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Rudolf Dethu - photo by @viarms

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. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.

Tomorrow nite! Wednesday, August 11, 2010; 8 - 10 PMUpcoming R-n-R Exhibition: SIMON GRIGGExtended Play:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Simon Himself :: As a kid growing up in suburban Auckland in the late 1960s, 1970s and 1980s good music was very hard to find. The commercial radio was awful, dominated by mainstream pap with a couple of hours of harder edged rock’n’roll late at night. Then came pirate radio and the underground and it opened a whole new world of adventure to me. Radio didn’t have to be pap. I starting hunting out the sounds I was hearing on my radio under the blankets late at night when I was supposed to be asleep, most especially the bands that were making the sorts of raw garage rock’n’roll in my hometown. By age 16 I was sneaking out and was a regular, under-aged, fixture at the various clubs and bars where bands, most of whom were never recorded, played. It was a short step from there to the forming my own band and then my own label. It set me on a journey I’m still enjoying. I’ve always liked to be challenged by music and almost everything here pushed the boundaries of contemporary music at the time they were released. And they are tunes… every last one of them
DOMESTIC GROOVE ~ Celeb's Chosen Seven is my new 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 very first edition I went upclose-and-personal with Oppie Andaresta.
Edition: July 21, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: DEDI KRISTIANDaddy-O-Stereo:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, and photos, written and handpicked by Dedi Himself :: Playlist dibawah adalah normalizer saya di keseharian. Kadang jadi rambu-rambu, kadang jadi ekstase kilat, kadang jadi penenang, kadang menunjukkan siapa saya. Banyak diantaranya adalah musik pengiring saat masih berjumpalitan di pinggir jalan Bali belajar six-step atau air freeze, buat lirik rap dll, disaat anak2 lain berdistorsi dengan gitar listrik dan pakai baju hitam-hitam. Dan lagu2 ini selalu fit in dengan semua periode hidup setelahnya, sampai sekarang. Ditambah dengan lagu-lagu baru yang saya temukan seiring jalan tentunya. All songs define revelations in the long run!
Di kalangan penggemar musik bukan umum, Zeke Khaseli bukanlah nama asing. Kiprah musikalnya terlacak di wilayah publik sejak saat ia masih bersekolah di Seattle, AS. Kala itu, 2001, pria bernama asli Harris Khaseli dengan grupnya, LAIN, merilis album dalam format cakram digital bertajuk Djakarta Goodbye lewat label sendiri, Our Coffee Records. Diikuti, masih di tahun yang sama, dengan menerbitkan single via label lokal, Flat Spills Records, yang melambungkan reputasinya di tanah air: Veteran Travellers.
Tonite! Wednesday, July 28, 2010; 8-10 PMUpcoming R-n-R Exhibition: ADE PUTRIBring Back the Memories!:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Ade herself :: Berikut ini adalah sederet lagu-lagu yang menyenangkan bagi saya pribadi, dan biasanya membangkitkan memori akan suatu masa yang sudah lampau. Sekitar setengah di antaranya adalah lagu-lagu yang seringkali diputar pada masa acara Monday Mayhem di Parc (Jakarta) sedang berjaya. Sisanya adalah lagu yang tanpa disengaja datang ke dalam hidup saya; dan lantas terpilih menjadi lagu wajib di ribuan pagi hari saya untuk memulai hari maupun malam hari untuk menemani saya menghabiskan bir dinginâ€"dengan atau tanpa teman. So, when I throw a party, most likely you’ll hear some of these;
Edition: May 05, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: ERIC WIRJANATAAnother Reason to Live:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, handpicked and written by Eric Himself :: ...Lagu-lagu berikut ini mungkin tidak akan merubah hidup anda, tetapi mereka akan membuat malam hari ini terasa lebih indah...
Tonite! Wednesday, July 21, 2010; 8-10 PMUpcoming R-n-R Exhibition: DEDI KRISTIANDaddy-O-Stereo:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Dedi Himself :: Playlist dibawah adalah normalizer saya di keseharian. Kadang jadi rambu-rambu, kadang jadi ekstase kilat, kadang jadi penenang, kadang menunjukkan siapa saya. Banyak diantaranya adalah musik pengiring saat masih berjumpalitan di pinggir jalan Bali belajar six-step atau air freeze, buat lirik rap dll, disaat anak2 lain berdistorsi dengan gitar listrik dan pakai baju hitam-hitam. Dan lagu2 ini selalu fit in dengan semua periode hidup setelahnya, sampai sekarang. Ditambah dengan lagu-lagu baru yang saya temukan seiring jalan tentunya. All songs define revelations in the long run!
Menyebut nama Leonardo, barangkali tak banyak masyarakat awam yang mengenalinya. Namun jika menyinggung Vessel atau Zeke and The Popo, mungkin orang akan lebih mahfum. Benar, Leonardo Ringo tadinya adalah biduan dari grup musik hebat---sayang cuma muncul & bertahan sekelebat---Vessel, lalu berlanjut sebagai penggebuk drum sekaligus vokalis di kelompok yang tak kalah dahsyat: Zeke and The Popo. Bukan cuma itu, Leonardo sempat pula muncul di album kompilasi fenomenal yang oleh banyak pengamat disebut kuat merepresentasikan skena alternatif ibukota, JKT:SKRG, lewat projeknya bernama Ruang Hampa. Setelah 18 tahun lintang pukang di blantika berkesenian lokal, akhirnya Leonardo tiba juga di titik berikut karirnya: merilis album solo. Pria yang kerap juga menggunakan identitas berbeda, Mugeni Spacekid, ini bahkan membutuhkan hingga 2 tahun untuk merilis karya perdananya yang diberi judul The Sun. Tak terbilang pula energi, uang, canda tawa, amarah, serta air mata, yang terkuras saat penggarapan komposisi berisikan 12 lagu ini.
Setelah melewati 2 periode, 29 April hingga 29 Mei memilih lima grup musik paling favorit di masing-masing kategori, 29 Mei sampai 29 Juni menyeleksi siapa-siapa yang berhak masuk nominasi, maka ajang festival musik bertajuk ICEMA (Indonesia Cutting Edge Music Awards) kini telah memasuki tahap akhir yaitu pengumuman nama-nama pemenang.
Tonite! Wednesday, July 14, 2010; 8-10 PMUpcoming R-n-R Exhibition: HERU WAHYONOThe Jumper Stomper:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Heru Himself :: Hola! Berikut ini adalah sederetan tembang-tembang yang selalu melekat di benak saya, setidaknya sampai sekarang. Beberapa juga merupakan pengaruh yang cukup kuat di kedua grup musik saya, sedangkan sebagian lagi adalah sederetan nada dan irama yang mampu mencuri perhatian dan memori di otak saya karena unik dan menarik. Ada juga yang mengingatkan saya ketika masih bercengkrama dengan teman-teman saya dulu di jalanan Gondomanan, yang mana latar belakang musik mereka berbeda-beda (tentu saja waktu itu saya masih, ehm, abal-abal nan labil... LOL ). Bahkan, ada juga yang datang dari masa puber saya di Kuta, Bali. Tembang-tembang ini ada yang datang begitu saja, entah dari seorang kenalan traveler, dari teman yang lama di luar negeri, dari seseorang di bar, teman nongkrong, atau dari sebuah pengeras suara di suatu tempat. Ada juga yang sengaja secara mati-matian siang malam saya cari sampai dapat, dan sebagainya. Sebenarnya, ini hanyalah sebagian kecil, sebab bila saya harus jabarkan semua, kita harus pergi ke dokter bedah otak. So boyz and galz, are you ready for da ride? Vamos!
Edition: June 02, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: EKA ANNASHPast, Present, Heron & Morphine:: Playlist, notes and (a few) photos, written and handpicked by Eka Himself :: Some of these tracks are obvious classic. But I'm going to try to include a few obscures that I thought was brilliant and didn't have the chance to be explored by (or exposed to) the mass at the time of its release. But then again, maybe it didn't have to. It only belongs to those whom had intimate relation with (and appreciation to) these songs, that makes them extremely vital and relevant from the first place. These songs connect with me in a special way. It has relation to momentum, mental state and memories that happened during the stretch of my childhood, puberty and adulthood. It helped shaping me into a better human being that I am today. Enjoy!
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Bagi anda penggemar musik cadas---apalagi yang tumbuhkembang di era "Hair Metal"---dijamin familiar dengan imej ekstrem di sebelah kiri ini. Benar, foto jari-jari menggenggam silet berukuran masif tersebut adalah sampul album Judas Priest terbitan 14 April 1980, British Steel. Lagu-lagu dari album karya kontingen asal Birmingham, Inggris Raya, macam Breaking The Law dan Living After Midnight itu sempat menjadi lagu wajib band-band Rock Nusantara di tahun 80-an (mind you, saat itu membawakan tembang karya sendiri belumlah sepopuler sekarang, menjadi duplikat Iron Maiden, dijuluki "The Indonesian Metallica", dsb, adalah sebuah kebanggaan tersendiri). Tangan yang memegang silet tersebut adalah milik Roslav Szaybo, art director British Steel yang asal Polandia. Sementara fotografernya adalah Bob Elsdale. Sebelumnya, di tahun 1979, Roslav dan Bob mengerjakan pula album Priest lainnya yaitu Hellbent For Leather---yang di Inggris diberi judul berbeda, Killing Machine.
Edition: May 26, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: STEVE GAMBOAInspirations/Mutations:: Playlist, notes, and a few photos, handpicked & written by Steve Himself :: This selection of tracks is a synoptic reflection of the music and bands that greatly influenced me as a youth playing in punk bands in Washington, DC from 1988 â€" 2000. Growing up in ‘The Chocolate City,’ a southern town with an incredible musical legacy the likes of Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye, Go-Go and D.C. Hardcore, I was very fortunate to have been exposed to a diverse range of music from my peers in the D.C. scene where I was brought up with the understanding that being a punk rocker meant not only that you listened to punk rock, but were also open to listening to all underground music regardless of genre, an ideology that I still maintain today as an active DJ. While it’s impossible to list most of the songs that influenced me during this period that was the most formative phase of my life, this playlist gives you a brief but personal idea of the groups and individuals that impacted my musical direction, manifested my politics, determined my style and made it on the tour van mix tapes. Hope you can dig on it…
Tonite! Wednesday, July 07, 2010; 8-10 PM!Upcoming Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: DAVID TARIGANRadio Kentang Internasional:: Playlist & notes, handpicked & written by David Himself :: Radio Kentang Internasional adalah obsesi lama saya bersama teman-teman seperjuangan, Bla dan Toma. Kutukan musik Indonesia lama yang sudah kita emban sejak jaman kuliah di Bandung harus segera dibagi ke khalayak ramai. Tuhan Musik telah bersabda! From Arulan to Zaharah! Here they are!
Rudolf Dethu - photo by @viarms

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. Often tagged as this country’s version of Malcolm McLaren—or as Rolling Stone Indonesia put it ‘the grand master of music propaganda’—a name based on his successes when managing Bali’s two favourite bands, Superman Is Dead and Navicula, both who have become two of the nation’s biggest rock bands.

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