Apologies for a much delayed release. This one has been a mule to work on (sometimes you just can’t push a song until it hits you in the head during one lazy afternoon). Here it is, in all it’s belated glory:

Music and lyrics by Endy Daniyanto

The story behind the song:

One of the reasons why I started this project is because I often play the piano just for myself. I mostly play tunes that aren’t anybody’s songs, but which sound I like. Therefore, I often find myself playing tunes that I think could be made into a song. After some time, these nitty little ditties get abandoned, so I made a promise to take the inspiration I get and work on it to see its full form.

The basic piano pattern for “Something New” is one of these melody babies that was born incidentally on the piano. There was no intention to write a song (but then again most of my songs come out like that at first). The chords sound very characteristic of music from the 90’s, music that influences me very heavily, so I decided to have a little fun and add some drum, bass, and saxophone parts to the song. It stayed as a saved MIDI file on my keyboard for some time, and when this project started, the seeds for “Something New” became one of the songs to produce on the list. You can listen to the original intro demo recorded straight from my keyboard here: Something New demo.

As for the title and story in the song, it’s inspired by my high school friend Tondi who went away to China to take his Master’s degree in Management for two years. Some months after his stay there, I caught sight of a suspicious photo of him and a girl in his Facebook account, and the facts just revealed themselves after that incident. The title is “Something New”, because he wasn’t very lucky in love before this story happened (sorry mate, but it’s the truth: and no, one week doesn’t count as being an official love story!). So, he had to go all the way from Indonesia to China to find his love (most people go to China for knowledge, as they say in the old adage, but I guess there’s always a fool to prove it wrong) – that’s why it’s “Something New”.

The lyrics

(maybe I should make a Mandarin translation for this)

Something New

There was something new When I looked at you
There was something in your eyes
The way you smile It steals my heart every time

There was something new When just us two
Were talking on the phone
That smile you hide Says something is in the air

I didn’t know that I’d meet you
After all these years alone
You’re so different than what I knew
You’re something new

The other girls with all their charms
Would impress any other man
But I’ve been blind Since you said you’d be mine

I didn’t know that I could feel
Something real as this is real
It’s so beautiful than what I knew
It’s something new

You’re something new

And now that you’re here with me
It’s like the very first time I’m alive
Nothing has made me fall before but you
You’re something new

You’re something

I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin in something new
I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin in something new
I’m fallin into I’m fallin fallin into you

I’m fallin into I’m fallin
Fallin into you
Cause you’re something new
You’re something You’re something new

You’re something new

The geeky stuff

This song, as I said, is a mule. I needed more than two weeks to write the lyrics because it’s a very general expression. I find it easier to write songs that are specific: that have a time or place or story, rather than one that has a universal appeal. But like one songwriter said to me, even if I could only get one line of verse in a day, write it. The important thing is to make progress!

For the recording, I used the usual setup. The interesting thing is Frans and I recorded the vocals as it was raining outside. Because we didn’t have a lot of time, we decided to take it anyway, and even though I’m sure the rain is there somewhere in the recording, I don’t really mind the final results. So, even if it isn’t perfect, the most important thing is to simply do it!

Thank you and credits:

To the girl who is Tondi’s first official love story, this song is dedicated to the both of you. May you have a troublesome and epic love story filled with drama and roller coaster like ups and downs (because hey, good times are good but tough times are still better, right?).

On to the next song: this one will feature me on vocals! *Cough cough*