New band Ten2Five arrives right on time

Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It all began in 1994, in the bland city of Perth, Australia, where public buses stop operating at 7 p.m., and so do public places.

Four Indonesian students spent most of their free time jamming together in a home studio, with a regularly scheduled session every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Then came the monetary crisis in 1997, where personal allowances were cut short and the studio became their main hangout.

These days, back in their home country, three of the originals plus two more friends are now the band Ten2Five, their music and image all over local television stations and chosen as the MTV Exclusive artist for the whole of April.

Their single I Will Fly is getting major airplay both on TV and radio, and the debut album of the same name has already sold 35,000 copies in the past three weeks.

Another band of foreign graduate rich kids with little talent but who have benefited from daddy's facilities, you ask?

Don't worry, Ten2Five is no crappy Bragi, although the latter also hails from the Indonesian student community in Perth.

Wrapped in breezy pop with a touch of light jazz, the band's bilingual debut album is surprisingly good. It has some earnestness to it, is unpretentious and, well, sweet.

The inevitable comparison is with the new band, Mocca, which last year came up with a soft guitar-based pop album in a cutesy wutesy concept.

But what Mocca lacks, originality and soul for instance, Ten2Five has in abundance.

Granted, some songs are lame, and the English lyrics are often simple ("I will fly into your arms/Be with you 'till the end of time"). But all in all, it's not bad.

Check out the opening track My World Is Full With You, a piano-based song in the Vanessa Carlton vein, or Jingga (Orange) which is highlighted with bossanova and upbeat Rum Raisin Chocolate Ice Cream.

Add the engaging R&B-inflected voice of vocalist Imelasari Kuswantina, or Imel, 21, the band pretty much deserves the attention they get.

The band, however, is a bit baffled by the sudden fame.

"We never had any intention to play music commercially. We were just a bunch of jammers, we just love to play, and made songs just to express our feelings," said bass player Arief Winarto, 27, amid the loud music at the al fresco Kafe Tenda Semanggi restaurant complex in South Jakarta.

They confessed that they did not even watch MTV nor religiously kept up with the music trends.

"We just played what we wanted to play, we played rock, jazz, anything. We didn't really hear local music and we weren't so up to date," said guitarist Satrio "Didit" Panindito.

Therefore, they did not know the genre they play is a rare one among typical Indonesian popular music. That was not until they were on MTV themselves.

The breakthrough came when Imel's cousin handed her a phone to sing in a live program on Mustang radio station, a competition where people get to sing the songs they compose.

She won first prize singing I Will Fly, and then the band had the opportunity to record the song at the station.

"That was even though the song was not even completed yet, although it was composed, like, three years ago. So, we made a full arrangement in just a couple of days," Imel said.

The song went on to become the top requested number on the radio station for weeks, and attracted two record companies: An international branch with a reputation for successful newcomers, and a local, smaller label.

They opted for the latter for the flexibility and the sense of family it gives.

"There was more pressure with the deal from the big company. They said they would put us in the compilation album, and later on we would be given a five-album deal. It just didn't feel right," said Imel, who replaced original vocalist Lea.

The contract also meant they had to give up their jobs, something the band was reluctant to do, except for Imel who had quit her job as a secretary in a law firm.

Drummer Poltak Sitorus, 29, is working in a property company, while Arief is climbing the corporate ladder as an IT employee in Bank Central Asia (BCA).

Guitarist Didit, 23, just graduated from design school of Lasalle College here. As with fellow guitarist Robin, he has flown back to Australia to finish his master's degree, so he has been temporarily replaced by a substitute.

The band acknowledged that they did not have any grand musical ambitions, but that everything happened beyond their expectations.

"There's no business like show business, everything is like gambling, we don't know when we will succeed or flop. If we're being too ambitious, we won't be able to handle failure," said Poltak, who graduated from management school at Edith Cowan University.

Despite the joy inside the recording studio or while on stage, the band is a bit uncomfortable dealing with the other aspects outside the recording music.

"Like, we have to look good in front of the camera, or we have to be like this, or that, in front of people. So much pressure," Imel laughed.

They have yet to focus exclusively on music, and are still juggling their music with their jobs.

Right now, the band said they only want to seize the moment, making the best music they can and works that are catchy and good to listen to.

"My personal ambition is to improve my skills through a lot of rehearsals," said Poltak who, along with Arief "the jazz extremist", is part of a jazz trio.

Arief, meanwhile, wanted to make money for his love of music instead of vice versa.

"We never play music for money, although the money is OK. If we do it for my money, the results won't be good. It's a matter of our heart, what we feel," he said.

At least for now, the band has yet to achieve the success of their friend and fellow Perth student, actor Tora Sudiro, who had a leading role in 2003's Arisan (Gathering): "Perth (Indonesian) students must show it to the world!".