Written by Zim Ahmadi
We’re two months into 2019, so of course, there’s a lot more to expect from the local music scene! Here are some Malaysian artists who have announced that they’re planning to release an album this year. Some of these albums have confirmed dates while others are still in the purgatory between “done” and “under construction”. Whichever they are, we’re still extremely excited for them!
Lust – Tekesima
Release Date: March 2019
Psychedelic group, LUST, has released two singles so far, and both of them have hinted at the breadth of the band’s new sonic landscape. While the song Desire shines as an anthemic post-punk cut, U I ADORE beckons listeners into a slightly malevolent territory, punctuated by bright trippy riffs & harmonies. In comparison to their previous album, Chingichanga, LUST seems more bent on poppier sounds. None of this comes at the price of the out-of-this-world milieu the band is still capable of producing in their music. The album is produced by the band itself, in collaboration with Syabil Al-Yahya, lead singer of psychedelic rock band, Golden Mammoth. Mixing and mastering is handled Shariman Shuhaime of Melodiya Recordings and who is also a member of New Wave electro group, Enterprise. Tekesima is the album that’ll come out the earliest on this list since it’s set to be out by March!
The Venopian Solitude
Release Date: TBA
It’s been 5 years since their debut album, Hikayat Perawan Majnun, but the fictional world of Venopia from the minds of frontwoman Takahara Suiko has not left us entirely in the dark. The experimental indie group has been performing and churning out new materials live. The band also released the EP Hikayat Ubi Berisi in 2017 which features the demo for Layar. Judging from their frequent performance of that song live and the session they did for Red Bull Music & Culture, the song has evolved into what seems like completion and would definitely be in the upcoming album. Tracks like Pelacur Muzik, essentially a rant about people who think poorly of artists who want to make money, have also been a favourite on their live setlist. Earlier this year they performed at ATASbyBijanFX for the Big Jan Show and received plentiful of amazing reception for their new song Bubar. The apocalyptic and dramatic nature of the song is proof that The Venopian Solitude has improved their art of storytelling, not just alive in Takahara’s lyrics, but also in the intensity and variety of its production. This is fitting considering that, in an interview with the Daily Seni, Takahara Suiko has stated her plan of making an album that could be turned into a play. Although no official release date has been announced, 2019 seems like a more than plausible year. In the same interview as above, the band has mentioned that the title of the album is related to the acronym HGB.
Ramayan
Release Date: TBA
Ramayan broke into the scene with their first single Oh Dewiku, sealing their place in local music as the band that deftly combines nostalgic Nusantara melodies with psychedelic tendencies, the latter more evident in songs like Sepintas Sastera Hati. Their love for remaking the old into their version of the new is found even in their self-titled EP, where vintage instrumentation and production meet lyrics that are equal times romantic and epic. From their new songs such as Intan and Lamunan Anak Bulan, Ramayan is opting to pay tribute to the poppier side of the 60s. The band’s knack for crafting sweet melodies feels more unfiltered and more direct. As if you need another reason to anticipate a new Ramayan album, it is also produced by Mondo Gascaro, an Indonesian artist who was also involved in the production of Noh Salleh’s Angin Kencang and Payung Teduh’s Dunia Batas. Mondo is a wonderful musician and singer renown for his revival of 70s pop sounds with his album Rajakelana. This album has been in the works for the past year or so, it’s reasonable to expect it coming out this year.
Couple
Release Date: TBA
Yes, that Couple, the power pop outfit who has been releasing indie anthems since the early 2000s, from Now That I Can See to Tentang Kita. They were around even before the movie KAMI came out, an iconic film that boosted the Malaysian indie scene to larger audiences. The band is perfectly aware of how long they’ve been in the scene, often cracking jokes about it. Last year, Couple was awarded the Ipoh Heritage Band status in conjunction with Hari UNESCO 2018. During their performance on that day, lead singer Aidil said “We’d like to say thank you for the award. Usually when people say ‘heritage’ that means someone died. But don’t worry, we’re still alive. And we’re in the process of making a new album!”. Based upon the new songs they perform live (one of which is a song about being “blue-ticked” on Whatsapp by your crush), Couple has not strayed from a sound that belies their identity.
Jaggfuzzbeats
Release Date: May 2019
Jaggfuzzbeat’s debut album Rest Now was chosen by multitude of local portals as one of the best local albums of 2017. They stand out because of the way they channel their influences into a sound that makes them hard to categorise in a Malaysian indie rock scene that’s mostly reviving the sound of 2008, opting for the dream pop sound sweeping the world or psychedelia. Comparisons have been made to the Strokes or other bands of the post-garage rock revival scene of the early 2000s, but what’s certain is that Jaggfuzzbeats has managed to skillfully use the familiar and carve a completely different path. In their upcoming album, lead guitarist and singer Azrul has cited the influence of bands like Wisconsin power-pop four piece, Locksley. Brighter sounds with a little bit of British Invasion in the mix keeps us at the edge of our seats for their future work. This is especially true when you see the band perform live, as they haven’t eschewed from their soaring solos and danceable riffs.
Zamaera – Z The EP
Release Date: 1 March 2019
Zamaera broke into the scene like a bomber plane with her single Helly Kelly, and since then she’s been showing that her bars belong in every type of beat. Besides killer lines and an untenable rap voice filled with attitude, she’s also shown her chops in conscious rap songs like Wanita, or the beautifully personal Z v Z. For Z the EP, Zamaera took her record to the United States for production. At this point, she’s shown a multitude of range, including the solid R&B cut Truth. How can you not be excited for an album from one of the best Malaysian rappers out there at this very moment?
Golden Mammoth – Skyscraper Towards The Sun
Release Date: April 2019
Psychedelia is the major arsenal of Golden Mammoth’s sound, but integral to their music is also an impeccable sense of groove. Nobody says you can’t illustrate a whole anthology of otherworldly tales without sticking to primal rhythms filled with fuzzy guitars reverb, and Golden Mammoth continuously proves exactly that in their music. After their last album Metaphoric Quadraphonic back in 2016 and the release of memorable singles like Malicious Judicious, the band continued working on their next big thing. The only hint we have of what they’re going to sound like in their next project is the single they released early last year, Ominous. From that, we see them sharpening their world-building abilities. Never shy about the magnitude of their music, Ominous sounds like a space Western anthem loaded with intense drama. If the track is any indicator, we’d say April is a definite month to look out for. Especially if you want your playlist to not just ease your ears, but also to take you on a journey.
