The Future of Music

Indonesia's most popular band shows how American musicians can support themselves. 

By  Ray Huling (culture11.com),  January 25, 2009

Indonesia’s biggest rock band, Slank, revealed the future of music a couple months ago at a small, dark bar
in Boston, where their long-haired front man, Kaka, kicked off the gig.
Grinning broadly, his body chiseled and bare-chested, he addressed the
audience in Bahasa, the dominant language in Indonesia, and the kids
went crazy. Slank fans are known as 'Slankers', and they have a
reputation for devotion. They waved their Slank flags, which consist of
the word 'Slank' shaped into a graffiti-style butterfly. They sang
along with several punk-rock songs and performed a stadium-worthy
call-and-response routine. One fan even held up a New Hampshire license
plate with SLANK imprinted right below “Live Free or Die”. 

“Welcome,
college boys!” cried Kaka in English. “Boston University!” he said, to
wild cheers. “Stanford!” he said, to confused looks and laughter.
“Where are we?” he asked. 

He was kidding, of course. Sitting on their tour bus before the show, knocking back Heinekens, you'd find
Slank to consist entirely of thoughtful, well-spoken, good-humored
guys, all of whom have paid very close attention to the U.S. for a long
time. After selling millions of records and causing the occasional
political controversy in Indonesia, they're now touring the States to
promote their first English-language album, Anthem for the Broken-Hearted.
“If you want the world to see what you want to say,” says Abdee, one of
the guitarists, “you better go to the highest mountain. And for music,
the highest mountain now is in the U.S.A.” 

It’s true. The United States remains today’s music capital. But tomorrow? Anyone
curious about where the music business is headed should look to Slank
and their compatriots. The music industry in their native Indonesia
suffers from piracy rates somewhere above ninety percent. Major record
labels there, even more than here, have lost millions in record sales
over the past ten years, and continue taking a huge cut of performers'
revenues from song sales. Indonesian musicians have to diversify their
means of income in order to make a living—and that includes doing
wide-ranging tours in small venues, like Bill's Bar in Boston. 

Slank is a curious blend of old and new. To listen to Slank is to hear the
rock of yore, but to watch them live is to see where Western stars may
eventually end up. Imagine Lil'Wayne playing Charmaine's Bar in
Jakarta—not for the kicks, but for the money. Economic and
technological trends seem to be taking us in this direction. So let’s
investigate a little further into how music works in Indonesia, and
what it portends for American recording artists. 

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country, one whose inhabitants sometimes
riot over perceived affronts to Islam, but that discrete fact paints an
incomplete portrait. The country, which divides along ethnic,
linguistic, religious, and geographic lines, is quite unlike certain
other Islamic nations. Indonesian kids, especially middle-class ones,
smoke and drink. They take pictures of themselves smoking and drinking
and post them on the Internet. Sure, people still get married at
twenty, but husbands and wives can now enjoy matching tattoos—and post
pictures of them on-line. These are not possibilities in Saudi Arabia. 

The Indonesian affection for rock music is also something of an anomaly. In
most of the world, hip-hop gives voice to youthful rebellion. Indeed,
the Mediterranean triangle of France, Morocco, and Algeria now produces
the world's best rap. Indonesian rebels remain apart, firmly in the
camp of guitars, harmonies, and sung lyrics. Thus Slank has an archaic
sound to American ears—classically pure rock'n'roll. This purity is
significant. 

Slank explains this predilection by suggesting
that Indonesians identify with the U.S. of the sixties, rather than the
nineties. The country experienced a long period of economic growth
under Suharto's dictatorship, along with intense oppression. Since the
Indonesian Revolution ousted Suharto a decade ago, a fairly
well-educated populace has endured economic stagnation, religious
conflict, and massive governmental corruption. “It's like everybody
wanted to scream for freedom since 1998,” says Abdee. 

This scream carries the timbre of political rock. As did the Anglo-American
music of the sixties, Indonesia's rock contributes to social movements.
Slank uses its cultural and economic capital to criticize and sway
politicians. “Before we came,” says Abdee, who's wearing a Who t-shirt
and has a hairstyle reminiscent of Ronnie Wood's, “we had a song that
made the Indonesian Parliament...what do you call it?...freak out!” 

In April of last year, the band performed “Gossip Jalanan” (Street Gossip)
at an anti-corruption rally. The song—first released in 2004, but
amplified by the occasion of the rally—refers to a slew of Indonesia's
problems: corruption, prostitutes, gangsters, drug dealers, gamblers.
The lyrics even include a common acronymic pun. In Bahasa, the
Indonesian Constitution is “Undang-Undang Dasar” or 'UUD'. Indonesians
joke that 'UUD' really stands for “Ujung-Ujungnya Duit” or “All about
the money." Despite a popular fondness for such jokes, Indonesian
legislators looked unkindly on Slank. The Parliament's House
Disciplinary Council threatened to sue the group. 

“They want to put us in jail,” says BimBim, Slank's drummer and founder, a browner
and handsomer version of Joey Ramone. “Then the TV news had a vote: who
do you believe? The legislature or Slank? 99% believed Slank.” 

Calls for prosecuting Slank faded when, a couple of days after the scandal
broke, Al Amin Nur Nasution, a member of the Parliament's lower House
and husband of a famous traditional singer, found himself arrested for
corruption. In the presence of an alleged prostitute. 

Scandal is not Slank's preferred method, however. They are primarily a Message
Band—again, with all of the sincerity and straightforwardness of a
sixties icon. They've articulated a creed for themselves: Peace, Love,
Unity, and Respect, which, in Indonesian fashion, they compress into an
acronym, PLUR. Consider it a modern, Indonesian brand of 'bagism', only
without any irony. Slank instantiates their world-view in their music
by addressing certain themes in every record. “We always have four
elements,” explains Kaka. “We talk about youth; we talk about love,
romance; we talk about social politics; we talk about nature. Always
these four things.” 

“Sometimes...five,” interjects Abdee. 

BimBim nods vigorously: “Party!” 

As viewed from the audience, Slank is fun. They deliver that good ol'
rock'n'roll experience. At one point in their performance at Bill's
Bar, Kaka offered a copy of their new record to any girl who would come
onstage and give Ridho, the band's second lead guitarist, a kiss, which
a young, Indonesian girl proceeded to do, shyly, on Ridho's cheek. (The
band has also suffered numerous break-ups and personnel changes because
of drug problems—it balances social responsibility with traditional
rocker indulgence.) 

When the earth becomes barren, the air unbreathable and everything dies...jobs, the economy and money will be absoulutely meaningless!!
Mother earth comes first! STOP GLOBAL WARMING-You can't breath Money!! Mari selamatkan Bumi
Tisna (Flora & Fauna Indonesia-atjeh)

". . . on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most
remarkable happenings in the history of democracy. . . "
-American Heritage Magazine, October 1993

Quote from (http://earthday.envirolink.org/history.html)

Guruh thanks Slank for criticism

Sat, 04/12/2008 11:17 AM  |  Lifestyle

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Legislator Guruh Soekarnoputra, also a noted choreographer and brother of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, said House of Representatives members should be thankful to rock band Slank for their critical song "Gosip Jalanan" (Street Gossip).

"I am a House member and I think the House should be grateful to Slank (for their criticism)," he told Antara news agency on the sidelines of ceremony to inaugurate the new Banyumas regent, in Purwokerto, on Friday.

He said Slank were free to express themselves, like all Indonesians.

If people are critical, we should accept it with a big heart, he said.

"We should receive the criticism while judging ourselves," Guruh said.

Slank's song became controversial after the band performed it at the Corruption Eradication Commission building on March 24 to lend support to the commission's corruption fight.

The song's lyrics made several legislators unhappy and there was talk of pursuing legal measures against the band. Any planned legal suit was dropped Wednesday. -- JP

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/12/guruh-thanks-slank-criticism.html

Slank rocks on as House drops threat

,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 04/10/2008 11:24 PM  |  Headlines

The rock band Slank appears to be the surprise beneficiary of the arrest of lawmaker Al Amin Nasution for alleged bribery, with the House dropping planned legal action against the band over a critical song.

The House of Representatives had been planning legal action against Slank for the lyrics to its song "Gosip Jalanan" (Street Gossip), which implied that Indonesian legislators are venal.

However, the House announced Wednesday there would be no legal action against the popular band.

"We will let the public evaluate the song," deputy chairman of the House's disciplinary council Gayus Lumbuun said.

Gayus denied the decision to drop the dispute with Slank was connected to the arrest of Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) legislator Al Amin by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) early Wednesday.

The song, released in 2004, angered the House after the band performed it during a surprise show outside the Jakarta office of the KPK on March 24.

Slank said the performance was in appreciation of the work of the graft body and to urge KPK officials to keep up the fight.

During the concert, Slank presented KPK officials with a CD titled Slank AntiKorupsi, which contains 13 tracks, including "Gossip Jalanan".

In the song, Slank accuses members of the House, which is located in the Senayan area of Jakarta, of enacting regulations for their personal financial gain.

The lyrics are: Want to know the mafia in Senayan? /Who draw up laws /drafts bills for bucks.

House members complained the song injured their dignity.

On Monday the disciplinary council discussed the lyrics with House leaders and planned to take the issue to the House's Commission III on legal affairs.

Gayus said legal action against Slank was considered because the song disgraced lawmakers and degraded the "culture, ethics, morality, dignity and civilization within society".

"It's not only against lawmakers, please read all of the lyrics," he said.

Gayus said the House could only accept criticism that was expressed in "a good manner". He did not elaborate. (alf)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/node/165960

Anti-corruption rocks

,  ,    |  Fri, 03/28/2008 1:39 AM  |  Opinion

Corruption and rock bands are an odd combination, but it’s exactly this that made the anti-corruption message stronger when popular band Slank sang anti-graft songs in front of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) earlier this week.

The performance itself was a short one at thirty minutes, and attended only by slightly more than one hundred "Slankers", the band’s fans, but it received wide publicity.

Slank, which commands a strong following of Slankers across the country, deserves the publicity as it lends rare open support to our lonely anti-corruption institution.

The KPK has becomes a lonely institution as its partner in fighting corruption, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), is suffering from a crisis of confidence following the arrest of one of its top prosecutors, by the KPK, for taking a bribe.

Thus, the performance by Slank -- joined also by old-time singer Kris Biantoro -- in front of the KPK office last Monday gives a moral boost to the KPK to continue its lone fight against corruptors.

More than that, the performance at the KPK reopens and strengthens a new front in fighting corruption, i.e. through music.

From time to time, there are musicians who go against the current and write and sing critical songs against corrupt governments of the day. One of them is Iwan Fals.

But we need more than just Iwan Fals, Slank and Kris Biantoro. More and more musicians joining the anti-corruption campaign would make it even merrier.

In fact, to make it more effective, we need to expand this movement to cover other cultural means outside music, such as movies, TV sinetrons, theaters and even computer games. Only then will we be able to instigate a cultural movement against corruption.

Corruption in this country is like a cancer which has spread all over our body, and it’s almost a mission-impossible to cure it with our regular means of fighting through legal prosecution.

We know from our past experiences, and also the recent arrest of one of the AGO’s own, that our law enforcement bodies are among the most corrupt institutions.

When they are corrupt themselves, we cannot expect them to clean our government, our bureaucracy or our businesses from corruption.

A strong cultural movement against corruption could provide the hope that we can cure our corruption cancer.

Building a strong cultural movement, however, is not an easy task for a country where convicted corruptors are often treated like heroes when they get out of jails.

Many parties are still reluctant to express their support for the anti-corruption movement. Even religious groups and leaders, who are supposed to command moral authority, are not out there at the forefront.

Yes, we sometimes hear leaders of big religious organizations express their condemnation of corruption, but they never initiate a movement against corruption. In fact, there are talks that some of these organizations receive donations from corruptors.

We cannot expect much from these mainstream institutions and leaders to free our country from corruption.

But we must not lose hope. There are people with integrity, who are concerned with corruption and scattered around in many sectors and in many professions, in this country.

Some universities and schools have taught corruption as a subject; there are non-governmental organizations which genuinely fight against corruption. And, of course, there are Slank and others.

What we need is to encourage these people and groups to continue working in their areas to fight against this chronic problem of corruption.

All these efforts, although scattered, if persistently pursued, will eventually create a cultural movement against corruption.

With consistent effort, this movement will eventually snowball, especially among our younger generations who are fed up with the current rampant corrupt practices.

With a movement on the way, it would at the same time give a moral boost to our law enforcement agencies to work harder in their prosecution of corruptors. Without this movement, these law enforcers will continue to remain corrupt.

We need a complete round-up movement to fight corruption, from the legal means and the cultural means. It seems a distant dream, but Slank gives the impression that this distant dream is closer now.