For Indonesian version please click hereAfter their last phenomenal album in 2005, The Osaka Journals, which was chosen as one out five greatest album of the decade by the Jakarta Post, Sajama Cut are back in full effect. A few weeks ago they released their third and latest work: Manimal.
This album contains 8 songs and nothing has changed: Sajama Cut are still genre-free band. They, Marcel Thee (vocal, guitar), Dion Panlima Reza (guitar), Andre Humala (keyboard, synth, percussion), Randy Apriza Akbar (bass), Hans Citra Patria (keyboard, percussion), and Banu Satrio (drum); are as excited as ever before about having a wild adventure with Folk, Rock, Ambient, Sunshine & Baroque Pop---you name it, it's there. And at the same time retaining consistency with their absurd English lyrics. Manimal---the name came from an action-adventure 80s tv series---was recorded in their own studio, Movement. And during a whole year process the whole crew isolated themselves from the public, minimizing any distractions for a great record.
Stay connected with Marcel Thee and co. by visiting www.sajamacut.com
Edition: April 07, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: INDRA AMENG33 Songs of My Monday Mayhem Playlist:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, and (a few) photos, written and handpicked by Ameng Himself ::
Playlist ini spesial saya siapkan untuk dimainkan pada acara Monday Mayhem di bar legendaris, Parc, enam tahun yang lalu. Pertama kali saya diundang main sebagai Guest DJ di Monday Mayhem oleh Nasta Sutardjo pada tanggal 1 Maret 2004, saya langsung berpikir untuk mainin set list yang saat itu belum diputarkan di Parc. Idenya adalah memutarkan lagu-lagu yang bisa bikin suasana ramai hingar-bingar, bisa sing-along, dan teriak-teriak bersama. Untuk itu saya perlu musik yang keras, bikin semangat, sekaligus juga lagu-lagu yang bisa dinyanyiin bareng-bareng. Karena itu saya memilih membuat spesial set tribute untuk era 80s glam metal dan hair metal band setiap main di Parc. Era rock yang menghasilkan banyak lagu-lagu anthemic, yang bikin anak-anak muda di tahun 80an pengen nge-band dan punya rambut gondrong.
Masa 80an ini jadi salah satu periode yang menyenangkan buat saya. Semasa masih di kelas 4 Sekolah Dasar tahun 1984, saya suka nginep di rumah kakak sepupu saya di daerah Pasar Minggu, Jakarta Selatan. Dia mengkoleksi banyak kaset-kaset album rock dari mulai Kiss, Rush, Iron Maiden, Van Halen dan masih banyak lagi lainnya. Dari situ, saya suka mendengarkan kaset-kasetnya dan mulai mengidolakan band-band tersebut, sampai ikutan mengkoleksi kaset-kaset keluaran Team Records dengan titel Rockline, Aquarius, Yess, dll. Berlanjut dengan beli majalah Vista yang banyak memuat foto-foto dan berita band-band rock idola saya, beli poster band, beli kaos band di Ratu Plaza, dan ikut nonton konser di Bulungan. Lagu-lagu dari band-band inilah yang jadi soundtrack masa ABG saya. Gara-gara kakak sepupu saya ini, saya lebih banyak menghabiskan masa remaja mendengarkan lagu-lagu Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Anthrax, dkk, dan bukan Duran-Duran atau Spandau Ballet.
Kembali ke Parc, saat pertama main di Parc dengan playlist ini, saya meminta sebuah mikrofon, yang awalnya saya pergunakan untuk berbicara sedikit membuka set sebelum lagu pertama diputar, dan baru kemudian mikrofon dibuka untuk siapa pun yang ingin ikut bernyanyi. Kemudian keterusan menjadi kebiasaan untuk selalu menyediakan mikrofon setiap main. Setelah sempat dua kali main sebagai DJ amatiran, rasanya garing juga main sendokiran..., baru kemudian saya ajak Indra Tujuh (yang punya selera sama dan emang DJ beneran hehehe) sebagai partner untuk mainin playlist ini, dan jadilah duet DJ Duo Indra sebagai spesialis lagu-lagu era 80s glam metal dan hair metal band di Parc.
Playlist ini saya dedikasikan untuk Monday Mayhem, teman-teman yang mengenang masa muda di tahun 80-an, juga untuk berbagi kepada mereka yang nggak ngalamin era rock 80an dan tentunya untuk menghibur hati yang luka hehehe...
PS: Oh ya, terima kasih pada partner saya, Agent Virgo Ago Go yang mengusulkan pada saya agar men-share playlist ini di program The Block Rockin' Beats.
Tonite! Wednesday, November 03, 2010; 8-10 PMR-n-R Exhibition [mini version]: STIRLING SILLIPHANTThe Nostarwhere Tapes:: Introduction, playlist and photos, written and handpicked by Stirling Himself ::
What I originally intended as a curatorial focus on a very specific genre (early-to-mid-'90s American Underground) has morphed into a retrospective on the music I was listening to from 2001-2006, a time when I was the heart, soul and scrambled brains of the nostarwhere collective. We (I, most of the time) booked DIY gigs for bands from all over the region (with a heavy Singapore and KL emphasis, though we got some takers from Oz, the States and Japan) in Bangkok, where I also played in my own band, Eastbound Downers.
Growing up between Asia and the States in the pre-web days, I had a lopsided exposure to music. I'd tend to binge in the former (on live shows, records, 'zines, books) and hibernate in the latter. Say what you will about social networking, but without it, there were few avenues for an international school brat like me to stay simultaneously informed about global and local underground scenes. A couple years after I moved back to Southeast Asia in '99, I started to make up for lost time: Once I got hip to the incredibly diverse, talented regional scene, I started inviting bands up to play in Asia's crossroads city, my home at the time, Bangkok. The friendships forged in the course of doing so last to this day (and will far beyond), but another fortunate knock-on effect was the amount of music I was exposed to. The amount of 'what... you haven't heard of so-and-so?!,' and, 'you're from California and you've never seen such and such??' was dizzying. Like a good student, I took notes, I read up on stuff... and sure, I downloaded a few tunes on p2ps---but mostly I kept buying records. What follows is a cross-section of jams (some completely new, others 'rediscovered') that I either got turned onto over those years. Jams that were blasted out over the PAs of the dive bars where we set up shows (all closed now; if they were naïve enough to hand the keys to us for even a night, there was an operative lack of business acumen), late, late night and through the morning at the 'Stirling's house after-party', or the follow-on afternoon, when the slowing music would tease my thoughts to ask if this was really what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life.
♪ ♫ ♬ Radio streaming live http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls
DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb's Chosen Seven 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, musically speaking.
For the fifth edition I went upclose-and-personal with Maylaffayza.
Edition: June 09, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: RIDWAN RUDIANTOBeats & Pieces:: Playlist, intro, and song descriptions, written and handpicked by Ridwan Himself ::
Sebagian besar lagu di play list ini saya ambil dari koleksi CD yang banyak dibeli antara tahun 1996-1999.
Tidak banyak memori pribadi yang tersimpan, melainkan hanya rangkaian nada yang disusun baik untuk menciptakan mood yang khusus.
Pengalaman sulitnya merangkai, saya menemukan ada beberapa lagu favorit yang ternyata tidak bisa dilepas dari albumnya untuk dimasukkan ke playlist ini.
Mungkin di sana tangguhnya beberapa musisi menyusun tracklist album hingga kita tidak tega untuk mencomot setiap individual track-nya.
Pemilihan lagu juga mempertimbangkan faktor jam tayang acara di malam hari, karena ternyata tidak semua musik cocok di dengar di kala langit gelap
Demikian sudah, selamat malam, selamat menikmati.
DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb's Chosen Seven 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, musically speaking.
For the fourth edition I went upclose-and-personal with Bondan Prakoso.
Tonite! Wednesday, October 20, 2010; 8-10 PMUpcoming R-n-R Exhibition: VEROLANDChop-N-Roll: My On-The-Go Playlist:: Introduction and playlist, written and 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.
♬ ♪ Radio streaming live http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls
For Indonesian version please click hereNot that long ago, local rock enthusiasts would only have dreamed of having an act like Smashing Pumpkins playing in Indonesia. To go to a Wolfmother gig in Jakarta, back then, you would never have thought possible. But these days, it is possible. And not just for the Pumpkins or Wolfmother, but also Muse, Korn, Avril Lavigne, 311, Placebo, Black Eyed Peas, Bjork, My Chemical Romance, NOFX, Belle & Sebastian, Stereophonics, Dashboard Confessional, too many more to mention, all of whom have played in big cities in Indonesia---mostly in Jakarta.
Indeed, these last few years, showbiz has become a big and upcoming trend. More people seem interested in doing it seriously. Local promoters/event organizers don't really think twice anymore about bringing big name artists to Indonesia. The last gigantic music event, Java Rockin'Land, was so succesful---some said it attracted 50,0000 plus people. This fact brings even bigger hopes that showbiz has become stronger. It proves that showbiz in Indonesia is alive and kicking. Nowadays, music lovers have more and better options. Not only in Jakarta, but also in Bandung, Bali, and a few other areas in Java and Sumatera. Look at how dynamic the music scene is: October 24th sees Vampire Weekend at Bengkel Night Park and October 27th Hatebreed at Gelora Bung Karno (both in Jakarta), on November 10th Temper Trap will be in Bali's Hard Rock Cafe before heading to Jakarta and Tokyo Police Club and Raveonettes will both play in Bandung mid November.
So, following all that, have you been dreaming about Iron Maiden coming to Indonesia? Quit dreaming. Bruce Dickinson and friends are coming to Jakarta and Bali in February of 2011. Get ready for the ticket race.
Retro Jakarta outfit WSATCC just released their their collection, ððð£ð¶ð® ðð¢ð¬ð¢ð¯ð´ðª.
Tulisan---lebih tepatnya curhat---yang bermaksud menyemangati Jakarta Rock Parade ini sejatinya adalah materi lawas (tayang di Musikator pertama kali pada Juli 2009), walau pamali untuk dibilang usang. Memang, di kala itu belum ada konser rock lokal berskala gigantik. Belum ada yang nekat-berani mati menyelenggarakannya. Dan saya tidak rela jika Jakarta Rock Parade layu sebelum berkembang. Saya memimpikan Indonesia memiliki festival musik rock sekaliber Ozzfest. Syukurnya tidak lama berselang muncul kemudian Java Rockin'Land, yang bukan cuma bermutu tinggi, tapi juga termegah se-Asia Tenggara. Artinya spirit Jakarta Rock Parade menolak dimatikan. Yay.
Ya, artikel ini sengaja tetap saya tampilkan di situs pribadi saya ini demi mendokumentasikan perspektif yang pernah saya tuangkan agar menjadi lebih rapi, tak lagi berceceran tak beraturan, bisa menjadi arsip yang sahih lagi sinambung.
Setelah cabut dari Deep Purple, David Coverdale segera saja membentuk Whitesnake lalu berturut-turut merilis Snakebite serta Trouble di tahun yang sama, 1978. Namun dalam konteks sensasi---sanggup membelalakkan mata publik, to be precise---adalah karya mereka yang terbit pada 1979, Lovehunter.
Rilis pers dari album ke-6 Navicula, Salto, Juni 2009.
Edition: March 17, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: ARIBOWO SANGKOYONyanyikanlah Hidup Kita!:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, and (most) photos, written and handpicked by Ribosa Himself ::
Saya bersaksi bahwa tiada hidup selain musik dan
saya bersaksi bahwa lagu-lagu berikut adalah penyelamat kewarasan saya.
Semoga kita dikembalikan ke distorsi yang 'benar' dan
terbebas dari godaan pasar yang terkutuk.
Amin.
・For Indonesian version please click hereAlmost a year after releasing their 3rd full-length album, Magnet! Magnet!, The Upstairs are back with their newest single and video, "Menaralara". Indra "Kubil" Idris (guitar) was the guy in charge for the video clip, while Jimi Multhazam (vocal) wrote the lyrics and Beni Adhiantoro (drums) took the position as producer.
Yes, after quite a few musicians have come and gone, during their 9th year The Upstairs has officially became a trio with some additional players: Khrisna (keyboard) and Pandu Fathoni (bass, synth).
Go visit YouTube now and witness---and dance to---"Menaralara"!
Rilis pers mengenai album ke-3 Superman Is Dead bersama Sony BMG Indonesia ini sejatinya adalah materi lama (tanggal rilis: April 2006), walau tak juga bisa dibilang sudah usang. Sengaja tetap saya tampilkan di situs pribadi saya ini demi mendokumentasikan perspektif yang pernah saya tuangkan agar menjadi lebih rapi, tak lagi berceceran tak beraturan, bisa menjadi arsip yang sahih lagi sinambung.
*For Indonesian version please click hereAquarius Pondok Indah, one of the biggest record stores in Indonesia and located in the South of Jakarta, will soon be closed. The shop, first opened in 1995, has simply run out of business. Mid-August saw them start selling tens of thousands of items in their collection with a massive discount. A few months before that, in February, Aquarius Surabaya, after operating for 7 years, went bankrupt and Aquarius Dago, which used to be one of the coolest hangout spots for kids who lived in Bandung, was shut down in December 2009 after 19 years of guts and glory.
Disc Tarra, another national record retail chain, consisting of 78 stores to be precise, is apparently in a similar situation and although they haven't closed any of their stores yet, some in significant cities like Jakarta, Surabaya, and Denpasar, have been resized, some down to 50% smaller. This phenomenon, most people believe, is caused by the digital trend. MP3s and iPods took over the world. They are more popular than cassettes or cds and walkmans or tape recorders, and piracy is exacerbating the problem. Even the gigantic-size record stores like Virgin have lost the add-on "Megastore" in their title, switching now to become Virgin Store only. HMV, idem ditto, they get tinier. Not to mention Tower Records, once considered a major influential music institution in their heyday, called it a day in 2006.
With the many DVD and CD shops that line many of Indonesia's streets, the Indonesian government must come up with a strategy to put a stop to piracy and illegal copies. If they fail to do this, the countdown to music armageddon will continue...
This article---album reviews about Carla Bruni's Quelqu'un M'a Dit, Mad Sin's ...Sweet & Innocent? ...Loud & Dirty!, and The Tossers' Shadow of the Valley of the Death---were actually published in The Beat (Bali) mag way back in 2006. But I'm pretty sure they're still worth checking out. Oh, this version is the non-edited version, quite different version than what was published on The Beat mag. This, hell yeah, more in-your-face. More broken English...
DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb's Chosen Seven 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, musically speaking.
For the third edition I went upclose-and-personal with Sandhy Sondoro.
About
Music journalist, writer, radio DJ, socio-political activist, creative industry leader, and a qualified librarian, Rudolf Dethu is heavily under the influence of the punk rock philosophy.
