NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with KREMASI (Bangkalan, Madura Metalcore), 4/12/2014

KREMASI band, Bangkalan Metalcore, featuring Haidir from SICKLES on drums (in the centre wearing SICKLES' shirt).

Our interview with Jihan, Rifal, and Haidir of KREMASI (Bangkalan, Madura Island Metalcore), 4 December 2014, with comments by Irsyad (SICKLES)

Interpretation Bahasa Indonesian / Bahasa Inggris by: Ms. Dhinie (VALERIAN road manager)

Band line-up 2010-13: Jihan Azrory (vocals), Rifal Taufani (gitar1), Haidir Arif Firdaus (bass), Muhammad Hilmi (gitar2), and Dewa Nyoman Dipa Sanjaya (drums).

Band line-up 2014-15: Jihan Azrory (vocals / also MYSTERIUM), Rifal Taufani (gitar1), and Haidir Arif Firdaus (drums / also SICKLES). 

Kieran James (Busukwebzine): Please tell us the band history.

Jihan (KREMASI vocalist): We formed in 2010 with the first formation as follows: Jihan Azrory (vocals), Rifal Taufani (gitar1), Haidir Arif Firdaus (bass), Muhammad Hilmi (gitar2), and Dewa Nyoman Dipa Sanjaya (drums). That is the formation until 2013.

KJ: Why did the other two players leave the band?

Jihan: Both of them made another band and they cannot manage the time between the new band TRAFFIC LIGHT and KREMASI.

KJ: Who played on the one-song demo?

Jihan: The original five people.

KJ: Do you think you can continue because you only have three people or will you give up?

Jihan: We will keep going because we can ask our friends to be additional players. We ask Rony from SICKLES to be bassist and Ilham from TYRANNICAL MIRROR as second guitar.

KJ: Will they become permanent members?

Jihan: No, they are just additional players.

Dhinie (vocalist, ALLEGREA SURABAYA band): Will you find permanent players to replace these two?

Jihan: No, we will stay with the three of us.

KJ: Maybe they don’t need two guitarists.

Dhinie: Yes.

KJ: Which people helped you the most with your music?

Jihan: These people here today, the other musicians. As SICKLES said, the community here mostly consists of players instead of the bands and the fans.

Dhinie: Do you play a lot in Bangkalan?

Jihan: No, we mostly play outside of Bangkalan.

KJ: What is your genre?

Jihan: We think that it is thrash-metal but some people say it is metalcore.

KJ: What are the problems playing metal in Bangkalan?

Irsyad (SICKLES vocalist): The permits to make the gigs here are very difficult. We must ask for permit from the police or the government. There are the problems with money and the crazy bureaucracy. 

KJ: Why do you like to play metal?

Jihan: Starting in 2010 we decided that we like to play metal more than the other genres so we chose to play metal.

KJ: What is your favourite Indonesian band?

Rifal (KREMASI guitarist): BURGERKILL.

Jihan: Same.

Haidir (KREMASI / SICKLES drummer): VALERIAN, yes I like it.

KJ: What is your future plan?

Jihan: Making an EP or album.

Dhinie: How many songs did you already prepare?

Jihan: We already have six songs. These are all new songs. Totally we have seven songs but the old song from the first demo will not be included on the album.

Dhinie: Irsyad, what is your comment about KREMASI?

Jihan [interrupting before Irsyad can answer]: Beautiful people!

Irsyad (SICKLES vocalist): I like KREMASI because it is a persistent band which sticks to their genre. Songs of KREMASI are very aggressive.

Dhinie: When will the album be released?

Jihan: 2015.

KJ: Are you changing your music style or not?

Jihan: A lot of changes.

KJ: Such as?

Jihan: The music is more mature and aggressive.

KJ: In Bangkalan why are there no women musicians?

Jihan: I have a gothic band with a female vocalist called MYSTERIUM.

KJ: What is your comment about she-males?

Jihan: It’s a damn people!

Rifal: Special guy!

Haidir: I cannot describe! I don’t like them! I like women.

Irsyad: How many gigs have you played?

Jihan: We forget how many, really a lot.

Dhinie: What cities?

Jihan: Malang, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, East Java.

KJ: Do you want to play in Bandung in the future?

Jihan: Yes, dreaming of being on the same stage with BURGERKILL.

KJ: What are the good and bad things about the metal community in Bangkalan?

Jihan: Brotherhood, solid brotherhood.

Haidir: Solidarity.

Jihan: Respect.

KJ: Any negative things?

Jihan: Nothing bad.

Irsyad: Some of them got drunk and it made the others uncomfortable with that. The people from outside the community saw them as bad boys.

Jihan: This bad boy Rifal!

KJ: Can you go to the mosque here wearing metal shirts?

Jihan: Yes, as long as it is clean. Your clothes have to be very clean. It is a rule of the religion if you go to the mosque for “Sholat”.

KJ: What do your parents think about you playing metal?

Irsyad: Rifal’s mum disagreed.

Rifal: Sometimes I must escape the house quietly if I want to go for rehearsals or gigs.

Jihan: Crying, crying!

Rifal: No, no.

KJ: What about your parents, Haidir and Jihan?

Haidir: The most important thing is that we must put school as priority. If we do that then they support it. 

[KJ note: Haidir and Jihan are brothers.]

KJ: Do any girls go to the metal shows?

[No answer so Dhinie tries again with another question]

Dhinie: Is it only your girlfriends who go to gigs?

Jihan: I don’t have girlfriend so I’m open. There are some girls in the crowd.

KJ: Where do you play the shows in Bangkalan?

Jihan: There are certain places indoors such as cafes and sports centres.

******THE END

Bangkalan Plaza, Madura Island, East Java, Indonesia. Good luck if you want to try to buy beer here!

Bangkalan Underground Community feat. members of SICKLES, KREMASI, BULL RACE, MUTILATION AGGRESSION, TYRANNICAL MIRROR, and ANT KILLERS @ Bangkalan, 4/12/2014

Ms Dhinie (from ALLEGREA SURABAYA band) @ Bangkalan Hotel, 4/12/2014

Irsyad Sickles (vocalist) and Arie Sickles (guitar). Thanks to Irsyad for his comments in the KREMASI band interview.