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Butterfingers is a Malaysian rock band formed in 1993 and one of the most successful bands in Malaysian underground[2] and mainstream music industry that performed in English language during the early 90s. They have since produced three demos, two compilations and six studio albums. The studio albums consists of four English albums and the last two album were produced in a Bahasa Melayu or Malay language
Former members – Khairul 'Kalai' Mois – drum, Azmir 'Numlock' Karim – programming
Occasional live members – 'Kuduk' (drums), 'Batak' (guitar, keyboard), Greg Henderson (lead guitar)
Biography
History
In 1991, a group of students at Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK), which included Loque, Kadak and Kalai (who joined the band soon after their drummer left), formed a band called Loque's Tail. Producing their own material, the band was heavily influenced by Metallica. Later, the grunge genre was making waves in Malaysia and Loque's Tail decided to have a change in their musical direction from metal to grunge and punk.
Original line-up, from left – Loque, Emmett, Kadak & Kalai
During a school break in 1993, Loque frequently visits a jamming studio named the Black Widow Studios in Petaling Jaya. During one of his visits he bumped into Emmett, who was there jamming with his own band at the time, Grunge Dayz. Impressed with Emmett's cover of "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Loque then show his skills on "I Could Have Lied" to Emmett. Loque approached him to form a new band, which they finally settled on Butterfingers for the band's name. Not long after, Butterfingers was a hit in the local underground scene, playing in packed gigs.
Butterfingers produced their first pair of demos in 1994, "Girl Friday"(Butterfingers first song) and When You're Addicted (later renamed to "Nicc o'Tynne"), which were first performed at the Cobra Club House, circa late 1994 and early 1995. With the positive feedback and confidence received from the gig, they decided to record more songs.
12 goats, 6 oranges and 2 angles was their first demo, which came from a live session at FM Studio on 10 January 1995. The demo displayed the raw energy they were known for, and heavily influenced by grunge with Emmett's vocals being presented in the same fashion as Kurt Cobain's. Many of the locals had the impression that their demo was an unreleased Nirvana album. Later on, Butterfingers became a staple name in underground scene, along with other bands such as OAG, The Splatters and Spiral Kinetic Circus. They then released further demo tapes such as Butter Couldn't Melt, and Dragon.
Rise To Fame (1996–1999)
Butterfingers then released their debut album, 1.2 Miligrams (1996) after signing with EMI Malaysia. The album is quoted to have been "...laced with Nirvana-esque tunes, much like Mudhoney's early albums...". The album went on to achieve the local Gold status for sales of over 15,000 units. They went on to release their second album Butter Worth Pushful (1997) with a much more matured sound which debuted at number six on the Malaysian International RIM Charts, a first ever for a local band. The album continued to propel Butterfingers to a higher level of local fame, earning them their second consecutive Gold status (with an estimated total of over 18000 units sold), and it also gave them their first AIM (Anugerah Industri Muzik or Music Industry Award) nominations for 'Best Engineered Album' and 'Best English Album'.
In March 1999, Transcendence (1999) debuted at the number three on the RIM International Charts was released and sold over 60,000 units, which was considered to be Butterfinger's best work.[3] The album went on to earn Butterfingers their first Double Platinum Award. This album also contains their most well-known song, "The Chemistry (Between Us)".
Post Transcendence & Hiatus (2000–2015)
2001, from left – Numlock, Kadak, Loque, Emmett & Loko
After the success of Transcendence and the release of Butter Late Than Never (2000), a collection of old live tracks and outtakes with some previously unreleased songs from earlier demos, Butterfingers released Malayneum (2001) to critical acclaim, despite the mixed reaction from fans who still wanted a more 'grunge-y' sound the band was known for. After the release of a greatest hits album The Best is Yet to Come (2003), the band started working on their next album which would eventually become their first album that was sung in the Malay Language, entitled Selamat Tinggal Dunia (2005).
In 2003, Emmett had left to pursue his studies in Canada, leaving the rest of the band to release and promote Selamat Tinggal Dunia without him. Loque later left for Berklee College of Music in Boston in 2006.
Butterfingers full line-up farewell show at Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur
After returning from Boston, Loque started a new project called monoloQue. Loque was reported to have said that he has no interest reforming Butterfingers in a recent interview:
"To me there's no point in repeating myself. I'm not trying to be Metallica here, or Wings, or Search. To gather old fans and play the old songs. I don't really mind it. I need to progress. As a composer, as an artist I really need to try new things. There's always a stigma with Butterfingers. I've accepted it. That's why I don't do 'Butterfingers X' or 'Real Butterfingers'. monoloQue is a different entity entirely. Even though my element will always be 'Butters'. The sound is me, I'm 'Butters'. No matter how you take me out of the equation. Apart from the songs and the sound, it's me, Emmett, Kadak and Loko. So when you say Butterfingers, it has to be all of us because people want to hear Emmett, they want to hear Kadak's sound, and Loko. Up until Malayneum (2001) the Butterfingers thing was going smoothly; up to Selamat Tinggal Dunia (2005), it had already gone into a writer's block phase for me. And I don't know how I came up with those songs. That's what makes the album special to me. 'Butters' will always be inside me, I started it all and it's my baby. So when fans cannot accept things as they have gone now, I just feel they need to move on as well. They cannot be selfish to ask me to play Butterfingers again. It's not because I don't want to because of monoloQue, I did monoloQue because I already made an oath to myself – I'd rather sell 10 records loving what I'm playing than selling 100,000 copies and waiting before, with limitations and obligations towards other people. I don't think I'll be doing scoring if I had stuck with Butterfingers, all the opportunities I can tell you came from my ideas with monoloQue. Thankfully, I'm happier now and can put food on the table with monoloQue."[4]
Butterfingers ended their hiatus with another Malay album which would also be their last album together, Kembali (2008). The album was well received by fans and critics alike.
On 17 - 18 January 2009, they performed an unplugged session at Istana Budaya.
On 29 March 2009, they performed their farewell show at the Sunburst Music Festival at Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club, Kuala Lumpur. Butterfingers performed with Greg Henderson (who had replaced Loque, who was back in Boston).
Emmett returned to Malaysia and performed at the Petronas Technology University on July 31, 2015.[5] Later, he also performed as "Emmett I" and have few single as a solo act.
In some interviews in 2009, Loque informed that the band was not disbanded but in a long hibernation mode because each band members were busy with their own career and project.
Reunion (2016 – present)
Butter's in 2016, From left: Kadak, Loque, Emmet and Loko
After a long hiatus, they reunited in 2016 and headlined[6] the Rockaway Festival (ROCKAWAY THE SAGA CONTINUES)[7] that took place on November 19 at Extreme Park, Bukit Jalil. The festival were divided by two phases and features international acts such as Scorpions, Third Eye Blind, Taking Back Sunday, and The Get Up Kids, Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal, Malaysian's local acts such as Alleycats, Zainal Abidin, Wings, Deja Voodoo Spells, One Buck Short, Pop Shuvit, Hujan, Radhi OAG, Indonesia's The Changcuters and many more.
On 2 November 2019, the band had another reunion 'sold out' concert to celebrate the anniversary of their most best selling album in Malaysia's mainstream music industry which was the Transcendence (1999) album. The Butterfingers: Transcendence 20th Anniversary Concert[8] was held at Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam in conjunction with the Selangor Youth Republic carnival and powered by TM's Unifi.
After the big success of Transcendence reunion concert, the band was also expected to perform at another music festival NUSAFEST 2020 at Bandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur in March with local acts such as Cromok, Joe Flizzow, Exists (Reunion), Rusty Blade, Indonesian act such as Slank, PADI Reborn, Seringai and many more. Due to COVID19 pandemic, the festival was postponed
Musical style
Butterfingers music is often characterised under the genre of Grunge. As time went on, they have evolved with a more matured sound, progressing with multiple influence variations including alternative rock, post-grunge, classic rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock and traditional/folk. During their English language era, the band's primary lyricist was Emmett, while Loque was the primary songwriter throughout the band's conception. Often attributed for their live performances, the band rarely perform in large venues such as arenas and amphitheaters. Instead, they regularly plays smaller venues. Loque once said in an interview, "We're definitely a live band. That's what it's all about for us. We make records so we can go out and play for the people."
Fire is a Curse? from the album Butter Worth Pushful
Stolen from the album Butter Worth Pushful
Ruin by the Selling Out from the album Butter Worth Pushful
Girl Friday from the album Butter Worth Pushful
Delirium from the album Butter Worth Pushful
Vio-pipe from the album Butter Worth Pushful
The Chemistry (between us) from the album Transcendence
Faculties of the Mind from the album Transcendence
Epitome from the album Transcendence
Weird from the album Transcendence
Malayneum from the album Malayneum
Pacific from the album Malayneum
Mating Season from the album Malayneum
Pretty Rain from the album Malayneum
Cuai from the album Selamat Tinggal Dunia
Kabus Ribut from the album Selamat Tinggal Dunia
1000 tahun (mahu hidup) from the album Kembali
Terus Terang from the album Kembali
Bebas from the album Kembali
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