About White Shoes & The Couples Company :
White Shoes & The Couples CompanyIndonesian pop/funk/jazz band from Jakarta. The band are currently signed to both Indonesian label Aksara Records and American independent label Minty FreshChicago. are an based in
A SMALL BAND THAT INFLUENCED BY INDONESIAN MOVIES SOUNDTRACK FROM THE 70’S AND INSPIRED BY ACOUSTIC SPIRIT OF 1930'S CLASSIC JAZZ MUSICIANS. UPDATED WITH CLASSIC STRINGS ARRANGEMENTS, RETRO DISCO BEAT, EASY LISTENING ACOUSTIC BALLADS, AND SOME TUNES FROM VINTAGE KEYBOARD TOYS THAT MADE IN 1970’S.Overview
White Shoes & The Couples Company consists of Aprilia Apsari, Saleh, Yusmario Farabi, John Navid, Ricky Virgana, and Aprimela Virgana. Apsari and Farabi, who are currently dating, met each other while they were both studied at the fine art faculty in Institut Kesenian Jakarta (Jakarta Institute Of The Arts). The two formed the band with their colleague, Saleh in 2002. In 2004, Ricky Virgana, John Navid and Aprimela Prawidyanti Virgana (Ricky Virgana’s wife) joined laterThe band came up with the name due to the fact of the fad of wearing white shoes at the school where they met and the two romantically-involved couples that are in the band. The band sing the majority of their songs in their native tongue of
Their music is influenced by Indonesian movie soundtracks from the 1970's, 1930's jazz and 60's harmony pop music.
In 2005, the band released their self-titled album on Aksara Records. In 2007, they released an EP titled Skenario Masa Muda in 2007. Eventually, the band was signed by Minty Fresh and re-released their self-titled album for an international release.
The band was honored by Rolling Stone as one of the best 25 bands on MySpace. They were also honored by Allmusic as one of the 25 most crushworthy bands of 2006.A SMALL BAND THAT INFLUENCED BY INDONESIAN MOVIES SOUNDTRACK FROM THE 70’S AND INSPIRED BY ACOUSTIC SPIRIT OF 1930'S CLASSIC JAZZ MUSICIANS. UPDATED WITH CLASSIC STRINGS ARRANGEMENTS, RETRO DISCO BEAT, EASY LISTENING ACOUSTIC BALLADS, AND SOME TUNES FROM VINTAGE KEYBOARD TOYS THAT MADE IN 1970’S.
FORMED
In August 2002, in an art institute at Cikini, central Jakarta, two lover from the fine art faculty Rio & Sari decided to form a band together with their fellow in the faculty named Saleh. This was the first formation of White Shoes & The Couples Company, which features Sari in vocal & violin, Rio on rhythm guitar and Saleh on melody guitar. The three of them made their first debut in this formation in a college event. However, the trio formation diverged from their original plan where actually Sari and Rio had keenly asked a married couple from the music faculty to join the band the couples was Ricky Surya Virgana & Mela Virgana. Yet the couple was hard to meet since they were busy lecturing and covering for orchestras. Several months later, the couple join White Shoes & The Couples Company with Ricky on Bass and cello and Mela on viola, keyboards and piano.
SONGS
The first song of White Shoes & The Couples Company was “Runaway Song” written by Sari & Rio. The next one was “Windu & Defrina”, followed by “Sunday Memory Lane” and “Nothing To Fear”.
THE MANAGER
The Band’s acquaintance with it’s current manager Indra Ameng was another story. Indra Ameng was then already a well-known manager. Previously he was the manager of an old famous band in the 1990’s called Rumahsakit. Nevertheless, White Shoes & The Couples Company and Indra Ameng did not meet in the world of music, but the world of visual art. This was because Indra Ameng happened to be a visual artist and a program coordinator in an artist' initiative space in Jakarta, called ruangrupa.
THE DRUMMER
At the beginning, White Shoes & The Couples Company did not have a drummer. Thus, Ricky initiated to ask a friend at his faculty namely John Navid a.k.a Lau Kun Sin for position of additional drummer to play in one event at the BB's Bar. How ever, as the time goes by and according to necessities, John eventually became a permanent drummer in 2004. Thus, the final formation of White Shoes & The Couples Company was set up
1. Miss Sari Vocal, Finger Snaps
2. Mr. Rio Accoustic Guitar, Vocal
3. Mr. Saleh Electric Guitar, Vocal
4. Mr. Ricky Kontra Baaa, Cello, Baaa, Vocal
5. Mrs. Mela Piano, Viola, Keyboards, Vocal
6. Mr. John Drums, Vibes
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THE ALBUM
White Shoes & The Couples Company recorded their debut album comprising 11 songs under Aksara Records, an indie records label that based in Jakarta. On August 2005, this album was launched by Aksara Records and distributed by Universal Music Indonesia in Indonesia. The album has sold over 15,000 copies, and it’s a major step for an indie band.
www.aksararecords.com
In the same year, White Shoes & The Couples Company has contributed one song in Original Movie Soundtrack “Janji Joni” produced by Kalyana Shira Films. The movie was a big hit in Indonesian Cinemas, and also the single from the band, titled “Senandung Maaf”, becoming a high rotation in every radio in Indonesia. Following this success, in 2006, White Shoes & The Couples Company join another production from Kalyana Shira Films in a movie “Berbagi Suami”. The band recorded two songs for this movie soundtrack.
www.kalyanashirafilms.com .
MAILING LIST
We have our own mailing list now. Created by Nn. Sari. So, if anyone like to join White Shoes & The Couples Company mailing list, you all are welcome. To join the mailing list, just send an email to: whiteshoesandthecouplescompany-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
FRESH NEWS!
White Shoes & The Couples Company has just signed up with Minty Fresh Records, an indie records label that based in Chicago, USA.
Minty Fresh will be released White Shoes & The Couples Company's first album on September 2007 and distributed the album to the US, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Japan.
We are honoured to be the part of Minty Fresh, and to be in the same label with other great artists that already there, such as: Veruca Salt, Liz Phair, The Cardigans, The Poems, Ivy, The Legendary Jim Ruiz Group, Prototypes, Papas Fritas, Bettie Seervert, Kahimi Karie, TAHITI 80, etc.
Check out:
www.mintyfresh.com
AWARDS
“The 25 Most Crushworthy Bands of 2006” by All Music.com
http://www.allmusic.com/
http://wc09.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=61::6
The Best Indie Band in Indonesia in 2006 by HAI magazine (Indonesia)
Based on HAI magazine readers polling
“The 25 Best Bands on MySpace in 2007” by rollingstone.com
“Most Blog Worthy Band on The Planet”
awarded by Yahoo! Music :highest honor of 2007
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/betterlivingthroughmp3/;_ylt=ArHVchiNqMas_GboZs7GVgfzvSUv
No. 91 in TOP 100 Albums in 2007 by Yahoo! Music
http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/yradish/1127/the-best-albums-of-2007-91-to-100
No.84 in The Best 150 Indonesian Albums all the time by Rolling Stone Indonesia magazine (December 2007 Issue)
THANK YOU.
Contact
Mr. Indra Ameng
(Personal Manager)
+62 818 817548
indra.ameng@gmail.com
whiteshoesandthecouplescompany@yahoo.co.uk
www.myspace.com/whiteshoesandthecouplescompany
www.whiteshoesandthecouplescompany.org
Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam Raya 6
Jakarta 12820
INDONESIA
White Shoes & The Couples Company | Band Indie From Jakarta
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