Butterfingers (Malaysian band)

Butterfingers
Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1993
Headquarters	Malaysia
Products	Music albums, live performances

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Butterfingers (Malaysian band), available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 30 November 2025

Butterfingers is a rock ensemble from Malaysia, established in 1993, and is regarded as one of the leading groups in both the underground and mainstream Malaysian music scenes during the early 1990s, performing primarily in English. Their body of work comprises three demo recordings, two compilation albums, and six studio albums—four of which are in English, with the final two recorded in Malay.

Band members

Emmett Roslan Ishak – lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, violinist, and ukulele player
Khairil 'Loque' Ridzwan Anuar – lead guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, pianist, and sampler
Mohd Fakharudin 'Kadak' Mohd Bahar – bassist
Noor Haffizal 'Loko' Rashid – drummer and percussionist
Former members include Khairul 'Kalai' Mois (drums) and Azmir 'Numlock' Karim (programming)
Occasional live performers: 'Kuduk' (drums), 'Batak' (guitar and keyboard), Greg Henderson (lead guitar)

Origins

In 1991, a group of students from Malay College Kuala Kangsar, including Loque, Kadak, and Kalai, formed a band named Loque's Tail, initially drawing inspiration from Metallica. As grunge music began to rise in popularity across Malaysia, their style evolved from metal to grunge and punk rock. During a school break in 1993 at Black Widow Studios located in Petaling Jaya, Loque encountered Emmett Roslan Ishak. After witnessing Emmett’s rendition of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ "Under the Bridge," Loque invited him to form a new band called Butterfingers. The group rapidly gained momentum within the local underground circuit, attracting large audiences at their performances.

Their initial demos, "Girl Friday" and "When You're Addicted" (later retitled "Nicc o'Tynne"), were performed at the Cobra Club House between late 1994 and early 1995. Positive audience reactions motivated them to produce additional recordings.

The demo titled 12 goats, 6 oranges and 2 angles, captured live at FM Studio on 10 January 1995, highlighted their raw grunge sound featuring Emmett’s vocals often compared to Kurt Cobain. This led some listeners to mistakenly believe it was an unreleased album by Nirvana. Butterfingers established themselves as a key presence in Malaysia’s underground music scene alongside groups such as OAG, The Splatters, and Spiral Kinetic Circus. Later demos included Butter Couldn't Melt and Dragon.

Breakthrough Years (1996–1999)

After signing with EMI Malaysia, Butterfingers released their first album, 1.2 Miligrams in 1996. The record featured sounds reminiscent of Nirvana and drew parallels to early Mudhoney works. It achieved Gold certification locally by selling over 15,000 copies. Their sophomore release, Butter Worth Pushful (1997), entered the Malaysian International RIM Charts at number six—a milestone as the first local band to do so—and also attained Gold status with sales exceeding 18,000 units. This album earned Butterfingers their initial AIM nominations for 'Best Engineered Album' and 'Best English Album'.

In March 1999, Transcendence launched at number three on the RIM International Charts and surpassed 60,000 copies sold, securing Butterfingers their first Double Platinum Award. This album featured their most acclaimed song, "The Chemistry (Between Us)".

Post-Transcendence Period and Hiatus (2000–2015)

Following the release of Transcendence and the compilation Butter Late Than Never in 2000, which featured live recordings and demos, Butterfingers introduced Malayneum in 2001. Although this album diverged from their established grunge style, drawing mixed reactions from their fan base, it was met with positive reviews from critics. After issuing a greatest hits collection titled The Best is Yet to Come in 2003, the band ventured into producing their first album entirely in Malay, Selamat Tinggal Dunia, released in 2005.

In 2003, the band's lead singer Emmett departed to continue his education in Canada. Subsequently, in 2006, Loque left to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. Later on, Loque initiated a solo project named monoloQue that prioritized artistic development over revisiting Butterfingers' legacy. He openly expressed disinterest in reuniting the band, emphasizing a commitment to innovation rather than recreating past achievements.

The group concluded their hiatus with the release of Kembali in 2008, another Malay-language album that garnered favorable responses from both audiences and critics. In January 2009, they delivered an unplugged performance at Istana Budaya and followed up with a farewell concert at the Sunburst Music Festival in March of the same year, featuring Greg Henderson as Loque's replacement.

Emmett made his return to Malaysia and began performing solo under the name "Emmett I" starting in 2015. In various interviews, Loque clarified that Butterfingers was on an extended break rather than officially disbanded, as members focused on personal careers and individual projects.

Reunion (2016 – present)

After several years apart, Butterfingers regrouped in 2016 and headlined the Rockaway Festival held on November 19 at Extreme Park, Bukit Jalil. This event showcased international artists such as Scorpions, Third Eye Blind, and Taking Back Sunday alongside prominent Malaysian bands including Alleycats, Zainal Abidin, Wings, and OAG.

On November 2, 2019, the band staged a sold-out reunion concert commemorating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album Transcendence (1999). The event, named Butterfingers: Transcendence 20th Anniversary Concert, took place at Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam. It was supported by Telekom Malaysia’s Unifi and coincided with the Selangor Youth Republic carnival.

Following this milestone, Butterfingers were scheduled to perform at NUSAFEST 2020 in Bandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. The lineup included local acts such as Cromok, Joe Flizzow, and a reunion performance by Exists, as well as Indonesian bands like Slank and PADI Reborn. However, the festival was postponed due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Musical style

Butterfingers' sound is predominantly categorized within grunge but has progressively incorporated elements from alternative rock, post-grunge, classic rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, along with traditional and folk music influences. During their period producing English-language material, Emmett primarily handled lyric writing while Loque composed most of the music. Renowned for their energetic live shows, the band typically opts for more intimate venues instead of large-scale arenas. Loque has highlighted their dedication to live performances: "We’re definitely a live band. That’s our main focus. We record albums so we can go out and perform for our audience."

1994 – Untitled Demo with 2 Tracks

Girl Friday
When You're Addicted (subsequently retitled "Nicc o'Tynne")

1995 – 12 Goats, 6 Oranges and 2 Angels (Demo)

Wet Blanket
Ginseng
Kindergarten (later renamed "Hatemaster")
When You're Addicted (later known as "Nicc o'Tynne")
Mystery
My Gum
Spoilt (renamed later as "Spoilt (in the end)")

1996 – Butter Couldn't Melt (Demo)

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
Stolen
Fahrenheit
Jump 'n' Dive

1996 – Dragon (Demo)

Stolen
Generation X
Ugly
Tune For Non-matured But Cool Teenagers

1996 – 1.2 Milligrams (Butterworld/EMI)

Naive Sick Chasm
Chrome
Nicc o'Tynne
Me
Wet Blanket
F*
Royal Jelly
Ugly
In the Calm
Sober
10db + alternate Royal Jelly take (hidden track)

1997 – Butter Worth Pushful (Butterworld/EMI)

Fire is a Curse?
Girl Friday
E
Stolen
Vio-pipe
Apple Tree
Skew
Love
Ruin by the Selling Out
Delirium
Garden City of Lights
Still River + alternate Vio-pipe version (hidden track)

1999 – Transcendence (Butterworld/EMI)

The Chemistry (Between Us)
Epitome
Meltdown
Mermaids (Fair-God & Stone Faces)
Doomsday Out
Faculties of the Mind
Floating in a Vacuum
Weird
RnR (Rock & Radical)
Mokhsha
Mystery
Words vs Wisdom + Noise + Inhale

2000 – Butter Late Than Never (unreleased tracks, live recordings, and rarities) (Butterworld/EMI)

To Gather (demo)
Stolen (1.2 mg version)
e (demo)
Silk (live on Time Highway Radio 1996)
Hatemaster (demo)
Faculties of the Mind (live at The Last War, December 1999)
Spoilt (in the end)
Wet Blanket (demo)
Jump & Dive (demo)
Sober (alternate take)
Sad Sunday Evenin' Blues (new song)
Epitome (instrumental demo)

2001 – Malayneum (Butterworld/EMI)

Malayneum
Antidotes
Pretty Rain
State of Abyssmal
Ginseng
Am I Phoney?
Mating Season
Pacific
No One Else
Suddenly

2003 – The Best is Yet to Come 1994-20XX (Butterworld/EMI)

Chrome
Nico O'Tynne
Wet Blanket
Fo
Fire Is A Curse?
Girl Friday
e
Vio-Pipe
Ruin by the Selling Out
Garden City of Light
The Chemistry (Between Us)
Epitome
Doomsday Out
Floating in a Vacuum
Malayneum
Mating Season
Antidotes
Pendulum ((Unreleased))

2005 – Selamat Tinggal Dunia (Butterworld/EMI)

Ngilu(Hidup makan tidur mati muzik)
Daulat Tuanku
Cuai
Urusan Seri Paduka Baginda

* Selamat Tinggal Dunia  
* Kabus Ribut  
* Merpati Sejoli  
* Hanyut  
* Taman Tasik Perdana  
* Tentang Tentang  
* Kuku Besi (Unreleased)  
* Siaran tergendala (Unreleased)  
* Makan Dalam (Unreleased)

2008 – Kembali (Butterworld)

Joget Global
Bebas
Maharani
Terus Terang
Air Liur di Kuala Lumpur
Lengkap Semula
Merdeka
1000 Tahun (mahu hidup)
Gelombang Cinta
Mendaki Menara Condong
Mati Hidup Kembali

VCD

Special Releases and Live Albums

The Butterfingers' Made For JAPAN, Released in 2004 under Butterworld/EMI
"Peristiwa Batu Keras" Live CD/VCD, Issued in 2006 by Butterworld/EMI

Music Videos

"Mati Hidup Kembali" – 2009
"Bebas" – 2009
"Merdeka" – 2008
"Kembali" – 2008 (Single)
"Cuai – Live" – 2004 (Unpublished, available on fan sites only)
"Vio-Pipe" – 2004 (Unreleased, exclusive to fan sites)
"Ngilu" – 2004
"Kabus Ribut" – 2004
"Malayneum" – 2001
"Girl Friday" – 1997
"Chrome" – 1996
"Nicc O'Tynne" – 1996

Popular Tracks

Naive, Sick Chasm, Chrome, Royal Jelly, Nicc O'Tynne, Me from 1.2 Milligrams
Fire is a Curse?, Stolen, Ruin by the Selling Out, Girl Friday, Delirium, Vio-pipe from Butter Worth Pushful
The Chemistry (between us), Faculties of the Mind, Epitome, Weird from Transcendence
Malayneum, Pacific, Mating Season, Pretty Rain from Malayneum
Cuai, Kabus Ribut from Selamat Tinggal Dunia
1000 tahun (mahu hidup), Terus Terang, Bebas from Kembali

External links

Official Website