lightcraft

Dream pop merchants Lightcraft maintain their life-affirming joyous indie rock ministrations with a new EP that fulfils all the promise expressed in 2013 album, Colours of Joy.

Instrumental “A Perfect Kaleidoscope” sets the tone beautifully and “Here Comes the Sun” is a shimmering ballad that captures a powerful cinematic ambience. These highlights demonstrate that Lightcraft’s thoughtful vignettes are meant to be enjoyed by heart and mind alike.

Make sure you give this Jakarta-based outfit the chance they so richly deserve. - Power Of Pop

Music is a universal language, however if you’re Lightcraft, who hails from Indonesia, singing in English is just as easy. Formed in 2004, when they were students and best mates, they have been consistently making music and honing their craft in the last 10 years, and their sophomore album entitled, Colours of Joy, is a beautiful and mature sophomore record. It is seemingly filled with British influences all through the album however that is not to say that their personality is not evident.

If You Don’t Mind opens the album in a great way. A rocking’ song with combinations of past and current British Rock influences. A bit of Muse, a bit of Coldplay and a lot of Lightcraft. I get the sense that their live shows are just a very much lighters and hands in the air affair.

Amazing Grace, starts out a bit Stone Roses-ish but then goes to another place which words escape. It is inspired and and powerful. A great great track worthy of a single release.

Fire with Fire is a haunting and beautiful song with an intricate piano and guitar weave that harkens back to the days of Beatles. With well thought out instrumentation and some very atmospheric vocals from lead singer Imam Mbudz.

Starlit Eyes is is another favourite of mine with a definite Coldplay-esque drum groove but the song is anything but. With the aggressive synth and guitars this is a considerably more energetic track than what the British band have ever done.

Living in Words and Letters, has a bit of a modern dance feel to it, but without the annoying dance music part. The band is what brings this song together with a very 90s Placebo drive to it. And the eerie vocals if listened with your eyes closed might as well be Brian Molko. It does make you want to get up and dance.

Bonfire is another great song. It’s a slow build but never feels slow. Imam’s vocal work just continues to carry you through the song. The personality in his voice is what gives the songs their character, much like how Chris Martin’s voice is the 5th member of Coldplay. However, the breakdown for Bonfire is just where the song shines. From the high tone reverb just before the band comes in on full power to the end, I get a sense the drummer has been waiting for this moment for the whole song. It’s just a wall of amazing sound.

Hello Goodbye, closes out the album with what I feel could be another Beatles reference is actually challenging Keane’s Tom’s Chaplin. But the magic here seems to be again in the breakdown which is both, soaring and laid-back. By the time the song finishes, you are ridiculously satisfied and wanna have another go a the album. And you probably should.

In an eleven track album, Lightcraft are very generous with sharing their music. Although I only highlighted seven of their songs, it’s not to say the other four songs, were not good, far from it. But these seven songs spoke the most to me.

Listening to Lightcraft is an experience I wish for everyone to have. I do know that their type of music is very specific to a listening group but I know that all indie musicians and Brit music loves will appreciate it.

The sound is recognisable but the music itself is unique, only to this band. Lightcraft have carved a a great album with some catchy melodies and some solid instrumentation and arrangement. I’m definitely going to buy their current and past albums and whatever they put out in the future. They deserve a bigger audience and I can only hope that this albums bring them that. - Underground HK - Jon Lee

"It demonstrates a fully developed, mature and thoughtful sound." - Underground HK

lightcraft Takes Us To An Exhilarating Journey with Another Life EP

Back on November 28th 2016, the indie rock/dream pop quartet from Jakarta, lightcraft, has released a new record called Another Life EP. We’re lucky enough to receive a copy of the physical release so we thought why not give this mini album a thorough review. Since this is an album, we would break down each track by order, here we go…

A Perfect Kaleidoscope

The EP opens with a pretty long instrumental track called “A Perfect Kaleidoscope”. It starts out with a slow piano sound with melodies that clung on to our brains and wrap us in a fuzzy feeling. The echoing voice throughout the song adds more enthralling vibe and then, the song builds up to a new pace around 2-minute mark. The drum kicks in and add body to the track. Around 3-minute mark, the song takes yet another turn and moves to a fast paced rhythm with the help of drums, synths, and fine guitar performance. Within 4 minute and 49 seconds, we’re taken to a wild ride with this song and we could see why it is called “A Perfect Kaleidoscope”. It’s like experiencing a constantly changing sounds, a befitting track to open the EP.

Build A Fire

Setting off the pace in mid-tempo, the guitar riff and the atmospheric sound are only the beginning of much high-spirited verse and chorus. The song gives off a vibrant and bright ambience to those who listen. The pre-chorus in particular, has a catchy melody and we found ourselves humming to it after several spins. “Build A Fire” offers a refreshing take on lightcraft’s signature sound.

Here Comes The Sun

Nope, this is not The Beatles’ cover and has nothing to do with the legend except the similar title. On the contrary of the title which sounds so uplifting, the song actually feels so mellow because of the melody. No worries there though, because when the sun rises again it gives you a brand new day to start again. The more you find out about the lyrics, the more you’re drowned into sea of feelings.

Another Life

The lead single of this EP is no other than “Another Life”. In the beginning, the song has this melodious trumpet which slightly fades in the background. Thereafter, the pounding drum enters and builds the song in a lively nuance. Once again, Imam showcases his charming vocals in this song. Around 2:09 mark, the trumpet sound in courtesy of Ade Paloh, the frontman of Sore and Marsh Kids, re-appears and catapults “Another Life” to an outro which is both harmonious and sultry. One that you won’t imagine coming from lightcraft’s song.

Hold Your Breath

This track got melodious piano as the core of the song and demonstrates lightcraft’s all-around ethereal sound. The song changes around 2:48 mark, and builds its momentum towards the end. “Hold Your Breath” has a subtle charm that closes the EP with rather pleasant tone.

Overall, Another Life EP shows an indication of another exploration on lightcraft’s lengthy discography. It sees Imam, Fari, Enrico, and Yopi adding sounds that have not been tried previously. The involvement of another musician on the lead single in the trumpet section, gives refreshing change on the whole record and amplifies the EP which could have been a snooze if it’s not played right. As we observe the album more closely, lightcraft tries to play the dynamics in the songs and props must be given to them. The formula works well and we hope their upcoming record will include more exploration in terms of sound and instruments.

Another Life EP by lightcraft is now available both digitally and physically. You could download, stream and purchase the records through digital outlets like iTunes, Spotify, etc and grab the physical release on your nearest record store. Watch the music video of “Another Life” as well below - The Display

lightcraft
Sounding as confident as stadium-rock giants U2 and Keane but as introspective and endlessly dreamy like Slowdive or The xx, Lightcraft will set the tone for accessible indie rock, starting early on stage at 8pm. They were already a hit with audiences at last year's Baybeats so expect them to make a similar impact at Music Matters. - Bandwagon

Released at the very beginning 2014, Colours of Joy, the sophomore album from Indonesian indie band lightcraft is quite the thing of beauty. Whilst its live dynamic is waves of shoegazey dreamy noise pop, the sonic agenda on this album is more lilting, more subtle and ultimately more graceful.

And this marked contrast works brilliantly from a recording perspective where there is less pressure to deliver an immediate high. It’s quite impossible not to fall in love with the luscious sounds and melancholy sentiments evident on songs like “Amazing Grace” and “Get Out on Your Way” – singer Imam’s voice is almost a ghostly whisper hovering like an angel over swaths of heavenly constructs.

Things do get slightly more expansive in the epic soundscapes of “The Other Side of the Glass”, “Starlit Eyes” and “Hello Goodbye” which are both more representative of the band’s live sound albeit without sacrificing an iota of the emotional resonance that marks lightcraft’s work.

If I had to make comparisons, I would have to say that lightcraft reminds me of a more stripped down version of one of my favourite bands – Starflyer 59. Believe me, as high as the standards Jason Martin has set, lightcraft do a more than credible job in evoking the same nuances, references and power. Highly recommended.

By Kevin Mathews - Power Of Pop

Lightcraft

Light crafty tunes: While They Will Kill Us All were gritty anthemic indie rock, Lightcraft churned out breezy yet anthemic indie rock that pleasantly pleased the Baybeats revellers

Love Songs & Lullabies: Their catchy and melodic tunes hit the perfect balance between uplifting, upbeat, and also melancholic

Social media activation: The band garnered more fans following their set and drew some praise on Facebook, Instagram, and the likes - Bandwagon

CHAT: LIGHTCRAFT

Posted July 2nd, 2014 at 11:51 am by JUICE

Nothing featherweight about Lightcraft, the Indo-Malaysian quintet making waves with their emotive alt-rock that’ll easily seep into your soul and steal your heart. Having made their first foray into Baybeats back in ’08, these long-term friends write intensely deep lyrics about heartache and life, pedestalled atop a sturdy foundation of stadium-rock sentiments. Sporting a wicked sense of humour that's pulled them through nine years in the scene, vocalist Imam is bright-eyed and awake as he shares with us some colourful tidbits about Lightcraft.

A new frontier

It all started when I met our former drummer, Patrick, during our high school days in KL. We played in a band together, but broke up after we went to university (in KL as well). There, I met Fari (guitarist) and former bassist Indra, and we called ourselves Parallel Lines back then. A lot of years and members had passed, but out of the original line-up, only I was still gigging regularly in KL along with my Malaysian friends/musicians. In 2012, I returned to Jakarta and reconvened with Fari and Enrico (former keyboardist), and we had bassist Rizky and drummer Yovie join the band. That’s basically the gist of how the current Lightcraft came about!

Colouring an album between countries

Colours Of Joy was actually recorded in KL and Jakarta, as at the time, I was still working in KL. So I had to record my parts, bring it back to Jakarta, compile them, and then do the same thing over and over again, up until I finally decided to come home for good and continue the rest of the recording in Jakarta.

Sounds for stadiums

We always had a collective desire for coming up with really epic songs that would be perfect for stadiums – although the experience itself still eludes us so far – yet with that melancholic tinge that we love so much. Bands that have inspired us in one way or another range from the likes of Snow Patrol, Feeder, Coldplay, The Boxer Rebellion and Doves.

Exploring “Starlit Eyes”

“Starlit Eyes” is about a star-struck man who, on a chance encounter, meets with the love of his life, yet circumstances dictate that they will never be together unless he sacrifices things that he holds dear to his heart; which he doesn’t do.

The Baybeats dream

I have to be honest here: it’s been a dream of ours to play Baybeats ever since we discovered the festival back in 2008, so we’re really excited beyond belief with the thought of playing there!

Domestic competition

In terms of the hype back home, it’s been all about Seringai (another Indonesian band that’s playing Baybeats), as they’re huge over here. We’re gonna be coming in as underdogs, but hopefully we’ll unleash a performance that will make them proud of us back home and open more doors for us. We’ve never met though, but hopefully we’ll get acquainted while we’re in Singapore [laughs].

Flexing those lexicons

“Lupa” – being written in Bahasa Indonesia – is sort of like the ugly duckling of our back catalogue. “Lupa” was not our first attempt at a Bahasa Indonesia song. We had one called “Tanpa Jawaban” in our debut album, Losing Northern Lights, which was a huge favourite when we were still based in Malaysia. But I prefer to write songs in English, really. Perhaps it’s got something to do with the fact that I’ve spent the majority of my life abroad rather than in Indonesia, and I write, read and think in English. Without dishonouring my mother tongue, the English lexicon is one that is so flexible in nature, and there are so many words to describe just the one element, which enables me to experiment and express myself in a more colourful way.

Songwriting secrets

In the past up until Colours Of Joy, I would write the barebones of a song and its lyrics, then we would jam it in the studio until we hit upon how we want it to sound like. Though now, we’ve begun to deviate from that process to a more collective effort for our third album.

An attraction to Armageddon

That was just our bio trying to sound as melancholic as possible [laughs]! But if it were up to me, I hope a black hole would just pop up and suck in the whole world in an instant, so that humanity won’t have to endure a long and painful death. The snap of a finger, and we’re gone! - JUICE Singapore

Lightcraft
Jul 10, 2014 / Music

Asserting their music as an antidote for rainy days, sleepless nights, mournful moments, lovelorn phases and sleepy mornings is actually a compelling statement to summarize whole musical milieu of this Indo-Malaysian indie rock band, Lightcraft. Formed nearly a decade ago, they have recorded their sophomore ‘Colours Of Joy’ back and forth in KL and Jakarta and launched early this year. The album includes 11 tracks ranging from the melodious sounds of joy and sorrow.

Their endeavour in landing themselves in indie rock slash pop experimental genus was propped with elements of heart-rending lyrics and sensible hybrid ingredients. Dreamy atmospheric sounds fill the air in ‘Colours Of Joy’ while letting you travel track by track into an affecting experience. This album seems to put forward melancholy and brittleness compared to their debut ‘Losing Northern Lights’ released a while back in 2008 which was more ranged.

Kicking off with its intro, ‘If You Don’t Mind’ illustrates the idea of the whole album. Resuming with ‘Amazing Grace’, the pleasing noise blends in with soft husky vocals from its frontman Iman Mbudz. The last few tracks, ‘Starlit Eyes’, ‘Living In Words And Letters’ and ‘Hello Goodbye’ however appear more hopeful and upbeat, incorporating unique elements of sounds. Silky and adequate, Lightcraft sure has its own way of setting an outlook to their blissful sounds.

Naming Coldplay and Snow Patrol as some of their influences, their songs could also do the trick for fans of Death Cab For Cutie or The Boxer Rebellion. Along with the lush-filled sentimental content, it sounded more like a scenic anthem which we think could potentially become a part of your love song mixtape or better yet, a romantic movie soundtrack. Lightcraft has performed during Baybeats recently, catching the hearts of audience with fondness of an alternative fairly downbeat music. - The Wknd

Of passion and joy
on March 2014 at 8:21 am

Jakarta-based indie-rock band Lightcraft has come a long way since their heady university days in Malaysia

At first, an ep titled “the modern seasons” was released in 2006. Their debut album, “Losing Northern Lights”, then followed a couple of years later in 2008, before they came up with their sophomore LP, “Colours of Joy”, which was officially launched in January of this year. With three releases in the bag, Lightcraft – whose influences range from the likes of Doves, Snow Patrol, Coldplay, Feeder and Athlete – have certainly been prolific, despite the years separating each CD. And they did it all by themselves. The indie-rockers – whose sound often evokes an atmospheric, melodious melancholy – first got together in 2004 in Kuala Lumpur when they were university students. They spent eight years perfecting their art in the capital city of Malaysia before finally returning to their hometown of Jakarta. Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Imam Mbudz, guitarist Fari, bassist Rizky, pianist/keyboardist Enrico and drummer Yovie, the band have undergone their fair share of trials and tribulations throughout their musical career, including line-up changes, but they have persevered. Lightcraft have so far played KL, Bangkok, Singapore and Jakarta, and that’s not including a couple of solo acoustic shows by the band’s frontman in Perth and Melbourne in 2011. To cut a long story short, Lightcraft is set to take over the region this year. We recently held an audience with guitarist Fari to talk more about the band.
facebook.com/lightcraftmusic, soundcloud.com/lightcraft, Twitter:@lightcraftmusic

t’s not just about each person’s taste in music or how good one is in terms of musical skills. As long as you get along well together, all the square pegs will eventually fall into square holes.

• INTERVIEW
There were a couple of name changes earlier in the band’s career. What happened there?
We first went with Parallel Lines, and then Tenterhooks. There was clear evidence that both band names didn’t roll off the tongue easily, so we opted for a name change and called ourselves Lightcraft instead.

How were you guys as a band before you released your first EP, “The Modern Seasons”?
We only had a couple of original songs – “Transparent” and “No Tomorrow” – which unfortunately will never see the light of day. Then we decided that we should release something as a band.

Whatever happened to those two tracks?
Imam [Lightcraft’s frontman and songwriter] doesn’t want to ever touch those two again. Ever [laughs].

How was the recording process of the band’s first EP?
It went pretty fast, to be honest, as everything seemed to just fall into place. So we didn’t really face any significant hurdles at the time. Well, apart from financial problems and the odd sleepless night.

Were there any difficulties in terms of finding gigs back in KL?
I think the big man up in the sky played a very important role at first. The offers were all coming in on their own without us even really scouring for them, as opposed to how it is now!

Why did you guys spend more time recording the first album than the first EP?
It was a chaotic time, really. We were all graduating and I was going through a personal problem as well. Our founding bassist just upped and went home to Jakarta after he graduated, but thankfully we had Efry Arwis [who went on to become singer/songwriter Yuna’s bassist] to replace him at short notice. I ended up recording the whole album with a borrowed guitar. There was a song on the album which, due to most of us having already ended our Malaysian sojourn, was recorded mostly by Imam, except for the piano and bass lines and the drum parts.

Why do you guys go for English lyrics instead of Indonesian?
We like it better when Imam’s singing in English [laughs]. Well, that and the fact that we want to reach a wider audience. So what better way to do that than to sing in the most universal language around?

How do you guys personally see Kuala Lumpur, after spending years there?
We think of the city as our home away from home. We grew up there, we got together there and we evolved as a band there. We have a soft spot in our collective hearts for KL.

There’s a five year gap between the release of debut album “Losing Northern Lights” and its follow-up, “Colours of Joy”. What was the reason behind such an extended period of hiatus?
By the time we launched “Losing Northern Lights” in 2008, the band members – apart from Imam – had already gone their separate ways, although we were technically still together. I went back to Jakarta, while founding drummer Patrick and Enrico went to work in Singapore. So during that five-year period, Imam kept on performing under the Lightcraft banner with Efry and a number of additional musicians – who coincidentally were our good friends as well. God bless them all. The recording process for “Colours of Joy” itself was a laborious, long-distance effort which involved Imam’s parts being recorded in KL and the rest here in Jakarta. By that time, Rizky – an old friend who also studied in Malaysia – and Yovie had joined as our bassist and drummer respectively.

What’s the most important aspect that drives Lightcraft as a band?
That we’re a band first and foremost, a band of brothers with individual personalities that click together seamlessly. It’s not just about each person’s taste in music or how good one is in terms of musical skills. As long as you get along well together, all the square pegs will eventually fall into square holes.

You only officially launched “Colours of Joy” in January 2014, while the album itself was finished by May 2013 and was out in the shops the following month. Why the long wait?
We just thought that it was paramount for the band to first be exposed to music enthusiasts in Jakarta and, to a wider extent, Indonesia, before we flipped to the next page of our journey. We thus played a few gigs here and there, made new friends and also went on a mini-tour around the region.

What does “Colours of Joy” mean to you guys?
It means everything for us. If anything, “Colours of Joy” is a milestone that we have achieved after going through what we have as a band. Music-wise, we can feel that our sound has matured since we first banded together. We are very proud of “Colours of Joy”. - JJK

Rating : 3 Stars

Sebuah penyegaran dilakukan oleh grup asal Jakarta yang sempat hijrah ke negeri jiran ini. Colour of Joy mengusung sebuah kompartemen rock alternatif yang sangat cocok untuk membawa pikiran ke awang-awang, sambil tidur-tiduran di tengah lapangan kosong. Ramuan Coldplay dan Snow Patrol terasa kuat di rilisan ini. Secara lirik, mereka mengambil range yang cukup luas. Dari kesedihan hingga keceriaan bisa ditemukan di sini. Secara musik cukup rapi, boleh jadi lantaran mereka sempat berada di luar negeri dan mencicipi berbagai panggung internasional. “Fire with Fire” nampaknya bisa menjadi single andalan Lightcraft, seandainya komposisi semacam ini diperbanyak di album berikutnya, bukan tidak mungkin nama mereka akan makin meroket. - Trax Magz

Lightcraft merupakan band yang memiliki dua basis negara. Yaitu di Indonesia dan juga Malaysia, tempat para anggota band-nya pernah berkuliah. Sebelum album Colours Of Joy dirilis tahun 2013 ini, mereka sudah pernah merilis EP berjudul The Modern Seasons di tahun 2006 dan album pertama berjudul Losing Northern Lights di tahun 2008.

Terdiri dari Imam Mbudz (vokal), Enrico (piano, keyboards), Fari (gitar), Kiki (bass) dan Yovie (drum). Lightcraft juga memiliki beberapa kru di berbagai negara untuk mendukung mereka tampil di atas panggung. Adam dari Indonesia (additional synthesizers, MIDI), dari Malaysia ada Efry, Izhar, Aidil dan Jazmi, dan di Inggris Lightcraft punya Patrick Pat2 (drum)

Album Colours Of Joy merupakan album ke-2 mereka yang dirilis pada bulan April lalu, terdiri dari 11 track dengan 1 buah lagu bonus berupa remix dari single mereka berjudul Fire With Fire yang di-remix oleh I’m A.

Mari kita simak review per track dari album Colours Of Joy berikut ini.

1. If You Don’t Mind
Lagu pembuka dalam album Colours Of Joy ini mungkin bisa dibilang sebagai lagu yang mewakili seluruh lagu dalam album ini. Semua rasa yang memungkinkan muncul ketika mendengarkan berbagai lagu dalam album ini, bisa didengarkan dengan hanya mendengarkan lagu If You Don’t Mind.

2. Amazing Grace
Sebelumnya saya sempat berpikir bahwa Coldplay merupakan inspirasi utama dari band Lightcraft ini. Tapi, ketika saya mendengarkan Amazing Grace, musik dari lagu ini mengingatkan saya dengan musik Dashboard Confessional, sedangkan cara Imam (vokal) bernyanyi terdengar seperti suara Gary Lightbody vokalis Snow Patrol walau memiliki warna suara yang berbeda.

3. This Plastic Love
Lirik lagu The Plastic Love yang sendu dinyanyikan dengan lembut seakan berbisik sambil merayu.

4. Get On Your Own Way
Ada beberapa bagian dalam lagu ini dengan ketukan drum yang stagnan yang membuat lagu Get On Your Own Way justru menjadi terasa lama dan membosankan bagi saya.

5. Bonfire
Dengan suara piano yang mendominasi, musik dari lagu Bonfire seperti menghantui. Rasa hampa yang diungkapkan melalui lirik menjadi sangat terasa.

6. The Other Side Of The Glass
Selain secara notasi mungkin agak mirip dengan lagu Bonfire, lagu The Other Side of the Glass juga mengungkapkan kesedihan dan ketidakberdayaan.

7. Fire With Fire
Jika kita baca lirik dari lagu Fire With Fire tanpa pernah mendengarkan lagu ini sebelumnya, kita pasti berpikir bahwa Lightcraft mungkin akan mengaransemen lagu ini dengan tempo yang lebih cepat dan bersemangat. Tapi rupanya mereka memilih untuk membuat lagu ini menjadi sendu.

8. Starlit Eyes
Musik Starlit Eyes benar-benar terdengar seperti salah satu musik untuk lagu-lagu yang biasa dibawakan oleh MEW.

9. Love Songs & Lullabies
Sesuai dengan judulnya, lagu Love Songs & Lullabies memang lagu yang bercerita tentang cinta diiringi dengan musik pengantar tidur.

10. Living In Words And Letters
Lagu Living In Words And Letters terdengar lebih ceria dibanding lagu lain dalam album Colours Of Joy ini.

11. Hello Goodbye
Hello Goodbye yang merupakan track terakhir dari album Colours Of Joy merupakan lagu dengan tempo yang cukup cepat dan bersemangat. Walau tetap ada beberapa bagian di lagu ini yang membuat ciri khas musik sendu Lightcraft tidak hilang.

Bonus Track:
Fire With Fire (Crash & I’m A Remix)
Dengan menambahkan beberapa sample looping, lagu Fire With Fire memang menjadi terdengar berbeda dalam versi remix ini.

Secara keseluruhan album Colours Of Joy memang agak kontradiktif dengan judul albumnya. Berbagai warna yang ada dalam album ini bukanlah warna kesenangan, melainkan gloomy. Untuk yang menyukai musik melankolis dengan lirik yang sentimentil, album ini sangat menarik untuk dimiliki dan ditelusuri. (@winautu) - KVLT MAGZ

Lightcraft – Colours of Joy
08/15/13 · 8,509 Views · wjournal

Being said as one of human’s biggest inspiration, it’s not at all hard to find love-themed music. One of the groups that take love as their inspiration is the Indonesian/Malaysian band, Lightcraft. These five Indonesian-born tied the knot as a band during their stay in Malaysia as college students and has released an EP titled The Modern Seasons at 2006 and their debut album, Losing Northern Lights around 2008. Earlier this year, they released their sophomore album, Colours of Joy, with a little help in distribution from Demajors who worked with many indie musicians such as Endah & Rhesa, Soulvibe, and Efek Rumah Kaca to name a few.

The album, consisting of 11 songs plus 1 bonus remix, portrays love in different angles from celebration of love in Amazing Grace and Starlit Eyes to devastating post-breakup song like Get On Your Own Way and The Other Side of The Glass. With acoustic guitar-piano combination, Lightcrafts brings calm feeling in Fire With Fire but then shape-shifted it to a different vibe with the Crash & I’m A’s remix. A little Coldplay and Snow Patrol can also be felt here and there, such as in Living in Words and Letters and Love Song and Lullabies. Overall, these 12 tracks are expressions of various love stories conveyed in euphonious tunes.

Although titled ‘Colours of Joy’, the album delivers a melancholic feel with their sentimental lyrics. The tracks in this album are definitely considerable to add to your playlist to accompany long road trips or gloomy Sunday.

Tracklist:
If you don’t mind
Amazing grace
This plastic love
Get your own way
Bonfire
The other side of the glass
Fire with fire
Starlit eyes
Love songs and lullabies
Living in words and letters
Hello goodbye

bonus track:
fire with fire (crash & I’m A remix)

Article Written by: Septhiria Chandra

For more information about Lightcraft:
www.facebook.com/lightcratmusic
www.soundcloud.com/lightcraft
www.twitter.com/lightcraftmusic
www.youtube.com/user/lightcraftvideos
www.vimeo.com/lightcraftmusic - Whiteboard Journal

It’s an easy cliché to label guitar music as cloyingly sensitive when it features sentimental lyricism and beige guitar anthems suitable for stargazing sessions. When done tastefully as a series of simple, emotional crowd pleasers, though, there is no doubt that such melancholy can be possessed of a power and charm that can both pull at the heartstrings and still have broad appeal. This sophomore album by Jakarta-based alternative rock outfit Lightcraft delivers such magic with precision and gusto.

Much of the album seems to shape shift between being a celebration of love and moments of contemplation, ultimately all rolling into epic-scale endings such as that found on opener “If You Don’t Mind”, the celestial “Bonfire” and the cathartic last track “Hello Goodbye”, which features the chanted lyrics “There is no place for fear in a heart so alone” before the song’s choral finale enters. Singer Imam Wisaya’s voice evokes Sufjan Stevens blended with Sigur Rós’s Jónsi and hits its full stride on the acoustic-guitar-and-piano-driven “Fire with Fire”, which comes on like a distant cousin of Dan Fogelberg’s “Song from Half Mountain” or Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird”.

The band behind Imam seems to have a knack for whipping up epic music and the album works as a whole, with editing that neatly circumnavigates the blandly inoffensive safe zone that bedevils many aspiring bands confronted with having to put together an entire album. “Colours of Joy” works across its 11-track duration, in other words. Highly recommended.

Best tracks: Bonfire, Fire with Fire, Hello Goodbye. –
Written by Finnegan Pan - JJK

Whether they meant to or not, Indonesia-via-Malaysian band Lightcraft create the kind of emotive alternative rock seemingly written to soundtrack modern teen movies.

Sparkled with hushed vocalizing, hand-on-heart confessionals, and explosive, arena-ready arrangements, practically every song on their sophomore release “Colors of Joy” sounds as if it was written to reach even the furthest seats of a stadium — those slow-motion crowd shots are practically inevitable.

The general nuance is a crowd-pleasing one, with a focus on declarations of romance, relationships, hope and hopelessness. The record recalls big names such as Coldplay, a later-period U2 and once Britpop hopefuls like Starsailor and Elbow, meaning lots of twinkling guitars and a simplistically ­solid rhythm section. It’s not exactly an acquired taste, and anyone looking for anything particularly soul crushing here will leave feeling more than a little deflated, but it makes it relatively easy to imagine Lightcraft actually tackling stadiums one day.

Opener “If You Don’t Mind” offers exactly that: distorted, delayed guitars clashing with pounding backbeats, legato synthesizer strings and romantic declarations such as “I’ll break your fall/If you don’t mind” and reminiscing of how “all the things that you did made you shine.”

Second track “Amazing Grace” practically follows the same routine with a more straightforward rhythm, before marathoning towards its crescendo-­style solo guitar and outro with fist-towards-the-sky conviction.

Elsewhere, “This Plastic Love” is a whisper-quiet ode to what sounds like a long-lost love (“Now stay with me” and “We were meant to be together,” vocalist Imam Mbudz emotes). The sleepy rhythm and echoing guitars suggest American emo band Jimmy Eat World with even grander ambitions. Its close cousin, “Fire With Fire” is the record’s strongest track; building itself on crackling piano and minimalist acoustic guitar work that is slightly reminiscent of Ryan Adams circa “Love Is Hell.” A rarity with its alt-country styling, the record could have used more “Fire With Fire.”

That would not be Lightcraft, of course. And thus “Starlit Eyes” follows with its ecstatic drumming and those emotive lead guitar lines. “Living in Words and Letters” similarly treads with touches of “Joshua Tree” era U2 before exploding with its electro-indie outro.

“Get on Your Way” is another hearts-on-fire thumper; sounding conspicuously like Irish band JJ72’s “October Swimmer” and creaking with indie boy sensitivity. “Hello Goodbye” works into it a screaming guitar crescendo reminiscent of UK band My Vitriol’s less vitriolic moments.

“Colors of Joy” is a commendable attempt at stadium alternative rock that seems to be in vogue these days.

Lightcraft could do with turning their yearning for an audience with a little more dirt into their music — an edge that would inject some oomph or unpredictability into the tracks. It is a promising record enclosed with lush-filled songwriting, and though you’ve probably heard it all before, it’s still worth the trip.

‘Colors of Joy’
Lightcraft
Released by Lightcraft Records
Available at record stores and demajors.com - The Jakarta Globe

Lightcraft - Losing Northern Lights
4 1/2 stars out of 6
Writer: Kay Brown
"Melancholic and melodic tunes..give you mental images of U2 and Coldplay...catchy as catching crabs with fishing nets"

Time Out KL Issue 10, January 2009 - Time Out KL Magazine

Indonesian band Lightcraft plays a dreamy form of alt rock, moving from minimal beauty to arena anthems track by track. There is a hushed air over 2016 EP Another Life, give pastoral resonance to the record’s inherent emotionality. - Operation Every Band

It’s the start of the most thrilling music festival SXSW!!!!! With so many artists vying to grab everyone’s attention at the event, I hope I can silence the noise and give you one recommendation worth heeding. This Friday, the 17th of March 2,017 at Palm Door on Sabine a 40 minute set from Lightcraft will promptly begin at 21:00. This band has travelled from Indonesia, where they have taken all of Asia by storm, and will make a tremendous impression in North America this week. You’ve been warned! - STYLEHEIRS