Peterpan’s Other Voice Without Ariel

Ade Mardiyati

Fans of the band Peterpan are in luck. After being torn apart by a prison sentence, Ariel, Lukman, Uki, Reza and David are making music again, though they are dropping the Peterpan name.

The band’s latest album, “Suara Lainnya” (“The Other Voice”), launches tomorrow during a private concert dubbed “Konser Tanpa Nama,” or the “Without a Name Concert,” as they haven’t settled on a new name yet.

“Suara Lainnya” is the band’s first instrumental album and it contains 11 tracks. All but one of them were taken from the group’s previous albums and recomposed in a different style with some ethnic and classic touches.

The last track, “Dara,” is a new song presented by lead singer Nazril “Ariel” Irham, who has been serving time in prison since January last year for distributing pornography after a controversial sex video scandal.

“Back then when Ariel’s case developed, there was a lot speculation about what was going to happen to the group and whether we would be looking for someone to replace his position,” guitarist Uki said last week. “We decided not to [find a replacement] because, whatever happens, we’re a family.”

“Suara Lainnya” started as a simple attempt to remake the band’s music on the piano, Uki said, but the project soon expanded.

“We’re trying to present something different with this album,” he said, adding that the group spent six months putting it together. “It was hard in the beginning. A lot of people thought we were joking about this instrumental album.”

Keyboardist David echoed that sentiment. “To be honest, we weren’t very optimistic about this project,” he said. “But having received so much support from everyone, including the [record] label, we believed this would turn into something great.”

The group credited Ariel for contributing ideas to the project though he is still serving time.

“The presence of a vocalist is definitely vital for a band. Ariel is aware of that, hence his endless support for us,” David said, adding that the group has frequently visited the singer in prison. “It shows that even without his presence physically, he still plays an important role with his ideas.”

The group also collaborated with other musicians, including a traditional Sundanese music group, Karinding Attack, who added some ethnic flare. Indonesian violin maestro Idris Sardi added a classical touch in “Taman Langit,” as did violinist Hendry Lamiri in several other tracks.

The instrumental concert is said to be the first of its kind in Indonesia.

“This is my first time visualizing an instrumental concert in a rock ’n’ roll style, something Indonesians have never seen before,” said respected arts director and videographer Oleg Sanchabakhtiar, who planned the performance. “The level of difficulty is high, and I was challenged. The difficult part is figuring out how to present someone who is part of the group performance while he is physically not there with us.”

Concert organizer Marcel Permadhi said he trusted everyone behind the effort. “In the beginning I thought, what would people watch if they go to a music concert of a band whose lead singer is not present?” he said.

“But then I realized that these people I work with are geniuses.”

Asked if the invitation-only concert would be recorded on DVD for fans, Indrawati “Acin” Wijaya from record label Musica Studios, said “maybe.”

“But for now I would like to have support from everyone and a prayer for Ariel, so he can be released soon.”

Peterpan
Album: ‘Suara Lainnya’
Artists: Ariel, Lukman, Uki, Reza and David