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Masterpiece is an
Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture * Iban language The Iban language () is spoken by the Iban, one of the Dayak ethnic groups who live in Brunei, the Indonesian provinc ...
rock band, which formed in 2003 as Masterjam in
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, Sarawak best known for its hit singles, " Sinu", " Kumang Seari" & " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai". The band comprises vocalist Depha Masterpiece, lead guitarist Willy Edwin, guitarist Kennedy Edwin, bassist Watt Marcus, drummer Harold Vincent, keyboardist Valentine Jimmy and Roslee Qadir. The group was renamed Masterpiece in 2005 after Depha was hired as the band's new vocalist. Drummer Roni, keyboardist Dellender Wilson and Timothy are former members of the band. Since its inception, Masterpiece has released five studio albums and three songs for
Gawai Gawai may refer to: * Gawai, A village in Chitwan, Nepal * Gawai Dayak ''Gawai Dayak'', ''Ari Gawai'' or ''Andu Gawai'' is a form of harvest festival celebrated on 1 and 2 June annually in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, stat ...
various artist album compilations. The band achieved commercial success in Sarawak with the release of their first album, '' Merindang Ke Bintang'', in 2009. The album has won numerous awards including the best produced debut album of 2009–2010 during the 2010 Dayak Music Awards. Its full-length follow-ups, the second albums ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'' (2013), were also widely successful; which respectively debuted at number one on the local radio station for months. Masterpiece's third album, '' Ngap Sayot'' (2014), was a commercial success, although not to the degree of their previous two albums. The band's mainstream success continued with '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' (2016), which was critically praised, becoming their most nominated release to date. In December 2016, the lead single from the album, " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai" became the first
Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture * Iban language The Iban language () is spoken by the Iban, one of the Dayak ethnic groups who live in Brunei, the Indonesian provinc ...
song to reach one million views on YouTube.Press statement
at DO Record's official Facebook page
The band fifth album, '' Ensera Paragon'' was released in August 2018 through their first major label, Warner Music Malaysia. During the course of their career, Masterpiece has come to be regarded as one of the most influential and important Iban rock bands in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
and has been recognised by several Sarawak Music Awards ceremonies; To date, the band has received fourteen awards from several nominations. Notable awards they have won include the Most Popular Group, voted by fans via SMS at the 2010 Dayak Music Awards and Best Rock Artist at the 2014 Dayak Music Awards.


History


2003–2008: Formation and early years

In 2003, Willy Edwin and his brother Kennedy Edwin formed a band named ''Masterjam'' in their hometown of
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, Sarawak, with Kennedy on vocals and guitar, Willy on lead guitar and Roni on drums. Since they were missing a bass player, Watt Marcus joined them as a sessional live member who soon becomes their permanent bassist. The band travelled around playing several gigs with this line-up for about a year. In 2005, Kennedy brought a new focus to his guitar playing and the band was set to search for another vocalist. After spending a considerable time searching for
vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...
, Willy and Kennedy recruited former Black Monkey vocalist, Depha who was recommended by
Marcus Marcus, Markus, Márkus or Mărcuș may refer to: * Marcus (name), a masculine given name * Marcus (praenomen), a Roman personal name Places * Marcus, a main belt asteroid, also known as (369088) Marcus 2008 GG44 * Mărcuş, a village in Dobârl ...
; the newborn vocal chemistry between Depha and Kennedy helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material. With the band having their two vocalists together, they finally settled on the name "Masterpiece". The four original members remained together along with Roni until late 2005, when he left the band. They soon invited friend and schoolmate Harold Vincent to play drums. The band's line-up was completed when Dellender Wilson joined to take up keyboard duties. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Willy's makeshift bedroom studio (known as Masterjam Studio) in 2007, resulting in a six-track demo; "Malam-Malam", " Sinu", "Kumang Mimpi", " Bulat Ati Ku", "Misteri" and "Nadai Benci", entitled '' Merindang Ke Bintang''. After recording demos, the band started playing small bars in their hometown of Sibu. For a brief time in 2008, the band entered the studio for the first time, recording its first CD titled ''Merindang Ke Bintang''. Keyboardist Dellender Wilson moved to
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
sometime before the EP's completion and the band replaced him briefly with Timothy at the end of 2008 prior to the release of '' Merindang Ke Bintang''.


2009–2011: ''Merindang Ke Bintang'' and mainstream breakthrough

In April 2009, the band released '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' in CD format, which they circulated across
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
city with the help of close friends and hoping to get signed to a record label. After facing numerous rejections from several record labels in Sarawak, Masterpiece turned to Embat Lala for additional help. Embat Lala the owner of Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records helped the band to reissue the album with unsigned deal with the company before the end of 2009. The songs on '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' was re-mastered by Norman Ading at Norman Home Studio, formerly known as Fish Farm Records in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
. In an early promotional interview with
The Borneo Post ''The Borneo Post'', established in 1978, is the largest and widely circulated English-language daily newspaper in East Malaysia and also the alternately circulated newspaper in Brunei (as a strong competitor to the main existing newspapers of ...
on 13 November 2009, the band said they produced a complete set of music videos for each song on the album (directed by Harry Frederick, Borneo Motion Picture) and to market them on DVD format. The band released its breakthrough album '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' in CD & DVD format, the following year through Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
. The songs on the album had been circulating across the music industry for a while. Two songs from the released, " Sinu" and " Bulat Ati Ku" has received increasing airplay and brought them to the top of the hit charts in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
. On 8 November 2010, the band made their debut appearance at the Dayak Music Awards, during which the band performed " Sinu" and " Bulat Ati Ku" at Borneo Convention Centre, in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Sarawak. The album, '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' earned the band multiple awards—winning the Most Popular Group award, Best Music Video award for " Bulat Ati Ku", Best New Artist, Best Album Cover and the Album of the Year award. In an interview after the ceremony with
The Borneo Post ''The Borneo Post'', established in 1978, is the largest and widely circulated English-language daily newspaper in East Malaysia and also the alternately circulated newspaper in Brunei (as a strong competitor to the main existing newspapers of ...
, Kennedy Edwin said "The most important thing is that the community accepts our music and continues to support the industry. All the nominees are great artists, some experienced and we are grateful to have won the awards". In early 2011, the band continue on the street playing club shows as well as playing at Travillion carpark in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Sarawak, as part of the
Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally () or simply "The Dakar" (), formerly known as the Paris–Dakar Rally (), is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). It is an off-road endurance event traversing terrain much tougher than convent ...
auto show along with Choo Hao Ren, Claudia Geres and Hafiz Suib in March 2011. On 29 April 2011, in news released by
The Borneo Post ''The Borneo Post'', established in 1978, is the largest and widely circulated English-language daily newspaper in East Malaysia and also the alternately circulated newspaper in Brunei (as a strong competitor to the main existing newspapers of ...
, it was announced that Masterpiece would be part of the album collaboration with Man Kidal and Ramli Sarip, which won some critical praise as the album sales would be donated for the purpose of building a music school in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
. However, the plan didn't work and the record deal ended up silent. Keyboardist Timothy left the group later in the year and was replaced by a temporary touring member, Valentine Jimmy who made his debut performance with the group at the AJARR Music Awards on 21 May 2011 in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Sarawak. The same night the band performed " Sinu" and winning the 2010 'Song of the Year award'. On 1 June 2011, Masterpiece released a song titled "Mansau Leka Padi" as part of a compilation for 2011 Gawai festival. It was the first time Masterpiece had issued a collaboration record with another artist from Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records. The success of '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' led to numerous touring for the band, including a slot opening for Aizat Amdan in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Sarawak, on his Urusan Aizat Amdan-Borneo Tour in July 2011, and headlining the
TM Net TM Net is an Internet service provider in Malaysia. As of 2009, it was the only fixed line broadband provider in Malaysia It also provides Internet Protocol television and other multimedia services. TM Net is a wholly owned subsidiary of Malaysi ...
Festival in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
, starting with
Miri Miri () is a coastal city in north-eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, located near the border of Brunei, on the island of Borneo. The city covers an area of , located northeast of Kuching and southwest of Kota Kinabalu. Miri is the second largest ...
,
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
and ending with
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
In October 2011.


2011–2013: Major exposure and ''Rock and Roll''

For a brief time in 2011, Masterpiece returned to the recording studio to work on new material. Later that year, the band recruited keyboardist Roslee Qadir, an old school friend of Willy's and Kennedy's who had played with
Willy Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Allen (basketball) (born 1949), American basketball player and ...
in a band during their teens and started recording their second studio album. Roslee Qadir was eventually chosen as a permanent keyboardist and joined the band in time to take part in the tour that followed the release of "Badu". The song was released on 30 November 2011 which originally set as the lead single of their second studio album but was included instead in Gawai compilation album. On 9 December 2011, Masterpiece were invited to perform at Stadium Perpaduan
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
as part of the Konsert Rock Borneo Terbilang 2011 in direct support for Amy (
Search Searching may refer to: Music * "Searchin', Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * Searching (China Black song), "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * Searchin' (CeCe Peniston song), "Searchin" (C ...
's vocalist), on his solo
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
show. Supporting performers on the concert included Stevenson, Ricky Andrewson and Winnie Albert. The same night Masterpiece and Amy shared the stage together for the first time. They played several of
Search Searching may refer to: Music * "Searchin', Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * Searching (China Black song), "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * Searchin' (CeCe Peniston song), "Searchin" (C ...
songs including "Isabella", "Pawana" and "Tiada Lagi". Shortly after, Masterpiece was selected to be the opening act for the Malaysian legendary rock band,
Search Searching may refer to: Music * "Searchin', Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * Searching (China Black song), "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * Searchin' (CeCe Peniston song), "Searchin" (C ...
, during their 30th anniversary Fenomena concert in Stadium Negeri Kuching, Sarawak in December 2011. It was the band debut on a high-profile concert, performed in front of 25,000 people . The following year, the band appeared at the Dayak Music Awards at DeTAR Putra theatre in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
. "Badu" received the Dayak Music Awards nomination for 'Best Music Arrangement'. The award went to Ethnic Transmission's song "Pulai Pengujung". Masterpiece continue working on a second album, titled ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'', in 2013, which included features touring keyboardist Valentine Jimmy who also had appeared to a lesser extent on '' Merindang Ke Bintang''. Despite the recording happening when he were only tour members, it is the first Masterpiece release to Valentine Jimmy, and to have him credited as band member in the second album. While Depha once again wrote all the songs, the rest of the band collaborated on the arrangements. On 9 August 2013, the band released a new song entitled " Kumang Seari", as the official lead single of their second studio album. To accompany the song's release, a lyric video for "Kumang Seari" was released on Depha's YouTube channel. On 22 September 2013, Masterpiece released its second album, ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'', through Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
. The album consists of ten songs including closing track "Badu" which was re-mastered to a more accessible radio-friendly sound, with accompanying music videos directed by Cosmas Moses Alexander. The songs on the album was recorded at Masterjam Studio in
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, Sarawak, and featured guest musicians such as Jerry Kamit on
sapeh Sapeh, also spelled sape, sapeʼ, sapek, sapeik, sapeq, sampeh, sampeʼ, sampek, or sampeq () is a traditional string instrument of Borneo-origin that developed in northern, eastern, and central regions of Kalimantan and Sarawak. It is a w ...
instrument and Romy Majestica outro guitar solo on "Nyaga Negeri". Like the band's debut, it was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Norman Ading at Norman Home Studio in
Kuching Kuching ( , ), officially the City of Kuching, is the capital and the most populous city in the States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Sarawak in Malaysia. It is also the capital of Kuching Division. The city is on the Sarawak Ri ...
, Sarawak. The album also saw the band write some of their most challenging lyrics to date, the ninth track on the album, "Sembilan Bulan", meaning "Ninth Month" was written about
child abandonment A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...
. While "Nyaga Negeri" was written as a tribute to the troops. ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'' was also the first album to feature the band's logo on its cover, which was designed by Cosmas Moses Alexander. The lead single from the album, " Kumang Seari" earned the band its first VIMA Music Awards nomination in December 2013 for 'Best Rock Song', and winning their first 'Best Stage Performance' awards at the ACSJ Music Awards the following year.


2013–2014: ''Ngap Sayot'' and recognition

In December 2013, the band announced a new single entitled "Ngap Sayot" and said they had been writing new material for an upcoming album. Prior to the release of the band's third album, Masterpiece released a single "Ngap Sayot" on 4 January 2014 through YouTube, which was released as a benefit single on
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
and other Internet outlets, the following year. The song is known for its underlying
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
, which plays throughout most of the song and largely eschews the
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
influences found in Masterpiece's earlier work. Originally intended as an exclusive track for the forthcoming
Malaysian League The Malaysian League, also known as the M-League ( Malay: ''Liga Malaysia'' or ''Liga-M''), is a terminology used to describe the professional football league in Malaysia. The terminology was mainly used to describe the league and its divisions ...
season and structured matches of the
Sarawak FA Sarawak FA State Football Team () was a football team which represented the Malaysian region (formerly state) of Sarawak from 1974. It was one of the state teams of the Malaysian football structure. The team's home matches used to be played a ...
team, it became a hit with Masterpiece fans who asked for it to be written in
Sarawak Malay Sarawak Malay ( Standard Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Sarawak'' or ''Bahasa Sarawak'', Jawi: , Sarawak Malay: ''Kelakar Sarawak'') is a Malayic language native to the State of Sarawak. It is a common language used by natives of Sarawak and also as ...
to emphasise the heritage nationalism in their music. ''Ngap Sayot'' is a colloquial Sarawakian phrase in football arena meaning "defeatable" which introduced by
Sarawak FA Sarawak FA State Football Team () was a football team which represented the Malaysian region (formerly state) of Sarawak from 1974. It was one of the state teams of the Malaysian football structure. The team's home matches used to be played a ...
new coach in 1988. The single was commercially used by the
Sarawak FA Sarawak FA State Football Team () was a football team which represented the Malaysian region (formerly state) of Sarawak from 1974. It was one of the state teams of the Malaysian football structure. The team's home matches used to be played a ...
largest supporters club, GB13
ultra Ultra may refer to: Science and technology * Ultra (cryptography), the codename for cryptographic intelligence obtained from signal traffic in World War II * Adobe Ultra, a vector-keying application * Sun Ultra series, a brand of computer work ...
, as background music for the promotional footage of their video. The
cross-promotion Cross-promotion is a form of marketing promotion where customers of one product or service are targeted with promotion of a related product. A typical example is cross-media marketing of a brand; for example, Oprah Winfrey's promotion on her telev ...
video was released on 5 March 2014 via GB13 official YouTube channel. For a brief time in 2014, the band was headed to the studio to record their third full-length
single album In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...
'' Ngap Sayot'', which written in two different languages and multiple version tracks including
chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of no ...
and guitar instrumental version. While working on '' Ngap Sayot'', Masterpiece released another song, titled "Berami Ba Ati Nuan" as part of the 2014 Gawai festival compilation through Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records, on 23 April 2014. Shortly after the release of "Berami Ba Ati Nuan", the band continues recording material for '' Ngap Sayot''. The recording took place over the following few weeks at Masterjam Studio. The album was mixed and mastered at the iMusik Studio in
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, by Iskandar Bujang and later releases were handled by DO Records Entertainment on 17 July 2014. The band spent the following month on tour, including their first appearance at the
Borneo Cultural Festival Borneo Cultural Festival, abbreviated as BCF, is an annual festival of food, music, and dance that places a focus on cultural diversity of Borneo. The festival is held in Sibu, one of the major towns in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia, and was f ...
in
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, Sarawak, on 24 August 2014. Masterpiece performed "Ngap Sayot" and other songs from previous records at the Town Square main stage. This performance was attended by 1,000 people and also featured Metadomus from Indonesia, Space Band Company from Taiwan and many local stars during the concert. '' Ngap Sayot'', did not match the success of their previous album, but received critical praise and the album brought them a new level of success. Masterpiece was recognised as the Rock Artist of the Year by Dayak Artists & Musicians Association (DAMA). The band awarded for 'Best Rock Artist' by the association at the Dayak Music Awards ceremony on 22 December 2014.


2014–2016: ''Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai''

Masterpiece started recording their fourth studio album before the end of 2014. The band complete shooting the video for their first single from the fourth album, " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai" meaning "I hope you will come back" in November 2014 and although not released on the following month. The music video (directed by Brodie William) was filmed at Tumbina Park in
Bintulu Bintulu is a coastal town on the island of Borneo in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. Bintulu is located northeast of Kuching, northeast of Sibu, and southwest of Miri, Malaysia, Miri. With a population of 114,058 as of 2010, Bintulu ...
. The song " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai" eventually released on 2 January 2015 and aired within the same week in Sarawak. This was followed by the release of "Nadai Ati Berami" which was written and recorded for their yet-to-be released album but it was included instead in 2015 Gawai festival compilation album on 2 May 2015. Despite initially stating the new album would debut sometime in 2015 shortly after the single's release, the album was delayed until 2016. That same year, while working on the album, Masterpiece participated in a benefit concert at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Kuching, in aid of ailing
Search Searching may refer to: Music * "Searchin', Searchin", a 1957 song originally performed by The Coasters * Searching (China Black song), "Searching" (China Black song), a 1991 song by China Black * Searchin' (CeCe Peniston song), "Searchin" (C ...
drummer Yazid Ahmad. On 6 February 2016, the band revealed the album artwork via the band's official sources. Their fourth album consists of ten tracks and titled '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' reflecting the lead single from the album. The album was recorded, mixed, and
mastered Mastering is a form of audio post production which is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device called a master recording, the source from which all copies will be ...
between November 2014 and August 2015 at Masterjam Studio and iMusik Studio in
Sibu Sibu is a landlocked city located in the central region of Sarawak, Malaysia. It serves as the capital of Sibu District within Sibu Division and is situated on the island of Borneo. Covering an area of , the city is positioned at the conf ...
, Sarawak, the same studio as the band's previous album, '' Ngap Sayot''. The album's cover featured Watt Marcus standing back side holding his bass guitar looking at the bride in a wedding dress at a mirror. Later that month, Masterpiece announced that the new album will be released around March 2016 and saw them reunite with Panggau Buluh Pengerindu Records. In an interview with
The Borneo Post ''The Borneo Post'', established in 1978, is the largest and widely circulated English-language daily newspaper in East Malaysia and also the alternately circulated newspaper in Brunei (as a strong competitor to the main existing newspapers of ...
on 21 March 2016, the band had announced that the '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' album was made available for pre online order from 10 March 2016 and officially released throughout
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
and
Johor Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore ...
music outlets on 21 March 2016. The album also features a guest artist and musician from Sarawak, such as Nai from Dinamik band on flute for "Anak" intro and the
Akademi Fantasia ''Akademi Fantasia'' (commonly abbreviated as ''AF'') is Malaysia's first reality television show in which a number of contestants called students compete for the winning title and a chance to start their career in the entertainment industry. T ...
2015 finalist, Alyssa Joanne or known as Lyssa Jean contributing her vocals in a duet song titled " Siku Dalam Seribu". The band also revealed that they will be hitting the studio again to work on new materials and planning to release new single before the end of 2016. On 2 September 2016, the lead single from the fourth album, " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai" won the award for "Best Song" at the 2016 ACSJ Music Awards. The following month, the band appeared at the 2016 Dayak Music Awards in Kuching. The fourth album, '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' receiving the Album of the Year award, while one song from the release "Berani Mati", was nominated for "Best Rock Song" but lost the award to "Paded" by Mezzavoce. Masterpiece also performed "Ngap Sayot" at the award ceremony on 29 October. The same night the band won another two awards for "Best Vocalist" ( Depha) and "Best Performance" (" Ngap Sayot"). The band as a whole said, "We are very proud that our work has been recognized and well received by our supporters. Thank you to the Dayak Artists and Musicians Association for granting us these awards that will further motivate us to do our best in the Dayak music scene."


2016–present: ''Ensera Paragon''

Following announcements from the group that they will be working on new material in early 2016, the band released a music video for the upcoming album's first single, titled "
Kaban __NOTOC__ Kaban may refer to: People * Kaban, a Khazar ruler; See Khalga and Kaban * An Israeli military psychologist; See Profile 21 * Jozef Kabaň, a Slovak automobile designer * Family name (Kabán). They live in Hungary. Places * Kaban ...
" meaning "Friend" on 19 October 2016 through YouTube via their
independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represente ...
, Masterjam Studio. The song was released as a digital download single on the same day. The single was written by Depha, while the music video, directed by Kennedy Edwin, combines parts of the band's candid footage while on tour around
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
and in the studio between July and September 2016. On 8 December 2016, the band announced that they had begun working on their fifth studio album since October 2016, consisting of nine tracks including "
Kaban __NOTOC__ Kaban may refer to: People * Kaban, a Khazar ruler; See Khalga and Kaban * An Israeli military psychologist; See Profile 21 * Jozef Kabaň, a Slovak automobile designer * Family name (Kabán). They live in Hungary. Places * Kaban ...
" and planned to be released in 2017. Depha has said of the album "We will be using the same method and genre for the rest of the songs except for few rock numbers, which is going to sound heavier than our previous songs. But we still maintain the album weight, balancing it with a number of rock ballad too and of course will be working hard on it to maintain the quality of the whole album soon". However, despite the band's fifth album title has been confirmed and finalised, Masterpiece stated that they will reveal it at a later date. On 5 August 2017, the band released "Perecha" as the second single from their upcoming album, with its music video being directed by Kennedy Edwin and was released on Depha's YouTube channel. The following month, the band made their third appearance at the 2017 ACSJ Music Awards, in Betong, Sarawak. One song from their previous album, " Siku Dalam Seribu" was nominated for ‘Best Song’. Despite winning the 'Best Stage Performance' award, "Siku Dalam Seribu" was announced as the first runner-up for the 'Best Song' category and the award went to Taju Remaong's song "Pengerindu Aku Enda Bebagi". On 7 October, the band appeared at the Rocktoberfest Borneo for the first time at Park City beachfront in
Miri Miri () is a coastal city in north-eastern Sarawak, Malaysia, located near the border of Brunei, on the island of Borneo. The city covers an area of , located northeast of Kuching and southwest of Kota Kinabalu. Miri is the second largest ...
, Sarawak, performing to an audience of more than 10,000. Masterpiece played at the main stage alongside other well known rock acts such as
Slapshock Slapshock was a Filipino heavy metal band from Metro Manila. They were formed in 1996, originally as a nu metal act, with their early musical style compared to that of Korn. They later shifted towards a metalcore style. Background The group ...
, Nicestupidplayground,
Hujan Hujan ("Rain") is a Malaysian indie rock band formed in Kuala Lumpur, in 2005. It was founded by vocalist Noh Salleh and lead guitarist AG Coco. Fans of Hujan are called ''Raingers''. Hujan released its first two EPs in 2007, ''1, 2, 3, Go!' ...
, Bunkface and Estranged. On 12 January 2018, Masterpiece revealed in an interview with
The Borneo Post ''The Borneo Post'', established in 1978, is the largest and widely circulated English-language daily newspaper in East Malaysia and also the alternately circulated newspaper in Brunei (as a strong competitor to the main existing newspapers of ...
that the new album would be called '' Ensera Paragon'' (Paragon Tales), in addition unveiling the final track list including singles "
Kaban __NOTOC__ Kaban may refer to: People * Kaban, a Khazar ruler; See Khalga and Kaban * An Israeli military psychologist; See Profile 21 * Jozef Kabaň, a Slovak automobile designer * Family name (Kabán). They live in Hungary. Places * Kaban ...
" and "Perecha". Depha further said that seven new songs were recorded at Masterjam Studio and engineered by Iskandar Bujang at iMusik studio, Sarawak. The band also announced that the album will be released on digital music stores in 2018 as well as on CD via their independent label, Masterjam. The album, ''Ensera Paragon'' was officially released for
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
and digital download on 28 August 2018 through Warner Music Malaysia. On 9 September 2018, the band released a lyric video for the song "Daliyah".


Musical style

Masterpiece's music is a mixture of hard rock,
power ballad A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner. Balla ...
and heavy metal elements, with its multi-layered, harmonic vocals and its melodic guitar riffs. However, even though they were often considered one of the most influential
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...
Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture * Iban language The Iban language () is spoken by the Iban, one of the Dayak ethnic groups who live in Brunei, the Indonesian provinc ...
band in
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
, the band were associated with the growing power ballad scene, mainly due to their mainstream interest and glossy production. Masterpiece was perceived to shift from their trademark in addition to pressuring the band to adopt a more mainstream sound. With the release of ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'', the band displayed power ballad and early heavy metal influences, incorporating more rhythm and harmony in song structures. '' Ngap Sayot'' marked another large change in the band's sound adopting a more progressive guitar
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
and a distinct sound of the strings from the album. The band used
drop D tuning Drop D tuning is an alternative form of guitar tuning in which the lowest (sixth) string is tuned down from the usual E of standard tuning by one whole step to D. Therefore, where the standard tuning is E2A2D3G3B3E4 (EADGBe), drop D is D2A2D3G3 ...
. Their early album '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' appealed to
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
rock music fans and influenced the likes of
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...
,
Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
and
Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
. All of Masterpiece's lyrics were written by Depha, while all seven members—as a band—were credited with writing the music. The lyrics on the first two Masterpiece albums mainly touch on hope and overcoming grief, sadness, pain and regret. Although the lyrics of Masterpiece generally are serious with an unusual amount of personal meanings, they have also produced several less serious songs, including " Bulat Ati Ku", "Terebai", "Déjà vu", "Nyawa Aja Tanya", "Nyaga Negeri" and "Ngap Sayot". The band has only written songs in
Iban IBAN or Iban or Ibán may refer to: Banking * International Bank Account Number Ethnology * Iban culture * Iban language The Iban language () is spoken by the Iban, one of the Dayak ethnic groups who live in Brunei, the Indonesian provinc ...
, with the only exceptions being "Ngap Sayot" from the third album, which is in
Sarawak Malay Sarawak Malay ( Standard Malay: ''Bahasa Melayu Sarawak'' or ''Bahasa Sarawak'', Jawi: , Sarawak Malay: ''Kelakar Sarawak'') is a Malayic language native to the State of Sarawak. It is a common language used by natives of Sarawak and also as ...
version.


Awards and nominations

Masterpiece has received fourteen awards from several nominations in Sarawak Music Awards ceremonies. The band has received nine awards from the Dayak Music Awards—Winning the Album of the Year two times for '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' in 2010 and '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' in 2016. The group also won the 'Best Rock Artist' awards in 2014. " Sinu", from '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' has won the 'Song of the Year' awards at the 2011 AJARR Music Awards while " Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai" from the fourth album, winning the same category at the 2016 ACSJ Music Awards. Masterpiece also won the 'Best Stage Performance' award three times—" Kumang Seari" in 2014, "Ngap Sayot" in 2016 and " Siku Dalam Seribu" in 2017. The song "Kumang Seari", received the 'Best Rock Song' award nomination at the 2014 VIMA Music Awards.


Band members

Current members * Willy Edwin – lead guitars, backing vocals (2003–present) * Kennedy Edwin (Kent) - guitars, vocals, backing vocals (2003–present) * Watt Marcus – bass (2003–present) * Depha – lead vocals, songwriter (2005–present) * Harold Vincent – drums (2005–present) * Valentine Jimmy (Emek) – keyboards (Touring 2011–2012; official 2013–present) * Roslee Qadir – keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2011–present) Former members * Roni – drums (2003–2005) * Dellender Wilson – keyboards (2005–2008) * Timothy Umpok – keyboards (2008–2011) Guest appearances * Jerry Kamit –
sapeh Sapeh, also spelled sape, sapeʼ, sapek, sapeik, sapeq, sampeh, sampeʼ, sampek, or sampeq () is a traditional string instrument of Borneo-origin that developed in northern, eastern, and central regions of Kalimantan and Sarawak. It is a w ...
(Nyawa Aja Tanya – 2011) * Romy Salvador – guitars (Nyaga Negeri outro – 2011) * Daniel Ading – guitars (Malam-malam outro – 2009) * Nai Dinamik – flute (Anak – 2016) * Alyssa Joanne – vocals (Siku Dalam Seribu – 2016) * Pierce Lee Wen Yian – guitars (Carut Mentaliti – 2018) * Josephine Jurie Kubu – vocals (Diva Enigma – 2018)


Timeline


Discography

* '' Merindang Ke Bintang'' (2009) * ''
Rock & Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
'' (2013) * '' Ngap Sayot'' (2014) * '' Ngarap Ka Nuan Nikal Pulai'' (2016) * '' Ensera Paragon'' (2018) * ''Redak Seribu'' (2020) * ''Tangga Ke Langit'' (2021) * ''Bechiping Pengerindu'' (2022) * ''Diputuskan'' featuring Estranged (2023) * ''Taja Semalam Aja'' (2023) * ''Teguh'' (2024) * ''Menyadi'' (2024)


See also

*
List of hard rock musicians (A–M) A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
* List of hard rock musicians (N–Z) * List of awards and nominations in Sarawak


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Musical groups established in 2003 Malaysian hard rock musical groups Malaysian heavy metal musical groups