New band Ten2Five arrives right on time
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!".