Next Show : Messier 24 At Kinosaurus, Aksara Kemang (December 12)

We are in Jakarta Globe's ''Local Bands to Watch in 2014" List

"With constant gigs around the city, it isn’t like Vague is an unknown entity.

Yet the post-hardcore trio deserves a shoutout for standing out within a crowded music landscape filled with bands that almost sound synonymous. Instead of basing their aesthetic around the dreary hollow drone of their peers, Vague’s emotions feel personal, delivered with a ferocious passion that affects without resorting to teenage drama.

Their sound will remind older music fans of old-school post-hardcore acts like Planes Mistaken for Stars and Jets to Brazil (as well as the inevitable Fugazi comparison), but Vague is about breaking things down even more, down to hardcore’s very, well, core.

Their songs send emotions straight to your gut. Next year will see their first actual record (as opposed to digital EPs), ensuring even more stages will experience the power that is Vague." 

-Marcel Thee-

That's what the article says. Some interesting descriptions there. I've never heard some of those comparisons before. Anyway, the list probably doesn't mean a lot but it's very cool to be lumped in with other talented bands/artists. Other band that 2/3 Vague members are in, Jirapah is also in the list. Our friends, Polka Wars, Barefood and Space System are also in it.

Here's a link to the full article : click here

Vague X Jirapah

So, this is something that Ken and I did the other night just for fun. We recorded a song using his equipment in his house. Bass and drums were all softwares. The song is based on something I wrote for Vague that wasn't quite finished yet. I did rhythm and clean vocals while Ken did lead guitar and the yelling. Fun fun fun.

Vague - Vague EP

Go here :  http://yesnowave.com/tt00022/ (artwork, lyrics, and liner notes are included)

Finally! We can happily say that our first "official" release is out! Vague EP is out on Tsefula/Tsefuelha Records through arguably the best netlabel Indonesian has right now, Yogjakarta-based Yes No Wave. For those of you who are still unfamiliar with Tsefula/Tsefuelha Records, i would suggest you to check them out. They have released music from artists such as Jirapah, Rayhan Sudrajat, Shorthand Phonetics, Papa Onta Cult and many more.

Vague EP has three songs on it, and they are the same songs that are on our demo. The difference is that we actually re-recorded those songs (and changed some parts here and there) and had it mixed and mastered 'properly'. It was recorded live with the vocals taken separately afterwards. 

I think the EP came out pretty good considering our lack of experience in recording. The vocals come through better, the drums are tighter and the bass has more character. The songs are the same, but the sound is a lot different. It's less raw and sloppy, but at the same time it has this dark lo-fi thing going on which i dig. Anyway, if you have listened to the EP, i hope you like it as much as the demo, if not more.

We would like to say heaps of thanks to Ababil Ashari of Shorthand Phonetics fame for taking his time to turn the EP into what it is. Also massive thanks to Akhmad Alfan Rahadi who has never stopped believing in Vague and having more faith in us more than we do. 

Also to friends and acquaintances who have come to our shows, downloaded our demo, gave us feedback or comments, or simply being supportive and awesome, thank you all! You know who you are. 

Internet Exposures

It is not often that people care about a little, unknown band like us. So we would like to say massive thanks to these guys for sparing a few words on us on their blogs or websites. Maybe some of you would be interested to see these publications. Please note that most of them are in Indonesian language.

Houtskools (Semarang Webzine) Issue 6 :

Check out Houtskools website here and their Twitter account here
























Wasted Rockers (November 6th 2011). Click here to go to the page.

Check out their wordpress here and Twitter account here
























Lemari Kota, a hardcore/punk Depok-based Webzine (November 18th 2011). Click here to go to the page.

Check out their blogspot here and Twitter account here
























And of course this shocking revelation about how we made it to Hujan Radio "12 Bands That Impressed Us in 2011" list along with bands like Payung Teduh and Sigmun. Crazy.

To see the complete list, go here. To check out Hujan Radio website, go here and here for their Twitter account.
























Also special thanks to these people/collectives :

• Alfan of Papa Onta Cult fame and majalahsintetik for this article
• Empetrinanindonesia for this post
• Ken Jenie/Jirapah for the plug on his interview with Jakarta Globe a while ago, here
• Whiteboard Journal, Deathrockstar and probably countless webzines who has helped spreading word out on some of the shows that we played on.
  
• Primitif Zine for their support from the very beginning.
• We Hum Collective, also for their support

Things We Do

Not that anyone particularly should care, but Vague consist of Adit on bass, Jan on drum, and me, Yudhis on guitar and vocals. Adit and occasionally, Jan does backup vocals. We all have day jobs and work full time. Vague is one of our few outlets that provides us freedom to do whatever we want, to actually create something of our own. It's an escape from our mundane 'normal' life at best and a silly attempt at our 'artistic' impulses at worst.

Adit also plays bass for Obsesif Kompulsif who plays thrash/grind. Check them out here : Obsesif Kompulsif myspace. Adit also runs Newbornfire zine, which focuses on local DIY punk/hardcore scene. Go here to have a read.

Jan fronts/sings for a youth-crew hardcore band, Raincoat. Here's their myspace page : Raincoat myspace

I'm in a new project called Clatter, which is largely an instrumental band. It's Battles/Slint/Toe/Yo La Tengo inspired. It's not really worth mentioning at this point since it's so premature.

Jan and I also help out our good friend, Ken Jenie with his project, Jirapah. Listen to it here : Jirapah myspace . I did a post on Jirapah on my own blog along with links to all its releases. Click here!

P.s. read this book and try to resist the urge to start your own band!