelease a compilation album of new bands.<\/p>\n
The producer did not insert them in the album, but instead
\nrecruited the band to make a full album.<\/p>\n
"Without hesitation, we said 'yes'. The producer apparently is
\nthe kind of person who is not too market-oriented. So, even
\nthough our music is different, he dared to hire us," David said.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately the debut album, despite major airplay and good
\nresponse, only sold some 20,000 copies as it was released just
\nbefore the May 1998 riots, plus the country was mired in a
\nrecession.<\/p>\n
But their second album was a hit -- especially helped by the
\ningenious video of Posesif (Possessive) that showed the other
\nside of a transvestite's life. Music-wise, the album is also
\nfine.<\/p>\n
Now with their third effort, the band shows even more
\nprogress, although the music is a bit too polished that the
\n"funny" lyrics do not quite match the sound.<\/p>\n
"Here in this album, we're no longer in a frenzy to put just
\nany sound and effect possible. In the second album we used tabla
\nand much more, wanting to do some exploration with sound. We
\nwanted something neat and simple this time. Because it is very
\ndifficult to make a simple song.<\/p>\n
"As for retro sound, no matter what we do, we always come up
\nwith the same sound. The problem is, the equipment is so much
\nmore advance now that it's difficult to create a vintage, raw
\nsound," Emil said.<\/p>\n
The album also marked their intention to become more
\nprofessional in their career, with a change in management as well
\nin how their record company pays them -- from getting paid in
\nadvance in a lump sum regardless of how many albums sell, to the
\nroyalty system.<\/p>\n
"We used to be reluctant about being in this business. So, we
\nthought, if we break up then we break up. Now, we want to be more
\nprofessional. We realize that we have an opportunity so why not
\nmake the most of it. Unless someday people don't want to hear us
\nanymore, in which case we'll stop doing what we do," David said.<\/p>\n
The professionalism is also apparent in how they prepare the
\ncostumes for their show.<\/p>\n
"We just hate to see a band that wears everyday clothes when
\nthey perform on stage. Performing is a visual thing, we've got to
\nbe different," David said.<\/p>\n
Isn't britpop band also like that?<\/p>\n
"Well, yeah. But they got great taste. Besides, they're
\nWesterners, so they look cool whatever they wear ," David
\nlaughed.<\/p>\n
On the night at Hard Rock, the costumes were psychedelic for
\nDavid, with flared pants, floral fitted shirt, scarf and large
\nsunglasses. The rest of the band also wore the same style.<\/p>\n
The audience then cheered as David jumped, screamed and sang a
\nlist of songs from the band's three albums.<\/p>\n
Guys, no need to bitch about being a serious band. Because we
\nall need entertainment, and so far you have provided it.<\/p>",
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