About Us

Prior to the bandname 3Belas, the members formed under the bandname Kirana. Kirana band composed 20+ original Malay songs under progressive rock genre. Two songs (Hanya Cinta Cuma Cinta, and Adinda) were professionally recorded at Zariman Studio Gadong, using reel-to-reel tape deck and analogue sound-mixing on a single take. The Kirana song session was known as the Rajawali album, which is by default the first 3Belas demo album for 3Belas. The Rajawali imagery depicted the hybrid between a blue eagle (rajawali) and a peacock.

After a brief stint with Kirana, including performing with the local Battle of the Bands with cover songs for Limp Bizkit, the band evolved into a more progressive funk rock and jazz rock genre. And thus, 3Belas was born.

Early demo sessions were made using double cassette decks circa 2000 and cassette albums were distributed by public interest. With increasingly accessible personal computer and sufficiently decent audio card, 3Belas then evolved into the software Cakewalk Express Version 3 circa 2000 onwards. Cakewalk was one of the earliest digital audio workstation (DAW) that assist in digital song recording. Aside from 3Belas, Shai Omarali recorded digital songs for local bands CoolStuff, No Regrets, and 13^th Project (the alt-band for 3Belas). With mass song creation using Cakewalk, 3Belas started guerilla marketing by releasing and distributing 3 albums in CD format, viz. ‘Kanta Distorsi Merkurius’ c.2000, ‘Suasana, Cinta + Airmata’ c.2001, and ‘Hanya Untuk Seketika’ c.2002. Altogether, the 3 CD collection released 50 songs. 3Belas website was released in 2000 under Yahoo Geocities and cjb.net, and then after in 2001 under www.3belas.com and www.3belas.net.

The first 3 3Belas demo albums were given to recording labels in Malaysia which resulted in offers for discussions. The albums were also handed to Flop Poppy (whom at the time 3Belas alt-band 13^th Project was the opening act to Flop Poppy concert performance in Jerudong Park Ampitheatre) and were responded upon listening with positive reviews. Starting 2003, 3Belas began to take shape, with songs airplayed on national radio channels, radio talkshows and music videos aired on national television channels. ‘Ku Berikan Semua Untukmu’ music video was released under The Orange Room series. With two new members, 3Belas signed an agreement under a recording label, and marketed in 2004. 3Belas performed on stage at Jerudong Park Ampitheatre for songs including ‘Kepadamu Ku Kembali’, and Jerudong Park mini stage as main act, including ‘Sehingga Malamku Terlena’, ‘Dengan Tulus’, ‘Cukup’, and ‘Aku Takkan Jatuh Cinta Lagi’. Songs were widely reviewed and shared globally in personal blogs and community forums.

A fourth demo album was released entitled ‘Hitam Merah’ album, which is an eclectic mix of 18 original songs on experimental and electronic funk rock music, including ‘Toksik V2’ (i.e. 2^nd version), ‘Ib.Id.’ and ‘Jangan Bikin Onar’. The songs were also made publicly available via i-bands and PureVolume. In 2004 and early 2005, 3Belas performed at Jerudong Park Ampitheatre for the songs including ‘Kepadamu Ku Kembali’, and at Jerudong Park Mini Theatre for the songs ‘Sehingga Malamku Terlena’, ‘Dengan Tulus’, ‘Kepadamu Ku Kembali’ and ‘Aku Takkan Jatuh Cinta Lagi’. Both the songs ‘Aku Takkan Jatuh Cinta Lagi’ and ‘Sehingga Malamku Terlena’ were played on radio upon fans requests.

A fifth demo album was developed, entitled ‘B-Sides’ (remastered version is renamed Utopia =/= Distopia), which was literally 16 original songs that never were available online but only in CD format. The last public performance for 3Belas was as one of the opening acts for O.A.G performance with Radhi O.A.G as the mainstage act. 3Belas performed ‘Dengan Tulus’, ‘Toksik V2’ and a cover song viz. GIGI’s ‘1999….Menangis’. The performance was 3Belas last gig in tandem with the entertainment industry having complexities, 3Belas entered a long hiatus with years from 2007 until 2024 has been a solo project with S.O. leaving overseas.

During his first short stint overseas in 2007, he released the ‘XIII’ demo album which comprised of 12 songs. 3Belas also conducted many streamed and music videos on Youtube, releasing music videos like ‘Chakra Sutra’, ‘Mistik+Karma’, ‘Bobo’, ‘Aku Takkan Jatuh Cinta Lagi’. Similarly, 3Belas songs were used as backing track for videos by various video creators on Youtube and Vimeo. Returning back to Brunei in 2008, the intention was to reform 3belas with its new sets of songs.

Inevitably, 3Belas return for a second time overseas for a longer 4-year stay. During the 4+ years, S.O. personally acquired assorted guitars and basses, music and studio instruments and more advanced digital audio workstations including Cubase and Logic Pro. As a result, the next demo album was ‘SAVA’ which was a triple CD album of 45 songs recorded and shared online, followed by the album ‘Planet 13’ in 2016 which comprised of 19 songs including ‘Ini Aku’ and ‘Hanya Kamu’ available as music videos on Youtube. Prior to returning to Brunei, a majority of the instruments were sold to the local community and the audio stems of 3Belas songs were migrated back to Brunei to prepare for the return of 3Belas as the original band.

Parallel to the years of 3Belas solo hiatus, the 3Belas guitarist also ventured as guitarist for other notable impressive bands, including I Mean The Snakes, Not Famous, and currently the influential band Kosmik with its distinctive tones. Being in multiple bands is not uncommon, such as James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins, A Perfect Circle), Corey Taylor (Stone Sour, Slipknot) and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Queen of the Stone Age) as examples.

Upon the first year of returning back in Brunei, S.O. acquired music and studio instruments to prepare for re-recording and mastering the massive collection of existing songs for the previous 7 albums. The objective was poised for returning back to what once 3Belas was, more so with the impressive advancements of audio and music technology. However, despite the urgency to complete what has been an almost 2 decades of stagnant progress, a dire twist of fate intruded the year 2019. The road to recovery exercised caution in living life. Such is the relevance of 3Belas old songs like ‘Ini Aku’ and ‘Sakit’, which profoundly shaped the meaning between the lines; or rather the lyrics. In a way, the album ‘Planet 13’ was an epiphany or a projection of the future; albeit not a serene but a forlorn emotion and feeling that hit home and hit hardest.

Another twist was the Covid-19 pandemic that restricted most means of life from 2020 until 2021; and just when the pandemic restrictions were raised with positive hope of returning back to the 3Belas project a second unexpected blow transpired in 2022. During those years and months prior, the songs on living life to the fullest and embracing the world regardless of hardships and results were brewing. By 2024, this 3Belas project became more and more of a bucket-list than a dream. 18 songs were written during the years of battle, culminated into the latest and most recent demo album ‘Lahirnya Waktu’. This album is not available for public release and is awaiting the actual full-fledged project.

Lahirnya Waktu is a metaphor for being reborn and starting anew, and knowing that life and the earth and the universe evolves in ebbs and flows of time. Souls come and go, but legacies remain. This 3Belas project is to complete a legacy, regardless if the legacy is for the masses or for one individual; for even giving a person is sufficient. 3Belas has always been and always will be. As our self-professed proverb that harked back since 1999, and still closely relevant to our being and belief today, “Damai Untuk Duniawi, Cinta Untuk Manusiawi”. Alhamdulillah for having been given the years in this physical ephemeral world, and we wish you all serene and serendipitous happiness.

With sincerest love and respect,

3BELAS