Oasis of Everyday Battle

self-comparison, blasphemy, cyberbullying, heartbreak, facing stress on the streets, work pressure, all issues related to mental health, Kunto Aji set forth in the Mantra Mantra album. Before discussing further regarding this album, I need to state at the outset that I am not an expert in the field of cultural studies or music. My position in this paper is as a music connoisseur. This is my first post regarding a music album.

Why is Kunto Aji's album that I chose. In short, this album is special because it addresses the issue of mental health. In the process of making this album, Kunto Aji even met with four psychologists to explore mental health issues. From the research he did, the sound frequency at 396 Hz is considered a frequency that can eliminate negative thoughts. Therefore in one part of the song rest there are several sections regulated in that frequency (CNN Indonesia, 23/09/2020).

How is the frequency of sound and what is its effect, this related explanation is contained in research on Solfeggio Frequencies by Joseph Pulio (Psychologist in the United States). In his research, he explained that there are six kinds of frequencies that can affect human feelings. These six frequencies are found in the religious hymn notation that has been used by the Vatican since the fifth century. First, the frequency of 396 Hz is considered to emit negative thoughts. Second, the frequency of 417 Hz which can improve the situation and encourage change. Third, the 528 Hz frequency that can drive transformations and miracles. Fourth, the frequency of 639 Hz tends to help build relationships/bonds. Fifth, the frequency of 741 Hz can encourage solutions/solution ideas. Sixth, the frequency of 852 Hz encourages people to return to understanding the soul (ibid). The use of the 396 Hz frequency for mental health has not been clinically tested considering that the domain of discussion related to this is included in the domain of psychology. Nevertheless, the efforts made by Kunto Aji deserve to be appreciated.

Kunto Aji's initial motivation raised primarily mental issues overthinking and mental stress in modern life, begins with the reflection of his life journey, a journey which is then reflected in the lives of his listeners. The issue of mental health didn't seem to get too much attention when this album came out at the end of 2018. The reaction to it only appeared in mid-2019, when people increasingly understood that mental health was no less important than physical health.

Entering Mental Therapy

The album opens with a song titled Eldest. The song is “only” 1:58 minutes long, contains repeated lyrics, especially with the lyrics “Enough... your bond... let go of what shouldn't be for you..”. The sentence was repeated until finally it was closed with a message to respect yourself, "What you should take care of is yourself.”. Song Eldest stated that this album is like a mental therapy album. From the beginning we have been given suggestions to let go of things that are beyond our control. What's more, modern life is profit-oriented and based on competition, sometimes this way of life makes us forget that we are humans. Not all things can be controlled by individuals, therefore it is necessary to let go, including comparing yourself to others.

After finishing listening to therapy on the song Eldest, the next song immediately hit with beat which is strong enough. On the song titled Design a Plan, Kunto Aji uses a frequency of 741 Hz which is believed to encourage/cause solutions to problems (ibid). On songs Design a Plan, listeners are invited to talk to themselves, a lyrical chant that is relevant to this is in the lyrics of “in my memory.. a sound is heard... don't change... don't change.. in my memory.. a voice is heard.. don't change.. you are the one i know”, the fragment of the lyrics seems to be a conversation from himself. In this song, the interpretation that I received is the message that we must not lose ourselves.

On songs Blue Pilu, Kunto Aji seems to invite listeners to let go of the past. In the middle of the song, there is a repeated lyric fragment with the lyrics “There are still many who haven't had the chance.. I'm telling you.. There are still many who haven't had the chance.. I'm telling you..”. like therapy, Blue Pilu invites us to let go or be sincere towards the past. This song is the most popular song on this album, besides the song rest. Interpretations of this song can vary, although most will relate to the relationship between lovers. In the experience video Blue Pilu made by Kunto Aji on his YouTube channel, it can be seen that the interpretation is not only about the relationship between lovers, but also the relationship with grandmothers or even parents.

after Blue Pilu, there is a song Last night's topic. This song is more direct, this song contains a conversation between the two lovers regarding their future life plans. This song tells about the anxiety of her lover to be proposed or married. post song Blue Pilu which has many meanings, suddenly the listener is presented with a song that is very easy to interpret and very pop, for listeners this might feel a little strange.

After this song, Kunto again invites us to release existing mental problems or burdens, through the song with the title rest. Lyrics from restthe most striking is in "calm down.. none of this is your fault... don't stop.. what you're afraid of won't happen..”, followed by “what you're looking for is gone... what you're chasing... who you're waiting for... what you hope for... let the universe work for you..”. This song has the same construction as the song Blue Pilu or even a song Eldest. This song invites listeners to be able to let go and in some ways let go of what is beyond our control. Half of this song contains the instrumental tone with a frequency of 396 Hz which was discussed at the beginning of this article.

The next song is titled Jakarta Jakarta. Unlike the themes that tend to talk about individuals in previous songs, in this song Kunto Aji talks about Jakarta. A city that is widely ridiculed as a city that is not humane. I remember the impressions of my friends who live outside Jakarta. They always say that we don't become human beings in Jakarta, our life time runs out on the streets, life isn't worth living, and all complaints are related to Jakarta. I feel the same complaint as overseas. Kunto Aji is also an immigrant like me, he comes from Yogyakarta and experiences the same anxiety.

The anxiety of overseas is seen in the lyrics of "in my heart I always want to move away.. the same city that makes me stand tall... noisy street corners that will never die.. the same city that makes me feel lonely”. Jakarta is undeniably a city that perhaps isn't ideal to live in, but on the one hand, this city is what makes us who we are. In the next line of sentences, Kunto Aji states that the city of Jakarta is indeed bustling, but on the other hand it makes itself lonely.

Jakarta's mentality is seen in the continuation of the lyrics which say "don't blame the long line in the city center… we rush to chase the same dreams..”, the most emphatic message is in the lyrics “as hard as you can.. bang it.. shape yourself”, a message that seems to stick with the city of Jakarta. In fact, it does not only describe the feelings of migrant residents, but also describes the feelings of the original residents.

Messages related to mental health are not very visible in the song That said. If you listen to the lyrics in this song, basically this song emphasizes the opinion of most people, that we have to pursue things or activities that make us happy. Lyrics "beautiful you know.. life is not about numbers” implicitly describes this. That material is not everything, there is value that cannot be exchanged. This is repeated many times in the lyrics with the message "it is said he said.. it was said he said.. it was said he said”. The lyrics with the words supposedly seem to attack the stigmas that we usually encounter in life, such as the most ideal job is a civil servant, or we have other ideal things.

It can be said to be the last song, the song with the title Saudade be the full song before the song Youngest. Meaning Saudade has a meaning as a deep nostalgic feeling for someone or the loss of a loved one. This is illustrated by the lyrics that read "Oh there... Stand you.. With a smile.. And a sliver of hope.. Behind.. Your place to lean on.. My arms are open.. Whenever you remember.. Home”. This lyric has a message of longing for someone close to us, that figure can be parents or anyone.
This album closes with a song that has the same rhythm with a different title, namely Youngest. This song has the same lyrics Eldest, there is repetition of the lyrics "Enough... your bond... let go of what shouldn't be for you..”. Perhaps this is the closing part of a series of positive suggestions that are trying to be conveyed from the beginning of listening to this album.

Impression

When listening to this album, it's like listening to a mental therapy album. The interesting thing is of course the theme raised by Kunto Aji, especially related to mental health which is the main topic. Another interesting thing is the combination of instrumental music and music pop funk a la 1980. The music performed by Kunto Aji reminds me of the singer Bruno Mars from the United States. The blend of instrumental music and pop music allows listeners to get "therapywhich perhaps the listeners themselves are not aware of. Listeners like only listening to pop music albums like most.
My criticism as an ordinary listener is in the lack of unity in the songs Last night's topic and That said. The placement of the two songs is quite disturbing, especially after listening to the songs Blue Pilu and rest. Especially for songs rest, the instrumental music section reminds me of a band Sigur Ros from Iceland (Icelandic). When music Sigur Roshave genres Post-Rock, a stream that emphasizes musical instruments rather than lyrics. So the uniqueness of Kunto Aji is in the combination of music Pop Funk a la Bruno Mars with instrumental music a la Sigur Ros.
It is this creative power that makes Kunto Aji's album so special that it won the AMI Award for the best album in 2019. This album is worth listening to, both in terms of its musicality, the message in each song, to the concept related to mental health which is rarely a topic of discussion.

Bibliography

Aji, K. (Musician), (2018), Spells Spells. June Records
CNN Indonesia, 23 September 2018, The Story Behind the 396 Hz Frequency in Kunto Aji's Song 'Rehat', https://www.cnnindonesia.com/hiburan/20180923120517-227-332464/cerita-di-balik-frekuensi-396-hz-dalam-lagu-rehat-kunto-aji, accessed on 29 November 2020
Saudade, tt, Saudade, http://www.saudade.at/home/en/saudade-die-bedeutung/, accessed on 29 November 2020