Although relatively small, the country’s indie rock scene has been flourishing and consistently giving birth to new generations of loud guitar lovers. A new compilation album aims to capture that spirit.
wo independent music labels based in Jakarta, Anoa Records and Leeds Records, are joining forces to release Derby Days, an indie rock compilation album featuring 14 bands and artists from throughout the country.
Released on tape, as well as digitally through Bandcamp, Derby Days is meant to capture the spirit and the sound of loud electric guitars being played by young people to often small but dedicated crowds at underground gigs over the past decade.
Peter Andriaan Walandouw, cofounder of Anoa Records, said the compilation was an effort to document the scene and to show support for the music he and others loved.
“We want to map out the current landscape of Indonesian indie rock, the bands and their characters,” Peter said. “And also we want to show that there is a supportive ecosystem for the scene, regardless of whether the bands get big or not.”
The name Derby Days is taken from the title of a song by Mutombo, a very short-lived band that was meant to be a joke. The band didn’t reveal its members’ names and only played two shows. It was made up of Pandu “Fuzztoni” of ZZUF, Alvi Ifthikar of Gascoigne and Peter himself, who also plays in Sugarsting. All three bands are on the album.
It’s a reference that illustrates the tight-knit and artistically cross-pollinated nature of the community, where it’s not uncommon for someone to be in a band or two, run a label and book shows while also cheering for their friends’ bands on stage.
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