Off the street (corner), Cozy gets groovy on stage

Off the street (corner), Cozy gets groovy on stage

By Danielle Bray

JAKARTA (JP): Intensely humid weather and a swarm of
mosquitoes did not deter a crowd from forming on the hill behind
the Aikon office in Kemang, South Jakarta.

A dedicated fan base gathered on July 18 for the rerelease
celebration of Cozy, the first album produced by local band Cozy
Street Corner. The band, comprising three friends in their mid
twenties from Bogor in West Java, were the stars of their own
backyard party.

The band's name is derived from their past jamming stage, a
street corner in their local neighborhood. They attended the same
high school and have been playing together since 1997. The boys
lived on campus during their high school years, and found it
difficult to find the right place to practice. They decided to
take their music to the street corner, where they played from 8
p.m. until 4 a.m. almost daily.

Individually, the band members have diverse influences.
Together, they mesh a sound that complements each other's tastes
and ability. They attribute their unique collaboration to the
influences of The Beatles, Bach, Dave Matthews Band and Deep
Purple to name a few. This is a definite mixture of musical
tastes that they successfully elaborate into their own style.

"Because of our different influences, our writing ability is
strengthened. We are all working toward the same goal," said bass
player Adoy.

They initially released Cozy under their own independent
label. With minimal resources and funds, they were searching for
a larger company to represent the band and help it grow. They
gained the sponsorship of PT Sutera Indomusik, and rearranged
their existing songs, added a couple of tracks, to rerelease a
new, well-planned album of the same name. The outcome proved a
success, with their music creating an easy-listening atmosphere.

The band took breaks between songs at the release party to
answer questions from the audience. They briefly discussed their
beginnings, influences and hopes. Through such a personal touch,
it was apparent they were eager to create a unique voice in the
Indonesian music scene.

Cozy Street Corner mixes both western and traditional
influences on their album. Of the six songs on the demo tape, one
is in English and the remainder in Indonesian. A traditional set
of drums is used to accompany half the songs, giving them an
Asian flavor. The other half has a distinct modern folk sound.

The band does not want to limit itself to a particular genre
or musical style. Vocalist and guitarist Kris stated, "We are
trying to promote the feeling of a street corner band with no
classifications ... we want the audience to interpret our music
in their own way".

One of the tracks, Hutan Hujan (Rain Forest), was written to
promote conservation awareness in Indonesia. The song is
accompanied by a set of traditional drums played by occasional
band member, Agus. Kris belts out meaningful lyrics, while
guitarist Boby whistles into the microphone and Adoy plays back-
up guitar.

Cozy Street Corner promotes harmony and awareness, with its
members boasting they are completely drug-free. "We drink lots of
coffee and tea though, lots of it," Boby chuckled. The closeness
of the band members is apparent in their music, their onstage
demeanor and personal conversation.

The band has become Internet savvy, with a few of their tracks
online. Being on the worldwide web promotes their music to
Indonesians and other nationalities alike. The only drawback is
the site is written in Indonesian, which limits the number of
foreign fans who can understand what is said. However, it gives
details of their upcoming performances and promotes feedback.
Those interested should surf on over to www.cozystreetcorner.com
and take a look.