My two fave (local) photographers right now:
Bona Soetirto and Arseto Adiputra
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
12 Best
In the interview for Ripple magazine, I was asked to name 'my 12 favorite albums', so here goes:
Blonde Redhead – In an Expression of the Inexpressible
Album ini menjadi penutupan era musikal (Blonde Redhead) yang lama sebelum musik mereka berubah lebih harmonis.
Autolux – Future Perfect
Songcrafting yang bagus. T Bone Burnett (produser) berhasil menangkap energi dari Autolux dan mentransfernya menjadi sebuah karya brillian. Patut ditunggu rilisan berikutnya.
Battles – Mirrored
Dengan album ini terbukti bahwa New York sedang berjaya.
Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
The best Canadian indie-rock album so far.
Experimental Audio Research – Millennium Music
Exploring all the sonic possibilities human can handle.
On!Air!Library! – On!Air!Library! [Arena Rock Recording]
Album ini cukup dengan track pertama, sisanya album lain.
The Raveonettes – Whip It On
Velvet Underground and The Jesus and Mary chain’s love child, while they were in some lonely southern desert.
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
Sebuah album yang berhasil menggabungkan momentum high on drugs dan rasa cinta yang berlebihan. Tubuhmu seakan berada di sebuah tempat yang samar-samar terasa familiar dengan Jason Pierce sebagai seorang tuan rumah yang ramah. Dia akan membiarkan anda untuk menyelami semua lekuk perasaan sampai pada akhirnya anda sadar tidak ada jalan keluar dari tempat ini selain menjadikan tempat ini sebagai rumah baru anda. I’ve been Spritualized.
Medicine – The Buried Life
Mau muntah? then you need medicine.
Stereolab – Sound-Dust
Album Stereolab yang paling kita suka dari sekian banyaknya album mereka, because the sound exploration, and the songcrafting are equally superb.
Yo La Tengo – Painful
Lo-fi masterpiece! Mereka berhasil menciptakan lagu-lagu yang tidak hanya brillian dari segi penulisan, tapi juga dari segi tata suara. Semuanya serba pas, sehingga kita dapat merasakan perasaan mereka saat membuat lagu - lagu yang ada di album ini.
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Mengutip salah satu komentar tentang album ini, "They (successfully) re-invented the pop music."
Blonde Redhead – In an Expression of the Inexpressible
Album ini menjadi penutupan era musikal (Blonde Redhead) yang lama sebelum musik mereka berubah lebih harmonis.
Autolux – Future Perfect
Songcrafting yang bagus. T Bone Burnett (produser) berhasil menangkap energi dari Autolux dan mentransfernya menjadi sebuah karya brillian. Patut ditunggu rilisan berikutnya.
Battles – Mirrored
Dengan album ini terbukti bahwa New York sedang berjaya.
Broken Social Scene – Broken Social Scene
The best Canadian indie-rock album so far.
Experimental Audio Research – Millennium Music
Exploring all the sonic possibilities human can handle.
On!Air!Library! – On!Air!Library! [Arena Rock Recording]
Album ini cukup dengan track pertama, sisanya album lain.
The Raveonettes – Whip It On
Velvet Underground and The Jesus and Mary chain’s love child, while they were in some lonely southern desert.
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
Sebuah album yang berhasil menggabungkan momentum high on drugs dan rasa cinta yang berlebihan. Tubuhmu seakan berada di sebuah tempat yang samar-samar terasa familiar dengan Jason Pierce sebagai seorang tuan rumah yang ramah. Dia akan membiarkan anda untuk menyelami semua lekuk perasaan sampai pada akhirnya anda sadar tidak ada jalan keluar dari tempat ini selain menjadikan tempat ini sebagai rumah baru anda. I’ve been Spritualized.
Medicine – The Buried Life
Mau muntah? then you need medicine.
Stereolab – Sound-Dust
Album Stereolab yang paling kita suka dari sekian banyaknya album mereka, because the sound exploration, and the songcrafting are equally superb.
Yo La Tengo – Painful
Lo-fi masterpiece! Mereka berhasil menciptakan lagu-lagu yang tidak hanya brillian dari segi penulisan, tapi juga dari segi tata suara. Semuanya serba pas, sehingga kita dapat merasakan perasaan mereka saat membuat lagu - lagu yang ada di album ini.
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Mengutip salah satu komentar tentang album ini, "They (successfully) re-invented the pop music."
That boy..
I met him few years ago, when i was stil living in Melbourne. At that time, I was a nerd (until now, and proud of it) who spent most of my sparetime reading books in the library or browsing for cool cds at some underground music stores, and he was a skinhead. We got introduced by my mum's friend, whose nephew came to visit her, thus he introduced me to him. He and his friends would then picked me up and took me to the suburb he lived in just to show me that houses in his neighbourhood look different from ones in mine. One thing that I cant forget about him, and his friends, was the language they're speaking to each other, a.k.a bahasa sunda, which I don't understand a tad bit of. So there was I, sitting among them, feeling like an idiot for not being able to digest things they're saying, but trying so hard to look interested. I guess I was too shy to ask them to translate it for me. However, the only time we did speak in the same language (that we both understood) was when it came to our fave music.
Fast forward 10 years, suddenly this long lost friend sent me a message through myspace, and I was surprised to find that he still remembers me and how he still looks the same. He works in Jakarta now, not too far away from my office, already had a family with one cute baby boy. I hope we could meet soon and reminisce the old time, because he kept saying, "Oh Gawd, you're so naive back then..don't you miss the old times?". Yes I do miss it, very much indeed.
Fast forward 10 years, suddenly this long lost friend sent me a message through myspace, and I was surprised to find that he still remembers me and how he still looks the same. He works in Jakarta now, not too far away from my office, already had a family with one cute baby boy. I hope we could meet soon and reminisce the old time, because he kept saying, "Oh Gawd, you're so naive back then..don't you miss the old times?". Yes I do miss it, very much indeed.
***This time, I would smack his head if he tried to 'alienate' me by talking in bahasa sunda again.
Tick Tock...
Couple of things that i learnt from the past years are:
least expected..well, good deeds done in the past surely making their way back to me.
oh, whatever...I'm getting old anyway.
1. I don't mind if people hate me as long as I don't have to hate anyone. Hatred feels bad in the heart, and it causes wrinkles
2. same thing goes to jealousy
3. Happiness is not difficult to pursue, you just need to really appreciate everything you already have.
4. Every problem always has solution. I do believe in this, thus no need to rant or start blaming others. Just do your work, and try to solve it yourself.
6. Forgiving is hard, but then it feels much better when you do forgive.
least expected..well, good deeds done in the past surely making their way back to me.
8. Love is not an infatuation.
9. By saying you love someone it means you're willing to to trust, tolerate, support, commit and act unselfishly.
10. Wearing sunscreen and eye cream from early age do prevent early sign of aging.
12. Never think you can escape zits after your senior prom.
oh, whatever...I'm getting old anyway.
Cheat sheet
"ugh, your hair is supercool, how can i get my hair to look like yours?"
me: "uhm, by not washing it for 4 days, never combing it, and use Baptiste dry shampoo whenever it feels greasy.."
me: "uhm, by not washing it for 4 days, never combing it, and use Baptiste dry shampoo whenever it feels greasy.."
I wish you could see her face when i told her that. My hair is not cool, it's awful and messy, and I'm too lazy to shampoo it...I wish there were 25 hours in a day so I could use the extra 1 hour to wash it, or maybe getting a haircut.
Paint the lips electric red
After years trying different shades of pink lipsticks and none suit my skin tone, i dared myself to try red and was hooked immediately. My skin is so pale, with little sign of life on it..i don't blush, I don't tan, I simply look pale and washed out even when under the sun and without SPF. Red lipstick brings life to my skin, it lits up my mood and my face, and my friends reckon no one else could look good in red lipstick (without looking prostitute-y) except me...uhmm and Dita Von Teese and Shirley Manson.
Because i only wear red, I've tested almost all brands that carry this colour, and here my best picks: Splash Lava Red (my true fave, no other brand makes this shade of tangerine red and it's super cheap. I even got emails from fans of my band asking about it), MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red (I smeared Ruby Woo using my finger to achieve the stained look and Russian Red is one of the best red lipstick on earth; it's matte without drying the lips and the colour is versatile enough for daytime), Chanel AQUALUMIÈRE Gloss in Party Red (I don't normally wear lip gloss, don't like the slicky and sticky feel of it on my lips and they don't last long, but this one is different, it's sheer and transparent but makes my lips pouty and kissable), and Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in Mid-tone Berry Red because the colour simply works for every skin tone and the packaging is too cute to be missed.
Without my red lipsticks i feel naked, they're like my security blanket and my trusted Little Black Dress. I can wear rags and still feel fabulous if i have my red lips.
Because i only wear red, I've tested almost all brands that carry this colour, and here my best picks: Splash Lava Red (my true fave, no other brand makes this shade of tangerine red and it's super cheap. I even got emails from fans of my band asking about it), MAC Ruby Woo and Russian Red (I smeared Ruby Woo using my finger to achieve the stained look and Russian Red is one of the best red lipstick on earth; it's matte without drying the lips and the colour is versatile enough for daytime), Chanel AQUALUMIÈRE Gloss in Party Red (I don't normally wear lip gloss, don't like the slicky and sticky feel of it on my lips and they don't last long, but this one is different, it's sheer and transparent but makes my lips pouty and kissable), and Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in Mid-tone Berry Red because the colour simply works for every skin tone and the packaging is too cute to be missed.
Without my red lipsticks i feel naked, they're like my security blanket and my trusted Little Black Dress. I can wear rags and still feel fabulous if i have my red lips.
Magic Pouch
Kalau banyak perempuan mengidamkan tas keluaran dari brand terkenal, keinginan terbesar saya adalah mendapatkan tas yang bisa muat segala macam barang dari handphone, agenda, charger laptop, makeup pouch, obat, majalah, dan tetek bengek lainnya, namun tidak menimbulkan rasa nyeri di bahu saat harus menentengnya seharian. Speaking of the impossible here..
Saat ini tas favorit saya ada dua buah, keduanya berjenis tote bag dengan ukuran yang cukup besar, satu terbuat dari kulit macam tutul sintetis dan yang satu lagi synthetic quilted leather warna hitam. Keduanya bisa memuat sejuta keperluan saya sehari-hari, semacam kantong ajaib Pak Janggut. Tapi setelah memakai tas tersebut seharian, di malam hari bahu dan punggung sebelah kanan saya akan linu-linu.
Kalau mengutip sebuah artikel di majalah Bazaar, itu adalah syndrom oversized IT bag, walaupun yang punya saya lebih tepat disebut sindrom oversized Cheap bag.
Pertanyaan seorang teman laki-laki saya sering membuat kesal, dibilangnya perempuan itu nggak praktis karena barangnya banyak sekali. Yah, tidak heran sih, soalnya laki-laki itu seringnya menitipkan handphone dan kunci mobi, bahkan dompet ke tas kami yang perempuan ini supaya saku celana ketat mereka tidak menggembung. Mendengar bantahan ini teman laki-laki saya berkelit bahwa saya lah yang harus mengurangi isi tas. Tentu saja usulan ini langsung mendapat penolakan keras dari saya. Isi tas perempuan = sebagian nyawa kami. Titik. Our messy bag is full of life, sometimes literally -one of my girlfriend found little roach living peacefully among leftover crackers in her Chanel bag, and another one carries her pet snake in her python tote bag, oh the irony of it-.
Perdebatan tentang tas ini dan pencarian saya akan the perfect bag that won't hurt my shoulder and my wallet masih terus berlangsung. Mungkin ini saatnya saya mempergunakan sedikit sisa ilmu desain produk yang saya timba di universitas untuk menciptakan tas impian saya. Somehow i suspect that guy who created Doraemon was inspired by his wife whinning the same thing.
ps: don't ever try to leave a comment if you only want to suggest backpack.
Saat ini tas favorit saya ada dua buah, keduanya berjenis tote bag dengan ukuran yang cukup besar, satu terbuat dari kulit macam tutul sintetis dan yang satu lagi synthetic quilted leather warna hitam. Keduanya bisa memuat sejuta keperluan saya sehari-hari, semacam kantong ajaib Pak Janggut. Tapi setelah memakai tas tersebut seharian, di malam hari bahu dan punggung sebelah kanan saya akan linu-linu.
Kalau mengutip sebuah artikel di majalah Bazaar, itu adalah syndrom oversized IT bag, walaupun yang punya saya lebih tepat disebut sindrom oversized Cheap bag.
Pertanyaan seorang teman laki-laki saya sering membuat kesal, dibilangnya perempuan itu nggak praktis karena barangnya banyak sekali. Yah, tidak heran sih, soalnya laki-laki itu seringnya menitipkan handphone dan kunci mobi, bahkan dompet ke tas kami yang perempuan ini supaya saku celana ketat mereka tidak menggembung. Mendengar bantahan ini teman laki-laki saya berkelit bahwa saya lah yang harus mengurangi isi tas. Tentu saja usulan ini langsung mendapat penolakan keras dari saya. Isi tas perempuan = sebagian nyawa kami. Titik. Our messy bag is full of life, sometimes literally -one of my girlfriend found little roach living peacefully among leftover crackers in her Chanel bag, and another one carries her pet snake in her python tote bag, oh the irony of it-.
Perdebatan tentang tas ini dan pencarian saya akan the perfect bag that won't hurt my shoulder and my wallet masih terus berlangsung. Mungkin ini saatnya saya mempergunakan sedikit sisa ilmu desain produk yang saya timba di universitas untuk menciptakan tas impian saya. Somehow i suspect that guy who created Doraemon was inspired by his wife whinning the same thing.
ps: don't ever try to leave a comment if you only want to suggest backpack.
Rockstar
Jarvis: I think stylists for bands should be illegal. The thing about a band, for me anyway, is that it isn't just to do with the music, it's to do with an attitude. The way a band looks has a lot to do with that. I expect a band to write their own songs, and I also expect them to dress themselves. I think it's cheating if you get someone else to do it for you. It just doesn't seem right to me. With Pulp we never had a uniform, it would have been physically impossible. We were never an elegant group.
I couldn't agree more. Kudos to Mr.Cocker
I couldn't agree more. Kudos to Mr.Cocker
Oh well..
i've just read a very interesting article about DNA in newsweek magazine. I was touched by these paragraphs:
"We cannot look at common diseases such as cancer as accident of evolution," says Kari Stefansson, president of the Icelandic genetic firm DeCode. "We may have been designed by evolution in a very complex manner for the sole purpose of making sure that we, eventually die."
If others find faith through religion, I find my faith through science. The more we know, the more complex it gets, thus makes me think that there's one absolute power above us by the name of God who creates all this beautiful complicated thing called life.
"We cannot look at common diseases such as cancer as accident of evolution," says Kari Stefansson, president of the Icelandic genetic firm DeCode. "We may have been designed by evolution in a very complex manner for the sole purpose of making sure that we, eventually die."
If others find faith through religion, I find my faith through science. The more we know, the more complex it gets, thus makes me think that there's one absolute power above us by the name of God who creates all this beautiful complicated thing called life.
I'm a Saint now
Yes, I am. Not that I'm changing my birth name, but my band's name is. Please check some of our tunes on www.myspace.com/santamonica if you're lazy enough to buy our CD (we have the Japan edition released by JVC Victor Records and the Korean edition by Dream On Records).
hoahm..
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