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.
At a glimpse : Navicula, the `green grunge gentlemen'
For starters, that fancy tagline on their website - "The green grunge gentlemen"
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
For starters, that fancy tagline on their website - "The green grunge gentlemen". Is that tempting enough?
Their use of the word "grunge" is sure to give you an instant picture of the kind of music they're playing.
Navicula, hailing from the island of gods, aka Bali, is something of a minority in that blessed isle's musical scene.
If you're over there, you're more likely to hear dance music or stumble on the melodic punk rock scene pioneered by comrade Superman is Dead.
"Music is our playground," says Robi, Navicula's charismatic lead singer. "If we get bored with our daily life, then music will be a perfect way to get out of it. That's why we're very productive. Whenever we get bored, we write a song."
Recently, after releasing their sixth album, Salto, Navicula produced a free track called "Mafia Medis" (Medic Mafia), dedicated to Prita Mulyasari, of online defamation lawsuit fame. They have also contributed to various green projects for the Indonesian Forum for the Environment and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.
This kind of activity might sound a little clich* to some, but these boys do have some thoughts to deliver through that mighty medium called music.
"We love music. And it is a very powerful medium," Robi says.
With his signature long hair, you may think Robi is totally lost in time. He looks so 90s. His colleagues in the band - Dankie, Gembul and Made - sport pretty much the same look.
But of course looks come second; the first thing will always be the music. These grunge gentlemen still play what they like best, even though their personal preferences differ.
"People say that the most influential music is the music you hear the most during your teens," says Robi. "We grew up with Soundgarden, Nirvana and Alice in Chains. That's why we love this kind of music so much."
Growing up in Bali has both its pros and cons. The downside is that it puts them far from the center of industry, here in Jakarta. The good part is they are living in a veritable cultural melting pot where people from all over the world meet and chat, and maybe follow up.
Currently, the band is working on their seventh album. They plan to release two versions, one local and one international. A non-Indonesian friend is producing the album and has agreed to release it in the US. It will be available around August.
They're touring Jakarta this week, and you probably can catch them while they're in town. Visit www.naviculamusic.com for full details of the tour.
At a Glimpse is all about the local music scene. Give us a shout at sundayglimpse@gmail.com. Also, become our friend at www.facebook.com/sundayglimpse and follow us at twitter.com/sundayglimpse.
