Inikah Hidup: Soundtracks of War and Destruction CD
Inikah Hidup
Soundtracks of War and Destruction CD
(a joint release by Ronin Records, Nervous Rechords, xGustixKatilxDistro, Papakerma Records, Convert Distro & Chrome Records)
Right from the late 90s till somewhere earlier this decade, the little scene in Terengganu was somehow revitalised and churned out a lot of activities; there were a number of bands active, several distros/labels and also good zines circulating. A few gigs were successfully organised (try living there and you will know what a bitch it is to set a show there) and then there was a collective which (at least, for a while) was doing free-food servings and also running an autonomous space etc.
Inikah Hidup is like the culmination of all that, where most of the key people that were involved in the activities mentioned above (including Ronin Distro’s Shabri) decided to band together and kick our lazy arses with a bit of screaming punk rock. The band which has been around in some form or another since 2002 has now grown to feature two vocalists, (including ex-Jellybelly and Nervous Records runner, Nizang), a keyboardist and also two guitarists.
This CD (not a CD-R, mind you!) is the first time ever the gang has gone and up the ante a wee bit in the “quality” department. The production here is much, much better compared to the one tune they recorded for The Dude Puked On My Lap CD-R comp. Apart from the rather “digitised” feel of the guitars and scattered levels of the vocal bits, this disc is all right in my book.
Lyrically, Inikah Hidup touches upon quite a variety of subjects; right from apathy (Tunduk), body image and looks as a criteria for discrimination (Lagu Roket) to the selfishness of the rich (I Hate Golf), the senseless nature of the internal security act (Siksa) and of course, politicians (Omong Kosong) and war (Doomsday & Inikah Hidup).
On the musical side, Inikah Hidup sounds like no other in the local scene. First you have the keyboards filling in the gaps and background. Then you have the rocking hardcore foundation, which most of the time sounds weirdly more like “poodle-haired big-stadium hard rock” (remember the band Europe with their awful “It’s the Final Countdownnnn,” anthem?) than HC. And on top of that you have Nizang taking a lot of space screaming and yelling and generally being pissed-off all over the tracks. His stressed up, almost-high-pitch wails (mixed way up front) can really irritate after a while, and I kept finding myself waiting for him to stop!
When I saw them playing at the Domestik Doktrin tribute recently a friend wondered loudly; “Why don’t they just sing properly?” Well, I think if they drop the “intense” screaming and also the “growling”, Inikah Hidup would really sound like a keyboard-driven hard rock band with a bit of speedy hardcore touches. Would that be better? Well, I don’t know. I’ve never got into this sort of hardcore anyway, it’s too “Mat Rock” for my taste, especially with all the lengthy guitar lines, annoyingly contrived screaming and chuggy rhythms. Not me cuppa, really
Another problem with this release is that there are 11 songs in all, but none of them sticks. Most of them segue into each other just like they are just extensions or variations of the same song. In short there’s no variety, and that is especially due to all the screaming which can be interchangeable in all of the songs. Most of the tunes share the same structure, the same chord sequences, the same approach, the same wailing; and so when I played the disc as a whole, I can’t differentiate between the songs unless I look at the CD player and check the track number!
One thing for sure though, the band tried hard at being progressive and different, especially in terms of typical hardcore ideas and approach; all the spoken-word breaks, the inventive clean-guitar intros and the mixture of “stadium rock” and hardcore; are all commendable efforts. Not many bands want to risk their “acceptability” by forging on their own path (the band even covered a track by The Cranberries!).
Being different is no longer a virtue in the scene where so many just wanna sound and look the same as the current trend or the “heroes”. If you have been following the Indonesian fast-core scene, you will know how horrible that uniformity has become; imagine listening to 20 bands playing 40 songs and they all sound the same!
That said, I also wish that all of that effort, ideas and hard-work by Inikah Hidup could have been channelled better, tightened or developed further. Somehow, it doesn’t work, at least not on this CD. Anyway, I’m sure the band is not going to give-up that easily. Here’s hoping to hear more from the crew.
- reviewed by Joe Kidd (June 2005)
The CD is available for RM 12.00 or USD 8.00 postpaid from all the labels + distros listed below:
Ronin Distro c/o Fazri/Shabri, B783, Bnggol Limau 21200 Kuala Terengganu, MALAYSIA
Ronin email
Nervous Rechords c/o xnizangx, 49, Jalan Rahim Kajai, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Nervous email
GustixKatilXDistro c/o Al Nizan, No. 7, Lorong Iramanis 4, Taman Iramanis 4, Taman Iramanis 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MALAYSIA
xgustixkatilx email
Convert Distro: Convert email
Chrome Records c/o xAh Chongx, Lot 2794, Kg. Simpang Air Mawang 73100 Johol, Negeri embilan, MALAYSIA
Chrome Records email
Band Contact: Coalitioners email
Inikah Hidup on MySpace
NOTE:
The main sleeve featured some great photography by Sue Anna Joe, her works can be seen here:
23 Comments, Comment or Ping
safuan
aku xde band…huhuhuhuhpeace core…
grindcore…….durian is food..
………………..grind is good…..peace!
Jun 28th, 2005
xnizangx
hehehe…thanx for the comments and review…harapnye ade lagi sesape yg sudah dgr, tolong bagi komen…kat sini pun takpe…just wanna know what u guys think…
thanks to everyone who came and supported us last saturday…especially fizam (selfmadegod), bidan, ashirazi, kelong, azim, debab, zul, timmy, isma, erin, kerk, ayeh, nobeat, syik, mat yie …etc.
it was thew best show we ever played (at least for me). thanks for buying our cd and made the rest of the band able to go back home with fuel.
OH YA…FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN BUYING BY MAIL JUST FLY RM12/USD8ppd to any of those labels above.
Jun 28th, 2005
dungboy|manureman
yes, i second that! to those who have listened to the albums reviewed here, please give us your take or your thoughts on them. Music appreciation (or the arts or whatever involves creativity and presentations) is SUBJECTIVE, so the more different views there are, the better for us to make our minds about it. thanks to nizang for being a sport.
Jun 28th, 2005
scum`
aku x abeh dgr lagik sbb sebuk keje.bila balik ingt nk tido jek..huhuh..tapi aku suka art nya..sue anna joe rock!
Jun 28th, 2005
Sue Anna Joe
Yeah. Rock abieh. =]
Oyy Nizang, jumpa kat skolah ye?
Jun 29th, 2005
nizang
for those who think 11 songs are too much…hehhehe…why don’t trying only listening 5 today and another 6 tomorrow…yeap…it’s my mistakes coz the arrangement of song a bit tak kene… hehehhe…
and yeah…check out sue anna joe’s works…they’re brilliant…!!
Jun 29th, 2005
mang
but all the photo and image in the sleeve is superb!! kudos to the photographer!!
Jun 29th, 2005
scum`
sue ana rokk..lenkali amek gamba aku pulak eh..hohoh..
Jun 29th, 2005
Sue Anna Joe
mang: Huhu. Right on. =]
scum`: huhu. orait. no problemo. jgn memalu dahler. :)
Jun 30th, 2005
ben
muih!! meh la lawan snooker!!!!
Jul 2nd, 2005
ben
ce mu teke aku piyer…..
hohohoho
Jul 2nd, 2005
anockmearan
yup.. huh..its a long time aku x jejak rice cook ni..lpas bertukar wajah & make up balik kasi cun sikit dari dulu.. aku punya info pn x da dah..tepaksa register balik la ye..what ever, its more menarik&tersusun i guess..wahaha..well done joe,Bravo ! INIKAH IDUP? inikah idup berani bertanya kpd kt stakat mana idup ni yg mampu kt lorekkan@color2kan..for me(My 2 cent comment),do it something different is more Valuable…why?…D.I.Y .. sebab itula besnya idup dlm scene ni.. mcm2 ada kata pakcik tua astro..lagu2 dibawa mmg different,biasala..bila baru..ada yang suka&ada y g mencebik..guys,relaxla..stand 4 whut u think& do it more better..gig itu hari mmg bes diorng perform even 2nd vocal (bukan nizang) dgn muka takda darah( gemuruh ye bang??hahhahah) dapat gak jerit sampai habis gig… pasal CD, art work mm g lawa.. sue anna bes,..ahahak.lagu lagi banyak lagi bess..100 lagu unt 1 CD pn xape..hahahah..wokeh .. thats all babe,this week aku g Tengganu la..xdapt g gig,puasa skejap..wa hahha….me myself @ashirazi@anockmearan
Jul 7th, 2005
daryll whelan
hye..aku baru ja dapat cd inikah hidup drpd saudar aL semlm.hmm…ya..ini mmg satu rilisan yang lain drpd yg lain.dan syabas buat line up inikah hidup.screamo tunggang langgang sepak lanjang. bukan senang mau cari band diy m’sia yang mau main screamo skg ne.semua mau bantai main fast.be urself people……chow…..
Jul 16th, 2005
aL yang begusti
hello…aku setuju sama ko daryll,kita mmg satu kepala bah anggota..
utk band inikah hidup anda mmg menarik kerna tidak terikut2 trend skrg nie yg mana semua band mao main thrash saja,lirik yg politikal tabah musick yg bercelaru membuat kepala pusing..BEST!!
tidak pernah aku menyesal join liriskan band kamu sbb kamu ada identiti sendiri..chow..
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Uiii naaaa…Ada juga munyit sabah talapas disin…Main2 jak bah…Poinsikou dikoyu…Last but not least Aramaiiiiiiiii tiiiiii…Daryll tue kauk tue kalau minum bahar hehehe…Ok…Sayogaban alias goodbye!!!
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Sabar2 kamurang…Apa nie screamo/fast…Meh lah join main mega dusun…hehehe…
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Scallywag band kadazan dusun cina campuran jipun akan rilis demo diurang indak lama lagi…ini band megadus nie hihihihihihihihihihihi…
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Thank you kirim salam i luv you …
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Hasrat band sabah yg paling asarok hehehe…Hc grind yg melampau nie diaorang hehehe…
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Al ada kawan saya perempuan nama dia anita kirim salam sama kau…dia bilang dia jumpa kau sana…sia pun indak tau…
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Inikah hidup sia belum dingar lagi taoi kalau inikah cinta sia sudah dingar hehehe…Meh lah sent free cd…Sebagai jasa baik kurang sia bagi wogok pagang sama kamu…
Jul 17th, 2005
Ian the last gaban
Ok chaw!!!
Jul 17th, 2005
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