Our new interview with SAFFAR (Bandung Death Metal)
Tuesday, 20 May 2025
At: Papap’s house, Pieces Records, Ujung
Berung
(interpretation by Popo)
Kieran James: What is
the present situation with Saffar and what are the plans?
Acil (Saffar
guitarist): Complicated.KJ: Who are the members
now?
Acil: Acil on guitar,
Ibon on vocals, Ale on bass, and Indra (ex-Cannabies), additional drummer.
KJ: What are the plans
for new recording?
Acil: I have a plan to
record two songs for demo track. We are still writing the songs. We are not
finished. We are still waiting to finish the lyrics. It is still progressing.
We are preparing.
KJ: Will the band still
keep up the religious style?
Acil: I will talk about
the spiritual but possibly a little bit differently. We will talk about the
antagonistic characters in Muslim history, as in bad guys or bad people.
KJ: How did you meet
the vocalist?
Acil: He was a close
friend, for nongkrong.
Popo (vokalis Jasad and
Demons Damn): Ibon said to me that he refused three times to Acil to be Saffar
vocalist. But Acil still pushed him to join with Saffar. Acil loves to drink,
go to the bar, get drunk. It was a band image not a personal image. Acil is a
good person, but he loves drunk. Acil and Ibon are like double trouble. We are
always doing dark jokes together; it is only for fun. He only loves to bring
Muslim stories into the lyrics, but he is not in One Finger Movement. As you
know, you must know, not all Muslims are in One Finger Movement.
Popo: Acil asked Ibon
to join because he found it hard to be vocalist and guitar. He thought that
Ibon should join because they are close to each other. Then he can only focus
on the guitar parts. Ibon has played with other bands before, vocalist with one
band and drummer with another. Before, Ibon worked as a technician with
Turbidity, he is a friend in the circle, he is not a new guy in the DM
community.
KJ: Do you feel you
need to change your image now you play in Saffar?
Ibon (new vokalis):
Maybe it is just organic. When we play in Jakarta, someone gave me a bottle of
alcohol. It gives Saffar a different image.
Popo: Ibon will change
the image, yes? KJ: What happened to
Ramon?
Acil: He is good, he
works now, he is married. I still keep contact with Ramon.
KJ: Do you think the
original four can ever have a reunion?
Acil: Maybe if myself
and Ramon can still happen but it’s hard for Parjo because Parjo was too
different. And Iyenk is different from before too. He can still play the drums,
but the quality dropped, it’s not like before.
Bobby (vokalis
Turbidity): Do you have plan to sign for any record label?
Acil: Many record
labels are asking me, from East Java- Oath Artifacts.
[Iyenk, ex-Saffar
drummer, joins the interview.]
Popo: Why don’t you
play with Saffar anymore?
Iyenk: For now, I don’t
have a drum set to play drums again, so I feel it is hard if I must borrow
another set of drum tools.
Acil: I asked Iyenk to
rest for a while.
Dani Papap: It’s good for
Iyenk to go back to Saffar.
Iyenk: I’m ready!
Papap: When will you
practice with Saffar, Iyenk?
Iyenk: Yesterday! Ibon: Spotify took down
all the Saffar songs.
KJ: What is your
feeling about joining Saffar?
Ibon: I have a new
trouble.
Papap: A new problem!
KJ: Do you think you
will reissue Mandatory El Arshy with bonus tracks or live tracks?
Acil: It will never
happen.
KJ: Why?
Acil: Because I want to
give a new image for the new lineup and the new album.
KJ: Do you feel proud
about the album Mandatory El Arshy?
Iyenk: I feel nothing
because I want to make some fresh music with more aggression than before.
[Sethos is: Acil,
Teguh, Glenn, Andri for second guitar, Wawan on drums from Gore Infamous.]
KJ: If you have a superband
from BDG Death Metal, who will you pick for each position?
Papap: Iyenk (drums),
Acil (guitar1), Uus (guitar2), Yuli (bass), Agus (vox) (Anorgasm).
Bobby: Papap (drums),
Ferly (guitar1), Adyth (guitar2), Ramon (bass). Glenn (vox).
Popo: Papap (drums),
Redu (guitar1) (Jasad), Uus (guitar2), Ferry (bass), Adam (vox) (Humiliation).
Ibon: Jalu (drums)
(Forgotten), Ferly (guitar1) (Jasad), Hinhin (guitar2) (Humiliation/
Forgotten), Rendy (bass) (Pourriture), Bobby (vox) (Turbidity).
Acil: Papap (drums),
Bintang (guitar1) (Guttural Disease/ Digging Up), Uus (guitar2), Teguh (bass), Popo
(vox).
*****THE
END*****