'Janji Joni' delivers sampler of Jakarta indie music
'Janji Joni' delivers sampler of Jakarta indie music
Paul F. Agusta, Contributor, Jakarta
The new road adventure comedy from Kalyana Shira Films, Janji Joni, to be released on April 28, will take viewers not only on a mad, slap-dash journey through the teeming streets of Indonesia's capital city, but will also invite them into Jakarta's dynamic and diverse indie music scene through its soundtrack.
The soundtrack for Janji Joni, which will be available under the Aksara Records label starting on Monday, March 28, is an educational hodgepodge of samplings, featuring the work of young independent sound-smiths working in the capital.
This compilation offers a wide range of genres, running the gamut from garage rock through funk, new wave and electroclash to atmospheric rock, and even mellow jazz. The music on this soundtrack provides a little bit of everything except originality.
This is reflective of the overall indie scene in this country, which produces music that sounds new and dynamic -- if you are in the habit of listening only to mainstream Indonesian tunes. However, if your taste is a little more worldly and you keep your ears to the Euro-American stomping grounds, it may seem a bit like the same old, same old.
This is not to say that this soundtrack is not enjoyable; there are some killer tracks on this disk. Most notably, the two songs contributed by the atmospherically meaty Zeke & the Popo. Track 5, 1.1 Million Woodcutter, puts forth some of the coolest ethereal space rock these guys have ever produced, while Track 18, I, Novel, flows emotionally from somber to just plain pissed off.
Also certainly worth mentioning is the offering by Sore, one of the few original voices on this soundtrack, or for that matter on the current local music scene. Their song Funk the Hole -- track number 4 -- romps its way from 1970s psychedelic pop, with its laid-back, melodic vocals, through to early 1990s garage rock, then takes a mind-blowing detour with a crescendo of rock- infused march music before ending abruptly, leaving behind a what-the-hell expression on the listener's face. This is definitely not a track or band to skip over.
The movie's score, composed by David Tarigan and Age (also the producers of this album), showcased on this album in two tracks, must also be noted. Track 7, Setan Kredit, sounds like a cross between a 1970s blaxploitation film and an altercation between two Metro Mini bus drivers on one of Jakarta's crowded thoroughfares. This track is 50 percent adrenaline and 50 percent endorphin.
Track 15, Satu Waktu, on the other hand, is an upbeat, but contemplative, mellow piece. This song pleases on several levels with the candy-coated guest vocals by Rebecca, who, with Henry Foundation, forms the electroclash act, Goodnight Electric, who contribute Track 10, Bedroom Avenue.
Overall, this album is not an earthshaking compilation, but is definitely a CD worth having if you are inclined toward getting to know the sounds of contemporary indie music in Jakarta.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Janji Joni.
Artists: The Adams, Ape on the Roof, Zeke & The Popo, Sore, Goodnight Electric, White Shoes & The Couples Company, Media Distorsi, Teenage Death Star, Tomorrow People Ensemble, Sajama Cut, The Jonis
Release Date: March 28, 2005
Label: Aksara Records
Rating: ***1/2 (out of *****)
***** if you don't own this already, hang your head in shame!
**** pretty darn good
*** not bad at all
** if you've got nothing better to listen to
* avoid at all costs