As the trio made music and played gigs, they quickly gained popularity. Their contribution for the J.K.T.S.K.R.G compilation from Aksara Records marked the need for a drummer and bass player. At this point, the band had felt that their music had grown from a 3 piece sound based band to a spacey, ambient layered analog band. Thus, they asked Amir (a.k.a Kuro) to play drums, and Yudi (a.k.a Sideburns) to play bass. In November 2003, the five of them performed together for the first time in Aksara Bookstore in Kemang.
In 2005, ZATPP (as the band is also known) contributed 3 of their pieces to the soundtrack of the film "Joni's Promise", including a song called “Mighty Love” which was credited to their alter-ego band Salvatore Mamadou. The film became a major success, causing a huge surge in popularity for ZATPP. In March 2005, ZATPP released their first EP, “Unrescued World”. This EP, with a total of four songs, sold out very quickly after it was released. The popularity of "Unrescued World" generated a lot of buzz, and large numbers of followers. Zeke and the Popo went on to perform at “Les Voila 2005”, in Bandung, Indonesia, which also featured some prominent local acts like Mocca and the S.I.G.I.T.
In November 2006, ZATPP once again contributed a song to the original soundtrack of “6:30”, a film directed by Rinaldy Puspoyo. ZATPP performed with their contemporaries, NAIF and Pure Saturday, at the official movie launch. Aside from being a central part of ZATPP, Zeke was also a composer of a film score and a music director of “KALA”, directed by Joko Anwar (Director of "Joni's Promise".) Zeke also directed the Space in the Headlines’ music video, following a film education in London. As of 2007, Zeke has successfully launcheda “KALA” original soundtrack along with the Zeke and the Popo debut album, “Space in the Headlines” under Black Morse Records. The first single released from the “KALA” original soundtrack was “Hope Killer”, which is also recognized as the teaser for “Space in the Headlines”. In Space in the Headlines, ZATPP offers richer and more organic sounds compared to their previous EP. However, for listeners, it wouldn't be hard to recognize the trademark spacey soundscape that bas become ZATPPesque. Zeke and the Popo is known throughout the local independent music scene because of their unique sound, arrangements, and stage act. They always have brought along their own visual for display each time they perform, which helps people remember them as a one-of-a-kind visual sound band.
Mighty Love
Zeke and the Popo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I guess its time to let love
And throw your anesthetic piece of heart
You built for long
Smack my face and you will see
This piece will never be free
Oh please somebody
Connect me back into reality
This mighty love
Strictly from the bottom
Simply from the head
This mighty love
Strictly from the bottom
Simply from the head
Wasn't made by human hand
It simply devil's master plan
Aint got no mother father sister
What the bloody hell is it?
She's the queen of libertines
A cross of sex and good machine
A modest words of love
In turn she pressed a fucking charge
On me
This mighty love
Strictly from the bottom
Simply from the head
This mighty love
Strictly from the bottom
Simply from the head
I miss the sun while I'm in here
I fought my mind and my needs
I found out there are more to stake than just to scratch your back
I laid down there for awhile, the bee will never stung me
The place I stand will let you know my full immunity
The lyrics to Zeke and the Popo's song "Mighty Love" are complex and multi-layered, exploring the concept of an all-encompassing, almost divine kind of love. The first verse urges the listener to move past any emotional barriers or defenses they've built up and to let themselves truly love another person. The second verse introduces the idea that this kind of love transcends human understanding - it wasn't made by human hands, but rather by a "devil's master plan." The third verse introduces a female figure who is both sexually liberated and powerful, with the ability to both inspire love in others and also to charge them with wrongdoing.
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to fully embrace love in all its forms - the joy and connection it can bring, as well as the vulnerability and potential for pain that comes with it. It also touches on the idea that love may be a force beyond our comprehension, something that we can't fully control or understand.
Line by Line Meaning
Drop a penny throw a stone
Let's start doing something, anything, to bring about a change
I guess its time to let love
It's time to open ourselves up to the possibility of love
And throw your anesthetic piece of heart
Let go of the numbness and emotional detachment we've been holding onto
You built for long
The emotional barrier we've erected has been in place for a long time
Smack my face and you will see
Even physical pain won't break through the emotional armor we've built
This piece will never be free
The emotional barriers will not simply disappear on their own
Oh please somebody
We need someone to help us break free from our emotional detachment
Connect me back into reality
Help us reconnect with the world and with our emotions
This mighty love
The overwhelming and powerful force of love
Strictly from the bottom
This love comes from deep within us, from our very core
Simply from the head
But it's also a mental and emotional experience
Wasn't made by human hand
This love is something beyond human creation
It simply devil's master plan
It's as if the devil himself has designed this powerful force
Aint got no mother father sister
This love has no origin story or known source
What the bloody hell is it?
We're not quite sure what this love really is
She's the queen of libertines
This love embodies freedom and unbounded passion
A cross of sex and good machine
It's a blend of raw physical attraction and pure goodness
A modest words of love
Despite its immense power, love can be expressed through simple, humble words
In turn she pressed a fucking charge
But expressing love can also lead to unexpected and powerful consequences
On me
The consequences of expressing love have affected me personally
I miss the sun while I'm in here
Being stuck in emotional detachment feels like being stuck in the shadows
I fought my mind and my needs
I've struggled to reconcile my emotional detachment with my own needs
I found out there are more to stake than just to scratch your back
There's more to life than just satisfying our own immediate desires
I laid down there for awhile, the bee will never stung me
In our emotional detachment, we were safe from the pain of rejection or heartbreak
The place I stand will let you know my full immunity
But now, we're ready to open ourselves up and be vulnerable, and that willingness to love fully shows our true strength
Contributed by Lucas F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.