From the buzzing experimentalism of Makassar musician Fami Redwan, the cerebral hip hop of Homicide, to the ethno-eclecticism of Semak Belukar, the label runs on unique perspectives and passionate creativity.

With its offshoot, Elevation Books, label head Taufiq Rahman aims to do the same. Though it has only published a few books so far, its collected works showcase the same willingness to push forward unique ideas as its musical counterpart.

Its latest publication is Pop Kosong Berbunyi Nyaring (Hollow Pop Makes a Loud Sound), which is a play on the Indonesian saying “Tong Kosong Berbunyi Nyaring” — which essentially means silence is golden and those who are loud tend to have nothing of significance to say.

The book self-deprecatingly subtitled “19 Hal Yang Tidak Perlu Diketahui Tentang Musik” (19 Things You Don’t Need To Know About Music”) collects essays written by Taufiq himself over the years.

It ranges from discussion about the merits of ambient music; the value of many underrated musicians here and abroad; the author’s daughter’s musical perceptions; the effects of religious upbringing in music; capitalism and punk rock; Bob Dylan’s lyrical and musical peaks, and myriad other topics that showcase a passionate mind whose life and socio-anthropological-political perceptions all revolve around music.

It’s an incredibly personal work with an identifiable perspective. As such it was not easy for Taufiq to decide which of his writings would best fit the narrative and make an enjoyable read.

“I had ideas about what I wanted to write about; records that I didn’t think enough people cared too much about, especially here; bands who are underrated and aren’t talked about much, like The Walkmen, [Jakarta band] Bandempo or This Heat, but which have left a deep impression on me. But there were also issues that struck a chord with me, like Spotify or the death of the record store — I wanted to write from a more personal perspective, like the chapter on Jazz,” explains Taufiq.

Taufiq knew that a few of the chapters would challenge readers more than others. Chapters, he said, would test the patience of readers — “things that are marginally interesting or important, like Radio Java or the chapter on pressing plant.”

He wanted to ignite their curiosity regarding little-discussed and less-popular music topics. “People have long been spoon-fed conventional wisdom and I try to challenge them.”

For Taufiq, the idea was to create a feeling of intrigue and desire-to-learn throughout the book.

His prose is casual without being overbearingly smart-alecky, and he delivers information without reeking of elitism, keeping things inviting and interesting even to readers unaccustomed to the topic. This is a tale of someone’s very personal journey that does not feel myopic.

The book takes Taufiq’s personal experiences and expands them into a larger discussion.

“At my age now I have gone past the stage of describing sound and music as a ‘form.’ I have done that for such a long time, but this time my focus is on the question of the larger meaning of these sounds and noises,” he says.

The author points to the chapter on legendary US underground band The Replacements and its relationship with the recent US election, as well as the chapter on post-punk band This Heat and its relation to the “deceit of US democracy.”

There are also moments when Taufiq lets his guard down, such as a chapter on grunge band Soundgarden’s singer Chris Cornell, which he admits is “cheesy.” He asks rhetorically, if a “juvenile grunge song can influence you,” imagine what something like John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” can do to its listeners.

One of the book’s best moments comes when the author discusses how religion infuses itself into someone’s musical preference, whether they realize it or not. He speaks about finding out that “we are all products of what we digest as kids” pointing out his own upbringing as a Muslim (“nominally”) as having a profound effect on his taste.

He said the book’s closing piece on Jazz showed the maturing process of his musical taste.

“I have been trying to digest Jazz for the past 20 years, but it’s only when I reached my late 30s that I was able to fully appreciate it. Coltrane, Dave Brubeck and Sun Ra started to make sense.”

Pop Kosong will act as a bridge toward Elevation Books’ upcoming series on the greatest Indonesian records, which will begin later this year.

“I am proud of this book, not because of its quality, but simply for the fact that it’s 85 percent new material. It would have been 100 percent if the book editor did not persuade me to include previously published pieces, which he thought were good and ‘profound’,” Taufiq said, half-jokingly.

______________________________________

Pop Kosong Berbunyi Nyaring

By Taufiq Rahman

Published by Elevation Books, 2017

146 pages

Popular

Volcano erupts in North Sulawesi, hundreds evacuated

Dubai roads, airport reel from floods after record rains

Ramadan boosts consumer confidence, retail sales