1. Kapal Udara: βRuman Temanβ
The thematic centerpiece off Kapal Udaraβs latest release Suakajiwa β an obvious contender for Indonesian album of the year already. βRumah Temanβ is a warm friendship nostalgia that longs for a meeting amidst the reality that now we need to distance ourselves from each other once again.
2. crawling:twins: βPerfume Wrapsβ
An avant-prog number by the Bandungβs newcomer crawling:twins. There isnβt much that we can learn about the band from the internet for now, but if anything, βPerfume Wrapsβ marks an elegant entrance for the band to the scene. Packed with constantly-changing time signature and free jazz horns, the serving here is more than enough to put them on our band-to-watch list.
3. Anya Junor: βI Swear That Iβm Over Youβ
As someone who declares a huge admiration for Disney Princess, Anya Junor obviously knows her stuff very well. βI Swear That Iβm Over Youβ is a magical entry point to Anyaβs world of romantic tales. Itβs a waltz full of childlike whimsy with rich instrumentation. Thereβs still a whole lot of room to explore within the scope of what sheβs doing, and we could definitely see her writing for grand musicals or a national-scale cartoon soundtrack if she continues making songs this good or better down the road. Digression, we canβt wait to hear more from Anya Junor.
4. A. Nayaka: βBalanceβ
βBalanceβ sees the Def Jam Indonesiaβs roster, Ariel Nayaka, spitting verses on finding balance in modern times atop a drill beat, which he claims to be his first attempt at doing so. This is yet another track by Ariel that proves that heβs one of the finest Indonesian rappers working today.
5. jubilee marisa: βtwentysixteenβ
This is the debut single by up-and-coming singer-songwriter jubilee marisa (styled in lowercase) whoβs been signed by Wonderland / Universal Indonesia. βtwentysixteenβ feels like a song written by the boygenius familyβs long-lost cousin. It captures the triumph of teenage love that is at times magical yet confusing, wrapped in a two-part composition. The first portion of the track is rather somber, tied by a warming guitar arpeggio, while the second half is uplifted by a steady post-punk drumbeat that somehow makes it feel like a bonus track off Lucy Dacusβ latest record β which means a good thing.
6. SUAR: βTerjadilahβ
Itβs hard not to associate SUAR with nostalgia, especially when you are a defining icon of a certain era like Suar Nasution and the 90βs indie scene. But thereβs nothing wrong with it, especially when the songwriting is as good and as catchy as this. In this project, SUAR borrow the best sounds from the late 80βs to mid 90βs alternative music β or should we say it, reuse since they were also collectively part of the era.