Rudolf Dethu

Big Durian and Jason Tedjasukmana

When it comes to the person who should be asked about hot spots in the Big Durian, Jason is definitely the one, having lived in Jakarta since the late 90s. He has worked as a presenter on national TV, a correspondent for Time Asia, and many different international travel magazines, and has been the President of Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club since 2008 till today. Having visited lots of places and met many people, Jason knows Jakarta like the back of his hand.

Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: VEROLAND

Edition: October 20, 2010; 8-10 PM

Upcoming R-n-R Exhibition: VEROLAND
Chop-N-Roll: My On-The-Go Playlist

:: Introduction and playlist, written & handpicked by Vero Himself ::

Saya sangat kaget ketika membaca email dari Mr. Dethu kemarin yang mengingatkan saya harus mengirim list lagu-lagu pilihan saya dalam dua hari. Memang beliau sudah meminta saya dari beberapa bulan lalu, tapi somehow ada saja kerjaan yang mengganggu ketika saya mau mulai memilih lagu dari iPod model primitif saya.

Berikut adalah playlist dari on-the-go-2 dalam iPod saya yang layarnya penuh guratan dan bercak oli; sering dipasang di workshop saya, biasa terdengar di antara bunyi batu gerinda yang beradu dengan pipa baja, tumbukan palu yang menghajar plat aluminum setebal 2mm (lebay…).

Keras? Belum tentu, seperti halnya workshop saya yang kadang super berisik tapi kadang sunyi, pilihan musik saya tidak terpatok pada satu genre. Yang penting bagi saya, kadang bisa memompa semangat, tapi kadang juga menurunkan emosi ketika salah satu tukang las salah potong pipa.

Domestic Groove: EKA ANNASH

DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb’s Chosen Nine is my biweekly column in The Beat (Jakarta) mag. Basically it’s an interview via e-mail which focuses on small, intimate, domestic stuff; what Indonesia’s public figures are really into.

For the 29th edition I went upclose-and-personal with Eka Annash.

Raksasa: Laskar Pelangi Indie

• Versi Bahasa Indonesia silakan klik di sini

Raksasa is a new supergroup consisting of indie music movers and shakers: Adi Cumi (frontman of Fable) on vocal, Iman Fattah (Zeke and the Popo, Tika and the Dissidents) on guitar, Bonny Sidharta (Deadsquad) on bass, Pepeng (NAIF) on drums, and delta blues acitivist Adrian Adioetomo on guitar.

Founded in August 2008 by Adib Hidayat, a key figure in Indonesian music scene, Raksasa released their first single in August 2010, “Pesawatku Delay”, and their second in August 2011 called “Insomnia”. Finally their self-titled debut album published on November 26, 2011.

The fast tempo, progressive, yet listenable album consist of nine songs and distributed by demajors. While Adi Cumi himself did the artwork for the album.

Stay updated with Raksasa by frequently visiting their blog http://raksasa.wordpress.com

Superman Is Dead: The Vinyl Frontier

• Versi Bahasa Indonesia silakan klik di sini

Two years after releasing Angels and Outsiders, the punk rock trio from Bali, Superman Is Dead, will be releasing their next album soon in 2011. As a celebration for their 16th year of existence, the group that is predicted by so many music critics to soon become the biggest rock band in Indonesia, will release a “best of” album. The only difference, and unique thing that very few of today’s local bands do, is that the album will be made on vinyl.

Titled 1997-2009, there will only be 1000 copies of the album pressed and it’s also planned to be sold via mail order, among others ways. “Serious fans or avid collectors will go through all the hassle to own this limited album,” said JRX, the drummer of the band. The artwork for the album is going to be rare too, with classic photos of 70′s Kuta, from where SID hail, included.

What are you waiting for? Be a part of history and join their Facebook page and follow their Twitter account for updated news.

Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: DAVID BURDEN

Edition: December 14, 2011

Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: DAVID BURDEN
Best British Songs of the Nineties, Noughties and Beyond

:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, and photos, handpicked and written by David himself ::

As you may have guessed by the title of this list, I’m English. I like tea. I don’t take myself very seriously. I lived in a place called Aberystwyth at university. I used to be an English teacher. I’m terrible at learning other languages. I like bodyboarding. I always wanted to be an angry young man but I’m too happy-go-lucky. I take photographs for a living. I spend too long thinking about things. Tragically, I have at least five different ways of getting on the Internet at my house. I’m a morning person. I like dark comedy. I think music has more power than most people realize. I hate it when auto correct changes realise to realize.

If you think this playlist may seem just a teeny weeny bit nationalistic, you’re probably right (I do love music from all over the world though, honest. I was just struggling to find a theme here). What I think this playlist demonstrates best is that once all the hype has died down and people are off chasing the next big thing, songs can actually be properly appreciated. I think the problem with most music that gets released is an overkill of hype – especially in the UK. Now more than ever the next cool band replaces the last too fast thanks to today’s throwaway culture. A few years down the line and it has become a lot clearer (to me anyway) exactly which ones were five minute fads and which ones I’ll take along with me for the rest of my life.

I thought about putting them into some kind of chronological sequence but that was far too fiddly, so in no particular order, I hope you enjoy my standout tracks from the good old UK from the last 20 years. Let’s hope the next 20 years are equally as fertile. RULE BRITANNIA!

Big shout out to Mr. Dethu and the TBD crew. Cheers!

♬ Radio streaming live: http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls ♫

Fight Night and Fever to Tell

Here’s one brand new band people should watch: Fever To Tell. Formed in early 2010 in Jakarta the group with unique formation, four women one men, has received praise for their dynamic live performance.

Mixing Riot Grrrl 90′s rock—think Bikini Kill—and add 80′s new wave to its element, their first single “Fight Night” gained huge attention from the indie scene and music journalists. Trax FM and OZ Radio Jakarta have played it quite intensively. It’s also used as the main theme song for a short movie, Peron, which is in Belkibolang’s compilation. Not to mention one cool radio program, Substereo in OZ Radio Jakarta, named them as “The Chosen One”.

As new kids on the block, they have been invited to some prestigious live gigs in the capital city of Indonesia such as JavaRockin’Land, Terusik Traxkustik and The Music Network Festival.

Fever To Tell is now compiling material to be included in their first E.P. The band is planning to start recording in January 2012. Keep yourself updated by visiting their website www.fevertotellband.blogspot.com

Domestic Groove: RAS MUHAMAD

DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb’s Chosen Nine is my biweekly column in The Beat (Jakarta) mag. Basically it’s an interview via e-mail which focuses on small, intimate, domestic stuff; what Indonesia’s public figures are really into.

For the 28th edition I went upclose-and-personal with Ras Muhamad.

Ini Waktunya

Setelah absen kurang lebih empat tahun, Ballads of the Cliché siap meluncurkan rilisan terbaru. Sebuah album penuh sedang direncanakan. Untuk mengawalinya, mereka baru saja merilis sebuah single digital yang dibagikan secara gratis via dunia maya berjudul “Ini Waktunya”.

Silakan masuk ke halaman utama untuk mengunduhnya.