Banda Neira adalah proyek iseng bertanggung jawab yang menjunjung tinggi spirit amateurisme. Bubar sejak Desember 2016.
Kontak: di.banda.neira@gmail.com

Pesan rilisan fisik album pertama 'Berjalan Lebih Jauh' dan album kedua 'Yang Patah Tumbuh, yang Hilang Berganti' ke sorgerecords@gmail.com.

Dulu ketika tinggal di Jakarta Rara Sekar  adalah aktivis Hak Azasi Manusia di LSM Kontras. Kini ia hijrah ke Bali dan jadi pegiat sosial di organisasi non profit Kopernik. Kerjaanya, membagikan teknologi tepat guna untuk memberdayakan masyarakat di berbagai tempat. Sementara Ananda Badudu, dulu, kini, dan nanti adalah wartawan harian di Tempo. Kerjaanya, setiap hari keliling Jakarta mencari berita.

Siapapun tahu hidup di Jakarta akan terasa penat jika tak diselingi kegiatan-kegiatan menghibur diri. Oleh karena itu keduanya sepakat membentuk band. Formatnya sederhana saja, dua orang dan satu gitar. Kadang ada xylophone mainan nyempil. Atau impersonisasi terompet berhubung tak punya alat sesungguhnya. Meski formatnya dua orang, mereka menolak disebut duo, inginnya disebut band. Tak tahu pasti apa maksudnya.

Sejak terbentuk pada akhir Februari lalu, Banda Neira baru dua kali manggung dan sekali mengecap studio, yakni pada saat rekaman saja. Tapi latihan lumayan sering. Karena format sederhana, latihan pun bisa di mana saja. Bisa di atap kos-kosan, di ruang fitnes kedap suara, di warung sepi pengunjung, hingga rerumputan taman kota.

Tak disangka proyek iseng berlanjut terus. Pada suatu hari, sebelum Rara Sekar hijrah ke Bali, keduanya nekat menyewa studio Aru untuk merekam empat lagu yang mereka punya. Jadilah album EP (Extended Play) yang di kemudian hari dinamakan “Di Paruh Waktu”. Karena lirik lagu Banda Neira kebanyakan nelangsa, maka disebutlah genrenya nelangsa pop.

Kini Rara Sekar tinggal di Ubud, Bali, dan Ananda Badudu masih di Mampang Prapatan, Jakarta. Tapi katanya Banda Neira tidak vakum alias tetap jalan. Nanti mungkin ada lagu-lagu lain, yang kalau sudah PD akan ditaruh juga di soundcloud. Hehehe. Sekian ceritanya dan terimakasih telah berkunjung ke soundcloud kami.

Salam, Banda Neira
8 Agustus 2012

*NP: Banda Neira adalah nama pulau yang berada di Maluku, bagian Timur Indonesia. Pada masa perjuangan kemerdekaan, beberapa pejuang dan bapak penemu bangsa sempat dibuang oleh Belanda ke sana. Di antaranya Sjahrir dan Hatta. Banyak cerita menarik yang ditulis Sjahrir tentang Banda Neira. Dari catatan hariannya orang bisa tahu ia tak merasa seperti orang buangan ketika diasingkan ke sana. Barangkali karena pulaunya luar biasa indah dan masyarakatnya menarik. Sementara Hatta sibuk baca buku, Sjahrir asik bermain dan mengajar anak-anak setempat. ”Di sini benar-benar sebuah firdaus”, tulisnya di awal Juni 1936. Dari pulau dan cerita inilah kira-kira nama band ini diambil.

twitter: @dibandaneira

blog: dibandaneira.tumblr.com

e-mail: di.banda.neira@gmail.com

Twin sisters Paris and Amber Strother and musical compadre Anita Bias are KING.

In 2011 KING independently released their first EP to much acclaim;  title track “The Story,” (featured on GLAMOUR‘s Top Songs Playlist), “Supernatural” (NPR's Song of the Day) and “Hey” (featured in 2014 motion picture ‘About Last Night’) make up the 3-piece introduction to their carefully crafted future-soul sound. Hours after the release, their EP had traveled far to music lovers and tastemakers alike, trending on Twitter and making new fans of many. KING have since been preparing their debut full-length album due for release Summer 2014 and are excited to invite their listeners further into their sound. The album will also include the ethereal romance “In The Meantime” (Top 2013 Pick by NPR, The Guardian UK, and Buzzbands LA). 

KING’s smooth vibe, intricate production and harmonic style evolved beautifully in their home studio, a product solely of the three women. Paris produces KING’s songs, while Amber and Anita are the primary singers. The three work together on songwriting and vocal arrangements to create own their very uniquely soulful sound.

Citing influences ranging from a myriad of genres, KING’s eclectic sound is both relatable yet not simply defined. Though their cross-genre sound plays with the boundaries of their varied influences, maintained throughout each of their compositions is the common thread of a certain soulful authenticity. From Ebony Magazine: “KING bypasses the impulse to categorize musicians into a singular box by falling somewhere in the utopian realm of nostalgic R&B, futuristic soul and folksy-bluesy jazz." Add to that their electronic, new wave and downtempo tastes, their penchant for storytelling and their exceptional ability to blend 3 voices and perspectives- and the result is a melting pot of music that harks to an earlier time of unbridled exploration and creativity. From Okayplayer: "It’s not hard to tell what all the fuss is about; sophisticated pop harmonies that would seem more appropriate to past-masters than newcomers–yet never feel anything less than breezily accessible, mostly because of a certain emotional purity to the songwriting. The ladies of KING are just as refreshingly pleasant as their recordings...this just seems to confirm the eerie suspicion that though only two are blood-sisters, all three are spiritual triplets."

Float is an Indonesian band led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Hotma "Meng" Roni Simamora. The revolving lineup has influenced the band’s musical style that has grown from a mix of pop, rock, blues, and jazz. Supporting Meng with each of their role, Timur Segara (drums), David Qlintang (guitar), and Binsar Tobing (bass) make the latest Float’s four-piece formation.

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