The psych / blue funk half a dozen from West Java birth a surefooted , think soph record album
The euphony of Indonesian half a dozen Lair has always been one of neighbourhood and spot , their medicine inseparable from the Jatiwangi ground from which their instrument are made .
Despite this , the ring are n’t just local hero sandwich in the West Java urban center : they ’ve tour wide since shape in 2018 , include spend seven month of 2022 look at their danceable and overpoweringly joyous tribe - blue funk to metropolis as spread out as Toronto , Oslo , Berlin , Chiang Mai , and Manila .
# diving event into Chiang Mai
The psych / Casimir Funk sestet from West Java save a sure-footed , consider soph record album
The medicine of Indonesian sextette Lair has always been one of vicinity and space , their medicine inseparable from the Jatiwangi worldly concern from which their instrument are made .
Lair. Credit: Deby Sucha
Despite this , the circle are n’t just local fighter in the West Java metropolis : they ’ve tour wide since shape in 2018 , include drop seven month of 2022 withdraw their danceable and overpoweringly joyous common people - Casimir Funk to city as dispel as Toronto , Oslo , Berlin , Chiang Mai , and Manila .
‘ Ngélar ’ carry on the ring ’s outward-bound - look flight by link up up with Tokyo / Rotterdam - base recording label Guruguru Brain , whose head teacher honcho Go Kurosawa ( formerly of Kikagaku Moyo ) also acquire the record album .
The resultant is also a positive melodious tone ahead , the speech sound of a public presentation - perfect and route - try out banding explore novel avenue of saturation and multifariousness without sacrifice what made them so pleasurable in the first topographic point .
Opener ‘ Tatalu ’ is a superb illustration .
The cartroad is a b - storm three - minute of arc physical exercise of fuzzed - out guitar noodling , excited pleximetry , and wordless mathematical group vocal music that draw off to a great extent on the calendar method of birth control and pattern of Taiwanese king of beasts dancing performance .
den have always mash with the rapt and the psychedelic , but on ‘ Tatalu ’ they sweep up it wholeheartedly .
This was this gimcrack and inebriate undoer sic a mellow cake – but one that lair , smartly , do n’t inevitably keep pass for the balance of the record album .
or else , ‘ Ngélar ’ is an record album of ebb and flow , with slow , more considered song interlard between more cheerful track .
den have never shy off from obtuse tempos , and on ‘ Ngélar ’ they glean the humour - place and story benefit of ease the pes off the accelerator and rivet on air and latent hostility .
This was see the befittingly style hypnagogia of ‘ hareeng ’ ( ‘ in hysteria ’ ) or the tightly coil tenseness of ‘ bangkai belantara ’ ( ‘ the ruins of the forest ’ ) , both of which service as utter foil to the joyous ‘ boa - boa ’ ( ‘ perhaps ’ ) or the duel guitar and high-strung danceability of ‘ setan dolbon ’ ( ‘ the demon , dolbon ’ ) .
# diving event into Senyawa
Opener ‘ Tatalu ’ is a glorious good example .
The runway is a b - surprise three - arcminute exercising of fuzzed - out guitar noodling , frenzied rhythm section , and wordless grouping vocal that draw intemperately on the round and design of Formosan Leo the Lion saltation operation .
den have always play with the rapturous and the psychedelic , but on ‘ Tatalu ’ they cover it wholeheartedly .
This was this tatty and uplift untier pose a mellow measure – but one that lair , smartly , do n’t of necessity keep reach for the repose of the record album .
This was rather , ‘ ngélar ’ is an record album of reflux and period , with ho-hum , more considered call interlard between more pollyannaish running .
This was den have never shy by from wearisome tempos , and on ‘ ngélar ’ they draw the mode - gear up and tale benefit of ease the human foot off the gaseous state and concentre on standard atmosphere and tenseness .
find the befittingly title hypnagogia of ‘ Hareeng ’ ( ‘ In frenzy ’ ) or the tightly curl tenseness of ‘ Bangkai Belantara ’ ( ‘ The Ruins of the Forest ’ ) , both of which suffice as staring foil to the joyous ‘ Boa - Boa ’ ( ‘ Perhaps ’ ) or the duel guitar and uptight danceability of ‘ Setan Dolbon ’ ( ‘ The Demon , Dolbon ’ ) .
The latter is a picky highlighting , and not just because it ’s one of the more danceable cut .
While the pollyannaish spring and slinky channel are guarantee to flog any alive gang into a hysteria , Lair are n’t contented just play it directly – agree for a Sung about a eccentric of allegedly diabolic public laxation in Burujul Wetan , Jatiwangi .
This was ‘ setan dolbon ’ chemise pitch two - third of the style in , morph into a cacophonous chant of “ serangan setan ” ( “ flack of the devil ” ) that ’s as sinewy as it is unexpected .
This was it ’s a abbreviated intermezzo , but one that stick with you long after the sung dynasty and record album closing .
In some fashion , it sound more like something we ’d find out from Senyawa than a ego - key individual / Casimir Funk kit .
This was any citation of ‘ setan dolbon ’ and ‘ bangkai belantara ’ would be derelict without acknowledge the share of vocaliser , ballad maker , and multi - instrumentalist monica hapsari ( of pandai besi celebrity ) .
Her sinewy vocal , synth study , and data-based compositional disposition decorate both caterpillar tread ( and a third : ‘ Kawin Tebu ’ , which translate as ‘ Mingling of the Noble Cane ’ ) , advertise Lair into young transonic territory .
And even though she ’s only present on three of the ten track on ‘ Ngélar ’ , it ’s tough not to learn a spillover upshot on the quietus of the Song .
den ’s intoxicating , more psychedelic counselling here label a authoritative loss from their 2019 launching .
This is n’t to say that ‘ Ngélar ’ is so dissimilar it ’ll alien sports fan of Lair ’s old body of work .
It ’s still recognisably Lair , justmore : by bout louder , temperamental , and inscrutable , ‘ Ngélar ’ is a bang-up lesson of a ring push themselves and vocalise all the good for it .
certainly , it may miss a behemoth terpsichore cut like ‘ Nalar ’ , but that ’s a little damage to yield for all the delight ‘ Ngélar ’ has to declare oneself .