THEY were once a major name with their monster hit 'Marabahaya', the adrenaline-pumping theme song from director Dr Ahmad Idham Ahmad Nadzri's iconic film 'Impak Maksima' in 2007.
Pop Shuvit, comprising M. Murali Dharan or Moots, Jedidiah Wong or JD, Nazrin Nasir or AJ, Azlan Malik or Rudy and Syazlee Zalsyam Zakaria or Uno, also promoted their music in Japan where they became hugely popular, and this earned them the Anugerah Kembara in Anugerah Industri Muzik 15 (2008).
FIVE ALBUMS
The quintet with five studio albums to their credit, beginning with 'Take It & Shuvit' (2002) and ending with 'Cherry Blossom Love Affair' (2011), are back in action with a heartfelt album that marks their first in 13 years.
Moots, JD, AJ, Rudy and Uno are giving fans 'Phantom Frequencies', their highly-anticipated comeback vehicle that contains eight singles, all involving collaborations with popular local and international acts.
'Phantom Frequencies' was launched in Kuala Lumpur recently. In attendance were former Cabinet Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, acclaimed music producer Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar and the quintet's best known local collaborator Emmett Roslan of Butterfingers.
SLOWED DOWN
Moots said: "It is so good to be back. We really miss our fans, and wish to apologise for keeping them waiting almost a decade."
Uno said: "Each of us had his own projects to work on, and family matters to attend to, as well. Therefore, we had no choice but to slow down a little, music-wise."
Rudy said that their new album's title was decided by AI (artificial intelligence) and it marked a milestone for the band.
"We decided to embrace AI and find out how the new technology could think of a name for our album.
"A few names popped up on the computer screen, and after a brief discussion we decided to pick 'Phantom Frequencies' as we have been 'phantoms' for 13 years," he said.
24 YEARS OLD
Moots said: "As for frequencies, each of us has a different one, so that word suits us just right."
Pop Shuvit, which turns 24 this year, has a poignant song dedicated to the Palestinians as their album's first single.
Titled 'Gila Kuasa', it is a standard rock collaboration with Noh Salleh of Hujan.
Moots said: "This song urges listeners to show their love and support for the people of Palestine who have suffered for a long time.
"We all feel strongly about the Palestinians' fight for freedom, and decided to write a song for them."
PERSEVERANCE
Two other moving songs in the new album are 'Believer' and 'Over You'.
Uno said: ";Believer' has a striking guitar line and conveys the message of perseverance and self-belief during tough times.
"It is specially dedicated to people suffering from depression and encourages them to be brave and strong, and realise that there are many people who care for them."
As for 'Over You', Rudy said that it dived deep into the mental health challenges that were increasingly affecting people around the world today.
"We created this song during the Movement Control Order and it is dedicated to everyone who had mental health issues during that bleak period.
"It is a message to all of them to not give up hope, and to seek help whenever necessary."
RELATIONSHIPS
The album also has 'Space Between Us', a melodic song which explores the impact of long-distance relationships.
'Berbisik', a multi-lingual song speaks about parting ways and saying goodbye to people who are "no longer part of our lives".
"There is also 'Melaju', a story of how each of us contributes to our music," said Uno.
KRU SONG
Moots said that two cover versions completed the album, namely 'Awas' and 'Marabahaya Underground'.
"Awas is a reinterpretation of KRU's iconic song from the 1990s. It addresses the pervasive issue of scammers and their detrimental effects on people's lives," said Moots.
He added that it took six months to get the song's original singers Datuk Norman Abdul Halim, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim and Edry Abdul Halim to give them the green light to record it.
REMIX
Rudy said that 'Marabahaya Underground' was a hip-hop remix of the original 'Marabahaya' from 'Impak Maksima'.
"The original version's immense popularity has compelled us to come up with a fresh and updated version of it for music lovers who may not have heard of it," he said.
Pop Shuvit's collaborators in the album are Yonniboi, Sya and Adam Eiman ('Marabahaya Underground'), Emmett ('Believer', 'Space Between Us', 'Over You' and 'Berbisik'), Dandee ('Believer', 'Space Between Us' and 'Berbisik'), Wing Meng of Love Me Butch ('Believer' and 'Berbisik'), Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance ('Space Between Us'), Lean Ansing of Slapshock ('Berbisik') and the late Jamir Garcia ('Believe'r and 'Berbisik).
The album will be available on all major streaming platforms from Sept 6.