Having long wavy hair is the ultimate starter pack to be a rock musician. Sounds like a Twitter meme? Ask it to Gusten, the lead singer of the Bali based heavy rock band, JANGAR. It is no joke that Gusten and Jangar are the rising stars in the Indonesian music scene. But to be frank, Gusten’s hair was indeed the major reason he first selected to be the band’s vocalist.
Back in 2015, three young men wanted to form a band just to get some extra fun while they were half sober. Gus Rai (bassist), Pasek (drummer), and Dewa Adi (guitarist) needed a lead singer to complete their formation. Without hesitation, they chose Gusten. “Well, I am part of their circle of friends. It’s not my voice that attracted them, but my appearance and attitude that fits their criteria. I had long hair, and I was good at having fun,” he says to ThePhala. Gusten admits his vocal was unpolished back then, but Dewa Adi convinced him that everyone could sing, and practice would make it perfect.
After three years together, they created singles, but Gusten still did not feel that music is his path. “I only sing for fun,” he says. His perspective changed forever after the band also channel their concern to address social issues on their first EP. They have a song that talks about the most significant protest movement in their generation: the “Bali Tolak Reklamasi,” an opposition to land reclamation as part of a mass tourism project that would harm the environment and affect the social-cultural element of Bali. Another song that gains huge appreciation is “Gestok,” which bravely speaks about the 1965 genocide in Indonesia.
“At that moment, I realized that music could amplify the voice of the unheard. The appreciation we received also help us to grow.” It encouraged them to take their music more seriously. In 2019, they began to search for a professional manager, built a music studio at Gus Rai’s house, and learned how to properly prepare their first full album entitled “Jelang Malam.”
“Jelang Malam” is a well-crafted album. It was released on October 1, 2019, under Berita Angkasa records label, the home of several renowned musicians in Indonesia. Some songs in “Jelang Malam” featuring prominent rock singers such as Doddy Hamson (vocalist of the heavy metal band, Komunal) and Rian Pelor (vocalist of Detention, ex-vocalist of Auman). Even the album’s cover was created by a rocker, Morgg (Rajasinga’s lead singer).
Containing 10 tracks, “Jelang Malam” consists of all questions Jangar has in their head. It speaks about brotherhood, humanity, life and death, social-political issues, and even drugs and MSG. They voice their mind loud and clear while keep on having fun to the max.
The album’s description mentions that “Jelang Malam is a story of when the sun begins to close the day and the darkness of the night begins to loom over; when black meets white. As the night comes, people come and go, the mortal and afterlife become intertwines, nothing is right or wrong, everything becomes grey.”
For this phenomenal album, they say, “We don’t want to be in the daytime, chaotic with the mundane busyness of humans, or in night time in the world of immortals. We want some of them. Live with those we love, and still remember those who have left.”
Download and listen to “Jelang Malam” through your favorite digital platforms: Spotify, Youtube music, Deezer, Itunes, Apple Music, and JOOX. Get the CD and merchandises at Instagram @sangkala.co
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Youtube : Jangar-Topic