Meig Papi Records

Formation of Meig

Back in early 2020, Ananta was browsing online stores and saw an advertisement for a cheap made-in-China soundcard (under USD30). On a whim, Ananta bought it and plugged it in a cheap 2008 Gretsch Junior guitar (which is also made in China) and sent a WhatsApp message to a few close friends asking them to make a cover music video which is also trending on Instagram.

At the very start, Ananta made a video of his guitar playing covering the song Belle & Sebastian — I Want The World To Stop. Then, the video was merged with additional videos of other friends named Redi (Vocals and Guitar), Brewok (Bass and Drums), Andy, and Rendy (Vocals) to make a proper cover music video. After that, it became a long-distance music cover video that was quite fun and we all uploaded it to Instagram Reels (with a small number of likes, yes indeed our followers — who are also friends — are not supportive enough ha ha). And over time, and after other friends also were bored of making cover music videos (which we finally also covered David Bowie, Daft Punk, Beastie Boys, Talking Heads, and also the Pixies songs), Ananta decided to make this music project called Meig.

Meig is a music project that seems to insist on using cheap musical instruments, the cheapest recording tools, and almost free software for mixing and mastering its music. After all, we didn’t even think about making money in the music industry, and furthermore, we didn’t think at all about being cool and famous (which until now we weren’t rich from music, cool and famous either ha ha). We just love music very much, and many many things about music that make us happy. Being able to make music, record it, and distribute it across multiple music streaming platforms has been a huge joy for us.

The Future Sonic album (to be) came to our mind because we are huge fans of the Dune movie. We all are almost die-hard fans of Dune Movie, even though we don’t really understand that the film takes place in the past or future of the history of mankind. However, everything about the Dune movie (Director, Cast, Acting, and of course the Music) is done very, very huge, especially if we watch it at IMAX or other proper cinemas.

“Why do we have through this, when it’s already been decided. Fear is the mind-killer”

Listen to Meig — The Future Sonic on Spotify

Our soon-to-be The Future Sonic album is planned to be filled with weird sounds, so electronic, and no guitar sounds but we’ll make all the sound with guitars (not at all what we had planned for the album Sleep Whispers from DJ M — which was filled with many guitar riffs and guitar licks). The characters in this song are still planned to be centered on DJ M, Cobb (who may be a half-astronaut and an army), and other characters named Mr. Albarn/Mr. Yorke (our idols, of course) and also possibly an alien/elf girl who becomes the love of one of them.

“I followed my heart, and it was You”

Music is one of the hardest things to write about. After all, how does one write about falling in love, divorced, or broken-hearted?

“You should have to say Whatever's on your mind And I shouldn’t walk away Whenever there’s an avalanche

We were longing For summer rain But what lays ahead of us Only heaps of hurricane

Ooh oh Ooh oh Parting of the ways”

Listen to Meig - Parting of the Ways on Spotify

Our longtime collaborator, Rendy (A.K.A Flaneurship) came up with the idea that so many couples separated in the early years of the pandemic, circa 2020, which of course was caused by forced long-distance relationships. It’s a bit cliché if the theme of a love song is about separation, but we can’t help it.

This idea is in line with the main characters (DJ M) in the album “Sleep Whispers from DJ M”, in which DJ M is forced to be far apart across galaxies with his love. To record this song, we rented a house, wipe the old midi controller, and started recording the singles.

The year 2021 had just begun, and Indonesia was still chaotic about the pandemic. We hoped the band members wouldn’t be infected with such a virus during this hard time, like many others too in our neighborhood.

The “Parting of the Ways” for us is so related throughout the process because all the band members are separated by a city. Of course, Ananta & Ranti are living in the same house in Malang as husband and wife, but Rendy is in Semarang, Indonesia. The vocal track was recorded in Rendy’s apartment in Semarang, while the music was recorded in Meig Studio in Malang.

DJ M was the name Ananta chose as his pseudonym, originally. But over time, DJ M’s character became central in the story on Meig’s album (in the process) later called Sleep Whispers from DJ M.

“Please DJ all around the world, I need your help to find my baby”

Listen to Sleep Whispers by Meig

The song was, at first, packaged in the Rock-Shoegaze genre. But Ranti, one of the producers of the song, described it as “unpleasant and not pop enough”. In rehearsals, Ananta plays guitar with chords around the Eb major chord to the Abm, Fb and Gb chord that is identical to rock song progressions, and by adding a matching guitar melody lick, it’s still not enough to make this song “light and pleasant” to hear.

Then, by taking a different mixing step, plus re-taking all the guitar parts, this song ended up satisfying us enough to create something that was almost “shoegaze” and still pleasing to the ear. Ananta is also the vocalist in this song, and the vocal mixing in this song is designed as close as a sleep whisper, like the title of the song.