Q&A: Kita Menari
A PROJECT BORN OUT OF A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE - Kita Menari brings has an energy to his music like no other. Micha de Jonge, known as Kita Menari, is making the fullest of his second chance at life after having almost drowned in Malaysia when his oxygen tank jammed. After the incident, De Jonge partied with locals through the night to celebrate his new found life, and even woke up the next morning with a handwritten note in his pocket reading "Kita Menari", meaning "we dance" in Malay. If this wasn't a sign to hit the ground running, then what could be? Kita Menari recenetly released his track "Intro The Dark" the lead single from his upcoming EP Dreaming All the Time, out November 22nd. De Jonge gave us a better understanding of his upcoming music, his evolution of sound and what's next for him.
LUNA: Can we hear more about the creative process behind “Into The Dark”?
DE JONGE: Well I wrote it together with two friends in a dark basement, that might explain the title of it ;)
It was quite clear to me, after we made up the melodies, that the song needed to be about me struggling with the rhythm of life and it's daily routines and cliches. Ever since I was a child I always found it weird the way we did certain things as humans. The way we have our chit chats, our routines, it made me very ‘absurdistic'. To cope with these feelings I started to write a small book called 'The World On Her Head' (not finished yet, I hope to find the time once I'm 90 years old!). I created a world where it's weird to be heterosexual, where every person had to have at least three different beliefs. A world you would never ask the other person 'how he's doing' but 'how he's not doing', so you would have extra things to talk about.
‘Into The Dark' is a song about me finding it hard to cope with, for me personally, the meaningless daily standard routines & what I consider the complete absurdity of life. But even I find, no matter how hard I try to do or to be different, still I'm chained to life's patterns and cycles. That’s ultimately what the song’s about, trying to change a cycle and realising how caught up you are in it.
LUNA: Sonically, how do you compare your new music to your older stuff?
DE JONGE: ‘Into The Dark' sounds a bit more dark, more electronic than the previous tracks. Although I must say, I wrote the previously 5 tracks (EP Finally Awake) and this new EP (Dreaming All The Time) in the same period. I just thought the 5 previous tracks and the next 5 tracks fit better together. Dreaming All The Time is a bit more dark and dreamy.
LUNA: What can we expect from your EP coming out this fall? Any favorite tracks?
DE JONGE: I try not to live with a lot of expectations in life. I just try to see how it comes and enjoy, or fully give in to the moment. I find it hard to say what my favourite track is, they're all very different and they feel like your children. All are good in their own way in their own different context.
LUNA: You’ve toured with some amazing artists like Catfish and the Bottlemen. Who would be your dream tour/collaboration?
DE JONGE: That was a great moment indeed! What a perfect audience they have, great to have a full room of people dancing and cheering. I greatly admire bands like Foals, Phoenix, THE 1975, Friendly Fires, Metronomy, let's hope they read this article and like my music haha ;)
LUNA: What feeling do you want people to have when they listen to your music?
DE JONGE: That's a tough question. It's not my goal when I write something but it would be great if it makes people dream or dance. I always have a combination of these two things. I'm a terrible dancer but in my head I can dream I’m better.
LUNA: What do you want the rest of 2019 to bring you?
DE JONGE: We have a release show 20th November in Amsterdam. Hope we'll have an amazing time with everyone being there that evening! So if anyone reading this article, being based in the States, wants to join the party, I'll pay for your ticket (not the airplane one, the venue one ;) )
