Introductory; Into My Lens, or Earphone.

This is the debut post for this blog, I suppose. I'll be taking a more casual approach here, less narrating, more conversing --- you feel me? Anyway, this "Music Talk" entries is basically just me yapping around, pouring out whatever's on my mind, all centered around music of course. Reviews, scene talk, revisiting older records, opinions on certain things, news, events, all that.

See, different periods of my life marked different discoveries of taste. An ever-shifting preference that now feels, for the most part, solidified. My first real dive into music was, admittedly, performative. Back in elementary school ---  I forget what grade exactly --- most kids were jamming to whatever was charting on Billboard, that whole mainstream pop world. I wouldn't really call it a scene, no. But as the little kid I was, I wanted to fit in. There wasn't a single day without me glued to the radio. FM radio was it back then. Do kids even still listen to radio these days?

Anyway, I'd always switch the channel away from my mom's usual '80s city pop to whatever was hot at the time. One thing I always remember vividly: I had a crush, and she loved One Direction. So naturally, I went heavy on One D. Peak male performatism, honestly. 

It wouldn't take long before I form my own preferences, and that was house music. I discovered it through this one friend that showed me his YouTube --- I forgot the name of the artist, though.

Around 2016 to 2017, I got into hip-hop and rap. I was deeply immersed in that so-called "mumble" rap, the kind the OGs love to hate. X, Ski, Juice, Skies, Peep, their voices still reverberate in my head. I also gravitated toward Memphis rap, drill, and R&B. It wasn't long before I discovered who would become someone I truly idolized: Tyler, the Creator --- him alongside Kanye, DOOM, and probably Joey Bada$$ made up my favorite artists out of that whole scene.

I had this full-on parasocial relationship with Tyler back in middle school. You know that song Colossus? I genuinely felt like he made that for me. I was a fanboy, no shame --- well, a little, I guess.

Around that same time, I was also getting into Descendants, Nirvana, and The Strokes. I had this close friend from elementary school whose dad was always playing old rocks: Guns N' Roses, Scorpions, Prince, you name it. That's where I first got introduced to bands like Nirvana and Chili Peppers.

High school was when music truly permeated my life, it had turned from lyrics and instruments to an intrinsic idea that I couldn’t articulate very well --- let’s just say, art. I started going to local punk and hardcore gigs, the scene wasn't particularly large back then, not like now where local collectives seem to be sprouting up everywhere, organizing all sorts of events. My entry into punk came through a friend who handed me his copy of Damaged by Black Flag. We listened to it together at his place and it was a genuine revelation. On the ride home, my brain just kept replaying that record on loop.

Around here is where I discovered my now --- and probably would be forever --- favorite band, Title Fight, more on them on later entries. This was also where I discovered metal music, I remembered my first time listening to Slayer, it was such an experience, no wonder why all the bands that I listened to now was inspired by them.

Those were probably the abridged retelling of my history, more or less. So yeah, as I said, the preference has since solidified. I still carry those punk values from high school, though I seldom actually listen to punk anymore. Rock, metal, and jazz are what predominantly come through my earphones or speakers these days, death metal especially.

I love music about as much as I'd love my future wife, or something to that effect. It has always been present in my life, maybe not the sole center of it, but a constant thread running through everything. So naturally, I'm passionate about it. I want to be a musician, a journalist, a curator, a critic; basically anything that keeps me orbiting around music.

If you asked me who my favorite artists are, I'd probably say "depends on the genre," but if you pressed me: Title Fight, Death, and The Strokes. That's my top three, though the third slot is admittedly susceptible to recency bias.

What else. I collect physical media, though occasionally I purchase digital records from Bandcamp --- I say that as if I use any other platform besides Bandcamp. I do plan on eventually acquiring a clean set of cassette tapes or CDs to burn music onto. I stream music as well, though I'll openly admit to being a hypocrite about it given how often I critique the ethics of music streaming.

I do listen to playlists, and I curate them by genre, but my genuine preference will always be the full length album. It is, to me, the most complete and rewarding form of experiencing music, from demos to EPs to a full-length debut LP.

Why do I make this? A question nobody would probably think to ask, but I'll ask it myself anyway. The essence of the music scene in Indonesia feels like it's quietly eroding; less media collectives, less active scenes, a diminishing sense of community. I worry that what's left will eventually dissolve into another billboard industry, no artists, just celebrities. That's one of the reasons I'm doing this, though not the sole one. There's also the simpler matter of enjoyment. I love writing, I love music, so I'll just write about music.