Sajama Cut, indie band on the verge of mainstream popularity

JP/18/SAJAMA

Sajama Cut, indie band on the verge of mainstream popularity.

M. Taufiqurrahman The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

"Being in a band is a good excuse to dress sharply," said Marcel Thee, bandleader of the retro-sounding indie act Sajama Cut.

Marcel was defending his band members' dress sense, which sees them -- both on stage and off -- wearing dark suit-jackets with skinny ties and worn-out jeans paired with sneakers.

With bands like the Strokes, Interpol and the Libertines dressing as boldly as their music, it has become almost obligatory for a new band wanting to break into the scene to dress the part.

But unlike the boybands that come straight off the assembly line promoting their sartorial savvy, Sajama Cut is a band that means business, making good music.

And Sajama Cut's debut album The Osaka Journal speaks volumes about their artistic merit.

Released in August by Universal Music Indonesia (UMI), the album brims with happy-sad melodies while its jangly guitar sound harks back to the early sounds of the indie-rock heroes of the 80s, Atlanta-based band R.E.M.

The album also marks a new development in the country's music scene, whereby lyrics and vocal delivery take a back seat, playing the role as adjunct to a song's overall composition.

Marcel's oblique lyrics -- written mostly in English -- are aimed at setting the mood in every song rather than telling stories, as dictated by conventional wisdom in songwriting.

"Feeling and nuances must take primacy over the literal interpretation of the lyrics. We want our listeners to feel what we feel without having to understand the lyrics," the 24-year old Marcel told The Jakarta Post.

Marcel's decision to name his band Sajama Cut was also borne out of such a conviction.

Following in the footsteps of indie acts like Sebadoh, Modest Mouse and Sabalon Glitch in giving their bands meaningless monikers, Marcel chose Sajama Cut because it sounded weird.

The name will also leave casual fans guessing as to what kind of music the band plays. "Sajama Cut gives listeners no reference about what kind of music we play, unlike Kreator or Cannibal Corpse," Marcel said, referring to two hard-core bands that are infamous for their noise pollution.

And for an outfit that claims to stand for no ideals, Sajama Cut is a band on a mission.

Put together by Marcel in 2001, Sajama Cut is an indie act that's not content with just entertaining its fans.

A band with an indie credibility -- it has cut a deal for one of its songs to appear on JKT:SKRG, a compilation of songs from bands that inhabit Jakarta's thriving indie scene -- Sajama Cut has jumped its way into the mainstream.

It has discarded any tendencies to be viewed as elitist.

Sajama Cut has struck a deal with UMI, a local subsidiary of music conglomerate Universal Music Group, to release its debut album.

"Why preach only to the converted. We want our music to be listened to by everyone ... We don't believe that our music is too good for the music industry," said Marcel, a student at the London School of Public Relations.

Keyboardist Bokut added that with its "honest" music, Sajama Cut was aiming to introduce the sunny side of indie rock to music fans who had grown accustomed to the dumbing down of the local music industry.

"Good music will always prevail and find its own audience, no matter who sings it," said Bokut, whose day-job is in architecture.