Re-release An Old Song, Powerslaves Wants Semarang To Be The Anthem Of Their Hometown

Powerslaves (Doc. Powerslaves)

JAKARTA - Powerslaves launched a new version of the song Semarang on May 10 yesterday. Titled Semarang (Remastered), this song is to celebrate the birthday of Semarang, the hometown of Powerslaves.

The original version of the song Semarang is on the 2001 self-titled album Powerslaves. Semarang is a song about longing, memories, hope, warmth, and love.

"We have been through a lot in the city where we were born. Good memories and bitter memories. Whatever Semarang is, wherever we go, we will always carry the name Semarang," Heydi Ibrahim interprets the city of Semarang.

"Whether we like it or not, Semarang is still a mother to us," continued the vocalist.

Semarang (Remastered) was re-recorded by the current lineup of Powerslaves. Apart from Heydi Ibrahim on vocals, of course, there will also be Anwar Fatahillah (bass), Wiwiex Soedarno (keyboards), and Agung Yudha (drums). In the original version, no names of the last two musicians are mentioned.

So, what is the striking difference between the original version and the current version? From the keyboard side, Wiwiex Soedarno does not lose the substance of the notation in the original version, which sounds familiar. He really delivers a sound that fits the character of this song. With a strong and wide orchestral touch, Semarang (Remastered) becomes even more magnificent.

"Here I am more focused on clarifying, making it more magnificent and of course having to think about two factors, namely vintage and modern. Vintage, because after all, this song is very inherent in the youth of the 90s generation. Modern, because there are several sound approaches for the current generation I feel that this song is not old school," explained Wiwiex Soedarno.

Affirmed by Anwar Fatahillah, the arrangement difference is almost non-existent. Only the sound side of the entire instrument, including the mixing and mastering, is retouched.

"There is only an additional element of orchestration. We deliberately build a memory with this song without having to add a lot of instrument stuffing which sometimes even reduces the value of the previous arrangement," said Anwar Fatahillah.

The song "Semarang" is like a time machine that takes listeners to fly into the past. Moreover, the release of "Semarang (Remastered)" coincides with the moment of Eid Al-Fitr 1443 Hijri, where this time people can go homecoming after the two previous editions of Eid they had to refrain from homecoming due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The moment is right for the atmosphere of returning home because Semarang is the birthplace of the Powerslaves and in this city, there are many engraved memories," said Anwar Fatahillah.

"Hopefully this song can become the national anthem of the city of Semarang. Like the songs Gambang Semarang and Semarang Kaline Banjir (Jangkrik Genggong), but from the rock side," hoped Heydi Ibrahim.

Semarang (Remastered) is now available on all digital music platforms.