Features - March 12, 2006
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060312.O02
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White Shoes gives indie a good name
Karel Matoa, Contributor, Jakarta
There's more than a lousy emcee and dull still-photo presentation at the February launch of the soundtrack to Berbagi Suami (Sharing husbands), a new film by director Nia Dinata.
During the last quarter of the event, one of the two bands featured on the soundtrack was called up by the emcee to perform at the event.
Five musicians -- a woman vocalist, two guitarists, a cellist/bassist and a drummer -- in their mid-20's, wearing vintage outfits from an era seemingly way beyond their generation, came up on stage.
Soon, they were stunning hundreds of guests who had gathered at the Jakarta Arts Center (GKJ) that night with a rendition of the Indonesian classic Sabda Alam (Nature's words) written by one of the country's finest composers: Ismail Marzuki.
They did not break into an over-the-top stage performance. In fact, the vocalist, dressed in a pink paisley retro dress, only flicked her fingers casually, hand on her hip, swaying here and there during the song.
While their performance might be minimalist, the music is well-structured and enjoyable.
After delivering three songs, the band bowed, intending to exit the stage -- only to hear the audience yell for an encore. The demand was met, and this time the soothing alto of the vocalist was accompanied by the audience, clapping loudly in rhythm. Some guests couldn't help but move their bodies to the catchy tune of Windu & Defrina, a song about teenagers in love.
For White Shoes and the Couples Company, this was probably their first time to appear at the most prestigious concert hall in Jakarta, but surely the thunderous applause and positive reception are no strangers to them.
Named after a short-lived university trend of wearing white shoes and the fact that two band members are married and two others dating each other, White Shoes is considered one of the hottest indie band in Indonesia, offering songs reminiscent of nostalgic Indonesian pop tunes the likes of Tetty Kadi, Dara Puspita and Koes Plus.
The band's debut single Senandung Maaf (Ballad of apology) appeared on the best-selling soundtrack of Janji Joni (Joni's Promise) in 2005, and while other indie bands consider it lucky if they manage to reach sales of over 10,000, White Shoes' self-titled album, launched in September 2005 under the Aksara Records label, has sold more than 15,000 albums to date.
Performance-wise, it's no different. Some music lovers may have caught their performance at the recent Java Jazz Festival, but if you missed it, you can still catch them performing eight new arrangements as the opening act -- along with indie band Mocca -- at the March 18 concert of Norwegian guitar duo Kings of Convenience in Jakarta.
Not bad for a band that was formed in 2002 to provide an hour's entertainment at a music event at the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ), of which its members are all graduates.
"We really didn't mind if we didn't get a chance to perform after the gathering. But it turned out that people liked our music and here we are," said bassist Ricky Surya Virgana, 25, during a lunch break with the other band members at Arci music studio in Menteng, Central Jakarta.
In the beginning, it was piles of homework and tight side-job deadlines that brought the six students of the fine arts department together. They often had to stay on campus until the wee hours completing projects, finding time in between to compose and sing songs about whatever funny and interesting things they observed around them.
"I saw friends who were so in love I couldn't help creating lyrics about their being lovey-dovey, and I sang it to guitars played by Ale and Rio," said vocalist Aprilia "Sari" Apsari, 25, about Windu & Defrina, the first track on their debut album.
The band said they did not intend their music to hark back to those of the 1970s, '60s or even '50s.
"Our first musical reference was our parents' LPs and cassette collections, and that included Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, as well as local artists like Sam Saimun, Koes Plus and Dara Puspita," said Aprimela Prawidiyanti, or Mela, 25, Ricky's wife who plays piano, keyboards, viola and violin.
"And when we decided to form a band, we made a commitment to create only songs with the kind of music that we like. So it's not surprising that the output was this so-called retro music, something influenced by old musicians, but also something that we enjoyed listening," she said.
Although White Shoes might appear to be benefiting from the current industry trend that considers everything from the past to be hip and cool, the band is aware that the retro music they're playing will someday lose its popularity as, like in any kind of art, trends change rapidly.
"We don't play music for money, so, when someday nobody listens to us anymore, that's fine," said Ricky.
But bassist Yusmario Farabi, or Rio, 25, sees it differently: "I learned that retro music is actually expandable. One day you can simply add keroncong tunes to it and another day you play it in collaboration with an orchestra, and people still love it," he said.
One day, when they may decide to call it quits, at least the band would always remember that one of their most unforgettable gigs was to perform at the birthday bash of Guruh Soekarnoputra -- the youngest son of founding father Soekarno who is a celebrated painter and songwriter himself.
"Oh God, we were so nervous it was like taking a final exam in high school when a wrong answer could mean you'd flunk," said Sari.
In addition to a strict dress code that prompted Sari and Mela to wear a kebaya (traditional Javanese blouse), Guruh also asked the band to perform Bidadari Turun (An angel descends), a song he wrote years ago.
"He came up with that idea a day before the party, and he played the song on the piano just once so that Sari could record it on her mobile. Knowing how clueless we were, he just smiled and said, `Relax, guys, I know you can do it,'" said guitarist Saleh, or Ale, 25.
Guruh was right. The band wowed the birthday guests and after the show, Sari received only one mild criticism via SMS from the perfectionist artist that read: "You're doing great. But it would have been perfect if you had tuned down your voice by one note, right?"
It has surely taken more than just a tonal adjustment to establish White Shoes and the Couples Company as one of the most successful and influential indie performers in Indonesia.
But they still have to stand the test of time to prove that they have the musicality to support Rio's statement: "The relentless debate about who's best among bands from indie and mainstream labels is so 10 years ago. It's musicality that matters. When you're good, you're good. If you suck, you just suck, no matter your recording company."
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PIKIRAN RAKYAT.com,
Selasa, 04 Oktober 2005
http://www.pikiran-rakyat.com/cetak/belia/041005/12chat.htm
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JADUL BERAT!
Pernah denger nama band yang disebut di atas? Panjang banget dan rada susah untuk diinget, ya! Panjangnya nama yang mereka pakai untuk sebuah band, sama panjangnya dengan rentang musik yang mereka mainkan. Maksudnya, musik yang jadi ciri khas White Shoes and The Couples Company ini beneran bakal ngingetin Belia semua dengan musik-musik yang dimainkan musisi angkatan nyokap bokap atau bahkan nenek kakek Belia. Nggak percaya? Simak obrolan belia dengan mereka, cepetan cari CD atau kasetnya, dan tontonin videoklipnya!
Ditemui sesaat sebelum mereka manggung di acara launching sebuah music store di Ciwalk, Jumat (30/9) malam, Saleh (lead gitar), John (drum & percussion), Mela (piano/keyboard/violin), Rio (gitar), Sari (vokal), dan Ricky (bass/cello), cerita tentang segala kejadulan mereka. Mulai dari musik, fashion, sampe tampang-tampang mereka yang ahem, keliatan jadul banget juga.
Nama White Shoes and The Couples Company (WSaTCC) ini mulai dikenal penikmat musik sejak mereka ikutan gabung ngisi soundtrack film yang dibintangi Nicholas Saputra, Janji Joni. "Kebetulan, music director Janji Joni masih temen juga. Trus pas kita latihan, dia ngliat dan nawarin kita untuk ngisi soundtracknya," jelas Saleh, sang pemetik gitar.
Sebelum mereka bikin lagu "Senandung Maaf" yang jadi soundtrack Janji Joni, keenam orang ini tentunya kudu nyesuain lagu dengan film dong. "Kita dikasih skenario film itu, baru deh, lagunya kita bikin," tambah mahasiswa lukis IKJ ini.
Ngomongin IKJ, semua personel WSaTCC ini ternyata adalah mahasiswa IKJ. Di institut seni ini, banyak banget alumninya yang pada jadi seniman kondang. Sebut aja Naif, senior mereka yang duluan ngetop dengan jenis musik serupa. Bahkan, nama WSaTCC ini diambil saat mereka dan temen-teman kampusnya, sama-sama keranjingan pake sepatu kanvas putih keluaran All Star.
"Dulu tuh ada satu toko sepatu diskon yang jualan sepatu All Star putih. Kebetulan, saat itu juga ada acara musik di kampus, gua pengen banget ngeband. Bingung namanya apa, dan di kampus lagi tren sepatu kanvas putih itu. Jadilah band gue namanya White Shoes. Pengennya, semua orang di kampus jadi personel band gue," ujar Rio.
Saat itu, White Shoes hanya beranggotakan Sari, Saleh, dan Rio. Nggak lama, masuk Mela dan Ricky, yang merupakan pasangan, dan terakhir gabunglah John dengan mereka. "Nah, gara-gara itu, namanya ditambahin, nggak enak kan, kalau cuman White Shoes doang," imbuh Rio.
Kalau band lain pertama manggung bawain lagu orang, WSaTCC nggak. Mereka langsung bawain lagu sendiri. "Cuman satu lagu. Semua alat masih minjem, trus Sari waktu itu masih main biola. Udah kelihatan sih, musiknya ke arah mana," kenang Rio. Retro jadi pilihan musik mereka karena ketika sama-sama nonton film "Gita Cinta", seluruh personel WSaTCC ini langsung punya keinginan yang sama. "Gara-gara nonton film itu, kita kepikiran pengen banget bikin lagu yang seperti ada di film itu," kata John.
Itu baru soal musik. Untuk fashion yang mereka padukan dengan jenis musik yang dimainkan WSaTCC, hampir semua baju dan aksesori yang mereka pakai, nggak ada yang baru. "Untuk baju, susah kalau nyari yang baru. Biasanya kita hunting ke pasar loak. Mentok-mentoknya sih, palingan bikin. Barunya ya, karena bikin," kata Sari. Paling susah sih nyari wardrobe buat personel cewek ya. Baju-baju yang dipakai Sari dan Mela udah kebilang langka di pasaran. Bayangin aja, model terusan dengan motif yang rame atau sack dress dengan detail kancing. "Kalau gue sih, masih bisalah, nyari baju-baju nyokap gue yang lama. Ukurannya juga nggak susah. Yang kasian sih, si Mela. Dia mesti ngerombak total, kalau dapet beli," katanya lagi.
Tapi, jangan salah juga kalau kebetulan ketemu mereka saat nggak ada acara manggung. Tampilan jadul mereka katanya sih, cuman di set pas mau manggung aja. Giliran sehari-hari, mereka berdandan normal. "Tapi kalau tampang sih, nggak tau ya. Mungkin udah dari sononya kayak gini, muka lama," kata Saleh sambil ketawa.
Well, nggak bisa menilai orang dari tampangnya doang, kan? Walau bertampang jadul, temen-temen WSaTCC ini skill musiknya nggak kalah dengan yang lain. Di album perdana mereka yang bertitel sama dengan nama bandnya, iringan orkestra pun mereka sertakan. "Biar sound yang kita pengen bisa dapet," ujar Ricky. Maklum, beberapa dari mereka ini merupakan mahasiswa musik IKJ. It means, skill musik yang mereka punya pun harus di atas rata-rata.
Sip, lah. Sayang banget, obrolan pun mesti udahan. Mereka mesti siap-siap naik ke atas pentas. Penonton pun sedari tadi nggak sabar nungguin mereka, termasuk belia. Nonton dulu, ah! ***
tisha_belia@yahoo.com
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DEATHROCKSTAR.INFO,
February 4th, 2005
http://www.deathrockstar.info/interview-with-white-shoes-and-the-couples-company/
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Interview with White Shoes and the Couples Company
Siapakah mereka? Darimanakah asal mereka? Kenapa namanya panjang sekali ya? Kan susah nyebutnya. Udahlah baca aja ga usah banyak komentar, oleh Eric Wiryanata.
siapakah yang pake sepatu putih dan siapakah yang berpasangan?
semua bersepatu putih, dan alhamdulillah semua sudah berpasangan.
jika bisa melarikan diri, akan melarikan diri kemana?
kemana saja yang penting bisa bersama selamanya
apakah chamber pop itu?
itu cuman istilah.
yang bikin WSATCC spesial adalah?
Kami muda dan telah menikah.
5 lagu favorit? Mengapa?
Bebel Gilberto - Lonely
Gorge Ben - Taj Mahal
Manu Chao - King of Bongo Bong
Macy Gray - I try
Ms. Dynamite - Dy-Na-Mi-Tee
karena kelima lagu diatas adalah lagu-lagu terpilih.
pengen manggung kayak gimana yah? Set panggungya.
ingin sekali manggung di depan orang-orang yang kami cintai, tapi telah tiada atau sulit hadir karena tinggal terlalu jauh di luarkota. kalo sudah begitu set panggung menjadi tidak penting.
5 album favorit?
1984-David Bowie / RCA (1974)
Highway 61 Revisited-Bob Dylan / Columbia ( 1965)
Daydream Nation-Sonic Youth / Enigma(1988)
OST. Gita Cinta dari SMA- Guruh Soekarno Putra / Musica (1982)
Duo Kribo-Duo Kribo / ( 1977 )
album apa aja yang kamu inginkan, tapi kamu belum punya?
Do What You Like-AKA (1974), OST Tiga Dara - Ismail Marzuki (1952), OST “Badai Pasti Berlalu” (1981)
band lokal lain yang menurut kamu bagus? 5 atau 6 atau 10 juga boleh
AKA, Gypsy, Koes Bersaudara, Bandempo, The Upstairs, Sekarwati, Kornchonk Chaos, The Jonis, Seek Six Sick, Tomorow People Ansamble, The Adams dan masih banyak lagi.
makanan favorit?
- Soto Lemes, Brawijaya ( di depan Studio Pendulum, Jakarta)
- Bubur Karpet, Radio Dalem
- Bubur Ayam Sukabumi, di Tebet
11 tahun lagi, WSATCC sudah jadi apa?
udah bubar.
ada rencana menjadikan WSATCC sebagai sumber penghasilan hidup? Bagaimana taktik yang dilakukan?
kita membentuk White Shoes & The Couples Company bukan untuk sumber mata pencaharian, jadi kalo untuk itu gak ada taktik apa-apa.
carpenters atau teti kadi? Mengapa?
kenapa mesti Teti Kadi? kenapa nggak Dedi Damhudi?
kalo udah tua nanti dan udah lama brenti ngeband, terus denger radio memutar lagu kalian, bagaimana kira kira perasaan kalian? Apa yang akan kalian lakukan?
Kami akan merasa mujur dan akan menari cha-cha.
biasanya sebelum manggung pada ngapain aja dulu?
biasanya ngumpul disatu rumah, lalu ceksound, kalo nggak ada ceksound, sore-sore yang cowok biasanya pada main bola, buat yang cewek biasanya nonton TV, masak, gosip, terus makan bareng-bareng, baru berangkat.
waktu umur 17 kamu lagi dengerin album album apa?
Rio : T-Rex.
Sari: Thurston Moore ” Psychic Hearts ”
Ricky: Jimi Hendrix & The Experience.
Saleh: Deftones.
Mela : Luluk Purwanto & Helsdingen Trio.
John: Kitaro & Lagu-lagu klasik tradisional Cina.
Indra Ameng: The Cure “Boys Don’t Cry”.
kalo pengen ngontak WSATCC kemana ya?
ke Tn. Indra Ameng : 0818817548
pertanyaan favorit jika diinterview?
“siapa sajakah yang menjalankan White Shoes & The Couples Company?”
last !!!
thanks
thanks juga..
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