Job Discussion Forums

rayman · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 427

Do you enjoy listening to Indonesian music? Are there any particular artists/genres that you've warmed to?

Looking beyond the surface of cheesy pop, love ballads and dangdut, there really are some gems. Or perhaps you enjoy the aforementioned genres for their own unique qualities.

I've recently discovered a quality trip hop group, 'Everybody Loves Irene'. Hailing from Bandung, they remain little known in Indonesia, but if you like portishead and massive attack, give them a listen. Quality video clips too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShSOcs0SKI Rindu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COyias77U7M Memento Mori

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

I remain a long standing fan of Peter Pan and Radja.

philbags · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 149 Location: 1962-69

It took me 3 or 4 years to come to the conclusion that Indo-pop is derivative, souless crap; now I'm questioning that.......
Nah.. sorry.
There was a Surabaya trashpsyche outfit called the LOW DOWN DIRTY DOGS (sponsored by Mansion House), but I left.

OOH Kamu !
Adu!
cinta,....
Nga ada.

Helloooo misterrrr,
Mau kemana, siapa nama,
Sudah Lama?

Mister mister,
Dari mana, Sudah Lama,
Mau kemana?

And so on , ad nauseum.

In fairness, it's years since I've heard anything as good as Bakers Street from anywhere. Eurocentric bollocks care of Bonio and 'the hedge' abounds.

Aperently some lassie from China blitzed the WOMAD scene in the UK this year. Cant remember her name tho'

tanyakenapa · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Batavia

Oh come on... I cant believe that nobody has mentioned

IWAL FALS!!!! ... Ive been a fan of his since 1990.....

him being critical of people like Suharto (BENTO a very famous song) has gotten him into trouble many times.

Also love...

Peter Pan...

Radja...

and Jamrud...

SLANK also have some controversial songs.. but good...

KLA Project... (the song Yogjakarta and heaps of other classics )

Chrisye.. (sadly he passed away about a year or so ago)

some of the older groups.. (even before I was born)

Koes Plus...

I have several good mates in the music industry here who I knew before they became famous... the harrassment they get from fans is over the top! And the bulls*it the Infotainment people report on them is 99 percent absolute crap!!! I hate it.

Atoms for Peace · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 135 Location: NKRI

Fishy · Joined: 18 Apr 2006 Posts: 138

Cheers for the tip on Everyone Loves Irene Rayman. I bought their most recent album last night and after one listen it sounds nice, got to be influenced by Portishead...

rayman · Joined: 24 May 2003 Posts: 427

Good to hear from a fellow convert Fishy. Their new album got reviewed in Time magazine a few weeks ago in which they were labelled "by far the most stylish band in Asia".

Funnily enough, ask most Indonesians and they've never heard of them. Generating a bigger following in France and other western countries though via You Tube.

ngantuk · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 23 Location: Indonesia

l like it. Some of the better Bands or otherwise are as folllows.....

Iwan Fallls - As other posters hv said, he stood up and made himself heard. A Dad of whom his sons can be proud of.

Alda- A one hit wonder some may say, but very popular with "Aku tak biasa". A nice song.

Desi Ratnasari - A sheila from Sukabumi who made it in the big smoke.
Looked a lot better as a young girl when starting off with "Tenda Biru" etc, but is still a MIL2F now. Despite the skin whitener, arrogant attitude,kids etc2 .

Jamrud - All their songs r bloody good- that's my opinion, anyway !. In all honesty, I reckon their best ever is "Surti dan Tejo" Love that song !

A fan of Fatur also - "Selalu Untuk Selamanya". Romantic, n the girls love it- Gets 'em wet....

The others r ok I guess, but pale some-what
(my opinion), in comparison.

Kahitna, Nidji Radja n Ungu.....Boleh juga, Daripada 'gak ada...........

philbags · Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 149 Location: 1962-69

I saw Iwan fals at soundrenaline about 5 years ago on a military base in bdg - the high point being Teddybear buying a pass off a soldier and then blagging us an army escort backstage. must've been 10,000 peole there and only us drunk, but we tried our best. They stopped us short of getting onstage with O'l iwan, don't know what T-bear would have done if we'd made it up there; anyone who knows him will know what I mean.
Later we followed the tour buses up to the jayakarta thinking there might be some kind of Cocain/champagne freeforall. Instead we found the headlining act - some kiwi nu-metal band sat around halves of Bintang afraid to go downtown 'cos they thought Al Quaida wanted to blow them up.
Both Iwan and the Nu-metal band were derivative crap by the way.
I heard 'the Tielman brothers' a half dutch/half indo rocknroll outfit were great back in the day.

tanyakenapa · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Posts: 180 Location: Batavia

Ngantuk... yeh.. I lovvveeeee Jamrud... however I read recently the group had split up... such a shame..

I also love the surti and tejo song...

another favorite of mine from them is Ningrat atau Umum... (royalty or peasant) type thingy...

Gav22 · Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 25

Come on guys....nobody mentioned Cinta Laura!

and my personal recent favourite:

**AKU BUKHAN WONDERWOMAN KAMU!**

- Thank God i got out of Indonesian with my sanity in tact