By Shazwan Zulkifli of The Level

A couple of weeks ago, we got the chance to sit down with Irfan, the former drummer of the legendary Malaysian indie band, The Times.

They once conquered the alternative airwaves with songs like “Dari Singapura Ke Kuala Lumpur”, “Gadisku Dalam Koma”, “Pesona Algebra”, “Lipstik” and many more, and till today, their fans are still asking for their heroes to come back for one last show.

The Times was formed when two former members of indie heavyweights OAG, Naza and Mono, left to form another band. Soon after, the band that would soon be known as The Times acquired Irfan, Alem, Hamzah, and Nazreen, and together they changed the face of Malaysian indie rock.

The Times made history with albums Soda Pop Rok N Roll , Nada Melankolik Malaya, and Modern Minimalis Glamour- playing to crowds of thousands as many young Malaysian bands began citing The Times not merely as peers, but as idols. Following a sudden split, Irfan and the other members left the band to Naza and Mono, and rumors have swirled about an acrimonious split that parallels the rivalry between Oasis bandmates and brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher.

We spoke to Irfan about the glorious years of The Times and his plans for 2016.

So how did The Times come about?
Irfan: The Times was a project started by Naza and Mono when they were leaving OAG at the time. I on the other hand, was playing for ACAB. But when Megat (vocalist of ACAB) flew to UK for certain reasons, I didn’t have anything to do. So I searched for any bands to play in. Coincidentally, Naza and Mono’s manager contacted me and asked whether I’d be interested to play for them (The Times). I immediately said yes, and in two weeks, I finished recording the drum parts of our first album, Soda Pop Rok N Roll. It felt so fast, it was anyway!

The Times consisted of a group of people from other top and rising bands. But together, you were a formidable force to be reckoned with. What was your major influence in the Times?
Irfan: At the early stages, most of the songs were written by our friend Herri Hamid (Bittersweet), and as you know, Herri, his influence is mostly Britpop. And that suits our style of playing as well. The Times is everything Britpop. From fashion-wise, song composition, choice of sound, everything revolves around Britpop.

Similar to the likes of Oasis and Blur?
Irfan: Oasis, Blur, Kula Shaker, The Stone Roses, The Kinks, The Police and so much more to mention (from that era).

The Times were the trailblazers of the golden years of the indie/alternative scene in Malaysia, some of the best years in the music industry. Could you name us your personal best show from throughout the ten years you were together?
Irfan: Definitely Rock The World 9. That was the 2nd and the last time we played RTW- it was crazy man. 17,000 people sang along to our songs and I was sitting there at the drum throne, looking at all those people, it (the experience) really gave me goosebumps.

I think passion that drove The Times still affects the fans and musicians alike today. But there’s one question that still lingers in everyones’ minds: What really happened to the Times?
Irfan: It’s very complicated honestly. I guess we just tak boleh kerja sekali dah. The manager, the guitarist, and I left the band around 2009-2010. It’s just one of those ‘band’ issues you know. We’ve been together for some time and we just grew out of each other. Everyone had different priorities, different musical direction. Everything wasn’t the same, didn’t feel the same as well.

That answers a lot of questions. But personally, do you think The Times will ever return for one last show?
Irfan: Well, we got some calls from a bunch of organizers, asking if we would like to reunite for a show. But a lot of problems arose and yeah, it didn’t happen. For me, there’s no point of making a comeback if there won’t be any impact. If the Times were going to make a comeback, it should be big. Maybe an album or a tour. Not simply bulan depan nak buat show, hari ni baru nak book. But anything can happen. With the right offer and the right time, who knows?

So you’re not writing off a comeback?
Irfan: No.

Getting The Times back together and performing onstage would be a dream come true for many fans. But The Times aside, what‘s going on with your current project, Bittersweet?
Irfan: Ah, we’ve already released a new song entitled “Control”, and you can check it out on Youtube. We’re also releasing an album called “BTSWT” and maybe go for a tour (promoting the album) in March. “Control” is part of the album.

Will you be extending your tour overseas? Maybe to Indonesia, or somewhere even further?
Irfan : That is up to the Chief(Herri). But from what I know, maybe across the country first. Touring outside would be fun though, Bittersweet went to Indonesia in 2013 and the reception was awesome. On the same year we also went to Chennai, India for a music festival hosted by students from one of the local universities there. It was fun, especially when you share the stage with the likes of Kamal Hassan and White Shoes and Couples Company (from Indonesia).

It must be a great experience representing the country in large scale festivals on an international level. But what about the new bands here? What do you think new and upcoming bands should do to get the same opportunity?
Irfan: For me, a huge part of it is hard work. Untuk band baru, you have to look at your band as a whole. From fashion, to attitude on stage, showmanship, your sound quality, even the cover album is important. You would want your fans to look at your cover album and say “woah cantiknya cover album” and then they watch you perform live and say “woah dahlah cover album cantik, main live best pula tu”. That’s the kind of response and quality that you’d want in a band man.

Other than Bittersweet, what plans do you have for the future?
Irfan: Actually, I’ve been keeping this for quite some time. I’m working on another project, a new band that consists of familiar faces (in the music industry). When the band is out in March, you’ll look at the lineup and mesti kenal punya who they are.

Will it be similar to Bittersweet and The Times?
Irfan: The genre is still similar (Britpop) but of course it’s still different than the projects I’ve worked on before. I recorded the drum tracks for the new band just last week and we’ve been writing too many songs to make an album. I can’t wait for it to be out.

You can check out Bittersweet and get updates on their album on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/bittersweetbeat

For more, click here.

* First published in FMT’s new youth portal, www.TheLevel.my