Re-Attitude will instantly take you back to the heydays of ‘90s hip hop.
From the boom bap beats, the scratches, sample based feat, to the awareness of social issues, D.P.M.B. (Dua Petaka Membawa Bencana or roughly translated into Two Disasters Bringing Calamity) are tireless with their beats and words.
Re-Attitude is D.P.M.B. bringing new attitudes in the spirit of hip hop’s golden era.
♪♫ Listen: “Word Is Power”
D.P.M.B. on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.
A long way from her Indonesian Idol days in 2005, Monita Tahalea comes true to her roots in the second album.
Bringing up mostly folk and country with talented guitarist Gerald Situmorang who co-wrote and co-produced the album with Monita, “Dandelion” is a beauty from start to finish.
The songs are almost light and breezy, yet also with gravitas and touhing for being eagerly hopeful.
♪♫ Listen: “Memulai Kembali”
Monita Tahalea on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.
Having studied piano with one of the Indonesian greatest jazz musician Indra Lesmana then graduated summa cum laude from Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Sri Hanuraga is one talent to behold.
His approach to jazz and his interpretations of Indonesian traditional songs are lively and moving; at times playful, always impressive. “To The Universe” also contains his original compositions, such as the fine and astonishing “Ever Changing” divided in three parts.
♪♫ Listen: “Suwe Ora Jamu”
Sri Hanuraga on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.
With a first album sounding this good, Polka Wars cemented their place in the top tier of indie rock bands from Indonesia.
Unpredictable courses in their songs make the listening experience interesting, the tight performances are impressive.
“Mokele” as their first single is a compelling exhibit in playing with spaces in one song while remaining solid at the same time.
♪♫ Listen: “Mokelele”
Polka Wars on Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram + beehype.
A breath of fresh air in the folk scene of Indonesia, Silampukau is all about honesty and humour in facing the world.
Mainly drawing experiences from their hometown of Surabaya in East Java, they offer interesting points of view of bundled in catchy melodies and beautiful harmonies from the singers.
♪♫ Listen: “Lagu Rantau”
Silampukau on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, www.
The duo of Elda Suryani and Adi Widodo play mostly folk with a heavy side of melancholy and magical tinges. The distinctive voice of Elda can be breathtaking amidst the tender and gripping music, almost child-like that would often build to something intense.
There are elements of slide guitars, strings, and chimes that fittingly go with Elda’s approach to singing. Sometimes she stretches syllables, sometimes singing melody lines, she is captivating as ever.
♪♫ Listen: “The House”
Stars and Rabbit on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, www + beehype.
Aggressive, rough, and frank. The Kuda is one hell of a punk band, absurdities yelped but not lost in the middle of the busy and fast-paced music.
The rolling thunder of guitar, the erratic bass and drums, and the brash singer with a side of cheekiness all make up The Kuda as a tenacious and forceful unit to be recognized.
♪♫ Listen: “Hantu Laut”
The Kuda on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter.
Traces of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are clear in their songs, but Sigmun’s evolution takes them even further away.
As the first album, “Crimson Eyes” took three years to complete. The progression in the songs is maddeningly good, flighty but never purposeless.
Progressive, heavy, with a touch of psychedelic, this is one of the most promising talents ever to come out of Indonesia.
♪♫ Listen: “Ozymandias”
Sigmun on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, www.
The beloved pop rock band has finally released the long-awaited album since their second one in 2008. It’s been too long and they’ve dealt with ups and downs along the way, but they came back with a solid effort.
“Sinestesia” has everything that reminds the fans why they fell in love in the first place: The strong (equally soothing and thought-evoking) melodies and the robust music that’s quite a departure from their first record.
It is more than exciting to witness how they have evolved with the everchanging dynamics of their music.
♪♫ Listen: “Putih”
Efek Rumah Kaca on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, www + beehype.
Perhaps it is the rawness in everything they do that appeals the most. The music is hard and heavy, pulling us back to the ‘70s, and there’s not much to do but surrender to the strong and groovy beats.
With their hard-hitting songs and exciting live acts, these very skilled musicians somehow manage to make it look effortless and there’s no façade.
What you see is what you get, and what you get is brilliant music.
♪♫ Listen: “Anjing Jalanan”
Kelempok Penerbang Roket on Soundcloud, Twitter, Facebook + beehype.