The Critic’s Critic

Music criticism is a dying art in this country. Yet, less than three decades ago, there were several stellar music writers – and tastemakers – who were influential in helping steer the course of the country’s music history. America may have Lester Bangs and Robert Christgau, but the dean of Indonesian music critics was Remy Sylado. M. Taufiqurrahman meets him.

Remy Sylado was cool in his time. He was responsible for turning the then-struggling music magazine Aktuil into a cultural force that not only was responsible for introducing rock ‘n’ roll to the country, but also helped shape the burgeoning literary scene with his promotion of Beatnik-influenced poetry.

His detractors accused him of bolstering the New Order authoritarian regime in helping promote a West-friendly image of the Soeharto regime through rock ‘n’ roll, in contrast to Sukarno’s anti-West rule. Remy, an assumed name he took from the first chord of the Beatles’ song “All My Loving”, retired from music journalism in the early 1980s and now juggles writing novels, directing plays and occasionally acting in locally produced films.

His assessment of the current music scene remains unabashedly scathing, but his taste in music has gone unmistakably soft. The onetime champion of Marc Bolan’s T. Rex and the Rolling Stones during Aktuil’s heyday, he now comfortably name drops some of rock’s uncool, including German’s much-derided outfit Scorpions and the now generally panned Genesis drummer Phil Collins.

Why don’t we have respectable music critics anymore?

We don’t have music critics because there’s no news media that writes about music. The presence of the music media is only fleetingly felt here; it comes and goes. We had independent music magazines in the past. Soon after this country’s independence, we had music rags like Diskorina and Musika, although they did not have music reviews. We started the music criticism tradition with Aktuil. Not only that we ran reviews of long-haired rock ‘n’ roll bands, we also wrote reviews on classical music. I had my own column dissecting classical music.

Now we have a number of serious magazines – what do you think of them?

Some of these magazines are trade-oriented. What they put on the covers are just pretty faces because that’s what sells. This type of media has close ties with the music industry and serious music review is the last thing that they will do. Music producers spend a lot of money to have their singers appear on the covers of these magazines, and bad reviews are the last thing that they want to read.

What does it take to be a music critic?

The basic skill is the knowledge to compare the music under review with standards from its genre. Now, we don’t have many people with that skill. I believe that the standard by which any musical genre should be judged is classical and jazz. Without full knowledge of those two genres, I believe that no one can be a music critic. Every critic should have knowledge of the 4 “B”s: (Johan Sebastian) Bach, (Ludwig von) Beethoven, (Johannes) Brahms and the Beatles. How can you be a music critic if you listen only to dangdut? Music writers should also look beyond what’s on television, because what is on television is mostly garbage.

What we have now are music observers, people who spot trends in music. These people don’t put their thoughts into writing; most of the time they just talk. Music criticism is a scientific written work and I don’t think that newspapers today are willing to publish it.

Is it not too much to ask from our music writers?

That’s the problem. We have serious problems with our education. What we have in the country is music learning. Students are taught only to play musical instruments and we don’t have a comprehensive music education. In the past, we had a system that worked. We had a music school in Surakarta which rolled out highbrow music critics like Slamet Abdul Syukur, Suka Hardjana and Franki Raden. Music schools today no longer play the role. Nowadays, at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), students drop out after the second year when they can collect paychecks from sinetron producers who order scores for their soap operas. It’s that bad.

What about popular music criticism?

I don’t know what to say. Writing about pop music will dumb you down. Pop is dumb. Pop music writers should stick to their job of writing gossip about rock stars.

But here in Jakarta we have a thriving independent music scene.

This scene needs more attention because I believe that lots of good things could come out of it. We can learn a lot from this scene. Some of the artists in fact make good music that can make us smart. Listening to good music is like studying. A sophisticated composition will tease your brain. It prompts you to give your own interpretation, to digest every bit of its accoutrement and ornament. Pop music these days comprises only rhythmic elements and lacks melodies. We can learn more from melody.

What if the public does not care about quality music?

I disagree with that. This is exactly why we need to educate them about quality music. In the 1970s, we (Aktuil) wrote about bands that spoke to popular tastes such as Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin, but at the same time we discussed music from classical music-minded bands like Queen or Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Some say we have one of the most thriving music scenes in Asia and this is something that we have with a marginal contribution from music criticism. How is this possible?

This indicates that we have good-quality musicians who can compete with artists from overseas and this has nothing to do music criticism. I despise local music writers who are busy worshipping pop idols through their writing – they should abide by the cardinal rule that critics should not regard themselves as fans. You should be aware of the situation 50 years ago, when we had respected critics (and music composers) like Amir Passaribu, Y.A. Dungga and Liberti Manik.

What about the current crop of music writers?

They are nothing but music observers. They have to learn a lot before they can be music critics. That’s why I don’t call myself a music observer, the way newspapers often call them. I am a music critic.

Is there hope for music criticism here?

The first step should be the media giving more space to music criticism. For starters, we have to attack television’s organized crime in dumbing-down the public’s taste in music. The print media should act as the watchdog for the television industry.

Do you still write about music?

Although I am now writing two novels, I still have plenty of time to write about music. Music is part of my life. It’s always on 24/7.

What is your favorite album of all time?

I listen to all kinds of music except dangdut. I even listen to rap and hip-hop. I am a big fan of the Beatles because all their works are masterpieces. I still remember when their music first came to Indonesia in the mid-1960s. It was the song “Can’t Buy Me Love”. John Lennon was a genius of a lyricist. Who can make better poetry than “When I’m 64”? I like the Rolling Stones circa Aftermath. I also listen to John Mayall, Scorpions and Phil Collins. I am now listening to Richard Clayderman’s collaboration with Rahul Sharma, who plays the Indian traditional instrument called santoor.

Back to The top page