Dua Empat Presents New Album Setlist at BRI Jazz Gunung Series 3 Ijen

Dua Empat performs at BRI Jazz Gunung Series 3 Ijen (doc. Jazz Gunung Indonesia)

BANYUWANGI - Dua Empat performed to open the BRI Jazz Gunung Series 3 Ijen, held at the Taman Gandrung Terakota Amphitheater, Jiwa Jawa Resort, Banyuwangi on Saturday, August 9th.

On this occasion, Alvin Ghazalie and Misi Lesar—the husband-and-wife duo who make up Dua Empat's main members—performed in a larger format than usual.

"The format we're playing is one of the largest we've ever played. Of all the festivals, this is probably the biggest. There are nine of us: contrabass, drums, Marini on vocals, and Asa on clarinet, flute, tenor saxophone, and trumpet," said Alvin, met after the performance by Ivan Two Putra from VOI.

"Since the album's release, we've always played this format at gigs, because it better represents the album," Misi added.

With this format, Dua Empat had the opportunity to perform songs from their self-titled album, released last June, such as "My Funny Guy," "Isn't It Romantic?", "Life Is Full Of Losses," "Would You Be Mine?", and "Sunshine Serenade."

Dua Empat was grateful for the opportunity to perform songs from their new album, as not all music festivals fully trust Alvin and Misi to showcase their own work.

The guitarist duo, especially with the Jazz Gunung Series, felt their music suited the atmosphere of this event.

"Every year there's the Jazz Gunung Series, and we always look forward to it, wondering where we're going to play, because the experience is always exciting and intimate, and we feel our music fits that intimate vibe," said Misi.

"Because it's outdoors, it's an engaging experience, not only for the listeners but also for us as musicians," he added.

Dua Empat further discussed their latest album, which they describe as a collection of personal stories reflecting the thoughts of Alvin Ghazalie and Misi Lesar.

"The song arrangements and compositions are personal, and the lyrical stories are also personal," said Misi.

"And this latest album represents Dua Empat in terms of its music, arrangements, and instrumentation—it's very much Dua Empat. So, if you want to know what Dua Empat is like, the latest album reflects what's in our minds," Alvin concluded.