On the Record

Sunday, April 10, 2005
Artist : Beck
Album : Guero (Universal Music)

Beck surprised lots of people with the release of Sea Change three years ago, going from white hip-hopper with tongue firmly in cheek, to bluesy and drowned in sorrow following the end of a a long-term relationship.
Now he has gone back to his earlier sound, with songs immersed in funk, sound effects and random shouts and rhymes about nothing.
However, Guero does not sound like recycled songs from old Beck albums. The turntables, guitars, psychedelic bossa nova beats and everything else are all smashed together, and come out sounding great.
It is a fun and amusing trip from track to track: From the raucous single E-Pro, to the folksy Farewell Ride, the '70s R&B inflected Earthquake Water and the ballad Broken Drum.
This may not be Beck's best work, but it is still a good album. -- Hera Diani

Labels: music, review

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Institut Musik Daya, a rare music school

Sunday, January 16, 2005
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It was the first day of the Sundanese gamelan class, and the five students of the Institut Musik Daya (IMD) music school here took positions in front of each traditional instrument in the auditorium on the second floor.
Now, the major difference between music students and us, regular, tone-deaf folks, is that it did not take long for the former to get in tune with the new instruments.
With a brief explanation from teacher Atep Gunawan about the instruments, how they work and the note scale, the students played haltingly at first but smooth enough after a few adjustments later.
Off to another class ... well, apparently, there is no other class. That was the total number of students for the degree program at the whole school.
The school's deputy academic and creative director, Sri Aksana Sjuman, said it has been difficult to lure students since the school opened in 2001.
"People, or parents in this case, still don't see music as profession," said the noted drummer who is referred as Aksan.
"We want to shift the perception by producing quality musicians who are recognized internationally and are responsible and love what they're doing."
Founded by noted jazz musician Tjut Nyak Deviana Daudsjah, or Deviana, the school was a response to the dismal music scene and the lack of quality musicians in the country.
Upon her return to her home country after spending 25 years in Europe studying, teaching and working with music, Deviana was shocked to see how the local music scene and education is lagging far behind developed countries.
"Music education in schools is so poor, if at all it exists. No wonder the music scene is so dull and full of copycats. The musicians still can't play the instruments correctly. Even the most famous local orchestra has yet to meet international standards," said the school's academic director.
No wonder, she said, that foreign musicians inundate the country and dominate the clubs and hotels here.
She was speaking based on long experience as a composer, arranger, music director and performer who has released a number of CD albums featuring herself as a pianist and vocalist.
Deviana was a professor of music, ensemble, piano, vocal improvisation and ear training at the Jazz Department of Basel Music Academy, Germany from 1990 to 1998.
Before returning to the country, she was the director of Freiburg Jazz & Rock School also in Germany which designed a curriculum validated by the Federal Governments of Germany and Switzerland.
Deviana then recruited Aksan, a graduate from Folkwang Music Hochschule in Germany and already a noted musician in his own right, and several other foreign-graduate teachers.
Having Freiburg School as the reference, Institut Musik Daya deliberately launched a four-year degree program instead of a mere course in order to generate educators.
Later on, there are other programs provided: Beginners music program for ages five and above, two-year preparatory course for a degree program, and a crash course program for bands.
There are several requirements for students who wish to enter the degree program, including the ability to play a musical instrument, knowledge of music harmony and playing in an ensemble.
The curriculum is tight and comprehensive, with 22 subjects taught, from classical music, jazz, contemporary music, music arrangements and compositions, performing arts, music business and audio engineering, to music journalism.
Indra, 21, a senior who is majoring in contra bass, said that studying at the institute was a tough routine.
"But it's totally worth it. Because we get to learn everything, not just playing music but also sociology, history ... we learn how to handle contracts, management. So, we know what's going on in the industry, not just the music," he said.
The students are groomed to become generalist musicians and educators.
"We emphasize music pedagogy. To be a good teacher, they have to know something more beyond playing instruments," said Aksan, adding that the institute is having a tough time in finding good teachers, hence there are only five available now.
"The students of the degree program now also teach the courses and preparatory program," he said.
Deviana acknowledged that the students at IMD are struggling to keep up with the curriculum as the basic music education is very poor.
"The students are also spoiled rich kids. But some of them are very persistent; whom I am pinning my hopes on," she said.
As for the annual tuition fee of Rp 36 million (US$4,000), which some considered expensive, Deviana said it was still far cheaper than going to Berklee or Juilliard.
IMD is also equipped with good facilities, such as an acoustically designed performance hall, a piano in every classroom, student lounge area with piano, Internet access and library, as well as foreign musicians as visiting lecturers.
"The number of subjects taught is higher in foreign music schools. Here we also study traditional instruments and practical knowledge applicable to local needs."
The school also provides a venue for the students to perform through its weekly music program as well as performing at affiliated organization The Nine Muses Club at Jl. Wijaya I No. 25, South Jakarta.
One thing is for sure, students need not to worry about finding work as offers are already pouring in for students to perform or teach.
"Unless you're mediocre, don't be afraid you may end up penniless. Once you have a good quality of musicianship, people will look for you," said Harmoko, the audio engineering teacher.
Deviana said that opportunities were wide open as many fields were left undeveloped, such as performing arts.
"We always tell the students that Jakarta is not the only place to be. There is the rest of the world, as long as you have the quality," she said.
Despite slow progress and little profit, the school strives to produce quality musicians.
"Music education is far beyond just teaching someone how to play an instrument. It can produce a human being with good teamwork skills, sense of responsibility and compassion."
Institut Musik Daya
Jazz and Popular Music School
Jl. Wijaya IX No. 21, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta
Tel. 021-7209748-9/7208213
E-mail: imd@attglobal.net

Labels: music

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Music magazines: Coming up short with local readers

Sunday, April 25, 2004
Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

At a bookstore in Kemang, South Jakarta, Pri searched for a copy of Rolling Stone music magazine, the so-called "immortal" edition about 50 legendary musicians.
Describing the edition as a must-have item for him as a music fan, he said he often bought the magazine for its great content.
"The writing is excellent, funny, often sarcastic but analytical and critical," said the 30-year-old PR company worker.
"It's something I've never found in local magazine."
While Americans browse through Rolling Stone, Spin or Maxim Blender, and British music aficionados scan-read Q magazine and nme tabloid, Indonesians have to keep up with a merry-go-round of poor quality music magazines folding after a splashy debut.
Music publications, including Newsmusik magazine, Mumu tabloid and Tabloid Rock, were shortlived, suffering from poor music knowledge, a lack of basic journalism and from being slanted to the editors' personal tastes.
Left on newsstands now are teenage magazines with little music coverage compared to fashion and lifestyle articles. The few music pieces are cute, funky and superficial.
Several publications -- like MTV Trax, Popcity, Poster and Hai -- try to give more extensive and deeper music coverage, but the scope of knowledge and writing quality are still spotty.
Reviews do not provide critical feedback for musicians, but merely consist of a synopsis and background information, written seemingly in a reciprocal relationship with record companies and promoters.
Even the music section of the country's largest daily, Kompas, mostly conforms to the formulaic review.
The current state of music publications is particularly disappointing because there was once an excellent music magazine, Aktuil, first published in 1967.
Based in the music hub of Bandung, West Java, it presented not only music news and features, but also analytical pieces on pop culture, both local and international.
Backed by noted figures in the music and literature scenes, like novelist Remy Silado and the late talent scout Denny Sabri Gandanegara, the magazine never failed to come up with new and daring ideas.
Remy's articles inspired a number of musicians to fight against capitalism and the mainstream, and his provocative poems served as the young writers' credo in the 1970s, criticizing the established literature scene dominated by the Jakarta-based literati.
Aktuil reached its pinnacle in 1975 when it succeeded in bringing rock group Deep Purple to perform here.
It was downhill from there: Plagued by internal conflicts, mismanagement and aging editors stuck in a rut, Aktuil closed in 1986.
No serious contender has emerged to take its place.
Akmal Basral, former chief editor of MTV Trax, said the potential market for music publication was high, because almost everyone was interested in the subject.
"The content is one thing and marketing is another. The problem is that local publications fail to come up with strong format and content," he said.
Although there was a lack of competition at the time, Aktuil was a huge success because the people behind it had strong knowledge of music, becoming pioneers in their respective fields.
"Now, editors often lack even the basic technical terms. Song titles, for instance, are often written incorrectly. Readers are often smarter, so no wonder they no longer trust the publications," said Akmal.
Some music aficionados have taken to publishing their own independent media, such as Ripple and Trolley. Of course, the publications are inevitably segmented and lack a marketing strategy.
The Internet changes everything, Akmal added, so that unless editors can come up with focused and new angles of writing, people would turn to website sources.
Akmal faced the problem of finding good human resources when he landed the position at the MTV Trax in 2002. "We then picked people with a deep musical background rather than journalists."
Feeling "too old and not crazy enough", Akmal was replaced by Hagi Hagoromo, former editor at celebrity tabloid Bintang Milenia.
There has been some improvement in the magazine since, with better reviews and coverage of the indie scene. Still, the superficiality remains, and at times it often comes across as pretentious and sensational, trying too hard to be cutting edge.
Hagi said it was difficult to juggle the idealism of presenting quality music content with finding advertisements to support operations.
"Advertisers want the hard sell, while the competition with other magazines is stiff," he said, adding its 30,000 circulation was quite good for a new publication.
He admitted that human resources were still a problem, even though there were many people with music knowledge and the abundant sources to be found on the Internet.
"But those who have references and can funnel the ideas and concepts through their writing are still few."
Experienced freelance music journalist Denny Sakrie said music reporters often lacked a love for music and merely entered the field to earn a living.
"Some are real journalists, but they were transferred from other desks so they have no knowledge. All they do then is just rewrite the press release," he said.
It comes down to a lack of a good grounding in music and the appreciation of musical knowledge as consisting of more than knowing the current Top 10.
It inevitably affects the quality of the music scene because of the lack of real critics.
"It results in half-baked musicians, and copycat acts in the music industry. Songs now sound the same because of that, and because there is no constructive criticism from music critics," Denny said.
Is there still hope for the appearance of a quality music publication?
Both Denny and Akmal believe there is, as long as there are efforts to improve the quality of human resources.
"Local publications have yet to dare to innovate. Music coverage and angles are still standard, as reviews or profiles. The entry point can be music, but it can be so wide," Akmal said, referring to U.S. magazine Maxim Blender that consistently comes up with good human interest stories about musicians, and provides interactive columns with readers.
"On the level of managing editors and above, they are still unable to catch up with the fast lane of fashion and trends."
There is a long-standing rumor about a local investor looking to secure the franchise license for Rolling Stone. With what they would have to work with, it's little wonder the rumor has come to nothing.

Labels: media, music

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Concert costly and brief but Mariah still charms

Monday, February 16, 2004
Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The poor had the last laugh on Sunday as pop diva Mariah Carey wrapped up her concert here in only one hour, leaving dozens of fans who had paid up to Rp 1.7 million (US$212) for tickets -- almost three times the capital's minimum wage -- disappointed.
Other ticket prices were between Rp 500,000 and Rp 1.35 million.
The brief performance at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC), Central Jakarta, also included Carey's frequent exits backstage for outfit changes, leaving dancers and backup singers to take over.
Once, she disappeared for a full song sang by backup singer Trey Lorenz.
However, as part of a world tour to promote her latest album Charmbracelet here, Carey showed she still could deliver the goods with her flawless five-octave range. And of course, a set of provocative outfits.
Clad in tiny, glittery silver hula skirt and bikini top, she kicked off her performance with upbeat Heartbreaker, taken from her 1999 Rainbow album.
Two screens on each side of the stage showed a series of impressionist-style paintings to illustrate her song Dream Lover.
She then walked around stage, giving instructions, then, realizing the existence of the audience turned and asked "How're you feeling?" with a huge grin.
The some 5,000 audience cheered and applauded as she belted out hits like Through the Rain, My All, Can't Take That Away and Always Be My Baby.
One highlight was a duet with Lorenz on Jackson Five's I'll Be There, with the crowd singing along.
The 33-year-old supreme songbird frequently took a pose, waving her hands in true Miss Universe style, and sat on the floor.
In Fantasy, by now on her fifth or sixth outfit, she shook her hips and danced around a folded chair.
The concert was completed with the 1993 number one single Hero.
The concert, however, showed that Carey still has a long way to go to reclaim her diva status after a turbulent period in the last few years.
Carey hit big in the 1990's pop scene after debut album in 1990 Vision of Love which spawned four No. 1 hits, sold over six million copies in the United States and won two Grammys.
In 2001, however, she was dropped by her label Virgin as album Glitter failed to meet expectations, although it still registered platinum sales. The horrible movie of the same name, in which Carey starred in was also a flop, followed by news of a mental breakdown.
Her eighth album, Charmbracelet, is Carey's first under her own brand, MonarC, which she formed with Island record company.
Despite bad reviews, the album has been a reasonable success for Carey, and a chance to put her career back on track. Released in the United States on December 2002, the album sold 241,000 copies in its debut week.
With the diva status still to be reclaimed, Carey is still a diva at heart, and acted like one.
Aside from a long list of requests for local promoter Java Musikindo, she also refused to hold a conference for the local media here.
She touched down at Halim Perdanakusuma airport here on Sunday at 1:20 p.m., after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from MTV Asia Awards.
Her concert was held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, relatively early for a music concert, which are usually held in the evening.
According to promoter Adrie Subono, they had to clear the venue by 6 p.m. because President Megawati Soekarnoputri was to attend a wedding ceremony held in the JCC area.
Well, look who's the diva here.

Labels: music

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Nial puts his heart and soul into jazz music

The Jakarta Post
6 July 2003

So, define jazz, Nial. Nial Djuliarso straightened his back, while his

fingers played aimlessly with a green straw.

"Jazz is freedom of expression," said the 22-year-old jazz pianist

firmly.

Well, isn't rock about freedom of expression, too? He hesitated a

moment.

"True, but jazz has more substance. Well, rock also has substance, but

jazz ... (pause) gives.. It's good for the brain because the music requires

extra thinking. It's good for the heart, soul, body and mind," he said.

"It happens in other genre too, but jazz is more intense and visible in

terms of musicians' interplay. Especially when you play live ... The energy

is like, wow!"

The student of Boston's Berklee College of Music spoke in the enamored

tones of a teenage boy prattling on about Britney Spears, his face glowing

with passion.

He still resembles an adolescent, with his self-admittedly "nerdy" look:

Glasses, pale skin, skinny, dressed in a Walt Disney dinosaur T-shirt and

sneakers.

But Nial has the composure and determination of an adult. And while he

is confident, for sure, he never comes across as arrogant, not bothering to

trash pop music or sniping that the music of Kenny G or Norah Jones is not

jazz.

"They're jazz, only lighter. That's good too," he said.

And while his peers are stuck in their Holden Caulfield moments, Nial is

soldiering on along on a career path rarely chosen by Indonesian musicians.

The journey dates back to when he learned how to play the piano at the

tender age of three, and grew up watching his father play the bass and

altosaxophone in jazz clubs all over Jakarta.

The real turning point, however, was watching a performance of jazz

guitarist Pat Metheny at Senayan Sports Stadium in 1996.

"The jazz bug hit me that night! It really touched my heart. I was so

impressed by the improvisation, the sense of freedom and the expression,"

he said.

That was when he decided to do what his engineer father did not by

pursuing a life of music.

"He's the most talented among my children. I love playing jazz, but my

parents didn't let me have a career in it. So, when Nial said that he

wanted to become a professional jazz musician, I fully supported him,"

Nial's father Pudjo Djuliarso said.

Pudjo then sent his second child, 15 years old at the time and a budding

tennis player ("I got too tired"), to the home of jazz in the United

States.

After spending his high school years in Tennessee, Nial later earned a

full scholarship at Berklee, where he first took a major in jazz

arrangement and production but switched to jazz performance last year.

"It turned out I prefer performing to doing the behind-the-stage thing.

Performing is more fun. We can directly express ourselves," said Nial, who

admires the likes of Red Garland, Wynton Kelly and Oscar Peterson.

Living in the U.S. helped nurture his talent and experience. He

performed at the Sarasota Jazz Festival in Florida, and at the prestigious

North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands with his own Nial Djuliarso

trio. In 2001 and 2002, he won the Hilton Head Jazz Society Scholarship

Competition in South Carolina.

Last year, Nial was one of an elite group of 28 young musicians from

around the world accepted by Jazz Ahead, a week-long jazz residency program

which was initiated in 1993 by premiere jazz vocalist, the late Betty

Carter.

The residency program, held at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington

D.C., is a a venue to pass on the jazz tradition by bringing together young

emerging artists with experienced performers.

During his school holidays recently, he played several gigs in Kuala

Lumpur, Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta.

After graduating next year, Nial plans to move to New York to work and

continue his studies.

"I want to sharpen my skills. When I get what I want and am satisfied

with what I'm doing, then I'm going to be back. I was born here. There are

some wishes to develop the jazz scene in this country," Nial said.

He added that except for noted jazz player Bubi Chen, there is no

Indonesian who plays pure jazz.

"I don't know why. People here mostly play smooth jazz, which is not bad

if it's played well.. Like Herbie Hancock, he is a crossover, a versatile

musician. He also plays smooth jazz."

Nial hopes more people take up jazz in this country so that there would

be rhythm sections when he returned home.

"I'm usually accompanied by bass and drum, because musicians here are

not used to playing jazz that I like to play, which is swing jazz. The

interplay in swing is more than the kind of jazz that is ting-ting-ting-

ting...

"Everyone can do that ting-ting-ting-ting. But swing is more difficult,

we have to be really focused," he said.

He criticized musicians who build up their own ivory towers and alienate

the audience.

"I guess that's the wrong attitude, because we need an audience as they

buy the tickets. We have to balance the music and the audience. Maybe

sometimes we have to compromise a little. But I guess if the music is good,

we hope that the audience will feel it."

Do you listen to pop, Nial? MTV?

"Not really. But I know Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin

Timberlake. I don't really listen to them, though, so I can't really

comment on them. But I guess musicians nowadays have to be versatile and

open minded if they want to survive. If I had an offer to play pop or funk,

as long as there's no other offer (for jazz), I'd take it.

"Because I believe that there's something that we can take from other

styles, which can be combined with what we've learned. That'd be good."

And so there Nial was, on stage at a cafe in Central Jakarta, looking

neat in a long-sleeved shirt, pants and loafers. His father stood against

the wall, watching, although many chairs were still available in the

audience.

Occasionally, Pudjo's cheers and excited clapping sounded through the

audience's polite applause. He also got on stage to make sure the piano was

finely tuned.

Through all his prowess at the complicated compositions, it was Nial's

unrestrained passion that showed through.

Labels: music, profile

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Rolling Stones still rockin' like wild horses in their 60s

Sunday, March 30, 2003
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Singapore

Who? Mick Jagger, 60, Keith Richards, 60, Ron Wood, 56, and Charlie Watts, 62. What? The greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world.
They're unstoppable, unbroken and unshaken. Like the title of one of the band's hits, they are the beasts of burden.
Before a crowd of some 7,000 at the Indoor Stadium here last Monday, the bad boys of British rock gave a stunning and fully charged performance, flawlessly belting out 19 songs that define rock 'n' roll.
It was such an incredible performance that it left me wondering, "O Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Guns 'N Roses, wherefore art thou?"
For those are some of the great bands I grew up with. But Nirvana was short-lived, Pearl Jam barely exists, and the rumor about Axl Rose's resurrection has been around for so long that it is no longer thrilling.
In contrast, after 40 years, Jagger and co. are still going strong, currently on the Asian leg of the Stones' Licks World Tour, with two Singapore dates last Monday and Wednesday.
It was surreal to see the living legends standing right in front of my very eyes, only a couple of meters away. But it was even more surreal to see the grandfathers of grunge rocking the stage, singing and jumping like men half their age.
The performance contained all that the four lads are known for: Jagger danced around the stage curling his rubbery lips, Wood doing splits, Richards was smoking with fender guitar hugging his shoulder, and Watts, still indifferent, but powerful behind his drum kit.
The concert started around 9 p.m., when the band kicked off with Brown Sugar to the roar of the audience, who, mostly in their 30s and 40s, were willing to pay as much as S$500 (US$287.50) per ticket.
Was it worth the high price? Pretty much. Because, besides being a great concert, it had historical value to it. Who knows how long they will last for? (Although, from the bursting energy they reflected in the concert, I doubt that they will retire soon).
The band brought to the stage songs spanning the four decades of their career, compiled in last year's Forty Licks.
Apart from seminal hits like (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Honky Tonk Women and Start Me Up, they also performed new songs like Don't Stop and Sweet Virginia, a country blues number with a touch of gospel, from the 1972 album Exile on Main Street.
"I got sweet Virginia in my mind ... Drop your reds, drop your greens and blues," Jagger sang while playing acoustic guitar and also harmonica.
His voice was still clear and powerful, matching the grimaces and hip shake, and also the attractive costumes (shimmering blue jacket, or long black coat with multicolored, illuminated discs).
His duet with one of the backing vocalists, an African American woman, on Gimme Shelter, was incredible.
The band, surprisingly, did not include many of their mellow songs, like Angie for instance, in their song list.
Richards, meanwhile, sang two songs, including Slipping Away.
"Well, it's just another song.. First the sun then the moon, one of them will be round soon ... but it's slipping away," he sang, plaintively.
Oh Richards, he definitely gave a lot of nuance to the concert that night. Cool and confident, the man showed the audience why he was called the man who put the rhythm guitar in the lead.
In between, he would run off to the spit of the stage, dancing with Wood, throwing guitar picks, or lighting up a cigarette while saying "Singapore, it's good to be back."
He then chuckled and put out his cigarette on the ashtray he held, before hitting his guitar again.
At that moment I remembered a quote from the movie Wayne's World II: "Keith cannot be killed by conventional weapon."
Song after song was performed, including You Can't Always Get What You Want and Sympathy for the Devil.
The confetti, fireworks and big screen in the background contributed to the festival atmosphere.
At the 15th song, from each side of the stage, suddenly there appeared two gigantic inflatable cheerleader dolls. The dolls held a pom pom in the right hand, with a pole between their thighs. On the end of the poles were white flags with that familiar, Andy Warhol red tongue for the doll on the left side, and the Singapore flag on the right.
For the rest of the concert, the dolls would move suggestively. Very Rolling Stones.
The audience was very enthusiastic, singing each song by heart, applauding or taking pictures with their cell phones.
The concert was completed with Jumping Jack Flash, before the band bowed to the audience, Richards put on a Yasser Arafat scarf and all of them disappeared from the stage.
If I had caught the flu virus that night (luckily I did not), at least I would have been content to have seen some of the most important figures ever in musical history.

Labels: music

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Suede `incredibly happy' with latest album

Sunday, January 26, 2003

Suede is Brett Anderson to most people, so much so that even a British edition of Rockopedia did not bother to include pictures of other members of the group in its Suede section.
But aside from Anderson, Suede has Simon Gilbert the machine-gun drummer, six-foot six-inch cool bassist Mat Osman, glam guitarist Richard Oakes and whizzkid, guitarist/keyboardist Alex Lee.
The Jakarta Post had the opportunity to do a face-to-face interview with Gilbert and Lee a day prior to their show on Thursday. Below is an excerpt of the interview.
The Jakarta Post (JP): I really like your new album. Are you happy with the outcome?
Simon Gilbert (SG): Incredibly happy, yeah, definitely. I mean, that's why it took so long to put it all together. The first time we recorded it we were unhappy with it. So then we went back into the whole game. We just wanted it right, otherwise we wouldn't have released it.
JP: Was that the only reason it took almost three years to come up with this album? No internal problems, like drugs, for instance?
SG: No, not so about. I mean, the drug thing was almost four years ago. That was before we started working on this album. We don't do that anymore. It's just because we wanted the material in the album to be right. It does take quite a long time to write songs and record them.
Alex Lee (AL): From the outside, it seems quite like an effortless thing for a band just to write songs and record them. But it's not. If you care to see the whole process, we wanted to do things perfectly. We had to think about the lyrics, the right sounds, the best way to do it. Three years at the end is not that long to make an album.
JP: But, you know, three years is like a life cycle for a boyband.
SG: Yeah (laughs), but they don't even write their own songs.
AL: And they don't make their own music.
JP: What do you think about boybands and all that stuff?
SG: I don't know, but it depends on who you're talking about. If you're talking about the Backstreet Boys, they're pretty good at what they're doing.
AL: I mean, there's always been manufactured pop right from the very beginning.
JP: Back to your new album, it isn't selling as well as previous ones.
SG: Well, not yet. In Britain maybe not, but we don't really know about in other parts of the world. In Germany and here for example.
AL: And you have to remember as well that when, say, Head Music came out in, what, 1999? The Internet wasn't as prolific in terms of selling, people downloading music for free, piracy ... all that kind of stuff. Although it sounds like an excuse for people in the music industry to make, but the Internet really makes a difference. Hardcore fans are buying the record in the first couple of weeks. But many people check it out first on the Internet, and if they don't like it they won't buy it.
JP: How's the British music scene right now?
SG: Pretty much the same pop, manufactured thing. There's this TV show where people audition to become a star. It is a horrible, horrible thing. But it sells loads of records as people watch the show and buy the records.
JP: What about new bands? Are there any new acts that you like? Like Coldplay, for instance?
SG: (hesitates) Coldplay's OK. I like The Vines, The Flaming Lips.
JP: What about American bands?
AL: I think the American scene right now is quite teen-oriented at the moment. And they really like dark, loud stuff that parents would really hate (laughs). I think it's quite healthy. For a long time it was a bit dull, wasn't it? With Bon Jovi and all. It's quite good at the moment. Bands like Slipknot is quite good.
JP: About the drug problem, how did you quit?
SG: I've got to be honest, I've never been addicted to drugs. But yeah, when you're a rock band you're surrounded by that kind of stuff. And of course you occasionally take it.
But I've never have a problem with drugs. You know, Brett had this problem with drugs and he decided to quit. And he's a lot healthier to work with the band.
JP: To quote Brett's statement in (British) Q magazine recently: "90s music wouldn't have been the same without Suede." What do you think is Suede's most important contribution?
SG: I can't say. We're not journalists or critics, we don't see the whole big picture. We don't really think about that, really. Just try to move on.
AL: Because I wasn't in the band at that time, I think the impact was that the band was the first British guitar band to emerge after a long period of manufactured pop in the 1980s. It kinda broke the mold. The same time as what Nirvana did.
JP: Who was your biggest influence?
SG: Punk rock, like Sex Pistol, and also The Beatles. When I was four years old I always wanted to be Paul McCartney, I don't know why in hindsight (laughs).
AL: It's really hard to separate one thing from one another. When I was a kid I listened to Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys...

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 2:57 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Asian idols F4 a disappointment in concert

Sunday, January 12, 2003
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The voices veered off tune whenever the lip-synching stopped. The dance moves were unsmooth, the series of costumes ridiculous and communication with the audience was limited to "I love yous" and "Thank yous".
However, Taiwan boyband F4 is not to blame for many of the failings that left one wondering whether the two shows here this weekend actually qualified as proper music concerts (a laser show, dancers and screens spread across the venue do not compensate for a lack of a good voice and a stage act).
Blame the record company, Sony Music, for handing the boys a three-album deal even though the foursome are not singers and dancers.
Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Zhu were just four young actors in their early 20s who skyrocketed to stardom after Meteor Garden, the TV series they star in, became an Asia-wide phenomenon.
Even their acting is mediocre, although as a soap opera Meteor Garden, the second season of which began last November, is surprisingly enjoyable and well made.
Blame the industry for constantly accommodating bubble-gum pop groups who rely on their looks -- in this case long fluffy hair and great bodies.
And you can probably blame the local audiences, who were willing to swallow the garbage and even paid Rp 200,000 to Rp 2 million for the pleasure.
Amazingly, nearly 70,000 people packed the humongous Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, for the first of the shows on Friday night. Everyone was so hysterical and devoted to the group that if F4 asked them to protest against the One China Policy, they probably would have gone out and started painting posters.
We had Puan Maharani, daughter of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, in the audience, along with a retinue of presidential security guards.
We also had 16-year-old Mariati, who came all the way from Bekasi and was at the venue at 11 a.m., almost nine hours before the show, because "I'm afraid to be late".
A mother brought her family all the way from a village in Central Java, only to pass out half-way through the concert from fatigue, though she still had a smile of satisfaction on her face.
In that sense, it was indeed phenomenal that a pop group could attract such a massive audience, most of whom could not understand a word the band was singing, being in Mandarin.
Regarding this phenomena, some experts have concluded that F4 represents the "rise of Asia", with Asians growing tired of Western idols.
It is sad, though, that the rise of Asia has to be so superficial. F4, and the public relations machine and all the hype surrounding them, is really only a copy of all the Western boybands that have come before.
This was succinctly summed up when Vanness Wu danced and sang Like I Love You, a song by Justin Timberlake, a member of American boyband 'NSync.
Unfortunately, he could not even sing it right.

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 3:04 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Music piracy gets more notorious and gets going

Sunday, October 27, 2002

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A fellow reporter had a bad experience when purchasing a tape in a record outlet. A couple of months ago, he went to a big, well-known store to buy the original soundtrack to the movie I am Sam.

"But when I got home and played the tape, I was shocked. The songs were not in the right order as it began from the middle. I was so furious! I bought it for the same price as the original. The store also refused to give my money back," he said.

Piracy is not a new thing for the record industry in this country. You can find pirated CDs and tapes virtually everywhere. They can even be found in Senayan sports complex, which is just a few hundred meters from the Jakarta Police Headquarters on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta.

But recently, piracy has reached a whole new level, with counterfeit products (aspal) finding their way onto record store shelves amid a rampant increase in availability.

Unlike pirated products of the past which were clearly distinguished -- bad quality cover and all -- the counterfeit items of today ones look identical to the original. They even have tax stickers on them.

However, if you look closer, you can find small flaws, as happened to singer Tere a while ago.

During an autograph session a fan gave Tere a cover of her debut album Awal Yang Indah (A Beautiful Start) for her to sign.

"But the cover looked weird as the picture was unclear. The paper was also different. When I asked the fan, she said she bought it in a record store," said Tere, 23.

Tere then asked her producer to contact police who then raided a retail store in Kuningan, South Jakarta, last month. The raids led to further busts in Disc Tarra record stores and at several factories in Jakarta last month.

The counterfeit products found at Disc Tarra were from local artists. Beside Tere's, there were the soundtracks to local movies Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? (What's Up With Cinta?), Ari Lasso's Sendiri Dulu (Alone For Now) and Dewa's Cintailah Cinta (Loving Love).

Police have arrested several suspects. The case is still under investigation.

Disc Tarra CEO Wirawan Hartono has said the company was only a distributor which bought the products from official agents appointed by the producers.

"We've been working with them for years. Their products are always accompanied with documents certifying the originality."

However, there has been an allegation that Disc Tarra is involved in the production of counterfeit products.

Wirawan denied the allegations, reiterating the company was only a retailer.

While the situation was highlighted last month, the distribution of counterfeit tapes or CDs has been around for much longer.

Sony Music Indonesia managing director Sutanto Hartono said some of the record company's products were pirated last year.

"Agents can return the albums from local artists to us if they are not already sold. Last year, we found some were counterfeit. But when we traced it back to the agent, we couldn't find anything," Sutanto said.

He suspected the producers of counterfeit products were those who have been or are still involved in the music industry.

"The album cover is very difficult to fake. But now technology is getting more sophisticated, with scanning machines and all," he said, adding the business of piracy had become particularly competitive.

These high-quality pirates have increased sales of counterfeit products in this country.

From 1995 to 1996, the rate of piracy was only 12 percent. The local music industry peaked in that period, with nine to 10 million cassettes produced every month.

But ever since the prolonged economic crisis first hit in 1997, the rate has soared higher.

Data from the Anti Piracy Communication Forum (FOKAP) shows that piracy is currently 650 percent larger than the legal sales of three million copies each month.

The number is well up on the 558 percent figure last year.

Piracy causes estimated financial losses of Rp 11 trillion (US$1.196 billion) annually.

Sutanto said piracy had made it difficult for record companies to sell albums from new artists.

"We used to be able to sell up to 30,000 albums from new artists. But now selling 10,000 copies is considered good. I'm afraid things will get as bad as in Malaysia where piracy is awful. The producers there now prefer to release compilation albums or rerelease old artists rather than new artists."

The worsening situation has spurred FOKAP to increase its campaign to combat piracy. Comprising representatives from the music industry, FOKAP was formed last April with the aim to bolster failed efforts already undertaken by several organizations, including Asiri (Indonesian Recording Industry Association).

FOKAP's head Arnell Affandi said the forum had already set a timetable in its battle against piracy.

"We've met legislators, police ... We've even sent a letter to President Megawati (Soekarnoputri) but so far there hasn't been any reply. Soon we'll launch a campaign on TV and radio, and we'll also reach the provinces" Arnell said recently.

The forum's plan to hold a special event called Satu Hari Tanpa Musik (A Day Without Music), scheduled Oct. 28, was called off due to the Bali tragedy.

"Piracy is getting worse and it could spell the end of the music industry in our country. As law enforcement is really weak we really need the President to issue a presidential decree," Arnell said.

National Police Deputy Spokesman Brig. Gen. Edward Aritonang said the piracy was indeed very disturbing and it has always been in the police agenda to combat it.

"We've seized millions of VCDs and CDs, we've also arrested so many people allegedly involved. Piracy is indeed a loss for the country. We'll continue to work with Asiri and other organizations," he said over a phone interview.

So far, however, police effort has yet to show any result in decreasing piracy. The parties responsible for piracy also remained unclear.

Arnell said that since news covering about piracy sparked lately, the pirate has been really careful.

He added that FOKAP recently met the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to issue a fatwa (religious statement) that pirated products were haram (forbidden) for Muslims.

"We hope that since the majority of Indonesians are Muslims, the people will listen. MUI really welcome our suggestion also," Arnell said.

The idea to go to MUI maybe a headscratcher, but desperate hours call for desperate measures especially since all other efforts have failed.

We may not think too much when we purchase pirated products, but when we buy them, we have infringed on the rights of artists and songwriters, and hampered their ability to create the sounds we love to hear.

Labels: legal, music

Posted by hera at 12:50 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Alam: Singer who blends hardcore with 'dangdut'

Sunday, August 18, 2002

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It is easy to chuckle, or even roar with laughter, over the performance and stage act of dangdut singer Alam.

First of all, his music is not the usual hip-shaking ol' dangdut (popular local music with strong Arab/Indian influences). Rather, the 21-year-old newcomer has combined loud heavy-metal guitar and a hoarse voice with a dangdut beat.

With comical lyrics, "Mbah dukun sedang mengobati pasiennya" ("A shaman is healing his patient") followed by a loud spit, it is enough to turn heads or to make you scratch your head.

And then there's the act. Isn't Michael Jackson's moonwalk strut way too awkward now, despite the comeback of the 80s wave?

But Alam imitated the strut, joining older sister Vety Vera, already a well-known dangdut singer, to become dangdut singers with Jacko's dance steps.

"I'm not imitating, just adapting it. Yes, I admire Michael Jackson, because he is not just dancing. Through his trademark movement, Michael can produce a distinguished voice," said Alam, who also idolizes Jim Carrey.

But with the music, the lyrics, the voice and the act, Alam is now the hottest item in the country's dangdut scene -- also in Malaysia -- and has been dubbed "King of Metal Dangdut".

While dangdut album sales were on the decline after the economic crisis hit the country in 1997, Alam managed to sell over 400,000 copies of his debut Mbah dukun album.

"The album was released last February when the city was inundated by floodwaters. But thank God people liked the album," said Enok Erny Ibrahim, Alam's mother, producer and manager.

Erny said beside the unique sound, the success was due to a combination of his son's "cool attitude, relatively educated background and good looks", although she admitted that Alam was highly spoilt, strongheaded and a bit indisciplined.

In person, however, Alam is blunt, confident, pretty smart and knows what he wants to do with his life.

"I don't just want to have a singing career. I want to have control over everything. We can hardly do that in the dangdut industry. We have to sing like this, have to do that ... and it becomes soulless.

"I want to control the concept of the whole package, the songs, the video clip or even direct (the clip). Maybe other people will do them but the concept comes from me. I want to be like (American metal band) Slipknot and also.. who? Yes, Linkin Park. They do everything by themselves. And the result is good and has a solid concept," Alam said, while endlessly puffing on a kretek cigarette.

Although he now has firmly chosen to stick to the genre, in his younger years, he did not even care about it despite huge exposure to it at home as his sister is a dangdut singer and his parents own a dangdut orchestra.

He claims to be a true metalhead. Back in his hometown in Tasikmalaya, West Java, he once owned a band and led a gang of young people who were crazy about loud, headbanging music: Punk, heavymetal, hardcore, grindcore and so on.

With them, Alam did some crazy stuff, including stuffing certain leaves ("No, not marijuana") deeply into his nose, passing them through his pharynx and pulling them out of his mouth.

"The leaves were covered with blood. It's a common technique, you know, so we can create a deep, hoarse, throaty voice," said Alam, who has won several singing festivals.

His style from head to toe was purely punk: Stiff hair (with wood glue), leather outfit and earrings.

"I didn't pierce them though, otherwise I couldn't become an imam (one who leads Muslim prayers). In that sense, thanks to my parents' education, I'm quite religious," said Alam, swearing in the name of God that he never took drugs.

His interest in dangdut grew when accompanying Vety in recording sessions. He playfully sang some dangdut songs, but with a different vocal technique, a metal-inflected one.

Erny saw her son's potential, contacted some songwriters, asked Alam to record his album and the latter said yes.

"I used to sing loud and fast songs and bang my head. Then suddenly, I listened to dangdut, which is slow ... but it turned out good to listen to. It's just a bit too slow, so I turned up the volume and the beat," said Alam, who quit his studies in mechanical engineering at Bandung's National Institute of Technology (Itenas) because "school was too boring".

Now he is involved in the industry he has some opinions to offer. According to Alam, dangdut can never be really big and penetrate foreign shores because the artists are very competitive.

"They envy each other and try to bring each other down. Why has rock gone global? Because the competition is fair, unlike in dangdut. I've started to experience some ugly stuff," he said.

"And why did album sales decline? Because it has always been the same music, the same lyrics ... if not love, it's about divorce. It had become too monotonous."

With a second album already under way, Alam says he is more involved in songwriting and producing.

"It's harsher, louder, more punky, more solid in concept. I collaborated with a lot of younger musicians now, my old friends," he said.

By the way, did his friends laugh or ridicule him because he had turned to dangdut?

"No. But then again, I was the leader of the gang so they wouldn't dare to," he said unemotionally.

What if the metal-dangdut thing does not sell anymore?

"I think if we make music for the sake of it, put all of our effort and soul into it, it can always be good and will sell. Rock, and also metal has its ups and downs, but it will always exist. Dangdut, on the other hand, has rich elements. So, I will continue combining them. I just have to strengthen and sharpen my character."

Labels: music, profile

Posted by hera at 12:52 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Deep Purple: Still living up to legendary ways

Sunday, May 05, 2002

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It's tough to be a music reporter sometimes. Despite the perks, like free concert tickets, you've also got to meet the boybands, or else, to take the challenge of reviewing shows of rock groups that reigned supreme when you weren't even born.

To tell you the truth, I haven't fully recovered from the recent concert of Rick Wakeman, whose music is so progressive that I don't really get what it is all about.

And now comes Deep Purple.

Yes, I know Smoke On The Water and its distinguished guitar riffs, but that's about it.

Deep Purple had always been something of a relic for me, part of the timeline in world music history, a chapter in the rockopedia.

But after watching them perform at Jakarta Convention Center last Tuesday, all I can say is, you rock, grandpa!

I found myself cheering and applauding with the rest of 6,500 audience in a concert that brought back the glory days of rock 'n' roll of the 1970s.

The concert was their first one here since Dec. 4, 1975, and in between they have had 10 different line-ups (there was a canceled performance here last year).

"It's just thrilling, and very encouraging. A new spirit for us," vocalist Ian Gillan said at the media conference a day before the concert.

Gillan, now 57, was accompanied by drummer Ian Paice, bassist Roger Glover, guitarist Steve Morse and keyboard player Don Airey, the latest formation that is called Mark 10.

Despite their down-to-earth and friendly attitude, it was clear that the inevitable questions about the band's legendary formation, also known as Mark 2, bored, if not irritated, them.

Mark 2, back in the early 1970s, consisted of Gillan, Paice, Glover, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and keyboardist Jon Lord.

"We've been through disturbing changes that rock the boat. But today's formation is very brotherly, more of a family thing," Gillan said.

Blackmore, Gillan added, perhaps a bit disingenuously, left the band over 10 years ago and he did not even remember what the reason was.

"Jon has been in and out, and become more and more disenchanted in touring. He just want to stay home and write music," he said.

"A new album? Well, we're in no rush for a new record. But Jon will most likely not be involved in our next album."

The band said they knew they were getting up in years, but also felt that they did not have to prove anything today.

"In order to stick together, we need a catalyst. And that is the audience." Paice added.

In front of their audience on concert night, they proved that they are still amazing for any age, even if it takes crowd support to get them going.

Opening the show with Woman From Tokyo, Gillan showed that the years have not altered the distinctive falsetto that is powerful and can reach the high notes.

Running around and exploring the stage was certainly something that he was not up to, but, instead, Gillan took percussion, played harmonica or shot his bandmates and the audience with a handycam.

Flawlessly, Gillan sang 17 songs, from Child In Time, Lazy, When A Blind Man Cries, No One Came, to 1972's Smoke On The Water, the song with the riff that inspired millions of adolescent boy pick up an electric guitar.

Every song was preceded by a story behind the making of it.

The band also played a new song, an instrumental piece called The Well-Dressed Guitar.

"Maybe, maybe, it will be in the next album," Gillan said.

The rest of the band was amazing, too. Paice, now 54, really kicked ass with his drums. Glover, 57, with his trademark bandana, calmly snagged the bass strings.

The new kids on the block can also match their seniors, especially Morse, who, in his late 30s, is the youngest member of the band.

He was a star of the show without overshadowing his mates.

Airey, during one of his solo parts, managed to play some pieces of the national anthem Indonesia Raya.

The audience, meanwhile, was clearly composed of a dedicated fan base.

Some of them had even watched the 1975 concert, like drummer Jelly Tobing from Bharata band.

"Well, (the concert) is not bad. But certainly, the soul of the band lay in the hands of Blackmore and Lord," he said.

Some of the fans went crazy from the excitement at the sight of their idols, playing air guitars and dancing as though in a trance (plus there was the inevitable drunk guy puking after getting carried away).

"Super! You're a fantastic audience! We love you very much," Gillan said repeatedly.

"The next song is a number that we recorded 100 years ago."

Hush was played, followed by Fire Ball, before the spectacular event closed with Highway Star.

According to many rock historians, the birth of Heavy Metal can be traced to 1970 and two British bands: Black Sabbath, with Paranoid, and Deep Purple with their fifth album In Rock.

From what I saw and heard at the concert, even without Blackmore and Lord, I tend to agree.

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 1:04 AM | Permalinks | Comments

Divas in Concert: Showing a bit of attitude

Sunday, November 11, 2001
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lucky you if you watched the Divas of Southeast Asia (DIVASEA) concert on television on Thursday night rather than in person. You missed the acappella group that killed time during the commercial breaks.
Calling themselves Peace Acappella, they practically ruined every song they did with unnecessary, show-offy improvisation.
Well, here I am, being overly picky again.
Anyway, The Divas of Southeast Asia concert featured seven "divas" from three countries: Indonesia's Vina Panduwinata, Titi DJ and Krisdayanti; Malaysia's Sheila Majid, Siti Nurhaliza and Fauziah Latief; and the Philippines' Kuh Ledesma.
The term diva here is confusing, though. What makes these women divas? Is it their popularity, album sales or what?
Perhaps it involved the fame of the singers within their respective countries. But have we ever heard a song from Fauziah Latief or Kuh Ledesma? And why weren't Ruth Sahanaya and Reza included?
However, because of a lack of publicity surrounding the event, we don't have the answers to these questions.
And maybe also due to a lack of publicity, the concert, which was held at the Bung Karno Indoor Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, was only attended by some 2,000 people, meaning 3,000 tickets went unsold or unused.
Maybe the tickets, which ranged in price from Rp 75,000 (US$6.80) to Rp 200,000 were too expensive.
Having said all that, it has to be admitted that it was not a bad concert and proved to be quite entertaining.
It kicked off at 9 p.m., an hour later than scheduled, with Sophia Latjuba, looking like a diva herself in a red dress, serving as emcee. Sophia was later joined by Normala Samsudin from Malaysia.
The first diva to perform was Krisdayanti, wearing white glittery pants and a sleeveless striped top.
Backed by the Elfa Secioria Orchestra, she kicked off the concert with Rembulan (Moon). Not bad, not bad at all. In fact, her voice is much better than Sheila's, who took the microphone next and sang Inikah Cinta (Is This Love), a song originally performed by the Indonesian group ME (now 9 Seasons).
Titi then took the stage and sang her old hit Salahkah Aku (Am I Wrong). Siti came next with Betapa Kucinta Padamu (How I Love You), looking pretty yet conservative in a long yellow dress. But what a voice this teenager has, she certainly can hit the high notes.
Next was a duet by Kuh and Fauziah, You, a song by Filipino singer Basil Valdez. Kuh, who starred in The Year of Living Dangerously with Mel Gibson, looked ravishing and she has a beautiful voice as well.
"I'm so happy to be here. Indonesians are so musical and talented and they have beautiful musical compositions," she said.
Fauziah, however, forgot her lyrics.
Vina then appeared, singing a medley of her old hits -- Cinta (Love), Di Dadaku Ada Kamu (You're In My Heart), Aku Melangkah Lagi (I'm Walking Again) and Surat Cinta (Love Letter).
She has gained a little weight, but the added kilos make her look more sexy.
It was a pleasure to see her back on stage singing her hits with her signature mixture of flirtation and humor.
The divas continued to take turns on stage and once in a while they performed a duet or a trio.
Vina and Sheila sang Vina's hit Biru (Blue), which Sheila covered on one of her albums.
"This is a dream come true for me. She's my idol. Mother, look, it's Vina!" Sheila shouted to her mother in the front row.
Krisdayanti and Siti performed Krisdayanti's Menghitung Hari (Counting the Days). Siti sang so beautifully that Krisdayanti, after a costume change into a dress and long wig, appeared lacking in confidence.
Fauziah, Kuh and Titi sang That's What Friends Are For and Fauziah forgot her lyrics again.
The concert closed with all of the divas up on stage singing Antara Anyer dan Jakarta (Between Anyer and Jakarta) -- which was a hit for Sheila -- and Titi DJ's Ekspresi (Expression).
And who was the biggest diva of them all? My vote is split between Siti and Vina. Siti for her voice, her charisma, for making Krisdayanti feel insecure and for keeping her real name. And Vina for still being sexy after all these years.

Labels: music

Posted by hera at 3:23 AM | Permalinks | Comments