Seribu Tahun

Song Production, Arrangement and Mix

Prior to Seribu Tahun, my work had primarily focused on English and Mandarin repertoire. This marked my first production for a Malay artist.

I was introduced to Imran Ajman through a mutual friend in 2004. At the time, he was still emerging and had yet to secure a record deal, despite gaining attention within industry circles for his soulful voice. What he needed was a strong demo to present to labels. We agreed to produce a five-song demo, with Seribu Tahun as one of the centrepieces.

The song arrived largely complete from the artist and required minimal songwriting adjustments. Hearing the timeless quality of the melody and the emotional weight in his vocal tone, I chose to approach the production as a modern interpretation of a classic romance ballad.

Development spanned approximately six months. During that period, I revisited the orchestration style of P. Ramlee, a seminal figure in Malay cinema and music. A prolific actor, singer, songwriter and film director, he was instrumental in shaping the golden era of Malay films in the 1950s and 1960s. His romantic ballads were known for their sweeping string arrangements and emotional sincerity. Having grown up admiring his work, I studied his approach to orchestration and storytelling, blending those influences with my classical training to create an arrangement that felt both nostalgic and contemporary.

The song structure was refined to allow the melody and lyrics greater space to breathe, strengthening the narrative arc without altering its essence.

The entire production was created in my home studio at the time, using Logic Pro as the core platform, with primary sound sources from a Yamaha Motif ES8 and a Roland JV-1080. Vocals were recorded across three four-hour sessions, much of that time dedicated to refining melodic phrasing and emotional delivery.

Although originally conceived as a demo, the track was ultimately released in its existing form. Seribu Tahun went on to chart strongly in Singapore and Malaysia, remaining on the charts for over 12 weeks. More than two decades later, it continues to receive regular radio airplay across the region.