Naif (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | David Bayu Danangjaya, Fajar Endra Taruna Mangkudisastro, Franki Indrasmoro Sumbodo, Shendy |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Jakarta , Indonesia |
| Products | Music albums |
Naif was a rock group originating from Jakarta, Indonesia, established in 1995. The ensemble consisted of David Bayu Danangjaya (lead vocals), Fajar Endra Taruna Mangkudisastro (guitar and backing vocals), Franki Indrasmoro Sumbodo (drums), and Mohammad Amil Hussein (bass and backing vocals). Renowned for their nostalgic sound and vintage aesthetic, two of their tracks, "Mobil Balap" ("Racecar") and "Posesif" ("Possessive"), were listed by Rolling Stone Indonesia among the greatest Indonesian songs ever produced. After a quarter-century of activity, the band dissolved in 2021.
History
In 1995, Naif was created by Franki Indrasmoro Sumbodo (Pepeng; drummer), David Bayu Danangjaya (David; vocalist), Fajar Endra Taruna Mangkudisastro (Jarwo; guitarist), and Shendy (keyboardist) while they were students at the Jakarta Art Institute. Motivated by a Nirvana concert experience, they composed their debut song "Jauh" ("Far"). Shortly thereafter, Shendy was replaced by Chandra Sukardi, and Mohammad Amil Hussein joined the lineup. They performed primarily on campus and experimented in studios before settling on the name Naif, which embodied their straightforward yet harmonious musical approach.
Initially rejected by Indo Semar Sakti under Bulletin Records, Naif added the lively track "Mobil Balap" to their demo tape, which earned them a contract to release a self-titled album in 1998. Despite producing singles like "Mobil Balap," the album sold only about 20,000 copies during an economic downturn.
Their follow-up album Jangan Terlalu Naif released in 2000 achieved sales of 500,000 copies, succeeded by Titik Cerah in 2002. In 2003, Chandra departed to focus on graphic design. The band collaborated with veteran artist Chrisye in 2004 on the song "Tjah Ayoe" from his album Senyawa, featuring David sharing vocal duties with Chrisye.
In 2008, Naif ventured into children's entertainment with BonBinBen (Zoo Band), a comic and music project portraying animated animal characters inspired by members’ nicknames. Their initial children’s album Di Rimba Hijau Kemilau contained eight tracks.
For the 2009 film Ruma Maida, Naif recorded covers of Indonesian classics from the 1940s including "Juwita Malam," "Di Bawah Sinar Bulan Purnama," and "Ibu Pertiwi," completing the recordings within five days.
To gain more artistic independence, Naif established their own indie label Electrified Records in 2009. Band members also explored individual endeavors: Jarwo released an instrumental solo album titled Mr. J. - 1st Journey, David designed footwear for Cosmic clothing and launched his solo album DVD Boy, while Pepeng authored a comic series chronicling the band's origins.
Their eighth and final studio release, 7 Bidadari ("7 Angels"), debuted on October 22, 2017 through Demajors to commemorate their 22 years together. Bassist Emil exited in September 2020, followed by drummer Pepeng. On May 10, 2021, lead vocalist David declared that these departures marked the end of Naif’s journey; thus, the band officially disbanded after exactly 25 years of existence. It is noteworthy that Naif had not performed live since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Style
According to Hera Diani’s article in The Jakarta Post, Naif’s musical style draws heavily from sounds popularized during the 1960s and 1970s. She describes their fashion sense as kitschy and points out David’s entertaining stage presence characterized by off-key dancing and energetic jumping.
Legacy
In 2009, Rolling Stone Indonesia included two tracks by Naif in its list of the greatest Indonesian songs of all time: "Mobil Balap," their most celebrated live performance piece, placed at number 55, and "Posesif" ("Possessive"), one of their signature tunes, ranked at 96.
Studio albums
- Naif (1998)
- Jangan Terlalu Naif (2000)
- Titik Cerah (2002)
- Retropolis (2005)
- Televisi (2007)
- Let's Go! (2008)
- Planet Cinta (2011)
- 7 Bidadari (2017)
Other albums
- The Best of Naif (2005)
- Di Rimba Hijau Kemilau (2008) – children's album released under the name BonBinBen
- A Night at Schowburg (2011)