Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same

[uncluster/Interview]—Muncul sejak 2005, dan sempat dikenal setelah menjadi finalis dari salah satu festival indie, band asal Bandung yang terdiri dari Ariel William (vokal), Fikri Hadiansyah (gitar), Agung (bass), Rangga Saylendra (drum), merilis album berjudul “Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same”. Hm, judul yang cukup panjang bukan? Nah, kepada Uncluster, Vincent Vega bercerita tentang band dan debut album mereka ini.

Hi…

Hi…

Kenapa kalian memilih lirik di lagu Phi “Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same” untuk nama album kalian? Lalu apa maksud dari kalimat itu?
Karena kalimat itu lumayan merepresentasikan album ini secara keseluruhan. Album ini kebanyakan bercerita tentang manusia, tentang perilaku manusia yang susah banget berubah tapi sama susahnya untuk tetap sama. Jadilah kalimat itu sebagai judul album.

Bisa diceritakan konsep cover album terbaru ini?
Kita kerjasama dengan seniman grafis, S.C.A.N.D.A.L, sebuah creative house. Konsep covernya lebih kepada representasi kerjasama Vincent Vega dengan mereka. Dengan adanya hurus VV dan S lalu 2008 ditulis dengan angka Romawi. Oya, S.C.A.N.D.A.L juga mendesain booklet kami. Ada puisi Dewi Lestari juga di booklet ini. Kami cerita dulu lagu kami seperti apa dan barulah Mba Dewi bikin puisi itu.

Berapa lama pengerjaan album ini? Bisa diceritakan?
September 2005 kami baru punya 4 lagu. Setahun kemudian kita tadinya pengen bikin EP, tapi tertunda karena sempet masuk dalam final salah festival indie, dan masuk kompilasi.
Akhir 2007 barulah selesai penggarapan album, dan awal 2008 mastering.

Lagu kalian berbahasa Inggris semua? Ada kesulitan menuangkan ide dalam bahasa Indonesia?
Pada dasarnya kami ga suka bahasa Indonesia karena bisa dikatakan sekitar 70% adalah serapan. Kami justru lebih apresiatif pada bahasa murni seperti bahasa Sunda dan Inggris.

Lalu kalian berniat membuat lagu dalam bahasa Sunda?
Itu dia. Bahasa Sunda susah juga ternyata, ga seperti bahasa Inggris. Sunda tidak mudah karena ada tingkatannya. Apalagi untuk seninya, lebih susah lagi. Kami lagi belajar siy… Ya, siapa tahu nanti kami bisa bikin lagu dalam bahasa Sunda.

Inspirasinya kalian saat membuat lagu dari mana?
Dari buku dan film… Ya, dari kejadian sehari-hari juga.

Jika dilihat dari lirik, ada lagu dari musisi lokal yang menurut kalian bagus?
Ada. Pure Saturday, White Shoes and The Couple Company, Homicide, Efek Rumah Kaca, dan… D’Massive juga bagus…heuheuheu

Apa pendapat kalian tentang kehadiran kalian di tengah musik lain yang lagi tren sementara kalian hadir dengan musik yang berbeda? Sepertinya kehadiran kalian menjadi tamparan sendiri bagi tren musik yang berkembang saat itu ya?
Hm kami tidak pernah berpikir tentang hal lain saat bermusik. Yang jelas berkarya aja sesuai dengan keinginan. Kalaupun pada akhirnya malah berbeda, itu hal yang tidak pernah direncanakan sebelumnya. Kami hanya mencoba memberikan pilihan lain saja bagi para penikmat musik di Indonesia. Kalau ada yang suka, ya baguslah, kalau tidak ya mungkin dia punya selera yang berbeda.
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Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same

[uncluster/Interview]—Showed up on 2005, and well known since they became one of Indie Festival finalists, Ariel William (vocal), Fikri Hadiansyah (guitar), Agung (bass), Rangga Saylendra (drum) who came from Bandung, just released their debut album this year which titled “Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same”. Um, it’s long enough title isn’t? So, Vincent Vega just told everything about the band and their debut album to Uncluster.

Hi…
Hi…

Why did you took your lyrics “Always Hard to Make a Change, Just Like How to Stay the Same” from Phi, as album’s title? And what is that mean?
This sentence is quite represent our album. This album tell us about human, their attitude that so hard to change, just like how to stay the same. So, we took this sentence.

Can you tell me your album cover’s concept?
We were cooperated with graphic artists, from a creative house, S.C.A.N.D.A.L. The concept is more like represent our cooperation. With the letters “V V” and “S” then “2008″ in Rome. By the way, S.C.A.N.D.A.L designed our booklet also. And there is Dewi Lestari’s poem in that booklet. First, we told her about our songs, then she wrote the poem.

How long you need to produce this album?
On September 2005, we just got 4 songs. A year later, we planned to make an EP, but we had to delayed it because we got in to one of Indie Festival Final and made a compilation. Finally, in the end of 2007, we just finished this album, and mastering in early 2008.

Why do you chose English lyrics than Indonesia? Any difficulties to make songs with Indonesia version?
Basically, we don’t like Indonesia language that over 70% are absorption. We more appreciate the original languages such as Sunda or English.

Then, you want to make song in Sunda version?

Um, that’s not easy actually. Unlike English, Sunda is more difficult because there are several levels. Especially for the art, that would be more difficult. But, we are learning it anyway. Who knows, one day we could make songs in Sunda version.

Where did you got the inspirations from?

Books and movies, daily things also.

Any local musicians that you like most, based on their lyrics?

We’ve never thought about it. We just play the music based on our interests. If that would be different at the end, we’ve never planned it before. We tried to gave the peoples alternative. If they like it, so, well done, but if they don’t, maybe they like another different music.

Pure Saturday, White Shoes and The Couple Company, Homicide, Efek Rumah Kaca, and… D’Massive also…hahahahha..

When you emerged, there was another genre that so happening. And you came up with different genre. It was became a violent shocking for that happening genre wasn’t it?

Hm, we’ve never thought about it. We just play the music based on our interests. If that would be different at the end, we’ve never planned it before. We tried to gave the peoples alternative. If they like it, so, well done, but if they don’t, maybe they like another different music.

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