KL-based band RUNS has been one of my favourite independent bands on the live music circuit for the past couple of years.

I finally received its six-track demo via PosLaju in the truest of DIY spirit: encased in a Ferrero Rocher plastic case, since the soft CD-R sleeve lacked the defence of the usual commercial jewel CD cases.

While low fidelity production-wise, it’s a legit work of a young band committed to cross pollinate traditional instrumentations with modern Western forms minus the forced conservatism of traditionalism.

More importantly the band’s music has a sense of exuberance and joy – a rare feat by young-ish indie bands in the circuit in which generic obedience, lovelorn balladry, and cool neo-Nusantara posturing is the norm (which the hipster-fied Malay tanjak a lot young Malay males now adorn as a fashion item not only on their wedding day). 

RUNS is made up of Hawari Rashid (vocals, guitar), Luk Ahmad (vocals, oud), Alang Noor (vocal, rebana percussion), Iqbal Ramlan (vocals, bass) and Hafifi Ramli (vocals, drums).

What struck me when I first saw them live – ‘discovered’ and recommended by fellow troubadour Otam  as also their psychedelic yet very local Nusantara-inspired ‘uniform’ and headbands, is that not a tanjak was in sight. Refreshing and vital neo-Malaysiana at its best!

Here is a band that relishes its place on the live circuit which also puts a lot of effort in what we now call ‘branding’ although I prefer the term ‘identity’.

Even their vivid posters and band publicity are consistent in design with this “identity” of theirs. These are also extensions of collaborations with different artists and designers that the band has ties with – whether informal or formally, it doesn’t really matter.

It’s uplifting. I for once disagree with Richard Ashcroft (of 1990s British rock heroes, The Verve), who remarked that bands that smile in photos are the ones you should worry about.

Luk – who stands out with his ‘modern’ oud onstage and in sound – and Alang, their enigmatic rebana player – may seem like the key ‘traditional’ players in the band but don’t let their instruments separate them from the rest. They are a legit unit that hinges on the interplay between all the sum of their instrumental parts.

Bands are units, and teamwork – the much-lauded concept in our educational and professional spheres – are always an integral part of what it means being in a band.

While trends and being fashionable is a given in music culture, it’s an oft-misunderstood aspect of music-making that most members of the public most probably take for granted.

Given how the media extends and exaggerates images of musicians and their posturing in publicity materials – a big part of the job and not borne out of narcissism, mind you – it’s easy to assume musicians live very different lives from other mere mortals.

I remember reading an interview with one of the members of ZZ Top in which he recounted an encounter with a fan at a convenience store who asked, “You eat too?!” in shock upon seeing a rock-and-roll star paying for food items on the counter.

Such is the power of image and, of course, music culture upon fans that it elevates the mundane into fantasy – the fantasy now embodied in the endless loops of music videos that are now commonplace on YouTube. 

Image and identity alone, of course, do not make the musician or artist, so I’ve made some broad assumptions here about those who do find a match between their abilities and talents with their artistic works.

Yes, even pop music, no matter how crass, overtly commercial and shallow, is a work of art, folks.

We must consider all and not fall into elitist chin-stroking, and resisting this is part of the work and the regeneration that comes with every era of musicians and artists.

The ones that stand out are the ones that either buck the trend or just simply appear alien or completely out of place. The late great David Bowie is a great example of this.  

Of course, the big elephant in the room I’m overlooking here is gender. All I’ve been raving about are male bands and artists.

Between the genders, there’s also a big difference in how gender is performative and the degrees of expectation that culturally come with it.

Since I’ve been a male all my life (and intend to be for the rest of it), I can safely say that when it comes to bands and image, males are way lazier and give a lot less thought to creating a public image than female bands.

The roots of these are, of course, not clear cut and simplistic but this is why I often laud male bands that buck the usually trope of ‘just one of the boys’ and attempt to craft not only their musical works and band chemistry, but also put some thought into how these can be best represented in how they and their related representations in public appear.

I wish all the best for RUNS and I really hope they get some kind of big break that they truly deserve.

At the very least, keep on keeping on the way they themselves wish to keep on, not dictated by others. Keep it real and maintain your autonomy while also enjoying the journey, gang! 

It’s not easy being true to one’s self in Malaysia where co-optation and surrendering to some norm is the order of the day.

Like the symbolism of the Ferrero Rocher tray RUNS’ demo CD-R, stay true to yourself within. The exterior is meant to protect the soul and fire in the belly within.

Malaysiana is way more interesting than the media (social media included) have made it out to be, and through their lenses, one only sees the Ferrero Rocher over the thoughtfulness appropriated within. – September 10, 2021.

* Azmyl Yunor is a touring underground recording artiste, and an academic in media and cultural studies. He has published articles on pop culture, subcultures and Malaysian cultural politics. He adheres to the three-chords-and-the-truth school of songwriting, and Woody Guthrie’s maxim “All you can write is what you see”. He is @azmyl on Twitter.