Peterpan

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Peterpan is a multi-award winning Indonesian pop rock band, named after Peter Pan. The band originally consisted of six members, known as Andika, Indra, Ariel, Uki, Loekman, and Reza, the first two of which have since left the band. Peterpan are well known in Indonesia for their simple lyrics, catchy beats, and Ariel's voice.

Formation
In 1997 keyboardist Andika (Andika Naliputra Wirahardja) formed a school band in Bandung, Indonesia. The band was called Topi, with guitarist Uki (Mohammad Kautsar Hikmat), vocalist Ariel (Nazril Irham), bass player Abel, and drummer Ari. They mainly played Brit Alternative rock until Ari withdrew from the group, and Topi broke up.

Andika regrouped former members of Topi in 2000. The drummer was replaced by Reza (Ilsyah Ryan Reza), a college student from Palu. Loekman (Loekman Hakim), a friend of Indra's elder brother, joined as their lead guitarist. Andika suggested Peterpan as the name for the band. Other names they considered were Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, and X-Men. The band was formally founded on September 1, 2000. Peterpan played on Bandung streets and gigged in cafés, with the goal of becoming a house band in one of the city's cafés. They often covered pop and rock songs (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Coldplay, U2, Creed, etc.) at O'Hara and Sapu Lidi cafés.

Recording
It was at Sapu Lidi that the band was spotted by Noey, a producer who planned to release a compilation album. Peterpan recorded three demo songs: "Sahabat" (Best Friend), "Mimpi yang Sempurna" (A Perfect Dream), and "Taman Langit" (Sky Garden). "Mimpi yang Sempurna" was chosen for the album, titled Kisah 2002 Malam (The Story of 2002 Nights). The album was commercially successful, selling a respectable 150,000 copies, and "Mimpi yang Sempurna" was given heavy rotation on Indonesian radio.

Musica, Indonesia's top major label, offered Peterpan a contract, and in June 2003 their debut album Taman Langit (Sky Garden) was released. Their second album Bintang Di Surga (A Star in Heaven) was released in August 2004, selling 350,000 copies in two weeks. By the end of 2005, it had sold a remarkable 2.7 million copies.

Their third album was released in September 2005, the soundtrack for the Rexinema movie Alexandria. The album was titled Menunggu Pagi (Waiting for Dawn) and the formal release was covered simultaneously by Indonesia's six top national TV stations. The soundtrack album included five new songs for the film and renditions of five of their songs from Bintang Di Surga. Peterpan collaborated with veteran Indonesian pop singer Chrisye on the song "Menunggumu" (Waiting For You), which was then used as the theme song for the Indonesian soap opera Liontin.

Changes
In November 2006, Andika and Indra split with the rest of the band, with both sides citing musical differences. According to Ariel, there were problems since the making of their first album. Indra had also just lost his child. Andika and Indra joined a new band named The Titans, and signed with international label EMI Music Indonesia, releasing a self-titled album and a single "Rasa Ini" (This Feeling).

In 2007 the remaining members of Peterpan released the album Hari Yang Cerah (A Bright Day), which failed to sell even as well as their debut.

The agreement under which Andika and Indra left the band allowed the remaining members to continue using the name Peterpan through the end of 2008. In early 2008 the band announced that they would be changing their name, stating that their 2008 studio album Sebuah Nama Sebuah Cerita (One Name, One Story) would be their last under the name Peterpan. The album itself is comprised mostly of popular hits from the band's history, with four new songs; "Walau Habis Terang" (Though Low Light), "Kisah Cintaku" (My Love Story), and "Dilema Besar" (Big Dilemma), and "Tak Ada Yang Abadi" (Nothing Is Eternal).

The quartet continues to perform.

Awards
Peterpan received a number of awards in the mid-2000s. From Indonesia's Surya Citra Televisi they were awarded Most Popular New Band in 2004; Most Popular Song, Band, and Pop Album by a Group in 2005; and Most Popular Pop Album by a Group in 2006. They received MTV Asia Awards for Favourite Indonesian Artist in 2005 and 2006. In the Indonesian AMI awards 2005, Peterpan won Best Pop Group, Best Pop Song, Best Alternative Group, Best Alternative Album, and Best Album Production.