JAKARTA - Musician and Efek Rumah Kaca (ERK) guitarist, Reza Ryan, officially started his latest musical journey through a solo project called Kantusfirmus.
As a first step, Reza launched his first work in the form of a single titled "Bintang Magnolia" which was released under the auspices of Anikonik Records.
In the composition of the song, the man who once took care of I Know You Well Miss Clara, Tiktaalik, to Theory of Nothing acted fully as a self-sufficient musician.
All aspects of production - from writing lyrics, recording, arranging, vocals, production work, to the mixing and mastering process - are independently done by Reza.
This step is not a form of escape from the series of groups he has supported before. Kantusfirmus is designed as an experimental vehicle to test the limits of possibility in the popular music corridor.
The results of the arrangement of the sound bring together the sensitivity of pop melodies with the nuances of compositions that tend to be dark, dense, and loaded with tension.
"I have always had an interest in combining certain musical formulas into a new formulation as an aesthetic offer," said Reza Ryan in his statement, Tuesday, July 28.
This kind of experimental composition pattern was actually formed by Reza since he studied at the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta in 2010. At that time, he combined the academic classical music discipline with jazz elements, progressive rock, to experimental approaches. Now, he applies a similar concept to the pop realm which he considers very dynamic.
"Currently, Kantusfirmus is the channel of my mind to pop music. I don't see pop music as a certain musical formulation that is frozen, let alone that limits the scope of creativity. It is very fluid and elastic," he added.
The selection of the name Kantusfirmus itself is rooted in the Latin term cantus firmus, namely the main melody that became the foundation of polyphonic composition in the Middle Ages to Baroque era.
Reza changed the initial letter to "K" to emphasize the philosophy that no matter how complex the instrument is built, the melody remains the main core of a song.
Behind his musical exploration, the song "Bintang Magnolia" carries a sharp thematic narrative weight. Reza raises the spotlight on the dynamics of social reality, including a series of inequalities faced by civil society, indigenous communities, and labor groups when dealing with the relationship between authority and corporations.
"There are many critical events experienced by a group of people or an indigenous entity in its position as citizens against the authorities, as workers against state-backed companies, or as civilians against organizations behind which we know there are actors close to the state apparatus," said Reza.
This song is also a form of critical reflection on the situation of development and the expropriation of people's living space that is increasingly rampant in Indonesia. For Reza, who is also active in bringing political awareness to his performance stages, the value of humanity and the rights of citizens must always be placed above all forms of power interests.
"Currently, the state of our country is very bad. Land and living space seizures are happening everywhere in the name of development, national strategic projects, to the transfer of land functions under the guise of food security," said Reza.
"Humanity is above all else. In the context of the state, human rights, safety, and dignity must be the top priority," he said.
For information, the first work of Kantusfirmus is now available and can be accessed on various digital music player services. After releasing this single, Reza Ryan plans to work on full album material as a continuation of the journey of his solo project.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
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