NEW INTERVIEW: Our second interview with Wisnar of POURRITURE (Bandung Death Metal), 2 September 2024.

Questions: 1) Kieran James: Please give a band update since we last met in 2019.

Wisnar: New line up: Vocal: Panji, guitar is still me, bass: Rendi, drums: Redy. Besides performing, we released an official music video clip, then followed by the Second album, and also an album tour in sumatera, all done in 2024.

2) Tell us more about the Sumatra tour, how did it happen and what were some of the events and your experiences?

2.Of course this is our first experience visiting the island of Sumatra, starting fro m communication with Nico (Fapro), finally we agreed. Me and Nico started looking for information in every city in Sumatra. By getting a good response in eight cities ,we finally agreed to do an album tour in Sumatra with the terms we made. There were many unexpected events, such as we experienced driving the wrong way and for 10 kilometers we passed through a palm oil plantation at night, and the road was very small, dark and extreme and it was a forest hahaha.But it all paid off with the performance and the audience who came in every city there, beyond the target and expectations, the audience who came was very large even though we performed more often on weekdays (300-400 people come)... they bought all our merchandise and in the sixth city, our merchandise sold out. Other experiences we got from the scene conditions in each city, from cultural differences and from the good bands who opened our opening tour, all were very impressive and memorable.

3) Do you feel you are now a second generation of Bandung Death Metal and does having the Bandung name make it easier for you to get fans outside of Java?

3.Bandung does have an attraction especially for death metal scene, but that does not mean that we use the privilege for our popularity. For us, still fighting and giving the best results is one way to get fans, I'm sure, because metalheads are very smart in enjoying and judging music.

4) Just curious, is your vocalist the same "Panji" that was vocalist for the band Pedophilia 10-12 years ago? I remember he was very active on Facebook back then and we did an online interview. I remember meeting him at Teguh' house in 2019. Metal Archives still lists Muhammad Andika Derejat as vocalist.

4. No, he's not, I think metal archive did not update the current line up from 2016 onwards. 

5) How was the most recent Flower City Death Fest?

5. Flowercity death fest will still run every year, only this time we are holding road to Flowercity death fest, six months before the bigbang event starts. We made it with a smaller gigs concept, and we try to give space to new bands and bands that are doing promotions.

6) What are your comments on Bandung Death Metal scene these days?

6. I think it is getting more solid, but it is the responsibility of all the players in this scene to survive and still alive. 

7) Any plans for a second album?

7. The second album has been released on Brutalmind, label open Pre Order for this stuff, we are waiting for all the CD's and merchandise to be finished.

8) Can you give me your comments about Death Vomit as I'm writing a new article about that band?

8. Salute to what they have done so far. They still release music, they are still in existence, two words from me for Death Vomit: Living Legend. 

9) Any other things you want to share?

9. For those of you who are still struggling in music, keep fighting, play your music sincerely, make good work, make recordings,networking, go on tours and conquer all stages. Forever Underground Forever Death Metal.

NEW INTERVIEW: Our first interview with DIGGING UP (Bandung Brutal Death Metal), 12 May 2019.

Our first interview with DIGGING UP

AT: Pieces, Ujung Berung, Bandung.

Date: Sunday, 12 May 2019.

By: Teguh Prasetyo and Kieran James.

DIGGING UP line-up: Dedra (guitar), Arief (drums), Aghy (vocal), and Teguh (bass).

Teguh Prasetyo: We are already recording promo.

Dedra Digging: Two songs. We started recording drums in April [2019].

Teguh: The bass and guitar sessions started in April. We are waiting for the vocals. Vocals will be done on 20th of this month.

Teguh: This was already planned since last year but we all had very busy sessions working. We postponed almost one year.

Dedra: And we had some gigs before.

Teguh: This stopped us from doing new songs. We had quite busy schedules with work and gigs.

Dedra: We plan to do a clip for the promo.

Kieran James: Any change in the music style?

Dedra: Our new material has changed significantly in style. It is simpler, easy listening.

Teguh: It is still brutal but more easy listening.

Dedra: More familiar.

Teguh: We want to explore more the basic style of Digging Up. But the style from the first album is still there.

KJ: What do you think of the statement by Andrew Sick that Dedra is best Death Metal guitarist in Indonesia?

Dedra: I think it is just too much.

Teguh: I think Dedra is very dedicated in playing guitar. He is very specific about what he wants.

KJ: What is it like to work with him?

Teguh: It’s fun but it’s depressing because he has been doing this for so long. It puts me in a pressure cooker; I had to take over from Evan, one of the best bass players in this district. Dedra and the old members of Digging Up keep supporting me to get better and better. This is why I improved and Agung [guitarist, Interfectorment, ex-Digging Up] too. We learned so much from this band. For management side, we learned and used this for our band [Interfectorment] too.

KJ: How do you say the band name?

Teguh: We like to use Dijjing Up or Digging Up, depending on who we talk to. They have their own style and attitude; we [the new members, bassist Teguh and vocalist Aghy] must learn from it and become a part of it. In my opinion, for the new songs, two of the members are new. It will be a mix of old and new styles. It will be a little different but not too much. I’m just taking this prize, everything was already in place.

KJ: Funny stories?

Dedra: It is almost like a habit, we have some little rituals before gigs, which everyone knows. We burn some leaves from heaven before we play, to maintain the calm. The gigs are very intense.

Teguh: It’s in the past, of course. Now no-one knows. We might be still doing it or maybe not. Me and the vocalist are new to record for Digging Up. We did record some songs but we decided not to use them. The vocalist was from Demigod; the guitarist is playing on Jasad; the drummer is playing for Forgotten; one guitarist is playing for Humiliation. The bass player is playing for Gore Infamous.

KJ: Can you remember the best show you played in?

Dedra: All shows for me are the best show. Also for many bands I have had good shows and great memories.

Teguh: In Digging Up, personally, I think we are projecting the style of Dedra. He makes the form of the music. We walk in the same path so we are helping each other to achieve our goals. We are not just passengers. It is really fun to work with someone who knows the direction of the band. I can feel the soul of the songs and it becomes a part of me also.

Andrew Sick was one of the people from foreign countries who helped Indonesian Metal to be known overseas so we always respect him.

KJ: What city in Indonesia do you think the crowd is most crazy?

Dedra: Jakarta, too many people around him.

KJ: Do you think Andrew Sick’s comments helped raise the band up?

Dedra: Yes, it was a real contribution.

KJ: What do you think of cigarette companies sponsoring shows?

Teguh: I’m against the contributions to our scene. It’s too fake; we can survive without them; we are against.

UPDATE BY TEGUH PRASETYO (10 October 2020): 1. Now we are only a four-piece band. Tery is not in the band anymore. 2. We are signing with Brutal Mind for promo and album. 3. We are scheduled to release a two-song promo CD but we want to make it as a split with another band, it will still be released by Brutal Mind.

*****THE END*****

NEW INTERVIEW: Our second interview with ASHTAROTHUM (Bandung Black Metal), 15/5/2019.

Our second interview with ASHTAROTHUM (Bandung Black Metal)

Date: Wednesday, 15 May 2019.

Translation: By Teguh Prasetyo.

ASHTAROTHUM is: Asht (guitar / vocals), Jamie (guitar), Kenz (bass), and Yaya (drums).

L to R: Asht, Teguh, Kieran, Kenny, Yaya, James.

Teguh Prasetyo: Why did you pick the band name?

                        

Asht: The real founder of the band is the drummer; it is taken from Ashtaroth, the goddess of war and fertility (from Egypt). We just added “um” behind it to make the differentiation. The original drummer was Arie, he left in 1999. The band was formed in 1996.

Teguh: Please continue with the band history.

Asht: In the second formation, the vocalist was Abang. First formation: Arie-Agus-Yogi-Ogi; second formation: Arie-Asht-Indra (RIP)-Abang. This line-up also joined the Blacker than Darkness Number 1 compilation, 1998, self-titled song. The song is telling the story about the goddess. We already made songs for the album in 1999, but I was getting married at that time. Because of this the band stopped.

After 17 years (until 2015), I started the band again. I asked the permission from the older members to rebuild the band. They didn’t want to reform but they gave me the permission to start again and recruit the new members. So, basically, we had a member change. It was a tough decision to change the members.

We made some songs but they were not yet released in a physical form due to changes in the formation. The songs were written by the new line-up. We had a responsibility to explain the lyrics’ concept. It is not easy to make BM music.

So, after changing a lot, I feel that this line-up really has good chemistry between the players. It is easy for us to make the songs in a short time. Kenzy joined after our first Facebook interview [band interview with Busuk Chronicles]. The new members gave us the new spirit to make a song as the members all support each other.

Kieran James: How do you find Kenzy?

Kenny (Kenzy): Accidentally.

Asht: Kenzy also had a band before. A friend of hers contacted me and we were just chatting. It came to my mind that I needed a bass player so I asked Kenzy. But she refused to join at first.

Kenny: I was really busy with work as I had double jobs. I was also going to college. I am also a wantai instructor (kick-boxing).

Teguh: She really kicks hard. You should see her video – it is really frightening.

Kenny: I have a daughter in junior high-school. … I stopped playing in my band about 16 years ago, about the time when Asht band stopped. I would play with any band which asked me to help – such as punk or hardcore or dangdut.

Teguh: Not to be sexist but usually when a band gets a woman for a band the woman is no good. But when I saw her band play I saw that she was really good. I was playing with […] and we were playing together on the same stage.

Teguh: With this formation you made some songs. What are the names of the songs?

Asht: We have made five songs. We have written five songs but we have only recorded three. We recorded at the home studio of [ …  ], the guitarist of Sethos.

KJ: What do you think of Sethos?

Asht: Sethos has an epic song. I like Sethos personally.

Teguh: What are the titles of the songs? How many songs uploaded on social media? Asht: The titles are: (1) Circle of Death; (2) Beyond the Sanctification; and (3) Into the Land of Nineveh.

Teguh: Is there any planning to be released by yourself or your logo?

Asht: We want to promote the single first before the full-length album. We will release it by ourselves although we would accept a record label release if the label has the same vision as the band. Nowadays a lot of BM bands make an album; it is like a trigger for our band. But it is also a coincidence.

KJ: Tell us about the show you played at the university. Asht: Because we had a friend who is still in the university, we became partners in some gigs. That university wanted to have a music show so the friend contacted Asht to play. At first I didn’t think BM could be able to play in the university. It is a musical university, STIMB (School of Musician Bandung).

KJ: How was the experience?

Asht: We were surprised because we had a positive reaction from the crowd. The teacher also appreciated Ashtarothum. The teacher said that the band can be invited back to any future musical event at the university. He said it was weird but a fun experience. It was an experience and challenge for us to play at this gig. We were playing in front of music students. We didn't wear the corpse-paint. The time was not enough to set it up.

KJ: What do you think about Bandung Black Mass community?

Yaya (drummer): Black Mass is a good community for the BM movement and we were part of it before. Now we don’t join but we are still friends.

Teguh: Why don’t you join?

Yaya: The reason is because we want to start to focus on our own band. We want to stand on our own feet, become independent.

Asht: We support each other.

KJ: What do you think of Bandung Death Metal Syndicate?

Yaya: Very cool, amazing. At a personal level I can see that the BDMC people have a very clear vision and mission for what they are doing. The community made a lot of progress; they have brilliant ideas.

KJ: Favourite DM bands in Bandung?

Yaya: Forgotten, Disinfected, Gore Infamous.

Asht: Jasad too.

Jamie: Forgotten and Disinfected.

KJ: Black Metal in Indonesia, favourite bands?

Yaya: Pure Wrath from Bekasi, Choria (Jakarta), Vallendusk (Jakarta), Misanthropic Imperium (East Java), Dry (Surabaya), Nether Band.

Teguh: Kenny, how do you feel to be in this man’s world?

Kenny: It is very normal for me. I live with a lot of family and man friends. I feel it is more comfortable to hang about with men, more natural, not so stiff.

KJ: What do you think about National Socialist Black Metal (NSBM)?

Yaya: It will not grow over here; because it will contradict with our country’s ideology and many people’s ideology. It is mostly about white superiority. Here we are a nation with a lot of culture and we exist in harmony for a long time. The issue does not match in our country in our opinion. If any band here calls themselves NSBM it will be a big trouble for them. We don’t know any band here using the NSBM label. The will of NSBM does not fit with our ideology and our culture.

KJ: What do you think of Singapore government banning Watain from playing in Singapore?

Yaya: We talk with guys from Singapore and they say the government does not give the permit for the show. It is like the government is watching us, to try to oppress the extreme-music community. Maybe that’s why Watain is not able to play, because they are a band which is open about rebellion. The government might think the band will trigger people to make chaos.

KJ: What do you think of Antifa stopping the Marduk shows?

Yaya: We don’t want to be involved in any political things; we only take the music. Indonesia is very different culture and ideology from the West so we don’t want to talk about it. BM is just an expression, to appreciate the desperation felt by a lot of men who live in the world.

Teguh: As in Malay NSBM, the anger is right; to try to fight it, but the anger should be directed at the right targets.

KJ: Was there any response to first interview with Busuk Chronicles?

Asht: Yes, we had response form a lot of people. Now a lot of people know a lot more about Ashtarothum.

Yaya: We should try to find our own ideology through the music as this will help to make us different.

Kenny: We want to make people to really understand what we say in the music.

Yaya: We think that nowadays people interact more with the song structure rather than with the ideology of the song.

Kenny: We try to make the songs and lyrics more detailed to make it more relevant with what is happening today.

Asht: Because we are not talking about bullshit.

Yaya: Nowadays we can’t just copy-paste from the internet; we must do real analysis and research. If people get inspiration they should talk to the person who made it. Now it is easy because of the internet.

Yaya: Because BM starts to grow again, we have a lot of discussion almost every day. We discuss issues from the past and present day issues. We can’t conclude anything as people have different opinions.

Asht: Another example: If you want to make music about the mountain, you should go to that mountain. You should write about what you experiences and what you know.

KJ: What do you think about the murder of Avaeejee in Thailand?

Yaya: It is the same stupidity, like trying to copy what happened with Euronymous. It is too stupid just to copy it. Not everything is real what people say or do. Some people take it too seriously.

Teguh: It is dangerous path; you need wisdom from the older generation. The older generation guide me and give me their point of view. Everybody who join this extreme music have radical tendencies inside themselves, they want to fight something. Even in reggae they have resistance.

KJ: Message for the fans?

Yaya: For the reader, become a smart person, and, to the BM musicians, keep on learning.

Asht: Indonesian people are all poseurs but being a poseur is good, because being a poseur is learning. We really need to learn from the history up until right now. In the end, we will become a good person because it is impossible to be true.

Jamie (guitarist): I hope that Ashtarothum band will be a power in the past, the present, and the future.

Kenny: I don’t understand the ideology of the music in depth but what is impactful for me is to feel the music. Don’t be a fanatic for one type of music. People who have art in them will not think like that.

KJ: What do you think of people who leave the community to focus on the religion?

Yaya: It is a personal choice because music and religion have their own rules. It is hard to be on two paths but it does not mean that musicians have no religion. It’s just a different point of view.

Asht: It is not a problem. It is a matter of option and choice. I can understand that if someone needs to learn more about their faith, of any faith, they must focus and leave something behind. In this case it is music.

Kenny: It’s not a problem as long as it can be better for themselves.

Jamie: It’s a personal choice.

*****THE END*****

NEW INTERVIEW: Interview with BLACK MASS (Black Metal community organization), 15 May 2019.

Our interview with Jurex and Koko of Black Mass Community Organization, Bandung

Date: Wednesday, 15 May 2019.

Translation: By Teguh Prasetyo.

Teguh Prasetyo (Interfectorment / Digging Up): Tell us about the history of the Black Mass…

Jurex (Band ov Prophet): In 1995, Black Metal music was becoming bigger because of the legendary place Saparua. This place had so many BM gigs. It is a legendary music venue in Bandung. There were three central main figures in BM at that time: (1-2) Abu and Ade from Hellgods; and (3) Agus from Sacrilegious. They were the people that began the BM community in 1995. Because a lot of BM people hang out together so we start to hang out temporarily at Adi’s house. The community became bigger so we moved the place to Yogya Kepatihan Road (mall). We basically hang out in the front of the mall. So we did not expect the community to become that big. It happened because we started hanging out together every weekend and began sharing about BM on Sundays. We normally went to gigs and so it became bigger and bigger. There was no specific place where we were born, such as Ujung Berung. The people were from every part of Bandung.

Kieran James (Busuk Chronicles): What was the first BM album in Bandung?

Koko: Hellgods – When the Forest Become my Kingdom (1997).

KJ: So, keep going with the history…

Jurex: At this time the first generation of BM in Bandung emerged.

Koko: Especially when the Hellgods song “Kabut Keabadian” went into the metal compilation Metalik Klinik. It became the role model for BM in Indonesia. Metalik Klinik was the first major compilation album in Indonesia. That was the first time that all genres of metal got major attention from the public. And also Black Mass made the first BM compilation in 1996. That was under the name of Black Mass and Dark Banner Records.

KJ: What was the relationship between BM and DM community at this time?

Jurex: We became friends because usually we meet together at the gigs. Sacrilegious was BM from Ujung Berung.

Koko: The Sacrilegious demo Lucifer’s Name be Prayed was released in 1998.

KJ: So there was no conflict between the communities?

Teguh: No conflict. Around 2011, the case was not many BM bands were active. This is why there were not many BM bands playing at festivals. It is not because of conflict between the communities.

Jurex: The spreading of BM is a little bit hard because of the lack of information. We were just buying tapes and reading magazines. We were borrowing each other’s stuff because it was expensive.

KJ: What were the most popular bands from overseas?

Koko: Cradle. There is a stereotype in the 1990s that Bandung bands sound like Cradle and East Java bands sound like Marduk.

KJ: Who were the first BM bands in East Java and Jakarta?

Koko: Dry [Surabaya] and Ritual Orchestra [Malang]. After the first BM compilation, Blacker than Darkness, there was a small setback in the movement. One of the tabloid newspapers, Adil, was using the BM band picture of Ade and Abu from Hellgods, The headline was: Bangkitnya Para Pemuja Setan (“The awakening of the Satanists”). After that, there was another review from another major newspaper which talked about this. Because of this, there was a lot of reaction from outsiders. We got hate from a lot of people around us. It was just people talking behind other people’s backs. For example, when Abu went to college there was the whispering: “Look, there is the Satanist.” At that time, it was still taboo to be talking about these types of things – religion, pentagram.

From that opposition, there was later a positive impact because people were learning that there was this type of music in the society. We had some limitations about expressing ourselves because the society began to understand what the community was wearing. The setback was not because bands were inactive but because there was too much pressure from the outside people. Nowadays, we will think it cool and funny if people say that we are a Satanist. Back then it was dangerous. But it was not true, just a gimmick [i.e. the Satanism].

KJ: How is the community in recent times?

Koko: In 2010, the people in the community wanted to make the community active again. We made a show in the Rock Café. The show was called Blackness Rebirth. After that, we started to hang out again weekly at Gasibu. We started to make an event and collaboration with another community – Grinding Punk Corporation. And the gig was called Bohemian versus Borjuis. The punk bands will play BM songs and the BM bands will play punk songs. There is a close connection between BM and punk so the gig was easy to make (Sunday, 20 June 2010 @ Score Ciwalk, Bandung). Bands: The Cruel, Sedusa, Bloodgush, Disaster, Hellgods, Haze, Divine Blackness, and Demonstorm.

After this, we made continuous gigs with other communities such as Grind Ultimatum. After this, there is a domino effect. Another BM community in another city wanted to join Black Mass. So Black Mass wanted to make a community chapter in other cities. At first it was called Black Mass: Blacker than Darkness Bandung. Now it is called Black Mass: Blacker than Darkness in Indonesia.

 

KJ: What happened about Warkvlt and Impish?

Koko: Impish is an old band from the community. Impish was already made by the community. Abah joined and they made an album called Warkvlt. But then Abah wanted to separate from the name because Impish was a community name. He made the band based on the album title Warkvlt. The old Impish members then reformed as Impish and made the album Eat Your Gods. Warkvlt is more like War Metal but Impish is more necro-punk such as Impaled Nazarene.

KJ: Was there some friction between BM Bogor and BM Bandung?

Koko: There is no friction. At our last show Bogor bands played, Ririwa and Dark on Rust. Officially there is another chapter of Black Mass from Banten. Another city will follow. We already have an agenda for it.

KJ: How many people in the community in Bandung?

Koko: There is no official counting of it. It is more than 50. Everyone is free to join. In the old times there were more than 135. In the past we did not have a mission. We just hung out and sharing. Now we have a mission to make people understand BM because there is so much misunderstanding about this genre.

KJ: How do you compare Bandung BM to East Java?

Koko: Basically they are the same because all people in the communities are connected. Bandung people come to East Java and East Java people come to Bandung.

KJ: What do you think about people leaving Black Mass to become more Islamic?

Koko: It is not much, fewer than five or ten people. I almost do it but I’m back [laughs].

Teguh: Back to the darkness.

KJ: What is Adi doing now?

Koko: Lost contact, the last communication we had was that Adi made two pictures, one on the stage and secondly using religious outfit. After that we lost contact.

KJ: Did Adi go to study at the Islamic school?

Koko: Not in the formal school but there was a community.

KJ: Salafi?

Koko: No, Tablighi Jamaat – they do preaching from one place to another (tour).

KJ: Have you got any message for the audience?

Jurex: Keep learning without limits especially about Black Metal. BM is growing and everything is changing.

Koko: Stay close to the roots.

KJ: Why do you like Black Metal?

Koko: It is basically because I first found BM music from Metalik Klinik. I connected to the music as I had a critical way of thinking about ideology. BM became my platform to showcase my views.

Jurex: At first I listened to BM music. BM is evolving so it means more to me.

Koko: I first listened to Iron Maiden, Powerslave album.

KJ: Does BM have a message for Indonesian society?

Koko: Don’t judge us before you know us. We cannot be following the Norway people 100% because we have a different culture. We adapt the music.

*****THE END*****