adminKUALA LUMPUR: Honestly, feeling bored to the point of yawning, as fans expressed on social media while attending Exists Memento Mori at Unifi Arena Bukit Jalil on August 1, is not a mistake.
Fans have the right to feel that way when a song played at the concert is not a favorite, not popular, or even something they have never heard before.
So, feeling bored is not wrong at all. In fact, the author frankly says, the author also never knew the existence of the song Disendi Dan Nadi; which album is it in, how many albums and what other very strange things have ever been played on the radio.
The author wants to invite you to understand this literature study.
Martijn C. Willemsen and Yu Liang, through a literature review entitled Recommending for the Audience: Tailoring a Live Concert Program to the Music Preferences of the Listeners (2025), found findings about developing a system that organizes set lists or song catalogs according to the wishes of the audience or fans, not based on the order of albums or the wishes of the artist.
Researchers also found that audience satisfaction increased when songs were chosen according to favorite patterns.
So being bored, dissatisfied, emotionally disturbed by the selection of less popular songs is not wrong at all.
However, let’s explore this situation from the perspective or dimension of Exists, who are already 35 years old, with hundreds of songs from albums created throughout their struggle in shaping local and Nusantara music.
First, let’s talk about albums. An album is a representation of an artist’s creative vision at a given time, while a concert is a live experience that is often shaped by the audience’s expectations, emotions, and most desired songs.
Therefore, not all songs in a concert need to trigger maximum cheers.
Not all songs played are able to satisfy the tastes and emotions of all audiences.
For a band with a music catalog spanning over 35 years like Exists, it’s natural to include two or three lesser-known songs to celebrate their entire artistic journey.
The audience may experience a slight drop in excitement as the song is played, but that is normal in a performance lasting over two and a half hours.
What’s more important is the overall balance of the repertoire, which combines iconic songs, fan favorites, and songs that have historical value to the group.
In music industry terms, songs that are not well-known or are not lead singles and are rarely performed live are called deep cuts .
Although it is not a featured catalog song, it still has artistic or sentimental value to the artist and hardcore fans.
Deep cuts were born from the concept of album culture, where a vinyl or CD album has several songs that are promoted as singles, while other songs remain as album tracks; appropriate for the era of Exists.
And that’s what happened at Exists Memento Mori organized by Icon Entertainment.
The concept used is the same as concerts by international singers around the world.
Go and experience concerts by international artists such as BTS, Coldplay or Madonna, there will be deep cuts in the catalogue , among other things, to control the tempo of the performance.
Second, a concert is not a jukebox . In popular music studies, a concert is seen as a narrative performance rather than simply playing songs according to popularity rankings.
So personally, the writer considers Exists that night, which performed with six original members including two vocalists, namely Ajai, Shah, Along, Musa, Ujang, Mamat and Ezad, worthy of celebrating their entire 35-year musical journey.
Radio concept, vocal quality & production are not complex
Exists ‘sinlessly’ included less popular songs which were then flooded with their iconic songs such as Untukmu Ibu, Diranati Digelagi Rindu, Mengintai Dari Tirai Kamar, Kapal Terbang Kertas, Julia, Jesnita, Langkah Seiringan, Percayakan Siti, Rahsia Pohon Cemara, Bunga, Seperti Dulu, Anugerah, Hilang Dalam Ramai or Kuman HIV (which was on the first album and Mamat was only 12 years old when recording the song.)
Thirdly, for a group that has lasted for 35 years, Exists also deserves to celebrate their entire musical journey, which is not just about entertaining the audience but also serves as a documentation of the phases of fame, ‘quiet’ and returning to active stage performances.
It’s not about performing the best-selling songs but also the works that form the group’s identity even if they are less popular.
And fourth, the most important thing in organizing a concert is how consistent the artists or musicians are with their performance.
Exists on a stage built in the radio era concept or focusing entirely on vocal and musical quality, the performance is more static with Ezad and Mamat standing at the microphone a lot, the lighting and visuals are very minimal, the audience comes to listen to music not to see a complex production with an experience almost the same as listening to a radio broadcast, but live, the Exists Memento Mori concert is complete.
The playing of the musicians Exists, who have extensive knowledge and experience, is quite solid. Ezad and Mamat’s singing is balanced and captivating.
Even when they brought out two new songs that were marketed the day before the concert, namely Buih Jadi Permaidani (Malaysian and Indonesian versions sung by Mamat) and Memilih Yang Salah, they easily stuck in the audience’s memory.
With solid playing, a vocalist’s delivery that ‘swallowed the tapes’, a packed stadium that ‘reached the roof’, Exists proves that local groups or bands are not village champions whose songs are just popular on the radio but symbols of the struggle towards a memento mori that should be remembered until eternity.
Well done to the organizers, congratulations to the production, congratulations to Exists and thank you to the audience for enjoying Exists Memento Mori in your own way and with your appreciation.
Which is less improved, which is good, is improved because in the end it is not about ‘prestige’ but the dignity of the Malaysian entertainment industry.
-Agency
