Fiksifriksi

Background

After the separation from their old label in 2009, Wonderbra decided to record their songs on their own. Times were quite hard because after the hype of Crossing The Railroad passed, they face new problems such as the dismissal of Edy Sembodo (after recording Indie V), and the resignation of their managers due to personal problems. They started to record the new songs in separate studios, but mostly in Calista Studio, Depok.

Recording and composition

Fiksifriksi was recorded in four years. One of the song, Indie V, was taken from the demo tracks of the first album. The lyric was originally written in English, as an abbreviation of Independent Vagina, but later was rewritten to Indonesia by Tera and Nosa. The song was written as a reaction of Bill against Pornography and Pornoaction in Indonesia which control how women should dress in public. Other songs such as It's Loona and Kotak Pandora, were meant to be a solo project but later contributed to the album.

There main concept of the album was exploration and experimentation. The influence of The Doors can still be heard, but the band have picked out new sounds such as The Dresden Dolls. This influence can be heard in the single "Tak Ada Cinta di Lemari" (No Love in The Closet). Blues were still part of the band, that were enacted in the songs such as "Since My Baby," or "One Month in Bed." The band also tried to record a power pop song, "It's Loona" which was influenced by The Beach Boys, and a choir based song, Kotak Pandora." They also tried to make a protest song entitled, "Simple Things."

All main personnels started to play multiple instruments in this album. Tera plays the harmonica, Asep plays the flute and additional percussion, and Kuyut plays the Cajon. The album was supported by three drummers. Edy Sembodo filled in drums in the songs "Indie V,"; Zico played in the songs "It's Loona" and "Tak Ada Cinta di Lemari," and Rizky Aisis Pattynama played in the rest of the album. Different drummers have created different atmosphere in each songs, which make the album rich with variations.

The album also involved additional playes such as Iman Fattah of Zeke and The Popo, who filled hammond in the song "Since my Baby,"; Avrila Bayu Santoso of Zivilia filled piano in the same song; and Rizki Mustafa Arisun plays keyboard in "Tak Ada Cinta di Lemari."

Packaging

The hardest thing from recording an exploration album was in finding the album title that could bind all the songs. Nosa came up with the title "#fiksifriksi", from two words: fiction and friction. The title means that the album contains songs that tell stories about friction, or conflicts between the global and the local, between lovers, and between paradoxes in human beings.

A professional Photographer, Putra Sophan Pribadi, contribute some of his works as the whole artwork in the album. The cover was two local boxer who hit each other at the same time, but both of them missed. It also looks like they running toward the same direction, not boxing. Inside the sleeve were some others photos shot by Sopan, describing the conflict of everyday life Indonesian, from the disparity between the rich and the poor, to the geometry of a parking lot.

The album was packaged in a box set, and also contain two bonuses: first a board game of snake and ladders which narrate the band history, and a secret song inside the record. The band printed, folded, and pack the CDs themselves and with the help of the band's best friends. With the release of #fiksifriksi, the band officially owned their own record label called Dagda and their distributor team SebarSabar.

Release and reception

In 2009, Wonderbra got a new manager, a radio producer named Rendy Yusuf Satria Sularto. Under Rendy's management, the band got a lot of gigs, including some international events such as Jakarta Blues Festival, Jakarta Rock Parade, and Java Rockinland. #fiksifriksi had a pre-launched in Coffee War Kemang in June 20th 2011, and launch the album in Java Rockinland with their theatrical performance: Opera Setan (The Devil's Opera). According to most audience, Opera Setan was one of the most memorable performance in Java Rockinland 2011.

The album was received with mixed critic. The Rolling Stone Indonesia said the album was "wonderful" and that "the band have the ability to "...transform themes to be an interesting songs." Website Deathrockstar said that the album "... was only playing 'surface' rock and roll,... like a template." The newspaper Tribun Medan wrote, "Thera vocal power has made some songs in this album to be extraordinary. Her high-pitched voice changes to be hoarse in a certain level of tone, reminding us of the queen of soul Janis Joplin."

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Wonderbra.

Personnel