5 Things That Inspired Open Privacy’s Debut EP Noises &

Open Privacy are the rare new band that seems to have arrived fully formed: distinct sound, considered aesthetic, a sense of exactly who they are and who they’re not. They recently released their debut EP, Noises & and its release party, happening on the 10th of April at Petai Belalang, is the first proper document of that identity.

Here, their primary songwriter and vocalist, Haqim Danial offers glimpses of the references and aesthetic visuals that shaped Open Privacy.

“Jam In The Van” YouTube Series

Honestly, I would be nothing without this series. I discovered so many bands through it that I still follow to this day — Cherry Glazerr, The Paranoyds, The Gardens, Tijuana Panthers, just to name a few. I think Open Privacy’s music captures the spirit of that show.

Technicolor

Every song I write comes with a visual in my head. And what better way to render that than in Technicolor? I imagine a slacker in Los Angeles, circa the 60s, cruising down the beach in his camper van with “The Interstate” playing in the background.

Under the Silver Lake (2018)

Secret codes, pop culture, Hollywood, conspiracy, cults and Andrew Garfield in a neo-noir mystery. Everything I love is in this film. A lot of those elements found their way into the songs, both lyrically and musically, consciously and subconsciously.

Graphic Design

Sometimes I wrote a song just as an excuse to design a cover for it.

Sing Street (2016)

Ever since I first watched this film, all I wanted was to be in a band. Getting to take all these ideas and riffs I’d quietly hummed into my phone and brought them to life with Afiq, Zaki and Arif. It felt exactly like one of the scenes from that movie. Well, minus Lucy Boynton.