JAKARTA - The hard rock band from Jakarta, Seringai, has explicitly stated that it has not made a decision to appoint a permanent guitarist to fill the position left by the late Ricky Siahaan.
Even though they are busy with various stage agendas and recording projects, the band, which is now led by Arian13 (vocals), Sammy Bramantyo (bass), and Edy Khemod (drums), chose not to rush in overhauling their core formation.
Sammy explained that there are currently two names of musicians who often help the guitar department, namely Angga Kusuma and Darma Respati. However, the involvement of the two is emphasized as a supporting musician, not a permanent staff who replaces Ricky's role.
"If you ask whether our two friends will join as permanent personnel, the answer is not yet known. We still want to see the process, including chemistry," Sammy told the media at Palmerah, Central Jakarta, Thursday, April 9.
As a step of adaptation after Ricky's departure, Seringai now operates with two different organizational schemes. Sammy said, they distinguish between the band entity as a creative unit and the technical needs when performing live on stage.
"There are three Seringai, and there are five live Seringai. So for now we are going with that format first," said Sammy.
As for the work on the latest album, "IV: Anastasis", all the guitar departments were entrusted to Angga Kusuma, who is known through his work with Taring and Dead Vertical.
However, the formation is part of the band's journey to maintain the quality of music without having to immediately change the identity that has been built for decades.
"I don't know, I don't know the answer because we want to have a process of getting to know all kinds of things, whether the chemistry is suitable, what if we write songs together and so on," said Sammy.
"We want to see first how it will be if we write songs together, how it fits. So everything is still in process," he added.
For Seringai, Ricky Siahaan's figure is not just a guitarist, but a main pillar in writing songs and the band's voice character. Therefore, the search for personnel still requires deep consideration beyond just technical ability to play an instrument.
Sammy also wants to make sure that Angga's presence in the guitar position at this time is not intended to erase Ricky's footprint.
"We also don't try to replace Ricky. No," said Sammy.
For information, the Indonesian music scene is in mourning when Ricky Siahaan is reported to have died in Tokyo, Japan, due to a heart attack.
Ricky breathed his last just after performing with Seringai at the Gekiko Fest on Saturday, April 19, 2025.
Until now, Seringai remains committed to continuing to move forward while respecting the musical legacy left by the guitarist.
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