Written by Amal Murni
In collaboration with King Kimura
After 14 years, the Bruneian blood bonded four-piece alternative metal band, King Kimura has resurfaced back to our seashore with a gut wrenching and kaleidoscopic track (with a side of distortion) called ‘Seas Divide.’ Let’s dive in and get to know them more.
Gentlemen, welcome back from a very long hiatus! If you don’t mind sharing, do tell our readers about the sudden comeback after 14 years and what you have done independently while not making music and/ or playing at live shows?
Thank you very much! We can’t describe how great it is to be back again making music together. There definitely was a void that needed filling the whole time we were out. The last time we played together was in Miri back in 2009 when we were still part of our former band, Wan Long Kok. Soon after, Dinny (bassist) relocated to Singapore and we all continued on with life and the journey to becoming adults - carving out careers, setting up businesses, getting married, starting our own families, learning new things, and finding new passions. Adi (drummer) was still the most involved, among all of us, in the music scene that whole time doing awesome things with Senjakala and Karacoma.
King Kimura at BarThyme, Miri
We’re a family band in the literal sense; Adi and Razi (vocalist/singer) are brothers while Afiy (guitarist) and Dinny are their first cousins. So even during that hiatus, we kept in touch and occasionally jammed, especially when Dinny came back to visit. It was when Dinny finally moved back to Brunei a few years ago that we started to jam regularly and the seeds of what is soon to be rooted.
We’d gotten together to perform a bunch of wedding-friendly covers for a friend’s wedding in 2018 and found that we still naturally gravitated towards incorporating elements of our heavy style to some of those songs. As the momentum continued, we packed our gear and performed live in Miri the year after in which was when we wrote and performed what was to become 'Seas Divide', our newly-released debut single.
King Kimura at BarThyme, Miri
What were the albums/ songs/ artists that made you want to write and create music?
Being brothers and close cousins, we all grew up together from when we were kids and we had shared similar musical tastes in heavy music that greatly influenced us as musicians and as a band. Among others, music from the likes of Metallica, Deftones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tool, Dream Theater, Opeth, Korn, and legendary local band Senjakala all had a part to play in our sound today, despite the long hiatus. Our musical tastes and influences broadened outside of heavy music but those we mentioned are probably the ones that laid the foundations of how we craft our music.
Coming back to the music scene, what kind of shifts/ changes have you noticed (good and bad)?
One thing that has turned for the worse, compared to when we first started out almost 20 years ago, is the lack of opportunities to perform your music live in Brunei, especially if you are a band that plays heavier music. Gone are the days when we are able to play at JP Amphitheatre on a regular basis. Only a few years ago it seemed the heavy scene was back on again and bands were able to play live here but after what happened in 2017, the scene has greatly suffered as a result. We’re lucky our neighbours in Miri gave many local bands, us included, the chance to play live - that is the reality of being a local Metal band today.
"It’s so funny to think that, often, if you wanted to be able to catch local Metal bands play live, you’d have to go overseas!"
It’s not all doom and gloom though. The pool of talent in Brunei is immense now - many awesome artists, musicians, and bands from different genres showcasing what we’re all capable of. Add social media to the mix and how that gives an instant platform within your fingertips to get your music out there, and you have a recipe for some cool things to happen. Back in the day there were only a handful of local artists and bands that you could find online on sites like MySpace, Purevolume, and Soundclick that helped get the music out. These days, having an Instagram account is almost a must in Brunei - and that has it pros and cons, but if it helps get the music out there and inspire others, it’s definitely a plus. It’s great how easily accessible local music is now and how fast it’s being produced.
Being experienced musicians, what are the tips you would give to aspiring musicians in this technological age?
It’s a really great time to be a musician with all the advancements in technology and the endless possibilities it brings. However, nailing down the basics of your instrument and the music are the primary things that need to be done for self-expression. Don’t underestimate how much you can learn from simply playing along to your favourite songs and jamming with other musicians. Do that, repeat, repeat and repeat.
"Embrace what social media and new technologies allow us to do, and experiment with how it can help you express yourself musically without losing sight of what matters most at the end of the day - the music. Try not to get too caught up with the extra stuff, like making music videos, when there is still room to improve your craft. We get that it's nice to have a music video to share your vision around, but at the end of the day it’ll only be as strong as your music is."
King Kimura at BarThyme, Miri
Critics often say that well mixed and mastered tunes often get you farther -- what’s your opinion for those who are still going for the DIY lo-fi garage rock/ alternative/ indie music that were prominent in the late 80s to late 90s and don’t have the means to produce their music according to the critics’ and the masses’ preference?
It definitely helps to have well produced music - there’s no way around it. Everyone has easy access to great-sounding and well-produced music these days that it becomes something people will ultimately compare your music to, and that’s completely OK. A lot of great professionals help to make those songs well mixed and mastered, which usually is attached with a higher production budget. But on the flip side it also shouldn’t be something you should feel is out of reach because of a lack of budget whether you’re just starting out or not. What you should always keep in mind is that the music should speak for itself - a polished turd is still a turd. Write a song that people will enjoy listening to and that’ll already put you above the crowd.
"Work with what you have, focus on making the music to sound as good as it can be, and write music that you enjoy listening, and you’ll find that your art can speak for itself. Just get the music out there."
One by one, name your inspirations and how have they impacted you?
Razi: My parents inspire me - my mom sings and my dad plays a bit of guitar and drums (which Adi and I picked up on). The band also inspired me with those 9AM jams we used to have as teenagers after sleepovers!
Afiy: I’m inspired by my bandmates and family while bands like Tool, Opeth, Pantera, Lamb of God, Deftones and Metallica have heavily influenced my guitar-playing.
Adi: My bandmates inspire me to create. Drummers like Abe Cunningham, Lars Ulrich, Mike Portnoy, Neal Peart, and many others have shaped the drummer I am today.
Dinny: Bands like Mastodon and Tool inspired me to see music as an all-encompassing art form while the rest of the guys in the band inspired me to create our art. My daughter inspired me too - I want her to be able to look back and proudly say, “this was my dad and the music he made with his cousins”.
Since you have been in the music scene for decades, especially being in the alternative/ metal scene -- how can the current and future generation create an inclusive space for women and non-binary musicians? What would you advice male musicians in order to tone down and eventually stop the intimidation that women and non-binary musicians experience when they want to pursue music and/or play instruments?
The beauty of music as an art form is that it has the power to transcend so many things. With so many social global movements happening right now, just being mindful of what is being presented or portrayed in the music, like lyrics for instance, can help.
"Some of us have daughters and would love for them to be able to express themselves freely if music became their creative outlet of choice."
King Kimura, what are your quirks and pet peeves?
Razi: I love to smell things, and I do not like slamming doors and tailgating.
Afiy: I believe that you don’t have to watch what you eat to be lean and healthy, and I always appear to be wrong about that.
Adi: I’m a huge Harry Potter fan.
Dinny: I'm a big music gear-head and unfortunately also a forever-cursed Newcastle United fan. I’m not a fan of being kept waiting.
The 9th question is reserved for sprinkles of positivity -- what are you grateful for this year?
It’s been an unexpected year for everyone with how COVID-19 took over the world. We’re lucky to be in Brunei where the situation never really got out of control and hopefully it stays like that till we see the end of the pandemic. We’re grateful for everything and everyone we have in this life (all our family and friends), to be alive, and do everything we want to do.
"We’re grateful for the smaller mundane things we take for granted, and taking in what really matters at the end of the day."
The floor is all yours: let our readers know about your recent/ upcoming project(s), where to find you (social media), and feel free to express yourself here!
For the most part, we hope not to have to wait another 14 years before we release another song. Even if it’s 13 years till the next one, we can already call that progress! Jokes aside, we’ve got a few songs that we’re hoping to finish writing and start recording in the near future, building on the momentum from our recent single. However, we’re realistic in our expectations of being a part-time band that needs to fit into schedules of running businesses, having careers, and raising families. Hopefully once we see the other side of this pandemic, we’d love to be able to play our music live again - most probably in Miri, whenever that will be.
"After all, King Kimura is a project we’ve embarked on for the love of making music with each other, to channel our collective creativity, and having the chance to inspire a new generation of local metal-heads out there."
King Kimura's recent single 'Seas Divide' available on Bandcamp and YouTube now
In the meantime, you can connect with us on our socials whether you’re on Instagram (@king.kimura), Facebook (King Kimura), or Twitter (@KingKimuraBand) for updates. If YouTube is your thing, you can also find us there (don’t forget to subscribe too). We’re also on Bandcamp if you’d like to snipe high-quality digital downloads of our music because lossless audio always sounds better than MP3s - always!
To close, we’d like to take this chance to thank Kepala Seni for having us and also a big thank you to everyone who’s heard our debut single, 'Seas Divide', and shared the love or given us feedback on what they thought of it. Honestly, we were a little surprised that so many people willingly sat through our 11-minute song! It feels great to be back making music together and it’s even more of a plus that people out there are enjoying the music we’re making.
Thanks, everyone! Be kind to each other!
Comments