Rudolf Dethu

Blantika | Linimasa: Musik Bali yang Menyimpang

Rudolf Dethu — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:35:42 +0000

Dengan semangat "harus jadi" dan membuat tenggat waktu rilis bertepatan dengan event yang dipersiapkan, maka jadilah buku ini. Motivasinya adalah mencatat, mendokumentasikan segala wara-wiri musik-musik non-tradisional Bali. Rudolf Dethu dan tim penulisnya: Anton Muhajir, Alfred Pasifico, dan Gede Roby Supriyanto sukses menyajikannya dalam sekitar 100 halaman yang penuh dengan informasi menarik skena musik Pulau Dewata dari dekade-dekade silam hingga sekarang.

Sebagaimana kota-kota atau pun pulau-pulau lainnya di Indonesia, Bali punya keunikan dan sejarahnya yang tersendiri (sebutlah agama dan kepercayaan, adat istiadat, pesona alam dan ragam pantai, tempat tujuan turis yang mahsyur, hingga peristiwa Bom Bali) yang menjadikan musik non-tradisional di sana tercipta dan menyebar dengan cara-caranya—berpadu dengan hal-hal global seperti teknologi membuat musik, politik dan pembajakan musik Indonesia, trend musik dunia dan MTV, juga internet—hingga menampakkan ciri-ciri khasnya yang memberikan keberagaman pada musik Nasional dan dunia. Buku ini mencatatnya dengan gaya yang telanjang, membeberkannya lugas dan menyeluruh. Jelas bukan sedang berlebihan mengagungkan kedaerahan belaka, kita tahu penggagas buku Rudolf Dethu terlalu keren untuk terjebak di situ.

Pemetaan dan tata kalimatnya apik. Runut. Personal. Menggairahkan. Tentang informasi, banyak hal yang belum saya ketahui. Buku ini jelas menjawab dengan mujarab, bahkan pada pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang belum kita ajukan.

Dengan lahir dan besar di Jakarta, dan katakanlah "generasi 1990-an", geliat musik non-tradisional Bali yang saya kenal hanya segelintir. Paling-paling seputar "Bali Vanilli" di masa saya kecil (dan tidak ngeh bahwa punggawa MIDI, Igor Tamerlan sevisionaris itu), perhelatan bawah tanah "Total Uyut" yang bisa dibaca di fanzine terbitan Jakarta "Brainwash" pada sekitar 1996, Superman Is Dead dan "gelombang rockabilly Made in Bali", skena black metal yang gembur, dan hal-hal di era internet pada 2000-an. Buku ini telah membobol jendela, dengan bab-bab singkat yang efisien, membuat saya membaca hingga selesai dan langsung membuka laptop untuk segera menulis resensi ringkas ini di tengah satu hari biasa mencari nafkah di Ibu Kota.

BLANTIKA| LINIMASA tidak bisa dilihat terbit hanya karena, umpamanya, Superman Is Dead terbukti menjadi salah satu band rock terbesar di Indonesia dan festival-festival tercium makin marak diadakan di Bali, tapi kesungguhan attitude untuk melakukan riset dan pencatatan, didukung kemampuan menulis dan penyuntingan yang sedap dibaca. Di mana peristiwa politik, sosial, alam, teknologi, yang "asing" dan "lokal", serta masing-masing manusia dan hubungan antar talenta yang saling memberi pengaruh pada musik dan lirik, pada komunikasi, pada budaya, pada konflik tradisi bagi kaum tertentu, pada hasrat individu-individu lainnya.

Menuju kalimat terakhir sampul belakang buku tertulis: "BLANTIKA|LINIMASA diharapkan akan mengundang upaya serupa di daerah lain. Sebab sejarah hanya milik mereka yang menulis". Membaca segenap buku ini, kesepakatan saya jatuh bersama harapan itu. Bayangkan jika kita bisa membaca hal serupa dari Sumatera sampai Papua. Tenang, saya tak sampai hati untuk menutup tulisan ini dengan jargon "Jaya terus musik Indonesia". Melainkan hal sederhana, tentang bagaimana cara kalian bisa memesan buku esensial ini; silakan kirim email berjudul "Pesan B|L" ke rudolfdethu@rudolfdethu.com.

Selamat menikmati, dan bersulang.

Judul buku: BLANTIKA| LINIMASA Kaleidoskop Musik Non-Trad Bali Sejak Lahir-Tumbuh Kembang- Berdiri - Pingsan- Berdiri Lagi-Menolak Mati
Konseptor dan Editor: Rudolf Dethu
Tim Penulis: Alfred Pasifico Ginting, Anton Muhajir, Gede Roby Supriyanto
Penerbit: matamerabook, 2011

*Resensi ini ditulis oleh Harlan Boer, dipinjampakai—dengan segala hormat—dari Majalah Cobra edisi online rilisan 13 Desember 2011. Untuk edisi otentiknya silakan klik di sini

cogitaINTIMA: Blantika | Linimasa

Rudolf Dethu — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:11:29 +0000

Halaman: 111
Penerbit: matamera book (2011)
Bahasa: Indonesia
ISBN: 978-602-19560-0-7

"Ini dokumentasiku. Mana dokumentasimu?!" Demikian Rudolf Dethu berseru dengan angkuh, dalam bukunya yang berjudul "BLANTIKA | LINIMASA: Kaleidoskop Musik Non-Trad Bali". Barangkali, sambil menenggak segelas Jim Beam.

Tapi ada benarnya juga. Dokumentasi musik Indonesia memang sangat minim, jika tidak mau disebut nyaris nihil. Bangsa ini, yang belakangan semakin kelihatan cerewet di ranah media sosial, ternyata masih terus mewarisi kebodohan nenek moyangnya: enggan menuliskan sejarah. Padahal, seperti yang juga ditulis Rudolf Dethu dalam buku ini, sejarah milik orang yang menulis.

Dalam 111 halamannya, "Blantika | Linimasa" mengisahkan perjalanan musik non-tradisional Bali periode 1960-2000. Lengkap tertuang di dalamnya adalah kisah perubahan corak musik yang digemari masyarakat Bali, pergantian musisi yang jadi idola di setiap era, dan bagaimana insan bisnis musik Bali menyikapi itu semua.

Sangat menarik, setidaknya bagi saya yang memang buta soal sejarah musik Bali (bukan berarti saya tidak sama butanya soal sejarah musik Indonesia), membaca bahwa orang Bali ternyata sangat menggemari musik pop Mandarin yang mendayu-dayu. Tak kurang dari dua dekade lamanya, dari awal '80-an hingga akhir '90-an musik Bali dikuasai oleh dua sosok penting pengusung aliran ini: Yong Sagita dan Widi Widiana.

Sampai kemudian hadir Lolot, band rock yang menyanyikan lagu-lagu keras berbahasa Bali…

Rupanya generasi muda Bali, yang kala itu menginjak usia remaja yang penuh pemberontakan, dan tentu saja sudah demikian banyak bergesekan dengan budaya Barat yang dibawa oleh turis, merasa Lolot memainkan sound yang mereka inginkan. Mereka mendapat idola baru, yang jauh berbeda dari idola para orang tuanya.

Bagi generasi muda Bali kala itu, musik Lolot yang keras dan blak-blakan jelas lebih keren ketimbang Yong Sagita ataupun Widi Widiana yang mengharu biru.

Diceritakan juga bagaimana kemudian metal (dengan berbagai sub-genre yang untuk membedakan satu dengan lainnya itu dibutuhkan IQ yang tinggi), punk (dengan jagoannya yang sekarang jadi ikon nasional: Superman is Dead), grunge (dengan Navicula sebagai perwakilan, yang kebetulan vokalisnya juga menjadi penulis dalam buku ini), dan segala macam aliran musik keras lainnya turut berkembang di Bali. Tidak hanya di panggung-panggung underground, melainkan juga di panggung-panggung besar tingkat propinsi dan televisi lokal.

Bahkan penjualan album aliran musik itu pun boleh dikata luar biasa! Tentu saja, sebelum hadirnya era digital di pertengahan 2000-an yang merupakan surga bagi fans musik brengsek yang cinta produk-produk bajakan berharga murah, atau malah gratis.

Bom Bali, studio dan produser mumpuni, hingga cafe-cafe legendaris (diantaranya adalah Kayu Api) tempat musik Bali mendapatkan energi kreatif tingkat internasionalnya, semua mendapatkan porsi yang cukup dalam buku ini. Semua ditulis dengan ringkas dan cukup enak dibaca.

Benarlah kiranya tagline buku ini yang semula saya kira hanyalah gurauan orang mabuk: "Sejak lahir - tumbuh kembang - berdiri - pingsan - berdiri lagi - menolak mati".

Rupanya memang begitulah perkembangan musik non-tradisional di Bali. Dinamis. Tak henti berubah bentuk, mengikuti perkembangan jaman.

Semoga saja tidak muncul tagline lanjutan dikemudian hari yang berbunyi: "… - akhirnya mati beneran!"

Catatan: buku ini bisa dibeli dengan menghubungi langsung akun @rudolfdethu via Twitter

*Artikel ini dipinjam—dengan segala hormat—dari blog berikut: http://cogitaintima.blogspot.com/2012/01/blantika-linimasa.html

Gerakan Itu Bernama Bali Creative Festival

Rudolf Dethu — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:49:41 +0000

Bahkan sebelum kami yang diundang untuk menghadiri Bali Creative Festival 2011 mendarat di Bali, kami sudah menemukan kata kunci itu, auto-pilot. Kata itu kami temukan ketika membahas sebuah kondisi di mana musik, seni rupa, literature dan penerbitan serta banyak bagian industri kreatif di Indonesia—apapun definisi dari industri kreatif—bisa berkembang dan maju tanpa, atau dengan sedikit, peran negara. Banyak dari kita yang cukup puas dengan misalnya jika negara tidak menghalangi jalan bagi kemajuan industri kreatif dengan tidak mempersulit masalah perizinan dan hanya membangun infrastruktur, yang memang sudah menjadi kewajiban mereka. Ide dan inisiatif adalah adalah hal terakhir yang bisa datang dari birokrasi karena mereka memang mereka seharusnya menjadi lambat, korup, serta tidak cukup memiliki imajinasi.

Dan ketika kami sudah sampai di Sanur dan ada di tengah-tengah hingar bingar Bali Creative Festival, yang mendapat dukungan penuh dari Departemen Perdagangan, kami tetap belum mau untuk segera menanggalkan tesis kami bahwa negara sedang berada dalam kondisi auto pilot ketika berhubungan dengan industri kreatif. Mungkin karena festival tersebut di jalankan oleh provokator skena musik Bali, Rudolf Dethu—serta rekan-rekan aktivis seni Bali—yang memang sangat counterculture itu, maka suasana indie dan hip itu begitu terasa.

Atau mungkin juga karena line-up pembicara yang memang kebanyakan adalah entitas-entitas kreatif partikelir yang sedikit atau banyak telah secara berhasil membangun gerakan swadaya di bidang industri kreatif dengan penuh gelora inovasi. Gerakan-gerakan yang kebanyakan berskala kecil dan medium; mulai dari Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, Common Room Network, Social Media Festival, komunitas desainer grafis Indonesia, komunitas pengembang dan pembangun mobile games, Seaman’s Club yang membela hak-hak para pelaut dengan memberi advokasi serta kegiatan budaya, aktivis film dokumenter Daniel Ziv yang sekarang sedang mengerjakan film dokumenter Jalanan, sutradara film musik independen Vincent Moon—yang juga membuat klip untuk band uber hip kota New York The National—dan Ibu Robin Lim dengan gerakan klinik melahirkan yang aman itu. (Disclaimer: Jakartabeat.net termasuk yang diundang untuk berbicara tentang membangun jaringan untuk media alternatif)

Pada malam hari di tampilkan di sebuah panggung yang besar untuk menunjukkan band-band Bali yang multi-genre dan multi-gaya, yang tentu akan butuh waktu yang sangat lama untuk di tulis oleh media-media di Jakarta, band-band kebanggaan Bali semacam Nostress, Bintang, Dialog Dini Hari serta dua pahlawan Bali Superman Is Dead dan Navicula tentu saja. Di depan arena pertunjukan musik, disiapkan sebuah apa yang bisa dikatakan sebagai commune, yang saya bayangkan sebagai apa yang terjadi ketika eksperimen tanpa kelas dan surga komunalisme itu memang pada akhirnya bisa tercipta. Sebaris ruangan dari gedung yang yang sudah kosong dan mulai rapuh disulap menjadi arena di mana kolektif seni dan aktivis sosial di Bali bisa bermain-main memproduksi karya seni musik, instalasi, mural, poster, pertanian organis atau hanya sekadar mempertunjukkan kemampuan bermain skateboard. Malam, segera setelah Bali Creative Festival usai, dengan musik ramuan dari DJ Indra Tujuh, diselimuti poster bergaya Taring Padi dan gambar cukil, ramuan lampu psikedelik dari instalasi seniman-seniman multimedia lokal, di tambah dengan konsumsi minuman organis maupun non-organis dari Bali, siapapun yang hadir sulit untuk tidak membayangkan ini sebagai sebuah perwujudan utopia komunal itu.

Perjumpaan dengan banyak pengunjung pembicara di festival ini membuka mata kami bahwa terlepas dari silang sengkarut politik, korupsi, dan hilangnya sebagian dari kemanusiaan kita, Indonesia masih memiliki anak muda serta manusia-manusia kreatif. Mereka yang selalu memandang ke depan dan berfikir bahwa hal-hal baik masih bisa diciptakan tanpa selalu untuk mendapatkan imbalan uang dan koneksi politik. Terus terang, saya terlambat untuk mengetahui kalau di Yogyakarta, tepatnya di wilayah Condong Catur terdapat cluster anak-anak muda, para programmer dan grafis desainer yang menciptakan industri yang sangat kreatif. Anak-anak muda inilah menciptakan game-game mobile yang kemudian di jual melalui app store yang kemudian mendarat di telephone pintar anda. Dalam sebuah presentasi mereka di awal Minggu pagi, di Bali! Dengan bercanda searing perwakilan dari mereka menyebut kawasan di mana mereka bekerja sebagai "Condong Catur Valley", memplesetkan pusat industri pintar berbasis Internet di Silicon Valley. Yang lebih mengharukan bukan hanya capaian dari para pembicara, namun juga para peserta, mereka yang baru mulai dengan coding dan grafik desain, anak-anak muda Bali yang begitu antusias datang dan dengan semangat bertanya tentang kepada siapa mereka bisa menjual game ciptaan mereka.

Kurang lebih jam delapan malam di hari Sabtu, ruangan begitu penuh ketika sebuah tim gabungan dari Jakarta dan Bandung memberikan presentasi tentang bagaimana menciptakan animasi bergerak dengan desain grafis. Mungkin mereka menunggu penampilan Mosidik dari Stand Up Comedy namun mereka nampak tidak berkedip ketika menyaksikan animasi bergerak yang membuaikan mata dan telinga karya Isha Hening dan kawan-kawan. Siang hari di sebuah sesi yang sangat berat, mengingat bersamaan dengan jam tidur siang, ruangan hampir penuh bahkan untuk tema perbincangan yang hampir abstrak tentang bagaimana menggunakan jaringan sosial untuk membangun perubahan. Janet De Neefe dari Ubud Writers and Readers Festival membagi pengalaman bagaimana pentingnya sinergi antara ide dan niat baik dengan didukung kekuatan sponsor dari pihak swasta. Shafiq Pontoh dari salingsilang.com meyakinkan kami semua bahwa media sosial seperti Twitter dan Facebook tidak hanya menghasilkan noise serta sampah dari retweet dan status update yang terlalu sering, namun juga bisa efektif menjadi sarana membangun gerakan sosial yang efektif, sepanjang cause dan ide yang diperjuangkan memang memiliki bobot. (Setelah mengikuti sesi ini, saya ingin segera membeli telepon pintar supaya bisa menciptakan perubahan secara lebih cepat). Apa yang dikemukakan oleh Shafiq itu kemudian cocok dengan pengalaman Common Room Network dari Bandung dan Jakartabeat dalam menggunakan Internet, social media, blog, e-mail, mailing-list untuk membangun jaringan penulis, aktivis, pembaca yang kemudian secara aktif berkontribusi dalam memajukan gerakan budaya alternatif.

Kejutan terbesar adalah tentu saja fakta bahwa acara ini diselengarakan di Bali. Sebelum acara dimulai Jakartabeat sempat berbicara dengan penggiat kesenian di Bali yang merasakan betapa mencekiknya warisan budaya lama Bali yang dalam banyak hal membelenggu generasi muda yang memilih melihat masa depan sebagai sintesis antara yang lama dan yang baru atau yang sama sekali baru. "kesenian itu bukan batu, namun yang sering kami jumpai adalah pemuda dengan pakaian tradisional yang menutup jalan" demikian ucapnya. Saya bayangkan pemuda penutup jalan itu adalah pemuda penjaga keamanan yang menutup jalan untuk ritual tradisional. Saya tidak tahu persis apa maksud dari pernyataan rekan dari Bali tersebut, namun ada nada tidak sabar untuk Bali segera beranjak dari pra-konsepsi dan stereotype moi indie dengan pantai yang cantik, perempuan berkemben membawa sesaji dan siluet pura yang selalu menjadi latar.

Bali Creative Festival adalah upaya untuk membawa Bali ke masa depan. Saya hanya menduga bahwa upaya tersebut adalah untuk mempersiapkan Bali untuk masuk ke sebuah masa post-exoticism di mana turis datang ke Bali tidak hanya untuk pantai indah, souvenir murah, upacara adat serta budaya tradisional semata. Dan jika itu adalah alasannya, banyak kota lain di Indonesia selayaknya harus memiliki festival-festival kreatif semacam ini. Dan jika negara tidak bisa membantu membidani lahirnya industri kreatif paling tidak mereka bisa mendukung acara semacam ini di banyak daerah. Itu lebih dari cukup.

*Artikel ini ditulis oleh Taufiq Rahman, dipinjampakai—dengan segala hormat—dari Jakartabeat.net dan tayang pertama kali pada 1 Desember 2011. Untuk melihat artikel aslinya silakan klik di sini

Roman Foot Soldiers: Waterfront

Rudolf Dethu — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:28:31 +0000

↓ For English version please scroll down

Label yang belakangan sedang naik daun akibat deretan artisnya yang terseleksi dengan baik, Sinjitos Records, kembali menampilkan muka relatif baru: Roman Foot Soldiers.

Sekitar sebulan lalu kelompok pengusung pop/electronic ini baru saja merilis videoklip untuk lagu "Waterfront" yang notabene adalah juga single utama untuk mini album bebas unduh mereka, Kitsilano. "Waterfront" berkisah tentang sebuah kondisi dimana seorang yang ingin mencari keselamatan justru berujung dipaksa menjadi si penyelamat. Suatu keadaan yang tidak diharapkan akan terjadi. Di sisi lain tembang ini pula berusaha merefleksikan perasaan saat sedang berlayar di laut lepas.

Videoklip "Waterfront" merupakan hasil kolaborasi antara duo dedengkot fashion ibukota, Nicoline Patricia Malina dengan Anindita Saryuf. Sementara Joseph Saryuf, suami Dita, bertindak sebagai produser lagu "Waterfront". Disebutkan bahwa Joseph sukses mematangkan arahan musikal Roman Foot Soldiers. Eksplorasi bebunyian, tata suara, pola dan aransemen lagu tergambar dengan jelas dari berbagai "perjalanan" yang terdapat di lagu ini, dengan tujuan mengilustrasikan berbagai macam perasaan tersebut. Bergerak dari sebuah verse yang menggambarkan perasaan bimbang dan mengawang tanpa arah, lagu ini kemudian menuju ke bagian chorus yang ceria, mengilustrasikan perasaan terlepas dari kondisi yang kurang menyenangkan.

Roman Foot Soldiers sendiri sejatinya telah berdiri sejak 2005. Dibentuk di Vancouver, Kanada, oleh 6 mahasiswa Indonesia yang sedang berkuliah di sana. Nama Roman Foot Soldiers dipilih sebagai bendera akibat kesukaan Tim Matindas (biduan), Gogor Yudo (gitar), Prianka Bukit (gitar), Reza Adhitama (bas), Josh Hartana (keyboard & synth), dan Luky Ginting (drum), terhadap epos film perang serta kesetiakawanan. Keseriusan mereka nge-band makin bertambah ketika masuk 3 besar festival di negara bagian British Columbia, UBC Battle of the Bands, yang kala itu diikuti oleh lebih dari 50 kontestan. Pada musim panas 2010 sextet ini akhirnya pulang ke Nusantara setelah menyelesaikan kuliah masing-masing.

Silakan berselancar ke YouTube demi menyimak "Waterfront" serta kunjungi secara berkala halaman Facebook page Roman Foot Soldiers untuk memperoleh kabar termutakhir dari mereka.

English version

Sinjitos Records, an established Indonesian record label, has signed a new band: Roman Foot Soldiers.

Around a month ago this pop/electronic collective released a videoclip for "Waterfront", the main single for their free download EP, Kitsilano. The video clip is directed by a collaborative duo of Nicoline Patricia Malian and Anindita Saryuf, both are know as key people in fashion. Anindita’s husband, Joseph Saryuf, acted as the producer of the song.

The Roman Foot Soldiers themselves actually came together in 2005 as a six Indonesian university students while they studied in Vancouver, Canada. They became more confident doing their act after they got into the big three of University of British Columbia’s Battle of the Bands. In summer 2010, after finishing college, they all decided to go back to Indonesia and worked together with Sinjitos Records in Jakarta.

Keep yourself updated by joining the Roman Foot Soldiers Facebook page.

*This article was firstly published on The Beat (Jakarta) #56, Jan 23 - Feb 05, 2012
*Photos by Andre Wiredja

Dethu and His Non-Traditional Music Bible

Rudolf Dethu — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 03:12:29 +0000

A new book telling the story of non-traditional music in Bali over the past four decades was released and launched at Antida Arts in Sanur last weekend. The book called Blantika | Linimasa (Scene | Timeline) is curated and edited by local rock 'n' roll luminary, long-time beat magazine contributor and former Superman is Dead manager, Rudolf Dethu. It's written in Bahasa by a group of writers; Alfred Pacifico Ginting, Anton Muhajair, Gede Roby Supriyanto and Dethu, and looks into the way that pop, rock and every other modern music form, outside the traditional Balinese music sphere, has evolved on the island. There have been many highs and lows on the way to where local music finds itself now but has it actually made it all the way?

We asked Dethu, to begin with, whether it has been easy for non-traditional music forms to find a foothold in the local music scene.
Dethu: It's never been easy. Especially due to almost no support from the government. The government focused more on traditional arts—gamelan and all that—rather than modern music (they are scared this form of art will be gone soon if they don't support it). So basically the non-traditional music could live and survive simply by the support from public enthusiasm, young people to be precise. This pop culture has never been taken seriously. Meanwhile young people, most of them felt sick to be dictated to respect the old tradition. They want something different, something that really represents them, something cool, not boring, up to date, which they find it in pop culture, modern music.

Where did the original music scene (people playing their own music and not doing covers) first spring up, Denpasar or Kuta?
Dethu: Denpasar. In 1970s there was already a band called, Band Putra Dewata. According to one source, they even sold 100 thousand albums (with their original songs) during their heyday. And in the late 90s there was this underground scene—yes, original songs also—which was responded to enthusiastically by the young audience of Denpasar. Not long after that, the underground scene expanded to Kuta. Firstly started by The Beat mag with its legendary Beat Rock Fest, in 2001, if I'm not mistaken. It was historical because never before local bands with original songs were allowed or welcome to play at clubs in Kuta/Seminyak. The first Beat Rock Fest at now-defunct Aina Bar was historic.

You've done your research on the matter. Who was the first original band to have success on the island?
Dethu: As I mentioned earlier, it was Band Putra Dewata. Could sell, according to "Bali Menggugat" book by Putu Setia, 100 thousand copies. But the first band who succesfully broke national mainstream success was Superman Is Dead (which I used to manage).

Are there any particular parts of the book that stand out for you? Like, people, stories or moments that stick out in your mind?
Dethu: I personally like the pages of Balibali mostly because after I dug deeper, I found so many interesting facts. I guess the general public will also be surprised to finally discover what really was going on back in the day in Balibali world. Oh, I'm not saying that the Balinesia part isn't interesting. It's just because I'm the insider so I pretty much know what's going on.

Do you think there is a reason why punk rock has had so much traction over the years in Denpasar? And are there any changes happening nowadays?
Dethu: I think the popularity of Superman Is Dead nationally—and internationally—has created a significant impact (I bet SID in the very near future will become one out of the three biggest rock bands in Indonesia). Kids become inspired by the success story of SID. This phenomenon even expanded to an anomaly which punk rock and its subgenre is now the strongest music existing in Bali. Not bubblegum pop, but the strongest music is now punk rock and its subgenres and also rock in general. Haha.
Any changes happening nowadays, well, SID have inspired the Bali youth to build their own bands. Punk rock has opened many doors.

Has the web and social media had much of an effect on the local music scene?
Dethu: Definitely. Bali is relatively faraway from Jakarta, the music centre of Indonesia. Back in the day bands had to take a bus (due to the fact that they couldn't afford taking a plane), 24 hours drive to perform in Jakarta. So exhausting and would ruin your performance because you were tired, you weren't at your best shape. Some tried their luck by moving there so they can get more exposure from the press and music moguls. But after the heavy penetration of social media, it's been very helpful to Bali. Bali bands don't have to travel to Jakarta just to be noticed. Or have to send tons and tons of promo kits to media in Jakarta. Socmed has made things more financially efficient. Any new bands can relatively have the same chance to be noticed, as long as they are connected to socmed.

We've all heard of the local bands Superman is Dead, Navicula, Psychofun etc. Is there a new breed of band ready to knock down the door? Any original bands to keep an eye on?
Dethu: Discotion Pill, they are not new. But people need to give them more serious attention. They are brilliant. Nymphea, also not new but they get so much better and tighter as time goes by. Painful by Kisses, not too new but these days have one of the strongest followers in rock scene. The new one who have created a big buzz are of course Nosstress. In their early twenties and very talented. Not to forget also Dialog Dini Hari, a new band consisting of veterans.

Do you think the local music scene has really established itself now or does it still have somewhere further to go?
Dethu: Yes. Indeed. It's really strong right now. Lots of cool bands. The quality gets better and better. However, there aren't enough stages, though. They need more outlets to express themselves plus to show people how good they are so the public won't see the same bands every time. Plus, same as what happens in other parts of the world, the record sales are suffering. The money issue is still a big problem.

Where's the book available?
Dethu: You can get it at Warung Yaya, Sanur, or Antida, or order online. It's really cheap, only Rp 10 thousand. I'm not trying to make money here. Just wanna share interesting stories about non-trad Bali music. It's not just a book. It's a history book, mind you.

*The article is borrowed—with respect—from The Beat (Bali) # 303, Jan 26 - Feb 02, 2012

Belgian Beer: Brewed Force

Rudolf Dethu — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:02:29 +0000

How a small, unremarkable country came to dominate the world of beermaking

The Trappist Abbey of St Sixtus of Westvleteren has little to offer those wishing to gawp at ecclesiastical architecture. The 19th-century buildings—squat, brick and functional—sit on a quiet country lane amid flat farmland, close to Belgium's border with France. Yet the vast visitors' car park is a clue that some people nevertheless consider the abbey worth a trip. For beer lovers, St Sixtus is a place of pilgrimage.

The abbey and its most famous brew, Westvleteren 12—a dark, strong ale—have taken first or second place in an annual poll of beer enthusiasts' favourite tipples by RateBeer.com, a widely trusted reviewing website, for the whole decade that the survey has been running. Yet exactly how the American drinkers who predominate on the site get to knock back a Westvleteren 12 is something of a mystery.

Visit the abbey—no easy jaunt on public transport—and you can drink it to your heart's content, or your head's. But it is hard to buy elsewhere. The monks tightly ration takeaway sales of the tiny quantities they produce. The abbey's website gives details of the brief windows when buyers may attempt to call with an order. If they are lucky and get through, they will be allotted a time to arrive at St Sixtus. They are then permitted to purchase two cases (four dozen 33cl bottles) in return for a solemn undertaking that the beer will not find its way to a third party.

Evidently some people are prepared to lie to a monk for the sake of beer. Cases of Westvleteren 12, on sale at €39 ($53) at the abbey, turn up on online beer-sellers for as much as $800. (In a rare easing of the rules, in November the monks released a batch of 93,000 six-packs for the Belgian market, to pay for repairs to the abbey. Next year 70,000 six-packs will go on sale worldwide.)

Some people are prepared to lie to a monk for the sake of beer

Pour reputation

As well as having a good claim to brew the best beer in the world, Belgium is also home to the world's biggest brewer. Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev, based in Leuven, a small university town half an hour by train from Brussels, turns out one in five of every beer sold around the world. Across the road from head office, the ultra-modern Stella Artois brewery pumps out one of the firm's best-known international brands.

If St Sixtus fails to match the splendour of a medieval cathedral, the main brewing hall at Stella Artois comes close. The quiet and cavernous interior is dominated by 15 immense stainless-steel brewing kettles, whose column-like spouts soar heavenwards. In different ways both St Sixtus and Stella Artois illustrate the reverence with which Belgians regard their beer.

Their country also makes a bigger range than any other—1,131 at the last count. Apart from six Trappist ales and other abbey beers, it churns out lagers such as Stella Artois and its stablemate Jupiler, the more popular brew in Belgium. Tipplers can also choose from an array of wheat beers, brown ales, red beers from West Flanders, golden ales, saison beers based on old farmhouse recipes, and any number of regional brews. Oddest are the austere, naturally fermented lambic beers of Brussels and the nearby Senne valley, a throwback to the days before yeast was tamed. These anachronisms have survived only in Belgium.

The country generously shares its creations with the rest of the world. It is one of the biggest exporters of beer in absolute terms and as a proportion of national production (statistics boosted by the worldwide thirst for Stella Artois). More than half the booze it makes is sent abroad.

How did a nation that, aside from its mussels and chips, renowned chocolate and reviled Eurocrats (the European Parliament is on the site of an old brewery), has made little impact on the world, come to dominate in beer? The answer lies in Belgium's hybrid history and culture.

Beer is to Belgium as wine is to France. It is "ingrained in the culture", says Marc Stroobandt, an expert on Belgian beer. Belgians have been at it for a long time: the Romans are said to have brought brewing to this part of Europe; many Belgian breweries have origins in the Middle Ages. Stella Artois traces its roots to the Den Hoorn brewery, founded in Leuven in 1366: the horn remains on the beer's label to this day. Sebastian Artois brought his name to the brewery relatively late—in 1717.

Geography helped. A beer belt stretches across northern Europe, where it is too chilly to grow grapes that can be turned into half-decent wine. But the climate and the land are excellent for growing barley and hops, the basic ingredients of beer. Belgium is also known for its high-quality water, vital for turning out good beer. The town of Spa, whose name has become generic, is in eastern Belgium. As Sven Gatz, director of the Belgian Brewers' Federation, points out, being at a crossroads of Latin and Germanic Europe allowed Belgium to soak up influences from both that can still be tasted in its beer.

Herbs such as coriander and liquorice, spices such as ginger, and fruits such as cherries and raspberries, once popular among French brewers, are all still in use in Belgium. This French tradition endured where that country's influence is strongest, even after hops began to find a role in beermaking. Monastic brewers were disinclined or prevented from using that ingredient—the church deemed hops the "fruit of the devil". One explanation for this attitude might be the monopolies granted to bishops over the gruyt (as the mixture of herbs and spices was known) that went into beer. An intense medieval PR campaign was waged in the battle between gruyt and secular hops. Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval mystic, favoured gruyt, attacking hops for causing melancholy and the gentleman's affliction of "brewers' droop".

Germany's influence is still discernible, too. The Reinheitsgebot, a Bavarian beer-purity law dating back to 1516, banned anything but water, barley and hops. Where the Germanic tendency is more pronounced, hops have always been preferred. Elsewhere, Belgian brewers continued to try their luck with whatever they could find.

Almost a national religion

Only here for the beer

Thus the turbulence of the country's history has stimulated its brewers. At one time or another most of Europe's great powers have held sway over Belgium; many have left behind influences and flavours. The Dutch, the last outside power to occupy Belgium before the first world war, sent traders to scour the East Indies for new spices, many of which found their way into Belgian beer. (The Belgians kicked the Dutch out to gain independence in 1830 in part because they objected to heavy taxes on beer.)

As the gruyt wars suggest, the institutions of Catholicism played a part, too. Monasteries traditionally brewed beer to sell to support their abbeys, to offer to travellers staying as guests and as "liquid bread", a source of nourishment during Lent. Until the end of the 19th century, even when laymen ran breweries it was often educated monks who were at the forefront of the art and technology of beermaking.

All these factors encouraged experimentation. Aside from herbs, spices and hops, other stranger substances such as mustard, coffee and chocolate have found their way into the country's beer. Pete Brown, a British beer writer, is only half joking when he sees a common thread between the "strange and mad" brews that are the country's hallmark and another of Belgium's relatively few gifts to the world—surrealism.

The number of breweries in Belgium peaked at the turn of the 20th century. By 1907 the country boasted nearly 3,400 commercial beermakers (compared with only around 100 today, or 12 per million people—still pretty generous compared with five per million in America). Belgians could and did enjoy a huge range of beers.

These brewers had considerable advantages over their counterparts in other countries. In Britain beer was a drink of the lower orders: no such snobbishness obtained in Belgium. Heavy import duties discouraged Belgians from buying French wine. Competition from spirits was blunted by the temperance movement, explains Mr Brown. In Belgium it led to hefty duties on genever, a gin-like drink consumed by the Dutch, hitting its popularity. Brewers, some of whom were also politicians, managed to escape attack. Belgium's strong beers owe something to this period: many brewers upped the alcohol content to console drinkers forced to give up genever.

This lack of alternatives guaranteed brewers a large and thirsty market. In 1900 Belgians drank 200 litres per head, roughly double what Britons and Germans were putting away. Today thirsts have dried up a little: a typical Belgian now quaffs just 84 litres a year.

The rise of AB InBev began in the halcyon years of the early 20th century. Before the first world war Belgian brewing was still highly fragmented. Start-up costs were low and transport expensive, so local, family-owned firms tended to predominate.

Technological advance led to rapid consolidation. Belgian beers (strictly speaking, ales) were top fermented: the yeasty foam produced in the brewing process sat atop the liquid. But by the end of the 19th century a technique invented in Bavaria and developed in Bohemia arrived in Belgium. Lager, where the fermentation takes place at the bottom of the brewing vessel at a much lower temperature, required much more investment for artificial chilling and longer maturing times. But the clear, golden beer that resulted quickly caught on with consumers. One such was developed by Artois, by then Belgium's second-largest brewer. Its special Christmas brew of 1926 was decorated with a festive star: Stella Artois.

After dominating Belgian brewing for much of the century, at the end of it the firm embarked on an international consolidation before the world's other main brewers caught on. Interbrew, as Belgium's biggest brewer was then known, bought Canada's Labatts in 1995 and merged with Brazil's AmBev to forge the world's largest outfit in 2004. The merged firm, InBev, snapped up Anheuser-Busch, maker of Budweiser, in 2008.

These days, as America's microbrewing boom shows, discerning drinkers are keen to try new and unusual brews. Belgium's smaller breweries, with their niche beers, have benefited.

Still golden

On the Grand Place in Brussels stand the ornate guild houses of the city's ancient trades. The bakers' and butchers' houses are now restaurants. Another has become a bank. Yet the brewers' house is still home to the Brewers' Federation.

The ceremony with which Belgian beer is poured and drunk betokens a love of beer that no other country can match. Arguments in a Belgian bar will not revolve around anything so trivial as politics or football. Fierce debate might centre on the correct glass in which to serve a Stella. In its hometown of Leuven it is a flat-sided tumbler; elsewhere only one with diamond mouldings near the base will do. A barman who neglects to inquire whether you prefer your bottle of Duvel shaken slightly to mix in the yeasty lees shouldn't expect a tip.

Though its brewers have much to celebrate, Belgium as a whole is troubled. Among the most pressing problems is the bitter Wallonian-Flemish political divide that left the country without a permanent government for much for 2010 and 2011. A dissolution of the nation no longer looks impossible. Still, Belgians intending to drown their sorrows at least have an excellent variety of beers with which to do the job.

*The article is borrowed—with respect—from The Economist. To read the original click here
*The pic on the front page is borrowed—with respect—from www.greglloydsigns.com.au

Book on Balinese Music Launched

Rudolf Dethu — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:57:11 +0000

Dozens of Balinese performers of various music genres gathered at the Serambi Arts Antida studio on Saturday night to celebrate the launch of a book on the journey of non-traditional music from Bali over the last decades.

Launched by the Bali Creative Community (BCC), the book, titled Blantika | Linimasa, Kaleidoskop Musik Non-Trad Bali, was initiated by Rudolf Dethu and several writers. The book is said to be the first document that comprehensively records the progress of Balinese music.

"There are not many documents on Balinese music. We have lost a lot of history; the current generation doesn't know about the struggle of their previous generations in the musical industry," said Jimmy Sila’a, a famous music arranger from the 1980s.

Attending the event were musicians, producers and singers from Bali, such as TripleX, Lolot Band, Rahman, Jimmy Sila’a and many others.

After discussing the book, they enjoyed a performance by musicians that were popular in the 1990s, including Yong Sagita and Tropical Transit.

The 2000s were represented by Lolot Band and TripleX, which pioneered rock music in the Balinese language; Double T, which performed reggae in the Balinese language; and Riwin and Tropical Transit, whose genre is world music.

Representing the last decade were Nymphea, Navicula and Superman Is Dead.

Rudolf Dethu, editor and conceptor of the book, said the book tells the journey of non-traditional music in Bali since its first appearance until the latest development, and classified popular music in Bali as BaliBali and Balinesia.

The naming of these two groups will ease basic classification on the language used in the lyrics a
BaliBali for lyrics in songs using the Balinese language and Balinesia for songs in Indonesian or English.

"This nomenclature across genres is interesting, because this might only happen in Bali, where many musicians use local languages for non-traditional music, such as punk rock and reggae," Dethu said.

Not only in terms of language, BaliBali musicians have a remarkable history, such as Lolot, whose album sold 700,000 copies, breaking the record in album sales that is difficult even for a national musician to achieve.

"Balinese language music used to be very popular, although that is declining," said Dethu.

"This might be the first book in Indonesia documenting the local music scene," singer Ayu Laksmi, whose genre is world music, commented on the book written by Anton Muhajir, Alfred Pasifico and Gede Robi Supriyanto, the vocalist of Navicula band.

The writing process started with discussions between the authors and stakeholders in the music industry in Bali.

"There are not many books about the history of Balinese music. We hope this book can be a reference for people in the music industry and art for further discussion," said Emma Baulch, an Australian writer who wrote the book Making Scenes: Reggae, Punk, and Death Metal in 1990s Bali.

The book related that in the 1960s and 1970s, Balinese-language pop music had developed and was used as a political media. It used a modern instrument like piano. As written by cultural expert Nyoman Darma Putra, lyrics were very much affected by the political situation of the era.

Two most influential political parties at that time, the Indonesian Nationalist Party (PNI) and the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), both established their own art and culture organizations and used Balinese songs to attract followers.

There were some nationalism-themed songs, such as "Juru Pencar", "Buah Buni" and "Merah Putih" composed by Gde Dharna from Singaraja, the capital of Bali province until 1958 before Denpasar.

"Merah Putih" in the Balinese language was inspired by the attack of the Netherlands Indies civil administration on Buleleng in 1945. The lyrics aimed to give a fighting spirit to achieve independence, while "Buah Buni" satirized the political parties.

At the end of the 1970s, Balinese music turned into an industry with the presence of a recording studio and band pioneered by A.A. Made Cakra. It was said that people in Bali were very enthusiastic to buy his music, which sold 100,000 albums.

The lyrics were about relationships, love and nature, with "Galang Bulan" and "Bungan Sandat" the most popular songs.

*This article was firstly published on Jakarta Post, January 09, 2012. To read the original click here
*Photos by Vifick Bolang, Al Ma, Teddy Drew and Anggara Mahendra

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Indonesia’s Punk, Just Not Young

Rudolf Dethu — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:20:54 +0000

What is punk rock? Is it colored, spiky hair held up by glue? Is it abrasive three chord rock 'n' roll played at breakneck speed? Is it leather pants, pierced noses and discordant noise atop irate, socially conscious lyrics? Or is it something much more, a symbol of an independent mind frame that goes beyond all of these stereotypes?

Punk rock's bad reputation is not new. Even a half-century after the birth of the culture, punk rockers still face a barrage of negative perceptions from the people whose ideologies the movement has railed against for decades.

It is perhaps this strident adherence to image and ideology that got 65 punk rockers in Banda Aceh arrested for their unorthodox appearance. The incident was a reminder of exactly why punk originally came into existence: to rid the world of archaic notions and suspicion of anything different.

Many "senior" punks (they're not "old," just "older") have spent the better part of their lives in various forms of a punk rock existence, but have since moved on to seemingly more conventional lives. There's nothing conventional, however, about the ideals they live by. Socially conscious and spiritually independent, the "older" generation of punk rockers lives up to the adage of "once a punk, always a punk."

Rudolf Dethu spent more than 10 years managing the successful Balinese punk band Superman Is Dead, with its brand of fiery pop-punk. Along the way, he worked to get the band to release numerous albums with a variety of independent and major labels, arranged concerts abroad and tried to encourage the band's fans to be mentally independent in a culture that discourages such thinking.

Rudolf Dethu with Superman Is Dead, the early days

Dethu was in his mid-30s when he walked away from his job managing the band and now leads a simpler life with his wife and child. He works independently in education and the arts, and has lived in countries including China and Australia.

"I'm quite involved with education, running a music foundation, organizing festivals to celebrate creativity, writing and generally running in fields of ideas, going through concepts," he says. "I'm basically trying to [assist others in] breaking from the prison of thought."

The 44-year-old fell in love with punk rock during his high school years in the early '80s. The barrage of unofficial compilation albums being released locally at the time introduced the young Dethu to punk rock mainstays such as the Sex Pistols, The Saints, The Dead Boys and The Damned, among many others.

"It started with an accompanying feeling of being cool, but turned into something far more serious due to its ethos of resistance, fighting against the mainstream, denying conformity, being a liberal and an individual of sorts, being independent and learning to say 'no,'" he says.

Punk, Dethu says, spoke to him because it was everything that Indonesian culture railed against. It was a rallying call of complete and utter independence.

"Punk was a complete contradiction of this culture that preaches submission toward the majority a meaning always saying 'yes' to keep the peace a consensus and communalism," Dethu explains/ Indonesia's culture of "gotong royong" ("mutual cooperation"), he adds, often leads to a tradition of followers being manipulated "like deaf goats."

Mohammad Rino Akbar, who has dedicated more than 10 years of his life as the frontman of the Jakarta hard-core punk act Rage Generation Brothers, or RGB, is an old-school punk with no plans of shedding his rebellious skin. He originally listened to heavy metal, and remembers the moment punk rock grabbed him.

"I fell in love with punk through the Sex Pistols' record 'Kiss This,' The Exploited's 'Troops of Tomorrow' and the Ramones' 'Mondo Bizarro,'a" he says of the albums that first grabbed his attention.

Rino, as he prefers to be called, studied the punk culture ferociously, and decided in 1996 that he wanted to form his own band, "which still exists today."

"Punk was a culture. Whereas Metal was merely a genre," he says. The 36-year old Rino's financial survival depends on his independent ideals. He sells budget-friendly musical instruments and a variety of fashion items such as shoes, hoodies and shirts that his own independent clothing line produces. He also imports other branded music merchandise.

William Kusumadi, who is in his late 30s, is another dedicated punk fan who spent his youth as a fixture on the local punk scene. His resume includes everything from being a roadie, manager and promoter for punk bands from the '90s, as well as acts that still exist today.

Like Dethu and Rino, Willy fell for punk through the Sex Pistols, and soon found himself obsessed with post-punk bands with darker imagery, like Joy Division and The Birthday Party.

"Punk spoke to me perhaps around my early high school years, after my grandfather died. I was kind of a rebel without a cause then," Willy explains. To live off his passion, Willy began writing about music and movies for magazines, and served as a music producer for different radio stations.

Like many of the older generation of punks, however, Dethu, Rino and Willy soon grew disenchanted with how punk's ideologies were misinterpreted by the new breed, whose understanding of punk rock ethics was as authoritarian and unbending as what it originally set out to fight against.

"When Green Day played a concert in Jakarta [in 1996], I was initially impressed that the punk rock styles local music fans had adopted a with their mohawks, pin-adorned shirts, nails everywhere and padlock necklaces a were possible in this country of rules," Dethu says.

But his early enthusiasm quickly subsided after he learned how the underground punk rock scene operated. There was a deterioration of independent ideals that other punk subcultures all over the world also experienced.

"I began to see the peer pressure that was occurring in the scene by those self-billed authorities of what is and isn't allowed in the punk rock and underground music world," he says. "If it were merely younger kids trying to figure out their identity, that would have been acceptable. But punk rock here became something like an organized religion, where there were scholars who had the authority to declare an unquestionable fatwa and had absolute veto power."

Dethu's experiences were hands-on. As the manager of a commercially successful punk rock band, he and the band faced challenges and accusations of "selling out" from puritans. They would meet "punk rock police" who would act, according to Dethu, like the "Shariah police, trying to enforce some sort of regulations of what was acceptable or not in the scene."

Dethu and the band scoffed at these rules. "Regulations? There is no such thing in punk rock. Aren't we tired of being force-fed rules from the day we are born? Bound by the law, scolded by parents, dictated to at school, stared at by the police, banned from doing anything by religion, shackled to society's norms? And now there are punk rock police?" Dethu says.

Rino speaks of punk rock "posers" without any vitriol, saying that every fan starts as one, but eventually develops his or her own punk character. "It's up to us to get rid of that tag by trying to 'upgrade' our knowledge and understand punk's roots. It's about how far you are willing to evolve," he says, adding that as long as "the hard-liners stay on their side, and me on mine, then that's fine. Variety is better than passivity."

For many, the local punk rock scene lost its credibility after it began trying to regulate one of its most controversial ideologies.

The concept was called "straight edge," which was based on a song by hard-core punk band Minor Threat and became a strict set of guidelines for living one's life.

Straight edgers refrain from drinking, smoking and using drugs. More than a few adherents also abstain from promiscuous sex, follow a strict vegan lifestyle, don't drink caffeine and even stay away from prescription drugs.

"To do any of those things is a personal choice," Dethu says. "But to follow it blindly is funny, because we are essentially a straight edge country already. In the States, being straight edged would mean going against the norms, but over here it is essentially being part of the mainstream; it's a complete misunderstanding of the most basic punk rock ideals."

And that might just be the difference between punks who eventually "grow up" and grow out of punk, and those who continue to carry the torch. One tries to outrun the rules by falling right back into them, while the other manages to take punk's ethos to heart, without calling it anything more than limitless freedom.

Says Dethu, "I carry punk throughout my days. It's how I escape the shackles and life and stay an independent being."

*This article is written by Marcel Thee and was firstly published on Jakarta Globe, January 08, 2012. To read the original click here

Domestic Groove: ENDAH N RHESA

Rudolf Dethu — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:37:49 +0000

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 31st edition I went upclose-and-personal with Endah N Rhesa.

ENDAH N RHESA
Singers, Songwriters

What music are you into at the moment?
Endah: Oh, I love the Primus album titled Antipop. I listen to it over and over again and never get bored. When I listen to the music, I always try to have the musician’s perspective, in this case it’s Primus. I’m always curious about how they can make such great guitar licks and unpredictable chord progressions. Primus is totally insane.
Rhesa: The Rocket Science album of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. Maybe it’s gonna be their last album, I hope it’s not. Because they (Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Future Man, Howard Levy) are getting older and it’s the Béla Fleck & the Flecktones original formation. Very sentimental…

What was the first record you bought—any interesting story behind it?
Endah: It was Mr. Big’s Lean into It. I started to play an electric guitar when I was nine years old and my big brother forced me to buy Mr. Big album and challenged me to learn "Green-Tinted Sixties Mind"‘s guitar intro. And yes, I did it perfectly. Ha ha ha!
Rhesa: Tommy Page’s Shoulder to Cry On. All my families and friends bought that album because the song was so popular at that time. So, I thought, I had to follow the trend too. Ha ha ha!

What are your all-time favorite albums? Why?
Endah :
- OST The Lion King album. I love the music, the composition, arrangement, lyrics, and the voice of characters from the album. The album is good for any situation and moods. It cheers me up!
- Californication by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I know that Frusciante lost his guitar skills at that time. But, he has his unique guitar licks and the power of rhythm in this album. Sexy!
And all Béla Fleck & the Flecktones albums…. they are just… perfect!

Rhesa :
- Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Because it’s the golden era of John Frusciante’s guitar skills.
- Under the Table and Dreaming by Dave Matthew’s Band. It inspired me a lot in how to play acoustic guitar in different way

What was the worst record you ever purchased?
Endah: I don’t remember the title of the album. I just remember that I bought one instrumental album as a present for my dad many years ago. And its sound was bad! All of the instruments were using BAD MIDI sampling. No dynamic or intonation in the notes. The musical expression was FLAT! The guitar sampling was terrible, the only good sound was the piano! Hahaha! You can imagine my face when I gave it to my dad and listened to it together with him. I took back the CD and buy him THE REAL MUSIC: Frank Sinatra Orchestra.
Rhesa: I never regret the albums I buy. Even though the music is not so good, but the artwork cover looks good on my rack.

Who do you want to be, other than yourself, next time you reincarnate?
Endah: I want to be a young professional classical guitarist like Thibault Cauvin of France.
Rhesa: Steve Jobs.

What book are you reading now and what’s the score (1-10)? Borrow or buy?
Endah: Buy! Steven Tyler "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?". I give it nine out of ten! Many secrets revealed! I love Steven Tyler. It’s interesting to get a little peek into the life of a rockstar. Hahaha!
Rhesa: Buy. Home Recording Studio: Build it Like a Pro. I give it perfect score. Ten out of ten! It helps me to make it in my house. Hahaha!

What new movie should people see? Why?
Endah: Sherlock Holmes. It’s outstanding. They can put the tension from the beginning ’till the end of the movie. Very awesome details. The story, music and pictures are stunning! Well, even though I prefer Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock Holmes TV series) to Robert Downey Jr., but still I think it is a good movie based on its production.
Rhesa: Tintin (2011). You have to watch it because it uses great animation technology that has never been used before.

What album do you choose to start your weekend?
Endah: Actually, there is no particular music to start weekend, but if I want to start my weekend with working (performing with Endah N Rhesa), I decide to listen to Béla Fleck & The Flecktones’ Live at the Quick. I love to catch their chemistry while they’re jamming on the stage so it can boost my mood when i’m on stage, too.
Resha: Richard Bona’s album named TIKI. It’s cheerful.

And album you choose to end your weekend?
Endah: Anything… it won’t ruin my mood. Weekdays means holiday! Hahaha… musician starts the weekend on weekdays. (wink)
Resha: TOR. The album from TOR that I’ve co-produced. It will be released it soon.

Endah N Rhesa are now starting to make their 3rd album. They will launch the album in mid or late 2012.

________________________

*This interview was firstly published on The Beat (Jakarta) #55, January 2012

Domestic Groove: LEONARDO RINGO

Rudolf Dethu — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:53:04 +0000

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 30th edition I went upclose-and-personal with Leonardo Ringo.

LEONARDO RINGO
Singer, Songwriter, Music Producer

What music are you into at the moment?
Well, up to now, releases from Stax and Motown Records have always been my personal favors. I’m still hooked on to the 70s, my mind is amused by Pink Floyd and David Bowie. There’s also stuff from Tom Waits, Buzzcocks, Nick Cave, Patti Smith and Joni Mitchell that I put in my iPod, next to my revived swing jazz collection, and lots of originals. Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Louis Prima and lots more… I just press "shuffle" and there you go…

What was the first record you bought—any interesting story behind it?
The first record I bought was Aerosmith’s Pump. For a kid like me, the album cover was amazing. I didn’t think twice and bought it instantly, and also I didn’t even care what the hell Aerosmith was haha… Thank goodness that album is great!

What are your all-time favorite albums? Why?
I can’t name them all. There are too many. I guess they’re Tom Waits’ Closing Time, The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s The Dirty Boogie, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Stone Flower to Napalm Death’s Scum haha… Too many… My personal wish after buying a record is that the album will actually speak to me, with our own secret lingo, if it’s a good one. If it doesn’t say a thing, then, to the toilet it must go.

What was the worst record you ever purchased?
The worst record I ever bought was Nuno Bettencourt’s solo album. I forgot what the title was. I cant even remember why I hated it. Too ugly to remember. But the worst album somebody ever gave me was a Tiesto album. Haha, come on, Tiesto?

Who do you want to be, other than yourself, next time you reincarnate?
I guess I wanna reincarnate as my dad. I wanna buy little Leo a guitar, and a drum kit, and let him be what he wants to be when he grows up.

What book are you reading now and what’s the score (1-10)? Borrow or buy?
There’s this book titled "Friendly Fire" written by Julia Sweig. It’s a political book about the anti-America movement. I got this thing towards politics. The other is "Love is a Dog From Hell" by Charles Bukowski, one of the Beat Generation’s grandmaster. Poems in it are mostly satirical composition. Love it. It’s a 10 for sure.

What new movie should people see? Why?
I dunno about new movies, but I never get tired watching "The Usual Suspects" over and over again. Bryan Singer is a genius! Theres another, dunno whether this is a new one or not. It’s Ricky Gervais’ "Cemetery Junction". A typical Brit-movie, you’ll laugh your ass off, but you could go either way, you could drown in tears.

What album do you choose to start your weekend?
During this period I usually play Chuck Berry’s St. Louis to Liverpool out loud while doing my air-guitar around my house, and sometimes while washing my car. Well, it’s the weekend… Haha.

And album you choose to end your weekend?
To end it, it’s time for Tom Waits’ Closing Time or Terry Callier’s What Color is Love. A perfect getaway car!

A man of many talents, Leo is currently preparing his Singapore gig sometime in the near future. Other than gigs and prep for his 2nd album, he’s also doing some minor directing. He’s made one video for himself "Blatant" and he did Sore’s "Silly Little Thing". Next one is L’alphalpha’s video.

He’s also producing two artists. The first one is Popzzle, a vocal group singing children songs wrapped in swing jazz music. The other is Roofers, a new breed, Jakarta’s upcoming band, a mixture between The Strokes and Waljinah. Both are still in the production room.

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*This interview was firstly published on The Beat (Jakarta) #54, Dec 25-Jan 08, 2011
*Photos by: Dimas Wisnuwardono and Andreas Pardede