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Jakarta Post

New record returns to roots, offers music from the heart

It has been a tremendously busy year for Gugun Blues Shelter (GBS)

Ika Krismantari (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, December 31, 2011

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New record returns to roots, offers music from the heart

I

t has been a tremendously busy year for Gugun Blues Shelter (GBS).

The local blues band completed its third United Kingdom tour, culminating in a performance at the Hard Rock Calling music festival in London’s Hyde Park.

The band has also been active playing to local crowds and as a result has seen its popularity increase among Indonesian music fans.

Offstage too, GBS has had a hectic 2011, releasing three new records, two of which have 30 new songs.

This year, the band has been focusing on international releases, with two new records aimed at music lovers in the US and Europe.

After releasing Far East Blues Experience in January, the band launched a second album, Solid Ground, in October with support from New York-based indie label Grooveyard Records.

If Far East Blues Experience was more like the band’s greatest album, comprising the best songs from previous records, Solid Ground offers 11 new tracks for music fans yearning for progressive blues.

As part of its global expansion, the band has had to change its name to Gugun Power Trio after being forced by the record label for commercial reasons.

“It is because the word shelter in the US is identified with a place for homeless people,” GBS frontman Muhammad “Gugu’ Gunawan explained recently.

Some have sneered at the new name, even drummer Aditya Wibowo, known as Bowie, jokingly likened it to the name of the children’s TV series Power Rangers.

“[The name] bothers me, but they say it is for the market, so we tried to follow the suggestion after doing some research,” Bowie said, adding that the trio had to ask friends and fellow musicians before taking on the new name.

Gugun announced the possibility of changing the band’s name to Gugun Power Trio should the new name receive a positive response from the public.

He said he hoped the change of name would not cause any problems as blues bands are used to it, referring to blues legend Jimi Hendrix, who altered his band’s name several times.

Before becoming Gugun Blues Shelter, the band had been known as Gugun and the Bluesbug.

Apart from satisfying the ears of blues buffs in the US and Europe, the band also released a record dedicated to the local market.

GBS launched Satu Untuk Berbagi or SUB (One for Sharing) in May with eight of the 15 new tracks sung in Indonesian.

Departing from previous albums, SUB offers a new approach to blues that is easier to listen to, with a stronger influence of pop and rock.

The band wants to rejuvenate the image of blues music so it can be loved equally by younger and older people.

“We want to create a new trend here,” bassist John “Jono” Armstrong said.

All this hard work is paying off for GBS as Indonesian teenagers, who were generally oblivious to blues music, have started to include the music on their playlists.

Music buffs in Indonesia can now enjoy blues not only in small cafes and bars featuring intimate audiences but also at concerts held at high schools that can attract thousands of youngsters.

Yet, the newest album is apparently heading in a different direction. Solid Ground returns the band to its original roots, a mix of experimental blues and progressive tunes that may not be to everyone’s taste.

The trio wants to exploit the sound of the guitar, bass and drum with different and more dynamic beats, Gugun said, describing the music in Solid Ground.

It took the band less than a month to record all the songs for the album, Gugun said.

Solid Ground may be totally different from the much more popular SUB, but some things remain the same, such as Gugun’s impressive guitar playing, which has been the band’s signature.

This proves that even though market forces have pushed the band to make a few adjustments this year, the one thing that has never changed is that the band still plays music from the heart.

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