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All the good things: Oct. 21
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Dramatic turns: The supporting cast of the dramedy 'Ngeri Ngeri Sedap' consists of mostly stand-up comics, such as Boris Bokir Manullang (left), Indra Jegel (second left), Lolox (second right) and Gita Bhebhita Butar-Butar. (Courtesy of Imajinari) (Courtesy of Imajinari/Courtesy of Imajinari)
The Jakarta Post offers out-of-the-box recommendations on what to watch, read, listen to, visit and indulge in.
Binge:
PFvideoworks YouTube channel
Search “PFvideoworks” on YouTube
In the future, Bramaditya Dimas Andika’s YouTube channel will be celebrated as the archival hub of Indonesian underground music. Bram PF, as he is usually called, has been documenting full sets at local shows for close to a decade, giving the limelight to not only bigger acts but -- more importantly – to smaller names grazing the stage for the first few times.
Upgrading from simpler video cameras to more professional ones, Bram PF’s shots are simple and without flashiness. For the most part, he sets a single camera down and lets it record the whole show. The audio is low-fidelity and the non-existent cinematography means everything is focused on the musicians on stage and the audience singing and dancing along.
With hundreds of shows recorded, there is an endless amount of history to be watched here. Try it and you might just discover your favorite new band.
Watch:
‘Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap’ (‘Missing Home’)
Stream on Netflix
Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap is one of those dependably entertaining streaming movies that manages to stand out through its central conceit. It focuses on a modern-day Batak family whose highly conservative parents pretend they are on the precipice of separating to trick their adult children into coming back home. The conflicts are as realistic as they come -- showcasing the vast distance often felt by traditional parents and children who have moved to more-contemporary pastures and left traditions behind.
With humor that is funny without ever feeling cheap, and long, continuous shots that showcase a good amount of solid acting, Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap (roughly: scary but tempting) is one of those local films that makes it easy to be proud of our rich heritage and tradition, as well as the growth of Indonesian films in recent years.
Listen:
Elephant Kind - Rockstar
Available on streaming services
Having moved to London to record new materials, this Jakarta beat-filled alternative trio’s comeback single is a comfortable swerve into lush electro indie with a good dose of sensuous R’n’B. On it, lead singer Bam Mastro sings about being “rockstar/ without the money and the fame” upon trebly guitar lines and twilight synths that bring to mind The Cure at their most dramatic. All the while, arpeggio pulses roam the verses, keeping things contemporary and ready for indie DJs to spin.
