“We’re All Connected”: Spooky Wet Dreams’ New Album ‘Dewa Kotaraya’ Is Their Most Ambitious To Date

By Ameera Rosli  •  26 May 2022 in Music

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After a 4-year hiatus from their first album Koleksi Dedangan Untuk Masa Hadapan, Spooky Wet Dreams have released their latest album Dewa Kotaraya which they recorded during the span of the pandemic.

In our chat with the band, they revealed that the break was much needed since they had been performing almost every week and needed to recuperate mentally, physically and creatively. According to lead Ze, “[We] feel the break benefited us as we needed to get out of the Koleksi Dendangan mind frame to get into Dewa’s.“

Claiming to be the voice of the people, the band dedicates this album to us with stories of our hardships and joys throughout these tumultuous couple of years.

The lockdown really helped in their songwriting approach as it helped Ze himself to “ponder on observations, keep grounded and help polish these stories.”

Walking around KL and taking it all in, he realised that “we’re all connected through the same issues, feelings, and the same conflicts” which helped him keep his listeners in mind as he reflected on his own past, current relationships, hardships, and experiences.

By far, this is the best the band has ever sounded with lyrics that cut deep through the noise and into the hearts of all Malaysians through intimate lyrics and feverous melodies.

Dewa Kotaraya is a stunning kaleidoscope of unity, love, yearning, anger and perseverance neatly arranged so you can ride the waves without feeling the nausea of the tides.

The prelude, ‘Stesen Seterusnya’ acts as the album’s defining track with sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city and a countdown by lead, Ze, “1, 2, test, test, alright cun!” before it transitions smoothly into the titular track, ‘Dewa Kotaraya’.

It begins with a choir singing in perfect harmony before displaying the band’s signature lyrical prowess which is beautifully sung by Ze. His growls of frustration complement this anthem for the working class Malaysians as it crescendoes into a track that will surely get you pumped.

Acting as an interlude to the album’s angrier tracks is ‘Beza’, the album’s most intimate song – in my opinion. Sugary sweet vocals and melody depict a budding interracial romance with nods to the Malay and Chinese culture accompanied by romantic sax and harmony between Ze and Celyn Chow.

While it may disguise itself as a mellifluous love song, the lyrics are actually quite bittersweet – the kind of bittersweetness definitely felt by those who have experienced the emotions and plights entwined to the song.

Moving away from the seriousness, ‘Penang Roadtrip’ – an adorable love letter to the state – ‘The Grand Corncake Hotel’ – a song as cheeky as its title, ‘skin2skin’ – not as raunchy as it sounds – and ‘Digital Crush’ – a new age virtual love story – are perfect pallet cleansers to make you smile, laugh and yearn.

Combining elements of doo wop music in ‘The Grand Corncake Hotel’ and electro possibly inspired by Daft Punk in ‘Digital Crush’ (could it be a coincidence since DP has a song titled ‘Digital Love’?), these tracks illustrate the band’s versatility and sense of humour.

Are you done relaxing? Good, ‘cos it’s time to mosh.

‘Barai’ is the perfect song for anyone stuck in an endless, monotonous loop where it has you questioning, “What is the point of life, anyway?” A track to thrash around the house with, which will surely be a banger at Spooky Wet Dream’s next gig, ‘Barai’ wakes you up and gets you going despite the boring hamster wheel of life.

Cut from the same cloth are tracks ‘Salam Encik Azman’ and ‘Berkuda Ke Bandar Hilir’ which borrows elements from nu metal and classic rock to further heighten the message behind the lyrics. With evocative and socially relevant phrases – specifically “Binasa kau kerana mulut” in the former and “Pakai topeng, angkat sepanduk dulu” in the latter – these tracks were designed to make you angry, as it should.

The calm after the storm, ‘Seru’ is the exasperated sigh that comes after being disappointed over and over again. However, in true Spooky Wet Dreams fashion, perseverance is key and the band is endlessly optimistic, inspiring their listeners to keep that same mindset as well.

The album concludes with ‘Kalau Kau Okay, Aku Okay’, which is not necessarily a goodbye but merely a “See you again” which feels like a sequel to their previous track, ‘Beza’. A fitting ending to a brilliant album.

In our chat, Ze described Dewa Kotaraya as “charismatic and vibrant” but he also wishes for the album to be seen as “trustworthy.” In his words, “My wish is that people trust my songs enough for them to be utilised in their daily lives, in their favourite moments, through lonely, confusing nights.”

As for any plans for future releases, time will tell. Creating music in Malaysia (and as a whole) is extremely exhausting. “You can be doing super great on Monday and feel like shit on Wednesday,” he admitted, especially since the band has to juggle their craft and their full-time jobs.

Perhaps that’s why many young Malaysians are into this band – because they have lives that are relatable to us and put it into their hyper-fuelled upbeat music.

Kalau Spooky Wet Dreams okay, kita pun okay.