| Jefray Arwadi | |
|---|---|
Jeff - live in Holland, 2004 |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Meister J[1] |
| Born | 1974[2] |
| Origin | Indonesia |
| Genres | Ambient, avant-garde metal, electronic, experimental, extreme metal, progressive metal/rock |
| Occupations | Musician, graphic designer, producer, audio/mix engineer |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals, drums, drum machine, bass, synthesizer, laptop computer, digital recorder |
| Years active | 1992 - present |
| Associated acts | Kekal[3] Altera Enigma[4] Doctor D[1] Armageddon Holocaust[1] Excision Inner Warfare Obliteration |
Jefray Arwadi (born 1974) is a musician, music producer, and graphic artist from Jakarta, Indonesia, who now resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is most notable as the former guitarist and front man for avant-garde/progressive metal band Kekal, and as the co-founder of experimental death metal project Altera Enigma along with Jason DeRon of Paramaecium. He is also known for his works as a freelance graphic designer under Soundmind Graphics, and until his 2006 move to Canada, Jeff owned and ran his own recording studio, Vision Studio, in Jakarta.
Jeff Arwadi started playing music in 1989, and in addition to his roles in Kekal and Altera Enigma he has fronted the bands Inner Warfare and Excision, as well as being a member of the bands Armageddon Holocaust and Doctor D.
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Jeff started playing guitar back in 1989 when he was 15 years old. In 1990, with his high-school friends, he formed his own band, Obliteration, in which he at first played bass but then switched to drums. The project was precursor to the later band Kekal, and played a primitive style of punk and thrash metal.[5][6] Jeff decided to quit this band in 1991 to spend more time learning the guitar. In 1992 he bought his first electric guitar and joined a band called Sonic Warfare, which later changed its name to Inner Warfare. According to Jeff, this was his first serious band, and Inner Warfare wrote its own music, played shows, and recorded some demos before disbanding in 1997.[5]
Jeff was involved in Kekal as a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter since the band’s inception, but was not an official member until 1996. Kekal started out as an extreme metal band, and gradually progressed into more electronic-influenced experimental and avant-garde metal. The band has met with commercial success and critical acclaim, and has released 7 full-length albums in its career as the first metal band from Indonesia to make international inroads.[3]
On 2006, Jeff Arwadi moved to Canada while the rest of the members remained in Indonesia, which left the band unable to play shows and do touring. At the same time the band left their longtime record label Fear Dark and status of the band was in question. After few months of uncertainty and rumors of break-up went around among fans, Kekal decided to remain together and to keep the band only as a studio project. They signed to a new label and released The Habit of Fire, which met with international success and critical acclaim.
On 2009, Jeff announced that he and the other members of Kekal had left the band, but it was decided that the name would continue without active band members. Jeff stated that, in addition to unspecified personal reasons, he decided to leave the band because, after being closer to nature and in a less densely populated city in Canada, he was unable to continue to make dark and angry metal music which he did in the past with Kekal. Many of their fans perceived that Kekal had technically split-up/disbanded at the moment band leader Jeff announced his departure from the band, despite the fact that Kekal as an institution still existed and the institution itself was not affected by any founding member leaving. To end the confusions among their fans, the band issued a statement posted on their official Facebook page that clarified the status of the band.
Despite his leaving Kekal, Jeff still contributes to the band, which released its eight studio album, appropriately titled 8, in December 2010. In early March, Jeff announced that he and Leo were busy recording material, and new album is planned for release in 2012.
Altera Enigma was formed in 2004 when Jeff Arwadi teamed up with Australian guitarist Jason DeRon, formerly of Paramaecium.[4] The band was created as an outlet for the two musicians to work together on music that would push their boundaries, challenge them musically and allow them to broaden their horizons and explore progressive music in all its forms.[5] Altera Enigma released its debut album, Alteration, in 2006.
As of March, 2010, Jeff decided that he needed to step away from Altera Enigma, and his contribution to the project is now minimal, although according to Jason DeRon the band will continue to take advantage of his creativity and inventiveness.[7]
In addition to Kekal and Altera Engima, Jeff has been involved in many other bands and projects, including Armageddon Holocaust, Doctor D, and Excision.
Jeff Arwadi founded Soundmind Graphics on the year 2000. It is a freelance graphic design service that provides computer-based graphics for web sites, multi-media, and print media for music related industries.[8] In addition to Jeff’s own bands Kekal, Altera Enigma, and Armageddon Holocaust, the company has worked with such bands as Immortal Souls, Slechtvalk, Sympathy, and Trancendus.[9][10] In 2011, on Kekal Facebook page he stated that he no longer offer services as Soundmind Graphics.
Jeff has stated in several interviews that he is a Christian,[1][11][12] but he does not consider Christianity to be a religion.[13] In an interview with the website JesusMetal, he said he believes that while most religions are about laws, organizations, rites, and dogmas, Christianity is about Faith.[13] In another interview with Avant-garde Metal.com, Jeff stated: “For me personally, faith is something that drives you to the life as human being… … I happen to believe in something good, that’s why I am always looking for better life and try to improve health, for example. But it does not have to be associated with religion whatsoever. You don’t have to be religious to ever believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and you don’t have to be religious to have a good diet and workout some exercise.”[14]
Though Jeff and the other members of Kekal are Christians, the band has maintained that it is about music, life, and universality, and does not endorse any particular belief.[15][16]
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