Mixtape #2: Nusra Rozely and Sarah Shaharin Share Their 7 Favourite Albums

Mixtape is a segment where music fans share their 7 favourite albums with us. This mixtape is curated by Nusra Rozely, our contributor and her friend Sarah Shaharin, a bassist and vocalist of the indie rock band Islands.

BY NUSRA ROZELY

I recently came across Noisy Headspace’s post on Instagram to submit an article featuring seven favourite albums. As someone who loves letting people know what she’s listening to, I jumped at the opportunity. I also thought, why not share this with someone?

Of course, the first person that came to mind was one of my best friends, Sarah Shaharin, who happens to be the bassist and vocalist of the indie rock band, Islands.

We sat down together recently and talked about why and how each of these albums earned their titles as our personal favourites.

Kaum Lelaki – Terrer

Upon asking Sarah to name her favourite local releases, she almost immediately responded with this specific title.

Local group, Terrer, debuted their first single, “Hang Loklaq’’ in 2021, three years after their original formation. The song would go on to feature on their debut EP, Kaum Lelaki — where Terrer attempts to unpack the repression of Malay men raised with traditional values that aren’t necessarily healthy. The debut single dissects hypocritical attitudes in Malay culture pushed by folks who use religion as a shield for prejudice.

Sarah praises the way Terrer highlights the ridiculousness of sexism and patriarchy in our culture from a self-aware perspective. The music video for “Hang Loklaq” is deliberately controversial, with Terrer’s all-male members donned in drag. They change from conventional “mak cik” garb into traditional fitted kebayas, illustrating the cultural rift between conservative and modern values, before ending the song in full niqab, running amok.

Sarah also highlights the track “Jangan Sembunyi”. For Sarah, it’s “the saddest song on the album.” The track’s opening lyrics “Dalam malam baru ini, kita usah hidup bersembunyi lagi / adat dan agama mendefinasi suatu tubuh yang tiada agensinya sendiri / luahkan diri kaum lelaki”, closes the album by summing it up entirely.

Asking why this EP was one of her favourites, Sarah explains how Terrer’s sincerity puts their struggle into perspective “especially from the point of view of women who struggle to empathise with men on a human level.”

Preacher’s Daughter – Ethel Cain

Ethel Cain’s debut album Preacher’s Daughter is a concept album originally conceived from a film script written by Cain herself. Ethel Cain, whose real name is Hayden Anhedonia, tells the story of the eponymous Ethel Cain, the daughter of a preacher in the rural American South who meets a man she thinks is good for her, but who ends up murdering and cannibalising her.

This album also details Cain’s generational traumas and their manifestations, how she ends up gravitating toward horrible men, her rejection of the organised religion she was raised under. This whole album is mostly an allegory for Anhedonia’s own life, being the daughter of a deacon and coming out as a trans woman at a young age, and the guilt and trauma surrounding the two.

Anhedonia writes with haunting poeticism, coming from the deepest wells of her own pain and passion. The album is told in chronological order. My favourite track on the album, my personal standout track and perhaps one of my greatest songs of all time is “Thoroughfare” a nine-minute track that feels almost like a three-act play (and is the first track on the album that feels genuinely hopeful). Cain deploys sonic storytelling beautifully, as she sings about finding a new lover on the run with an atmosphere that aligns with each act.

The first track I liked was “Ptolemaea”, named after Dante’s ninth circle in hell: treachery. At this point in the album, Cain is on the verge of death at the hands of her lover. The ambient doom-metal track features distorted vocals and screams, signifying Cain’s demise.

I could truly talk about this album for hours, but I highly suggest listening to it chronologically and looking up the Genius Lyrics annotations for someone interested. Truly a masterpiece of literature in music.

Tekesima – LUST

Another one of Sarah’s favourite local releases is Tekesima by KL-based quartet, LUST. As we decided on which albums would make the cut, Sarah endearingly reminisced on how LUST was her gateway into the Malaysian indie music scene. Tekesima is a bright, sunny album with late-2000s indie-pop/rock influences that contrast its darker lyrics.

In an interview with Masses, LUST explains how this album is “…an ode to one’s youthful days filled with hope, recklessness, and wasted time […] a white flag raised to the age of modernity and mundanity,” alluding to the sense of hopelessness and frustration living in the current cybersocial climate.

Sarah talks about how she felt a sense of wonder and belonging the first time she saw them live — fitting the album’s title which roughly translates to “jaw-dropping amazement” from Bahasa Melayu.

Witnessing others genuinely enjoying the music and atmosphere, “It felt like the first time I was letting go, just dancing and moshing… I almost pengsan too,” she laughs.

Reflecting on this core memory, Sarah laments the representation (or lack thereof) of independent local acts with sincere craft and talent who cannot gain recognition as they don’t appeal to the general public. LUST, however, may be a small stepping stone, after having this album reviewed by The Star, Malaysia’s largest circulating newspaper.

Changes – Islands

This isn’t a plug. I even asked Sarah if this album could make the list. There was no second-guessing Changes as a favourite local release of mine, OF COURSE I’m biased but this album truly deserves its flowers.

Subang-based Islands are a shoegaze/indie act with this one release so far. Changes feel like the memory of a sunny day, perhaps as a teenager, with no obligations or worries at hand. Their highest-streaming single, “Fall Into Place” is a broody, dream pop track with ominous guitars on high distortion and hazy reverbs. “Comet” is an anthem for yearning. Sarah and the second vocalist, Izelan Shahier, sing dreamlike vocals together, reminiscent of a 2010s coming-of-age suburban romance film.

The first time I saw Sarah play live, I remember looking up at her on stage with Islands, feeling warm and grateful to have grown up with creative people who pursue what they love, put the work in, and enjoy doing it. Creative expression translates well through sincerity, and Changes is just that.

Pure Heroine – Lorde

I’ve known Sarah for 12 years now. One of the first things I knew about her was how big of a Lorde fan she was so it was a no-brainer that this album would make her list.

“I remember being in school just wishing I was at home so I could listen to Pure Heroine,” she said. “The idea of loving an album so innocently and sincerely, acting on impulse without having to dissect its deeper meaning and relation to everything.”

Sarah believes in art as a form of statement, “Of course it’s important, but it was heartwarming to know I loved that album so much just because of how it made me feel”.

Lorde signed with Universal Music at 13 and released Pure Heroine at 16, winning two Grammy Awards for “Royals” the following year. Sarah describes how Lorde’s music was relatable, being so close in age to her at the time. She elaborates on how it was rare to see young, yet real, teenage emotions being validated and respected, let alone displayed, on a global scale.

The electronica-dreampop record has received universal acclaim over the years from music icons like Dave Grohl and David Bowie, with many younger ones such as Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan and Olivia Rodrigo stating how the album changed their lives.

SAWAYAMA – Rina Sawayama

Japanese-born Rina Sawayama made the rounds online during the release of her debut album, SAWAYAMA in 2020. Gaining notoriety for her innovative pop sound and aesthetic, hype surrounding the album eventually died down over the months after it’s release — but not without accruing a substantial new fanbase.

I didn’t start listening to her until nearly two years after the album’s release. “XS” held a grip on me the moment I heard it for the first time. The lyrics dig at the obscene lavishness that leaves celebrities and the upper echelons blissful in their ignorance. The title is a play on the word “excess” as she sings of “Cartiers and Tesla X’s” whilst also alluding to the unrealistic “ideal” size for women as they perpetually feed into capitalism via the beauty & wellness industry. The instrumentals feature maximalist avant-pop production whilst honouring the popstar women blueprints of the late ’90s and early ’00s.

I was so impressed by how Rina managed to craft a song that immediately tells you what it’s about by poking fun and saying the exact opposite. “STFU!” highlights Rina’s sonic versatility. This nu-metal track recently went viral after Sawayama denounced The 1975 frontman, Matty Healy, who owned a large stake in her label/track masters.

EP – Note/Void

I first discovered Note/Void at a live show at the start of the year. This was my third ever underground gig in Malaysia, with the two previous ones being indie rock acts. I don’t really know how to describe the show — I feel like I kept switching between confusion and awe, having a resting stank face throughout. The band’s Spotify bio describes the experience perfectly, “… like seeing an old Grandpa riding a Zebra on the Old Bentong Road at night !!!”.

A blend of experimental jazz fused with electronica influences, it’s hard to ascribe Note/Void to a specific genre, and maybe that’s just how they should be received. Their only EP, plainly titled EP, is nothing plain at all — it’s actually quite the opposite.

The first track, “Nice – Extended Version” introduces the album with a mischievous bassline and syrupy saxophone harmonies that proceed to take the lead with assertive melodies that belong in a 90’s global village coffeehouse, or Batman: The Animated Series (1992). The first time I heard the track “Jangan Bergerak, Bak Sini I.C !!!” was at their live show. I was (happily) caught off guard by chaotic police sirens on fast rock drums and bass, but in true Note/Void fashion, the song quickly dives into a sneaky jazz breakdown less than a minute into the chaos.

When playing live, their musical ambiguity along with their live presence, shared vision, and consistent feel produces an impressive performance that’s definitely worthwhile. Playing jazz well requires a foundation of disciplined technical precision, and feel above everything. It’s truly not something that can be explained objectively — Note/Void is a prime example of innovation and encouraging play with your musical collaborators.

Listen to their mixtape here: