Introduction
Simple Set is a local band from Indonesia, based in a small city called Kota Samarinda. The name Samarinda comes from the words “Sama Rendah” which means “Same Height” in English. The city is mostly surrounded by swamps, making it quite low-lying and, well, a bit wet. Maybe that’s why our songs often feel a little watery too—take that as you will (weird trivia? maybe). As a space, Simple Set exists as a playground, a home, a place for free expression. “Knows not where we are going to” perfectly captures the mood of the band in the simplest way. We’re not trying to be like typical idols or rockstars. However. Whatever we do, whatever it sounds, it’s us. Simple Set.
Follow up
Up until now, we’ve released six bodies of work:
Raw Set – Vol. 1 “In/Between” (2022)
Raw Set – Vol. 2 “Random Cactus Flower (Fleur de Cactus) [Basement Edition]” (2022)
Raw Set – Vol. 3 “TRIMESTER (A Side)” (2023)
Single: “Reality in Sleepdreaming” (2023)
Single: “(365) A Long Night Overdue” (2023)
Single: “Beware of The Time (Disco Neck)” (2023)
We skipped 2024 because things were moving too fast. We wanted to slow down, take a deep breath, and focus deeply on the details of our upcoming album. We took our time and ended up with 15 tracks for an album titled: Raw Set – Vol. 4 “Simple Set in the Alligator’s Office.”
We started working on it at the beginning of 2024, so it’s already been a year and a half in the making. This album explores the experience of working in an office—touching on themes like love life as a worker, friendship in a professional setting, and our general outlook on life.
The album was created solely by two members of Simple Set: Yanu (bassist) and Kinoy (vocalist). They did everything—writing, composing, producing, mixing, and mastering.
The Most Valuable Player of this album also goes to Sugab the Bagus (our manager), who unexpectedly did a lot—from helping with planning, also becoming a kind of third perspective that’s goofy, clumsy, funny, and strangely lovable, yet always trying to do the right thing. Sugab the Bagus represents the flawed everyman—someone who constantly messes up but never stops trying. And he also works so hard behind the scenes, it’s safe to say that his presence became the vocal point of this album. He is Us. Oh—and he also sings on two tracks from the album. So, that’s it.
Opening Tracks for the Album. Single “Perfect Blue/All Things Must Pass”
“Perfect Blue” is a melancholic pop song that reflects on the beauty of life before adulthood. As workers who spend most of our time in offices, the memories of being carefree, reckless, and egoless feel like a rare luxury in these times. But we know there’s nothing we can do to bring those days back. So we hold onto those memories tightly and keep going, knowing that all things must pass.
There are no conclusions in this track—only remembering, reminiscing, and describing. The tone is undeniably blue, like the sky and the ocean. You want to soar high into the sky and touch the face of God, yet also long to hide and float beneath the sweet, gentle ocean waves.
For this release, we wanted to try something different — splitting a single into two tracks. The idea came from the fact that the single had two different vibes, even though they’re technically one song. Perfect Blue has more of a dreamy vibe, while All Things Must Pass has a bit of a classical feel. We thought it’d be pretty cool to give people the option to choose which one they want to listen to, knowing that both tracks are basically one.
The production of this song happened online.
At the time, Yanu was working in Jakarta, and Kinoy was in Samarinda. They sent files back and forth until the track was completed. When Yanu returned to Samarinda, during the mixing and mastering phase, he had the idea to include another vocalist on the track. Specifically, someone who goes by the name Rrefal—a musician who began his musical journey much earlier than we did.
Though Rrefal is originally from Samarinda, he’s currently based in Semarang. His music feels dreamy, psychedelic, experimental, yet still pop. There’s something about his sweet, tender, and sincere voice that brings a sense of serenity—a beautiful segue in the story, and the perfect match for this track.
This also the first track that Simple Set ever collaborated.
Link Terkait:
Instagram: @simplessset
Streaming: Simple Set on Spotify
Kontak: Simple Set – simple.set21@gmail.com
Sugab the Bagus – bagusaryapray@gmail.com
