Off the back of her debut single ‘What a Waste’, Matahara continues to raise the bar with 'Missify', further solidifying her bubbly, dreampop sound.
Matahara is the name for Naarm/Melbourne via Jakarta musician and singer-songwriter, Marissa Yudinar. Marissa’s alias (coming from the translation of ‘the sun’ in Indonesian) matches her sound perfectly, as her infectious tracks continue to give warmth to everyone around her.
'Missify' features the local music scene equivalent of a Wes Anderson Film, but instead of a star-studded cast of A-listers in one production, some of the scene’s best and brightest worked together on one track. Produced by Michael Vince-Moin of Tram Cops and mixed by Allan McConnell of Close Counters, topped off with Marissa’s dreamy vocals and lyrics, 'Missify' was destined to be a memorable earworm for all. From the sweeping synths to the pulsating acid bassline which magnificently comes out of nowhere, I’ll admit the track ambitiously bites off a lot to chew. But let it be known, it's tied together so flawlessly it swallows it in one easy gulp and asks for a god damn extra serving!! As ‘Missify’ progresses it explores so many wonderful directions, weaving in and out of a dream like state, teasing the listener before going all out in the last minute. This completely shifts the entire feel of the song, in the best way possible.
Aside from the intricate production and composition of the track, Marissa’s lyrics really resonated with me. Contrasting the ephemerality of love against the bitterness which often lasts far longer than the original affair, 16-year-old Marissa’s writing navigates these age-old topics unforgivingly and with a sense of maturity. As they steeped over the last 4 years, Marissa’s words aged well whilst still holding onto their purity, as she intertwines delicate metaphors with direct, unclouded statements. This makes for a cathartic approach to firstly note, then overcome our early heartbreaks. This being said, Marissa displays that the feelings left behind can be inescapable, as the duality of our inner monologues overcome our fragile minds, making the first steps towards a sense of normality a confusing and unusual journey.
Marissa’s questions are left unanswered in this track, which really highlights the end of any relationship. They’re “unfair.” Initially, there is always that “inquisitive feeling”, about what they are doing, where they are and why they said the things they did. And then with time as they look for someone else and we remain “cold”, we hope we still “haunt” them as much as they haunt us. Or do they even feel us at all? Matahara leaves all these thoughts open, raw…displaying vulnerability. But still, somehow, delivering such thought-provoking content in a way that makes you want to dance.
‘Missify’ is available now on Spotify, independently. To stay up to date with Matahara, follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Written and composed by Marissa Yudinar
Produced by Michael Vince-Moin
Mixed by Allan McConnell
Photography by Anindya Apsara, edited by Alexa Satryo
Artwork by Phantasien
Words by James Morgan