Indonesian pop-jazz group Maliq & D’Essentials have released their latest EP ‘RAYA’.
The six-track EP, which the band worked on during the pandemic, arrived on major streaming services on Sunday (February 14). It combines the ‘RAYA Part I’ and ‘RAYA Part II’ projects that Maliq & D’Essentials released last year, plus two new singles: ‘Sesuatunya’ and ‘Semoga’.
The new tracks also received playful, retro-themed music videos, filled with bright colour and VHS noise and static. Watch them below:
According to Pop Hari Ini, the record marks the return of vocalist Indah Wisnuwardhana, who was absent from the band for about six months due to varicose veins around her vocal cords. It also marks the first time drummer Widi Puradiredja has sung on a Maliq & D’Essentials song since their 2005 song ‘Untitled’.
Stream ‘RAYA’ below:
The EP follows the band’s 2017 album ‘Senandung Senandika’. It also comes after a few other singles, including ‘Senja Teduh Pelita’ in 2019, as well as ‘Bagaimana Kutahu (Version II)’.
Formed in 2002, Maliq & D’Essentials debuted their first full-length recording ‘1st’ in 2005, gaining a formidable following in their home base of Jakarta and releasing six other studio albums since.
The band currently consists of vocalists Angga Puradiredja and Indah Wisnuwardhana, guitarist Arya ‘Lale’ Aditya Ramadhya, bassist Dendy ‘Javafinger/Jawa’ Sukarno, keyboardist Ilman Ibrahim Isa’, and drummer Widi Puradiredja.