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Jakarta Post

Puppen: Lessons from A Pioneering Indie Band

Arian13 (right) hugs Robin during a concert

Felix Dass (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, February 6, 2011

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Puppen: Lessons from  A Pioneering Indie Band

Arian13 (right) hugs Robin during a concert. courtesy of Puppen

Nine years after its breakaway, the band still has every reason to be remembered.

Puppen was a pioneer of Indonesia’s independent music scene. Formed in 1992 in Bandung, the band released three albums and a few singles before it was disbanded a decade later in 2002.

In the 1990s, nobody could deny the fact that the band was an agent of change. They gave so many lessons to their small do-it-yourself environment. They were one of the gangs that made Bandung famous for its breathtaking indie music.

Puppen was the home of different musicians. The band saw a few different members with only one constant. That person was its frontman Arian Arifin, known as Arian13.

“Back then people always remembered Puppen having me as the frontman. In fact, the band had two engines running together. The other one was Robin,” Arian13 said, referring to Robin Malau.

Following the split, Arian13 moved to Jakarta and joined a rock band, Seringai, while Robin lived in Bali focusing on Internet technology.

“Puppen was one of the proudest moments of my life,” says Robin. He left his guitar to build his own empire. Although he rarely played music in public, he still offered help to local musicians. “I don’t have the power to leave music, but playing music is not my current profession,” he continued.

During his glory days with Puppen, Robin played important roles as an arranger, songwriter, producer and event band manager. With his business prowess he helped the band out of the underground and gain public appreciation.

Meanwhile, Arian13 was known more for his role building Puppen’s image. “I worked on the band’s image while Robin did business,” Arian13 added.

In late 2001, the band announced their split up and staged two farewell concerts in Jakarta and Bandung. Fans were stunned.

With a lot of concert schedules and financial power, Puppen was at the peak of its career by that time. It were also the darling of its generation whom helped colors the stories of teenagers across the nation. They spoke truth through their music and influenced youngsters to stand on their own feet and bravely face life.

Eventually, the story came to an end. Both Arian13 and Robin decided that the day they had called for an end had come. “I was a bit fed up with Puppen,” Robin recalled. “We were at a stage where we couldn’t be something bigger. We wouldn’t have gone anywhere if we stayed together as a band. All of our dreams had already become a reality.”

Arian13 added, “We even didn’t ask for an opinion from Rudal and Abay – other members of the four-strong band – about Puppen. But we had had enough as a band. I was in the position of to take the opportunity to move to Jakarta while Robin had an opportunity to go to Bali.”

“I don’t believe the term ‘Winners never quit’. For me, winners always quit. That’s what Puppen was,” Robin said chuckling.

They knew when it was time to stop and, of course, but they are still remembered by their fans.

“They set the music in a good way. That’s why I admire them a lot,” says Widy Aullya, a fan from Bogor who watched Puppen’s last show in Jakarta. “I was trying to sleep at the hotel terrace waiting for the first train to Bogor. I had a class to catch at 7 a.m. the next morning,” he remembered.

“We not only played music, we built an infrastructure,” says Arian13. Since day one, the band put much attention into moving forward. “We probably were not the first independent band in Indonesia, but we’re the ones who brought attention to the scene on how to deal with things that block the way.”
Puppen was a complete story on how a band could go far beyond everybody’s expectations. One example was it taking comrades to their own fame and fortune.

“It had very good management backing the band. It’s a perfect example for us. Puppen brought lessons to everyone in the scene,” admits Ade Muir, bass player of Pure Saturday. Back in the day, Puppen massively promoted the existence of Pure Saturday and other comrades to the outer world of Bandung’s independent scene.

“We were different; our music could fit into lots of communities around, not only the metal or the punk rock scenes. We didn’t even play that many in Saparua,” remembers Robin. Saparua was a classic hall located on Jl. Saparua, Bandung; it was the Mecca of the 1990’s independent movement in the city.

“20 years ago, people keep telling me, ‘What the hell are you playing?’ They think our music is just some lousy rock music. But then we proved ourselves. We had three record offers on our table and none of them suited us, we were independent to the very last. That’s the best lesson I gained from Puppen, that’s the legacy we had,” Robin said.

But then the end was the answer. The members moved on and let the name of Puppen and the stories that followed be memories.

“I don’t want to make Puppen live as a commercial entity again. Puppen has finished but memories remain,” said Robin while Arian13 added, “We set the foundation of Indonesia’s independent scene. We paved the way.”


Robin Malau can be followed at twitter.com/lowrobb while Arian13 is available at twitter.com/aparatmati.

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