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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.

Bali Creative Festival Perayaan potensi terbaik insan kreatif Bali 3-6 Desember 2010, 10.00-22.00 Art Centre, Denpasar...Bali Creative Festival bukan sekadar perayaan kreatifitas. Pelaksanaannya di Bali merupakan simbolik dari kehidupan dinamis dua dunia: Kehidupan masa lalu yang dicirikan dengan tradisi dan budaya yang kaya nilai-nilai dan kehidupan modern yang penuh dinamika yang menjadi pintu bagi dunia internasional. Hal ini sangat penting bagi insan kreatif Indonesia untuk mengapresiasi, belajar dan terinspirasi dalam iklim kehidupan yang penuh dinamika sebagaimana kita temui di Bali... → Rincian acara & jam ada di halaman utama.
Tonite! Wednesday, 2010; 8-10 PMR-n-R Exhibition [mini version]: OPPIE ANDARESTATemple of Everlasting Light:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Oppie Herself :: Perjalanan karir musik saya sebagai penyanyi dan pencipta lagu di awali dengan terdamparnya saya di sebuah tempat di jalan Potlot 14 di awal 90an. Pada saat itu teman-teman saya yang sebagian besar rocker (Pay, Bimbim, Bongkie) sedang seru-serunya mendengarkan Whitesnake, Led Zeppelin, dll. Saya yang baru lulus SMA dan memainkan jazz fussion bersama Indra (yang kemudian bergabung dgn Slank), Ronald (mantan Gigi), Marshal (Ada band) mau tak mau mendengarkan musik rock setiap hari dengan cukup intens. Apalagi kemudian saya, Bimbim, dan Pay sempat membentuk grup band yang membawakan lagu-lagu rock dari Heart, Starship, Whitesnake, dll. Lalu satu malam saat kami nongkrong sambil mendengarkan Bimbim yang tahu keinginan saya untuk menjadi penyanyi bilang, " Kalau mau jadi penyanyi, jadilah penyanyi yang menciptakan lagu sendiri. Penyanyi yang punya sikap/pesan." Kemudian Pay datang dengan membawa album pertama Tracy Chapman, penyanyi perempuan kulit hitam, yang lagunya berlirik menggigit. Tracy bukan "a girl with sexy look". Bisa dibilang Tracy Chapman adalah role model saya dalam bermusik. Saya mendengarkan berbagai jenis musik. Tapi saya selalu tertarik untuk mendengarkan dan belajar dari musisi perempuan lainnya yang bisa memainkan instrumen, menciptakan lagu, dan punya sikap/pesan kuat di karya mereka. Berikut adalah lagu/musik yang yang juga memberi inspirasi saya bermusik, musik yang membuat saya joget di atas pool table atau nyebur ke swimming pool, musik yang membantu saya tetap waras, musik yang saya putar di awal hari saya, yang saya putar di ujung hari saya, yang saya dengar saat saya PMS, musik/lagu yang biasa saya dan teman-teman nyanyikan sampai suara saya habis... ♪♬♫ Radio streaming live http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls
Bali Creative Festival Perayaan potensi terbaik insan kreatif Bali 3-6 Desember 2010, 10.00-22.00 Art Centre, Denpasar ...Bali Creative Festival bukan sekadar perayaan kreatifitas. Pelaksanaannya di Bali merupakan simbolik dari kehidupan dinamis dua dunia: Kehidupan masa lalu yang dicirikan dengan tradisi dan budaya yang kaya nilai-nilai dan kehidupan modern yang penuh dinamika yang menjadi pintu bagi dunia internasional. Hal ini sangat penting bagi insan kreatif Indonesia untuk mengapresiasi, belajar dan terinspirasi dalam iklim kehidupan yang penuh dinamika sebagaimana kita temui di Bali... → Rincian acara & jam ada di halaman utama.
Tonite! Wednesday, November 24, 2010; 8-10 PMR-n-R Exhibition [mini version]: MIAN TIARAA Journey:: Introduction, playlist and photo, written and handpicked by Tiara herself :: Let's pack our stuff, we're going on a trip, visiting places, travel through time and space. But first, bring what you need. Put them in your backpacks. Make sure all is checked. We might have to give up what we have and trade them with things along the road. Because that's a road trip is all about. No expectations, only excitements. Everything is random. We will not have the knowledge to see what is going to happen. We just have to experience it. Here's a little something to add something to your life. Now, let's get lost. ♪♬ ♫ 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 sixth edition I went upclose-and-personal with Lani Leyli.
Tonite! Wednesday, November 17, 2010; 8-10 PMR-n-R Exhibition [mini version]: BONNY SIDHARTAMy Playlust---Nothin' but a Nosebleed, Helleluyah!:: Introduction and playlist, written and handpicked by Bonny Himself :: ...Well, ketika ditodong Gus Cuk a.k.a. Dethu untuk mengisi program The Block Rockin' Beats jujur agak kaget plus bingung; kaget kenapa gue bisa diajak (tengkyu Gus) dan bingung mau mengisi playlist apa ketika sadar waktu tinggal sehari lagi---sementara gue belom bikin playlist apa-apa... hehehe... Bingung! Ya, bingung, karena belakangan mayoritas musik yang keluar masuk kuping dan kepala gue mayoritas didominasi musik-musik berdaya ledak tinggi dan terlalu monoton untuk orang lain (walaupun tidak semonoton SURGA). Dan maafkan sebelumnya kalau playlust yang gue buat ini kurang cocok untuk didengarkan di kala malam... Btw, lagu-lagu yang gue pilih sekarang ini kebetulan lagu-lagu yang ada di dalam iPod gue, jadi gak semuanya ada kedekatan emosional sama gua, hanya sekedar suka ajah (sorry yah Thu, gue mengakui kalo gue pemalas). Dan maaf juga dalam pemilihan playlust ini gue dalam keadaan 100 persen SADAR... Sekali lagi maaf. But, hey, fuck that! Ini giliran gue, jadi suka atau gak suka, selamat menikmati! \m/ HAIL \m/ ♪♫♬ Radio streaming live http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls
Indonesian version please click hereA few weeks ago, the biggest punk rock band in Indonesia, Superman Is Dead, reached a significant record: One million fans on Facebook. This phenomenon is considered even more impressive due to the lack of SID's appearances on television, proving that plenty of block-rockin' concerts and a little word of mouth is all it takes for succes on this scale. JRX, the drummer and spokesman for the band stated that their interaction with outSIDers/Lady Rose (their special name for the fans) is not always about the music or promoting their current activities. Sometimes discussing humanities and ecology---in a few case the discussion can get very heated. "But that's the beauty of it," he added. According to JRX, Bobby Kool (vocal, guitar), and Eka Rock (bass, backing vocal) the Facebook succes only goes to show that television is not everything, and that you don't need to move to Jakarta (a.k.a. the centre of Indonesia's entertainment industry) to find stardom. There's no such thing as "Jakartacentric". And their intense and caring relationship with fans on Facebook has proven their theory. Stay connected with Superman Is Dead by checking out their website: www.supermanisdead.net or search them on Facebook, of course.
Edition: October 27, 2010Rock-n-Roll Exhibition: BELINDA KAZANCIFemme Voices Extraordinaire:: Playlist, intro, song descriptions, and (most) photos, written and handpicked by Belinda Herself ::I recorded a song called, I Fall to Pieces, and I was in a car wreck. Now I'm worried because I have a brand-new record, and it's called Crazy!~ Patsy Cline When you write, as an artist, you do it to capture and hold a chapter of your life in the palm of your hand. Every lyric, every melody, every spark of idea, has a life of its own.A It comes from experiencing love, anger, joy, pain, heartache, loss, all those emotions that make us human. When a song is born it becomes a part of you, and every time you hear it you get to relive that same moment over again. Throughout history, there have been so many extraordinary female artists who have made a tremendous impact on humanity. I chose this selection of songs and artists because each and every one of them has inspired me throughout my personal musical journey and continues to every day. This playlist is for all those extraordinary women who have chosen to be naked to the world and allow the public to see into them. This takes more courage than one can ever imagine. Peace & Delight, Belinda *Echocell*
Mencabut alat kemaluan sesaat sebelum ejakulasi alias coitus interruptus ternyata, dahulu kala, pernah bermakna serupa dengan "pemakzulan". Karena pada dasarnya, 'azl (bahasa Arab), berarti mencabut. Entah mencabut seseorang dari tanah airnya (mengasingkan) entah mencabut penis dari vagina. Silakan baca argumen Qaris Tajudin di halaman dalam, ketika ia mencoba memberi sudut pandang berbeda terhadap tulisan Saidi A. Xinnalecky di edisi Tempo sebelumnya: Hikayat Pemakzulan.
Tonite! Wednesday, November 10, 2010; 8-10 PMR-n-R Exhibition [mini version]: SAMACKThe Self-Destrukt Hit List:: Introduction, playlist and photos, written and handpicked by Samack Himself :: Terus terang, ternyata tidak mudah bikin list yang berisi singel-singel favorit dari bermacam band. Setidaknya itu berlaku bagi saya, yang cenderung lebih mengapresiasi sepaket album daripada butiran lagu. Jika saya malas dan putus asa, mungkin list ini akan berisi semua lagu dari tiga album awal Metallica, atau semua lagu dari album The Wall-nya Pink Floyd, atau semua track yang ada di Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness-nya Smashing Pumpkins. Tapi syukurlah hal itu tidak saya lakukan, karena pasti dianggap menyebalkan di mata sang empunya program ini... Akhirnya, saya sempatkan membongkar file dan rak untuk mencari (kembali) lagu-lagu yang saya suka dan gilai selama hidup saya ini. Proses hunting lagu ini saya lakukan dalam tempo yang sesingkat-singkatnya. Jadi saya yakin pasti ada beberapa lagu yang luput dari memori dan pantauan. Tapi biarlah. Saya coba trik sederhana; konon jika hunting dimulai dari band favorit, lalu menuju ke album favorit, biasanya akan sampai pada satu lagu yang paling favorit juga. And it really works for me. Hasilnya sekarang ada 33 lagu yang saya susun secara acak---kecuali lagu pertama dan terakhir yang saya desain supaya tampak seperti 'live', haha... Beberapa lagu memang memiliki histori dan cerita spesial, sebagian lagi saya pilih karena musiknya emang keren aja dan bikin saya bersemangat. Oya, list lagu ini kebanyakan emang cadas dan 90an sih---tapi selalu ada ruang kok bagi lagu-lagu yang pop dan lembut, dari jaman lawas maupun era kekinian. Sekalipun saya saya cukup terbuka pada segala jenis musik, toh saya masih bangga menyebut diri saya sebagai seorang metalhead. Eits, metalhead?! By the way, saya mungkin orang yang paling durhaka pada root metal. Sebab, sejujurnya saya tidak pernah benar-benar terpukau pada Sabbath, Motörhead atau Slayer yang sering diagung-agungkan oleh banyak kawan saya itu. Jadi tiga band supermetal itu tidak ada dalam list ini. Jadi silakan menggugat kadar ke-metal-an saya hari ini... Well, menyusun list seperti ini ternyata menyenangkan dan seperti berbagi pengalaman. Duh, rasanya sebentar lagi saya akan kecanduan untuk menyusun list atau malah nekat bikin mixtape. Tapi please, jangan tanyakan lagi apa playlist saya ketika menyusun list ini...Plug. Play. Enjoy.♪♬ Radio streaming live http://army.wavestreamer.com:6356/listen.pls
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.
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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