Southeast Asia Heavy Metal
Podcast Tour 2012
-Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines-
Episode 2: INDONESIA
Episode
2 of our Southeast Asian Heavy Metal Tour takes us to the “Metal
Archipelago”. Indonesian heavy metal is characterized by four basic
components. 1) Metal is Power 2) Your Metal Scene is Your Extended Family 3) Respect Your Fans, and most importantly 4) Be Proud.
Furthermore, if you manage to express your anger and rage through
guttural vocals accompanied by heavy distortion and blast drums than you
couldn’t have found a much better place in the whole of Southeast Asia.
Here, in Indonesia, extreme metal is the sovereign ruler of this
mystical land.
 |
| Pernicious Hate live at Jakarta, DEATH FEST 2011 |
Indonesia
has set itself apart from its neighbors in Southeast Asia by taking
heavy music to its extremes. A guttural vocalist is much more venerated
and appreciated than any other kind of metal singer in the scene. With
the extreme genres of Death Metal, Grindcore and Black Metal on the top,
other genres of metal which are more popular in the west are not as
prevalent in Indonesia. Moreover, bands in the power metal or melodic
genres are scarce and hard to come by. However, the very few that do
exist manage to put out a respectable effort. Such is the case of the
only power metal band in this episode, VALERIAN. Exceptionally isolated
like if on their own island (that figures), bands like VALERIAN are
something special. However, you wouldn’t consider female death metal
singers as “special” in Indonesian metal. For example, take female death
metal signer Popo Puji. No doubt this woman can sing guttural vocals
like the best of them and provide the necessary attitude on stage for
the band to which she belongs, DEMONS DAMN. Regarding what motived Popo
Puji to take up extreme metal, “I was motived by myself because I wanted
to show to the people that I can play this metal, not only guys can
play metal, women can also. I wanted to be a clever metal head not a
follower…so; I push myself to learn much about this music.” No doubt
Popo Puji is exceling in her craft. Testament to that are the songs she
has already recorded from which you will hear the song “Dominasi
Arogansi”. As for subject matter for Popo Puji’s lyrics, “My lyrics are
mostly about anger, revenge and traitors. I try to image what I felt.
Maybe in another life, I can express my anger…I try to bring my evil
side of me.” Furthermore, Popo Puji is opening the way for more female
participation in metal bands in the near future. And it goes to show you
that chicks in Indonesia are also very much extreme when it comes to
their metal just like the guys.
 |
| Popo Puji, vocals DEMONS DAMN |
“It’s
an energizing power, and Black Metal’s role is in executing; a pull
trigger; can you read me? Can you see the mystical power in Black Metal
in this land? It’s destructive!” Djiwo Ratriarkha vocals for MAKAM.
Hailing from Solo, Java, MAKAM has been in existence for more than 16
years. MAKAM has been playing their on indigenous version of folk black
metal based on mystical and old legends of the land in which they
inhabit. “Anybody can make a Black Metal band, initially. But I’m sure
they did not recognize their own character of their selves. So, why not
try to explore the true colors of your soul? That would be good, guy.
Trust me.” On the verge of releasing a new album, “MAHAMAKAM”, and a
book documenting their sixteen year span career, MAKAM will continue to
infuse with power their dark minions of fans called ‘The Raider Klan”.
Metal is Power across Indonesia, and MAKAM is just one of the many
extreme metal bands in the archipelago that embraces it.
 |
| Djiwo Ratriarkha vocals MAKAM |
“We
don’t like to call them fans; we like them like friends.”- Ferly,
JASAD( BUSUK, 2011). Respect your fans by treating them as your equals,
not as your inferiors. Something that is mostly natural for many bands
in Indonesia is to consider their fans as friends or an extended version
of their families. Regarding the metal scene in Indonesia, JASAD’s
drummer, Abaz states, “…it can be like a second family.” (BUSUK, 2012).
When asked what was the scene like in Indonesia, guitarist for SPIDER’S
LAST MOMENT, Aryo, stated, “…Indonesia has a lot of metal bands, and
lot of metal fans, as well. This situation encourages us to be different
and give another choice or alternative colors to the metal scene in
Indonesia.” Borok, bass player for CARAVAN OF ANACONDA states regarding
the scene in Indonesia, “The band likes playing in Indonesia. Actually,
many people here like our style, many support us.” If more bands from
the west respected their fans like Indonesian bands do then they would
have many supporters and also consider their fans as extended versions
of their families.
 |
| SPIDER'S LAST MOMENT at Valentine Attack |
You
play extreme metal in Indonesia. So feel proud of yourself. When asked
how she felt, Popo Puji, when singing in front of a crowd, she simply
replied, “Proud.” Additionally adding, “Proud of my city...my town...of
the many great musicians born here, of the many great bands from
Bandung, and I am proud to be part of the Death Metal Community in
Bandung, in Indonesia of course.” Djiwo, vocals MAKAM, expresses his
pride for the scene by stating, “In this country, you put out to learn
by doing it; it’s something that we call old school, and always with
pride.” So in the end, in Indonesia, you are not just a metal head, you
are a proud metal head.
 |
| Sacrifice Indo by Andhoenk |
With
all its rich indigenous culture and proud people, Indonesia has
evolved, in the heavy metal aspect, separately from its neighboring
countries in Southeast Asia. Perhaps, it’s due to natural phenomenon
caused by “island rule” in which species get smaller or bigger depending
on the resources available in the environment (Foster’s Rule). Perhaps,
this could explain metaphorically why extreme metal is so big in
Indonesia and other genres are just not prevalent. Or perhaps, we
should also look into how religion and society afflicts any developing
nation. The most natural response is to go as extreme and heavy as
possible. For the time being, we understand that to Indonesians heavy
metal music is power. This power is shared by fans and musicians alike
as they are part of a scene (family) which respects each other’s roles.
In the end, we can say that Indonesian metal heads are proud of their
heavy metal music, and most of all, they are proud of being part of it. “…be true to yourself and hellyeargghh!” ~Djiwo, MAKAM
Artists/Songs in order of appearance
1. DEMONS DAMN - Dominasi, Arogansi
Read BUSUK Webzine interview with DEMONS DAMN
2. WAFAT - Terrible Retaliation
Surabaya East Java, Indonesia
website
3. COSMIC VORTEX - Machine Gun Leg
4.TENGGOROKAN - Fuck The Blasphemy
Read BUSUK Webzine interview with Tenggorokan
5. RESIST THE DOOMS DAY - Reigns of Arrogance
6. MAKAM - Merkurius Equator
Purchase Kayon Hoodie MAKAM
Longsleeve-Mid East Abrahamicide
Listen to our 2007 special with MAKAM. Included a full interview in English with Diwjo (vocals).
7. SACRIFICE - Nusa Tembini
Read GRIMCORPSE Webzine interview with SACRIFICE
8. VALERIAN - Arise
Read BUSUK Webzine interview with VALERIAN
9. CARAVAN OF ANACONDA - Liga Kanibal
10. SPIDER'S LAST MOMENT - Regret I shall Comprimise
11. PERNICIOUS HATE - Tragically
Purchase Pernicious Hate T-shirts, contact Imam Santosa 62 85624442777
12. EMPTYS - Desember Maha Sadis
13. JASAD - Bless My Wrath
Read BUSUK Webzine interview with JASAD
CHECK OUT BLASTING OF DEATH ISSUE #10, April 2012
Traditional Indonesian Music
by Nindy Bynez
The name of Indonesian folkore music is
Keroncong,
Dangdut,
Campursari.
Kroncong
(pronounced "kronchong"; Indonesian: Keroncong, Dutch: Krontjong) is
the name of a ukulele-type instrument and an Indonesian musical style
that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound
chrong-chrong-chrong comes from this instrument, so the music is called
keronchong), the band or combo or ensemble (it called as keronchong
orchestra) consist of a flute, a violin, a melody guitar, a cello in
pizzicato style, string bass also in pizzicato, and a female or male
singer.
Dangdut
is a genre of Indonesian popular music that is partly derived from
Malay, Arabic, and Hindustani music. It developed in the late 1960s and
1970s among working-class Muslim youth in Java, but beginning in the
late 1990s reached a broader following in lower class Indonesians,
Malaysia, and the southern Philippines.
A dangdut band
typically consists of a lead singer, male or female, backed by four to
eight musicians. Instruments usually include a tabla, mandolin,
guitars, and synthesizers.The term has been expanded from the
desert-style music to embrace other musical styles. Modern dangdut
incorporates influences from Middle Eastern pop music, Western rock,
house music, hip-hop music, contemporary R&B, and reggae.
The Campursari
term in Indonesia's national music world refers to the mixture
(crossover) few contemporary Indonesian music genre. Campursari name is
taken from the actual Java language is general. Campursari music in
the middle to eastern part of Java, especially related to the
modification of gamelan musical instruments that can be combined with
western musical instruments, or vice versa. In fact, the instruments
'foreign' this 'subject' in the grip of music that favored the local
community: Java style and gending.
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Interviews with Indonesian, Southeast Asian and Foreign Metal Bands all Metal Genres
