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Life goes on, and few understand that better than 27-year-old jazz-pop artist Adrian Setiawan. He has not only weathered the challenges of making it as a professional musician, he has also endured the heartbreak of losing his wife.
His album, Multidimensi, emerges from the aftermath of that sorrow. Yet instead of brooding, it radiates gentleness and warmth.
"It’s never my intention to 'sell' grief," he tells me during a conversation in May.
"I don't want people to know me or listen to my music because of my grief."
In that moment, I knew that I was in the presence of a genuine artist. Instead of exploiting his pain, he accepted the fact that loss is the cost of love. And that love continues to shape who he is.
Eternal flame
Adrian's path in music hasn’t been flashy. While many aspiring artists now chase viral success by uploading slick covers of famous songs on YouTube or other social media platforms, Adrian cut his professional teeth the old-fashioned way by performing at cafes, small venues and weddings.
At one point, he even had to support his dreams by working as a ride-hailing driver and taking an office job, experiences that both humbled him and shaped his musical sensibilities.
"Music is just that captivating," he says, reflecting on where he's been and where he is now.
"It's such a comfort, no matter what form the music takes. After I graduated from college, music stayed with me, and I've been fighting for it ever since."
That fight is inspired by one particular legend: Ismail Marzuki. The way the late, celebrated musician stayed steadfast and marched to the beat of his own drum was especially galvanizing.
"Even now, my number-one role model is still Ismail Marzuki," he continues.
"That's the name that I always carry with me. He was active during the struggle for independence, yet I still listen to his music today.
Ismail Marzuki's music serves as an example of how art can endure.
“I [also] want my music to go on, including when I'm long gone," Adrian says.
Guitar and grit
Since he discovered his love for music when he was young, Adrian knew early on what kind of artist he wanted to be.
For instance, he decided that the guitar would be his primary instrument as well as his identifying feature.
"Nothing can ever replace the solace of a guitar," Adrian says of his loyal companion.
He is also committed to full creative control, writing and producing his music independently, from top to bottom.
He has come a long way, indeed, from being an ordinary teenager who simply enjoyed strumming a guitar to the fearless, steely-minded artist that he is today.
"I think what might have moved me was my sort of passiveness in the past," he says, examining the genesis of his creative fuel.
"Looking back, my parents did not play music, but loved listening to music very much. So, I raised my hand and said I wanted to learn how to play. Then, suddenly, an 'active’ button was switched on."
Fast forward to this year, and Adrian's debut full-length album, the 20-track Multidimensi, is born. Described as a fusion of the range of emotions that spans life's dynamics, Multidimensi finds the artist mixing his guitar-driven, jazz-pop sound with elements of rhythmic pop, swing, blues and rock, resulting in a record that is sonically smooth yet invigorating.
Indonesian jazz aficionados might be tempted to compare Adrian to his male peers, but he believes that his identity and individuality will shine through.
"The roots might be the same," he says, "but the outcome is different."
Remember me
Lyrically speaking, Multidimensi captures life as Adrian knows it, including his marriage to Diona Dewiriana, who helped with the album's recording process. Songs like "Sedjoli" (“A Couple”) and "Sebuah Lagu Cinta Untuk Diona" (“A Love Song for Diona”) reflect that connection. Elsewhere, he also explores joy after love lost (“Feeling”), letting go (“Nothing”) and hope (“Talking To Myself”).
But tragedy knocked on Adrian’s door in the middle of producing the album when Diona passed away.
Adrian insists that Multidimensi is not an album about grief. But it is bittersweet, because of his wife’s contributions to the album. "Sedjoli", originally written as a wedding soundtrack for the couple, takes on an additional meaning now.
"['Sedjoli'] is such a personal song," he said of the midtempo ballad, which was also originally meant as a duet between him and the late Diona.
"I wrote the first verse for her, she wrote the second verse for me. We were supposed to perform that song on the stage together [as a duet], but now I have to perform it alone. That hits me."
The acoustic ballad "Sebuah Lagu Cinta Untuk Diona" was also written as Adrian's wedding anniversary gift for his wife before she passed away.
But Adrian refuses to let grief erode the hard work that he and his late wife had put into this album.
"No matter which stage I stand on, I’ll never forget what Diona has done for me in this album," he declares.
Life goes on for Adrian, one record at a time. He has already set his eyes on planning his follow-up album, fueled by his memories and determination.
We closed our conversation with a hopeful question: As he takes a step into tomorrow, who is his dream future collaborator? His answer, perhaps to everyone's surprise once again, is Dewa 19 cofounder Ahmad Dhani.
"Growing up, Dewa 19's records were always on my mind. If I could work with him, I wonder whether it would turn out the same," he muses.
His eyes brighten as he considers the future. Like a lyric from “Talking to Myself” hints, Adrian keeps moving forward. He’ll be alright.
