SETIA Sky Residences, the forty storey apartment building stretches into the stratosphere in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysian rockers Shadow Puppet Theatre take us inside one of the flats, in their song named for the Residences, ‘SETIA’.
Shadow Puppet Theatre are one of the most energetic and creative rock bands to come out of South East Asia, with their big sound, and massive hooks. Their previous singles, ‘Mystery Girl’, and ‘John Doe’, as well as ‘SETIA’ serve as a showcase for the expressive vocals of their lead singer, as well as their incredibly talented instrumentalists. They draw their inspiration from hard rock, glam-metal, funk, soul, and politically-aware funk, and never shy away from doing something a bit different. ‘SETIA’ feels like a slight departure from their signature sound, but it’s still got the provocative lyrics, passionate singing, and an optimistic message of perseverance and unity.
The accompanying music video for ‘SETIA’ shows us a day in the lives of a young couple. She wears a headscarf, is a Malay Muslim; he’s European. Their clearly successful partnership provides a fitting metaphor for KL, which thrives as a multi-ethnic metropolis. The video was made by Amen Naqib, who’s frequently collaborated with the band, and brought to life both ‘Mystery Girl’, and ‘John Doe’ for the band. His flexibility, sense of colour and framing, and perceptive eye have made him one of the most successful young filmmakers in KL. He paints a portrait of a couple very much in love, who enjoy the comforts they’ve made for themselves in their sky palace. While the song is sung in Malay (with English subtitles), the love and contentment is evident, and makes them unnecessary, it’s a beautiful song and a gorgeous video.
Check out Shadow Puppet Theatre online on their official website. Watch the video for ‘SETIA’ below.