Home is where the heart is. But it was never that simple for Jakarta-based anthemic contemporary pop band lightcraft. Founded in Malaysia in 2008 while studying at the same university in Selangor, lightcraft have always felt a sense of displacement wherever they were. Seen as a foreign band on Malaysian soil, they persevered and persisted to the point where they achieved modest success in a country far from home. When they returned to Jakarta in 2013, they faced the same predicament: they were aliens in their own backyard.
Undeterred, lightcraft kept their heads down and pushed on. Eleven years later, they are still here, albeit on the fringes. Their commitment to the cause has shown no signs of waning; however, as the band and their sound have matured, they have evolved from one release to another.
But do they feel at home now?
“It feels strange. We’ve been here [in Jakarta] for a while but never gained a foothold here or anywhere else. We’re still seen as outsiders,” says vocalist and songwriter Imam. As someone who was already struggling with anxiety and a lack of selfconfidence, Imam felt the same in his day-to-day life. After more than a decade of living in Malaysia, it proved to be a massive challenge for the frontman. And then, a sudden realisation hit him during the pandemic.
“Being at home with loved ones with nowhere to go for days, I realised that home is simply wherever you are comfortable. It’s not about where or how the place is; it’s about what you feel and what gives you purpose in life,” he remarks. At that moment, he picked up his guitar and came up with the building blocks to “Coming Home”, lightcraft’s brand-new single, which will be a part of the upcoming deluxe edition of their 2022 album “Hope + Love”, titled “Hope + Love (Reanimated Edition)”, to be released in late May 2024.
Collaborating with two of the hottest acts from the Visayas and Mindanao regions in the Philippines under Cebu City-based independent record label Melt Records’ roster – singer/songwriter Chelsea Dawn and pop-rock quartet Coloura – lightcraft have created the perfect soundtrack for a drive around town or a walk in the neighbourhood in “Coming Home”. The collaboration between lightcraft with Chelsea Dawn and Coloura came after a chance encounter in Singapore between Imam and Dexter Sy, the co-founder of Melt Records. “I first acquainted Imam and lightcraft at the 2022 ASEAN Music Showcase Festival. When he reached out about potentially collaborating on a lightcraft tour of the Philippines, the idea for a musical collaboration between them and our line-up of pop-rock acts was a nobrainer – I was committed to making it happen”, says Dexter.
Hailing from Dumaguete City in the Philippines, Chelsea Dawn provides the perfect foil for Imam. Their vocals interweave from one part of the song to the other, and her dulcet tones take the song to another level. “The overall experience of the collaboration was fascinating. Despite the distance, we quickly honed in on what we wanted for the song. I fell in love with the melody from the get-go. It’s so random that I’ve been listening to their references way before they told me!” quips Chelsea, who last released a single called “Butterfly” in October 2023.
Coloura’s lead singer, Jake Relacion, helmed the production of “Coming Home”, lending his Midas touch to the track and turning it into gold, adding touches of atmospheric synths and thumping rhythmic beats into the equation. “The track leans towards the ‘80s synthwave genre, which was fitting for me because it was one of my primary influences when I first started writing songs and producing music. It felt like ‘coming home’!” laughs Jake, whose band Coloura unveiled their second EP, “Love and Influences,” in late 2023.
“I loved the process, though, and lightcraft are very wonderful people who were very clear about what they wanted, yet gave us the freedom to express ourselves throughout the song,” he adds. The colourful and vivid artwork for “Coming Home” was created in collaboration between the band and Indonesian illustrator and surface pattern designer Kartika Paramita. She cried after listening to the song for the first time. “It resonated with me so much as I was moving to a new home,” she reveals. Kartika will also illustrate the cover for “Hope + Love (Reanimated Edition)”. The release of “Coming Home” will be accompanied by a lyrics video featuring footage of lightcraft, Chelsea Dawn, and Jake Relacion of Coloura in their respective hometowns. Shot separately across three cities, the entire clip was edited by longtime lightcraft collaborator Reksa Fajar.
Bunka Wave 