TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Vague returns with new music video
The new single is in Indonesian, one of the very few times the band has chosen to write in their native language.
Change Size
Gary Hostage, Januar Kristianto and Yudhistira Agato (from left) of Indonesian rock band Vague. (Courtesy of/Yogha Prasiddhamukti)
J
akarta-based post-hardcore trio Vague has released a new music video for their single “Di Antara Bising” (Amid the Noises) on YouTube.
The video was filmed in Pondok Indah and Mangga Besar, Jakarta, during the relaxation of the city’s large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in August.
In the video, guitarist-vocalist Yudhistira Agato wears a T-shirt with "A.C.A.B. (all cats are beautiful)" written on it and walks in slow motion through crowded streets to buy a durian.
“The video and the lyrics were made to show the contrasts between a solitary person and his busy surroundings,” Yudhis told The Jakarta Post. “But there is no philosophy behind the durian. I just like the fruit!”
“Di Antara Bising” is the group’s third collaboration with musician Adhytia Utama, after “Sajak Pucat Pasi” and “A Giant Blur”. All three music videos depict a male character passing through Jakarta landscapes.
Vague said they felt the need to film music videos to amplify the public presence of their songs.
“[We need music videos for] awareness. So people like you notice and help us spread more awareness,” bass player Gary Hostage said.
Their previous work includes Vague (2012), a nine-track album called Footsteps (2014) and twin singles 23/Nothing (2015).
The new single is in Indonesian, one of the very few times the band has chosen to write in their native language. It is common practice among Indonesian indie musicians to write in English, shrouding the artists’ expression in the veil of a second language, perhaps because writing lyrics in their mother tongue feels too direct.
“Often, when I read the lyrics I wrote, I would think they were corny. But I kept writing and revising until I felt happy with them," said Yudhis, who wrote "Di Antara Bising". "Our language’s words have more syllables, which affects the vocals."
Yudhis and Gary chose to write the song in Indonesian after a friend said a wider audience in the country would find their music relatable if it had Indonesian lyrics.
Founded in 2010, Vague consists of Yudhis, Gary and drummer Januar Kristianto. They were united by their love of guitar-drenched indie rock sounds and are mainly influenced by Fugazi, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. The band plans to record more songs in the near future in a split release with an Australian band. (wng)
