TRIBUTE: "Madura is Our Breath" (Yayak Rajam Final Interview), by Ms. Dhinie (English Version)

Ms. Dhinie Allegrea1: Hai, can you tell me the history of this band, how it formed, until now?

Yayak Rajam: Hail... Rajam formed in ’99 decade by the first founder, Magus, where at that time Rajam played thrash metal. Starting from November 2000, Rajam plunged idealistically into black metal. During that time, Rajam started to record their first single “Bheles Pateh” which was submitted into “LEGION TIMUR” compilation under Rotor Corp and released by MUSICA Studio as Major label. Line up at that time: magus: vocal yayak: guitar mumu: drum arif: bass.

In 2003 Rajam with the same line up released their first album “WAR BEGIN”, released by Dark Benner Prod Bandung. During the existence in black metal scene, in 2007, Rajam released a demo that contains 2 songs: SOLUSINYA ADALAH PERANG ANATHEMA AS THE WARRIOR. Only 50 CDs were produced and shared to our colleagues.

Continued with the same line up, again Rajam released their 2nd full album “BURNING ANTARCTICA”, released by LUDAH PRODUCTION GRESIK. In 2010, related to the overload of activities and distance between Jakarta and Madura, Magus (vocal), Mumu (drum), Arif (bass) ”resigned” from Rajam and they’re now living in Jakarta, and they formed death metal band, FINAL TERROR.

In 2010, after the three of them left the band, I was fully in-charge to recruit new personnel Badrut (drum), Ditto (bass) and me, Yayak (guitar vocal) and in 2013, Rajam, again released the full album, 3rd one, with titled “350” released by the same label, Ludah Production.

In this year, 2015, Badrut (drum) and Ditto (bass) couldn’t share their time between band and their activities outside of the band, that led me to make the decision to keep the existence of Rajam in black metal scene. In April and May 2015, through me personally (one man), we recorded 8 new materials for Rajam’s 4th album in DAZTANIANS PRODUCTION. And while I’m having this interview, these materials are in the MIXING and MASTERING, hopefully they will be ready to be released in September 2015. I personally am still in the negotiating process with some labels for the release. The current line up for Rajam nowadays are: YAYAK/SIR WARLORD: GUITAR VOCAL and JIMMY/EVEREALD: BASS (LIVE) DRUM live, for temporary, we use the backing track for every gig until I can find the new drummer for the future invasions. That was the history of Rajam, from how it formed until today. We never had hiatus even though we have had many personnel crises in Rajam.

D2: How was the response for your band’s mini album/album/demo?

YR: From the beginning of our single until our 3rd album, the response is very good. As we can see from the CD sold out and we had tight gigs from time to time. Hopefully the release of our 4th album will still have the same response from the black metal scene

D3: What band that most influenced in your music?

YR: METALLICA, IMPIETY DAN IMMORTAL.

D4: What’s your future plan with the band?

YR: Still productive, released our best creations in our next full album... et cetera... et cetera.... as long as we’re alive still exist in black metal scene, in the middle of it polemic and controversy, hopefully we will able to give the best dedication in the future

Rony Sickles and Yayak Rajam

D5: Are your songs using Bahasa Indonesia or English?

YR: Both Bahasa Indonesia and English. Rajam first single, Bheles Peteh, means killing revenge using Madura (ethnics) language.

D6: What do you describes in your lyrics?

YR: All of our lyrics tell about the total war, the heat resistance of aggression rebellion within the scope of the war itself was a war nationalist / independence epic or legend that we transferred into Rajam’s lyrics.

D7: Why do you like to play black metal?

YR: I think it’s about choice for an existence in music, it’s about our idealistic in music, in this case we chose BLACK METAL as out roots in music, there we found interests to play, to see, to listen and to read from it polemic and controversy as gave a magnet for me and Rajam to become crazieeeeeeeeeerrrr in playing black metal music.

D8: When was the first time that you became metal fans?

YR: Hmmm maybe in the beginning of 90s I’ve heard and collected a lot of rock and metal bands from abroad. And it still happens until now and become my reference in playing music with Rajam.

D9: What do you say to the people who asked : why do you play western style of music?

YR: Hahahaha I like this (laughing) It’s about feeling that is untold with words, and of course, this kind of favorite of mine is countable hahahaha...

D10: Does the wife or girlfriend of the personnel support for what you’re doing now?

YR: Amaziiiiiiinggggg since the very beginning until now, since we were on date, until we got married and now our kids are grown up, the full support from the family never dies, and it becomes our spirit to stay existing and working on in this metal scene.

D11: What was the best and the worst things of the community in your city?

YR: Hmmmmm always comes and go... that maybe the perfect answer for that question... hopefully in the next year Madura scene and community will grow and deliver high quality bands... ‘settong dhere tretan dhibi' whatever it takes, Madura is our breath.

D12: In which event that you felt the stage is memorable?

YR: All gig events that we’ve been through are memorable. We can see a very good response and supports from our friends in other cities or places that we’ve been through.

D13: Any messages for your friends?

YR: There’s no space for us to be weak, keep working on with the band and the personnel in the band. Because band is like a family needs responsibility too... and being alone but keep working on is more honorable that together but creates nothing... Support local scene by buying the physical release, read, see and listen as reference so in the next years this scene is not being under-estimated. we not fail but we will attack argggghhhhhail.... hail for all MILITANs

D14: OK, thank you very much.

[Interview and English translation by: Ms. Dhinie, vokalis ALLEGREA / VALERIAN (Surabaya Power Metal), interview questions by: Kieran James.]

   

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with MUTILATION AGGRESSION (Kamal / Bangkalan DM), 4/12/2014

Left to Right: Antony Maulana (MUTILATION AGGRESSION), Irsyad Sickles, Rony Sickles, and Kieran James (Busuk Webzine) @ Bangkalan, 4/12/2014

Our interview with Antony Maulana of MUTILATION AGGRESSION (Kamal / Bangkalan, Madura Island Brutal Death Metal), 4 December 2014, with comments by SICKLES band members

Interpretation Bahasa Indonesian / Bahasa Inggris by: Ms. Dhinie (ALLEGREA female vocalist)

Band line-up 2015: Antony Maulana (guitar / vocals), Wahyu (drums), Adi (guitar), and Dimas (bass).

Arie Sickles, Rony Sickles, Dhinie Allegrea

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

Antony: We were formed in 2009. Arie Sickles was in this band in 2010. He left the band in 2011. We started with only two members Wahyu and me. We only had vocalist and drummer. When Wahyu left I was alone. Wahyu left in 2012 and then he came back in this year 2014. Adi and Dimas joined in 2012 after Arie left.

KJ: What are the band’s influences?

Antony: Thrash-metal such as WARBRINGER and HAVOK. We played thrash originally but we wanted to have a new experience by jumping into death-metal.

KJ: What are your death-metal influences?

Antony: OBITUARY, PYREXIA, and SUFFOCATION.

KJ: Are you influenced by any Indonesian bands?

Antony: The thrash-metal band SUCKERHEAD.

KJ: Indonesian death-metal band influences?

Antony: No, I prefer the old-school. ROTTEN CORPSE [Malang] is part of the history.

 

KJ: Why do you like to play death-metal?

Antony: I want to play more daring than thrash-metal. I like the groove and the distortion of death-metal more than thrash.

KJ: Have you released an album or demo?

Antony: One single, one song.

KJ: In the Bangkalan scene who helped you the most?

Antony: SICKLES and TYRANNICAL MIRROR.

KJ: What is your comment about this band?

Rony (SICKLES bassist): This band is amazing.

Arie (SICKLES guitarist): Stay old-school!

Dhinie (ALLEGREA vocalist): Have you ever played outside of Bangkalan?

Antony: We played in many cities such as Surabaya, Mojokerto, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Lumajang, Banyuwangi, Gresik, and Jember.

KJ: What is your favourite city to play?

Antony: Lumajang.

Dhinie: How did you get to many gigs in East Java?

Antony: Motorcycles. We bring our own equipment on our motorcycles. If it is raining we must find a place to stop. I have an experience to share. We had a gig in Jember. Normally it takes five to six hours to get there but because of the weather it took 12 hours.

KJ: Do the normal people in Bangkalan know what metalheads really are?

Antony: Most of them don’t know.

Irsyad (SICKLES vocalist): MUTILATION is the first death-metal band in Bangkalan. SICKLES is second.

KJ: How do you feel that you are the first death-metal band in Bangkalan but SICKLES now became a little bit famous overseas?

Antony: MUTILATION is actually from Kamal (West Madura). This is where I live. I left SICKLES because it is easier for me to grow with MUTILATION. It relates to distance and time to have the rehearsal. So when SICKLES gets more famous I am proud of SICKLES. There are no hard feelings. We still support each other although we are far away.

KJ: What are your favourite Indonesian bands?

Antony: SUCKERHEAD and DEATH VOMIT. I don’t really follow the Indonesian scenes.

Irsyad Sickles: When will you make an album?

Antony: Maybe next year 2015 we will prepare. We already have eight songs. We did a cover song KREATOR – “Endless Pain”.

KJ: Do you plan to issue a split album with any other band?

Antony: Not yet but I will think about that.

KJ: What are the topics of the lyrics?

Antony: About killing, criminality, and politics with scary lyrics.

KJ: What is the language?

Antony: Indonesian and English. 

Rony Sickles: Antony is a multi-talent. He plays all instruments but keyboards.

Antony: I played bass for SICKLES and drums for MUTILATION. I filled the drum position until Wahyu came back. Now I am just vocals and guitar.

Bangkalan Plaza

KJ: Is there a suitable studio here?

Antony: It is quite hard to find an operator who can do the mixing well. SICKLES finally made it to make it here.

KJ: What do you think are the good and the bad things about the Bangkalan scene?

Antony: We have loyal metalheads who come to most of the gigs.

Rony Sickles: We also have social-welfare activities such as Clean up the Environment. We also collect donations to give to foundations which need support.

KJ: What is your future dream?

Antony: Making an EP album and then a full album. My other dreams are to play at Hammersonic Fest and sign with Nuclear Blast.

***THE END

Left to Right: Irsyad Sickles (vocalist), Kieran James (Busuk Webzine), Haidir Sickles (drums / also KREMASI), Rony Sickles (bass), and Arie Sickles (guitar) @ band practice, 5/12/2014.

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

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

Bangkalan metalheads, 5/12/2014

Kieran James from Busuk Webzine (centre, third from lef) with Bangkalan metalheads, 5/12/2014. Arie Sickles (guitar) is first from left, Rony Sickles (bass) is first on right.

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with TYRANNICAL MIRROR (Bangkalan, Madura Deathcore), 4/12/2014

TYRANNICAL MIRROR band - Bangkalan, Madura deathcore since 2011

Our interview with TYRANNICAL MIRROR (Bangkalan, Madura Island deathcore), 4 December 2014, with comments by Irsyad, Arie, and Rony (SICKLES)

Interpretation Bahasa Indonesian / Bahasa Inggris by: Ms. Dhinie (ALLEGREA SURABAYA band)

Band line-up: Hendrik Pratama (vocal), Ilham (guitar1), Jamal (guitar2), Ucok (bass), and Merza (drums / ex-MEGADETH, no, only joking).

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

Hendrik Pratama (vocalist): We were formed in 2011. The first name was VONIS MATI. The meaning is: SENTENCED TO DEATH. After our first gig we wanted to get more serious so we checked in Google to see if there was another band using this name. So we found out that another band was using this name so we could not use it. The band was based in either Bandung or Jakarta. So I suggested the other name TYRANNICAL MIRROR.

KJ: Why did you choose this name?

Pratama: I took it based upon the political view. “Tyrannical” comes from the tyranny which is a common factor in Indonesia according to me. If someone wants to lead Indo they have to look in the “mirror” to avoid becoming “tyrannical”.

Dhinie (ALLEGREA SURABAYA band): It’s quite a heavy name!

KJ: Have you got any songs?

Pratama: We have two demo sings. We plan for an album next year 2015. We already have a total of five songs, including the two singles. We are planning to collect six songs to make a mini-album.

KJ: What are the musical influences?

Pratama: SUICIDE SILENCE, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK.

Ilham: UPON A BURNNG BODY.

KJ: Why do you choose to play this sort of modern-metal instead of old-school DM like SICKLES plays?

Pratama: We liked DM before but after listening to deathcore we decided that we all prefer it and we find it more of a challenge to play deathcore.

Dhinie: Have you ever played outside of Bangkalan?

Pratama: Yes. We played in Surabaya and applied already to play in Sidoarjo. We paid the registration fee but the gig was a fraud so we were cheated.

KJ: What is your comment about this band, Irsyad?

Irsyad (vocalist SICKLES): I think it is a good band with an aggressive performance.

Rony (bassist SICKLES): This band needs to be more solid onstage. They need to develop a stage-act and solve the miscommunication on the stage.

Arie (guitarist SICKLES): My advice is that they should never give up. The band is having some internal problems. They are having a problem balancing the band with work and university.

Jamal [teasing and joking]: When will you get married?

Ilham: After graduating from university.

KJ: Do you prefer religious girl or metal chick?

All say: Religious girl!

Dhinie: What if the religious girl refuses their activities in metal?

Band: We will find another religious girl who accepts our activities in metal.

KJ: What is the future dream for the band?

Merza (drummer): To be more famous and to have a lot of gigs.

Pratama: To finish the album and to make another album and to be influential for other bands. We want to bring an Indonesian name into the metal community outside Indonesia.

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

Ilham: Solidarity.

Pratama: We complement each other by lending band members to bands who are missing a member. We support each other.

KJ: The bad side?

Ilham: We have not found a bad side to it.

KJ: Do you want to always stay in Bangkalan or you may move?

Pratama: Stay in Bangkalan.

Jamal: It is a beautiful city.

Pratama: We want to prove that even though Bangkalan is a small town we can be better than other cities.

Dhinie: What is your dream gig?

Band: Hammersonic.

Merza: Bandung Biersik.

Pratama: Rock in Solo.

KJ: What do you think about BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE headlining Hammersonic?

Rony Sickles: The promoter only tries to get more audience. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE has many fans here.

KJ: Is your music style similar to BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE?

Pratama: Different and better. I am also influenced by WHITECHAPEL.

KJ: Do your parents support you playing metal?

Pratama: My parents do not support me but I insist because I want to show that I can be a success with metal. I want to prove that metal is not as bad as my parents’ image of it.

Merza: My parents support.

Jamal: Support.

Ilham: My parents support because they introduced music to me starting with progressive-metal and then METALLICA and old-school music. I want to make an experiment with metal.

*****THE END

Bangkalan Underground Community, 5/12/2014

Kieran James (Busuk Webzine) (centre, third from left) with Bangkalan metalheads, 5/12/2014. Arie Sickles is first on left, Rony Sickles is first on right.

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

I think two girls just walked past at this moment!

Kieran James (Busuk Webzine) with TYRANNICAL MIRROR band @ Bangkalan, 4/12/2014